>ML Update: A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine Vol.-3; No.-49; 13-12-2000 > > > > >Editorial > > >Vajpayee Unmasks Himself and Bares His Saffron Soul > > > >Babri Masjid has been demolished once again. Ever since the original act of >demolition eight years ago, while the people at large have been observing >December 6 as a Black Day, as a day of national shame and hence resolve >against communal fascism, this year there were renewed fireworks in the >fascist camp as the Sangh Parivar switched over from a defensive mode to a >calculated show of aggression. The fascists observed the day as Shaurya Divas >(Day of Valour). Even as opposition members stalled Parliament for the third >successive day, demanding resignation of Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharati, the >new state of Jharkhand observed a successful bandh to demand removal of >another Ayodhya accused, Prabhat Kumar, from the position of Governor. >Vajpayee himself rushed to the rescue of his chargesheeted colleagues. > > > >A stunned nation was told that Advani and Co. were actually trying to >'control' the crowd, but the spirited Kar Sewaks went ahead to complete the >demolition job in a fit of 'national sentiment'. Vajpayee, however, did not >stop with a mere defence of what happened eight years ago, but went on to >remind the country that the mission remainecd 'unfinished'. Pressed for a >clarification by some NDA allies, he even advocated a 'solution' of the >dispute in the form of Muslims handing over the site for the reconstruction of >Ram Mandir while agreeing to a post-demolition relocation of the mosque at >some other venue! With Vajpayee usurping the RSS lingo, the RSS chieftain >Sudarshan was left looking for a new twist to the plot. While Vajpayee would >like us to believe that Uma Bharati's frenzied cries for 'one more blow' was >actually an attempt at pacifying the crowd, Sudarshan claims that the Masjid >was razed to the ground not by the fascist demolition squads but by 'some >myysterious bomb' planted inside! > > > >Why did Vajpayee choose to bare his saffron 'swayamsevak' soul at this >juncture? Media analysts have described the Prime Minister's statements as a >masterstroke, which has the potential of killing several birds with one stone. >Vajpayee may have 'disappointed' a few of his liberal admirers, he may have >fallen in their eyes from the pedestal of a 'statesman' caste in the mould of >Nehru to the category of a 'seasoned politician', but he has sent out a >'reassuring message' to the core group of saffron supporters. He has made it >known that he has finally left his troubled knees behind and is quite in >control. Apart from firming up his position vis-a-vis the Advani camp, it also >serves as a counterpoint to the ongoing ceasefire in Kashmir, while setting >the right saffron tone for the UP elections coming up late next year. In >another immediate context, the controversy perhaps also serves to deflect >national attention from the farmers' protests and other explosive instances of >popular anger against the disastrous impact of the ongoing economic reforms. >Probably the BJP realises that the days of the NDA dispensation in its current >term are anyway numbered and hence it is time for reiterating the 'saffron >fundamentals'. > > > >The argument of 'deflection' or diversion', however, in no way minimises the >gravity of the crime. After all, creation of a false and fictitious enemy and >diversion of genuine popular anger and frustration into a hate campaign >against this false enemy is a basic feature of fasicsm. Following Vajpayee's >statements, the communal climate in the country has already begun to get >vitiated and the temperature is on the rise in several parts of the country. >If the fascists want to divide the people and divert their anger, the answer >clerarly lies in integrating the struggle on economic issues with a bold >defence of secularism. Any artificial separation of the two aspects of the >democratic agenda will be a costly mistake. > > > >Vajpayee has redrawn the battle lines between communal fascism and secular >democracy. While calling upon the liberal admirers of Vajpayee and the >so-called 'secular' allies in communal company to reposition themselves, left >and democratic forces must take the lead in carrying forward the people's >struggle against the combined offensive of globalisation and communal fasicsm. >A free, rapid and undeterred growth of people's struggles can be the most >effective answer to the Sangh Parivar's campaign of fascist falsehood and >mischief. > > > >Com. Rongpi Urged Settlement of Demands of Postal Employees > > > >While CPI(ML) condemned the adament attitude of the government towards 6 lakh >postal employees' demands, Com. Jayanta Rongpi, M.P. and member of Central >Committee of the Party sent a letter to the Prime Minister requesting him "to >intervene personally and solve the problem through negotiation to the >satisfaction of the employees and for immediate restoration of this vital >public service". Com. Rongpi noted in his letter that "The government failed >to implement the recommendation of Justice Talwar's Committee and the >agreement reached with unions on 18-12-1998 and 1-5-2000". As "more than 3 >lakh of the striking workers are the extra-departmental employees providing >the postal services in the rural area, the backward and hilly areas of >North-east are the worst hit areas due to the strike." Further submitting that >"The strike is total due to the fact that dissatisfaction of the employees is >genuine and it has reached a quite high mark because of central government's >going back on its own commitment more than once." > > > >Party Condemned Killings by ULFA > > > >CPI(ML) condemned massacre of 30 non-Assamese people, mainly the migrant >labourers from Bihar, in Tinsukia district of Assam by ULFA extremists and >demanded a high-level time bound enquiry into the underhand relations of >Congress, BJP and AGP leaders with the ULFA and other extremist groups in >Assam. Party also criticised Assam govt. for its total failure to provide >minimum security particularly to non-Assamese people in the state. > > > >Black Day Observed to Strengthen Resolve Against Communal Fascism throughout >the Country > > > >Massive Secular March in Patna > > > >Over a thousand people participated in a massive secular march in Patna which >started from Miller School ground and reached J.P. Chowk, where it turned into >a mass meeting. Addressing it Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar >Bhattacharya said that Sangh Parivar and BJP is bent on making private affairs >public and public affairs private, which has brough the country on the >precipice of disaster. He said that demolition of Babri Masjid was an attack >on democracy as well as secularism. Those who attended the march and spoke at >the meeting include Com. Jagannath Sarkar, Com. PK Ganguli of CPI, Nripendra >Krishna Mahato of Forward Bloc, Gandhian Mr. Razi Ahmed, Sagina Choudhary of >MCPI, Arvind Sinha of Unity Initiative, State president of Telecom Union Md. >Yusuf, leaders of various minority communities, intellectuals and journalists. >The meeting was presided over by veteran trade union leader Com. Yogeshwar >Gope. > > > >Successful Jharkhand Bandh to Demand Governor's Recall > > > >People from all walks of life spontaneously participated in and made Jharkhand >Bandh completely successful on 6 December. It was called by CPI(ML) to demand >recall of the Governor Prabhat Kumar, a co-accused in Babri Masjid demolition >case, and to protest against Kurpania episode. It was supported by all the >Left parties as well as by JMM. During the bandh, police ransacked Party >office at Bagodar and fired on Party activists implementing the bandh at >Chichaki of Giridih, in which one activist was injured. > > > > > >Secular Marches and Other Programmes in Delhi > > > >Mandawali Unit of Party took out a long torchlight procession covering two km. >stretch at Mandawali market on the evening of 6 December condemning communal >fascist forces of Sangh Parivar and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in >particular for instigating the recent spate of communal frenzy in the country. >The march was led by Com. Rajendra Pratholi, Secy. of Delhi State Committee, >and other party leaders including Com. Suneeta, Ravindra Sharma, Shashi >Bhushan and Samundra Paswan. > >In JNU, AISA organised screening of a film 'Ram ke Naam' produced by Anand >Patwardhan and took out an anti-communal march in the campus. It was attended >by around 100 students. > >In Delhi University, DU Forum for Democracy organised a joint march in which >there were around 200 students and teachers. AISA members also participated in >it. After the rally there was a 5-hour long cultural programme comprising of >street play, revolutionary and sufi songs recital. > > > >Dharna to Protest Communal Fascist Onslaught in Jaipur > > > >In Jaipur, Party held a dharna at the Statue Circle today and gave a call to >all democratic citizens of Jaipur to protest against the communal and fascist >onslaught by the saffron brigade led by the BJP and