Welcome Verdict in SNC Lavalin case

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

Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan, member of the Polit Bureau and Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) has been discharged from the SNC-Lavalin case by the CBI Special Court at Thiruvananthapuram.

This verdict exonerating Pinarayi Vijayan from the charges is welcome. It is a vindication of the stand taken by the CPI(M) that these charges are baseless and it was a political motivated case.

SFI victory in HCU elections

Central Executive committee of Students’ Federation of India Congratulates the student community for voting in large number in support of the SFI panel in the recently concluded students’ union elections in the Hyderabad Central University, despite the unprecedented campaign of lies and slander, by the united opposition consisting of all political shades. SFI registered an emphatic victory, winning all the major executive posts. This is the fourth consecutive time that the student community of HCU has stood behind the banner of “Independence, Democracy and Socialism”. Shirisha V. (pursuing Integrated Masters in Economics) became the first ever woman President of the Students’ Union in the history of HCU by defeating the nearest rival candidate of ABVP by more than 90 votes. The post of General Secretary was won by another SFI candidate Sandeep Kumar (pursuing MCA) won the post with a margin of more than 50 votes. Aditya Harish contesting from SFI panel won the post of Joint Secretary by defeating the nearest candidate of ABVP by more than 90 votes.

This is a translation of solid commitment of the SFI unions over these four years to the needs and aspirations of the student community, while not wavering even for a moment from the larger goal of aligning with the broader movement for the social transformation. SFI approached the Students’ Union Election with a clear cut manifesto upholding its uncompromising stand against the commercialization, privatization of education and communal politics while upholding the commitment for social, economic and woman empowerment. HCU Unit has played a creative role in redrawing the political contours of HCU, which hasn’t remained aloof from the neo-liberal onslaught on the public education as seen throughout the country.

Whether be it the attempts of fee hike, imposition of service charges, handover of the university land to land mafia, moral policing and restrictions on mobility of girl students; SFI has thwarted all regressive attempts of the administration over these years. We are confident that the newly elected union under the leadership of Comrade Shirisha will not only take this legacy forward, but will take it to newer heights. We congratulate the SFI unit committee of the Hyderabad Central University and the Andhra Pradesh State committee for the excellent results in the elections.

At this juncture, we would like to reassert the fact that in the past few months, student community of the Country has wholeheartedly supported SFI in most of the places, where elections to the colleges and Universities have been conducted. Rajasthan, Himachal, Kerala and Tripura are testimony to this glaring fact. We would like to particularly highlight the experience of Tripura, where SFI candidates have emerged as victorious in all the seats, for which elections were conducted. We need to carry this crimson red flame of ‘Study and struggle’ forward to those parts also where the neo-liberal onslaught on education, livelihoods and social justice still remains unabated.

Third front alternative formed in Jammu Kashmir

 

 The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples United Front (JKPUF), the third front alternative in Jammu Kashmir is officially formed with CPIM, Samajwadi Party, Lok Jana Shakti Party, CPI and various independent MLA's

The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples United Front (JKPUF) on October 30 held its first public meeting at Sher-e-Kashmir Park attended by thousands of people who had come from different corners of the valley.

Addressing the gathering, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami CPI (M) State Secretary, urged the leadership of India-Pakistan to jointly work for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan which will prove to be beneficial for both the countries especially for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Tarigami said the USA’s exit from Afghanistan in next year will provide a chance to India and Pakistan to show statesmanship in course correction and to strengthen their strained relations.

He also criticized the deliberate erosion in credibility of institutions like Legislative Assembly saying the fate of the resolutions passed in the House is known to one and all here in the state and the country. “The government of India promised return of power projects but what happened to those promises is known to all. The rest of damage was done by the retired general who leveled serious but allegations against political mainstream of the state. We have already demanded a thorough probe into these allegations failing which the government of India cannot blame people of Kashmir for any negative consequences,” he added.

Tarigami also expressed concern over the escalation on borders saying that war being no option, the two countries must work for cessation of hostilities as soon as possible. “The families living near borders are the worst victims of these border skirmishes and the tension on borders have a direct bearing on the people of the state and the two countries,” he observed.

In his address, Hakim Mohammad Yasin president PDF and MLA, expressed serious concern over the prevailing socio-economic and political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Yasin termed efforts seeking political stability development and dignified future should be endeavour of the political leadership.

He said that unfortunately, in past the people of Kashmir have all along been exploited by political forces for their vote banks. “Time has come when the people should realize that such forces have always been interested in their own benefits. Let me also inform those political forces as well that times have gone when you were befooling people with hollow political and emotional slogans. Now people judge you by your performance.”

