Arrival of Mr. Advani

After the missile, here comes the bombshell. Advani has now been officially designated as Vajpayee's Deputy. The elevation of Advani to a specially created Deputy Prime Minister's post comes in the wake of damaging reports in the Western media about Vajpayee's rapidly deteriorating ability to run the show. There were also occasional stories about the government being handicapped by a Vajpayee-Advani divergence. Against this backdrop, the BJP has issued a loud and clear signal by catapulting Advani to the resurrected chair of a Deputy PM. The fascist consolidation at the core of the NDA government is now nearly complete.

Advani's growing stature within the Vajpayee-led NDA government became quite clear when early this year the Home Minister went on his much-publicised American pilgrimage. The pilgrim's progress from Ayodhya to America was a clear pointer to the fact that he was fast racing ahead to his ultimate destination at 7 Race Course Road. And now the Deputy PM coup, with George Fernandes making the proposal and hardly any murmur of protest from any section of the NDA allies, provides a stunning confirmation of the advent of the Advani era.

Ever since the BJP's aggressive Ayodhya campaign, there was never really any doubt about the supreme position Advani enjoyed within the Sangh parivar. Making it official is more a question of timing. The saffron brigade has now sufficiently indicated its readiness for the next round of combat. It is the culmination of a move which had begun with the appointment of Narendra Modi as the CM of Gujarat. And Modi was not dumped after he accomplished his mission, the BJP retained him defying a countrywide clamour for his dismissal. Recently we also saw former Bajrang Dal chief Vinay Katiyar being made the chief of UP BJP.

Two constituencies have been particularly sought to be reassured through the recent changes in personnel. At home, the BJP wants to galvanise its core constituency of Hindutva hardliners, while externally, it seeks to reassure Washington and the foreign investment lobby. Jaswant Singh has always been admired by the West as a man it can do business with and now he holds the key to the country's economic and financial decisions. Similarly, Yashwant Sinha as the external affairs minister will guarantee complete continuity and compliance on the foreign policy front.

Most crucially, Advani's elevation has completely shattered the liberal myth about the indispensability of Vajpayee's leadership to the survival of NDA. While NDA was founded on the basis of an agenda which excluded the BJP's three signature demands concerning Ayodhya, Kashmir and Uniform Civil Code, it was also widely believed and repeatedly claimed by the allies that the coalition had been cobbled with Vajpayee, and not Advani, at the helm. The issue of Ayodhya has however already been brought back as a key item on the government's agenda. And now by getting George Fernandes to propose Advani's name for the Deputy Prime Minister's post, the Sangh has also sought to dispel the impression that Vajpayee's leadership was central to the very viability of the NDA as a ruling coalition.

The BJP has started setting the agenda for the next round of battle. Emboldened by the impunity with which it was allowed to plan and execute the genocide in Gujarat, the VHP is now busy planning its renewed road-show on Ayodhya. In Gujarat, Modi is contemplating early elections. Come July 24 and the Rashtrapati Bhavan will have its new occupant who has been handpicked by the Sangh. The Lok Sabha is already 'privileged' to have a remote-controlled Speaker. And Advani will now begin to explore the undefined contours of his new role as Deputy Prime Minister, a post not sanctioned by the Constitution of the country.

The Congress which was till recently basking in the glory of its February poll victories, smug in its belief that it had almost overtaken the BJP-led central government with governments in 14 states, has been caught on the wrong foot. The non-Congress opposition is also trapped in a state of disarray. The Sangh could not possibly have bargained for a more favourable situation to deliver its latest time bomb. It is now an open challenge to all those who care for democracy in India to defuse and destroy this bombshell.

Citizen's Delegation Meets NHRC Chief on Gujarat

In pursuance of the resolutions adopted at the "national convention against communal fascism and imperialist intervention" held in Delhi on 26 June, a five-member delegation comprising noted journalist Kuldip Nayar, ex-Chief Justice of Delhi HC Rajinder Sachar, noted Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, PUCL leader Chittaranjan Singh and Party leader Srilata Swaminathan met the NHRC chairperson Mr. JS Verma on June 26. Handing over a memorandum the delegation expressed apprehension of communal disturbances in the wake of the "Rathyatra" to be taken out in Gujarat by BJP and VHP, because it is planned to pass through areas where large number of Muslims reside. They also drew his attention towards VHP and Bajrang Dal calls to Hindus to "chase the Muslims out of their areas" even at the sacrifice of lakhs of Hindus. This is an open call to exterminate the Muslims, they pointed out, as a result of which Muslims in the state are terrified.

