>ML Update, Vol:3; No.23; 14-6-2000 > >Panskura Pointers and Challenges >for the Left in West Bengal > >The Trinamul Congress (TMC) has won the prestigious by-poll for the >Panskura Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal. The result has obviously come as >a shot in the arm for the TMC especially after its relatively poor >showing in the May municipal polls. An exuberant TMC is now training its >sight on the forthcoming June 25 election to the Calcutta Corporation >and then the Assembly polls scheduled for early next year. The CPI(M) on >the other hand appears fairly defensive and has blamed the Panskura >defeat on the TMC�s terror tactics. Jyoti Basu however accepted the >defeat and said Panskura voters would have to pay the price for their >political mistake. >Let us take a closer look at the result of the Panskura by-poll. The >constituency saw unprecedented police deployment and a heavy turn-out of >voters. Of the seven Assembly segments falling under Panskura, the TMC >has managed to lead in four with margins ranging between 10,000 to >30,000 votes in three segments. The presence of a Congress nominee in >the fray could not make matters any easier for the CPI nominee with the >Congress tally also going down drastically from nearly 59,000 votes in >the last Lok Sabha elections to a paltry 19,000 votes. The CPI(M) >general secretary has alleged large-scale intimidation and manipulation >by TMC. Citing boothwise figures from 54 booths of Keshpur assembly >segment, the site of repeated mutual clashes and killings between the >TMC and CPI(M), the party has sought to attribute the TMC�s victory to >sheer terror and rigging. Yet Keshpur still accounts for a margin of >only 17,000 votes. What about the remaining segments? >Unless the CPI(M) is bent on deceiving itself, the writing on the wall >has been there for quite some time. >The CPI has been steadily losing ground in this constituency. In 1998 >its victory vote-share was 55% and the victory margin was a massive >1,80,000. In 1999 the margin came down to 47,000 and vote-share also >dropped to less than 50%. In another constituency in the same district, >CPI stalwart Indrajit Gupta could just scrape through with a slender >margin of 28,000 votes, a dramatic drop of 2,50,000 votes compared to >1998. >Indeed, the allegation of rigging only raises more questions for the >CPI(M) to answer. The reins of the state government are still in the >party�s hands, the local MLA of Keshpur belongs to the CPI(M), and the >party is credited with one of its strongest networks in the district. >How come the TMC could suddenly acquire so much power to turn the tables >on the CPI(M) and the Left Front? Why did the CPI(M) fail to resist it >with all the power at its command? >Evidently the situation in West Bengal is nearing a turning-point. If >the municipal poll results marked a setback to the Mahajot design, >Panskura has made it clear that the Mahajot campaign cannot just be >dismissed as an organisational conspiracy from above, it essentially >reflects an anti-Left wave building up from below. Panskura has merely >conveyed an early warning signal of the major churning that is underway >in the rural heartland of CPI(M). >Some analysts have begun to rationalise the seemingly opposite trends >revealed in the municipal polls and the Panskura by-poll as a statement >of a divided political preference of the West Bengal electorate: red >within the state and saffron at the centre! Such simplistic analysis may >provide some short-term psychological relief and consolation, but >activists and well-wishers of the left movement in West Bengal must not >allow such facile and diversionary analysis to prevent them from >squarely addressing the rot within and accepting the challenge of >changing the state of affairs. > >ISI is Saffron Herring of Vajpayee Govt. > >Party sharply criticised BJP leaders including the union minister of >state for urban development Bandaru Dattatreya and Chandrababu Naidu for >saying that ISA may have a hand behind the bomb blasts at a number of >churches in Andhra, Karnataka, Goa and also in the murder of a Christian >teacher in Mathura of U.P. Terming ISI as the "saffron herring" of >Vajpayee government, the Party said that the bogey of ISI was being >raised by the BJP-led NDA govt. only to camouflage its own failure on >all fronts as well as to suppress the discontent of the people. > > > >Party Condemns Nawada Massacre > >While condemning the massacre of 12 persons in Nawada on 11 June, >CPI(ML) cexpressed deep discontent on the recent spate of killings in >the state. Com. KD Yadav in Patna said that both RJD and NDA have >propped up criminal gangs from among various caste groups in their own >political interests and innocent people are being killed in their fight >for dominance. The state government has proved utterly incompetent to >stop these killings. By giving these gangs free license to kill the >government is in fact instigating them to perpetrate massacres. The >party has