Scrap POTO!
Stop this Slaughter of Democracy!!

TADA is here again. Ever since the BJP came to power it had been looking for an opportunity to resurrect this draconian piece of legislation. Advani has all along been lamenting the alleged 'softness' of the Indian state and swearing to make it 'hard' or 'effective' by all means. Attempts were made to amend the Criminal Law framework in the country in such a way that all the draconian features of a TADA could be permanently incorporated into it. The BJP government at the Centre however could not push through these measures in view of powerful countrywide opposition. Now using the 'war against terrorism' as a shield, it has come up with a new ordinance which resurrects TADA in all its ugly, obnoxious, repressive essence.

The so-called Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance 2001 promulgated on October 24 arms the state with excessive and extraordinary powers to curb the political liberty and fundamental rights of a citizen on grounds, however dubious and flimsy, of being a perpetrator or abettor of terrorism. The Ordinance can be invoked under all circumstances and it provides for detention without trial with a free hand to the police to concoct evidence and keep the detainee in police custody. Intercepted telephone calls, fax messages and e-mails have also been brought within the ambit of admissible evidence. In short, the new ordinance is based on the Bush doctrine of war. Just as Bush claims his 'global right' to target any country as terrorist and has openly declared that countries not siding with the US will be construed to be abetting terrorism, POTO has granted similar 'national right' to Mr. Advani in respect of the Indian citizenry. Any citizen who incurs the displeasure of the Sangh Parivar and the state by expressing dissent on any count is liable to be accused of abetting terrorism and booked under this draconian ordinance.

The wound inflicted by TADA is still too recent and raw for the country to forget. Between 1987 and 1995, more than 75,000 people were booked under it. The largest number of arrests were however reported from Gujarat, a state least known for terrorism of any kind, and it turned out that the government had freely invoked TADA to arrest trade union activists and other innocent citizens. The selective application of this Act against Muslims, Sikhs and activists of worker-peasant movements in states like Maharashtra, Punjab and Andhra became all too well known. The National Human Rights Commission had to wake up to cases of wholesale abuse of the Act. It was under such circumstances that the Act was allowed to lapse in 1995 - it was of course never formally revoked and a few hundred TADA cases are still pending in different courts.

The very rationale for an ordinance like POTO has been thoroughly questioned by wide sections of judicial experts and even institutions like the National Human Rights Commission. The existing legal framework, they argue, is sufficient to deal with any kind of terrorism. They also point out that systematic violation of the law by people who are paid to make and maintain laws has been a major factor responsible for the spread and intensification of terrorism. They have warned that the sweeping and arbitrary nature of an ordinance like POTO makes it an especially ideal instrument in the hands of all such violators of the rule of law.

It is a welcome sign that most opposition parties have also opposed the promulgation of POTO. Clearly, it is difficult for them to silently endorse such a legal monstrosity on the eve of the crucial UP elections. But it is also true that most of these parties lack any serious conviction or the minimum democratic credential to offer a credible opposition to this wholesale state-sponsored slaughter of democracy. The Congress' new-found opposition to POTO remains overshadowed by the fact that it was the architect of TADA and almost all the black laws that preceded it. While the BJP remains the biggest wholesale dealer of the official thesis which denounces every legitimate expression of popular grievance and dissent as terrorism, and cross-bordrer terrorism at that, parties like the Samajwadi Party and RJD have long been reduced to retail sellers of the same sinister line of argument.

Now even a party like CPI(M) has chosen to sully its record on this score by indulging in the worst kind of hypocrisy. While Buddhadeb Bhattacharya opposes POTO and makes news by 'refusing' to enforce it in West Bengal, his government has already promulgated POCO or Prevention of Organised Crime Ordinance which is nothing but a Bengal clone of the draconian central ordinance! If POTO has been promulgated by bypassing Parliament and keeping the NHRC in the dark, POCO has meted out similar treatment to the West Bengal State Assembly and the State Human rights Commission. Indeed, a clause-by-clause, feature-by-feature comparison of POTO and POCO will prove to be as profoundly rewarding as comparing Coke and Pepsi! Buddhadev has certainly begun to carry the Centre-vs.-states battle from the predominantly fiscal track of Jyoti Basu and Ashok Mitra to new uncharted territories of ISI-bashing and ordinance-flexing!

Defenders of democracy must therefore become all the more alert and determined in insisting on the scrapping of all these draconian ordinances and liberation of democracy from the shadow of the slaughterhouse.

