[L-I] [ INDIA ] ML Update Vol.7 No.35 31 Aug-6 Sep. 2004

ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol.  7    No. 35     31 Aug-6 Sep. 2004


Suicides Continue while Parliament Is Adjourned

This year's budget has finally been passed without any debate. The Congress
and the BJP which suddenly seem to have discovered so much of ideological
incompatibility that they have started disagreeing on almost every subject
under the sun had no difficulty in arriving at this agreement. The
'consensus' also suited the CPI(M) and its partners well who had been
blowing hot and cold on certain specific proposals of the budget. They were
spared the embarrassment of exposing the limits of their disagreement with
the UPA government's first budget. Chidambaram of course unilaterally
announced a number of amendments, all of them providing further tax cuts for
the rich, including a bonanza of Rs. 6,000 crore for the brokers and
speculators of Dalal Street.

While the 'reservations' expressed by the rich have already been met, the
UPA Government's 'human face' has been exposed to be demonstrably deaf to
the plight of the crisis-ridden peasantry. The farmers and weavers of Andhra
Pradesh continue to commit collective suicides. Reports of starvation deaths
continue to emanate from different parts of the country at regular
intervals. Flood victims in Bihar continue to be greeted with bullets. In
spite of two meetings of the UPA-Left coordination committee, the Finance
Minister has made no public response to the demands raised by the Left
parties. The interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund has been reduced
even though CPI(M) leaders tell us that they have been assured by the
Finance Minister that the demand for increasing the EPF interest rate would
be 'actively considered'. What happened to the Left opposition to the hike
in FDI cap in telecommunication, insurance and civil aviation sectors is
anybody's guess.

With the stage being set for Assembly elections in Maharashtra, the Congress
and the BJP are understandably busy polarising the political discourse
around their respective agenda. While the BJP is trying to pin the UPA
government down on the issue of tainted ministers, the Congress is belatedly
trying to adopt a hardline posture against the RSS. The verbal missiles
being tested by Arjun Singh and Manishankar Aiyar are aimed at establishing
the Congress hegemony over the so-called secular camp. But even as the
Congress sharpens its anti-RSS rhetoric, the chinks in its armour continue
to show. Manishankar Aiyar is under pressure from none but Congressmen from
Maharshtra to retract his statements on Savarkar. And having notified an
air-conditioned guest house as temporary jail for Uma Bharti, the Congress
government of Karnataka is now in a hurry to withdraw the very case which
led to Bharti's arrest.

The BJP too shows certain signs of softening its stance. Having made a
furore over the Prime Minister's 'shocking' and 'impolite' behaviour towards
an NDA delegation, Advani now says the issue is over. The other contentious
issues like Bharti's arrest and Aiyar's comments regarding Savarkar would
also be sorted out in a similar fashion. But the budget session, which is
supposed to be the longest session of Parliament, has already been hijacked
and guillotined. The issue at stake is not so much disruption of
Parliamentary proceedings as subversion of the very content of Mandate 2004.
The economic agenda had been brought centrestage by the people in the 2004
elections; now the votaries of globalisation have come together to push it
back to the fringe. Ironically, they have used the services of a 'Marxist'
speaker to carry out this dirty job.

Clearly, the everyday economic concerns of the toiling millions of this
country cannot be left at the mercy of a silent Parliament. Still less can
they be reduced to a matter of closed-door bargaining within the framework
of UPA-Left coordination. The working people must take to the streets in a
big way and bring greater pressure to bear upon the UPA government.
Parliament may be adjourned, but the people's movement brooks no
adjournment.


Land Seizure in West Godavari Distt.

300 Tribal people of Saripalli panchayat of Koyalagudem mandal seized 8
acres of land  in Dharmaraopeta village on 20 August under the banner of
Girijana Sangham and CPI(ML). The land  was illegally occupied by a
landlord.


Demand for Separate Tribal Mandal

In Prathipadu constituency  of East Godavari district, there are 49 tribal
villages  which are denied the status of scheduled area. Protracted fight
for the recognition of tribal status has only yielded some partial benefits
like loans and certificates. These villages are only considered as sub-plan
area. Even though TDP and Congress had  promised separate tribal mandal for
the above villages centring Pedamallapuram it was not fulfilled by them. On
24 August a seminar was organised by Girijana Sangham on the demand of
separate mandal. 300 people from 32 villages attended the seminar which was
addressed by tribal leaders  R.Simhachalam, E. Chanti, I.Veeranna and women
leaders Tumpati Bujji and Korapu Malleswari. A committee  'Girijana Mandala
Sadhana Committee' was formed to achieve the goal.


