21st Conference of AKEL Cyprus

21st Congress of the Progressive Party for the Working People (AKEL) of Cyprus was held in Nicosia from November 25-28. The theme is "The struggle of the Left and the struggles of the peoples for peace and security against the imperialist order". 1,590 delegates attended the conference.

The Congress assesed the previous five-year period whose central reference point and most significant development was the election of Demetris Christofias to the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus. The Congress has also set out the general guidelines of policies, goals and struggles in the five-year period ahead. Given the Christofias administration and crucial phase of the Cyprus problem, the 21st Congress of AKEL assumes a special importance

Due to the very significant role AKEL plays in the political affairs of the country, the 21st Congress takes on a broader significance for Cyprus and our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The decisions of the 21st Congress are anticipated with great interest by the entire political spectrum and Cypriot society. Its decisions are awaited with interest also by all from abroad not only involved in one way or another with the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus is not isolated from the rest of the world. In a world where the Left and the forces of labour are under a full-frontal attack by the forces of conservatism and capital, Cyprus today has a President coming from AKEL and the Party of the working people is a ruling party. This fact attaches an international and European dimension to the 21st Congress of AKEL, in the sense that the progressive Left forces in Europe and the world are following developments in Cyprus with interest and welcome every success of the Cypriot Left as their own victory too.


Andros Kyprianou was elected the party general secretary on the closing day. 105-member Central Committee too was elected by the congress. The 21st conference was attended by left-wing and communist parties from other parts of the world, including Cuba, Palestine, Portugal and Russia.

Theses presented at the conference can be had from http://www.akel.org.cy/media/21st%20Congress/21st_AKEL_CONGRESS_THESIS.pdf

12th International Meeting of Communist and Workers party from December 3

As per the decision of the 11th International Conference of Communist and Workers parities it has been decided to conduct the 12 conference in Johannasberg, South Africa from December 3 to 5 , 2010. South African Communist party will host the conference.

The Theme of the Conference is
The deepening systemic crisis of capitalism. The task of Communist in defense of sovereignty, deepening social alliances, strengthening the anti-imperialist front in the struggle for peace, progress and Socialism.

Background information
The last decades of the 20th century saw tumultuous developments and cataclysmic changes. The dismantling of socialism in the Soviet Union, the disintegration of the USSR, the collapse of the communist-led regimes in East Europe and the process of restoration of capitalism in these countries-all constitute a big reversal for the world forces of socialism. In this situation, many communist parties carried serious introspection on the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism. Wilting under the pressure of an intense ideological offensive, many Communist Parties abandoned therevolutionary essence of Marxism- Leninism and embraced social democracy. During this period when the international communist movement has been thrown into disarray, there were some communist and workers' parties that believed these shortcomings and failures in the process of constantly enriching this creative science in accordance with unfolding historical developments, is not due to its inadequacies or lack of scientific method of its content.

It is due to the inadequacies and lack of scientific rigour on the part of those who have embraced this philosophy . Efforts were undertaken to regroup the international communist movement and bring together all those communist and workers' parties that believed in the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had initiated one such attempt in 1993 by organising an international seminar on the 'Contemporary World Situation and the validity of Marxism'. 30 parties were extended invitations to participate in the seminar. 21 parties including the CPI(M) and the CPI participated in the seminar, four parties unable to send their representatives, sent their contributions in the form of papers while five parties sent messages expressing their inability to participate owing to critical political conditions in their respective countries. The success of the seminar in attaining the objectives it had set before it, gave renewed confidence to the various participants, in their struggle to defend socialism and to continue to fight for the goal of socialism.

Five years hence, from 1998, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) took up this task of organising international meetings of the communist and workers parties to exchange opinions on some of the important contemporary developments in world and share experiences. From that year onwards seven consecutive meetings were hosted by the KKE in Greece. The number of parties taking part in these meetings saw a steady increase reflecting the growing relevance and validity of Marxism. To facilitate the smooth organisation of these meetings a working group of international communist and workers parties was formed. This group decides on the theme of the meeting, the venue and dates apart from the parties that would take part in the meeting.

As the experience of organising such meetings proved useful, there was a request to organise this meeting in different parts of the world. Accordingly the 8th meeting was organised in Lisbon, Portugal, the 9th in Minsk, Belarus and in Moscow to observe the 90th anniversary of the Great October Revolution, and the 10th in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The working group had decided in its meeting in February that the 11th meeting would be organised in India jointly by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India.

