DYFI, AIDWA campaign against liquor in Kerala

Recognising the enormity of alcohol abuse in Kerala, which comes first in per capita liquor consumption in the country, DYFI, AIDWA and SFI are launching a mass campaign on November 30.

The drive will be launched at a convention in Thiruvananthapuram, which will be opened by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. Leaders of social, cultural, religious and political organisations, apart from anti-liquor campaigners of various hues, will be invited to the convention.

“We are urging all kinds of organisations, including religious bodies, to get involved in this drive against alcohol abuse,” T.V. Rajesh, DYFI State secretary, said.

Mr. Rajesh said the campaign was being launched with the knowledge, approval and support of the party and its top-level leaders. Mr. Rajesh said the modalities of the campaign would be finalised at the November 30 convention. A wide-ranging consultation would be held with social workers, poets, intellectuals, and social and cultural leaders. Religious leaders such as Archbishop Susaipakiam would be urged to get involved.

Mr. Rajesh said a plan was being worked out to form community groups in all panchayat wards for checking alcohol abuse. People would be asked not to hold drinking parties at weddings and festival celebrations. Since drinking in public spaces — such as playgrounds, open fields and on the roadside — had increased enormously, people would be encouraged to put an end to it. He noted that in the past, drinking was done in secret, but now the taboo had vanished. Social drinking had gained acceptance and liquor was essential at gatherings, such as weddings and even funerals.

He pointed out that even 13- and 14-year-olds were taking to the bottle and that a large number of young women had turned routine drinkers. Drinking within the home had increased. The Muslim community was strict against drinking, but now places such as Manjeri and Ponnani had emerged as centres of alcohol abuse.

LEFT PARTIES HOLD PROTEST AGAINST OBAMA'S VISIT

Workers of Left parties on Monday held protest demonstrations at several places across the country against “one-sided agreements” being reached with the U.S. during the ongoing visit of President Barack Obama. They carried placards demanding extradition of Union Carbide chief Jack Anderson for trial in India in the Bhopal gas tragedy case and opposing opening of Indian markets for U.S. companies.

KARUR:

Cadre of the Left parties, including the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a demonstration here on Monday protesting the visit of United States President Barrack Obama. The CPI (M) Karur district secretary, G. Rathinavelu and the CPI district secretary, K.K. Periyasamy, led the protest held near the bus stand. Leaders of the two parties also participated.

The agitators said the visit aimed at serving the interests of US corporates and perpetuating American hegemony. They saw no merit or use for India in the tour of Mr. Obama. They lambasted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress for `hobnobbing' with the United States .

Perambalur

Cadre of the CPI and CPM staged an agitation near the new bus stand here. They also protested the foreign investment in retail business and commerce in the country and demanded relief for those affected by the Bhopal gas tragedy. V. Gnanasekaran, Perambalur unit secretary of the CPI and Muthusamy, Perambalur Taluk unit secretary of the CPI (M) led the agitation. District secretary of the CPI A. Venugopal and District executive member of the CPI (M), S. Chelladurai participated.

Pudukottai

M. Chinnadurai, District secretary of the CPI (M) and M. N. Ramachandran, Pudukottai town secretary of the CPI led an agitation at the old bus stand here.

Tiruchi

Members of the CPI (M) and the CPI carried out a joint demonstration in the city on Monday They raised slogans warning America against looking at India as a global marketplace and as a customer of its military weaponry.

Thanjavur

Members of the Makkal Kalai Ilakkaiya Kazhagam staged a demonstration here on Monday. District secretary Ravanan led the agitation. The protestors said India is toying the line of USA, which invaded Iraq in the name of searching for weapons. India is acting like an agent of USA.

Tirupur

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged an ‘Obama go back' agitation here on Monday evening to express their displeasure of the US administration when it comes to their handling of certain bilateral issues including the Bhopal gas tragedy. The agitators symbolically submitted a memorandum to the statue of Tirupur Kumaran to highlight their demands since they ‘felt' that only Kumaran, the freedom fighter, could solve the issues not tackled by the US government till now. According to them, the US should ensure justice for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims and make Dow Chemicals pay for the damage as well as clean up the factory site.

