The Countdown Has Begun for the Big Battle of 2004
The results of the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi contain a lot of surprise for political analysts and lessons for political activists. For most observers, the outcome in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi was a foregone conclusion, what has however come as a surprise is the scale of the Congress debacle in Madhya Pradesh. But in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, almost all opinion polls had predicted a Congress victory. Especially in Chhattisgarh Jogi was expected to have a smooth sailing thanks to the Judeo tape and his ‘Laloo style’ social engineering. But the results tell a different story, and the BJP victory in both these states has been quite emphatic.
All these years Madhya Pradesh was advertised as a Congress citadel of secularism and human development. Digvijay Singh’s reign was widely propagated as a pioneering model of decentralisation and dalit empowerment. But the last few months saw Digvijay Singh making desperate attempts to steal the Hindutva mantle from the BJP. Opening of Bhojshala, ban on cow-slaughter, birthday cake for ‘Bajrangbali’ and all that became his pet political discourse. Most of the time he was seen visiting temples and holding pujas and snubbing critics of the BJP’s drive to saffronise education and culture. If Vaghela in Gujarat was a Sangh drop-out, Digvijay Singh was shaping up as a home-grown Vaghela for the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Both have been trounced as badly at the hustings.
In Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi had almost started treating the new state as his fiefdom. Starting with Balco privatization, his economic policy had become synonymous with outright sale of resource-rich Chhattisgarh and rampant loot and corruption. He thought this could be conveniently covered up by projecting himself as the son of a poor adivasi family and organizing caste rallies a la Laloo Prasad. Accused of mastering fake certificates and forged letters, Jogi tried to outsmart the BJP by trapping Judeo in a Tehelka-type operation, but never showed the courage to confront Judeo and the BJP on the politics of so-called ‘ghar vapsi’ or forced reconversion of adivasis. The result is here for all to see, the BJP has managed to upset his applecart precisely by making solid inroads into the tribal belt of Bastar, Sarguja and Jaspur. In Rajasthan, the Congress government’s game of upper caste reservation also boomeranged with Jat votes shifting considerably to the BJP.
The BJP is now bound to make all-out attempts to derive maximum possible mileage from the gains made in these Assembly elections. The deception called NDA and the myth of the BJP shedding its communal fascist agenda and wearing the mantle of ‘development’ and ‘good governance’ are being refurbished all over again. This illusion needs to be nipped in the bud.
The people are of course fed up with the growing economic crisis; there is no doubt that acute unemployment, drought and starvation, and collapse of basic infrastructure have been the dominant popular concerns in these polls. In an essentially two-party scenario, the BJP has benefited immensely from this popular discontent. But we must never underestimate the fact that the BJP’s massive victory has been secured in the shadow of the RSS. The impact of systematic RSS work in the tribal pockets of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh cannot be obscured. Like in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and all other affiliates of the RSS will spare no efforts to pursue their real agenda without any delay or dilution.
Speculations about the Lok Sabha elections being held a few months ahead of the schedule have become rife in the wake of the BJP’s emphatic victory. But no matter when elections are actually held, the stage has now clearly been set and the battle-lines drawn for the next big showdown. A demoralized Congress will now have to cope with growing dissension from within as well as increased pressure from its existing and potential allies like the NCP and the Samajwadi Party. Within the Left camp too, struggle must be intensified against the tactical line advocated by the CPI-CPM leadership, the line of a broad Congress-led secular front.
The biggest challenge of course is that of channelising the growing disillusionment and discontent among the people towards a powerful democratic movement and mass assertion. The same yearning for change which has now favoured the BJP in the short term in these states can surely turn against the BJP at the Centre during the Lok Sabha elections. All that is needed is painstaking mass work, solid organizational efforts and a powerful political campaign.
Violence in Assam:
Convention in Patna
Revolutionary Youth Association and All India Students' Association organized a convention in Patna on "Violence against Bihari Migrants in Assam - Causes and Remedy" on December 4. It was addressed by Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya as the main speaker besides AIALA General Secretary Rameshwar Prasad and Vidyanand Vikal, members of the central investigation team of the CPI(ML) that had visited Tinsukia, one of the worst affected areas by violence in Assam.
Comrade Dipankar said that one must understand the basic character of the Parliament and other state institutions that have come up openly with their anti-working class attitudes in all spheres of life and now it is futile to think that the governments in center and Assam will really put a stop to such acts of violence against migrant labourers. People of the country, particularly students and youth, have to come forward to put a permanent solution to such instigated violences by strengthening the movement and defeating the policies of center's saffron government spreading communalism and fanning religious and regional sentiments as a camouflage for it's anti-people policies and it's own crises.
