Independence Day 2002

The fifty-fifth anniversary of Independence comes amidst a whole set of disturbing developments. Half the country remains ravaged by either extreme drought or heavy floods. Even as millions of tonnes of food grains rot in the godowns, large parts of rural India are stalked by starvation. From Madhya Pradesh, the state which is certified by 'decentralisation' demagogues and 'empowerment' enthusiasts as the model of grassroots democracy, comes the shocking report of the first 'sati' of the new century.

The Lok Sabha meanwhile has just been adjourned sine die by the Speaker who found this the surest way of silencing and disciplining the opposition members who had been agitated over the petrol pump scam. Incidentally, while the Lok Sabha is now 'governed' by a speaker from the Shiv Sena, the Rajya Sabha will henceforth have a chairman right from the Sangh Parivar. The old BJP patriarch from Rajasthan, Mr. Bhairon Singh Sekhawat has been elected India's first vice-president from the stable of the Sangh Parivar.

It is however Gujarat which still continues to cast the darkest shadow over the nation's conscience. Close on the heels of the Election Commission's visit to the genocide-scarred state, the newly elected President of India has also chosen Gujarat as the destination of his first official visit to an Indian state. The media were however prevented from covering the President's visit, the relief camps were kept out of the President's itinerary, and the chief organiser of the biggest relief camp was subjected to preventive detention. The areas visited by the President were all given a last-minute facelift and even the people he met were a pre-arranged lot.

Genocide victims and human rights activists of Gujarat are naturally sceptical about the outcome of the President's highly sanitised visit. But the Sangh Parivar is peeved even by the symbolism of the President's visit. The VHP top brass asked Kalam to prove that his visit to Gujarat was not prompted by any 'Muslim sentiment' or sympathy for the Muslim victims while some BJP sources have begun questioning the constitutional propriety of the President seeking a first-hand appraisal of the situation instead of confining himself to reports obtained from the 'proper channel'!

The BJP has however come down most heavily on the Chief Election Commissioner. Senior BJP leaders and ministers have accused the Election Commission of siding with the opposition. They say the Election Commission's job is just to hold elections and not bother about the situation on the ground. They are repeatedly comparing the forthcoming Gujarat elections to past elections held in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Assam.

The comparison is entirely misplaced. In the cases of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Assam, the turbulence was due to a sustained political agitation. The forces leading the agitation in these states had no stake in the elections, in most cases they had in fact called for boycott of elections while the central and state governments insisted on elections and enforced them at gunpoint. Such elections may have lent a modicum of formal legitimacy to the 'elected' governments of the day, but they were by no means models of free and fair elections. In the case of Gujarat, the state government itself has been a party to the disorder and the genocide has been perpetrated precisely with an eye on the elections. Moreover, the issue here is not elections as such but early elections.

Concerns are being expressed at some quarters about the limits and jurisdictions of various institutions. Such concerns must however be discussed in the specific context of the day. In the context of Gujarat where democracy has been reduced to the level of organised political gangsterism, institutions can remain meaningful only if they intervene effectively and not keep mum. If we are to choose between the systematic subversion of the institutional basis of parliamentary democracy being carried out by the BJP and proactive institutions overstepping their normal limits and briefs, democrats can and must defend the latter. Gujarat is still crying for rehabilitation of the victims and action against the perpetrators of the holocaust. India must save Gujarat from the cruel mockery of early elections under Modi's murderous regime.

August 9: Jail Bharo
Thousands Courted Arrest All Over the Country

Thousands of people courted arrest all over the country on August 9, the historic anniversary of 'Quit India Movement', in response to the CPI(ML)'s 'Jail Bharo' agitation called in protest against the RSS-BJP's communal fascist politics and Vajpayee government's corruption and misrule, with the slogan 'Saffron Brigade - Quit India'. This agitation was the culmination of the 'Save Democracy, Save Independence' campaign which the Party had launched from the June 26 National Convention held in New Delhi against communal fascism and imperialist intervention. The CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya alongwith several left leaders including CPI(ML) Red Flag General Secretary K. N. Ramchandran, former CPM MLA from Punjab and leader of CPIM(Pasla) group Tarsem Jodha and CPI(ML) Unity Initiative leader P.K. Murthy with hundreds of CPI(ML) supporters courted arrest at Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi. Among others who courted arrest in New Delhi included CPI(ML) Polit bureau member Akhilendra Pratap Singh and Party M.P. Jayant Rongpi.