AIALA Conference

On 25 August,  Kyalagudem AIALA Mandal conference was held at Koyalagudem of
West Godavavari district in which nearly 300 people  participated.   C. K.
Damodar presided over the conference N. Murthy, CPI (ML) central committee
member also addressed the conference. A 23 member Mandal AIALA committee was
elected. A rally was organised before the conference .


Rally at Narsipatnam in Visakha District

     A rally was organised by AIALA and CPI(ML) at Narsipatnam, a divisional
head quarter of Visakha district. Rallyists demanded the distribution of 200
acres of govt. land in Vempadu village which is under the occupation of
landlords and 400 acres of forest land in Gunupudi village of Nakkapalli
mandal. They also opposed atrocities on dalits.


Protest Rallies and Road Blockades
Against Paliganj Killing

  Hundreds of people blocked road at Vissannapeta Centre in Krishna district
in protest against the killing of five CPI(ML) cadres at Paliganj in Bihar
by the PWG criminals. The protesters also took out a rally. A protest rally
was also organised on  23 August against Paliganj killing at Kakinada.


Protest In Jharkhand CPI(ML)

Ranchi  unit held a protest march and burnt the  effigy of Bihar govt. in
protest against Paliganj killing and RJD- PWG criminal nexus on 21 August in
Ranchi.  Protest March was led by state committee member Tarun Sarkar and
others.


Dharna Against ULFA Killings at Dhemaji in Assam

CPI(ML) Assam State Committee held a  dharna on 19 August before DC office,
Guwahati in protest against Govt's  failure to give protection and security
to the common people. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the perpetrators
of  Dhemaji killing and warned ULFA terrorists to refrain from such killings
and called upon the people to come forward against such barbaric terrorist
actions. A memorandum was also sent to the Chief Minister of Assam.  The
Party  demanded institution of a judicial enquiry to probe the accused links
of the police - administration with terrorist organizations. On 20 August, a
protest march was taken out at Bargang in  Sonitpur district.


AIALA Tamil Nadu Unit Calls for Jail Bharo and Gherao Agitation.

 The Tamil Nadu state unit of the All India Agricultural  Labour Association
(AIALA) has called for Jail Bharo agitation on 2 Sept. on several burning
issues of the agricultural labourers of the state. The organisation has also
decided to launch a state-wide campaign for four months which would
culminate in December Gherao programme. This Gherao agitation would take
place in front of government offices in district and taluk headquarters.
These decision were taken at a state council meeting held on 16-17 August at
Pudukkottai.  The all India general secretary of AIALA Rameshwar Prasad
attended this meeting. Emphasising the importance of grass-root political
mobilisation of  agricultural labourers, he presented the reports of the
ongoing agrarian struggles in Bihar and elsewhere .  AIALA EC  member
Malleshwar Rao inaugurated the council meeting and reported about the land
struggles of Orissa and Andhra.   After the state council meeting, a
convention was organised. The convention called for  enactment of a separate
legislation for agricultural labourers. It was addressed among others by
Rameshwar Prasad ,Malleshwar Rao, Kumaraswamy, Mary of AIPWA, AIALA leaders
Annadurai, Viduthalaikumaran, Ilangov and  Gunasegaran. CPI-led
Agricultural Association's state leader Sundarrajan also addressed the
convention. CPI(ML) state secretary Balasundaram also addressed the
gathering.
The four month long campaign would raise several issues like separate
legislation, declaration of all agricultural labourers and rural poor on BPL
roll,  and  issuing of  multipurpose red card  and allotment of land and
pucca houses.


