>From: "Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)" ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Ml Update, Vol.-3; No.-12; 22-03-2000 >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Status: > >Denounce Imperialist Clinton and His Saffron Collaborators! > >His days in the White House may be truly numbered. His own Senate may have >refused to ratify his charter of nuclear hegemony known as the CTBT. His >unabashed exhibition of superpower arrogance vis-a-vis countries like Iraq, >Cuba and several other small and weak countries in Asia, Africa and Latin >America may have earned him the title of the world's most hated policeman >or number one terrorist. His venom against every non-Western civilisation >and culture, especially Chinese, Asian or Islamic, may be soaked in the >stinking solution of Western cultural imperialism. His policies of >treacherous trade and plunderous globalisation may be creating havoc in >large parts of planet Earth, evoking angry and loud protests even in his >familiar Western turf from Seattle to Davos. But when he decided to make a >five-day trip to India, his saffron hosts in Indraprasth started leaping in >comprador ecstasy! > >For the last few weeks, ordinary citizens of Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Agra >and Hyderabad - centres included in the Clinton itinerary - and virtually >the entire country have been hijacked by a Clinonised Indian >administration. Beggars have been brutally evicted, jhuggis have been >demolished in thousands and even entire roads and beaches and skies have >been reserved for the Clinton entourage. Managers of the print and visual >media have also been busy marketing this incredible craze for everything >with even the remotest of connections with the Clintons. It is however not >surprising that in their desperate bid to showcase India, the rulers have >chosen the greatest care to insulate the guests from any close encounter >with Indian democracy!Almost everywhere, public protests have virtually >been banned by an overzealous administration and then neatly blacked out by >its partners in the press. > >What will be the upshot of the Clinton visit for his saffron hosts? Their >best attempts to get Washington to declare Pakistan a terrorist state >continued to end in utter failure. By including Pakistan in his South Asia >itinerary, if only for a four-hour stopover, Clinton has put paid to the >saffron plans for outmanoeuvring Pakistan with US assistance. The BJP's >surrender on CTBT is now almost an open secret, care is only being taken to >delink it from the Clinton visit. A suggestive Vajpayee made it abundantly >clear only the other day when he said his government would not sign CTBT >under pressure, laying special emphasis on the clause "under pressure". >Don't we know that for allowing your arms to be freely twisted, the bully >often rewards you with a patronising pat on your back? > >Beyond CTBT and cross-border terrorism, the NDA government is actually >hoping to emerge as the largest American client in Asia and also get a few >dollars more of American investment in the process. What a grand vision of >strategic partnership? The Sangh managers also hope to use the Clinton >example for their own domestic agenda of constitutional review and >introduction of a US-style presidential system and, more crucially, a >"nationalist" political culture patterned on the American tradition of >McCarthyism - rabid anti-communism and systematic witch-hunt of Leftists >and progressive elements in every sphere of the state and civil society! >Above all, the Sangh sees the Clinton visit as the single biggest >legitimation of India's saffron regime. All Indian compradors are bound to >feel proud of the greatest international honour and recognition that they >believe has now been bestowed on this independent nation of fifty years and >the BJP will try and market it as an exclusively saffron success story! The >saffronites may be the poorest defenders of swadeshi, but haven't they just >proved to be the strongest seducers for the US! > >Real patriots could have of course only felt offended by the reprehensible >hype over the Clinton visit. If the visit itself has been detrimental to >our national interests, the nauseating display of the Great Indian >Colonial mindset has only added enormous insult to that injury. The >anti-imperialist protests sponsored by the CPI(ML) and other Left >organisations and patriotic citizens have only sought to save the nation's >dignity and patriotic legacy from the imperialist marauders and their >saffron collaborators. > >Party MLAs Abstain During Rabri's Confidence Motion in Bihar > >The six Members of Legislative Assembly in Bihar abstained from voting in >the house on 16 March when the Confidence motion was brought by Rabri >government in the Assembly. During the debate our MLAs opposed the motion >and declared that they would consistently play the role of Left opposition >within the Assembly. Sensing their defeat, the NDA MLAs had walked out of >the House. However, 4 MLAs of CPI chose to vote against the motion that was >carried by 166-4. > >Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya said that CPI(ML) and >CPI, while