Bihar goes to the polls again: Discredited Governments and Bankrupt Ruling Classes
The Election Commission has been quick in announcing a tentative time-frame for the Bihar elections. Bihar is now all set to face fresh elections in October and November and the EC says the entire process would be over by 22 November. Bihar will probably now be the first state to face two successive elections in a single year and that too without having any elected government in the interregnum. While the NDA cries foul about murder of democracy and the UPA defends the dissolution as an act of saving democracy, no political observer can miss the intensity of the prevailing political crisis in Bihar.
In India, discredited governments are often voted out of power. But it is for the first time the ruling classes have failed to provide any kind of alternative government. Bihar obviously did not want the RJD to return to power and perpetuate its reign of crime and loot. But Bihar also does not relish the prospect of being ruled by an NDA government. Despite the NDA’s prompt call for a Bihar bandh to oppose the dissolution of the Assembly which apparently pre-empted it from providing a government, the call evoked little spontaneous mass support on the streets. Just imagine the kind of cabinet Nitish Kumar would have headed – packed with the likes of Munna Shukla and Sunil Pandey – and it is understandable why Bihar showed no enthusiasm for such a government.
At the heart of the prevailing political stalemate in Bihar lies a deeper crisis of credibility and legitimacy of the very system in the state. In the wake of the decline and crisis of the traditional Congress rule in Bihar, the system had sought to re-legitimise itself by invoking the agenda of social justice and dignity of the poor and the downtrodden. But the illusions generated in the initial years have all but faded in the face of systematic onslaughts on the oppressed rural poor and an environment of all-pervasive anarchy and insecurity. Today the treacherous and bankrupt ruling classes are not able to provide even a semblance of hope and development to the people of Bihar.
The opinion-makers of the ruling classes now want to degrade the political debate in Bihar by focusing not on what should be done for the state but on who can form a government. For this purpose, they want to eliminate the ‘threat’ posed by the third forces, and polarize Bihar exclusively between the NDA and the UPA. But the fact is that the UPA marriage that was solemnized in Delhi remains broken in Bihar and the NDA, for all its ‘unity’ failed to touch even the three-figure mark. Why should they blame the third forces for their own failure? The people of Bihar have long experienced the disastrous impact of the policies and politics championed by the two alliances, and this is why they aspire for a third alternative.
In the February elections, the LJP had succeeded in emerging as the biggest non-NDA non-RJD force in Bihar. Leveraging his ties with the Congress and with old feudal forces in the state, Ram Vilas Paswan had launched an aggressive campaign to forge a dalit-Muslim alliance in Bihar. Most of the MLAs who managed to win on his ticket were however the ones with a feudal or criminal background. It is these MLAs who have now deserted him and are all working for the installation of an NDA government in the state. The LJP must not be allowed to play a similar fraud once again on the dalit-Muslim electorate of Bihar.
In a welcome development, the CPI state conference held in Madhubani has reportedly decided to sever its ties with the RJD and the UPA in Bihar, instead expressing its preference for an alternative Left-democratic alliance. The CPI, which used to win around twenty seats in undivided Bihar, managed to win only two and three seats in the last two elections. Questions of tactics cannot however be decided merely on the basis of electoral calculations. In 2000, the CPI had entered into a seat adjustment with us even as the CPI(M) persisted with its pro-RJD stance, but instead of building on it in the post-poll period, it chose to move away and return to its earlier alliance with the CPI(M) and the RJD. If the CPI really wants to change its course in Bihar, it must also show the necessary resolve to stick to the change. Such a change on the part of the CPI leadership would be welcome not only by the CPI(ML), but all who want a meaningful unity of the Left and democratic forces in Bihar.
Memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner
CPI(ML) calls for thorough revision and updating of electoral rolls, deputation of non-partisan officials in all constituencies, deployment of paramilitary forces on sensitive booths and setting-up of polling booths in all villages of poor people. Party also calls for implementation of food-for-work scheme in all districts of Bihar before holding any election.
CPI(ML) has called upon the Election Commission to ensure complete overhauling of the administrative-police machinery in Bihar before holding any fresh elections in the State. Party has also said that the EC should recommend to the Central Govt. for early redressal of all problems of the poor people of the State, especially the effective implementation of the food-for-work scheme in all distt, otherwise, any fresh elections just after some months will only be a cruel joke on the people who are in the grip of flood, drought, poverty, unemployment and starvation deaths.
