CPI(ML) HOME Vol.4, No.14 April 4, 2001

 

In this Issue:

Correction
In the news under heading "Bandh in three districts against police atrocities", appearing on p. 2 col. 2 of last issue (Vol. 4, No. 13) of ML Update, it is wrongly reported that CPI withdrew from the Bandh call. In fact CPI did participate in the bandh. The error is regretted.-Ed.
Editorial...

Bull in the Feel-Good Euphoria Shop

We are witnessing an era of earthquakes. If Gujarat was a natural calmaity, tehelka came as a political calamity and now crash in the capital market has come up as a financial calamity which has shown how vulnerable our nation has become to these 'seismic' disasters. There was a belief that high stock prices - albeit pushed up irrationally - can generate a feel-good factor and therefore boost the economy. These hopes dashed to the ground in just two days after an acclaimed union budget. What else is needed as a proof of wrecklessness of liberalisation process - thousands of small investors lost their hard-earned money in no time. It is reported that 9 investors, some even along with their families, committed suicide because they could no foresee how to pay back their clients following the crash.

The govt. has cut the interest rates on small-scale saving by 1.5%, reduced interest rates on provident fund in two successive budgets from 12% to 9.5%. Bank interests have been reduced several times in the past ten years. The govt. is committed to drive away small savings into the stock markets. The logic: the capitalists unable to collect money from lean stock markets have to rely on bank loans incurred at high interest rates. Hence, the budget appoach was lauded by both capitalists and share markets. As the finance minister was reading his budget speech in Parliament, Sensex was rising with leaps and bounds. But then, suddenly everything went wrong.

On March 2, contrary to the Finance Minister's media hype of having presented a dream budget for the corporate world, the Sensex fell by 178 points, and then kept falling; particularly on March 12, it fell by a whopping 227 points. From a high of 5,883 on February 22 last year, the Sensex by March 26 had fallen below 3,500. By the time Yashwant Sinha woke up from his nightmare, a huge payment crisis was looking in his face. Salvaging measures, charging into the market with new regulations and conducting raids by CBI etc. caused further illiquidity in the system and an even greater crisis ensued which would probably continue in the months to come.

If the first generation of reforms produced a Harshad Mehta in 1992, the second generation did not lag behind in producing a Ketan Parekh. The farce seems to be harsher than the tragedy. Everybody knew that Indian stock market is the most rigged or manipulated in the world. Its bull session and bear slide are regularly organised. But no efforts were taken to clean the mess because total volume of trading on the BSE and NSE (taken together) had gone up from Rs.1,183 billion in 1995-96 to Rs.4,172 billion in 1996-97, to Rs. 5,775 billion in 1997-98 and to Rs.7,253 billion in 1998-99. A six-and-a-half fold increase in just three years! The baloon was being inflated beyond the limit and only a pinprick was needed. It came. Of the 2 crore investors in India, the real losers are the petty ones who, by default, are only long term investors, because having got in they cannot afford to get out. The current system in the stock market is highly polluted with money laundering operations, insider trading, price rigging by certain corporate houses and some plain fraud. The broker-bureaucrat-politician nexus provides protection for the embezzlement that takes place from time to time. Of late, foreign based dons and drug mafia have entered to collaborate with this nexus. They all receive funds from the safe conduit of rigging in the stock markets. Consequently Mumbai Stock Exchange this time had to suffer huge loss of Rs. 30,000 crore. In total the crash has taken a toll of whopping Rs. 5 lakh crore!

Esteemed companies have their own role in this game. Reliance Industries Ltd. raised Rs.1,000 cr. by a fresh public issue, parked the funds at zero interest as loans with 250 family-owned shell companies, the companies then went back to the stock market and bought RIL shares to jack up its prices. And then there is UTI, which has sqandered thousands of crores of rupees to favour a few corporate barons and thus betrayed the trust of the ordinary investors.

The neo-liberal reforms are thus taking their toll from the middle class investors, who are being simply robbed of their hard-saved money. But this in its turn is drawing the collapse of the grotesque system nearer. If such frauds tend to dispel the petty investors from capital market, the explosion of the stock bubble is not far off.

News from Fields of struggles...

Party Opposes Lifting of Quantitative Restrictions

CPI(ML) strongly opposed the lifting of quantitative restrictions (QRs) on the import of 715 items on April 1 as a part of the new exim policy. Reacting to the exim policy 2001-02, Party said, "Dismantling of the system of QRs will further spell doom for the Indian economy, both in agriculture and in industry. It will particulary affect the peasantry, besides compromising the self-reliance on food and interests of the poor." The Party said that the first and foremost task is to resist and defeat the ongoing ruthless process of mass annihilation of the means of livelihood of the vast masses of the toiling people. Therefore, the WTO-propelled integration of Indian agriculture and industry with the global market must be not only halted but rolled back. Our right to resort to quantitative restrictions to curb or ban imports must be fully preserved and exercised."

