>Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 01:14:51 +0530 >From: "CPI(ML) LIberation" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >ML Update >A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol.-3; No.-44; 8-11-2000 > > > >Editorial > > > >Power Reforms Pack More �Power� >into the Popular Resistance > > >November 1 turned out to be a historic day for the Left and democratic >movement in Rajasthan. The �pink city� of Jaipur witnessed an >unprecedented red spectacle on that day as tens of thousands of small >farmers, agricultural labourers, workers and unemployed youth staged an >effective blockade of the State Assembly under the united leadership of >the three communist parties - CPI(ML), CPI(M) and CPI - backed by >formations like the Samajwadi Party and the JD(Secular). The >demonstrators were demanding assured and adequate supply of electricity >at an affordable rate. Scared by this massive outburst of farmers� >unrest, the Congress Chief Minister who commands a record majority in >the Assembly and who never forgets to boast of his administration�s >so-called commitment to the three principles of �sensitivity, >transparency and accountability� chose to flee to Delhi. But when it >became clear that the thousands of peasants would not return to their >villages without getting any concrete word from the state government, >the energy and irrigation ministers of the state cabinet had to come out >of their cosy and insulated chambers in the midst of the resentful >demonstrators. The peasants of course threatened to renew their >agitation on an even lager scale if there were no visible signs of any >emerging solution within November 6. > >Recent times have witnessed a series of electrifying expressions of >popular unrest sparked off by the ongoing power sector reforms. The >arrival of the year was signalled by the historic weeklong strike by >power employees in Uttar Pradesh which succeeded in stalling an imminent >move towards privatisation. All through the summer we saw a militant >united campaign against power tariff hike in Andhra Pradesh which >culminated in the end-August gherao of the State Assembly in Hyderabad. >And as the winter approaches, it is now the turn of Rajasthan. Held >against the backdrop of the forthcoming power reform bill (Amended >Electricity Act, 2000), the Rajasthan protest could well prove to be a >veritable prelude to a countrywide popular outburst on the crucial issue >of electricity. > >The experience of Rajasthan shows that the ruling classes are >continuously modifying their campaign for power sector privatisation. >Perhaps both foreign power generating companies and the central and >state governments have taken some lesson from the anti-Enron agitation >in Maharashtra and the Cogentrix controversy in Karnataka. The emphasis >now is therefore on first dismantling the existing state-dominated >structure of the power industry as a public utility sector. State >Electricity Boards are being fragmented into smaller units - in >Rajasthan the SEB has been broken into as many as five parts - so the >private sector and foreign companies could smoothly pick up the smaller >pieces at a later point. Meanwhile, power tariff rates are being hiked >drastically and, as seen in Rajasthan, SEB employees are being asked to >virtually terrorise the small consumers in the name of collection of >ancient arrears. The cost of installation of new connections is also >being effectively transferred to the customers at the exorbitant rate of >Rs. 12,000 for every single electricity pole. All this is being done to >further alienate the electricity employees from the consumer and further >tarnish the images of state electricity boards so that fragmentation and >eventual privatisation of the SEBs could be �sold� as a welcome relief! >But the examples of Andhra and Rajasthan indicate that the move could >also have the opposite effect by widening the arena of resentment and >resistance and creating an objective unity between the workers� struggle >against privatisation and the small consumers�, especially peasants� >demand for adequate availability of power at affordable rates. > >If the ruling classes, the monopoly houses and MNCs are drawing their >lessons, communists and other fighting forces must also draw their own >lessons. The power reforms have unmasked the ugly, brutal, anti-people >face of many a ruling party. If the BJP had exposed itself as the ruling >party in UP, in Rajasthan it has forfeited its oppositional pretence by >keeping silent on this explosive issue. The Congress which was so keen >on stealing the show in Andhra is guilty of enforcing similar measures >in its own territories in Rajasthan and Delhi. For Chandrababu Naidu, >this one single issue of power tariff hikes has almost singlehandedly >demolished much of his edifice of cyber-populism. With the whole gamut >of ruling parties standing exposed, the ground is clear for the Left to >give a clear political direction to the growing popular anger. Of >course, the CPI(M)-led governments in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura >will have to steer clear of similar reforms in their respective states >and the record of West Bengal has so far been pretty bad and dubious on >this count. The agitations in Andhra and Rajasthan have begun to throw >up new models of militant Left unity from below. Struggles on the >explosive issue of electricity can clearly energise the broader popular >resistance against the ongoing imperialist-aided onslaught on life and >liberty and intensify the fight for self-reliance and democracy. The way >to any meaningful version