Committee formed to Observe Jyoti Basu’s Birth Centenary

A convention organized by Jyoti Basu Center for Social Studies and Research elected the committee to celebrate the birth centenary of legendary Communist leader Jyoti Basu. The convention was held in Khemka auditorium of Kolkata on 12 August, 2013. The president of the said center and the chairman of the West Bengal Left Front committee Biman Basu presided over the convention. He said that the newly formed committee will uphold Jyoti Basu’s contribution to the country, society and for the emancipation of the oppressed people from various angles.

Ashok Ghosh, the veteran Left leader and General Secretary of Bengal Committee of All India Forward Block was elected as the President of the committee. Former Speaker of West Bengal Assembly Hashim Abdul Halim was elected as the working President. Biman Basu was elected as the General Secretary of the said committee. Nobel laureate Professor Amartya Sen, former Speaker of Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee, legendary film maker Mrinal Sen, poets Sankha Ghosh, Nirendranath Chakraborty; economists Ashok Mitra, Amiya Kumar Bagchi; actor Saumitra Chatterjee, sports personalities Saurav Ganguly, P.K. Banerjee; former Vice Chancellors Professor Sujit Basu, Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, former judges Shyamal Kumar Sen, Chittotosh Mukherjee along with other eminent personalities were elected in the advisory committee. Among the assistant secretaries of the committee Rabin Deb, Md. Salim, Hafiz Alam Sairani, Khiti Goswami, Manju Kumar Majumder was elected. Sukhendu Panigrahi was elected as the treasurer.

Several dignitaries from all walks of life attended the convention. Ashok Mitra, Somnath Chatterjee, former judge Samaresh Banerjee, member of Parliament Kabir Suman, singer Usha Uthup, journalist Shikha Mukherjee, former Vice Chancellor Professor Ashok Nath Basu spoke about legacy of Jyoti Basu. They proposed quite a few actions which they thought the committee should prioritize.  Mandakranta Sen recite a poem she wrote on the legendary communist leader. Ashok Ghosh and Somnath Chatterjee unveiled the logo of the birth centenary celebration program. - See more at: http://www.cpimwb.org.in/current_topic_details.php?topic_id=451#sthash.OHeYNMzK.dpuf

Oommen Chandy stoops to Pressure Concedes to demand for Judicial Probe

N.S.Sajith

Thiruvananthapuram; August 13, 2013: At last the people’s power won as the autocratic approach sheds by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who concedes the demand for a judicial inquiry in to solar panel scam. As he bowed to the pressure mounted by LDF’s indefinite siege for last two day, the struggle has been stopped. While announcing the withdrawal from the siege, CPI (M) state secretary Pinaryi Vijayan warned that the struggles demanding the resignation of Oommen Chandy will continue.

Pinarayi while welcoming the announcement of a judicial probe said that whenever a judicial enquiry has been ordered which also had the Chief Minister in its ambit of probe, the incumbent has always resigned. He said that if Oommen Chandy refuses to do so, the LDF would continue boycotting him and he would be greeted with black flags wherever he goes.

The Chief Minister announced his willingness to conduct a judicial probe after a meeting of UDF leaders. After the meeting UDF leaders said that they are ready to announce a judicial probe only if the struggle withdraws. But suddenly Chief Minister came in to the scene, and announced the probe.

He said that a sitting judge of High court will conduct the probe. Official decision will be taken in next cabinet meeting. Chief Minister also assured that the terms of reference will be decided with the consent of opposition. Chief Minister, who was previously reluctant to judicial probe, repeatedly ruled any scope for a judicial inquiry.

It may be recalled that on day one of the indefinite picketing around a lakh people had poured into Thiruvananthapuram openly challenging the threats and intimidation held out by the UDF government which had mobilized the state and central paramilitary forces on an unprecedented scale to repress and suppress an agitation which was gathering more steam with each passing day.

