Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Ayodhya-Agra, Lucknow-Delhi
25 August, 2003 will be remembered in India as a Black Monday. While the blasts in Mumbai left a traumatic trail of death and destruction, the ASI covered itself with monumental shame when its final report claimed a dramatic detection of an allegedly 50 metre high tenth century temple beneath the demolished mosque at Ayodhya. The only positive incident that happened on this otherwise Black Monday was the collapse of the BJP-BSP marriage of convenience and complicity in Lucknow. Taken together, these three explosive events marked nothing short of an earthquake the tremors of which were felt immediately in the stock exchanges of the country, both economic and political.
The responsibility for the Mumbai blasts have not yet been claimed by any organisation even though Advani has started naming some outfits without any inquiry. No sane person can support these blasts which have been condemned as widely as the blasts that had rocked the city a decade ago. But just as the 1993 blasts happened in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the anti-Muslim pogroms that followed in Mumbai and Surat, it is impossible to miss the shadow of the Gujarat genocide and the continuing denial of justice to the survivors of this ghastly crime behind the present blasts.
If the futility and defeat of Bush’s ‘global war on terror’ is daily being exposed in US-occupied Iraq and Afghanistan, the Mumbai blasts have come as a rude reminder of the failure of Advani’s POTA-powered ‘hard state’ strategy in tackling terrorism on the Indian soil. On the contrary, India must now urgently realise the contribution being made daily by the Sangh Parivar’s politics of ‘hate, loot and kill’ to the escalation of counter-terror in the country.
The ASI report has confirmed the lurking suspicion in public mind that like the CBI, the ASI too would be used as a tool for furthering the Sangh’s sinister agenda. The ASI saga has revealed the shocking extent to which even professional agencies and academic bodies have been subverted and penetrated by the RSS and its affiliates. With this doctored report, the Archeological Survey of India has reduced itself to an Abject Shame of India.
The ASI report must be subjected to independent archeological scrutiny. A report that talks of a fifty metre high temple by digging just a few metres and arbitrarily dates it back to the tenth century without any verifiable evidence deserves to be consigned to the dustbin of history. While the country is faced with the challenges and problems of the twenty-first century, the ASI and CBI are busy assisting the RSS to take us back to the fictions of the tenth century!
On the RSS map of India, Ayodhya has always been bracketed with Kashi and Mathura. In real life, the demolition route has connected Ayodhya to Agra. The BJP stands equally guilty as the BSP of the damages already inflicted on India’s most renowned heritage site. As a partner of the Mayawati-led coalition government in Uttar Pradesh, and leader of the NDA coalition at the Centre, the BJP must be held equally responsible for the corridor of greed and corruption that threatens to destroy India’s grandest monument of love and beauty.
While genuine archeologists – we can no longer rely on the fake and pliable ones in the ASI – will have to calculate the harm already done to the Taj, Mayawati and her rakhi brothers in the BJP are busy drawing a balance sheet of the damage done to their respective political fortunes and working out damage control and crisis management plans. If no alternative government can be formed within a few days, the UP Assembly must be dissolved and fresh elections ordered.
It is still premature to say if the BJP-BSP marriage has collapsed for ever or like the proverbial nine lives of the cat this marriage too will again get a fresh lease of life. As of now, the partners however remain estranged and the BJP is bound to try and salvage its fortunes by intensifying its ongoing war on India and her people. At stake are the very notions of democracy and secularism that still hold the country together, and the right of the people to secure a life of dignity and decency.
It is therefore time for the people of India to come forward to salvage the country from the potential fallouts of the tremors of Black Monday and frustrate the BJP’s sinister gameplan.
“BUTCHER SHARON GO BACK”
CPI(ML) appeals to join
All India Protests
on 9 September ‘03
to oppose the India-Israel-US axis
on the occasion of visit of Israeli PM Ariel Sharon
Successful Bihar Bandh against Mafia-Police Raj and Murder of Democracy
The Bihar Bandh called by Bihar State Committee on August 21 evoked massive and unprecedented response and issued an explicit warning to the Laloo-Rabri govt. against the murder of democracy and protection of criminals. Bihar, the state where criminalisation of politics is the watchword and which has been seething with discontent because of the takeover of the state by the feudal-criminal-police nexus, responded in a remarkable way to the Bandh call given as part of the ‘Save Democracy, Save India’ campaign being conducted by the Party throughout the country.
