>Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 11:21:11 +0530 >From: "CPI(ML) LIberation" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >ML Update >A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol.-3; No.-45; 15-11-2000 > > >Editorial: > > >Kaun Banega Rashtrapati : Gleanings from the Megabuck US Tamasha > > >The electoral battle to choose the 43rd President for the USA has turned >out to be a clueless cliffhanger. More than a week after the US went to >poll, the world is still unsure as to who is going to become the new >millennium's first 'mukhia' or headman of the so-called global village. >The plot is thickening everyday with new twists being added from >different quarters. As the battle gets murkier and murkier, the great >American practitioners of bourgeois deception and media hard sell will >of course try their level best to turn the lenthening sequence of events >into a grand spectacle. The forces of democracy the world over could >not, however, ask for a more telling exposure of the eminently farcical >nature or the bourgeois polity in the United States. >Let us first look at certain basic figures and features of the American >political system. American voters have to registers themselves in order >to earn their right to vote, and half of the country's eligible voters >remain unregistered. Not more than half of the registered voters choose >to vote. The so-called 'popular support' enjoyed by whoever emerges the >winner in a closely fought battle therefore hardly covers more than 15% >of the people. Moreover, since the President is elected by the electoral >college and not by direct vote and since there is no uniform election >procedure in various American states, it is quite possible that a person >who has a bigger share of popular votes loses the battle in the >electoral college while his rival who secures the top job thanks to a >bigger support of the electoral college is actually backed by a smaller >share of the popular vote! Whether we call it a case of large-scale >apathy or wholesale exclusion, the fact remains that the base of US >democracy is getting narrower and narrower. >Let us also look at the operational environment of the world's >self-proclaimed greatest democracy. Like we have often seen in India, >the opinion polls and exit polls got it all wrong when they had >virtually written off Bush during the run-up to the poll. The >competitive TV channels and information networks also got it wrong when >they rushed to declare Bush the winner while counting was still on. We >now also know that even the ballot papers were so designed in Florida >where Bush's brother is the Governor that they would tend to favour Bush >and thousands of Gore's supporters votes have been cancelled. After two >rounds of counting, a manual recount has now been ordered in Florida and >Bush's margin is steadily declining. False and prejudiced opinion polls, >faulty ballot papers, extremely limited voting, non-correspondence >between the popular vote and the electoral college, wrong counting, poor >and inefficient media coverage -- the numerous skeletons long hidden in >the cupboard of American democracy are now tumbling out thick and fast. >Both the Democrats and Republicans have spent more than $ 3 billion in >the megabuck election drama. But going by the policy planks, performance >records and even personality profiles of the two candidates, the >'choice' offered to the American public is in fact as farcical as >calling 'heads' or 'tails' in the toss of a coin. In fact, some might >even argue that even the coin in this case is not genuine but fake, it >is tampered like the one in the old Bollywood superhit 'Sholey' where >both faces of the coin were identical! >During the Cold War and particularly since the collapse of the Soviet >Union, the US has lost no opportunity to trumpet its so-called inherent >democratic superiority over the Soviet and Chinese patterns of >socialism. Defence and promotion of democracy has also been the >much-used American alibi for every brazen act of imperialist >intervention. In India too, there is no dearth of prescriptions, >emanating especially from the saffron camp, for importing the American >model of presidential system of democracy. While acknowledging that the >socialist experiments of the twentieth century indeed left a lot to be >desired in terms of democracy, we can now surely ask the American >propagandists and their Indian agents to shut up and stop lecturing us >on democracy. > > Postscript: While we await the final announcement from Washington, >analysts will of course continue to ponder over the Bush mystery. Eight >years ago, Clinton had foiled George Bush's bid to get a second term >after the latter's Gulf War victory by simply pointing to the economy. >"It's the economy, stupid", was Clinton's one-line clincher as the >American voters asked one another "Saddam has kept his job. Have you?" >Eight years later, many believe it's still the economy. On the face of >it, the US economy is quite hale and hearty, but the bourgeois anxiety >and the middle class insecurity following the crash in Nasdaq share >prices and the indictment of Bill Gates and his monopoly brainchild >Microsoft Corporation has now probably spilled over to colour the >presidential battle. If the Senior Bush had found himself at the >receiving end of the US economy, the anti-incumbency mood favouring the >Junior Bush today is probably a reverse upshot of the tremors in >America's much-celebrated 'new economy'. > > >Party Rally to Rejuvenate Autonomous Movement and Isolate Renegades > >Hill District Party Committee in Assam held an unprecedentedly massive >rally on 3 November at Diphu in Karbi Anglong district on the slogan >"Rejuvenate the autonomous state movement for the hill districts and >isolate the renegades who have sold over the cause to the enemies of the >movement. Participated in by around one lakh people, it was the biggest >ever rally held in Karbi Anglong. A one-month long political campaign >centring on the above slogan had been conducted by the party and the >rally was its culmination. For two days people from various corners of >Karbi Anglong kept on pouring into Diphu, and they included not only >Karbis but from various other tribes as well as non-adivasi people >residing in Karbi Anglong and nearby NC Hills. Shouting enthusiatic >slogans and waiving red flag and banners, the participants marched onto >the streets of Diphu to culminate in a mass meeting. It was addressed by >Comrades Jayanta Rongpi, CC member and Secy. of the Hill District Party >Committe and also MP from the Autonomous Districts of Karbi Anglong and >NC Hills, Chandrakanta Terang, MLA and President of ASDC, Hemsing Tisso, >MLA and Gen. Secy. of ASDC, Daniel Teron, Chairman of Karbi Anglong >Autonomous Council, Rabi Kumar Phangchow, EM and member of HDPC and Com. >Salawar Bey, Secy. of Karbi Anglong Party Committee. It must be noted >that following the betrayal, the Holiram clique has joined hands not >only with BJP and Congress but with the banned outfit UPDS which has >perpetrated massacres of non-tribal Party supporters in the name of >'ethnic cleansing'. The rally resolved to intensify a determined >struggle to achieve autonomous statehood for hill districts. > > >Mass Initiatives in Bihar > >Party's Warisnagar Block Committee organised a demonstration at >Samastipur Court in Bihar on 23 October demanding from the >administration to check crime in the block and arrest Harishchandra Rai >and Dinesh Thakur gangs. >On 1 October, a condolence meeting was organised at Makrauta of Nalanda >district in Bihar in the memory of a 62-year old Com. Biltu Ram, in >which 500 persons participated. Com. Biltu Ram has made a significant >contribution to Party building in this district, it was remembered. >Block Conference of Khet Mazdoor Sabha was held on 20 October at >Sakarbasa of Cheria-Bariarpur block in Begusarai district of Bihar. >The RYA unit of Majhaul subdivision of Begusarai organised a camp on the >occasion of Dussehara to conduct a signature campaign demanding opening >up of the fertiliser plant, now closed for years. This apart, they >demanded establishment of a new petro-chemical unit and opening up of >all the sick units in the district. Activists took out a bicycle march >and reached Begusarai on 15 Oct. and burnt the effigy of Vajpayee there. > >A seminar was organised on 22 October on "Challenges of development in >Bihar and the Role of student-youth" in Patna. Inaugurated by Com. >Rajaram Singh, it was attended by 300 people. >Lakheesarai Party district committee held a militant gherao of DM on 24 >Oct. demanding action against noted criminals belonging to Shahabuddin >and Satish Pandey gangs. It was also demanded to open up the sandbank, >relief to flood victims and rifles to agrarian labours for self-defence. >It was led by Com. Shivsagar Sharma, Party incharge and Com. Chandradev >Yadav, Party district secretary. Around 500 agrarian labour and sandbank >workers participated in the gherao. > > >Party Investigation Team Visited Nalanda > >An investigation team led by Com. Ramjatan Sharma, Secy. of Bihar State >Party Committee and comprising Party legislator Comrades Arun Singh and >Satyadev Ram visited the place of massacre