> >ML Update >A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol.-3; No.-21; 31-5-2000 > >Editorial > >Nitish Kumar�s Return to Delhi and Beyond �� > >According to media predictions, the latest cabinet reshuffle of the >Vajpayee government was to have been a major shake-up. Now that Vajpayee >has added only three ministers to his already oversized cabinet, it is >being sought to be dismissed by the same media as a tame affair. But the >message of at least one change has not been lost at least on the people >of Bihar: the return of Nitish Kumar to the Union Cabinet. >On the eve of the February Assembly polls, Mr. Kumar was dispatched to >Bihar to run the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) circus in Bihar. The >leadership issue however remained a permanent bone of contention among >NDA�s quarrelsome partners. In spite of ending up with at least fifty >seats less than what all the pollsters had predicted, the NDA managed to >carry its circus to the seat of power in Patna, if only for a very >limited spell of just one week. To be sure, Nitish Kumar was the >much-lampooned badshah of this one-week circus before he resigned in a >huff without risking a confidence vote on the floor of the Assembly. >The ill-fated badshah (King ) of a week however tried to maintain a >brave appearance even after the NDA circus was edged out by the rival >RJD-Congress combine. He said his tent would remain pitched in Bihar >till the hapless state could secure deliverance from the clutches of the >Laloo-Rabri raj. Brave indeed! But the NDA scheme of �popular upheaval� >once again began with the CBI and kept circling around the Income Tax >department (Patna indeed has a busy Income Tax roundabout!) and did >never take off. Meanwhile, cracks in the NDA circus began to show up >from all corners. Some of Kumar�s own lieutenants were out to expose >him: they accused him of colluding with the forward-feudal forces before >making good their escape to the buttered side of the bread! >With revolt brewing in his own empire, the badshah had become a lonely >man and desperately needed some new company. But there is of course more >to Kumar�s return to the Union Cabinet than his own search for his lost >bearings. Kumar was the official mascot of NDA in Bihar and his >rehabilitation in Delhi therefore cannot but also be seen as an >indicator of irrelevance of the NDA�s role as the political opposition >in Bihar. >So, Laloo Prasad is out of jail, Rabri is now on the verge of becoming >an �elected� MLA besides being the historically ordained Chief Minister >of the state, and Nitish Kumar is back to his old job of surveying >Indian agriculture from the vantage point of his ministerial office in >New Delhi! Where does then Bihar find itself? Media pundits would jump >to the conclusion that Bihar is back to square one. Cynics would say >that the more Bihar changes the more it remains the same. But the truth, >as almost always, lies elsewhere. >The government of the day is obviously ridden with more internal >contradictions and crises than before and its public credibility is only >declining. So much so that the government virtually does not exist in >the perception of the common citizens in Bihar! The official opposition >also suffers from an equally severe crisis of credibility. The >opposition which had started believing itself to be the future >government in the wake of the Lok Sabha (Parliament) elections is yet to >descend from its make-believe world to the rugged soil of harsh >political reality. The resulting vacuum creates an unprecedented space >for diverse sections of the people to make their presence felt, to give >vent to all their pent up sufferings, to explode in rage. And to be >sure, the people have begun to explore this new space in right earnest. >Indeed, if the reports of spontaneous public protest going up to even >violent clashes with the police and bureaucracy which are pouring in >everyday from different corners of the state are of any indication, the >political air in Bihar is thick with a new mood of popular militancy and >mass resistance. As the government reels under the burden of its own >internal contradictions and crises, as the official opposition grapples >with its own lack of credibility and relevance, as institutionalized >anarchy masquerades as governance, the common man has no other option >but to be up in arms. For the revolutionary communists in Bihar, new >opportunities are knocking on the door. Politics in Bihar is looking for >a changed script and a changed set of actors. > >CPI(ML) Deplores Attempts to Introduce A New