All India Agricultural Workers Union National Conference From July 17

Tiruchi, in Tamil Nadu state will host the 7th All India Confernce of All India Agricultural Workers union. The conference will be start on July 17th  and will conclude on 19th. As part of this conference hectic campaign is being conducted throughout Tamil Nadu. Village assemblies, Public meetings and seminars are being conducted.AIAWU All India Vice President Com. Hannan Mullah is leading the campaign at the moment.

"The effects of agrarian crisis are most severe on agricultural labourers and have to be counted with immediate effect. Not only do they not have land today; even the land for housesite is being diverted to other uses. Also, there is a decline in the number of workdays available in agriculture, which is their only means of livelihood. In 1991 they could get 100 days of work a year on a farm; today they get work for only 57 days or less while their number has grown from 7.4 crore to 10.7 crores in the same period. They do not have alternative employment. As a result, rural unemployment has grown from 5.3 to 9.3 per cent. Many were forced to migrate; 27.3 per cent of the migrants were cultivators and 28.2 per cent were agricultural labour, according to the government’s own figures. This has led to the wages of agricultural workers either remaining stagnant or falling over the last decade or so. Although the AIAWU has taken up wage struggle in most states consistently, notably in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Tripura and Punjab, we should not lose sight of their need in the coming days" he said while speaking at a meeting in Didugal organised as part of the campaing. " The conference will chart out the struggles against the anti-farmers policy of the UPA Government" he added

PB on GoM recommendations

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

GoM Recommendations: Not Good Enough

The Group of Ministers constituted to look into the measures to be taken on the Bhopal gas leak accident has finalized its recommendations. Some of the steps suggested such as the curative petition against the order of the Supreme Court of March 1997, the restarting of the unit of the Indian Council of Medical Research and the takeover of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust are welcome.

However, there are two serious problems regarding the recommendations. Firstly, the compensation package offered is based on flawed estimation of deaths and injuries and the amount of compensation offered remains meager. Secondly, there is no serious effort to make the Dow Chemical Company, which took over the Union Carbide, liable for the damages and compensation. The entire expenses for the remediation and environmental clean up at the Bhopal factory site should be borne by the Dow Chemical Company.

The Dow Chemical has invested and set-up a number of enterprises in India. It is on record that the Indian government has promoted such investments. Surely, the government can take a firm stand asking the Dow Chemical to pay up, failing which the company can be blacklisted and measures taken against it. It is not enough to pursue the long pending case in a court in Madhya Pradesh.

In view of the vital issues of providing justice and adequate compensation to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy and the implementation of the "polluter pays principle" in full, the government should call a meeting of all political parties and representatives of the gas victims to discuss the recommendations of the GoM before the Union Cabinet takes a decision.

Prakash Karat to PM on GoM recommendations

Prakash Karat, General Secretary of CPI(M) has written to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister on the recommendations of the GoM on the Bhopal gas accident. We are herewith releasing the text of the letter.

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singhji,

It has been reported that the Group of Ministers set-up on the Bhopal gas accident has finalized a set of recommendations. It has also been reported that you have called a Cabinet meeting on June 25 to discuss the report of the GoM.

While appreciating your intention to take a speedy decision on the various matters concerning payment of enhanced compensation, medical treatment and the clean up measures to be taken at the site of the plant, I would request you to consider the following.

Since providing justice and adequate compensation for the victims of the gas tragedy has dragged on for 26 years, it is important that the views of the large number of people affected should be taken into account. Further, there are questions about who is liable for the damages and the remediation measures to be undertaken.

In view of this, I would request you to call a meeting of all political parties along with the representatives of the organizations of gas victims where the recommendations made by the GoM can be discussed.

It would be better if the Union Cabinet takes a final decision on the recommendations of the GoM after such a meeting.

With warm regards,

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(Prakash Karat)

General Secretary

Celebrations of 33 years of Left front Rule in West Bengal

Buddhadeb: only alternative to our govt. will be anarchy'

The alternative to the Left Front government in West Bengal will only be complete anarchy, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Monday on the occasion of completion of 33 years of the Front in power.

“In the year ahead, we shall have to proceed on a path of struggle. We must unite and participate in this struggle and overcome the obstacles before us,” he said at a function organised by the Left Front. “What is this change being demanded by the Opposition parties?” Mr. Bhattacharjee said, asserting that “the kind of change being sought will result in anarchy.”

Achievements

Listing the Left Front's achievements over the past 33 years in land reforms, attracting investment for industry, in education and empowerment through local governance, he asked a packed audience at the Netaji Indoor stadium: “Will all this be changed? Will West Bengal be witness to only Singurs where investment will be turned away?”

The Left Front has a definitive policy on maters related to land distribution, panchayats, industry, education and health, but the Opposition “has no alternative policy on offer.” Not that the Left Front was not aware of its failings. It was not complacent. Rather, it was capable of soul searching when it committed mistakes in the course of implementing its agenda, he said. “On the issue of land acquisition, we have become very alert. If there is any doubt or fear related to land acquisition, we have become alert to it,” he said.

The Left Front stands for the future of workers, farmers, youth and women of the State, he said and appealed to the people to unite in the fight against the challenges that West Bengal faced.

Senior leaders of all constituents of the Left Front who were present on the occasion reiterated the need for unity among the Left parties. Several agencies were channelling money into West Bengal to ensure the defeat of Communist forces here and create a divide among the poor, cautioned Biman Bose, chairman of the State's Left Front Committee.

(Courtesy : The Hindu, Ganasakthi)