> >ML Update >A CPI (ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol. 3; No.35; 6-9-2000 > > >Editorial > >Vajpayee's Week-Kneed Mission to Washington > >Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is off on a fortnight long trip to >the US. Some two decades ago, Vajpayee had visited the US as India's >external affairs minister to deliver the first Hindi speech from India >in the UN General Assembly. For two decades, the Sangh Parivar and >Vajpayee admirers have basked in the presumed glory of that great >'Swadeshi' feat. Now as Prime Minister of India's shameless saffron >coalition, the current US trip is being billed as one of Vajpayee's >biggest achievements during his prime ministerial tenure so far. The >nation will be waiting anxiously to know what swadeshi feats are >accomplished by Vajpayee in his present avatar during his current trip. >Ever since he sat on the PM's chair, Vajpayee has been sparing no >efforts to please his American masters. The economic policy of India had >already been modified enough to satisfy almost every major US demand. >Apart from removing the last few irritants on the economic front, >Vajpayee has been determined to redesign India's Kashmir policy and >foreign policy to subserve the US strategy of a unipolar world under >exclusive American domination. Clinton's visit to India earlier this >year revealed the endless extent of saffron slavery to imperialist >diktats. Since then Vajpayee has been religiously carrying on his >homework for his present US visit. >The shadow of US design has been most clearly visible in Kashmir. Even >as the NDA government summarily rejected the J&K government's plea for a >dialogue on the autonomy resolution adopted by the State Assembly, talks >were initiated with the Hizbul Mujahideen. And Vajpayee made his now >famous statement about his government's readiness to go beyond the >Constitution to meet the militants' demands. But the talks with the HM >soon broke down with New Delhi's refusal to involve Islamabad and >conditions in the troubled state have now once again slipped back to a >near-war situation. Thanks to the mischievous US guideline, New Delhi >has managed to burn its bridges with every major force in the valley and >conditions are just tailor-made for increasing US intervention in the >subcontinent. >On the economic policy front, too, the government has been working >overtime to appease the American masters. Even though actual US >investment in this country has not yet exceeded the $2.5 billion mark, >New Delhi is busy relaxing the last investment restrictions in every >conceivable field including publication and entertainment. The granting >of free entry to MNCs in the STD segment and the imminent >corporatisation of the department of telecommunications have rendered >India's vital infrastructural sector utterly vulnerable to US moves. >Meanwhile, disinvestment and privatisation have been progressing apace, >and in the name of removing the last vestiges of subsidies, key sectors >like agriculture, higher education and other public services of key >importance have also been exposed to the sinister design of imperialist >capital. >Indian corporate bosses and other custodians of US interests in India >are apparently quite disturbed by the reported knee troubles of Mr. >Vajpayee. The Prime Minister is suffering from osteo-arthritis. Doctors >ascribe it to old age, but saffron watchers attribute it to the Prime >Minister's well-known habit of kneeling down to imperialist pressures, a >habit he has religiously cultivated since his student-life in the 1940s. >But the Sangh Parivar is not undoubtedly worried: if Vajpayee finds it >difficult to fold his knees, he can always lie down in prostration. For >the sanghis, there can perhaps be no spectacle more 'swadeshi' than a >'glorious' feat of surrender to the American bosses. Every Indian with a >sense of national dignity and patriotic pride must stand firmly on his >or her feet to save the country from the ignominious fallouts of >Vajpayee's weak-kneed mission to Washington. > > >Condolence > >Com. Gangadhar Yadav (35), a member of Party's Giridih District >Committee was killed by MCC, or Lalkhandies as they are called in >Jharkhand, on 4 September in the morning at Garmundo village in Saria >P.S. of Giridih. >Com. Siddhi Bind (30), Bhutnath Mahato (50) and Yadunandan Paswan (50), >three local Party activists, were murdered by PWG killers in Bistaul >village of Jahanabad on 1 September. >While expressing our deep shock