That a determined people cannot be stopped by any means was evident from the evening of August 11 itself with hundreds arriving by each train that reached Thiruvananthapuram station. Thousands more joined on August 12. August 13 saw new batches arriving from all over the state. Ultimately, the government had to yield.

(Photo Courtesy : Manu Viswanath, Desabhimani)

Guidelines for Election Manifestos

A meeting was called today by the Election Commission of India seeking views of political parties for framing guidelines for governing the content of election manifestos.

The CPI(M) was represented at the meeting by Polit Bureau Member,  A.K. Padmanabhan and Central Secretariat Member, Hari Singh Kang. The full text of the note submitted by the party in this regard is being released herewith. 

On the Issue of Framing of Guidelines which Governs the Content of the Election Manifesto

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is opposed to any form of intervention by any authority, agency or body in the formulation of the ideology, aims, policies, programmes of political parties.  The democratic polity of the country is based on political party system and free and fair elections. One of the important foundations of free and fair elections is the right of the political parties to freely express its ideology, policies, programmes and promises to the people.   Any infringement on the right of expression by intervention by any authority, body or agency will cut at the root of the political party system and free and fair elections.   A political party is a voluntary association of its members constituted on the basis of an ideology, certain aims, policies and programmes etc. It is the prerogative of the political parties to decide its aims, policies and programmes.

An Election Manifesto is a declaration of the ideology, aims, intentions, motives or views, policies, programmes and promises of a political party in elections.  Generally, Election Manifestos are published before every election. It is the right of each political party to decide the content of its Election Manifesto.  No country in the world, which has a strong system of democratic elections, has provided for supervision or approval by any external agency including electoral authority on the content of the Election  Manifesto.  The CPI(M) is opposed to any intervention by any external  authority, body or agency in the content of the Election Manifesto.

It is not possible to define the word `freebies’.  The definition in Webster Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary do not help us to identify what is meant by `freebies’. If  these definitions are acceptable, then all promises to implement `Part-IV Directive Principles of State Policy’ in the Constitution of India  and promises on all food security schemes, social welfare and security schemes, distribution of land to the landless etc  will come under the definition of `freebies’.  What is wrong if a party promises, if it comes to power to free education upto the secondary stage, or free health care, or distribution of land to the landless? All promises on any matter can be interpreted as `freebies’. 

It is not necessary to enact any law or frame any guidelines which govern the content of the Election Manifesto.  Important guidelines are already provided in the `General Conduct’ part of the `Model Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates’.  Other than these, there is no need for any additional guidelines for the preparation of Election Manifesto by political parties. 

The Left will continue in its path of struggle: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

The TMC has won in this Panchayat Election using utmost unscrupulous means of violence and terror but the Left Front has not been washed away, CPI(M) Politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharya commented while addressing a gathering on 5th August on the occasion of the 125th birthday of Muzaffar Ahmad. He said  that we are not floating in an empty space neither have we been blown away. People’s support is with us. With this only we shall continue in our path of struggle.

To commemorate the contribution of Comrade Muzaffar Ahmad, a pioneer in the Communist movement of India, this meeting was organized centrally in Mahajati Sadan.  In this meeting Buddhadeb Bhattacharya as president of Muzaffar Ahmed Memorial award committee also handed over the award for the year 2013 to Educationist Arun Choudhury for his book on ‘Adibasi jiban O sangram’ and Professor Shaktipada Pal for his book on ‘Muzaffar Ahmed and the Indian Communist movement’. Previously, Comrade Samar Mukherjee was the President of this Committee who died on 18th of July, 2013.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya addressing the meeting said that right from the crisis in the farming sector to the suicides of the farmers, employment to the jobless or the issue of returning money to those who have become penniless in the chit fund scam, and against atrocities on women along with other demands the Left Front shall continue with its movement. In the Panchayat election no solution could be achieved on these political problems. So our work has not finished. We shall be in the field of struggle with all these demands.

