>ML Update >A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol.-3; No.-26; 5-7-2000 > >Kashmir Has A Right to Demand Autonomy and Get Heard > > >The autonomy resolution adopted recently by the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly >has provoked predictable reactions. Barring the sole exception of the >Left and a few sane democratic voices, the BJP and the Congress seem to >be competing among themselves in denouncing the proposal. In a >panic-stricken display of high-decibel chauvinism, both these parties >are screaming that the proposal is dangerous for the country�s unity and >if not nipped in the bud it will pave the way for India�s >disintegration! Among former Prime Ministers, Chandra Shekhar has >accused Vajpayee and Advani of being rather soft, or at any rate not >hard enough, on the issue. And in the sphere of realpolitik, attempts >are on to counter the move by encouraging shrill protests in Jammu and >Laddakh. >What are the most common arguments against the autonomy proposal? There >is one opinion which says that other states will also start demanding >autonomy and there will be no end to it. Well, Kashmir�s case cannot be >equated to other states and even BJP has had to acknowledge this fact by >agreeing to �drop� its pet demand for abolition of Article 370 from the >NDA�s National Agenda. And if other states were also to follow the >example of Kashmir, the country should have already witnessed a scramble >for a proliferation of Article 370 and autonomy! >Some others argue that Farooq�s move is aimed only at queering the >Centre's pitch for the proposed (and in many ways also ongoing) dialogue >with the Hurriyat. Well, even if it is true, what�s wrong in discussing >autonomy with the elected government of the state when the Centre is >prepared to negotiate with even pro-Pakistan voices calling for nothing >short of outright secession? Successive central governments have also >held negotiations with secessionist organisations like NSCN in the >North-East, and surely heavens have not fallen. Yet others are bent upon >communalising the autonomy demand and pitting Hindu Jammu and Buddhist >Laddakh against the Valley�s Muslims. If the experience of Punjab is any >guide, such shortsighted instigations can only backfire and result in >many more Frankensteins. Any devolution of autonomy to Jammu and Ladakh >can only be on a regional basis and attempts to fragment the state on >communal lines are fraught with disastrous implications. >What are the components of the J&K demand for greater autonomy or what >is popularly known as a return to the pre-1953 position? The major >proposals include replacement of the word �temporary� in Article 370 by >�special�; expanding the state list leaving only defence, external >affairs, communications and allied subjects with the centre; >non-applicability of Article 356 to the state; titles of Sadr-e-Riyasat >and Wazir-e-Azam for the Governor and Chief Minister; separate charter >of fundamental rights; and restricting the role of Parliament, Supreme >Court, all-India bureaucracy etc. with regard to J&K. >Many of these demands have also been raised earlier by advocates of >greater federalisation in other Indian states and the demand for >scrapping Article 356 is periodically raised by a whole range of parties >in opposition. The question of different titles for the Governor and >Chief Minister of Kashmir is perhaps the most rudimentary expression of >the Kashmiri identity in the whole range of demands. And yet, the BJP >and the Congress are not prepared to tolerate even such elementary >expressions of Kashmiriyat! The country has not yet forgotten Narsimha >Rao�s words of promise �the sky is the limit� with regard to autonomy >for Kashmir. The BJP had no hesitation in befriending Farooq Abdullah >and accepting his support for all this time. But now that he has raised >this demand for autonomy, the party is carrying on a shrill campaign >against Farooq and his party. >One is reminded of the infamous dismissal of the Farooq government in >1984 soon after he had hosted the Srinagar conclave of opposition chief >ministers on the subject of centre-states relations. The same Indira >Gandhi had signed an accord earlier with Sheikh Abdullah in 1975. This >�use and throw� treatment meted out by New Delhi to Kashmiri leaders and >elected state governments has contributed a lot in aggravating Kashmir�s >sense of alienation and thus vitiating the atmosphere and damaging the >possibility of a political solution of the Kashmir problem within the >framework of united India. For securing a political solution of the >Kashmir problem, the country must first make sure that the beleaguered >state is able to exercise its inalienable right to get heard in India. > > > >CPI(ML) Calls for Ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP > >In a statement following the Politbureau meeting on 27-30 June, Party >strongly denounced the continuing spate of attacks on Christians in the >country and called for imposing an immediate ban on the Bajrang Dal and >VHP. The statement observed that initially the BJP-led NDA government >sought to trivialise the attacks by describing them as stray incidents >of a "'non-communal" nature, but in the face of growing incidence of >such violence, the government is now busy blaming the ISI for >masterminding and organising the attacks. If the ISI is indeed >responsible for this violence, then the Bajrang Dal and VHP stand >exposed as the biggest ISI agents in this country, for these two >organisations continue to be virulent and aggressive defenders of these >attacks. >Party also condemned BJP and Congress for making provocative statements >on Kashmir and called upon the central government to discuss the >autonomy package with J&K govt. >Welcoming the BJP�s rout in UP panchayat polls, Party described the >results as a popular indictment of the BJP�s utter misrule in the state. >Heightened communal attacks, inflammatory statements on Kashmir and the >endless invoking of the ISI bogey reflect a desperate attempt on the >part of the BJP leadership to cover up its escalating isolation at the >grassroots. >Commenting on the Calcutta Corporation poll outcome, the Party said that >while the results indicate the CPI(M)�s declining appeal to the toiling >poor and lower middle classes of Calcutta, Jyoti Basu has further >discredited the Left image in Bengal by proposing a collaboration with >the Congress. >Party said that by refusing to squarely take on the Ranvir Sena even as >it massacres the RJD�s own supporters, Laloo Prasad Yadav has only >revealed the real face of his much-professed doctrine of social justice. >Party appealed to every peace-loving democratic citizen of Bihar to >support and strengthen the �Stop Massacres� campaign launched by the >party�s Bihar unit which will culminate in a massive gherao of the Bihar >Assembly on July 11. >Party has also criticised the Election Commission�s reported move >against democratic forms of struggle like hartals and strikes, >describing it as a clear transgression of the EC�s jurisdiction and a >move that will only promote and embolden anti-democratic tendencies in >the polity and render the people still more defenceless against growing >attacks on their basic rights and interests. > > >"Stop Massacre" Campaign > >The "Stop Massacre" campaign has started in Bihar on 1 July from Miyapur >and it will be run in the whole state till 7 July in both centralised >and decentralised way. A central team led by Com. Ramjatan Sharma and >comprising youth leader Kamlesh Sharma, peasant leader Shivpujan Yadav >and Inquilabi Muslim Conference leader Com. Shah Chand, started from >Miyapur and then addressed a large mass meeting at Goh, street corner >meetings at Pachrukhi, Daudnagar, Obra and Aurangabad on the same day. >On 2 July the team addressed meetings held at Sasaram, Shivsagar, Kudra >and Mohania. On 3 July they addressed meetings at Dinara, Bikramganj and >Gorari. Now the team will pass through Bhojpur, Jahanabad, Gaya and >Patna rural districts to reach Patna town on 7 July. To make Bihar >Assembly gherao on 11 July a success, 25,000 folders, 20,000 posters and >1,50,000 leaflets have been distributed among the masses. The team will >visit the villages affected by massacre, contact victims and ensure >their participation in the gherao. >Three more similar mass contact teams have also started off from Darauli >in Siwan, Darpa in Champaran and Panki in Nalanda. At Darpa, a massive >pledge-taking meeting was held to flag off the campaign on 3 July, the >martyrdom day of Com. Gambhira Sah. > > >Durgapur Bandh on Save MAMC Campaign > >Against the Central