In this Issue
Fighting Terrorism: Their Way, Our Way
Last week, while denouncing the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in strongest terms, we also warned against “attempts of communal political forces to fan up a frenzied ‘reaction' to the blasts”. The apprehension has come true. A day before the blasts, shops owned by Muslims had become principal targets of Shiv Sena vandalism in the wake of the desecration of the statue of Bal Thackeray's late wife, and after the blasts the SS supremo lost no time in launching a renewed hate campaign against the minorities through provocative statements as well as in the pages of Samna. At an all-India level, of course it was left to the Sangh Parivar to lead that campaign. BJP leaders started clamouring for the re-imposition of POTA, while in Surat VHP and Bajrang Dal went on a rampage in a mosque with impunity provided by the notorious Chief Minister of Gujarat . The latter's counterpart in Maharashtra was not far behind: he rounded up more than a thousand Muslim youth, many of whom had participated most energetically in post-blast rescue operations, in Mahim and other areas of Mumbai merely on suspicion. Similarly, the central government ordered a clampdown on SIMI suspects throughout the country.
While all these attacks on minorities came with usual doses of Pak-bashing, in the latter field the central government freely used its wider powers to outshine the others. It suspended foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan . It also advised an Indian parliamentary delegation not to attend an international workshop being held in Islamabad under the auspices of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association — a position fully shared by a CPI (M) Politburo member and MP who was a part of the delegation. Ignoring the Pak president's forthright condemnation of the Mumbai blasts and his offer for assistance in investigations, the Prime Minister of India bluntly commented that the Mumbai bombers had received assistance from “across the border”. Not content with all this, Manmohan Singh is now trying to use the G 8 platform to plead India 's case against Pakistan , albeit with little success so far. Clearly, after joining the international nuclear club as a second-class member, New Delhi now hankers after a berth in the informal elite league against terrorism.
The rulers may fancy they are doing something great, but the aam admi have a right to ask a pair of pertinent questions. One, isn't this hullabaloo about “our achievements in the G 8 meet” — and all that —designed to cover up the dismal failure in actually tracking down the culprits and in arresting the continuous escalation of terror strikes on India ? We must remember that this is not merely a question of intelligence failure, as the official Left would have us believe, but of finding a real political solution to this chronic problem.
The second question is, what does the UPA government seek to achieve by tagging the nation to America 's “global war on terror”? Experience shows that countries which treated this path became more vulnerable to terrorist attacks like those that rocked London and Madrid not long ago. Why should India repeat the folly? Don't we have enough of internal strife and insecurity modules such as Kashmir and the Northeast to ask for a share of international strife? The G 8 will hardly help India in matters of peace and security anymore than they would in terms of trade and exchange. On the contrary, such a course will further distort our international relations. In exchange for a vainglorious proximity to the club of the rich and powerful, it will further isolate us from our true natural allies — our neighbours and the third world countries in general.
Foreign policy constitutes an extension of internal policy and at the same time influences the latter. The situation demands that we the people of India assert ourselves to force the government to affect a paradigm shift in both. For one, instead of searching out the external sources of terrorism, it must be recognised that the malady grows from internal socio-political factors while external provocations and interventions can operate only through these. Secondly and therefore, bi-partite talks with Pakistan on cross-border terrorism may be held whenever necessary, but only as a part of — and never as a counter to — the peace process. And top priority must be accorded to finding a democratic political solution to the Kashmir imbroglio, supported by substantial confidence-building measures for minorities (national as well as religious) such as effective steps to promote their dignified reintegration with the national mainstream, severe punishment to provocateurs and perpetrators of pogroms, and not the least, an immediate end to state terrorism.
To be sure, these are all long-term measures. But that is precisely what we need now to hold the train of terror, even as efforts are stepped up to bring the mass murderers to book.
R E P O R T S
Rayagada District Bandh
Rayagada District Bandh, organised on 17 July, was a good success. This call was given by the Rayagada CPI(ML) District Committee, along with AIALA, against the landlord-mafia-police nexus who attacked CPI(ML) District Committee members on 10 July in a planned manner. Comrades Meghnad Saber, a popular leader who was party's candidate from Koraput during last parliamentary elections and polled around 50,000 votes, and Surat Tripathy were attacked in Bisam Cuttack Party office. The office was also ransacked by the attackers. This was not the end. Both the leaders were then arrested by the police from Brahmpur Medical College Hospital where they were admitted for the treatment. Now they have been sent to jail and implicated under many false charges at the behest of a local landlord of the Bisam Cuttack area. Party and AIALA are leading a land struggle for a ceiling surplus land in the area.
