RED SALUTE TO COM. J NAVALAN

 

J.Navalan  Tiruvarur district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam,  and district leader Communist Party of India (Marxist), was hacked to death at Kotur near Peralam on Wednesday night. Mr.Navalan was returning after attending a party meeting. Illicit liquor vending group led by Paneerselvan, also a DMK district functionary is behind the brutal killing  of com. Navalan. On his tip off police had raided a bootlegging den last september. Thousands of people attended the funeral of Com Navalan. People from nearby districts also came to pay tributes to the slain leader. CPIM State Secretary Com. G Ramakrishnan paid tributes to the leader.  He demanded the immediate arrests of the culprits behind the crime and told the party will carry forward the fight against illicit liquour trade holding the legacy of Com. Navalan. 

 

Call for Anti-Price Rise Agitation

The people are suffering due to the relentless increase in the prices of food items. Onions and vegetables have gone out of the reach of the common people. Food inflation remains unbearably high. The general inflation rate of 8.5 per cent is an iniquitous tax on the people. While the people are groaning under price rise, the country is witnessing rampant corruption and plunder of resources.

 

Yet, the UPA government remains callous to the plight of the people. False assurances are given that the prices will come down within a short period.   The ministers in the UPA government are giving differing and contradictory statements regarding price rise and how to tackle it. 

 

The government has not taken any effective  measures to curb price rise. On the contrary, its policies have contributed to inflation.

 

• Since deregulation, petrol prices have been hiked seven times leading to 20 per cent rise in petrol prices. Oil companies have increased the price of petrol twice in a month. The hike amounts to a steep Rs. 5.50 per litre.
• The government has not stopped the speculation through forward trading in food items and essential commodities.
• The export-import measures for commodities such as onions etc. have fuelled price rise and only helped the private trading companies to make huge profits. 

The price rise of food items have not benefited the farmers. In many areas, farmers in distress continue to commit suicides. Neither do they get remunerative prices nor are they compensated adequately for crop losses. The Central Government has not extended adequate assistance to meet the losses of farmers due to unseasonal rains.

 

The Manmohan Singh government wants to allow foreign companies in the muti-brand retail trade. This will mean loss of livelihood for lakhs of shopkeepers and traders.

 

To condemn the failure of the government to curb price rise and to demand immediate steps to check rising prices, we, the representatives of the undersigned political parties have decided to call for a countrywide agitation against price rise and to demand the following immediate steps:

 

1. Prohibit forward trading in food items and essential commodities.
2. Universalise the Public Distribution System; distribute the excess foodgrain stocks in FCI godowns at BPL rates.
3. Take firm measures against hoarding.
4. Provide remunerative prices to farmers and inputs at reasonable cost to boost productivity in agriculture.
5. End the deregulation of petroleum products; roll back the budgetary hikes on petroleum products and rationalize the tax structure on petroleum products. 
6. Don’t allow foreign capital in retail trade.

 

Week-Long Agitation

 

We have decided to jointly conduct a week-long agitation against price rise from February 3^rd to 9th. During this week, there will be picketing of central government offices, protest demonstrations, dharnas and rallies. On 9^th February, on the last day of the week, there will be a mass dharna which will be attended by thousands of people at New Delhi in which the main leaders of all the parties will participate. 

 

Sd/-

 

Prakash Karat (CPI-M)	H D Deve Gowda (JD-S)
A.B. Bardhan (CPI)	Nama Nageswara Rao (TDP)
Arjun Charan Sethi (BJD)	Thambidurai (AIADMK)
Debabrata Biswas (AIFB)	Ajit Singh (RLD)
Abani Roy (RSP)

Others who attended the meeting: Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Atul Kumar Anjan (CPI) and G Devarajan (AIFB)

CITU denounces Petrol price hike by the Scam Tainted Government

CITU strongly denounces the scam tainted UPA Govt’s. shameless act of imposing fresh burden on common man through Rs. 2.54 per litre hike in petrol price. It appears that the Govt. is bent on recovering the money lost through multimega scams like 2G spectrum, CWG etc. from the pockets of common man by hook or crook.

CITU does not find any justification in oft repeated false claim by the govt. that price hike of Rs. 5.50 per litre within a month since last hike on 15.12.2010, is because of high international crude price. The present crude price of 92 dollars/barrel which is equivalent Rs. 26 per litre does not justify petrol price of Rs. 59 per litre approx. in Delhi. 

