in Lieu of Editorial: From the Circular of the Polit Bureau

Excerpts from the Circular issued by the CPI(ML) Polit Bureau following its meeting at Arrah in Bihar on 16-18 September, 2004 are produced below:

1. The UPA government's continuing betrayal of Mandate 2004 is increasing popular resentment all over the country. Suicides and starvation deaths are continuing unabated in different parts of the country and the UPA government at the Centre and the concerned state governments have failed to take any corrective step so far to stem the crisis and provide any immediate relief to the suffering segments of our rural society. The UPA government's handling of the flood situation in Assam and Bihar has also been most insensitive. Peasant associations and agricultural/rural labour organisations in different states must step up their activities to effectively intervene in this crisis.

2. We had already noted that Budget 2004 was a clear betrayal of Mandate 2004. The budget has now been passed without any debate and without any accommodation of the objections raised by the trade union movement and the Left forces in the country. EPF interest rate has been slashed, and the government has not retracted or revised the budget proposals regarding hike in FDI caps in key sectors. The latest policy announcements concerning foreign trade would only increase the country's import bill and hence trade deficit even as the WTO negotiations at Geneva have further weakened India 's positions. Following the induction of Montek Singh Ahluwalia as the Vice Chairperson of the Planning Commission, the latter is now being packed with foreign ‘experts' borrowed from the World Bank, IMF and related agencies. We must intensify our campaign to expose the ‘human face' pretensions of the UPA government and build up mass opposition to the Manmohan Singh regime's anti-people economic policies.

3. The UPA government's handling of the Manipur agitation has been typically autocratic. The Prime Minister failed to make any mention of Manipur in his Independence Day address. Despite the readiness of the movement organizations of Manipur to talk to the Centre, the UPA Government's response has been most insincere. The pattern of state repression is however not confined to Manipur; the hill districts of Assam are also witnessing a spree of state-sponsored killings and indiscriminate arrests and torture. The UPA government's refusal to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and order a retrospective repeal of POTA and TADA has made a mockery of the promises made in the CMP to honour the Constitution and the democratic rights of the people. We have already launched a vigorous campaign on this score, expressing solidarity with the fighting people of Manipur. The campaign must be kept up by organizing popular support through diverse means for the demand for withdrawal of the AFSPA and retrospective repeal of TADA/POTA.

4. As exposed in the Uma Bharati and Savarkar episodes, the Congress has once again started exhibiting its historical ambivalence and bankruptcy vis-à-vis the communal offensive of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. Thanks to this bankruptcy of the Congress, the BJP has managed to regain much of its lost political initiative and morale on the eve of the Maharashtra Assembly elections due next month. The census 2001 controversy has also provided the Sangh Parivar with a renewed opportunity to target the Muslim community. While calling the BJP's bluff, we must focus all attention on the basic agenda of livelihood, democracy and development so that the ruling classes and their parties cannot get away with their anti-people policies and designs.

5. The PB took serious note of the attack on our Paliganj office and the killing of five of our comrades by armed PWG hooligans. This incident has exposed the true face of the PWG in Bihar as a gang of armed hirelings of the RJD. The subsequent incident of PWG hooligans looting an entire village has further exposed the desperation and degeneration of the PWG. We must fully utilize this opportunity to thoroughly isolate the PWG and expose its nexus with the RJD and thus create conditions for a decisive mass resistance against its heinous activities. The Paliganj incident has pushed the RJD into a relatively defensive position and we must intensify our political offensive on this score. The campaign on the issue of trial and conviction of agricultural labourers under TADA must also be carried on simultaneously and efforts must continue to enlist support of other Left and democratic forces and civil libertarians in the campaign.

6. The PB also took stock of the situation obtaining in the hill districts of Assam where some of our comrades and voters have been killed by armed UPDS ultras after the elections. The state seems to have given a free hand to these armed mercenaries to terrorise the people, but there are signs of developing popular anger and resistance against the nexus between the armed forces of the state and the mercenaries of degenerated militant outfits. While encouraging this trend of mass resistance we must concentrate on reviving the Autonomous State movement and building up effective and militant mass opposition to the corruption, misrule and treachery of the Congress at every level. At a time when sections of the renegade ASDC are crossing over to the Congress, we must raise the level of our mass initiative to win over the masses disillusioned with the ASDC.