on their martyrdom we share the grief >with their families and the comrades in the region. Party will not let >these sacrifices go in vain and will avenge the death of these comrades >by mobilising greater masses to fulfil their dream. > > >Commentary > >BJP's Nagpur Session > >At present BJP is the largest parliamentary party of our country and the >leading party of the ruling coalition. However, in 1999 the party got >2.3% less votes than 1998 elections even though a 25-party coalition was >there. Belying their fond hope to emerge as the single party with >absolute majority, the results put the seal on the realisation that BJP >has reached a plateau. Therefore, appointment for the first time of a >dalit as its president who gives a call to woo Muslims in his first >speech as the head of the outfit may carry some meaning for this party >of Hindutwa. The prime concern of the party, as Bangaru admitted, is >that "BJP has not yet become the preferred party of governance". Despite >being the leading party at the centre it is ruling only in two states >plus UP, where it faces a bleak future in the next elections. For a >ruling party like BJP, importance of holding the fort of UP, which would >despatch as many as 81 MPs even after its reorganisation, can be >belittled at their own peril. But the party has lost the magic mix of >kamandal with mandal, so now it is groping for some new hotch-potch. >Though Bangaru has appealed to dalits, Muslims and backwards in the same >vein, it is clear that the endeavour is aimed to make bridges with >dalits and Muslims, the traditional votaries of Congress. In a way, BJP >wants to accomplish a miraculous feat -- not only to replace Congress as >a "preferred party of governance" but even to win over its old >vote-bank! Naturally it needs a further dose of Hindu secularism. One >wonders whether treading on the footsteps of Congress tomorrow the BJP >leadership may appeal to liberal intelligentsia and the Left! > > > >Protest & Resistence > >Police Firing at Arrah on Party's 'Zabab Do' Rally > >CPI(ML) held a massive "Zabab do" rally on 30 August at Arrah >Collectorate protesting against the killing of Com. Vishwanath Ram. It >was led by Party PB member Com. Ram Naresh Ram and ex-M.P. Com. >Rameshwar Prasad. The district administration acted on a pre-planned >conspiracy hatched at the behest of state govt. and the police first >resorted to an unprovoked lathicharge and then opened fire in which 3 >Party activists got killed and a fourth was admitted to Patna Medical >Hospital in critical condition. Around 50 activists got injured and Com. >Ram Naresh Ram and Rameshwar Prasad too sustained lathi blows. The >demonstrators were also demanding probe on police firing at Hazaribagh. >In Hazaribagh, a woman was raped and later killed by criminals. People >protesting police callousness in this regard had blocked road at >Chauparan on 29 August. Police opened fire and killed 8 innocent people. >Apart from killing 3 students at Imamganj, police had treated women with >medieval barbarity in Jhanjharpur and Samastipur. >Party demanded judicial enquiry into police firing at Arrah, suspension >of DSP Prakash Mishra and Rajiv Ranjan and institution of murder case >under Sec.302 against them and punitive action against DM and SP. To >protest police highhandedness, Black Day was observed statewide on 31 >August and a call was given to observe "Chakka Jam" on 2 September. > > >72 Hours Fast Against Imamganj Killing > > Party CC member Com. Saroj Chaube and student and youth leaders >Com. Kamlesh Sharma, Shashi Yadav, Paramhans Kumar, Dhananjay Sharma and >Ranvijay Kumar sat on a fast for 72 hours from 29 August to 1 September >demanding suspension of Imamganj picket incharge UK Mishra, OC of >Paliganj P.S. Dilu Lohar, BDO of Paliganj and their arrest under Sec.302 >and punitive action against Patna DM Amit Khare and SSP Sunil Kumar, and >release of AISA leader Sushil Kumar. The comrades broke their fast with >fruit juice offered by Party General. Secretary Com. Dipankar >Bhattacharya on 1 September. > > >Corporatisation of Telecom Dept. Criticised > > CPI(ML) reacting on the Cabinet decision to corporatise telecom >department (DoT) said that the decision was taken under the pressure of >multinationals, US companies in particular, who are eager to complete >privatisation of the telecom sector. This step to please the American >masters on the eve of PM's visit will have an adverse impact on >country's telecom industry and its employees. > > >Demonstration