The delegation urged Mr. Verma to ensure that at least the Govt. of Gujarat comes out with an assurance to take all possible steps to protect the minorities. It urged the commission to explore all possible avenues to ensure that the proposed "Rathyatra" is re-routed. The commission was urged to closely monitor the activities of BJP, VHP and the Gujarat government in the light of their dubious record. Mr. JS Verma took cognizance of the severity of the problem and assured the delegation that level best efforts will be taken in this regard.

Save Democracy, Save Independence Campaign Launched All Over India

On June 26, apart from organising a National Convention in New Delhi, CPI(ML) held conventions, seminars, public meetings, dharnas, etc. on the theme of opposing communal fascism and imperialist intervention at several centres throughout the country. These programmes marked the launch of nationwide "Save Democracy, Save Independence" campaign, which will conclude on 9 August with a militant action of rasta roko/rail roko/jail bharo.

In West Bengal, 'Convention against communal fascism' was held at Students Hall, Kolkata. Noted personalities who addressed the packed hall include singer Ajit Pande, journalist Abdul Rouf, educationist Sunanda Sanyal, left cultural activist Indranath Bandopadhyay, democratic rights activist Sujata Bhadra, cultural activist Imanul Haque and Party state secretary Kartick Pal. Although infringement of democratic rights in West Bengal under the Left Front government was condemned by a number of speakers, the urge for left unity in fighting out the communal fascists was the common thread that ran through their speeches.

In Bihar, programmes were held in Patna, Arrah, Bihar Sharif, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Supaul etc. A convention was held at Arrah, addressed by Party state secretary Com. Ramjatan Sharma, Lokyudh editor Com. Ramji Rai and others. The district cadre convention held in Patna was addressed by Com. BB Pandey, KD Yadav, Rajaram Singh, Ashok Kumar, asstt. editor of Lokyudh and others. In Siwan, a march was taken out following a convention. A protest dharna was organised in Supaul.

In Bhubaneshwar of Orissa, a state level convention against communal fascism was organised at Nagbhushan Bhawan. It was inaugurated by former Lok Sabha speaker Rabi Ray and presided over by Com. Khitish Biswal, Party state secretary. Prominent speakers include Dhutikrishna Panda, CPI state secy, Sivaji Patnaik, ex-MP of CPI(M), Gananath Patra, state secretary of CPI(ML)-Unity Initiative, Prof. Birendra Naik, Prof. Kulamani Jena, Prof. Laxminarain Raising, Asis Mahapatra, Party leaders Yudhisthir Mahapatra, Srimant Mohanti, and fishermen's leaders Anadi Behara and Murali Behara, peasant leader Satyabadi Behara, etc.

In Madhya Pradesh, a seminar was held at Bhind. It was presided over by Ganga Shankar Mishra, CPI leader and conducted by CPI(ML) leader Devendra Singh Chauhan. Following the seminar, a "Save Democracy Campaign Committee" was also formed. In Chattisgarh, party cadre meetings were held at Kormi village of Bilaspur and Kharora of Raipur. In Bhilai, the cadre meet was held on 25 June. These meetings were addressed by Com. Brijendra Tiwari and CC member Com. Rajaram.

In Tamil Nadu, a state level convention was held at Tirunelveli. Those who addressed the convention include Com. Balasundaram, Party state secretary, Com. G Ramesh, AICCTU state secretary, TA Mary of AIPWA, Com. Narayanasamy of SUCI, AS Allaudin of TMMK, Kasi Viswanathan of CPI and Thangasamy of PUCL. It was presided over by Com. T Sankarapandian, Tirunelveli Party secy.

