A Good Beginning

Anticipating the February fallouts we had editorially pointed last week to a massive defeat for the Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab and to yet another precariously hung house in UP. We had also talked about the growing disillusionment of the Uttarakhand hills with the saffron rulers of the new state. The actual outcome has however surpassed our cautious prediction and we can only feel happy to note the clarity with which the poll outcome has gone against the BJP in all the election-bound states.

In Punjab, it is the BJP which has had to take the maximum beating while the Akali Dal has succeeded in retaining at least half its seats despite challenges from the Panthic Morcha. The Congress tally in Punjab may have fallen short of the exit poll predictions, but both in Punjab and in Uttarakhand where the Congress has managed only the barest possible majority, the Congress has primarily its fractious internal situation to blame.

The BJP's biggest debacle has of course happened in Uttarakhand where it got no 'credit' for the creation of the new state - Chhattisgarh is already in Congress hands, and if Jharkhand takes its cue from Uttarakhand, the BJP leadership might be ruing the decision to create these small states - and in the western part of Uttar Pradesh where the BJP and Ajit Singh have now to sort it out as to who proved a liability for whom! If Ajit Singh's celebrated dynastic grip over the Jat vote-bank and the slogan of Harit Pradesh failed to deliver the intended political results, it is time political analysts began to recognise the impact of the agrarian crisis on the farming community. After all, Ajit Singh is now the Union Agriculture minister, and at a time when the whole model of Harit Kranti (Green Revolution) itself has run into such acute crisis, how could people expect the promised paradise of Harit Pradesh to cut much ice with the Jat farmers?

If one takes the BJP's own tally into account, as a party, the BJP has been relegated to the third position in Uttar Pradesh, more than fifty seats behind SP and a good ten seats short of the 'matured and metamorphosed' ('sarvajan'wadi and mafia-driven) BSP. Rajnath Singh may well have been the best bet for the BJP, but the BJP's best has certainly proved to be the worst for UP. The shrill anti-Pakistan anti-Muslim and fascistic campaign conducted by the BJP in the guise of opposition to terrorism and extremism has failed to strike any chord with the overwhelming majority of the UP electorate. Neither Musharraf nor Mandir, neither POTO nor anti-Naxalism - none of the BJP planks evoked any electoral enthusiasm beyond the die-hard RSS network. Frustrated BJP leaders lost their confidence and cool and the climax came with Vajpayee's warning to the Muslims that the BJP was capable of winning without their votes.

Together with Punjab and Uttarakhand, UP too has been pleasantly emphatic in showing the front doors to the BJP. Now the back doors too need to be locked out and the February results must energise secular and democratic India to launch a full-scale counter-offensive against the saffron brigade. In this context, the election results carry important lessons for the Left. The opportunist Left's politics of dependence on non-BJP bourgeois parties has reached a dead end. Fighting in alliance with the Congress, the CPI could win only seat in Punjab. The CPI(M), for a change, fought on its own and its votes in many seats came down to a few hundreds. In UP, in spite of being in alliance with the SP, the CPI failed to open its account while the CPI(M)'s tally came down from four to two. The line of uncritical collaboration with bourgeois parties is only pushing these once major communist parties to more distant political margins.

We, on the other hand, fought on our own and succeeded not only in conducting a spirited communist campaign in these elections but also in securing encouraging votes in several constituencies of eastern UP, especially in the Chandouli-Sonebhadra-Mirzapur region which was the theatre of Rajnath Singh's anti-Naxal police operations. It was also encouraging in these elections to note that more and more communists are now realising the dangerous folly of the opportunist line and many have begun to appreciate the merit of the CPI(ML)'s dogged adherence to the line of class struggle and proletarian independence. The Left's primary job is to organise and lead the class struggle of the working people, only on that basis can the Left play the vanguard role as the defender of bulwark for secularism and democracy.