Anti-Terrorist Bill > >CPI(ML) in a press statement strongly criticized the draft of new >anti-terrorist bill sent to states by the Union Home Ministry. This >"TADA's new avatar" stipulates that journalists should report to the >police all they know about terrorists, and if they don't, they could be >imprisoned up to one year. Secondly, police can demand any information >regarding terrorists from journalists, and if they withhold any >information, they could be imprisoned up to three years. >The Party said that TADA had to lapse because of its marked abuse >against political adversaries and civil rights, but the saffron >government has not taken any lesson from it. Rather, pursuing its course >to foster a "hard" state, it has now gone to the extent of strangulating >the freedom of press, as a result of which press will simply lose its >character of an independent institution and turn into a tool in the >hands of state machinery. >The Party said that the saffron government has thus taken a long step >ahead of the draconian press bill introduced by Rajiv Gandhi's >government in the 80s. The Party is determined to oppose the bill with >all its might and calls upon left and democratic people to rise in >protest against the bill. > >Homage > >Dr. Ramvilas Sharma, an eminent left intellectual, poet and critic, >passed away on 29 May in Delhi. He had been the General Secretary of >Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh in the 50s. Party condoles his death and >shares the grief with left and progressive people throughout the >country, particularly in the Hindi belt. > >Chakka Jam (Road blockade) in Mansa > >Six peasant organizations in Punjab, including BKU (Ekta), gave a call >for chakka jam in Punjab on 25 May in protest against anti-farmer >policies of the central and state governments. To foil it, Mansa police >arrested Party leader Com. Rajvinder Rana and peasant leader Inder Singh >in the early morning on 25 May. However, peasants led by Com. Ruldi >Singh, leader of BKU (Ekta), Com. Nachatar Khiba, leader of Telecom >employees, Punjab circle and RYA leader Bhagwant Singh Samau blocked the >road for 4 hours. In the evening they marched to the police station to >protest the arrest of the leaders. The police had planned to send Com. >Rana to jail under false charges but under mass pressure they were >forced to release him. > >Mass Acivity Exposes Janambhoomi Program > >In Andhra Pradesh, people led by CPI(ML) organised movements on their >basic demands of land, house sites and drinking water to expose much >touted Janambhoomi progam of Chandrababu Naidu govt. >On 5 May, people of Chinthalooru village came to know that nodal team is >coming to conduct 12th chapter of Janambhoomi. Around 500 people reached >the outskirts of the village and blocked the road and did not allow the >nodal team to enter the village. The placards in their hands showed the >slogan: �until you solve the problems of our village, the government has >no entry to the village�. In this village peasants have not been given >any legal right over the land till date and landless have occupied 500 >acres under party leadership. It was led by Com. Simhachalam, Girijan >Sangam district president, K Nooka Raju, Kisan Sabha district leader and >M Ramulamma, AIPWA leader. The same day 50 Party activists encircled the >nodal team coming to Chendurthi village of Gollabrolu mandal and raised >slogans demanding drinking water schemes and allotment of 50 acres of >temple land to the poor people. The protest ended only after they got >clear assurance from the officials. AIPWA leaders Com. Mariyamma, Kumari >and RYA leader Ganga Raju led the protest. >A day earlier, on 4 May more than 100 people of Jonnolagaruru village of >Kothapalli mandal gheraoed the nodal team coming to the village. They >demanded that 180 acres of land belonging to 3 tanks occupied by the >landlords be vacated and distributed among the landless and house sites >be provided to homeless people. The officials immediately granted the >housing loans for 12 members and assured the people that they will solve >the remaining problems immediately. > >AIPWA Leads Land Struggle > >In Annavaram, popularly known as temple town in East Godawari, large >number of people are facing problem of house sites. Organized by AIPWA >they have repeatedly appealed for the same before the authorities. These >demands were put up even before various Janambhoomi rounds, but the >govt. failed to pay any attention. A local women�s organisation named >Adarsa, Satyasai women�s organisation, who have been appealing before >the govt. on the same