The Agra Test and the Politics of Peace

Like a typical short story with a stunning end and lingering impact, the Agra story was not really over with General Musharraf's midnight flight back home from Agra. There was no Agra accord after the summit, not even a joint statement. And ironically, this is precisely what has added more meat to the Agra story. If Vajpayee had contemplated Agra to be his diplomatic trump card on the eve of the crucial UP elections and yet another possible mid-term elections to the Lok Sabha, this trump card has already let him down. Truth be told, the Indian foreign policy establishment has seldom suffered another humiliating diplomatic disaster of this magnitude. In certain ways, the Agra fiasco could have a similar impact on India's saffron Nehru as the defeat in the 1962 war with China had on the non-saffron original.

Even by Vajpayee's own declining standards, the Agra initiative was simply no match to the Lahore coup he had pulled off in February 1999. If anything, the invitation looked rather suspect and intriguing from the outset after New Delhi's relentless rhetoric ruling out any dialogue with Pakistan, least of all with a military ruler. The fact that New Delhi after all chose to talk and thus lend a rare seal of legitimacy to the General-turned-President was therefore widely attributed to strings pulled by the not so invisible long hand of the self-appointed global police called the United States.

Having committed the original 'faux pas' of inviting the General, the Vajpayee government started hoping against hope that the symbolism of the visit would remain confined to the golden triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and not spill over into India's undisputed valley of death, repression and shame. It even made a foolhardy last-ditch attempt to test the world's credulity by claiming that it was talking everything under the sun except Kashmir to the General. But the world knows better and the ill-kept secrets have started tumbling out from the guarded corridors of high diplomacy to the everyday thoroughfare of public debate. Between an eager Musharraf and a reluctant Vajpayee (the saffronised media would say a garrulous dictator and a reticent statesman), the world has had little difficulty in judging who has the upper hand in the terrain of diplomacy.

Unlike Pokhran or Lahore, there is clearly no euphoria over Agra. While the chauvinists are happy to have scuttled a possible 'sellout', the opposition cannot think of a more serious plank of critiquing Agra except on grounds of inefficient media management or insufficient diplomatic homework. This is understandable. When it comes to matters of foreign policy or a sensitive subject like Kashmir which is a test case for both India's domestic as well as foreign policy approaches, the entire spectrum of bourgeois parties and even large sections of the opportunist Left have a shameful record of speaking the same language.

The issue is not just an empty declaration. That way it is better that Agra has not followed Lahore or Simla to produce yet another misleading script of peace based on the logic of war. It is not bad that Agra has highlighted the differences between the two versions of the Indo-Pak story. What needs to be understood in clear terms is that these differences cannot be resolved by merely quibbling over semantics or tinkering with phrases. What is imperative for peace is nothing short of a paradigm shift in India's Kashmir and Pakistan policies. The very mindset that holds that Pakistan is on the brink of failure as a nation and a state, and that India can deliver in 2001 the diplomatic equivalent of the 1971 military blow called Bangladesh is inimical to the politics of peace. If on Bangladesh truth and reality were against Pakistan, with regard to Kashmir they are increasingly not with India, what with the growing saffronisation of the Indian polity.

Agra has identified the challenge on both sides of the border. The thread now has to be picked up in terms of a serious and concerted struggle for peace, for an alternative political paradigm that is not at war with peace.

CPI(ML) Demands Resignation of Yashwant Sinha

Party in a statement said that it is high time the Finance Minister owned full responsibility of one after another scams in banking and finance sector and resigned from the post. Only then a genuine probe into these scams can be fruitful for the nation. The Party said that the whole finance system is governed by the Finance Ministry and persons like UTI ex-chairman PS Subramaniam are just pawns. Similar was the case with BP Verma, chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs, who was appointed to the post by PMO's intervention despite his shady record and ended up with scam worth cores of rupees. The fact that such men were appointed on crucial posts and they were allowed to ruin institutions like UTI is the ugliest proof of administrative and financial bungling by Vajpayee Govt.

Party Sternly Opposed Military Pact with USA

Sternly opposing the steadily growing military agreements between Bush administration and the saffron regime in India, and attempts to revive the Indo-US defence planning group, Party said that such steps will increase the American intervention in Indian military affairs and consequently Indian military independence will be endangered. The Party observed that this surrender by Vajpayee government before the US interests will clear the path of establishing a de facto American base on Indian soil, which will further isolate India from her neighbours.

