Reject POTO in Toto!

Defying countrywide protests, the Vajpayee government is desperate to push POTO through. While people like Advani have started accusing all who oppose or criticise POTO of being supporters of terrorism, another section of BJP leadership is trying a 'persuasive' approach with a view to manufacturing a 'national consensus' around this draconian legislation. They say, our legal framework remains rather outdated vis-à-vis the constantly modernising threat of terrorism, hence the country needs a new law. Moreover, both Bush and Blair have introduced new legislation to combat terror, should not India follow in the footsteps of these great democracies?

These are devil's arguments and are downright mischievous. Was TADA borrowed from the ancient code of Mann? What happened to this 'modern' legislation? This country has spent a decade under TADA, a decade which only saw the shadow of terror get longer and longer with tens of thousands of people languishing without trial under fabricated charges. If POTO is being questioned and rejected by the broad democratic opinion, it is not on any ethical ground of democratic rights and civil liberties but on the concrete basis of the Indian people's disastrous experience with TADA. And we are told that more than a thousand people have been detained in America since September 11 under the country's new anti-terror law, and even their friends and family members are not informed about their whereabouts. This, according to the Sangh parivar, is the model of democracy we should emulate!

Prior to Ayodhya , it was the Jan Sangh's opposition to Indira Gandhi's Emergency that had given the RSS its first major political break at the national level. In an interesting reversal of roles, while the Congress today opposes POTO, the victims of Indira's Emergency today clamour for more draconian legislation than the infamous DIR and MISA of the Indira era.

While some NDA partners are voicing certain reservations, demanding some safeguards, several non-NDA state governments who are themselves presiding over similar sweeping legislation, have reduced their 'opposition' to POTO to merely a question of jurisdiction of central and state legislation and to a rather notional distinction between terrorism and organised crime. Oddly enough, the Left Front government of West Bengal, which has shelved its plans for a POTO-like ordinance called POCO only to await a proper legislative opportunity in the Assembly, belongs to this latter category of critics. Democracy cannot be defended with such muted and muffled voices of dissent. The opposition to POTO has to be total and resolute. "Reject POTO in toto" can be the only acceptable slogan of resistance.

Protest Day against POTO Called by CPI(ML)

CPI(ML) has called for holding nationwide protests demanding withdrawal of Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) on 23 November. The Party will launch a vigorous campaign to resist the saffron attempt to impose the fascist law under the garb of curing terrorism. Charging the BJP govt. at the centre with resurrecting TADA in all its ugly and repressive content with the sole intention of suppressing democratic movements, Party has called upon all the concerned citizens and patriotic forces to stop this black ordinance from turning into a law.

The Party has condemned the BJP leaders, particularly Advani and Arun Shorie, for branding any opposition to POTO as a "crime" and said that they have started speaking the language of American President Bush.

Obituary

On 19 October Com. Chanarji Ram, a Party activist of agrarian labourer origin in Bhojpur, died from heart attack. He was a worker in Durgapur when he became a wholetimer in 1976. He remained a disciplined soldier of the Party till his last.

Com Satya Prakash Mehta, an old sympathiser of Party in Patna, died of cancer on 16 October at the age of 63. He was associated with Master Jagdish in Bhojpur. Com Ram Naresh Ram, Nand Kishor Prasad and Santosh Sahar paid floral tributes to the departed comrade on behalf of the Party.

Com. Brahma Das, member of Raiganj Mohanbati branch in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal breathed his last on 31 October. He was a popular leader of Mohanbati and president of the local Fish Traders Association. Com. Ajit Das, Ganesh Chetry, and others paid tributes to the departed leader.

Anti War Protest in London

Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters marched in London on 19 November, surpassing last month's turn-out of 50,000, indicating the full depth of opposition to the war in the UK. Trade-unionists, Muslim organisations, community groups, anti-racists, human rights activists, anti-globalisation activists, students and MPs participated in the demonstration.

Protesters came from across the UK, including Newcastle, Manchester, Plymouth, Blackburn and even Finance Minister's own constituency, Birmingham. As the head of the march reached Trafalgar Square, the tail was still leaving Hyde Park.

"After today's demonstration, no-one can doubt both the scale and the diversity of anti-war feeling in this country," said Suresh Grover of the National Civil Rights Movement and Stop the War steering committee. "This is a ground-breaking event which has coalesced into a massive operation against the military action." "This protest is also against the attack on human rights in Britain... suspension of habeas corpus and the introduction of internment and detention without trial. We are also seeing a proliferation of racist assaults." "Our campaign will not end until the war ends and Britain and the US stop the bombing", they said.

