Mete out Exemplary Punishment to this Butcher of Humanity

Seven years after the Bihar government had banned the Ranvir Sena, Brahmeshwar Singh, the Sena chief who himself claims to have masterminded no less than 29 massacres, is finally behind the bars. The circumstances leading to the 'arrest' left little doubt about the fact that the entire event was stage-managed. Reports have it that it was none other than Laloo Yadav who 'tipped off' the police about Brahmeshwar's whereabouts. It was also Laloo Prasad who broke the news to the press.

It is well known in Bihar that on two earlier occasions, Brahmeshwar was let off by the police at the behest of none other than Laloo Prasad. If Laloo Prasad had thought that this latest episode would erase the previous episodes from the proverbially short public memory, that is certainly not going to happen. If anything, the manner in which Brahmeshwar Singh has been 'arrested' has only highlighted the political patronage and police protection that the Ranvir Sena and its notorious chief have always received from the Laloo Prasad government. How can we ever forget Laloo Prasad's open advocacy of an alliance with 'the devil' to counter the CPI(ML) in central Bihar?

Why did Brahmeshwar finally choose to surrender? With popular resistance against the Ranvir Sena steadily intensifying, he was feeling increasingly insecure. In recent times he has had a few close shaves and his days were clearly getting numbered. Internally, the Ranvir Sena has lost much of its initial strength and cohesion. Its avowed aim of finishing off the CPI(ML) has clearly been defeated and its own social support has started thinning. It must be this threat perception which has prompted this mass murderer to seek refuge in the security of the jail.

Many of Bihar's notorious crimelords are known to operate from Patna's high-security Beur jail. Some of them have already adopted politics as a parallel profession. Brahmeshwar Singh may well be joining them. Whatever 'deal' may have preceded his arrest, Brahmeshwar Singh's surrender and arrest do not involve any Gandhian 'change of heart'. Journalists who were hoping to extract a few words of regret and repentance from this hardened killer were shocked to hear him justify all the killings in the name of the 'farmers'. The rabid reactionary outlook of the Ranvir Sena remains completely intact.

For all those who profess peace and justice, democracy and development in Bihar, here is an acid test. Can the judicial system mete out exemplary punishment to the criminal who personifies medieval barbarity and bestiality in human garb? Every drop of blood spilled at Bathanitola and Bathe is crying for justice. Everybody laments the fact that the criminal-politician nexus has been ruling the roost in Bihar with utter impunity. Will the democratic opinion in Bihar assert itself firmly enough to ensure that this one criminal is not let off?

Let us remember the prophetic words uttered by Comrade VM after the Bathe massacre: "In the concrete context of Bihar, the interests of the revolutionary peasant movement as well as the national responsibility of halting the onslaught of the saffron army has merged into one and the same task - wiping out the Ranvir Sena. ... To deal a crushing blow to this army of butchers, of cowards ... is the call of human progress, democracy and true nationalism. This is the call of the modern times." Brahmeshwar Singh's 'arrest' only highlights the need to answer this call with all the strength at our command. While intensifying resistance on the ground, we must do all we can to strengthen the democratic resolve for exorcising the ghosts of medieval barbarity from the soil of modern Bihar and modern India.

SC Refuses to Sign on Saffron Notepad

Reacting to the Supreme Court's remarks of 2 September that it would not interfere with the Election Commission's order of 16 August and that it would decide the Presidential reference without any reference to Gujarat, the CPI(ML) said, "Saffron forces bent on weakening the institutional foundation of democracy to further their communal-fascist interests have once again been slapped".

The CPI(ML) said that following the Supreme Court's remarks the Narendra Modi government of Gujarat must immediately be dismissed and state be placed under President's rule.

Stop 'Gaurav Yatra', Ban VHP, Arrest Ashok Singhal

CPI(ML) has demanded that the so-called 'gaurav yatra' proposed to be taken out by saffron forces in Gujarat must be thoroughly cancelled and ban be imposed on the outfits like the VHP and its leader Ashok Singhal be immediately put behind the bars.

The Party raised these demands while reacting to the postponement of 'gaurav yatra' and statements fanatically made by VHP leader Ashok Singhal that the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat would serve as an exemplary deterrent to any possible Muslim offensive in future.

Assault on Journalists Condemned

CPI(ML) has strongly condemned the assault on Indian Express journalist Mujamil Jaleel by the police in Srinagar on 31 August. The Party also condemned the arrest of Najeer Ahmed, editor of a local Urdu daily in the valley. Demanding harsh action against the policemen and officials involved in these incidents the CPI(ML) expressed serious concern over the increasing attacks on journalists and human rights activists in the valley.