AIALA State Conference in UP:

Declare Whole of UP Drought Affected, Waive all Loans to Agrarian Workers and Peasants

Uttar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha held its state conference in Lakhimpur-Kheri on Sep 14 and concluded with a resolve to strengthen agrarian labourers' struggle against anti-people alliance led by Samajwadi Party governing in UP and centre's WTO-dictated agrarian policies. The Conference struck a serious note on increasing starvation deaths and suicides by poor peasants and demanded red cards to all agri. workers, guarantee of minimum wages and employment, waiver of all loans, implementation of food for work scheme, and legal rights of rural folk over land, ponds and forests, etc.

The Conference, attended by nearly 300 participants including observers and guests, was inaugurated by UP State Secretary of CPI(ML) Akhilendra Pratap Singh while AIALA's Vice-President Swadesh Bhattacharya addressed it as the main speaker.

The venue of the conference, Naseeruddin Mauzi Nagar and Rajnarayan Mishra Hall, was coined after two prominent freedom fighters from the Lakhimpur region who were hanged by the colonial rulers during freedom struggle.

The open session of the Conference took place in the form of a massive 'Mazdoor Kisan Ekta Rally', at Naseeruddin Mauzi ground, which was attended by thousands of agrarian workers and poor peasants from Lakhimpur and adjoining Pilibhit and Sitapur districts. The huge participation in the rally really turned the town red for many hours and sent a clear message of unity and strength of agrarian workers against the state's repressive policies and feudal exploitation. It may also be noted that our comrades in Lakhimpur has been braving the brunt of criminal-police-politician nexus and recently many of them were falsely booked under Gangster Act when they were leading agrarian labourers' movement for land distribution against the domineering land-mafia which is in an open nexus with the police and the administration.

Comrade Akhilendra, while addressing the rally, said that at a time when rural poor are facing starvation deaths and peasants, unable to pay their debts, are forced to commit suicides, governments are not acceding to even the minimum demands of the affected people only to fulfill the wishes of WTO and Indian ruling classes. Instead, they are resorting to every kind of repression to suppress the people's voices. In UP, severely affected by drought, democracy has been held hostage to the dreaded Raja Bhaiya's palace while people's movements and political activists had to face Gangster and other black laws.

Krishna Adhikari strongly criticized Mulayam govt.'s protection being given to mafia which is capturing lands of the poor and the dalits and said that increase in crime against poor and dalits by the criminal-mafia-administration nexus is the main hallmark of this govt. which, ironically, poses itself to be a socialist one. The rally was also addressed by Lakhimpur district Secretary of CPI(ML) Ramdaras, Khet Mazdoor Sabha State Secretary Sriram Chaudhary, AICCTU State Secretary Dinkar Kapur, RYA's Afroz Alam, CPI District Secretary Baleshwar Yadav, Rajendra Vanvasi, Madan Singh and many others. Senior citizen and journalist from Lakhimpur Upendra Gandhi delivered the welcome speech while proceedings of the rally were conducted by AIALA National Councillor Kranti Kumar Singh.

The delegate session, held in Rajnarayan Mishra Hall, was addressed by Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya where he said that in the present crisis of capitalism the ruling classes are unable to provide any relief to the masses and hence every movement by struggling poor is being suppressed with the use of armed forces and the black laws. Similar was the situation during sixties when agrarian crisis led to widespread people's movements and which, later in seventies, also led to the ouster of autocratic Indira regime. The crisis of present days has already led to ouster of BJP-led NDA govt. few months back, although the Congress-led UPA still continues to follow same economic policies and its fate will not be very different.

He also spoke on various new issues of the rural poor coming up owing to the impact of liberalisation policies in the rural India and a better scope for the agri. workers movement at the present juncture and called upon the delegates to strengthen all round efforts for bigger mobilisations to lead the country-wide movement for democracy and equity. Only the organised force of agrarian workers can lead us to a new and democratic India , he said.

