Give a Fitting Rebuff to this Arrogance

After Vajpayee’s rather predictable musings from Goa we now have Advani’s arrogant and aggressive commentary on Gujarat. Amidst shrill and systematic VHP-led clamour for repeating the Gujarat experiment on a countrywide scale, especially in states going to the polls in 2003, Advani has claimed that the Gujarat ‘mandate’ has been a rebuff to the English media’s biased campaign against Modi. To those worried about a repeat of Gujarat, Advani’s retort is: ‘Will Godhra be repeated as well?’

Mr. Advani is trying to be too clever. In the first place, he is trying to put the blame for Godhra at the doorsteps of whoever is condemning the genocide and holding the Modi regime responsible for perpetrating it. This is an aggressive and sinister extension of the BJP’s earlier propaganda ploy which held that Godhra was not condemned enough by the ‘opposition’ and ‘pseudo-secularists’ and Vajpayee’s recent canard against the Muslims that they have no ‘regrets’ for Godhra.

Secondly, Advani is reserving the BJP’s ‘right to retaliate’ to incidents like Godhra -- whoever may be responsible for such incidents -- with more genocides like the one that has been perpetrated by the Modi government in Gujarat. While the parentage of Godhra is a matter of debate and investigation, there could never ever be any disputing the fact that the genocide in Gujarat was openly orchestrated by the saffron brigade and the Modi government. Having secured patent rights over the original product, Advani is now trying to claim the freedom to reproduce the ‘product’ on an ever-expanding scale.

Thirdly, Advani describes the entire democratic opposition to the genocide as a hate campaign against the Modi regime by the English-language media. And he would like us to treat the Gujarat poll outcome as an authentic Gujarati rebuff to the ‘westernised’ clamour for secularism. This attempt to browbeat and silence the secular-democratic intelligentsia is again nothing but an ‘ideological’ continuation of the physical attacks that sections of the media and other activists had to face during the last year’s genocide.

And finally, Advani extends his mischievous arguments to the realm of the national flag. He has singled out the wheel in the middle of the flag as a Buddhist symbol which he claims was incorporated into the flag by a ‘pseudo-secular’ Nehru under communist influence. Presumably, Advani would prefer the wheel to be replaced with a Hindu symbol of the VHP variety like the trishul (trident). So after Islam and Christianity, it is now the turn of Buddhism to face the anti-minority offensive.

Advani’s Buddha is allowed to have a perverted Pokhran smile, and the real Buddhist message of rebellion against religious dogma and oppression is a taboo. With anti-conversion laws becoming the new order of the day, dalits taking to Buddhism as a means of escape from the Brahminical order of oppression and hierarchy are clearly liable to face a new pattern of persecution.

Post-Gujarat, the saffron brigade’s campaign has entered a new phase of aggressive combat. While the VHP organises ’trishul-diksha samaroh’ (ceremony to distribute tridents) to prepare for the next round of physical onslaught, Advani supplies the necessary ideological-political weaponry. The secular-democratic resistance must also acquire a new militant edge to thwart this aggression. This Republic Day, let us resolve to give a fitting rebuff to Advani’s latest exercise in mischief-mongering. Let the organised might of worker-peasant struggles address the anguish of dalits, adivasis and minorities, reinforce the secular-democratic commitment of the intelligentsia and channelise popular anger against the saffron agents of Anglo-American domination into a powerful patriotic-democratic resistance.

Anti-Globalization Convention by Left parties

On 5th January, a massive convention against globalization was organized jointly by a range of left parties at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad. This is the latest in a series of joint struggles and initiatives by several left parties in Andhra Pradesh, a reflection of the unity forged during the struggle against power tariff hikes in the state. The presidium consisted of Com. Raghavulu, State secretary of CPM, Com. N. Murthy, State Secretary of CPI(ML) Liberation, as well as state leaders of CPI(ML) Unity Initiative, SUCI, MCPI and ML Committee.

Addressing the convention, CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury welcomed the victory of Lula in the Presidential election in Brazil as a shared victory of anti-globalisation forces. He said that adopting the red banner for economic struggles while following some other banner in the political arena could not go on for long.

CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that Cyberabad (A.P) with its farmers' suicides and Ahmedabad of fascist genocide represented the two twin faces of globalization in India. He emphasised the need to integrate the social and political dimensions of anti-globalisation struggle. He said that 'political' devoid of 'social' is bound to degenerate into a managerial exercise in defence of the status quo while social divorced from political can hardly scratch the surface of the oppressive and brutal reality of globalisation. He advocated strengthening local resistance to globalisation for the latter is being facilitated by sundry local agencies. Commenting on Com. Yechury's point concerning the duality of economic and political struggles, he said the Left must take anti-globalisation as an inalienable basis of political action. In this context, he welcomed the unity being forged in Andhra as a welcome step forward and called for advancing similar unity on the national level on the basis of a common minimum programme.