of Left unity or even third front can emerge >from the blockades in Hyderabad and Jaipur and not from >Thiruananthpuram-type conclaves. The mood below is for bigger and deeper >unity and more vigorous and determined action. The response from above >must be made to fall in line and not allowed to disrupt or derail these >growing prospects of a democratic resurgence. > > >Red Storm in Pink City > >Tens of thousands of peasants coming primarily from the districts of >Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Nagaur and Ganganagar accompanied by good numbers of >workers and unemployed youth from almost all over Rajasthan staged an >impressive gherao of the Rajasthan Assembly on November 1. The gherao >marked the culminaion of a vigorous and sustained campaigning for the >last three months on the issue of electricity. In recent days peasants >in many parts of Rajasthan have not been able to get electricity for >more than two hours a day while the rates and other expenses have been >jacked up exorbitantly. With less than average rainfall over the last >three years and now electricity supply too becoming extremely erratic >and meagre, the agricultural community in drought-prone Rajasthan is >threatened with a major failure of crops and consequent outbreak of a >near-famine situation. Called by the five party campaign committee >comprising CPI(ML), CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party and Janta Dal >(Secular), the gherao evoked a massive response and the pink city of >Jaipur looked nearly overtaken by a veritable red storm. >In front of the State Assembly the blockade was addressed by the state >secretaries and other leaders of the three communist parties as well as >by Comrades Dipankar Bhattacharya, AB Bardhan and HKS Surjeet and former >prime minister HD Deve Gowda. Regarding the follow-up action when CPI(M) >leader Sheopat Singh called for a 4-hour rail and road blockade on >November 16, large sections of demonstrators insisted on continuing the >blockade till any concrete steps were announced by the government. >Eventually it was decided to stage a sit-in right outside the Assembly >gates. In the absence of the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who had chosen >to be away from Jaipur, the energy and irrigation ministers met the >squatters and promised to guarantee eight hours of assured power supply >to farmers within a week. The gherao was eventually lifted after 7-30 in >the evening with a call for imposing a �janata curfew� on blacklisted >ministers including the chief minister (i.e., greeting them with >vigorous protests everywhere) and organising indefinite statewide rail >and road blockades if the government failed to keep its promise of >improving the power situation within the next few days. > > > >Resist the NDA Govt.�s New Textile Policy > > >On November 2, the NDA government announced a disastrous new textile >policy. While the policy is absolutely silent on the burning question of >revival of the hundred-odd mills of the National Textile Corporation - >in fact, most of these mills have been asked to close down - it >virtually hands over the Indian garments industry to foreign >multinationals. The ready-made garments sector has been fully dereserved >for the small scale industry and there will be no cap on direct foreign >investment in this sector. This single measure of throwing open the >garments industry to the big multinational players threatens to sound >the death-knell for many small producers and opens the floodgates for >more intensive exploitation of the low-paid and highly casualised >garment workers including large numbers of women workers. The handloom >sector is also likely to be hit hard by the new policy. Trade unions, >women�s organisations and all other organisations related to the toiling >masses and their battle for survival must stand up against the >disastrous implications of this new textile policy. > >_______________________________________________________________________________ >____ > >"NTC Mill Bachao Sangharsh Samiti" has decided to observe protest week >from 18th November to 25th November 2000, where the meetings and >conventions will be held in Ahmadabad, Mumbai and Kanpur, against the >new textile policy and proposed closure and privatisation of NTC mills >and retrenchment of mill workers. It's a part of the broader movement >of the textile workers of the count >_______________________________________________________________________________ >______ > > > > >UP CM Talking Like a Terrorist > > >CPI(ML) has taken strong notes of the recent statement of Rajnath Singh, >the newly elected Chief Minister of UP, regarding free hand to the >police to crush Naxlites. Taking exception to the statement UP CM >asking four heads of Naxalites for a cop. The Party said that such a >language does not behave a CM. It is not the language of a CM, but a >terrorist. The BJP ledGovt. has crossed the limits of atrocities on >innocent people and the entire state had been brought under the umbrella >of police -Raj. Condemning the recent utterances of the Chief Minister >of UP, the Party said that the CPI(ML) movement is purely a political >movement for the rights and dignity of the people.The Party furthewr >said that the effort to establish links between criminals and >Naxalites is a dirty game to tarnish the image of the CPI(ML). Flaying >the BJP, CPI(ML) said that the top criminals and mafia elements had >connections with the cabinet Ministers belonging to BJP. Terming the >Karmanasha package, which has been prepared to check the CPI(ML) >movement in the border areas of UP and Bihar, as