Deshabhimani Reaches New Heights in its Growth

Deshabhimani, the peoples daily in Malayalam, has added yet another jewel to its crown by becoming the largest circulated newspaper in Thrissur district, Kerala state with One lakh subscribers. The decleration of this great feat was made by CPIM state secretary com. Pinarayi Vijayan at a public function in Thrissur district. With one lakh circulation Deshabhimani has reached way ahead of all other newspapers in the district. It is a great moment in this era of corporate journalism which is trying its best to tarnish left parties especially CPIM. Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated all party members and sympathisers who have worked day and night to make this historic growth. Deshabhimani is making good strides in its growth these months. A campaign is going on through the state for the last two months. Deshabhimani had added a new edition from Bangalore and a new edition from Malappuram District, Kerala will be inaugurated later this month.

Revolutionary greetings to all who have worked to make this happen..Thunderbolt Team

Andhra Pradesh : Left calls for rollback of RTC fares

Movement of buses came to a standstill across the State for quite some time on Monday as activists of the CPI (M) and the CPI picketed bus depots demanding immediate rollback in the recent hike of bus fares. Hundreds of Left party activists who gathered at the bus depots staged demonstrations in protest against the “steep hike” in bus fares announced by the AP State Road Transport Corporation. The agitated activists shouted slogans against the government and the RTC management, while tension prevailed in some areas when the police and the activists jostled with each other. Many of them were arrested.

All-party meet sought

CPI State secretary K. Narayana and CPI (M) MP P. Madhu led the protests by staging a demonstration in front of the Bus Bhavan, the RTC’s headquarters here. Addressing the gathering, Mr Narayana demanded that the government convene an all-party meeting to discuss measures to bring the ailing corporation out of the red. Expressing concern over the first of its kind 51 per cent hike in fares, he said the government could take steps to bring the corporation out of losses by checking the “illegal operations” by private operators that was causing a deep dent in RTC’s revenues.

Activists arrested

Mahabubnagar: Demanding the roll back of RTC bus fares activists of CPI and CPI (M) staged a dharna in front of bus station here on Monday.

Leaders of left parties including CPI district secretary E. Narasima and CPI (M) district secretary Kille Gopal addressing the gathering demanded the government to roll back the bus fares immediately. They also asked the government to take steps to reduce the prices of essential commodities.

Adilabad : The CPI and CPI(M) jointly staged a dharna in front of the RTC bus depot on Monday demanding roll back of the bus fare hike affected a few days back. About 200 activists raised slogans against the hike. They were taken into custody by the Two-Town police and were released later.

Nalgonda : Activists of CPI and CPI(M) district units picketed the RTC bus depot here on Monday. The protesters disrupted the movement of the buses from the depot to various destinations for sometime demanding immediate withdrawal of hike on bus charges. Speaking on the occasion, CPI district secretary Mallepalli Adi Reddy alleged that the government imposed a backbreaking burden on the common man by increasing the bus charges steeply, while the State was reeling under turmoil.

“It is ridiculous on the part of Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Transport Minister S. Vijayarama Raju to feign ignorance about the move,” he deplored and demanded the government to roll back the hike in the bus charges forthwith.

CPI (M) district secretary Nandyala Narasimha Reddy, Munugode MLA U Yadagiri Rao of the CPI, and others spoke. CPI leader Ghulam Rasool and CPI(M) leader Syed Hasham besides, a host of senior leaders of left parties participated in the demonstration. Artistes of Praja Natya Mandali also staged a demonstration at the bus station in the town denouncing the bus fare hike and skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.

Sangareddy : Demanding to scale down the increased fare in RTC, workers of the CPI(M) held dharnas at the depots in Medak district on Monday. Addressing the party workers, CPI(M) district committee member K. Rajaiah said that the agitation would be continued till the charges were brought down. District committee members G. Jayaraj, M. Adivaiah, A Mainkyam and others participated in the agitation.

Vijayawada: Activists of the Left parties picketed the Pandit Nehru Bus Station to register their protest against the hike in RTC fares as part of a State-wide agitation programme, here on Monday. CPI and CPI(M) workers and leaders raised slogans demanding complete rollback. CPI city secretary and former MLA K. Subba Raju said there could be nothing worse than the RTC hiking the fares without consultations. CPI(M) district secretary V. Umamaheswara Rao, former MLA Sk. Nasar Vali, CPI corporators P. Durgabhavani, D.V. Ramana Babu, I. Appala Naidu, CPI(M) corporators Ch. Babu Rao, B. Sathi Babu, D. Kasinath, K. Ramu, K. Sridevi participated.

