Sunday, September 29, 2013

CPIM on Electoral Reforms

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
 
The CPI(M) has been advocating comprehensive electoral reforms but these important issues have not been placed by the Government before Parliament so far.
 
The Supreme Court judgment to include a “No Vote” on the ballot is only a minor aspect of the issue of reforms. These matters are being dealt with in a piecemeal way by the judiciary when what is required is comprehensive electoral reforms including the issue of proportional representation, urgent steps to curb money and muscle power, which must be discussed and adopted by Parliament.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

CPIM Note to NIC meeting

1. Rising Communal Incidents

This meeting of the National Integration Council is being held in the background of rising number of communal incidents and violence in the recent months which is a matter of serious concern.  In the past few weeks, there has been communal violence occurring in Kishtwar in Jammu & Kashmir; in Nawada and Betiah in Bihar; and a major outbreak of violence in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh where more than 40 people have been killed.  These have occurred after a series of communal incidents in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in the past one year. 

What accounts for the worsening of the communal situation in the recent period?  These are not spontaneous outbreaks but part of a planned effort and designed by certain communal-political forces.

The causes for the communal violence are the same as in the past – religious processions moving through mixed areas and provocations taking place; allegations of harassment of young women belonging to a particular community by persons of another community; inflammatory propaganda  which leads to a climate of mistrust and any incident  can spark off a wider conflict.  But what is more disturbing is that riots are sought to be spread in the rural areas as it happened in Muzaffarnagar.  In all such riots, it is the minority community which ultimately bears the brunt of the violence in terms of deaths and destruction of property.

Certain organisations and political parties espousing communal ideology, are indulging in communal propaganda to build up tensions and to utilize any incident to incite communal violence.

As per the figures supplied by the Home Ministry, this year, from January to September, there have been 497 communal incidents in the country which have killed 107 people and injured 1,697.

The forthcoming 2014 Lok Sabha elections seem to be a catalyst for communal activities. It can be easily identified who seeks to gain out of such communal polarization.

2.  Measures to Tackle Communal Disturbances

Therefore, in order to curb communal violence, it is necessary to first identify such political-communal elements and organisations and take preventive measures to curb their activities and propaganda.  The laws concerning the prohibition of communal propaganda, incitement to hatred etc. should be applied.

The role of the administration in taking such precautionary measures cannot be overemphasized. It is also essential to see that the administration and the police act promptly and impartially to curb violence and to book the offenders. 

The Prevention of Communal Violence Bill  should be enacted into law without further delay.  The law should focus only on communal violence and not broaden itself to other forms of conflicts and violence.  Further, the legislation should be in keeping with the federal principle wherein the state governments have the primary responsibility for maintenance of law and order and policing. 

The espousal of communal ideology through the educational system and textbooks which promote communal and anti-secular ideas exist in some states – these need to be dealt with.

We have seen the use of social media and networking sites to promote inflammatory communal propaganda. Just as in the case of other forms of communal propaganda, measures should be taken to prohibit such  content and take action against those who upload such content. In this connection, the clause in the Information Technology Act, Section 66 A, should be suitably modified, so that this clause is not misused to  suppress views and dissenting opinion.

Above all, it is important that  the problem of communal violence is not seen merely as an administrative law and order problem.  Given the history of communal politics in India, it is primarily a political issue and it must be dealt with politically.  This requires a firm adherence to the secular principle and the need to combat communal ideology and politics, whatever their source and origin. 

There is another matter which concerns communal harmony and involves having an equitable approach to the minorities.  Communalism promotes extremist activities such as terrorist violence.  While it is necessary to fight and curb terrorism whichever its source, there has to be care to see that no single community is targeted.  Unfortunately, experience shows that in the name of fighting terrorism often  innocent Muslim youth are targeted.  There have been a number of cases where young Muslims have been arrested and implicated in false cases and kept for prolonged periods in jail.  There are many cases where these youth have been eventually acquitted and the judiciary has passed strictures on the way they have been booked on false or flimsy evidence.

Such a biased approach on the part of the police and security agencies is causing alienation and anger among the community.

It is imperative that such a  discriminatory approach is given up.  The State has responsibility to compensate and help the rehabilitation of such youth.  There should be accountability and action taken against the police and security authorities who are responsible for such travesty of justice.

3.  Safety and Security of Women

Sexual offences and attacks on women and children have assumed alarming proportions. Even as incidents of rape, gangrape, acid throwing on young women, child sexual abuse have increased, the conviction rate in cases of crimes against women, remains dismal. The utter failure and lack of political will to put in place a system which ensures the certainly of punishment encourages such criminality. Stringent action must be taken against all those whether in the police or other investigation agencies who sabotage the law. Fast track courts for such cases and time bound justice are an urgent necessity.