demands for the last 7 years, merged with AIPWA. >AIPWA mobilized mainly womenfolk and conducted programs like dharna, >rasta roko, and even gherao of the officials. They prepared a list of >eligible persons and submitted it to the Mandal Revenue Officer, with a >warning that if they don�t solve the problem within a specified period >the people would occupy the identified lands. As the govt. failed to >fulfill the demand in time the people under AIPWA banner occupied govt. >lands and distributed it among 80 people. The local village >administrative officer and president tried to disrupt this struggle but >failed to do so before the unity and resoluteness of the people. Though >the local MLA tried to change the list of beneficiaries people foiled >such tricks. AIPWA district secretary Com. K. Vijayalakshmi and local >leaders Mahadevi, Nagmani etc. led the struggle. > >11 May Strike Observed in Punjab and Assam > >On 11 May, AISA-RYA-AICCTU comrades in Mansa picketed at the local bus >stand. Goons belonging to private bus owners along with some policemen >brutally attacked our comrades and injured a number of them. AISA-RYA >organised gherao of police station on 16 May and pressurized police to >arrest the goons and guilty policemen. About 200 student-youth marched >to the police station. Gherao was lifted only after police officials and >private bus owners apologized publicly. In Ludhiana, a joint rally of >AITUC, AICCTU and CITU comprising workers mainly from unorganized sector >was held on 11 May. Apart from financial sector the strike also got a >good response from electricity workers and state govt. employees. >Telecom employees too observed strike and held rallies. >In Assam, Tea Garden bandh was called on that day by Assam Sangrami Chah >Sramik Sangha in protest against killing of tea workers by the manager >and security forces in Borgorah Tea Estate, against the betrayal by >Congress-led Asom Chah Mazdoor Sangh on wage issue in signing the accord >and in support of other burning issues. Bandh was total in some tea >gardens of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Sonitpur. > >Militant Khet Mazdoor Demo in Nawada > >In different block offices of Nawada district Khet Mazdoor Sabha staged >militant demonstrations on 26 May on the demand of red card, parchas for >homestead land etc. At Sirdala block, at the sight of the people�s >militant demonstration around 400 block personnel fled away and the CO >was gheraoed. Women agitators beat the CO when he did not listen to >their demands. Even police did not dare to intervene in the beginning >and only when Bihar Military Police arrived on the scene they resorted >to lathicharge and then to firing in the air. Many agitators sustained >injuries and five comrades including the local leader Ramvilas Turia >were arrested. But instead of taking flight, people resisted and got >their leaders rescued from police. Later on 27 May around 200 people >staged a protest march against lathicharge and firing by police. At >Kashichak block, during the demonstration the block was locked by 250 >agrarian labourer agitators for 5 hours. Similar demonstrations took >place at Rajauli Road, Roh, Akbarpur and Warisaliganj. The number of >agitators ranged from 150 to 500. AIPWA also staged dharna on the >question of oppression on women on the same day. >Purnea district unit of CPI(ML) held a dharna at the district >headquarters on 20 May demanding red cards and parchas for homestead >land to khet mazdoors and opposing criminalisation of politics. A >memorandum was submitted to the DM. >Party's Vaishali district unit organized a dharna at district >collectorate on demands of protection to dalits, arrest of criminals, >stopping of rangdari tax and Indira Awas Yojana houses for mushahars (a >dalit caste). A delegation led by Com. Yogendra Rai, district Party >secretary met the DM and handed him over a memorandum. > >RYA Demo in Patna > >RYA organized a militant demonstration on 26 May protesting against >eviction of mushahars dwelling in Rajendra Nagar area for 70 years by >city administration. A meeting was held in front of local radio station >and the effigy of DM was burnt. President of Mushahar Sewa Sangh >Devendra Majhi, RYA, AISA and Party leaders and Dharmshila Devi led the >demonstration. > >Strengthen the Party Campaign in Bihar > >Party�s Cadre training camp of Mithilanchal area was held at Samastipur >on 27-28 May in which around 100 cadres from Darbhanga, Samastipur and >Madhubani participated. Topics included �Perspective and purpose of >strengthen the party campaign�, �Party history�, �History of