He challenged the acceptance of the ruling party in winning over the Panchayat Election with the help of their Government. He said it all started with the fight between the State Government with the Election Commission. The highest court by giving its ruling proved that the election commission was right and not the State Government. Still in the whole election process the State Government did not co-operate with the election commission. The commission was left helpless. As a result the opposition had to suffer. Continuously attacks were organized against us. Such election was held in which 6250 people won without contest. Such ‘heroes’ they are!

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said in all the district such threatening attacks has been carried out which never happened in the past. On the day of the election in many places election was completed in the early hours of the morning. In many districts people could not cast their votes. He asked what happened in Burdwan and Hoogly in the name of election? This is not the end. On the day of counting results were altered. The TMC has won through sheer terror. Otherwise they would not have been to get this result. They have got this huge win through arson and violence.

Bhattacharya also asked whether there has been any outcome to the kamudini case? He said nothing has come out whereas the Government is accusing the peoples whole hearted movement there as a conspiracy. In Katwa the culprits tried to molest the chastity of two teenage sisters inside their room and when their brother resisted they murdered him. He said everyday in the newspapers there is no end to sad news. The teenage girls are now not safe inside their houses. There too they are being attacked. Before the Government used to take steps if such things happened. Now the culprits are getting enthused excited with the Government’s inaction. They know who ever will criticize the Government, the Government will sue him.

In this state the rule of law is not prevalent. It is the rule of the TMC which is prevailing. Commenting on this Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said one TMC leader openly said to throw bombs on the police, to burn the houses. The election commission and judiciary all said to take action against this but in this State it is not the rule of law but the rule of TMC is prevailing, so even after such instances no one could touch that gentleman. Though what sort of gentleman he is, is another question.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharya accused that the TMC was creating danger in the hills on the north of the State. He said when signing the treaty with Subash Ghising he was forced to surrender the demand for a separate State but when the TMC Government signed the treaty with Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, they did so keeping the demand for Gorkhaland alive. The danger had ushered. In the Bidhan Sabha Election all the decisive forces were with the TMC. Now they are demanding their pound of flesh.

Besides Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, CPI(M) State Secretary Biman Basu, Politbureau member Nirupam Sen and other leaders were present. Speaking on this occasion Biman Basu said every effort has to be made to stop the curbing of democracy. He said by spear heading the demands of the common people can the efforts of the ruling class to suppress mass struggle be confronted. At any cost the attack on democracy and democratic rights has to be countered.

LDF to intensify stir Indefinite Secretariat Picketing from Aug 12

N S Sajith

 AS the day and night sit-in gains massive support, the Left Democratic Front has decided to intensify the struggle demanding the resignation of chief minister Oommen Chandy and setting up  of an impartial judicial probe into the multi-crore solar scam. LDF convener Vaikom Vishwan announced that day and night sit-in at secretariat and district collectorates will culminate on August 4 and indefinite secretariat picketing will begin on August 12. The mode of struggle will be novel and unseen in the history of Kerala, he said in a press conference at AKG centre, in Thiruvananthapuram on July 31.

The LDF volunteers will reach at the premises of secretariat on August 12th morning in large numbers. Volunteers from various parts of the state will add to the people already gathered. The functioning of secretariat will be stalled. As part of the preparations, district level campaign jathas will be organise from August 4. There will be no jathas on August 8th and 9th due to Eid-ul-Fitr. LDF district committees will meet soon to finalise the preparations for the jathas.

The LDF will form a massive organising committee in Thiruvananthapuram district to manage the indefinite picketing. The ongoing day and night struggle in the district centers and capital is gaining huge support of people from all walks of life. The new struggle will also receive such support from the people, Vaikom Vishwan said.

CPI(M) Kerala state secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the  written complaint by an accused in the Solar Panel Scam, which was handed over to additional chief judicial magistrate, Ernakulam by the superintendent of the women's jail on July 31 has been manipulated. Addressing the media at Thiruvananthapuram, Pinarayi alleged that this was done with the knowledge of chief minister Oommen Chandy. This has underscored the necessity for a judicial enquiry, he added.

