Down with the US-aided Israeli Terrorism against the Palestinian Leadership

Yasser Arafat, the poster child of national liberation in the latter part of the 20th century and presently the head of state of Palestine, is now personally under siege. He is being held incommunicado without water and electricity in his own headquarters in Ramallah, West Bank, surrounded by booming Israeli tanks. The occupation army of the Israeli aggressors has been issued orders to "neutralize" him. Arafat, the moderate voice of Palestinian resistance all along, is heroically defying death and refusing to surrender. Meanwhile, scores of protesting Palestinians are being butchered everyday by the Israeli Army on the streets.

Israel has made no secret of its plans to strangulate the nascent Palestinian Authority and throw back the peace process by decades. But they know they can't do it as long as Arafat is around. Hence, exploiting a few bomb attacks by hardliners, they are bombarding the headquarters of the Palestinian leadership. This is terrorism par excellence, perpetrated cynically in the name of "war against terror".

Trying to decapitate the leadership of another state has so far remained a US privilege. Remember what they tried to do to Gaddafi and Saddam. Now, under their able guidance, the Israeli hawks are out to do the same, defying worldwide condemnation. The UN Security Council has called for an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops. Even the EU has condemned the siege. The entire world community, except one nation, the USA, has reacted with outrage. In fact, the Arab Summit, held in Beirut last week, even went to the extent of formally endorsing the Saudi peace plan of Arab recognition of Israel in return for peaceful settlement of the Palestinian dispute and return of their occupied lands. This is a historic step forward. Yet, Israel only reacted to it with its own plan of "neutralizing" Arafat and destroying the Palestinian gains of a decade and a half since the Intifida of the 1980s. As only to be expected, George Bush condemned only the suicide bombings while maintaining a studied silence on the Israeli bombardment in Ramallah. And everyone knows that Israel acts with such brazenness only because it enjoys the US blessings. The media in the US has brought out the fact that the US administration was informed about the bombardment of Arafat's HQ well in advance by the Israelis.

It is a matter of shame that India officially expressed only a mild "shock" and that too much belatedly. Ever since the Saffron-Zionist bonhomie began, the Indian foreign policy seems to have lost the backbone to forthrightly condemn blatant provocations to world peace and arrogant challenges to a just international order.

The liberal conscience in the West has pinned its hopes on intervention by the USA. But whenever the US reined in Israel in the past it was the fear of an Arab or Soviet backlash. However, in the post-Cold War, and especially in the post-S11 world, the "war against terrorism" everywhere is being directed from the situations room in the White House. Hence only the pressure of popular protests can sober up the monsters a bit. To be sure, the storms of protests have already gathered momentum around the world, notably in the US itself. Bush and Sharon are incapable of realizing that sending in the army is no way to stop the young Palestinians from turning into suicide bombers. Incursions of Israeli ground troops has only increased the incidence of suicide bombings - five incidents in as many days. Absolute power seems to have blinded them absolutely. The only weapons the mighty imperialists and reactionaries lack in their arsenal are common sense and reason. No matter whether they let Arafat come out alive or not from the present siege, there can be no doubt that they have already buried Israel's security for years to come. The questions are simple: After Arafat what? Who, and in what numbers, are they going to kill to end the suicide bombings? But then, the imperial madness has always remained inexplicable in history. How nicely Mao Tse-tung put it when he said that the imperialists and reactionaries lift a big stone only to drop it on their own feet!

CPI (ML) Condemns Israeli Attack on Yasser Arafat

CPI(ML) strongly condemned the US-motivated Israeli attack on the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters situated in the West Bank city of Romallah. Party has also denounced the ongoing Israeli terrorism in the west and middle-east Asia and called upon the Govt. of India to launch an unequivocal protest against the assault on Arafat's office and the military encirclement of the civilians, cutting off their water and electricity supplies by Israeli aggressors and work for mobilising international opinion to compel the US-backed Israeli forces retreat from the Palestine Territory.

Party Demands Immediate Removal of Modi Govt.

While welcoming the National Human Rights Commission's timely intervention in Gujarat, the CPI(ML) has, in the light of NHRC's severe and direct indictment of the Narendra Modi Government of Gujarat for its gross negligence in checking the anti-minority riots that have not only taken toll of more than 5,000 lives, and also in the light of the fact that till date the rioting continues under the patronage of the Government, firmly reiterated its demand to immediately sack Narendra Modi government. Restoration of normalcy would not be possible under this regime, the Party said. In another statement CPI(ML) strongly condemned attack on Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone by saffron hooligans in Kashmir.