CITU demands that Govt. should reduce and rationalize its disproportionate and irrational taxation which is the root cause of high price of petrol and diesel. For example central excise duty on petrol is Rs. 14.35 per litre whereas for Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), used in Aircrafts, the same is Rs. 2.75 per litre. This is lower even than Rs.4.60/litre on diesel, a product of mass consumption. CITU demands that cess of more than Rs. 8000 crore collected from ONGC & OIL India, by the Govt. should be used as price stablisation fund to take care of fluctuation of global crude oil price without affecting the people through price-rise. CITU further demands that ONGC should not be made to shoulder the burden of royalty payment in thousand of crores for crude oil produced by the Private Oil Companies like M/s. Cairn and others. 

CITU also deplores the Govt.’s deceptive tactics of fleecing the common man with so called “market determined” price for petroleum products whereas it sold spectrum worth several millions of rupees in 2008 at an abysmally low price prevalent in 2001 in a most arbitrary manner. It is preposterous for the present corporate captive govt. to talk about recovering the “notional” amount of so called under-recovery of OIL PSUs from “Aam Admi” while their spokesmen Kapil Sibal and Montek Singh Ahluwalia justify Rs.1.76 lakh crore loss to the exchequer in the spectrum scam, as notional loss. Govt. should first recover proven under-recovery to public exchequer owing to scam in sale of 2G telecom spectrum instead of burdening the Aam Admi with regular dosage of petro-product price hike on the plea of absolutely notional “under-recoveries” of OIL PSUs. 

CITU calls upon the working class to expose the deceit and deception of the Govt. CITU demands withdrawal of price hike in petrol and end of the present pricing anarchy in the name of deregulation of petroleum pricing.

11th Party Congress of Communist party of Vietnam closes

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong Newly elected General Secretary addressing the delegates

The 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) successfully came to a conclusion in Hanoi on January 19 after sitting for nine days.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet chaired the closing session, on behalf of the Congress Presidium.

Representing the Congress’ Secretary Board, Dinh The Huynh revealed that by January 18 the Congress had received 176 messages of congratulations from various parties, international organisations and foreign friends.

Huynh reported on the results of votes on a number of issues the Congress had discussed, the draft Platform, which was supplemented and developed as well as a number of supplements and amendments to the Party Statute.

On the draft Platform, most delegates agreed to keep the name laid down in the draft: “Platform for national construction during the transitional period towards socialism (supplemented, developed in 2011)” and agreed on the economic features of a socialist society: “Have a highly developed economy based on modern production forces and suitable, advanced production relations”. Regarding proposed changes to the Party Statute, the Congress voted on 13 matters in the Party’s draft.

On behalf of the Congress’ Secretary Board, Ta Ngoc Tan read the full text of the CPV’s draft Statute. The Congress then voted by a show of hands for the Party Statute by a large majority.

Truong Tan Sang, who represented the Congress Presidium, read the results of the elections for the Political Bureau, the General Secretary, the Secretariat, the Commission for Inspection, and Chairman of the Commission for Inspection of the 11 th CPV Central Committee.

The Congress elected a 200-member Central Committee for the 11 th tenure, consisting of 175 official and 25 alternate members.

The 11 th CPV Central Committee convened its first meeting and elected 14 members to the Political Bureau. Nguyen Phu Trong was elected as General Secretary of the 11 th CPV Central Committee.

The Central Committee entrusted the Political Bureau to assign a number of Politburo members to participate in the Central Committee’s Secretariat. At the first meeting, the 11 th CPV Central Committee elected four members to the Secretariat.

The 11 th CPV Central Committee also elected a 21-member Inspection Commission, with Politburo member Ngo Van Du as chairman.

The Congress warmly congratulated Nguyen Phu Trong on his election as General Secretary of the 11 th CPV Central Committee, as well as members of the Central Committee, the Political Bureau, the Secretariat and the Commission for Inspection for the 11 th tenure.

Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the 10 th CPV Central Committee, delivered a speech, saying that he believed that the Congress’s success would open up a new period of development for the nation on its path of building a socialist Vietnam with a wealthy people, a powerful country and a democratic, equitable and civilised society.