The convention was also addressed by veteran Naxalbari leader Kanu Sanyal, convenor of the coordination committee of COIML and CPIML Unity Initiative, as well as Sudhakar Reddy of CPI and leaders of SUCI, MCPI, and ML committee.

Asian Social Forum Meet in Hyderabad

The Asian Social Forum opened in Hyderabad on 2 January 2003 and culminated on the 7 January with the central slogan of "Another World is Possible/Another Asia is possible". The inaugural ceremony began with a rendering of revolutionary poet Sri Sri's song "Another World is on its way". This ceremony was presided over by Prof. Hargopal, Nirmala Deshpande, Habib Tanveer and Amarjeet Kaur. The Inaugural was addressed by economist Prabhat Patnaik, Nora Cortinas, leader of women's resistance to military dictatorship in Argentina, Samir Amin, Javed Abdel Saleh, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Medha Patkar of the NAPM and Walden Bello, Director of Focus on the Global South.

A range of conferences, seminars and workshops took place at the ASF. The main venue, Nizam College grounds held a festive air with cultural groups from all over India and Asia performing plays and songs. A conference on Securing Social Rights in the Context of Globalization was addressed by P. Sainath, Jean Dreze and Harsh Mander among others. One on Peace and Security focussed on US sponsored aggression in Iraq and Palestine, with speakers including Arundhati Roy and Nouri Abdul Razzak Hussain of Iraq. There were also conferences on Dalit sector, Alternatives and Peoples' Movements, Ecology, Culture and Knowledge.

The conference on Women Resist Globalization was coordinated by Srilata Swaminathan, President, AIPWA. At the session on Working Women, V. Bharati of AIPWA spoke about the experiences of Women Agrarian labourers. Sessions on Women and development, and women and violence were addressed by Kamla Bhasin, Vandana Shiva, Farida Akhtar of Bangladesh, Vasant Kannabiran, as well as activists from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Philippines.

A seminar on Socialism of the Future, jointly organized by AIFTU, NAPM and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam was addressed by Samir Amin, Walden Bello and CPI(ML) GS Dipankar Bhattacharya among several others.

An Asian Youth Camp took place as part of ASF from 3rd to 6th January, where a range of cultural programmes and discussions took place from youth participants from all over India and Asia. A session on Trends and Challenges in the Youth Movement was addressed by Kamla Bhasin who spoke about Youth in the Women's Movement, Kavita Krishnan of AISA on the Student Youth Movement in India and Rajaji Thomas on trends in the international youth movement.

A range of documentaries and feature films were screened at an Another World Film Festival. Here, Ajay Bharadwaj's film Ek Minute ka Maun on Chandrashekhar was screened, followed by an enthusiastic discussion with the filmmaker.

The ASF culminated with a massive rally in Hyderabad city, where resolutions against imperialism were adopted.

Bihar Bandh:
Explosion of People's Anger against Laloo Raj

Patna Bandh held on the last day of the year that has just passed, and Bihar Bandh on 3 January of the new year, called against the Laloo Raj, saw an unprecedentedly powerful people's outburst. Both of the bandhs were historical in the sense that the sheer intensity of people's anger shook the houghty autocrat and compelled them to bow down. The whole day during the Bandh, pitched battles were fought throughout Patna and particularly at Ashiana area between people at the one end and police on the other. This upsurge was more extensive in scale than the upsurge of Muzaffarpur that took place last year.

People's participation and initiative that was witnessed on this day refreshed the memories of 1974 movement. The scene in towns and cities displayed frontal battles between the government and the people. Students, youth took an active part in the movement along with common people although schools and colleges were closed. Probably this was for the first time the railway ministry cancelled all the trains passing through Patna.

Immediately after the killing of three innocent youth by the police in Ashiana area of Patna on 28 December 2002, CPI(ML) and some other parties called for Patna Bandh on 31 December. Then, in order to carry on this movement at a wider level CPI(ML) called for Bihar Bandh on 3 January 2003 to demand resignation from Rabri Govt. for patronising the atrocious police force and criminal gangs. The NDA lost no time in following suit and one by one all other parties too announced to join the Bandh. However, this time there was a competition in propaganda campaigns to make the Bandh a success. RJD had called upon its ranks to resist the Bandh supporters on the streets and foil the Bandh, and they resorted to hooliganism at a few places, but they were beaten back by the people's anger.