We have a war to defeat, a world to win!

"...The anti-globalisation campaign has taken the first steps towards a sustained and powerful anti-imperialist movement with a clear opposition to the war and racism. We must step up international political cooperation and coordination among broad sections of anti-imperialist anti-globalisation forces to accelerate the tempo of resistance. While exploring and utilising every possible opportunity to broaden the frontiers of this movement and get more shades of people on board of the growing coalition for peace, democracy and progress, I think the crying need of the hour is to deepen it in every available national and even local context. The deeper we go, the stronger we grow. And with strong roots among the masses, there can be no fixed limits for revolutionary imagination and initiative. Argentina shows the way.

Just as it is important to name and target the global enemy, it is no less important to identify and target the numerous local linkages of the global enemy. Let us remember that the imperialist war machine moves on several wheels and every wheel has numerous cogs. It is therefore crucial to resist every local linkage and stop every real and potential and aspiring ally of the US from aiding the war campaign in particular and the neoliberal economic offensive in general. The best way, for example, we in India can oppose imperialist globalisation and the war and racism is by defeating the Indian collaborators of US imperialism who are unleashing a rein of what we call communal fascism in India. And even in this struggle, let me tell you, we derive our greatest strength from the anti-feudal struggles of the landless and poor peasants, from the growing awakening and assertion of the rural poor for basic freedom and human dignity. I say this not to belittle the unquestionable importance of more direct forms and avenues of anti-imperialist struggle, especially struggles of urban organised and unorganised workers, but only to highlight the great reserves of revolutionary strength and energy that are still waiting to be tapped in the Indian countryside and I am sure, the same must be true of many other third world countries.

In this context let me also add that to resist the neo-liberal offensive of imperialist globalisation, it is absolutely important to scotch the rumour of the so-called retreat of nation-states. This talk of nation-states beating a retreat may be music to our ears schooled in proletarian internationalism and eyes dedicated to the ultimate communist dream of a classless and hence stateless society, but the point is it is just a rumour and a dangerous rumour at that. Bourgeois nation-states are perhaps more active than ever before, they have only reshaped their policies and reordered their priorities. If the proletariat of each country, as called upon by the Communist Manifesto, must first of all settle matters with its own bourgeoisie; if, to quote the Manifesto again, the proletariat must first of all acquire political supremacy, must rise to be the leading class of the nation, must constitute itself the nation, the practitioners of proletarian politics and proletarian internationalism cannot afford to suffer from any confusion on this score. The importance of nation-state as an arena of class struggle has only grown and not diminished in the present era of globalisation. And in third world countries where the bourgeois rulers are fast capitulating to imperialist dictates and are busy selling off key and scarce national resources, the renewed relevance of economic nationalism can hardly be overemphasised. Just as parliamentary treachery and the historical obsolescence of parliament has not made parliament practically and politically irrelevant to communists and socialists the world over, the crimes committed in the name of bourgeois nationalism and the technological marvels that are purportedly shrinking the world into a village cannot render nation and nationalism superfluous in the international struggle against global capitalism. After all, internationalism as opposed to globalism can only become more meaningful when it strikes strong national roots.

To conclude, the world since Seattle and September 11 is an immensely exciting and challenging world. The times are testing but full of promises. With imperialism on the offensive and the war machine rolling on with all its force, many a former voice in the left and liberal camp has fallen silent. Worse still, many are singing different tunes. This is how bourgeois liberalism has always exposed its limits. And this is why it is called bourgeois liberalism. But for every voice that is falling silent there are dozens more that are turning vocal. And there are millions more that are waiting to be heard. As Lenin said almost a century ago while surveying what he called Inflammable Material in World Politics, "Less illusions about the liberalism of the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie. More attention to the growth of the international revolutionary proletariat."

We have a war to defeat, and a world to win!

