>ML Update
>A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
>Vol.-3; No.-39; 4-10-2000
>
>Editorial:
>
>Roll Back the Unacceptable Hike in Petro-Prices
>
>
>The NDA government is trying to cushion its second successive
>announcement of a steep hike in the prices of petroleum products with a
>whole set of false arguments. It is being argued that the hike has been
>rendered necessary by the rise in petroleum prices in the international
>market. This argument is untenable, for the prices have all along been
>higher in the Indian market because of taxes and duties. The prices in
>the international market are known to fluctuate and a trend of decline
>is also being seen over the last few days. But prices once increased
>never come down in India. Obviously, the government is merely taking
>advantage of the hike in the international market to advance its own
>ongoing campaign for elimination of subsidies on diesel, kerosene and
>cooking gas.
>The government claims that it is transferring only a third of the burden
>on to the consumers. If the government can bear two-thirds of the burden
>by slashing customs and excise duties and refunding oil pool deposit
>from the exchequer, it could also have borne the remaining one-third of
>the burden in a similar manner. If the hike in international prices
>means an increase in the government's import bill, attempts should have
>been made to reduce imports by curbing the all too visible wasteful
>expenditure of petrol by the top bureaucracy and the consumerist elite
>sections of the society. Instead of penalising the ordinary citizen,
>much of the additional burden could be recovered by asking car owners to
>shell out a bit more by way of special taxes and imposing surcharge on
>the growing sale of luxury cars in the country.
>Hike in the prices of diesel and kerosene will hit the poor
>disproportionately harder; the steep rise in the price of cooking gas
>cylinder will also affect millions of working and lower-middle class
>households. The same government which refuses to treat cyclones and
>floods as national calamities, leaving it primarily on the calamity-hit
>states and the people to fend for themselves, is now rushing to transfer
>the impact of an international rise in petroleum prices on the entire
>nation. The same government which is bent upon privatising even
>profit-making public sector industries and removing every subsidy meant
>for the poor and the needy, is bent upon nationalising and subsidising
>the petro-profligacy of the rich and the powerful. It is also important
>to understand the real meaning of globalisation in the light of this
>price hike. If the oil-producing and oil-exporting countries can
>increase their bargaining power, India must also learn to respond to the
>challenge by uniting with tea-producing countries to bring about a
>comparable increase in the prices of Indian exports.
>Meanwhile, the hike in petroleum prices has fuelled the NDA's internal
>crisis in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, who for obvious reasons has of
>late been trying to distance herself from the BJP on the eve of the
>forthcoming Assembly elections, has found an opportune occasion in the
>hike to tender her resignation. It remains to be seen, however, if like
>ever before she will climb down in a few days, if only as a goodwill
>gesture for Vajpayee's imminent knee operation!
>Her complaint of not being 'consulted' on the hike issue is of course
>not to be taken seriously. She has raised this issue only to keep open
>the option of a subsequent climbdown. The TMC has been snubbed recently
>on three occasions-- firstly, by the Centre's refusal to do anything
>'visible and concrete' in West Bengal, by Nitish Kumar's recommendation
>for adequate central assistance for flood-hit West Bengal (Mamata would
>like the nation to believe that the Left Front government had
>'engineered' the present spate of unprecedented floods in the state only
>to obscure the law and order issue!) and by the BJP's move to induct a
>second BJP minister from West Bengal bringing the BJP's representation
>at par with the TMC's. The resignation drama is Mamata's way of hitting
>back. While not carrying any immediate threat to the survival of the NDA
>government, it surely has the potential of unleashing a realignment of
>political forces in West Bengal and beyond.
>In short, the hike in petro-prices has started fuelling widespread
>public resentment and even adding to the NDA's internal crisis. The
>situation is ripe for a wave of militant and united mass protests. Let
>us move resolutely in that direction.