Vizhianagaram: CPI (M) district secretary M. Krishna Murty and CPI secretary P. Kameswara Rao, who led the protesters, said that the government instead of resolving the dispute over Statehood issue and soaring prices of essential commodities hiked the bus fares and burdened the poor and middle classes who depend most on RTC services. Following the rasta roko, vehicular traffic at the complex was paralysed for some time. Party leaders Reddy Sankara Rao, B. Suribabu and others participated.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Condemn Killings in West Bengal

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

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the killing of four CPI(M) activists in Narayanpur under the Canning Police Station of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

In a dastardly incident anti-social and criminal elements of the Trinamul Congress launched a murderous assault on a peaceful and unarmed group of CPI(M) supporters who were returning after filing nomination papers for the elections to the managing committee of a local madrasa. CPI(M) activists Dinesh Haldar, Khairul Jamadar, Biswanath Gayen and Salim Jamadar were killed on the spot. The gruesome nature of the killings is revealed by the fact that two of them were killed after being fired with the revolver placed inside their mouths. Seven other CPI(M) activists were grievously injured in the attack and are in critical condition and are fighting for their lives.

This incident shows the extent of violence that is being unleashed against the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal while the Trinamul Congress and its leader Mamata Banerjee campaigns that there is no law and order in the state of West Bengal. The CPI(M) along with other Left parties had earlier presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister listing out the more than 150 CPI(M) leaders and activists who had been killed by the opposition since the Lok Sabha election results. Hardly a day passes in Junglemahal area especially in West Midnapur district when CPI(M) activists are not killed by Maoist marauders. In the rest of the state it is the Trinamul which carries on the campaign of violence.

Yesterday's incident is a major development in this continued spree of violence. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls upon all peace loving people in West Bengal and elsewhere in the country to join in condemnation of these murders. The PB calls upon all its Party units to redouble their efforts in expressing solidarity with the struggle for defence of peace and democracy that the CPI(M) and the Left is conducting in such trying circumstances in West Bengal.

CPI(M) not against religion: Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has said that nothing will happen to the CPI(M) on account of the former Member of Parliament K. S. Manoj’s resignation from the party.

Addressing a rally to mark the conclusion of the four-day State conference of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) here on Monday, Mr. Vijayan said the party was not against religious faith and that this was something that Mr. Manoj knew well when he had agreed to be the party candidate. His sudden revelation that the CPI(M) was against religious faith was incomprehensible. Once he got elected to Parliament, he had settled down in Delhi instead of being in his constituency and it was for him to explain what had happened after that.

The party had never insisted on his taking a membership in it and it was entirely on his own volition that he had done so. That being the case, his exit would not in any way prove to be a setback for the party. Nor would it result in the faithful getting alienated from the party, the CPI(M) leader said.

Touching upon the alleged assault on writer Paul Zacharia at Payyannur late Saturday evening, Mr. Vijayan said the writer would have observed greater restraint and taken the sensitivities of the local people into account when saying what he had said there. Mr. Zacharia had the freedom to hold his views and the CPI(M) fully respected his right to do so. The CPI(M) also held him in high esteem.

Nobody had raised any objection when he wrote an article in a magazine expressing his ‘peculiar’ views on an incident involving a Congress leader (Mr. Rajmohan Unnithan).

However, when he spoke at Payyannur, he also observed that Communist leaders of the past had indulged in sexual anarchy when they were underground. This was not to the liking of some in the audience and one of them had questioned him then and there itself. What Mr. Zacharia did was to take offence.

“Suppose somebody speaks against Christ before an audience full of those who believe in Christ, will they take kindly to such talk? Would an audience full of those having faith in Allah remain tolerant if somebody speaks against Allah,” the CPI(M) leader asked.

