>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >ML Update, CPI(ML) News Megazine >Vol: III; No.14; April 12, 2000 > >Editorial > >The Chargesheet and After : >Our Politics, Their Politics >With the advent of April, political temperature has also begun to rise in >Bihar. The CBI has once again chargesheeted Laloo Prasad Yadav, this time >around for accumulating wealth disproportionate to his known sources of >income. For the first time, Rabri Devi also figures as a co-accused for her >alleged role in abetting this crime. Since then Rabri Devi has been granted >bail while Laloo Prasad has been remanded to judicial custody for the third >time since his resignation two years ago. >From the Marxist viewpoint it must be understood that investigating >agencies like the CBI and the judiciary are all integral parts of the >ruling system. It must also be understood that for all their mutual >political opposition, the present central government and Bihar government >both belong to and are governed by this same system. Every system has its >own checks and balances and they all step in to prevent the internal >contradictions and crises of the system from escalating beyond a certain >danger level. >While a friendly Gujral government at the Centre could not save Laloo >Prasad from resigning and going to jail, a hostile Vajpayee government >cannot also afford to declare war on the Rabri Devi government. If by >chargesheeting Rabri Devi soon after her re-election as Chief Minister, the >CBI has kept up its pressure on the newly formed RJD-Congress coalition >government, by granting bail to Rabri Devi the special court has saved her >chief ministership for the time being. >If the present political crisis emanating from the chargesheet episode has >not assumed as explosive proportions as the previous eruption of the fodder >scam volcano, the reasons are not difficult to understand. Rabri Devi has >already been granted bail, she is not the main accused but only a >co-accused and the case itself even though related to the fodder scam >appears disproportionately minor compared to the scale and standard of >scams in Bihar. Moreover, the fact that not a single corrupt politician >has till date been brought to book, the obvious double standards adopted by >the CBI and the timing of the whole operation have also blunted the edge of >the issue. The whole thing is obviously being seen as a desperate attempt >by an electorally humbled and frustrated NDA to settle its scores with its >rival political camp and to usurp power by hook or crook. >While adding to the embarrassment and unease of the ruling coalition, the >present stage of the fodder scam development therefore does not seem to >have the decisive potential of snowballing into a popular democratic >upsurge against the Rabri Devi government. To say this is certainly not to >condone corruption or defend Rabri Devi. While exposing the hypocritical >standards of political morality in both NDA and RJD camps, we have >categorically called for her resignation on moral ground. But the point is, >while the two camps are trying to polarise Bihar politics on "Oust Rabri" >and "Save Rabri" lines, we must focus our attention on the ongoing >political sins and anti-people steps and policies of the new government. >The Ranvir Sena has resumed its killing spree in Bhojpur and the state >government is only busy in protecting it notwithstanding all the tall >claims of RJD and its allies like the Congress and BSP. The miseries of >agricultural labourers and other sections of the rural poor are daily >worsening. There is no sign of improvement in the sphere of education, >health or any other realm of public administration. In short, the agenda of >development and democracy, the agenda of "assertion of the poor and >advancement of Bihar", should continue to guide us in our daily mission of >mobilising the masses, unleashing their initiative and intensifying the >movement. > > >Only A Struggling Left Can Check Reactionary Mahajot(grand alliance) in W.B. > >Commenting on the recent developments in West Bengal, CPI(ML) asserted that >only an uncompromising and struggling Left can check the rise of a >reactionary mobilisation like "Mahajot" (grand alliance). While condemning >the ongoing attempt to forge a reactionary alliance of Trinamul Congress, >BJP and Congress, the Party however held CPI(M) responsible for the >development and said that failures of LF government had paved the way for >strengthening of Trinamul Congress in the state. Despite the promises made >in 1977, CPI(M) never investigated the killings of Naxalites during the >Congress rule and has shied away from punishing the criminals all these 24 >years. CPI(M) did not fight for agrarian labourers and never tried to solve >wage and land problems. Number of Sick and closed factories swelled and so >did unemployment. This has helped BJP and Trinamul, Party said. > >Party Condemns Arrest > >CPI(ML) Bihar State Committee has condemned arrest of 4 local leaders, Com. >Sidhnath Ram, Devendra Singh, Rajendra Rai and Laxman Ram, on 9 April at >Sonbarsa village of Charpokhri PS in Bhojpur following a pledge-taking >meeting held there on 9 April, attended by Com. Ram Naresh Ram, KD