The DYFI men also protested the lack of initiative from the US government to extradite the former Union Carbide chairman, Warren Anderson, to India to stand the trial. The other issue that bothered the DYFI people was the pressure put by the US on India's foreign policy as well as to open up the education and retails sector to foreign direct investment.

Nagercoil

Activists of Communist Party of India (Marxists) staged a demonstration as part of a nation-wide agitation in Nagercoil, Thuckalay and Kaliyakkavilai on Monday to protest against the President of United States of America, Barack Obama, who was trying to thrust his economic liberalisation and foreign policies on India.

The agitation was led by the district secretary of CPI (M), N. Murugesan.

The State executive member S. Noor Mohammed said that the visit of the U.S. president was for the benefit of the people living in America.

SALEM

Members of Left parties, including CPI and CPI (M), as part of nationwide stir on Monday staged a demonstration here condemning the visit of US president Barack Obama to India. The members raised slogans against the US presence in Afghanistan and Iraq. The CPI district secretary, A. Jeevanandam, CPI (M) secretary R. Venkatapathy and others participated in the agitation.

MADURAI:

Condemning the United States President Barack Obama's visit to India, cadre of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and All India Forward Bloc staged a demonstration here on Monday and raised slogans stating that the visit was to push India to sign deals with the US, “which are inimical to national sovereignty and people's interests.”

The protest was led by R. Annadurai, CPI(M)'s urban district secretary in the presence of Ramesh, district president, All India Forward Bloc, near the Kattabomman statue near Periayar Bus Stand.

State executive committee member P. Sampath condemned the foreign policy of the United States and said that it exemplified imperialism in its fullest form by supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestine, economic embargo against Cuba and threatening Iran.

The country-wide protest was to demonstrate the objection of the Left parties to the visit of the US President. A CPI (M) cadre stood upside down for quite some time to symbolise the dangers of having foreign direct investment in retail trade.

Anantapur

CPI district secretary B.Jagadish and CPI(M) district secretary Obulakonda Reddy, in a joint statement, flayed the visit of US President Barak Obama to India saying that his visit was mainly intended to loot the Indian market and flood the country with their products for gaining monopoly on Indian market.

The activists of the two parties also burnt an effigy of Mr. Obama and shouted slogans “Obama go back.”

DAVANGERE

Members of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a dharna at Gandhi Circle here on Monday demanding that U.S. President Barack Obama make his country's stand clear on certain “vital issues”.

BANGALORE

Activists of Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest here on Monday against agreements signed between India and the United States during the current visit of the U.S. President Barack Obama.

Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) leader G.N. Nagraj said that the U.S. President was on a visit to India to protect the interests of 200 to 300 U.S.-based multinational companies. “Indian farmers will be affected by the entry of these MNCs, which will be receiving subsidy to a tune of 75 per cent. The entry of MNCs will also affect the Indian universities, research institutions, agriculture and other sectors,” he added.

Several leaders of Left parties, including Siddanagouda Patil, S.Y. Gurushanth, K. Prakash and others, addressed the protesters.

Kolar

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretariat member G.C. Bayya Reddy has expressed concern over the U.S. pressure about opening up of the retail sector to the foreign direct investment.

He was addressing a protest demonstration at Gandhi Park here on Monday. The CPI(M) district unit organised the protest against the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama.

Bidar

Workers of the Left parties staged a protest against visiting U.S. President Barack Obama in Bidar on Monday. Activists marched from Dr. Ambedkar Circle to the Deputy Commissioner's office shouting slogans such as “Obama Go Back”. They submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioners' office and dispersed. CPI leader Baburao Honna said Mr. Obama's visit had not benefited Indian in any way. “If Mr. Obama was sincere, he should have declared compensation for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy that was caused by a U.S.-based multinational company, which has clearly not happened.”

Raichur

Members of the CPI and the CPI(M) staged a dharna against the visit Mr. Obama here on Monday.

Activists wearing black badges staged a dharna at Ambedkar Circle. They burnt an effigy of Mr. Obama and shouted slogans against the U.S. Government, accusing it of interfering in India's affairs. Later, they went in a procession and staged a dharna on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner's office. They submitted a memorandum to the district administration, urging the Centre not to entertain any deal with the U.S.

