CPI (M) plea to preserve Bharathiyar's school

 The CPI (M) State committee has urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to take steps to prevent any attempt to sell the building and playground of Ettayapuram Raja Primary and Higher Secondary School where national poet Bharathiyar and Tamil scholar Somasundara Bharathiyar studied.

In his letter to the Chief Minister, CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the government should take over the school.

This aided school is managed by the descendents of Ettaypuram Jameen.

Corruption in Commonwealth Games Organisation

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

 

The reported payment of big sums of money by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to an obscure British based company seems to be a case of high level corruption. The Organising Committee is reported to have paid around Rs. 1.68 crore (2,47,467 pound) to a company, A. M. Films. It is further alleged that this company is receiving 25,000 pounds every month.   More than Rs. 3 crore  has so far been paid to this company. The British government has already pointed out various irregularities in the contract with the company. 

 

It is imperative that the Central Government immediately order a high level investigation into this   contract and the transactions undertaken. It is shocking that such large-scale misuse of public funds has taken place in the name of the Commonwealth Games. The government must act expeditiously and those found guilty must be brought to book.

SFI sweeps college union elections in Calicut University

Candidates of the Students Federation of India (SFI) made a sweeping victory in the elections held in various colleges in the district under the Calicut University.

The SFI had an overwhelming majority in 13 out of 16 colleges, where the students union election were held on the basis of students organisations.

The SFI scored emphatic victories in St. Thomas College, Thrissur; Sree Kerala Varma College , Thrissur; I.E.S., Chittilappilly; Government College, Kuttanellur; Christ College, Irinjalakuda; S.N. College, Nattika; Sri Vyasa College, Wadakkanchery; Sreekrishna College, Guruvayur; Panampilly College, Chalakudy; and M.D. College, Pazhanji. KSU and ABVP could win only in one college each where they were having understanding among themselves.

SFI State committee has thanked and congratulated all students for once again selecting SFI as the numero uno of the campus and rejecting all fundamentalist forces.

Left parties seek resignation of three Bellary Ministers

The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have accused the three Ministers from Bellary, G. Janardhan Reddy, G. Karunakara Reddy and B. Sriramulu, of defaming Bellary and also the State and have sought their resignation.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Thursday, U. Basavaraj and K. Nagabhushan Rao, secretaries of the district committees of CPI(M) and CPI respectively, alleged that though the three Ministers claimed that there was no illegal mining activities in the district, mineral wealth had been looted which only spoke of either their incapability to prevent the loot of mineral resources or their involvement in illegal mining activities.

They wanted the three Ministers to own responsibility and tender their resignation to their posts.

“The statement of Mr. Sriramulu that the Opposition parties were unnecessarily defaming Bellary, its people and culture, is wrong. The name of Bellary and also the State was getting defamed by these three Ministers insofar as illegal mining is concerned,” Mr. Basavaraj said.

Rally

He said that to protest against the “failure” of the Congress and the BJP in curbing illegal mining and also to create awareness among the public about the need to rise to the occasion in protecting natural mineral wealth, the Left parties have organised a rally in Bellary on August 3.

According to Mr. Basavaraj, large-scale illegal mining was the result of the failure of the Congress and the BJP leading to the growth of a “mafia” there.

Mr. Nagabhushan said that a procession would be taken out from Durgamma temple to Gandhi Bhavan by Left activists.

This will be followed by a public meeting.

Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), and Narayan of the CPI are among senior leaders of the parties to take part in the rally.

In addition, Secretary of the State unit of CPI(M) V.J.K. Nair, Siddanagouda Patil, S. Prasanna Kumar, G.N. Nagaraj, and Ramakrishna, CPI and All India Kisan Sabha leader in Andhra Pradesh, would address the rally, he said.

The Left parties, during the rally, would urge both the Governments to initiate immediate action against all those involved in illegal mining and nationalise mining, ban exports of iron ore until a new mineral/mining policy was brought out and order a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into illegal mining activities, they said.