There was a big response for this bandh call, especially from tribal and dalit masses, poor peasants and landless toiling rural poor. A number of progressive intellectuals also came in support.
The entire transport system was paralysed on the day and not even a single bus, whether private or state owned, plied on the road in any part of the district. Life came to a standstill in towns like Gunupur, Padampur, Ramnaguda, Gudari, and Kalayansingpur. Rayagada, the district headquarter, was paralysed till 2 PM . Although the police was heavily deployed at all the spots, it had to restrained in front of the massive support received by the Bandh call. Thousands of activists and general masses took part in the bandh which was led by many state and district leaders including Tipupati Gomango, Vidyadhar Patra, Madhab Rao, Pralaya Behara and Gopal at various places. This protest left a good impact on general masses and now the struggle against the landlord police nexus will be intensified.
Convention to Protest Framing of Charges on CPI(ML) GS
A Convention was held at Mahabodhi Society Hall on 11 July in Kolkata demanding the unconditional repeal of all the false cases (IPC 307 and many others) implicated against Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of CPI(ML) and 4 other party members by the Arjun Munda government of Jharkhand. The convention was organized by Paschimbanga Ganasanskriti Parishad. Amitava Chakraborty, IPCA Secretary; Sujato Bhadra, APDR leader; Chhotan Das, Convener of Bandi Mukti Committee; Sadhan Chattopadhyay, the noted novelist; Sukhendu Bhattacharya, WB convener of NAPM; Partha Ghosh, CCM of CPI(ML); Amit Dasgupta and Amit Bandyopadhyay unequivocally criticized the Munda Government's ploy to implicate falsely the above members. The convention was conducted by Bipul Chakraborty, Parishad's President and Dr. Dilip Bandyapadhyay, Editor of Nabanna.
Remembering Poet Kamalesh Sen
Paschimbanga Gana Sanskrit Parishad and few other mass organizations commemorated the recently departed poet Kamalesh Sen in a condolence meeting held at Student's Hall in Kolkata on 15 July. Veteran poet Tarun Sanyal, noted writer Saibal Mitra, Subodh Mitra, leader of CPI(ML) Kanu Sanyal faction; Mihir Acharya, editor of Lekhak Samabesh; Bipul Chakraborty, singer; Dilip Bandyopadhyay, Editor of Nabanna; Amitdyuti Kumar, APDR leader, Nemai Ghosh, Jayanta Sen and many others upheld the role of poet Kamalesh Sen's contribution as a cultural personality to the society.
Sen had written many Books on different literary fields highlighting common man's plight which had strengthened the left movement as a whole. In a packed hall Prabir Bal, Pratul Mukherjee and Bipul Chakraborty presented songs in memory of Kamalesh Sen.
Agitation against Mafia in Jharkhand
A nexus of coal mafia in Ramgarh of Jharkhand involving the owner of a sponge factory, a minister in Jharkhand Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, and local police and administration is engaged in smuggling of coal on a large scale. When hundreds of people from Chumba, Senegada and Hesalong villages foiled a smuggling bid of the goons of this nexus by putting up a stiff mass resistance under the banner of CPI(ML) on July 12, this small incident enraged the mafia and on the next day, many well armed goons started to assemble in the factory to teach people a lesson. As they were coming in various vehicles, villagers stopped one tracker which was carrying five goons armed with bombs and other deadly arms. One of the goons was nabbed along with a live bomb and was handed over to the police which lodged an FIR but nothing to nab the rest of the criminals.
In the night of 13 July, police lodged a counter case against 33 CPI(ML) cadres and supporters. This created an atmosphere of tension and strong resentment is brewing among the general public. CPI(ML) leaders met the DSP very next day to demand the withdrawal of the false case. Though the DSP has assured for an enquiry under punlic pressure no action was taken so far. The tension is still brewing. On July 15, a protest was held at Ramgarh where the effigy of the minister Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, who is the main leader of this nexus, was burnt. Local administration has been warned of further intensification of the agitation.
AICCTU Won Trusty Board at Mahadev Jute Mill
AICCTU retained their three representatives in a recently held election in the Trusty Board of Mahadev Jute Mill, Bally, Howrah . CITU also won one representative in the Trusty Board.
