Centre has made lives of poor miserable: Brinda Karat

Terming the diesel and domestic LPG price hike a ‘brazen attack' on women, speakers at a public meeting held in connection with the 12th State conference of AIDWA here on Wednesday night launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for allegedly pursuing the policies of “enriching the rich and impoverishing the poor”.

Addressing a huge gathering of women at the Pavilion Grounds here, the CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and MP Brinda Karat alleged that the UPA government had made the lives of poor miserable by resorting to steep hike in fuel and domestic LPG prices. "The women are the worst hit by the fuel price rise in view of its cascading effect," she said and accused the UPA government of betraying the faith of the poor after obtaining mandate in the name of welfare of Aam Admi (common man).

She said the increase showed unabashed opportunism of the UPA government which hiked the fuel prices after the elections to various states when the international crude oil prices had dropped to $90 per barrel. The government should make public the production cost of one litre of diesel and the revenue it was earning through the price increase, she said. The rich were growing richer while the poor were suffering the brunt of price rise, she said.

This government does not have the guts to bring back the black money stashed in foreign banks and will to contain the large scale corruption that assumed epidemic proportions in the country, she charged.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, she said, “He cannot manage his own party. How can he run the government?” she questioned. The State government was least bothered about the irrigation projects in the region as was evident from its utter neglect of Dummugudem project in Khammam district, she alleged and accused the government of promoting liquor sales.

AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman flayed the Planning Commission's 'new definition' of Below Poverty Line. “Let the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee stay for a few days in the rural areas and run their families with a daily expenditure of Rs 15 to demonstrate that one could live with that meagre amount. Freedom fighter Mallu Swarajyam, AIDWA State president T Jyothi, and vice-president S Punyavathi participated.

(Courtesy :The Hindu)

CPI (M) Starts mass movement against corruption in Jammu Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir State Committee of CPI (M) on Tuesday called for mass movement to take on the menace of corruption which it said had has afflicted every sphere of politico-administrative set up in the State. Hundreds of people while holding placards in their hands gathered at bus stand shouting slogans against corruption, demanding immediate measures from the state government to put an end to the menace. The demonstration while passing through the streets of the town later culminated at Deputy Commissioner’s Office wherein a sit-in was staged. The protesters alleged that corruption was rampant in Kulgam district.

The State Secretary CPI (M) and MLA Kulgam, M Y Tarigami, who started his campaign jatha in south Kashmir against corruption said, “It (corruption) has been institutionalized so much that it has gained legitimacy with opportunist officials enjoying patronage to the detriment of the poor and under privileged.” “The upward graph of corruption is going to erode the fundamentals of our society. This menace has deep rooted implications and if the trend continues the day is not far when ours will be a society of criminals.”

He demanded a Lokpal type legislation in Jammu and Kashmir, urging the state government to bring the legislation in the Assembly as soon as possible. Tarigami said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was not being properly implemented in the state as there is gross mismanagement of funds and the poor and deserving rural populace was deprived of even the jobs cards. “There is favoritism in allocation of different works under this scheme and the money meant for poor goes into the pockets of corrupt officials and influential contractors,” said Tarigami. In Social Welfare department, Tarigami said, corruption was deep rooted and four Anganwari workers were working against a single post while the money meant for welfare of the people goes into the pockets of higher ups. The case of various works departments, Tarigami said, was no different.

Tarigami also alleged that there was no transparency in the issuance of ration cards. “We have always maintained that each and every individual should be provided a ration card as by not issuing the same the government is facilitating corruption and giving a free hand to the corrupt officials and politicians,” he said, adding that crores of rupees are being embezzled on this pretext.

Tarigami also expressed concern over the erratic power supply in the valley. “Despite hike in power tariff the government has failed to provide proper electricity to the people even in the summer season,” he said. Tarigami also expressed distress over inflation in the market and said that hike in petrol, diesel, kerosene oil and cooking gas price has severely affected the life of a common man.

Tarigami also sought to bring the horticulture industry of the state under Crop Insurance Act.
“The fruit growers incur huge losses in case of extreme climatic conditions. So the government should bring them under the purview of the Insurance Act,” he said. Tarigami later said that Kulgam being his home constituency, the campaign against corruption was started from here but vowed to carry forward the campaign in other districts of the state.

He said that his party would not be a mute spectator and would lead a movement and fight against corruption till it is uprooted from the society. “On July 20, a rally against corruption will be held in Srinagar,” Tarigami declared.

Courtesy : Greater Kashmir

Greece goes on strike! Day 1.

The 48 hour general strike began on Tuesday 28/6, against the new raft of anti-people measures which are being discussed and are expected to be approved on Wednesday 29/6 by the parliamentary majority which the ruling social-democratic party PASOK possesses.

The Parliamentary group of the KKE (Communist Party of Greece) demanded the the vote on the legislation be carried out by a name roll call, while the lead speaker of the Party on the matter, N. Karathanasopoulos, underlined that the measures being pushed forward by the government have as their real goal the reinforcement of the competitiveness and profitability of capital through attacks on the working class and its rights. The parliamentary group of the KKE withdrew from the discussion and will return for the vote.

At the same time, the Prime Minister, G. Papandreou speaking in Parliament, characterised a vote in favour of the new anti-people raft of measures as a “patriotic duty”.

Commenting on the speech of the Prime Minister in Parliament, the press office of the CC of the KKE noted: “ The Prime Minister proposed that in order to solve the debt, deficit and crisis investors must be encouraged to Greece, the other parties agree with this and this why they agree with and support the anti-people measures, which lay waste to the labour rights , salaries and gains of the people. But the workers, the youth must not accept for any reason these painful sacrifices that are being imposed on them for a development which will provide them with salaries and rights at Chinese levels.”

