Friday, November 16, 2012

AIKS Condemns the firing on Sangli farmers in Maharashtra

The All India Kisan Sabha strongly condemns the heinous police firing on protesting farmers at Sangli in Maharashtra on 12th November. One farmer died in the incident. Another farmer who was part of the protest was run-over by a truck. AIKS offers its condolences to the families of the bereaved. Kisan Sabha demands Rs.10 lakh compensation and a Government job to one member of each of the families of the deceased. 

The sugarcane farmers in different parts of Maharashtra have been on a consistent organised struggle demanding not less than Rs.3000/tonne as the first advance and Rs.3600/tonne as the final price for sugarcane in the State. The AIKS has been part of this struggle and have been carrying on a united struggle for remunerative prices. In the run-up to these struggles on 21st October 2012, a 500-strong Convention had been organised jointly by the AIKS, CITU and AIAWU at Ambajogai in the Beed District of Marathwada region comprising of sugarcane farmers, sugarcane cutters and sugar factory workers which took up demands of all three toiling sections.

Meanwhile, in the Kolhapur District of South Maharashtra, four Left and secular parties had come together to form a Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti and have held large demonstrations for remunerative price to sugarcane farmers. The AIKS has been a part of the struggle in Kolhapur including other organisations of the peasantry like the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. The struggle has now spread to other cane growing areas and sugarcane farmers in Beed, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Pune and Sholapur Districts have been agitating with the demand that Rs.3000/tonne be fixed as the first advance on sugarcane purchase this season. In Ahmadnagar and Parbani Districts the Kisan Sabha has been independently carrying out this struggle from the last few months. On 9th November 2012 there was a miltant demonstration by over a thousand farmers at Pune under the banner of the Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti. It was in the course of the continuing struggle of sugarcane farmers, cutters and sugar factory workers that this brutal police firing took place.

Yet again police fired on protestors on 14th November also. Police have arrested 152 protestors while no action has been taken on the police officials guilty of firing causing injury and death. This exposes the fact that the Congress-NCP led State Government is taking a confrontationist stand openly in favour of the sugar lobby and is least bothered about resolving the issue through negotiations. It is to be noted that the Congress-NCP State Government in line with the Congress-led Central Government and the Agriculture Ministry’s proposal to decontrol sugar industry, decided not to intervene in sugarcane pricing this year even before the Rangarajan Committee recommendations have got Parliamentary sanction. The Government is shirking its responsibility and wants the peasantry to settle the issue directly with the sugar mills and cooperatives. The private millers and cooperative sugar factories have refused to pay Rs.3000/tonne and were offering only between Rs.2100/tonne to Rs.2300/tonne.

Notably the private sugar mills in different parts of India owe arrears of over Rs.10,500 crores to sugarcane farmers. The ruling class has not made any sincere effort to recover this amount and give it back to the farmers. In Maharashtra a vast majority of the cooperatives and sugar mills are directly owned or controlled by the leaders of the Congress-NCP combine or the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. Hence none of these parties are interested in resolving the issue or paying remunerative prices to the sugarcane growers.

The AIKS along with the different Farmers’ organisations that are part of the Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti is organising a massive protest Dharna on 16th November in Kolhapur against the police firing. This will be followed by a massive protest rally in Mumbai on 26th November 2012.  We warn that protests will be intensified if the Government continues with its insensitive stand.

CPI(M) to contest from six seats in Gujarat Assembly Elections

CPI(M) announced to contest next month's Gujarat Assembly polls from atleast ten constituencies  and also brought out its election manifesto at Ahemdedabad on Friday. 

"In Gujarat, our party is going to contest total ten seats. Today we are releasing a list of six candidates and we will later announce other names," former MP and central CPI(M) leader Sukomal Sen said while releasing the party manifesto.  Sen said that the party promises to take up issues related to food security and providing 35 kg of grain at Rs 2 per kg to poor people. 

Criticising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, he alleged that there was no difference between the economic policies of the Congress-led UPA government and Modi-led Gujarat government and described them as being "anti-people."
Talking about Modi's recent Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra, Sen said, "During his yatra, Modi very conveniently omitted what Vivekananda had said about the Hindu-Muslim unity." 

CPI(M) is in talks with rebel BJP MLA Kanubhai Kalsaria to extend support to each other's candidate in the coming elections. Kalsaria has decided to field seven candidates of his recently-formed Swabhiman Manch.

State CPI(M) secretary Arun Mehta said that the party would field candidates from Visavadar (Junagadh), Rajkot (East), Umargam (Valsad), Jamnagar Rural, Khedbrahma (Sabarkantha) and Santrampur (Panchmahal). "At present, there is a crisis of morality and honesty in both the major political parties of the state. And CPM is the only political party which stood the test of honesty and right now Gujarat is in need of honest and moral leadership," Mehta added. 

CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat will address a public rally in Bhavnagar during the election campaign. Other national leaders, like party general secretary Prakash Karat, MP Sitaram Yechuri, former MPs Suhasini Ali, Mohammad Salim, Nilotpal Basu and MLA from Rajasthan Amara Ram are also likely tocampaign.

Condemn Israel's War on Gaza

 
Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and S. Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India have issued the following statement:
 
We strongly condemn the renewed military attacks on Gaza. More than 250 strikes have been launched against Gaza in the last 48 hours, killing 18 Palestinians and injuring over 150. Those killed include Hamas military chief Ahmad Jaabari and 4 children. This aggression is similar to the last war that Israel had launched on Gaza in December 2008 in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

The 1.7 million people of Gaza continue to remain under a brutal siege, with the Israeli stranglehold affecting even basic necessities such as food and medicine. Reports available indicate that hospitals are running out of medicine. Power and water supplies have been cut to the Gaza residents.
 
We call upon the Indian government to condemn the Israeli aggression on Gaza. India must also suspend immediately its military ties with Israel, as India's huge arms purchase helps to subsidise the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

China's new communist leadership

Xi Jinping (C), Li Keqiang (3rd R), Zhang Dejiang (3rd L), Yu Zhengsheng (2nd R), Liu Yunshan (2nd L), Wang Qishan (1st R) and Zhang Gaoli (1st L) attend the first plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

A new generation of top Chinese leaders took the stage on Thursday in one of the world's most important power transitions, taking the helm of the ruling party of the world's second-largest economy and the most populous country.

Xi Jinping was sworn in as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), leading the seven-seat Political Bureau Standing Committee.

The other six members of the top leadership of the Party's central leading organ are Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli.

They were elected at the first plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee following the CPC's 18th National Congress. [ Their election marked a smooth top leadership transition following the 16th national congresses of the Party in 2002.

The smooth transition suggests that the Party is moving steadily towards an established norm regarding the handing over of power, which will be crucial for sustained stability and development of the country, analysts observed.

"The new leaders are not ossified or conservative. Their election will ensure that China will continue with both reforms and the socialist path with Chinese characteristics, as they have witnessed, participated in and benefited from reform and opening-up," said Xie Chuntao, a professor of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

The leaders made their debut upon their election at the Great Hall of the People under the spotlight of hundreds of reporters from across the world.

Xi said they will take "the relay baton passed on to us by history" and make continued efforts to achieve the renewal of the Chinese nation. "We will rally and lead the whole Party and the people in making continued efforts to free our minds, carry out reform and open up," Xi said.

Xi noted that the Party faces many severe challenges and that there are many pressing problems within the Party, citing corruption, a separation from the people and bureaucracy.

Amid global economic uncertainties and domestic complaints over the wealth gap, corruption and environmental woes with rising calls for deepened reform, analysts said China will face more challenges in the years to come.

FROM THE PEOPLE
The seven Standing Committee members of the Political Bureau have witnessed and endured China's vicissitudes and hardships over the last six decades, including the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

Xi and Li were born in the 1950s, while the other five were born in the mid- to late 1940s.

Xi, Li, Zhang Dejiang and Wang toiled in communes and villages during the Cultural Revolution, when millions of high school graduates were sent to rural areas to receive "re-education" from peasants and help with rural development. It was during their re-education that Xi and Li received their first official titles. Acting as the Party branch secretaries of their respective production brigades, they got the chance to learn administration at the grassroots level.

Yu worked as a technician at a radio factory in the city of Zhangjiakou in north China's Hebei province for a few years, while Liu was a teacher before becoming a reporter at the Xinhua News Agency. Zhang Gaoli was a craneman and loader at an oil company in south China's Guangdong province after graduating from university.

Such experiences, analysts observed, gave them keen insight into China's situation and helped them understand the people's woes and expectations.

Xi previously said that he received a great deal of guidance from two groups of people: the old generation of revolutionaries and the village people in Shaanxi, his ancestral home where he received seven years of "re-education."

GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE
As observed by Professor Xie, the new generation of leaders have shown "capacity in controlling overall situations and tackling complicated emergencies" and "are well prepared for challenges and ready to take opportunities."

All of them boast rich governance experience, climbing the Party cadre echelon step by step. Over his 40-year-long career, Xi left his footprint in both the comparatively underdeveloped inland and rural areas, such as a commune in Shaanxi province and Zhengding county in Hebei province, as well as the more prosperous coastal Fujian and Zhejiang provinces and the country's financial and economic hub of Shanghai.