Manh warmly congratulated the newly-elected Central Committee, the Political Bureau, the Secretariat and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

With solidarity and democracy and a spirit of revolution, the Congress, which mapped out guidelines for the next stage and elected the Central Committee with Nguyen Phu Trong as its General Secretary, would bring new vitality to the Party, people and army to overcome all difficulties and challenges and successfully accomplish the task of national construction and defence, he said.

On behalf of the 11 th Central Committee, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sincerely thanked the Congress’s delegates for electing him to the Party’s important leadership bodies for the 11 th tenure and entrusting him with major tasks.

The newly-elected leader also thanked former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh for his sincere sentiments, best congratulations and profound expectations.

“Our country’s recent achievements are closely connected to the leadership of the Party, the management of the State and the great efforts of the entire people, including the important contributions of the 10 th Central Committee and comrade Nong Duc Manh in his position as the General Secretary,” he stressed.

Trong stressed the 11 th CPV Central Committee was fully aware that the valuable achievements and experiences recorded during the previous terms, especially during the years of renewal, would lay a firm foundation for the country’s next development steps under the leadership of the CPV.

The 11 th CPV Central Committee would join hands with the entire Party to continue upholding the Party’s glorious traditions and valuable experiences, enhancing the unity and unanimity in ideology and action, strengthening political firmness, consistently adhering to the spirit of independence and self-reliance, promoting democracy and creativeness, and endlessly studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example, thereby contributing to the successful implementation of the 11 th National Party Congress’s Resolution, he stressed.

At the closing session, Head of the Congress Secretary Board Ngo Van Du read the full text of the draft Congress Resolution, which was then adopted by the delegates.

In his closing speech, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said the Congress has engaged in energetic, frank and democratic discussions and unanimously adopted documents of great importance and strategic significance both in the long-term and in the immediate future for the country’s development: The platform for national construction during the transitional period to socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011), the Socio-economic Development Strategy for the 2011-20 period, orientations and tasks for the 2011-15 period and the Party Statute (supplemented and revised).

The documents adopted at this congress are profound theoretical and practical summarisation of 20 years of implementing the Platform, 10 years of implementing the Socio-economic Development Strategy (2001-10), 25 years of implementing the renewal process and five years of implementing socio-economic tasks and directions (2006-10).

They are the essence of the brainpower, the will, the desire of the entire Party and people, the continual affirmation, perfection and development of the Party’s viewpoint and policy under the renewal ideology; and define the targets and tasks of the entire Party and the nation in the new period of development which are full of prospects and not less challenges of the country’s revolution from now until 2020 and the following years.

The Congress’ united will has manifested the Party’s firm determination to in the coming years lead the entire Party, people and army in striving to absolutely achieve the goal of “Continuing to improve the Party’s leadership capacity and combativeness, promoting the entire nation’s strength, comprehensively boosting the renewal process, creating foundations for the country to basically become a modernity-oriented industrialised nation by 2020”.

The Party chief emphasised that “The 11 th CPV Central Committee consists of outstanding comrades representing more than 3.6 million Party members, who have fully met criteria in terms of qualifications, ability, professionalism and ethics to shoulder the heavy responsibility assigned by the Party and people.”

The Congress entrusted the new CPV Central Committee with a heavy task to lead the entire Party and people in successfully carrying out the 11 th National Party Congress’s Resolution.

“Aware of the great responsibility in the new stage with both big opportunities and severe challenges, the 11th CPV Central Committee commits itself to sparing no effort and whole heartedly working to serve the country, the nation and the people, unceasingly striving to improve capacity, skill, will power, morality, in order to together with the entire Party, people, army to successfully accomplish the major goals and tasks set by the Congress,” Trong noted.

The General Secretary went on to say that “The success of the 11 th National Party Congress has created a great strength to encourage the entire Party, people and army to overcome all difficulties, challenges, to seize new opportunities, in their efforts towards the goals of making our country a basically modernity-oriented industrialised nation by 2020.”

Right after the Congress, all Party organisations need to well organise the study for thorough understanding of the Congress’ Resolution and documents; popularise the Congress’ outcomes among the entire Party and people; promptly develop and implement programmes, plans of action to translate the Resolution into life, stir up intensive and large-scale patriotic movements among the entire Party, people and army.