In a memorandum to the CEC and the election officers visiting Bihar last week, CPI(ML) has called for thorough revision and updating of the electoral rolls, deputation of non-partisan, honest and efficient officials and observers in all constituencies, deployment of paramilitary forces on all sensitive booths vulnerable to rigging and loot by the dominant power-groups and setting up of polling booths in all villages and tolas of the poor people. The memorandum demanded rectification of all anomalies prevalent in the electoral rolls. “All those who have completed 18 years of their age must be enrolled in the voter list and a large number of people whose names are currently not in the voter list due to deliberate deletion must be placed properly in the voter list”, CPI(ML) demanded.
The memorandum also called for mandatory issuance of voter identity-card or alternative identity card to all voters before the poll. “If this is not ensured for all voters, then polling should be held on the basis of voter lists only”, memorandum said.
The memorandum also pointed out that during the last poll, particularly in the areas of the poor people, the presiding officers at several booths played dubious role and slowed the voting with a clear intention of favouring the anti-poor parties and their candidates and even the central police forces terrorised the poor electorates and deprived them of their fundamental democratic rights. CPI(ML) demanded that the EC must ensure that this kind of practice is not repeated.
‘Jan Panchayat’ in Darbhanga Against Flood Relief Scam
Intensifying the agitation of the common people against flood relief scam, CPI(ML) organised a ‘Jan Panchayat’ in Darbhanga on 28May and reiterated its demand for instituting a CBI enquiry into the scam. The ‘Jan Panchayat’ was held on the occasion of the culmination of an extensive mass campaign launched on 21 May in different regions of Mithilanchal. Thousands of poor agricultural labourers and peasants from the flood-affected areas of Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi joined this ‘Panchayat’.
Addressing the people assembled on the occasion at Polo Ground at Lehariaserai in Darbhanga, CPI(ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya said that, “Chara ghotale ki hi tarah badh rahat ghotale ko bhi rajad, lokjanshakti aur jad(u) ke netaon aur unke shagird naukarshahon aur mafia-thekedaron ne anjam diya aur garibon ko luta. In ghotalebajon par hatya ka mukadma darj hona chahiye. Vyavastha jab aise ghotalebajon ko saja nahin deti hai, toh aur bhi aise ghotale hote hain. (Much like the fodder scam, this flood relief scam too was engineered by the leaders of RJD, LJP and JD(U) and their favourite bureaucrats, contractors and mafias. They looted the poor people. These scasmsters should be tried under the charges of murder. When the system does not punish such scamsters, more and more such scams are encouraged)”.
Reiterating the Party’s demand of a CBI probe into the scam, Com.Dipankar described the arrest of five accused as a belated and weak step and said that the main culprits are still at large and even the names of those leaders who are involved in the scam are not being made public. He said that the State Vigilance Deptt. cannot investigate the scam impartially and the insistence of the Governor and the state bureaucracy on this Vigilance Deptt. enquiry and the deliberate delay in arresting the main accused is only a trick to save the scamsters.
He called upon the people to intensify the movement for rooting out corruption from the State.
Bill Clinton Faces Protest!
While the UPA establishment and NDA's ex-Prime minister giving a red carpet welcome to the America ’s former President Bill Clinton, CPI(ML) in Tamil Nadu staged a protest. As an UN Ambassador, Clinton visited Nagappattinam on 27 May, to oversee the Tsunami rehabilitation and re-construction works. Starting from New Delhi to Fort St. George (Chennai), while the centre and state governments gave their ex-master service with folded hands, people anguished by the sorry plight of Tsunami victims staged a protest under the banners of CPI(ML) and AIALA, saying “ Mr. Clinton, as an ambassador of UN tell Bush immediately to end occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Indian people will look after Tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction”.
Five comrades, N. Gunasekaran, S. Ilangovan, Selvaraj, Abimannan and Prabhakaran were taken into custody by the Sirkazhi police under the instruction of administration. The protest took place in Sickish, more than 60 kms away from Nagapattinam. Later a mass protest was also held against the arrests criticizing Jayalalithaa as a world bank stooge and loyal servent of American masters. Local Party unit has decided to launch a campaign highlighting the issue, condemning the arrest and to demand release of the arrested comrades.