At the same time the Vice-president of the government Th. Pangalos in an interview with a foreign newspaper posed the following dilemma with the aim of blackmailing the Greek people “ a new raft of anti-people measures or tanks”. In its answer the press office of the CC of the KKE underlined that : “ The people itself, learning from its history, must answer that a subjugated people will be threatened by bankruptcy and the other veils of capitalist barbarity. Only if it is determined and organized to fight for its rights and for its power can it repel these measures. It must take into its hands the banks and monopoly businesses so that they serve its interests and do not rob it.”

Preparation of the strike
The forces of the All-workers Militant Front (PAME) waged the struggle to organise the strike in this political atmosphere.

On Monday morning they carried out a symbolic occupation of the Acropolis. This initiative which was saluted by the workers, provoked the furious reaction of the right -wing ND, the nationalist-racist LAOS and the bourgeois electronic mass media, which accused PAME of “desecrating the sacred monuments”.

In its answer the press office of the CC of the KKE stated that: “ ND wants to hide that it essentially agrees with memoranda and the medium-term programme , but their hatred of the struggles of the class-oriented labour movement against them does not allow it to do this successfully. PASOK, ND , LAOS and the others must learn that the monuments are not desecrated by the mobilizations of the people but by their commercialisation and that the country is not defamed by its people's struggles but by its people's destitution.”

On Mon afternoon 27/6, the forces of PAME carried out placard protests and rallies in dozens of Greek cities and popular neighbourhoods in order to propagandize the 48 hr strike.

 

28th June- 1st day of the strike
The daybreak of the 28th June found the class oriented forces of PAME struggling decisively to defend of the strike by picketing factories, stores, construction sites, hotels and offices where they have been in the previous period, while they had mounted pickets on the ramps of the ships from midnight onwards.

The defense of the strike of the seamen has been a particularly tough battle since the trade union federation of seamen played a strikebreaking role. The class-oriented trade unions PEMEN and STEFENSON that represent the engineers and the crew of the ship engines, who belong to PAME, decided to participate in the 48-hour strike and the unions of the chefs and ship's electricians joined them. The strike of these unions and the strong picket lines of PAME paralysed Piraeus, the biggest port in the country, which was “flooded” by the forces of the unions of PAME.

Early in the morning the forces of PAME in Thessaloniki, the second largest city of the country, blocked the 7 entrances to the industrial area of the city and paralysed industrial production.

The protesters met at 10:00 in the squares in order to take part in the strike demonstrations. In Athens they gathered in various meeting points. They marched through different central streets of the city and met outside the parliament, in Syntagma Square, blocking all the main streets around the Square.

“The controlled bankruptcy has been already decided on. What they want from the people is to bow their heads for the next fifty years so as to pass the worst measures. The struggle will be determined in the office, in the factory, in the workplace generally, in the fields and the small businesses, in the neighbourhoods. It is bound to lead to a victory.” stated Aleka Papariga, General Secretary of the CC of KKE at the strike demonstration of PAME.

Some of the slogans that were prevalent in the demonstrations of PAME:

“People rise up, do not compromise with the measures of the government.”

“Patriotism is what is just for the people and not the profits of capitalism.”

“No cog can turn without the workers. Worker you can do without the bosses.”

“No more deception! Capitalism cannot become human.”

AIDWA Andhra Pradesh State Conference begins

The 12th Andhra Pradesh State Conference of AIDWA began in Khammam. Senior leader and Telangana Struggle Warrior com. Mallu Swarajyam raised the flag to start the proceedings.

Inaugurating the 12th State conference of AIDWA on Monday, All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) general secretary Com. Sudha Sundararaman deplored that the government instead of taking concrete steps to ensure effective implementation of the Acts like Domestic Violence Act and anti-dowry law was contemplating to dilute them on illogical pretexts. Coming down heavily on the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for allegedly trying to dilute the laws governing women's protection under pressure from some disgruntled and fundamental forces, com. Sudha Sundararaman has warned of intensive broad-based struggles if the government failed to drop the ‘detrimental move'.

“Specific instances of misuse of the Acts if any could be dealt with separately,” she said while underscoring the need for effective enforcement of the laws to uphold the constitutional safeguards meant for protection of women.

She demanded that the UPA government make proper floor management and ensure the passage of the long-cherished Women's Reservation Bill in the ensuing monsoon session of Parliament.

Sex ratio

As per the 2011 census figures, there was a drastic decline in child sex ratio at the national level as well as in several States including Andhra Pradesh, she deplored pointing out that number of girls had declined from 927 in 2001 to 914 for every 1,000 boys in 2011 census.

Andhra Pradesh reported sharp decline in the child sex ratio to an extent of 18 per cent.

The disturbing figures reveal the plight of girl child in the society and highlight the urgent need for a collective action to check the dangerous trend, she said.

She criticised the government for its alleged apathetic attitude towards addressing the grave problems plaguing women such as growing gender offences, malnutrition and anaemia.

Corruption

Corruption assumed grave proportions in the country under the present regime as was evident from the series of multi-crore scams like 2G spectrum, she charged and alleged that the UPA government lacked commitment to contain corruption which is taking a heavy toll on the common man.

“The rhetoric movements would not serve any purpose,” she felt underscoring the need for sustained agitations to exert pressure on the government take concrete steps to root out corruption from the grassroots level. The Lok Pal bill should have been brought in long back, she said.

