Research Centre to be established in Memory of Com Jyothi Basu

CPIM West Bengal state committee has decided to establish a research centre in memory of the great leader Com. Jyothi Basu. The research institute will include Study centre, Historical Museum, Modern exhibition hall, auditorium, library and other allied facilities. For the purpose of establishing this research centre a Trust will be formed said com Biman Bose, CPIM state secretary. The state committe which started on Friday paid tributes to Com Jyothi Basu. 

CPI (M) State Committee emphasises on strengthening Left unity 

the State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday laid emphasis on strengthening Left unity while building up an intense political campaign to generate public opinion against the move by anti-Left forces to unleash a reign of terror and anarchy in the State. Draft note

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose, who submitted a draft note prepared for discussion at the meeting, said party workers would have to be enervated to tackle the emerging situation in the State.

He laid stress on mobilising public opinion and support against the anti-Left forces trying to usher in an era of terror.

Senior party leader Nirupam Sen said talks were under way to get the opinion and perception of district-level party workers and leaders. "We have to see how we can tackle the atmosphere of terror that has been created in various parts of the State."

The extended meeting also discussed the current political situation in West Bengal and discussed organisational measures that need to be put in place to tackle this.

The meeting is being presided over by Benoy Konar. Present at the meeting were party general secretary Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Nirupam Sen, a statement said.

Highlighted

Certain points have been highlighted in the draft note circulated on Friday, the first day of the meeting.

These include increasing mass contact with the aim of building up mass movement. "Terror has to be tackled by building up a mass movement against it."

Senior party leader Shyamal Chakraborty said there was need to infuse young blood into the party though this may be difficult in reality. The meeting also discussed the forthcoming rally on February 7 at the Brigade Parade Ground in honour of Jyoti Basu and the ensuing municipal elections mater this year.

The meeting will end on Sunday.

No Steps Taken By the Government to Save CITU leader in Orrisa : CPIM

CPIM today announced that protest demonstration in front of the K Balang police station area in Sundargarh district will continue condemning the killing of the CITU activist Thomas Munda by Maoists.
"He is not the first CPM or CITU activist in the state to be killed by the Maoists. Earlier, Maoists had killed Comrade Rabi Oram, another tribal leader who was the branch secretary of the party. Another party supporter was also killed last year, state secretary Janardan Pati said.CPM activist and zilla parishad member Anand Horo was kidnapped by the Maoists on January 22 and later released on condition that he will have to work for them or leave the area.The latest to be kidnapped and killed by them was CITU activist Thomas Munda. “Since villagers under the leadership of the CPI-M put up a resistance to the Maoists depredations in the area, the Maoists burnt two party offices and looted the houses of the villagers and attacked them, injuring five,” the he added

A delegation of CPM leaders led by Pati met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and requested him to take steps for the rescue of Munda. But no steps were initiated by the State Government for his rescue, he said, adding that there is no administration in the Maoist affected areas of the state.Pati alleged that common people in affected areas do not feel the presence of a government. More than 3000 people are sitting on dharna in front of the K Balang police station demanding adequate security, he said   

Bring down VAT on essential goods: CPI(M)

HYDERABAD: The State Committee of the CPI(M) has demanded that the government immediately withdraw orders enhancing the Value Added Tax rate on essential commodities and bring it on a par with that of neighbouring States.

Representation to CS

CPI(M) representatives, P.Madhu, MP, State committee members T.Sagar and P.V.Srinivas submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary S.V.Prasad here on Friday showing the high VAT rates prevailing in the State compared to other States.

People already burdened by the rising prices were severely impacted by the hike in VAT on food and other items. They demanded that essential commodities be totally exempted from VAT in the State.

Steep hike

Mr. Madhu later told presspersons that because of steep hike in VAT to 14.5 per cent, the prices of packed pulses, vegetables, tamarind, red chillis, branded bread were highest in the State, while in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra even packed commodities were charged only 4 per cent VAT. Similarly, vegetables, milk, meat, fish, fruits, oils, jaggery, salt were exempted from VAT in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and so was the case with rice in West Bengal. But in AP, they were brought under four per cent slab. In Andhra Pradesh only 118 articles were under four per cent VAT category and the rest of the commodities used by a majority of people were placed under 14.5 per cent slab.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

TAMIL NADU : Hunger Strike demanding more powers and fund for Local Bodies

Elected representatives and office bearers of local bodies from all parts of Tamil Nadu belonging to CPIM conducted a one day hunger strike in Tamil Nadu for more powers and fund allocation. Hunger strike started at 9 am at Chepauk in Chennai. CPIM central committe member Com. T K Rangarajan MP inaugurated the fast. Comrade T K Rangarajan pointed the powers and fund allocation to local bodies should be like states of Kerala and West Bengal. "Even after passing a legislation in Tamil Nadu assembly in 1992, there has been no improvement in the situation for sharing the powers to the local bodies. Only if more powers and fund is allocated to local bodies, then only these local bodies can perform smoothly" he added

.

