In this Issue
Selling the Nation for a Song
An HRD Ministry circular ordering an official cel-ebration in state-run schools of the centenary of the Vande Mataram on September 7, predictably offered the agenda-hungry BJP a congenial issue on a platter. Historians have pointed out that September 7, 2006 does not mark the centenary of the writing of the song (1876) or its first publication in Bankim Chandra's novel Anandamath (1882), or even its adoption by the Congress as a national song (since Congress sessions were as a rule held in December, not September).
When the expected controversy followed the circular, the HRD Minister backtracked by saying it was not ‘compulsory' to sing the song. This was the cue for the BJP to turn Vande Mataram into a test of Indian nationalism, declaring ‘ Is desh mein rehna hai to Vande Mataram kehna hoga '.
Political controversies over the Vande Mataram are nothing new – in 1998, when the BJP's Basic Education Minister in UP declared the recitation of Vande Mataram as compulsory in schools, he was removed from his post, and even L K Advani, as Home Minister, had said that the song “should not be imposed.” Knowing such precedents, why did the UPA Government choose to highlight the non-existent centenary of Vande Mataram , rather than the approaching centenaries of Bhagat Singh's birth and the 1857 War of Independence? The Congress' clumsy efforts (with an eye to approaching UP polls) to harness a soft-Hindutva agenda has, once more, given BJP a chance to pose at being patriotic.
The BJP's and Sangh's effort is to make it appear that only orthodox Muslims find Vande Mataram unsuited as an anthem, on the grounds that Islam forbids worship of an image, even that of the ‘motherland'. The fact is that the opening stanzas of the song, hailing the beauty of the motherland, which undoubtedly played an inspirational role in the freedom struggle, were never the source of any opposition; and it was these stanzas that were adopted as a national song. But the fact that subsequent paragraphs specifically equate the nation as Mother with the Hindu goddess Durga, worshipped in temples, is partly the cause of discomfort. The BJP's agenda of linking the song with its ‘Hindu Rashtra' vision is clear: BJP President has declared that the party would like to make the song compusory in its entirety. The historical objection to such a course was by no means voiced by Muslims alone; Rabindranath Tagore, in a letter to Subhash Bose in 1937, pointed out, “The core of ‘Vande Mataram' is a hymn to goddess Durga: this is so plain that there can be no debate about it. Of course Bankim does show Durga to be inseparably united with Bengal in the end, but no Mussulman can be expected patriotically to worship the ten-handed deity as ‘Swadesh'.”
The antecedents of the song, however, are less significant than the antecedents and motives of the BJP and Sangh Parivar who evoke it as a supreme symbol of nationalism today. The fact is that as long as this song had any association with the Indian freedom struggle against the British, the RSS had no use for it – not a single one of their documents prior to Independence even mentions the phrase ‘Vande Mataram'. Post-independence, they value this song only for its communal associations and divisive potential, arising from its context in the novel Anandamath . Written in the aftermath of the 1857 War of Independence, the novel deliberately recast nationalism as a bloody battle against Muslims rather than the British, and graphically described scenes of organised pogroms against Muslims as acts of patriotic fervour. The BJP evokes Vande Mataram , not as the slogan on the lips of the anti-colonial freedom fighters, but rather the Vande Mataram of Anandamath – theme song and slogan of devotee-warriors who cry out longingly, “Will the day come when we shall break mosques and build temples on their sites?”