Left activists continue protest against fuel price hike across the country

DELHI
Left Front activists led by CPI-M leader Brinda Karat on Monday marched from Jantar Mantar towards the Parliament to protest the 'anti-people' price hike in petroleum products.

The protesters vowed to intensify their agitation against the UPA government before they were stopped at the Parliament Street by the police.

Brinda said the move to hike the prices of diesel, kerosene and LPG betrayed the UPA government's preference for the 'khaas admi' as against the 'aam admi', whose cause it claims to champion. he activists from CPI, CPI-M, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), who gathered at Jantar Mantar, marched to demand a withdrawal of the price hike.

Questioning the timing of the hike that came closely after elections in four states, Brinda also said that crude prices at the international level were actually coming down and the oil and gas firms in India were making huge profits.

The CPI-M leader said the entire argument of 'under recoveries' by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was 'notional' rather than 'actual'. She also sought clarification over what the cost of production of oil products was and how much was the tax.

She also attacked the Trinamool Congress over its unwillingness to compel the government to give up ad valorem taxes, and termed a reduction of VAT on LPG in West Bengal as a 'cosmetic show'.

HIMACHAL PRADESH
Despite inclement weather on Monday, the CPIM after holding a procession through the Lower Bazar, in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh the demonstration culminated into a public meeting at Naaz, close to The Mall Road.

Ridiculing the congress slogan of ‘Congress ka haath, aam admi key saath’, Tikender Panwar, CPIM member secretariat said that the party that had professed to work for the common man has turned the hand around to strangulate him with hiking certain petro products substantially.

Hiking the prices of diesel by Rs 3, kerosene by Rs 2 and LPG gas cylinder by Rs 50 has broken the back of the ordinary citizen, he said.

The party has decided to intensify the agitations to build a strong movement for exposing the sinister policies of the congress party, he added.

TRIPURA

Life in all spheres of the state got completely paralyzed today in Tripura where the people spontaneously responded to the dawn-to-dusk Bandh called the Tripura Left Front Committee protesting against the recent hike of prices of fuel by the UPA-II Government at the centre.
All the markets, commercial centres remained closed. No student, teaching staff and employees turned up in any school, college and university. All types of vehicular traffic remained off the road and the rail did not move in the state today. All private and Government offices looked to be a solitary place because of no staff attended for duty today.
While hailing the people for rendering overwhelming respond to the Bandh call, Tripura Left Front Committee in a statement said, this irrational price hike is an attack on all sections of people. This hike shall cause unbearable percolating affect to all sections of the people of the state particularly, because of the state’s remote location and its dependence on road transpiration for all essential commodities. So it is a united protest voiced by the people of the state in line with the protest throughout the country.

If the hike of the price on diesel, K. oil and cooking gas is not rolled back and the people’s protest is not honored, the people will have to prepare themselves for a bigger struggle in the coming days, the Left Front urged. Normal life was paralysed in Tripura today during a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the ruling Left Front to protest hike in the prices of petroleum products.

Traffic was off the roads. Shops, markets, schools, colleges and the Tripura University were closed. Attendance at Civil Secretariat, offices and banks was almost nil, officials said. The police said picketers took to streets since morning but no untoward incident was reported. Security was strengthened in the state and the police and paramilitary forces were on patrol in different parts of the state.

PUDUCHERRY

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday held a protest outside the head post office condemning the hike in prices of diesel, kerosene and LPG and demanded an immediate rollback of the hike.

Puducherry secretary of the CPI (M) V. Perumal said that since the UPA came to power for the second time in 2009, fuel prices have been increased 10 times. The hike in prices was a blow to the people, who were already suffering from escalating prices of essential commodities.

Condemning the acts of oil companies, which were putting up advertisements persuading people to bear with the “small increase” in fuel prices, he said that such advertisements were insensitive to the plight of the people.

While corporate companies in the country got huge tax benefits in the form of waivers, the government was trying to bring down fiscal deficit by reducing subsidies provided to the poor, he said.

China's Communist Party members exceed 80 million

The number of Communist Party of China (CPC) members has exceeded 80 million, a senior CPC official said Friday.

The CPC had 80.269 million members by the end of last year, Wang Qinfeng, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, said at a press conference.The Party grew from only about 50 members at its birth to nearly 4.5 million when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.Last year, 3.075 million people joined the CPC, the world's largest political Party -- a net increase of 2.274 million taking into account members who died or left the party.The two leading groups in new members were college students and people at the frontline of production or work, such as industrial workers, farmers, herders, and migrant workers, both accounting for more than 40 percent of total new Party members.The CPC received 21.017 million membership applications last year, a year-on-year increase of 861,000.Of the Party's members, 18.03 million were women and 5.338 million were from ethnic minority groups in 2010, accounting for 22.5 percent and 6.6 percent of the total respectively, according to Wang.In terms of occupation, the group of farmers, herders and fishers, numbering 24.427 million, was the largest, while 6.989 million Party members were workers, he said.Another 6.812 million members worked in Party and state agencies, and 18.413 million were managerial staff and professional technicians working in enterprises and non-profitable organizations, and 2.539 million were students, according to Wang.

As the Communist Party of China (CPC) prepares to celebrate the 90th anniversary of its founding, the party is making extra efforts to ensure that its officials are living up to the standards first established by the party's founders back in 1921.

Source : Xinhua

Left Front’s protest march in Kolkota

The Left Front took out an impressive protest march before organizing a meeting in Azad Hind Bag in north Kolkata on June 25. The protest was against widespread Trinamool attacks on Left party leaders, workers and even supporters in West Bengal immediately after the declaration of poll results, price rise particularly the rise in prices of diesel and ,LPG cooking gas.