CPI(ML) Opposes Promulgation of POTO;
Criticises Communally Motivated Police Firing in Malegaon as Unpatriotic

CPI(ML) strongly condemned the promulgation of Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), 2001 on October 24, which empowers the state to curb the political liberty and fundamental rights of a citizen charging him/her of being a perpetrator or abettor of terrorism on utterly dubious and flimsy grounds. The Ordinance gives a free hand to the police to concoct evidence and keep the detainee in police custody. "The new ordinance is based on the Bush doctrine of war." The Party noted that parties like Congress, the architect of TADA and almost all the black laws, the Samajwadi Party and RJD and even a party like CPI(M), who have recently introduced Prevention of Organised Crime Ordinance (POCO), have now indulged in the worst kind of hypocrisy while opposing POTO. The Party called upon fighters for democracy to "become all the more alert and determined in insisting on the scrapping of all these draconian ordinances" in order to liberate democracy from their clutches.

CPI(ML) expressed grave concern over the incident of police firing on minority community youth in Malegaon of Maharashtra which started centring the issue of boycott of American goods. Party held that the role of administration and police was not only communal but also unpatriotic and the officials responsible for the above firing must be booked under such sections apart from Sec. 302. The Party holds that the demand for putting a ban on selling American goods reflected genuine patriotic feelings.

Anti-War Campaign in Bihar

The state-wide anti-war campaign that was being conducted from 19 to 26 October in Bihar, has culminated on Dushahara day. During this campaign, processions were brought out in villages and towns and effigies of "Bush, the enemy of humanity" were burnt. Particularly on the last day, 26 October, anti-war marches were held at Patna, Bhojpur, Jahanabad, Gaya, Rohtas, Muzaffarpur, Champaran, Sitamarhi, East and West Champaran, Darbhanga, Gopalganj and Samastipur.

Police conducted lathicharge on local Party activists who were burning the demonic effigy of the Bush at Arwal More in Jahanabad and arrested a number of leaders. In Bhojpur, processions were brought out in more than 100 villages, in which toiling people and youth belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities participated in good numbers. At Sikta in West Champaran, Party activists and sympathisers burnt the effigy of Bush despite imposition of Sec. 144. At Sarisawan in the same district, Bush's effigy was burnt overcoming the resistance offered by the BJP supporters. At Ramnagar, police arrested around 200 Party sympathisers while burning the effigy. The effigy was also burnt at Chanpatia and Mainatanr. In Patna, marches were brought out in Chitkohra and Patna City areas and effigy was burnt.

Through these marches, masses are also being mobilised for the forthcoming "Anti-War, Anti-WTO Rally" to be held in New Delhi on 9 November. To this end, "anti-war conventions" will be held in the first week of November in seven main centres of Bihar, to be addressed by Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya. Tens of thousands of anti-war leaflets (the Appeal issued by the Party Central Committee) have also been distributed in the course of this campaign.

Massive Party Rally in Naugachia, Bihar

On 17 October, a massive rally was organised at Kadwa Block in Naugachia subdivision of Bhagalpur district in Bihar. The rally was held on the occasion of Party's block level conference being held there. Addressing the rally Party's Bihar State committee Secretary Com. Ramjatan Sharma recalled the long and glorious Party history of conducting struggle of the downtrodden masses in this region and appealed to the activists to intensify peasant struggle and raise it to the level of resistance struggle, a task which carries special significance in the present situation. He said that the sacrifice of the martyrs, including Com. Brajesh and two others who have laid down their lives in the new phase of struggle will not go in vain. In view of the massive participation and vigour and militancy displayed by the toiling masses, the rally holds particular significance in the history of this region.

US Students Join Protest against Afghanistan War in India

American students here on exchange programme, today joined their Delhi University classmates in unequivocal condemnation of the "US-waged act of terrorism" against the Afghan civilians. Not only that, they also distributed anti-war pamphlets among the protesting students.

Voicing his concern on the war, an American student from the Faculty of Arts said, "The US defines a terrorist as someone who goes against the US policy whereas we define a terrorist as someone who goes against the humanity -- which makes US a terrorist as well." She added that "the common American perception that the WTC attack is one of the biggest acts of terror stems from their ignorance about the conditions prevailing in the rest of the world."

"Facts like the US created terrorist like Bin Laden, that they have yet to produce a shred of evidence indicting him in the WTC attacks, the fact that they are equating a silent genocide with 'collateral damage', cannot be overlooked, commented another student from St. Stephen's College. Somewhere down the discussion, even the distinction between 'terrorism' and 'Bush's war against terrorism' blurred.

