The SAARC Circus:
Kathmandu in the Shadow of Washington

A SAARC summit held in the backdrop of mounting tension and calculated escalation of war hysteria between the big two of the SAARC seven could only be expected to be a listless show of circus. Indeed it may be argued that SAARC summits have always been formal shows devoid of a substantive political and economic content and that the best thing about the recent summit was that it was held at all. But more than any previous summit, perhaps this one has provided the most telling exposure of all that is wrong with South Asian cooperation in general and with Indian foreign policy in particular.

The Indian decision to recall the Indian High Commissioner from Islamabad, and stop bus and train services between India and Pakistan and finally not to allow airspace to Pakistani aircrafts on the Indian sky virtually amounted to a freezing of bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries just on the eve of the Kathmandu summit. Considering that Pakistan had really started taking some measures against Pak-based outfits like LeT and JeM, the Indian decision to disrupt diplomatic relations was most ill-conceived and ill-timed to say the least. More dangerously, the deliberate downgrading of India's diplomatic relations with Pakistan has only emboldened the US to step up its intervention in the region.

Indeed, the announcement by US Secretary of State Colin Powell of the Ameican intention to appoint a US envoy to broker peace between India and Pakistan and his telephonic calls to the Indian and Pakistani representatives in Kathmandu left little secret of the legthening American shadow over SAARC. Significantly, while Vajpayee returned from Kathmandu to New Delhi to report to Tony Blair, Bush's most visible Western emissary who also happens to be the British Prime Minister, Advani is leaving on a five-day trip to Washington. And in between we had the Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres visiting India.

Earlier, Advani had also paid a visit to Israel. While the spectacle of a home minister on foreign sojourns is itself quite unusual, Advani's trips to Israel and US are prompted by his declared penchant for a US-Israel-India axis. On the eve of the Kathmandu summit, Vajpayee had also chosen to visit Japan while Musharraf, on his part, is reciprocating with frequent forays to China. He used a Chinese airliner to fly from Beijing to Kathmandu and made an hour's stopover on his way back home as well. Clearly, the SAARC partners are talking increasingly less among themselves, and more to external forces.

India has all along maintained that bilateral issues should be kept out of the SAARC ambit. Pakistan, by contrast, has long been insisting that the SAARC platform may also be used to facilitate wider discussion on bilateral issues. In Kathamndu, it just took a handshake from President Musharraf to provoke Vajapayee away from his government's own declared position. Vajpayee chose to respond to Musharraf's extended hands more with his renovated knees - in a knee-jerk reaction he went out of his way to rake up issues of bilateral bitterness on this platform of regional cooperation.

Sometime ago, when Musharraf had come to India for the Agra summit, the Indian government went to absurd ridiculous lengths in a vain bid to hide the most simple, basic and understandable fact that the two sides were indeed discussing Kashmir. In Kathmandu, Messrs Vajpayee, Jaswant and company again made a laughing stock of themselves by insisting that they had not met their Pakistani counterparts when the whole world could see it that the two sides did spend considerable time holding bilateral talks! This inconsistent and infantile approach of the BJP government to matters of foreign policy and international relations is only adding to India's humiliation and isolation while enabling the US to pretend as, and play the role of, an indispensable guardian of indisciplined kids.

The nation must mount urgent pressure on the NDA government to put an end to this infamy. Enduring peace and friendship with Pakistan, closer solidarity and cooperation with all close neighbours, and resolute oppostion to all kinds of American armtwisting are three most vital ingredients of a sensible foreign policy without which India will only end up aggravating its vulnerability to terrorist threats.