President PDF observed that double standards adopted by different political parties is responsible for the prevailing mess in the state. “Had these political forces worked fairly calling spade a spade, things would have been entirely different in this state. But these political forces never tried to portray a real picture in front of people instead they have always been indulging in taking people in an ideal world.”

Abdul Rashid Kabuli, former Member Parliament while addressing the meeting highlighted the sufferings of people saying that India and Pakistan can no longer delay the resolution of the vexed Kashmir issue. “People here cannot tolerate anymore sufferings. Time has come when India and Pakistan should sit and resolve this issue by taking peoples aspirations into consideration. People of the state are primary stakeholders of this issue and should be taken on board. Now the leadership of India and Pakistan are talking peace, we the people of Jammu and Kashmir wish them success in their peaceful endevours.”

Kabuli said that a significant number of people in the state have been killed and hundreds of youth have been detained, tortured and tormented during the ongoing conflict. “Time has come when we should work to make Indi and Pakistan understand the need for dialogue and resolution of this long pending issue,” he added.

Sheikh Abdul Rehman former MP and state president Samajwadi Party in his speech criticized Congress and BJP saying both the parties have caused huge damage to the country in terms of mal practices, corruption and communal disharmony. He said CAF findings have exposed the Congress style of working and how the party is neck deep in corruption.

“While Congress is neck deep in corruption the BJP is surviving on communal frenzy. However, both the parties are being funded by corporate houses who have large stakes in country’s economy,” he added.

Sanjay Saraf, Lok Janshakti Party leader observed lamented that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah being a young leader; nothing tangible was done for the unemployed youth of the state. “People had expected a lot from this young man but he proved to be failure. What his government did is evident from that fact that over a 100 youth were killed in 2010 out of which not a single case has reached to any logical conclusion.”

Similarly, Saraf said that the youth of the state are being fed with drugs to benefit the vested interests who use our youth for their vote bank politics.

Abdul Rehman Tukru state secretary CPI also addressed the meeting. In his speech, Tukru said that it is the common people of the state who bear the brunt of the faulty policies of the state and the central government. “We witnesses the common people are being pushed from pillar to post for their genuine issues. What type of policy it is that peasants, who are our backbone, are being neglected to the hilt?”

Meanwhile, Tarigami observed that the all the political leaders who have pledged to work jointly have reached to a consensus that now onwards we will work under the banner “Peoples United Front”. Tarigami said that the Front is well versed with its strength but want to assure the people that efforts will be made to further strengthen this forum. “We know our efforts are inadequate to the challenge in front of us but nevertheless it is a humble beginning from our side to work for our people. In future we will also try to seek support from certain civil society groups, intellectuals and political leaders to strengthen this Front so that people get some sort of relief in their daily lives,” he added.

He appealed people not to misconstrue PUF as an alternative political force which is in search of power. “People of this state are confronted with many grave issues including corruption, misgovernance, political unrest, poor development, unemployment. We won’t claim of having any magic wand to change this scenario within a jiffy, but we will seek peoples support for alternative policies which can bring some change. This is what, we pledge to work for,” he observed.

(Courtesy : Com. Shyam Prasad Kesar)

Resolution Adopted at the Convention for People’s Unity & Against Communalism

India is a country with various religions, languages, castes and cultures. But there is an underlying unity in the diversity. A unity, which is based on the unity of the people, which makes us all Indians.

This unity of the people and the country is under threat from the communal forces. While the people of India, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians and many others fought together for independence, the communal ideology and communal organisations stayed away and instead sought to divide the people. The people rejected the communal ideology and India became a secular democratic republic.

At present, the communal forces are once again seeking to raise communal issues and create communal tensions.  In the light of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the communal campaign has been intensified. This has resulted in outbreak of communal incidents in various parts of the country. The riots in Muzaffarnagar are the most glaring example.

It is necessary for the secular and democratic forces to unitedly counter the communal forces of all varieties and maintain people’s unity.

This Convention calls upon the secular and democratic forces to strengthen their efforts amongst the people and mobilize them for rebuffing the communal forces, preserve communal amity, defend our composite culture and strengthen the unity of the people.

Convention for People’s Unity & Against Communalism

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechuri, Janata Dal leader and former prime minister H D Devegowda, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat and Janata Dal (U) leader Sharad Yadav and others join hands during the convention, "People's Unity against Communalism" in New Delhi"

Amid efforts to form a Third Front, several regional parties including Left, JD(U), AIADMK, BJD and UPA ally NCP today came together at a convention here with their leaders pitching for unity among them to defeat the "threat" from fascist and communal forces.

JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appeared to target BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as he said some leaders go after those who oppose their views or ideologies and talk about "cleansing" them.

Addressing the 'Convention against Communalism', he said the 17 parties assembled at the meet should forge "maximum possible unity" to defeat the threat from "fascism, communalism and terrorism" to the country.

