ML Update A CPI(ML) News Magazine Vol:3; No.34; 30-8-2000. Editorial: Police Brutality, ‘People’s War’ and People’s Ire If the police in India have long reveled in the reputation of being the nation’s foremost organized criminal gang, the credit of being India’s number one police state has generally been ‘backward’ Bihar. The age-old khaki shorts of Indian police have of course started giving way to more modern and colorful attire (the ‘dress code’ of khaki shorts now stands reserved for another variety of criminals – the musclemen and thought police of RSS), and the weapons are also getting increasingly sophisticated, but in terms of brutality and lawlessness, the police of Independent India are still capable of putting the colonial police to shame. It is this unbridled brutality and lawlessness of Indian police which is always sought to be defended by bourgeois leaders and administrators in the name of strengthening the ‘morale’ of the police. The current spate of police atrocities in Bihar has once again revived Bihar’s notoriety as a police state. From the killing of CPI(ML) leader Vishwanath Ram in Bhojpur to the showering of police lathis on a CPI(M) demonstration in Jhanjharpur of Madhubani, the list of police brutalities is lengthening every day. The one incident which has rocked the entire state, happened in Imamganj bordering Patna and Jahanabad districts just three days after India celebrated the 53rd anniversary of her Independence. On August 18, the Bihar police went on berserk on the students of Imamganj who were observing a ‘black day’ in protest against the beating up of a student in a so-called ‘people’s court’ sponsored by the local PWG unit a few days ago. At the end of the day three students were found missing and the next day the local people discovered the dead bodies of the missing students aged between 6 and 22, with tell-tale signs of brutal torture. When the people blocked the road demanding the Chief Minister’s intervention, they were not spared and a student leader Sushil Kumar of AISA was detained and tortured for sixty long hours in police custody before being sent to a jail in Patna. As we go to the press, the aggrieved people of Imamganj and all justice-loving sections of society are demanding exemplary penal action against the erring police officials as well as civil functionaries like the concerned BDO, SDO and DM of Patna. The state government on the other hand is trying to hush up the whole thing by just suspending the in-charge of the local police picket and doctoring the post-mortem report to attribute the murder of victims of police torture to drowning in the nearby canal. As the battle lines between repression and justice, between police raj and the rule of law, are being drawn in sharp relief, it is time for everybody to take side. For all streams of defenders of democracy, here is an open challenge to rise to the occasion. The anarchists and pseudo-revolutionaries of PWG, however, found themselves thoroughly isolated and unmasked by the events in Imamganj. The local PWG unit had conducted a typical ‘people’s court’ to try one high school student who was accused of having slapped a fellow girl student in the course of an altercation. The court was chaired by an ex-activist of the PWG who had incidentally been expelled by the group on the charges of hobnobbing with the police and the Ranvir Sena. While the local women themselves pleaded for letting off the accused student with five counter-slaps by the girl, the PWG insisted on subjecting him to twenty whiplashes, tonsuring of head and a fine of Rs. 10,000! And the sentence was immediately carried out by a group of local activists of the Ranvir Sena. It is this brutal demonstration of the PWG model of ‘revolutionary justice’ which triggered the people’s ire and a thoroughly exposed PWG is now trying to keep up the ‘morale’ of its ranks by portraying the people’s anger as a caste backlash and blaming the ‘revisionist and vote-hungry’ CPI(ML) for leading the people’s resistance against police atrocity! There could not perhaps be a clearer revelation of the real meaning of the high-sounding revolutionary phrases of the anarchists. Holding people’s courts to resolve contradictions among school students, delivering Taliban-like verdicts and carrying them out in tandem with elements of the Ranvir Sena, slapping fines of the order of Rs. 10,000 on students, and maligning the consequent outburst of students’ ire against injustice and coercion as an engineered caste backlash – can there be a more suitable recipe for counter-revolution? Press release CPI(ML) Condemns Killer Naidu Govt. for Frenzied Repression on Agitators CPI(ML) strongly condemns Chandrababu Naidu's killer government (In Andhra state) for launching brutal and heinous repression on tens of thousands of protestors who had come to Hyderabad on 28 August to peacefully demonstrate before the Assembly against steep hike in power tariff. The incident has revealed the real barbaric face hidden behind a labouiously hyped cyber state. The 9-left party alliance, of which CPI(ML)-Liberation is an important constituent, had called upon the people to march to Hyderabad to participate in 'Assembly Chalo' on 28 August and compel the Naidu government to roll back the hike in power tariff. When lakhs of people turned up in response, a panicked Naidu deployed heavy