The Chill of the Winter Session Calls for the Heat of People’s Protests

Sure enough, the rhetoric at the HT Summit marks a stark contrast with the reality of the priorities of both the ruling bloc and the Opposition, during first few days of the Parliament Session.             

The very first day of Parliament saw the UPA Government on the mat. This was not for the horrific atrocities on Dalits at Kherlanji. Nor for the inexplicable omissions of data showing the massive over-representation of Muslims in prisons from the final Sachar Report. Incredibly, the entire range of Opposition MPs asked for Sharad Pawar’s head – not because he, as Agriculture Minister, presides over an ever-growing empire of suicidal farmers, the maximum in his own home state; but because he as BCCI Chief is responsible for India’s embarrassingly dismal performance in cricket! As for the NDA, its only sign of life in Parliament and outside was a tired effort to whip up a frenzy over the question of clemency for Afzal.  

Even the CPI and CPI(M) were no exception. A couple of rallies on peasants-workers’ issues notwithstanding, the fact remained was that within the Parliament, their leaders sang the same tune and danced in step with the other forces. On the first day of the Winter Session, Brinda Karat, as a ‘cricket fan’, that the ‘injustice’ done to Saurav be corrected and he be taken back into the national cricket team! 

What in fact is on the agenda of the UPA Government for the ongoing session? Despite statements and assurances that the Women’s 33% Reservation Bill will be tabled, finally, the fact remains that the fate of the Bill is still quite uncertain. The old familiar script of scuttling in the name of lack of consensus may well be played out again – and even if the Bill is actually tabled, sections of the UPA itself stand ready to ensure that it is not passed. It is by now clear that the Bill to introduce 27% OBC reservation in Higher Education is not going to be tabled in this session. The Forest Rights Bill is being tabled – but the UPA Government, flouting the recommendations of the JPC, is bent on making 1980 the cut-off date for legalising the right of tribals to own forest land that they have been cultivating, and two, evicting non-tribal land-holders from their forest dwellings. And what have been listed for business this session are assaults of FDI in Banking and Pension ‘Reforms’.

It is up to the heat of people’s protests to thaw the chill of the winter session of Parliament. We face the challenge of turning the All India Strike on December 14 called by the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions into a powerful protest that will voice not only working class anger against liberalisation, but also the deep rural unrest at the pro-imperialist policies that are the cause of agrarian crisis and peasants’ distress.

   CPIML Welcomes Global Upswing of People’s Struggles against US Imperialism!

Resolves to Intensify Struggle Against UPA Government’s Pro-American Foreign Policies, Indo-US Nuclear Deal, in Particular!

CPI(ML) Central Committee welcomes the new anti-Imperialist wave that is sweeping across the globe through people’s struggles in many countries. This trend is most conspicuous in Latin America’s Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Mexico and recently, in Equador. One country after another is rejecting the capitalist / imperialist policies and oppression of the US, World Bank, IMF etc. and are not only electing left leaders but freeing their resources and economics from the exploitative stranglehold of imperialist MNCs and policies.

In the Middle East, people of Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon, are clearly rejecting the wars and the hegemonistic ambitions of imperialist countries to force a path for themselves. In Asia, too, people of many countries are desiring freedom from old shackles.

CPI(ML) wholeheartedly supports all the peoples of the world in their struggles against tyranny, exploitation and sham democracies. Even within the US, UK and G8 nations, people are becoming more & more vociferous against their Government’s imperialist and militarist actions.

CPI(ML) expresses solidarity not only with all these movements but also with the suffering people of Sri Lanka, Somalia, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and all war-torn areas. Our sympathies are with the thousands of refugees in these regions fleeing war, repression.

CPI(ML) renews its commitment to forging a more equitable, genuinely free, democratic and peaceful world and denounces India’s foreign policy which is deliberately flying in the face of these people’s movements by continuing to desert its friends in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq etc. in order to appease and court favour with the US and its anti-people policies.

CPI(ML) resolves to intensify people’s struggles against UPA’s pro-American foreign policies, Indo-US strategic partnership and demands scrapping of Indo-US nuclear deal in particular.