CPI(ML) Resists Fascist Repression Tactics in Uttar Pradesh

The Rajnath Singh Govt. in Uttar Pradesh is desperately trying to hold down the growing resistance of peasants and agricultural labourers against BJP's anti-people, anti-poor and communal fascist policies. With an eye to the coming elections, the BJP in UP is keen on suppressing every expression of democratic aspirations coming in the way of its war-hysteria, which is essentially anti-national, pro-US and fascist. The UP Govt. has stepped up the repression campaign particularly against CPI(ML). Not only police intervention in political activities has increased, it is even conspiring to murder Party leaders. On 2 January, notorious criminal gangs led by Keshav Singh and Jaswant Yadav, in collusion with police, attacked a CPI(ML) mass meeting being held in Papaura village of Chandauli district, seriously injuring a number of Party activists and leaders, including a member of Party State Standing Committee, Com. Yashwant, and a member of District Panchayat, Com. Tilakdhari Bind, beside Com. Ramesh Rai, Haridwar Prasad and dozens of other activists. The Party had already informed the SP of Chandauli of the possibility of an attack, and the meeting was organised only with a prior permission from the SP and the SDM. Despite this, the local police dared to assist history-sheeters in the attack, only because these gangs are under political patronage of the BJP and SP, and even the BSP. This attack continued further as a police team led by the SP raided houses of many party activists in Chandauli district in the night and arrested 14 people, and beat them badly.

These attacks typically demonstrate the pre-planned working of the mafia-criminal-police nexus in this district. The Jashwant Yadav gang, which is involved in a number of murder and rape cases, mainly against dalits, tribals and common people, enjoys patronage of Chief Minister Rajnath Singh who has his ancestral village in this area. The other criminal, Keshav, has cases against him registered in nearby Balua police station. On the basis of these proofs the Party has stated that the SP Chandauli is acting like a stooge of DIG, Varanasi range, Surya Kumar Shukla who is openly functioning as an RSS agent.

A similar incident in Lakhimpur Khiri, the police disrupted a mass meeting held by the Party on the question of land pattas for dalits. Here, again, four Party leaders, Jawahar Lal, State Committee member, Ram Daras, District secretary, Kranti Singh and Ramkeval Bharati were arrested and sent to jail after implicating them into false cases. Around 200 activists were detained for a whole day in police lockup. In Mailani of Pilibhit, police has acquired confiscation orders against Party leaders who had been implicated in a false case of attempt to murder while staging a peaceful Rail Roko movement on 9 August 2001 as a part of the nationwide call by the Party. A state-wide protest campaign has been called against these incidents. On 5 January, construction workers union in Lucknow affiliated to AICCTU raised the issue of Chandauli besides their own demands by organising a dharna. They also presented a memorandum to the Governor demanding immediate stop to the increasing police repression over CPI(ML) activists. Party demanded action against SP of Chandauli and immediate arrests of criminals involved in the attack and unconditional release of all activists. Punjab:

Three Left organisations come together

In a meeting held on 27 December at Ludhiana in Punjab, three left organisations, namely CPI(ML)-Liberation, MCPI and Communist Party Marxist (Punjab), the recent breakaway faction of CPI(M), came to an understanding to have an alliance in the coming assembly elections. Com. MS Randhawa, State Party Spokesperson and S Natt represented CPI(ML) Punjab state organisation. The MCPI delegation was led by Com. JS Layalpuri, Gen. Secretary and the CPMP delegation was led by Com. Mangat Ram Pasla. A joint statement released after the meeting says that this left alliance will enter the fray to ensure defeat of Akali Dal's treacherous rule and also to check Congress from coming back to power. The alliance will have no truck with communal parties of Hindutwa brigade, BJP or Shiv Sena or for that matter with any other opportunist party like BSP. The alliance also criticised opportunist left for tailing bourgeois parties like Congress just for a few assembly seats while sacrificing the left independent initiative. The alliance decided to hold aloft the banner of left independence and champion people's cause. A 3-member committee taking one representative from each organisation has been formed to take final decision on seats and other issues. It has also been made clear that this alliance is not just an electoral alliance, the parties will also work together leading people in their struggles on living issues. CPI(ML) Liberation has decided to field candidates from Mansa, Sardulgarh and Ludhiana Dehat. Jharkhand:

Series of Mass Meetings

On 4 January, a large meeting took place in Kundahit block of Jamtara district in which around 2,500 people participated. This militant and colourful rally was held at the BDO office to demand irrigation facilities with the slogan "A pond in each village, a well in each house". Main speaker at the rally was Com. Mahendra Singh, MLA and Party Central Committee member. The meeting was also addressed by district Party secretary Com. Dilip Mandal and popular local leaders Babudhan Kisku and Shivdas Soren.

