[L-I] [ INDIA ] ML Update Vol. 7 No. 38 21-27 Sep. 2004

ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol.7    No.38       21-27 Sep. 2004
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In Lieu of Editorial:

=46ROM THE CIRCULAR OF THE POLIT BUREAU

Excerpts from the Circular issued by the CPI(ML) Polit Bureau followi=
ng its
meeting at Arrah in Bihar on 16-18 September, 2004 are produced below=
:

1.      The UPA government's continuing betrayal of Mandate 2004 is
increasing popular resentment all over the country. Suicides and star=
vation
deaths are continuing unabated in different parts of the country and =
the UPA
government at the Centre and the concerned state governments have fai=
led to
take any corrective step so far to stem the crisis and provide any im=
mediate
relief to the suffering segments of our rural society. The UPA govern=
ment's
handling of the flood situation in Assam and Bihar has also been most
insensitive. Peasant associations and agricultural/rural labour
organisations in different states must step up their activities to
effectively intervene in this crisis.

2.      We had already noted that Budget 2004 was a clear betrayal of
Mandate 2004. The budget has now been passed without any debate and w=
ithout
any accommodation of the objections raised by the trade union movemen=
t and
the Left forces in the country. EPF interest rate has been slashed, a=
nd the
government has not retracted or revised the budget proposals regardin=
g hike
in FDI caps in key sectors. The latest policy announcements concernin=
g
foreign trade would only increase the country's import bill and hence=
 trade
deficit even as the WTO negotiations at Geneva have further weakened =
India's
positions. Following the induction of Montek Singh Ahluwalia as the V=
ice
Chairperson of the Planning Commission, the latter is now being packe=
d with
foreign 'experts' borrowed from the World Bank, IMF and related agenc=
ies. We
must intensify our campaign to expose the 'human face' pretensions of=
 the
UPA government and build up mass opposition to the Manmohan Singh reg=
ime's
anti-people economic policies.

3.      The UPA government's handling of the Manipur agitation has be=
en
typically autocratic. The Prime Minister failed to make any mention o=
f
Manipur in his Independence Day address. Despite the readiness of the
movement organizations of Manipur to talk to the Centre, the UPA Gove=
rnment'
s response has been most insincere. The pattern of state repression i=
s
however not confined to Manipur; the hill districts of Assam are also
witnessing a spree of state-sponsored killings and indiscriminate arr=
ests
and torture. The UPA government's refusal to lift the Armed Forces Sp=
ecial
Powers Act and order a retrospective repeal of POTA and TADA has made=
 a
mockery of the promises made in the CMP to honour the Constitution an=
d the
democratic rights of the people. We have already launched a vigorous
campaign on this score, expressing solidarity with the fighting peopl=
e of
Manipur. The campaign must be kept up by organizing popular support t=
hrough
diverse means for the demand for withdrawal of the AFSPA and retrospe=
ctive
repeal of TADA/POTA.

4.      As exposed in the Uma Bharati and Savarkar episodes, the Cong=
ress
has once again started exhibiting its historical ambivalence and bank=
ruptcy
vis-=E0-vis the communal offensive of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. =
Thanks to
this bankruptcy of the Congress, the BJP has managed to regain much o=
f its
lost political initiative and morale on the eve of the Maharashtra As=
sembly
elections due next month. The census 2001 controversy has also provid=
ed the
Sangh Parivar with a renewed opportunity to target the Muslim communi=
ty.
While calling the BJP's bluff, we must focus all attention on the bas=
ic
agenda of livelihood, democracy and development so that the ruling cl=
asses
and their parties cannot get away with their anti-people policies and
designs.

