>ML Update > >A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine ,Vol.-3; No.-46; 22-11-2000 > > > > > >Editorial: > > > > > >Towards A Winter of Public Anger >and Democratic Action > > > >Even as the US was awaiting the denouement of the 'Kaun Banega Rashtrapati' >drama, India was playing host to another president who had come on a ten-day >trip: President James Wolfensohn of the World Bank. The Bank chief promised to >increase the Bank's loan commitment to India, but he made it clear that the >bulk of it would go to social infrastructure and to the containment of AIDS! >There is of course an undeclared subtext to the President's promise: it has >also been made clear to all loan-seeking state governments that even these >health sector loans would be available only on condition that the power sector >reforms are seriously pursued. > >Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and now the World Bank President, Vajpayee's India >has made a habit of genuflecting to the big barons of global economic and >political power. But while the Sanghis and their NDA partners offer their >daily prayers to the gods of global capital, the protests of the toiling >masses and other freedom-loving Indians are also getting louder. > >As the government accelerates its desperate drive for privatisation and >globalisation on all possible fronts, the people's anger against the powers >that be is seeking channels to explode. We have already seen the Punjab >farmers bringing the government down on its knees when the government had to >shell out three billion Rupees to buy paddy. The farmers are now worried about >the sale of their impending crop of wheat. In Rajasthan the farming community >is up in arms on the issue of power. After three decades of nationalisation, >the government is now bent upon privatising them in a few fell strokes by >bringing down its stake in nationalised banks to only a third. This has >rightly provoked all sections of bank employees and officers to go on a day's >strike on November 15. > >In Maruti, the public sector management first pressurised the workers to give >a good conduct undertaking and now the government is planning to sell off this >lucrative automobile joint venture. Returning to her favourite I&B ministry, >Sushma Swaraj has already shown the go-ahead signal to direct-to-home (DTH) >telecasting which will further tighten the grip of foreign media companies on >the paying Indian television sector. Meanwhile, the new textile policy has >sounded the death-knell for the traditional handloom sector as well as the >composite mill sector, while permitting unlimited foreign control on a >dereserved garments industry. > >The announcement of a partial rollback of Rs. 10 on LPG cylinders and Re. 1 on >every litre of kerosene on the eve of the winter session of Parliament is >therefore only a deceptive move to placate the mounting popular anger. The >government is actually behaving in an increasingly despotic manner and this >despotism encompasses every sphere of governance. The appointment of former UP >Home Secretary and Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar, a prime accused in the >criminal case of demolition of Babri Masjid, as the Governor of Jharkhand is >another case in point. Kumar's appointment, which is obviously meant to >'immunise' him from the Liberhans Commission investigating the demolition >case, has evoked widespread protests within and outside of Jharkhand, but the >government has shown little care for such protests. Given the bankruptcy of >the official opposition, one wonders how far the popular mood will be >reflected in the winter session of Parliament which began on November 20. >Meanwhile after Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura, the VHP is now trying to organise >Hindutva shows right in the historic Qutab Minar complex in the capital, even >as the RSS is conducting a countrywide door-to-door campaign to carry the >saffron message to every nook and corner of this country of a billion people. >It is unfortunate that the office of the President of India, which often does >not grant an audience to democratic forces, has decided to open the doors of >the Rasthrapati Bhawan for the RSS campaign. But however much the RSS may try >and paint the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Parliament in saffron, the people of >India, the real pillar of democracy, are determined to thwart the saffron >design, come what may. > > > > > >Coal workers' Strike > >The CPI(ML) hailed the coal workers' three-day nationwide strike (20 to 22 >Nov.) against the government move to privatize the coal sector. The strike has >on the very first day (20 Nov.) been quite successful in BCCL, ECL and CCL, >which shows the coal workers' have resolved to fight tooth and nail the >government's reform policies. > > > > > >Statewide Rail Roko,(Rail blockade) Rasta Roko (Road blockade) in W. Bengal > > > >Distressed people of West Bengal voiced their protest in the form of "Rail >Roko" (stop trains) and "Rasta Roko" (stop road traffic) on 20 Nov. Responding >to the call given by the CPI(ML) State unit, people blocked rail lines at >various places in Howrah-Asansol, Sealdah-Lalgola and Sealdah-Diamond Harbour >sections between 9 to 10 a.m. Road traffic came to standstill for an hour at >many important junctions from Siliguri to Asansol and Naihati on the national >highways. At Purbasthali in Bardhaman, the agitators were greeted with >lathicharge and arrests. They were demanding to declare the unprecedented >Bengal floods as a national calamity and make a proper investigation into the >loss of lives, and to withdraw the petro prices hike and the consequent bus >fare hike. Agitators said that it is the critical flood situation in Bengal >that warrants urgent govt. attention and not the ostentatious celebrations on >Basu's retirement. > > > >Statements by CPI(ML) > > >The CPI(ML) strongly condemned the heinous act of defacing the statue of Marx >& Engels at Curzon Park in Central Calcutta in broad daylight by the Youth >Congress hoodlums on the pretext of installation of the statue of Indira >Gandhi on 19 Nov. The Party will organise a sit in on 22 Nov. at Curzon Park >as a mark of public protest. > >Party congratulated the million-strong bank employees for the successful >nationwide strike on 15 Nov. and condemned the Vajpayee govt. for its move to >destroy this main financial sector. Party also condemned the Finance >Minister's anti-working class arrogance manifested in his statement >reasserting the intention to bring the bill for disinvestment of equity in >public sector banks in the winter session of Parliament. > > > > > >Polit Bureau Deliberations in Brief > > > >Party Polit Bureau met in Patna on 11-12 November and reviewed the progress of >the third and final phase of the Strengthen the Party campaign and discussed >the post-campaign situation and tasks facing the Party. Here are the main >points: > > > >1. "Strengthen the Party" Campaign: On the whole, the six-month long campaign >has clearly succeeded in infusing the entire Party with a greater sense of >purpose and confidence while generating a new spirit of mass political >activism. > >In Assam, by the end of the campaign the Party and ASDC seem to have regained >the upper hand and the rally held in Diphu on November 3 has broken all past >records in terms of mass mobilisation. In UP, the campaign had a belated start >because of panchayat elections, but the second half of the campaign witnessed >more concerted attempts. Even though the results are still of a primary order, >there are signs of a revival on the student front and the rural work is also >picking up. In West Bengal, the third phase of the campaign has been badly >affected by the floods that swept the central and southern districts of the >state for several weeks in September and October. But the impact of the >campaign could be seen in the vigour and determination with which almost all >Party committees responded to the challenge of organising flood relief and >fighting for rehabilitation. > >In Tamil Nadu, encouraging results have been recorded on the agricultural >labourer front in Tanjore and the recent state AICCTU rally in Chennai also >showed some signs of revival on the trade union front. But the party >organisation in the state requires much greater cohesion. In Andhra Pradesh, >the Party has reached a new stage of mass political activism, playing a >consistently active role in a series of campaigns while expanding the >organisation's area of work and influence. Some improvements have also been >recorded in Orissa and Tripura. Party organisations in Rajasthan and Punjab >played an active role in spearheading the recent farmers' agitations in the >states. Delhi has recorded a notable increase in Party membership and LY >circulation coupled with a matching rise in mass activism and membership among >slum dwellers, urban toilers and the youth. > >Among the new states, Uttaranchal has witnessed a spate of encouraging >victories in student union elections even as the Party organisation there is >trying to address the new situation of a new state. In Chhattisgarh too, the >Party is trying to cope with the new situation with a clear focus on the >industrial worker, unorganised sector workers and the rural poor. There are >reports of some expansion of Party influence in the rural parts of Durg >district. In Jharkhand, the campaign has created a conducive atmosphere for a >long-awaited revival of work in Hazaribagh district while Giridih and >Palamu-Garwah districts are witnessing signs of increased mass resistance >against the terrorist activities of MCC/PWG and mafia gangs. > >In Bihar, the best achievement has been recorded on the agricultural labour >front with an enrolled membership of nearly 3,40,000. This is nearly 70% of >the revised half-a-million target adopted by the Party State Committee. There >is also a discernible improvement in terms of mass militancy and resistance as >well as committee functioning. > >Among Party organs, the circulation of LY has also been stabilised around >8,000 as against the set target of 10,000. In West Bengal, the state Party >organ Deshbrati has become a weekly and its circulation has nearly doubled. > > > >2. Urgent Post-Campaign Tasks > > > >a) The biggest challenge in the post-campaign phase now is to consolidate the >gains of the campaign. The task of Party-building has acquired a new primacy >in the Party's agenda. Collective functioning of Party committees has been >reemphasised with renewed stress on practising criticism and self-criticism, >according primacy to Party interests and Party work over individual interests >and personal work and upholding mutuual supervision. This must not be allowed >to be diluted under any circumstances. The emphasis on Party building and >serious mass work, on Party education and branch functioning, on maintaining >close links between the Party and the masses, between leaders and cadres, >between higher and lower committees has to be made an integral part of our >Party life and Party culture. These are some of the very basic features of a >revolutionary communist party and we must make them a collective habit of our >Party. The entire Party must learn to grow on the basis of a resolute struggle >against parliamentary opportunism and every manifestation of erosion of the >Party spirit. > >b) The momentum generated on the agricultural labour front must now be >sustained and shaped into a vibrant agricultural labourer organisation and >movement. The agricultural labourer organisation must be built up from below >with the village/panchayat level committee as the lowest unit. This will >henceforth be our basic class organisation and unless there are strong >compelling reasons, we must build this organisation in all our areas of rural >work. > >c) The present situation is marked by strong symptoms of a widespread agrarian >unrest. The WTO regime of free trade in agricultural commodities and other >aspects of economic reforms like reduction and removal of subsidies, >privatisation of power sector, decline of public investment in agriculture are >combining to have a disastrous impact on Indian agriculture. Barring a small >section of rich farmers or agrarian bourgeoisie who are deep into large-scale >commercial farming and have developed strong links with monopoly and foreign >capital, almost all other sections of the agricultural population have begun >to feel the adverse impact of the new policies and are therefore strongly >opposing the new policies. Instead of toeing the farmer lobby, we can and must >develop our direct independent links with this developing agrarian unrest. > >d) The youth organisation is slated to have its next national conference by >the end of this year fulfiling its targets of membership recruitment and >setting the guidelines for launching movements based on popular aspirations. > >e) Concerted efforts are to be taken to build up the workers solidarity forum >and anti-globalisation forum in response to the present situation. > >f) Party Committees should make special efforts to increase the Party's >membership strength during November and December. The CC has given a call for >expanding the candidate membership base by 40% with special emphasis on >recruiting members from among agricultural labourers and women. > > > >3. Observing December 6 and December 18, 2000 > > > >Every year since the black December 6 of 1992, we have been observing December >6 to reiterate the people's resolve for secularism and democracy. This year >the day will acquire greater significance in view of the aggressive RSS >propaganda made on the occasion of its 75th anniversary and in the wake of >systematic attacks on the minorities. Whether independently or jointly with >other secular forces we should observe the day with due political seriousness. > > >December 18, 2000 will mark the second memorial day of Comrade Vinod Mishra. >The Day will be observed by pledge day by the entire Party in appropriate >forms to be decided by concerned State Committees. The North-West Zonal Bureau >has decided to observe the day as anti-imperialism day linking it with our >ongoing efforts for forming a broader national forum. In Bihar the day will be >observed by holding a massive Bihar Vikas Sammelan in Patna where other Left >and democratic personalities will also be invited. A seminar will be held in >Calcutta under the banner of Liberation and Deshbrati on the subject of the >challenges facing the Left Movement. Other State Committees should draw their >own plans and inform the Party Central Office as early as possible. > >The booklet "How Did Our Party Evolve?" will be reissued on this occasion with >an updated introduction