(Photos : Gavaskar Theekathir)

Youth Conference on Employment Issues

Inorder to discuss various aspects of Employment Issues an youth conference is being planned on February 10th and 11th in the national Capital Delhi under the leadership of DYFI. 350 delagates from across the country will participate in the conference to be held at BanglaBhavan, Delhi. CPIM General Secretary Com Prakash Karat will inaugurate the conference. Papers will be presented by Sitharam Yechury, Jaythi Ghosh, Deepankar Bhattacharya, Prasenjith Bose, Smitha Gupta, Sathyaki Roy, R Ramkumar, Subhanil choudary, Baburao, Rohit. Com P Sreeramakrishnan, DYFI All India President will present the message of the conference after group discussions. Future actions and struggles will be decided on 11th by the United Youth convention.

“History would have been different”

Leaders from various parties on Wednesday assembled here to pay tributes to veteran Marxist leader, Jyoti Basu, said that he commanded national respect as a politician who followed party discipline and remained steadfast to his ideals.

The common thread was the manner in which he toiled for the poor and those who remained on the margins, one who initiated land reforms, strengthened democracy by extending it to panchayats and worked for communal harmony and an inclusive society. They said he lent stature to the political post and many said that had he become the Prime Minister in 1996, the course of history would have been different.

Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee (Congress), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference) paid their homage as did a galaxy of leaders including Mulayam Singh (SP), Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Prakash Karat (CPI-M), A.B. Bardhan (CPI), Debabrata Biswas (AIFB).

Representatives of the Telugu Desam, Janata Dal (Secular), Revolutionary Socialist Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and AIADMK and United Marxist Leninist (Nepal) also joined the meeting.

Mr. Mukherjee highlighted Jyoti Basu’s interpretation of the Constitution vis-À-vis the role of the head of a coalition government in the late 1960s, reflecting his pragmatic approach and that it remained relevant even now.

The Congress leader said that in the late 1960s the CPI(M) leader said in a coalition the leader of the government cannot exercise Constitutional supremacy of a head of the government since the decisions are taken collectively by constituent units in it.

CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan described him as a leader of the communist movement whose work in the West Bengal government remained a bright chapter.

Mr. Karat recalled that during his meeting in December, Mr. Basu remained concerned over the lack of growth of the party and cautioned that the movement was facing a tough time requiring greater effort and struggle.

The former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal said the Sikhs were beholden to him for his deft handling of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

AIADMK MP V. Maitreyan said just as Jyoti Basu’s visionary land reforms, the party leader M.G Ramachandran’s nutritious meal for school children got adopted into national policy.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said besides being an able administrator who took several initiatives, Jyoti Basu was known to stand up and be counted when conditions were adverse and handled situations bravely.

Rich Tributes to Jyothibasu in Assam

Leaders of different political parties, intellectuals, artists in the State paid tributes to former West Bengal Chief Minister and Communist leader Jyoti Basu at a condolence meeting organised by the State unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) here on Wednesday.

“Jyoti Basu was the symbol of left, democratic and secular forces of the country. He led from the front in the struggle for improving the country’s federal structure through restructuring of the Centre-State relations, democratic movement both inside and outside the parliamentary institutions, struggle for life and livelihood of the working class to build a modern India and a developed country,” stated the resolution adopted at the condolence meeting.

The condolence resolution also mentioned about Jyoti Basu’s contribution to left and democratic movement of Assam and his long association with the movement of railway workers of the State during his initial years of political life. It also took note of the fact that Jyoti Basu’s father became a physician from erstwhile Berry White Medical School (the present Assam Medical College located in upper Assam town Dibrugarh).

The meeting chaired by senior State CPI(M) leader Hemen Das was attended and addressed by the leaders of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), CPI, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), Janata Dal (Secular) and RCPI.

Leaders of these parties specially mentioned how under Jyoti Basu’s leadership, the Left Front government embarked on land reforms in West Bengal on an unprecedented a scale in the country; instituted the panchayati raj system which gave the poor peasants and small farmers a say in running the panchayat institutions and ensured a corruption-free local self governance and how West Bengal became an oasis of communal harmony and secular values under his 23-year record tenure.

Jyoti Basu also set a very high standard for leaders of other political parties of maintaining party discipline when he abided by the decision of his own party not to join the United Front government even when the post of Prime Minister was offered to him, the leaders said.

Among other speakers former vice chancellor of Gauhati University Deva Prasad Barua and Editor, Dainik Asom and retired bureaucrat Jyoti Prasad Saikia recalled some of their personal interactions with Jyoti Basu to highlight his personality, value-based politics, honesty and other qualities of a true mass leader and a perfect administrator while paying tribute to the great leader.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

We are sending doctors, not soldiers

REFLECTIONS OF FIDEL CASTRO 

 

 

IN my "Reflection" of January 14, two days after the disaster in Haiti that destroyed that neighboring sister nation, I wrote: "In the field of healthcare and other areas, Cuba – despite being a poor and blockaded country – has been cooperating with the Haitian people for many years. Around 400 doctors and healthcare experts are offering their services free of charge to the Haitian people. Our doctors are working every day in 227 of the country’s 337 communes. On the other hand, at least 400 young Haitians have trained as doctors in our homeland. They will now be working with the reinforcement brigade which traveled there yesterday to save lives in this critical situation. Thus, without any special effort being made, up to 1,000 doctors and healthcare experts can be mobilized, almost all of whom are already there and willing to cooperate with any other state that wishes to save the lives of the Haitian people and rehabilitate the injured."

