CPI(ML) HOME Vol.6, No.49 3-9 December, 2003

The Weekly News Bulletin of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)(Liberation)

U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi 110092. Tel: (91)11-22521067. Fax(91)11-22518248


In this Issue:

CAT-Scanning the CAT-Scam:
‘Second Generation’ Reforms, ‘Second Generation’ Scams

From fake stamp papers to leaked question papers, the winter seems to be hotting up with a string of ‘original’ scams. While a probe is on to trace the Telgi trail from Karnataka to Maharashtra and beyond, the government has made it clear that deeds signed on fake stamp papers would continue to remain fully legal and authentic. The difference between the original and the fake has clearly been all but obliterated. The leaked question papers of the Common Admission Test have of course led to a cancellation of the present test causing tremendous inconvenience to most of the examinees. But here again the government cannot dare to cancel degrees with retrospective effect. From management to medicine, the fakes will continue to coexist in every realm with their legitimate counterparts.

While the CAT-scam broke out in Delhi, its origin has been traced in Bihar. In an irony of history, Nalanda district, which was one of the foremost centres of learning during the Buddhist era, and which still attracts tourists from all over the world to see the relics of the grand sixth century university, has turned out to be the home of the kingpin of the CAT-scam. Armed with fake degrees and ‘real connections’, this master scamster from Nalanda had built up a huge financial empire by selling lucrative admissions to prestigious institutes and highly paid services. Having already displayed such remarkable ‘enterprise’, of late he had also started dispensing ‘development’ in the district.

Newspapers in Bihar are full of extensive reports of this latest scam and more and more details about the scamster’s political connections and ambitions are surfacing everyday. If he had strong links with the top brass of the Samta Party in Bihar and Delhi, he was reportedly also a claimant for an RJD ticket for the Nalanda constituency in the coming Lok Sabha election. For the intelligentsia and unemployed youth of Bihar, already angry over the continuing spate of killings of Bihari workers in Assam and the harassment suffered by Bihari examinees, this CAT scam has come as an insult added to injury. If Bihari labour feels increasingly insecure, Bihari talent feels demoralized and humiliated.

We must however be able to move beyond regional stereotypes to see these scams as an emerging attribute of the expanding market economy, especially the bulging service sector. Alongside corrupt ministers and bureaucrats, we now have a new generation of enterprising scamsters. Harshad Mehtas, Ketan Parikhs, Abdul Karim Telgis and Ranjit Singhs typify a new breed of private entrepreneurship in Indian economy. But here too the state-market synergy is as much a fact of life as in other fields of the economy. The scam-market does not operate in a vacuum; it flourishes under the protection and sponsorship of the state.

And this is not an aberration. Rather this is the emerging face of state policy. What we see is a causal relation – second generation reforms spawning a string of second generation scams. Ranjit Singh began his operation at around the same time when Manmohan Singh became notorious as the author of the new economic policy of liberalization, privatization and globalization. In his own way Ranjit ‘anticipated’ the extension of this new policy regime to the sphere of education. He mastered the art of selling and purchasing question papers and degrees, and this particular branch of commerce came to thrive in an environment of growing commercialisation of education.

The governments and courts today have all legalized capitation fee colleges and institutions where seats are available for a hefty price. Ranjit only made sure that question papers too were available in the grey market of education. In other words, from commercialisation of education he took the next ‘logical’ step to super-commercialisation of examinations! Only a thin line separates success and crime in this marketplace. It is only when its roots are exposed that a sensational success becomes a celebrated crime. But then crime seldom means punishment. In the shadowy world of capital and commerce, today’s crime is more likely to define tomorrow’s law.

CPI(ML) Observed 'Mazdoor Hatya Virodhi Diwas' in Bihar and Assam

To protest the series of brutal killings of Bihari labourers in Assam, CPI(ML) units in Assam and Bihar observed Nov 29 as 'Mazdoor Hatya Virodhi Diwas' (anti - labourers killing day) and held several protests at various centers in two states. Party has demanded immediate halt to these killings and called upon the people of both the states to foil the diversionary designs of BJP-Congress to fan up regional violence in Assam and Bihar and sidetrack the real issues of the people.