Pro-US Government Bent on Crushing "Be Indian, Buy Indian" Campaign

According to press reports, on 26 October, the Dashahara day, a number of youth were distributing pamphlets demanding a ban on foreign goods, under the slogan "Be Indian, buy Indian". The pamphlet was taken as anti-war propaganda material opposing the American war of aggression against Afghanistan and special police force SRPF constables tried to stop this distribution. People raised anti-US slogans and the clash ensued. The trigger-happy police force opened fire killing 7 persons on the spot. Curfew was imposed immediately which remained in force for a number of days. Over the last few days, at least 18 people have been killed and 127 have been arrested so far in this connection.

Malegaon has a large Muslim population that had migrated from UP and Bihar. They mostly depend on handloom industry which is on the decline. State Minority Commission Chairman has accused the police of instigating the riots. On 29 October, bandh was called in protest of these killings by men in uniform, which was totally successful. Also, a good number of the traders in the state have resolved not to sell Coke or Pepsi.

In Jaipur of Rajasthan, 25,000 Muslims assembled peacefully at Idgah in "Ijtemaai Dua" (collective prayer) organised by Rajasthan Muslim Forum on 28 October seeking safety of the innocent civilians being targetted in Afghanistan in the heavy bombing by the US and allied forces since October 7. The administration had deployed a huge armed police force and two battalions of Special Task Force, in addition to one battalion of Rapid Action Force along with water cannons to deal with any emergency. However the assembly dispersed peacefully but a resolution was adopted calling upon the Centre to put pressure on the UN to play its role for stopping attacks on Afghanistan immediately. As pointed out in the resolution, about 2,000 people in Afghanistan have already been killed in the bombings in the past 22 days.

Of Swadeshi, Fear Psychosis and Frenzy

What can be more interesting than the irony of fate that at this juncture, whereas the RSS, and its parliamentary (though having least faith on parliamentary norms) arm, the BJP, have stopped paying lip service to the concept of "swadeshi", genuine patriotic people, particularly Muslims, have snatched the issue vigorously in the wake of the proposed new round of WTO and the American war of aggression on Afghanistan, with the freedom struggle slogan "Be Indian, buy Indian". This has once again revealed the true colours of the fascist lackies of imperialism. Speaking at the "super-patriot" Sangh's birth anniversary function on the day of 'Vijaya Dashami', RSS supremo Sudarshan gave green signal to Central Government's surrender not only on the WTO issue, he even pleaded in favour of signing the CTBT, so long vehemently opposed by this so-called "nationalist" organisation. Sudarshan kept his eyes closed on farmers' suicides and starvation deaths, on privatisation and disinvestment, and host of other issues troubling the teeming millions. Instead, he called on the Sangh members to remove "fear" from the minds and rouse the society around them. What is the source of fear? And how to get rid of it? Instead of answering the first question straight, Sudarshan answered it in an indirect way by "advising" the Muslims to "change" their leadership which has so long been "confrontationist". As for the second question, according to Sudarshan, "the first step towards this is to get personal arms and keep them ready to deal with any situation". Who else one can interpret by "any situation" other than "an opportunity to start communal riots"?

It can be noted that on the same day, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray also asked all Hindus to arm themselves to the teeth and turn their homes into a stockpile of ammunition to face the threat of global terrorism.

Rulers in America have been inculcating a sense of insecurity among American people ever since Second World War, first presenting Soviet Union as "the enemy", attributing her with all sorts of tyranny and ruthlessness, and then in the '90s, replacing her by "Islamic terrorism" placed in the same light. Back home, saffron fascists bank on cultivating fear among the Hindu majority community, attributing Muslims with all sorts of demonic powers and aggressiveness, while on the other hand, goading Hindus for their supposedly inherent defensive, peaceful nature with derogatory attributes like "cowardice" and "meekness". Hindus are taught to fear even the miniscule minority Christians, who are allegedly busy in "converting" everybody to their religion. This jingoist propaganda prepares the ground for their project militarisation. Propagation of fear psychosis helps in two ways. All reactionaries want people to feel defenceless, have no faith on their own might, and require a "savior", so that the state would usurp all powers in their name. Secondly, with an enemy, internal or external, people would be perpetually kept in a mindset of jingoism, so that fascism, or curtailment of democracy, and sidetracking of main issues of livelihood would be justified. The present scenario amply proves that saffron fascists have astutely learnt this art from their American masters.

But ultimately history will prove that they are profoundly mistaken. And the indications are there now that the people are able read through their designs. Protests against them are mounting day by day. The day is not far off when the reactionaries with all their shrewdest stratagems will find their place only in the dustbin of history.