5.      The PB took serious note of the attack on our Paliganj office=
 and
the killing of five of our comrades by armed PWG hooligans. This inci=
dent
has exposed the true face of the PWG in Bihar as a gang of armed hire=
lings
of the RJD. The subsequent incident of PWG hooligans looting an entir=
e
village has further exposed the desperation and degeneration of the P=
WG. We
must fully utilize this opportunity to thoroughly isolate the PWG and=
 expose
its nexus with the RJD and thus create conditions for a decisive mass
resistance against its heinous activities. The Paliganj incident has =
pushed
the RJD into a relatively defensive position and we must intensify ou=
r
political offensive on this score. The campaign on the issue of trial=
 and
conviction of agricultural labourers under TADA must also be carried =
on
simultaneously and efforts must continue to enlist support of other L=
eft and
democratic forces and civil libertarians in the campaign.

   6.       The PB also took stock of the situation obtaining in the =
hill
districts of Assam where some of our comrades and voters have been ki=
lled by
armed UPDS ultras after the elections. The state seems to have given =
a free
hand to these armed mercenaries to terrorise the people, but there ar=
e signs
of developing popular anger and resistance against the nexus between =
the
armed forces of the state and the mercenaries of degenerated militant
outfits. While encouraging this trend of mass resistance we must conc=
entrate
on reviving the Autonomous State movement and building up effective a=
nd
militant mass opposition to the corruption, misrule and treachery of =
the
Congress at every level. At a time when sections of the renegade ASDC=
 are
crossing over to the Congress, we must raise the level of our mass
initiative to win over the masses disillusioned with the ASDC.

Agrecultural wWorkers Conference in Uttar Pradesh:
----------------------------------------------------


DECLARE WHOLE OF UP DROUGHT EFFECTED,
WAIVE ALL LOANS TO AGRICULTURAL WORKERS AND PEASANTS

Uttar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha (AIALA) held its state conference in
Lakhimpur-Kheri on Sep 14 and concluded with a resolve to strengthen
agrarian labourers' struggle against anti-people alliance led by Sama=
jwadi
Party governing in UP and centre's WTO-dictated agrarian policies. Th=
e
Conference struck a serious note on increasing starvation deaths and
suicides by poor peasants and demanded red cards to all agri. workers=
,
guarantee of minimum wages and employment, waiver of all loans,
implementation of food for work scheme, and legal rights of rural fol=
k over
land, ponds and forests, etc.
The Conference, attended by nearly 300 participants including observe=
rs and
guests, was inaugurated by UP State Secretary of CPI(ML) Akhilendra P=
ratap
Singh while AIALA's Vice-President Swadesh Bhattacharya addressed it =
as the
main speaker.

The venue of the conference, Naseeruddin Mauzi Nagar and Rajnarayan M=
ishra
Hall, was coined after two prominent freedom fighters from the Lakhim=
pur
region who were hanged by the colonial rulers during freedom struggle=
.
The open session of the Conference took place in the form of a massiv=
e
'Mazdoor Kisan Ekta Rally', at Naseeruddin Mauzi ground, which was at=
tended
by thousands of agrarian workers and poor peasants from Lakhimpur and
adjoining Pilibhit and Sitapur districts. The huge participation in t=
he
rally really turned the town red for many hours and sent a clear mess=
age of
unity and strength of agrarian workers against the state's repressive
policies and feudal exploitation. It may also be noted that our comra=
des in
Lakhimpur has been braving the brunt of criminal-police-politician ne=
xus and
recently many of them were falsely booked under Gangster Act when the=
y were
leading agrarian labourers' movement for land distribution against th=
e
domineering land-mafia which is in an open nexus with the police and =
the
administration.

Comrade Akhilendra, while addressing the rally, said that at a time w=
hen
rural poor are facing starvation deaths and peasants, unable to pay t=
heir
debts, are forced to commit suicides, governments are not acceding to=
 even
the minimum demands of the affected people only to fulfill the wishes=
 of WTO
and Indian ruling classes. Instead, they are resorting to every kind =
of
repression to suppress the people's voices. In UP, severely affected =
by
drought, democracy has been held hostage to the dreaded Raja Bhaiya's=
 palace
while people's movements and political activists had to face Gangster=
 and
other black laws.