Anti-Globalisation Protest in Ottawa

While the world's richest nations G-20 were holding a meeting at Ottawa of Canada, along with IMF and World Bank (which could not hold their annual meet on 29 September in New York because of the terrorist attacks), around 4,000 protestors rallied against the guardians of globalisation and the bombing in Afghanistan. The police had kept a tight security around the site but some of the protestors burned the US flag. Police arrested 32 protestors. This meeting in the wake of Doha is supposed to chart the actions the IMF could take in the months ahead to try and counter an increasingly dour and uncertain global economic outlook. To bolster a bleak world economy the G-20 nations have promised to cut interest rates further if needed. (HT, 19 November).

Children's Day
Children Oppose Police-Criminal Nexus in Bihar

In continuation of the CPI(ML)-led mass resistance campaign launched in the wake of killing of an abducted child 'Golu' in Muzaffarpur, children participated in 'save the children' campaign launched on 14 November, the official Children's Day, against abduction, killing and the nexus of police and criminals, under which programmes were taken in various districts of Bihar.

In Arrah, AISA district unit organised a "save the children" convention at Jain School. Inaugurating the conference principal of Primary School Smt. Pushpa Mathur said that children's life is completely insecure these days, any child can be abducted any day and demand of ransom would be made to the family, and in case it is not paid they will discover the dead body of their child lying somewhere. All this is because police has entered into nexus with criminals. Muzaffarpur incident is a proof of this phenomenon. Addressing the convention as guest, poet Nilay Upadhyay said that be it Afghanistan or massacres and abductions in Bihar, everywhere children are the victim. Poet Jitenrda Kumar also addressed the convention.

Observing the programme in Muzaffarpur, 200 children brought out a procession from Malighat to Kalyani Chowk where it turned into a dharna. Placards in their hands demanded "Punish the murderers of Golu".

In Begusarai, AISA brought out a procession of 50 children. In Samastipur, 60-70 children passed through the whole of the city and raised slogans against abduction, murder and nexus of criminals and police. AISA and Party leaders addressed the gathering.

In the meantime, several incidents of abduction of children have been reported. Seven-year old Chotu was abducted at Barari (Katihar) on 1 Nov. 11-year student Gaurav was abducted at Triveniganj (Supaul) and agitation against it is going on since 5 November. Then Mantu, 11-year old son of railworker Mahesh Kumar Sinha of Samastipur was found dead near the railway line after a week of abduction. CPI(ML) and AISA have staged a militant demonstration against this act.

Ranvir Sena 'Commander' Met His Doom

Bijendra Singh alias Langar Singh, the so-called "area commander" of Ranvir Sena, synonymous to 'terror' among the people, accused in as many as 40 murder cases, ultimately fell into rural people's hands in his own village, Kab, in Rania Talab PS of Patna district. In a drunken state he went to dalit tola and brandished a pistol saying that he will perpetrate carnage then and there. He was caught by the people who shot him with his own pistol and then thrashed him to death with lathis. This man was the main accused in Haibuspur massacre, in which ten Mushahars were killed in cold blood on the Holi day in 1997. Though there was Rs 50,000 prize over his head, he roamed around freely because police never tried to nab him. In this situation only people could do justice to him and they eventually did that. With the elimination of this notorious criminal, Ranvir Sena has suffered a setback. People are jubilant but also apprehending retaliation by this bloodthirsty gang and are therefore on guard against such attacks.

RYA to Launch Protest against POTO

National Executive of Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) met on Nov. 12-13 at Ranchi and decided to launch a week-long protest campaign against POTO from Nov. 19, the day the Winter Session of Parliament begins. Copies of POTO will be brunt on that day and apart from other programmes, signatures will be collected, to be sent to President of India demanding withdrawal of POTO. This apart, in the month of December, conventions will be organised in various centres on "The politics and economics of War, Doha and POTO".

Parivartan Rath Culminates in Ranchi Rally

The Parivartan Rath that started from Giridih on 8 Nov. following Social Transformation Rally at Rajdhanwar, reached Ranchi on 15 Nov. after passing through Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Lohardaga, Gumla and Ranchi districts. On Nov. 15, the first anniversary of formation of Jharkhand, three processions from Ramgarh, Mandar and Burmu reached Ranchi and held a rally there as a mark of struggling people's response to the official showbiz.

