>From: "cpiml" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >ML Update : A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine > >Vol.-3; No.-47; 29-11-2000 > > > > > >Editorial > > > >Images of Globalisation and the Gospels of Vajpayee > > > >After his knees, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has now become worried >about the 'image' of globalisation in this country. Addressing the India >Economic Summit sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and >the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the capital on November 26, Vajpayee >proposed a nine-point social charter for business which he believes can change >the 'image' of globalisation. Instead of being perceived as a 'threat', he >wants globalisation to be treated as an 'opportunity'. The Prime Minister of >course noted the growing trend of global protests against globalisation and >reassured the foreign and Indian big capital that his government was >determined to overcome all resistance and push through the entire gamut of >pending reforms at an increasingly quicker pace. > > > >Under the BJP-led NDA dispensation, the government of India has already been >withdrawing itself rapidly from almost every field of industrial production >and financial service. Now the government wants to retreat even from the >social sectors like healthcare and education and hand over the reins of almost >all spheres of public life to the private industry. Newspaper reports of the >Sunday summit say that the CII has 'spontaneously' accepted the entire charter >proposed by the Prime Minister the details of which have however not been >revealed. The CII has only declared that all its members will take charge of >at least one primary school and one primary healthcare centre! Not to be left >behind, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is >also organising an international conference on globalisation and democracy in >Delhi on December 5-6. > > > >Interestingly, all these consultancy and counseling sessions to improve the >image of the economic reforms are taking place at a time when farmers are >exploding in rage in every state around Delhi and the capital itself has been >witnessing a pitched battle being fought by lakhs of workers and even owners >of the small-scale industry in Delhi. While the Prime Minister whiled away his >lazy Sunday philosophising on the 'image' of globalisation which also >overshadows the 'image' of his pseudo-swadeshi government, Delhi began the >next week with a total bandh on a usually busy Monday. > > > >The 'image' of globalisation, and for that matter of the biggest 'swadeshi' >contractor of this project, will of course continue to be decided by the >actual events on the ground, the real implementation of the policies and the >impact experienced by the concerned people. Take the case of Delhi. The >Supreme Court has asked the Union Urban Development Ministry and the Delhi >Government to enforce the Master Plan 2001 for the capital. Now this plan is >nothing but a design of deindustrialisation of Delhi. And the apex court of >India is serving in this case as a ruthless destroyer. Having ordered the >closure/relocation of 168 'noxious and hazardous' industries on July 8, 1996, >the Court is now asking for similar relocation/closure of 97,600 small and >medium industrial units employing an estimated two million workers for the >reason that these units are located in areas earmarked as 'residential' or >non-industrial localities. > > > >The opposition to industry is not prompted by the fear of pollution alone. And >the figures, in any way, do not support the pollution argument. Compared to >1970-71 when the industry used to account for 56% of Delhi's air pollution >with vehicles contributing only 23%, the proportion today is vastly changed. >The four million strong vehicular population in Delhi now supplies 76% of >Delhi's air pollution while the share of industry has come down to only 20%. >And this spurt in vehicular population and pollution is a direct offshoot of >the neglect and collapse of Delhi's public transport system. Even in terms of >water pollution, while municipal waste amounts to 1900 million litres per day >(MLD), industrial waste stands at 320 MLD. The deindustrialisation design is >also marked by a not-so-concealed prejudice and hatred against the immigrant >worker and the squatters. The Union Urban Development Minister Jagmohan, >notorious for his demolition activities since the Emergency of 1975, has said >"The migrants and squatters, like plague or some other rare kind of fever, >will cripple and kill Shajahanabad too. Its tradition, its culture, its charm >... will all be swept by the flood of migrants and squatters." The official >report on Jhuggi-Jhopri (Slum areas) Settlements in Delhi (Part II) clearly >shares this attitude: "Bastis are the plague spots in any urban setting. ... >They are concentrated areas of insanitation, crime and vice that are both a >disgrace and a danger to the city as a whole." > > > >The designers of globalisation want to remove all industry and workers and the >settlements of toiling people from Delhi. They want to reserve the capital for >the affluent elite, the political brokers, and their foreign mentors and >masters. If this is how an elected 'democratic' government treats the ordinary >citizens right in the capital, one can easily imagine the fate of the rural >poor and dalits and adivasis labouring away in far-flung areas. The problem >lies with the brutal