One Year of Nitish Govt. in Bihar

People Issue 'Failure Card' to Nitish for One Year of Deceit, Trickery and Betrayal : Convention held in Patna

A large number of people gathered in Patna on November 23, at a convention organised by the CPI(ML) to mark the completion of one year of much hyped 'good governance' of Nitish Kumar, and issued a 'Failure Card' for the complete betrayal of his govt. from the people's issues, particularly those of agrarian labourers, peasants, women, students and youth. The convention called upon to launch a widespread movement against this government which continues to tread on the path of Laloo Yadav. CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member and leader of Party's legislative group in Bihar, Comrade Ramnaresh Ram, issued the failure card on behalf of the convention and said that this government will meet the fate of its predecessor. Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, Polit Bureau member, said that the subversion of democracy and repression of the people's movements continues in the state as ever amidst the increasing number of reports of starvation deaths and suicides by starving poor in villages, and such a government must be toppled by the people using every possible means.

CPI(ML) Bihar State Secretary Nand Kishore Prasad accused Nitish govt. of implementing anti-people policies under the mask of various popular declarations. While announcing further course of action, he declared  that a massive dharna will be organised in front of Vidhan Sabha on Dec. 12 on the question of women's oppression and block level protests will be held on Dec. 8 to demand job cards, employment and minimum wages. Ramji Rai, CC member, read out the failure card which exposes the strengthening of the feudal-police-criminal nexus in the state and says that the bureaucracy has gone further out of bounds in this regime. Repression of poor, criminalisation, police atrocities and suppression of popular movements and of the common people has been stepped up, while unemployment is increasing and corruption and loot of public money meant for welfare schemes and development funds is on the rise.

Thousands of rural poor from various parts of Bihar, as well as students, youth, women, intellectuals, cultural personalities and prominent citizens, participated in the convention. This was also addressed by CPI(ML) leader K. D. Yadav, AIALA National President Rameshwar Prasad, AIPWA National Secretary Mina Tiwary, Convener of All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Rajaram Singh, AISA Bihar Secretary Abhyuday and CPI leader U N Mishra. Convention passed several resolutions that included demand for withdrawal of US occupation forces from Iraq, revocation of Indo-US Nuclear deal, to stop eviction of poor in the name of developing Greater Patna and to inquire into the incidents of police atrocities in this regard, to hold student union elections in various universities in the state and to stop repression of agitating students in Bhagalpur University and release of all arrested students.

Neglecting the issues of livelihood and dignity is a criminal act -- AIALA

At a press conference held at the conclusion of AIALA's Bihar State Council on Nov. 24 which was jointly addressed by Comrades Swadesh Bhattacharya, Rameshwar Prasad, Dhirendra Jha and Pawan Sharma, the Bihar govt. was severely criticized for its utter failure in implementing the National Employment Guarantee Act, for rising number of starving and malnourished poor, and for increased attacks on the dignity and livelihood of the toiling masses. The leaders said that the Nitish Govt.'s pro-feudal and anti-poor face was exposed much earlier when it dissolved the Amir Das Commission which boosted the morale of the feudal forces. This Govt. failed to issue job cards and give jobs to the poor in spite of availability of the required funds and further conspired against the agrarian labour by imposing the mandatory condition of digging 110 cubic feet of soil under the scheme. The NREGA has become a cruel joke on the people in a state where more than half of the population lives below the poverty line. This scheme is turning out to be a bigger scam than the fodder scam of the Laloo Govt. as crores of rupees have been appropriated by the bureaucracy-contractor nexus through fake muster rolls. And this is going on under full governmental protection. The govt. is not willing to conduct inquiries of appropriation of funds in various schemes. Moreover, Right to Information Act is not being implemented in most of the districts. The govt. has not included the representatives of agrarian labour organisations into the State Employment Guarantee Council despite a legal provision for the same. The AIALA also criticized the newly constituted land reforms commission which is also proving to be a white elephant.