The Congress calls on the entire Party, army and people both inside and outside the country to uphold their patriotic spirit, self-reliance, self-improvement, national unity strength, and do their best to implement the Congress’s Resolution successfully, step up the renewal process in a comprehensive manner for the country’s fast and sustainable development with the resolve to successfully fulfill the goal of a wealthy people, a strong, democratic, equal, civilised country, firmly advancing toward socialism.

Twenty thousand march in Tel-Aviv against McCarthyism, racism and fascism

Twenty thousands of activists, Jews and Arabs, from left-wing movements, parties and human rights organizations march in Tel Aviv on Saturday (January 15, 2001) in protest of the Knesset's decision to set up a committee of inquiry to probe the funding sources of human rights movements.

The protest march, under the headline "Demonstration (since it's still possible) for democracy", left from Tel Aviv's Meir Park, in front of the Likud headquarters, toward the plaza in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, where a rally take place in which Knesset members from Hadash, Kadima and Meretz as well as officials from Peace Now and human rights groups deliver speeches.

Protesters chanted in support of democracy and free speech and against racism and fascism, and carried hundreds of red flags and signs with slogans such as "Jews and Arabs together against Fascism", "Awaiting Democracy", "Danger - End of Democracy Ahead!", "Fighting the Rightist Government of Darkness" and "Democracy is Screaming for Help". Among the MKs taking part in the event were Dov Khenin (Hadash), Afo Agbarie (Hadash), Meir Sheetrit (Kadima), Hanna Swaid (Hadash), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) and Mohammad Barakeh (the Chairman of Hadash, the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality – Communist Party of Israel).

MK Horowitz inveighed against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whom he said were "supporting Lieberman's incitement and encouraging racist legislation in the Knesset". "Tonight we are telling the Labor Party that it is a full partner of the most racist government in state history, and that they must leave it immediately," he said.

Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer said at the rally that Israel was suffering not only from the Iranian threat but also from the "Liebermanian threat".

Hadash Chairman Barakeh said, "We are at a dangerous crossroads where democracy is concerned. Democracy is collapsing, not because of Lieberman but because of the support he is receiving from the prime minister. Jews and Arabs who care about democracy cannot fail at this time. Anyone who wishes to know the power of the people can look to Tunisia". In the same vein he added, "The victory of the people in Tunis over cruel dictatorship teaches us that oppression is not the fate of mankind and the people can win."

MK Sheetrit denounced Foreign Minster Avigdor Lieberman's proposal to probe the funding sources of human rights organizations.

"If such legislation is passed, it will be like taking a brick out of the wall of democracy. I am surprised that Likud members support this. It's simply shameful that they can sit in a government that makes such a proposal," he said.

MK Khenin said during the protest that "the thousands of people who are here understand that our democracy needs protection against its destroyers. We are voicing a clear voice in support of human rights and democracy, and against racism, fascism, McCarthyism and future destruction of the democratic values. We will continue to fight for democratic rights, freedom of speech, equal rights for Jews and Arabs and the end of the occupation."

LDF in Kerala to campaign against Centre

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has decided to launch a State-wide campaign against the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre over the ongoing increase in prices of essential commodities in the country.

Briefing presspersons after a meeting of the LDF State committee here on Monday, the front's convener, Com. Vaikom Viswan, said the campaign would focus on telling the people of the State about the good things the LDF government in the State had done during its term.

The LDF MLAs, members of the local bodies and State leaders would observe a dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan on Thursday protesting against the Union government's policies that had “made inflation and price increase uncontrollable.” The LDF volunteers would hold torchlight processions in various places in the State that evening.

Feeder organisations of the LDF parties would hold conventions at all levels to mobilise themselves for the campaign. Their conventions would be over by mid-February.

They would be followed by two ‘jathas,' one led by Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan from Kasaragod and the other led by Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran from Ernakulam. The one from Kasaragod travelling south to Thrissur district would be inaugurated by Communist Party of India State secretary Com. C.K. Chandrappan and the other from Ernakulam travelling south to Thiruvananthapuram district by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. These ‘jathas' would start on February 16 and, together, would cover all the Assembly constituencies in the State, Mr. Viswan said.

He said the mega corruption in 2G Spectrum allocation and the Commonwealth Games would be placed in their proper dimension before the people of the State during the campaign. The issue of Central neglect towards the State, as manifested in the lack of railway development and cuts imposed on rice quota, would figure in the campaign.