Before courting arrest at Parliament Street Police Station, protesters also held a mass meeting and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Vajpayee, Home Minister Advani and Petroleum Minister Ram Naik in protest against Petrol Pump Scam.

Addressing the meeting in New Delhi the CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that sixty years ago the whole of India had roared in unison asking the British colonialists to quit India. Today, the entire country is crying for deliverance from the fascist and corrupt reign of the very forces who had launched their political career as agents of British imperialism and who are today mortgaging the country's dignity and vital interests to the US imperialism.

Taking potshots at the BJP's election time promise to free people from terror, hunger and corruption, com. Bhattacharya said the Vajpayee-Advani regime has come to be identified with three Ps -- POTA, Privatisation and Petrol Pump Scam. He said, "while the NHRC Chairman had described the situation in Gujarat as so grave that the genocide victims are facing war conditions, the Narendra Modi govt. is basking in the presumed glory of the blood bath." The CPI(ML) leader called upon the election commission to foil the BJP's plans for forcing early elections on Gujarat.

Expressing serious concern over the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir the CPI(ML) General Secretary accused the Vajpayee govt. of playing into the US hands on the issue of Kashmir. He demanded immediate release of political prisoners in Kashmir to set the tone for free and fair elections in the state. The CPI(ML) General Secretary said that at a time when millions of people in twelve major drought affected states are struggling for survival, food grains are rotting in FCI godowns. He said, "if the government does not come forth with urgent and adequate reliefs, the activists of the peasant organisations and the rural poor will have every right to storm the godowns to save the starving people".

Apart from Delhi, 'Jail Bharo' agitation was held at almost all state capitals and important district centres. In Bihar, although the transport unions had given a call for Bihar bandh, around 1000 people came out on the streets in Patna and courted arrest.

At Arrah, the district headquarters of Bhojpur, nearly 1200 took out an impressive 'Jail Bharo' march and courted arrest. A large contingent of nearly a thousand people were arrested at Biharsharif in Nalanda district. More than a thousand people courted arrest at Sasaram in Rohtas district. In east Bihar, around a thousand people marched on the streets in Katihar. In north-west region of the state, nearly 2000 people held a massive demonstration at Siwan and courted arrest. In West Champaran district, the Party had given a call of Bandh on August 9 in protest against ongoing feudal-mafia-police terror on rural poor in the region. Enforcing the Bandh call and observing the Jail Bharo programme, around 2000 people were arrested at Bettiah, Narkatiaganj and Bagaha. At Bettiah, the headquarter of West Champaran, the police opened fire at Party supporters. com. Ramji Patel, a Party cadre, was killed by the police in a cold-blooded manner. 'Jail Bharo' agitation was also held at Darbhanga, Samastipur, Mujaffarpur, Motihari, Chapra, Begusarai, Dhamdaha, Shekhpura, Jamui, Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad, Bhabhua, Mohania, Kudra, Jehanabad, etc.

In Uttar Pradesh, around 1200 people courted arrest at Pilibhit, 1000 at Varanasi, 800 at Balia, 700 at Ghazipur, 500 at Mirzapur, 500 at Sonbhadra, 500 (including 400 women) at Deoria, 500 at Allahabad, 700 at Lakhimpur Kheri and 200 at Lucknow. The agitation was also held at Azamgarh, Kanpur, Jalaun, Muradabad, Mau, Bijnaur, etc.

In Jharkhand, around a thousand people were arrested at Albert Ekka Chowk at Rachi. People from Hazaribagh participated in Ranchi 's programme. The agitation was also held at Dhanbad, Giridih, Garhwa, Dumka, Latehar, etc.

In West Bengal, the Party had decided to hold 'Jail Bharo' at three centres-- Kolkata, Siliguri, and Bankura -- Around 1500 people were arrested in Kolkata. Before courting arrest two rallies were organised which started from Sealdah and Howrah railway stations and later converged at Subodh Mullick square. Protesters there raised the issue of growing police repression in West Bengal and condemned the anti-ML campaign launched by the Left Front Govt. in the state.

In Orissa, 'Jail Bharo' agitation was held at Bhubneshwar and in several blocks of Rayagada and Gajapati districts.

In Andhra Pradesh around six hundred people courted arrest, despite heavy rains, at Vijayawada.