He also said that system in whole of Bihar today is hemmed in by criminalisation and the situation has forced students and youth in the state to migrate outside the state. Therefore, a movement for the social security has to address the question of unemployment unequivocally, simultaneously, strengthening struggles against criminalised polity that has stood in the way of Bihar's development. Hence, to expose those criminal forces also becomes a primary task before the students and youth in Bihar.
Comrade Rameshwar Prasad explained the situation of Assam in detail and criticized the insensitive attitudes of Congress government of Assam towards these worrisome incidents of violence.
The convention was attended by large number of intellectuals and students and youth from Patna as well as other parts of Bihar.
Violence in Karbi Anglong:
Inter-tribal Clashes are a Conspiracy to Derail the Popular Democratic Movement
CPI(ML), ASDC(P), KSA and KNCA have strongly condemned the ongoing spree of arson and killing of Karbi and Kuki people and the role of Assam's Congress govt. as well as centre's NDA govt. for not taking timely and appropriate steps to stop this violence. A massive operation to organise relief to the affected population by mobilising local resources is also being carried out by these organisations. Party has called upon the people to rise to the occasion and come forward to help the victims to maintain peace at any cost.
The CPI(ML) has appealed to the people of Karbi Anglong to defeat the conspiracy of BJP-led central Govt. and Cong-led Assam Govt. to derail the popular movement for Autonomous State by engineering or abetting series of fratricidal intertribal clashes like Dimasa-Hmar and Karbi-Kuki through united peoples movement for justice and democracy.
More than a month has passed since first incident of violence was reported in Karbi Anglong on Nov 2. Authorities in Assam Govt. then stated that the situation would be totally controlled within seven days. But the fire of violence has engulfed more and more areas instead of dying down. As of now more than one hundred villages have been burnt and an equal number of civilians including pregnant women and children were mercilessly killed by terrorists during last one month. Govt. agencies including Army personnel are yet to reach all the sites of occurrence of these incidents even after one month and, hence, it is feared that the toll of causalities may be much higher. Thousands of people mostly Karbi Tribes are uprooted from their homes. They could not harvest their standing crops and that will lead to acute food crisis in the Hill region. The way ‘Kuki Revolutionary Army’ (KRA), the terrorist outfit behind most of these barbaric acts has gone on a killing spree as if there was no government.
The soil of Karbi Hills is now soaked with blood of innocent men, women and children. The glorious skyline over evergreen forest is overcast with smokes of more than one hundred burning villages. The soothing sounds of hills, springs and chirping of countless birds are overshadowed by heart rendering yells of suffering people. The Governments of the day both at Dispur and Delhi owe an explanation to public. What is the purpose of having a Govt. if it cannot do anything to stop the violence even after more than a month in a localised area covering a population less than approximately 50 thousand? Instead of acting to stop violence, both the governments are passing the buck to each other allowing the situation to aggravate futher.
CPI(ML) CC member and Member of Parliament Dr. Jayanta Rongpi met the Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi on Dec 5 and expressed his annoyance over the government's inaction that has allowed the situation to drift in such a way that the KRA terrorists are now having a field day of killing and burning Karbi people and Karbi villages and that may again trigger off massive retaliation. He also reminded him about the proposals put before him jointly by CPI(ML), ASDC(P), KSA and KNCA on Nov 15 to bring back normalcy in Karbi Anglong and submitted a fresh memorandum demanding a seven-point action programme from the state Govt. This includes banning of KRA/ KNA, flushing out of KRA/KNA terrorists and to stop Kuki infiltration from neighboring states. On relief front the memorandum demanded that a sum of Rs. 5 lakhs should be granted per family to those killed in the violence and to provide free rations to all the victims and displaced persons under ‘Annapurna’ scheme till next harvesting season. Adequate compensations must be provided to each family proportionate to their actual losses. The memorandum also demanded that Govt. must reject the proposal of ASDC-KNA/ KRA agreement of 4th Dec, 2000 to establish Kuki Hills Council in Karbi Anglong.
CPI(ML), ASDC(P), KSA, KNCA have also condemned the conduct of Union Defence Minister George Fernandes who selectively visited Hindi speaking villages of Assam affected by recent anti-Bihari violence. It is not only unbecoming of an Union Minister but also unbecoming of a good human being. Mr. Fernandes uttered not a single word about the plight of violence affected tribal people of Karbi Anglong, although the scale of violence in Karbi Anglong is far more in terms of ferocity, magnitude and losses than in the areas visited by defense Minister and his Samata Party colleagues.
