>Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 12:57:17 +0530 >From: "CPI(ML) LIberation" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >ML Update >Vol. 3; No. 25; 28-06-2000 >A CPI(ML) Newsweekly > >Emergency -- Then and Now > >On June 26, India observed the silver jubilee of Emergency. While the >BJP leaders and their alliance partners used this occasion to bombard >the nation with their remembrances of the Emergency days, the common >people of the country spent the day in the shadow of the dark clouds of >communal fascism now enveloping the sky of Indian democracy. >Most of the key characters of Emergency have long left the political >scene. Of those who are still around, some have interestingly found >political rehabilitation in India�s prevailing saffron dispensation. One >particular character who conveys a most uncanny sense of continuity >between Emergency then and now is of course Mr. Jag Mohan. The Sanjay >Gandhi acolyte is currently the BJP minister for urban development and >in his new capacity he is back to his favourite job of demolishing slums >in Delhi. >But Emergency is not about certain unpleasant events and ugly >individuals. It was an eye-opening manifestation of the contradiction >that characterises democracy in India: the contradiction between >constitutional assurance of rights and daily systematic denial of most >of these rights for most of India�s citizens. If anything, the >contradiction has become far more sharp and sweeping under saffron rule. > >In June 1975 if Emergency was clamped down by misusing one Article of >the Constitution, viz., Article 356, today the entire Constitution is >being sought to be subverted and pitted against the people and >democracy. RSS (comunal-extremist formation) chief Sudarshan has gone on >record saying he is for a complete scrapping of the present >Constitution. If Emergency was about illegal detention and torture, >today the very framework of criminal law is being targeted for a >draconian revision and state terrorism is fast becoming the order of the >day in vast areas of the country. If Emergency was about press >censorship, today the saffron brigade threatens to define the very >contours and content of culture in India. If the voice of opposition was >then sought to be gagged in the name of tackling the invisible foreign >hand, today the bogey is ISI. And the government invoking the ISI bogey >is busy inviting FBI to India and acquiring repressive skills from >Mossad, Israel�s notorious intelligence and security agency. Advani�s >�effective state� is nothing but an undeclared but permanent state of >Emergency, an unmistakable transition towards an Indian variety of >fascism. >Most of the heroes of anti-Emergency movement today stand exposed as >villains and traitors. The saffron( Comunal fascist) brigade apart, >demagogues like George Fernandez and Laloo Prasad have also exposed >their true colours. The saffron betrayers and other pretenders can have >no claim to the legacy of the Indian people�s great democratic crusade >against Indira autocracy. >The twenty-fifth anniversary of Emergency should also serve as an >occasion for introspection for the Left. Emergency remains an >embarrassing memory for the CPI and to an extent even the CPI(M). For >these two old communist parties, the response to Emergency was marked by >a pathetic state of paralysis caused by long cherished illusions about >Indian ruling classes. While the ruling classes began to suspend and >subvert parliamentary democracy, the opportunist Left continued to >suffer from parliamentary cretinism. >>From Indira autocracy to communal fascism, the spectre of Emergency is >still haunting democracy in India. If the ruling classes are desperate >to instutionalise Emergency, the people of India must respond by >reviving the indomitable spirit of freedom and resistance which led to >the collapse of Emergency. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. >Uncompromising resistance and determined unity of Left and democratic >forces is the need of the hour. > >CPI(ML) Stages March on Anti-Emergency Day > >CPI(ML) observed anti-emergency day on 26 June this year as >"anti-fascism day" at various centres of the country. In Delhi hundreds >of Party activists and supporters led by CPI(ML) Gen. Secy. Com. >Dipankar Bhattacharya took out a march in Delhi from Turkman Gate, the >place where in 1975 Indira's autocratic regime had opened fire on the >minority slumdwellers who had stood up against eviction from the place, >and a numer of slumdwellers were killed in the firing. The march ended >in a protest meeting at Parliament Street Police Station. Addressing to >the agitators Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya said, "The people now in power >never tired of speaking about democracy those days, however, today they >are ahead of all in strangulating democracy". He said that ironically >the forces who are inviting FBI to India and ganging up with notorious >terrorist agencies like Mosad are painting the forces of political >opposition with ISI brush. Comparing today's situation with the >emergency clamped 25-year back he said, "yesterday it was press >censorship, today every single freedom of expression is being targetted >by fascists." >Eminent personalities like Surendra Mohan, PUCL leader Chittaranjan >Singh and D. Prempati, and activists of CPI(ML)-Red Flag led by Com. KN >Ramchandran also joined in the march. CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member