The President's address to the nation on the
eve of the fifty-fourth anniversary of the republic day brought
back memories of an earlier period. As the President administered
a ten-point charter of oath to the children of the country,
exhorting them to bring about a 'silent revolution' one could
not help remembering the 'moral discourse' of the Emergency
days. The period when we were reminded at every step that
discipline makes a nation great, that there is no substitute
for hard work and that 'less talk, more work' can be the only
worthwhile motto in life. When rights became a luxury and
duties became the new official religion for all citizens -
and indeed a whole set of 'fundamental duties' went on to
be enshrined in the Constitution.
Publicists of the Sangh would of course find any comparison
of the present juncture with the Emergency most odious. The
Emergency, they are bound to tell us, was all about deferred
elections while they have always favoured early elections.
In Gujarat they had wanted Assembly elections to be held in
the immediate aftermath of the genocide. And aren't they now
doing all they can to rush through the electoral exercise
not only at the Centre but also in as many State Assemblies
as possible? The Mahajans and Jaitleys may also claim that
contrary to the Emergency ethos which counterposed talk to
work, the present regime has popularized the notion of treating
talk itself as the most important work. After all, the whole
country is being constantly urged to talk more and cell phones
are being projected as the surest sign of development!
The President's address remained conveniently oblivious of
the fact that the spate of starvation deaths and distress-driven
suicides by farmers is continuing unabated or that the number
of the chronically hungry and underfed has been growing alarmingly.
A recent report of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of
the UN has identified two out of every ten Indians as suffering
from chronic and acute hunger. Reinforcing this reign of hunger
is the structure of rural poverty and all-pervasive agrarian
crisis. While the crisis cries for heightened state intervention
in agriculture by way of augmented public investment and toning
up of the system of procurement and distribution, the 'solution'
proposed by the government revolves around privatization of
the food grain trade, promises of enhanced rural credit and
introduction of kisan channel and 'helpline' for distressed
farmers. Undermining everything public is the new religion
of the republic!
The President's address also chose to gloss over the fact
that the much touted 'growth miracle' has triggered only a
fall in organized employment. While Kalam continues to dwell
on his pet theme of igniting the imagination of the youth,
the time bomb of unemployment threatens to explode any moment.
With only a few thousand jobs being potentially offered to
millions of jobseekers, unemployment has now started fuelling
regional clashes. Indians looking for overseas employment
now face increased visa restrictions while the myth of jobs-through-outsourcing
has now been punctured officially by the just proclaimed US
ban on outsourcing!
While the President did his bit to promote the myth that
the forthcoming elections would be fought on the plank of
economic development, clouds of communal violence and vandalism
have begun to gather on the electoral horizon. Jhabua in Madhya
Pradesh is back in the news for more incidents of Christian-bashing
even as Uma Bharti blames it all on 'conversion'! The Bhojshala
fire is also being stoked again with the VHP now demanding
a ban on Muslim entry to the site. And in Maharashtra, the
Shiv Sainiks have just vandalized yet another institution,
the Bhandarkar Institute of Oriental Research in Pune, for
the institute's alleged role in facilitating a critical historical
evaluation of Shivaji by American historian James W. Laine.
The vandals have of course been only emboldened by the Congress-NCP
government in the state which has given in to the former's
demand for a ban on the book.
Meanwhile, the BJP and its allies have also stepped up their
campaign on that other pet poll plank - debarring Indian citizens
of foreign origin from occupying high offices. A BJP leader
has rendered this demand more profound by insisting that only
Indian citizens who have been born in India to fully Indian
parents can qualify for the PM's post! Redefining citizenship
and reordering India's citizens remain central to the project
of transformation of the republic into a Hindu Rashtra.
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The National executive of All India Agricultural Labour
Association (AIALA) met at Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh on
18-19 January. The meeting began after paying tributes to
comrades Indu Paswan, Lalmohar Pandit, Karuna Singh (Jehanabad,
Bihar) and Subhas Baitha, (Siwan, Bihar). These comrades were
martyred after AIALA's first conference in the course of struggle.
National Executive also condoled the death of com. Ramvilash
Singh, Panki, Jharkhand, who passed in a fatal accident last
month.