>
>
>Martyrs Memory
>
>Resistance March, Mass Meeting in Muzaffarpur
>
>
>To attend the resistance meeting organised at Etbarpur in Bochaha PS of
>Muzaffarpur district in Bihar on 28 Sept., thousands of people from
>Muzaffarpur and adjacent villages of Darbhanga participated in 'March to
>Bochaha'. Prior to this the foundation stone of the martyrs column in
>memory of Com. Kishor Sahni was laid at Etbarpur in presence of Party
>Gen. Secy. Com. Dipankar and PB member Com. Ram Naresh Ram. Com. Kishor
>fell to police bullets on 23 Sept., the Bihar Bandh day while leading a
>road blockade at Etbarpur. Following this, people gheraoed the DM of
>Muzaffarpur and compelled him to suspend the OC of Bochaha PS. But
>neither he was arrested nor a case was instituted against him. So Party
>intensified the protest movement and organised this programme. Com.
>Dipankar in his address said that out of fear of peoples's might, this
>coward govt. has taken recourse to lathis and bullets, so it must be
>taught a lesson by the people. The meeting was also addressed by Com.
>Ranjit Abhigyan, Central Secretariat member, Party's Mithilanchal
>incharge Com. Dhirendra Jha, Muzaffarpur District Party Secy. Com. Meena
>Tiwary, Com. Shatrughna Sahni and others.
>
>
>Com. Subbu's Martyrdom Day Observed
>
>
>A memorial meeting was held on Comrade Subbu's martyrdom day on 13 Sept.
>in front of the martyr's colummn erected in Madakkottai village of
>Muthuramalingam disttrict in Tamil Nadu. Local Party leader Com.
>Duraimanikkam hoisted the red flag. Party district secretary Com. T.
>Pandian, AIPWA distt. organiser Mary, People's Rights Movement leader
>Karuppayya and other local prominent leaders paid homage to the heroic
>martyr.
>
>
>Protests & Resistence
>
>AICCTU Rally In T.N
>
>
>More than four thousand workers led by AICCTU marched on the streets of
>Chennai with red flags and banners on 28 September, challenged the
>govt's false claim of occupying no.1 position in the influx of capital
>and rapid industrialisation. They raised slogans against anti-worker
>policies, large no. of sick industries, particularly closure of textile
>mills, police repression and oppression of dalits.
>The rally participated in by workers from organised as well as
>unorganised sectors, large number of women, was flagged off by Com. N.K.
>Natarajan, secretary of Tamil Nadu unit of AICCTU. The meeting was
>presided over by AICCTU working president Com. S. Kumaraswamy. Party
>State Secretary Com. S. Balasundaram, Com. Bharathi of AISA, Com. C.
>Eraniyappan of RYA and Com. Bhuvana of AIPWA were among the speakers.
>
>
>Hike in Oil-Gas Prices Protested
>
>
>On 2 October, protest marches were taken out in Patna and other towns of
>Bihar by CPI(ML) against the recent steep hike in the prices of
>petroleum products. RYA and AISA burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Atal
>Bihari Vajpayee.
>Kerala trade unions under the leadership of left and regional parties
>called for a dawn-to-desk statewide general strike on Oct 4, and
>organised protest demonstrations against hike in fuel prices.
>Motor transporters are to go on an indefinite strike from Nov. 3
>preceded by a day hunger strike on Oct.10 in all parts of the country
>according to All India Motor Transport Congress. These are the
>indications of the mood of the masses against the recent assault on
>their life.
>
>
>AISA Dharna in Lucknow
>
>
>Protesting against govt. repression on minorities and its attempt to
>tarnish the image of prestigious Aligarh Muslim University in the name
>of I.S.I. activities, AISA held a dharna at G.P.O. Park in Lucknow on 27
>Sept. Students from AMU also participated in it. Sunil Yadav, General
>Secretary of AISA, Rakesh Singh and Ajit Yadav, state AISA leaders and
>Hemant from AMU addressed the students sitting on dharna.
>
>
>MTNL Dharna in Delhi
>
>
>MTNL employees organised day-long dharna and a mass meeting at GM(North)
>office in Delhi on 26 Sept. protesting assault on trade union rights and
>the treachery by "recognised" unions who entered into an agreement with
>the management that there will be no strike till 2006. The mass meeting
>held at mid-day recess was presided over by Shiv Shankar of MTNL Mazdoor
>Sangh. The meeting was addressed by Com. Satbir Singh and PN Kaul,
>leaders of MTNL Employees Union and veteran leader Com. Sagliram Sharma.
>The speakers decried govt.'s fascist assault on trade union rights and
>surrender by "recognised" union leaders, and vowed to make the coming 11
>October protest rally a success.