(Concluding paragraphs of CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya's address to the 2nd Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference on 28 March, 2002, held at Sydney, Australia)

POTO Will Be Fought in Every Street

Dr. Jayanta Rongpi: "I stand here to oppose this POTO Bill. I was taken aback by the intensity of the misplaced political will of the Government to pass this piece of legislation. On earlier occasions, in the name of lack of political consensus, in the name of lack of unity among the political parties, many important legislations, like the Women's Reservation Bill, have been deferred again and again. However, this time, even after it has been defeated in the Rajya Sabha, the Government has called this joint sitting to pass this POTO. I would like to say that other draconian laws, like TADA, MISA, have created more terrorists in the North-East than solving the insurgency problem. Terrorism in Punjab was contained not because of POTO, not because of TADA, not because of any draconian law, but because of the people of Punjab stood united to fight terrorism. If we want to fight terrorism, then there should be unity. That cannot be achieved, if the communal agenda is followed to divide the people of India in the name of religion, caste, and creed. I will see to it that POTO is fought in every street, every nook and corner of the North- East region."

Convention against Communal Riots

CPI(ML) Itahar unit held a convention against communal riots at Itahar on 19 March, attended by more than a hundred people. North Dinajpur Distt Secy. Com. Ajit Das, Itahar LC Secy. Com. Azizul Raman and Ganesh Chhetry spoke at the convention. An anti-communal riot procession marched through the streets of Itahar town at the end of the convention.

On 21 March street corner meetings and marches were held at Raiganj to protest communal riots and the anti-people budget. CPI and RSP activists also participated in these programmes. Com. Ganesh Chhetry and Taslim Ali addressed the meetings along with CPI leaders.

Joint Statement of TVS and AIKSS in TN

In a joint statement signed by Rajamanickam, Secretary of Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Sugandan, Tamilnadu co-ordinator of AIKSS declared their resolute support to the ongoing Indian farmers struggle against WTO-POTA driven policies. Condemning the Union Govt. decision to close the procurement centres and the utter neglect of farmers in the TN state budget, the statement indicted the Centre for not coming up with any integrated national water sharing policy and continuously sabotaging the existing irrigation schemes. Recalling the glorious history of Tamilnadu peasant struggle during '80s, the statement urged the peasantry to take the path of struggle instead of ending their life. Both organisations have agreed to jointly mobilise the peasants all over the state for the April 9, 2002, peasant's martyrs memorial rally of Tamilnadu at the Martyr's Memorial in Vadachandur.

Rajasthan Diary

Rajasthan unit of AIPWA held its meeting on 25 March in Jaipur. Condemning Sangh Parivar and Modi Govt. for Gujarat riots, the meeting resolved to carry forward AIPWA's national campaign to 'Fight Kesaria Terrorism'. It also resolved to expose the central government's Domestic Violence Bill which does not give women any serious respite as well as the anti-women budget. AIPWA President, Srilata Swaminathan was present in the meet.

On 26 March Rajasthan CPI-ML held a cadre meet in Jaipur to oppose POTO bill. The meet was attended by CCM incharge of Rajasthan, Com. Srilata.

Oppose Privatisation of Tea Corporation

Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangha (ASCSS) organised a convention in Jorhat on 26 March against privatization of Assam Tea Corporation (ATC), a state govt. undertaking. Whereas the employees of tea gardens and offices of ATC had not been paid their salaries for 9 months, tea workers in various gardens under ATC had not been paid for 9 weeks. Instead of taking steps to clear the wages, the Govt. of Assam is preparing to privatise the corporation.

Condemning this attitude the convention demanded a white paper on the ATC problems and their permanent solution, renovation of the gardens and immediate clearance of the outstanding salaries. Conducted by Jogeswar Bawary, Dibyajyoti Sarma and Prafulla Saikia, the convention was addressed by Bibek Das, Gen Secy. of ASCSS and Kanaklata Dutta of Pragatishil Nari Santha.

Bhagat Singh Memorial Day in Bangalore

Bhagat Singh Memorial Day was observed on 23 March at Peenya, Bangalore. Krishnappa, RYA Convenor presided the meeting while Govindarajan, Poonacha and Gandhimathi delivered speeches. Govindarajan stressed on the need for youth to emulate Bhagat Singh and also lauded his role in the freedom movement in contrast to that of Gandhi.

Dharna by AICCTU in Andaman

Unions affiliated to AICCTU in Andaman staged a one-day dharna at Tiranga Park, Port Blair, on 14 March against the anti-national, anti-working class, anti-youth and anti-people economic policies of the BJP-led NDA Govt. and thereafter a public meeting was also held. All other central trade unions, barring INTUC, joined the dharna. Among the speakers were Com. M Sadasivam, NKP Nair, Arvind Lal Sharma, who criticised policies of both Congress and BJP-led governments in following dictates of World Bank and multinational corporations. Speakers also recorded their apprehension of the threat on communal harmony prevailing over the Islands due to senseless speeches and acts of communal forces.

