Party and the left will be able to recover the lost ground and move forward : Prakash Karat

CPI(M) has called for a nationwide campaign in the first week of November against spiraling price rise, rising price of fertilizer, unemployment, against allowing FDI in retail and demanding strong action to curb corruption at highest level. In an interview to Ganashakti, Prakash Karat, CPI(M) General Secretary, has emphasized the that the policies of UPA government are the root cause of these problems.

Food prices are increasing continuously. But virtually no steps have been taken by the Centre to control it. What do you think is the reason behind this inaction?

Karat: The food inflation rate has shot upto 11.43 per cent last week. This is intolerable. The high prices of vegetables are making it a luxury item for the people. The reason the Central Government is failing to tackle price rise is because its own policies are responsible for fuelling price rise. Last month the government allowed oil companies to increase the prices of petrol by over Rs. 3 per litre. After deregulation of petroleum prices, the prices of petrol and diesel are going up every few weeks. That is why the seasonal fall in prices of vegetables that should take place in October, normally, is not happening this time. The rise in transportation costs has neutralized the seasonal fall in prices. Similarly, the futures trading in foodgrains, pulses and other food items is also stoking price increase. It has no relation to demand and supply. It is all speculative trading for profits. Even worse, in the name of curbing price-rise, they want to open retail trade fully to foreign multi-national companies. So, unless the government changes its policies, price rise cannot be checked.

The issue of corruption at highest level has created anguish among the people. But the fight against it seems to be somewhat confused with various streams like Anna Hazare, inner conflict within them, BJP raising the issue etc. What should be Left’s clear position?

Karat: High-level corruption has evoked anger and disgust among the people. That is why the Anna Hazare movement got popular support, especially among the middle-classes. But this movement has a limited perspective. It does not see how the fountainhead of corruption is big business and the neo-liberal policies. The government is also active to discredit the persons who are leading the movement for an effective Lok Pal Bill. The BJP is hoping to cash in on the anti-corruption feelings of the people. That is why L K Advani began his rath yatra. But unfortunately for him and the BJP, the focus went to Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s former Chief Minister in Karnataka, who was arrested on corruption charges. The BJP has been tarnished by its links with the mining mafia in Karnataka. Whether it is the Congress or the BJP, there is nothing to choose as far as corruption is concerned. The left has spelt out that high-level corruption is an outcome of the neo-liberal regime which has produced a big business-politician-bureaucrat nexus. You can see the role of all three sectors in the 2-G spectrum scandal. In order to fight high-level corruption it is necessary to have: (i) An effective Lok Pal authority; (ii) A separate mechanism to oversee the judiciary and check corruption within its ranks (iii) Electoral reforms to curb money power in elections (iv) Unearthing of black money and change in tax laws. But these are legal measures. Above all the neo-liberal policies which facilitate the loot of public assets and natural resources by the corporates should be changed.

Central government and the votaries of neo liberal policies are claiming that despite global economic stress, the “Fundamentals” of Indian economy is strong. That proves that we are on right track. What will be your comment on this?

Karat: First of all, the impact of the global financial crisis is being felt in India too. The industrial growth has been slowed down. The GDP growth is also slowing. Inflation is taking its toll. Unemployment is increasing. If we have not suffered a worse fate, it is because our financial sector is insulated to some extent from the vagaries of international finance. This is not due to the UPA government’s approach. They wanted our banks and financial sector to be fully open to foreign finance capital. They were prevented to do so, by the opposition of the Left.

Nearly six months have passed since Left’s setback in West Bengal and Kerala. Are there signs of resurgence? Do you think the Lefts will be able to regain strength?

Karat: In Kerala, the electoral defeat was so narrow, only 3 seats difference, that it has had no adverse impact on the Party and the LDF. In the last five months, there have been struggles and movements of different sections of the people, particularly the students. The UDF government is already on the defensive. We will recover ground very quickly. In West Bengal, it will take more time as we have to face severe attacks on the Party and mass organisations. There is also the fact that after 34 years of Left Front government, the slogan of change found support among sections of the people. People have to learn from the experience of the new government. In the meantime, our party will face and overcome the attacks. We will regroup and reorient the Party organisation so that it can take up the people’s issues and launch struggles. Given the history of the way the Communist movement was built in West Bengal, we are confident that the Party and the left will be able to recover the lost ground and move forward.
(Interview on 31 October, 2011)

Jammu Kashmir Peasantry cheated by successive governments: CPIM

Accusing the successive governments of disappointing the peasant community in J&K, State Secretary CPI (M) and legislature M.Y Tarigami cautioned that the state could witness a Middle East type revolution if the farmers are deprived of their rights.