In the memorandum, they said that the visit was meant to bring pressure on the Union Government to offer red carpet welcome to multinational companies to invest in business, agriculture, education and other important sectors.

This would affect the economy of the country, they said.

MANGALORE

Members of CPI (M) staged a protest against the visit of US President Barack Obama to the country here on Monday November 8.

The protest was held in front of the DC office at 4 pm. B Madhava, secretary, CPI (M) district committee stated that the US is trying to dominate the world with its policies and that Obama is acting against the interests of Indians.

The Left parties protested at Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Kota, Chittorgarh, Ajmer, Jaipur in Rajastan, Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Left parties protest against Obama's visit in Mumbai

Left parties staged protests in Mumbai against US President Barack Obama's India visit, demanding justice for Bhopal gas tragedy victims and accusing the United States of not helping India on terrorism issue.

Activists of CPI, CPI(M), Forward Block and Krantikari Samajwadi Party demonstrated at the Churchgate station, demanding that Obama, who arrived here earlier today, return to the US immediately.

It is not an isolated case

S. DORAIRAJ(Frontline) : Interview with A. Soundararajan, CITU general secretary, Tamil Nadu.

A. SOUNDARARAJAN, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), has been leading workers' struggles in many industrial units, including Foxconn India.

In this interview, he expresses his views on issues such as implementation of labour laws in special economic zones (SEZs), the State government's approach to labour disputes and the determination of the workers in asserting their rights. Excerpts:

Are the country's labour laws applicable to units in the SEZs?

The Indian labour laws are applicable to industries in any part of the country, including the SEZs. The multinational corporations also have to abide by these Acts and rules.

The Central SEZ Act also makes it clear that normal labour laws are applicable to SEZs, which are enforced by the respective State governments. Though attempts were made to exempt units in SEZs from these laws, the Left parties succeeded in making the first United Progressive Alliance government incorporate this provision in the Central Act. The tragedy is that though accepted theoretically, it has not been properly enforced.

Where did the State government fail so far as the Foxconn issue is concerned?

Upon receiving the plea from the Foxconn India management on August 24 to arrange for a proper election mode to ascertain the strength of the LPF and CITU unions in the factory, the Labour Department should have immediately seized the opportunity to hold a secret ballot. Unfortunately, it failed to do so. The lack of response from the authorities betrayed the plan to instal the ruling party's union, the LPF.

If this trend continues, the State will witness a spate of struggles and agitations to assert trade union and labour rights in the industries, including the multinational corporations in SEZs.

What made the CITU enter the picture when the workers had already chosen the LPF to represent them in Foxconn India?

The workers were disenchanted with the LPF union, particularly in the wake of the untoward incident in Foxconn's Sunguvarchatram plant where several workers were taken ill in July. The workers, including some key office-bearers of the union, left the union and sought our assistance to improve their working conditions and enhance their wages. Only then we came into the picture.

Do you think that the Foxconn issue is an isolated case?

No; it is not an isolated case. There is a definite pattern in the way the government deals with labour disputes.

The successive governments in the last 10 years were very particular to see that no union was formed in the industrial units in SEZs. But the workers, owing to their bitter experiences, began forming unions, even risking their jobs. In this way, unions were started in a number of MNCs. The managements of all these units refused to recognise the unions affiliated to the CITU or to talk to their functionaries.

On seeing that workers had started moving to the CITU, the ruling party, with the support of the government, introduced the LPF unions with a view to satisfying the statutory requirement. These unions turned out to be the puppets of managements, betraying the interests of the workers.

Foxconn is a typical example of the majority of workers supporting the CITU. Now BYD, China is the new addition.

Can the Foxconn India workers, with women making up around 40 per cent of the workforce, sustain the struggle?

The management thought that the strike would fade away in a short period. Contrary to their expectations, the workers are holding on for over a month. The young women workers showed exemplary courage in the face of police action and intimidation. Actually, the Foxconn workers, through their determination, have sounded a note of caution to the MNCs in the State that they can no longer flout the labour laws. The managements' resistance will collapse like a house of cards in the face of the workers' resolve to assert their right to better wages and service conditions and the right to choose their union.