The massive procession brought out by CPI(ML) activists on the Bandh day morning was led by Comrades Ramjatan Sharma, Ram Naresh Ram, CC member KD Yadav, Rameshwar Prasad, Gen. Secy. of Khet Mazdoor Sabha, several state committee members, RYA national president Mithilesh Yadav, and leaders of AIPWA, Kisan Sabha, etc. Another contingent of Party activists which came out at noon was led by Patna district committee members. Still another contingent was brought out by AISA leaders. Reports from Arrah, Jahanabad, Gaya, Patna rural areas, Nawada, Bihar Sharif, Aurangabad, Muzaffarpur, Katihar, Samastipur, Kaimur, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Bettiah, Motihari, Jamui, Khagaria suggested that Bandh was near total. The police had also resorted to lathicharge and tear-gas shells and also resorted to fire.

After the Bandh, all the parties have taken separate programmes. Revolutionary Youth Association and All India Students Association organised effigy burning programme of Rabri Government on 4 January throughout the state. It was held to protest police lathicharge, teargas shelling and even resorting to fire. The procession that started from Party State Office marched to Dak Bungalow crossing and the effigy of the chief minister was burnt there.

AISA-RYA Held Jan Adalat against Rabri Government

RYA and AISA jointly held "Jan Adalat" (People's Court) against Rabri Government at Patna Junction roundabout on 6 January. It announced to observe a fortnight programme of "Rabri Hatao, Bihar Bachao" campaign, under which Sankalp Sabhas (pledge-taking meetings) will be held throughout the state. >From 9 to 15 January, a state level padyatra and mass contact programme will be undertaken. On 17 January AISA-RYA activists will take out bicycle marches on state level and on 19 January torchlight processions will be taken out. On 20-21 January street-corner programmes will be held to take the message of the campaign. Finally on 22 January a state-level Rabri Hatao Student-Youth March will be held demanding resignation of Rabri Government. The Jan Adalat was conducted by Mithilesh Sharma and Paramhans Kumar, state president and secretary of RYA, and Abhyuday and Dharmendra Sushant, co-convenors of AISA. State CPI(ML) Secretary Com. Ramjatan Sharma, CC member Com. KD Yadav and RYA national president Mithilesh Yadav were also present in the Jan Adalat.

HOMAGE TO COMRADE ARIJIT MITRA
The Voyager of Light

Comrade Arijit Mitra, a front-ranking leader of communist revolutionary movement, anti-imperialist movement, civil rights movement, left-progressive cultural movement and movement for language and education, breathed his last at 2.40 pm on 5 January 2003 in a private hospital in Kolkata. Arijit, the first child to Mukti and Ajit Kumar Mitra, was born on 12 January 1950 in Kolkata. In 1966 he passed higher secondary examination from Behala Boys High School and joined Presidency College of Kolkata. In 1969 he received his B.A. (Hons) degree in Bengali Language and Literature and then in 1972 he passed M.A. from Calcutta University. In that turbulent era of revolutionary transformation, Arijit had joined student movement of revolutionary left stream. Under the spell of spring thunder of Naxalbari when the meritorious students and youth took to streets in protest to the repression unleashed by state power, Arijit was with them. Police arrested him and he was subjected to inhuman torture. But all that could not wrest out of him his revolutionary zeal for social transformation. Till his last he relentlessly played his role in the movement for defending the rights of toiling people.

Arijit Mitra started teaching in 1975 and later joined Heramba Chandra College as a lecturer in Bengali Language and Literature. He was immensely popular among his students. Following withdrawal of Emergency he became a pioneer of Bandimukti Ganadavi Committee (Committee spearheading people's demand to Release the revolutionary left activists) and ensured massive mobilisation around this movement with his thundering voice. Since then, while always remaining in the front ranks of every movement against imperialism and feudalism, he kept on exuding fire with his pen. And he also persisted with his endeavors to maintain closest attachment with the cultural roots.

Comrade Arijit played a leading role in organizing and intensifying the movement on the demand of punishing the culprits of massacres of revolutionary activists and state terror during the early 1970s. He was associated with many left and progressive organizations sprouted in the aftermath of 1977 when he was elected the general secretary of the CPI(ML)-led Gana Front in West Bengal in 1981. Then in 1982 he became one of the national secretaries of the newborn Indian People's Front, and General Secretary of its West Bengal branch. He was one of the lead spokespersons of the reinvigorated Naxalite revolutionary movement.

Being a champion of democracy against state repression, Arijit Mitra raised his voice against notorious Press Bill, other anti-democratic measures and black legislations like TADA and then POTA. He was a tireless soldier in building resistance to the conspiracy that has been recently implemented to evict the poor and toiling people from the city and suburban areas in West Bengal. With the sharpness of his pen he tore into shreds the plea globalisation has offered for "development" - a plea that washes off rationality and conscience to ruthlessly banish toiling people from their source of livelihood and their ancestral abode. Wherever the deprived victims rose in movements demanding opposing eviction and state terror, he rushed to stand by them, be it North Bengal or Beliaghata. He always raised his forceful voice for equal rights to women. In the pages of Deshabrati and Nabanna, the latter edited by Arijit Mitra himself, his pen radiated strength to the movements of toiling people. And recently when midnight knocks started once again in West Bengal, Comrade Mitra's voice reverberated in the avenues of Kolkata once again.