Through this Bandh CPI(ML) demanded to withdraw TADA and free all the 14 CPI(ML) leaders and activists falsely implicated and convicted for life by a TADA court in Jehanabad. They include Com. Shah Chand, Mukhia of Bhadasi and State Secretary of the Bihar Unit of the Inquilabi Muslim Conference and Com. Tribhuvan Sharma, a veteran leader of the erstwhile Indian People’s Front. These also include four persons who were juvenile when they were arrested and are in jail since 1988. The attitude of the Govt. in this case is in sharp contrast to the VIP treatment being offered to the mafia-criminal MP, Mohd. Shahabuddin, who is currently lodged in Siwan Jail following his surrender, where he is able to exercise considerable political clout. It was also demanded to transfer all the cases pending against Mohd. Shahabuddin to a Court outside Siwan and his own transfer from Siwan Jail to any jail outside the precincts of the district besides speeding up of CBI enquiry against him for Chandrashekhar’s murder, masterminded by him.
The incidents of police repression let loose against CPI(ML) activists in Bihar, particularly in West Champaran, and arrest of several leaders including State Committee Member and popular leader Com. Birendra Gupta who is presently lodged in Bettiah Jail, repression on students staging black flag demonstration against the Home Minister LK Advani for his communal diatribe in Darbangha, and the imposition of the charge of sedition on 4 student activists of AISA, who were leading that protest were also opposed through this Bandh. The Party strongly condemned the Kasmara (Purnea) massacre and continued spate of kidnappings and killings in the State.
On the eve of the State-level Bandh, impressive torchlight processions were taken out in almost all important districts of Bihar.
Preceding the programs a 48-hour long dharna was held in the Bihar State Assembly by the Party MLAs, which continued through the night of 29 July. The impact of this was so great that the Speaker was forced to direct the Minister in-charge Home Affairs to reply on the issue in the House.
The Bandh call given by the Party drew massive support from various sections of the intelligentsia, professionals and journalists in the State. While more than 15,000 members and supporters of CPI(ML) were arrested on the Bandh day, most of the business establishments, shops and vehicular traffic came to a standstill. There was lathi-charge at several places including Jehanabad, where the Khet Mazdoor Sabha leader and woman activist, Kunti Devi was grievously injured. In Jeeradei constituency of Siwan, goons of Shahabuddin opened fire on CPI(ML). Com. Subhash Ram suffered bullet injury during the firing.
The Bandh was also very successful in several districts of East Bihar, viz. Saharsa, Supaul, Purnea and Bhagalpur. Besides Shahabad and the Magadh range, the Bandh also received good response in Samastipur, Darbangha and Muzaffarpur. In Muzaffarpur, the Police resorted to lathicharge. In several areas rail traffic was disrupted for hours due to protesters squatting on the rail lines, especially in Samastipur, Arrah and Buxar. Important trains like the Poorva Express, Patna-Kolkata Shatabdi Express, Bangalore-Patna Express etc. were disrupted. Several National Highways were also blocked for hours restricting movement of traffic.
In Patna, State Secretary Ramjatan Sharma, senior leader K D Yadav, Khet Mazdoor Sabha leader and ex-MP Rameshwar Prasad and AIPWA leader Saroj Chaubey led four contingents of Bandh supporters. There were massive arrests in different parts of the city. The CPI supported the Bandh while the Samata Party extended moral support to the Bandh.
As part of All India protest day, in Delhi, Party activists staged a march to Parliament and held a protest meeting at Parliament Street on 21 August, addressed by Comrades Swapan Mukherjee, Kumudini Pati and Kaushalya Devi, mother of martyr Chandrashekhar. A Party delegation sent a memorandum of demands to the Governor of Bihar through it’s Resident Commissioner at Bihar Bhawan.
In Guwahati, Party’s Assam State Committee and AICCTU jointly staged a dharna before DC office at Kamrup in protest against life term imprisonment of 14 comrades of Arwal in Bihar and Supreme Court verdict snatching the Government employees’ right of Strike. Near about 100 activists of the party took part. A memorandum demanding immediate release of the 14 comrades of Arwal and withdrawal of supreme court’s verdict banning employees right to strike was handed over to the DC.
A demonstration was held at Pondicherry demanding the immediate release of Com. Shah chand and other comrades.The demonstration was led by State Secretary S. Balasubramanian.