>
>
>Police Repression on Minorities in Meerut
>
>
>UP police proved its communal credentials once again when on 28 Sept.
>when police went on rampage in Macheran Bazar, a Muslim-majority area in
>Meerut. They mercilessly beat local residents, misbehaved with women,
>looted their property and the whole business of the area came to
>standstill. On 27 Sep. govt. fisheries deptt. had conducted illegal
>raids in the area and harassed local people. Consequently tension
>prevailed and traders kept their shops closed. Com. Prem Singh, member
>of Central Secretariat, after investigation in the area met the DM
>along with a delegation of local people and demanded that culprit
>policemen be suspended and punished, proper compensation be paid and
>police must apologise for the excesses. This has drawn positive response
>from the local people.
>
>Six Party Supporters Killed by PWG in Patna
>
>Adopting the style of feudal private army Ranvir Sena, People's War gang
>has perpetrated a massacre of six poor CPI(ML) supporters in
>Badepura-Shabazpur-Mehaddipur villages of Punpun PS in Patna district on
>October 2. Local people offered stiff resistance to the killers. The
>deceased include Vineshwar Paswan, Raj Kishore, Bihari Chaudhary and
>Arvind Paswan. On October 1, Ranvir Sena criminals killed Indal Majhi, a
>resident of Bigan Bigaha at Goraiya Bagicha in Nauatpur PS in Patna
>district.
>While strongly condemning the two barbaric killings perpetrated by the
>PWG and Ranvir Sena, Party has declared to observe protest programme
>against these massacres throughout Bihar on October 4. At a time when
>CPI(ML) has launched a movement against massacres and police atrocities,
>for development and democracy in Bihar, PWG by perpetrating massacre of
>CPI(ML) supporters is only trying to weaken this movement and strengthen
>the hands of Ranvir Sena and the government. Party has appealed to all
>progressive and pro-democracy persons to rise against PWG and Ranvir
>Sena.
>
>Student-Youth Convention in Samastipur
>
>AISA and RYA organised a seminar on the question of development of Bihar
>on 23 Sept. in Samastipur, in which besides hundreds of students and
>youth from the district many citizens and intellectuals also
>participated. It was addressed by Central Secretariat member Com. Ranjit
>Abhigyan, Party's Mithilanchal incharge Com. Dhirendra Jha, RYA leader
>Kamlesh Sharma and others.
>
>
>
>Exposure:
>
>
>Police is the Killer and Police Stations are Slaughter Houses in U.P.
>
>
>Hindi daily Janasatta (27-9-2000) reports: The police has turned into a
>killer gang and police stations have become slaughter houses in U.P.
>During the first six months this year as many as 26,829 cases of
>violation have been registered with the National Human Rights Commission
>from this state. As many as 159 persons have been died in police custody
>in U.P. this year alone. Police has opened fire on sugarcane growers,
>along with revenue officials killed a peasant on the charge of not
>clearing the loan. Lawyers have been thrashed to bleed in Etawah. Be it
>6-year old Kanhaiya of Sonebhadra or Jangali Ram of Mohammadabad, police
>shoots to kill both in the same style. This is in no way democracy, this
>is only rule of the gun. An emaciated Ram Prakash Gupta govt. has failed
>to check police autocracy. PUCL state president Chittaranjan Singh says
>the criminals are running the government and organised gang of goons in
>police garb are wreaking havoc in the state, they have been given
>licence to kill people.
>Police and revenue officials thrashed to kill Lallan Singh (35) at Korha
>village of Machhalishahar in Jaunpur district of U.P. on 18 September
>just because he could not pay back outstanding loan amounting to
>Rs.1800. Knowing that he was dead, the revenue officials left the corpse
>outside town hospital and fled away. When people agitated at this
>incident were holding a protest demonstration the next day, police
>opened fire to kill a newspaper hawker Surendra Maurya (28). The body of
>Lallan Bind was not handed over to his family, the police silently burnt
>it to ashes.
>An investigation team led by Com. Ambarish Rai visisted Machhalishahar
>and found that it was another example of state repression and BJP govt's
>autocracy. Party has demanded institution of murder case against revenue
>and police officials for the two killings.