The 12th meeting will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from the 3nd December 2010 to the 5th December 2010. This is the first ever meeting of this kind to take place in the African continent, thus covering all the continents on the globe.

‘Corporates suborn policymaking' : Prakash Karat

T.K. RAJALAKSHMI : Interview with Prakash Karat, general secretary, CPI(M)
Frontline Magazine Volume 27 - Issue 25 :: Dec. 04-17,

PRAKASH KARAT, general secretary of the CPI(M), spoke to Frontline on the latest controversy involving the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Excerpts:

The CPI(M) had raised the spectrum allocation issue way back in 2008, but at that time no one, including the BJP, took it seriously.

Ever since the privatisation of the telecom sector began, there has been a series of corruption scandals. We raised such issues during the time of the BJP-led government and during the first UPA government's tenure. We took up the allegation of the 2G spectrum as early as February 2008. A number of letters were written to the Prime Minister and statements issued by the party regarding the big loss to the exchequer due to the actions of Minister A. Raja. But until the recent outcry after the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, nothing much was done.

Why does a JPC have more sanctity than the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)? Sections within the Congress opine that the CAG report has not incriminated anyone and that the individuals concerned have been removed from their posts.

After the CAG report confirmed that there was large-scale manipulation of the system, the Congress leadership had no other option but to ask Raja to resign. But that does not end the issue. What is required is to find out how such a massive scam could be perpetrated and how an entire system could be manipulated. That is why we have demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee that can go into all the ramifications. I do not know why the Congress party and the government refuse to constitute a JPC. During the period of the NDA government, when the Congress was in the opposition, it demanded JPCs for the Tehelka tapes and for other corruption scandals. The 2G telecom scam is much bigger than these earlier scams. It has caused the single largest loss to the exchequer.

The removal of the people who are responsible from their positions is the first step, whether it is the CWG corruption or the Adarsh Housing scam. In all such cases, what is required is prompt investigation, filing of cases and prosecution of those guilty. In the case of the 2G spectrum issue, the most important step would be to cancel the licences of the companies that illegally got the allocation.

Secondly, there should be an auction of the spectrum so that the government can recoup the losses. The committee set up to inquire into the CWG is useless as it is without any powers. What is needed is investigation, filing of cases and prosecution. The CBI and other investigating agencies like the Enforcement Directorate should conduct joint investigations.

The BJP, too, has in a sense lost the moral authority to attack the UPA on corruption. Is it possible to have a fair inquiry into the allegations against the Karnataka Chief Minister if he continues in office?

The Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka has set a new brazen record in corruption. First of all, the government was conceived with the mining mafia being part of it. This has made the government a centre for all illegal and corrupt activities. The Chief Minister himself is facing serious charges of bestowing favours to his sons and relatives in land allocation. It is shocking that the BJP leadership has refused to act in the face of growing evidence of wrongdoing. Their decision to keep the Chief Minister on has exposed the hypocrisy and double standards of the BJP.

Are all these corruption scandals an outcome of a kind of policy that has been pursued since the 1990s and that the face of corruption has changed somewhat in this period?

After liberalisation, what has developed is a nexus between big business, politicians and the bureaucrats. Under the neoliberal regime, corporates and multinational companies are able to suborn policymaking. If one side of the 2G spectrum is Raja, on the other side are corporates who try to get famous. In the recent case of officials of banks taking bribes for giving loans to the real estate sector, corporates are involved in the bribing. But the government refuses to acknowledge the nexus that has developed. Even some of the regulators are in connivance.

This is not just because politicians need money to fight elections. The loot of public funds is a form of accumulation of capital in the country. Without fighting against this system and policies, corruption cannot be curbed or eliminated.

CPIM Tamil Nadu State Committee to Conduct campaign against corruption

CPIM Tamil Nadu State Committee has decided to conduct  campaign against corruption and anti-people polices of the UPA government and DMK Government in the State. Party will organise 5000 street-corner meetings in the State, besides protests in 200 places and public meetings in 50 centres between December 5 and 11. CPIM Tamil Nadu State Committee secretary Com. G Ramakrishnan said about the course of struggle at a press conference organized in Chennai. 

