Com. Azheekodan Raghavan Day

Com. Azheekodan Raghavan died on 23rd September 1972, falling victim to a physical attack during night in Thrissur by a group of miscreants posing as political extremists. This was a heinous crime committed with the covert support of the ruling classes. Com. Azheekodan who was party State Secretariat member and convenor of the Left Front at his death, played a prominent role in organising the Communist Party and class organisations in the state, as well as in building the Party in its fight against left and right deviations.

TAMIL NADU - Left parties to meet in Chennai on October 7

N. Varadarajan, State Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist),

speaking at a demonstration, near Rajagopal Goundar Park,
in Dharmapuri on Tuesday
urging the government to issue pattas to Dalits living at Sengodipuram.

DHARMAPURI: Left parties in the State have convened a special conference in Chennai on October 7 to discuss spiralling rise in the prices of essential commodities in the country, N. Varadarajan, State Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), said here on Tuesday.

Mr. Varadarajan said the CPI (M) condemned the Dharmapuri Municipality’s indifferent attitude towards the 55 Dalit families living in Sengodipuram.

He said the resolution adopted by the municipality was against the interest of the Dalits. If the Dalits in Sengodipuram were denied pattas, the party would organise a State-wide agitation, Mr. Varadarajan said.

He alleged that the government over the years had given pattas for those living on the 4.25-acre land and was denying pattas to the Dalits living on 56 cents in Sengodipuram for over six decades.

Brinda Karat issue

When the situation in Uthapuram was peaceful, why did the Thiruparankundram police stop the party’s national leader Brinda Karat and take her to the police station, he asked. The government should not have handled the issue in this manner, he said.

(The Hindu)

Workers’ protest leads to lathi-charge on CPI(M) leaders, agitators arrested

Women protesters surround an unconscious Manzur Patel,
district general secretary of the CITU,
after police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the agitators,
in Gulbarga on Tuesday.

GULBARGA: The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse workers of the unorganised sector, owing allegiance to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), who were picketing the Vikasa Soudha complex demanding an increase in minimum wages and regularisation of services of daily-wage workers.

Several leaders, including Secretary of the State unit of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Maruti Manpade; District General Secretary of the CITU Manzur Patel; CPI(M) leaders Gangamma Biradar, Gouramma Patil; Kalpana, General Secretary of the Anganwadi Workers’ Union; District President of the CITU Shanta Ghanti; and Chincholi taluk panchayat member Sharanabasappa Mamshetty, were injured in the lathi-charge.

Mr. Patel became unconscious and once he regained consciousness the police took him away in a police van. According to CPI(M) party sources, Mr. Patel again slipped into unconsciousness at the University Police station where the protesters were lodged.

The police were seen dragging women protesters into the waiting police vans. Several vehicles, including a NEKRTC bus, two private buses and several two-wheelers were damaged in the stone-pelting. Speaking to presspersons from the police van, Mr. Manpade condemned the undemocratic act of the police and called for a Gulbarga city bandh on September 17 when Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa would be visiting the city to participate in the Liberation Day celebrations.

The trouble began when the protesters tried to prevent the entry of the vehicle of Superintendent of Police Padmanayan at the main gate of the Vikas Soudha at the fag end of the protest. Mr. Padmanayan got out of his vehicle and approached Mr. Manpade asking him to make away for him to enter the Deputy Commissioner’s office to hold discussions with the officials to break the deadlock and end the picketing amicably.

Argument

The CPI(M) workers refused to do so stating that no one would be allowed to enter the Vikasa Soudha unless the district administration held talks with the protesters regarding their 17-point demand. This led to a heated argument between Mr. Manpade and Mr. Padmanayan. One of the CPI(M) workers allegedly grabbed Mr. Padmanayan’s shirt. The police then resorted to mild lathi-charge to allow Mr. Padmanayan to enter the complex, and took Mr. Manpade into custody. This enraged the protesters and they began to pelt stones at the police, who resorted to lathi-charge and arrested the protesters. At least eight police personnel suffered injuries in the stone-throwing.

Condemned

The CITU, Karnataka State Committee, has condemned the lathi-charge and arrest of unorganised sector workers who were on a State-wide agitation. The CITU has urged the Government to meet the demands of the protesters besides taking action against the police officials responsible for the lathi-charge.

CITU leaders said that the police had lathi-charged peaceful agitators which had resulted in severe injuries to three in Gulbarga, six in Raichur and more than 10 in other places. “Women activists were also beaten up and policemen behaved rudely with them,” they alleged.