A central delegation of the Party visited Tinsukia, one of the most affected areas by recent anti-Bihari violence on Nov 29. While Bihar unit of the Party organised protest programmes in almost all the districts of Bihar and appealed to the people to reiterate their resolve of forging a powerful unity of the people of Assam and Bihar and intensify the united struggle against the government at the centre and the governments in Bihar and Assam.

The CPI(ML) holds both BJP and the Congress equally responsible for the continued fanning up of regional passions and violence in Assam and Bihar and notes that the Sangh Parivar outfits had aggravated the situation through provocative statements and calls. Party condemned the Congress govt. in Assam for failing to protect the lives of the migrant labourers in Assam.

The Party came down heavily on the Laloo-Rabri government of Bihar for its shameless pro-Congress attitude and said that even during Laloo's visit to Guwahati, Bihari labourers were massacred, but, Laloo did not utter even a single word against the Congress government of Assam. CPI(ML) also strongly condemned the Assam Govt. for its sheer insensitivity as the latter was busy to hold local bodies elections in Tinsukia on December 1, despite an atmosphere of fear and violence.

Meanwhile, AISA and RYA have decided to hold a mass convention in Patna on December 5 on this issue which will be addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and MP Dr. Jayant Rongpi. AISA and RYA have taken up several protest programmes in Bihar and Assam for mobilising public opinion against the dubious diversionary tactics of BJP and Congress with the slogan of "No to regional chauvinism, fight for employment and democracy".

A Central team visited Assam:

A 5-member team of CPI(ML) comprising General Secretary of All India Agriculture Labour Association Rameshwar Prashad, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(ML) Rubul Sarma, Member of Parliament Jayanta Rongpi, Bihar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha leader Vidyanand Vikal and AICCTU leader Subhas Sen visited Tinsukia district, one of the worst affected areas in Assam. This team visited relief camps in Tinsukia and addressed a Mazdoor Ekta sabha (workers' unity rally) on 29 Nov.

The team found that the administration did not take any prior step to protect Hindi speaking citizens, in spite of such demands by the people themselves in some areas. The administration created a free environment for killing and looting. In Jutlibary under Dumduma PS, people asked for help from the army camp, they were refused by respective personnel saying that no instructions are given them for the same. Moreover, in Dimaruguri Gaon Panchayat, people requested the GP president to help them, he did not take any initiative and finally on 20 Nov, looting and burning of houses including torture on 4 women took place in front of the house of the GP president. Rather, many people who tried to help Bihari people and protected them were arrested. CPI(ML) therefore demands a judicial enquiry into the matter and arrest of culprits and release of innocents who have been arrested.

The team held Congress govt.of Assam responsible for these incidents of violence. The Chief Minister of Assam even supported 17th November Assam Bandh and therefore the Party demands resignation of Tarun Gogoi who is also in-charge of Home Ministry and internal security. The team called upon the people to maintain peace and unity.

The CPI(ML) has condemned the BJP, RSS and other anti-people forces who are trying to exploit the situation for their vested ends. It also condemned Samata Party which is demanding President's Rule in Assam. CPIML opposes any such conspiracy for imposing central rule in Assam.

The Party appeals to the people to come forward against such tactics of divide and rule and wrong policies of the Govt that create unemployment and social insecurity.

Memoramdum to Union Minister of State for Home:

A CPI(ML) delegation handed over a memorandum to the Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand when he visited Guwahati on Nov 22 emphasising following points:

1. The tension prevails due to wrong enrollment policy of the Central Government. So we demand to declare a separate enrollment policy for North-East Region immediately by the Central Government.

2. The incidents of attack on train passengers in some stations of Bihar and killing of innocent Biharis in Assam, both are shameful and we vehemently condemn these incidents.

3. We demand to provide shelter, food, medicines and other necessary relief to the victimised people who have fled or lost their home and properties. Adequate compensations must also be granted to the families of deceased killed in different incidents.