The AIALA National Executive called upon the agrarian masses
to intensify agitation at the grassroots and effectively intervene
in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. The organization
will launch a powerful campaign against BJP's communal fascist
rule and policies of liberalization privatization and globalisation
and go to the masses with an appeal to support the CPI(ML)
candidate in the electoral battles and all programmes of AIALA
will be reoriented accordingly. Besides intervention from
above, the organisation will work for vigorous mass mobilization
and effective social polarization at grassroot level.
The AIALA has also decided to lend its full fledged support
to the 24th February All India Strike call given by the Central
Trade Unions. AIALA will go for an agrarian strike on this
date to raise the specific issue effectively.
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First Tripura State Conference of AICCTU was held at Udaipur,
the district headquarter of South Tripura on 10 January 2004.
The Conference started with the programme of flag hoisting
and tribute paying at the martyrs' column by com. Subhash
Sen, the central observer of the conference. The conference
was attended by 37 delegates.
The conference was inaugurated by com. Mrinmoye Chakraborty,
Central Committee member and Secretary of Tripura State Committee
of CPI(ML). The Draft presented by the outgoing committee
was debated and discussed. The conference elected a 25 member
State Council and a 9 member State Executive taking leading
cadres from sectors like transport, construction, tea, wood-based
industry, forest. bamboo craft, brick-kiln- pottery-stone-query,
sweet-meat workers etc. The conference elected comrades Nandlal
Das and Partha Karmakar as President and Secretary respectively.
Com. Rasu Ranjan Banik, ex-MCC leader also attended the conference
as a guest and called upon the delegates to oppose all anti-working
class policies of CPI(M) govt.
The conference adopted many resolutions. It called upon the
working class of Tripura to make 24 February All India Strike
called by central trade unions a historic one. It also demanded
that all closed and sick Tripura Jute Mills should be revived
and the Tripura Agrarian Workers' Act 1986 be implemented
in letter and spirit.
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One seth named Balamukund belonging to Benaras owns a farm
measuring 850 bigha in Magardanha village of Ghorawal tehsil
of Sonbhadra district. The workers engaged in his farm are
still getting daily wages of Rs. 15 for male worker and Rs.
10 for female worker. All workers went on strike demanding
minimum wages and started relay dharna at Dhorawal tehsil
head-quarter under the leadership of CPI(ML) and AIALA since
December 26.
The village Magardanha was forest area till around year 1950
and was part of king Barhar's riyasat. The Kol tribals were
original inhabitants here. The king sold 2700 bigha land to
one Hanuman, father of Balmukund of Benaras. When Jamindari
Abolition Act came into force, this family applied mischievous
methods, such as registering it on fictitious names, showing
tracts of land to be orchids-pools etc. to retain the land.
After selling some part of the land and barring hilly and
sandy terrain, this family still owns 850 bigha of land.
Balmukund has opened a farm house on this land with the name
Magardanha Agriculture Institute. With the collaboration of
local police, Balmukund runs his writ of terror in the village.
The local peasants can not dare to use water of gram sabha's
canal. In this area Gherawal- Rajagarh, there are many farms
like that of Balmukund. The ex-king Barhar has won the case
against UP government against land acquisition under Jamindari
Abolition Act in Allahabad High Court and in Supreme Court
and trying to get compensation to the tune of two crore Rupees
, whereas even today he owns lands of crores of rupees.
Here in this area, Congress leader Lokpati Tripathi also owns
a farm house in a land measuring 12000 acres. Here in this
area, in village Lohra, 40 forest dwellers have been forcefully
evicted from village land in Meeshan Dhand. Similar incidents
have taken place in other villages also. Police and forest
department officials have taken away even household utensils
of poor uprooted families.
The striking workers are demanding minimum wages, enquiry
into bogus land dealings of seth Balmukund to occupy land
and end to feudal terror in vllage. They also raised the demand
of immediate halt to eviction of people from their lands.
The state PAC and police force are dutifully serving Balmukund
like his private security. On the other side, rising of thousands
of agrarian labourers and poor peasants equipped with traditional
weapons and holding red banners is in itself a warning that
feudal system will no more be allowed.
CPI(ML) held a chetawani rally on January 16 again in Magardanha
against the farm owner, administration and police. Thousands
of people participated in this rally, which was addressed
by Comrade Sudhakar Yadav, Dinkar Kapoor, Nandlal Yadav, Pakru
Singh Kushwaha, Ashok Kol. Jitender Kol, Shankar Kol.