Courtesy : The Hindu

Photo exhibhition as part of CPIM Pleenum inaugurated

A photo exhibition, organized in connection with CPIM extended central committee meeting opposite the GVMC office, was formally inaugurated by CPI(M) State executive member Ch. Narasinga Rao on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the party was conducting a publicity campaign in this regard. A ‘Chalo Vijayawada' will be held in which thousands of people from Visakhapatnam district were expected to participate.

He said that flags would be hoisted at all municipal wards and mandals in the district, jeep jathas would be held in the district from August 1 to 5 and teams would undertake door-to-door campaign from August 6 to 9 to create awareness among the people on the lopsided policies of the UPA Government and the Congress Government in the State.

CPI(M) district executive members A. Ajay Sarma and B. Ganga Rao, city committee secretary K. Lokanadham, executive members R. Bhagyalakshmi and RKSV Kumar were among those who were present.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

CPI (M) gearing up for Extended Central Committee Meeting

The parties that have come to power at the Centre and in the states mainly because of the votes of the poor have forgotten them and were favouring the land mafia, Communist Party of India (Marxist) central committee member P. Madhu alleged here on Tuesday.

Flagging off a bicycle rally taken out from Kaleswara Rao market centre to publicise the party's national meeting to be held in the city from August 7, Mr. Madhu said that the Central and State governments had become mere puppets in the hands of the ‘mining mafia'. Several mining scams were brought to light recently and the important among them was the one in which son-in-law of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy allegedly occupied lakhs of acres of land for mining purpose.

As this was confirmed by none other than Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, “what stronger evidence is needed?” Mr. Madhu asked.

He alleged that the leaders in the State were too busy making money and had totally forgotten the needs of the people.

Hundreds of party activists and sympathisers participated in the rally that passed below One Town low bridge and reached Durgapuram, touching Police Control Room, Krishnalanka police station, Satyam hotel, Krishnalanka feeder road, Nallagate centre, Ranigarithota, Labbipet and Nimmathota centre.

Political solution

Mr. Madhu said all the problems the people were facing and an alternative political solution would be discussed at the party's national conference.

Over 400 delegates from all over the country will come to the city to attend the conference.

Senior leaders of the party and chief ministers of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura would attend a public meeting that would be held at Swaraj Maidan on August 10, he said.

SFI south Indian Study camp at Mysore from July 31

To come up with effective strategies given the changing socio-economic and political scenario, the Students Federation of India (SFI) has organised a four-day study camp for SFI activists from four Southern States in the city, said H.R. Naveen Kumar, SFI Karnataka State President, at a press conference .

Around 400 SFI activists are expected to attend the camp which will commence on July 31 and conclude on Aug 3.

Naveen Kumar said that CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury will deliver the inaugural address of the ‘Open Session’ of the camp at Dasara Exhibition Grounds at 12 noon on July 31. Before the Open Session, SFI activists will take out a procession near the Town Hall at 11 am.

Naveen Kumar said that the formal study camp which will commence on the morning of August 1 at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry will be inaugurated by former SFI National Secretary, Nilotpal Basu, in the presence of former SFI President and Member of Parliament P.K. Biju. The open discussion on “State of the present education system” on the evening of Aug. 1 will be inaugurated by Mayor Sandesh Swamy. Thomas Joseph, Principal Secretary, Kerala’s Department of Higher Education, will deliver the keynote address, followed by a talk by Nilotpal Basu on “Emerging challenges before the students movement.” Kerala Finance Minister T.M Thomas Isaac will speak on “Reforms in Higher Education under the United Progressive Alliance II.”

Noted historian K.N. Panikkar will speak on “Capitalism, culture and media” in the morning session on Aug. 2 and in the evening session, Ritabrato Banerjee, SFI, All India Sectretary will speak on “SFI programme and organisation.”

Cultural programmes will be presented by the representatives of the four States along with a special programme by noted theatre activist H.Janardhan (Janni). The valedictory address will be delivered by T M Thomas Isaac, focussing on “The politics of globalization.” L. Jagannath, District Secretary, CPI (M), will be the chief guest and Shivadasan, National Secretary, SFI, will preside.