called upon the toiling people of the state across caste >barriers as well as progressive circles to rise in organised resistance >against the increasing incidence of massacres in the state. > >Protest Agaist Anti-Student Policies > >Left students organisations have taken initiative in launching a >movement against state government's decision to admit only those >students getting more than 50% marks and effect a steep hike in fees in >the universities.SFI-DYFI, AISF-AIYF and AISA-RYA leaders attended a >meeting held in Lucknow called by RYA on 26 May. It was decided to >target the pro-rich liberalisation policies on the BJP govt. and hold a >joint student-youth convention on 22 June in Lucknow University. In the >meantime AISA organised a demonstration on 5 June in front of Vidhan >Sabha in Lucknow and burnt the effigy of the State Higher Education >Minister Om Prakash Singh. > >Com. Hakim's Death Anniversary Observed > >The first anniversary of Com. Hakim Singh was observed on 4 June at his >ancestral village Samao in Mansa district. On this occasion a red martyr >memorial was erected. The flag was hoisted by Com. Bechhan Singh, a >veteran communist and father of Hakim Singh. More than a thousand people >came to attend the mass meeting, mainly from the adjoining villages. It >was addressed among others by our party leaders Com. Swapan Mukherjee >and Rajvinder Rana, and Com. Chandrashekhar, General Secretary of CITU >in Punjab and Chandigarh, Com. Ruldu Singh, Vice President of BKU(Ekta), >Com. Raj Singh of CPI(ML)-ND and Com. Kuldip Singh of MCPI. The meeting >emphasized the need for developing a united movement against >Akali-BJPgovt. sell out as well as to check the rise of the discredited >Congress cashing on the popular discontent. > >Workers Snatch Relief > >In Ludhiana a serious gastroentritis broke out in the workers ' colony >near pur party office. Already 10 workers died and 1000 were admitted to >the hospital. About 500 people led by our Party gheraoed the local BJP >councillor and compelled the officials to take up emergency relief work. >They are helping the people round the clock and taking up agitational >course as well. > >CPI(ML) in Fray in UP Panchayat Elections > >In the forthcoming panchayat elections in U.P., CPI(ML) has concentrated >on Chandauli, Varanasi, Ballia, Ghazipur and Sonebhadra districts of >eastern U.P. and Pilibhit and Kheri districts of Terai. The Party has >made plans with a hope to win seats in district panchayats too, apart >from counducting its independent political propaganda among the broad >masses in a big scale during the elections. In the context of relatively >more powers given to panchayats recently, people are taking more >interest in these elections. The main emphasis of Party is on mobilising >the rural poor and enhancing the political assertion of agrarian >labourers and poor peasants. > >U.P. Tops in Rights Violation -- NHRC > >The BJP-led U.P. alone accounts for more human rights violation than the >rest of the country put together, according to a NHRC report. In all >26,829 cases of violation of human rights were reported in U.P. in >1998-99, over 55% of the total number of cases that year. This indeed >does not include tens of thousands of cases that go unreported. Bihar >and Delhi occupy next two slots with 4,226 and 3052 cases respectively. >In 1997-98 too U.P. topped the list with 17,638 cases. >U.P. also finds itself on the top in the list showing number of >custodial deaths in states. > >No Comment ! > >"The government never gets tired of telling the consumer that the >cooking gas (LPG) cylinder carries a hefty subsidy -- Rs.130 at >present." "What the government terms as subsidy is accounted for by >taxes -- the customs and excise duties charged by the union government >and the sales tax charged by the state governements", points out a >Petroleum Ministry official. He adds, "The excise duty on LPG is 8% and >customs duty 12%. The sales tax, on an average, is 20%." If a product is >being subsidized, why burden it with taxes? > >Reform With A Human Face > >Much is being talked about the "reforms" that came to our country with >the 'new economic policy' of 'liberalisation', 'globalisation', etc. A >reform is naturally supposed to be aimed at the well being and progress >of the people of the nation, nay, the whole humankind. Then why do we >come across the phrase "reform with a human face". Why this superfluous >use of the phrase? By implication, it is a recognition of the inhuman >content, probably even the face of the present day reforms introduced by >Central and state governments. Quite relevent in this context is the >example of the claims to connect every village with the internet. In >real life however, not only the remote villagers in Andhra Pradesh but >even a large population of the national capital region are crying out >for drinking water. How ugly is the face of these reforms? Chandrababu >therefore is planning to reform of the striking power of the police to >deal with the