in Karai-Parsurai PS of >Nalanda district on 11 November. On 9 Nov., five agrarian labours were >killed at Andari village of Patna lying on the boder of Nalanda >district. Party and Agrarian Labour Union leaders Com. Nageshwar Paswan, >Shivpujan Yadav and Surendra Ram had reached the spot soon after >receiving the news of the killing. The investigation team found that the >massacre was not an isolated incident but a link in the chain of killing >campaign conducted against agrarian labour and the rural poor to >suppress the struggle for their rights. Bihar DGP Mr. Jacob's >statements, first blaming PWG for the massacre and then explaining it in >terms of a gangwar, are not just baseless but calculated ones intended >to shield the real killers. The real killers led by Dabboo Singh and >Subhash Singh belong to a feudal gang of Kurmi caste patronised by >Samata Party, and the Fatuha MLA Dinesh Chaudhary has close links with >them. The deceased persons, all CPI(ML) supporters, were agrarian >labourers who also worked in nearby Patna city. Four of them were from >Paswan caste and one from Bind. The killing was not just an outcome of >the social conflict but one having political origin. Dalit leaders like >Ramvilas Paswan never stood against the killers, so they too were >guilty. The investigation team demanded action against DGP Jacob for >issuing a wrong statement, arresting the culprits and meting out >exemplery punishment to them, and providing free weapons to the poor for >their self defence. > > >Massive Rally in Giridih > >A massive rally was held at Bagodar in Giridih district of Jharkhand on >9 Nov. participated in by around 8,000 people against terrorist acts of >MCC gang. A procession with thousands of flags and banners was brought >out which culminated in a mass meeting addressed by Com. Mahendra Singh, >CC member and MLA from the area, Com. Subhendu Sen, CC member and Secy. >of Jharkhand State Committee, Com. Parmeshar, Rajkumar Yadav and Vijay >Singh, and presided over by Com. Taiyyab. > > >Party Contesting in Corporation Elections in UP > >CPI(ML) is contesting the city corportation and municipal council >elections in the plain areas of UP, to be held on 20 and 23 November. >Among the 11 city corporations in the state, Party has set up candidates >for the post of mayor in Allahabad, Varanasi and Kanpur -- Com. >Krishnavatar Pandey, ex-Director of Basic Education, from Allahabad, >Com. Nasim Tahir Ansari from Varanasi and Com. Sadhana Valmiki from >Kanpur. For the post of chairperson of municipal council, Party has >fielded Com. Brij Bihari Lal, a freedom fighter, from Pilibhit, Com. >Nizam Ahmed from Ghazipur, Com. Mohan Barnwal from Mughalsarai, Com. >Iqbal from Zamania in Ghazipur district, Com. Jan Mohammad from >Karnalganj in Gonda district and Com. Zainuddin from Ballia. >For the post of chairperson of city panchayat, Party has fielded >candidates from Pipri (Sonebhadra), Jhunsi (Allahabad), Maniyar (Ballia) >and Chakia (Chandauli). Party has also fielded candidates for the post >of members of city bodies in Ghazipur, Chandauli, Gonda, Ballia, >Varanasi, Sonebhadra, Pilibhit, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mirzapur, >Jalaun and Deoria districts. CPI(ML) is taking part in these elections >as a recognised party for the first time, with "Flag with three stars" >as its election symbol. > > >Party Demands Sacking of the Culprits of Communal Violence > >The Party demanded immediate sacking of the Minister of State for >Defence Harin Pathak and the Gujarat Health Minister Ashok Bhatt, after >their indictment in the cases of communal violence at Ahmedabad in 1985. >Party also demanded that the chargesheeted ministers be debarred from >contesting the elections. >Condemning the utterances of BJP leaders that all these were cases of >political nature and therefore the charge sheeted ministers need not >resign, Party said, "be it the case of the demolition of Babri Masjid in >which several ministers including L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi >had been charge sheeted or the present case of 1985 Ahmedabad riots, >political strategists and perpetrators of such socio-political crimes >must not be forgiven. They must be sacked from the public posts and >debarred from contesting the elections." Party also ridiculed the >position taken by the Congress on this issue and remarked, "Congress >leadership should not forget at least the age-old saying that charity >begins at home." > > >Agitation Against Price Rise of Petroleum Products and Bus Fare Hike > >On November 7, the day bus fare was hiked by the Left Front Government >in West