The CPI(ML) congratulated the people of Bihar, Party cadres and other parties and organisations who lent their support for the bandh, for making it a historic success. Party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that this bandh is an ultimatum to the govt. and the people of state will never tolerate a regime that represses democratic forces and protects criminals. Imposition of TADA on popular leaders and conspiratorial politics of providing protection to criminals will be opposed at every step. He asked the Bihar govt. to accept the demands raised through the bandh or else get prepared to face still bigger mobilisations and people’s ire.
The CPI(ML) condemned the incidents of police repression on bandh supporters terming it a frustrated attempt of the state govt. to suppress the people’s resentment precipitating against mafia-police-corrupt politician nexus and observed next day, August 22, as ‘black day’ in protest throughout Bihar.
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CPI(ML) and SUCI called for Bengal Bandh on the same day – 21 August – on various people’s issues. The Left Front Government of West Bengal is toeing the NDA line so far as the policies of economic liberalisation is concerned. It is only the forces of revolutionary opposition like the CPI(ML) which are seriously protesting against this, much to the ire of the State Government (Earlier on 25 July the Party had observed Civil Disobedience Campaign in all the districts on the same issues and courted arrest in thousands). It is for this reason that not only heavy deployment of police with mobile vans, radio sets and other modern equipment was made to foil the Bandh, rather the CPI(M) had to use its cadres as well as goons to intimidate and manhandle the Bandh supporters. Yet the issues being raised – hike in electricity rates, water tax and irrigation tax, increased school and college fees, introduction of capitation fee in Government-run medical colleges, increased land revenue and imposition of cess and demand for publication of the revised list of BPL list etc. had caught the attention of the common people.
It was for this very reason that almost all business establishments, schools and colleges, private transport, finance sector, stock exchange, and markets were closed. Trains, especially local trains in the Howrah-Sealdah line were brought to a halt. About 2000 activists, leaders and supporters were arrested, while there were major scuffles with the police and in several areas even women activists were severely manhandled by the police. The entire state wore a deserted look while police guarded the bus stations, ferry ghats, tram depots and other Government services.
The Bandh was a huge success despite threats and intimidation from the Government. It was observed everywhere from tea-gardens in North Bengal to jute industry in South, and it was largely peaceful, though at several places police resorted to arrest and lathicharge, thus breaking the peace. Police lathicharged at Mainaguri in Jalpaiguri district where seven comrades were seriously injured. At Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, 10 Party activists including 4 women were seriously injured in the lathicharge by the police. At Dwarvasini in Pandooah (Hooghly), police and CPI(M) cadres jointly attacked Bandh activists and injured several of them. At Bauria Jute Mill Police and armed CPI(M) goons attacked workers supporting the Bandh.
Inclusion of CPI(ML) Leaders in Terrorists’ List in Jharkhand Protested
This is a clear case of political vendetta against CPI(ML) leaders in BJP ruled Jharkhand. To everybody's surprise, in one fine morning, daily papers carried a list of 'ugrawadis' (terrorists) with a reward of Rs. 50,000/- on each head (referring to DGP, Jharkhand, letter 4590/40 dated 7-08-03). The list carried the name of three prominent leaders of CPI(ML) viz. Comrades Bishwanath Singh, Kalicharan Mehta and Tahir Ansari. Bishwanath Singh has been contesting elections as Party's nominee since eighties. Since long they are working for the party in Palamu- Garhwa region and leading the popular democratic movement upholding the rights of adivasis, dalits and downtrodden in the remotest backward villages, including movement against land mafia-contractor-police-administrative officials' nexus operating in the region and is patronised by those sitting in power.
CPI(ML) has been raising voices for withdrawal of false and fabricated cases framed against them at the instance and influence of this nexus having vested interests and political bias from time to time. These leaders stand as symbols of struggle against crimes and criminals, loot and corruption and for democracy and equality and naming them in the list of so-called 'ugrawadis' is nothing but an act of political vendetta keeping in mind the forthcoming elections. This again demonstrates the power wielded by corrupt-reactionary nexus who are able to influence those who are entrusted to run the affairs of the state in Jharkhand.
While this act of BJP govt. in Jharkhand is being condemned widely, the Jharkhand unit of the Party has registered it’s strong protest to the state Chief Minister and asked him to immediately remove the names of these comrades from that list. The CPI(ML) Member of Parliament Dr. Jayanta Rongpi has also asked the Central Home Minister to intervene and direct the concerned authorities to remove the names of these leaders from the list of so-called 'ugrawadis'. He has also asked for the withdrawal of all cases imposed on them for sheer political bias under wrongful influence of the reactionary and powerful lobby in the state.