The march started from Rani Rashmoni Road in Esplanade area where Left Front leaders including Front chairman Biman Basu and Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra were frontliners in the 8-kilometre march along Esplanade East, Lenin Sarani, College Street and Bidhan Sarani. The former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was present at Rani Rashmoni Road.Braving the afternoon rain a large number of Left supporting people assembled at Rashmoni Road. The participation of students and youths was particularly impressive.The Front chairman Biman Basu reminded the marchers of Emergency during the days of Indira Gandhi 33 years ago when ruthless attacks were mounted on the people to take away their democratic rights. Now again after the span of Emergency period a situation had been created by Trinamool-Congress combine by resorting to indiscriminate attacks on Left supporting masses across rural Bengal, he alleged.

CPIM holds anti mining rally in Andhra Pradesh

CPI(M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu has asserted that the anti-mining movement in the tribal areas of Visakhapatnam district will continue until such time all leases are cancelled.

Addressing a meeting, a culmination of an eight-day anti-mining campaign by the CPI(M) in the 11 mandals of the tribal areas, here on Friday, Mr. Raghavulu said already 29 licences had been given for mining in nearly 4,000 acres. Accusing the government of giving scope for illegal mining, he said 120 applications for mining in 1.1 lakh acres were pending with the government.

‘Destructive mining'

‘Destructive mining' would not only ruin the ecology in the Girijan areas but would also devastate the plain areas, he said.

It was estimated that mining in one acre would get Rs. 2 crore of revenue and in 1.1 lakh acres it would get Rs. 2.5 lakh crore.

“But why should Girijans sacrifice their land and ecology for mining, when they are not getting health, colleges or bridges they need and the money on mining was spent elsewhere?” he asked.

The government was not even spending the tribal sub-plan amount of 7 per cent of the budget in tribal areas. The leaders of Congress, TDP, and YSR Congress should declare whether they were with Girijans or hand in glove with those taking up mining. He charged the Congress government with overcoming the Panchayat approval for mining in violation of the Panchyatraj Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act and putting it in the hands of mandal and zilla parishads. The mandal parishads should pass a resolution opposing destructive mining. Describing the tribal movement that led to putting off public hearing on china clay at Sarai in Kandrika mandal as significant,

Mr. Raghavulu said Girijans were ready to lay down their lives for protecting their lands from mining.

If the government wanted to take up mining in areas that would not disturb ecology, it should come out with an alternative mining policy for spending money from it in Girijan areas, set up industries using the raw material within the State and provide employment to local youth.

Former MP Midiam Babu Rao, CPI(M ) district secretary Ch. Narsinga Rao Araku Valley ZPTC Killo Surendra, K. Santi of GK Veedhi, and Makireddy Ramana of Samata, a voluntary organisation, spoke.

(courtesy :The Hindu)

Protest Petroleum Products Price Hike

The Left parties strongly condemn these price increases and demand that they be withdrawn. The Left parties call upon all its units to immediately conduct hartals, demonstrations and other protest actions.

The four Left parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc have issued the following statement:

The UPA Government has struck another cruel blow at the people by increasing the prices of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas. The increase in the price of diesel by Rs. 3 per litre has come at a time when the people are suffering from all round price rise and the inflation rate has crossed 9 per cent. The diesel price increase will raise the price of transportation and affect the farmers as well. The increase in the price of kerosene by Rs. 2 per litre will be an added burden on the poor. The Rs. 50 increase per gas cylinder will also burden the common people.

The withdrawal of 5 percentage points in customs duty on crude oil, which was imposed last year, shows how such taxes are levied by the Centre to raise revenue and this is the main cause for the high prices of petroleum products. Yet, the government refuses to restructure the taxes on petroleum products and give up the ad valorem tax.

The Left parties strongly condemn these price increases and demand that they be withdrawn. The Left parties call upon all its units to immediately conduct hartals, demonstrations and other protest actions.

CPIM demands government to immediatly solve the issue of Tamilnadu Fisherman

The Centre should find a permanent solution for the Indian fishermen's problem who are often arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) secretary, G. Ramakrishnan, has said.

Addressing the media here after a meeting of district committee members of seven party districts on Wednesday, Mr. Ramakrishnan condemned the recent arrest of 23 fishermen of Ramanathapuram.

He urged the Centre to intervene and take necessary steps for their immediate release.

Stating that there were reports on the posts in local bodies being allegedly auctioned by villagers, Mr. Ramakrishnan said such a practice was against the democracy.

Those who win the posts through auction would only focus on earning the money they had spent in the auction, he said.

The State Government should take necessary steps to stop such illegal practice. He also advocated for conducting direct elections to elect the heads of local bodies, instead of indirect election.

Stating that there were agitations throughout the State in support of Samacheer Kalvi, he said the State Government should implement it for all the classes from the current academic year.

Seeking to reduce the fee structure recommended by the Justice Raviraja Pandiayan committee, he also wanted strict action against the private and Government-aided schools that were collecting exorbitant fees.

(courtesy : The Hindu)

CITU DENOUNCE POLICE ATROCITY FOR FORCIBLE EVICTION IN COAL-BELT IN WEST BENGAL

Left: Villagers and coalmine workers at Pandabeswar area protesting brutal lithicharge by police on Tuesday. Right : injured local MLA Gouranga Chatterjee

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions denounces brutal lathi-charge by Police on the peaceful demonstration by around 15000 villagers and coalmine workers opposing eviction of the villagers and contract workers residing and cultivating in the land adjoining the coal-mines of Eastern Coalfields Ltd at Pandabeswar area of West Bengal. Police lathi-charge on the villagers and the workers peacefully squatting since last few days against the eviction order issued by Eastern Coalfields Ltd left several people severely injured including the CITU leader and local MLA Gauranga Chatterjee who received severe head-injury and admitted in hospital in serious condition.