Tributes Paid to Economist Pradhan H Prasad

CPI(ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya, while paying rich tributes to the recently departed economist Pradhan Harishankar Prasad, said "He was a committed Marxist economist who always stood in solidarity with Bihar's revolutionary peasant movement and anti-imperialist movement." The Bihar State Committee of CPI(ML) has in its tribute said that Pradhan H Prasad will be remembered forever as an important intellectual committed to human rights and secularism, who had a dream of radical change in Bihar.

Panchayat Polls in Bihar

Party's Bihar State Committee in its meeting held on 28-30 March in Patna revealed that according to the reports received so far, Party has sponsored 242 candidates for the post of District Councillor, 1,506 candidates for Mukhiya, 1,287 candidates for Panchayat Samiti and 6,729 candidates for Ward Member. In the meantime 961 candidates for Ward Member and 6 candidates for Panchayat Samiti have been declared elected unopposed.

Arrest Killers of Chandrashekhar : CBI Office Gherao in Delhi on 30 March

CPI(ML) charged both the BJP-led Central govt and RJD-Congress(I) government in Bihar for continuing with political patronage to the notorious mafia gangster and RJD MP from Siwan, Md. Shahabuddin. The Party demanded that the CBI, which began its investigation into Chandrashekhar murder case in July 1997, must make its progress report public immediately.

In order to launch afresh a nationwide campaign on this issue, AISA and RYA decided to observe the 4th martyrdom day of Com. Chandrashekhar and Shyam Narain Yadav this year falling on 31 March, by staging gherao of CBI headquarters in Delhi on 30 March. Hundreds of students and youth from Delhi, Punjab and Uttarakhand held a militant protest demonstration at the CBI headquarters at CGO Complex in Delhi. Police resorted to lathicharge and arrest the protestors in order to disperse them, but the student-youth did not move away from the protest site. They held a protest meeting there and later a six-member AISA-RYA delegation comprising Kavita Krishnan, President of AISA, Mithilesh Yadav, President of RYA, Indresh Maikhuri, President of Garhwal University Students Union, Uttarakhand AISA leader KK Vora, Punjab AISA leader Harbhagwan Singh and JNU student leader Manisha, met the Joint Director of CBI and handed over a memorandum to him. The memorandum says, "The protest against the murder of Chandrashekhar showed that for a widespread section of civil society in India, the movement against the nexus of politics and crime in Siwan has become a test case for India's democracy. As long as the CBI continues to succumb to political pressure and shield Shahabuddin, public pressure will continue to mount on CBI, demanding justice against Chandrashekhar's killers. We would like to register our strong protest against the biased inaction of the CBI, and to demand that the CBI, in the interest of justice, must chargesheet and arrest Shahabuddin without delay."

Convention on 'Challenges Before Democracy' in U.P.

Protesting Bhawanipur massacre and violent incidents in Kanpur, CPI(ML) organised a convention in Lucknow on 26 March on "BJP's Police Raj : Challenges before Democracy" at Darulshafa Hall in Lucknow. It was presided over by veteran Party leader Com. RN Upadhyay. Addressing the convention Com. Akhilendra Pratap Singh said that the Rajnath Singh govt., which itself is composed of criminals and mafia elements, has resorted to Bhawanipur carnage and massacre of minorities in Kanpur only to cover up the already shattered law and order situation in the state. This govt. has no right to stay in power even for a single day. The Leader of Opposition in UP Assembly Ahmad Hassan said that the culprits of Bhawanipur carnage must be arrested, tried under sec. 302 and sent to jail immediately. Mr. Nihaluddin, president of All-India Muslim Forum said that the BJP govt. of UP has handed over the entire state to the police and finished even the minimum democratic rights. If minorities and toiling people have no right to express their minimum protest, how this democracy will survive? Conducted by Distt. Party Secy. Ajanta Lohit, the convention was also addressed by renowned cultural activist KN Kakkar, senior journalist Akhilesh Mishra, Profesor of Jamila Millia University Dr. Ashfaq, veteran peasant leader Pratap Kumar Tandon, RYA Gen. Secy. Lal Bahadur Singh, Gen. Secy. of Jan Sanskriti Manch Ajay Singh and IPTA Gen. Secy. Rakesh. A joint investigation report of CPI(ML)-All-India Muslim Forum on violent incidents in Kanpur and another report on Bhawanipur carnage was presented in the beginning of the programme.