The proceedings were conducted by a five-member Presidium comprising comrades Krishna Adhikari, Sriram Chaudhary, Narendra Pandey, Rajesh Sahni and Sunila Rawat. In all, 23 delegates spoke in the conference after the presentation of the report by Comrade Sriram Chaudhary. Most of the suggestions put forth were incorporated and the report was passed unanimously. The Conference elected a twenty-nine member state committee which in turn elected a 17 member State Executive and eleven office bearers with Krishna Adhikari as State President and Shriram Chaudhary as State General Secretary.

Eight resolutions were adopted by the Conference where deaths due to starvation, malnutrition, and epidemics were strongly condemned and protested, holding the state responsible, and called the recent incidents of selling children and selling blood by starving weavers in eastern UP a blot on the face of the govt. Immediate implementation of hundred days employment guarantee scheme, food for work scheme and distribution of red cards to all agri. labourers were demanded. It was also demanded to hold the head of the govt. accountable and to lodge cases of murder against the respective administrative officials in the event of any death due to starvation. Declaration of whole of UP as drought affected and waiver of all loans was also demanded in one resolution, besides demanding for implementation of minimum wages Act and legalisation of traditional rights of rural folk over forests, land and ponds, etc. Rights over lands being tilled by agricultural labourers, an end to the police-feudal oppression, free health care and other social securities to the agri. labourers, withdrawal of Gangster Act and other cases against CPI(ML) and AIALA leaders, immediate release of jailed activists, and redistribution of lands illegally occupied by land mafia in Lakhimpur-Pilibhit region to agri. workers were demanded in other resolutions.

Protesting Starvation Deaths in Jharkhand

CPI(ML) organised protests in Jharkhand against starvation deaths, epidemics, suicides by farmers and government's insensitivity on this issue. In Koderma and Bagodar region thousands of people participated in block level demonstrations and dharnas on Sep 14 and demanded for immediate relief measures, arrest of administrative officials where starvation deaths have taken place, making of new BPL Lists and providing red cards (Antyodaya Scheme), cheap food and Indira Awas to all rural poor, to stop black-marketing of PDS grains and kerosine oil, and to curb the corruption at block headquarters.

Dharnas were held at Markachho, Satgawan, Jainagar, Devri, Jamua, Bagodar and Girni Block Headquarters during 10 to 16 Sept. where many thousands of rural poor demonstrated an organised resistance against central and state governments' inactions and condemned the official attempts of not accepting even the fact that people are facing starvation on a large scale in the state.

Protests were also held in Palamou and Hazaribagh regions. A dharna was also held in capital Ranchi and memorandum was submitted to the Governor. Various protest programmes were taken up at Barvadih, Bundu, Palamou, Ramgarh, Gola, Pataratu, Mandu, Churchu, Bokaro, Chas, Bermo, Gomia, Jaridih, and many other areas on Sep 15.

AIALA Conference in Jhunjhunu

The first Jhunjhunu district conference of AIALA was held on Sep 20. The conference was held in the form of open mass conference at the main center of the town which was attended by hundreds of agricultural and rural labourers, including a large number of women from nearly 40 villages of the district. A section of brick kiln workers who laboured in Punjab and then forced to come back to their native villages due to large scale closures of brick kiln industry in Punjab also attended the conference.

The Conference demanded to declare Rajasthan as famine affected and raise the important issues of absence of labour office in the district and immense corruption in various govt. schemes like PDS, Indira Awas and the BPL list. Incidently, Jhunjhunu comes under the Parliamentary constituency of Union Labour Minister Shisram Ola. The Conference also raised the long pending demand to enact central and state level separate legislations for agricultural workers besides passing a resolution for the release of TADA prisoners in Bihar and to declare Bihar as famine affected.

The Conference, inaugurated by AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee, was addressed by Tarsem Jodha of Lal Jhanda Bhatta Mazdoor Union of Punjab , Srilata Swaminathan, Mahendra Chaudhary and Harkesh Bugalia. The conference elected a 21-member working committee with Phool Chand Dheba as President and Mahesh Chawmal as Secretary.