Even though a new law has been put in place as a result of public outrage following the brutal Delhi gang rape, it is yet to be implemented properly and in any case is not sufficient as it does not cover all the recommendations made by the Verma Committee. For example, the horrendous killings of young couples in the name of honour continues. There is urgent need for a separate law against such so-called honour killings. It is unfortunate that such a law has not been taken up as some state governments do not feel it necessary to go against retrograde so-called traditions and social conventions for narrow political considerations.

Communal and fundamentalist forces in all communities seek to impose their patriarchal values on women restricting and violating their rights. Often sexual attacks and harassment of women are given a communal colour and used by communal organizations to rouse passions and hatred against the other community. It is necessary to take strong action against such elements.

It is deeply regrettable that the number of cases of men in high places whether in politics, in the sphere of self-proclaimed “god men” and so on have often utilized that power to harass women. The crime must be considered as an aggravated sexual crime and action taken accordingly. No double standards of leniency in applying the law against such individuals should be attempted.

At the same time the inequalities in terms of access to employment, equal wages. guaranteed social security, rights in land and other assets, make women dependent and therefore more vulnerable to violence. It is necessary to ensure a framework of economic policies which enable women to attain economic independence, particularly for the poorer sections of women, dalits and adivasis who are the most vulnerable targets of sexual violence.

Women’s rights to an environment free of sexual violence must be grounded as a fundamental and constitutional right accorded to women on the basis of gender equality. The right of women to live in a society free of sexual violence must be grounded as a fundamental and constitutional right accorded to women on the basis of the principle of equality. These principles must form part of the upbringing and education of our young people and be reflected in educational syllabi at all levels.

4.  Welfare of SCs/STs

There has to be allocation of budgetary resources for the development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population. However, the Planning Commission guidelines in this respect has remained only on paper.  The experience is that the funds of the Tribal Sub-Plan and the SC Special Component Plan are diverted for other purposes or are not fully utilised and lapse.

To prevent this happening, legislation should be passed to ensure mandatory implementation of the Sub-Plan and Special Component Plan for STs and SCs respectively.  The Government of India should bring such legislation expeditiously in Parliament for adoption

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Massive Rigging by TMC in Election to 12 Municipalities: CPI (M) Demands Total Re-poll in Burdwan and Chakdah Municipality

Election to 12 municipalities in West Bengal was marred with massive rigging and violence in the hands of the goons of the ruling party with the administrative machinery and police remaining as mere spectators. 8lakhs 46thousand 366 voters were to cast their votes in 244 wards of 12 municipalities on Saturday the 21st of September, 2013. What turned out eventually as voting started from 7a.m in the morning was a picture of farcical democracy with TMC vandals taking hold of the booths by forcefully throwing out the agents of the Left parties in vast areas, particularly in Burdwan, Chakdah and Panihati municipality. Voters other than TMC supporters were barred from casting their votes by force or by terror. As time passed by voting took the shape of utter show of rigging and violence by the TMC in areas especially that of Burdwan and Chakdah in Nadia district. In Panihati, North 24 Parganas, there was massive violence with even the State Election Commissioner Meera Pandey heckled by TMC.

With the election becoming a farce because of the rigging by TMC, CPI(M) and Left Front withdrew all agents and candidates and boycotted the election in Burdwan. The Left Front will not participate in the counting process. In Burdwan, the election agents of the Left Front were simply thrown out of the polling booths by the TMC while police and administration remained mere spectators. Even within the polling booth, the TMC goons were standing in front of the voting machines and openly dictating the people to vote for the TMC. On the face of such mass scale booth capture, the CPI(M) and Left Front decided to boycott the elections. In Chakdah, the situation was similar to that of Burdwan, where most of the booths were captured in the morning. The election became a farce and the CPI(M) and Left Front decided to boycott the election.

Politburo member of CPI(M) Nirupam Sen alleged that what happened on Saturday is a repetition of the happenings of the 70’s. Opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra said that TMC resorted to all sorts of malpractices in Burdwan, Chakdah and Panihati Municipality. Genuine voters were barred from casting their votes. Polling agents were thrown out of the booths. The workers were mercilessly beaten up. There are endless complains. Total re-poll has been demanded in Burdwan and Chakdah.