Addressing a Kissan Conference organized by J&K Kissan Tehreek at Dak Bungalow, in Anatnag District on October 30, Tarigami said, “Despite much publicized economic growth in the country, the poor, especially the small farmers have become poorer and their condition is getting miserable.” “If the situation continues to be like that, the day is not far when the farmers will come on streets to fight for their rights and we will witness a Middle East type revolution,” he emphasized.

Tarigami said only a strong and organized Kissan movement can force the government to settle the issues of the peasantry. Expressing disappointment over the rampant corruption in the state, Tarigami said, “The corruption was at its peak in the state. It is irony that the government has no money when it comes to subsidy and other benefits to farmers but for the salary hike of ministers and MLAs it has always enough funds in the state exchequer.” He said the corruption is so rampant that a common man cannot get ration card without giving bribe.
“The schemes are formulated but are never implemented on ground. Even in the case of centrally sponsored schemes like NREGA, a villager has to pay a bribe and then get a job card,” said Tarigami. .

Later, a working committee of Kissan Tehreek elected Com Kishore Kumar as president and Com. Ghulam Nabi Malik as General Secretary.

The conference adopted several resolutions including one on Panchayati Raj/Decentralization of Powers. The other resolutions adopted on the occasion included Amendment in Land Acquisition Bill, proper implementation of NREGA, proper implementation of Horticulture and Agriculture schemes, Zero tolerance to Human Rights Violation, etc.

TMC Government Undermining Democracy

Interview of Surjya Kanta Mishra, the Leader of Opposition, West Bengal State Legislative Assembly.

On the gross performance of the TMC-Congress Government…

I have said it several times that 'morning shows the day'. There is really not much to expect from this Government for several grounds. The steps, the Government has taken so far on various crucial issues of the state like, the Maoist activities in the Jangal Mahal areas and some other districts; problems in the hills and the adjoining areas, the deteriorating general law and order situation is full of contradictions. All-out attack on the Left Front leaders and activists' cadres has crated a 'reign of terror' in many areas. These attacks have already taken of more than 40 comrades so far. Among those who were brutally killed included women, tribal people, and other poor innocent minorities etc. 700 hundred Party Offices have either been closed or ransacked; more than 40,000 people have been evicted from their place of residence; and around 50 crores of rupees have been collected in the form of extortions. Thousands of people are injured and disabled to the rest of their lives. Hundreds including Left Front leaders and supporters, even former Ministers have been taken in custody using false allegations like 'recovery of arms' and 'skeleton cases'. All democratic institutions are being left defunct starting from the panchayat bodies, cooperatives, school managing committees and university councils and students unions and so on so forth. Now they are going to promulgate brutal ordinance not only to undermine but ban the democratic participation of students in university bodies. All these are just uncalled for and unprecedented in our state.

On Jangal Mahal and GTA Controversy…

Everybody knows that they formed a grand alliance of reactionary forces with Congress, SUCI, Maoists, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and all other separatist forces; which we called a rainbow alliance that included extreme right to extreme left wing and it is further a grand coalition of anti left forces that has enabled her to come to power. The commitments that Mamata Banerjee made to these forces before election are now found to be quite unrealizable for the State Government to accomplish and contradictions are now gradually propping up.

On the one hand, TMC is trying to build up a criminal gang in Jangal Mahal; the Maoists on the other hand continue to perpetrate the atrocities. TMC earlier demanded withdrawal of joint forces but now it is TMC Government has urged for more forces from the center. However, they dithered on using joint forces for months, which has helped Maoists to reconsolidate.

The State Government practically is directionless. It is not comprehensible whether the Government wants peace and surrender of arms; and seven days time that the Chief Minister has given to Maoists has not been accepted by the Maoists and interlocutors. They have already called bandh in the Jangal Mahal areas; it is also not clear whether the interlocutors are working for the Government or as Maoists' spokespersons. The Maoists and TMC are blaming each other for breach of trust; that very obnoxious understanding they have arrived at before the elections to destabilise the Left Front Government.

So also, in the Hills where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has reiterated their demand for the separate Gorkhaland even during the current visit of the CM in North Bengal; Chief Minister wants to make the hills Switzerland, but they otherwise want only Gorkhaland and not Switzerland at all.

Adibasi Bikas Parishad, on the contrary, has strongly opposed any inclusion of the Terai and Dooars in the proposed GTA area; the Kamtapuri leaders who have been released recently from prison, as per the commitment made by her, have reiterated the demand for a separate 'Kamtapuri' state; and all these show that the problems have propped up further; and there is no hope for any early solutions.