Vajpayee Govt. Surrendered at Doha

Indian People's Campaign against WTO, of which CPI(ML)-Liberation is a participant, issued a statement just after the conclusion of Doha ministerial meeting on 15 November. This statement asserted that the promise made by the Govt. of India (i.e., by the PM before a delegation of the Campaign) not to succumb to the pressures of developed countries and multinationals was belied by Doha outcome. The statement points out that "Although the ministerial declaration calls it a Work Programme and not a New Round of negotiations, it amounts to launching of a new round of negotiations under WTO. The negotiating mandates on different subjects have been elaborated. The traditional mechanism that goes with the commencement of a New Round viz. the establishment of a 'Trade Negotiations Committee' to supervise and direct the process of negotiations has been announced. In the true style of New Round, the entire negotiations will be treated as a 'single undertaking'.

The statement notes that "By all accounts, there has been no worthwhile commitment on the part of developed countries on further liberalization of access for developing countries' exports of textiles products. The issue of abuse of anti-dumping provisions as neo-protectionist measures has been now made part of new negotiations with little or no flexibility for reopening basic elements of the existing discipline and instruments currently in use by USA."

It also notes that "As far as the New Issues are concerned, there is an explicit commitment that negotiations will start after two years on for 'trade facilitation' on some specific articles of GATT 1994."

"On the issues of 'Investment' and 'Competition policy' and 'Government Procurement', three most important new issues, (which, GOI was repeatedly asserting, would be opposed) have been squarely put in the work programme."

"On the other new issue of 'core labour standards', i.e. the celebrated 'social clause', the text does not contain the wording that ILO is the appropriate forum for a substantive dialogue on labour rights and thus implies that WTO could bring up the issue later."

"On electronic commerce, the zero duty commitment that USA had extracted earlier from the rest of the countries, has been extended until the next ministerial meeting."

The statement also notes that "On the question of 'reviewing' the agreements like TRIPs and 'Understanding on Dispute Settlement' so as to redress the imbalances and inequities that have been imposed by the former on developing countries and to do away with the coercive, undemocratic and unaccountable features that characterize the latter, hardly anything has been accomplished. The much publicized declaration on TRIPs and Public Health serves a very limited purpose..."

The statement also notes that "In the area of on-going negotiations on 'Agriculture' ... there is not even a hint that India will insist on retaining her right to impose quantitative restrictions on imports of agricultural products, without any qualifications and without prior consultations." It further notes that "In regard to 'Services', ... there is no departure from the very narrow approach regarding movement of labour. Moreover, no cognizance has been taken of the far-reaching issue raised by the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights about the fundamental importance of the delivery of basic services, particularly health and education, as a means of promoting human rights, and the likely adverse implications of a market-oriented and 'liberalizing' approach in respect of such services on the promotion of human rights."

The statement holds that "the product of Doha reinforces the process of encroachment on our economic sovereignty... From all accounts, the Doha process constituted one more chapter in the murky annals of undemocratic, non-transparent and non-participative functioning of WTO."

The statement reiterates the demand for a White Paper. "We also repeat our demand that no agreement in WTO be signed without prior and explicit approval of Parliament and the State Legislatures, as necessary."

The statement asserts that the "outcome of Doha will be challenged by the people of India" and resolves to "continue and intensify our struggle against the process of globalization, marketization and recolonization spearheaded by WTO and furthered by the Govt of India."

The Malegaon Leaflet

Contrary to the Sangh and Govt. propaganda, the Urdu leaflet that was being distributed in Malegaon of Nashik district in Maharashtra (which the police "tried to seize" and that supposedly cause the riot) contains a popular appeal to patriotism from beginning to end, without any communal overtone.

"Of the 100 crore people of India daily save Re 1 per head from the foreign companies, it will make available Rs 100 cr. a day for our nation's welfare", thus starts the leaflet. "Boycott: Drive out the Foreign, Save the Country" is the headline. Examples of imperialist depredations include "the atom bombing of Hiroshima, massacres of innocent people in Germany, Vietnam, Somalia, Palestine, Iraq, Chechenya and Bosnia". The leaflet recalls how the trading East India Co. enslaved us and how "lakhs of freedom fighters courted martyrdom while fighting against the British rule, and yet, nearly 4,000 foreign companies are still operating in the country. It ends up saying that today "every Indian is born a DEBTOR".

The leaflet gives us a list of foreign companies operating in India and their products. It urges all the Indians and not simply the Muslims to boycott these goods, get the leaflet xeroxed and propagate it as widely as possible.

The five-point action programme repeats the same appeal and concludes by saying: "Remember, we will certainly have to pay the price to ensure an "independent economic future". It exhorts "as far as possible, we must strive to produce these things ourselves". The leaflet appeals to the people to persuade, not force, the shopkeepers in their areas that they must return the foreign goods and stock Indian goods in their shops.