the >communist movement in Mithilanchal�. Questions relating to present >tactics were also raised in the training camp. It was inaugurated by >Com. Swadesh Bhattacharya and Com. Ramjatan Sharma was the main speaker. > >Patna district unit organized a 2-day workshop at MLA club in Patna in >which about 50 comrades participated. The topic of the workshop were >�Methods of work� and �Documents of 6th congress�. It was inaugurated by >Com. Nand Kishor Prasad and Com. Ramjatan Sharma was the main speaker. > >Seminar At Gwalior > >A seminar was organized by Gwalior Party Committee on 28 May on 21st >century and the problem of unemployment. It was presided over by Com. >Devendra Singh Chauhan and conducted by Com. Gurudatt Sharma. >Inaugurating it Com. Rajaram, Party incharge of M.P. said that the >economic program of BJP-led govt. at the center is tuned to the >interests and needs of western imperialist countries, what is needed >today is a self-dependent economic plan to ensure employment to all in >India. Therefore, revolutionary transformation of the society must be >ensured in the 21st century. The main speaker Anand Pradhan, >ex-president of BHU students union said that number of people under >poverty line is increasing due to liberalization and globalization and >plans adopted are devoid of employment opportunities. Around 100 people >from left and democratic circles participated in the seminar. >In M.P., Chattisgarh Mazdoor Kisan Samiti has been formed under the >leadership of Com. Ashok Miri and Khoma Das. A signature cum mass >contact campaign on various problems of HSCL workers is going on, which >include a check on privatisation of oxygen plant and affiliated units of >SAIL, arrangement of drinking water and payment of longstanding arrears >to the HSCL workersand finalisation of the wage agreement. > >Party in WB Opposes Congress led Bandh > >Party�s West Bengal State Committee opposed the politically motivated >12-hour bandh called by Congress on 26 May to fish in troubled waters of >Bengal. It however criticized the govt. and police-administration for >its callousness and urged upon the left, democratic and peace-loving >people of West Bengal to end the politics of killings being practiced >both by Trinamul and CPI(M). Around 36 poor people have been killed in >the battle between the two parties in Keshpur of Midnapur district and >hundreds of houses have been burnt and looted. CPI(ML) noted with >concern that violence is now spreading to Sabang, Pingla and >Gopiballavpur of Midnapur district and it may escalate in the run up of >the coming parliamentary election in Panskura constituency. > >AISA Activities in Bihar > >AISA organized a demonstration in front of Principal of AN College in >Patna on 26 May protesting lathicharge on students filling examination >forms. A delegation met the Principal and demanded that the students who >could not fill their forms should be called and their problems be >resolved. >Students staged a militant demonstration to press their demands at >Nawadah district headquarters. While they burnt the DM�s effigy, police >resorted to lathicharge in which 7 students including local leader >Mukesh Vidyarthi got injured. > >Peasant Convention in Andhra > >A peasant convention was organized at Gumma Laxmipuram area in >Parvatipuram agency on 4 May. The subject was �corporate agriculture�, a >new agrarian policy adopted by the Andhra government. Organized by Com. >Bharati, the convention had 150 participants from 12 villages of Kurupam >mandal among which women outnumbered men. Addressing them Com. >Malleswara Rao dealt with the dangers inherent in the policy and urged >upon the people to rise against them. Com. Dandapani Mohanty also spoke >at the occasion. > >AIPWA Distt. Conference > >Siwan district conference of AIPWA was held at Mairwa on 22 May in which >30 women participated. Led by Shamima Khatoon, a 13-member district >convening body was elected. > >International > >The Fijian Drama > >Storming Parliament and taking hostage of Mahendra Chaudhry's whole >cabinet and elected MPs by a handful of gun wielding men on Friday has >culminated in a military take over of Fiji. Backtracking by President >Mara has ended in his stepping down and crossing the shore for an >unknown destination form the capital of this 300-odd island country. >For seventeen years since the British left Fiji, ethnic Indian dominated >rule (who were majority till then) facilitated consolidation of their >economic hold and they occupied a dominant position in Fijian economy. >However, 99% of the military is composed of Fijians. A government