In Panihati, re-poll has been demanded by the Left Front in 23 Wards out of 35. The Election Commissioner herself when she was visiting the booths in Panihati was heckled and forcibly barred from performing her duties by TMC goons. When one of the local people came forward to lodge a complaint to the election commissioner, his house was ransacked by the TMC people and her eight month old child was taken by force from his wife’s lap and simply thrown to the ground. In all 80 people have been injured in Panihati. In Habra 13 people were injured. In 2 booths voting machines were broken with revolver.

The democratic processes in West Bengal are under severe attack since the TMC came to power. Large-scale violence and rigging was witnessed across the state during the Panchayat elections. The TMC in the most undemocratic manner forced CPI(M) councilors to vote in favour of TMC thereby gaining control over Haldia Municipality. This same legacy continued today, with the TMC forcefully trying to capture the municipalities through rigging and violence

Friday, September 20, 2013

BJP, RSS working on communal agenda: Brinda Karat


CPI (M) Politburo member Brinda Karat said that the elevation of Narendra Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party had only energised the communal agenda of the BJP and also brought the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh agenda into the forefront. “It is the RSS which decided on the Modi’s candidature. Both the BJP and RSS are assiduously working on communal agenda subsequent to the Muzaffarnagar violence in Uttar Pradesh,” she added.

Ms. Karat was talking to reporters ahead of the public function the CPI (M) organised here on Thursday to commemorate the centenary year celebrations of Jyoti Basu.

On the coming Lok Sabha polls, Ms. Karat said that time had come for creation of a political platform with alternative policies other than that of the pro-corporate policies followed by Congress and BJP.

On Tamil Nadu, she expressed the hope of carrying forward the understanding her party had with AIADMK in the recent elections. “The AIADMK government here has adopted good stance in many matters including when the Neyveli Lignite Corporation issue came up and also on food security, among others,” she opined. Ms. Karat blamed the United Progressive Alliance Government for the widening of Current Account Deficit and the subsequent economic issued that cropped up.

She was also critical of allowing Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) where the country’s economy was robust such as retail trade and insurance sector. Ms. Karat accused the UPA government of trying to dilute Nuclear Liability Bill and further criticised the Food Security Bill in its current form alleging that it would affect the States like Tamil Nadu where the coverage of public distribution system were good. CPIM Central Committee Member U Vasuki, State secreteriat Member Thangavel MLA, Thiruppur District Secretary K Kamaraj were also present.
(Source : The Hindu)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

AIDWA demands special legislation to address honour crimes

AIDWA condemns the heinous murder of a young couple in Rohtak for having married of their own choice. It demands speedy investigation and stringent punishment of the guilty.
The AIDWA also demands expedition of implementation of special legislation to address honour crimes.

We enclose herewith the Press Statement of Haryana state unit of AIDWA in this regard.


All India Democratic Womens’ Association (AIDWA) has expressed deep shock and anguish over a barbaric case of honour killing in village Garnawathi of Rohtak district. In a press release issued by Haryana state committee of Janawadi Mahila Samiti Wednesday’s heinous crime is a shame on the face of civil society.
The level of cruelty displayed in this shameful crime has stirred the conscience of all right thinking individuals. According to AIDWA state secretary Savita such barbaric crimes continue unabated and reminding of medieval period. Haryana alone has recorded dozens of honour killing incidents but nothing has been done to curb such crimes against humanity.
It is ironical that the state government and mainstream politics continue to be silent spectators due to which no strong signal goes to the perpetrators of such crimes. AIDWA had long been striving for enactment of separate legislation against honour killings. A memorandum with over a lakh signature was submitted to the union Law minister few months back and draft legislation too was submitted with the ministry. But the same was not be placed before parliaments owing to opposition by Haryana government and other regressive forces like khaps who are active in North Western region.
AIDWA demands immediate enactment of this law. It appeals all sections of people to raise their voice against such barbarity and launch united campaign. AIDWA also strongly exhorts the elders to ponder over the concept of family honour and raise questions as to what honour was being saved by killing our own children.
AIDWA demands immediate arrest of all accused in Wednesday’s episode and award exemplary punishment.

No Dilution of Liability Law

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
 
The effort of the Manmohan Singh government to dilute the Civil Liability Nuclear Act to exempt US suppliers of reactors from the liability clause will be an illegal attempt to bypass the law passed by parliament. The opinion given by the Attorney General is an interpretation of the law which does not hold. Even if under Section 17(a) of the Act, there is no right to recourse written into the contract, 17(b) provides for the right to recourse if the accident is caused by faulty material or equipment provided by the supplier. Hence, irrespective of the written contract, the right to recourse and the liability of the supplier will apply if there is supply of faulty material or equipment.
 