Children Died in Government Hospital in WB

The CPI(ML) has expressed deep sorrow and anguish over the death of at least fifteen children on 1-2 September in twenty four hours in a Government run hospital in Kolkata. The failure of hospital doctors to save the children is a clear reflection of the adhoc, irresponsible and criminally negligent attitude of the Left Front govt. in the state. Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy Children's Hospital, only a few kms away from the State Health deptt. is very poorly run without facilities for any exigency services to cope-up with the diseases of the children. While the Left Front Govt. is busy with its privatisation drive of the public heath system and, recently, there was a hike in hospital fees too, no improvement in the health services is visible. The total callousness of the hospital administration and changed priorities of the concerned people in the government is the principal cause of such unnatural deaths in a govt. run city hospital. No doubt, the death of the children has come as a blot on the Buddha's Bengal.

George's Acrobatics on Disinvestment

After playing into the hands of the RSS and courting the BJP for long, Samata Party's ill-famous leader George Fernandes has opened his mouth on the issue of disinvestment. People are amused to see him in this role. After all, he is the convener of NDA. Just the other day, he piloted several disinvestment deals. He never raised his finger over the wanton sale of national assets by the government. Describing George's acrobatics as a new political trick at a juncture when the BJP-led government is fast losing its credibility and morality and the Samata Party is losing its relevance, the CPI(ML) said, "if George is really serious about his criticism of the disinvestment policy of the government, he should have the guts to resign from the government as well as the NDA".

Hunger Strike by UP Khet Mazdoor Sabha

As a part of the Party's continuing statewide campaign against Mayawati government's indifferent attitude towards starvation deaths in the drought affected state, a three day hunger strike was organised by Varanasi unit of the Uttar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha at the Commissioner's Office in Varanasi from 26 to 28 August. The UPKMS in a 14 point memorandum to the Commissioner of Varanasi demanded special relief package for the drought affected UP, distribution of red cards to those living below the poverty line, implementation of the food for work programme, Removal of police-PAC camps from the rural areas of Chandauli, Sonebhadra and Mirzapur districts as these camps were intimidating the rural poor and resorting to torture and harassment of left activists and payment of wages to the tendu leaf collectors who have not been payed their wages for the last two years.

Agricultural Labourers protest Against their MLAs

The agrarian labourers of various villages of Jehanabad in Bihar have launched the struggle against MLAs in their constituencies. A large number of agrarian labourers, mainly from Koel and Rustampur areas, which fall under constituency of RJD minister Akhilesh Singh and pro-RJD independent MLA Jagadish Sharma, reached Patna on 28 August and held a massive protest dharna at I.T.O. roundabout. The main speakers at the dharna were Bihar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha leader Rameshwar Prasad and Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha leader Rajaram Singh. The protesters demanded guarantee of minimum wages and an end to the social oppression. Describing the behaviour of their MLAs as 'feudal', the protesters said that they got only 2.5 Kg of grains daily as wages in their areas. The agrarian labourers have also launched strike in their villages from 22 July. Before this protest programme a team of BPKMS had also visited Koel village on 24 August for first-hand account of the situation prevailing there. The team found that there was a widespread resentment among agrarian labourers in the village and surrounding areas. Villagers complained that family of the RJD minister Akhilesh Singh was treating them as their slaves. They disclosed that they had also launched similar 'strike' in 1980 on the demand of proper wages. At that time also this family had attacked on them. Poor villagers said that they were being threatened of Bathe-type massacre by the minister and his henchmen.

Demonstrations in Raiganj

Recently com. Ganesh chhetry, State Committee member of the CPI(ML)'s West Bengal unit along with six other comrades have been illegally sent to jail in North Dinajpur. They have been implicated in false charges under section 307 of IPC while resisting an absentee joteder who tried to forcibly occupy a piece of 82 bighas of waste land. The CPI(M) goons and the police helped the jotedar in such an act. On August 2 Party held demonstrations in all the blocks in North Dinajpur District for immediate release of those arrested and punishment to C.I. of Raiganj Police Station. The demonstrations were also held in Krishnanagar and Dhubulia to press upon these demand. Public meetings were organised in Kolkata against police high-handedness and attacks on mass movements.

Dharna against Attacks in Masaurhi

A big dharna was organised on August 27 to protest against the continuing attacks on CPI(ML) activists and people's representatives at Masaurhi in Bihar. Alarmed by the Party's restless struggle for rights of agrarian labourers and deprived sections in the area, the criminalised local power groups have started launching organised attacks on the people.

Protests in Samastipur

The CPI(ML) organised protest demonstrations and dharnas on August 28 at all the block headquarters of Samastipur district against irregularities and corruption in the relief and rehabilitation works on the part of the administration in the flood affected areas.