(Courtesy : Frontline Magazine)

AIDWA national convention at Motijheel from Nov 9 Read more: AIDWA national Conference at Kanpur from Nov 9 to 12

All India Democratic Women's Association's (AIDWA) national conference is scheduled to be held at Motijheel in Kanpur (UP) from November 9 to 12. It is for the first time that the national conference of AIDWA is to be held in a Hindi speaking state. Venezuelan ambasaddor Milina Centana will be the special guest on the ocassion. The Venezuela ambassador will inform the audience of the women movement in her country and their achievements.

In the inaugural session, five women from different states, who had fought against political violence, untouchability and police exploitation, would narrate their stories. A rally is organised at Ghantaghar on November 12 and Brinda Karat would address the members and volunteers at the meeting.

Let us uphold the banner of Class struggle

Cherishing the Memory of the Great October Revolution: A.K. Padmanabhan

This Seventh November will once again renew a lot of discussions on the great October Revolution of 1917, led by the great revolutionary Com. V.I. Lenin. Pages of history teach us that the discussions, of various kinds, had started even before the Great Revolution itself. The question of working class of a country taking over political power was very critically approached by a section of the working class movement at that time itself.

Those who had a mechanical approach to the teachings of Marx and Engels had at that time itself argued the cause of a world wide revolution! It is reminded here only to point out that debates on various aspects of October Revolution had begun even before the success of the revolution and it is not surprising that those types of debates are still continuing! It can be surely expected that these debates will be never ending!

Without going into various theoretical aspects of the great October Revolution, let us only look into the impact that was created!

Soviet Union’s great achievements within a short period, in improving the lives of the working people had attracted attention of the toiling masses all over the period. As has been noted by many, “what could be achieved by the capitalist system in 300 years could be achieved within 30 years of revolution”. The capacity of Soviet Union was proved by the epoch making victory over fascism by the Red Army of the Socialist Soviet Union in the year 1945.

The beacon light of the revolutionary movement was literally strengthening the aspirations of all the enslaved and exploited people in various countries and its full impact was felt in later years, when Soviet Union extended various kinds of help to the newly liberated countries and also to those who were fighting for their freedom.

By the early 1960s USSR was front ranking in the rate of economic growth, income, production and consumption. Socialised production and ownership instead of privatised ownership and production created this big change. The great achievements in the fields of education, health and employment, which were also ensured as basic rights was something unknown to the world. That was the only country, at that point of time, that ensured peoples’ right to live, which was guaranteed through states intervention, instead of throwing them out to the claws of the competitive market. The advances in science, art, culture etc was ensured with people’s active involvement and participation.

The rights and the social security system ensured to the working people after the revolution created the impetus for world wide changes. This fact has been agreed upon even by many of the ardent critics of USSR and its policies!

The fact that more than 20 million people gave up their lives for the cause of defending the gains of Revolution and new pages of valour and sacrifices were added to the pages of history of humanity by ordinary men and women can never be forgotten!

It was their commitment to the cause of the Revolution – the political and ideological commitment of a whole country – that ensured the historic victory in the great Patriotic War!

These achievements and advances of the USSR and further strengthening of the Socialist System with victories in Eastern Europe, formation of the Peoples’ Republic of China added strength to the determination of the people’s movements in the enslaved countries!

The change in the correlation of forces at the world level forced the imperialist forces to come forward for peace talks and also reach certain understandings on regulating or reducing nuclear arms!

One irrefutable fact was that the world was saved from a repeat of nuclear holocausts like Hiroshima and Nagasaki as USSR could catch up with the war mongering U.S. on Nuclear arms!

But while all these were happening, at the political ideological level, many deviations were taking place. In the name of correcting the wrongs done earlier, many wrong conclusions were reached. The lead that U.S.S.R could attain up to very early 60s, led to many wrong assessments on the internal and international situation. These conclusions and assessments also led to minimising or fully giving up caution against the destabilising efforts of imperialist forces and their supporters all over the world.

Internally, strengthening democracy was an important task. That was a real necessity to strengthen the Socialist system. But in the name of democracy, the Socialist system was allowed to be decimated. All these are now part of history. The way the exploiters all over the world celebrated the fall of Soviet Union and East European Socialist Countries is well known. More than anything else, the concerted attack against the ideology of the working class - Scientific Socialism – is continuing.