Even assuming that AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa's offer of support to the Congress was a “tactic” to ensure the exit of A. Raja from the Union Ministry, the CPI (M) does not approve of such a stand, said G. Ramakrishnan. “Our line on the Congress is clear and we will not make any compromise,” he told reporters while explaining decisions taken at the three-day State committee meeting of the party.

Reiterating that the CPI (M) had not discussed anything on the Assembly elections with the AIADMK, Com. Ramakrishnan said as part of the efforts to create an alternative to both the Congress and BJP fronts, the party would continue to launch joint movements with the AIADMK. Asked whether the AIADMK was reciprocating the CPI (M)'s invitations for joint movements, he recalled the participation of former minister D. Jayakumar in the protest in support of Foxconn workers.

“We have been organising protests against the anti-people policies of the DMK government. The DMK is with the Congress and supporting all its policies. Whether it is TASMAC or Foxconn unit, the DMK government has not bothered to stand by the workers.”

He took exception to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's argument that Mr. Raja was targeted because he was a Dalit and his exit was the outcome of a war between “Aryan and Dravidian.” He said: “The Chief Minister is trying to suppress the scam by giving a caste-twist. People will not accept his argument.”

Com. Ramakrishnan said the recordings of conversations between lobbyist Niira Radia and politicians and industrialists had proved the CPI (M) allegation of a nexus among politicians, higher officials and industrialists.

We’ll tackle Trinamool like we handled Cong, Naxals: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

CPI(M) will emerge victorious over Trinamool Congress’ “politics of violence and murder” as it had fought Congress’ “misrule” in the 70s and the Naxalite movement in West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today claimed.

“We successfully fought Congress misrule, the violence of the Naxals and now we have taken on the Trinamool and its accomplice - the Maoists. We will surely win,” Mr. Bhattacharjee told a rally of DYFI in Burdwan on 29th Novemeber.

Lambasting Trinamool Congress for “blocking the State’s industrialisation by resisting Tata’s Nano project at Singur, he asked partymen to be vigilant about the “sinister design” of Mamata Banerjee’s party to “create unrest” through its politics of violence and murder.

“We have in our State a totally irresponsible Opposition party (Trinamool Congress) which has hatched a plot to create total lawlessness and unrest and to foil any development.

“This irresponsible and indisciplined party is bent on undoing all development projects and has thus already caused irreparable loss to the State’s economy. This party has imported a dangerous cult of violence and murder by joining hands with the Maoists,” he alleged.

“We have to be prepared to ensure that there is no conspiracy to undo our efforts for industrialisation.”

Mr. Buddhadeb alleged that the Trinamool Congress’ “acts of violence and killings kept the State government busy controlling law and order resulting in development programmes suffering.”

He claimed that for the last 34 years, the Left Front has successfully struggled for workers, peasants, teachers, employees, the poor and downtrodden.

The Chief Minister criticised the Congress for diving a wedge between the rich and poor since Independence by pursuing “wrong economic policies“.

“Congress is solely responsible for the rich-poor divide as India is the home of the world’s largest number of poor, illiterates, hungry and crorepatis as well,” Mr. Bhattacharjee told the rally blaming faulty planning and wrong economic policies for the state of affairs.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said while China, having a population of 130 crore, had made rapid strides on all economic sectors after 1949, India had a long way to go with 108 crore population before it reached that level.

(Courtesy ; The Hindu)

CPI(M) Gives Voice to Tannirbavi Residents' Protest in Mangalore

Tannirbavi is a picturesque stretch of land, lying between the majestically-flowing Phalguni river and the Arabian Sea, between Kulur and Bengare.

There are about 300 families living in the area over some generations. Out of them, about 98% belong to poor and Dalit classes. Dependent totally on fishing and bidi-rolling occupation, they have been deprived of all benefits that the government makes available by way of developmental works.

for all Tannirbavi residents so far deprived of all such privileges.

Residents complain of the stepmotherly treatment meted out by the city corporation and the governmet and cite the non-issuance of door numbers to their houses as the best example. In the absence of door numbers, they are not entitled to getting any benefits. Ration cards, power connection, water connection, loan facilities, pensions for widows, monthly stipend for the differently able, old age pension and such other benefits have remained out of reach for them.

The only benefit they have so far obtained is the issuance of the voter IDs (EPIC), which too have been issued based on unknown or non-existent door numbers through a nexus between the officials and politicians.