On 5 January, a big "Jan Adhikar Rally" was held at Ramgarh in Hazaribagh district. It was participated in by around 15,000 people. The main speaker was Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya. Other main speakers included Com. Subhendu Sen, Secretary of Jharkhand State Committee and CC member Com. Mahendra Singh, Giridih Party Secretary Com. Rajkumar Yadav and AIPWA state president Guni Oraon. The meeting was presided over by Com. Javed Islam. The rally was held on three main issues: (1) For employment guarantee and dignity; (2) Against corruption, price rise and massacres; and (3) For development in the state. A 14-point resolution was also passed. Speakers pointed out that Jharkhand, a state rich in mineral resources, produces so much revenue, but all that is being wasted and embezzled by the corrupt Marandi government. Our Party has not only put forward a programme for development of the state, it has also taken initiative to appoint a review committee, to suggest reforms in Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act in order to plug the loopholes which enable the land grabbers to snatch land from adivasis. Speakers also raised their voice against POTO pointing out that it was only a weapon to murder democracy.

On 6 January, a mass meeting participated in by around 3,000 people was held at Jaina More in Bokaro district. It was addressed by Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya who said that India and Pakistan, the two SAARC giants, must hold talks among themselves to resolve bilateral issues bilaterally instead of taking to other countries like US, Britain, Japan and China. Com. Mahendra Singh pointed out that the public sector industries like Central Coalfields Ltd. and Bokaro Steel Ltd. have snatched land from adivasis under the land acquisition act of 1894 which says that the land must be utilised for the purpose originally conceived at the time of acquisition, otherwise the land has to be returned to their erstwhile owners on the purchase rates. But these CCL and BSL are now coming out with tenders to auction these lands to non-adivasis who will utilise it for other purposes. This clearly shows that BJP govt. at the centre and in Jharkhand are working against the interests of adivasis. He also attacked Shibu Soren and JMM for siding with the enemies of Jharkhand, the mafia and big traders against whom he had started a movement in 1974. The meeting was also addressed by Com. Upendra Singh, Party secretary of Dhanbad district, AICCTU leader Bikash Singh and AIPWA state secretary Meena. It was presided over by Com. Devdeep Singh Diwakar, a Party leader from Bokaro district. West Bengal:

Jail Bharo Movement

On 4 January, Jail Bharo movement was organised in various district headquarters of West Bengal. Numbers of activists courted arrest in the agitation are as follows: 500 at Krishanagar, district HQ of Nadia; 500 at Barasat, DHQ of North 24-Paraganas, 300 at Chuchura, DHQ of Hooghly, 250 at Siliguri, DHQ of Darjeeling, 400 at Behrampur, DHQ of Murshidabad, 150 at Jalpaigudi and 200 at Calcutta. Party's state and district leadership led rallies that were taken out on that day before courting arrest.

24-Hour Bandh on 10 January

The 6-month old Left Front government has come down heavily on the people's livelihood. After assuming office it has declared that "There will be no militant workers' movement allowed in Bengal", "Rail Roko and Rasta Roko is banned here", etc. Very recently, charges in govt. hospitals have been raised six to seven fold, even people below the poverty line will have to pay the medical investigation charges. The electricity charges have been raised 10-11%. There is also a desperate bid to impose Prevention of Organised Crime Act, which is just like POTO, or MISA, PD Act of early 70s, in order to "curb the Naxalites". The rural populace in Midnapur and the Rajbanshi people in North Bengal are being harassed and tortured by the state police, 700 of them have been arrested till date on charges under "Anti-State Subversive Act". Urban poor in Kolkata and surrounding areas are being evicted under the plea of "developmental work".