On Various Departments: Industrialization, Agriculture…

Those who once were interested in the industrialization process of the state, have been getting a negative portrayal of the whole system mechanism decided by the Government so far; at least nothing inspiring. The stand that the Government has taken on the acquisition of the land and the way the Government introduced a bill on Singur and got it passed in the Assembly, created a severe stagnation and jolt without any hope of immediate resolutions. The performance of the new Government specially in the power and infrastructure sectors creates a very negative portrayal of the state that provides a negative message to every industrialist. The utterances of the Chief Minister in the meeting of the chambers of commerce have provided no concrete hope so far about the industrialization process in the state including the IT sector.

Agriculture…

The hike in the fertilizer prices, and all input costs; the gradually declining prices in the agricultural commodities in the market are making the whole state agriculture system unviable for the farmers; particularly the producers of jute, paddy, potato etc. The gross failure of the Jute Corporation of India, Food Corporation of India and State Government to ensure minimum price to the farmer has crossed all limits of tolerance. The situation has not only decelerated the agricultural growth in the state; but generates no further employment for the agricultural labourers also. In the terms of man-days generated for NREGA, this state was graded one of the first four states in the during the previous Government and it reached now to the last four states. Millions of rural poor are now under severe inflationary pressure; i.e. high inflation rate, facing no food security from the State Government The totally unscientific criteria set up by the Planning Commission; to define poor and the BPL line together have a very adverse impact on the rural economy and agriculture in particular.

On Partisanship and Ordinance…

We represent the interests of the working people; the working class, peasantry and other toiling people. We always pursue a class partisanship; but the new Government represents whole hog partisanship based on their party affiliation, directed against economically and socially marginalized people in particular. Over 20000 sharecroppers, patta holders, and even riots have been evicted from their land by TMC led evictors along with the local administration. The democratic institutions, local administrative bodies have been made defunct. Elected bodies have been replaced by TMC's instruments in different types of educational institutions, cultural bodies, development authorities etc. The latest development shows that they are going to promulgate a brutal ordinance to ban non-teaching employees and students' democratic participation in University Councils. This is a severe blow on the democratic functioning of educational institutions that would definitely create a massive anarchy in the state.

Letters to the Chief Minister…

We reported details of these to CM through many letters. We have provided details of the atrocious acts committed on the people; with evidences of administration being used by the perpetrators of the crimes and not received any reply from her except one asking for more details. I provided all details possible, names, particulars of the residences of the evicted people; the persons who have been killed or missing; injured with their medical certificates; sometimes copies of the complaints lodged; most of the cases they were not allowed to lodge complaints; I wonder what more particulars she expects; what for the administration of the Government are there? It is their responsibility to get the particulars or the details.

Courtesy : CPIM Westbengal Website

Working group meeting of communist parties in Beirut

Part of the preparations to the 13th meeting of the communist parties and workers'  to be held in Athens - Greece between November 9 to 11, 2011, at the invitation of the Lebanese Communist Party, held a working group meeting in Beirut between 22-23 October  

  Work Group opened its meeting with the political leadership of the Communist Party of Lebanon, represented by the Secretary General of the Party. Khaled blacksmith, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Party d. Marie Nassif - molasses, and the President of the Constitutional Committee, and members of the Political Bureau and the Committee on Foreign Relations in the party. Participated in this meeting, representatives from Greek Communist Party and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the Communist Party in Brazil and the Portuguese Communist Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party in South Africa, as well as the first Secretary General of the Syrian Communist Party consolidated.

 

Meeting was opened by Secretary General of the Lebanese Communist Party, The members visited the "working group to meet with communist parties and unions", accompanied by Secretary General of the Lebanese Communist Party and the Deputy Secretary General of the Party President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel Suleiman, who presented on how to take advantage of the globalization of human and social aspects and the importance of developing the foundations of democracy. He also welcomed the proposal to host the President of Lebanon to meet with communist parties and unions.

 

The delegation also visited Shatila camp and look closely at the conditions of Palestinian refugees. Comrade Sitharam Yechury, CPIM PB member participated in the meeting on behalf of CPIM.

Andhra Pradesh State ignored drought alert: B V Raghavulu

CPI (M) State secretary B. V. Raghavulu on Monday lashed out at the State government accusing it of failing to come to the rescue of farmers despite being forewarned about drought-like conditions a couple of weeks ago.

Mr. Raghavulu, accompanied by the party Central Committee member T. Veerabhadram and district secretary P Sudarshan Rao, inspected the withered crops at M. Venkatayapalem and Walya Tanda in Khammam rural mandal.