Moreover, surely the spectre of officially enforced patriotism will strangle the true spirit of freedom, democracy, and patriotism? How much is such officially dictated and scripted patriotism, frozen in time, worth – if it stifles and muzzles the natural development of national feeling through the lived reality of contradictions, debates, and dissent? The Vande Mataram , and for that matter, even the Jana Gana Mana , have both been subjected to interrogation by various sections of Indian citizens. It has been pointed out that in the nation mapped out by the official anthem, there is no room for the peoples of the North East. Neither the Vande Mataram nor the Jana Gana Mana were, in a true sense, products of the freedom struggle; the Sare Jahan Se Accha , in some ways more evocative and popular, was officially rejected since its author Iqbal went to Pakistan. But neighbouring Bangladesh , for its own national anthem, chose a song penned by Tagore – one that, incidentally, invokes the ‘motherland' several times. The history of the sub-continent, and the symbols of its nations, is replete with historical ironies and tragedies. With the substance of Indian nationalism and freedom itself scarred by communal violence, partition, and chauvinistic exclusions, it is to be expected that its symbols too would show the scars. In a way, India 's true national song – a spontaneous expression of national feeling born in the crucible of anti-imperialist resistance, is yet to be written. And it is the Indian people, inspired by the legacy of the anti-colonial struggle and committed to defeat US imperialism today, who will script it – not the Sangh Parivar with its history of collaboration with the British and sellout to US imperialism; nor the Congress which insults national memory by hailing the British Raj as ‘Good Governance', while forging a client relationship with Bush Raj.
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Maha-Dharna against Famine, Starvation, Crime and Growing Feudal-Police Atrocities
CPI(ML) organised massive dharna in Patna on Sept. 1 to protest against famine, starvation deaths, growing feudal-police atrocities on rural poor and ever increasing incidents of rape. Addressing the dharna, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that Nitish Kumar Govt. is dependent on criminals-police-corrupt officials nexus. He termed Nitish Govt.'s claim of good governance a white lie. He said that Nitish Kumar had promised to end crime, provide jobs to poor and ensure good governance in 3 months. However, today, after nine months, his government is beseized by agitations on the same issues. He alleged that from Nalanda constituency, vacated because of his resignation, Nitish is planning to field a JD(U) MLA, who was jailed for molesting dalit a woman. He said that this government is dependent on the criminals and as soon as criminals withdraw support, the Govt. would fall. He said that under tremendous mass pressure Amir Das Commission was constituted during Laloo regime to enquire into the series of massacres by the Ranvir Sena and latter's links with politicians and the administration. But the present government, surpassing the wrongdoings of even Laloo regime, dissolved the Commission before it could submit its report.
Comrade Dipankar said that had the Nitish Govt. properly implemented the NREGA, the poor in Bihar would not be facing famine and starvation or forced to migrate and face all sorts of humiliation and police brutality in Punjab . Addressing the meeting AIALA President Rameshwar Prasad declared 'Ghera Dalo - Dera Dalo' programme from 6-23 Sept. with the slogan 'Provide Job Cards, Ensure Jobs' in the state. Maha Dharna was addressed by KD Yadav, Ramji Rai, Saroj Chaube, Meena Tiwary, AIALA Bihar state President Pawan Sharma, Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha Convener Rajaram Singh among others.
CPI(ML) Team Visits Ludhiana
A high-level delegation comprising of CPI(ML) Central Committee member Prabhat Kumar, Deputy leader of Party's Legislative Group in Bihar Assembly Arun Kumar, MLA Amar Yadav, AICCTU leaders Shyamlal Prasad and Santosh Rai, and Punjab State Committee members Jeeta Kaur and Tarsem Singh Jodha, visited Ludhiana city to investigate into the incidents of brutal assault on migrant workers, mostly from Bihar, by the police and goons.
The team also met the DC of Ludhiana and handed him over a memorandum demanding to withdraw false cases imposed by police on innocent workers, immediate release of all arrested workers, to end the ongoing atrocities by police, and to punish the police officials and other people responsible for the incidents of 24 August when a reign of terror was unleashed in Basti Jodhewal in the industrial town of Ludhiana. The DC was also asked to take to take action against the forces who are trying to communalise the whole issue and trying to create a division between migrant and local workers and disrupting amity for vested political interests.
In view of the team's investigations, the CPI(ML) has also demanded from the Punjab Govt. to ensure the dignity and self-respect of every migrant worker, to ensure the labour rights and wage payments of women domestic workers and to stop their exploitation and harassment, and that the state government should provide I-cards to migrants living in the state for more than three years free of cost. Party has also criticized the government and Railway administration for not taking appropriate steps to curb the incidents of harassment and looting of migrant workers in trains by the police and goons.