Yadav, >Rameshwar Prasad, Santosh Sahar and Arun Singh, MLA from Karakat. The >arrests and the raids on the nearby villages have been conducted by the SP >with an intent to scare away people from narrating the true incident of >Sonbarsa to the CID team that is supposed to visit the village on 10 April. >This further proves Bhojpur SP's connivance with Ranvir Sena. Party has >demanded immediate removal of the SP from Bhojpur to make the atmosphere >conducive to conduct impartial enquiry. > >Resistance Struggle in Bihar >Armed cowards goons of Ranvir Sena killed a CPI(ML) supporter Santosh Ram >in presence of police at Bela Tarari of Naubatpur block in Patna district >on 11 March. Agitated over the killing, people brought out a number of >torchlight processions against Ranvir Sena-police nexus in the whole block, >organised a maha-dharna at Naubatpur block office and held a mass meeting >at Bela Tarari in which more than a thousand people participated. >Struggle against the Pandav gang of upper caste feudals is going on in >Masaurhi and Jahanabad for past two years. Recently a criminal belonging to >this gang was killed by the people. Following this the Masaurhi police >raided Chapaur village and arrested 11 Party sympathisers during which they >misbehaved with womenfolk. >Hundreds of people led by Party chased the feudal lord Munna Singh of >Gopalpur in Naubatpur PS of Patna district on 7 April, when they came to >know that the culprit had beaten a poor dalit woman who had gone to collect >mahua. Munna Singh fled and the people forced the police to register FIR >against him. But the police instead of nabbing the culprit is trying to >save him. >Party's Patna committee enquired into the incident of capture of a dalit >widow's house at Rajendra Nagar in Patna by a BJP MLA and demanded his arrest. >In Maner block of Patna district, fire broke out in mid-March at Suar Marwa >village and Garib tola of Amanabad village, as a consequence of which the >whole tolas got reduced to ashes. Party arranged distribution of 10 kg. >rice, wheat, utensils and clothes to each affected family. >Also a whole dalit tola in Maksoodpur village of Fatuha block got burnt >down on 5 April. Party demanded from the administration to distribute >ration, kerosine, clothes, tents and pucca houses to dalits under Indira >Awas Yojana. > >Rally to Press Relief Work >Party's District unit in Dungarpur of Rajasthan brought out a massive rally >on 13 March at the district headquarters demanding famine relief to the >affected villagers. A memorandum addressed to the chief minister was handed >over to the collector. Passing through the main thoroughfares of the city, >the rally reached the collector's office and culminated into a mass >meeting. It was addressed by Comrades Ram Prasad Dindor, Party's state unit >member, SN Singh, Chunnilal Damor, Narendra Mina, Amara Bai, Suresh Damor, >Sangram Singh, AISA leaders Arvind Katara and Chandrashekhar Mina. >Party Class in Dungarpur >A Party school was held at Bor-ka-pani village of Dungarpur on 25 March. >The topics included Party history, problems of party building and our >independent revolutionary left tactics. This area has been an old base of >revolutionary peasant movement. > >Seminar in Bhilai >Party branch of Khursipar area in Bhilai of M.P. organised a seminar on >People's culture against imperialism on 24 March. The programme started >with recital of poems by Vasuki Prasad. Then Korus and other teams >presented revolutionary songs in Hindi, Bhojpuri and Chattisgarhi. Korus >also presented a drama Guerrilla directed by Rajkumar Soni in street >theatre form. The topic was introduced by Prof. Siyaram Sharma and >Jagnarain Chaudhry, Vijay Vartman, and chief guest Indu Shankar Manu spoke >on it. The seminar was presided over by Com. Shambhu Singh, Party secretary >of Raipur District and conducted by Com. Brajendra Tiwary. >Protest Against Price Rise >Hundreds of people marched under the banner of CPI(ML) to protest against >steep rise in prices of kerosine, LPG and other necessary commodities on 28 >March at Sharfuddin-Maidapur of Bochaha block in Muzaffarpur district of >Bihar. The protestors burnt the effigy of prime minister and held a mass >meeting. The same day AIPWA brought out a march against price rise at >Malighat-Kanhauli of the same district and burnt the effigy of prime >minister at Masjid Chowk. > >Protest by Human Rights Defenders > >On 26 March around 10 p.m. the police led by O.C. of Siliguri Police >Station Pinaki Majumdar brutally assaulted Asim Chakrabarty and Vivek >Sarkar, secretary and executive member of APDR Siliguri branch, within the >Police station. They had gone there on hearing a complaint of harassment of >innocent persons by police. Both human rights activists were not only >severely beaten and admitted to the hospital with serious injuries, they >were even booked on a false case of attacking the police station ! >Taking it as an open challenge to human rights by a police force whose >illegal and repressive actions are being opposed by the human rights >movement, the APDR launched agitations in Siliguri and other places >demanding withdrawal of the false case against the human rights activists, >suspension