4. We have a bitter experience of atrocities on innocent people by the Army in the name of combating terrorism and violence. So we urge upon you to ensure that no such type of harassments would be repeated again in the state.

3rd Anniversary of New State:
Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha Celebrates?

The Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha celebrated its third anniversary of the formation of the new Jharkhand state recently. When the representatives of the people in the govt. as well as in the opposition and high-ups in the bureaucracy were having the pleasure of "eat, drink and be merry" at the cost of public exchequer to celebrate the completion of three years of the newly formed state, at the same time, sadly enough, nearly half of the working population of Jharkhand was still toiling in farms, brick-kilns, etc. under semi-slave and semi-bonded conditions in other states in very humiliating conditions.

During these celebrations the Governor of the state at least accepted the fact that even after 56 years of independence (so after three years of the formation of the new state) there has been no change in the fate of adivasis, dalits and the poor in the state. He, however, remained silent over the fact that the BJP and it's lackeys have established a complete 'Bhay-Bhookh-Bhrashtachar raj' in Jharkhand, following the footsteps of their leaders in the centre. And the Treasury benches in the state Assembly simply refused to listen to the highly appreciated and most constructive ideas for a thoroughgoing long-term-time-bound-phasewise democratic reforms in the state. These were put forth, time and again, by the CPI(ML) member in the state Assembly who, in fact, became the representative voice of the entire opposition inside the state Assembly as well as of the common people of the state. The government of the state not only paid a deaf ear but also resorted to all sorts of antidemocratic and repressive measures including killing of several CPI(ML) leaders, false allegations and framing them under false cases and forcibly sending them behind bars in a bid to silence the voices of people's opposition.

This Assembly will indeed be remembered for not taking its members into confidence and for making a mockery of the commitments made by the government itself. It will also be remembered for devoting no time to attend the Jharkhandi people's agenda, but more importantly, for the heightened nakedness of the power-struggle, that involved bitter exchange of charges and countercharges of corruption between CM and his 'own' colleagues. Moreover, for the first time in the history of Parliamentary system in India, the Speaker of the house while remaining in the chair organised a coup-de-etate against the Chief Minister. Speaker himself being on the top in the list of aspirants for the Chief Ministership. Neither the Chair nor the BJP-led Treasury Benches cared a straw for this gross abuse of the highly proclaimed dignity of the Chair and the House as envisaged by the parliamentary democracy in India.

The people of Jharkhand demanded, and still rightfully demand, a white paper by the BJP govt. for its shameful abuse of this institution and gross misuse of political power that continues to deprive crores of Jharkhandis of their rights. This people's demand hauntingly reverberates even amidst the noise made by fun-fare on the occasion of the third anniversary of the new state.

Increasing Repression on CPI(ML) Activists in Palamou in Jharkhand

Palamou and Garhwa districts in Jharkhand have witnessed an increase in attacks by mafia-corrupt politician-police nexus over the CPI(ML). With increase in party's political clout local level frictions are resulting in dozens of party cadres being implicated in false cases. The police and administration, generally, takes sides with the mafia and acts at the dictates of the ruling elites of the area. CPI(ML) is conducting people's campaign against misuse of funds and corruption in various developmental schemes as well as appropriation of the land by the ministers and MLAs in the area. This has subjected our party leaders and activists to face the wrath of mafia-middlemen-politician nexus and many maley leaders, including Dr. B N Singh, Kalicharan Mehta and Laxman Singh, have been sent to jail after framing them in various false cases.

In Chainpur PS area of Palamou, Party activists are continuously braving police repression. Arrests of activists and night raids in villages of our support where police beat-up poor people, not sparing even women, and looting of belonging is common. Many Party workers in Dandar and Sarauna villages of Panki PS are facing arrests in false cases.

Party has launched a mass political campaign against such high-handedness. A dharna was held at Palamou district headquarter on Nov 28 to demand the suspension of thana incharge of Chainpur and to stop the repression let loose on party cadres. Again on Dec 1 a dharna was held at the same place to reiterate above demands as well as to demand withdrawal of cases against party activists, to maintain quality in development works, guarantee of minimum wages and employment, and for intensification of drought relief work.