It is shocking as well as deplorable that the management of a central government company like Eastern Coal Fields (ECL) sought to evict around thirty thousands of poor villagers and contract workers from eleven villages in the adjoining area of Pandabeswar just to hand over the area to private contractors for mining by throwing several thousands of villagers including peasants, bargadars, agricultural workers etc out of their livelihood and residence. The Colliery Mazdoor Sabha of India (CITU) had already lodged their protest against the said eviction order by ECL in favour of a few private contractors and joined the villagers in protest programmes.

The All India Coal Workers Federation of India while protesting against such police-atrocities decided to hold protest demonstration in all the collieries throughout the country on 24th June 2011 and called upon all the coal workers’ unions irrespective of affiliations to join the protest action.

CITU while condemning such police atrocities as well as the evil ploy of the ECL management to oblige the private contractors by forcibly dislodging more than 30000 villagers, that too without any appropriate compensation and rehabilitation covering all affected people, demands upon the government of India and the coal minister in particular to restrain the ECL management from such forcible eviction of people from the Pandabeswar area in West Bengal and urges upon the state government to take action on the concerned police officials responsible for such barbaric lathicharge on peaceful democratic protest.

Nationwide Protest on June 24, 2011 Against Police Lathi-charge in Hansidiha (Raniganj) Privatization and for adequate compensation to land losers

Kolkata, June 22: Jibon Roy, general secretary, All India Coal Workers’ Federation of India has issued the following statement:

All India Coal Workers’ Federation congratulates the coal workers in Raniganj coal fields and the residents around, for holding a strike in Raniganj and surrounding in protest against yesterday’s police lathi-charge on the coal workers and the common residents in Hansidiha colliery of Pandeveswar region under ECL. The police action ahs caused injury, to around 30 miners and local residents and in which Gouranga Chattererjee, the coal leader of all India stature who is happened to be the local MLA has been seriously injured. Police did not spare even Bansagopal Choudhury, the MP and ex-minister. The strike and bandh has been total in all the coal fields of Raniganj, Jamuria and Pandeveswar regions in Ranganj coal fields.

ACWF condemns the police atrocities, expresses its anguish and indignation against the state policy about a labour, so reversed under the current regime from the policy followed by the LF government on the matter of state’s role in the dispute between labour and the employers. Incidentally, yesterday’s lathi charge has been first of the kind against labour after LF government had been installed in June 1977.

The AICWF however, reaffirms its resolve against the policy being followed by coal India on the matter of land acquisition for green field mining and demands that such acquisition be followed only after negotiated settlement on the matter of providing alternative lands, money compensation and employment to the land losers.

The AICWF reaffirms its resolve not to give in any such polices which may lead to privatization whatsoever it may be the form. The ECL management’s move on Hansidiha has ostensibly been to hand over the patch to private contractor. In no time in the history of ECL such transfer had taken place without prior settlement between management and the trade unions. ACWF complements the local resident around the patch for joining the miners and this would obviously help against the land aggression around Hansidiha patch. If the patch, so identified to be transferred to contractor, will effect 11 villages which is inhibited mostly by the tribal population.

AICWF calls upon all of its affiliates in the country to protest the police action through holding demonstrations or any other forms which many suits them and unite the miners against the privatision/disinvestment/outsourcing and for adequate compensation to land losers.

Left Movement against Corruption

The Left parties – the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party – met in New Delhi on June 19, 2011. They have issued the following statement:

Movement against Corruption

The Left parties decided to conduct a countrywide movement against corruption and to demand immediate measures to curb corruption in all spheres of public life. The Left parties’ platform against corruption includes:

i) Adoption of an effective Lokpal legislation

ii) There should be a National Judicial Commission to curb corruption in the high judiciary

iii) Stringent action against the rampant corruption fostered by the big business-politician-bureaucratic nexus which has led to scandal such as the 2G spectrum case.

iv) Implementation of electoral reforms including introduction of proportional representation system to check money power in elections

v) Steps to unearth black money and repatriation of the illegal money stashed abroad.

In order to get these demands implemented, the Left parties will launch a movement from July 15-21, 2011 all over the country. In this week-long movement, the Left parties will picket Central Government offices, hold demonstrations, dharnas and rallies.

The Left parties will hold a demonstration in Delhi outside Parliament on these demands after the Parliament session begins in July.

44th congress of Communist party of Ukraine concludes

Comrade Petro Symonenko re-elected party General Secretary

 
The 44th Congress of the Communist Party of Ukraine concluded on 19th June 2011. On this day, the delegates adopted a new version of the Party Program and made changes to the Charter of the Communist Party. The congress also elected the Party's leading bodies - the Central Committee and Central Control Commission of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
The Communist Party of Ukraine re-elected Petro Symonenko as First Secretary of the Central Committee. The congress elected Ihor Alekseyev as Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. Heorhii Buiko and Volodymyr Oplachko were elected as secretaries of the Central Committee.

The congress elected the following members of the Presidium of the Central Committee: Adam Martyniuk, Valentyn Matveyev, Kateryna Samoilyk, Valerii Mishura, Mykola Shulha, Oleksii Baburin, Alla Aleksandrovska, Ihor Kaletnyk, Spiridon Kilinkarov, Oleksandr Prysiazhniuk, Petro Tsybenko, and Oleksandr Holub.