and criminal prosecution of Siliguri O.C. Pinaki Majumdar, >adequate compensation to the victims and official steps to prevent >recurrence of such incidents. > >AIPWA Against Price Rise >AIPWA National Executive has decided to observe nationwide protest day >against price rise on 17 April. > >AICCTU Campaign in Karnataka > >Bangalore unit of AICCTU carried out a three week long campaign, from 1-20 >March, on �Workers� awareness of rights�. Some major demands include >minimum wage of Rs. 3500, abolition of contract labour system, an ESI >hospital in the Peenya industrial estate and stern action against the >perpetrators of sexual harassment of working women. Most of the walls in >the Peenya industrial estate have been painted with the above as well as >other demands. Three posters highlighting nine demands raised by AICCTU >have also been widely pasted. Leaflets on the workers� rights were >distributed at the factory gates. >At the beginning of the campaign a meeting was organised on 5th March, >attended by Com. S Kumarasamy. As a culmination of this campaign, a >workers� rally and public meeting were organised in the industrial estate >on 20 March. Apart from the demands of the workers, the slogan asking Bill >Clinton to go back reverberated the streets of working class dominated Peenya. > > RYA Campaign > >In Harapanahalli taluk of Davangere district, Karnataka, RYA carried out a >month long campaign focusing on the corrupt PDS system which evoked >widespread response from the general public. Local Congress MLA met our >comrades promising to resolve the issues. In another week�s time the >campaign will culminate into a public programme. >In Mysore district, RYA undertook a campaign focussing on many local >issues. All the areas which supported the party during 1998 parliamentary >elections were covered in the campaign. A dharna was organised in front of >the Dy. Commissioner�s office on 27 March. The Dy. Commissioner had to step >out of his office to receive the memorandum from the protestors at the >Dharna spot. One of the major demands was asking the administration to >concentrate on improving the conditions of dalit localities and other >backward localities instead of spending all the time and energy in >Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor and development projects in the >posh areas of Mysore with the loan from Asian Development Bank. > >Clinton-Go Back Campaign > >In Mysore a joint convention and rally were organised along with >CPI(ML)-Red Flag and a few dalit organisations on 21 March, asking Clinton >to go-back. The programmes received wider attention of people. > >AIPWA Observes 8 March > >Bangalore unit of AIPWA carried out a campaign among working women on their >rights for a week from March 8. Leaflets were distributed at the factory >gates where large number of women work. > >UP State Party Meeting > >U.P. State Party Committee in its meeting on 3-6 April decided to undertake >a 'Study Campaign' to understand the composition of concentrated areas of >work so as to carry forward "Strengthen the Party" campaign. It resolved to >make eastern UP the hub of "Dam bandho kam do" movement and devote full >energy to convert 11 May general strike into a successful bandh in UP. It >was decided to hold state-level workshop of Khet Mazdoor Sabha in June and >hold Party district conferences in Lakhimpur Khiri, Pilibhit and Gonda by >30 May. > >Beware of FBI > >Justice Rajinder Sachar, former president of PUCL, says: "the opening of a >formal office of Federal Bureau of Investigation (USA) in its Embassy >(Delhi) is an alarming fall out of the so-called friendly Clinton's visit. >It is amazing that Government of India should choose to justify this by >talking of joint efforts to counter terrorism. Permitting foreign >investigating agency on one's soil is the greatest insult to national >honour. ... If Indian Government would even to make a suggestion that RAW >or IB may be permitted to open their formal office in our Washington >Embassy, they would get immediate rebuff. No amount of so-called sugary >words of US President should immune us to this danger. I fear that this >permission will make even the functioning of CIA much easier. The danger to >the developing countries of the functioning of the intelligence agencies of >USA and the disastrous consequences are too well known to need elaboration- >or has our Government decided to wear blinkers because of Clinton mania.... >That a request rejected 8 years back should be quietly revived ill befits >the open functioning of a democratic government. > >Workers March in Calcutta > >Under the leadership of AICCTU, some 1500 workers marched to State Assembly >in Calcutta on April 6. At Rani Rasmoni Road, police stopped the marchers >from advancing further. Defying prohibitory orders the workers courted >arrest. The march was led by Com. Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary, Com. >Sudarshan Bose, WB State Secretary and other state leaders of AICCTU. >Swapan Mukherjee in his speech blamed LF Govt. for its betrayal to the >workers. Marchers demanded convening a special session of State Assembly to >discuss on closed and sick industries, implementing minimum wages and equal >wage for equal job for women workers, rectifying the labour laws under >jurisdiction of WB State Government. > >AICCTU Rally in Chennai > >Leather and Leather Goods Democratic Labour Union (LLGDLU) organised a >workers' rally in Chennai on April 4. The main demands raised in the rally >are: revision of minimum wages that were fixed eleven year ago, immediate >withdrawal of all litigations against minimum wage implementation dragging >in the courts for the past ten years, increase in the allowance for the >workers of closed factories from Rs 250 to 1000 and action against corrupt >labour officers. Thousands of workers from Vellore district and adjoining >areas poured into the city. On the way from Vaniyambadi 1000 workers were >arrested by the Railway police on the instigation from Vellore SP. When the >railway police started behaving in bad manner and roughed up Com. A >Venkatesan, President of LLGDLU, angry workers blocked railway tracks. The >struggle went on for one hour. Then the authorities decided to let the >workers go. Meanwhile, Chennai city police had banned the rally on a flimsy >pretext. But AICCTU leadership decided to go as per plan. >As more than 2000 workers had gathered, the police decided to keep silence. >The rally was initiated by Com. S Kumarasamy and led by Com. A Venkatesan. >Com. Iraniayappan and Com. S Ramamoorthy also addressed the workers. The >rally has proved a morale booster for leather workers. > > >Korean Auto Unions' Nationwide Strike > >Unions of four South Korean automaking companies went on strike on 6 April >protesting the government�s intention to sell Daewoo Motor to a foreign >company. About 73,000 union workers from Hyundai Motor, Daewoo Motor, Kia >Motors and Ssangyong Motor walked out declaring a one week strike at their >respective plants. >Hyundai Motor�s 35,000 unionized workers in the Ulsan, Asan and Chonju >plants, who had held a partial strike April 3 and 4 in support of Daewoo >Motor workers, went on a full-scale strike on 6 April, while Ssangyong >Motor workers in the Pyongtaek plant also walked out. Kia Motors workers >stayed away from assembly lines for four hours on 6 April and launched a >day-long strike on 7 April. Some 10,000 workers of Daewoo Motor have been >on strike since March 31. The joint strike, organized by the Korea Metal >Workers Federation, is scheduled to last until April 12, but may be >extended further, depending on circumstances. >The aspiring foreign buyers of Daewoo - General Motors, Ford Motor, >Daimler-Chrysler and Fiat - are already showing signs of uneasiness over >the militancy of local labor unions and their fierce resistance to a >foreign takeover. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said that >the strikes will cost the four automakers about $44 million in lost exports >per day and over $200 million for the week-long walkout. >Recent opinion polls show the overwhelming majority of Koreans support the >sale of Daewoo to a Korean-foreign consortium, whereas top government >policy planners have indicated that they favor foreigners in the auction. >For their part, Daewoo Motor workers fear that a foreign takeover will >result in mass layoffs and sharp pay cuts. > >US Fails in Political Battle Over Elian > >Elian, a six year old boy has been the centre of legal and political and >psychological storm since he lost his mother in a shipwreck last November >and got kidnapped by American-Cuban terrorists operating from Florida. To >use him as a political tool, US refused to hand him over to his father on >the pretext of appeasing American Cubans, who are inimical to Socialist >Cuba. Cubans made the "battle for Elan" a national campaign in the last >four months with daily marches and rallies. In an environment of increasing >international solidarity and support of the overwhelming majority of >American people, the immigration and Neutralisation service (INS) ruled >that the young boy should be reunited with his father in Cuba. Federal >Court in its subsequent order upheld the INS decision. Still US Govt. is >delaying the hand over of Elian, first saying that Elian father is being >held hostage by the Cuban authorities and is not free to speak his mind. >To break the logjam Castro announced on March 29 that Elian father was >willing to go to US immediately and remain there until the appeal court >ruled, provided that the child is placed in his father's custody. Appeals >can proceed to a conclusion without removing the child from US >jurisdiction. Now, according to Castro, "the battle of Elian has been won >in judicial terms, in legal terms, in political terms." Elian's father, who >has arrived with Elian's brother from Cuba, said : "To all the people who >are suffering, like I am, don't worry, we will soon have the boy with us in >Cuba." > > >Parallel Student-Youth Parliament >by AISA-RYA >in Delhi on 28 April >against >Rising unemployment, >Price Rise >Saffronisation of education >Cultural terrorism >To be addressed by >Dipankar Bhattacharya >General Secretary, CPI(ML) >and other leading lites in different fields > > > __________________________________ 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] ___________________________________