The last 20 years of these concerted campaigns at the international and national level have created serious crisis among the toiling masses. The theme of these campaigns has been ‘Socialism is dead; Capitalism is the last word in history; and There Is No Alternative to capitalism’. `End of history’ – theorised by Fukuyama was taken up internationally by various forces for full throated campaign.

As the ideas about Socialism and also the ideological aspects of it, was taken to the working people on the basis of great achievements of Soviet Union, the collapse of Soviet Union created a serious crisis and anti-Socialist forces could sow seeds of confusion.

Another aspect of the fall of the Soviet Union is the increasing belligerence of U.S. imperialism and its military and political interventions, in the process of asserting a unipolar world. Several of those who had not understood the political impact of the collapse of USSR, had now started debating on the issue. Some of them have even wished - if USSR was there. There are many instances where the US was unilaterally able to impose its will on other countries. It is also heartening that there are some positive developments, challenging of the U.S. diktats and also developing trends of multipolarity.

The recent developments in the capitalist world, resulting in the biggest ever crisis in the system has brought out the real face of Capitalist System and its unsustainability. The importance of the analysis of the exploiting Capitalist System by Marx and Engels, which proclaimed the inevitability of a new Socialist System, has to be understood fully. This Seventh November reminds us the task of educating our class on the historical role that has to be played by the working class, learning from its past weaknesses and failures. We have to combat the erroneous ideologies that have been spread in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. A counter offensive by our class is the necessity of the hour! Let us prepare ourselves and organise our class to take up these challenges effectively. Let us uphold the banner of class struggle and cherish the memory of the great October Revolution!

CAG Findings Vindicate CPI(M) Charge on 2 G spectrum allotment : Sitaram Yechury

Issue	CPI (M) Charge	CAG Findings
Dimension of the Scam	Ø      “Loss due to 122 licenses for new entrants in 2008: Rs. 124,000 crore Ø      Loss due to cross-over licenses permitted to CDMA operators (Dual Technology License): Rs. 36,000 crore Ø      Loss due to excess spectrum occupied by the GSM operators beyond 6.2 MHz: Rs. 30,000 crore Ø      Total Loss: Rs.190,000 crore”	“6.3 Given its scarcity value and increasing demand, a comprehensive evaluation of available spectrum was required which was not done. With the UAS policy and its subsequent amendments being implemented in a weak and indeterminate manner and with the reluctance on the part of DoT to address the issue of pricing of 2G spectrum, it was only natural that 2G spectrum was allocated at much below its value. Though the correct value of 2G spectrum allotted to 122 licences in January 2008 and the 35 licences under dual technology, also in 2008 could have been determined only by a market driven process, if adopted. However, its presumptive value, based on various available indicators, as indicated in Chapter 5 ranged between Rs. 90000 crore and Rs. 140,000 crore. In addition, the value of additional spectrum allotted beyond the contractual amount to existing nine operators, based on 3G rates works out to Rs. 36729 crore.” (Comment: Adding the components, the total loss to the exchequer is calculated as Rs 176,379 crore.)
Violations of TRAI Recommendations and Overruling the Advise of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law	“The Telecom Minister was given explicit recommendation by TRAI in August 2007 (Section 2.73) that the entry fee existing then based on 2001 prices was not realistic and there was a need to “reassess entry fee through market mechanism.” Further, the PMO (your letter), Finance Ministry, Law Ministry, and internal memos of senior officials of DoT had made it clear that instead of the dubious route of “first come first served” distribution of 2G spectrum/ licenses at 2001 prices, other routes for price discovery including auction or appropriate benchmarking should be adopted.”       “I cannot accept that the PMO, the Law Ministry, the Finance Ministry and senior officials in the DoT were all ignorant of the existing policy and TRAI provisions while advising the Ministry on entry fee/spectrum charges. Notwithstanding these recommendations, the Minister went ahead with this spurious first come first served principle claiming previous policy of 2003 and TRAI recommendations as the basis of his decision.”	“4.2 Advice of the Hon’ble Minister of Law and Justice was ignored by DoT”   “4.2.4 Concerns of the Ministry of Finance and Finance Wing of DoT on continuance of entry fee fixed in 2001 were overlooked”                      “6.4 The Hon’ble MoC &IT for no apparent logical or valid reasons ignored the advice of Ministry of Law, and Ministry of Finance, avoided the deliberations of the Telecom Commission to allocate 2G spectrum, a scarce finite national asset at less than its true value on flexible criteria and procedures adopted to benefit a few operators. TRAI, the regulator also stood by as a helpless spectator when its recommendations were being either ignored or misused.”
Arbitrary Operation of First-Come-First-Served (FCFS) Policy	“There is now clear evidence that the first-come-first-served policy for award of licenses was further vitiated by entirely arbitrary operation of even this principle. The Delhi High Court Judgements of July 1 and November 24, 2009 struck down the September 25 cut-off date imposed by the Ministry on license applications as illegal, calling this change of cut-off date as “... a change in the rule after the game has begun”. Even more glaring was modifying first-come basis from the date of application for license to whoever deposits the money first with just a few hours’ notice. This was done well after the ranking of parties as per original criterion of first-come was known, and was nothing but a blatant attempt to change this ranking in favour of specific parties. This is now no longer a matter of inferences or media reports but stated in an Audit Report – P&T’s Audit Office report dated March 31, 2010. The entire exercise was nothing but playing favourites and awarding licenses to a hand-picked set of parties.”	“4.3 Multiple Activities on 10 January 2008 On 10 January 2008 afternoon, DoT informed all eligible applicants who applied for UAS licences up to 25th September 2007 through the Press Information Bureau that they would be issued LoI. It was also mentioned in the press release that as per the policy of FCFS being followed for the grant of UAS licences, an application which is received first will be processed first and thereafter if found eligible will be granted LoI and then whosoever, complies with the condition of LoIs first will be granted UAS license. This stipulation took away the relevance of the date of application and the sanctity of the declared FCFS policy. Though the draft press release proposed to maintain the inter-se seniority of applicants based on their date of applications, if more than one applicant complied with LOI conditions on the same day, the same was withdrawn from the final press release. Thus DoT deviated from its declared FCFS policy though MOCIT maintained that it was continuing ‘with the policy (first-cum-first-served) for processing of applications’”   “6.2 The process followed for spectrum allocation was also unfair, considering the fact that DoT did not follow its own guidelines on eligibility conditions, arbitrarily changed the cut off date for receipt of applications post facto and altered the conditions of the FCFS procedure it had been following, gave unfair advantage of certain companies over others thus creating an environment which can not be perceived as transparent and fair.”