Laloo Yadav Gheraoed
CPI(ML) Activists Arrested

CPI(ML) activists and hundreds of flood victims gheraoed the RJD President
and Union Rail Minister Laloo Yadav in Darbhanga on 31 August when he was on
the way to Ujan by a special  train. Ujan is a place where the police had
fired on the flood victims and killed three of them. Laloo Yadav refused to
accept the CPI(ML) memorandum on flood and directed the police to give a
'fitting treatment' to the Maley (ML) people. After this, the police rained
lathis on the protesters and arrested 15 CPI(ML) leaders and activists
including Baidyanath Yadav, Savita Sahni, Nandlal Thakur, Mohd. Jamaluddin
and Keshri Yadav. Shouting slogans "Laloo, You Must Stop Raining Bullets on
Flood victims and then Pretending to wipe Tears" the protesters demanded
removal of DM and SP of Darbhanga for their criminal negligence towards the
flood victims.
Meanwhile, CPI(ML) has  distributed relief materials among 175 flood
affected people in Darbhanga. Party is engaged in relief operation in
several areas of the district.


Left Parties' Memorandum to Bihar Governor

Seven Left Parties in Bihar - CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M), Forward Block, SUCI,
MCPI, and RSP have called upon the Bihar Governor to immediately intervene
in the Paliganj killing case and ensure that the killers of this heinous
massacre are booked. In a joint memorandum submitted to the Governor, these
parties have also demanded institution of a CBI inquiry into this killing.
Left parties  demanded immediate arrest of Dinanath Yadav, an RJD M.L.A, who
hired PWG criminals to eliminate five CPI(ML) cadres at Paliganj.
Memorandum also urged the Bihar Governor to direct the state government to
immediately stop RJD  -administration sponsored loot of flood- relief
materials and suppression of flood- victims through lathis and bullets of
the police. Parties also demanded a time-bound comprehensive action- plan
for permanent solution of this flood-menace.


Attack on CPI(ML) Demonstration in Lakhimpur Kheri in UP

A CPI(ML) demonstration was attacked at Bheera in Lakhimpur Kheri district
in Uttar Pradesh on 26 August. The demonstration was held in protest against
the police firing on the students of Inter College. Attackers led by a
criminal and  powerful local farmer Avtar Singh also fired several rounds of
bullet.
A group of demonstrators immediately informed the Bheera police station and
the ADM, but they didn't act. The criminals also threatened the villagers
who were coming to join the demonstration.
In protest against this attack on Party demonstration, CPI(ML) State
Secretary Akhilendra Pratap Singh met the UP Home Secretary and demanded
immediate action against the attackers and the local police administration.
The state administration was forced to order suspension of the Bheera
police station in-charge.


Students' Hunger Strike in Jadavpur
 in Support of Manipur Movement

Responding to the call of AISA, students of Jadavpur University and several
other colleges went on a 72- hour hunger strike in Jadavpur in support of
Manipur movement. They demanded immediate withdrawal of the notorious Armed
Forces ( Special powers) Act from Manipur and other states and exemplary
punishment to the killer of Manorama. Meanwhile, CPI(ML) Kolkata district
committee has also intensified its mass campaign on this issue.


Demonstration at Blocks and  Panchayats in WB

CPI(ML) organised demonstrations and gherao at several blocks and panchayats
in West Bengal on a charter of demands including publication of BPL list,
withdrawal of anti-democratic, extra-legal and thoroughly partisan
Pre-Litigation Conciliatory Bill and enactment of a comprehensive
legislation for agricultural labourers.



Protest Meeting in North Dinajpur  in WB

CPI(ML) North Dinajpur district committee organised a meeting at Kaliaganj
in protest against CPM-police terror against CPI(ML) supporters. Recently
around 100 people deserted CPM and joined CPI(ML). Enraged over this
development, CPM committee directed police to lodge fake cases on those
people and arrest them. Obeying the order of the master, police arrested
them and ransacked their houses. 15 people are still in police custody. A
rally was also held at Kalee Talab in Raiganj to recover a village pond on
vest land occupied by CPM local heavyweights. Condemning the Paliganj
killing, CPI(ML) district committee also held a protest against RJD-PWG
criminal nexus in Bihar.



Construction Workers Protest in  Lucknow
Construction workers of Nirman Majdoor Union affiliated to  AICCTU sat on a
dharna in front of UP State Assembly in Lucknow from 23-25 August on
demands including implementation of central legislation for construction
workers 1996 in the state, guarantee of adequate wage, action against the
wage looter building owners, contractors and engineers, issuing of BPL
ration card and old -aged widow pension for the women construction workers.