Demand to President and Home Minister

Resume Talks with ULFA,
And Safe Release of Com. Langtuk Phangcho

On 24 and 25 November, a delegation of Opposition leaders from various parties of Assam as well as the CPI(ML) met the President of India and the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to apprise them of the crisis situation in Assam, and to demand that the Government’s talks with ULFA which have reached a deadlock, be resumed immediately without any preconditions. They also demanded intervention to ensure the safe release of Comrade Langtuk Phangcho, Standing Comittee Member of the Hill Districts Party Committee, CPI (ML) and Ex-Executive Member of N C Hills Autonomous Council, who was kidnapped by the UPDS in NC Hills on 23 October. The leaders including former Assam CM and AGPP President Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, JD(U) President Dulal Baruah, SUCI leader Bimal Nandy, Syed Gulam Akbar of the Samajwadi party, Pabindra Deka of the PLP and Kavita Krishnan from the CPI(ML). 

In a meeting with the Home Minister, the leaders submitted a memorandum pointing out that kidnapping and killing of opposition political leaders and activists are going on unabated in these hill districts, particularly in the time of elections. The memo declared that this state of affairs itself exposes the insecurity and lawlessness and complete failure of the Government both in Dispur and in Autonomous Councils. It noted that that UPDS is not an underground organization, rather it is in ceasefire agreement with the Government, and yet it openly moves with fire-arms violating Ground Rules of ceasefire.

The memo urged the Home Minister to 1. Ensure safe and immediate release of CPI (ML) leader Langtuk Phangcho; 2. Review and amendment of the ground rules of ceasefire agreements with militant organizations, in the light of repeated breakdown of such rules during last couple of years; 3. Only one designated camp should be allowed for one militant organization; and 4. Disarm the militants who have signed ceasefire agreement and are engaged in dialogue with the Government.

ACTIVITIES

AIALA holds Massive Dharna in Guwahati

On November 22, thousands of people from different districts of Assam joined a protest march at Guwahati at the joint call by All Assam Gramin Sramik Santha, and Karbi Anglong and N C Hills Kishan Sabha (both are AIALA constituents) demanding solution of their longstanding demands. On this occasion a militant and impressive protest procession of more than 2000 agrarian workers and rural poor was brought out from Guwahati Railway station to the Deputy Commissioner's office. A memorandum comprising of following demands was sent to the Panchayat and rural development minister of Assam through DC.

1. Implement NREGA through out the state and ensure peoples supervision in blocks and panchayats.

2. Issue immediately job cards to 1,25,502 families of Karbi Anglong, who have applied for it and stop nasty political manouvering over this important people's issue.

3. Hold panchayat elections timely and implement Cabinet's decision of immediately holding the election for the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

4. Stop all types of corruption in Panchayats and KAAC and abolish contractor system from Panchayats.

5. Declare special Panchayat schemes for the tea tribes people.

6. Distribute land to the landless and patta to the pattaless.

7. Stop eviction of poor people who have been living in forest villages, in the name of conservation of forest and wild life.

8. PDS system to be made transparent and investigate all allegations of corruption and punish the culprits. Make public the BPL list and issue ration cards.

9. Ensure safe release of Com. Langtuk Phangcho, vice president of KANKIS, who was kidnapped by the militants.

10. Make public the utilization of money and rice meant for the food for work scheme worth crores of rupees allocated to the Karbi Anglong and N C Hills district.

Demonstrators held a brief meeting at the Judges Field. This was addressed by CPI(ML) State Secretary Rubul Sarma. The AIALA also called upon the people of the state to make success the 14th December general strike and to observe the day as bandh in the state.

AIPWA Marches to UP Assembly
Demands Arrests of Rapists and Resignation of Mulayam

AIPWA organised a massive march to the UP Assembly in Lucknow on the demand of arrest of those accused of the gangrape of Farzana Khatoon and her daughter Shahina Parveen in the 2005 Mau riots as well as resignation of Mulayam Singh for failing to provide security to Women, Muslims and Dalits. Women from 17 districts of the state participated. The most brutal case of violence that was recounted besides that of Farzana was that of Seema Yadav of Khushinagar, who is a minor and was lifted by feudals while on her way to school and was kept confined and raped by upper caste feudals for over a month! Neither was an FIR lodged nor did the police try to find out her whereabouts. It was on one day while trying to escape that she ran into the court premises and her statement was recorded by the Magistrate. But Seema is still being threatened. Seema broke down while trying to speak at the dharna saying nobody was helping her.