Election Results to Legislative Assemblies

In Uttar Pradesh, the Party had put up candidates from 34 assembly constituencies (out of the total 403) and our total tally is 65,042 votes. Of these, 14 constituencies lie in Ghazipur-Varanasi-Chandauli-Sonebhadra-Mirzapur belt: Zamania, Dhanapur, Chandauli, Chakiya, Mughalsarai, Varanasi Cantt, Chiraigaon, Dudhi, Robertsganj, Rajgarh, Chunar, Majhwa, Mirzapur and Bara; from these we polled 40,643 votes in total. Out of these, the highest we polled is from Mughalsarai (9,915 votes, 6.86%), where our candidate Com. Tilakdhari Bind, a member of district panchayat. Next comes Zamania, where another member of district panchayat, Com. Ishwari Prasad Kushwaha polled 6,635 votes (4.45%). Other significant constituencies lying in this belt are Rajgarh, where Com. Basmati Kol, block pramukh, polled 6,477 votes; and Chakiya, where Com. Ramkrit Kol polled 5,095 votes (5th place). Apart from this, other significant constituencies in the eastern UP are Sikandarpur, Bhatpar Rani and Katehari, from where we polled 5,358, 1,575 and 1,302 votes respectively. And from five constituencies lying in the Terai region of Pilibhit-Lakhimpur Khiri, i.e., Puranpur, Barkhera, Palia, Nighasan and Hargaon, we polled 10,172 votes in total, half of which we polled in Puranpur (5,067).

In all, out of 34 constituencies we polled nearly ten thousand votes in one constituency, 5 to 7 thousand votes in 5 constituencies, 1 to 3 thousand in 11 constituencies. Of the rest 16 constituencies, we got 500 to 1,000 votes in 8 constituencies and less than 500 in nine.

In Uttaranchal, where the elections were being held for the first time with a new delimitation of constituencies, we contested from ten constituencies (out of the total 70) and polled 5,623 votes in total. In Salt constituency, Anand Negi polled 926 (3.21%) and in Dhari, Bahadur Singh Jangi polled 1,231 (2.3%). In Punjab, we polled 1,336 (1.38%) from Mansa and 665 from Ludhiana Rural.

We, on the other hand, fought on our own and succeeded not only in conducting a spirited communist campaign in these elections but also in securing encouraging votes in several constituencies of eastern UP, especially in the Chandouli-Sonebhadra-Mirzapur region which was the theatre of Rajnath Singh's anti-Naxal police operations. It was also encouraging in these elections to note that more and more communists are now realising the dangerous folly of the opportunist line and many have begun to appreciate the merit of the CPI(ML)'s dogged adherence to the line of class struggle and proletarian independence. The Left's primary job is to organise and lead the class struggle of the working people, only on that basis can the Left play the vanguard role as the defender of bulwark for secularism and democracy.

CPI(ML) Demands Rollback in Govt. Policies, Condemns anti-poor hike in Railway Budget

In a press statement issued following the crashing defeat suffered by the BJP everywhere in the recently held elections, particularly its declining to a poor third in UP, Party Polit Bureau member Com. Swadesh Bhattacharya held that it was in fact a people's verdict over the anti-people policies of BJP-led central government and demanded that the government should repeal POTO with immediate effect and dismiss George Fernandez from the Ministry of Defence, stop harping on terrorism and whipping war hysteria against Pakistan, and stop playing the Ram Mandir card. Moreover, Com. Swadesh demanded that the government must immediately reverse the policy of privatisation and disinvestment and that of introducing anti-worker labour laws to arm factory owners with summary rights. It must also stop surrendering the sovereignty and selling the interests of workers and peasants to the multinationals and western powers, particularly to the US. Failing this, he warned, the people will very soon throw away the BJP into the dustbin of history.

Commenting on the Railway budget 2002, Com. Swadesh Bhattacharya held that it was a shamelessly pro-rich budget. He said that while declaring it as "the year of passengers' advantage", the budget in fact has tried to make it "the year of Shatabdi-Rajdhani passengers' advantage". In the name of "rationalisation", on the one hand essential commodities like salt, oil, dal etc will become dearer, and, on the other, journey will be much costlier to the passengers of ordinary second and sleeper classes, whereas it will become cheaper for the I class AC passengers. Schemes of further privatisation have been announced and even water will be available only for a price now onwards in the railways. Probably due to its fascist nature the BJP has not taken proper lessons from its recent defeat. This anti-poor railway budget will be opposed tooth and nail by the toiling people, Com. Swadesh asserted.