In Tamil Nadu, around 800 people courted arrest at Chennai, Madurai, Kombakonam, Erode, and Tuticorin. Haaja Kani of Tamizhaga Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam also took part in the programme.

In Karnataka, a public meeting was organised in Peenya industrial estate on 9th August. The meeting was attended by over 200 workers. This time the campaign in the state was also organised in rural taluk centres, H.D.Kote and Hunsur as well of Mysore district. A dharna was organised in H.D.Kote on at the Taluk office Another dharna was organised in front of the Asst. Commissioner's office at Hunsur. The demonstrators also condemned the State government intelligence wing's proposal to include the Dalit Sangarsh Samithi (DSS) in the list of terrorist organisations under POTA.

Pondicherry witnessed an impressive demonstration which was addressed by leaders of the CPI(ML), CPI, JD(S), Pravasi Nepali Sangh and few other organisations.

In Andaman, a rally of nearly five hundred workers, employees and toiling masses was held at Port Blair. A mass meeting was also held where party leaders and leaders of the AICCTU and RYA also spoke.

CPI(ML) Assam State Committee observed 'Jail Bharo' in Guwahati by bringing out a militant procession from

Guwahati Rly Station. More than 1500 protesters from different districts of the state participated. Police tried to disturb the programme from the beginning and arrested a group of 50 members coming from Sonitpur district at Rly station in the morning. Breaking the police cordon the processionists marched towards Deputy Commissioners' office. This was again blocked by the police near Cotton College hostel where the procession was turned into a mass meeting. Police later arrested all the people present there. People from tea gardens, women and workers participatd in good number. In Silchar, Cachar District Committee observed the day by organising a 'rasta roko' programme before India Club where they sucessfully blocked the road for two hours, later they were arrested by the police. 'Jail Bharo' was held at nearly eleven centres including Diphu inKarbi-Anglong.

In Tripura, hundreds of Party supporters courted arrest at Agartala. Altogether two hundred people courted arrest at Kaila Sahar and Amarpur.

In Chhatisgarh, around five hundred people courted arrest at Raipur. The programme was also held at Durg and Bilaspur.

In Haryana, Party activists and supporters blocked road at Ambedkar Chowk in Karnal and courted arrest.

In Uttaranchal, neary a hundred people courted arrest at Haldwani.

In Rajasthan , nearly three hundred people courted arrest at Jaipur. The programme was also held at Jhunjhunu, Udaipur, Banswara, and Chittorgarh.

August 9: Police Firing at Bettiah

The police opened fire on the CPI(ML) supporters at Bettiah during 'West Champaran Bandh' on August 9. A Party cadre com. Ramji Patel was shot dead by the police near railway station. More than ten people were injured.

West Champaran district in Bihar is witnessing a spate of feudal -mafia-police terror and repression for last three months on the Party-led agrarian labourers' and rural poor's movement for land and wages and against the red card scam --a multi-crore PDS scam by a minister in the Rabri-Laloo govt. Police-administration are virtually acting as agents of large estates owned by feudals and mafia-criminal forces patronised by the BJP as well as the RJD. The Party had given the call of 'Bandh' on August 9 against the growing terror and atrocities on the poor people. On this day the police lathcharged the Bandh supporters at Bettiah. When the people were returning, the police again started beating them. When com. Ramji Patel resisted this, the police shot him on the temple. It was a cold blooded murder. Prior to this at least two persons were killed and several houses belonging to the poor people were gutted. The Party gave the call of statewide protest on August 10 against this incident demanding immediate action against the DM and SP of the district as well as against the killer policemen.

CPI(ML) Central Team Visits West Champaran

The CPI(ML) MP in Lok Sabha Dr. Jayant Rongpi along with the Party's Bihar legislative group leader Ram Naresh Ram and Rameshwar Prasad, ex-MP and General Secretary, BPKMS left for West Champaran on August 11 for the first hand appraisal of the growing incidence of feudal-mafia-police repression in the region and 9 August Bettiah police firing. The team will return to Patna to meet the Bihar Governor on this issue.