Krishna Adhikari strongly criticized Mulayam govt.'s protection being=
 given
to mafia which is capturing lands of the poor and the dalits and said=
 that
increase in crime against poor and dalits by the
criminal-mafia-administration nexus is the main hallmark of this govt=
.
which, ironically,  poses itself to be a socialist one. The rally was=
 also
addressed by Lakhimpur district Secretary of CPI(ML) Ramdaras, Khet M=
azdoor
Sabha State Secretary Sriram Chaudhary, AICCTU State Secretary Dinkar=
 Kapur,
RYA's Afroz Alam, CPI District Secretary Baleshwar Yadav, Rajendra Va=
nvasi,
Madan Singh and many others. Senior citizen and  journalist from Lakh=
impur
Upendra Gandhi delivered the welcome speech while proceedings of the =
rally
were conducted by AIALA National Councillor Kranti Kumar Singh.

The delegate session, held in Rajnarayan Mishra Hall, was addressed b=
y
Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya where he said that in the present crisis=
 of
capitalism the ruling classes are unable to provide any relief to the=
 masses
and hence every movement by struggling poor is being suppressed with =
the use
of armed forces and the black laws. Similar was the situation during =
sixties
when agrarian crisis led to widespread people's movements and which, =
later
in seventies, also led to the ouster of autocratic Indira regime. The=
 crisis
of present days has already led to ouster of BJP-led NDA govt. few mo=
nths
back, although the Congress-led UPA still continues to follow same ec=
onomic
policies and its fate will not be very different.

He also spoke on various new issues of the rural poor coming up owing=
 to the
impact of liberalisation policies in the rural India and a better sco=
pe for
the agri. workers movement at the present juncture and called upon th=
e
delegates to strengthen all round efforts for bigger mobilisations to=
 lead
the country-wide movement for democracy and equity. Only the organise=
d force
of agrarian workers can lead us to a new and democratic India, he sai=
d.
The proceedings were conducted by a five-member Presidium comprising
comrades Krishna Adhikari, Sriram Chaudhary, Narendra Pandey, Rajesh =
Sahni
and Sunila Rawat. In all, 23 delegates spoke in the conference after =
the
presentation of the report by Comrade Sriram Chaudhary. Most of the
suggestions put forth were incorporated and the report was passed
unanimously. The Conference elected a twenty-nine member state commit=
tee
which in turn elected a 17 member State Executive and eleven office b=
earers
with Krishna Adhikari as State President and Shriram Chaudhary as Sta=
te
General Secretary.

Eight resolutions were adopted by the Conference where deaths due to
starvation, malnutrition, and epidemics were strongly condemned and
protested, holding the state responsible, and called the recent incid=
ents of
selling children and selling blood by starving weavers in eastern UP =
a blot
on the face of the govt. Immediate implementation of hundred days emp=
loyment
guarantee scheme, food for work scheme and distribution of red cards =
to all
agri. labourers were demanded. It was also demanded to hold the head =
of the
govt. accountable and to lodge cases of murder against the respective
administrative officials in the event of any death due to starvation.
Declaration of whole of UP as drought affected and waiver of all loan=
s was
also demanded in one resolution, besides demanding for implementation=
 of
minimum wages Act and legalisation of traditional rights of rural fol=
k over
forests, land and ponds, etc. Rights over lands being tilled by agric=
ultural
labourers, an end to the police-feudal oppression, free health care a=
nd
other social securities to the agri. labourers, withdrawal of Gangste=
r Act
and other cases against CPI(ML) and AIALA leaders, immediate release =
of
jailed activists, and redistribution of lands illegally occupied by l=
and
mafia in Lakhimpur-Pilibhit region to agri. workers were demanded in =
other
resolutions.


PROTESTING STARVATION DEATH IN JHARKHAND

CPI(ML) organised protests in Jharkhand against starvation deaths,
epidemics, suicides by farmers and government's insensitivity on this=
 issue.
In Koderma and Bagodar region thousands of people participated in blo=
ck
level demonstrations and dharnas on Sep 14 and demanded for immediate=
 relief
measures, arrest of administrative officials where starvation deaths =
have
taken place, making of new BPL Lists and providing red cards (Antyoda=
ya
Scheme), cheap food and Indira Awas to all rural poor, to stop
black-marketing of PDS grains and kerosine oil, and to curb the corru=
ption
at block headquarters.