The farmers narrated their tale of woe and the magnitude of crop damage suffered by them on account of the continuous dry spell, scarcity of water and erratic power supply.

Mangi Satyam, a tenant farmer of Walya Tanda, showed his withered paddy field where he allowed cattle to graze. He told the delegation that his entire labour and investment of Rs. 2 lakh private loan had gone in vain due to the withering of a major part of his paddy and cotton crop barring a minor component of chilli crop.

Talking to mediapersons later, Mr. Raghavulu lamented that the farmers had already incurred a huge loss to an extent of nearly Rs 12,000 per acre on account of the dry spell and the apathy of the government.

“Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy is busy shuttling between Hyderabad and New Delhi on the pretext of tackling the ‘Sakala Janula Samme' leaving distressed farmers in the lurch,” he charged.

Cotton, paddy and other crops had been damaged in over 30 lakh acres spread in more than 450 mandals across the State, he pointed out and alleged that the State government was depriving affected farmers of compensation.

He demanded that the government immediately declare all the affected mandals drought-hit areas and secure adequate compensation to the farmers from the Central government.

(Source : The Hindu)

National Committee in Support of Jaitapur Struggle

A National Committee has been constituted to support the struggle against the Jaitapur nuclear project in Maharashtra.

The people of the Jaitapur and the surrounding areas in Ratnagiri district have been struggling against the setting up of the giant nuclear project which will have six nuclear reactors bought from the French Areva company. This project has displaced farmers and mango orchards who were cultivating. The livelihood of thousands of fishermen are threatened. There is a serious threat to ecology and environment of the region. The Areva EPR reactors have not been commissioned anywhere in the world, not even in France. They are prohibitively expensive and the technology is untried and untested. After the Fukushima disaster in Japan, there are serious concerns about the safety and the health of the people in the region.

The popular protests in Ratnagiri district have been met with severe police repression and permanent restrictions on holding protests. False cases have been instituted on many activists.

To extend support to the people’s struggle in Jaitapur and to mobilise people’s support all over the country to demand a halt to the Jaitapur project, it has been decided to set-up a National Committee in Solidarity with the Jaitapur struggle. A 15-member committee has been constituted consisting of political leaders, members of Parliament, eminent scientists and leading activists. The committee will organise a countrywide campaign against the Jaitapur nuclear project. The list of the members of the committee is given below. Some more persons will be added to the committee.

1. Shri Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPI(M)

2. Shri A.B.Bardhan, General Secretary, CPI

3. Shri Nama Nageswara Rao, Leader, Telegu Desam Parliamentary Party, Lok Sabha

4. Shri Ramvilas Paswan, President, Lok Janshakti Party and MP, Rajya Sabha

5. Shri Danish Ali, National General Secretary, Janata Dal (Secular)

6. Shri N.D. Patil, President, Peasants and Workers Party

7. Dr. A. Gopalkrishnan, Former Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

8. Shri Sitaram Yechury, Leader of CPI (M) in Rajya Sabha

9. Dr. Sulabha Brahme, Adhayksha, Konkan Bachao Samiti

10. Shri D. Raja, Leader of CPI in Rajya Sabha

11. Shri Bhai Vaidya, National President, Socialist Party (India)

12. Shri S.P.Shukla, Former Union Finance Secretary

13. Shri Pravin Gavankar, President, Janhit Seva Samiti

14. Shri Vivek Monteiro, Secretary, Maharashtra State Committee, CITU

15. Shri Prakash Reddy, Secretary, Mumbai Committee, CPI

SFI alliance retains Hyderabad Central University students union

For the second year in a row in University of Hyderabad alliance between Students’ Federation of India and the Ambedkar Students’ Association (SFI-ASA) won the students union poll.

The united Left combine of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) swept the elections to the Hyderabad Central University Students Union (HCUSU) winning all the positions with a comfortable majority.

The presidential candidate Prashanth polled 1,513 votes and won with a margin on 554 votes while general secretary candidate Sampath of SFI polled 1,442 votes and won with a margin of 492 votes.

Office bearers

The other office bearers who won include Ravi Kumar (vice-president), Srinivas (joint secretary), Mohd. Nazma Begum (cultural secretary), and Subash (sports secretary). Kanthi Nanduri and Manisha Sampath won the posts in the Gender Sensitising Committee Against Sexual Harassment. 

The nearest rivals in all the positions were from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who polled more than 900 votes for all the posts except the joint secretary post.