Party condemns Centre and State for Callousness in Handling Orissa Floods

Party has expressed deep concern on devastating flood situation in Orissa and the loss of lives and property as its consequence. However, the Party said that while every year Orissa becomes victim to the same vagaries of cyclone and drought, government never takes preventive measures and all the relief plans by the Centre and the State just prove to be miserably inadequate. The marooned folks are left to fend for themselves and government temporarily ceases to function. Party has directed all its committees to join relief operations and do whatever they can to help the victims.

Fight against Draconian Home Ministry Order Not Over

Recently the Supreme Court has summarily rejected, without giving any reason, the writ petition challenging the circulars of the Central Govt. by which prior approval is to be obtained from the Ministry of Home Affairs in regard to international conferences to be organised by Indian NGOs, associations, universities, even with regard to subjects of human rights. Approval is to be obtained from Ministry of External Affairs also if the participants are from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China and Pakistan. According to noted civil libertarian Rajinder Sachar, ex-Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, who was the advocate pleading the case, "It has revived the debate about the effectiveness of the Judiciary in safeguarding the fundamental right of freedom of speech guaranteed to the citizens of the country and has occasioned the caustic comment that while legislatures are one generation behind public opinion, the Judiciary is one generation behind the legislature." Mr Sachar has cautioned, "The govt. would be mistaken if it assumes the challenge to such patently illegal circulars has ended. The reason is that the Supreme Court in several decisions has ruled that dismissal of a petition at the preliminary hearing without giving any reason is neither a res judicata nor binding as a precedent under Article 141 of the Constitution, and could be challenged in fresh proceedings before the High Courts or Supreme Court."

BJP Bigwigs Had Hand in Scams

It has come to light that on January 31, Prime Minister Vajpayee laid the foundation stone for a software technology park (STP) that was promoted by Johari group of Lucknow, the promoter of Cyber Space Infosys Limited. The UP govt. has 26% shares in the STP and it was Ram Prakash Gupta, the RSS man crowned chief minister of UP who had put pressure on Prime Minister to inaugurate the STP. The same Johari brothers had also promoted Century Consultants Ltd., through which they got involved in brokerage in stock markets at Lucknow and Mumbai. They also collected fixed deposits and money from the public for a "badla interest scheme" which was used to finance share market activities. The fact the Prime minister is inaugurating the venture promoted by the company considerably reinforced its credibility and as a consequence many small investors had invested the money in the scheme. The share price of Cyber Space Infosys was in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,600 last year. However, with meltdown of technology they crashed and Joharis could not cope with their liabilities. It was around this time that the shares of this company were purchased by UTI at the behest of its chairman, which later turned into scrap. In March, Joharis absconded from Lucknow and Mumbai and were caught in Kalimpong in West Bengal after the case was handed over to CBI. Another case against the Joharis relates to a fraud of approximately Rs 32 crore from the City Corporation Bank, Lucknow. (Based on The Hindu, 24 July, 2001)

Revenue Fell in the First Quarter of Current Fiscal

There is a steep fall of 12.89% in revenue collections across the board in the first quarter of the current fiscal year (April-June, 2001). This has been largely due to 62.93% fall in corporate tax earning (from Rs 4,686.39 crore during April-June last year to Rs 1737.11 crore this year). The lower corporate tax collection is partly due to reduction in rates of dividend taxes and other concessions. As per the latest revenue collection data released by the Finance Ministry, indirect tax collection during April-June 2001 witnessed a shortfall of 27.95% compared to last year and stood at Rs 7,718.16 crore. Total collection of all direct and indirect taxes during April-June 2001 were to the tune of Rs 32,418.89 crore as against Rs. 37,217.16 crore in the corresponding period last year. The collection of Customs in the quarter ending June 2001 is Rs 9,368.44 crore as against Rs. 11,284 crore in the same period last year, registering a drop of 16.98%. As regards collection of excise duties, it remained stangnant at Rs 14,377 crore during April-June 2001 (Rs 14,350 crore last year). Decline in Customs is due to steep drop in imports and stagnancy in excise duty is a result of the general slow down in the economy. The growth of the manufacturing activity during the quarter is reported to be very low. (The Hindustan Times, 21 July 2001)

Peasant Meeting at Chandauli in UP

A large mass meeting, attended by around 2,000 people, was held by CPI(ML) on 13 July at Chandauli in U.P. on the question of land, freedom, wages to agrarian labour, employment and democracy. The meeting was addressed by Party State Secy. Com. Akhilendra Pratap Singh and other leaders. Under mass pressure, the DM had to come at the meeting place and receive the memorandum. It was declared at the meeting that rail blockade will be held on 9 August at Mughalsarai railway station on the demand of India's coming out of WTO.