Com. V S Achuthanandan presided over the meeting. The next LDF meeting would be on February 9, Mr. Viswan said.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Carry forward Jyoti Basu's ideals: Prakash Karat

The first death anniversary of Jyoti Basu, a stalwart of the Communist movement in India, was observed in a sombre ceremony at his Salt Lake residence here on Monday even as tributes flowed in through the day.

Addressing an event in Durgapur in Bardhaman district, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat spoke about the “Champion of the working class” and of the need to take a “pledge to carry forward the ideals and work that he stood for his entire life.”

The former Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, visited Indira Bhavan, which served as Jyoti Basu's residence for years, and bemoaned the loss of the leader at a time when political violence had gripped the State.

Describing the situation as “unfortunate and a matter of concern,” Mr. Chatterjee said, “He [Jyoti Basu] always spoke against violence and for working together to build a society not for partisan political purposes, but for the benefit of the people.”

Mr. Chatterjee recounted the days when the veteran Marxist leader was able to hold discussion on several issues, including the violence at Nandigram.The CPI(M) State Committee launched a 10-day campaign to collect funds for the setting up of a centre dedicated to his memory at the Jyoti Basu Centre for Social Science and Research Organisation.

Funds for centre

Issuing an appeal to party workers, supporters and the people to donate funds for the centre, CPI(M) State Secretary Biman Bose said the land for the centre had been allocated in Jyoti Basu Nagar, located on the north-eastern fringe of the city, and a sizeable sum was required to purchase the land. The centre would have details of his life, an auditorium, a meeting hall, a conference room, a library and a guest house, Mr. Bose said in a written statement.

“The life of Jyoti Basu is the history of the people's movement in the country,” Mr. Bose said.

Comrade Jyothi Basu Memorial Day

it is man and man alone, who creates history. despite many crest and thrust, people will finally emerge victorious and go in freedom in a classless society, free from exploitation of any from.

Polit Bureau Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at Kolkata on January 15 & 16, 2011. It has issued the following statement:

Corruption Issues

The Polit Bureau strongly criticised the UPA government for its refusal to accept a JPC enquiry into the 2G Spectrum affair. Though the minister, A Raja, was forced to resign after the CAG report on the scam, the UPA government continues to adopt a position which will hamper the investigation and bringing of the guilty to book. The outrageous statement of Kapil Sibal who is looking after the telecom ministry denying the findings of the CAG report and stating that no loss of revenue has occurred, indicates that the UPA government wants to cover up the whole affair. In this connection, the CPI(M) will consult with all the non-NDA opposition parties to evolve a common approach in the forthcoming budget session of parliament.

The spate of corruption scandals in the recent period -- whether it be the 2G Spectrum issue, the Commonwealth corruption or the Adarsh housing scandal and the brazen corruption and land scandals afflicting the BJP government in Karnataka – are all pointers to how corruption and crony capitalism have become an institutionalized feature of the neo-liberal regime. The Congress-led government has been exposed for not pursuing the Bofors case by the recent verdict given by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. The CPI(M) will continue to expose the big business–ruling politicians-bureacratic nexus which is the source of high level corruption.

Price Rise

The increase in food prices has reached unbearable limits for the people. The prices of onions and other vegetables have become prohibitive. The food inflation rate in the last week of December stood at 18.32 per cent.

The UPA government is responsible for much of this price rise. For example the manipulation of export and import policies for essential commodities has fuelled price rise. Earlier we saw this in the case of both wheat and sugar. At present the current high prices of onions are also a result of such a manipulation. When it was known that adverse weather conditions are expected to affect the onion crop, why did the Central Government incentivise export of onions by reducing the minimum export price by around $ 200 per quintal. This accentuated the shortage while leading to huge profits for big trading companies. Subsequently, it reduced import duty to 0 per cent and prevented government organizations from importing onions, once again giving huge profits to private trade.

Under the deregulated system, in the space of one month, the price of petrol has been increased twice by Rs. 2.96 and Rs. 2.52 per litre.

The government refuses to curb speculation in food commodities by prohibiting forward trading in them. Despite the suffering of the people, the government is unwilling to make public distribution system universal and provide essential commodities through the PDS at reasonable prices.

The Polit Bureau decided to conduct a widespread struggle against price rise. To launch such an agitation, the CPI(M) will discuss with the Left parties and other secular opposition parties so that the call for a countrywide agitation against price rise can be given forthwith.