police contingents to detain people at railway stations and bus terminals. Police lathicharged at several places in this course. But braving the natural calamities of cyclone and flood as well as police brutalities, tens of thousands of people not only reached Hyderabad, they broke the police barricades in their bid to enter the Assembly. Naidu had virtually turned Hyderabad into a police cantonment, but the people pierced through it. Frenzied police resorted to all means of assault, lathi-charge, water cannons, teargas shells and ultimately firing, killing at least four and injuring hundreds of protestors. Not only that, police mercilessly lathicharged on opposition MLAs and leaders sitting on fast to press the demand. While firmly supporting the movement to compel Naidu government to take back the power tariff hike, the Party calls upon Andhra people to make 29 August Andhra Bandh (Statewide general strike) called by 9-left parties a complete success in protest against the brutal state repression. Protest & Resistance Protest Against Police Killing at Imamganj CPI(ML) organized a “Laloo-Rabri Zabab Do’ (Laloo and Rabri, Answer!) rally on 26 August at Imamganj. Addressing the massive meeting attended by over 5,000 people, Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya said, “the blood of the students spilt on the soil of Imamganj will produce newer Bhagat Singhs who will rein the unbridled police in this state.” Demanding arrest of police and administrative officials responsible for the killing and institution of cases against them, he called upon the people to step up mass resistance against this barbaric and hysterical state machinery. The meeting was also addressed by Com. Rameshwar Prasad, convenor of Khet Mazdoor Sabha, CC members Com. K.D. Yadav and Saroj Chaube and RYA national president Com. Rajaram Singh. State leaders of RYA, AIPWA and AISA will hold a 72-hour fast on 29 to 31 August at Income Tax Square in Patna. The demands include (i) The BDO of Paliganj, Sub-inspector Dilu Lohar and Incharge of Imamganj Police Picket be immediately removed and a murder case under Sec.302 be lodged against them; (2) The DM and SSP of Patna be transferred; and (3) Student leader Sushil Kumar be immediately released. Paliganj Bandh called on 23 August raising these demands was completely successful. Com. Rameshwar Prasad and AK Nanda addressed a large mass meeting at Paliganj held on the Bandh day. AIPWA organized a dharna at Ambedkar Chowk, Bailey Road in Patna on 24 August protesting against barbaric lathi-charge by police on women in Imamganj and demanding arrest of culprit police officials. A large number of women victim of the said lathi-charge were also participating in the dharna. In Jahanabad, a continuous dharna from 20 to 25 August was held on the same demand. Later police entered an FIR against the culprit police officials. A dharna was organized by AISA, RYA, AISF, AIDSO, SFI, AIYF, AIYO and DYFI in protest against Imamganj killing by police at Patna Jn. Railway Station Square on 27 August. Student organisations demanded release of student leader Sushil Kumar and suspension of the culprit police officials and institution of murder case against them. Demonstration Against Police Atrocities A large demonstration was held on 24 August before SP of Murshidabad in West Bengal to protest the atrocities by police-criminal combine on CPI(ML) activists and common people in Kandi Block of the district. Irritated by people’s long-drawn struggle against him, the notorious criminal Sayeem, who enjoys patronage of local Congress leaders, had unleashed a spate of violent attacks with open support from the SDPO of the block. A five member delegation headed by Party State Secretary Com. Kartik Pal met the SP and demanded immediate stop on police atrocities, asking him to constitute an enquiry against the SDPO and duly punish on finding him guilty, to arrest the notorious criminal Sayeem and to provide adequate compensation to the victim families. The SP promised to take the matter to the appropriate level. Com. Kartik Pal in his address before the demonstration condemned the State Home Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya for his inaction, which according to him was a typical expression of the CPI(M)’s line of aligning with the Congress. Other speakers included State Committee members Com. Nirmal Ghose and Krishna Pramanik and Murshidabad District Party Secretary Com. Tapan Bhattacharya. Movement Against Irregular Electricity Supply Party mobilised local people of Guptipara in Hooghly district of West Bengal in a protest demonstration before electricity supply authority resenting against transformer failure, irregular supply of electricity which had resulted in stoppage of the supply of drinking water for a number of days. When despite being given prior notice, none of the authorities was present to receive the deputation, agitated people gheraoed four employees present in the office and the gherao continued for three hours until the authorities invited the deputation for talks. Ultimately the authorities were compelled to make a promise before the agitating masses that action would be taken to improve the situation immediately. Jahanabad Killing of Students CPI(ML) Demands NHRC Probe CPI(ML) has appealed to National Human Rights Commission to intervene into the case of