Party's Assam state Committee held conventions in Guwahati and Dibrugarh. Left leaders and eminent intellectuals addressing the Guwahati convention include Com. Rubul Sarma, Party state secy., CPI(M) state secy. Com. Hemen Das, CPI leader Bhogeswar Dutta, SUCI leader Krantimoy Dev and PCC-CPI(ML) leader Biswajeet Chakravorty, Dr. Amelendu Guha, Akhil Ranjan Dutta, and Ismail Hussain. Com. Loknath Goswami conducted the convention. The other convention held at Dibrugarh town was conducted by Com. Harendra Nath Borthakur and Ajoy Rajkonwar. It was addressed by Com Subhas Sen, Anju Barkatoki and Kanaklata Dutta. More than 500 people from various districts participated in these two conventions.

Success of People's Struggle at Sahar

The indefinite dharna and locking of the block premises on the problems of road and electricity in Sahar block of Bhojpur district in Bihar ended successfully on 24 June after 15 days when the district magistrate came to talk to the people sitting on dharna led by Party MLA Com. Ram Naresh Ram. The administration has undertaken to finish the construction of Sahar-Ekbari road by 10 July and speed up the work on other roads of the block. Apart from the representatives of village and block level panchayats, around 3,000 people were present during the talks. Following this, a large gathering was addressed by Party state secretary Com. Ramjatan Sharma who greeted the toiling people of Sahar for their bold participation.

Resolutions adopted at the
National Convention against Communal Fascism and Imperialist Intervention

1. This convention demands that the killer government headed by Narendra Modi in Gujarat be dismissed forthwith and Narendra Modi and all his cohorts from the Sangh Parivar as well as police officials involved in the killings be arrested and put on public trial. The VHP and Bajrang Dal must be banned for their role in the state-sponsored genocide in Gujarat. While violence has not yet ceased in Gujarat, relief camps are being closed down and Muslim survivors are being forcibly and systematically prevented from returning to their homes and resuming their occupations. Against this backdrop, this convention calls for drastic augmentation of relief and rehabilitation efforts in Gujarat, early reconstruction of all damaged and destroyed tombs and religious and heritage sites in the state along with effective regulation of the 12 July rath yatra programme in view of the communally surcharged situation in Gujarat. There should also be no early elections to the Gujarat State Assembly in the communally-vitiated atmosphere where large sections of the electorate are still living in utter terror and insecurity. This convention condemns the heinous attacks by Saffron forces on journalists and peace campaigners, lauds the efforts already made by various organizations and individuals for restoration of peace and sanity in Gujarat and calls for intensification of countrywide initiatives to secure justice for the genocide-affected people of Gujarat.

2. This convention calls for immediate and total demobilisation of troops along the border to peacetime levels, complete restoration of full-scale diplomatic ties and resumption of direct and unconditional bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan. The peace-loving people all over the country should be vigilant against the Vajpayee government undertaking only token measures to play to the international gallery. Instead, sufficient popular pressure for peace should be built up in order to force the government to withdraw from its present path of planned escalation of tension and sustained war hysteria.

3. This convention strongly denounces the Bush-Blair alliance for trying to fish in the troubled South Asian waters in the name of "facilitating a dialogue" between India and Pakistan and patrolling the LoC even as the two imperialist powers promote a disastrous arms race between India and Pakistan by selling arms to the two neighbours. This convention also condemns the role of Indian and Pakistani rulers in inviting greater imperialist intervention in the region even while escalating hostility against each other. It particularly rejects the Indian foreign and defence policy of growing strategic integration with the US imperialists.

4. This convention hails the nascent anti-war campaign in India and Pakistan and protests by the sub-continental diasporic communities across the world and calls for further intensification of the same. The convention notes with satisfaction that the synchronized protests in India and Pakistan by left parties and other democratic forces on June 13 mark a positive beginning and calls for all-out efforts to promote peace and friendship between India and Pakistan.