 

 

Additional Issues that the CAG Report brings out:

 

1.   Changing of the Terms of Reference of the EGoM by the Cabinet to keep out Spectrum Pricing

 

“3.2.1 Thus spectrum pricing issue was to be decided in consultation with the MoF. However, when a GoM was constituted in February 2006, its Terms of Reference (ToR) were modified at the instance of DoT to keep the issue of spectrum pricing outside its purview. Though MoF insisted for its inclusion in the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the GoM, DoT maintained that ‘spectrum pricing was within the normal work carried out by them’. The Department of Economic Affairs held the view that spectrum pricing is an issue which has far reaching consequences for the economy and needs to be debated, but this was not considered and the views of DoT prevailed in finalisation of ToR.

 

2.    Parties who were Not Eligible for award of licenses were Given licenses. 

 

“4.4.2  Verification of the files of the DoT and public documents accessed from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi, revealed that as many as 85 Licenses to 12 Companies, out of the 122 new licenses issued in January 2008 were granted to those which did not satisfy the eligibility conditions prescribed by DoT. While 72 licenses were given to companies which did not have the stipulated paid up capital at the time of application, 27 licenses were issued to companies who failed to satisfy conditions of main object clause in their Memorandum of Association and the share holding pattern declared by one Company did not meet DoT stipulations.”  

CPIM demands government intervention in Himachal truck operators strike

The Himachal Pradesh state secretariat of the Communist Party of India Marxist has strongly deplored the BJP government for its absolute smugness in the ongoing strike of truck operators in Darlaghat in Solan district. Since October 5, 2010’ all the truck operators are on strike demanding an increase in the freight charges. There have been no serious initiatives on the part of the BJP government to intervene and ensure an amicable settlement. The CPIM has stated, the Ambuja cements which now is being owned by Holcim Cements is continuing with its production from the other units in different parts of the county. Deliberately the company is buying time to break the patience of the operators especially the small ones so that it can dictate its own terms for the agreement.