opposing the RJD-Congress government in Bihar, will work for >strengthening "Left Opposition". He said that from the way this government >has come into existence following a compromise between RJD and Congress, >one can easily discern the pressure of feudal forces as well as signals >from the World Bank. He said that Laloo Yadav has erected the edifice of >RJD-Congress coalition government on the corpse of social justice, only >after betraying the heritage of 1974 movement. > >In a press conference held earlier at the Parliamentary Office of the >CPI(ML), 20 Windsor Place in New Delhi on 15 March, Comrade Dipankar >Bhattacharya said, "the ongoing appeasement of Congress by RJD and >nomination of notorious mafia dons like King Mahendra for Rajya Sabha mark >the increasing formalisation of Laloo Prasad's heinous compromise with the >forces of feudal reaction in Bihar. He said that while playing a role of >consistent oppoistion within Bihar Assembly, CPI(ML) will intensify all >round democratic struggles around the assertion of the poor and advancement >of Bihar. He also declared that there was no CPI(ML) nominee in the ongoing >Rajya Sabha election and our MLAs would not cast their vote in favour of >any candidate. > >He also said that following the retreat of BJP in Bihar and on the RSS >issue in Gurarat, Party calls upon all the democratic forces to mount >pressure on the government for rolling back budget hikes in fertilizer and >PDS prices. > > > >8th March Observed with Working Women Rally at Guwahati > >Sadau Asom Pragatishil Nari Santha (SAPNS) the Assam Unit of AIPWA >observed International Women's Day by holding a women's rally at Guwahati. >A procession of more than 1,200 women, most of them tea gardens workers, >was brought out, which after covering the main route of Guwahati city ended >in a mass meeting held at Dighali Pukhri Par. The meeting was addressed by >Com. Kanaklata Dutta, Secretary of SAPNS, Com. Brij Pradhan, Secretary of >Asom Sangrami Chah Sramik Sangh, Sonamoni Garh, Mira Tanti and Mamoni >Ghatowar, all tea garden women activists, Rongdoi Terangpi of KNCA and >Pankaj Das of CPI(ML). > >While condemning the State Govt. for holding Budget session on 8 March, the >meeting demanded that the Govt. must decalre 8 March as holiday. The >meeting also addressed to the most burning issues of tea garden women >workers including wages, maternity leave, 33% reservation, legislation for >agrarian workers and life term imprisonment to the rapist. > >Dharna at Dispur > >A dharna was organised jointly by Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong and Karbi >Anglong Committee of AIPWA in Dispur on 8 March to protest against starting >the Budget session of State legislature on International Women's Day. >Leaders of the State Committee of Sadau Asom Pragatishil Nari Santha and >KNCA leaders including Junu Bora, vice president of SAPNS addressed the >demonstrators. > >Seminar at Diphu on Women's Rights > >A seminar on women's rights organised by Karbi Anglong Committee of AISA >was held at Diphu Club on 10 March. Comrade Naren Borah was the main >speaker who dwelt on the subject matter and later several speakers also >spoke, including Com Jotsna Katharpi of AIPWA, Pratima Inghipi, Gen. Secy >of KNCA, Dibyojyoti Sarma, president of state AISA unit and Raju Ghosh of >AICCTU. > > >Clinton's Effigy Burnt at ITO > >CPI(ML) supporters and activists burnt the effigy of Bill Clinton on 19 >March at various places throughout the country. In New Delhi, the effigy >was burnt at ITO crossing despite the massive deployment of police force >there. The procession to oppose Clinton's India visit was led by Com. >Ranjit Abhigyan, member of Central Secretariat, Kavita Krishnan and Sunil >Yadav, president and general secretary of AISA, Jeeta Kaur of AIPWA, Himmat >Singh of AICCTU, Ravindra Sharma, and other AISA leaders. Processionists >were shouting, "Hobnobbing of BJP and Clinton is the instrument of national >sell out", "imperialist pirate, go back". > >In Lucknow, party suppporters and activists burnt the effigy of Bill >Clinton in front of Vidhan Sabha on 19 March. > > >Jobless Growth > >In the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, 16 March, Prime Minister Vajpayee agreed >that joblessness had reached "really alarming" levels. In his usual >fashion, Mr. Vajpayee blamed the rising population level and said that his >government had a plan to create "one crore new jobs every year". > >"How are they going to create these jobs? Can Vajpayee force the private >sector to employ people? In the past too, governments have pretended to do >something but nothing has happened", said Prof. BB Bhattacharya of >Institute of Economic Growth. He observed that the employment situation is >getting "explosive". "Jobless growth" has reached India in the right earnest. > >Jayati Ghosh of JNU is equally dismissive of Vajpayee's claim. Unless >public expenditure on the soical sector and infrastructure in rural areas >increases and policies hunting small scale industries are revised, she >argues, employment will not increase. > >According to the Planning Commission, the growth rate of employment in the >organised sector has declined from 1.44% in 1991 to 0.46% in 