Reports from Jharkhand
A large number of people gheraoed Birni block office in Giridih district on May 24 in protest against rampant corruption in the block office and corruption and irregularities of the local BDO. Before the gherao, a campaign was conducted in the entire block. CPI(ML) legislature Vinod Singh led the Party cadres and campaigned in all the villages. Protesters also demanded regular supply of potable water and electricity and proper functioning of all health centres in the area.
A dharna was organised at Gaawan block office on May 16 in protest against the criminality and corruption of Ravindra Rai, a BJP MLA from Rajdhanwar who masterminded the killing of Comrade Mahendra Singh. It was led by Party State Committee member Rajkumar Yadav.
Protesting against the desecration of the Holy Quran by the occupational army in Iraq , a large number of people held a militant demonstration at Rajdhanwar in Giridih district and burnt the effigy of US President George Bush.
CPI(ML) Opposes Land Grab by SP MLA in UP
The CPI(ML) UP State unit sent a protest letter to the Governor informing him of illegal steps being taken by MLA in Chaundali district and the State Govt. The letter mentions that the MLA Ramkishun Yadav from Mughalsarai Assembly constituency and his brother Babulal Yadav have grabbed the public land of Bauri Village in Niyamtabad Block to establish a private management institute, for which the State Govt. too has allotted them a huge sum of money. In this context even the PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav and the CM himself have paid a visit to the place. This issue has been raised by the local people with the Distt. Collector and also on other suitable forums, but to no avail.
Terming the attempt to establish private institutes on land of public use as against the law, the letter demanded from the Governor to immediately halt this project and set up an enquiry to initiate action against the accused.
Youth March by RYA
Revolutionary Youth Association organised a march on Naxalbari Day, 25 May, in Lucknow with the slogan 'no employment, no democracy, then quit government'. Youth from Lucknow , Raibarelly, Faizabad and Lakhimpur participated in the march and criticized the Mulayam govt.'s betrayal for not providing unemployment allowance. Similar marches were also held in Balia and Chandauli.
'Rail Roko' in Jalpaiguri
AICCTU affilitated Motor Workers' Union in Jalpaiguri along with CITU and other local organisations blocked rail traffic at Raninagar station on May 16 to protest the Railway administration's decision for not supplying wagons for foodgrain transportation and closure of PCI office. This agitation is going on for last many days. Railway traffic to Assam was disrupted for five hours and the blockade was withdrawn only after a written assurance by the DRM that wagons will be made available within two-three days and their number will also be increased. After that a victory procession was also held in the town. AICCTU leaders Basudeb Bose and Manik Ghosh along with local MP and MLA led this successful protest.
Protest against Grabbing of Adivasi's Lands
CPI(ML) held a protest meeting, with a good participation, against grabbing of adivasis's lands by the local CPM-police nexus at Kaliaganj on May 5. The speakers in the meeting criticised CPM and West Bengal government for its anti-tribal policies and protection being given to the anti-social elements who are exploiting local tribal population as well as repression let loose on the CPI(ML) acivists.
Thana Gherao in Ambedkarnagar
Hundreds of people gheraoed the Sammanpur Thana in Ambedkarnagar in UP. A couple of days earlier, where some dacoits had entered a village during the night, the police was immediately informed. But the police reached the village only next morning. A Dalit youth protested the delay for which he was beaten up by the police. This led to a strong resentment against the police atrocities among the local people which resulted in Thana gherao . Sensing the anger of the people one policeman had to be suspended and inquiry was set up against two.
Two Farmers Commit Suicide in Bhagalpur
Once a famous banana belt of India, Bhagalpur district is badly experiencing the adversities of economic liberalisation as almost all the farmers in this region whose livelihood depends on this cash crop are now reeling under heavy burden of debts and, coupled with the problem of lack of development in Bihar, it has become very difficult for them to survive on the agriculture. Though banana is considered as a good cash crop and Bhagalpur variety 'Singapuri' is famous for its delicious taste, farmers are unable to cope with the losses mounting every year. Last fortnight witnessed two suicides by banana farmers in Navgachhia block of the district. They were not able the pay the debts and hence chose the path of suicide under desperation.