5. This convention expresses serious concern about the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and calls for immediate restoration of peace, normalcy and complete political liberty so as to ensure free, fair and timely elections to the State Assembly. Elections to the J&K Assembly under the present conditions of complete denial of political liberty would only make a mockery of the democratic process. The vicious cycle of state repression and terrorism is steadily spiraling in the state. An atmosphere characterized by political killings, indiscriminate arrest and detention of political leaders and activists, and continued state terror against the people of Kashmir, especially the youth, to crush their democratic aspirations is hardly conducive for the people to fearlessly exercise their choice. This convention rejects the sinister idea of fragmentation of Jammu and Kashmir on communal lines echoed most recently by the VHP. It demands general amnesty for all political prisoners, restoration of political liberty, revoking of all black acts and withdrawal of Army and other central paramilitary forces from the state before the elections.

6. This convention strongly condemns the crackdown at Faizabad on May 10-11 on activists who had gathered there to observe Shaheed Mela as a mark of tribute to the legacy of the great martyrs of the 1857 First War of India's Independence. It also criticizes the curbs imposed by the Mayawati government on the recent goodwill march from Chitrakoot to Ayodhya undertaken by secular activists and campaigners for peace and harmony. It calls upon the people and the Supreme Court of India to take serious note of the VHP's latest threat of not abiding by the court verdict on the issue of Ayodhya. Organisations and individuals making such irresponsible and provocative utterances must be duly punished and prevented from further vitiating the atmosphere.

7. This convention calls for an immediate repeal of the draconian POTA and demands quick release of all detained under it. The recent spate of arrests in Kashmir and the threat of its use in Gujarat and elsewhere against members of minority communities and democratic activists have only confirmed the widespread apprehensions on the fascist use of POTA. All the assurances advanced by the government against its misuse have turned out to be patently false and hence there is no justification for this black act to remain in the statute books.

8. This convention is highly apprehensive and critical of the "holy consensus" that has developed around the NDA-sponsored candidature of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who symbolizes India's growing military-industrial complex and dangerous nuclear-missile ambitions. It denounces the BJP's devious and desperate design to use the Presidential election to whitewash its crimes in Gujarat and promote its agenda of aggressive militarisation.

9. This convention denounces, and calls for resistance against, incessant attempts by the Sangh Parivar forces to saffronise education curriculum; their takeover of academic institutions and trampling their autonomy only to promote their right-wing, Saffron agenda; their denial of artistic freedom and highhanded censorship of documentary films like "War and Peace" and their browbeating of artistes and, worse still, their attempt at communalising the administration and police as witnessed in Gujarat.

10. This convention demands scrapping of the divestment of VSNL to Tatas, IPCL to Ambanis and Maruti to Suzuki & Co and demands the sacking of Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie for pushing through such murky deals. It strongly opposes the decisions taken by the Vajpayee government allowing up to 74% FDI in print media and 100% FDI in tea plantations. It also demands withdrawal of proposed labour law reforms that seek to truncate and even deny basic trade union rights to the Indian working class. It calls for the enactment of a comprehensive welfare legislation to safeguard the basic interests of agricultural labourers who constitute the biggest contingent of the working people of India. This convention demands that the Indian government immediately abrogate the WTO dictated Agreement on Agriculture in view of the massive subsidies envisaged under the US Farm Bill, protect our farmers from unequal trade, and roll back hikes in prices of diesel and electricity.

11. This convention strongly condemns the increasing incidence of state repression on the struggles of the working people and other democratic movements in different parts of the country. From the killing of protesting farmers in Haryana to the forced eviction and killing of tea garden workers in Siliguri in North Bengal, from the crackdown on Maan Dam oustees and NBA activists in Bhopal to relentless attacks against CPI(ML) activists and the rural poor in Jharkhand, Eastern UP and Bihar, recent weeks have witnessed intensified police brutalities across the country. As the neo-liberal economic policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation threaten the survival of the toiling masses and resentment runs high, the state is becoming increasingly ruthless and repression and denial of democracy is becoming the order of the day. This convention calls upon the civil liberties and other democratic movements and all friends of the toiling people to heighten their vigilance and ensure effective and timely intervention to curb the growing incidence of state repression.

12. This convention appeals to all left, democratic, patriotic and secular forces to conduct a nationwide "Save Democracy, Save Independence" campaign from June 26 to August 9. It underlines the need for greater unity in action among the left and democratic forces. The convention calls for massive countrywide protests all over the country, in the form of militant rasta roko/rail roko/jail bharo agitation on August 9, and appeals to all those concerned to undertake diverse programmes to prepare for this in the intervening campaign period.