1998. ILO >economist Ajit K Ghosh ridiculed the official version of the national >unemployment rate as 2-3% and argues that the effective rate of >unemployment was around 12%. "One striking fact", he notes, "is that the >incidence of poverty is far higher than the rate of unemployment, however >measured" (In fact many of those counted as employed are engaged in very >low productivity and low-income activities). > >According to Jayati Ghosh, "the situation has got even worse. >Non-agricultural employment in rural areas, which had earlier begun to >increase, has now registered an absolute decline. In urban areas, she says, >"the elasticity of emplyoment is close to zero, i.e., 'higher output' is >not leading to more jobs." > >And finally, there has been a big increase in casual labour and a fall in >the labour force participation rate. > >Is this not a growth of unemployment, poverty and national sell-out ! > >(Based on a TOI report, 18-3-2000) > > >Yankee Worshippers of the World, Unite! > >The left parties' decision to stage demonstration against the US President >Bill Clinton's India visit and boycott of his address to the joint session >of Parliament has earned scathing remarks from both Congress and BJP. While >the Congress has called it "regrettable, reprehensive and irresponsible", >the BJP vice president JP Mathur has termed it as "improper". > >Thanks to Mr. Clinton, the unity of US worshippers has got unmasked once >again. It is the Congress which had fallen in line with America's 'New >World Order' in the 90s and introduced globalisation and liberalisation. It >is this rightward shift of Indian economy which prepared the soil for the >rise of BJP. And now, the Swadeshi-type Yankee worshippers have beaten the >Congress in their own game. > >Indian working class and democratic intelligentsia have a long-standing >tradition of fighting imperialism, particularly US imperialism, the number >one enemy of the world people today. CPI(ML) has a glorious history of >leading people in their anti-US, anti-imperialist movement and in the past, >neither bullets nor bayonets of Congress regimes could stop them. Along >with other Left parties as well as democratic organisations, Party will >continue to lead this movement with a renewed vigour braving saffron >fascist attacks. > > >Struggle Against Attack on Dalits in Tamil Nadu > >In Eriyodu of Dindigul district in Tamil nadu, Party branch organised a >fast on 15 February against attack on Dalits in the area, in which about >2500 people participated from 30 villages. In this area Nadars, an >economically powerful middle caste business community, are trying to >instigate attacks on Pallars (Dalit) with the help of an aggressive middle >caste fascist organisation, Mukkualthore, powerful in Southern districts. >Its head, Rajendran, a local rowdy, has declared to attack Pallas of >Meenakshipuram village of Eriyodu, which has been our traditional >stronghold. Rajendran with his gang attacked the fasting comrades. His >attempt to disrupt the protest was thwarted by the people. Then Rajendran >went to attack Pallars in Meenakshipuram. Our people fought back there too >and repulsed the attack. > >Subsequently Rajendran was arrested because of people's pressure. A >four-member team of our party met the Collector and demanded that normalcy >be restored by punishing the culprits. The threat still persists and we >have made proper security arrangements to defend dalit people in >Meenakshipuram. > >AIPWA Convention on Capital Punishment to Rapists > >AIPWA organised a Convention on Capital Punishment for Rapist on March 11 >in Chennai, in which representatives of NFIW, Women Struggle Committee and >rural women movement participated. > >Com. Shanthakumari of NFIW emphasised that there should be no capital >punishment for Rapist as it may lead to under reporting of rape cases as >well as killing of rape victims. Com. Palayam of Women Struggle Committee >demanded that special courts should be constituted to try rape cases. >Janani, a student of Stella Mary's College, who got the first prize in the >essay competition conducted by Sooryodaya (A discussion forum organised by >AIPWA), said though that the rapist should not be punished with capital >punishment, he must be awarded an exemplery punishment that would make him >realize the pain a victim suffers everyday. > >Com. Bhuvana, AIPWA State Organizer, stressed that nowadays rape is >utilised as a political tool by the state machinery to suppress women's >participation in the struggle for their emancipation and in general >democratic struggles. It is used to force women back to the four walls of >the house and remind them of "their place". > >Addressing the gathering Com. Kumarasamy, CC member, dealt on the ongoing >debates on this topic the world over. Com. Usha, Chennai District >Secretary presided over the convention. > >In Komarapalayam, a hall meeting was held on 'Women in Politics' in which >powerloom women workers participated. Com. Rajeswari, District President >of AIPWA presided over the meet. Com. Bhuvana, Com. Thenmozhi and Com. >Govindaraj addressed the gathering. Women belonging to Dravidar Kazhagam >also attended the meeting. In Thiruvallur district, a demonstration