>
>
>Initiatives
>
>Students and youth to gherao the UP Assembly
>
>
>UP student-youth struggle committee held a meeting on 28 Sept. in
>Lucknow University, in which it was decided to gherao the UP Assembly on
>October 20to voice their protest against fee hikes, cut in admission
>seats and increasing incidents of state repression by the BJP government
>against students, youths, workers and peasants. It will also protest
>against the harassment of the minorities in UP and the tarnishing of AMU
>in the name of curbing the I.S.I. activities. Participants in the
>meeting included office-bearers of various student-youth organisations
>and other student leaders.
>The meeting of the struggle committee was addressed by Com. Lal Bahadur
>Singh, Gen. Secy. of RYA, Com. Sunil Yadav, Gen. Secy. of AISA, AIYF
>State President Phoolchand Yadav, AMU leaders Joshan, Shahid and
>Tarique, AISA state leaders Ajit Singh Yadav and others. They pointed
>out that the subsidies for higher education, health and other basic
>needs are being cut according to the directives of the IMF and World
>Bank. They also attacked the BJP-led govt. in U.P. for whipping up
>communal passions against minorities.
>
>
>
>Peasants Conference in TN
>
>
>Working Peasants Association of Gandharvakkottai Block held its 1st
>conference on Sept. 18 with 70 delegates. Main points taken up for
>discussions were land redistribution, wages, social oppression &
>employment opportunities. Com. Viduthalai Kumaran, Party's taluk secy.
>delivered the inaugural address. Com. Mary of AIPWA, peasant organiser
>Simpson, Distt. Party secy T. Pandian and others addressed the
>conference. A 15-member working committee including three women was
>elected. State Party secy. Com. Balasunderam stressed need for
>developing a strong and vibrant rural people's movement which alone
>could face and defeat the dravidian politics and the politics of
>opportunist left.
>
>
>Mass Awakening Rally in Nawada
>
>An anti-crime mass awakening rally was held in Nawada on 29 Sept.
>attended by more than 4,000. Addressing the rally Party Gen. Secy. Com.
>Dipankar said that without evicting feudal-criminal forces from society
>and politics it is not possible to guarantee peace, development and
>democracy. Com. Ramjatan Sharma, Secretary of Party's Bihar unit,
>Chandrika Prasad, Secy. of Nawada Disctrict unit and Prof. Suresh Singh
>also addressed the meeting.
>
>
>Election
>
>Revision of Electoral Rolls
>
>
>The Election Commission has announced the following schedule for special
>revision of Electoral Rolls throughout the country except in the states
>of J&K and Assam:
>1. Draft Publication of the rolls:
>2 November, 2000 (Thursday)
>2. Period of filing claims & Objections: 2 Nov. to 30 Nov., 2000 (both
>days inclusive);
>3. Special campaign Dates:
>11 Nov. (Saturday) & 12 Nov. (Sunday) and 25 Nov. (Saturday) & 26 Nov.
>2000 (Sunday);
>4. Disposal of claims and objections & preparing and printing of
>supplements: 30 December, 2000 (Saturday);
>5. Final publication of Electoral Rolls: 2 January, 2001 (Tuesday).
>On special campaign dates of 11, 12, 25 & 26 Nov. 2000, staff will be
>available at designated locations (Polling stations/Panchayat/Block
>office) in close proximity to the residence of electors. Mandatory
>acknowledgement for each application will be provided.
>Party Committees should assign responsibilities to capable teams to
>ensure enrolment of new and left-out names, raise objections to false
>voters on the roll within the speified time and, most importantly, keep
>a watch that genuine voters' names are not get cancelled (this can be
>verified from the Electoral Roll displayed on 30 Dec. 2000.)