Police Fires on Tea-garden Workers in Siliguri, WB

The silver jubilee celebration of the Left Front Government (LFG) had hardly gone into a week when the police of the 'improved left' govt. fired on the tea-workers at Siliguri in North Bengal on 26 June. Two workers, Ramprasad Bhagat and Ranjit Jaiswal, succumbed to police bullets and a few others including a 7-year old girl are struggling for their lives in the hospital. The Chandmani Tea Estate at the outskirts of Siliguri became the focus of a confrontation between the tea-garden workers on the one hand and the govt.-promoter combine on the other. The LFG had concluded an agreement in 1997 by which a promoter was allowed to build a satellite township in the land of the Chandmani Tea Estate and for that purpose 170 acre of the tea-garden land was allocated to the promoter. As this would involve loss of jobs for the workers as well as their eviction from the tea-garden and cause harm to the environment, protest arose from many quarters and the matter was ultimately taken to the High Court. To resist this move the workers set up the Anti-Eviction Joint Action Committee (AEJAC) with Avijit Majumdar, Party state committee member, as its convenor and APDR, Siliguri Welfare Organisation, AICCTU and IFTU as its constituents. Soon as the High Court gave ruling in favour of building the township, the govt.-promoter combine swung into action. Avijit Majumdar was picked up form his house at the dead of night of 25 June, and three worker-leaders were also arrested on the early hours of June 26. AEJAC pointed out that the transfer of tea-garden land was illegal as Tea Board Act of 1953 prohibits any erection of concrete structure in the tea-garden land and that the ruling of the High Court was conditional and rehabilitation of the workers must be ensured before evicting them.

Refusing to take this onslaught lying down, the workers of Chandmani Tea Estate put up a determined resistance when the police began uprooting the tea-plants. The police rained blows of lathis on the workers, even the women and children not being spared. The workers blocked NH-31 for hours together. They even confronted the police with home-made weapons. Even after the police-firing the workers continued with their resistance and at least for once the police of the LFG got taste of the might of organised resistance of the workers. Party has hailed this resistance of the workers as an exemplary instance of class-based activism.

The police-firing gave rise to severe resentment among the people. To protest the police-firing and the arrest of Avijit Majumdar and the worker-leaders, the Party, AEJAC and APDR jointly gave a 12-hours Siliguri bandh call on 27 June which was an overwhelming success with most of the establishments remaining closed and vehicular traffic coming to standstill. LF partners like RSP and Forward Bloc also condemned police firing and supported the bandh. Being cornered over the incident the local CPI (M) MLA and minister for municipal affairs and urban development Ashoke Bhattacharya, who has been working as a facilitator for the promoter, started spreading canard that the Naxalites provoked the workers into violence and to save people and children from their wrath that the police was forced to open fire. He also alleged that those killed in police firing were not workers of the tea-garden. On the other hand, the tea-estate manager Jayanta Mitra said that the workers killed were casual workers of the tea-estate.

Although in the state assembly CM Buddhadev Bhattacharya expressed his sorrow over police firing, he however also said that the police should have brought in more reinforcements to prevent the agitation from taking an ugly turn. He also sermonised the workers to realise that the building of the township would bring in more prosperity to them than their engagement in the tea-garden. Be that as it may, the workers have been able to halt the construction work for the time being, and the AEJAC and the Party are firm in carrying the movement of the workers' rehabilitation to its logical culmination.

Obituary

Com. Suresh Bari, the driver of a party vehicle, and state security guards Bhanu Paswan and Vinod Rai died in a dangerous road accident at Gopalganj in Bihar on 27 June. Travelling along in the vehicle Party politburo member Com. B Sivaraman, Bihar state party leader Com. Dhirendra Jha and Com. Satyadev Ram, MLA from Mairwa, who were heading for Champaran to attend a party meeting, got seriously injured but are now completely safe and recuperating. Party expresses grief at these untimely deaths and extends heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families.