was >held demanding passage of Women's reservation bill, prevention of violence >on women, state oppression on fighting women, ban on illicit liquor and >against price rise. > > >Anti-imperialist Day to be Observed in Rajasthan > >On 23 March, Bhagat Singh's Martyrdom Day, Rajasthan unit of CPI(ML) will >observe Anti-Imperialist Day at Jaipur jointly with CPI, CPI(M), MCPI and >various other democratic mass organisations. The day long programme will be >held at Shahid Smarak where cultural programmes, including several street >plays, will be performed. > >Petro Price Hike > >Petroleum Minister Ram Naik on Fridy said a decision on the hike in prices >of kerosine and LPG will be taken in a week. Naik said a decision would >have been taken during the Parliament session itself but had to be deferred >as both houses were being repreatedly adjourned and Prime Minister Vajpayee >was also out of station for some time. > >Cultural Meet Against Fascist Attack on Culture > >A large number of intellectuals and social activists gathered in >Chandigarh on 4 February to protest against Sangh fascist attack on the set >of Film Water in Varanasi. Demonstrators were carrying placards with >anti-fascist slogans. They formed a human chain for two hours to express >their solidarity with struggling cultural workers. The public meeting was >addressed by renowned cultural personalities Gurusharan Singh, Dr. Sahib >Singh, Dr. MS Randhawa, Gen. Secy. of Janwadi Chetana Manch, Ms Poonam >Sumit, editor of Preet lari, Dr. Harjinder Singh Lekhi, secretary of Punjab >University Teachers Association, Sardara Singh Cheema, convenor of Sahit >Chintan and Prof. HS Mehta. The rally called upon the conscious citizens to >rise in defence of democracy, secularism and right to freedom of expression >and isolate the forces of communalism, fundamentalism, fascism and right >reaction and demanded the government to take stern action against these >reactionary elements and provide protection to the arists and filmmakers. > > >March in Solidarity with Sweatshop Workers > >Labor rights advocates demonstrated on March 4 in New York to celebrate the >week of International Women's Day and build support for women workers' >struggles to organize against sweatshop conditions. > >The protesters rallied at The Gap, Old Navy, and the New York University >bookstore, which sell products made in sweatshops. The march ended with a >rally at Greene and Washington Place, the site of the 1911 Triangle >Shirtwaist Fire in which nearly 150 women garment workers lost their lives. > >The Gap has refused to accept responsibility for ensuring that workers are >paid the necessary living wage. In Saipan, a U.S. territory replete with >sweatshops, Gap does the most business of any company on the island over >$200 million a year, contracting in six factories. These companies import >without tariff or quota restrictions and label their clothes "Made in the >USA," but do not adhere to U.S. labor laws. > >Gap factory workers are subjected to forced pregnancy tests, forced >overtime, exceedingly high production goals, locked bathrooms, and wages of >$4 a day, which only meet one-third of their basic needs. If workers try to >organize a union or even become more informed of their rights, they are fired. > >At the final stop on the march route, participants saluted NYU's March 2 >announcement that it would join the Worker's Rights Consortium, a >non-profit organization that supports and verifies licensee compliance with >production codes of conduct. These codes have been developed by colleges >and universities across the country to ensure that goods are produced under >conditions that respect the basic rights of workers. > >In 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company killed 146 garment >workers in New York City. It became a catalyst that helped to end the >commonplace abuse of workers in the United States. Days after the fire, >over 80,000 people took part in the funeral procession up Fifth Avenue. >Eventually, the groundswell of support led to safer workplaces. > >L'affaire Gurudas > >"The decision not to renominate Gurudas Dasgupta to the Rajya Sabha despite >his proven competence as an effective parliamentarian in the Upper House >would deprive Parliament of the services of a highly articulate champion of >the toiling masses.... > >It is for the two communist parties to resolve the problems which this >development has caused in the relations between CPI and CPI(M). But that >the Left as a whole has suffered as a result of the West Bengal Left >Front's failure to renominate Mr. Dasgupta is beyond dispute. > >However, an ominous dimension to this episode has been added by the press >reports indicating the hyperactive role a prominent business house played >in preventing Mr. Dasgupta's reentry into the Rajya Sabha on account of his >tireless exposure of its wrongdoing. These reports, if found to be true, >are a matter of serious concern as they testify to the growing links >between business and politics even within the Left. Hence these reports >demand a comprehensive investigation. >n >n Sumit Chakravarty, Anil Nauria, Ravi M. Bakaya, Suhas Borker > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