(The Hindu)

Udupi: CITU Takes up Cudgels on Behalf of Unorganized Labour

Udupi, Sep 15: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) led the protestors and laid siege to the office of the deputy commissioner of the district here on Tuesday September 15, demanding better treatment and facilities for the unorganized workers like the daily wagers, those working on contractor basis, against payment of honorarium etc.

A large number of workers belonging to these sectors took part in the protest. They were demanding for the meeting of at least some of their demands, which are basic essentials for a decent living. They demanded for the fixation of a minimum monthly wages of Rs 6,000 per month for all categories of the workers all over the state. Pointing out that expenditure of residence, like rent, has been taking away a big chunk of their earnings, they demanded that house sites be allotted to the unorganized labourers in the state. The other demands put forth by them included issuance of ration cards to all of them, provision of 14 essential goods at a reasonable rate through the fair price shops, abolition of the contract labour system and making the services of the contract labourers permanent and to draw up plans to strictly monitor the enforcement of labour laws.

They wanted that the services of all the workers hired through the process of direct recruitment by the government, like the Anganwadi staff, those engaged with the ‘Akshara Dasoha’ scheme, people working in gram panchayats on temporary basis, volunteers under 'Asha' scheme and other daily wagers working for the government, be absorbed into regular service with immediate effect.

The leaders pointed out that the owners of industrial units have received government packages, after they ran into rough weather due to the global economic downturn. Pointing out that the people and labourers working for these units have also suffered, they demanded that these people too be adequately compensated. Bringing the unorganized sector within the ambit of social security, making issuance of identity card to all of them mandatory etc., were the other demands the protestors put forth.

CITU general secretary Vishwanath Rai, president K Shankar, leaders Mahabal Voderhobli, Ramesh Mendon, Dogu Suvarna, Das Bhandary, Vittal Poojary, Sanjeev Nayak, Rajiv Poojary etc., were present. After the leaders addressed the protestors in front of the office of the deputy commissioner here, they were arrested by the policemen and released later.

(courtesy :www.daijiworld.com)

Mangalore: Hike quota for Dalits in budget

"The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) should increase the reservation proportion for Dalits in the budget from 18% to 22.75% as declared by the State government,demanded CPI(M) Action Committee for Integrated Implementation of 18% Scheme Convenor J P Vasudeva.

He was addressing party workers at a protest organised by the Action Committee demanding proper implementation of schemes for Dalits in front of the MCC Office here on Tuesday.

He said, "there is a downward trend in the Human Development Index (HDI) of Dalits in Mangalore city. Dalits, who lack proper housing facility, live in slum areas and also are facing severe health hazards.The HDI of Dalits in Mangalore is in a dire state only because of the lack of proper implementation of schemes by the MCC authorities, he charged.

Vasudeva urged that the annual income ceiling fixed for the beneficiaries under the 18% Scheme should be withdrawn. The financial aid being distributed to Dalits for the construction of house should be increased to Rs 3 lakh, he said and added that the formalities and conditions in schemes for Dalits should be liberalised.

CPI(M) District Committee member Krishnappa Konchadi urged that all schemes sanctioned for Dalits should be implemented in a transparent manner through a single window system. Authorities should liberalise procedures on humanitarian grounds to make available the benefits under various schemes to Dalits properly, he added. Konchadi demanded that electricity connections should be provided for houses of all Dalits in the city. Schemes should be implemented to provide houses for all Dalits, who do not have shelter, he said adding that benefits of all schemes should be made available to Dalits atleast within a month of application date.

CPI(M) Mangalore City Committee Secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) district President Muneer Katipalla were present.

(Courtesy : Mangalorean.com)

CPI (M) slams detention of Brinda Karat

The CPI (M) State executive committee on Saturday criticised the detention of party MP Brinda Karat while on here way to Uthapuram in Madurai district.

In a statement here, party secretary N. Varadarajan said that it was an anti-democratic act to prohibit the CPI (M) leader from even talking to the residents of the village. The State government had not fulfilled some of the demands of the Dalits of Uthapuram even after several agitations against acts of untouchability.

The Dalits could not use the new road laid by the government. The police had not taken any action. The government was refusing to construct a bus shelter at Uthapuram even after T.K. Rangarajan had made the allocation from MP’s fund. Even as this was the case, the police had detained Ms. Karat.