Students Gherao VC Office in DU

Hundreds of the students of Aditi college of Delhi University assembled in a protest before the Vice Chancellor's office demanding suspension of the principal of their college, who had insulted the students calling them "rural trash". When the VC did not come out with a clear cut answer, AISA leaders Srikant, Abhishek and others participating in the dharna took the lead and sat on an indefinite hunger strike before the VC office. Ultimately when the DU administration gave an assurance that action will be taken within two days, they broke the fast at 10 p.m. Significantly, neither ABVP nor NSUI showed up in this struggle on the question of dignity of the students.

Campaign by Delhi AIPWA

The AIPWA unit of Delhi is observing a fortnight-long movemental campaign focusing on working women's rights, culminating in a rally and mass protest at Jantar Mantar on 8 March, International Women's Day. As part of this Working Women's Rights Movement, a large meeting of women was held at JJ Camp, Mehrauli on 22 Feb. in which women highlighted the problem of household helps, who do not have ID cards and are harassed by employers. The issue of police repression and filing false cases for extortion of money also came up; some 80 families have so far been affected. AIPWA has started a signature campaign on the issue. On 23rd, a mass meeting was held in NOIDA, where the main issues raised were retrenchment of women workers and closure of factories. Demolition of slums, liquor and civic amenities were other issues focused by the women. On 24th a mass meeting was held in Mongolpuri where the issue of sale of drugs and crime on women were the major issues. On 25th, meetings were held in Shahdara where the main issues raised were lack of employment for women and escalating prices of essential commodities. In all areas, local AIPWA committees were formed and membership drive taken up.

4th Anniversary of Com. Anil Barua's Martyrdom Observed in Assam

Observing the 4th anniversary of Com. Anil Barua's martyrdom on 11 February, various programmes including cultural shows paying homage to the departed CPI(ML) leader and a distinguished left intellectual were held in different districts of Assam. At Tinsukia, a meeting attended by around 100 cadres was held in which Com. Rubul Sarma, Polit Bureau member, District Secy. Com. Subhash Sen and others paid there homage, urging the cadres to actively work for carrying the unfinished task of Com. Barua towards its end. Similar cadre meetings were held at Bihali (150 cadres, addressed by Com. Bibek Das), Jorhat (addressed by Com. Rajib Dutta and Kanaklata Dutta, State Secy. of Sadou Asom Pragatisheel Nari Santha), Pathshala (addressed by Com. Bimal Talukdar), Dibrugarh (addressed by Com. Anju Barkataki and Partha Dey. In Guwahati, a memorial meeting was held at the office of Noonmati Contract Labour Association, presided over by Com. Phanindra Kumar Barman. Party's Town Committee Secy. Com. Pankaj Kumar Das, Junu Bora of SAPNS addressed the meet.

This apart, the Noonmati branch of Sadou Asom Jansanskritik Parishad organised a cultural programme "Come, let us feel the heat of the word!" at the gate of Guwahati Refinery in the memory of Com. Anil Barua, attended by a large number of workers and people from other walks of life. Conducted by Dilip Goswami, the programme included a very attractive presentation of songs and jhumur dance by the artist troupe from West Chapaidang. It began with a song composed by Anil Barua himself. Those who moved the gathering with their creative presentation include renowned poets Sankar Saikia, Munindra Mahanta, Anupam Kumar, Gitanjali Sonowal, Junu Bora, Hemang Daimari, Banita Barman, Samudra Sharma and Nagen Kalita; poet Hridayanada Gogoi, actors Dipajyoti Kakoti, Manoj Kumar Nath and child artist Akash Nath, Humayun Chaudhury and Bhumidhar Barman.

SAPNS Holds Cadre Meet

On 3 February, Sadau Asom Pragatisheel Nari Santha (SAPNS) held a camp in Guwahati taking in cadres from Ramsing-Chapaidang region. Junu Bora, vice president of SAPNS explained the aims and objectives as well as the programme of the SAPNS to the cadres. Conducted by Champa Boro, the meet decided to hold a rally on 8 March, International Women's Day.

A meeting of local women was held at Tamolbari-Bengenabari village under Panikhaiti panchayat in Guwahati. Dilip Nath, Secy of National Hardboard Workers Union addressed. While explaining the programme of Nari Santha, Junu Bora urged the women to form a branch of SAPNS.