44 th Congress of the Communist Party of Ukraine begins in Kiev

Comrade Pyotr Simonenko inaugurating the 44th Congress

The 44th Congress of the Communist Party of Ukraine started in the Kiev October Palace in the capital city of Kiev on 18th June 2011. The congress will conclude on 19th June. The congress was opened by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Ukraine, head of the Communist faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Pyotr Simonenko. At the convention 634 delegates arrived.

In addition, Congress invited the members of the Central Committee and Central Control Commission of the Communist Party of Ukraine, the secretaries of regional committees, city,

district committees of the party, people's deputies of Ukraine, the editors of party papers. Among the invited representatives of NGOs left-wing, scientific, artistic, technical intelligentsia and some other friends as well as diplomatic corps.

At the rally came from 31 foreign delegation of Communist and workers' parties and other progressive political movements left orientation as part of 43 persons. The Congress is accredited by 127 representatives of Ukrainian and foreign mass media.

Delegates elected governing bodies of Congress - Presidium, Secretariat, editorial, credentials and counting commission.

The agenda of the 44th Congress of the Communist Party of Ukraine made the following questions:

1. The Political Report of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

2. Report of the Central Control Commission of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

3. The new version of the program of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

4. On Amendments to the Constitution of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

5. Election of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

6. Election Central Control Commission of the Communist Party

CPIM Will raise the issue of Matmkurya (Dhanbad) Police Firing in the Parliament : Brinda Karat

CPI (M) Polit Bureu Member Com. Brinda Karat accused both the Centre and Jharkhand government of being responsible for the police firing in Dhanbad on agitators during eviction drives in which four persons were killed on April 27. Com. Brinda Karat met the family members of the police firing victims and said her party would raise the issue in Parliament as innocent and poor people were being killed. She was in Dhanbad to attend a joint convention of Left Front on 'Eviction and Displacement and Rehabilitation'.

Com. Brinda Karat consoling the family of Bikas singh
who died in the police firing in Matmkurya

She criticized the UPA government for police action on Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan on May 4, saying the late night action on women and old persons, who had gone there to protest against black money and corruption. Com. Brinda said the issue was too big and serious to have been trivialised by Ramdev and the central government. She said while Ramdev had raised some issues "that were not relevant" and the central government messed it up by sending four ministers to the airport for talks with the yoga guru. She also rejected the notion that the Left Front had become demoralized after losing power in West Bengal and Kerala and insisted that though the Left Front government had been ousted in West Bengal, the 'Left Front fortress' was still in place. Over the issue of Lokpall Bill, Karat said her party supports bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of the bill. "We agreed with Anna Hazare on this point but there are lots of issues in the bill that need discussion," she said. "Such action exposed bankruptcy on the part of the UPA government", she alleged.

Letter to NHRC chairman from Com. Brinda Karat on police firing in Forbesganj

Following is the letter written to National Human Rights Commission chairman Justice K.G.Balakrishnan By Hannan Molla and Brinda Karat seeking speedy redressal of Forbesganj killing of Muslims by Bihar police.

This is to request your intervention to bring justice to the villagers of Bhajanpur and Rampur under Forbesganj block in Araria district Bihar, and particularly to the families of the four people including a pregnant woman and an infant, killed in brutal police firing in this area, on June 3. Nine people were seriously injured. Unconfirmed reports are that two among them have succumbed to their injuries so that the number of those killed may be six not four.

The police firing was on a group of people protesting against the forcible acquisition of land by the Government for a factory in the area. Of the 85 acres forcibly acquired by the Government, the local BJP MLC one Ashok Aggarwal had leased 35 acres for his factory. It was to advance his interests that the police fired. He himself was present at the spot and the police took action on his commands. This is a shocking example of how powerful and unscrupulous leaders of the ruling combine utilize the State machinery for their own ends. The land was taken at a pittance from the villagers. Part of the land is reportedly being used by the people as a connecting road with the outside world. In both villages a large majority belong to the minority community.

On June 3, the villagers gathered in a protest at the factory gate. The police opened fire.Raheena Khatoon was returning with her six month old baby, in her arms from the local hospital. The police fired on her. The bullet pierced her hand and hit her baby. He died a day later. She has been admitted in a hospital in Patna. Shazmina Khatun, five months pregnant, wife of a worker in the factory had rushed to the area on hearing from other villagers of the firing. She was shot in the head and died on the spot. 18 year old Md. Mustafa was crossing the area on his way to his small pan shop. He was shot dead by the police who fired at him from behind. Muktar Ansari a worker was also fired upon and killed in the savage police action. It is reported that in a signal act of barbarity the police jumped on the body of Mustafa. Can this be tolerated in any civilized society?

A fact finding team from the CPI(M) and the Kisan Sabha had visited the area on June 6.The team has confirmed the unwarranted and unprovoked nature of the police action at the behest of the ruling combine leaders in the area. No senior members of the administration have cared to visit the families. There is no dialogue with the villagers and worst of all no action has been taken to lodge FIRs against the guilty police personnel or the MLC Ashok Aggarwal. An FIR under charges of murder must be registered against Aggarwal and the police involved, if the ends of justice are to be served.

It is for these reasons that the intervention of the NHRC is urgently required.. We request you to take the appropriate measures. As a step of immediate relief we request you to ensure adequate compensation for the victims, all of whom belonged to very poor worker families.