Excepting for a scholarship being given to the Dalit students, where the rest of 22.75% funds earmarked for the community by the MCC go is important question raised by the residents here.

All the ruling party and opposition politicians at the MCC have turned a deaf ear to the demands of the neglected residents of Tannirbavi. Therefore the Communist Party of India Marxist has come out in open support of their agitation.

As part of it, the party's city committee, in association with a few other organizations, organized a procession and a "MCC Chalo" (Laying a siege at the MCC office) on Monday Nov 29. Dalit right activists Baby, Madhava, Jayashri, Jagannath, Lingappa Nantur, CPIM city unit secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal and others were in the procession and led the protest.

The procession began at the Besant school junction and went via Mahatma Gandhi Road towards the MCC office at Lal Bagh. The protesters gathered in front of the MCC office and shouted slogans demanding door number.

(Courtesy : Mangalorean.com)

CPI (M) Orissa State Committee gearing up for mass agitation

Orissa State Committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to build public opinion demanding action against culprits involved in the galore of scams that surfaced in recent times.  The party would also take up issues such as permanent job status to casual workers who were forced to work like permanent employee and universalisation of public distribution system.

At the end of the CPI (M)'s State committee meeting, Secretary Janardhan Pati said the 2G spectrum scam had dwarfed all other scams those had come to light earlier. “The Rs.1,76,000 crore involved in the 2G spectrum scam would have made it possible to provide 35-kg rice or wheat per month to all family,” Mr. Pati said.

From December 5 to 11, the party would launch widespread public demonstrations and rallies highlighting cases of corruption those happened during the regime of Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, he said. Mr. Pati said the party cadres would organise public meetings at block level making people aware about the misdeeds by people in power. The State Committee meeting also resolved to step of demand for waiving agricultural loan in 17-drought-affected districts and supply of seeds and water free of cost to farmers for rabi crop. It demanded provision of 10 decimal of homestead and agricultural land to all homeless and landless people in the State. Mr. Pati said during the month of December, January and February, block-level mobilisation programme would culminate in district level.

Trinamool akin to Congress, BJP : Biman Bose

The Trinamool Congress supports an “oppressive” political order just as much as the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Biman Bose, State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has said.

“The economic policy of the State's main opposition party, the Trinamool Congress, is no different from that of the Congress or the BJP. If I were to give an analogy, I would say that the Congress, the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are born of the same mother's womb,” Mr. Bose said here on Sunday. Mr. Bose said that like the Congress and the BJP, the Trinamool worked for the interests of the landlords in the villages and the industrialists and capitalists in the cities.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had also expressed the same view at a recent political rally where he had said that in the past the Congress protected the interests of the landlords, a mantle that the Trinamool had taken over.“Given the policies of the State, we are forced to raise certain issues against the oppressive political order, drawing our inspiration from Marx and Engels,” Mr. Bose said at a function to observe the birth anniversary of Friedrich Engels.

Protest Day

During the day, supporters of the CPI(M) observed a Protest Day against the recent violence witnessed in Kherjuri in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district. Leaders of the CPI(M) have alleged that party supporters, who had been evicted from their homes, were returning but were prevented from doing so by the Trinamool. Party supporters organised a series of meetings and demonstrations at street corners across the State to register their protest.

(Source : The hindu)

Mamata's notion of ‘change' is regressive: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

Chief Minster Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee dismissed as “regressive” the notion of “change” being promoted by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at a rally in Barrackpore in West Bengal North 24 Parganas district on Sunday.

 

“Those who are constantly harping on this change that needs to be brought are not progressive, but pushing for regressive ideas instead,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said questioning the kind of change that Ms. Banerjee wanted to usher in the State.

“She wants every project to end in disaster like Singur,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said, emphasising the loss that the State had suffered after Tata Motors withdrew their Nano small car project from Singur.

Dismissed

Admitting that some workers and leaders in his party [Communist party of India (Marxist)] had committed wrongs that had alienated the people, Mr. Bhattacharjee said that they had been dismissed from the party. “We shall have to go back to the people with folded hands,” he said. Criticising Ms. Banerjee for being whimsical, he said the process of industrialisation in the State could not be held back just because she wanted it.