agitating peasantry and other sections of the masses. > >Anti-Crime Programme > >Party's Bihar state committee has called for observing an anti-crime >campaign from 1-10 June 2000 thorughout the state. In this course, >demonstrations were held in 6 police stations in Siwan. In Darauli, >Andar, Guthani, Raghunathpur and Hussainganj, participation was around >2,000. Lists of criminals belonging to Chattis Pandey and the RJD backed >Shahabuddin gang were made public. In Marirwa a pledge-taking meeting >was organised in protest against the murder of two tradesmen by Suresh >Yadav gang. It was attended by 2,500 persons and addressed by Com. >Ramjatan Sharma. >In West Champaran, a 1500-strong demonstrations was held at Sikta. At >Majhaulia, Narkatiaganj, Mainatanr and Betia, the participants ranging >from 150 to 500. Apart from releasing the list of criminals, torchlight >processions were brought out in every village. In Gopalganj, >demonstrations were held at Siripur, Vijaypur and Bhore. Around 300-500 >people participanted in these. In Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts >demonstrations were held at 3-4 blocks. >In Patna district, demonstrations were held at Masaurhi, Punpun, >Fulwari, Naubatpur, Dulhin Bazar, Fatuha etc, where average >participation was 500. Here the list of Pandav gang and other criminals >were made public. In Patna town, demonstrations were organised at Patna >City, Kankarbagh, Digha and Gardanibagh. >In Gaya, demonstrations were held at Mufassil, Khijarsarai, Tekari and >Belaganj. In Nawada, demonstrations held at Warisaliganj, Kashichak, >Nawada town, Roh, Akbarpur and Rajauli targeted Akhilesh Singh gang. >In Kaimur, demonstrations were held at Mohania, Kudra, Bhabhua and >Bhagwanpur. In Shekhpura, demonstration was held at Chabaura. >In Arrah, a 1000-strong demonstration was held at Azimabad. Demos were >also held at Sahar, Narainpur, Sandesh, Garahani, Koilwar, Charpokhri, >Tarari, Barahara etc. In Buxar, demonstrations were held at Sikraul, >Nawanagar, Murar and Dumraon. Participants were Village-level meetings >were conducted and leaflets distributed. >In Nalanda, demonstrations were held in 14 police stations. In >Jahanabad, street corner meetings were held throughout the district. >Demonstrations were held at Mehandia, Kako, Ghoshi, Makhdumpur and >Jahanabad. > >Resistance against violence on women > >Violence against women in recent times is assuming a specific pattern in >Madurai. This series of violence carry with it a single massage to >women and concerned people: if you venture out of home, rowdies would >hijack you, drag into the auto, drive to an unknown distant place then, >cruelly rape and leave there .Thanks to the full backing of the >'Saffronised Dravidian' ruling party's local bullies, rowdies writ runs >in this ancient cultural centre of Tamil Nadu. Their latest offensive >was to kidnap two AIPWA leaders -- Comrade Mary and Comrade Sudha, State >Committee member and Madurai district organiser of AIPWA. Bravely >fighting back they caught hold of one of the culprit and handed him over >to the police. Next day large number of women assembled and caught hold >of another notorious rowdy, a participant in the conspiracy. AIPWA >decided to hold the demonstration at the place where the crime took >place. Police tried to change the venue of AIPWA demonstration. But >AIPWA defied the Police restrictions and held it, protesting against >the growing violence against women in Tamil Nadu and demanding to >provide proper security environment for women in Madurai. >June 19 will be observed as a "day of opposition to the violence on >women" all over Tamil Nadu, focusing on the slogan of "put an end to the >growing violence against women in Tamil Nadu". This broad mobilisation >is aimed at smashing the conspiratorial design to "confine the women >behind the four walls". > >AIPWA Cadre School > >On the basis of two papers, one on the basic line and the other on >organisational tasks of AIPWA, distributed and explained by the state >organiser Com. Bhuvana, classes were organised in Madras, Selam and >Thiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu. The classes were presided by >Comrades Usha, Thenmozhi and Vijayalakshmi. About 50 cadres >participated these sessions, which were addressed by party leaders in >the respective districts. They highlighted the role of women's movement >in the peoples' common movement for social transformation. > >AISA Workshop in Uttarakhand > >A two-day workshop of Uttarakhand unit of AISA was held on 6-7 June at >Ramnagar (Nainital) in which 40 activists from Srinagar, Haldwani, >Pauri, Rudrapur and Pithoragarh took part. The workshop was inaugurated >by Com. Raja Bahuguna, CCM and Incharge of Uttarakhand party unit. The >subjects were "orientation of student movement, "role of students in >present political situation" and "movements and initiatives". It was >resolved that AISA must launch movement against fees hike in July, >recruit 10,000 members in Uttarakhand, of which 