Dharnas were held at Markachho, Satgawan, Jainagar, Devri, Jamua, Bag=
odar
and Girni Block Headquarters during 10 to 16 Sept. where many thousan=
ds of
rural poor demonstrated an organised resistance against central and s=
tate
governments' inactions and condemned the official attempts of not acc=
epting
even the fact that people are facing starvation on a large scale in t=
he
state.
Protests were also held in Palamou and Hazaribagh regions. A dharna w=
as also
held in capital Ranchi and memorandum was submitted to the Governor. =
Various
protest programmes were taken up at Barvadih, Bundu, Palamou, Ramgarh=
, Gola,
Pataratu, Mandu, Churchu, Bokaro, Chas, Bermo, Gomia, Jaridih, and ma=
ny
other areas on Sep 15.


AGRICULTURAL WOREKERS CONFERENCE IN JHUNJHUNU, RAJASTHAN

The first Jhunjhunu district conference of All India Agricultural Lab=
our
Association(AIALA) was held on Sep 20. The conference was held in the=
 form
of open mass conference at the main center of the town which was atte=
nded by
hundreds of agricultural and rural labourers, including a large numbe=
r of
women from nearly 40 villages of the district. A section of brick kil=
n
workers who laboured in Punjab and then forced to come back to their =
native
villages due to large scale closures of brick kiln industry in Punjab=
 also
attended the conference.

The Conference demanded to declare Rajasthan as famine affected and r=
aise
the important issues of absence of labour office in the district and =
immense
corruption in various govt. schemes like PDS, Indira Awas and the BPL=
 list.
Incidently, Jhunjhunu comes under the Parliamentary constituency of U=
nion
Labour Minister Shisram Ola. The Conference also raised the long pend=
ing
demand to enact central and state level separate legislations for
agricultural workers besides passing a resolution for the release of =
TADA
prisoners in Bihar and to declare Bihar as famine affected.
The Conference, inaugurated by AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukher=
jee,
was addressed by Tarsem Jodha of Lal Jhanda Bhatta Mazdoor Union of P=
unjab,
Srilata Swaminathan, Mahendra Chaudhary and Harkesh Bugalia. The conf=
erence
elected a 21-member working committee with Phool Chand Dheba as Presi=
dent
and Mahesh Chawmal as Secretary.


DEATHS DUE TO HUNGER AND KILLINGS OF INNOCENTS WILL TAKE ITS TOLL IN =
BIHAR

Bihar's Laloo-Rabri regime enjoying fruits of power using every kind =
of
repression, in association with dreaded criminals and corrupt officia=
ls,
simultaneously proclaiming to be with pro-dalit and pro-backward lean=
ings,
is proving to be the biggest challenge for dalit and poor people's st=
ruggles
for the dignity and development in the state. Laloo Yadav is patronis=
ing
notorious Ranvir Sena and the PWG and has let loose his ministers, MP=
s, MLAs
and many of his party leaders to play with the politics of 'bhayadoha=
n'
(fear psychosis) with the dalit community. The latter was once the tr=
ademark
of Congress, now Laloo has appropriated it.

In several areas in Bihar, dalits are facing regular threats by RJD l=
eaders
whereever they rise up against RJD-backed corruption and crime. Whene=
ver
they complain to the police, police 'advise' them to leave Maley and =
join
RJD. And if the complaint is against RJD elements, police immediately=
 direct
them to keep their mouth shut. The people are witnessing this alarmin=
g trend
not only in
Jehanabad-Arwal-Aurangabad-Patna-Nalanda-Nawada-Gaya-Rohtas-Buxor-Bho=
jpur
region, but also in districts like Siwan, Gopalganj, Champaran, Darbh=
anga,
Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, and Vaishali. The poor, especially dalits, a=
re
being tortured, raped and killed.