The magistrate before whom Saritha Nair was produced earlier on July 20 was unwilling to record her statement. Vijayan urged higher judicial bodies to take cognizance of this matter. Only a day earlier, the chief minister had predicted that good news would come. This prediction was a clear hint about the manipulation of the statement.

Earlier, Saritha had sought an opportunity to record her secret confession before the magistrate under the section of 164 CrPC. However, when she appeared before the magistrate he did not record her confession. The court later asked her to give a written complaint. After this incident, police took Saritha from the prison at Pathanamthitta where she was lodged, to Thiruvananthapuram. During transit the police had managed to influence her. Both appeasement and threats were used. Saritha’s mother had also visited her in jail.

Saritha’s counsel’s statement on the names contained in her statement becomes more significant in this context. Her counsel, Feni Balakrishnan, also warned that it would be a big shock if the names are made public. No Congress party leader has come forward opposing this statement.

Some leaders including central ministers have come out from hiding, which confirms that a manipulation has taken place, which reduced the pages of original complaint to 4 from 22, Pinarayi said.

Rescind FDI In Retail

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

 

 

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly opposes the dilution of the norms for FDI in retail trade approved by the Union Cabinet. Consequent to the harmful decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, the government has diluted even the limited norms set out for foreign retail investment. Under the pressure of the United States, the requirement of 30 per cent sourcing from domestic small and medium industries, the requirement for back up investment and the condition that FDI in retail be allowed in cities of over 10 lakh population have been eased.

 

The government has further surrendered to the pressure from the United States and its giant retail companies to do this.

 

The CPI(M) reiterates its opposition to the entry of FDI in multi-brand retail and demands that the government rescind this policy.

No Collaboration In Snooping

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

 

The latest disclosures in the documents provided by American whistleblower, Edward Snowden, show that the Indian government is collaborating with the United States of America in its electronic surveillance in India.

 

The US has installed some 700 servers in 150 locations around the world, one of which is near New Delhi, as part of a hitherto undisclosed programme called “Xkeyscore”, under which electronic snooping is undertaken by the US’s National Security Agency. The programme is meant for searching through the vast database containing emails, online chats and browsing histories of millions of individuals.

 

Earlier, the Government of India had justified the “snooping” in the name of tracking terrorist activity, with External Affairs minister going so far as to say that it is not snooping but only an analysis of the pattern of calls.

 

Now it is clear that this justificatory statement was made because the Government of India itself is a collaborating partner in the global spy network of the US, which undermines the sovereignty of India. The CPI(M) deplores this action of the government. 

 

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the Manmohan Singh government forthwith stop collaborating with the United States in its snooping on Indian citizens and close down the electronic surveillance facilities provided to it in India. 

West Bengal SOLIDARITY MEETING IN HYDERABAD

The results in the recent Panchayat election in Bengal do not truly reflect the verdict of the people as the entire election process had been vitiated with booth capturing,  rigging, violent attacks on opposition etc, said CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat in Hyderabad today. He called upon people outside Bengal to extend full support and solidarity to the heroic fight of Bengal comrades to defend democracy and rights of the people.

Karat was addressing a solidarity meeting with Bengal Left Front organised by the CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state committee. The meeting held in Sundarayya Vignana Kendram was presided over by CPI(M) state secretary B V Raghavulu. Among those who spoke included CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, CPI state secretary K Narayana, RSP secretary Janakiramulu, Forward Block general secretary B Surender Reddy and CPI(ML) Liberation leader Uday Kiran. Although CPI(ML) could not send its representative to the meeting, it sent a message expressing solidarity with the fighting comrades of Bengal. CPI(M) central secretariat member V Sreenivasa Rao was present on the dais.