Senior left leaders and cultural activists will issue an appeal against BJP Govt.'s attacks on democratic rights. A massive dharna will be organised in April with the commencement of the Budget session of UP Assembly in which resignation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Rajnath Singh will be demanded on the question of corruption and violation of democratic rights. A booklet on the incidents of Bhawanipur and Kanpur as well as other incidents of killing and repression under BJP rule in UP will also be released soon.

Nationwide Protest against Lifting of QRs

Kisan March against new Exim policy in Bihar

Against anti-national Exim policy lifting Quantitative Restrictions (QRs) on 715 items, many of which are related to domestic small and cottage industries, protest day was observed throughout Bihar and protest marches, demonstrations, street corner meetings etc. were organised. On 1 and 2 April these programmes were held in Bhojpur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Buxar, Kaimur, Nalanda, Nawada, Siwan, Gopalganj, and Muzaffarpur. In Patna, a massive kisan march led by Com. Rajaram Singh, convenor of Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha and Com. Rameshwar Prasad, convenor of Bihar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha was taken out on 2 April, raising slogans "Withdraw anti-national, anti-peasant agricultural policy and the new Exim policy".

CPI(ML) Protest in Karnal, Haryana

CPI(ML) activists and sympathisers took out a procession in Karnal on 1 April to protest anti-peasant policies and lifting of QRs on 715 items. Raising slogans "Lutera Bhagao, Krishi Bachao", it started from Karna Park and reached Ghantaghar. The mass meeting was addressed by Com. Prem Singh, incharge of Haryana Party organisation, who said that India will be reduced to a dumping ground of foreign goods as a result of lifting the QRs, and it will affect not only our agriculture but small-scale agro-based industries as well. Other leaders in the procession included Com. Ram Kishan, Karmvir Rana, Sushma, Mahendra Chopra and Laxmi Devi.

Procession in Mansa, Punjab

Protesting against imposition of WTO conditions and lifting QRs, Party along with other left parties and BKU(Ekta) held a demonstration at district headquarters in Mansa of Punjab on 1 April. Effigies of BJP-led Union government and WTO were also burnt. Com. Rajvinder Rana, Secy. of Party's Punjab unit, Sukhdarshan Natt and others addressed the demonstrators.

Protest in Jaipur and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan

A joint programme protesting against Vajpayee Govt's anti-farmer agricultural policy and imposition of WTO conditions was taken up jointly by CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M), MCPI and other organisations in Jaipur. Com. Srilata Swaminathan addressed the gathering. In Jhunjhunu, Com. Mahendra Singh, State Party Secy. led a procession of more than 300 party activists and peasant sympathisers opposing the lifting of QRs and other anti-peasant measures of Union and State governments.

Dharna against Lifting of QRs in Bareilly, UP

Protesting against anti-peasant conditionalities made by Vajpayee Govt. under WTO, intellectuals, students and social-political activists staged a dharna before Bareilly district collectorate on 31 March under the banner of "Social Alliance". It was led by convenor Dr. Javed Abdul Wajid, professor of Bareilly College.

In Memory of Chandrashekhar

"In the memory of Chandrashekhar, the mirror of Siwan" was the topic of a seminar organised at IMA Hall in Patna by Chandrashekhar Smriti Andolan on 2 April. Addressing the seminar Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya, said that Chandrashekhar's memory will remain unfulfilled if we forget the killers. It is an irony of fate that the killer of Chandrashekhar is appearing in an interview to a local paper in Patna. Today one either sides with police or with Shahabuddin, but I stand with the people of Siwan, with truth and democracy. He demanded thorough inquiry of Pratappur incident because the Centre and the whole of opposition is busy in rescuing the culprits. Eminent poets Arun Kamal, Madan Kashyap and Alokdhanwa and noted dramatist Prasanna also addressed the seminar. Arun Kamal said that if government cannot provide security we will have to take up arms. Madan Kashyap said that the true face of democracy has been revealed in Siwan. Alokdhanwa said that fascist forces are raising their head and innocent people are killed in dark nights. The truth behind massacres must be brought before people and all left parties will have to come together.

AISA-RYA Dharna before UP Assembly in Lucknow

AISA and RYA jointly staged a dharna before UP Assembly in Lucknow on 31 March on the demand of making the progress report of CBI inquiry public. In Kanpur, RYA sent a memorandum to CBI chief demanding completion of the probe and punishment to the killers.