"The question being asked is that if this convention means formation of a new front. As of today, this is not the case. But we all have to think that in the face of fascism, communalism and terrorism, democratic forces should maintain maximum possible unity on issues to combat and defeat such powers," he said.

Kumar said that in the aftermath of riots in UP's Muzaffarnagar, there has been a realisation about the need to raise voice against the threat of communalism.

The convention, organised by the Left parties, is being seen as an attempt for forge a conglomerate of non-Congress and non-BJP parties ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party is in power in UP, said Muzaffarnagar riots were fomented by communal forces.

"At least we got together (on the same platform). If we unite, communal forces will not able to raise their head...We have crushed communal forces and we will continue to crush communal forces whenever they rear there head again," he said.

Yadav's colleague Ram Gopal Yadav said today's meeting was a "beginning" for the shape of things to come in the future.

NCP leader Praful Patel justified the party's participat on in the convention, saying "in the era of coalition politics, we have to keep our options open of working with other parties." Besides Kumar and Mulayam Singh Yadav, the convention was attended by CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, NCP's D P Tripathi, JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda, AIADMK's M Thambidurai and CPI's A B Bardhan.

 Nitish Kumar said some leaders say 'chun chun kar saaf karo' (resort to cleansing). What kind of language is this? In a democracy, you win elections by defeating others. But why use phrases like cleansing others?"

Hitting out at Modi, the Bihar Chief Minister said everyone needs development but the model of development is important.

"A choice has to be made between models which favour corporate houses or inclusive models which focusses on the development of common man," the JD(U) leader said.

He said non-inclusive models which do not care for the poor and the weaker sections cannot suceed while models with emphasis on human development would have a stronger foundation.

In yet another salvo at Modi, Kumar said there are forces in the country which do not tolerate dissent.

In this context, he said there have been efforts to malign nobel laureate Amartya Sen after he had praised work done in Bihar.

Kumar, in an apparent attack on VHP, said people were taking out "untimely" religious processions and yatras in an attempt to "raise passions and create divisions".

The Bihar Chief Minister went on to caution the media also, saying it can report freely only in a democracy.

Yadav said, "I have been a victim of communal forces but in UP we have given them a befitting reply."

Referring to Muzaffarnagar riots, he said the loss of lives was regrettable but his party had tried to ensure that muslims were not demoralised.

CPI(M) seeks probe into attack on Kerala CM

The CPI(M) has demanded an inquiry into the attack on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Kannur on Sunday, in the light of Intelligence reports warning about the possibility of such an incident.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the attack was designed to create public sympathy for the embattled Chief Minister who had become increasingly isolated following a series of scams.

“Mr.Chandy and his office stand accused of trying to protect the accused in several scams. No other Chief Minister has been so isolated from the public in the history of the State.”

Mr. Vijayan said the LDF stir against Mr.Chandy had remained peaceful since its launch in June. “Despite cruel assault on students, youth, and women by the police, our agitation has been peaceful.”

He sought to know what pre-emptive action the government had taken in the light of the Intelligence report that a ruling front activist might infiltrate the Opposition ranks and carry out an attack on the Chief Minister to restore his badly dented image.

“It is clear that it is the Chief Minister and not the Opposition who stands to benefit from such an attack.” He said the attack had happened far away from the four places where LDF workers had gathered to wave black flags against Mr. Chandy in Kannur.

“Immediately after the incident, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told reporters that LDF workers were taken into custody. That was a signal for the police to round up CPI(M) volunteers.”

Observing that even a minor assault on the Chief Minister was a cause for concern, he said the police should be able to identify the assailant easily, since Mr.Chandy was under heavy security cover during the attack.

Mr.Vijayan demanded a serious investigation to identify the people who had planned and executed the attack on the Chief Minister. He, however, warned against any attempt to launch a witch hunt against the CPI(M).

Replying to questions, he said the LDF would continue the agitation against Mr. Chandy. Mr. Vijayan said he and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had not called on Mr.Chandy as they had been advised against visiting Medical College Hospital on Monday morning.

Asked whether Sunday’s incident at Kannur had provided political mileage for the Chief Minster, he said it would boomerang on Mr.Chandy.

(source : the Hindu)

On Patna Bomb Blast

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the serial bomb blasts in Patna yesterday which led to the death of five persons and injuries to scores of others.  These cowardly attacks once again highlight the urgent need to strengthen intelligence against terror attacks.  Governments at the Centre and the state have to coordinate to ensure that the real culprits are arrested.  The Polit Bureau calls upon the people of Bihar to maintain and strengthen their unity.

