Rich Tributes payed to Com. V I Lenin on his 139th Birthday

V I Lenin, the architect of modern socialism was paid rich tributes across the globe on his 139th birthday. Despite of penetrating cold wind, thousands of people headed by the chairman Central Committee of the Communist Party of Russian Federation, Gennedy Zhuganov, were assembled over Red Square in order to lay flowers to Lenin's mausoleum. The leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation recalled that in the course of project name of Russia the participation in the voting accepted 46 million our citizens, in essence, young people, majorities of them gave preference to Lenin and Stalin. Although many did not read Leninist and Stalin works, intuitively they understand, that the Soviet Union was the Great Power. This was victorious nation. They knew how by the first to leave the military shakings and to get rid of the cards, by the first to burst open into space and to create the best in the world system of the social protection of citizens. Free education and job placement were guaranteed to all. Young specialists obtained dwelling and had good prospects to the future.As of today, noted Zyuganov," seven of ten Russian students pay for the education. 800 thousand no longer cannot pay. To them it is necessary either to throw studies or to get in into the servitude..."

Zyuganov praised Lenin's role in "changing the history of mankind" and said implementation of Lenin's principles in politics and economy could have prevented the ongoing economic crisis.

Zyuganov said anyone intending to remove Lenin from the mausoleum will face a "proper rebuff."

Karnataka : Beedi workers to support CPI(M) candidate

The South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and the S.K. Beedi Workers’ Federation, affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), have declared their support to Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate B. Madhava, who is contesting from Dakshina Kannada constituency.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday S. Chandappa Anchan, secretary, S.K. Beedi Workers’ Federation, said that of an estimated seven lakh beedi workers in the State, four lakh workers were in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Raise issues

He said that Mr. Madhava was the executive president of the All India Beedi Workers’ Federation. If elected, he could raise issues on behalf of beedi workers in Parliament.

Mr. Anchan said that many issues concerning beedi workers remained unresolved. Only 2.39 lakh of the seven lakh beedi workers were getting provident fund benefits.

The government had not yet set up a sub-office of welfare fund commissionerate in Mangalore.

He said that the National Democratic Alliance government brought in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003. The UPA government subsequently revised its rules resulting in a ban on smoking in public places.

Urged

Beedi workers have been urging the government to exempt beedis from the purview of the Act.

The Act has affected many beedi workers. The plight of beedi workers and providing them alternative employment has not been discussed much in Parliament, he said.

He said that there was a need to bring in legislation to pay uniform wages for beedi workers in the country.

The government should also assist beedi workers to build houses and provide scholarships to their children, he said.

Mr. Anchan said that the workers would also support CPI(M) candidate Radha Sundaresh in Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency.

President, South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation, J. Balakrishna Shetty and secretary Sukumar Thokkottu were present.

(Source : The Hindu)

Cultural activists for support of ULB candidates

The morale of the United Left Bloc (ULB) nominees was boosted on saturday when cultural activisits, including writers, decided to come out in support of its nominees in the remaining three phases of the lo sabha polls. they have decided to issue an appeal to the people to mobilize support for the ULB candidates in the LS polls. They have set up a forum named Vampanthi Ummidwaron Ke Samarthan Mein Sansritikarmi (VUKMS) in this connection.
It was announced here by a group of cultural activisits led by Sahitya Akademy award winner Hindi poet Arun Kamal. Kamal was joined by Hindi critic Karmendu Shishir, Bangla poet Bidyut Pal, Stage artist Javed Akhtar Khan and Samkalin Janmat editor Ramji Roy.
Kamal said that global economic slowdown had exploded the myth of invincibility of capitalism created by the ideologues of capitalism and its media especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
"Now the ideologues who till yesterday were talking of death of ideology are compelled to talk of the failure of US Inc, an euphemism for capitalism which has thrown many a million out of jobs in America and also across the globe. It is the Left forces which has been instrumental in stalling unbridled privatisation and corporatization in India and saved our country from the onslaught of global economic downturn to a great extent, said Kamal.

He said that now Americans are visiting India to study as to how India was saved from the onslaught of global economic downturn for which Left and only Left could be given the credit.

Kamal said that the economic slowdown has also manifested itself in Indian politics where all capitalist parties and alliances are facing disintegration whereas the Left has come together to form a bloc. Bihar specific ULB is nothing, but the translation of people's demand of unity of the Left forces from below, he said.

"With the formation of ULB in Bihar, the forces of change have got a major boost and each and every right thinking person should extend his unflinching support to ULB nominees to save the country from going to the dogs. For this purpose the cultural activists have gathered under the banner of VUKMS," said Kamal.
(courtesy : Times of India)

Begusarai : Leningrad of Bihar

Shatrughna Prasad Singh

CPI, CPI(M) and the CPI(ML) have come together in Bihar to form United Left Bloc, forging unity against Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and all other elements that pose challenge to the secular democratic fabric of the society. Begusarai with its revolutionary traditions would set an example in the country in the coming parliamentary elections.