to strengthen the hands of >all secular forces and stop the attacks on Christian and Muslim minorities. >Com. Srilata Swaminathan, CCM, Party State Sectretary, Com. Mahendra Chaudhary >addressed the gathering. The dharna participants sang secular and national >songs, held speeches and raised slogans. Apart from the CPI-ML activists the >main participants were Nistat Hussain, President of National Womens Welfare >Association, Savai Singh of the Sarvodaya movement, OP Mathur of Jan Vichar >Manch, Kavita Srivastav of PUCL, Sucheta from Vividha, Com. Vaqar-ul-ahad of >CPI(M) and Prof. Bharatiya of Rajasthan Vigyan Society. > > > >Secular Marches in Punjab > > > >Hundreds of workers and Party activists took out a march in Ludhiana observing >Black Day on 6 December defying prohibitory orders under Sec. 144. In Mansa, >activists staged a dharna at a central place in the town. > > > > > >U.P. : Secular Marches in Varanasi, Other Cities > > > >Carrying placards with the slogans 'We will not allow Kashi to become a second >Ayodhya', 'Break the bloody fist of RSS', more than 200 Party activists from >the three districts of Varanasi, Chandauli and Ghazipur congregated in >Varanasi to participate in a 'Secular March' to mark the 8th anniversary of >the demolition of Babri Masjid. Defying prohibitory orders under Sec.144, the >protestors led by Party State Secy. Com. Akhilendra Pratap Singh started the >march from the Varanasi Cantt. Rly Station and squatted on the G.T. road >bringing the traffic to a halt when the police stopped them. Protestors >demanded the resignation of three chargesheeted BJP ministers. They were >arrested and taken to the police lines. Presence of local Muslim youths was >remarkable. This march, as national media reported, has taken the wind out of >communal fasicsts' sail in Varanasi, who could not turn up in more than a >couple of dozens to observe their much trumpeted "Shourya Diwas". > >Secular marches were also taken out in Lucknow, Kanpur, Pilibhit and Faizabad. >In Lucknow, activists led by Party State Committee member and president of RYA >Com. Lal Bahadur Singh marched on main Hazratganj road and held a meeting at >Gandhi statue. In Faizabad Jan Sanskriti Manch organised a seminar and took >out a march. Party organised a seminar in Lakhimpur Kheri followed by a march. >In Allahabad, general body meeting of party members was held and Com. VM's >selected writings were read out. > >On 7 December, Party and RYA burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Vajapyee in >Varanasi to protest against his communally aggressive statement on the >so-called "unfinished national agenda" of temple construction. > >Similarly, Party activists in Lucknow burnt the effigy of Prime Minister >before the U.P. Assembly on 7 December. > > > >Dharna Against Atrocities on Women in Orissa > > > >Around 300 persons staged a dharna at District Collectorate in Rayagada of >Orissa on 11 December to protest against atrocities on women. Police >intervened and arrested all the participants. > > > > > >'Dera Dalo' in S. Rajasthan > > > >At the call of CPI(ML) and Rajasthan Kisan Union(RKU), around 500 adivasis >from 13 tehsils of Udaipur district in south Rajasthan squatted before the >Collectorate on 8 December demanding immediate start of famine relief work and >pending it free supply of grain, kerosine and fodder. At first the Collector >did not entertain the agitators and fled from backdoor, but when adivasis >continued their sqatting in bitter cold, around midnight the Collector and SP >arrived on the scene and proclaimed to distribute 10 kg of wheat to every >family and stop on recovery of all type of loans. After talking with a >CPI(ML)-RKU delegation, a further proclamation of undertaking relief work at >war footing from 15 Dec. was also made. Only then at 1 a.m. 'dera dalo' was >lifted. Prior to this a rally was taken out in the city led by Com. Srilata >Swaminathan, CCM, Com. Mahendra Chaudhry, State Secy., Ramprasad Dindor, >Distt. Party Secy. and SN Singh Jigyasu, Party spokesperson of Udaipur unit >and Ambelal Gometi, president of RKU. A meeting was held before the >Collectorate, addressed by these leaders. > > > >Vajpayee's Effigy Burnt by AISA-RYA in Delhi > > > >Shouting slogans "Stop justifying Babri Masjid demolition", activists of AISA >from JNU and Delhi University and RYA members burnt Prime Minister Vajpayee's >effigy at Parliament Street on 8 December in protest to his recent statements >on Babri Masjid. Com. Kavita Krishnan, president of AISA and Srikant, a Delhi >University AISA leader addressed the