Militant Demonstration by Women at Bettiah

More than a thousand women under the banner of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) held a militant demonstration at Bettiah, the headquarter of West Champaran, in Bihar on 29 August on a charter of eight demands. Protesters marched on the streets in the town and blocked the main gate of the Collectorate for hours. This protest was led by AIPWA leaders Meena Tiwari, Anita Sinha and Janki Devi. Women protested the increasing atrocities by feudal-criminal-police nexus on the agrarian labourers and poor peasants in the district. They demanded social security to the poor of Pahkaul, Chiutahan, Mandiha and Mahuawa, judicial inquiry into the incidents of police firing at Mandiha, Chiutahan and Bettiah, implementation of minimum wages act and arrest of the criminals who manhandled Shushila Devi, a poor woman of Pahkaul. AIPWA leaders also submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate. Later, AIPWA also sent memorandum to the DIG, Bihar and the State Women's Commission.

Brutal Police Lathicharge on AISA Activists in Patna

The police unabetedly resorted to a brutal lathicharge on protesting AISA activists in Patna on 28 August causing injuries to more than thirty students. Fourteen students including AISA leaders Abhyudaya, Navin, Dharmendra, Sanjay, Kamlesh and Prakash got severely wounded. After the lathicharge, the police arrested all of them. They were released later. AISA activists were protesting against the police repression which was let loose on students of Magadh University who had held protests against inordinate delay in examinations of B.A. Part II.

AISA organised statewide protest day on 29 August against this incident and demanded punishment to the guilty policemen and officials. Protest dharnas and demonstrations were held at Patna, Arrah, Biharsharif, Nawada, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Gaya and many other places. AISA has resolved to intesify the struggle till the demands are met.

Rapist Punished by Jan Panchayat

At a village in Dhanarua block in Patna district CPI(ML) took initiative in organising a Jan Panchayat (People's Court) to punish a rapist and his accomplice. The rapist, Jaishankar Prasad, BEO of Dhanarua, is now behind the bars and his accomplice Rampukar Paswan, who has a bad reputation of supplying women to the govt. officials in return to the undue favours he gets in his contract business, was paraded in the village after his head shaven by the villagers. This people's court forced the police, who, otherwise, was trying to protect the rapist by not filing an FIR, to register a case and arrest the culprit.

Court Orders Ban on Strikes and Protests

Instead of fulfilling its responsibilities to provide health and maintain congeniality at the hospitals redressing the grievances of health employees and the hospital staff and faculty, the government is misleading the courts in order to acquiring a ban on every form of protest which the health employees and other hospital staff can take to safeguard their genuine interests. In Delhi, this pattern has taken a serious turn. Following the 29 August Delhi High Court order thousands of health employees have decided not to surrender their fundamental rights at any cost. Misguided and misled by the government, the Delhi High Court on 29 August banned each and every protest of the deprived health employees, staff and faculty in all central and state government hospitals across Delhi. This decision is an extension of an earlier order that banned any strike or dharna at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

For more than one lakh health employees, staff and faculty in concerned hospitals in Delhi, this judgement has come as an attack on their right to protest. The judgement is bound to further aggravate the situation in the hospitals. This has come in the midst of an agitation launched by the Joint Council of Health Employees on a charter of demands. Unnerved by the court's decision the Joint Council of Health Employees has announced to continue with their agitation. It has called for a strike in all central and state government hospitals in Delhi on 5 September.

Class on Marxism

Party classes of industrial workers were organised in Chennai and Ambattur on September 1 which was attended by around 250 industrial workers. The workers resolved to go to the villages among the agricultural workers to carry out the campaign launched by the Party demanding an special session of state assembly to be convened to discuss drought, infringement of democratic rights of the people and other issues. This statewide month-long campaign has been launched from Sep 2 which is to be concluded in a big rally on Oct 3. A poster exhibition on 'Story Of Capitalism' was also organised on this occasion.

Tea Tribes Agitation in Assam

Assam Sangrami Chai Shramik Sangh, the CPI(ML) led organisation engaged in organising tea-workers and tribes in several districts in Assam, observed 15 August as a 'Demand Day' and demanded from the government that all issues concerning the lives, livelihood, dignity and rights of tea-workers must immediately be fulfilled. Dharna, demonstration and meetings were held as a part of the protest programme. The protesters demanded enlisting of the tea-tribe as a separate socially deprived group, increase in daily wages, guarantee of work, weekly paid holiday and proper security and a stop to the killings of the people of the community. They accused the successive govts. of the AGP, the AGP-BJP combine and the Congress of treating them with old colonial-feudal streaks.

Supreme Court Denies Any Comfort to BJP

"The sum and substance of the Supreme Court's pronouncement today in the matter of Gujarat elections is that the country's highest judicial forum has refused to provide any aid and comfort to those within the Bharatiya Janata Party who were inclined to countenance the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi's politics of hatred. More than that, the court has empowered a constitutional institution to stand firm against attacks by politically motivated forces." "From the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, down to the voluble party functionaries, the BJP had cast aspersions on the Election Commission just because it would not go along with Mr. Modi's game plan. Now, the institutional prestige of the Commission stands enhanced. The very idea of a presidential reference emanated from a desire to use the judiciary to make political scores. The court has rebuffed these calculations." (Excerpts from a report published in the Hindu, dated September 3 '02)