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In the memory of slain Com Manju, a memorial was unveiled
at Karpi in Jehanabad, Bihar on 1 January . A massive public
meeting was also held on that occasion which was attended
by more than 2000 people. Apart from poor peasants and agrarian
labourers, a large number of people outside of CPI(ML) circle
also attended the meeting. Com Savitri Devi hoisted the flag
at the memorial. Com. Saroj Chaubey CC member of CPI(ML) and
AIPWA secretary unveiled the memorial.
The mass meeting was addressed among others by comrades Saroj
Chaubey, Kunti Devi, Ramadhar Singh, Mahanand.The meeting
resolved to fulfil the task left by Com. Manju by developing
and intensifying people's resistance against feudal forces
and their killer gangs, particularly the Ranvir Sena. The
meeting also strongly condemned the brutal murder of two NGO
activists Sarita and Mahesh Kant, in Gaya District on January
24 by criminals belonging to RJD and called upon the people
to make 27 January Gaya-Arwal-Jehanabad Bandh a grand success.
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Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi faced people's protest in
Gopalganj district in Bihar on 25 January when she visited
the district. She had gone there to meet the victims of the
massacre at koiteegama village in Bhore P.S., but, thousands
of people enraged over the massacre, which was masterminded
by her own M.P. Shahabuddin, forced Rabri Devi to return empty
handed. Thousands of people were ready with black flags to
greet the Bihar Chief Minister.
Shahabuddin gang had killed five people, including two women
and a child on 13 January
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Thousands of people participated in a massive 'Sankalp Sabha'
(pledge taking meeting) at Markachcho in kodarma in Jharkhand
on 22 January The meeting was held on the occasion of the
first anniversary of Markachcho firing in which three CPI(ML)
activists Coms. Ratan Modi, Ashok Yadav and Mahesh Singh were
killed by the police while participating in a peaceful demonstration
before the police station. The police had brutally killed
them and then declared that they were 'terrorists'. This police
firing had sparked off a statewide agitation in Jharkhand.
The Jharkhand govt. had to bow down to the pressure of that
mass movement and ordered transfer of all policemen of Markachcho
police station and to pay compensation to the families of
the victims. But the 22 January Markachcho rally focused against
the government's deliberate delay in arresting the policemen
responsible for the firing.
Addressing the Sankalp Sabha, CPI(ML) General Secretary Com.
Dipankar Bhattacharya, said, ''Markachcho aur Jharkhand ke
logon ko aur bhi bari larai larni hai, goli chalne walon ko
saja dilani hai aur BJP sarkar ko ukhar phenkana hai"
(the people of Markachcho and Jharkahnd have to launch still
more bigger struggles. They have to see to it that the policemen
who fired at the people are booked and punished. We have to
work for more powerful mass mobilisation for throwing away
the murderer mafia BJP govt.). He said that if the saffron
regime wants to suppress the CPI(ML) movement for strengthening
its autocratic mafia rule, it will the biggest misadventure
of the BJP. He said that the people of the country are fed
up with the govt. ruling at the centre.
The meeting was also addressed by CPI(ML) Central Committee
members comrades Mahendra Singh, Subhendu sen, Ibnul Hassan
Basroo and Party leader Rajkumar Yadav. The activists of Jharkhand
Sanskriti Manch presented martyrs songs at the meeting. Before
meeting, floral tributes were paid at the Martyrs' Memorial.
A two-minute silence was also observed in their memory
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Intensifying the agitation in Palamau District, Jharkhand
against growing police repression and politician-police-criminal
nexus. CPI(ML) called for twentyfour hour Bandh in Palamau
commissionary on 23 January. The Bandh evoked massive response.
More than 1,000 people were arrested at several centres. Road-transportation
come to a stand still. Most of the business establishments
and shops were closed. The police resorted to lathicharge
on Bandh supporters at many places. The Party demanded immediate
arrest of Madhu Singh, a minister in Jharkhand govt. responsible
for the killing of R.N. Singh, brother of CPI(ML) leader Dr.
B.N. Singh and withdrawal of all false cases imposed against
Party leaders including B.N. Singh, Kalicharan Mahato and
their unconditional release.