Red Salute to Com. B.P. Keshri

CPI(ML) central committee deeply mourns the sad death of Com. Birendra
Prasad Keshri who passed away on 30 August night in Ranchi after fighting
with a serious liver-disease for almost two years. He was 42 years old. Com.
Keshri was Jharkhand state office secretary from 1994 to 2001. Before that,
he was a Party organiser in Hazaribagh district.  He is survived by his wife
and a daughter.


FB Leader Com. B.B. Mandal Passes Away

CPI(ML) condoles the demise of veteran Forward Block leader Com. Bhakti
Bhushan Mandal. Com Mandal was for a long time a minister in the LF Govt of
WB and is  remembered for his tireless advocacy of Indo-China People's
friendship. He passed away in Kolkata on 30 August. CPI(ML) WB Secretary
Kartick Pal paid floral tributes to the departed leader.


Com. Hiren Mukherjee Remembered

CPI organised a memorial meeting in Delhi on 31 August to pay homage to Com.
Hiren Mukherjee and Com. Phani Bora who passed away recently. The meeting
was addressed by CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan, CPI(ML) General
Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(M) PB Member Prakash Karat, RSP leader
Abani Rai.  FB leader Naren Deb, LS Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, former
President K.R. Narayanan and socialist leader Madhu Dandavate. The meeting
observed a minute silence in memory of the departed CPI leaders as well as
FB leader Com. Bhakti Bhushan Mandal.


Com. Anand's Statue Unveiled in Arrah

Remembering Com. Anand, who was killed by the police on 30 August, 2000
alongwith four other comrades at Arrah in Bihar, hundreds of people
assembled at Karari village in Arrah Mufassil on 30 August and pledged to
fulfil the dream of the martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives in
struggles for a new society free of criminality and injustice. On this
occasion, a statue of Com. Anand was unveiled by CPI(ML) Polit-bureau member
Com. Ramnaresh Ram.

Com. Ramnaresh Ram remembered Com. Anand as a promising young leader who
always remained at the forefront of people's struggle. 'When thousands of
people had come to Arrah in 1990 on this day to join the ' Jawab Do'
movement in protest against the cold-blooded murder of Com. Vishwanath Ram,
Com. Anand was at the forefront. He was shouting slogans against the
murderer of democracy. He was raising his voice against the clout of police
and feudal forces. He embraced martyrdom on that day. We have to avenge his
killings by realising his unfinished dream," Com. Ramnaresh Ram said. The
Karari programme was like a 'Shaheed Mela.' Red flags, banners and festoons
flooded the venue. Presentation of revolutionary songs and 'Shaheed Geet'
was the special feature of the programme.


American People's Historic March
Challenge to  Militarism, Global Corporate Conquest and exploitation

  New York demonstration on August 29 , which filled the Steamy streets
around Madison Square Garden for more than six hours, estimated by police
and media ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 protesters. However, according to
United for Peace and Justice, the alliance which sponsored the march, it was
more than 500,000. The line of protesters stretched more than two miles
long, was the largest convention-related protest in U.S. history according
to CBS News. Likewise, security around the arena too was the tightest in the
history of U.S. political events with thousands of police officers and
Secret Service agents on guard.

The protesters stormed their way through the city carrying placards and
chanting slogans such as: "Good troops Bad leader. Wrong war,"  "Eradicate
Mad Cowboy Disease",  "Say No to the War Economy,"  "Bush lied, thousands
died" .  Many New Yorkers are outraged that the Republican Party has chosen
their city for the convention with the hope of milking the 9/11 tragedy to
extract another four years in office. The demonstration focused on the
demands,  Bring the Troops Home Now!, U.S. Out of Iraq!, End Colonial
Occupation of Iraq, Haiti, Palestine & Everywhere!

 This huge demonstration in New York City revealed the depth of opposition
both to Bush's criminal war in Iraq and its reactionary assault on civil
rights and civil liberties at home. The Mayor and the police worked to
stifle and limit dissent by restricting free speech rights and by creating a
climate of fear and intimidation. Unfolding in sweltering heat and humidity,
the march followed several days of continued protests by an array of
activist groups, with the 'preventive' arrest of more than 300 people. "We
are the majority of this country. The majority of this country opposes the
war," said filmmaker and vocal Bush critic Michael Moore, who addressed
thousands of people gathering south of the  Republican Party's convention
site.
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