It is evident that the UPA government is succumbing to the pressure of the US administration to safeguard their companies’ interests. But this cannot be at the expense of the interests of the country and the safety and security of Indian citizens.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

CPIM Kerala State Committee contributes Rs. 8.19 crores to Harkishan Singh Surjeeth Bhawan

Proposed Model of Harkishan Singh Surjeeth Bhawan in New Delhi

CPIM Kerala State Committee has collected Rs. 8.19 crore for the construction of the proposed Harkishan Singh Surjeeth Bhawan and EMS Research centre at the national capital. The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) collected Rs. 8,19,14,987 from the people in two days on September 8 and 9 and out of this,  Rs. 3,04,07,551 is the direct contribution from Party members.
The following is the contributions collected by each district committee. 

District
Total Collection(Rs)
Party Member’s Contribution(Rs)
Kannur
10132051
4440469
Trivandrum
7657767
2800000
Kasargod
2691671
1125289
Waynad
1274500
447500
Kozhikode
5845230
1867364
Malappuram
3356444
1261375
Thrissur
8851353
3963696
Ernakulam
7510677
3010000
Kottayam
3824151
1163095
Idukki
3556806
1153303
Alappuzha
6796385
2193690
Pathanamthitta
3374569
1067570
Kollam
8444427
3212950
Palakkad
8599156
2701250


The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) congratulated the members and units of the CPI(M) in Kerala for the magnificent success of the fund collection drive for establishing the Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan and the EMS Research Centre. The Polit Bureau expressed its gratitude to the people in Kerala for  generously responding to the call of the CPI(M) for funds.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Intensify Mass Movement on People’s Issues: Call of Extended CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee Meeting

The extended CPIM West Bengal State Committee meeting appealed to the people to protest unitedly against anti-people decisions of both central and state governments that have caused severe hardships for the people. The meeting has appealed to the people to intensify protest against issues like price rise etc. The state committee has resolved that movements are to be organized both at the local and district levels to deal with various problems of people and to restore lively mass contact with the people.

The extended state committee meeting, held at Pramode Dasgupta bhavan, was presided over by Party Politburo member Nirupam Sen. Party General Secretary Prakash Karat was also present in the meeting. At the outset Party state secretary Biman Basu placed the political organizational report. All district member representatives and leaderships of all mass organizations discussed on the report. In total 39 representatives participated in the discussion. The meeting was also addressed by Politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and party secretary Prakash Karat before Biman Basu rendered his concluding speech. The meeting congratulated all party workers for participating in panchayat elections against a massive reign of terror by the Trinamool Congress.

Biman Basu in his speech said that the overall socio-political situation of the state is gradually deteriorating. The democratic system is now under attack in the state. The 8th Panchayat election has revealed the terror of Trinamool Congress and shameless role the state government. But even on the face of this terror we must organize our future movement for the people. Party organizations in all levels are to be made active and strengthened. The preparation for the coming General Election is to be started.

Prakash Karat while addressing the extended state committee meeting said that the second UPA government and the Congress Party with their neoliberal policies are gradually losing its mass base. To manage the economic crisis the government is now about to put more pressure on the common people. BJP is trying to take advantage of the situation, as they have already projected Narendra Modi as their Prime Ministerial candidate. He is backed by a large number of big bourgeois power and communal power. Already Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have started witnessing communal riots and violent incidents. The Left forces are proceeding with a notion of unified struggle against neoliberal policies. We are in the process of unifying non-congress and non-BJP parties against these forces.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in his speech said that the 8th panchayat election did not reflect actual people’s mandate because of the massive terror of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the state government. In spite of such a terror situation the Left forces could retain their position in some districts. In some case a marginal increase of strength has also been noticed. In this situation a sustained movement has to be organized. The unification of working class would strengthen mass protest and would constitute mass movements. The centre and state policies are on the one hand putting severe pressure on common people but also creating new issues for launching mass movements. And for this we must build our party as people want us to look like.

The Extended Meeting has decided on the following political and organizational tasks
(a)    Organize people against price rise of essential commodities;
(b)    Include all workers in organizations who worked for party in panchayat elections;
(c)    Party leadership must extend more responsibility to organize party organizations;
(d)    Acceptability to the people must be restored;
(e)    Party education must be extended to strengthen ideological development;
(f)    Campaign through party organs like Ganashakti, Deshhetaishi, etc. must be intensified;
(g)    Mass fronts have to organize their movements on current issues;
(h)    Campaign for the coming 21 municipality election has to be initiated;
(i)    Special role has to be initiated to revise voter list;
(j)    More and more book stalls are to be organized in Sharadiya festival;
(k)    Book stalls may organize poster exhibition on Birth Centenary of Communist Legend Jyoti