reality of globalisation and not with its 'image'. And >the 'image', Mr. Prime Minister, cannot be altered by duping the people with >illusions, however heavily your state-in-retreat may choose to subsidise the >illusion industry. And as the saying goes, you can't fool all of the people >all of the time! > > > > > >Press release > > > >Party Condemns Civil Liberties Activist's Murder > > > >The CPI(ML) strongly condemned the murderous assault on the prominent civil >rights activist T. Purushottam in Hyderabad on 23 Nov. The barbaric manner in >which this popular figure of the civil rights movement was murdered indicates >a deliberate attempt on part of the Chandrababu Naidu Government and its >police machinery to terrorise and silence the movement for civil liberties in >Andhra Pradesh. This is further borne out by the fact that Purushottam was >recently targeted for attack by the notorious Greyhounds-backed vigilante >force, the "Green Tigers". > >The Naidu government's crackdown on the civil rights movement ties up with the >spiralling incidence of civil rights violations all over the country in the >NDA regime, of which Naidu's TDP is a partner. In order to bulldoze its >anti-people policies of privatisation, the NDA and its partners in their >respective states are not only crossing all limits of civil rights violations >in their crackdown on peoples' protests, but are also resorting to brutal >terror tactics to silence the voices of dissent in society. Expressing >solidarity with the APCLC in its ongoing battle for civil liberties in the >state, Party also supported the demand by civil rights activists that the >Chief Minister Naidu should take responsibility for the murder. > > > > > >Picket Before Councilor > > > >On Nov. 26, Shakarpur (Delhi) unit of Jhuggi-Jhopadi Samyukt Sangharsh Samiti >(slum dwellers united struggle forum ) and RYA organised a picketing in front >of the local BJP councillor. The agitators took him to task for his criminal >negligence towards the basic minimum needs of the slumdwellers, viz., drinking >water, ration card, sanitation, school, road and electricity. The picket was >lead and addressed by CPI(ML) leader Sunita, RYA leaders Shashi Bhushan, Ravi >Kumar and others. > > > >Earlier, on Nov. 19, Mandawali (East Delhi) Nagarik Sabha staged a dharna in >front of the local Congress(I) MLA, charging her for gross negligence towards >developmental work in the area and demanded submission of accounts of the >development fund to public. > > > > > >Land Struggle in W. B. > > > >On Nov. 10, No.12 Barua area unit of the Party under Raiganj P.S. of North >Dinajpur led the landless labourers to seize 4 bighas of vest land in >Chatrapur village and distributed it among 52 poor families as house sites. > > > >After a prolonged struggle, on Nov. 9 peasants succeeded in harvesting paddy >crop on 11 bighas of land in Bhatigram under Itahar P.S. They had obtained >pattas for this land 20 years back, but the local landlord forcibly kept it >under his occupation. > > > >In Fadilpur of Raiganj, hundreds of peasants successfully harvested 7 bighas >of land that was under occupation of hoodlums backed by CPI(M), belonging to >the neighboring village. Peasants of the village had obtained patta for 16 >bighas of land 20 years back. It should be remembered that five years ago, a >CPI(ML) supporter Com. Rohini Das died a martyr in the struggle centering this >land. > > > > > >Report From Chhattisgarh > > > >A demonstration-cum -dharna was organised in front of the BDO office, Bilha on >Nov. 13 against the illegal appointment of the Works Committee president. The >BDO was ultimately compelled to cancel the appointment and entrust the work to >the surpanch. He assured to immediately arrange for installing hand-pumps and >digging the ponds. > > > >A Party delegation submitted a memorandum to the Governor through the D.C. on >Nov. 21, demanding proclamation of 11 districts as drought-hit and ensuring >all-out relief operations on war-footing. > > > > > >Dharna in Dispur > > > >National Electricity Workers and Engineers' Coordination Committee called for >a nation-wide dharna on 15 Nov. on demand of withdrawal of "Electricity >Bill-2000". In Assam, a dharna was organised in Dispur (near the Assam >Assembly gate) jointly by the Association of Power Engineers of Assam & >Meghalaya and Assam State Power Workers' Union. > > > > > >Tea- Worker demanded a Special Assembly Session > > > >Assam Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangh (ASCSS), the tea-workers' union affiliated >to AICCTU has demanded from the Governor, through a memorandum submitted on >Nov. 6, that a special Assembly sesion be convened to discuss the demands and >problems of tea garden workers, viz., a minimum daily wages of Rs 49, apart >from providing residential quarters, medical and other facilities. Although >the expert committee set up by Assam Govt. in 1998 had recommended these >things, the Govt. did not implement them. On the contrary, it extended tacit >support to the arbitrary wages (Rs.37) and conditionalities imposed by the >owners violating the labour law. Thus this vast population of tea workers is >forced to live in inhuman conditions. > > > >Meanwhile CPI(ML), Pragatisheel Nari Santha, RYA and ASCSS jointly >demonstrated in front of Dibrugarh DC protesting the murder of a tea-garden >worker in Nahrkatia tea-garden and demanding roll back the hike in the prices >of petro-products. In a memorandum to the Governor they demanded life >imprisonment to