"The head of our medical brigade reported: "The situation is difficult, but we have already started saving lives."

Hour after hour, day and night, Cuban healthcare professionals began working nonstop in the few facilities left standing, in tents, parks or other open spaces, given that the population feared further aftershocks.

The situation was far more serious than was originally thought. Tens of thousands of injured people were clamoring for help on the streets of Port-au-Prince, and an incalculable number of people lay, dead or alive, beneath the rubble of clay and adobe with which the homes of the vast majority of the population were constructed. Even the most solid buildings collapsed. It was also necessary to locate the Haitian doctors who had graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine in the midst of destroyed neighborhoods, many of whom were affected, either directly or indirectly, by the tragedy.

United Nations officials were trapped inside their buildings and dozens of lives were lost, including those of several high-ranking officials of MINUSTAH– a United Nations contingent – and the fate of hundreds of other members of its personnel was unknown.

Haiti’s presidential palace collapsed. Many public buildings, including several hospitals, were left in ruins.

The disaster has shocked the world. People have been able to follow the situation via footage broadcast by the principal international TV channels. Governments from around the world announced the dispatch of rescue teams, food, medicines, equipment and other resources.

In accordance with the position publicly stated by Cuba, medical personnel from other nations – including Spain, Mexico and Colombia, among others – worked very hard alongside our doctors in facilities that they themselves had improvised. Organizations such as the PAHO, friendly countries such as Venezuela, and other nations supplied medicines and other resources. A total absence of egotism and chauvinism characterized the impeccable behavior of the Cuban professionals and their leaders.

As it has done in similar situations – like when Hurricane Katrina caused massive devastation in the city of New Orleans and placed the lives of thousands of U.S. citizens in danger – Cuba offered to send a full medical brigade to cooperate with the people of the United States, a country that, as is well-known, possesses vast resources but, at that moment, needed doctors trained and equipped to save lives. Because of its geographical location, the 1,000-plus doctors from the "Henry Reeve" Brigade were mobilized, with the necessary medicines and equipment, to leave at once for that U.S. city. It never crossed our minds that the president of that nation would reject the offer and allow a number of Americans who could have been saved to lose their lives. The error of that government was perhaps its inability to understand that the people of Cuba do not see the U.S. people as an enemy; nor do they blame them for the aggression our homeland has suffered.

Neither was that government capable of understanding that our country does not need to beg favors or pardons from those who, for half a century, have tried in vain to bring us to our knees.

Likewise in the case of Haiti, our country immediately responded to applications from the United States authorities to fly over eastern Cuba and other facilities that they needed to provide assistance as swiftly as possible to U.S. and Haitian citizens affected by the earthquake.

These practices have characterized the ethical conduct of our people and, together with their equanimity and determination, have been the constant features of our foreign policy. All those who have been our adversaries in the international arena know that only too well.

Cuba will firmly defend the opinion that the tragedy that has taken place in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, represents a challenge for the richest and most powerful countries in the international community.

Haiti is a net product of the colonial, capitalist and imperialist system imposed on the world. Both slavery in Haiti and its subsequent poverty were imposed from abroad. The terrible earthquake came in the wake of the Copenhagen Summit, where the most elemental rights of the 192 member states of the United Nations were trampled over.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, a competition is underway in Haiti for the precipitate and illegal adoption of boys and girls, which has obliged UNICEF to adopt preventative measures against the uprooting of a large number of children, thus depriving close relatives of such rights.

The number of fatalities is already in excess of 100,000. An elevated number of citizens have lost arms or legs, or have suffered fractures that will require rehabilitation for tem to work or manage their lives independently.

Around 80% of the country will have to be rebuilt and a sufficiently-developed economy needs to be created in order to satisfy needs according to its productive capacity. The reconstruction of Europe or Japan on the basis of their productive capacity and the technical level of their populations, was a relatively simple task in comparison to the efforts that will have to be made in Haiti. There, as well as a large part of Africa and other areas of the Third World, it is essential to create the conditions for sustainable development. In only 40 years’ time, humanity will be comprised of more than nine billion inhabitants and will have to confront the challenge of climate change, which scientists accept as an inevitable reality.

In the midst of the Haitian tragedy, without anyone knowing how and why, thousands of U.S. marines, 82nd Airborne Division troops and other military forces have occupied Haitian territory. Worse still, neither the United Nations nor the U.S. government has offered any explanation to the world regarding this deployment of forces.

Various governments have complained that their aircraft have not been able to land and deliver the human and technical resources that have been sent to Haiti.

For their part, a number of countries are announcing the additional dispatch of soldiers and military equipment. From my point of view, such actions would contribute to creating chaos and complicating international cooperation, which, in itself, is complex. It is vital to seriously discuss this issue and entrust the UN with the leading role that corresponds to it in this delicate matter.

Our country is fulfilling a strictly humanitarian mission. To the extent of its possibilities, it will contribute the human and material resources at its disposal. The will of our people, proud their doctors and cooperative workers on vital services, is great and will rise to the occasion. 

Any significant cooperation offered to our country will not be rejected, but its acceptance will be entirely subordinated to the importance and significance of the assistance required of the human resources of our homeland.