According to Naveen Kumar, theatre personality C. Basavalingaiah, journalist Rajashekara Koti, writer Prof. Shivaramu Kadanakuppe, former MLA Sriram Reddy, SFI State Secretary N. Anantha Nayak will be attending the study camp.

Sitaram Yechury to flag off CPI(M) campaign on August 22

A State-level campaign by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)  Tamil Nadu State Committee to press for a 12-point charter of demands will be flagged off from here by Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member, on August 22.

Unveiling the programme-of-action on the proposed campaign, K. Balakrishnan, president, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, told reporters here on Sunday that over 500 committees would be formed across district. The week-long campaign up to August 30 would be marked primarily by padayatras and public meetings.

He criticised the State government for its ‘passive' stand on the Cauvery issue. “The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award remained unenforceable in view of the Karnataka government approaching the Supreme Court.”

Moving the Supreme Court to override the Tribunal award was the ultra-vires of the constitution, Mr. Balakrishnan said and added that pliancy of the State had only emboldened the Karnataka government. The party also called upon the Chief Minister to provide pattas for those residing on and cultivating temple lands as the vast majority lived on temple lands without pattas.

Reiterating the party's opposition to setting up of thermal power plants on cultivable lands in the district, Mr. Balakrishnan also called for compensation for Kuruvai loss.

According to him, a compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre for a farmer and Rs.5000 per family engaged in agricultural labour should be provided.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Somnath Chatterjee's False Assertions

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

 

Shri Somnath Chatterjee has made a number of false assertions in his forthcoming book, excerpts of which have been published in the media. It is totally wrong to say that five members of the Polit Bureau decided to expel him the day after the trust vote session of the Lok Sabha was held.

 

The decision to take disciplinary action against Somnath Chatterjee was taken at a full Polit Bureau meeting held on July 19, 2008. The Polit Bureau decided to convey to Somnath Chatterjee once more, the decision that he should forthwith resign from the Speakership and not preside over the Lok Sabha session on the trust vote. The Polit Bureau concluded that if he refused to do so he should be expelled from the Party as it would amount to helping the Congress-led government. The Central Committee of the Party which met on July 20 was apprised of the situation and it authorized the Polit Bureau to take disciplinary action against Somnath Chatterjee if he violated the decision.

 

Somnath Chatterjee had earlier in a letter to the Party dated July  9, 2008 agreed to abide by the decision of the Party and resign from the post of Speakership. He later backed out from this commitment to abide by the Party decision.

 

It is unfortunate that Chatterjee has sought to draw Comrade Jyoti Basu’s name into this matter when he is no more.

 

All the other views expressed by him are just post-facto justifications of a person who defected to the ruling establishment.

CPI (M) dares Anam brothers for open debate on ‘Indiramma'

NELLORE: CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu on Saturday visited the camp at Gandhi statue in the city, where CPI (M) leaders are on an indefinite fast on various people's problems.

Former Minister and TDP district president Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, CPI (M) State secretariat member Jakka Venkaiah, district leader T.P. Bhanu Raju and others also visited the camp.

Addressing the gathering later, Mr. Raghavulu blamed the ruling party representatives and the officials for not responding to the relay hunger strikes, which made the leaders to begin fast unto death.

Reacting to the comments allegedly made by local MLA Anam Vivekananda Reddy that the CPI (M) leaders were doing fasts by eating biryanis and dosas, the CPI (M) State secretary said criticising the huger strikes is nothing but insulting Mahatma Gandhi and Congress party.

“Instead of solving the problems amicably, Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy and his brother and MLA Mr.Vivekananda Reddy are giving unnecessary statements,” he alleged and dared them to come for an open discussion on the irregularities in Indiramma Housing Scheme and on poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, bad roads, street lights and removal of ration cards for genuine persons in the district.

Alleging that nearly Rs.1,300 crore was misused in Indiramma housing scheme in the State, Mr. Raghavulu demanded that the government put the details of the three phases of Indiramma Houses sanctioned, allotted, status of under construction houses, list of beneficiaries in each district, material distributed, loans disbursed and other details in the Internet.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)