led by >an ethnic Indian kindled new apprehensions among the indigenous Fijians, >predominantly peasants who had leased out their lands to the capitalist >farmers of Indian origin. Gradually ethnic Indians were reduced because >of their continuing exodus. Nationality conflict has dominated politics >in Fiji since the end of British rule. In 87, the Indians dominated rule >was toppled by military coup by Commander Sitiveni Rabuka in the name >of ensuring political power to native Melanesian people and declared the >Island as a republic. He promulgated a new constitution in 1990, that >gave indigenous Fijians more than half of the seats in parliament and >barred any person of Indian origin from holding the post of prime >minister. >New constitution removed the racial bias and proposed a multi racial >parliamentary democracy but was forced on him by external compulsion. In >the last summer election Chaudhry's Labour party led coalition secured >70% of the seats with Former PM Rabuka as a coalition partner. But he >subsequently resigned only to take up the Chairman post of more powerful >Great council of chiefs, the custodian of consensus of the natives. >Fijian indigenous people, under the broad umbrella of Radical Taukei >Nationalist Movement, feared that Prime Minister Chaudhry and President >Mara were pushing for changes to the leases in favour of Indian >commercial farmers. Land remains the root cause of the present crisis >and consequent political control. Sugar industry is a major component of >Fijian economy, and sugarcane farms exist on lands leased to ethnic >Indians by Fijian peasants. Most of the leases are coming up for renewal >in the next few years. According to the General Secretary of Fiji >Cane-growers Association, "it is the close ties with land felt by >indigenous Fijians that is at the heart of the racial divide in Fiji." >Racial tension started reviving in Fiji in the last one year since first >ethnic Indian headed Govt. assumed power and got aggravated on the eve >of the first anniversary of office, with Choudhry's bid to renew the >expiring land lease held by thousand of ethnic Indian farmers. > >Forcefully Reclaim Your Land! >Zimbabwe Tells Namibia > >Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has urged landless Namibians to >follow his country's example and forcefully reclaim their land if white >farmers refuse to share it. >"If the other neighboring countries have the problems similar to the >ones we have encountered, why not apply the same solution as Zimbabwe. >It is a simple solution." >"If they (the white Commercial farmers) are ready to discuss with you >and give land then there is no need for a fight. But in Zimbabwe the >British are not ready and we are making them ready now." >"A boy friend can accept a no from a girl friend, but a freedom fighter >can never accept a no from an imperialist", said Mugabe in Namibia on >May 25. >Mugabe flanked by Namibian President Sam Njuoma and Prime Minister Hage >Geingob, addressed a rally on northern Namibia to mark Africa Day. >(In the government backed land occupation campaign in the last three >months, several hundreds of Zimbabwe's 1970s freedom fighters have >invaded more than a thousand white commercial farms demanding land they >say was stolen from their forefathers by white colonists. (Pioneer, 27 >May 2000) > >First Arab Victory over Israel > >Lebanese resistance movement punctured the Israel's myth of >invincibility. Whole Arabs celebrating this victory is understandable. >Complete withdrawal of troops after 22 years of occupation of southern >Lebanon on May 23, marked the first defeat for Israel in a war since its >creation in 1948. Comparing Israel's first loss of a war with the war >lost by Americans in Vietnam and Russian in Afghanistan, a military >historian said: "Israel could not win over a guerilla force which >enjoyed popular support", he explained. "When it fought a weak >adversary, the Israeli army itself was weakened, and in a sense so was >the whole Israeli society, which cannot accept the price for keeping it >soldiers in south Lebanon". The victory of Hezbullah resistance movement >could inspire the Palestinians and create fertile ground for renewed >popular movement in the context of current stalemate in the peace >process. > >Comrades are requested to send their reports latest by Sunday night >through e-mail or by Monday morning through fax. After that it will not >be possible to accommodate it in the current issue. > __________________________________ 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] ___________________________________