Bengal, activists of ten struggling political organisations in >the state including CPI(ML)-Liberation organised demonstration at >Calcutta against price rise of petroleum products and bus fare hikes. >About two hundreds activists blocked the road at Dharmatala and shouted >slogans against these anti-people steps of the Government at the Centre >and the collaborationist attitude of the Left Front Government in the >state. They also burnt the Government Orders issued by both the >Governments in this regard. The joint leadership of the demonstration >announced a civil disobedience programane to be observed in all the >dristricts of West Bengal on 24 November and called upon the people to >make it a grand success. The movement against petroleum price hike is >picking up in the state. > > >Jagaran Rally in Chattisgarh > >Chhattisgarh unit of Party took out a Jagaran (awakening) rally on 1 >Nov. from Raipur railway station in which hundreds of workers, peasants, >women and youth participated. A memorandum was handed over to the chief >minister of the newly formed state, in which issues related to >development and democracy have been raised and demand was made to >provide immediate relief to the famine-stricken peasants. Addressing the >rally Com. Rajaram, CC member incharge of the state said that tribal >regions should be given maximum autonomy within Chhattisgarh so as to >check their alienation and promote all-round development. Com. Shambhu >Singh, Secy. of Chhattisgarh Party unit, Com. Narottam Sharma, Distt. >Secy. of Raipur, AIPWA leader of Bilaspur Com. Sushila Sahu, AICCTU >leaders Com. Jagnarain Chaudhary and Ashok Miri, peasant leaders Com. >Ramsewak and Kesri Vishwakarma also addressed the rally. > > >Chakka Jam in M.P. > >Hundreds of peasants under the leadership of local Party unit in Geyrd >area of Gwalior district of M.P. held a road block at Barai-Panihar >trijunction demanding adequate supply of electricity. The highway was >blocked for more than 3 hours and was only lifted when the SDM and >responsible officers of electricity department assured to comply with >the demands > > >Play on Women's Issue > >In Chennai, a play �Anjarai Petti� was organised by Sooryodaya, a >platform of AIPWA, on 18 Oct. Written and directed by Dr. Rudran, the >play explores women issues through characters such as Ahilya and >Draupadi, women who are at odds but make compromises with the >patriarchal codes, as well as a modern woman who challenges the status >quo. More than 200 participants from various sections like media-people, >women working in govt. offices, intellectuals, students and women >workers aired their views about the play in the discussion session. This >platform helps fighting reactionary thinking at the ideological level. > > >AICCTU Cadre Meeting > >On 15 Oct., an AICCTU cadre meet was held in Ambattur, in which 300 >comrades participated. Following the discussion on ways and means to >expand and advance the movement, a 51-member leading team was >constituted. Com. AS Kumar and S Kumarasamy addressed the meeting. >A joint convention "Hindutwa is not India" was held in Chennai in which >CPI and Tamil Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam also participated. Com S >Kumarsamy addressed the convention. >. > >RYA Holds Exec. Meet > >National Executive of RYA was held on 31 Oct. at Patna, where it decided >to hold its 2nd national conference in Varanasi on 23-24 Dec. and a >rally on 23 Dec. The central slogan will be: "For democracy and >employment, against economic subjugation, communal fascism and >police-mafia raj". > > >AISA Contests JNUSU Elections > >In the forthcoming JNUSU elections to be held on 16 Nov., AISA has >fielded Ms. Manisha Sethi for President, PK Abdur Rahman for >Vice-President, Dhruva Kumar Singh for General Secretary and Vibhav for >Joint Secretary. The main slogan is to retrieve the fighting spirit of >the Left and "launch a powerful movement against communal and >anti-people politics of Mandir and Market being pursued by BJP and >Congress. > > >International Conference 'Socialism-21' Held in Kathmandu > >Hosted by Madan-Ashrit Memorial foundation and three other >co-organisers, "Socialism-21", the international conference was held in >Kathmandu, Nepal from 6-9 November 2000. Around 51 delegates >representing 29 communist and workers' organisations as well as a number >of individuals participated in it. > >Comrades Arindam Sen and Brij Bihari Pandey comprised the CPI(ML) >delegation. >At the International Convention Hall, the inaugural session began at >9.30 a.m. of 6 Nov. with the singing of Internationale. It was chaired >by Com. Madhav Nepal, Gen. Secy. of CPN(UML) and conducted by Com. Gauri >Pradhan. Com. Pradip Nepal, Convenor of the conference greeted the >delegates. Representatives from India, China and Denmark addressed the >inaugural session. Com. Ishwar Pokharel, Coordinator of the Steering >Committee, delivered vote of thanks. The 5-member steering committee >included, apart from CPN(UML) members, Com. Arindam Sen and Tian Chua of >Malaysia. > >The Plenary session, the main event of the conference, started in the >afternoon at Hotel Malla, chaired by Com. Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Till >the lunch break next day on 7 Nov., seven conference papers were >presented by CPC of China, CPI(ML) of India, MLPD of Germany, CPN(UML) >of Nepal, Workers Party of DPR Korea, National Justice Party of Malaysia >and CPP of Philippines. In his paper Com. Yu Honjuan of CPC opined that >"We need to spend a whole historical period under the circumstances of >socialism to complete the task of industrialisation, marketisation and >modernisation which others have realised under the capitalist system... >We must dare to absorb and learn from any heritage of human >civilisation... including the system and mechanism of market economy, >modern corporate system, share-holding company, and stock and >securities. They are .. means of socialised production, which can be >used by either capitalist or socialist systems." "Development is the >absolute truth" he said. Com. Arindam Sen presented the paper "Peasant >movement in India and struggle for socialism in 21st century", in which >he dealt with the peasant movement led by our Party as well as causes >and incidents of peasant unrest in other states, particularly against >imperialist globalisation. Com. Klaus Wallenstein of MLPD, Germany dealt >with the causes of collapse of socialism in USSR and opined that petty >bourgeois minded bureaucracy had won in USSR and great proletarian >cultural revolution was not undertaken. Genuine socialism means >socialism based on proletarian mode of thinking, he said. Com. Madhav >Nepal of CPN(UML) presented a paper on "Building socialism: People's >multi-party democracy (PMPD) & the Nepalese experience". PMPD was result >of concrete application and enrichment of Marxism-Leninism in the >concrete conditions of Nepal, he said. Com. Li Jong Ryul of WPK >presented a paper on the experience of building socialism in Korea with >a man-centred theory (Juche thought) where army was the main instrument >of socialism. Com. Tian of Malaysia presented a paper on Repressed >socialist movements in Southeast Asia and Com. Emilio de Villa of CPP >presented the Philipino experince of fighting for socialism. There were >brief question-answer sessions following the presentation of papers. In >the evening of 6 Nov., cultural programmes were staged at International >Convention Hall. > >In the afternoon of 7 Nov., the delegates were divided into three >workshops. Com. Pandey was in the Workshop-2 on "consolidation and >mobilisation of people's power for socialism", and Com. Sen was in the >Workshop-3 on "Alternatives and possibilities in building socialism". >Further clarification on the conference papers as well as exchange of >experience between the delegates, as well as arriving on some common >understanding, was the aim of these workshops, which continued till 8 >Nov. Then, on 9 Nov. delegates once again met in the concluding Plenary >Session, chaired by Com. JN Khanal. Reports of various workshops were >made by the respective chairpersons and the delegates sought some >clarifications or put forth their suggestions. Then the conference >concluded with the song "We shall overcome", sung by all the delegates >in unison. > >The conference resolved to "intensify resistance against common threat >from imperialist globalisation and continue to lead and support >movements for genuine independence all over the world. The delegates >also participated in a 10000-strong rally against petroleum price hike >convened jointly by CPN(UML) and others on the concluding day. > >"It has been an occasion to spread the message of friendship between the >people who have been constantly working for the Left cause." Thus Com. >Madhav Nepal summed up the achievements of the conference on the evening >of 9 Nov. while proposing the toast for the closer ties among the >participants, for the victory of Marxism, for a bright future in 21 >century and for justice, freedom and peace in the world. > > _______________________________________________________ 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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