(Courtesy : Hindu)

DYFI KERALA STATE CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

T V Rajesh ***************** M B Rajesh

11th DYFI Kerala state conference concluded with a huge youth rally here in Thiruvananthapuram on January 11, 2010. The rally was attended by around 1 lakh young men and women from Thiruvananthapuram district alone. The concluding rally and meeting was inaugurated by Com. Pinarayi Vijayan, CPIM State secretary. DYFI All India Secretary Com. Tapas Sinha, DYFI All India President Com. P Sreeramakrishnan along with the newly elected state office bearers were present at the concluding function held at Sangumugham Beach. DYFI activists from 18 Area Committes from Trivandrum District marched under the banner of their respective unit committes. The conference earlier re-elected Com. TV Rajesh as State Secretary and Com. M B Rajesh as State President. Com V V Rameshan is elected treasurer. A 75 member state committe is also been elected. The conference discussed in detail various issues relating to the youth and common man and passed various resolutions regarding these issues.

Left parties work out plans to protest against UPA over price rise

Top Left leaders on Monday reviewed the political situation in the country and worked out modalities for a joint rally here in March to protest the UPA government’s policies which, they said, had led to price rise and unemployment.

At the meeting which lasted almost an hour, the General Secretaries of the CPI(M), the CPI and the Forward Bloc also held preliminary discussions on the Assembly elections in some States later this year and next year, Left sources said.

Assembly polls are due in some States including Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu where the Left parties have major stake.

The Left leaders — Prakash Karat, A.B. Bardhan and Debabrata Biswas — also took stock of the joint campaign conducted in the States against price rise, on problems of drought and flood and for food security.

The issues of price rise, unemployment and land acquisition for industrialisation, besides other immediate problems of the people would be highlighted in the all-India rally of the Left parties on March 12, the sources said.

The Left parties have maintained that the government has “totally failed” to curb the continuing steep rise in the prices of food items. Issues related to land and unemployment have also become acute, they said.

The rally, to be held during the Budget Session of Parliament, aims at highlighting these and other issues and give a thrust to an all-India movement by the Left parties, they said.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

DYFI ninth Mangalore city conference

The coastal belt in the State, once known for its secular credentials, is now reeling under the grip of religious fanatics, according to the former director of Rangayana, C. Basavalingaiah.

Addressing the members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) at its ninth Mangalore city conference here on Sunday held at commercial tax employees’ hall, Kottara Chowki here, he alleged that a majority of youths in the coastal belt were slowly becoming communalists.

He criticised the State Government for celebrating the 500th year of the coronation of Krishnadevaraya in a grand manner.

Mr. Basavalingaiah wanted to know why the State Government was not according prominence to late Tippu Sultan who had fought against the British rulers.

Youth should involve in activities that join hearts and not separating people he added.

He expressed regret that the coastal district has become a platform for the political parties that groom their party workers to divide the society in the name of community and religion. He said that most of the vibrant youth need to think of strengthening the society and see that everyone irrespective of their community or religion have the freedom to exercise fundamental rights and duties provided by the Constitution, he said. The religion and community is a very personal issue and should not be used as a tool to spread communal disturbances, he said adding that the political parties are involved in such activities, which the youth need to be aware of.

Samuel Titus, working president of welcome committee, leaders of DYFI, Dayanand Shetty, L T Suvarna and Prashanth Achar were present.

(Courtesy ; Dajjiworld, The Hindu)

Implement land reforms: AIKS

GUNTUR: Voicing concern over the agrarian crisis, leaders of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) have made a strong pitch for the immediate implementation of land reforms in the country as the curtains came down on the All India Kisan Sabha convention which ended here on Sunday.

Addressing a public meeting held at B.R Stadium, S. R. Pillai, president of AIKS, demanded that the Centre should immediately act on recommendations made by a report by the Rural Development Ministry on land reforms and has called for a united peasant struggle. A mass movement will be held in New Delhi in March, he said.

Hitting out against the UPA government, he said that neo-liberal and capitalistic policies being implemented by the Centre led to an all encompassing agrarian crisis.

Stating that agricultural activity has become an unenviable proposition, he said that peasants have been forced to part with their cattle and lands and were being forced into debt as they take money from private money lenders.

A report of the National Sample Survey has revealed that more than 50 per cent of peasantry is willing to give up farming, if provided an alternative.

The Government should increase credit facilities, remunerative prices, provide water, power and increase in subsidies, he said.

White paper

He also demanded that the Government should bring out a white paper on the experiences of the last 15 years that the country has faced after signing the WTO agreement in the year 1995. Even now the government is willing to sign new agreements with Asian countries, which would have disastrous effects on the farmers, he said.