The CPI(ML) has demanded that the Punjab Govt. must accept its responsibility for any mishappening against the migrant workers on any of the above issues.
The delegation had visited 6-7 localities in Ludhiana which are mainly inhabited by migrant workers from Bihar , UP and Jharkhand, on August 30. Besides meeting hundreds of workers and addressing thousands of workers in many mass meetings, the team met family members of many workers who were the victims of police atrocities of August 24. The team said that the workers are facing atrocities and discrimination by police in connivance with the goons, and on that fateful day the incident was triggered by brutal beating of a worker inside the police thana when he went there to tell a simple fact that his I-card requisition slip did not bear a date. When a number of workers gathered in thana spontaneously to lodge their protest, the police not only let loose an attack on them inside the thana premises but also conducted an organised attack on basti Jodhewal with the help of goons. The small shopkeepers and houses of the workers were looted, they were brutally beaten up and hundreds of people were taken into illegal custody in the thana . More than hundred were injured, some seriously. Many workers were arrested even under Section 307 of IPC and still 6 of them are in jail in spite of the assurance of their immediate release given to CPI(ML) leaders by the administration, when the former organised a protest and gheraoed the thana in the same night. Although a large number of arrested people were freed by the police under the pressure of the protest. The echo of this incident could also be heard in Bihar where condemnations were issued from many corners. The CPI(ML) in Bihar has lodged its strong protest with the Bihar Govt. against these incidents. The attempts to communalise this incident have also met with widespread condemnations.
The Party has sent a memorandum to the Punjab Chief Minister through the Resident Commissioner in Delhi demanding immediate actions to stop the atrocities on migrant workers. Hundreds of unorganised sector workers in Delhi have sent their protest letter to the Punjab Govt. after a protest which was held in Delhi on various issues.
Construction Workers' March in Delhi
Hundreds of construction sector workers in Delhi held out a march from Ramlila Maidan to the State Secretariat and lodged their protest with the Delhi govt. officials against weaknesses in the legislations enacted for this sector and put up a demand charter that included to decrease monthly contribution to the Delhi Building Construction Workers' Welfare Board by the worker to Rs. 5 from existing Rs. 20 a month, to increase the proposed pension to at least Rs. 1250 per month, and to ensure housing and other amenities to the construction sector workers besides other demands.
The protesters also held a mass meeting in front of the Secretariat which was addressed by AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee, CPI(ML) State Secretary Rajendra Pratholi, General Secretary of Construction Worker's Union in Delhi VKS Gautam, NM Thomas, Santosh Rai, Ardhendu Roy, AN Tiwary and Ram Abhilash. The speakers condemned the central government for continuing with the policies of the previous NDA Govt. and for surrendering before the US imperialism. They said that the Manmohan Singh Govt. has launched an all out attack on the working class and the deindustrialisation drive of Shiela Dixit Govt. in Delhi which is rendering lakhs of worker jobless is a part to this. They also criticized the ongoing demolition drive in Delhi which is affecting lakhs of shopkeepers and other establishments in the name of ceiling and demanded an immediate halt of such acts of irresponsibility. The role of main opposition BJP was also condemned in this regard as it is only shedding crocodile tears and not interested in doing anything to save a large number of population.
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ACTIVITIES
District Conference in Dhanbad
The 6th CPI(ML) Dhanbad District Conference was held on 30-31 August which began with a rally that was attended by thousands of workers at Nirsa. The rally was held with the slogans "Unite for rights and safety" and "Revitalise the Left in Dhanbad". The rally was attended by a large number of coal workers and addressed by CPI(ML) MLA Vinod Kumar, AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee and CPI(ML) State Secretary Subhendu Sen.
Comrade Subhendu Sen inaugurated the Conference and called for strengthening of the party organisation in view of the imminent political challenges and for organising unorganised sector workers against the attacks being launched on them through the policies of liberalisation. The Conference unanimously passed the work report and elected a 17-member District Committee. The Conference resolved to intensify struggles against the hold of mafia in coal sector as well as outsourcing and privatisation going on in this sector. It was also resolved to struggle for the jobs to the dependents of the workers, to start work in closed mines through labour cooperatives, and for compensation to the victims of Gangtikuli incident. CPI(ML) State Committee members Upendra Singh and Dilip Mandal also addressed the delegates.