It is only fair to confirm that, to date, our modest aircraft and the important human resources that Cuba has placed at the disposal of the Haitian people have arrived at their destination without any difficulty whatsoever.

We are sending doctors, not soldiers!

Tamil Nadu : CPI(M) demonstration for inclusion of Dalit Christians

TIRUCHI: Cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a demonstration in the city on Monday demanding the Central Government include Dalit Christians in the Scheduled Caste list.

The agitation, in which several women took part, was organised on behalf of the CPI (M) District Untouchability Eradication Front near Khadi Kraft junction. The stir was led by CPI (M) district secretary S. Sridhar in which the party’s central committee member and MP T.K. Rengarajan and others took part.

Notwithstanding various agitations, the party said that Dalit Christians were deprived of their rights. Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission report had recommended Scheduled Caste status for Dalit Christians.

Though the Central Government had tabled the report in the Parliament after several agitations, it was hesitant to execute it, the party alleged. The Dalit Christians suffered a lot as a religious minority and on the basis of their community. Without losing any more time, the Centre should include them in the SC list, it said. 

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

TAMIL NADU :CPIM MEMORANDUM TO GOVERNOR REGARDING GRIEVANCES OF FISHERMEN

MEMORANDUM

Presented to

His Excellency Surjith Singh Barnala

By the

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Tamil Nadu State Committee

25 January 2010

His Excellency Surjith Sign Barnala

Governor of Tamil Nadu, Raj Bhawan, Guindy, Chennai

Your Excellency

We thank your Excellency for the opportunity granted to us to present in person this memorandum on the plight of the fishermen community in Tamil Nadu. We shall be grateful if your Excellency could bestow benign consideration on the issues raised herein and make appropriate recommendations to the Government of India for addressing the same.

Attacks by the Srilankan Navy on the Tamil Nadu fisherman venturing into the sea waters from Rameswaram and other costal areas in the State have become a daily occurrence. There have been innumerable instances of fishermen being shot dead and imprisoned, boat seized or destroyed, damaging of fishing nets, confiscation of the seafood catch et al indulged in by the Sri Lankan Navy. Despite vociferous protests not bony by the fishermen community but also by all the political parties in the state, these attacks continue unabated. Though the Government of Tamil Nadu has repeatedly been urging the Government of India to intervene to stop these attacks, very little appears to have been done. As if rubbing salt over injury, the Government of India had only been issuing periodical advisories to the fishermen of Tamil Nadu no to violate the maritime boundary and desist from entering the sea waters of Sri Lankan territory.

We may point out here that the sea-bed between Sri lanka and the southern coastline of India is a narrow one. It is difficult for the fishermen to strictly confine their fishing activity within the maritime boundary of our country. Unforeseeable weather conditions resulting in rough winds and tides may jostle the fishing boats and push them a couple of nautical miles beyond the maritime border. This is also the case with the Srilankan fishermen as well, as is evident from reports of arrests of Sri Lankan fishermen by coast guard of India and their subsequent release. We strongly urge that the Government of India should take up this matter with the Government of Srilanka and ensure that Tamil Nadu fishermen are extended unfettered fishing rights in this area,

There is absolutely no justification for the Sri Lankan Navy to resort to firing, arrest, confiscation etc. measures against Tamil Nadu fishermen. Earlier at least when the Elam War IV was on, Sri Lankan authorities were leveling allegation of fishing boats form Tamil Nadu being clandestinely used for smuggling ammunition and essential supplies for the LTTE. Now that the Government of Sri Lanka had declared that Eelam War IV has ended and terrorism within Sri Lanka extinguished, there is no basis to entertain such allegations. Hence , the extreme measures resorted by the Sri Lankan Navy are unjustified and sheer acts of provocation. Government of India should seriously prevail upon the Srilankan Government to reign in their Navy and stop them from indulging in such extreme measures. Government of India should also extend full protection to the fishermen of Tamil Nadu and provide the coast guard with adequate vessels to escort the fishing boats.

Another area of serious concern to the fishermen community of Tamil Nadu as well as of other states is the move by the Government of India to legislate the “Traditional coastal and Marine Fisher folk (Protection of Rights) Act” introduced as a Bill in Parliament. The proposed legislation seeking to restrict the rights of the fishermen to 12 nautical miles from the coast and to impose rigorous conditions like licensing, registration etc are totally against the interests of fishermen community. Though the Union minister for Agriculture has announced that the bill would not be taken up for immediate enactment, the legislation is hanging like a Damocles’ Sword over the heads of our fishermen. The Bill pending before parliament should immediately be withdrawn and Government of India should categorically declare that no such legislation would be attempted in future.

We earnestly request Your Excellency to kindly initiate immediate measures, as may be deemed appropriate, to impress upon the Government of India to redress the grievances and accede to the demands elaborated above.

Thanking Yours Excellency and with regards

Yours Sincerely

Sd/

N Varadarajan

Secretary, State Committee

(photo : Gavaskar, Theekathir)

Abducted CPI(M) Leader Released

Comrade Ananda Masi Horo, the popular tribal leader and two time zila parishad member in Sundargarh district, Orissa, who was abducted by Maoists on January 23 was found alive in an unconscious state by local people. The earlier report given by the police that he had been killed was erroneous. However the Maoist depredations in the area continue. Their armed gangs this morning have kidnapped another tribal leader working in the CITU affiliated mine workers union threatening the workers to leave the union.