Against Police Repression > >CPI(ML) held a demonstration before D.M. office of Lakhimpur Kheri >district in UP protesting police repression on the family of a communist >revolutionary Com. Bechu asking him to stop it immediately. > > >Resistance to Feudal Oppression in Gonda > >A Party cadre Com. Shivram had filed a report against some feudal goons >who had beaten a dalit youth on refusing to serve as a begar. >Consequently Com. Shivram was attacked by goons on 15 August at Paska >village of Paspur PS in Gonda. However, the BJP leaders who patronise >these goons pressurized police to register a case against Com. Shivram >under 307 Cr.PC. Against this CPI(ML) brought out a 12-km. march against >feudal oppression under the leadership of Com. Mahesh Singh and gheraoed >Paspur police station on 17 August. A mass meeting was also organised >which was attended by 300 persons. Ultimately the police was forced to >register FIR against the culprits under 307 Cr.PC and SC/ST Act. > > > >Solidarity Movements > >Party Protested Against Firing in Hyderabad > >CPI(ML)-Liberation activists burnt effigy of Chandrababu Naidu's and >held protest demonstration at Parliament Street in Delhi on 30 August >against the repression and police firing on 28 August at Hyderabad. >Addressing the demonstrators Party PB member Swadesh Bhattacharya >strongly condemned Naidu's govt. for police firing on agitators >protesting the power tariff hike, saying that the incident has revealed >the real barbaric face hidden behind a much-hyped cyber state. CC >members B.B. Pandey and P.V. Srinivas, and Lal Bahadur Singh, Ranjit >Abhigyan, Rajiv Dimri, Ranjan Ganguly and Santosh Rai participated in >the demonstration. >In Calcutta, CPI(ML) and other 9 revolutionary left organisations >organised a protest march. At the end of the march the effigy of Naidu >was burnt. The March was led by Kartick Pal and leaders of other >organisations. While returning, 18 comrades were arrested. A fax was >also sent to the Governor, A.P. on behalf of 10 organisations demanding >judicial enquiry and adequate compensation to the families of deceased >and wounded. > > >Demo at Bihar Bhawan in Delhi Against Arrah Firing > >Hundreds of Party activists and supporters held protest demonstration on >2 September at Bihar Bhawan. Police tried to stop the processionists >marching from Teen Murti but the demonstrators pressed forward shouting >slogans "Rein the unbriddled Bihar Police", "Hold judicial enquiry of >Arrah firing". Close to Bihar Bhawan they were arrested by the police. >The demonstrators were led by CC member Kumudini Pati, Rajendra >Pratholi, and others. A protest march was held in Calcutta against >barbaric police firing on peaceful agitation at Arrah, Bihar. The march >was led by Com. Basudev Bose, Arijit Mitra and others. > > >Initiatives > > >Convention for United Movement > > On Sep. 1, CPI(ML) Liberation, New Democracy, PCC, Janashakti, >Unity Initiative, Communist Revolutionary Centre, COI (ML), Sramik >Sangram Committee, Marxist Forum and Sangrami Gana Manch organised a >convention at Calcutta for devoloping united movement against >imperialist onslaught, new economic policies, saffron onslaught and >anti-people policies of central and W.B. State Govt. Minimum aggrement >was reached on immediate issues. To counter the politics of killings and >terror unleashed both by TMC and CPI (M), political slogan to step up >class struggle was raised. On behalf of our organisation Com. Kalyan >Goswami spoke in the convention. > > >CPI(ML) Demands UP Govt.'s Resignation > >CPI(ML) observed statewide protest day on 2 Sep. in protest of Padrauna >firing, Arrah (Bihar) firing and increasing incidents of barbaric police >repression on mass movements. Party demanded a judicial enquiry into >Padrauna firing on a silent procession on 29 Sep. and resignation of BJP >govt. which is refusing to hold an enquiry. On this day, Party staged a >dharna at GPO and submitted a memorandum to the Governor on killing of >dalits and police atrocities. In Kanpur, effigy of UP govt. was brunt >and in Pilibhit a dharna was staged before district headquarters. Party >State Committee team visiting Padrauna found that the police had opened >fire unprovokingly on agitating wokers of closed sugar mills, who were >demanding outstanding salary and sugarcane growers demanding long >overdue payment. Several students were also injured in the firing. >Earlier, Lucknow unit of CPI(ML) held a demonstration on 30 September to >protest against