Govt. decision to close 5 PSUs including MAMC in >W.B, workers under the banners of �Save MAMC Committees� and �Struggling >Workers Forum� called for Durgapur Bandh on June 21 which was a great >success. Four worker leaders of MAMC started an indefinite hunger strike >from June 21 with massive support of the workers not only of MAMC, but >of the whole Durgapur industrial belt. But then the LF Govt.'s police >forcibly broke the hunger strike on 28 June and arrested the 4 leaders. >Workers registered their angry protest in various parts of the state, in >Calcutta a protest meeting was organised against attack on the MAMC >workers. AICCTU has been all along an active participant in the >movement. > > >Agrarian Labour Conference in Kakinada of Andhra > >A convention on agrarian labour was organised by Party's Kakinada >District Committee at Pithapuram on 24 June, 2000. The convention was >attended by around 1,000 delegates, half of them women. Com. Kumudini >Pati was the chief guest. Speakers in the convention include PB member >Com. B. Sivaraman, CC members Com. N. Murthy and Bangar Rao, AIPWA Vice >President Com. Nagmani and district leaders. The convention discussed >issues like minimum wages, house sites, distribution of govt. and >surplus lands, implementation of DWCRA Deepam, Janambhoomi and other >schemes declared by Chandrababu Naidu. Need for struggle for passage of >Agrarian Labour Bill was also stressed. The experience of resisting >police repression especially by agitators against electricity tariff >hike in Hyderabad was cited and a resolution to resist TADA-like black >law was adopted. It was also resolved to gherao the CM or any state >minister who arrives in the area. On 25 June, RYA activists organised a >militant gherao of state Health Minister. > > >Women Cadres' Workshop > >On 25 June, a workshop of women cadres was held in Kakinada town in >which 35 cadres participated. The workshop dealt with the issues of >organising women agrarian labours, experience of struggle on various >issues of women agrarian labour, exposure of popular schemes declared by >Naidu govt. and building the organisation from below. It was decided >that mass programmes will be taken up at mandal and district levels to >expose the anti-people, anti-labour and pro-imperialist face of Naidu >govt. Area level conferences will be held in Avanigadda and Visannapeta >with 2,500 members each and then the district level conference will be >held in East Godavari. In course of preparation, leaflets will be >distributed, padyatras and effigy burning of Naidu will be held at >district headquarters. A booklet on 'Chandrababu Government and the >Plight of Women in A.P.' will be brought out. All conferences will be >completed by October. The workshop resolved to take up the task of >raising political consciousness of women and launching struggle against >all forms of feudal oppression. > > >RYA National Executive Meet in Nainital > >National Executive of Revolutionary Youth Association was held in >Nainital of U.P. on 29-30 June. The meeting decided to hold the second >national conference of RYA in Varanasi of U.P. on 20-22 November, 2000. >It was decided to expand RYA membership all over the country to one >lakh. A month-long membership campaign will be launched from 15 August >to 15 September, 2000. It was also resolved to launch an extensive mass >movement against BJP misrule from July to October. > > >AIPWA Formed in Bhind > >Towards the end of June AIPWA unit was formed in Bhind district of M.P. >The newly formed unit staged a demonstration before the D.C. protesting >against Miyapur massacre and submitted a memorandum to the President >through the D.C. In the memorandum AIPWA demanded that free weapons >should be supplied to the poor and a panel of ex-chief justice of >Supreme Court be constituted to enquire into the links of Ranvir Sena >with political parties. Moreover, the ban on the killer gang Ranvir Sena >should be implemented seriously. > > >News from Durg District > >Chhattisgarh Mazdoor Kisan Samiti handed over a memorandum to Dhamdha >BDO on 6 June demanding withdrawal of price rise on fertilizer and other >essential commodities along with other local demands and separate >Chhattisgarh state. >In Bhilai a dharna was held on the demands related to E.S.I. A >memorandum signed by 400 workers