Andhra Pradesh : Left for all-party meeting on price rise

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India have demanded that the government convene an all-party meeting to discuss about the spiralling rise in prices of essential commodities and evolve an action plan.

CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu said that the government had the responsibility to keep prices under control as “its wrong policies imposed back-breaking burden” on the common man while his CPI counterpart K. Narayana threatened to launch de-hoarding drive to unearth the essential commodities hidden by traders. The two Left parties demanded that the government fulfil its promise of enhancing the quota of rice for BPL families to 30 kg and reduce State taxes on petroleum products to bring down the prices.

Chalo Delhi

Mr. Raghavulu and Dr. Narayana were participating in a seminar on price rise organised jointly by the two parties on Sunday in line with preparations for the March 12 ‘Chalo Delhi’ call given by them. They expressed concern over the recent hike in value added tax in Andhra Pradesh claiming that the State government was going against the Centre’s directive in this regard.

Mr. Raghavulu criticised the government for trying to pass the blame of sky-rocketing prices to natural calamities and accused the administration of failing to secure the required assistance from the Centre for floods and drought.

Dr. Narayana ridiculed the government, Civil Supplies Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao in particular, for allowing hoarders go scot-free while cases were registered against the CPI leaders who exposed the hoarded stocks. CPI senior leader K. Ramakrishna, CPI (M) senior leader P. Madhu and others also spoke.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

RICH TRIBUTES TO COMRADE JYOTHI BASU

 

Thousands of supporters and admirers of veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu assembled at the Shahid Minar here on Sunday for a condolence meeting held a week after his death on January 17.

Leaders from a wide spectrum of political parties, including representatives from Nepal and Bangladesh, were present. “While it is said of Communists that they are opposed to democracy, Jyoti Basu, in his life, fulfilled the duty of establishing democracy not just in West Bengal, but also in the country…Although he was sent to prison, he never sent his political opponents to jail; even if a law was unjust he never took the law into his own hands and he never took action against a newspaper for criticising him,” West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said.

Basu’s first act as Chief Minister was to free all political prisoners, irrespective of party affiliation. West Bengal was also the first State to have a human rights commission, he said.

“Comrade Jyoti Basu continuously endeavoured to establish and strengthen the system of parliamentary democracy in the State and in the country,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said: “Of the many leaders who have contributed and made sacrifices for the Communist movement in India, Jyoti Basu was exemplary and one of the most distinguished.”

Emphasising the Marxist leader’s contribution in mobilising the peasants and workers’ movements, Mr. Karat said that in his term as Chief Minister, Basu realised the vision of “land to the tiller” — envisaged during the freedom struggle — by providing land to 25-lakh landless labourers.

He supported the anti-racial movements in Vietnam, Cuba, South Africa, while also backing Palestine, thus contributing to the international struggle against fascism and imperialism, Mr. Karat said.

“Emulate the example”

Describing Basu as “a Communist voice of South Asia,” Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) leader Jhala Nath Khanal said Communists in Nepal, representing 60 per cent of the population, needed to emulate the example set by him in bringing different parties together.

Remembering the support extended to the people of Bangladesh by Basu during the 1971 Liberation War, Rashid Khan Menon, a parliamentarian, spoke on the significant role played by him in forging India-Bangladesh ties. Sajjad Zahir Chandan of the Bangladesh Communist Party and Moinuddin Khan Badal of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal echoed his sentiments.

Tremendous respect

“Though we were opposed to the politics of Jyoti Basu, there was always tremendous respect for him. I have no difficulty in saying that he is perhaps the most important of the mass leaders who have achieved this stature,” said Subrata Mukherjee, Working President of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

There was no representative from the Trinamool Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati had expressed their desire to attend, but could not do so.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury, Biman Bose, Mohammed Amin and Nirupam Sen and other senior leaders were present.

CITU KERALA STATE CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

Com K N Raveendranath and Com M M Lawrance has been reelected as the State Secretary and State President of CITU Kerala state committe. Com. K M Sudhakaran is elected as State Treasurer. Further the 11th conference elected 30 member state office bearers, 150 member state committee and a 450 member General council. The conference will conclude with a huge rally of 1 lakh workers which will be inaugurated by Com. V S Achuthanandan.

Rallies taken out in memory of Comrade Jyothi Basu

Several silent mourning processions were taken out throughout West Bengal on Friday Communist Party of India (Marxist) in memory of the great Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, who died on January 17. The CPI(M)’s State Committee had appealed to party supporters to take out silent and peaceful processions to show respect to the leader. According to a senior party member, 25,000 such processions were taken out in 19 districts on the day.

Party supporters carried CPI(M) flags at half-mast and placards displaying pictures of Basu as well as slogans like “ Laal Salaam” and “Jyoti Basu Amar Rahe.” Several Mass and Class organisations also took out processions. Mourning will continue till Saturday and conclude with a condolence meeting organised by the Left Front on Sunday.