firing in Hyderabad on agitators belonging to 9 left >parties and burnt the effigy of Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of >Andhra. > > >Successful Chakka Jam ( Road Blockade ) in Bihar on 2 Sep. > > Statewide 'Chakka Jam' ( Road Blockade ) called by CPI(ML) against >increasing incidents of barbaricpolice atrocities and particularly >killing of students at Imamganj and firing at Arrah, was completely >successful. In this course, police conducted lathicharge at Kursela >(Katihar), Raghunathpur (Siwan), Dulhin Bazar (Patna), Sheikhpura, >Rajauli (Nawada) etc., injuring around 50 comrades. More than 3000 Party >activists and supporters were arrested while enforcing Chakka Jam. They >include Party CC members Com. K.D. Yadav and Saroj Chaube, along with >Com. Kamlesh Sharma, Dhirendra Jha, MLA Satyadev Ram, Ex-MLA Amar Yadav. >Vaishali Ex., Satyagrah Ex, and several passenger trains were stopped >for several hours. Transport on important roads including GT Road and >NH-31 came to a complete halt. > > >Party Gets Symbol in U.P. > >U.P. State Election Commission (Panchayat and Local Bodies) has accorded >CPI(ML) the status of a recognised party in UP and reserved the symbol >of "Flag with three stars" for CPI(ML). This will be helpful in >forthcoming elections to local bodies. > > >Land Retrieved From Local Despot in Ghazipur > > In Nahaiba village of Saidabad PS in Ghazupur district of UP, on >31 August Party activists retrieved the land of a dalit household having >the patta for it from a local despot who had forcibly seized the land. > > >Demo at DC Office in Delhi > > Delhi Northwest district unit of CPI(ML) held a demonstration at >Deputy Commissioner's office on 30 August. It was participated in by 200 >activists. A 15-point charter of demand-- including ending police-mafia >atrocities and demolition of slum houses and provision of civic >amenities --was submitted. Com. Rajendra Pratholi, Jeeta Kaur and other >district leaders led it. > > > >Culture > >Fascist Intervention in Culture Decried > >Jan Sanskriti Manch strongly decried the bureaucratic and fascist >intervention in culture by government declaring a painting as >anti-Constitutional and consequent prohibiting its exibition in National >Gallary of Modern Art. The painting depicting a Greek mythological >character Icarus atop the Lion Capital is a telling commentary on Indian >state of affairs. On behalf of JSM, Brij Bihari Pandey hailed the >solidarity protest by 25 young painters who decided to call off the >exhibition of their paintings against the govt. official decree. > > >'Nazar' -- Photography Exhibition at Varanasi > >On 21 August, World Photography Day, Indus Cultural Society held a >photography exhibition 'Nazar' in Indus Art Gallary, Varanasi, in which >70 young and veteran photographers participated. The subject of >photograph is 'Banaras'. Introducing the subject in a seminar organised >at the venue BK Singh, chairman of CRAFFT, said that without a committed >and consistent viewpoint the 'nazar' (sight) has no meaning. In this era >of globalisation objective reality is being covered by colourful fantasy >and this is making us impotent by cutting us from our roots. The >situation calls upon using the camera with a realist angle. The seminar >was conducted by Mukesh of Kala Commune and the main speaker at the >seminar was DL Vohra, ex-member of Royal Photographic Society of >London. Ranjit Sen, Uday Yadav, Pradip Tiwari and Vimal Yadav also among >the speakers. > > >Seminar in Varanasi > >Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh(PWA), Janwadi Lekhak Sangh(DWA), Jan Sanskriti >Manch and Kala Commune organised a seminar to felicitate writer >Kashinath Singh on 27 August at Indology Lecture Theatre in Varanasi. >This was the first occasion when the presidents of three main left >cultural organisations of the country, namely Trilochan Shashtri of JSM, >Namwar Singh of PWA and Chandrabali Singh of DWA shared the dias. Kala >Commune organised a poetry-poster exhibition at 'Assi' at the bank of >Ganga. Several renowned literary personalities participated in the >seminar. > > > >International Solidarity > >The 'Clinton effect' > >Against Clinton's visit to Colombia and the US "Plan Colombia", besides >protest march in Vienna and other European cities, 200 people took to >the streets in New York on Aug. 30. Thousands of people heard a united >message of "U.S.A., CIA, out of Colombia!". This was one of the dozen >protests in the cities across America. In many