Many farmers there now think of leaving banana production but are unable to find any alternative. Thanks to administrative apathy and negligence that even whatever was possible in farmers' favour is not accomplished. Flood is a perennial problem in that region and banana, a very sensitive crop, needs immediate transportation to the distant markets. But bad road conditions allow the traffic to a maximum speed of 10 Km per hour and this also increases cost of transportation. Moreover, in absence of any micro-credit scheme by the govt., poor farmers have to rely on private money lenders who charge exorbitant rates. Thus all of the profit goes to the pockets of money lenders, agro-based companies, transporters and the big traders.
UPA’s Anniversary Celebration: Is Anybody Counting the Corpses?
Six out of ten. We are told that is how Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has rated his government’s performance during its first year in office. We are also told that he is not happy with this performance, he is hungry for more. And so he has now come up with a grand declaration. Over the next four years, his government will apparently invest Rs. 1,74,000 crore to improve the scale and quality of rural infrastructure in the country. That is nearly the amount the UPA government has already spent on defence in its first two budgets. But have not the people already got a taste of the kind of Bharat the UPA is building?
The UPA government had come to power talking about the common man (aam aadmi) and reforms with a human face. Have things improved at all during this last one year? What about farmers’ suicides? The incidence, according to the government’s own figures, has gone up. On May 13, Minister of State for Agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria informed the Rajya Sabha that as many as 1,529 farmers committed suicide during 2004-05, up from 1,164 cases during the previous year. Nearly half of these suicides, 758 cases, were reported from Andhra Pradesh between April-December 2004, nearly a threefold increase over the 2003-04 figure of 258. Maharashtra, home state of agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, too witnessed a steep increase in suicides from 180 in 2003-04 to 524 in 2004-05.
What about the other major expression of agrarian crisis – acute unemployment, chronic hunger, and starvation deaths? Starvation deaths are generally never officially acknowledged by our governments, and they hardly make news in the national media. What about the Employment Guarantee Bill which was first diluted beyond recognition and then conveniently left to gather dust in a Standing Committee that is headed by Kalyan Singh? What about the ‘targeted’ food-for-work scheme that is supposed to provide 100 days of employment to at least one unemployed person in every BPL family in 150 select districts? Union minister for rural development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh tells us that in his home state Bihar, no expenditure has been made at all under this head in Purnea, one of the 15 districts of the state chosen for this scheme, while more than half a dozen of the districts have recorded only up to 12 per cent of the stipulated expenditure.
The reason why Manmohan Singh gives his government six out of ten has however nothing to do with the admissions made by his ministers. He is also little likely to be bothered by the fact that the bill promising land rights for scheduled tribes is being sought to be buried or that there is an alarming spurt in violence against women with Delhi acquiring the dubious distinction of being India’s, and perhaps the world’s, ‘rape capital’.
And surely he is also ‘political’ enough not to feel embarrassed by the fact that his cabinet has scam-haunted ministers or that his defence minister is roughed up by angry Congressmen. These he knows are ‘compulsions of everyday politics’ and are best handled by ‘Soniaji’ while he busies himself with ‘the business of governance’ – legislation of rules and implementation of policies suited to the best interests of the billionaires. So if anybody knows why Manmohan Singh is dissatisfied it is perhaps Chidambaram and listen to him for the pending tasks: banking reforms, labour reforms, pension reforms, more FDI, more privatization …
What do the UPA’s comrades have to say? They are a little disappointed that their views are often ‘disregarded’, that the government has not done enough to ‘distance’ itself from the ‘discredited policies of the previous government’, that the needs of the poor have not been adequately addressed … but they (‘the people’) are still ‘hopeful’! The comrades have therefore decided to show some signs of displeasure by not taking part in ‘the UPA’s anniversary celebration’. Whether it is joining the government or joining its birthday bash, there seems to be no end to the ‘participatory’ dilemma of the comrades!
The UPA’s comrades may be busy weighing their dilemma and calibrating their ‘distance’ from the government, but the overwhelming majority of the residents of ‘ India that is Bharat’ feel downright cheated and angry. The job of the people’s comrades can only be to give voice to this anger and mould it into a mighty assertion of the masses.
Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication, R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22518248, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org
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