A plan, to raise the movement to a higher level, has been chalked out for mass political campaign throughout the region which will culminate into massive marches at District/Sub-Divisional headquarters.

Ghotala-hi-Ghotala

Normally, election-time signifies with extensive mis-use of power and use of money and muscle power by the ruling parties and politicians. This time it was no exception. No less a person than the Chief Election Commissioner himself observed that the shrewed politicians are systematically abusing the system and this tendency of treachery is increasing day by day. (Bhasha, Nov 30).

Yet, this time, the scam-scandal-exposure series pushed all other 'Election syndromes' to the back seat. Dilip Singh Judeo, a BJP Cabinet Minister in the centre had to resign on charges of corruption. BJP leadership seemed to be proud to project this 'hero' as their 'star campaigner'. This followed 'CAT-dhamaka' that killed even feeble hopes of young aspirants; 78 crores graft case causing trusted BJP ally and former Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and his MP son Sukhbir Singh to land in jail; and biggest of them all, the story of Telgi's fake stamp paper scam reaching in global spans and sending Mumbai's Police Commissioner R S Sharma, within barely 24 hours of his retirement, behind bars under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Amidst all these, a Hindi daily 'Hindustan’ brought another story. A story of brutal murder of an engineer, Satyendra Kumar Singh, attached to National Highways Authority, Bihar, as he dared to write to the Prime Minister exposing the systemic corruption related to much hyped "Golden Quadrangle Project". The most alarming fact of this story is that the engineer had requested in his letter to PM not to disclose his name. Though no action was taken to address the complaint on corruption, the name of the complainant was blatantly exposed resulting in his murder - alleges his brother. This story has again brought the PMO under big question. True to it's role in safeguarding Scam-Stars!

One may sympathise with the CEC for his concern of the system, but one cannot shy away from the fact that all these are essentially the by-products of the policies, economic policy in particular, in the name of globalisation adopted by our government. It has reached to its extreme and now certainly is the time for the entire nation to rise up.

Can Mr. George Clean His Own Face?

November 30, the day before the poll, campaigning was over as per EC-code. Suddenly, the citizens of East Delhi found a crowd of "Black cats" surrounded by TV-cameras and media-persons. Soon, the face of our defence Minister Fernandes appeared with a broom in his hand. Whether this amounts to violation of EC-code or not is a different matter. But George is at your back and call to clean your lanes, to perform the 'MCD-duty'. Yet, the Delhites call it a politics of rubbish. "Mr. Fernandes would be well advised to clean up his own act before venturing out to the garbage dumps" - comments Hindustan Times in its editorial of 2 December 2003. It added, "Its strange that Defence Minister George Fernandes should be raiding the MCD's brooms cupboard to cleanup his neighbour's backyard, even as the pile on his own lies ignored." The dirt being flung at him on the Coffin-gate issue and "the Tehlka Scandal continues to smudge his crumpled kurta" and it is yet to be fully clear as to where the CAT-scam, originated from George's constituency, would chase him and his party colleagues.

The garbage dumps heaped over George Fernandes and his masters in BJP are bound to turn them into a heap of scrap.

Two-Day UP State Party School in Gorakhpur

A state level Party School was held in Gorakhpur on November 21-22 in which about 125 selected members from the state took part. The school discussed on three subjects, viz. (1) Present Political Situation and Party Organisation; (2) Cultural Nationalism of RSS; and (3) On the Question of Class and Caste, through papers presented by Comrades Akhilendra Pratap Singh, Pranay Krishna and Lal Bahadur Singh respectively. The School was held in three sessions. Each session followed lively discussions with interesting question-answer sessions as participants discussed various questions facing them in day to day practice.

The School began after paying sincere tributes to Comrade R N Upadhyay who breathed his last on November 18.

 

[HOME] [ML Update] [Liberation] [Party Programme] [Policy Resolution] [Party Constitution] [Central Committee] [30 Years of Naxalbari]

 

 Please offer your comments at : mlupdate@cpiml.org