Indefinite Dharna at DM Office in Kanpur

CPI(ML) staged an indefinite dharna at Ram Asre Park in Kanpur demanding judicial inquiry into the violence in Kanpur on 16-18 March. The joint investigation team of CPI(ML) and All-India Muslim Forum has revealed that the violence was not a communal riot but one-sided action by PAC targetting minority community. CPI(ML) has held Rajnath Singh govt. and Sangh Parivar responisble for the violence in Kanpur.

Mass Meeting at NOIDA

Local Party unit of NOIDA, (Gautam Buddha Nagar), held a mass meeting on 25 March at Sector-10 to expose before the toiling people the trecherous role of Vajpayee govt. as revealed by Tehelka episode. Speakers said that the proposal to hold inquiry by a retired Supreme Court judge is merely an eyewash, the govt. must resign first. The meeting was addressed by RYA President Com. Mithilesh Yadav, AICCTU Secy. Com. Ranjan Ganguli, Delhi Party leaders Com. Sunita, Shashibhushan and local leaders Com. Ramichand, Phuldev and others.

"Desh Bachao March" in Muzaffarpur

A 'Desh Bachao March' was taken out under Party banner on 19 March in Muzaffarpur in Bihar. Starting from Party office, the procession covered the main streets reverberating slogans such as "Stop pretending patriotism, Sangh Parivar's treachery stands exposed now", "saffron middlemen of defence deals, step down from government". Protestors demanded resignation of Atal Bihari and arrest of Bangaru Laxman and George Fernandes. It was led by Muzaffarpur City Party Committee Secy. Com. Krishnamohan, Distt. Committee member Jitendra Yadav, Shatrughna Sahni, Zanbaz Ali and others.

A Long March in Mexico

From Lacandona jungle to Maxico City on February 27, Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) started its caravan in the province of Chiapas, set off for Mexico City to announce a new stage of struggle. Headed by Subcomandante Marcos, masked but not armed, the EZLN embarked on its two week long march covering 12 states, countless towns and villages. The rebels have succeeded in galvanizing public support accompanying the numourous protest rallies en route, including a stop-over to participate in 10,000 strong indigenous congress. When the rebels rode into Mexico City, more than three lakh Mexican people were eagerly waiting to receive them. It proved that it was not just a movement of indigenous people, but truly a Mexican national movement. This marks the first popular protest since Fox became president, whose main election promise was to solve the indigenous people's problems. In December 2000, after unseating 8 decades-old authoritarian rule of the Party of Institutionalised Revolution.

Public opinion polls show that more than 75% people support Zapatista. In its bold action, Zapatista acted as a magnet for Mexico's 56 major indigenous groups consisting 11% of Mexico's population. The popular support checked the rightist hysteria and made the new regime unable to oppose the march. On 1 January 1994, popular uprising in Chiapas began as a fitting response to NAFTA and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation was born. The purpose of this caravan was for the non-negotiable constitutional recognition of indigenous rights and culture and ending racial discrimination,besides the demand for land, demiliteraisation of Chiapas, enlargement of space for democratic action and for a new theory of democracy in Mexico. "It is time that Fox and those he serves to listen and to listen to us." Marcos said. But the Mexican big bourgeoisie and American government do not want to listen to Zapatistas. However, this historic march marked a new stage in the Mexican form of left popular movement against the forces of neo-liberalism.

Anti-Crime March in Siwan

Shouting slogans "We vow by the red flag to avenge the martyr's blood", "Hang the killers of Chandrashekhar" and "We will fulfil the dreams of Chandrashekhar and Shyam Narain Yadav", thousands of youth and students from various parts of Bihar participated in "Anti-Crime March" on the 4th anniversary of martyrdom of Chandrashekhar and Shyam Narain Yadav on 31 March. Party, AISA and RYA activists gathered in Siwan. They, along with Chandrashekhar's mother Kaushalya Devi, paid floral tributes to the martyr's column erected at Bindusar, his home village. The procession starting from there covered main streets of Siwan to reach JP Chowk, the place where Chandrashekhar and Shyam Narain Yadav embraced martyrdom, and a mass meeting was held at the nearby Middle School ground. The march was led by Com. Ramjatan Sharma, State Party Secy., Com. Amarnath Yadav, ex-MLA of Darauli, Com. Satyadev Ram, MLA from Mairwa, Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha Convenor Com. Rajaram Singh, AISA State President Dhananjay Sharma and RYA State President Kamlesh Sharma. Speakers said the BJP, Samata and RJD have colluded in saving the criminals led by Shahabuddin following the Pratappur incident and demanded immediate arrest of Shahabuddin and all his accomplices.

 

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