Apart from contributing with his sharp observations and opinions in capacity of a member of CPI(ML)'s West Bengal State Committee or Kolkata District Committee, and as General Secretary of Paschimbanga Gansanskriti Parishad, he always inspired people assembled to hear him with the cutting edge of his brilliant speeches and encouraged them to march forward. He was an indomitable spirit devoted to forge a principled unity of left movement against autocracy and fascism. And he reached out to the people of Kolkata on every occasion, be it for mobilization of help and relief to the victims of communal riots or earthquake, or for building organized resistance against evil forces. He also played a leading role in opposing chauvinism, war-mongering and promoting friendship and amity among the people of India and Pakistan.

Comrade Arijit Mitra had a deep-seated faith on the Party, he had heartiest affection for

comrades. He could very well make friends with people holding differing opinion.

But he didn't get much time. A fatal disease had struck the valves of his heart. After the first attack one and a half month back, when the fatal disease tried to snatch him away from us, a battle was launched. His family, relatives, friends, teachers and colleagues, students and countless Party comrades as well as medicos put all their efforts but in this uneven battle they had to suffer defeat. The heart of this death-defying hero stopped. Relentless march of Comrade Arijit, the voyager of light, will however continue in countless hearts drawing inspiration and strength from his memorable life. On the shoulders of innumerable comrades he has left the responsibility to carry forward the unfinished task of social transformation.

He was just 53 at the time of his death. He has left behind his wife Sumita Mitra and son Satyajit Mitra. He had bequeathed his eyes and his body for medical research.

Central Committee shares the grief with his bereaved family, friends and comrades. The Party is committed to carry his unfinished task forward. Red salute to Comrade Arijit Mitra.

"The pull of life is irresistible and immortal"

(From the last notes of Comrade Arijit Mitra written just before being taken to the operation theatre on December 17, 2002).

How unique and strange is this life! It has its own intense and irresistible pull, its own immortal attraction. Though life and death constitute two opposing sides of the same process, the flag of life always flutters high atop the mountain of death.

I deeply feel that my Party is bound by an intensely sensitive and human bond between the entire organisation and every individual member. Whatever happens to me, my Party must lead the united march of the Left in the great war against communal fascism and imperialism.

Right now, death is not what occupies my mind. I am driven by an intense thirst for life. Humanity shall have the last word. The final victory shall be of the humankind. This world must become a more beautiful, sacred and prosperous place.

Com. Arijit Mitra's Demise Condoled

At the West Bengal State Party Office where Com. Arijit Mitra was laid in state on 7 January, prominent those who offered condolence include: Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya, State Secy. Kartik Pal, Polit Bureau members Swadesh Bhattacharya and DP Bakshi, Chairman of Central Control Commission Rajaram and other members of Central and State Committee, Com. Arijit's wife Sumita Mitra and son Satyajit Mitra, CPI State Secy. Manju Kumar Mazumdar; AITUC State Secretary Debasis Dutta; RSP leaders Khiti Goswami and Sukumar Ghosh, Irrigation Minister Ganesh Mandal; UTUC Gen. Secy. Sunil Sengupta; Forward Bloc leader Nihar Roychoudhury; SUCI leader Manik Mukherjee, Saifuddin of CPI(ML)-ND; Shailen Bhattacharya of PCC CPI(ML); Jiten Dasgupta of CPIML-Janashakti; Sujat Bhadra of APDR; Indranath Bandyopadhyay of Democratic Writers and Artists Association (CPM), renowned left intellectuals Jyotiprakash Chattopadhyay, Malavika Chattopadhyay; writers Saibal Mitra, Kinnar Roy, Abdul Rouf, Mihir Acharya, Jiad Ali, Mita Chakravarty; poet Kamlaesh Sen; dramatist Chandan Sen, people's singers Ajit Pandey, Pratul Mukherji, Bipul Chakravarty; Bratati Mazumdar; representatives from a number of political, social, mass and cultural organisations, social activist Dr. Harmohan Singh, and distinguished personages Sumant Hira, Purnendu Basu, Biplab Halim, Shyamal Nandi and Nimai Ghosh.

In Delhi, a condolence meeting to pay tributes to the departed leader Comrade Arijit Mitra was held at the Party Central Office which was attended by around 50 Party activists. Comrades present there reminisced the moments shared with the departed Comrade Arijit Mitra and pledged to fulfil his unfinished task. Delhi Chapter of Indian Institute of Marxist Studies also paid tributes to Comrade Arijit Mitra and remembered his contribution in initiating the IIMS Calcutta Chapter pledged to sincerely carry forward all the values he stood by.