CPIM Demands compensation for Forbesganj firing victims
CPI(M) described as an 'eyewash' the judicial probe announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar into the June 3 Forbesganj police firing and demanded that compensation be paid to the victims' families quickly without waiting for the inquiry report."It is nothing but an eyewash the judicial inquiry ordered by chief minister into the firing. The state government should take stern action the guilty officials involved in the firing and make payment of compensation without waiting for the probe report," state CPI-M Secretary Vijay Kant Thakur told reporters.Four persons were killed and scores of others injured in the firing and clash that broke out between policemen and locals opposing the construction of a starch factory at Forbesganj in Araria district on June three.He alleged that not not a single leader from ruling NDA had visited the spot even 13 days after the incident and Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi has given a statement in favour of BJP MLC Ashok Agarwal, whose relatives were setting up the starch factory."We want Modi's role in the incident be also inquired into," Thakur said and demanded arrest of BJP MLC Agarwal, his son and bodyguards, besides cancelling the allotment of the land for the proposed factory.

Civil society movements cannot be an alternative to political parties : Prakash Karat

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat said that Civil society movements can never be an alternative to political parties. He was inaugurating national seminar on ‘Re-reading Marxism' as part of the EMS Namboothirpad Memorail Functions organised by Costford in Thrissur on Thursday. He said civil society was promoting identity politics and thereby negating class unity. The fragmented struggles of civil society would hinder the progress of united movements of the people. A re-reading of Marxism was necessary to face the challenges in the contemporary world.

He added: “Post-modernism has been an influential weapon to counter Marxism in contemporary society. It advocates replacing class [struggle] with identity politics.” Such politics involves people getting together on the basis of a common identity, whether race, ethnicity caste or religion, to put forth their demands or assert their rights. Identity politics rejects any politics based on a common goal of emancipation. Theorists of identity politics say oppression can be understood and experienced only by people of that identity. So others are excluded from the fight against that oppression. “Identity politics has become an important feature of politics across the world,” Com. Karat said.

The advent of an aggressive finance-driven globalised market and the weakening of socialism set the background for the rise of identity politics, he said. “Globalised finance capital encourages identity politics as they find it convenient to deal with people fragmented on the basis of multiple identities. Such movements make it easier for the capitalist forces to penetrate into the market and take control. Fragmentation of identity is harnessed by the market.”

Many non-governmental organisations and voluntary organisations that work among Dalits, Adivasis, women and minority groups, were pursuing the agenda of identity politics, he said. Most of them were funded by organisations in the West. Only a common political forum that goes beyond groups could fight against exploitation by the capitalist order.

The former Vice-Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board, Prabhat Patnaik; the former Finance Minister, Thomas Isaac; and academic M.V. Narayanan spoke at the event.

On the sidelines of the seminar, Com Karat said there were no plans for the merger of the two leading Left parties. “Merger is not on our agenda. The CPI(M) and the CPI will function in close cooperation with each other to strengthen the party.” Responding to a question on whether the Left parties had failed in moving effectively against corruption, Mr. Karat said: “Since the last 30 years, successive governments have been blocking implementation of the Lokpal Bill giving some reason or the other. Important differences remain even now, especially with regard to bringing the Prime Minister and the members of the higher judiciary under the purview of the Lokpal.”

(courtesy : The Hindu)

Delhi dharna protests prise rise and corruption

A massive dharna was organised on 15th July at Jantar mantar, New Delhi by over thirty (30) left political parties and mass organisations of student, youth, women and workers -- CPI(M), CPI, RSP, AIFB, CPI(ML), SUCI-C, CPI(ML-ND), Peoples Front, Yuva Bharat, PDFI, WPI, AIDWA, NFIW, AIMSS, SFI, AISF, AIDSO, AISA, DYFI, AIYF, RYA, SYAC, AIDYO, CITU, AITUC, AIFTU, AICCTU, IFTU, AIUTUC, Journalists (Seema Mustafa, Khalilul Rahman), Teachers (Kamal Chenoy, Anuradha Chenoy, S.N. Malakar) and Teesra Swadheenta Andolan -- and other concerned citizens including journalists and teachers. Through this dharna attention was focused on the concerns of the people and the central government’s inability, and unwillingness, to deal with the issues of rising prices and corruption. Proceedings of the dharna were conducted by Amarjit Kaur (CPI) and Vijender Sharma (CPI-M). Fourteen speakers addressed the dharna which included Atul Kumar Anjaan (CPI), Gopal Rai (Teesra Swadhinta Andolan), Albeena Shakil (CPI-M), Asit Ganguly (RSP), Dharmendra Kumar (AIFB), Kavita Krishnan (CPI-ML), Pratap Sawal (SUCI-C), Naresh Gupta (People’s Front), Arjun Prasad Singh (PDFI), P.C. Henza (WPI), Aparna (CPI-ML-ND), Rakesh Rafiq (Yuva Bharat), P.K. Shahi (AIFTU) and Khalilul Rahman (Journalist). The speakers criticised the pro-rich, anti-people and anti-poor policies of the UPA government which has proved to be incapable of handling crisis and challenges. Spiraling prices and increasing corruption involving politicians, industrialists and their lobbyists has put the UPA and its allies on the defensive to the point where the government is adopting authoritarian tactics to deny civil society and the people of India the right to democratic space. The Left parties have been highlighting these issues for several years now, suggesting concrete measures to bring down the prices, tackle corruption and bring relief to the common man. Unfortunately, the government has apathetic and indifferent to these vital issues. Instead it is resorting to increasingly authoritarian measures with the democratic rights of the people being seriously impinged upon by the state. The Left parties and organizations have decided to launch a united, mass political action starting with today’s dharna. We call upon the government to take immediate measures to curtail corruption and tackle price rise. The Lokpal Bill can be just one of the many steps required for a meaningful and effective response to corruption that is eating into the vitals of India.