the murderer and due compensation to the family. > > > > > >Rally to Demand Autonmy to Mishing People > > > >Mishing Memang Kebang (MMK) and TMPK held a massive "Unity Rally" on 25 Nov. >to demand delimitation of the boundaries of Mishing Autonomous Council (MAC) >and handing them over the functional powers. It can be recalled that Assam >Govt. had signed a treaty with organisations like MMK, TMPK and TMMK on 28 >April 1998 to revise the MAC Act within 8 months and implement other demands. >But so far the Mishig problem remains to be solved. > > > > > >Bihar : Police-raj > > > >"Here, police is the friend in need of the criminals and enemy indeed of the >people", observed the "Itawa- Shahpur police firing" investigation team headed >by CPI(ML) leader and Ex-MP Rameshwar Prasad. For the last one month >Itawa-Shahpur area has been turned into a haunting ground for the criminals >with local police remaining 'silent' even after getting reports from the >villagers. In this course, one Sagartwiha of Itawa village was murdred by the >criminals in the nearby field at 7 p.m. of Nov. 16. Police was informed >immediately. But they did not even move to nab the criminals. Next morning, >the villagers apprehended of a suspect, handed him over to police. But the >police let him free without any proper investigation. The same evening , on >the way back home from Shahpur market, two villagers were robbed and beaten-up >by the criminals. Again the police remained conspicuously silent. Bursting >with anger, the villagers blocked the nearby highway in the night of 17 Nov. >Next morning police chased the villagers with lathi and bayonets and even >resorted to firing killing a 17-year old youth Ramesh Rajak moving with his >ass and seriously injuring 5 other villagers. > > > >n Amarpura (Patna), Nov. 10, 2000. Two CRPF jawans of the Police camp asked >two students to fetch them countrymade liquor. On their refusal to oblige, the >'jawans' hit the teenagers with bayonet causing serious injury. Enraged masses >of the area took to the streets in protest. In face of the uncompromising mood >of the people, the authorities well compelled to suspend the CRPF men. > > > >n Parsa Bazar (Patna), Nov. 17. One Bala Manjhi of Jhaichowk village was >crushed to death by a track. Receiving bribe from the truck owner, the OC of >Parsa Bajar P.S. shut the accident case, declaring the corpse of Bala Manjhi >as 'unclaimed'. As the news spread, people in hundreds rushed to the police >station. Under mass pressure an FIR was lodged against the truck-owner and >compensation to the deceased was assured. > > > >n Nov. 11. Local Party activist Com. Munilal Bind was killed by Sanket Yadav >gang of Naubatpur. Police remained a helpless spectator. > > > >n Nov. 22. Local Party activist Dinesh Bind (28 yrs.) was killed by PWG-goons >at Begumchak of Masaurhi P.S. This apart, the PWG-armed gang dashed into >Rajochak tola in the darkness of night, beat the poor villagers and threatened >them of dire consequences should they not dissociate themselves from "Maley", >i.e., CPI (ML)-Liberation. > > > > > >Delhi Bandh to Protest Eviction of Small Industries > > > >Called by Laghu Udyog Sangharsh Samiti (Small Scale Industry Struggle >Committee) and Delhi Manufacturers Federation to protest the eviction of >around one lakh small scale industrial units from residential areas, Delhi >bandh on 27 Nov. almost paralysed the normal life. Despite largescale arrests >and teargas shells at scores of places, traffic was blocked at several places. >Apart from political parties, Forum of Delhi Traders Associations and Delhi >Bachao Samiti had extended their support to the bandh. The govt. under the >pretext of beutification of Delhi has first evicted slumdwellers, razing their >slums to ground at several places in the city, and now showing their fascist >colours they are ousting 2 million people from employment. So the bandh call >was fully supported by the unorganised working class. > > > > > >Railwaymen Stage Dharna Before Parliament > > > >About 350 railwaymen under the banner of A.I.R.E.C. staged a dharna before >Parliament on Nov. 21. Their main demands were negotiating facilities to >A.I.R.E.C., withdrawal of victimisations, removal of anomalies arising out of >recommendations of the Fifth C.P.C., stopping privatisation in the railways >and other establishments. Com. D.N. S. S. Srinivas Rao, President, inaugurated >the dharna and Com. CM Singh, CD Singh, A.C. Sharma, Rabi Sen, Rajaiah (M.P.) >also addressed the gathering. All the trade union leaders flayed the >government for its anti-working class policies and stressed the need for >united struggle as well as solidarity movement. Later a delegation met the >Railways Minister Mamata Bannerjee and handed over the memorandum. > > > > > >Farmers' Issue Finds Echo in Parliament > > > >"India's agriculture is at the crossroads and food security could be in >jeopardy if corrective measures were not taken on a war footing", said >Manmohan Singh in Rajya Sabha. In the first week Congress brought an >adjournment motion in Lok Sabha that was defeated, but the issue did not die >down. On 27 Nov. , in Lok Sabha SP and RJD MPs stormed the well of the house >in the morning, terming the Union Agriculture Minister's reply last week >lacking in substance, they said farmers in several States were being forced >into distress sales. The government must arrange to buy their produce as was >done in Punjab, they demanded. Mr Vikram Verma of BJP said that as a result of >impoverishment some farmers in M.P. had committed suicide. S Ramchandra Pillai >of CPI(M) said that some farmers have started selling their belongings to >repay their debts and were now left without any alternative employment. > > > > > >National Convention Against Nuclear Weapons > > > >"National Convention for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace", held in Delhi, from >11 to 13 Nov., ended with the formation of a "National Coalition for Nuclear >Disarmament and Peace". Besides 600 delegates from India, there were about 50 >solidarity delegates attending the convention who came from Pakistan, >Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA, Canada, >Netherlands and France. > >The convention declared that "India's self-declared entry into the nuclear >weapons club is ethically reprehensible, socially, poliically and economically >ruinous, and deserves unequivocal condemnation." The struggle centering the >demand to halt and roll back India's nuclear weapon-related preparations would >be the primary basis of the national coalition. The convention demanded all >the N-5 countries USA, Russia, China, Britain, France as well as Pakistan, >Israel to move ahead towards the creation of a nuclear weapons-free world. The >convention strongly condemned the American move for initiating National >Missile Defense (NMD) and Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) systems, which is >likely to seriously upset and even reverse the global efforts to move towards >universal nuclear disarmament and urged the Indian Govt. to take up the issue >at the highest level with the US administration. > > > > > >Commentary > > > >Rise Against Globalisation and for Democracy > > > > The new economic policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation >have begun to play havoc with the lives and livelihood of large sections of >Indian working population. From the organised working class and the rural poor >to the small farmer and small-scale sector industry, millions of people have >already been hit hard by the ongoing reforms. There is a groundswell of >popular anger against the devastating impact of the new policies and the anger >is manifesting itself through spontaneous mass struggles. > > While the people's anger is mounting and beginning to explode, the ruling >class parties suffer from a tremendous crisis of credibility and find >themselves greatly handicapped in coping with this groundswell of mass >resentment. Both the BJP and the Congress have been thoroughly exposed in the >matter of economic policy. The so-called non-Congress non-BJP Left and >centrist parties have also been exposed in varying degrees especially >following the brief stint of the United Front government and in any case, >their ongoing negotiations to form yet another third front, are far removed >from the actual theatre of mounting mass anger and mass struggles. The >resultant situation is thus marked by a serious mismatch between the mood of >the people and the available political response of the established parties. > > Against this backdrop, the CPI(ML) sincerely urges upon the left and >democratic individuals and organisations to come forward, render a more active >and more dynamic role in building an effective and broadest possible national >forum against imperialist globalisation. > >Disseminating information and analysis about the impact of globalisation and >new economic policies on different sectors and strengthening the actual >movement on the ground with a consistent exposure campaign may be the main >focus of this forum. Conventions, talks, padyatras, popular booklets and other >propaganda materials may be the suitable forms and vehicles for such an >exposure campaign. As opposed to the politics of pressure groups or lobbies, >such a forum may be inclined in favour of radical mass politics. While >demarcating itself clearly from the RSS practitioners of 'Swadeshi', it may >uphold the militant and anti-imperialist legacy of the Indian people. > > > >International > > > >Cuba Solidarity Conference > > > >Second World Conference of 'Friendship and Solidarity with Cuba' held on Nov. >10-14 with 4664 delegates from 118 nations. There would have been more, if not >for the travel limitations caused by the U.S.blockade. The delegates were more >than happy to make the sacrifice to travel to socialist Cuba and show their >utmost solidarity with the revolution. The Cuban Institute for Friendship with >the Peoples (ICAP) President Sergio Corrieri set the tone while opening the >conference: "Our economic free-fall had touched bottom." At the same time, >Washington tightened the blockade and the Cuban-American right wing in Miami >stepped up its hostile acts. "Six years have gone by and here we are, in >revolutionary Cuba, who have not come to terms with an unjust, oppressive and >cruel world." "The solidarity movement is not homogenous, but that is its >strength', he said, "A beautiful flower has blossomed forth out of the bloody >and bitter ground of our common struggle-the flower of friendship and >solidarity. Let us take care of it; it is the daughter of rebelliousness and >of the refusal to put up with injustice." At the end, the international >delegates together with cuban people told the U.S. government: Lift the >blockade of Cuba now. > > > > > >General Strike in Argentina > > > > _______________________________________________________ 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. 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