Party Investigation Team to Siddharth nagar in UP

Party has sent an investigation team under the leadership of peasant leader Mahesh Singh to Bairwas village of Lotan PS in Siddhartha Nagar of U.P. Party State Committee has said that when assembly elections in the state are nearing, BJP is on the one hand trying to mobilise upper caste feudal forces and on the other hand fanning up incident for the purpose of intensifying communal divide.

Demonstration in Delhi

Party's Patparganj unit organised a march and held a demonstration on 21 July before the local MLA's residence on the problems faced by slumdwellers, such as water and sanitation facilities, as well as corruption in PDS, increasing police atrocities, criminalisation and the proposed 50% increase in bus fare. The demonstration was addessed by Com. Sunita, East Delhi District Committee secy., AICCTU Office Secy. Com. Himmat Singh, Patparganj secy. Com. Shashibhushan, Madhunisha and others.

JSM Holds Poetry Recital by Manoj Sharma

Delhi unit of Jan Sanskriti Manch organised a poetry recital by Manoj Sharma on 15 July at State Party office. Besides his Hindi poems "I'll come back" and "The Sea", Manoj also read out his Punjabi poem "Childhood acts". After this, Manoj enlightened the gathering on Pash. In this context he also shed light on revolutionary fervour in Pash's prose.

U.P. Govt. Bows Down to Student's Movement

The student movement launched jointly by AISA, Allahabad University Students Union and other students organisations opposing threefold hike in fees scored partial success when following tripartite talks between the govt., university administration and student leaders on 18 July, the Jt. Commissioner of Allahabad declared one-fourth cut in fees. However, this was rejected by AISA and student organisation belonging to SP, who asserted that the student movement will continue and admission be blocked till the fee hike is not withdrawn completely.

Consequently when on 19 July, AISA activists started agitation the police conducted lathicharge. Girl students held demonstration to block admission on hiked fee. AISA state secy. Com. Ajit Singh Yadav, Arvind Singh, Om Prakash Pal, etc. were arrested and sent to jail. In protest, Lucknow University unit of AISA observed black day in the campus and burnt the effigy of UP chief minister Rajnath Singh.

Earlier on 17 July, the Lucknow University unit of AISA burnt the effigy of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee opposing the formal inclusion of astrology and religious rites in the university syllabus.

Probe into US-64 Scam

Govt. has appointed a panel to investigate the redemption of US-64 units in April-May 2001 and breach of confidentiality, because it is during these two months that US-64 witnessed redemption of Rs 4,151 crore. Large corporate houses, including Reliance, Videocon, Bombay Dyeing, Bajaj Auto and others made more than 90 per cent of these redemptions. These redemptions were made at Rs 14.20 to Rs 14.50 per unit in these two months. As against this, the new redemption price is Rs 10 per unit, and the limit is 3000 units. The panel will also investigate the involvement of UTI in Calcutta exchange payment crisis in February-march 2001, during the stock scam. UTI had made purchases of more than Rs 55 crores in four scrips in second week of March 2001. These four scrips include Ketan Parekh favorites HFCL, Zee Telefilms, Global Telesystems and DSQ Software were auctioned by the Calcutta Stock Exchange.

Movement against Eviction in Kolkata

"We are born and brought up here, we play and do our study here, our fathers spent their childhood here, yet we are being evicted by State Govt. and Kolkata Municipal Corporation in the name of modernising and beautifying the city without any rehabilitiation programme for ourselves. We are for city devolopment, but we demand rehabilitation.", said Kalpana Pradhan, a school girl, before a huge gathering at Rani Rasmoni Road, Kolkata. Kalpana was among those 500 children, aged between 7 to 14, residing in the vicinity of Tolly Nullah marching to Mahakaran in the street of Kolkata in the demand of rehabilitiation. They were accompanied by their family members in this march. They were stopped by the police at Rani Rasmoni Road where it turned into a mass meeting and boys and girls became speakers which drew attention of the public and it became a large gathering. Children wanted to meet chief minister, but being refused, they handed over a memorandum to the Govt. representative. The programme was organised by Joint Forum against Eviction of Inhibitants of Tolly Nullah. Com. Prabir Das, Kolkata district committee member of the party, one of the organisers of the movement, also spoke before the gathering.

State Govt. and Kolkata Municipal Corporation are desperate to evict the marginalised poor people like hawkers, slum-dwellers etc. from Kolkata in the name of modernising and beautifying the city without any rehabilitation scheme for the evicted people. This has given birth to protest and movement by the victims and it has also obtained the sympathy and support of the democratic-minded people of Kolkata. Meanwhile, a Joint Forum Against Eviction has been formed comprising different hawkers and slum dwellers organisations, where we are also an important constituent. The Joint Jorum has decided to stage a sit-in-demonstration for 36 hours in the heart of the city and then a massive procession ( Maha Michhil ) of 10,000 people on the coming 10 August.