brutal killing of three students on 18 August in Imamganj police picket in Bihar. It is to be noted that in face of massive protests against the killing the state government has only resorted to more repression and till now no guilty has been arrested, merely an FIR has been lodged. In this scenario one cannot hope that the state government will do justice. Therefore, while continuing with the agitation the Party has asked NHRC to independently probe into the incident, bring the culprits to book and order compensation to the families of the victims. Road Roko Against Killing by Ranvir Sena In Koil village of Charpokhri PS, Ranvir Sena killers caught two poor peasants Phulan Sah (42) and Vijay pandit (30) who were returning after catching fish and killed them. Party took prompt initiative and Com. Ram Naresh Ram and ex-MLA Chandradeep Singh investigated the incident. Road was blocked for the whole day and it was lifted only after administration promised to arrest the culprits. Protest Against Move to Impose Art. 356 on W.B. Com. Kartik Pal, Secretary of Party’s West Bengal unit, in a statement strongly opposed the Trinamul Congress demand to impose president rule in the state. CPI(ML) was opposed to terror and murder politics adopted by both CPI(M) and Trinamul Congress and would mobilize people against this. And CPI(ML) is against ouster of an elected government, people themselves can bring a change in the government by their vote. CPI(ML) West Bengal State Committee has issued a call to organise propaganda campaign throughout the state against political terror unleashed by Trinamul Congress and CPI(M) on 31 August, while observing the Food Movement Martyrs’ Day. Various forms including procession, demonstration and leaflet distribution will be adopted observing this day. Blatant Jingoism Decried One extremely atrocious article published in India Today, which brands the whole range of liberal, democratic, left and revolutionary forces in the country as anti-national and enemies of the society, and issus a fatwa for their liquidation, symbolizes a new phase of rightist fascist offensive not only against left but also liberals. This was expressed in a meeting convened by Jan Sanskriti Manch on 25 August in Lucknow. India Today, which had emerged as the foremost mouthpiece of imperialist globalisation and neo-liberal market economy, has also become mouthpiece of the fascist ideological offensive. This calls for a popular and broad-based counter-offensive in literature and culture, the speakers opined. Among them were Rakesh from IPTA journalist Shaqil Siddiqi and Anil Sinha, Ajanta Lohit, Ashok Chandra, Lal Bahadur Singh, Rakesh Singh and Kaushal Kishor of AISA. The meeting was presided over by Mohan Thapaliayal and conducted by Ajay Singh, Gen. Secy. of JSM. Earlier a number of copies of India Today were also burned burnt by AISA, RYA, and AIPWA. Initiatives AISA-RYA to Gherao UP Assembly in October AISA and RYA jointly intend to gherao UP Assembly in October to take the ongoing student unrest to a higher phase. The intensity of the movement is uneven because the BJP govt. has adopted a Machiavelian tactics of implementing the fee hike with discrimination. And authorities are desperately trying to split and divide the movement on caste lines. So far, however, students have firmly rebuffed these designs. ABVP leaders' attempts to sabotage the movement from within have only resulted in their getting further exposed and isolated. The current spate of student unrest in UP marks the arrival of a democratic student movement, after a decade long period of pessimism, confusion and lull engendered by splits and divisions in the student community on emotive issues and along sectarian lines during Mandal-Kamandal phase. Belying the fond hopes of the reactionaries that the student movement had died away in the era of liberalisation, (as declared by India Today) the younger generation is once again on the move. Joint Left Convention in Punjab A joint convention against Globalisation was organised by CPI(ML), MCPI and Lok Sangharsh Morcha, consisting of CPI(M) dissidents, at Barnala of Sangrur district on 24 August. About 400 people participated in the convention. Veteran communist and General Secretary of MCPI Com. Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, ex-MLA of CPI(M) and Covnvener of Lok Sangharsh Morcha Com. Tarsem Jodha, and Party Central Committee member incharge of Punjab Com. Swapan Mukherjee were the main speakers. Com. Labh Singh Akiliya, leader of RYA conducted the convention. Import of milk products to the detriment of local milksellers, the government announcement to procure 60% of foodgrains through private traders in the coming season, hike in electricity tariff and other inputs, irregularity in payment of wages to the employees, closure of cooperative mills, unprecedented hike in fees and capitation fee in professional courses, joblessness among agricultural laborers and increasing police atrocities including custodial deaths were some of the issues highlighted in the convention. The convention decided to jointly chalk out agitation programs against anti-people policies of the Akali-BJP government. Homestead Land Restored to Landless In Pahsara village of Begusarai district in Bihar, 15 households belonging to Tatma caste were evicted by local feudal lumpen elements from the land