In Raghopur, the constituency represented by the Chief Minister Rabri=
 Devi,
an 18 year old dalit girl was raped on 16 August by relatives of an R=
JD MLA
Udai Narain Rai. The rapists threatened her and members of her commun=
ity to
refrain from reporting the matter to the police, but the victim gathe=
red
enough courage and reported the matter. This infuriated the rapists a=
nd they
killed her on 26 August. Her family members are now receiving regular
threats. Even after a month of this barbaric incident rapists are roa=
ming
freely because of the political clout they wield.

Meanwhile, yet another gruesome incident occurred in Hajipur, the
constituency represented in Parliament by Lok Jan Shakti leader Ram V=
ilas
Paswan. A poor women, Dharani, sold her two-months old child. Her hus=
band
Lal Babu Paswan is a tuberculosis patient who is not able to access
government's free TB treatment. According to reports, after her two-y=
ear old
child Manish died of hunger, Dharani Devi decided to save her two-mon=
ths old
baby and the rest in the family. She sold the child for Rs. 6000. Lal=
 Babu
Paswan used to work as a daily wage labourer for the Hajipur municipa=
lity,
but his job was terminated seven years ago. Then he began to pull ric=
kshaw,
but the TB brought him down. This family neither has access to variou=
s govt.
schemes meant for those below poverty line nor got food through PDS s=
ystem.
CPI(ML) has expressed deep shock and resentment on these incidents an=
d said
that the people of Bihar will certainly not exempt Bihar govt. for th=
is
criminal negligence. The lives and dignity of poor are in danger, but=
 Laloo
and Co. playing with the flute. These deaths of dalits and their kill=
ings
will take their toll on the Laloo-Rabri regime.


CADRE CONVENTION IN UTTARAKHAND

A two-day state level Convention was held at Bhikiasain (Almora) on 1=
1-12
Sep. to discuss various organisational and political issues specific =
to the
Uttaranchal in the light of the documents of the Bhubneshwar Conventi=
on.
Nearly fifty leading cadres from all over the state actively particip=
ated in
it.
The Convention resolved to launch a statewide 'Uttarakhand Bachao -
Loktantra Bachao' campaign to highlight specific issues and anti-peop=
le
policies of the Congress govt. in the state. This campaign will culmi=
nate in
a big rally at the state capital, Dehradun, on November 5.
Convention also condemned the repression by state police of CPI(ML) c=
adres
in the name of Maoists and warned the govt. to stop such repressive
measures. It decided to launch an agitation against the same.
CC member Rajendra Pratholi addressed the Convention and criticized t=
he
Congress govt. in the centre for continuing the same economic policie=
s
followed by the NDA regime and said that Congress' jargoning of "New =
Deal"
and "Human Face" are nothing but only the new version of earstwhile r=
egime's
'Feel good' and 'India Shining'. While UPA govt. has no solution for =
the
agrarian crisis affecting millions and CPI and CPM are tailing behind=
 the
Congress, we as revolutionary communists must lead the millions of wo=
rkers,
peasants, and rural poor to subvert the capitalist designs.
The Convention was presided over by State In-charge Raja Bahuguna whi=
le
Purushottam Sharma delivered the welcome speech.


DHARNA IN NAINITAL

A day-long dharna was held in Nainital on Sep 18 to mark the launch o=
f
'Loktantra Bachao' statewide Campaign and to protest the police haras=
sment
of CPI(ML) cadres in the name of extremism. Hundreds of supporters fr=
om
Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar took part in dharna. Speakers strongly
condemned state govt. for hiding its failures and suppressing the gro=
wing
people's movement in the garb of capturing so called maoist extremist=
s.
Recently many Party activists were picked up and harassed by the poli=
ce in
the name of interrogation. A delegation led by State In-charge Raja B=
ahuguna
met the Governor of Uttaranchal before dharna.