Latin American countries >the population took to the streets. The Colombian liberation movement >too undertook a number of actions. Reportedly, more than 20 Colombians >died on account of Clinton visit. >Large number of Colombians have fled to Venezuela after a right-wing >paramilitary group attacked their town in northeastern Colombia, >displacing up to 1,500 people following Cliton visit. Conern about this >'Clinton effect' and its possible spillover dominated the first regional >summit of South American leaders in Brazil. Colombia's neighbours >Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela said that they were concerned about >a widening of the violence as the US bolsters Colombia's military might. >Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whose country shares a 1,400-mile >border with Colombia, said he was worried about the plan's strong focus >on a military solution. >In the meanwhile the communique issued by both the Revolutionary >Armies-The FARC-EP, in the name of millions of our citizens, declared >the presence of Clinton in Colombian territory "non grata". FARC >communique says: "The Plan Colombia, with its English inventors, means a >serious threat against our peace process and a real danger of >generalization of the war, a growing military intervention of the >Yankees that could lead to a vietnamization. With the Plan Colombia, >North American imperialism is trying to consolidate the neo-liberal >political economy by the way of military intervention and attacks our >sovereignty in order to impose the politics of the IMF without >resistance. >"Washington should know that in Colombia there are a people ready to >give all in defense of the fatherland. We can assure that the FARC, >supported by the people, will not accept any ultimatum. Our >undestroyable will to fight is strongly linked to the fight for social >justice, real democracy, entire sovereignty and a new State of the >people and for the people. >"We call to the Colombian people to express in all the possible forms, >with a sentiment for the fatherland and of dignity, inspired by >anti-imperialism and the Latin American unity expressed by our liberator >Simon Bolivar, their rejection to the imperialist visit, his Plan >Colombia and to the oligarchy that sells out our fatherland". EP in its >clarion call said: "Colombia for the Workers Not a step backward ! >Liberation or Death "! > > >Strengthen the Party Campaign > >Relation Between Party and the Class > >A political party can comprise only a minority of a class, in the same >way as the really class conscious workers in any capitalist society >constitute only a minority of all workers. The political party is the >politically conscious, advanced section of the class, it is its >vanguard. The strength of that vanguard is ten times, a hundred times, >more than hundred times greater than its numbers. Is it possible? Can >the strength of hundreds be greater than the strength of thousands? It >can be, and is, when the hundreds are organised. The political >consciousness of the advanced contingent is, incidentally, manifested in >its ability to organise. By organising it achieves unity of will and >this united will of an advanced thousand, hundred thousand, million >becomes the will of the class. >After the numerically small stratum of advanced workers comes the broad >stratum of average workers. These workers, too, participate in workers' >study circles, read news papers and books, participate in agitation and >differ from the preceding stratum only in that they cannot become fully >independent leaders of the Communist working-class movement. ... (They) >will not be able to get a full grasp of an intricate theoretical or >practical problem. > Lastly, behind the stratum of avarage workers comes the mass that >constitutes the lower strata of the proletariat. It is quite possible >that a socialist newspaper will be completely or well-nigh >incomprehensible to them ... different forms of agitation and propaganda >must be brought to bear on these strata -- pamphlets written in more >popular language, oral agitation, and chiefly -- leaflets on local >events. The Communists should not confine themselves even to this; it is >quite possible that the first steps towards arousing the consciousness >of lower strata of the workers will have to take the form of (legal) >educational activities. --(Lenin CWs Vol: 4, 9, 19, 31). > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. 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