Workers' Convention on 25 July
The Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions and Industrial Federations will organise a National Convention of Workers on 25 July in New Delhi . Issues like price rise, import of wheat, new consumer price index affecting crores of workers, privatisation and disinvestment, cut in the interest rates on EPF, GPF, CMPF, PPF and small savings, tripartite consultations with trade unions and industry, ban on recruitment in government jobs, government's responsibility of implementing the labour laws, to incorporate the suggestions of the trade unions into the proposed draft of Unorganised Sector Workers' Bill, issue of a separate Comprehensive Bill for agricultural workers, right to strike of the workers and the government employees, handing over of public utilities like water to private operators, virtual dismantling of the PDS, job-less economic growth, nonimplementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, Debt, poverty and starvation deaths, Land Reforms, allowing 100% FDI in agriculture, the tax concessions and holidays being given to the rich, etc. will be discussed in this convention.
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Against Forced Land Acquisitions and Police Barbarity
CPI(ML) Team Investigates Police Atrocities in Bajhera Khurd
A CPI(ML) Team visited Bajhera Khurd village near Dadri in UP on 8 July, just after the unprecedented police brutality let loose over the villagers who were protesting the acquisition of 2500 bighas of arable land by the UP Govt. to hand it over to the Reliance Group for a power plant construction. The team was led by CPI(ML) UP State Secretary Akhilendra Pratap Singh. General Secretary of the People's Democratic Front Nihaluddin and UP State President of the Muslim Forum Salauddin also accompanied him. Seeing the terror-struck villagers and whole of village been turned into a police camp these leaders immediately registered their protest to the higher police and administrative officials present at the spot.
Women narrated how the police and the PAC entered into their homes and brutally beaten them up and looted their belongings, even ear-rings were snatched from their ears. Children were not spared. There were no men present at the time as most of them were arrested by the police, and remaining who escaped, were hiding.
CPI(ML) has demanded from the Mulayam Singh Govt. to (1) release a white paper describing in detail the basis of the agreement with the Reliance Group, status of the payment of the acquired lands, Govt.'s policy for the production of energy, and why such a large size of land with 2500 acres is needed for a power plant; (2) to stop attacks on democratic movements and to punish all police and administrative officials responsible for the atrocities in Bajhera Khurd; and (3) to return back the looted belongings of the citizens, to arrange for the free medical treatment of the injured, and compensation for the losses incurred due to belongings broken or ransacked by the police.
Initially peasants were assured of a compensation at the rate of Rs. 3,20,000 per bigha, but now they are being offered Rs. 1,51,000 for a bigha, which is much less than the existing market rates.
Findings of the fact finding team of the 'Forum for Democratic Initiative' (FDI):
A five-member FDI team comprising of Satya Sivaraman, Ravindra Garia, Kapil Sharma, Radhika Menon and Azim Sherwani visited Bajhera Khurd on 9 July to enquire about the firing and lathi-charge on villagers by the UP Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). The PAC had surrounded the area and when journalists and concerned citizens tried to visit the area they had been prevented.
A night and morning of terror
Despite not having paid the full compensation, or having laid a single brick for construction of the power plant, Reliance Ltd. filed a writ petition before the Allahabad High Court for protection of “their” project site on the evening of 7 July. This even as the villagers were sitting on dharna not at the marked project site but outside it, close to their homes.
The High Court swung into action and issued directions for taking appropriate measures for the project site's security. The High Court order was handed over to the Dadri District Magistrate late into the night of 7 July. The police however led by Director General of Police UP was already camping in the district to oversee the security operations.
The PAC (nearly 150 trucks arrived as reported by the villagers of Dehrai, Kakrana and Bajhera khurd) and began to force themselves into the village with several local goons, who were identified by the village people. The goons were also in khaki uniform but without badges along with other PAC men. This was even while the High Court was still issuing orders. However due to the large number of protestors who had gathered the policemen were unable to push themselves towards the dharna site and began firing. Two persons were injured, including Prem Pal Singh. Three persons were taken away by the police when they finally retreated.
On 8 July, at 6.00 a.m. , the villagers noticed the PAC had crept through the fields and there were fresh reinforcements. The police said they had come to hold talks and gathered the village men at the Dharna site and started speaking to them even as the PAC moved forward and started a brutal lathi-charge on the people without any provocation. A number of vehicles at the Dharna spot were badly damaged, the provisions and foodstuff including 70 tins of ghee/ oil and several quintals of sugar, mobile phones, money ( Rs 1 lakh of the collections for the programme) was looted and the tents uprooted. Thereafter the PAC entered the Bajhera Khurd village and moved from house to house beating up everyone on sight. Shops were also looted.