Anti-War Protests in Europe, USA and Pak

On 27 October, people in 75 cities throughout the USA demanded an end to the U.S. war against Afghanistan, as the mounting civilian destruction in Afghanistan caused support for the bombing campaign to crumble. They were joined by thousands more in 40 cities in 20 other countries.

The coalition known as International A.N.S.W.E.R. -- Act Now to Stop War and End Racism -- set that day, Oct. 27, as an international day of protest, and in New York, New Zealand, Los Angeles, Japan, Boston, England, the Philippines etc. the burgeoning anti-war movement came out in force.

The streets in cities all over the world saw thousands oppose war, racial profiling, and the U.S.' new so-called anti-terrorist law, which protesters say is a thin cover for an assault on civil liberties.

Thousands packed the streets in New York and Los Angeles. Orlando, Florida saw thousands gather in the Orlando Magic's sports arena for "Operation Education." Protesters in New Zealand held the U.S.-led coalition attacking Afghanistan in violation of international law in an impromptu people's court. Denver's capitol was descended upon; two rallies were held in Washington D.C.; On the same day, the worldwide chorus of voices demanding an end to the bombing was joined by the Red Cross, after its warehouses in Afghanistan were hit for the second time and twice in one day. Even Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, whose regime has acted as a U.S. war ally, called for the bombing to end.

Thousands have protested against U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan and global capitalism near a European Union summit at Ghent in Belgium, but there was no sign of the violence. The police mobilised a huge force of around 2,000 officers in Ghent in case of trouble.

Marchers carried anti-war and anti-capitalist banners such as "People not profit", "War stinks, Bush go home" and "No war but the class war".

On October 20, hundreds of people held an anti-imperialist demonstration against attacks on Afghanistan outside the Pindi Press Club in Islamabad. In a seminar held on the same day, Afzal Khamoosh, Gen. Secy. CMKP said that US imperialism is in search of mineral resources in Central Asia and it can only be defeated through an anti-imperialist struggle.

The 11-point resolution passed in the seminar included condemnation of terrorism, asking the US to quit Asian territory absolutely, stop bombing on Iraq, Afghanistan and lift sanctions on Korea, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Libya.

Kisan Jagran Yatra in Bihar

In order to make the forthcoming "Anti-war, anti-WTO rally" being held in New Delhi on 9 November a success, Kisan Jagran Yatra was conducted by Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha to mobilise peasantry in the far-flung rural areas. Slogans like "Stop starvation deaths, save agriculture", "Save the country from WTO" being raised during the Kisan Yatra. The vehicle in the front, adorned with Kisan Sabha hoarding, banners and flags, drew peasants' attraction and wherever it went, peasants gathered in large numbers throughout the route.

Beginning with Jalla area of Patna, it passed through the rural areas of Patna, Bhojpur, Buxar, Bhabhua, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Jahanabad and Nalanda districts, covering hundreds of villages, and in the route some 50 mass meetings were held. These meetings were attended by peasants ranging from 200 to 1,000.

In Dulhin Bazar, a successful resistance meeting was held in protest of arrest of Party's elected Panchayat representatives. In Bhojpur, everywhere the Yatra evoked good response and at Sonbarsa a large meeting was held where Party's ex-block secretary Com. Rajesh had been murdered. It was participated in by a good number of non-Party people. In Kaimur, people from other poltical forces also joined the Yatra. In Rohtas, motor cycle contingents also joined the Yatra. In Auragabad, participation of a large contingent of Muslim youth in motor cycles and jeeps was significant. The mass meeting held at Bari Masjid turned into a significant anti-war meeting. Maximum number of meetings were held in this district, including one in the RJD base. In Jahanabad, important mass meetings were held at Kinjar and Kako, participated in respectively by middle peasants and minorities. In Nalanda, meetings were held in every block and finally, the rally was culminated in a large mass meeting at Dhardhari.

Peasant leaders who remained in the front of the whole Yatra include Comrades Rajaram Singh, convenor BPKS, Amarnath Yadav, ex-MLA, Shivpujan Yadav, Shambhunath Metha, Chandradeep Singh, ex-MLA, Arun Singh, MLA, Sanjay Sharma, Ramadhar Singh, Anil Patel and CPI(ML) District Secy. of Nalanda Com Rajendra Patel. Throughout its course, the Yatra was conducted by Com. Kumar Anil, Office Incharge of BPKS and a veteran Party member Com. Kallu uninterruptedly delivered the message of the Yatra over the microphone mouted on the vehicle marching at the van of the Yatra, which succeeded in taking the anti-WTO, anti-war message to one of the remotest areas of our country.