Another peasant leader V. Srinivasa Rao lashed out at Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and said he is keen on following the pro-capitalistic policies of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

CPM central committee member and AIKS vice-president Benoy Konar, P.M. Kutty, Kerala Home Minister, AIKS general secretary K. Varadha Rajan, vice-president S. Malla Reddy and Madan Ghosh spoke.

Organising secretary of AIKS D. Narasimha Rao and district CPM committee general secretary D. Rama Devi came in for special appreciation from the delegates for organizing the event without a glitch.

Office Bearers

S.R. Ramachandran Pillai and K. Varadharajan were unanimously re-elected as president and general secretary respectively as the 32nd All India Conference of All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS) came to an end on Sunday.

The other newly elected office-bearers included, Benoy Konar, P.M. Kutty, Madan Ghosh, S. Malla Reddy and Amra Ram (vice-presidents), N.K. Shukla, Suryakant Mishra, L.S. Taggar, Babu Ban Riyan and Vijoo Krishan (joint secretaries) and Noorul Hooda (finance secretary).

A Central Kisan Committee consisting of 138 representatives from all States in the country have also been elected.

725 delegates attend

The conference was attended by 725 delegates all over the country and included seven Cabinet Ministers representing West Bengal and Kerala. Brinda Karat, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member and vice-president of the All India Democratic Women Association, was present.

Giving details of the various themes and resolutions passed at the conference, vice-president of AIKS S. Malla Reddy said deliberations centred on injustice being meted out to peasants, drastic rise in food prices, concerns over BT seeds and erratic crop insurance policy being followed by the governments.

Draft resolution

The conference has passed a draft resolution to launch a nation-wide struggle to save peasants from the menace of wild animals.

It said that enactments of acts such as Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, The Wild Life Protection Act 1972 and Biodiversity Act-2002 have resulted in small and marginal farmers living on edge of forests to become “ecological refugees,” and they were being forced to migrate from their villages.

The conference also resolved to take up the cause of gender equality and supported 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.

It demanded that Centre the improve the working of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme by enhancing the daily wages to Rs.100 and ensuring every family got work for 100 days, increase in farm subsidy and came out strongly against the proposed Indo-Indonesian agreement which, it said, would prove detrimental to the interests of the farmers cultivating commercial crops.

Action plan

The conference has also chalked out an action plan for the coming months which would include a massive peasant rally at Delhi in March.

UPA out to destroy Left movement: Brinda

GUNTUR: Hitting out at against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Brinda Karat, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member and Rajya Sabha MP, has said that the Centre is bent on hitting at the ‘heart of the Left movement’ in the country.

“Their immediate target is the Left Front government in West Bengal, but the real target are the Left parties which have taken up the cause of peasants, dalits, students and other democratic forces in the country,” Ms. Karat said while addressing a well-attended public meeting at B.R. Stadium marking the end of the 32nd All India Conference of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) here on Sunday.

AIKS call

Ms. Karat said that the AIKS has given a call to defend West Bengal and called for launching of a mass struggle against Centre’s oppression. She pointed out that the Left cadre in Bengal had shown indomitable courage in the face of the violence unleashed by the Trinamool Congress and the Maoists. “Though our cadre are being killed and our properties destroyed, we will remain undaunted by the challenges.” Rooting for a ‘Maha’ Andhra Pradesh, she said that the fundamental duties of peasants in all the regions of the State were being ignored by forces of separatism which had hatched a conspiracy to divide the State on cultural lines. Accusing the UPA government of trying to break the ‘backbone’ of the country, she said that the neo-liberal policies of the Centre had led to destitution, debts and inequalities in India.

DYFI Kerala State Conference From Jan. 8

DYFI Kerala State conference will be held in the capital City of Thiruvananthapuram from Jan 8 to 11, said T V Rajesh, DYFI state secretary at a press conference organised to give the details of the state conference. The Conference will be attended by 699 delegates, which include 137 women delgates. The conference will be inaugurated by young science activist Prabir Purkayasata. The delegate session will be held at AKG hall. Com. V S Achuthanandan will inaugurate a seminar on the evening of Jan 8th. On the concluding day a rally of 1 lakh youth has been planned and the concluding day meeting at Sangumugam Beach will be inaugurated by CPIM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. It is after 27 years (Second State Conference, 1983 ) that Thiruvananthapuram is going to host the conference of biggest youth organisation in the state. The membership of the organisation has increased from 4611313 to 4929066 since the last state conference held at Kannur during 2007. Various events are been conducted as part of the conference throughout the state.