Historical Protest Against G-8 in Genoa

The three-day G-8 "millennium" summit was held from July 20 to 22 in the 13th century mediaval palace of hilly-mediterranean port city of Genoa in Italy. Confronted with the 150,000 strong, most militant protest in the 18-month run up of anti-globalisation movements. For the first time in 23 summits, simultaneous demonstrations were held across Europe and North America, exhibiting more militancy. Unprecedented workers' mobilisation combined with the community solidarity displayed in Genoa during the march following the killing of Carlo Guiliani, the first martyr from the rich 7 in anti-globalisation movements and beginning of a healthy debate among the protestors on the question of tactics, are the aspects which differentiate Genoa from the whole range of agitations from Seattle to Barcelona.

Protestors at the Summit believed that the G-8 summits are fundamentally undemocratic, because the world's rich countries are taking decisions that affect the vast majority who have no say. The rich countries were not willing to go further in providing debt relief for the world's poorest countries. In spite of tall summit claims to "make globalisation work" for "the world's poor", it is well known fact that the oil crisis has pushed the world including rich countries into recession. So, the summit was condemned to be an exercise in shifting of burden, whether by the US on Europe and Japan or by the rich conglomerate on poorer countries. Moreover, trade decisions so far taken by the G-8 in encouraging poor countries to open their markets to foreign multinationals, and encouraging free trade talks, have only led to further impoverishment of those countries. Protestors also objected to the failure of the rich countries to reach agreement on environmental objectives, especially after the US decision to withdraw from the climate change treaty.

Protesters belonged to some 200 groups, including Genoa Social Forum, the main organiser, ATTAC!, an international pressure group for a more equal distribution of wealth, Drop the Debt, a London-based international movement to cancel debts of the world's poorest countries, Ya Basta!, Italian radical anti-globalisation group, Globalise Resistance!, a British-based socialist organisation, Indymedia, an independent media organisation, and Tute Bianchi (White Overalls), an Italian-based direct action group. Their three-day protest programme included 'Migrants' international march' on 19 July, 'Day of action' on 20 July, when protesters would try to enter red zone, and 'International march' on 21 July.

To counter these agitations, the police had already sealed off the city, with the airport closed and a "ring of steel" formed around the city centre. The airport, harbour and several roads were closed much before the beginning of the summit. More than 15,000 riot police, armed with tear gas and water cannons, was patrolling Genoa's streets. Days before the summit started, a 'red zone' high security area was completely closed off the old port. A wider 'yellow zone' was closed to protesters. Helicopters and surface-to-air missiles were placed at the city's airport. A six-metre barricade was erected around the red zone, guarded by 20,000 police and troops. In addition, arrangements were made so that G-8 leaders can retreat on ships in the harbour to avoid trouble. On all this, a taxi-driver in Genoa observed, "Not even during the Nazis did people have to put up with this."

On 19 July, 'Migrants international march' passed off peacefully but on 'Day of action' on 20 July, protestors tried to break through the "red zone". Water cannons, teargas shells etc. were used at random by the police. The city of Genoa looked like a "war zone". When police was deliberately reversing the Jeep into the crowd, Carlo Guiliani, a history student and son of trade union leader in Genoa, tried to defend himself when the police shot him twice at point blank range and then his body was run over by the Jeep repeatedly to make sure he was dead. Another protestor, who was shot, is critical. A French woman protestor were also killed at the Italian border. Reports from Genoa indicated that the police raided hospitals and arrested injured protestors and holding them, without granting them access to lawyers. The police also unleashed fascist gangs who attacked protesters in the streets.

Protesting the Genoa killing, demonstrations took place in London, Switzerland, Canada, etc., where agitated processionists smashed windows of Italian embassies and liaison offices. In Turkey, the demonstrators described G-8 as "G-8 vampires". In Lyon, France, a G-7 monument was defaced. In Bonn, Germany where UN is holding talks on Kyoto Protocol, 2000 demonstrators observed silence.

Back home from Genoa, Blair's unsparing condemnation of Genoa protestors and unqualified praise for the Italian police was rebuffed by his European minister Peter Hain's equally sharp criticism of Italian police handling of the protest which led to the killing of Carlo. However, even during the summit French president admitted, "there is no demonstration drawing 100,000-150,000 people without having a valid reason."