The PAC randomly picked houses and broke doors and walls of the houses, women were dragged out by their hair and legs, abused and severely beaten. Silver and Gold earrings and chains worn by scores of women were pulled off, their jewellery boxes raided and cash kept in the houses taken away. The children playing inside homes were also brutally beaten up despite pleading by their mothers. When the team visited the village, the broken doors hung on their hinges and parts of the brick walls were lying on the pavements. Each house had someone injured, no house appeared to be spared. Almirah's were broken open and cash and jewellery boxes lay emptied and strewn. Household provisions and vehicles belonging to the villagers have been smashed including motor cycles and cycles kept inside rooms within the house.
While the men had been beaten at the dharna site, those who remained at their houses because of work or illness were also assaulted. The desire to instil terror by the PAC, whom the villagers called goondas, is evident from the fact that they also beat up cattle and let them run wild.
What does the incident in Bajhera Khurd mean?
Contrary to the promise of building the power project by March 2006 no progress was made after the foundation stone was laid in February 2004. The villagers' mistrust increased over time as they saw the scale of land acquisition planned—nearly 3000 acres, which was way above the approximately 300 acres that was required for the power project. The people began to suspect that their land was being taken away dirt cheap for some speculative real estate project, confirmed further by the plans floated for a Dhirubhai Ambani Energy City .
Reliance and other corporate houses are acquiring land across Uttar Pradesh, supposedly for building townships, special economic and manufacturing zones, projects and industries. The land and resources are being leased out to corporate houses dirt cheap, as in this case, while the people who have been making their livelihood from the land and the resources are being dislocated, cheated and offered pitiable compensation. When the people, who are pushed out from the village but not offered the compensation to rebuild their lives, protest; the government acts as the agent of the corporate house to safeguard its interests. People are treated as gangsters and ordinary women, children, the old and disabled are subjected to treatment worse than criminals.
Corporations are dictating to people that they should take what is being offered and when they refuse state machinery, instead of being accountable to the people, acts as the private army of the corporate house and swings into action to unleash looting, molestation, assaults and terror.
If this is the model for the setting up of special economic and manufacturing zones, 40 kilometres from the capital of the country, it has ominous implications for the other 150 special economic and manufacturing zones planned around the country and should be matter of concern to all Indian citizens interested in preserving their democratic rights.
The FDI has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident besides other demands.
Obituary
Comrade Omkarnath Patel
Comrade Omkarnath Patel, National Councillor of Jan Sanskriti Manch and Assistant Editor of Dainik Janmorcha, passed away of June 17 after a long illness. He was 55. He associated himself with the left movement in 1970, at the start of his career as a teacher, through cultural activities, especially street corner plays. Later he resigned from the job and became a journalist. Although he formally joined CPI(ML) in 1992, he was associated with the party since its underground days. He led many cultural campaigns in Ayodhya-Faizabad region against communalism through street plays. He was instrumental in organising the meetings of Party's CC, IPF's Central Working Committee and a state level education camp in Faizabad. He played an important role in organising a national-level peasant conference in 2001 and the Shaheed Mela in memory of the martyrs of 1857 in year 2002 in Faizabad.
CPI(ML) and JSM organised a memorial meeting at Press Club, Faizabad, on July 21 which was addressed by CPI(ML) UP State Secretary Akhilendra Pratap Singh and National General Secretary of JSM Ajai Singh among others.
Comrade Satish
Comrade Satish, a member of Ghosi Block Committee in Jehanabad district, died at an early age of 45 on June 27. He was an established peasant leader in the area dedicated for the Party and the people. He poured in all his efforts and energy in the people's struggles and always firmly held Party flag in many adverse situations. He was the elected Deputy Mukhiya of Ahiyasa panchayat. Earlier he had fought the election for the District Panchayat member and this time he filed nomination for the post Mukhiya. But immediately after the nomination a severe pain suddenly erupted in his backbone, which later turned out to be deadly kind of Bone TB, and in spite of all efforts he could not be saved. Hearing the news of his untimely death, large number of people and party cadres and leaders rushed to his place and paid him tearful tributes.
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