Com. >Swadesh Bhattacharya, Party M.P. Dr. Jayanta Rongpi, Comrades Raja Ram, >PV Srinivas, Rajendra Pratholi and Ranjit Abhigyan were among those >leading the march. > >Resounding Success of Bihar Bandh ( general strike) > >Bihar Bandh called by CPI(ML) and five other left parties including CPI >and MCPI on June 21 to give political expression to people's wrath >against Ranvir Sena and demand resignation of Rabri Devi was completely >successful. More than 8,000 party activists were arrested throughout the >state implementing the bandh call. Railway tracks and roads were blocked >and educational and trading institutions remained closed in most of the >places. The bandh was total in central Bihar, where GT Road was blocked >and trains did not run in Patna-Gaya and Rajgir-Patna sections. In >Siwan, trains were stopped at Mairwa. Martyr Chandrashekhar's mother >Kaushalya Devi, Amar Yadav and Satyadev Ram courted arrest. Buses did >not ply and trains were stopped at Narkatiyaganj, Muzaffarpur, >Samastipur and Hayaghat. In south Bihar GT Road was blocked at Bagodar >and trains including Rajdhani Express were stopped at Hazaribagh Road. >In Patna hundreds of activists led by Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya, CC >members Com. Ram Naresh Ram, Mahendra Singh, KD Yadav and Saroj Chaube, >Partly leaders Com. Anil, Murtuza Ali and Manohar, RYA leaders Kamlesh >Sharma and Paramhans Kumar, AISA leaders Dhananjay Sharma and Ranvijay >Kumar, and Anita of AIPWA marched on the main roads shouting the slogan >"Eliminate Ranvir Sena or resign". Despite the lathicharge in which >around a dozen Party activists got hurt, agitators broke police cordon >twice at Dakbungalow crossing and before more than 500 of them got >arrested, held a mass meeting. There Com. Dipankar said that now the >drama of all-party meetings should be stopped and concrete plan to >eliminate Ranvir Sena must be chalked out. > >Bihar Govt. Plans to Curb Left Extremism instead of Ranvir Sena > >While Bihar is reeling under the spate of massacres, both RJD and NDA >are trying to outdo each other in shedding crocodile tears for the >victims. Yet, in place of coming out with a plan to eliminate Ranvir >Sena they have trained their guns against revolutionary forces >championing the cause of the rural poor. >The super cabinet of RJD govt. has come up with a typical solution: to >commission a 'crack force' in line with the "greyhound" squad of Andhra. >Now everybody knows that "greyhound" in Andhra has been forged by >Chandrababu to deal exclusively with the 'naxalite menace'. It's job is >to terrorise the rural poor who are supposed to be harbouring Naxalites. >A detachment of 'crack force' has already been sent to Andhra where it >is learning to deal with Naxalites. Curbing Ranvir Sena, the killer gang >of upper caste feudals, is certainly not on their agenda. The intention >of the government is perfectly clear. Secondly, Bihar govt. has asked >for a huge additional supply of central forces. What did these central >forces do when they were posted in central Bihar, particularly >Jahanabad, after Shankarbigha and Narainpur massacres? They simply >collaborated with Ranvir Sena in the name of crushing Left extrremism. >The repression let loose by central forces is recounted with horror even >to this day by the ordinary people of Jahanabad. >Then, instead of reviewing what went wrong with the task of implementing >land reforms, the govt. has come up a newly hatched scheme, according to >which the illegally held or ceiling surplus land, for which poor >peasants are waging a perfectly legal and just struggle, will be >"purchased" by the government at the market rate and a land bank will be >created from where it will be distributed among the poor. Certain lands >under possession of feudal lords remain untilled because of the poor >peasants' struggle over it. Now the govt. will take stern measures to >get this land tilled. However, lakhs of acres of ceiling surplus land is >still under possession of landlords who have filed litigation in courts. > >A verbal dual on political parties' relations with Ranvir Sena is going >on nowadays between RJD and NDA. However, nobody is serious on finding >out Ranvir Sena's real political relations with these parties. Amir Das >commission, formed after Bathani Tola was allowed to die its natural >death. >Therefore, the party has decided to launch "Anti-massacre mass campaign" >from 1-7 July to make the people conscious of the dubious role of the >ruling parties, in govt. as well as in opposition. As a culmination of >this campaign the Party will organise gherao Vidhan Sabha,( siege of >assembly), on 11 July to demand stern actions against Ranvir Sena, to >put a stop to massacres and ensure the protection of the rural poor. > >Centre Must Discuss Autonomy Package > >CPI(ML) said in a statement that systematic violation and dilution of >Article 370 by successive central governments and the BJP's shrill >campaign for abolition of this key provision have been singularly >responsible for the revival of the pre-1953 autonomy demand in Kashmir. >Regardless of the underlying political calculations and compulsions, the >J&K Assembly is perfectly within its rights in holding a special session >on the autonomy issue. Any refusal on the part of the Centre, especially >when the National Conference is also participant in the government, to >discuss the autonomy package with the