Deaths due to Hunger and Killings of Innocents will Take its Toll in Bihar

Bihar's Laloo-Rabri regime enjoying fruits of power using every kind of repression, in association with dreaded criminals and corrupt officials, simultaneously proclaiming to be with pro-dalit and pro-backward leanings, is proving to be the biggest challenge for dalit and poor people's struggles for the dignity and development in the state. Laloo Yadav is patronising notorious Ranvir Sena and the PWG and has let loose his ministers, MPs, MLAs and many of his party leaders to play with the politics of 'bhayadohan' (fear psychosis) with the dalit community. The latter was once the trademark of Congress, now Laloo has appropriated it.

In several areas in Bihar , dalits are facing regular threats by RJD leaders whereever they rise up against RJD-backed corruption and crime. Whenever they complain to the police, police 'advise' them to leave Maley and join RJD. And if the complaint is against RJD elements, police immediately direct them to keep their mouth shut. The people are witnessing this alarming trend not only in Jehanabad-Arwal-Aurangabad-Patna-Nalanda-Nawada-Gaya-Rohtas-Buxor-Bhojpur region, but also in districts like Siwan, Gopalganj, Champaran, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, and Vaishali. The poor, especially dalits, are being tortured, raped and killed.

In Raghopur, the constituency represented by the Chief Minister Rabri Devi, an 18 year old dalit girl was raped on 16 August by relatives of an RJD MLA Udai Narain Rai. The rapists threatened her and members of her community to refrain from reporting the matter to the police, but the victim gathered enough courage and reported the matter. This infuriated the rapists and they killed her on 26 August. Her family members are now receiving regular threats. Even after a month of this barbaric incident rapists are roaming freely because of the political clout they wield.

Meanwhile, yet another gruesome incident occurred in Hajipur, the constituency represented in Parliament by Lok Jan Shakti leader Ram Vilas Paswan. A poor women, Dharani, sold her two-months old child. Her husband Lal Babu Paswan is a tuberculosis patient who is not able to access government's free TB treatment. According to reports, after her two-year old child Manish died of hunger, Dharani Devi decided to save her two-months old baby and the rest in the family. She sold the child for Rs. 6000. Lal Babu Paswan used to work as a daily wage labourer for the Hajipur municipality, but his job was terminated seven years ago. Then he began to pull rickshaw, but the TB brought him down. This family neither has access to various govt. schemes meant for those below poverty line nor got food through PDS system.

CPI(ML) has expressed deep shock and resentment on these incidents and said that the people of Bihar will certainly not exempt Bihar govt. for this criminal negligence. The lives and dignity of poor are in danger, but Laloo and Co. playing with the flute. These deaths of dalits and their killings will take their toll on the Laloo-Rabri regime.

Cadre Convention in Uttarakhand

A two-day state level Convention was held at Bhikiasain (Almora) on 11-12 Sep. to discuss various organisational and political issues specific to the Uttaranchal in the light of the documents of the Bhubneshwar Convention. Nearly fifty leading cadres from all over the state actively participated in it.

The Convention resolved to launch a statewide 'Uttarakhand Bachao - Loktantra Bachao' campaign to highlight specific issues and anti-people policies of the Congress govt. in the state. This campaign will culminate in a big rally at the state capital, Dehradun, on November 5.

Convention also condemned the repression by state police of CPI(ML) cadres in the name of Maoists and warned the govt. to stop such repressive measures. It decided to launch an agitation against the same.

CC member Rajendra Pratholi addressed the Convention and criticized the Congress govt. in the centre for continuing the same economic policies followed by the NDA regime and said that Congress' jargoning of "New Deal" and "Human Face" are nothing but only the new version of earstwhile regime's 'Feel good' and 'India Shining'. While UPA govt. has no solution for the agrarian crisis affecting millions and CPI and CPM are tailing behind the Congress, we as revolutionary communists must lead the millions of workers, peasants, and rural poor to subvert the capitalist designs.

The Convention was presided over by State In-charge Raja Bahuguna while Purushottam Sharma delivered the welcome speech.