Against this backdrop, Party's State Committee has given a 24-hour 'Bengal Bandh' call on 10 January. Other left parties, who are not constituents of LF govt. and all the ML factions including the PWG have extended their support to the Bandh call. To make this bandh a complete success, Party activists are organising street corner meetings, squad rallies, distributing thousands of leaflets. Wall writings displaying popular demands have also been undertaken.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front government has admitted that "there are some discrepancies in the price hike". However, the CPI(M) has also threatened that its cadres will come out in the streets "to foil the Bandh" as a mark of exercising their own 'democratic right'! Tamil Nadu:

Road Roko, Jail Bharo Movement Against State Govt.

After December 7 2001 Bandh in Tamil Nadu by left parties against AIADMK govt.'s anti-people policies, the tempo of the struggle could not be raised to a higher level despite all the discontent prevailing among the people. This was because the opportunist left parties started moving closer towards Congress and Tamil Manil Congress. So in order to channelise the popular discontent and step up Party's assertion, CPI(ML) and its mass organisations called a statewide Road Roko, Jail Bharo campaign on 2 January 2002. This was directed against anti-people reforms introduced by AIADMK which have resulted in all-round price hike, subsidy cuts, retrenchments affecting vast sections of the people ranging from agrarian labourers to government employees and middle class. Implementing the call, Party and mass organisations members courted arrest in Kanchipuram, Thirunelveli, Thiruppananthal, Devakottai, Kandarvakottai, Madurai, etc. In Chennai, 500 workers led by Com. S Kumarsamy, Acting President of AICCTU, gheraoed the labour commissioner's office. In Kovali, 150 workers led by Com. AS Kumar were arrested. In Nellai and Kumarapalayam, the number of workers courting arrest was 250 and 150 respectively.

Com. Balasundaram, State Secretary led a procession taken out in Sirkazhi. Around 2,000 activists courted arrest throughout the state. In most of the places the activists were later released in the evening, but in Pudukottai, Salem, Kumarapayam and Coimbatore, they were kept detained in jails for a couple of days and were released only on bail. On this day, demonstrations were held at Vaniyambadi, Neyveli and Dindigul. Uttar Pradesh:

Maley Delegation Meets CEO

A CPI(ML) delegation met Chief Election Officer of UP on 4 January asking him to remove mandatory requirement of photo identity cards for the coming elections as nearly half of the rural electorate, particularly agricultural labourers and poor peasants, have not been issued I-cards yet. The delegation told CEO that it is part of a well-thought and planned conspiracy by the ruling BJP to deprive rural poor of their voting right by slowing down the photo I-cards distribution to win the elections. Either the process of distribution of photo I-cards has to be hastened so that it is made available to all, or the mandatory provision of voter I-cards must be dropped. The Party has reiterated its commitment to defend the voting right of each and every citizen. The delegation also asked the CEO to guarantee free and fair elections in the light of a prejudiced and politically motivated statement by the DGP.

Party also demanded immediate halt to the evacuation of nine villages in Puranpur sub-division of Pilibhit district, enforced by the forest department right at the time of elections, where people have been settled for more than 33 years. The two-member delegation comprised of Lal Bahadur Singh and Arun Kumar, presented three separate memoranda on above issues to the CEO, Noor Mohammad.