The government should conduct an enquiry and take action against the police personnel concerned, he said.

Brinda Karat detained at Tirupparankundram on her way to Uthapuram

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member and MP Brinda Karat was detained for nearly two hours by the Madurai rural police on Saturday when she was travelling to Uthapuram, a village that has witnessed discrimination against Dalits.

While Deputy Inspector-General of Police K. Balasubramanian claimed that Ms. Karat was not arrested, the CPI (M) leader said that the police had registered a case against her and ten others, including State general secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, U. Vasuki.

Ms. Vasuki said that the cases were registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including unlawful assembly. The DIG said the detention of Ms. Karat and others was preventive in nature. They were allowed to proceed with police security after the CPI (M) members clarified that it was a private visit and Ms. Karat would not address any public meeting.

Permission denied

Even as the convoy of Ms. Karat left Circuit House here, Superintendent of Police M. Manohar, along with the striking force, joined it on the way.

A team of police led by Tirumangalam Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Vijayaregunathan intercepted the vehicles on the Tirupparankundram highway. The police told Ms. Karat that she was not permitted to go to Uthapuram following a law and order problem. Ms. Karat was originally scheduled to address the Dalits of the village.

After the police denied permission for the meeting, Ms. Karat made a private visit to the residence of Ponniah, a Dalit in Uthapuram. In her informal interaction with the Dalits of the village, Ms. Karat promised that her party would continue to support their cause and fight for their rights and get due compensation for the victims of discrimination.

Earlier, at Tirupparankundram, after an altercation, the police said that Ms. Karat, along with the others, was being arrested. They were taken to the police station at around 7.30 a.m.

Reasons unknown

Later, Ms. Karat told reporters that even after an hour’s detention, the police were unable to tell her the sections under which she had been arrested and the reasons for it. “The police would have let me go to Uthapuram if I were to visit the criminals over there. Since I was going to visit the victims of untouchability, I was denied permission.”

Charging the State government with preventing her from going to Uthapuram, she said the government was guilty of segregating Dalits and others in the village.

“Instead of upholding the law, it wants to suppress the issue of civil rights. It has gone to the absurd extent of detaining us instead of those who were creating the law and order problem.” The State government had failed to protect the Dalits.

“Strange”

Calling it “strange,” Ms. Karat said, “First, I was detained on false charge (of preventing the police from discharging their duty). And after arresting me I am allowed to go to Uthapuram without any bail.” She said the police action lacked a reason.

Ms. Vasuki said the police had filed a first information report charging them under Sections 147, 148, 341, 188 of IPC and Section 30 (2) of the Police Act. This was denied by the DIG.

Ideology of EMS extremely relevant now: Brinda Karat

MADURAI: The practical politics and ideology of former Kerala Chief Minister and Communist leader E.M.S. Namoodripad were beyond his times and continued to be extremely relevant to the present political situation of the country and in a society with huge inequalities, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP and polit bureau member, Brinda Karat, said here on Friday.

Addressing the inaugural meeting organised to mark the birth centenary celebrations of the leader, popularly called EMS, Ms. Karat said that Indian politics required an alternative vision to project certain alternatives in all theories and practices.

Stating that even when lakhs of farmers in Tamil Nadu did not have a small patch of land to cultivate and lead a life of dignity, she said that it was EMS who had laid the ground for land reforms much before the country achieved independence.

She pointed out that EMS believed that the country’s development was crucially linked to understanding agriculture, in protecting farmers and the State’s support to them.

“Congress should learn from EMS and should not continue with its anti-farmer policy,” she said. It was an irony that instead of protecting the rights of farmers, the Centre, within 100 days in power, signed a free trade agreement with the ASEAN, allowing import of cheap products that would affect the livelihood of domestic farmers.

The leadership of EMS led to Kerala laying the ground for the best public distribution system in the country. “Even today, the people of Kerala, problems of recession notwithstanding, were assured of cheap commodities through fair price shops,” she said.

EMS was a great supporter of women’s rights and struggle in the Marxist way. The kind of support All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) enjoyed was due to the legacy of EMS, she said.

The Communist leader had shown the way not only to the Left parties, but also to leaders of other political parties by giving away all his family wealth for the cause of people and the party. Ms. Karat said that imperialism wanted to capture the minds of the Third World in order to capture its market by claiming that “ideology is dead.”

“We should learn from EMS to fight back and to assert Marxisim and Leninism for the fundamental social change of the country.”