Palamu District Conference Held
The 7th District Conference of Palamu CPI(ML) was concluded on 1 Sept. after holding deliberations for two days. The Conference, held at Lesliganj, was attended by around 150 delegates and observers and elected a 15-member District Committee with Comrade Ravindra Bhuiyan as its Secretary.
The conference concluded that the offensive by feudal forces has increased in the region after last elections even though the fascist BJP was shown the door by the electorate. The nexus of these forces with the ruling parties whose candidates were elected in the name of social justice, bearing the liberal mask, needs to be exposed and the political assertion of dalits and adivasis has to be increased. The nexus of middlemen-bureaucrat-corrupt politicians is openly looting the funds of various welfare schemes only because they are being protected by the current Govt., while the forces opposing them are met with severe state repression. It was resolved by the Conference to effectively intervene on the questions of the people, to expand Jharkhand Mazdoor Kisan Samiti, to strengthen women's, workers' and students-Youth organisations, and to increase the circulation of Party's organ Samkaleen Lokyudh, besides organising effective panchayat and village level committees and branches.
The Conference pledged to lend a voice to the people's aspirations for breaking the shackles of feudal dominance which have turned Palamu region into a symbol of backwardness in the country.
Hawkers' Agitation in Gwalior
During the last phase of Jan Adhikar Abhiyan launched by the Party, an intensive propaganda campaign was carried out in Gwalior . Some anti-worker acts of town's Municipal Corporation were also firmly opposed. CPI(ML) organised vegetable hawkers against the Rs. 3 per day hike in municipal tax and demanded from the city Mayor to withdraw the hike. The routine practice by the administration of illegal extortion, harassment and misbehaving with the poor hawkers was also opposed. On 17 August, CPI(ML) activists and local people gave a befitting reply against one such incident and officials along with some goons had to the make a hasty retreat. This resistance continued for 3-4 days till the illegal extortion was stopped. After this incident, vegetable hawkers have organised themselves in an union which now is holding regular meetings. On 3 Sept. they asserted by holding a mass meeting which was addressed by Party's CC member Prabhat Kumar. The RYA also launched a propaganda drive during the campaign and distributed pamphlets in many localities.
Jute Workers' Strike in Bengal
Twenty central trade unions of Jute Industry of WB including the Bengal Chatkal Mazdoor Federation (affiliated to AICCTU) organized a token strike on 4 September to press for a 16 points charter of demands. The main demands included : i) To regularize the bonus (which the workers have been deprived since 1998), ii) Arrear of dearness allowance should be immediately released, and iii) Revision of grade and scale of the workers. Nabendu Dasgupta, President of BCMF and one of the main organizers of those 20 central TUs asserted that the token strike on 4 September is only the beginning for the workers who plan to go for an indefinite strike in November this year if their demands were not fulfilled.
Cultural Activists' Campaign against Land Acquisition
Cultural activists of Paschimbanga Gana Sanskriti Parishad launched an awakening campaign against the West Bengal government's anti-peasant policy on 3 Sept. at Singur in Hooghly district. The activists of Halisahar Sanskritik Sanstha, Thakurnagar Sanskritik Sanstha and Naihati's Agnibeena (all affiliated to Paschimbanga Gana Sanskriti Parishad) assembled at Singur and organized a cultural procession performing cultural programmes at different spots. The local people welcomed the acitvists and cooperated during these performances.
Convention by Left Trade Unions
On 4 Sept. central trade unions' sponsoring committee organized a mass convention against the UPA government's policies. This convention was held in preparations of the 14 December's All India general strike called by the sponsoring committee. The convention was held at University Centenary Hall in Kolkata. Dibakar Bhattacharya, WB AICCTU Secretariat member, Bivas Bose, leader AICCTU had attended and spoke in the convention.
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