and will be taken up for an extensive study campaign >throughout the Party. > >The Second Volume of VM's Selected Works in Hindi will also be released on >December 18. All Party organs will bring out special issues with articles >based on Com. VM's teachings. > > > > > > > >Rally in Behrampur > > >A joint rally was held by our Party and Lok Sangram Manch(LSM)(people's >struggle Front), an organisation formed by comrades who came out of the PWG, >at Behrampur in Orissa on 20 Nov. Around 5000 people, mostly adivasi landless >labourers armed with their traditional weapons, holding high red flags and >beating drums and gongs, marched on the 8 km route of the rally shouting >slogans. The meeting held at the end of the rally was addressed by CC member >Com. Saroj Chaube among others. The main demands of the rallyists include >return of the adivasi land usurped by others to their rightfult owners, pattas >of that land, minimum wages, withdrawal of price hike and correct updating of >land records. A 7-member delegation including Com.Khitish Biswal, Secy. of >Orissa Party unit, Bidyadhar Patra, Tirupati Gomango and Buddha Gomango of >LSM, met the Revenue Divisional Commissioner and handed over a memorandum. > > > > > >News in Brief > >n > > A mass meeting of "NTC Bachao Sangharsh Morcha" (Save NTC Forum) was held on >18 Nov. in Ahmedabad. The meeting was held as part of the one-week campaign >against the proposed closure of NTC mills and the new textile policy. The >meeting was addressed by Com. Swapan Mukherjee, Gen. Secy. of AICCTU, Com. JP >Virale and PK Amre of Girni Kamgar Union, Com. Babu Lal of Textile Ekta Manch, >Kanpur and Com. Pagare of Kamgar Ekta Union. It received wide local media >coverage. > >n > > National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE) held its extended National >Executive meet in Siliguri on 8 Nov. The meeting was held in the backdrop of >corporatisation of telecom and the consequent strike movement. It was >inaugurated by Com. S Mukherjee, Gen. Secy. of AICCTU and presided over by >Com. OP Gupta, Gen. Secy. of NFTE. > >n > > The Gaya region of postal employees held its regional conference on 12 Nov. >in Gaya. An open session was held after the conference which was addressed by >Com. S. Mukherjee, Com. Rajaram Singh, MLA and Com. RN Chaudhary, Gen. Secy. >of All India Postal Employees Union (Class III), Com. RAP Singh, advisor and >ex-GS of the union. > >n > >The Bihar State Non-Gazetted Employees Union in Gaya held a seminar against >the onslaught of globalisation and role of working class which was addressed >by Com. S. Mukherjee, CPI(-ML leader Com. Shivsagar Sharma, Com RAP Singh, >Com. Shyamlal, Vice President of AICCTU presided over the seminar. > >n > >Thanks to the two-month long agitation and consequent tripartite talks >undertaken by Centre of Steel Workers, Bhilai with the management, 18 contract >workers received their two months payment, encashment of leave and >retrenchment compensation from Fattesingh and Co., petty contractor working in >Bhilai Steel Plant. Union leaders Com. A Shekhar Rao and Brajendra Tiwary >represented the CSW in the talks. > >n > >Chennai City Party organised a convention on "India does not belong to >Hindutwa" on 5 Nov., in which CPI unit of Tamilnadu, Musilm Munnetra Kazhagam >( Muslim Progressive Association) and DPI participated. Com. Kumarsamy >addressed the convention. It was organised to protest against the RSS Chief's >outburst against the minorities. > > > > > >Farmers Continue Agitation in Rajasthan > > > >Farmers in Jhunjhunu district have played a significant role in the struggle >for electricity. After the Assembly blockade on Nov. 1, the Rajasthan Govt. >had promised to give farmers 8-hours electricity but nothing was done till >Nov. 6. Then, under the leadership of CPI-ML, the farmers in Jhunjhunu >district closed all roads for three continuous days and the government was >forced to negotiate and sign a written agreement, according to which the >district is divided into three parts, each getting 8-hours electricity in >rotation. This is a notable victory of the farmers movement. > >Jhunjhunu thus became the first district to enter into the second phase of the >struggle, getting regular power to farmers sowing the rabi crop. Coms. >Srilata, CC member, Mahender Chaudhary, State Secy., Phoolchand Dheva, Dist. >Secy. and Kisan leader Com Ramchander toured the whole district from 9 to 14 >Nov. to ensure that regular electricity was being received by the farmers. >Then on 15 Nov. they addressed large rallies were held in Guda, Chidawa and >Khetri, in which thousands of farmers participated and resolved to launch the >next phase of the movement and fight against privatisation of the electricity >sector. > _______________________________________________________ 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] _______________________________________________________