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A mass meeting was held near Karnal, Haryana Calling the
Ouster of anti-people and corrupt Chautala Government. A pledge
was taken to launch a vigorous campaign against saffron conspiracy
with WTO to strangle the peasantry. Meeting was attended by
hundreds of people. Com. Prem Singh Gehlawat, incharge, Haryana
State CPI(ML) addressed the meeting
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CPI(ML) has decided to
intensify social justice campaign in UP for extremely backward
classes, Vanvasis and Adivasis. The Party has also launched
an exposure campaign against Mulayam Govt's anti-social justice
acts and BSP's betrayal with the aspirations of these classes.
Party organized a Poorvanchal level Social Justice Conference
at Mughalsarai on 24 January and charged the Mulayam govt.
that instead of delivering justice to the socially deprived
classes, it is killing them in the name of 'naxalites'. The
conference demanded that the UP govt. must constitute a Social
Justice Commission for giving reservation proportionate to
their population to the extremely backward castes. The Conference
noted that Mayawati did not deliver any thing substantial
for the Dalits, instead it implemented RSS-BJP agenda and
Mulyam govt is also going on the same path. It is talking
about social justice, but doing out Social injustice. It is
talking of secularism, in practice only appeasing the communal
fascist forces.
The conference was addressed among others by CPI(ML) State
Secretary com. Akhilenda Pratap Singh, Momin Conference President
Naimulla Ansari, Rashtriya Samanta Dal leader Bajrangi Singh
Kushwaha, Adivasi-Vanvasi Sabha convenor Rajendra Vanvasi.
Leaders of Pasmanda Mahaj and Dalit Asia Today editor also
addressed the conference.
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CPI(ML) Demands Immediate Arrest of the Killers
of Sarita and Maheshkant Successful Gaya-Jehanabad Bandh on
27 January
CPI(ML) has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Sarita
and Maheshkant, two social activists working with an NGO ERA,
in Gaya District in Bihar and demanded immediate arrest of
the killers belonging to the ruling party RJD. Party called
for Gaya-Jehanabad Bandh on 27 January which evoked massive
response in both the districts. All vehicles were off the
road, schools and colleges wore a deserted look and all shops
and business establishments remained closed. The Bandh received
tremendous support from all sections of society. Hundreds
of people took out protest demonstrations and blocked the
roads at several centres in Gaya, Arwal and Jehanabad.
A CPI(ML) delegation led by Central Committee members comrade
Saroj Chaubey and Meena Tiwari immediately rushed to Gaya
after getting the news of this heinous murder.
CPI(ML) has said that the killers of com. Manju have not yet
been arrested. This has emboldened the spirit of the criminals
and now they have killed two other social activists. Criminals
enjoying political patronage have started targeting leading
women activists in the state.
CPI(ML)-AIPWA-AISA-RYA have launched statewide agitation and
protest march was taken out in Patna on 25 January. The protesters
demanded immediate arrest of the killers and resignation of
Bihar Chief Minister for failing to provide security to the
women activists in the state. Effigy of the Bihar Chief Minister
was also burnt. Protests demonstrations were also held at
several centres in Gaya, Jehanabad and Bhojpur.
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CPI(ML's Solidarity Message To Communist
Party of Canada
In a message of revolutionary y greetings to the 34th
Central Convention of the Communist Party of Canada
, is being held January 29-February 1 in Montreal Quebec,
the CPI(ML) Central Committee expressed its feeling
of inspiration in the notable growth of membership and
public activities of CPC throughout the country and
wish the Central Convention every success in accelerating
this momentum. The message further said:
"Your convention takes place at a time when the
whole world is faced with an intensified and all-round
imperialist offensive. While the predatory onslaught
of globalisation continues to pauperise large sections
of the working people in the less and least developed
countries, workers in industrially developed countries
are also haunted by increased insecurity. At the same
time, the hard won independence and sovereignty of many
third world countries is being systematically eroded
in the name of the continuing US-led war on terror.
We are sure that the Montreal convention of your party
would come out with an effective and appropriate communist
response to the challenges posed by this unfolding international
situation. Communists in every corner of the world have
to play a historic role in beating back the imperialist
offensive through a powerful and broad-based anti-imperialist
resistance and advances in the communist movement."
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Make 24th February General Strike
a Grand Success
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