Dharna for Bihar Package

On the occasion of completion of one year of its formation, a dharna was held by CPI(ML) at Income Tax square on 17 November. The dharna was addressed by Party leaders Com KD Yadav, Manohar, Murtuza Ali and others. Attacking the Centre the leaders said that so long it has not come up with a concrete package for development of Bihar and not has Bihar govt. shown any eagerness in this regard. They demanded immediate implementation of the 5-point package advanced by the Party one year back.

8th Conference of Jan Sanskriti Manch

The 8th national conference of Jan Sanskriti Manch held at Engineers' Hall in Patna on 10-11 November, 2001 was focussed on the theme "Democratic National Consciousness against Globalisation".

Inaugurating the conference, noted Hindi critic Dr. Manager Pandey said that American capitalism wanted to control markets all over the world in the name of globalisation as it was eager to exploit the natural resources of Asia the same way as it did in Africa and Latin America. It has spread a reign of terror and confusion in the whole world. In fact, globalisation can better be called Americanisation. Even before attack on Afghanistan, people of the world had read through America's false pretensions in its advocacy of human rights and democracy. Starting from destroying the Red Indian civilization to Hiroshima, America never cared for humankind and democracy.

Dr. Pandey said that America also wants to control the thought process. Post-modernism is the cultural manifestation of gobalisation, which opposes the consciousness of resisting capital. He said that the way cultural nationalists are lying prostrate before America, soon it will be in a position to do away with the Indian nation state. Hence it is an urgent task to strengthen the democratic nation state consciousness. Along with forging unity with movements of workers, peasants, adivasis and environmentalists, struggles against American imperialism must also be globalised. The session was presided over by noted poet Vishnuchandra Sharma and besides Shaukat Hayat, chairman of the reception committee, critic Khagendra Thakur, poets Arun Kamal and Alokdhanwa also addressed this session. The re-opening issue of popular revolutionary socio-cultural magazine "Samkalin Janmat" was also released in the inaugural session by Vishnuchandra Sharma. This issue has culture of resistance as its main theme. Greeting the new incarnation of Janmat, Khagendra Thakur, Arun Kamal, Ravi Bhushan, Madan Kashyap and Anil Sinha said that in the present critical period, when the people's struggles have been banished from the domain of literature and culture, publication of a magazine that gives expression to class consciousness and mass resistance does bring considerable hope.

The next day witnessed debate over General Secretary Ajay Singh's theme paper. It emphasises the necessity of an offensive ideological-cultural campaign against imperialist globalisation and communal fascism and a struggle for national democratic consciousness while ruthlessly criticizing the legacy of so-called renaissance. Participants in the debate included Dr Manager Pandey, Khagendra Thakur, Ravi Bhushan, Madan Kashyap, Pranay Krishna, Jitendra Kumar, Bhasha Singh, Anil Anshuman, Pankaj Chaturvedi, Hemant, Krishna Pratap Singh, VK Singh, Shyam Ankuram and others. The session was presided over by Ajay Kumar, Suresh Kantak and Arvind Kumar and conducted by Sudhir Suman and Krishna Mohan.

The conference adopted a resolution asking America to stop attack on Afghanistan and withdrawal of the black ordinance POTO. It decided to organize cultural programmes under the anti-war campaign in different cities in the November end. It also planned to organize a series of seminars to reassess our legacy and strengthen the ties between Hindi and Urdu literature.

The conference unanimously elected Dr. Manager Pandey as its president. Erstwhile president Trilochan Shashtri could not attend the conference because of illness but he continues to remain an honorary member. Ajay Singh was reelected General Secretary. Along with four vice presidents, Madhukar Singh, Madan Kashyap, Ajay Kumar and Dr. Ravi Bhushan, a 77-member National Council and 25-member National Executive Committee were also elected. Krishna Mohan, Pramod Yadav, Viren Dangwal, Bhasha Singh and Shambhu Badal were entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating U.P, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Delhi and Jharkhand respectively.

Addressing the concluding session Manager Pandey emphasized the need of integrating cultural activists with forces of resistance and mass movements, and called for opposing all exploiting forces while fearlessly standing by human freedom and the dignity of labour.

On this occasion, veteran CPI(ML) leader Com. Ram Naresh Ram greeted the delegates and guests and said that in this broadbased struggle against globalisation, CPI(ML) is always with the dreams of cultural activists. The Party will always stand by the cultural activists in their endeavor to develop mass resistance.

A number of cultural programmes were presented by performance teams from Sakla Bazar, Bikarmganj, Begusarai and Patna (Hirawal). Presentations by Jharkhand Sanskriti Manch and Kala Kammune Banaras were also significant, with the participation of Anil Anshuman, theatre artist Vijay Kumar, people's singer Amitabh, Nirmal Nayan, Durgesh Akari, and Krishna Kumar Nirmohi.