>
>
>International
>
>Lessons from Yugoslav Election
>
>
>Will the US and Western multinationals, who failed to break Yugoslavia's
>resistance with 78 days of bombing, be now able to take over by
>manipulation of an election? The question is haunting Yugoslav as well
>as all anti-imperialist forces throughout the world because in the
>recently held presidential elections in Yugoslavia, US-European Union
>backed candidate Vojislav Kostunica has received 48% votes against
>Slobodan Milosevic's 40%. As none of them could receive the required
>majority vote, final results will be clear only after the run-off vote
>on October 8. But most horrible is the fact that the US and European
>Union governments have used every possible dirty trick, corrupt practice
>and payoff, even military intimidation and promises to end sanctions,
>only to overthrow Milosevic and get their puppet elected. US Congress
>and House of Representatives have for the first time openly passed Bills
>to send $182 mn. to anti-Milosevic forces. New York Times has admitted
>that "Milosevic of Yugoslavia is running against NATO and the United
>States, not against his democratic opposition". He is the main target of
>the war carried out by US and NATO-- the imperialist world powers-- and
>because of that he has come to symbolize Yugoslav resistance. So a
>setback for Milosevic in the presidential election puts more at risk
>than the future of one individual.
>In a statement on the election day, some 210 international observers
>from 54 countries noted that "There has been undue interference in the
>Yugoslavian election by the Western powers, in particular by the United
>States. This is a shameful--and no doubt illegal--intrusion into the
>affairs of a sovereign nation. Also the attempts by the European Union
>to bribe Yugoslavian voters to vote in a certain way in order to be
>'rewarded' with the lifting of sanctions and other goodies, must be
>condemned in the strongest possible terms". In the face of these
>admissions, those in office in Yugoslavia (have every right to void the
>elections and disqualify the opposition. In the United States, France,
>Britain or Germany, would such an election have been allowed to
>continue?
>
>
>Protest Letter to Czech President
>
>
>In a protest letter addressed to Mr. Vaclav Havel, President of Czech
>republic, Party condemned the arrest of 800 persons holding a protest
>demonstration against IMF and World Bank policies on the occasion of
>their annual meeting in Prague on 26-28 Sept. While noting with concern
>violation of all norms of human dignity in treating these political
>prisoners and their brutal torture in the custody, Party demanded their
>immediate and unconditional release.
>
>
>>From the Party Documents
>
>Globalisation and our Tasks
>
>
>"Globalisation has done away with the sense of security that marked
>erstwhile socialist societies or even capitalist welfare states. In a
>situation of highly volatile capital, no jobs are secure. In particular,
>the unskilled and the averagely skilled are highly vulnerable. But there
>is no one to protect them as governments are drastically cutting social
>spending ... There are widespread apprehensions of India being turned
>into a dumping ground for outdated technologies, and Indian industries
>being swallowed up by MNCs. Only when their very existence begins to be
>threatened do the Indian bourgeoisie cry themselves hoarse demanding
>protection. This is how the other opinion gets shaped which doesn't
>question the premise of globalisation, the new world order promoted by
>the west, but confines itself arguing for retaining the relative
>independence and autonomy of Indian compradors. ...
>Globalisation has not ushered the globe into some sort of
>post-imperialist phase... Powerful national groups of the bourgeoisie,
>with the full backing of their governments, dominate this or that
>transnational and the process of economic domination reflects
>politically in the desperate bid of powerful countries to extend their
>hegemony over the small and weak countries".
>(from 6th Party Congress Document, 25 Oct. 1997)
>"The multi-pronged reforms... have now started affecting every field of
>economic activity and public service... Alongside the social divide
>between the affluent and deprived sections, regional disparities are
>also fast accentuating creating a sharp polarisation between the
>beneficiaries and victims of economic reforms. Cheaper and unrestricted
>imports of various raw materials including agricultural products and
>minerals under the WTO regime of so-called free trade has caused serious
>disruption in many productive sectors. Consequently, more than ever
>before, popular anger has started snowballing into powerful mass action
>over a whole range of issues with workers, petty producers, farmers and
>various sections related to agro-based industries, small traders,
>students and unemployed youth rising in major struggles in many parts of
>the country.
>While gearing up all our mass organisations and Party units for playing
>a more vigorous role in the growing popular resistance against
>globalisation and liberalisation... We can take the lead in launching a
>patriotic platform against globalisation which would also serve as a
>bridge with the popular quest for democracy. "
>(from the CC Resolution, 9 September 2000)
>
>
>Culture of Resistance against Communal Fascism and Imperialism
>7th National Conference of
>Jan Sanskriti Manch
>Varanasi, 14-15 October, 2000
>Inauguration : Jwalamukhi,
>Revolutionary Telugu poet
>Chief Guest : Pankaj Bisht
>Novelist, Editor 'Samayantar'
>
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