40% should be girls, and >hold a conference by September this year. > >Strike by Brick-kiln Workers > >Brick kiln workers in Saharanpur district lauched a strike on 22 May >under the leadership of Brick-kiln Udyog Karmchari Union on the demand >of proper wages, health, education, safety and housing facilities and >issue of employee's identification card signed by the employer. The >workers had already submitted these demands to Deputy Labour >Commissioner as well as the D.M. in a demonstration but no action was >taken. So the union has decided to carry on the agitation till their >demands are met. > >Jan Adalat in Bokaro > >In Bokaro district of Bihar, Party's Jaina More unit held a Jan Adalat >(people's court) at the main chowk in May. Attended by 500 local people, >the adalat imposed physical punishment and fines on a dozens of touts >and got the graft returned. Before this programme two electricity >officials were also punished by demonstrators for their corruption. >In the same area, 50 activists of ABVP got influenced by CPI(ML)'s >forward march and joined AISA on 25 May following their meeting with >Com. Sunil Yadav, General Secretary of AISA. It was decided to hold the >district conference in late July. > >Pledge-taking Rally > >A Jharkhand-level pledge taking rally was held at Daltonganj in Palamu >on 31 May in memory of senior trade unionist Com. Jagdev Sharma. It was >addressed by Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar, CC members Com. >Mahendra Singh and Suvendu Sen and also by Com. B.N. Singh and Bikas >Singh. > >Strike in Argentina > >The general strike in Argentina on 7 June has been a complete success. >Activity was reduced to almost nil in the whole range of industrial and >commercial activities (save for some small businesses). There was not a >bus nor a truck on the streets for the whole day, and the scabs of >higher middle class who went to their jobs downtown this morning are >returning back, earlier than they expected, to their homes in the >outskirts of Buenos Aires. >The strike was called by CGT of Moyano. They say, "this government is >yielding to the interests of foreign capital and big local capital, thus >depriving itself of legitimacy. If they need the support of workers to >head into a new age, they will count on that support." >There were clashes between the Police and people in Cruz del Eje, a bust >town in the C�rdoba hills that sometime in the past was an industrial >center linked to the state railroads, and a cotton growing area, which >was destroyed by the curency rate politics and the disappearance of >railroads. Some 2 500 people were face to face with the Provincial >Police. In Neuqu�n, while people were demonstrating for the strike, a >teacher died, and people ran in rage to the house of the Provincial >Minister of Education, and stormed it with stones and sticks. Then, they >went straight to the Neuqu�n offices of the imperialist Spanish company >Repsol, which has swallowed a national oil company YPF. The offices were >attacked by the enraged protestors, who tried to put the whole building >aflame. > > >Seminar in Lucknow > >Jan Sanskriti Manch, in association with Sanskritik Setu Parishad, >organised a seminar on 8 June at Setu Nigam auditorium in Lucknow. The >topic was Anti-feudalism and female discourse: in context of Maitreyi >Pushpa and Taslima Nasreen. Two papers were presented by UP state AIPWA >secretary and cultural activist Ajanta Lohit and a young poet Kaushal >Kishor of RYA to introduce the subject matter. Several cultural >activists and intellectuals participated in the discussion that >followed; notable among them are senior art critic Krishna Narain >Kakkar, critic Virendra Yadav of PLS, Rakesh of IPTA, story writer >Rajani Gupta, poet Sarvendra Vikram and Com. Ambarish Rai. It was >presided over by poet-story writer Ashok Chandra and conducted by >writer-journalist Ajay Singh. The speakers were of the opinion that the >two women writers do highlight the importance of linking the female >discourse with socialism and democracy, and hit out at the very roots of >the feudal base of fascist resurgence. > >Trickle-down Effect of Liberalisation > >Cost of Living Indices (Percentage) > >Period >Agricultural Industrial > >Labourers Workers > >1985-86 to 90-91 >47.1 53.5 > >1990-91 to 95-96 ` >71.6 62.2 > >Mar 96 to Dec 98 >40.5 35.5 > >70% of the active Indian workers are in agriculture, according to the >World Economic Outlook--2000, recently released by the IMF. Comparing >with the earlier periods, cost of life of an agricultural labour has >unbearably increased compared to that of industrial workers. This means >a fall in their real wages by the percentage of rise in the cost of >living. Also this means that during the post-reform period for last ten >years, not the growth but the burden of growth has kept on trickling >down on the agrarian labourers. > __________________________________ 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] ___________________________________