a non productive >venture of the Govt., CPI(ML) said that most of the problems of the >people would be removed if the fund meant for the package is utilised in >agricultural development and welfare of the people of this region. >CPI(ML) will hold a public meeting at Robertsganj in UP on November 7 >to raise voice against police atrocities on tribals at Sonebhadara, >Mirzapur and Naugarh. > > >NSA-- No Answer for Tripura > >CPI(M) led Govt. has invoked NSA (National Security Act) in Tripura. It >is argued that the state Govt. had no option left to combat the mounting >militancy in the state. Govt, says that not a day has passed in the >last few months without killings and kidnappings perpetrated by the >tribal militant outfits. But one wonders how and why after decades of >left rule such a situation has arisen as to compel the CPI(M) >leadership to turn their slogan of ' more power to the state ' to 'more >CRPF to Tripura'.No doubt, CPI(M)'s consistent opposition to NSA has >turned into consistent invocation of NSA to combat tribal menace. Is it >not the net result of the betrayal of the tribal autonomy movement by >the rulers , including the Left Front in Tripura. Left Front would do >better not to follow the footsteps of Congress rulers. Rather it should >revert to a political process and deal the problem giving due regard to >the aspirations of the tribal people. > > > >Food grains for Export --but Not for the Poor > >The Vajpayee government has approved a Food Ministry proposal to export >foodgrains at rates not lower than that for Below Poverty Line >population, but deffered decision on the scheme to off-load huge stocks >of foodgrains through Antyodaya, a scheme for feeding poorest of the >poor at subsidised rates. Last week, the group of ministers had cleared >this Antyodaya scheme. The scheme was to give 25 kg of foodgrains to 5% >poorest families at the rate of Rs. 2/kg for wheat and Rs. 3/kg for >rice. It is understood that the Finance Minister Mr Yashwant Sinha >expressed reservations on Antyodaya, which involved a total subsidy of >Rs. 1000 crores. He also wondered how the poorest of the poor could be >identified by the states. Only last month the Finance Minister had >approved a subsidy package of Rs. 400 crores for Punjab in paddy >procurement and then for Haryana and Himachal. (The Hindu, Nov. 3, 2000 >) > > >Thousands Marched to Writers Building in Calcutta > > At the call of CPI(ML) state committee on 2nd Nov. thousands of flood >affected people from different flood ravaged districts of W.B. marched >to Mahakaran (Writers Building) at Calcutta and demanded necessary >relief and guarantee of stable arrangements to controll floods. A mass >meeting was also held. Leaders from flood affected areas described the >distress of the people who are still staying under open sky without even >a terpeulin and without food and medicine. They accused the State Govt. >for its inaction to supply even minimum requirements to live. They also >demanded Central Govt. to declare W.B. flood as national disaster and to >take necessary steps for reconstruction of ravaged districts. A team of >five members led by W.B. state secretary com. Kartick Pal handedover a >memorandum to the Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta.The memorandum >strongly urged the state Govt. to constitute an enquiry commission on >devastating flood and on loss of more than 3000 lives. Delegation also >demanded for constituting a commission with experts for building stable >arrangements to controll the recurring floods. Other relief demands >are: (a) Waiving of all loans given to poor peasants and craftsmen and >providing fresh loans to them for cultivation and handicraft without >interest. (b) Supply of food and kerosine without cost for 6 months to >the people below poverty line. >CPI (ML) has given a call for rail and road blockade programme >throughout the state on 20th Nov. to press the demands . > > >Andhra Protest World Bank President's Visit > >Called by 9 Left parties, a ten days protest programme against the World >Bank president's Andhra visit began on 5th Nov. On the first day of >campaign a massive road jam was organised. Hundreds of Party supporters >blocked the national highway-5 at Tuni for hours. When the first batch >of 200 comrades got arrested, the second batch of 100 comrades reached >the spot and continued the blockade. A programme of a TDP Minister got >disrupted. In Kathipudi, on the same NH-5, Party supporters halted the >traffic for more than an hour. In Yellavaram, 150 people were >arrested. In Kollapalli, CPI & CPI(M) activists joined the blockade. >Party has called for effigy burning programme on 7th Nov. and another >protest programme on 10th Nov. at Hyderabad. > > >CPI(ML) Condems Mass Killing in Assam > > Assam state Committee of CPI(ML) vehemently codemned the recent mass >killings in Nawholia, Kakajan and Nalbari and termed it as the >complete failure of the government to protect the lives of the common >people. The Party demanded resignation of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Govt. >A team led by state party secretary Com. Rabul Sarma visited the places >of mass killings in upper Assam > > > >Demo Against Price Hike in Petro- Products > >Party organised Dharnas, demonstrations, processions in different >districts of Assam in protest against recent price hike of petroleum >products. On 20th Oct. dharna was organised by the Guwahati city >committeee before the DC Office. Barpeta disst. committee also held a >dharna on 18th Oct. A procession was brought out on 20th Oct. by >Tinsukia disst. committee, but the procession ists