Road Block by ML Organisations in WB

On 14 February, a road block was organised by 8 ML organisations at Siliguri More, Raiganj in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal to protest against imposition of POTO-POCO, hike in hospital charges, electricity tariff and school fees and against eviction of slum dwellers in the name of "development". Around 500 people came from Karandighi, Hematabad, Itahar and Kaliaganj blocks and they brought out a procession before starting the road block. Hundreds of people of Raiganj thronged to the road block place and extended their support to the movement. While addressing the gathering at the road block, Com Ajit Das was arrested in the midst of his speech by the police along with around 300 other comrades. Participation of women and youth comrades was significant.

Kerala Govt. Condemned for Repression

CPI(ML) Kerala State Leading Team in a statement strongly condemned the Antony Govt. of Kerala for resorting to black laws and brutal repression over the massive striking state govt. employees including teachers instead of resolving their problems. This has exposed the anti-people authoritarian attitude of the Congress Govt. The Antony Govt. has forced Kerala people to reel under price rise, fee hike, fare increase, etc., as a consequence of the conditionally imposed by Asian Development Bank and the agreement with the BJP-ruled centre. CPI(ML) warned that suppression with brute force would only intensify the suffering of the people hard hit by all-round economic crisis.

Repression over Agri. Workers in WB

In the so-called 'green revolution' area of West Bengal, Dadpur PS in Hooghly district, one-third of the populace is landless, getting only Rs. 22 with 2 Kg. rice as their daily wages, much below the govt. stipulated rate Rs. 62.50, as witnessed in Keshabpur, Sompara and Ghoshpur villages. Against this, the agrarian workers, still in the peasant association of CPM, called a strike demanding wage increase, defying the local and even zonal committee headed by kulaks and rich peasants. And they snatched a Rs. 5 wage increase. Infuriated at this, the rich peasants brought migrant labourers from Murshidabad for their Rabi crop, but the local agricultural labourers prevented the hired labourers from entering the field. Police came in that night and arrested 7 labourers, including an ex-panchayat member of the area. Then Miscreants hired by the rich peasants, in connivance with the police and local CPM leaders, burnt the houses, beat the women and looted the crops of agitators. A 7-member delegation led by Com. Prabir Haldar, Sanat Roychowdhury and Sajal Adhikary visited the spot, and after talking to the villagers staged a demonstration before Dadpur PS. On 22 Feb. Hooghly district Party organisation staged demonstrations before 9 police stations, demanding immediate arrest of the criminals and unconditional release of agri labourers.

Leather Workers' Unite against Closure

Kolkata Leather Tannery Workmen's Union, spearheading the movement against proposed closure of tanneries in the name of implementing Supreme Court verdict, held a convention on 12 Feb. in Topsia. Union president Com. Md. Mohsin, AITUC leader Ajoy Dasgupta, Bhagabati of Mazdoor Sangh, Manik Samajdar of Kolkata Chemical Majdoor Union and Basudev Bose of AICCTU spoke in the convention. They pointed out that the industry which provides jobs to 1,50,000 workers producing export commodities worth Rs. 1,600 cr. cannot be allowed to be closed, depriving 7 lakh people of their livelihood in the name of saving pollution. Com. Naren Pyne of AICCTU presided over the convention. The leaders urged the tannery workers to unitedly fight against the callousness of the state govt. AICCTU has planned to organise 'Rasta Roko' agitation in case the govt. closes down their industries after 28 Feb.

Wagon Industry in Crisis in W. B.

AICCTU-led Shramik Karmachari Union in Hindustan Development Corporation (HDC) organised a one-day sit-in demonstration at the factory gate on 22 February against the anti-workers steps of the management including freezing of DA, retrenchment of 29 and suspension of 16 workers. It was attended by Com. N N Banerjee, Bablu Bhowmik, Prabir Haldar, Barun Dutta, Bivas Bose and Basudev Bose. It is to be mentioned here that Jessop, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Ltd. and HDC are the major wagon industries of Bengal, among which the Central govt. has decided to sell-off Jessop, valued at Rs. 2000 crore, to a private industrialist for only Rs. 18 crore.