demonstrators. > > > > > >Bandh in West Bengal > > > >Complete bandh was observed in six flood-affected districts of West Bengal on >7 Dec. to protest against criminal negligence of BJP-led central govt. and >callousness of state Left Front govt. towards flood victims. The bandh >received overwhelming response. Agitators asked Vajpayee govt. to procalim >West Bengal flood as a natural calamity and carry on the needful relief on war >footing. > > > > > >Tinsukia Bandh to Protest ULFA Killings > > > >Tinsukia District Committee and Janwadi Hindibhashi Manch held a totally >successful Tinsukia Bandh on 11 December as a mark of protest against the mass >killing of Hindi speaking people at Sadiya of Tinsukia district in Assam. The >two organisations congratulated the people on their participation in the Bandh >and making it successful. Apart from the Bandh, a series of protest programmes >like mass demonstration, torchlight procession etc. were also taken by Party >district committee in protest to the killing. > > > > > >Dharna in Durg for Relief > > > >Around 150 workers and peasants led by Party's Durg District Committee in >Chattisgarh staged a dharna at the office of Collector on 6 December on the >demand of relief work to check the exodus of villagers due to famine. Com. >Rajaram, CCM was also present at the dharna. Party activists also observed >Black Day and demanded resignation of three union ministers. > >Peasants staged a demonstration in Arang block of Raipur on this day, and a >workers' gate meeting was held at Spinning Mill of Bilaspur. > >Party along with CPI and LSP decided to organise a joint dharna on the >question of famine. > > > > > >Mithilanchal Vikas Sammelan in Darbhanga > > > >Mithilanchal Vikas Mahasammelan (Convention on development of Mithila region) >was held on 7 Dec. at Darbhanga in which around 4,000 people from Darbhanga, >Madhubani and Samastipur districts participated. The convention was addressed >by Party GS Com. Dipankar. IPTA artists from Madhubani presented cultural >programmes at the convention. Prof. Hilal of local Millat College, Dr. Ajit >Chaudhary, president of Darbhanga unit of IMA, Prof. Awadehsh of Art College, >Prof. Surendra Suman of Samastipur addressed the convention. Com. Dhirendra >Jha, Party incharge of Mithilanchal presented an outline of development of >Mithilanchal and charted out the demands. > > > >Massive Pratirodh Rally in Delhi > > > >Thousands of working people, youth and students participated in a massive >"Pratirodh (Resistance) Rally" organised by Party's Delhi state unit on 12 >December against communal and anti-people policies of BJP-led central >government and the Congress government of Delhi. The rally adorned with red >flags, banners and placards started from Ferozshah Kotla grounds and reached >Parliament Street where, on being stopped by police the rally turned into a >mass meeting. > >Addressing the rally Party Gen. Secy. Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya called upon >the working people and progressive intelligentsia to rise in vigorous protest >against the combined offensive of globalisation and communal fascism. He >appealed for a broad-based struggle-oriented unity of all left and democratic >forces and other activists of new social movements and called upon the left >ranks to reject the path of hobnobbing with the Congress and corrupt regional >leaders. > >Com. Dipankar also came down heavily on the Prime Minister's recent statements >on Ayodhya. and called upon all the patriotic forces to thwart the Sangh >Parivar's calculated attempts to whip up a fresh spate of communal frenzy. >Comparing the Supreme Court order on relocation of polluting and >non-conforming industries in Delhi to the verdict for resuming the Sardar >Sarovar Project, he said that while the rich and the powerful are going scot >free, the poor and the weak are being forced to bear the brunt of so-called >judicial activism. Devoid of any notion of socio-economic justice for the >downtrodden, judicial activism can only degenerate into judicial despotism. > >He condemned the double standards of the rulers who are prepared to bend every >rule and even rewrite the Constitution for the benefits of foreign MNCs and >their Indian collaborators, even as they treat Delhi Master Plan as a >sacrosanct document and conspire to ruin the lives of two million workers in >the name of upholding the Master Plan. > > _______________________________________________________ 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 geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