People from across the country are still mourning the death of the stalwart. Various memorial programmes are conducted in different states by the party units.

It was a full house at Sundarayya Kala Nilayam, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh on Friday as senior leaders from across the State’s political spectrum met here to pay homage to veteran Comrade Jyoti Basu. “What is important is the way he chose to live for 95 years. He lived with integrity and passion, always striving for the people,” said CPI (M) State secretary B. V. Raghavulu. The condolence meeting was organised by the CPI (M) State committee.

Lenin Memorial Day rally in Moscow

January 21 more than three thousand people came to Red Square to pay tribute to the great Leader VI Lenin on the ocassion of his 86th death anniversay.

Addressing the rally, Communist party of Russian Federation General Secretary Gennedy Zyuganov said that Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was one of the most prominent politicians and statesmen of the world. He managed to create a new theory of building socialism. He managed to create a party of new type, which is managed under extremely difficult circumstances to come to power and realize their main slogans. Lenin declared: "The world - people! Bread - hungry! Land - the peasants! Plants - the workers! ".He suggested two unique plan: a plan of electrification and the NEP. As a result of their implementation breathless, disintegrated Russian empire met a few years into a single Soviet state.

He noted that, despite the attempts of the bourgeois ideologists to blacken the name of the leader, to defile its monuments, Lenin's idea of socialism as the only path to true Freedom, Equality, Democracy - immortal! This is proved by life itself: the achievements of the socialist state, which was built by the Soviet people under the leadership of Lenin and follower of his ideas - Stalin, actually proved an advantage of socialism over capitalism. "The task of the Communist Party is to restore socialism in Russia. Lenin fought for the happiness of the people he was with the people. Lenin is with us He is not dead, He is in the hearts of the working people! "
Functions were organised around the country to pay rich tributed to the Pathfinder of Marxism.

Nearly 2 lakh farm suicides since 1997

P. Sainath

MUMBAI: There were at least 16,196 farmers’ suicides in India in 2008, bringing the total since 1997 to 199,132, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The share of the Big 5 States or ‘suicide belt’ in 2008 — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh — remained very high at 10,797, or 66.6 per cent of the total farm suicides in the country. This was marginally higher than it was in 2007 (66.2 per cent). Maharashtra remains the worst State in the nation for farm suicides with a total of 3802. (This is just 40 short of the combined total of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.) The all-India total of 16,196 represents a fall of 436 from 2007. But the broad trends of the past decade reflect no significant change. The national average for farm suicides since 2003 stays at roughly one every 30 minutes.

Within the Big 5, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh recorded higher numbers. The increase of 604 in these three States somewhat offset the dip in Maharashtra (436) and Karnataka (398). But a fall in suicide numbers in other States (for example, a decline of 412 in Kerala and 343 in West Bengal) means that the Big 5 marginally increased their two-thirds share of total farm suicides in 2008.

The NCRB data now cover all States for 12 years from 1997. In the first six years (1997-2002), the Big 5 witnessed 55,769 farmers’ suicides. From 2003 to 2008, they totalled 67,054, a rise of nearly 1900 a year on average.

Maharashtra has logged 41,404 farm suicides from 1997 (over a fifth of the national total) and 44,468 from 1995, the year when this State began recording farm data. No other State comes close. During 1997-2002, Maharashtra saw, on average, eight farmers kill themselves daily. The corresponding figure rose to 11 during 2003-2008. The rise was from an average of 2,833 farm suicides a year in the first period to an average of 4,067 in the next period.

Professor K. Nagaraj, an economist who has worked at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, says of the NCRB data: “There is hardly any decline in the suicide belt, though individual States may show variations across 12 years. If this is the state for 2008, the year of the Rs. 70,000 crore loan waiver and multiple farm packages, then 2009, a drought year, could show very disturbing figures. The underlying agrarian problems seem as acute as ever.”

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Fradulent Claims on Foodgrains Allocations

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

The CCP decision to make an additional allocation of 10 kg of wheat or rice to all eligible card holders under the TPDS not at the present central issue price of foodgrains but at the higher minimum support price, far from being a help to control prices as being claimed by the Government, will in effect import price rise into the TPDS itself. It represents, in comparison to the present TPDS central issue prices for APL allocations a steep hike of over 77 per cent hike in the case of rice and 85 per cent in the case of wheat. If this so-called additional allocation is to be distributed to the BPL and Antodaya sections a BPL card holder who gets rice at present at five rupees a kilo will have to pay three times the price and Antodaya card holders will have to pay five times more. In the case of wheat, BPL sections will have to pay double more and four times more in the case of Antodaya.

The claims are thus fraudulent. Instead of restoring the 73 per cent cut in the allocations of foodgrains made to the states made over a period of time to APL sections, the Central Government is giving foodgrains at higher cost to the states.

The CPI(M) demands that the additional foodgrains be made at the central issue prices being currently used for the targeted public distribution system.

KARNATAKA : CPI(M) stages protest against price rise

 

BELLARY: The police arrested 155 activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), including 48 women, when they tried to break through the barricades to enter the premises of Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Thursday. They were later released.