Remembering Chandrashekhar

Thousands of people including members of CPI(ML) to common students and youth and broad sections of progressive and democratic intelligentsia remembered Com. Chandra Shekhar, twice president of JNU Students Union and a promising CPI(ML) leader who was killed, along with another young Party leader Com. Shyam Narain Yadav, at JP Chowk, Siwan on March 31, 1997. Since then the week starting from March 23 up to March 31 is observed as Martyrdom Week by AISA-RYA, because it was on March 23 that Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev laid down their lives fighting against British imperialism, and another martyr poet-activist of Naxalbari, Avtar Singh Pash, was killed by Khalistani terrorists in this last week of March. In memory of the martyr trio, AISA organised a seminar "Indian democracy on trial" on 27 March, in the context of the Gujarat genocide, the Ayodhya flare up and passage of Prevention of Terrorism Act on 26 March. Prof. Jayati Ghosh, Prof TK Ooman, Swami Agnivesh, Brij Bihari Pandey and Pranay Krishna addressed the seminar held at School of Social Studies Auditorium, JNU. Speakers underlined the seriousness of fascist threat that is looming large in the wake of Ayodhya, Gujarat and POTO. The seminar was conducted by Com. Radhika. On March 31 a screening of Anand Patwardhan's films was organised in JNU.

Elsewhere in Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Assam, etc., Party and student-youth activists remembered the martyrs through organising various programmes. While expressing resentment and protest over the criminally negligent attitude of the government and the CBI betrayed in dumping the investigation of Chandrashekhar's murder, the activists also expressed their resolve to avenge the martyrs by carrying forward the movement of the poor, dalits and other deprived sections of the society and sink the communal fascist forces in the sea of mass struggles.

At the time when the notorious gangster Shahabuddin has virtually taken the whole of Siwan in his terror grip, the RJD leadership is finding it hard to throw him away, the BJP is trying to communalise the whole issue by interlinking it with Islamic terror. Strange it may seem, but it is a fact that Shahabuddin is nowadays claiming "much deeper support" from his friends in the BJP against the main rival, the CPI(ML). After all, it is the BJP government that has honoured Shahabuddin by offering him a seat at the Court of Wards of Aligarh Muslim University!

British Protest US Action on Iraq

Waving placards and chanting slogans, thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched through central London on 30 March, calling on Prime Minister Tony Blair to steer the United States away from military action against Iraq. This "Don't Start Wars" protest was arranged by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament amid mounting speculation that President Bush was planning to launch an offensive against Saddam Hussein's regime. The marchers included Labour MP Tam Dalyell.

Israelis Fire on International Group

Israeli troops opened fire on an International group of about 150 persons who were marching toward the Palestinian town of Bet Jaialla on 31 March. Several persons were wounded, included three British citizens, one Australian, one American, and two Palestinian journalists. Firing started when the demonstrators marched near a church carrying a sign saying "We want peace not war."

Korean Workers resist Privatisation

More than 2000 riot police moved in to break up a protest by thousands of state power workers on 23 March. Nearly 400 workers were arrested. The operation began just after midnight as 3,200 workers gathered at Seoul's Yonsei University for a sit-in protest against plans to privatize debt-stricken state electricity firms and lay off thousands of workers. The government outlawed the strike and has already dismissed 197 union leaders and members. In addition, disciplinary action is being taken against 3900 power workers. Earlier in the day members of the labour unions of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPC) subsidiaries took over the amphitheater at Yonsei University while workers and students battled the police with rocks and fire bombs at the university's main gate.

When the government ordered the workers back to their jobs, the Korean Power Plant Industry Union countered that the government should resume talks with them. Power workers have been on strike for nearly a month. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) announced that it would wage an all out general strike if the KEPC goes through with it threat to sack striking workers at its five provincial facilities who don't return to work by March 25. The current privatisation of the power industry is rooted in the "agreement" the Korean government made with the World Bank in 1998 in the aftermath of the financial melt down, and the Korean government agreed to undertake privatisation of the "infrastructure" sectors.