Dr. Jayanta Rongpi also sent an urgent fax message to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha urging him to send a Parliamentary delegation to Karbi Anglong immediately. He also demanded that the Agenda of Security of Karbi People must be taken up along with the ongoing discussion on Assam-Bihar violence in the floor of the Lok Sabha.
He has stated in his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker that the Assam Government has failed miserably in their constitutional responsibility to protect the life and property of Karbi Tribals. People have lost faith in Assam Govt, which even did not think it necessary to send a ministerial team to visit the areas. Rather, there are serious allegations made by the people that instead of acting against KRA terrorists, police is arresting innocent Karbi people just to show in their report that police action in going on. Apart from the relief organised at local levels there is no adequate initiative from Assam Government to take care of thousands who are affected by violence and are facing cold winter nights without food, cloth or shelter after losing everything at the hands of terrorists.
Anniversary of Babri Masjid Demolition:
Secular Marches Held at Many Centres
CPI(ML) held Secular Marches at many places in the country on 11th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition on Dec 6 and pledged to defeat communal fascism and the forces of right reaction.
A large number of workers, peasants, students, youth, women and other sections of society took part in secular marches held in different districts of Bihar on Dec 6. Members and leaders of various other organisations and a good number of intellectuals also participated in these marches at all places.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya led the march that was held in Darbhanga and addressed a gathering at the Neem Chowk. He said that its time for those people to rethink who were dreaming of defeating communal forces with the help of the Congress and were claiming to provide people a solution. Their hopes are shattered now with the recent outcome of assembly elections in three states. It were the wrongdoings of Congress which paved the way for the BJP. In recently held elections the Congress tried to defeat BJP in elections by adopting BJP's Hindutva plank. He further said that the only way to defeat Sangh Parivar and to save the country from these black forces is to strengthen the movement of agricultural labourers and peasants, because imperialist forces led by the US and Indian big bourgeoisie characterised with feudal remnants are the real strength behind BJP. It is the people who prove to be decisive in the last, as is happening in Iraq where people are now putting a brave front to the American armed forces and frustrating their claims of victory, he added. UP State Secretary Akhilendra Pratap Singh and AIPWA leader Kumudini Pati also addressed this meeting.
In Patna, march was held from JP chowk to railway station which was led by comrades KD Yadav, Rameshwar Prasad, Ramji Rai, Saroj Chaube, Swapan Mukherjee and activists of many human rights and social organisations. Secular Marches were also held in Muzaffarpur led by Meena Tiwari, in Bhagalpur led by SK Sharma, in Siwan led by Amarnath Yadav, in Ara led by Latafat Hussein, In Nalanda by Surendra Ram, in Nawada led by Narendra Singh. Marches were also held in various other districts in Bihar.
Assam State Committee of CPIML organised an anti-Communalism March in Guwahati. The procession covered the main thoroughfare of the city and concluded at the Judges Field. A number of playcards with the slogans ‘Down down communal fascism’, ‘Save democracy, Save the country' and 'Hold high the banner of secularism’, ‘Impose ban on RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal’, ‘Punish the demolishers of Babri Mosque’, ‘People want jobs, not Trishul’, ‘Ban Togadia's entry into Assam’, etc. were displayed.
Secular marches were also held in many cities of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow and Allahabad with the demand for a new notification by the state government regarding restarting the case for criminal conspiracy against chief demolisher of Babri Masjid, LK Advani, in the CBI court in Lucknow. The Party in UP has also asked the state's Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to obtain the permission, if required, from the Allahabad High Court for the same.
Marchers in Lucknow held placards displaying 'Mulayam govt. must initiate proceedings to punish the main conspirator of Babri demolition'. This march, led by State Standing Committee member Lalbahadur Singh, was also participated by social scientist DM Divakar, Ajay Singh, Ramesh Dikshit, veteran Lohiait Vishambhar Nath Vidyarthi, cultural activist Aadiyog and Secretary of Progressive Advocates' Association Balram Yadav, AIPWA leaders Shobha Singh and Ajanta Lohit, alongwith activists of various organisations including RYA and AISA. The marchers held a dharna and mass meeting in front of State Assembly before handing over a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister. "It is now constitutional obligation for the Mulayam govt. to initiate proceedings to punish Advani, one of the main accused in Babri case, after the decision of the Raebarely court as UP govt. itself being a party in this case" said the speakers in the meeting.