West Bengal:

Stop the TMC-Maoist Violence

The Polit Bureau discussed the situation in West Bengal. It expressed deep concern at the continuing attacks and violence directed against the CPI(M) and the Left Front by the TMC combine. Since the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 till January 9 this year, 365 members and supporters of the CPI(M) and the Left Front have been killed by the TMC combine and the Maoists. Of those killed, 125 are adivasis and 23 teachers in the Jangal Mahal area.

People have experienced how the Trinamul Congress is running the zilla parishads and panchayat bodies under its control. The rampant corruption and misuse of funds, the lack of any developmental measures are causing disillusionment and discontent among the people. In order to cover up all these failures, the TMC combine has stepped up its disruptionist stance and seeks to utilize political violence instigated by it and the Maoists to condemn the Left Front government.

What the TMC-led combine is attempting to do is to reverse the hardwon gains of the people under Left Front rule, whether it be land reforms, democratization through the panchayat raj system or the establishment of a stable secular atmosphere in the state.

The evidence about the Maoist-TMC collaboration has come from a variety of sources. The book by a sitting Trinamul MP has cited instances of such collaboration. Recently, in Cuttack, a Trinamul Congress leader was arrested for taking two injured Maoists from West Midnapore district for treatment to a hospital there. The Trinamul Congress has been demanding an end to the joint operations against the Maoist squads.

Yet the Central Government turns a blind eye to this collaboration with the Maoists by a Union Minister and partner in the government. Succumbing to the pressures of the TMC, the Union Home Minister wrote a letter to the Chief Minister accusing the CPI(M) of having armed cadres and fomenting violence. There is not a word about the 249 persons killed in the Jangal Mahal area because of their allegiance to the Left Front.

The Polit Bureau wants an end to all forms of political violence in the state. The CPI(M) and the Left Front fully supports the efforts of the state government and the administration to maintain a peaceful atmosphere and curb violence.

In this context, the decision of the Election Commission to send a team with the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar and five police officers from outside the state to assess the situation in various parts of the state is unprecedented. Such an unusual step will not contribute to the capacity of the state administration to organize free and fair elections.

On Srikrishna Committee Report

The Polit Bureau discussed the reports submitted by the Srikrishna Committee on the issue of Telengana and the state of Andhra Pradesh. The CPI(M) has always maintained that the linguistically reorganized states should not be divided. The Srikrishna committee report has stated that the best option would be a united Andhra Pradesh providing for constitutional/statutory measures for the empowerment of the Telengana region. This recommendation of the Srikrishna Committee is closer to what the CPI(M) advocates.

The Central Government should come out with its stand on the Srikrishna Committee report without delay.

Extremist Hindutva Terrorism

The Polit Bureau expressed its deep concern at the revelations by Assemanand, one of the main organizers of the network which has indulged in terrorist violence through bomb blasts. The confession made by Assemanand before the magistrate has confirmed the links of Hindutva extremist groups with the blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer and the Mecca Masjid blasts. Significantly, the same network was involved in the Samjhauta Express blast in which 68 people were killed, mainly Pakistani citizens. The RSS, after protesting against the “false implication of Hindu religious figures”, has now admitted that such elements had existed in the Sangh. In a recent speech, the RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat stated that some of the extremist elements were asked to leave the organization.

The Polit Bureau called for a comprehensive investigation to unravel the links of all such groups with terrorism and to take effective measures to dismantle such networks.

Forthcoming Assembly Elections

The Polit Bureau heard reports of the preparations for the assembly elections in the four states of West Bengal, Kerala, Tamilnadu and Assam and the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The state committees of the concerned states will be meeting shortly to finalise the arrangements for fighting the elections.

Central Committee Meeting

The Polit Bureau decided to hold the next meeting of the Central Committee in New Delhi from March 4 to 6, 2011.

Protest Petrol Price Hike

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

The decision to increase the price of petrol by Rs. 2.52 per litre shows how the UPA government is riding roughshod over the interests of the people. Just a few weeks ago the price of petrol was hiked by Rs. 2.96 per litre. By this hike the price has gone up by over Rs. 5.50 per litre.

This cruel blow makes a mockery of all the assurances of the government to take steps to curb price rise. The people of this country will not take such burdens on them quietly.

The Polit Bureau calls upon all its Party units to immediately protest this callous hike.