Party’s State secretary N. Varadarajan; Kerala State CITU leader M.M. Lawerence; polit bureau member U.R. Varadarajan; and MLA N. Nanmaran were among those who spoke.

The Hindu

Economic recovery may be accompanied by rise in prices of essential items

Eminent economist and Vice-Chairman of Kerala State Planning Board Prabhat Patnaik has said that expectations that the international financial system is “now stabilising is likely to prove illusory.”

He was speaking at a seminar on the global economic crisis, organised by the Suryanarayana Rao Social and Educational Trust, in Bangalore on Sunday to commemorate the 85th birth anniversary of trade union leader and freedom fighter S. Suryanarayana Rao.

Prof. Patnaik said although governments all over the world had attempted to provide support to their beleaguered financial systems, “their real economy remains mired in a deep recession.” He said that even if the global economy recovered it was likely to be accompanied by a sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities such as cereals and petroleum products. He pointed out that speculative forces controlled the marketfor these commodities.

Prof. Patnaik warned that the sharp increase in prices of cereals and agricultural commodities might lay the basis for the entry of multinational agri-business corporations into developing markets. This may result in small peasants being thrown off their land. “You do not have to kill peasants to keep inflation down,” he remarked.

Prof. Patnaik suggested that focusing Government expenditure in areas that resulted in the expansion of food output may not prove inflationary. Other measures that would indirectly help small peasants — in areas such health and education — would also enable them to increase their productivity. This, he said, would ensure that Government expenditure did not result in inflation.

Prof. Patnaik said speculative activity had always played a major role in the modern free market capitalist economy. “Speculators”, he argued, “are not interested in permanent investments, they are only interested in making capital gains.”

However, speculative activity, especially in financial assets, had an impact on the real economy. “This results in employment levels in the economy being dependent on the whims of speculative investors.”

Prof. Patnaik said the “obsession with fiscal deficits” is a result of the clout exercised by financial interests. “Why does this section oppose deficits even if they result in the expansion of output and employment?” he asked. He explained that these sections opposed higher deficits because they resulted in expansion in the role of the State and thus “undermine the social legitimacy of the capitalist system.”

R.C. Purohit, former president, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), said that speculative activity in futures trading had an impact on the actual prices of foodgrains in India. Although foodgrain stocks with the Government had increased by 16 million tonnes in the last year, it had had no effect on curbing inflation, he said.

CPIM State secretary V.J.K. Nair, presided over the meeting.

(The Hindu)

CITU protest in Mangalore City

MANGALORE Sept 4: The Construction Workers Federation of India(CWFI) and the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on Thursday took out a rally in the city and a protest meeting in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office. About 200 labourers from the construction industry participated in the event.

They first took out a procession in the city from Light house hill road to the Deputy Commissioner's office in the heavy rains and held a demonstration there. They were demanding higher wages, medical insurance and many other facilities and social security schemes.

President of the State CWFI Mr. B. Madhava on this occasion said that the construction workers were given raw deal by the government and it has failed to ensure that all construction works exceeding 10 lakhs to reserve 1 per cent towards the welfare schemes for the labourers. The state government has also failed to achieve 100 per cent financial inclusion of construction workers as a result thousands of workers were not getting the benefits of the financial inclusion like loans, medical benefits and educational facilities for their children.

Mr. Madhava said the BJP government was more intersted in fanning communal issues rather than looking after the interests of the workers.

The workers later presented a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to send their appeal to the central government.

(Courtesy : mangalorean.com)

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOOD MOVEMENT COMMEMORATED - 31ST AUGUST RALLY AT KOLKATA

A Mammoth Rally Of Determination

Kolkata: August 31, 2009,India News Network (INN): It was a rally of determination – a determination to counter the forces of anarchy and violence running riot in the state of West Bengal targeting the Left Front. As hundreds of thousands of people marched into the heart of Kolkata, the central business district of Esplanade to participate in a Left Front organised mass rally commemorating the 50th anniversary of the martyrs of food movement, one could sense this resolve among the rallyists. It was writ large on their faces.

In the backdrop of Shaheed Minar chowk, these rallyists were not only paying homage to the 80 martyrs who fell at this very place to the brutal lathis of the then Congress government led by B C Roy on this day in 1959, they were also remembering the 276 comrades who were killed by reactionary forces ranging from the ultra left 'Maoist' goons to Trinamuli lumpens to ultra right BJP goons during the period since the seventh Left Front government assumed office in 2006. A two minute silence was observed by the masses in memory of the martyrs.