A Secular March was taken out by the Party in Allahabad where a good number of citizens and intellectuals, including veteran freedom fighter Zia Ul Haq, Prof. Rajendra Kumar, ex-MLA Bhagwant Prasad and socialist leader Lalit Mohan Shukla participated. This was led by Kranti Shukla and Md. Shoeb. Marchers also held a public meeting at Collectorate. Secular Marches were also held in Kanpur and other cities of UP.
In Delhi, CPI(ML) activists participated in the March organised by Aman Ekta Manch with the slogan "Insaaf ke bina aman nahin" (no peace without justice) on the day.
Removal of DGP Ojha:
CPI(ML) Demands Reports on Shahabuddin be Made Public
Reacting on the removal of Bihar's DGP DP Ojha by the Rabri Devi govt. and subsequent 'disclosures' made by the RJD chief, the CPI(ML) has asked Laloo Prasad Yadav that if he knew that Mr. Ojha has links with banned feudal criminal gang Ranvir Sena, why the government in Bihar made him DGP of the state at the first place? Laloo Prasad must give an answer to this question to the people of Bihar.
CPI(ML) has also demanded that the report submitted by the DGP Ojha to the Bihar government on the criminality of Shahabuddin, RJD MP and killer of Comrade Chandrashekhar, and the report of Amir Das Commission probing the links of BJP, Samata and RJD leaders with the Ranvir Sena be made public. The Party has also demanded a white paper on the growing criminal-politician-police-bureaucracy nexus in the state. While this venomous nexus is crossing all limits, ironically, lines are being drawn by the state to prevent the rising voices of democracy and people's movements.
To press these demands further, the CPI(ML) has called for a statewide 'Demand day' on December 12 and a week-long agitational campaign from 12-19 December. Along with AIPWA, the Party will also hold a demonstration before the Chief Minister in Patna on Dec 15. The movement be widened if Bihar govt. does not heed to these demands and refuses to take appropriate steps. The legislative group of the Party will also raise these issues in the current Assembly session.
Fifth Memorial Day of Comrade Vinod Mishra
The CPI(ML) will commemorate the Fifth Memorial Day of Comrade Vinod Mishra, on December 18, at all centres by organising various programmes to pay tributes to this great leader of the masses.
In Delhi, a Convention will be organised on "The current political situation and the challenges of strengthening the Left assertion" on Dec 18.
Protest against Arrest of Party Activists in Bijnor
As far as incidents of police repression on CPI(ML) activists in UP is concerned, Mulayam's regime is no different than that of Mayawati's. Party in-charge of Bijnor, Shamshad Hussein, was arrested by the police on Nov 18 under false charges. He led a movement against an SO of police in Kiratpur thana for his corrupt practices. The SO conducted a raid on party office and implicated many activists in false cases in revenge. When an RYA activist, Mohsin, protested this arrest, he was also booked under Arms Act.
Hundreds of Party activists and supporters took out a protest demonstration and held a dharna at district headquarter on Dec 2. A memorandum has also been given to Chief Secretary, Home in Lucknow to demand the immediate release of arrested activists.
Martyred Comrade Remembered
A mass pledge-taking ceremony was organised to remember Comrade Kamlesh Tiwari by the Party in Shukul Imar village in Gopalganj. Comrade Kamlesh was martyred during a land struggle over a piece of 25 acres of land which was illegally occupied by the erstwhile Karenji State in the district. Incidentally, the local RJD MLA Kiran Rai, is the daughter-in-law of this Karenji durbar. He fell to bullets of feudal goons. The mass meeting pledged to avenge his killing.
Steel Workers' Conference in Bokaro
The fifth Conference of 'Centre of Steel Workers' was concluded in Bokaro on Nov 30. Nearly 200 delegates from almost all the departments of the Bokaro Steel Plant participated in the Conference and elected a 53 member committee with Mahendra Singh, CPI(ML) CC member and MLA in Jharkhand, as President and Dev Deep Singh Divakar as General Secretary.
One Day Strike by Oil Sector Workers on Dec 16
Petroleum workers of Oil PSUs including those working on ONGC, IOC, HPCL, BPCL, Oil India, IBP, etc. will observe a 24-hour nationwide token strike on Dec 16 under the banner of 'National United Forum against Privatisation of Oil PSUs' to oppose government's policy of privatisation of highly profitable and cash rich oil PSUs.
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