demanding implementation of facilities >under ESI schemes was handed over to Regional Director. > > >Party Activists Killed > >On 28 June, Party activist Com. Vidyabhushan Singh of Khagaria bigha in >Kalpa PS of Jahanabad was killed by the PWG. In the past 15 days two >more party sympathisers, Nagina Yadav and Janeshwar Bind were also >killed by PWG. >Criminals linked to RJD murdered Party activist Com. Dilip Paswan and >sympathiser Ramlagani Devi of Karai-Parashurai PS in Nalanda district on >26 June. The criminals also murdered local activists Com. Kesho Bind and >Indra Bind in Kamarthu village of the same district on 29 June. While >condoling the death of the martyrs we pledge to avenge their killing. > > >Dharna to Revive DTC > >"Save DTC" dharna was organised by CPI(ML), AICCTU, AIPWA, AISA, RYA, >FDI, LDTF and DTC Workers Unity Centre and other democratic >organisations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 30 June. The agitators >demanded that the govt. should ensure a suitable public transport system >with DTC at the centre of the scheme and private bus operators should >not be allowed a free run in the state. Among the participants were >Comrades Swapan Mukherjee, Raja Ram, Kumudini Pati, Rajendra Pratholi, >Ranjan Ganguli of AICCTU, Kavita Krishnan of AISA, Ravindra Sharma of >FDI, Vinod Khurana of LDTF, N.M. Thomas and Santosh Rai of DTC Workers >Unity Centre. > > >Resistance to Demolition > >In Madhu Vihar area of East Delhi, protesting against Jagmohan's >demolition drive, CPI(ML) and AIPWA activists stopped DDA and Delhi >police from demolishing a house on 27 June and courted arrest. Com. >Rajendra Pratholi, Sunita, Gautam, Jeeta Kaur, Shashi Bhushan were among >those arrested. On 28 June a mass meeting was held at Madhu Vihar where >it was resolved to persistently oppose Jagmohan's demolition drive. > > >Agitating Students Attacked at Ramjas > >Left student organisations including AISA, DSU, PSU, PCS and SFI had >blocked the admission process in Ramjas College of Delhi University on >27 June in protest against fee hike. Soon they were attacked by hired >goons led by the College Principal. The police too intervened by the >side of the administration and forcefully lifted students from dharna >and arrested. Among those who received injuries were AISA leader >Srikant, PSU leader Rakesh, DSU leader Sunil, etc. > > >Anti-Emergency Day > >Chennai City Committee organised a convention on 26 June in which Com. >S. Kumarsamy, SV Rajadurai of PUCL and Giani, a journalist, addressed a >gathering of about 150 participants. Speakers pointed to the state of >undeclared emergency today imposed by 'heroes' of the earlier emergency. > >In Patna, a dharna was staged at Railway Station chowk against emergency >and impending fascism. It was addressed by Party and mass organisation >leaders. > > >Agrarian Labour Conference in Tamilnadu > >Conference of Agricultural Labour Association of Thiruvidai Maruthur >block of Tanjore District of Tamil Nadu was held on 10 June. 51 >delegates including 14 women representing 7 panchayats (23 villages) >attended the conference. Active discussion ensued on three basic points, >of which equal wages for women labourers was the main. It was decided to >educate the male workers in this regard, develop village level activism >and take up the issue actively in the coming season. >On the house site question, it was decided to organise agitation at a >large scale demanding withdrawal of the new policy that provided >immunity for temple and Mutts land and distribution of those lands among >the needy poor agri-labourer families. The size of free land patta be >increased to 5 cents and agri-labourer and poor peaseants should get the >priority in providing pattas of govt. vest lands. Another resolution >demanded 50 Kg rice per month supply through PDS, out of which 30 Kg >free in the off-season to the all agri-labourers. > > >Anti-DMK Govt. Initiatives > >Cadre meetings of AICCTU were held in Ambatur as well as in Chennai >metro to discuss preparations for the 3-month long anti-DMK statewide >campaign of AICCTU. It was decided to hold classes, general body >meetings, street corner meeting, public meeting and demonstration in >Ambattur estate and to mobilize 2,500 workers for the AICCTU state >rally. Com. KR Pazhaniappan, AS Kumar and Rajaian attended