Most of the new leaders have experience in governing frontier regions for reform, while others are familiar with the situation in underdeveloped central and west regions.

Analysts said the lineup will help the collective leadership to consider matters from an overall perspective when making decisions.

In addition, as a result of long years of experience as local governors, they have also cultivated a down-to-earth work style.

"Do it now" is Xi's motto. He always warns officials to perform services while keeping in mind that their official titles are in the hands of the people, instead of within their own grasp.

THEORETICAL GROUNDING, GLOBAL VISION
Unlike their predecessors, the new leaders grew up in a peaceful time, which offered them a chance to receive better education than previous generations.

Notably, they received a complete and systematic education on the mainstream ideology of socialism, which had a formative effect on their views and values, said Dai Yanjun, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

The seven leaders have diverse higher learning backgrounds, varying from engineering to humanities.

Xi holds a doctorate of law from the prestigious Qinghua University, where he also received education in chemical engineering after he returned to Beijing from Shaanxi. Li studied law at the elite Beijing University after he ended "re-education" in Anhui province. He later received a doctoral degree of economics from the university.

These education opportunities equipped the leaders with a firm theoretical grounding. Xi has urged officials at various levels to "read some history" and learn to "seek the correct orientation and path from history."

As witnesses and participants in ongoing globalization, the new leaders also have a broad vision and know how to deal with the international community.

Xi Jinping made a successful visit to the United States in Feburary this year. In a written interview with the Washington Post before his tour, the vice president said, "The vast Pacific Ocean has ample space for China and the United States."

As vice premier, Li Keqiang visited the three European nations of Spain, Germany and Britain in January 2011. Prior to his visits, he wrote three articles that were published in influential newspapers in the countries, stating China's development orientation.

Another vice premier, Wang Qishan was described by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson as a man who "enjoys philosophical debates and has a wicked sense of humor."

RIGHT FORMULA
According to the CPC's constitution, a Central Committee is elected at a national congress, which is held every five years. The Central Committee, usually with more than 300 full and alternate members, then elects its Political Bureau and the bureau's Standing Committee.

More than 2,300 delegates to the national congress on Wednesday elected the 18th CPC Central Committee through secret ballots, who then voted on the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee on Thursday.

Previously, a meeting of leading cadres was held in Beijing in May to nominate candidates of the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee.

In the eyes of Huang Yebin, a delegate to the Party congress, the new generation of leadership are "energetic, trustworthy and with both integrity and capacity."

"I'm sure they will lead the nation to a prosperous society," Huang said.

The CPC's National Congress was a widely watched agenda this year for "one of the world's most important power transitions" that followed it, as some foreign media said.

Two authors co-published a comment in the Financial Times on Monday, which said that China "has developed the right formula for choosing political rulers that is consistent with China's culture and history and suitable for modern circumstances." Daniel Bell and Eric Li, a professor of political theory at Qinghua University in Beijing and a Shanghai-based venture capitalist, wrote in the British newspaper, "The Chinese political system has undergone significant change over the past three decades and it comes close to the best formula for governing a large country.

"It (Chinese regime) should be improved on the basis of this formula, not western style democracy," they observed.

NEW FACES IN POLITICAL BUREAU
In addition to the seven Standing Committee members, the Political Bureau has another 18 members. Among them, Liu Yandong, Li Yuanchao and Wang Yang are serving their second term in the central leading organ.

Liu Yandong
 Liu, 67, is also a state councilor. She holds a doctoral degree of law. Li is also a doctor of law. He was previously a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. He is 62.

Wang, 57, is Party chief of Guangdong Province. He previously worked in Chongqing. He is a master of engineering.

The new members of the bureau are: Ma Kai, Wang Huning, Liu Qibao, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan, Sun Zhengcai, Li Jianguo, Zhang Chunxian, Fan Changlong, Meng Jianzhu, Zhao Leji, Hu Chunhua, Li Zhanshu, Guo Jinlong and Han Zheng.

Among the new faces, eight were born around 1949, the founding year of New China. State Councilor Ma Kai is 66. The master of economics previously led the National Development and Reform Commission.


Sun chunlan
Sun Chunlan from Fujian Province is currently the only woman Party chief in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Her entry added one more woman member to the Political Bureau. Liu Yandong was the only woman in the central leading body. Sun is 62.

Li Jianguo, 66, is vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The senior legislator is a Chinese language and literature graduate.
Meng Jianzhu, 65, is a state councilor and also minister of public security. He holds a master's degree of engineering.

Li Zhanshu is director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee. He was previously Party chief of Guizhou Province. He is 62. Beijing Party chief Guo Jinlong received a physics education in university, and previously worked in Tibet for 11 years. He is 65.