AICCTU Opposes Legalisation of Hire & Fire Policy

AICCTU condemned the cabinet approval to amendment in Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 with the intention of giving a free hand to the multinational and corporate bosses to implement 'hire & fire' policy. Against the background of massive retrenchment and closures, this move will further push the workers join the already swelling ranks of unemployed.

AICCTU has already initiated a nationwide mass campaign against this anti-worker conspiracy and will hold a nationwide protest jointly with other central trade unions on 14 March. A nationwide industrial strike will be observed shortly. AICCTU appealed to the workers to intensify the movement to push back this anti-worker amendment.

Seminar on Story Collection 'Nrishansh'

Jan Sanskriti Manch (JSM) organised a seminar on Awadhesh Preet's second story collection 'Nrishansh' (Brutal) at Lenin Pustak Kendra, Lucknow on 30 January. It was presided over by noted story writer Shivmurti and conducted by journalist and critic Anil Sinha.

Presenting his critical paper on the collection, poet and critic Ajay Singh, General Secretary of JSM opined that these stories underline the imperative relevance and return of left thought while throwing up a challenge before Nirmal Verma school at the level of art and idea. In this 'fast' era dominated by indifference towards the society, existential lamentation and self-indulgence, Awadhesh Preet seems to come up as a committed and alert writer, clearly echoing the rumblings of Naxalbari in an imaginative and creative way. He has drawn living, colourful and disparate sketches of contradictions, conflicts and collisions both within rural and urban society, divided as they are between antagonistic classes; of debates between various trends and shades and deviations within revolutionary left; of situations of frustration and defeat, as well as of cravings for change and expression of resistance against the status-quoist obstinacy. Story writer Mohan Thapaliyal, writer Shaqil Siddiqi, novelist Rajkrishna Mishra, poet Krishna Kanhaiya, Ajanta Lohit, KB Singh, Kaushal Kishore and others expressed their opinion on the collection as well as the critique. They opined that Awadhesh Preet's stories not only represent the extension of the portrayal of people's struggle and social reality in Madhukar Singh, Bijendra Anil, Suresh Kantak, Mithileshwar etc. in 1970s and 80s; they delve deeper into the changes and diversity introduced in the social reality due to the emergence of newer classes and their ambitions, and ensuing democratic struggles. Only a commitment to the social struggle can rebuff the existential thought. Shivmurti in his concluding address said that like Aalha, Awadhesh Preet's stories are deeply linked to the toiling people's struggle in the eastern region of UP and the revolutionary thought and he has shown the skill to melt these aspects into stories.

Korean Workers Go on Illegal Strike

Thousands of trade union members have gone on strike in South Korea, disrupting train services across the country. The action, taken by members of the national railway, gas and electricity corporations, is in protest at government plans to privatise the services.

Despite the stern measures adopted by the government declaring the strike illegal and issuing arrest warrants for 37 TU leaders, the strike has disrupted the state-run railways, with only about a third of normal services running on many lines. To break the strike, the government has mobilised non-union workers to keep gas and power services operating and posted thousands of riot police.

The strike is supported by the country's two trade union umbrella groups who called on the government to shelve its plans to privatise the services, which they fear will lead to mass lay-offs. They are also calling for improved working conditions, including the introduction of a five-day working week without a pay cut. The unions say they will continue their strike unless their demands are met. The action comes on the day that President Kim Dae-jung marks his fourth anniversary in office.

Romanian Labour Party to Rename as Romanian Communist Party

The Romanian Labour Party is going to hold its Second Congress on 30 March, 2002. In a letter inviting our Party to attend it, Ion Cristian Niculae, General Secretary of Romanian Labour Party has also informed that "the subjects we will discuss" include "the change of the Party's name into Romanian Communist Party" and "the returning of the Party's Congresses beginning with the Second one will become the Fifteenth Congress of the Romanian Communist Party."

Millions in Iran Rally against U.S.

Millions of Iranians galvanized by President Bush's branding of their nation as part of an "axis of evil" marched in a nationwide rally on Feb 11 with the American flag burned for the first time in recent memory. One man wrapped his white donkey in a hand- painted American flag with "Bush" written on the side, while a truck carried a huge poster mounted with five large close-up photographs of the American president next to five similarly sized pictures of an ape. "As long as our revolution is against America, we support it," said one man, wagging his finger.