Among those who spoke on the occasion were AIPWA General Secretary Kumudini Pati, Ajanta Lohit, Anju from Ballia, Gita Pande from Deorea, Reshma from Faisabad, Kulsumn Begam from Pilibhit, Ahmadi Begam from Mirzapur, Mumtaz Bano, President of All Inda Muslim womens’ Forum and Shahida Bano Secretary of the Forum, Shahnaz Shitraz from Bazm-e-Khawateen, Vandana Mishra, convenor of the women’s wing of Jan Morcha, besides leaders of Meswan, Aali, Hamsafar, Sahyog, Sangatin, Aasha and the leader of the railway employees women’s wing Shivani Kukreti. Tahira Hasan, Vice President of AIPWA and convenor of Tehreeq –e-Niswan conducted the proceedings and Srilata Swaminathan presided.

Speakers in the meeting said that Mulayam Singh had miserably failed to protect women, muslims and dalits in the state. Not only this, he had been patronising the forces responsible for attacks on these sections of society. The Mulayam Government wanted the state to be engulfed by communal strife before the Assembly elections so as to create an atmosphere of insecurity and terror in the state for his own political vested interests. The BSP, main opposition party in UP, was not concerned about the violence on these sections and was busy working out equations on the basis of caste which would help garner votes in the coming elections.

AIPWA demanded -- The resignation of Mulayam on the Farzana case and also for failing to provide security to women, dalits and Muslims; A white paper to be placed in the Assembly on the riots that have taken place during the past 2 decades; All woman protection force comprising of 50% Muslim women be constituted with training in controlling riots; High level judicial inquiry be conducted into the Mau and Masauli riots and the perpetrators be punished; The CBI complete the inquiry of the Farzana case within 3 months; The SP of Mau be immediately dismissed.

The dharna condemned the role of the Mulayam regime in aiding and abetting communal violence in the state. After the Dharna, AIPWA leaders Srilata Swaminathan, Kumudini Pati and Tahira Hasan met the Governor of UP. The Governor granted a sum of Rs.20,000 for Farzana and her daughter and assured that Seema’s case would be taken up too.

AICCTU National Council Meeting

AICCTU National Council met in Siliguri on 20-21 Nov. at the conclusion of its nationwide campaign for the workers in unorganised sector. The Council decided to hold a demonstration on Dec. 8 in front of the Parliament to emphasise for the demand of a comprehensive legislation for the workers of the unorganised sector. The meet called upon to make the 14 Dec. all India general strike against the policies of the UPA Govt. a great success.

The National Council condemned the Chhattisgarh Govt. for initiating legal proceedings against Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha President Bhimrao Bagde for declaring him out of bounds from the district.

 A mass meeting was also organised before the Council meet on Nov. 20 which was attended by a large number of tea garden workers under the banner of Tarai Sangrami Cha-Shramik Union. This was presided over by Abhijit Mazumdar and addressed by AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee, Tarsem Jodha, Bhimrao Bagde, Pravin Gurung, Pulak Ganguly and Basudev Bose. 

CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member DP Bakshi addressed the meet as special guest.

AICCTU's Bihar State Conference

The Sixth Bihar State Conference of All India Central Council of Trade Unions was held on 18-19 Nov. in Patna. The Conference elected Shyamlal Prasad as State President and RN Thakur as State General Secretary. 207 delegates from various sectors attended the Conference. The open session was held in the Miller School Grounds on the concluding day.  The Conference demanded to implement the central legislation for the construction workers in Bihar which was enacted in 1996. An 8-point resolution was also passed which included demand to enact separate central legislation for unorganised sector and agricultural workers, and expression of solidarity with the struggling workers and other sections of the society.

Initiatives in Purnea

A gherao of the Block office was organised which was lifted on Nov. 16 only after the demand to distribute the job cards was accepted. A successful bandh and road blockade in Birauli Bazar on Nov. 16 was held against an incident of decoity and murder. This forced the administration to take action against an erring police officer