Karat in his speech depicted the grim picture of Trinamool violence in Bengal during the recent panchayat polls. He said it was during the Left Front regime of 34 years that Panchayat system in Bengal came into existence and became an important instrument of empowering the poor peasants, agricultural workers and others in running the affairs of panchayats. This had resulted in a big change in rural Bengal. The main aim of Trinamool behind this violent campaign to sieze the Panchayats is to undo this empowering. They do not want the poor to have any say in deciding finances and other aspects of panchayat rule, he said. 4470 booths were openly rigged, counting process was also manipulated in many areas to ensure victory of TMC candidates. He cited how TMC goons threw bomb and killed the husband of CPI(M) candidate Manwara Biwi in the presence of TV crews for daring to contest the elections.

Karat said he did not agree with those who cite these results to say that TMC has gained strength in rural areas. “Trinamool Congress won these Panchayat elections on this false basis. If they think they can continue to dominate the people of Bengal in this violent manner, they are wrong. There is plenty of evidence in the recent polls that people have begun to fight against this goondaism.

Yechury in his brief speech in Telugu said what is happening in Bengal is a serious class struggle. The TMC government is bent on reversing the land reforms programme of the Left Front by which over 11 lakh hectares of land was transferred from the rich to the poor. There would be more efforts in this direction in the coming period, he felt. The violence and undermining of democracy in Bengal if not checked, would result in undermining of democracy at the all India level, he warned. In this connection he drew a parallel with the events of 1967, 1972 in Bengal and the imposition of emergency in 1975. “We had warned then also that it is not just an attack on Left but an attack on democracy itself. Now also it is an attack on democracy and the rights of people. We have to learn lessons and prevent the danger”, he said. Yechury also called for widespread solidarity actions. Earlier, a booklet brought out in Telugu detailing the present situation in Bengal was released by Yechury on this occasion.

On Telangana State

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

 

After long procrastination and more than two years after the report submitted by the Srikrishna Committee, the Congress leadership and the UPA government have decided on the division of Andhra Pradesh and the formation of Telangana state. This decision seems to have been impelled by the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. It will give a fillip to demands for separate states in other places.

 

The CPI(M) has always stood for the integrity of the states based on the democratic principle of linguistic states.

 

The issue of the formation of Telangana will now have to be decided by parliament.

 

The Polit Bureau appeals to the people of all regions of the state to maintain peace and harmony while the matter is ultimately decided by parliament.

 

B.V. Raghavulu, Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh State Committee of the CP(M) has issued the following statement:

 

For the last three and half years Andhra Pradesh state has been in throes of uncertainty and confusion because of the opportunism of Congress party on the issue of forming of separate Telangana. It is a welcome development that at last the Congress party that is ruling both at centre and in the state has finally taken a clear stand on the Telangana issue. We request other parties that are speaking in double voices in both regions to at least now come out with clear statement on the issue.

 

Political parties should prepare to take a decision as per their respective stands in the highest forum in parliamentary democracy, Parliament, without giving any scope to rouse mutual hatred or animosities.

 

CPI (M) activist in Khamman hacked to death by Congress

The brutal murder of a CPI (M) activist by congress goons at Pandillapalli in Chintakani mandal in Khammam District (andhra Pradesh) on Sunday triggered widespread protests by the CPI (M) cadres in the district on Monday.

The CPI (M) district committee has said the incident as a “political murder” by the Congress party cadres and called for district wide protests against the “political killings” on Tuesday.

In the first incident of post-panchayat poll violence, Alavala Srinivasa Rao, 36, an advocate and a key functionary of the CPI (M), was allegedly killed by suspected political opponents a day after the second phase of panchayat elections.

Srinivasa Rao was waylaid and brutally attacked with sticks by more than 12 persons at Pandillapalli on Sunday when he was returning to Khammam after visiting his relative’s house. He succumbed to the critical injuries at a hospital in Khammam on Sunday midnight. The incident prompted the authorities to clamp prohibitory orders at the politically sensitive Pandillapalli on Monday.

Vehemently denouncing the murder, the CPI (M) cadres led by the party district secretary P. Sudarshan took out a rally in Pandillapalli on Monday. Addressing the protesters, Com Sudarshan alleged that the Congress party cadres brutally killed Srinivasa Rao as per a well hatched conspiracy.