New Pension Scheme Opposed
CPI(ML) and All India Central Council of Trade Unions have strongly condemned the central government's move to approve the New Pension Scheme and demanded it’s immediate withdrawal.
The central government has ultimately cleared the way to throw even the lifeline and old age security provision of crores of employees to the bulls and wolves of market forces like, Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh kind of scamsters through the New Pension Scheme. By making it must for the employees to invest their pension fund, the govt. is forcing the employees to leave their hard earned money at the mercy of market forces. This move is a step further in its policy of total withdrawal of state from social security and welfare of employees.
The central trade unions, namely AICCTU, AITUC, CITU, HMS, UTUC, UTUC(LS), TUCC and INTUC held a meeting on 22 August in New Delhi and expressing their concern on the recent Supreme Court verdict called upon the Central Government to take appropriate steps to nullify its pernicious impact and protect the workers’ right of collective bargaining and right to strike.
The trade unions have called the Supreme Court verdict completely unacceptable. The central trade unions reiterated that the right to strike is sacrosanct, it is not subject to any judicial interpretation and workers and employees shall exercise this right as and when it is necessary. They decided to convene a National Convention of Trade Unions on September 26 in Delhi to chalk-out future course of action.
Thana Gherao in Mirzapur
Nearly three thousand supporters of CPI(ML) spontaneously gheraoed the police station in Jamalpur of Mirzapur district in UP to protest the illegal arrest and torture of Party’s State Stnading Committee member comrade Ramkrit Biyar on August 14. Comrade Ramkrit went to PS a day before to lodge a report against some feudal elements of the area who forcibly captured fish from a pond of poor dalit villagers. Instead of filing FIR, police arrested com. Ramkrit and subjected him to severe tortures. This enraged the villagers and led them to gherao the PS and forced the administration to lodge the FIR and SDM had to assure the people of Comrade Ramkrit’s release. The gherao was led by State Committee members Sudhaker Yadav and Gulabchand. Comrade Ramkrit Biyar was party’s candidate from that area in last Assembly elections.
Incidently, 6 Party activists in Mirzapur have been arrested and beated up by the police and this incident is a repeatition of continued police repression in UP.
Public Meetings by AISA in JNU
The JNU unit of AISA organised three public meeting on the topics of the day relating to democratic rights of the common people and impact of WTO on them. On August 16 it was on the topic ‘Is judicial intervention becoming a threat to Indian democracy?’ addressed by human rights activist Gautam Navalakha and Supreme Court lawyer Rajesh Tyagi, on August 22 it was on ‘Labour Movement and Globalisation’ addressed by AICCTU General Secretary Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, Prof Jayati Ghosh of JNU and social activist Dilip Simeon, and on August 24 on “Implications of WTO on Third World Countries” addressed by Ex-member of Planning Commission SP Shukla and Prof Arun Kumar of JNU.
Rally Against Indian Govt.’s Surrendering Attitude at W. T. O.
Indian People’s Campaign Against WTO (IPCAWTO), a forum comprising various left, socialist and other parties and groups as well as new social movements and progressive, patriotic personages opposed to Indian government’s attitude of surrendering national interests before US-led rich nations in the WTO, organised a people’s march and rally in New Delhi on August 26 to press its demands.
The rally was led and addressed by ex-Prime Ministers VP Singh, HD Deve Gauda, IK Gujaral, CPI(M) leader MK Pandhe and Sitaram Yechuri, CPI leader Atul Anjan, CPI(ML) leader Srilata Swaminathan, Swapan Mukherjee and Rameshwar Prasad, JD(S) leader Surendra Mohan, Forward Bloc leader Devabrata Biswas and Devarajan, RSP leader Abani Roy and others. It was conducted by Convenor SP Shukla.
Speakers said that time and again WTO has proved itself to be an instrument in the hands of imperialst countries, who set the agenda and countries like ours have to follow their policies which are detrimental not only to the interests of toiling peasants, rural poor, workers and urban slumdwellers but to interests of the country as a whole. In the main the agriculture is going to the docks in the absence of quantitative restrictions. Following Doha the developing countries are pressing harder to futher bind the hands of governments of developing countries with regard to several “new issues”, including investment and procurement. But instead of mobilising third world countries against imperialism in this forum, the BJP led government is most shamelessly surrendering to the dictates of rich countries.
On 13 September, International Protest Day against Cancun meet of WTO, CPI(ML)-Liberation affiliated mass organisations like AICCTU, All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and All India Khet Mazdoor Sabha will hold protest demonstrations in Delhi and other important centres.
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