In response to the Statewide call given by the CPI(M) to lay siege to Deputy Commissioner’s offices in all districts in protest against the spiralling prices of essential commodities and the failure of the Union and State governments to check the price rise, over 300 activists of the CPI(M), the CITU and other affiliated organisations, participated in the dharna, shouting slogans.

The activists insisted that Deputy Commissioner should come to receive the memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, and said they did not want to hand it over to the Additional Deputy Commissioner who had come to meet them.

When there was no sign of their demand being met, the protesters tried to break through the barricades and were arrested.

CPI (M) leaders criticised the Union and State governments for their “anti-people policies”.

Their demands included dropping the forward trading system, banning multinationals from storing foodgrains and entering the retail trade, action against hoarders, dropping proposals to acquire fertile land for non-agricultural purposes, strengthening the PDS, and enhancing crop loss compensation to Rs. 10,000 an acre.

Gulbarga: Members of the Left parties and several trade unions affiliated to left parties called off their three-day round-the-clock dharna in front of the Vikas Soudha here on Thursday. The decision was taken following an assurance by Deputy Commissioner R. Vishal that he would convene a meeting of officials of the departments concerned in the second week of February to meet the demands of the protesters.

The protesters wanted the Government to curb price rise of essential commodities, provide food security to the displaced families in all the flood-hit villages, issue BPL cards to all the low-income group of employees working in anganwadis, under Akshara Dasoha, in government hostels and gram panchayats.

Members of the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) and 11 trade unions affiliated to them including the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, Janawadi Mahila Sanghatne, Construction Workers Sangha, Students’ Federation of India, and Democratic Youth Federation of India, led by the State Secretariat member of the CPM Nityanandaswamy, District Secretary of the CPI Shoukat Ali Alur, District Secretary of the CPM Bhimshetty Yempalli and others, came in a procession from the Jagat Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Relief for displaced

Members of the district unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) went in a procession from Ambedkar Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office where they staged a dharna in Raichur on Thursday.

They submitted a memorandum to the district administration stating their demands. It being a state-wide protest, the demands of the protesters in Raichur district were the same as that in Gulbarga.

However, the memorandum said that if their demands were not met in two days, then they would gherao the officials at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday.

Kariyappa Acholli, Secretary of the district unit of the CPI (M) party, led the agitation. He said that there were over one lakh flood-affected families in 130 villages in Raichur district. Except for temporary shelters and supply of some foodgrains initially, the Government had done nothing to ensure that the displaced got foodgrains. According to Mr. Acholli, the Government has failed to respond to the problems of the displaced families.

He said that the Government has asked the displaced families to procure foodgrains from the ration depots in their respective villages. But the displaced families have lost everything, including ration cards, in the floods. Besides, they have no source of income because they are all unemployed.

Mr. Acholli said that besides providing BPL cards to all the displaced families in the district, the Government should release 35 kg of rice at Rs. 2 a kg every month through the public distribution system (PDS). This arrangement should be continued until the Government completes the process of rehabilitation and the relocation of the flood-hit villages.

MYSORE: Demanding below the poverty line (BPL) ration cards for the eligible and the supply of foodgrains to all card holders, several hundred workers of the district unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) laid siege to the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Thursday.

The workers alleged that the Union and State governments used unscientific methods to identify beneficiaries and issue BPL cards, when a vast majority of the population was reeling under the pressure of escalating prices of essential commodities. They also raised slogans and displayed placards in support of their cause.

The protest was led by CPI(M) district secretary L. Jagannath and treasurer Balaji. They later submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, urging him to ensure that their demands were met immediately.

‘No concern’

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Jagannath alleged that while the people in the State were adversely affected by unprecedented floods and drought, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government, instead of coming to their rescue, engaged in questionable tactics to remain in power. The Government had no concern for the poor, who were entirely dependent on public distribution system (PDS), he added. Instead, the poor were forced to buy foodgrains at a higher rate in the open market.

Charging the Centre with implementing liberalisation policies recklessly, Mr. Jagannath alleged that the Government was favouring black marketeers and hoarders, and the State Government had turned a blind eye to the woes of the people. The State Government was providing rice at Rs. 4 a kg, when neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments were providing rice at Rs. 2 a kg.

He demanded that the wages for workers in the unorganised sector be increased to Rs. 6,000 a month.

MANGALORE: A large number of Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers took out a procession here on Thursday to protest against rise in the prices of essential commodities and to demand ration cards to all below the poverty line (BPL) families.

Some of the party workers who broke through the security cordon at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and barged into the premises were taken into custody.

The State committee of the party had given a call for the protest.

Earlier, addressing the protesters in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, B. Madhava, district unit president of the party, alleged that quantity of foodgrains being supplied to the poor through the Public Distribution System (PDS) was being reduced, endangering the food security.

He urged that the State Government fulfil its promise of providing 20 kg of rice at Rs. 2 a kg every month to poor families.

He threatened that the party would intensify the agitation if the demands were not fulfilled.

Even as Mr. Madhava was addressing the protesters, some of the party activists pushed aside a few policemen at the main gate of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, barged into the premises and started protesting in front of the Tahsildar’s Office. They were all taken into custody.

Later, the protesters, including party leaders Vasanth Achari and Sunil Kumar Bajal, courted arrest. All of them were released later.

Members of the Udupi district unit of the CPI (M) laid siege to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Thursday, protesting against increase in the prices of essential commodities.