elected State Government of Jammu >and Kashmir will only vitiate Centre-State relations and cause serious >damage to the possibility of a negotiated political settlement of the >Kashmir question. While supporting the cause of greater autonomy for J&K >in principle, we stand for proportionate delegation of the enhanced >autonomy to Jammu and Laddakh. However, we are firmly opposed to the >idea of any communal fragmentation of the state and disruption of >Kashmir's glorious heritage of secularism and harmony in the name of >autonomy. > >Fascists Exposed in Varanasi Sex Scandal > >Revelations made by Ruby, a 13-year old inmate of women's protection >home in Varanasi, and then by another inmate Sapna Yadav, point to the >fact that not only forced prostitution was going on there but five >inmates who had refused to obey their Madam�s wishes were murdered. More >startling was the list of frequent visitors to the home which included >Vipul Pathak, local office bearer of BJP-led Bharatiya Janta Yuva >Morcha, businessman and Congress sympathiser Ashok Mishra, and even some >government officials. News of involvement of some state ministers also >came in the press. To salvage their tarnished reputation the RSS, >Congress and Shiva Sena demanded a probe into the scandal. Youth >Congress and RSS-led Kashi Sanskriti Rakhsha Sangharsh Samiti ( Kasi >cultural protection struggle committee) jointly called for another >Banaras bandh. But the people of the city gave a befitting reply to the >doublespeak of the fascist by ignoring their call and the bandh turned >out to be a damp squib. AIPWA and RYA organised a dharna against the >scandal and demanded a thorough probe into the incident. Poster were >pasted all over the city demanding that the names of ministers involved >in the scandal be made public by the Government. > >How does Sangh Parivar( Fascist RSS family) Remember Emergency Day? > >"Bajrang Dal ( Youth wing of RSS) activists are being imparted firearms >training in Karsevakpuram (at Ayodhya in U.P.) ..."The 10-day training >camp has been on since June 20. Other than the use of fire arms, the >training includes martial arts", reported Times of India. > >Sorabjee's Dilemma > >Reacting sharply on Bajrang Dal's slogan of "oust Christian", Attorney >General Soli Sorabjee says that such people "should be locked up either >in jail or sent to lunatic asylum ... Such scurrilous statements cause >immense danger to the secular image of our country and government and >induce a sense of insecurity among the minorities." Mr. Sorabjee serves >a government whose prime minister has stated before Italian newspapers >that "attacks on members of Indian Christian minority are only isolated >acts." Is Mr. Sorabjee prepared to defend this lie? > >Forces Joining CPI(ML) in West Bengal > >26 CPI(M) workers left CPI(M) to join our Party in Dumuria village of >Raiganj in North Dinajpur district. When their struggle against the Left >Front Govt.' misrule as well as the corruption and politics of terror >practiced by CPI(M) leadership forced them to leave the party, they >decided to join CPI(ML). They declared it in a well attended mass >meeting addressed by CPI(ML) district secretary Com. Ajit Das. A >procession participated in by around 150 party activists was also taken >out before the mass meeting. >In Chandole, another village of the same district, more than 100 people >belonging to Congress joined CPI(ML). They took this step to launching >movement against the landlords' repression. A mass meeting was held >here, in which more than 500 people participated. It was addressed by >CPI(ML) district secretary Com. Ajit Das and other leaders. > >Agitation against Rape in WB > >In Haripur village of Purbasthali block of Bardhaman district, a woman >agriculture labourer was raped by a notorious local CPI(M) cadre. >Enraged villagers decided to punish the culprit, but CPI(M) leadership >sent police forces to rescue him. When the village women tried to resist >the police forces from entering the village, a clash ensued and the >police resorted to lathi-charge (baton Charge) on the women so as to >somehow escape from the village with the culprit. However, the culprit >could not escape the thrashing by the village womenfolk before being >rescued by the police. >Local party organised a mass meeting to launch protest against the rape >incident and the role of police. They gheraoed( staged a siege of) >Purbasthali Police Station on 25 June demanding arrest of the rapist and >stern action against the police. > >AISA-RYA March against Bihar Massacre > >AISA and RYA organised a protest march on the Parliament Street against >the brutal massacre of 36 innocent villagers at Miyanpur in Bihar. At >the protest meeting held there the effigy of Bihar govt. was burnt amid >slogans. AISA leader Com. Srikant, RYA leader Com. Shashi addressed the >protestors. > >Workers Rally in Guwahati > >A workers' rally was organised jointly by AICCTU and CCTUA (Coordiantion >Committee of Trade Unions of Assam) on 12 June at Guwahati. It was >organised in protest of anti-working class policies of Centre and the >State governments. More than 1,000 workers from organised sectors such >as oil, rail, power, coal as well as unorganised sectors like tea >gardens, agrarian labourers, workers of sick industries etc. >participated in the rally demanding withdrawal of anti-working class >policies of Central and Assam govt. >A 3-member presidium comprising of Com. Biren