The CPIM has stated, the freight formula needs to be rationalized so that the people who have lost their land for cement production can continue with their subsistence. The company intends to get rid off with the truck operators and bring big operators with large trawlers which only a few can afford. It is indeed shocking that another cement plant being owned by JP in the same district provides Rs 653 per tonne freight whereas in JP it is just Rs 478.00. The CPIM has learnt that in this period of last one month more than 3000 trucks have come to a halt. More than Rs 1 crore has been lost in this period to which both the government and the Ambuja cements owes an explanation.

The CPIM has asked for an immediate intervention from the government so that the demands of the truck operators could be met with.

Tikender Singh Panwar
Member State secretariat

Obama's visit to India only a business tour : Sitharam Yechury

CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechuri has termed U.S. President Barack Obama's forthcoming visit to India as a business tour, favorable only for the American economy.

Addressing a press conference in Visakhapatanam on Tuesday, Yechuri said: "Obama is coming to India with a business agenda. It has been outlined in a reported letter to the Prime Minister."

"President Obama is looking towards India to be a big source of investment in the United States so that they are able to get out of their economic crisis. But more importantly he has also mentioned that India must open up its domestic market for U.S.A. agricultural products. Now if that happens, that will mean the ruin of Indian agriculture," he added.

He also cautioned the Indian government about the proposed move to allow agricultural produce from U.S. to be sold in India.

Commenting on terrorism, he said that the matter relating to David Headly, a U.S. national linked with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case, was not handled properly by U.S. and important information was hidden from India.

"After David Headley's experience was not very good, India is also now suggesting that we should jointly fight terrorism. Yes, terrorism has to be fought globally, there is no doubt about it and there is no compromise on that. But we must be clear from where the threats to terrorism emerge and therefore on that basis India should decide," said Yechuri.

He asserted that since terrorism has emerged as one of the biggest threats in today's world, it is the need of the hour to fight it collectively.

He also accused the U.S. of being biased and selfish when it comes to sharing its scientific inventions and developed technologies with the developing nations.

"It (U.S.A.) will only share when it has some interest of its own to pursue otherwise it has never parted with technology," added Yechuri.

Demanding universalisation of PDS, Yechury said the UPA government at the Centre should have no hesitation in giving Rs90,000 crore for it when it relaxed indirect tax of Rs9.33 lakh crore for "capitalists" during the past two years.

He further said that CPI(M) would organise nation-wide agitation demanding universalisation of PDS.

CPIM rally gets huge response in Bankura

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday got huge response in a rally at the troubled-torn areas in Jangalmahal, where maoists terrorists and trinamool congress have been creating problems. People came from far off places while the CM addressed the public gathering on the banks of the Gandheswari river in Bankura on Saturday. Comrade Bhattacharya criticized the railway minister over her promises for jobs, and was creating all sorts of problems by teaming up with the Maoists. "Several murders have been committed in the district. Earlier there was no problem in this place. Trinamool Congress is moving along with the Maoists, and creating troubles at places like Indus and Patrasayar. We won't let Maoists make headway." The CM appealed to the people to ensure peace in the villages. Bhattacharjee termed the Trinamool as a disruptive party. "The Trinamool are telling lies every day. It has been one year and four months now since Mamata Banerjee took over as railway minister, but you tell me how many people have got jobs in the railways? Not a single person. On the contrary, people are losing jobs," the chief minister said. Pointing at the railway factories, Bhattacharjee criticised that the Trinamool had no policy. "They are only riding on publicity. One day the people will understand which is right and which is wrong," the chief minister said. While the CM's meeting was being held, environment activist Subhas Datta also arrived at the place on Saturday to inspect how the public gathering was disturbing the Gandheswari river bank.

The Gandheswari River Bachao Committee have been complaining for the last few days that the river back was getting disturbed due to the preparations for holding the mass meeting. "Such public meetings should not be held in such river banks. I have sent letters to both the CPM and Trinamool on this. Many rivers in the state, like Saraswati, have completely dried out. Gandheswari is an important river for the people of this area and it has to be saved and protected. "We are thinking of filing a PIL on this issue," Datta said. He also spoke to the Gandheswari River Bachao Committee members on the matter.