Fan Changlong, 65, and Xu Qiliang, 62, are two members from the army. The two generals are both vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission. They began service in the 1960s.

Seven new faces are under the age of 60. Wang Huning, 57, was previously a member of the Central Committee's Secretariat. Before he started a political career, he was a professor of the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai.

Sichuan Province Party chief Liu Qibao, 59, is a master of economics. He previously worked at the Communist Youth League of China, served as deputy secretary-general of the State Council and deputy editor-in-chief of the People's Daily. He has also worked in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Zhang Chunxian, 59, is Party chief of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He holds a master's degree in management. He worked in Hunan Province before he was transferred to Xinjiang.

Zhao Leji, party chief of Shaanxi Province, previously worked in Qinghai, a plateau province with adverse natural condition, for 27 years. The philosophy graduate from Beijing University is 55.

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng is a master of economics. He is 58.

Notably, the Political Bureau has two members who were born in the 1960s -- Sun Zhengcai and Hu Chunhua.

Sun, also 49, is a doctor of agronomy. The Party chief of Jilin Province was previously minister of agriculture. Hu, 49, is Party chief of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. He volunteered to work in Tibet after graduating from university, and stayed there for about 20 years. He worked at the Communist Youth League of China before going to Inner Mongolia.

The plenum also elected the Secretariat of the Central Committee, which includes Liu Yunshan, Liu Qibao, Zhao Leji, Li Zhanshu, Du Qinglin, Zhao Hongzhu and Yang Jing. It is observed that the new leading echelon has rich governance experience at provincial levels, and they also boast good education backgrounds, with more than 10 doctors and masters, whose majors vary from economics, politics and law to agronomy and management.

Their experience and education backgrounds will help push China towards greater progress, observers said. Liu Xiangting, a resident at Dashilan, a community near Tian'anmen in downtown Beijing, said the emergence of a new leading team indicates that China will enjoy greater development momentum. 

 "I hope the new leaders will care for our livelihoods, boost development and keep themselves clean," said Liu.
(Source : Xinhua)

Biman Basu Visits Assam’s Camps with Relief and Solidarity of West Bengal

Biman Basu, member of Polit Bureau and the Secretary of West Bengal State Committee of the CPI(M) has visited the relief camps of Assam and conveyed the solidarity and distributed relief material collected in West Bengal to the homeless people who are still in relief camps as a result of violent ethnic strife since July 2012. Earlier Prakash Karat visited Assam to distribute relief and interacted with people in the camps.

Biman Basu along with Md. Salim, Central Committee Member of CPI(M) had visited 2 relief camps situated at Bilasipara of Dhubri District and some other camps at Nayapara and Bhutuni of Chirang District of Assam. Uddhab Barman, the Secretary of Assam State Committee of the CPI(M) and other Party leaders were present throughout the their visit in the relief camps.


Biman Basu met the affected people and distributed the relief collected by the workers of the CPI(M) in West Bengal. The homeless people in the camps have expressed their dissatisfaction about the inadequate relief by State Government to Basu and other Party leaders. The affected people told Basu and other Party leaders that the ration has been completely stopped to the affected people merely surviving at various relief camps after the Eid festival. They are living in the camps with insufficient supply of food and clothes. With the advent of winter the condition has further deteriorated. The Congress Government of Assam is not showing enough seriousness either to ensure the adequate relief or safe rehabilitation of the affected people. In two-day visit Basu and other Party leaders have distributed almost 1200 blankets among the riot-affected people of Assam. Basu has demanded all kinds of Government relief to the affected people who have become homeless at the ethnic strife. He said that the People of West Bengal and the Leftist throughout the country would always remain beside the people of Assam. The Central and the State Government must ensure the protection of all irrespective of caste creed and ethnicity. The Left Parties will raise the issue in the parliament in its coming session.


During his visit Basu participated in a public meeting called by the Party at Bilasipara Public Maidan and told that both the Congress and BJP are playing the role to divide the people. RSS is also active behind the ethnic strife of Assam. Tripathnath Chakrovorty, The Secretary of CPI(M) Dhubri District Committee had presided over the public meeting. Basu has also addressed in a meeting of party workers and sympathisers at Bongaigaon wherein he criticised role of the BJP and Congress and also demanded the arrest and punishment of those who have created the ethnic strife in Assam. He also criticised the neo liberal policy of the UPA 2 Government called for a vigorous fight against the policy.


It is relevant to mention that the situation of Assam has been deteriorated after killing of three innocent farmers by the rioters in Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar Districts. During his visit Biman Basu and other party leaders have criticised the ruthless killings of the innocent peasants and demanded the exemplary punishment to the culprits.