Kerala LDF to seige CM's House

Left Democratic Front state committee today decided to launch indefinite massive siege of the Cliff House, the official residence of the Kerala Chief Minister from December 9 demanding the resignation solar scam tainted Oommen Chandy. The details will be finalized at the LDF meeting to be held on November 18, LDF convener Vaikom Vishwan told reporters. 

 

The siege has been planned as the Chief Minister has backtracked on his promises to appoint a sitting judge to probe the solar scam following the historic siege of the state Secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram in August 2013.

 

The meeting presided over by Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan also decided to organize two campaign jathas prior to the siege of the Cliff House. Both Jathas will begin on November 1 and conclude on 13. The northern Jatha led by deputy leader of opposition Kodiyeri Balakrishnan will start from Uppala in Kasargode. CPI state secretary Pannian Raveendran will inaugurate northern Jatha, which will cover Kasargode, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad districts and will culminate at Thrissur.

 

The Southern Jatha led by CPI legislative party leader C Divakaran will be inaugurated by Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan at Eranakulam. The Jathas will cover Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, kollam districts and culminate at Thiruvananthapuram.

 

 

In the meanwhile, a Kerala state plenum of the CPI(M) will be held from November 27 to 28, 2013 at Palakkad. This plenum will be an extended meeting of the state committee. A massive rally will also be held at Palakkad on the concluding day on November 28.

CPI(M) AP State Committee Demands Pro-Active Steps to End Impasse

THE CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state committee has strongly objected to the indifferent attitude of the central and state governments to the intensifying agitations in the state. It felt the chief minister and Group of Ministers are not taking initiative to solve the problems being raised by the striking government employees.

The two-day meeting of the state committee was held in Party state headquarters MB Bhavan on October 10-11, 2013. Addressing the media in the afternoon of the first day, Party state secretary B V Raghavulu lambasted the chief minister for sleeping on his job even as the common people were suffering due to agitations, bandhs, electricity employees strike etc. 

A resolution adopted by the state committee on the present situation demanded that the chief minister must immediately take initiative to arrange a meeting of the striking employee leaders with central government in order to resolve the impasse. It noted that the agitation for maintaining the integrated state of Andhra Pradesh that began after the July 30 resolution of Congress Working Committee proposing division of state has intensified with the approval of cabinet note on October 3. The entire Seemandhra region came to a standstill with two-day bandh call. With electricity employees also beginning an indefinite strike, power generation and distribution was seriously affected. There was a danger of collapse of entire Southern Grid. People suffered a lot with even hospitals impacted seriously due to this strike. The state committee resolution warned that if things continued in this manner, people’s lives and economic affairs of the state would suffer irrevocably.

The resolution also requested the central government to hold discussions with the political parties in the state either individually or jointly. It also called upon the political parties to eschew electoral opportunism that would only complicate the problems further. Instead they must clearly state their position before the people and the Group of Ministers formed by the central government. The CPI(M) also wanted the central government to announce a programme for holding consultations with those agitating on this issue and also with all organisations and individuals interested in expressing their opinions on this issue.  The resolution also demanded immediate alternative measures to overcome the dire situation arising out of the indefinite strike by electricity employees with water supply affected, hospitals facing crisis and borewell irrigation severely affected.

Raghavulu said the centre must move ahead on this issue only after holding these consultations. This problem can be solved only by this method, he felt. Taking a dig at TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu who is talking of ‘justice’, Raghavulu demanded that he must first make it clear to the people and central government as to what he concretely means by ‘justice’. Also YSRCP president Jaganmohan Reddy must make clear how the state would become a desert if it is divided, as he is claiming. Similarly BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu must also tell clearly what he means by ‘equal justice’ to Seemandhra people. Raghavulu lambasted these parties for trying to fool the people in their opportunist attempt to gain political mileage.  Replying to a question, he said the CPI(M) is totally opposed to imposition of President Rule in the state. No matter how volatile the situation is, as long as elected representatives are there, this option must not be exercised, he felt.

On Coal Allocation Case

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

 

The CBI has lodged an FIR against the Chairman of the Hindalco and  the former Coal Secretary in a coal allocation case.  This is part of the ongoing investigations in the coal block allocation matter.

 

The CPI(M) has been demanding a thorough investigation in this case of allocating natural resources illegally to ensure  windfall profits to certain companies.  Since this involved the period when the Prime Minister was in charge of the Ministry of Coal, this aspect also needs investigation.

 

It is shocking that a Union Minister, Anand Sharma, has come out in defence of a big industrialist  claiming he is innocent in the case.  This is nothing but a blatant effort to influence the case and intimidate the CBI.  This stand is also to justify the covert policy of privatizing the coal industry which is the root cause for the corruption involved.

 

The Polit Bureau demands that the CBI proceed in the entire investigation and pursue the guilty without fear or favour.