were blocked by the >police in front of Tinsukia Police Station accusing violation of >sec.144 dispite seeking permission from the administration. Several >democratic groups condemned this police action. At Margherita in >Tinsukia also a demonstration was organised on 21st Oct.In Nagaon a >dharna of around 150 people was organised in front of the DC office >followed by a metting at Swahid Bhavan. All the places the protesters >submitted memorandum to the PM and the President through the DCs, >demanding roll back of recent price hike in petroleum products > > >AISA Campaign for JNUSU Elections > >Calling upon the Left and progressive student community of JNU to launch >a powerful resistance-movement against the communal and anti-people >politics of Mandir and Market being pursued by the BJP and the Congress, >AISA is participating in the JNUSU elections 2000, scheduled to be >held on November 16. Exposing the centrist and compromising politics of >CPI(M)�s SFI, AISA has appealed to the Left and progressive sections of >JNU student community to retrieve the spirit of the Left student >movement and assert the relevance of a struggling revolutionary Left. >AISA has fielded Manisha Sethi for the post of the President, P.K. Abdur >Rehman for the post of the Vice President, Dhruv Kr Singh for the post >of General Secretary and Vaibhav for the post of Joint Secretary. AISA >has also fielded more than two dozen candidates for the posts of >Councillors from different schools of the University... > > >CPI (ML) to Intensify Campaign against Privatisation in Delhi. > >Delhi State Committee of CPI (ML) will hold a massive rally on 12 Dec. >in Delhi against price rise and privatisation. Centred on >all-devastating effects of the liberalisation, privatisation and >globalisation on the lives and livelihood of working class and the >unemployeed youth, this rally is going to be a timely intervention on >the part of the left in Delhi. > >After the conclusion of six-months long 'Strengthen the Party' campaign, >Delhi State Committee of the Party organised a State Cadres' Convention >in Delhi on 31 October in which 50 leading cadres participated. It was >addressed among others by party Central Committee members Com. Swapan >Mukherjee and Com. Kumudini Pati and Com. Rajendra Pratholi, State >Secretary of the Party. They emphasized the need and tasks of the party >in the present phase and called upon the rank and file of the party in >the state to be at the forefront of the struggles of common people. >Representatives of different party committees and leading teams as well >as the state committee members presented their sum-ups of the last 6 >months' campaign. Experiences were shared, shortcoming were identified >and tasks were chalked out. > > >AIPWA District Conference > >The first conference of Sivagangai-Pudugai district, Tamilnadu , was >held on 15 October at Devakkottai. The conference was presided over by >com. Mary. 70 delegates attended the conference. The conference >signalled the resoluteness of the women agricultural labourers in >fighting against the oppressive forces. A 11 member district committee >was elected with Com. Mary as President and Com. Kanaka as the >Secretary. State AIPWA organiser Com. Bhuvana addressed the conference. > > > > >Overwhelming Solidarity with the Cuban People > > >Dear Comrade, > Thank you so much for inviting us to attend the forthcoming Second >Worldwide Solidarity with Cuba Conference to be held in Havana from 10 >to 14 November, 2000. We felt extremely honoured and inspired to receive >this invitation. Unfortunately we are not able to send any delegation to >the conference, but through this message we would like to express our >overwhelming solidarity with the Cuban people in their mission to defend >the cause of Cuban socialism and national dignity against the absolutely >unjustified US embargo and all other kinds of imperialist pressure >tactics. > >At a time when many third world countries, notably the Indian ruling >classes, have given up all attempts to offer any resistance to the US >imperialist drive for global hegemony and are busy surrendering to and >colliding with the imperialist masters thereby jeopardizing their own >national interests and backstabbing their own people, it is indeed >inspiring to find Cuba hold high the banner of anti-imperialist >resistance and the Cuban people�s rightful quest for socialism and >freedom in every available international forum. The sterling performance >put up by the Cuban contingent in the recently concluded Sydney Olympics >has once again exemplified the tremendous socio-cultural progress and >human welfare being achieved by Cuba defying the completely inhuman and >indefensible US imperialist embargo and encirclement. >On behalf of the entire membership of our Party, CPI(ML), and the >democratic opinion in India, we would like to take this opportunity to >salute the Cuban spirit of resistance and victory and extend our >heartfelt greetings of solidarity to the Cuban communists and Cuban >people. We would also like to extend our warm wishes to all >anti-imperialist forces attending the Second Worldwide Solidarity with >Cuba Conference. The Cuban cause is a common cause of the world >anti-imperialist and communist movement and we are sure that together we >will achieve greater unity and bigger victories in the days to come. >Down with US Imperialism! Viva Cuba! Viva Socialism! > >Dipankar Bhattacharya >General Secretary,CPI(ML) > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ 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. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