Family members of these martyrs – some of who were young widows, brothers, mothers, fathers and a few young kids – were prominently seated on both sides of the dais on specially erected platforms. There were also a few among them who were part of that rally in 1959 and who surivived that brutal repression. The dais itself was erected in such a manner that it could be seen, at least partially, from all the six roads leading into and passing the Dorina crossing near Esplanade. This very place was soaked in blood of the 80 martyrs who were part of the 3 lakh strong rally against skyrocketing prices of essential foodgrains on August 31, 1959. The family members of martyrs were honoured by the Left Front chairman Biman Basu at the start of the proceedings. Both the chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Biman Basu interacted with the family members before the start of the public meeting in a gesture that touched the rallyists.



And as for the strength of the gathering, one could see the crowds as far as the vision permitted, jampacked on all the six roads around the venue. Even after one hour into the public meeting, streams of rallies from Kolkata and North 24 Paraganas districts were still pouring in and there was no space. We watched senior leaders and former MPs leading their contingents from the districts in huge processions. With this rally being the first organised by the Left Front after the Lok Sabha elections, and coming in the wake of murderous assaults on CPI(M) workers/sympathisers, it provided an opportunity to the cadre and supporters of the Left to assert their resistance to the politics of anarchy and terror.

CPI(M) veteran leader Jyoti Basu, who was the leader of opposition during the 1959 events, in a written speech that was read out by Biman Basu, recalled the 'historic mass movement' and said that despite the killings and atrocities of the then Congress government “we did not surrender”. Today also the common people were facing hardships due to skyrocketing prices of essential commodities due to centre's policies. He accused the opposition parties in West Bengal and 'Maoists' of stalling development through anarchy and terror. He called upon Left Front workers to pledge to fight this anarchy and terror and expressed confidence that “people would not bow down to anarchy and would realise who was their friend and who their foe”. Referring to the recent Lok Sabha election results, Basu said “Many people have voted against us. We have to correct our mistakes. We have to bring them back to our fold. We have also to regain their confidence. The people are our hope in difficult times”. Accusing the Trinamul Congress, Congress and 'Maoists' of killing CPI(M) workers, setting their houses and Party offices on fire, Basu said “We have to counter it by mobilising the people. We should not lose confidence on the people”.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in his speech said that even after 62 years after the British left, our country has not got freedom from hunger. He blamed successive Congress governments for the agrarian crisis and consequently the food crisis. Despite tall talk of 'green revolution', the people do not get square meal a day. The present Congress government at the centre has admitted that 30 crore people in the country go to bed hungry. Even while the food production is declining alarmingly, huge speculation is taking place in forward trading which is resulting in the skyrocketing of prices of essential commodities.. The chief minister attacked the central government for not heeding the Left parties consistent demand to ban this forward trading. He asserted that the Left Front government in Bengal would take all possible steps within its ambit to provide relief to the people from this price rise. He announced that apart from providing rice at Rs 2 per kg, edible oil and sugar would also be supplied through Public Distribution Scheme not only for BPL cardholders but for the entire people, including middle classes in the coming months of festive season. He said it is a difficult task but the Left Front government would undertake it.

Charging the Trinamul and 'Maoists' of trying to create a 'fascist environment' in the state with their politics of terror, murder and intimidation, Buddhadeb asserted that this situation would not be allowed to continue. He said these forces were using the typical fascistic method of trying to create confusion among the poor and middle classes and called upon the poor not to be confused and give in to these fascistic forces. He also appealed to the youth to decide on which side they were – whether on the side of anarchy or the side of progress represented by the Left Front. He called upon the LF workers to take a pledge to move forward with vigour after this mammoth rally.

CPI(M) state secretary and LF chairman Biman Basu in his speech blamed the neo-liberal policies of the central government for the present agrarian and food crises. These policies being pushed by the imperialists needed to be countered through a simultaneous fight against imperialists. He criticised the media for indulging in Goebbelesian propaganda against the Left Front in order to break the unity of the working people. He called upon the cadre to be alert to such nefarious designs. He also called for greater unity among the Left Front in order to take on these challenges.

Leaders of various Left Front constituents also spoke on this occasion. A large contingent of leading intellectuals and artists were present in the meeting.

(Courtesy : http://westbengalnews.blogspot.com/)