Kalita (oil sector), >Nageshwar Hazarika (power), Anil Das (BRPL) Basanta Kalita (sick >industries) and (Alomoni Murmu (tea garden)conducted the meeting. It was >addressed by AICCTU vice president Com. Holiram Terang, vice president >of AICCTU and AICCTU leaders Subhash Sen, Dhiraj Das, Ajanta Bordoloi >(APBEA) and Pradip Sarma, Gen. Secy. of Assam State Transport Employees >Union. The meeting was followed by a procession led by district party >organisation to deputy commissioner's office, Kamrup and submitted a >memorandum to the Governor of Assam through DC, Guwahati. > >Construction Labour Union Elections Held in Jaipur > >Elections to the office bearers of DCM Mazdoor Chaukhaty (locality) at >Ajmer Road in Jaipur were held on 22 June by secret ballot in which 1257 >workers participated. Kaluram Sain was elected to the office of >president and a 15-member executive committee was formed. The reception >ceremony was inaugurated by State Party Secy. Com. Mahendra Chaudhary >and presided over by AICCTU Vice President Srilata Swaminadhan. Com. >Harkesh Bugalia, Gen. Secy. of Rajasthan Nirman Mazdoor Sangathan >conducted the meeting. > >Student Killing Protested > >Protesting against killing of a student leader in a police lockup in >Ajmer district of Rajasthan, CPI(ML) leaders Com. Srilata Swaminadhan >and Mahendra Chaudhry met State Home Minister Gubal Singh Shaktawat on >21 June and demanded arrest of all policemen involved in the killing, >impartial enquiry into the killing and Rs. 5 lakh compensation to the >victim's family. > >Party Class in Rajasthan > >Two-day State level Party class was held in Udaipur district of >Rajasthan on 24-25 June. The topics were: 'Tactical Line' 'General >Programme', and 'Caste and Class'. Com. Brij Bihari Pandey, Com. >Mahendra Chaudhry and Com. Srilata Swaminadhan dealt with the three >topics respectively. > >American Sweatshop Workers' Struggle > >Revival of the workers' movements after two decades of passivity has >enthusiased unorganised labourers in America. On June 10, more than >20,000 immigrant workers assembled in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, >stressing a single demand: right to join unions. This multinational >crowd includes many undocumented workers. As so many people flocked in >to the historical event, the officials locked the entrance doors. >Thousands of workers who remained outside staged a spirited march >chanting their demands. Trade union leaders called for a major reform in >the immigrant law. Because the Govt. routinely uses these laws to >punish the workers and use it to keep them in permanent fear of >insecurity and letting the sweatshop bosses off the hook. The federal >law bars the employers from hiring the undocumented workers. But in >reality it only helps to deepen the exploitation via illegal, >underground economy. They are joinig unions in large numbers as these >courageous workers have stood up now. Immigrant workers are expected to >make up 25% of the labour force in U.S. by 2005. "The right of the >working people and the right of immigrant workers are one and the same," >declared the American Labour Federation at the end of Los Angeles Forum. > >>From Com. Vinod Mishra's Writings > >Follow Communist Style of Work > >The other important aspect of work style is the style of concentrated >work. We shall have to continuously expand the frontiers of mass >movement, take all possible political initiatives at the state and >national levels. All this is beyond dispute. But if one has to achieve >any concrete results, some particular area will have to be concentrated >upon. Otherwise all efforts may go in vain and the practice will not be >raised to any higher levels. >In the recent elections we saw that in areas where concentrated work was >going on we performed better than earlier. On the contrary, where, in >Mao's words, the work style of 'visiting the garden on the horse back' >was being followed, our performance went down. >You may be in-charge of an area or a mass organisation, there must be a >particular aspect to your practice apart from the general aspect. This >particular aspect is virtually your laboratory where as a scientist you >undertake ever- newer experiments, test your ideas at the level of >practice and then generalise your conclusions. From general to >particular and again from particular to general, this scientific work >style is the Marxist work style. >Along with the general political agitational mobilisations, putting >special emphasis on new elements continuously emerging in the course of >mass movements, bringing them within the periphery of party education >and the party organisation, building party activist groups and the party >branches at the ground level and activating them are the essential >components of communist style of work. A work style in which these >elements are missing is nothing but revisionist work style based on the >assumption that 'movement is every thing but the aim is nothing'. Ever >broadening the scope of the mass movement but at the same time >activating the party organisation at the grassroot level-- unity of >these two apparent opposites is the essence of the communist style of >work. > >Social Sector Expenditure of Union and State Governments (% of GDP) >Year Education & culture Health, water supply >& sanitation >1989-90 3.36 1.26 > __________________________________ 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] ___________________________________