The Telangana Students Association (TSA) that associated itself with Bahujan Students Front (BSF) to project the Telangana issue finished third while the candidates supported by the NSUI secured the least votes.

Com. Sambath, who has been elected as the general secretary, said the election is a victory of the ideas upheld by the Students’ Federation of India.

Suresh G, SFI unit president, credited the victory to the achievements of the outgoing union under the same alliance. The average margin of victory of the newly- elected bunch of students was more than 680 votes. It has to be noted that SFI started an unit in HCU only in 2004.

Killing of Muammar Gaddafi

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

 

The main aim of the US-Nato intervention in Libya has been fulfilled with the killing of MuammarGaddafi. From the outset, the blatant aggression of the US-Nato was to effect a regime change in Libya even though it was proclaimed as an intervention to save the Libyan people and for the establishment of democracy. The claim that the killing of Gaddafi marks an end of despotic rule is sheer hypocrisy since it is the US and its allies which prop up the most despotic regimes.

 

It is the people of Libya who have to decide what type of Government and political system they want in their country. This is not something which can be imposed by the US and Nato by force of arms.

CPI(M) to launch nine-day agitation in Tripura

The CPI(M) Tripura State Committe has decided to launch a nine-day agitation from November 1 to press for five demands.

The demands were control of the price hike of essential commodities, introduction of a strong Lokpal bill, distribution of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized rates, filling up the vacant posts in government services and stop foreign investment in retail.

State secretary Bijan Dhar said the campaign would start from November one and continue till November 8.

Attacking the proposed Food Security Bill, Dhar said the bill needed to be changed to ensure food security for every person in the country. The party demanded distribution of rice or wheat at Rs 2 per kg and 35 kg of the food for each family. "We demand a strong central act which would ensure bearing of all costs of distribution of the food grains to the ration shops from FCI godowns at government cost, he said.

CPIM PB Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on October 17-18, 2011. It has issued the following statement: 

Anti-Corporate Movement

The `Occupy Wall Street’ movement in the United States and the various protest actions in Europe and other parts of the world are a manifestation of the growing anger of the people at the predatory role of big banks and finance capital. The people have seen how the corporates and banks have been bailed out while the ordinary people are made to bear the burdens of the crisis.

The CPI(M) extends its full support and expresses its solidarity with the protest actions against the rapacious exploitation by big capital and finance. It is necessary to step up and broaden the struggles against the neo-liberal policies in India.

By-Election Results

The Congress party has fared poorly in the by-elections to Hisar Lok Sabha seat and other Assembly seats. These results indicate how corruption and the failure to curb price rise are causing the people to reject the Congress all over the country.

Advani’s Yatra

The yatra undertaken by the BJP leader L. K. Advani against corruption has only succeeded in highlighting the record of corruption of the BJP. The arrest and jailing of former Chief Minister Yeddyurappa on corruption charges has highlighted how the BJP government in Karnataka has been part of the nexus with the mining mafia. The record of the earlier NDA government also shows how the BJP is no different from the Congress when it comes to the question of high level corruption.

Kerala : Suspensions Condemned

The Polit Bureau condemned the action of the UDF government in getting two of the CPI(M) MLAs suspended from the Assembly. The Oommen Chandy government has resorted to brutal police repression on protesting students. When this matter was raised in the Assembly by the opposition, it has resorted to this undemocratic step. People of Kerala can see through the political motivation behind such an action.

Maruti Workers Struggle

The Polit Bureau condemned the repressive tactics and victimization of workers at the Maruti Suzuki plant at Manesar. The workers in this factory have been waging a determined struggle to defend their rights to form a union. The management has resorted to suspensions and dismissals to break the struggle. The Haryana state government has connived with the management in this anti-labour action. The Japanese multinational company should realize that the right to form a union of their choice is a basic right of the workers. The CPI(M) extends its full support to the struggle of the workers.

Ideological Resolution

The Polit Bureau discussed the draft of an ideological resolution. The draft after finalization will be placed before the Central Committee for its consideration in its November meeting.

Campaigns and Protest Actions

The Polit Bureau renewed its call to the Party units to conduct a week-long campaign from November 1-7 on the following five demands: (i) Curb price rise and ensure universal right to food (ii) Take firm action on all corruption cases and adopt an effective Lokpal Act (iii) Ensure supply of fertilizer at subsidised prices to farmers and stop black marketing of urea (iv) Steps to curb unemployment and fill up all vacancies in government posts (v) Stop FDI in the retail sector; protect the interests of small shopkeepers and traders.

The Polit Bureau called upon all its Party units to support the November 8 `Jail Bharo’ protest action called by the Central Trade Unions.