they were dwelling in for the last 100 years. A Party delegation met SDO and Circle Officer and brought this act in their notice, and demanded the restoration of the land to the rightful owners. Party conduced a meeting of 200 agrarian laborers and brought out a torchlight procession on 20 August against the eviction. A demonstration was also staged before the office of the Collector. Large number of agrarian laborers participated in the demonstration and street corner meetings. Under the pressure of the movement the CO had to expel feudal elements from the land and to proclaim to resettle the Tatma households on their original lands. RYA National Executive Meet The National Executive of RYA (Revolutionary Youth Association) will hold its session on 20-21 September in New Delhi to take stock of the ongoing initiatives. Basing on the reports of the recent month-long membership campaign, the executive may take a decision on convening the second national conference of RYA. International Solidarity International Solidarity for Struggle Against 'Plan Columbia' On 30 August, when Bill Clinton will be visiting Colombia in order to give his personal support for the so called “Plan Colombia” and to further the politics of US intervention in the region, many communist parties, trade unions, human right associations and popular organizations in USA, Europe and Latin American countries will hold protest demonstrations against this undesired visit. The “Plan Colombia” means a large amount of money at the disposal of the Colombian government, officially dedicated to fight drug traffic and to eliminate the cultivation of cocoa by implementing alternative economic and social development programs. In reality this plan implies: influx of new US-military advisers in addition to those already there since years; latest military technology for the Colombian army and creation of new battalions for special operations; elimination of cocoa plantations without any program for alternative cultivation bringing more misery and hunger for thousands of peasants, political protection for the paramilitary groups, the real big drug cartels; and protection for the destructive activities of the multinational enterprises. It will also lead to the forced expulsion of at least 200,000 persons that would enlarge the contingent of almost 1,800,000 persons that has been expelled from their lands and communities by paramilitary groups and the Colombian army and terrorizing the civil population that is suspected to support the guerrilla movement. In August the Army killed six children during their school journey to the mountains, and five peasants were killed sadistically and brutally by a paramilitary group very near to a military installation of the army. The “Plan Colombia” is also a threat for the peace process between the FARC (Revolutionary Army of Colombia) and the ELN (National Liberation Army) and the government, as the Colombian government lacks will to solve the causes that has led to the armed conflict and the finances of the Plan will strengthen the hawks, the Colombian oligarchy and Army. In the course of this onslaught against Colombian people a direct US-military intervention, in whatsoever form, can no longer be ruled out. So an appeal for international solidarity against Plan Columbia was issued by a number of organisations. In a message to the organisers of protest our Party has shared this concern and assured all possible efforts to mobilise Indian people in solidarity to the international protest against the US war design against Colombian people. Strengthen the Party Campaign A Tribune of the People It is not by evading class struggle that the proletariat expect to find its salvation, but by developing it, by extending its scope, its consciousness, organisation, and resoluteness. Whoever disparages the task of political struggle transforms the communist from a tribune of the people into a trade union secretary. Whoever disparages the proletarian tasks in a democratic bourgeois revolution transforms the communist from a leader of people's revolution into a leader of free labour union. Yes, the people's revolution. Communist Party has fought and is quite rightly fighting, against the bourgeois democratic abuse of the word " people". It demands that this word shall not be used to cover up failure to understand class antagonisms within the people. It insists categorically on the need for complete class independence for the party of the proletariat. However, it does not divide the "people" into "classes" so that the advanced class will become locked up within itself, will confine itself within narrow limits, and emasculate its activity for fear that the economic rulers of the world will recoil; it does that so that the advanced class, which does not suffer from the half-heartedness, vacillation, and indecision of the intermediate classes, should fight with all the greater energy and enthusiasm for the cause of the whole people, at the head of the whole people. As representatives of the advanced and only revolutionary class, revolutionary without any reservations, doubts, or looking back, we must confront the whole of the people with the task of the democratic revolution as extensively and boldly as possible and with the utmost initiative. ------ (Lenin CW, Vol:9) _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