the Ambattur >meeting and in Madras metro Com. G Radhakrishan and C Mathivanan were >present. >Democratic Powerloom Labor Union held its General Body Meeting in >Kumarapalayam in which about 1300 workers participated. It was decided >to make the anti-DMK campaign and the state rally of AICCTU a grand >success. >A Party cadre meeting held in Dhamapuri decided to hold a convention >against anti-people DMK government. >In a RYA activist meet held in Salem, district body was formed and Com. >K Vidudalai Kumaran, state RYA president urged the participants to take >vigorous anti-DMK movement in the state. > > >General Strike in Ecuador > >Tens of thousands of Ecuadorians participated in a 48-hour strike on >June 15-16 at the call of the Coordination of Social Organizations -- an >umbrella of unions, peasant, and community groups -- and the Popular >Front. Doctors, teachers, electrical and oil workers and students joined >the protests on the first day. Indigenous peasants blocked roads in the >northern and southern regions of the country. The million-strong >Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador did not join the >strike but offered support. Four protesters were injured and 10 arrested >in clashes with the police in Quito. Unity of whole Ecuadorian people >against the ruling class in action through diversified forms is a quite >encouraging new feature in the class struggle. The immediate cause for >strike was to protest against President Gustavo Noboa's plans to >"dollarize" the economy, to replace the Ecuadorian sucre with the US >dollar as the national currency. Workers and peasants charged that the >move will decimate their purchasing power. >Massive protests have been there in Ecuador against the economic chaos >and attempts to impose IMF-backed neo-liberal policies of austerity and >privatization. However, before the protest could lead to the emergence >of a popular government, the US-backed Ecuadorian military intervened in >January and Noboa took power from Jamil Mahuad. The new wave of popular >protest represents renewal of this past movement. > > >Performance in UP Panchayat Elections > > >In the recently held panchayat elections in U.P., though in terms of >number of seats contested our participation for district panchayats was >limited to 70 seats only, yet most of our Party units utilised it to >conduct Party's political propaganda at grassroots level. In some >districts our participation was in a concentrated way, for instance in >Chandauli we put up candidates for 22 seats out of the total 23 and won >a seat from Niyamatabad block. In Ghazipur too we won a district >panchayat seat from Zamania. In Naugarh block of Chandauli our candidate >lost by a narrow margin of 150 votes. In Pilibhit, our candiate put up a >strong fight against the BJP-Maneka candidate, the outgoing president of >district panchayat, and polled 8,500 votes losing by a margin of nearly >1,000 votes. Here we could mobilise not only democratic sections but >also the opposition mass base. > > >Student-Youth Convention Against Fee Hike > >Left student organisations organised a joint convention against fee hike >at DPA Hall, Lucknow on 29 June. It was attended by over hundred >students and youth. It was decided to hold a demonstration before the >Vice Chancellor's residence and submit a memorandum signed by 5,000 >students. The presidium of the convention included AISA state president >Rakesh Singh, SFI leader Ashish Awasthi and AISF leader Ichha Shankar. >RYA, DYFI and AIYF representatives also addressed the convention. > > >>From Vinod Mishra's Writings > >Struggle Against Liquidationism > >"The present ideological environment provides quite fertile ground for >the rise and growth of liquidationist ideas. Liquidationism essentially >means erosion of the party spirit which (i.e., party spirit) again is >not an abstract thing, but is embodied in the party's revolutionary >principles and in its integrated organisational structure. Compromising >these principles and treating the party as a federal body will only >weaken the party's fighting capacity and encourage centrifugal >tendencies. >Real life has proved that a decisive struggle against liquidationism has > __________________________________ 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] ___________________________________