Secretary of the district unit of the party K. Shankar said that both the Union and State governments were following identical policies that were detrimental to the interests of the common man.

The Government should distribute ration cards to all poor families. All ration card-holders should be provided 35 kg of rice and pulses at Rs. 2 a kg every month. The PDS should be strengthened and stern action taken against those found hoarding foodgrains. The Government should also reduce the prices of petrol and diesel, Mr. Shankar said.

Wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act should be increased to Rs. 150 a day and employment should be provided for a minimum of 200 days, Mr. Shankar said.

CPI (M) leaders Vishwanath Rai, A.S. Acharya, Dasbhandary, Dogu Suvarna, Ramesh Mendon, S. Kaviraj, Vidyaraj, H. Vittal, Suresh Kalagar and Mahabala Voderhobli were present.

The protesters were arrested by the police and released later.

KOLAR : Hundreds of activists of the CPI(M), the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), the Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane (JMS) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) from different parts of the Kolar district came in a procession. Most of them were women, some even carrying children. They raised slogans against the State and Union governments for their failure in containing the prices of essential commodities.

The stir was organised in response to a call given by the CPI(M) State committee to hold a ‘DC office chalo’ in support of the demand to provide food security to the poor.

Along with the State-level demand, the outfits also raised issues pertaining to irregularities in ration depots and in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Initially, the absence of Deputy Commissioner N. Prabhakar reportedly infuriated the protesters and they insisted that he come to the spot to hear their grievances. When Mr. Prabhakar, said to be away in Srinivaspur on official work, failed to turn up, the activists tried to barge into the office. The heavy police contingent had a tough time stopping them. When they picked up CPI(M) State committee member Gandhinagar Narayanswami and CITU leader Yellappa and tried to arrest them, the irate mob surrounded the police van in an attempt to block the police from arresting their leaders. “Don’t arrest only leaders. All of us are ready to court arrest,” they shouted.

During the heated exchange between the police and protesters, some police personnel allegedly trampled several women, besides beating them with lathis. This only infuriated the agitators and they demanded action against the police responsible for the excess.

Later, all the protesters were arrested and lodged at the Police Training Centre premises.

(Courtesy : The Hindu, Mangalorean.com)

CITU Kerala State Conference Begins

Eleventh CITU  Kerala State Conference, started here in Thrissur with a clarion call to build an united Trade union movement to confront the challenged posed by the neo-liberal policies. CITU All India President Inaugurated the Delegate Session. The Delegate session started with flag hoisting by Com . K N Raveendranath, CITU State President. Afterwards the delegates payed homage to the Martyrs. After the inaugural sesssion, Com M M Lawrance, CITU State Secretary tabled the Organizational Report.

Unity of trade unions vital: M.K. Pandhe

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) president M.K. Pandhe has said the unity of trade unions is vital in the struggle for the emancipation of the working class. He was addressing the 11th State conference of the CITU here on Thursday.

Charter of demands

“Transcending political divides, trade unions are fighting for a five-point charter of demands: checking spiralling prices of essential commodities, growing unemployment, collapse of labour laws, rampant privatisation and setting up of a special fund for the social security of the working class.”

“The central trade unions will launch a nation-wide ‘Jail Baro Andolan’ on March 5 to press for the demands. The CITU, INTUC, BMS, HMS, UTUC, AICCTU and TUCC will take part in it.,”

Dr. Pandhe pooh-poohed the Union government’s claims that the country was enjoying economic progress.

“India ranks 134th among 182 countries in human development, according to the ‘Human Development Report 2009 Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development’ published by the UNDP. India has 52 dollar billionaires who control one-fourth of the economy. The Union government’s economic packages had boosted the profitability of industries, but they have not helped workers. As many as one crore workers have lost jobs following recession. Minimum wages are not implemented,” he said.

Media downplays violence by Hindutva brigade: Pinarayi

CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that the media overstates terror activities perpetrated by a minority among the Muslim community, but downplays violence and extremism committed by the Hindutva brigade.

He was addressing a seminar on ‘Challenges raised by fundamentalism and terrorism’ held as part of the 11th State conference of CITU here on Thursday. “Consider how the issue of Malegaon blast was handled. You may have noticed that there is no propaganda against the RSS in this case,” he said.

He condemned the reported tendency to see all Muslims as fundamentalists.

“Only a few members of the community have chosen the wrong path of terrorism. They have taken a suicidal step and it needs to be condemned. Terrorism is not an answer to the problems faced by minorities. People should know that solutions can be derived only through democratic, humanistic means,” he said. He alleged that the Congress was in cahoots with fundamentalists.

“The Indian Union Muslim League, a member of the UDF, protects the National Development Front. Why should the Congress, which claims to be a secular party, tie up with the NDF?”

He said the Congress and its then Prime Minister could not wash its hands of having promoted and protected forces that demolished the Babri Masjid. “Who promoted Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and ultimately toppled him? History has recorded its aftermath,” he said.

A. Vijayaraghavan and P.R. Rajan, MPs; LDF convener Vaikom Viswan; CPI(M) district secretary Baby John; M.M. Varghese, general convener of the conference; and Ninan Koshy were present.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)