Protest Meeting in Sitapur

Many leaders and cadres of CPI recently joined CPI(ML) in Sitapur District of UP and organised a mass meeting in Hargaon assembly segment on 3 January. The meeting, attended by more that 300 people, was centered around various local issues and resolved to stage a protest at district headquarters on 11 January. Com. Lal Bahadur Singh also spoke on the occasion. Bihar:

Rally Against State Repression in Siwan

The CPI(ML) in Siwan is making preparations to stage a show of strength against state repression on 22 January at district headquarters in the form of a big rally. The police in Siwan has falsely implicated Party activist and Mukhiya of Gambhirpur, Com. Naimuddin, in a case of manufacturing landmines and arrested. Com. Naimuddin has deliberately been kept in jail in a cell with criminals related to the Shahabuddin gang. He is being subjected to regular beatings and third degree torture by the criminals. Naimuddin is forced to give a false statement that he was involved in a conspiracy to kill Shahabuddin.

Rally against POTO and War in Katihar

Under Party's nationwide campaign against POTO and War, a huge rally was organised at Sivanandpur in Barsoi assembly area of Katihar district in Bihar on 4 January. Attended by thousands of people, the rally was addressed by Party state secretary Com. Ramjatan Sharma, State Standing Committee member Prabhat Kumar, MLA Mehaboob Alam and District Secretary, Sanjay Prasad, among others. Speakers raised the issue of police repression by local administration at the rally.

Cadre Convention in Forbisganj

A cadre convention was organised on the topic "Issues of Development" at Forbisganj of Araria district of East Bihar on 3 January. It was presided over by state Party secretary Com. Ramjatan Sharma and attended by 150 cadres.

Protest by BPKMS

The West Champaran unit Bihar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha (BPKMS) staged a protest demonstration against the act of arson by goons of Madhulal Verma, Mukhiya of Shikarpur in Gaunaha block of Narkatiaganj on 4 January. Madhulal, a member of a Zamindar family, is brother of local MLA Dilip Verma. Along with his goons he looted Kumar Manjhi's house and set it on fire on 27 December. This he committed in desperation to terrorise the villagers who had recently launched a successful movement on the question of wages in 22 villages under the BPKMS banner.

AIPWA district conference in Gaya

AIPWA unit of Gaya held its district conference on 6 January and elected a 17-member District Committee with Rita Barnwal as President and Kusum Trivedi as Secretary. The conference was addressed by AIPWA leaders Saroj Chaube and Shashi Yadav. A rally and mass meeting was also organised before the Conference.

AISA Protest

On 2 January AISA staged protest demonstration and gherao in front of district Headquarter, Patna against cancellation of recognition to ITI trades by the Railway Board. In Khagaul a similar demonstration was also organised and a memorandum was given to the Divisional Railway Manager.

Cultural Organisations Protest POTO

Street Plays against POTO 'Hirawal' staged three street plays at Shafdar Hashmi Rangbhoomi, Gandhi Maidan in Patna on 4 January. This was a part of Anti-POTO Protest Week jointly organised by various cultural organisations. Tripura

Tripura Diary

On 26 December, a seminar against anti-Pak war jingoism was held at Agartala. A protest demonstration was taken out at Sonamora block. Com. Swapan Banik, member of State Committee, Com. Nandlal and Babul Miyan addressed these programmes attended by around hundred people.

At Udaipur, after CPI(ML) candidates won Shuksagar Dala cooperative committee elections, the CPI(M) leadership, hand in glove with the administration, tried to usurp the property of the cooperative. In the face of armed resistance offered by the people, however, the administration had to beat a retreat. In protest to this incident, people held several meetings in Udaipur town and particularly in seven villages, where the attendance was significant.

In Amarpur town, a procession was brought out to launch protest against POTO and government's deployment of paramilitary forces on the pretext of curbing terrorist activities conducted by NFLT and ATTF. State Committee members Com. Rajjab Ali and Nijaram Tripura addressed the meeting held at the culmination of the procession.

A joint convention of women and student-youth organisations against war and imposition of POTO was held in Udaipur on 30 December. Com. Mrinmoy Chakravarty, State Committee Secretary and Com. Partha Karmakar addressed the convention. On 31 December, protest meetings were held against imposition of POTO at various places. Com. Partha Karmakar and Jayanta Das, members of State Committee addressed these meetings.