The moment elections were declared, the left parties got engaged in intense mass activities in this parliamentary constituency, since Begusarai has its own importance being one of the largest electoral area among the three in the state. There are two towns and 815 villages in an area of 1218 square kms with a population of 2349366. There are 15 lakh voters and seven assembly constituencies. Two MLAs and one MLC were elected from CPI in the area and in three assembly constituencies, party was in second position. From this region only the famous mass leader Chandra Shekhar Singh was elected to the assembly in 1956 when Bihar was emerging on the horizons of the independent India as a bright red star. The tradition was kept alive and the CPI never lost the assembly seat of Barauni. Election in-charge on behalf of the CPI, National council member Rajendra Singh is the elected member of the Bihar assembly at present.

For first time from this constituency, Yogendra Sharma was elected to the parliament in 1967. He had defeated the famous Congress leader Mathura Prasad from the area. In 1962, in co-operation with police and the mafia, the Congress had managed to defeat Yogendra Sharma by a mere five thousand votes. At that time former foreign minister Shyamnandan Mishra was his rival. Party had taken a firm decision at that moment to uproot the Goonda Raj and end the reign of terror in the area. It was not an easy bargain and we lost valuable comrades in the process. MLA Sitaram Singh, leader of the teachers’ front Sahdeo Singh, advocate Chandra Bhushan Singh, Indradeo Singh, Gulten Yadav, Bindeswari Singh, Umesh Singh faced the bitter struggle bravely and got killed alongwith with no less than fifty other comrades.

Today the Communist Party of India is the largest political party in the area with 13000 members active with a revolutionary team in 18 blocks of the district and regional party offices are functional in all these blocks.

From this parliamentary constituency, four assembly constituencies were in the Balia parliamentary seat before the delimitation and our party leader Surya Narayan Singh was elected three times to the parliament from here. After his death, Shatrughna Prasad Singh was elected once to the parliament. He is the party candidate again from Begusarai this time. Shatrughna Prasad Singh and Ramendra Kumar from Jharkhand state unit of the party were together elected from Begusarai and Balia in 1996 and therefore the entire area was called Leningrad, the city from where the great October revolution had sparked off in 1917.

In last parliamentary election also, Shatrughna Prasad Singh had contested from the area as our party candidate and had lost with a margin of only 17000 votes. Surajbhan was elected with the support of Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan. However, despite his defeat, Shatrughna Prasad was always actively working among the masses in the area. It is because of his undeterred perusal of the greater cause and service to the masse, that this time Surajbhan has left the area. With persistent efforts and struggle, the CPI has brought Surajbhan to the books with charges of murder. He has been given life sentence by the district court. But he has managed to get bail. All the development projects are rotting in his office and the only job that is being done scrupulously is getting engaged in criminal acts. Even those who came after the change of guard in the state have failed to bring any change in the status quo.

State chief minister Nitish Kumar enacted the drama of organizing the cabinet meeting in one of the villages in the area and also managed to have Janata Durbar to counteract the communist influence. However, the masses remained indifferent. The initiatives taken by Shatrughna Prasad Singh and Ramendra Kumar, prominent among them were Kusmaut Corn center and the Agricultural research center, are almost breathing their last. There were assurances of medical college and engineering college by the chief minister that never saw the light. The PHED projects of roads in the name of chief minister and prime mininster are also only in files. There is rampant corruption everywhere. However, people have understood the fallacy of such tall claims. They have even started equating Lalu, Nitish and Ramvilas with the hardships in the state.

These factors have led the masses to look for alternatives and it is one of the main reasons why people of the area have welcomed so warmly the unity of the tree left parties in the state.Wherever our candidates visit, there is enthusiasm among the masses and thousands come out to receive them.

The Barauni Refinary workers have got the rare chance to vote for their president for the first time to elect him to parliament. Shatrughna Prasad Singh is a leader of secondary school teachers as well. The leader of this front MLC Vasudeo Prsad Singh has already mobilized the teachers in support of the party to ensure the victory of the party.

Shatrughna Prasad Singh was born in the same region in a village called Matihani . People here are happy to elect one of their own to the center. They are trying their best not to lose the chance to vote for him.

Matihani is a village that every year bears the brunt of floods in Ganga river that cuts away into its both banks. Shatrughna Prasad is one person who never forgot to take steps to stop the devastation. He is considered a person full of humane feelings, a spirited leader and able statesman. Supporters of other parties are also taking him as their first choice.

In Chhauhari block, RJD leader supporter Dr AK Singh said that he supported Shatrughna Prasad because when the entire area was in the grip of terrible floods, it was Shatrughna Prasad Singh alone who was slogging to save people alongwith his supporters. It is one of the main reasons that he is liked by the masses.

One of the BJP supporters from Matihani, on conditions of anonymity, said that there is no other leader better than Shatrughna Prasad because for him service to masses is above even his party. He serves the masses selflessly and clearly without any vested interest. In the same vain, Bhushan Singh from Madhura village, Ravindra Singh from Bihat said that all the voters in their villages will vote for Shatrughna Prasad only.The rikshaw puller from Begusarai Darogi Paswan, Thela pusher Bori Saw, Bidi mazdoor Alauddin and Mohammed Islam said in one voice that our party is CPI and we would vote for it. party ,