Petrol Pump Racketeers Belonging to RJD Kill Three Dalits in Bhojpur

Three members of a dalit family including a woman and her ten year old son were killed while they were sleeping at Edaura village under Udvantnagar police station in Bhojpur district in Bihar on August 8 morning by the criminals belonging to the RJD. This heinous killing is a part of the plan of a local RJD leader Vijendra Yadav who alongwith one of his relatives has illegally constructed a petrol-pump on the alloted land of the poor villagers of Edaura village. The RJD leader is continuously trying to displace the poor people from their houses that have been provided to them under the 'Indira Awaas Yojana'. This case of illegally constructing a petrol pump is also pending in the Patna High Court. The High Court has issued a show-cause notice to the owner of the petrol pump. Since the killers are from the RJD camp, the district administration is busy in shielding them. The CPI(ML) has strongly condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the killers and their patronizers. Com. Ram Naresh Ram, the leader of the Party's legislator group in Bihar, rushed to the spot soon after receiving the news of the killing.

CPM Gives Nod to POCA

The ruling CPM in West Bengal has finally given Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya the green signal to go ahead with POCA -- Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

"According to CPM sources, the introduction of POCA has become necessary to tackle ISI backed terrorism and also to check the increasing Naxalite activities. The Act is also needed to effectively tackle the emerging social unrest because of increasing retrenchment and unemployment."

"CPM Polit bureau member and state secretary Anil Biswas told a television channel that the state government would enact such a law, whatever be the nomenclature." (The Times of India, Aug. 10, 2002) Let Buddhadev dine and dance with Advani, the CPI(ML) alongwith other left and democratic forces will continue to resist such Act by all means.

CPI(ML) Decries Saffron Reaction to EC's Gujarat Visit

The Party has strongly condemned the unseemly and malicious comments made by the BJP ministers and fuctionaries including L. K. Advani and Arun Jaitley on the Election Commission's visit to the riot-affected areas of Gujarat. The Party said, "these motivated statements anount to the denigration of the dignity and autonomy of the institution of Election Commission". The Party also denounced the VHP's statement criticising the President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's visit to Gujarat. The Party condemned the arrest of Sharif Khan, the co-ordinator of the Shah Alam camp, biggest relief camp in Ahmedabad, just before the President's visit.

The Party accused the RSS-controlled Vajpayee-Advani government of weakening the institutional foundation of democracy by eroding the automomy and propriety of constitutionally formed institutions.

CPI(ML) Abstained from Vice-Presidential Election

The Party abstained from the Vice-Presidential election held on August 12. In a statement issued on August 10, the Party reiterated its well known opposition to the Sangh Parivar candidate and said "the question of supporting Congress nominee also does not arise in view of the Congress's collusive track record vis-s-vis most of the BJP government's policies."

Delegation Demands Autonomous Statehood to Karbi-Anglong and NC Hills

A 12 member delegation from Karbi-Anglong, Assam, comprising of the CPI( ML), Autonomous State Demand Committee (Progressive), Karbi Students' Association and the Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong leaders submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, on August 5 demanding the creation of an autonomous state comprising of Karbi-Anglong and North Cachar Hills of Assam as per Article 244(A) of the constitution. Several other issues of the people of these areas were also raised through this charter of demands. The delegation was led by CPI(ML) MP and Secretary of Party's Hill District Committee, Jayant Rongpi and the President of the ASDC (Progressive) Chandrakant Terang.

Describing the Article 244(A) of the constitution as a national commitment the delegation members said that by denying the people of hill areas of Assam an automous state while creating new states elsewhere is a naked discrinination. The memorandum accused the govt. of India of "breaking the trust and commitment shown during the tripartite talk in 1995 involving the Union Govt., the Assam Govt. and the Movement organisations of the hill areas of Assam."

The delegation also demanded to stop the Assam govt.'s conspiracy to disintegrate the territory of Karbi-Anglong in the name of retransfer of Block-I and Block-II to Meghalaya. (The Assam govt. has decided to hand over 1743.79 square kilometers of Karbi-Anglong to Meghalaya).

Protest against Sadhvi Rithambara in NY

The non-resident Indians in Flushing demonstrated on July 26 at the meeting and reception held there for the Sangh Parivar demagogue Sadhvi Ritambhara. A few noted American scholars on India such as Owen Lynch and Johanna Lessinger also came to join the protest. As soon as she stepped out of the car amidst a hail of slogans, she had to scamper hurriedly into the auditorium. The demonstration had been called by INSAF (International South Asia Forum), the SAMAR media collective, FOIL (Forum of Indian Leftists) and Non-resident Indians for a Secular and Harmonious India and endorsed by IMAN (Indian Muslim Alert Network). The protestors were carrying placards that said "Sadhvi Ritambhara has blood on her hands".