 CPI(ML) IN ASSAM DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF   AFSPA in MANIPUR

CPI(ML) Assam State Committee organised protest dharnas on Sep 18 thr=
oughout
the state and sent memorandum to the Prime Minister through respectiv=
e
Deputy Commissioners demanding withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Po=
wer)
Act, 1958, arrest and highest punishment to the army personnel respon=
sible
for Manorama Devi's custodial rape and killing in Manipur, unconditio=
nal
release of people arrested under NSA, and measures to bring back norm=
alcy in
Manipur.
Dharnas were held at Guwahati, Nagaon, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, B=
argang,
Tezpur and Pathsala. Processions were also brought out at most of the
places. In Nagaon local leaders of some Manipuri organisations also
participated.
Assam unit of AIPWA has sent a memorandum to the President of India, =
in this
regard, signed by different Left and democratic women's organisations
including Manipuri Basti Mira Parbi Women Association of Guwahati.


DHARNA IN GWALIOR

A protest demonstration and dharna was held at Gwalior on Sep 17 agai=
nst
deteriorating power situation, bad roads and scarcity of potable wate=
r. It
was led  by Gwalior in-charge of the Party Vinod Rawat and Gurudatt S=
harma.


PROTEST MEETINGS IN EAST DELHI

Protest meetings were held at various places in East Delhi by the Del=
hi
Nagrik Sabha against proposed hike in house tax through new unit area=
 system
by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. It was demanded to regularise =
all
unauthorised colonies and to provide all essential civic aminities in=
 all
such areas instead of raising taxes.


WOMEN'S CONFERENCE IN WEST GODAWARI, ANDHRA

Following a colourful rally by hundreds of women at Jangareddy Gudem =
town on
16 September, AIPWA West Godawari District Conference was held at Man=
ju
Bhavan in which 250 delegates participated. AIPWA State convenor R. N=
agamani
inaguarated the conference, while co-convenor T. Aruna presented the =
report.
AIPWA leaders Ratnakumari, Sundaramma and Manga also addressed the
coference. The Conference, presided over by K. Parvathi, elected a 13=
 member
district committee.

LAND SEIZURE  IN EAST GODAWARI
In Chitrada village of Pithapuram Mandal in East Godavavari district =
44
acres of Charities land, which was under the occupation of two land-l=
ords
for the last 30 years, was captured on September 9 and distributed to=
 about
500 agricultural labourers.


DHARNA IN KARNATAKA

A dharna was held on Sep 13 by AIALA demanding for the distribution o=
f 20
acres of endowment land and 180 acres of government banjar  land of K=
. V.
Chinnayapalem village of Kotananduru Mandal at Collectorate of Kakina=
da in
East Godavari District. This was participated by nearly 250 agricultu=
ral
labourers. A memorandum was submitted to the Collector. This was led =
by
Viplav kumar, Manga, Chanti and others.


DHARNA FOR DRINKING WATER

People of Gavarapeta village of Tuni Mandal held a dharna before Kaki=
nada
Collectorate demanding water from Pampa Resevoir which they were usin=
g for
the last 20 years and has now been stopped because of political venge=
nce of
local TDP MLA Y. Ramakrishnudu. 200 small and middle peasants partici=
pated
in the dharna which was led by Viplakumar and Krishna.


AIALA'S YELESWARAM MANDAL CONFERENCE

On 13 Sep AIALA's First Mandal conference was held at Yeleswaram Mand=
al in
which 400 ag.labour participated. Comrades N. Murty, Bangar Rao, Arju=
n Rao,
Viplavumar and others addressed the conference. A 500 strong rally su=
rged
through the streets of the town on the day.


PROTEST AGAINST CUSTODIAL DEATH IN CHHATTISGARH

CPI(ML) Bhilai unit has strongly protested increasing human rights
violations and incidents of custodial deaths under the BJP govt in
Chhattisgarh. In a memorandum sent to the State Human Rights Commissi=
on the
Party has demanded inquiry into the death of a person after police be=
ating
and compensation to the family of the victim. Party's Raipur unit con=
ducted
an inquiry of an incident of custodial death of an adivasi at Suhaila=
 and
subsequent police repression on the people protesting the incident. P=
arty
has demanded arrest of police personnel under charges of murder and r=
elease
of tens of people arrested by the police.

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