Repeal AFSPA in Manipur

CPI(ML) Assam State Committee organised protest dharnas on Sep 18 throughout the state and sent memorandum to the Prime Minister through respective Deputy Commissioners demanding withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958, arrest and highest punishment to the army personnel responsible for Manorama Devi's custodial rape and killing in Manipur, unconditional release of people arrested under NSA, and measures to bring back normalcy in Manipur.

Dharnas were held at Guwahati, Nagaon, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Bargang, Tezpur and Pathsala. Processions were also brought out at most of the places. In Nagaon local leaders of some Manipuri organisations also participated.

Assam unit of AIPWA has sent a memorandum to the President of India, in this regard, signed by different Left and democratic women's organisations including Manipuri Basti Mira Parbi Women Association of Guwahati.

Dharna in Nainital

A day-long dharna was held in Nainital on Sep 18 to mark the launch of 'Loktantra Bachao' statewide Campaign and to protest the police harassment of CPI(ML) cadres in the name of extremism. Hundreds of supporters from Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar took part in dharna. Speakers strongly condemned state govt. for hiding its failures and suppressing the growing people's movement in the garb of capturing so called maoist extremists. Recently many Party activists were picked up and harassed by the police in the name of interrogation. A delegation led by State In-charge Raja Bahuguna met the Governor of Uttaranchal before dharna.

B R I E F S:

Dharna at Gwalior

A protest demonstration and dharna was held at Gwalior on Sep 17 against deteriorating power situation, bad roads and scarcity of potable water. It was led by Gwalior in-charge of the Party Vinod Rawat and Gurudatt Sharma.

Nukkad Meetings in East Delhi

Protest meetings were held at various places in East Delhi by the Delhi Nagrik Sabha against proposed hike in house tax through new unit area system by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi . It was demanded to regularise all unauthorised colonies and to provide all essential civic aminities in all such areas instead of raising taxes.

AIPWA Conf. in West Godawari

Following a colourful rally by hundreds of women at Jangareddy Gudem town on 16 September, AIPWA West Godawari District Conference was held at Manju Bhavan in which 250 delegates participated. AIPWA State convenor R. Nagamani inaguarated the conference, while co-convenor T. Aruna presented the report. AIPWA leaders Ratnakumari, Sundaramma and Manga also addressed the coference. The Conference, presided over by K. Parvathi, elected a 13 member district committee.

Land Seizure in E. Godavari

In Chitrada village of Pithapuram Mandal in East Godavavari district 44 acres of Charities land, which was under the occupation of two land-lords for the last 30 years, was captured on September 9 and distributed to about 500 agricultural labourers.

Dharna at Kakinada

A dharna was held on Sep 13 by AIALA demanding for the distribution of 20 acres of endowment land and 180 acres of government banjar  land of K. V. Chinnayapalem village of Kotananduru Mandal at Collectorate of Kakinada in East Godavari District. This was participated by nearly 250 agricultural labourers. A memorandum was submitted to the Collector. This was led by Viplav kumar, Manga, Chanti and others.           

Protest for Drinking Water

People of Gavarapeta village of Tuni Mandal held a dharna before Kakinada Collectorate demanding water from Pampa Resevoir which they were using for the last 20 years and has now been stopped because of political vengence of local TDP MLA Y. Ramakrishnudu. 200 small and middle peasants participated in the dharna which was led by Viplakumar and Krishna .

AIALA Yeleswaram Mandal Conference

On 13 Sep AIALA's First Mandal conference was held at Yeleswaram Mandal in which 400 ag.labour participated. Comrades N. Murty , Bangar Rao, Arjun Rao, Viplavumar and others addressed the conference. A 500 strong rally surged through the streets of the town on the day.

Against Custodial Death in Chhattisgarh

CPI(ML) Bhilai unit has strongly protested increasing human rights violations and incidents of custodial deaths under the BJP govt in Chhattisgarh. In a memorandum sent to the State Human Rights Commission the Party has demanded inquiry into the death of a person after police beating and compensation to the family of the victim. Party's Raipur unit conducted an inquiry of an incident of custodial death of an adivasi at Suhaila and subsequent police repression on the people protesting the incident. Party has demanded arrest of police personnel under charges of murder and release of tens of people arrested by the police.