Another Major Scam

The CAG draft report that nails the connivance between Government agencies and Reliance Industries Ltd. leading to huge losses to the Government exchequer is yet another example of the power of corporates in the UPA Government to subvert rules and regulations in their favour.

The CAG has noted that the former Director-General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) permitted Reliance to inflate its “development costs” on the gas extraction in the D6 block of KG basin from 2.47 billion dollars to a whopping 8.84 billion dollars. This money taken by RIL affected the revenues of the Government. Government should prosecute the former DGH without any delay.

The Government’s connivance with RIL has a direct impact on the aam aadmi because increased claims of development cost get reflected in the price of gas given to consumers and also affect the prices of fertilizer and power. On this issue as well as on the inflated development cost issue, CPI(M) MPs have been raising the matter in Parliament. Letters have been written to the Prime Minister to institute an independent enquiry into the complaint of artificial jacking up of the capital expenditure by RIL for D6 KG Basin and its hasty approval by the concerned authority to find out the actual cost before gas price is fixed.

But the Polit Bureau regrets to note that in a repeat of the 2-G scam, the Prime Minister’s silence on the issue, other than mere acknowledgement of letters from Members of Parliament has again exposed the UPA Government’s acquiescence to corporate manipulation. The PB demands a statement from the PM on this issue as it involves a higher price for energy resource like natural gas that is used for power and fertilizer industries and has a direct bearing on the interests of the common man.

Congress led UDF government in Kerala trying to destablize welfare programmes and education sector : Pinarayi Vijayan

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala State secretary Com. Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the beginning augured ill for the United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by Oommen Chandy.

Inaugurating the valedictory session of the 14th national seminar commemorating Communist leader Com. E.M.S. Namboodiripad at Kottakkal in Malappuram District on Tuesday, Com. Pinarayi Vijayan said that the UDF government was meddling with the people's welfare programmes initiated by the erstwhile Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

Com. Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government was trying to destroy the State's general education system by permitting private schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stream at a time when government and aided schools were set for a big leap in the State.

“The government should be for the people of Kerala. By people, I mean the poor and the middle-class sections which constitute 98 per cent of the population,” he said. The government should not mistake the two per cent, who run unaided educational institutions, for the people of Kerala. He said Namboodiripad had a clear and defined perspective of the State's development. “He was a visionary who clearly understood the politics of the media.”

Former Minister for Finance T.M. Thomas Isaac presented a paper on ‘Kerala development – challenges raised by change in government.' A. Vijayaraghavan, CPI(M) Secretariat member, spoke on the ‘contemporary face of colonialism'. DYFI All India President Com. P Sreeramakrishnan, CPIM Malappuram District Secretary Com. Ummer Master were present at the function.

WB Assembly passes Singur Bill amid Left walkout,Bill is full of loopholes.

In a House where no Opposition member was present the Singur Bill seeking to empower the West Bengal government to return land to farmers was passed on Thursday. The Bill – The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011, -- was passed by voice vote as members of the Opposition Left parties walked out in protest against major loopholes in the content of the Bill.

Before walkout, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and member of the Central Committee of the CPI (M), Surya Kanta Mishra was critical of the haste over tabling of the Bill which has left the Opposition hardly any time to scrutinize it. However, there were many loopholes and discrepancies in the content of the Bill, he said. Mishra made it clear that the Bill had created distinct division among farmers in Singur branding one section as so-called “unwilling” who refused to give land and another section as “willing” who handed over land.
The Opposition Leader Mishra said the CPI (M) was not opposed to the return of land to “unwilling” farmers but the Bill should not be reduced to being just a “gimmick.”

Meanwhile, reacting sharply to comments made in the Bill regarding “non-commissioning and abandoning” of the project at Singur, Tata Motors, in a press note said, “ The Bill does not state the reasons for stoppage of operations and shifting of the plant.” Tata Motors “wants to clarify that the operations of setting up and commissioning of the plant was conducted under very difficult conditions amidst violence disruption activities, damage to property and threats to personnel.”

Congress making desperate moves in Andhra Pradesh: CPI (M)

The two-day meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Andhra pradesh State Committe that concluded in Hyderabad on Tuesday discussed the political situation prevailing in Andhra Pradesh and said the Congress' desperate attempts to appoint new leaders would be fruitless.

At a briefing here, State secretary B.V. Raghavulu cited the example of Botcha Satyanarayana as the president of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee and wondered what difference it would make when a Congress MP, G. V. Harsha Kumar, himself described the PCC president as “highly corrupt and anti-Dalit”.

Merger

Asked about the merger of the Left parties, he said that they would prefer fighting together on people's issues right now, rather than just merge and split later down the line.

Bringing pressure together on governments to concentrate on problems faced by people was more important at this stage, he added.

On alliances with other political parties in the elections to local bodies, he said they would prefer sailing with those that would give them maximum mileage and field candidates in places where they had a solid base.

Mr. Raghavulu said the State Committee meeting chalked out agitation plans on issues like health, sanitation, education and nodal agency for the Scheduled Castes sub-plan.

Between June 17 and 24, the party would observe an Education Week to focus on problems in the education sector.

Between June 25 and 30, the party's units would look into health and sanitation issues. Deliberations included implementation of G.O. Ms. No. 3 that pertained to wages of about 10.5 lakh contract casual employees working in 190 government departments and who were not covered by the Pay Revision Commission and cancellation of permission accorded to about 50 merchant power plants.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)