Stating that the Left Front had realised that the State could not progress riding on agriculture alone, he stressed the need for industry. The State had attracted investment worth Rs. 9,000 crore last year. Evoking the Trinamool slogan of “Ma Mati Manus (the mother, the land and the people),” Mr. Bhattacharjee said that the youth of the State could not merely rely on this rhetoric and stay at home without jobs.

Reiterating the alleged links between the Trinamool and the Maoists, Mr. Bhattacharjee said the terror and violence being witnessed were reminiscent of the days when the Congress was in power. “Earlier they [Trinamool Congress] had covert links with the Maoists, but now they openly hold public rallies together,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said.

(Source : The Hindu)

Only the red flag can protect the poor : Budhadeb Bhattacharya

“Choose carefully between the red flag of the Left Front and the tri-colour flag of the Trinamool Congress for bringing about peace and development in agriculture, industry, electricity and education in West Bengal,” Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee cautioned people on Saturday while highlighting the alleged corruption of Trinamool Congress-run zilla parishads and the false promises made by the party to people.

He also criticised the Centre's silence over the State Government's appeal to subsidise essential food commodities for sale through public distribution system saying that the government at the Centre was only for the rich.

Addressing a rally organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Basirhat in the State's North 24 Parganas district, Mr. Bhattacharjee accused the Trinamool Congress of protesting against and obstructing every other development project initiated by the State Government and asserted that only the “red flag” can bring about development in the State and work for the poor.

Speaking on the State's industrialisation drive, he said: “Just because they (Trinamool Congress) could stop setting up industry at Singur, they cannot stop us in every project. They are now protesting against the land acquisition for Rajarhat township near Kolkata…I want to tell them that the State Government will demolish all such obstacles to the State's progress.”

Taking a dig at the slogan of “change” popularised by the Trinamool Congress, Mr. Bhattacharjee wondered if it means giving back land from the poor to the landlords or doing away with the panchayat system that the Left Front had established.

“The two zilla parishads run by the Trinamool Congress have scored highest in corruption and even funds allotted for Aila victims have been swindled by them. A false propaganda by the party that the State Government will forcibly acquire land from the minority population is baseless,” he said.

Alleging that the Trinamool Congress is creating unrest in colleges and lawlessness in the State, Mr. Bhattacharjee reiterated that it has joined hands with the Maoists in Paschim Medinipur district to kill CPI (M) leaders and supporters.

(The Hindu)

Political use of religion hurts science: Yechury

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury has said that misuse of religious sentiments for political gain is the biggest barrier in the development of science in the country.

He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Science and Secularism' organised by the All India People's Science Congress here on Saturday.

“Unlike common belief, science is not against religion but it is against the conditioning of the human consciousness which became more and more dependent on religion,” Mr. Yechury said.

Communalism

He said communal forces in the country were trying to mix philosophy with theology and mythology with history. “They prevent development of science in an attempt to maintain their domination over people,” Mr. Yechury said.

One form of class conflict that was going on was between those who tried to bring the fruits of scientific inventions for the benefit of masses and those who wanted to commodify science and research findings, Mr. Yechury said.

Criticises Centre

“India's secular democracy is a sham. Only an elite class is enjoying the democratic and secular rights.” Mr. Yechury said the Union government's stand against a joint parliamentary committee investigation into the 2G spectrum row was demeaning to Indian democracy.

C.P. Rajendran of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, public health activist B. Ekbal, All India People's Science Congress president C.P. Narayanan, general secretary Amit Sen Gupta, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad president Kavumbayi Balakrishnan and others spoke.

The seminar was organised as a prelude to the five-day All India People's Science Congress to be held in Thrissur from December 27.

(Source : The Hindu)

CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Committee seeks State intervention on quota for Arundhathiyars

The State committee of CPI(M) on Saturday sought the State government's intervention to ensure that separate reservation for Arundhathiyars was implemented in the recruitment graduate teachers and technical assistants in TNEB.

Explaining a resolution adopted in the State committee meeting, secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the Madras High Court also had ruled that reservation for Arudhathiyars should be followed in all jobs since the State government had enacted a legislation.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said though State government had ordered for implementation of reservation for Arundhathiyars in graduate teachers' recruitment after CPI(M) pressed for it, employment exchanges failed to follow the government's instruction.

Similarly, there is no sign of implementing the legislation in the recruitment of technical assistants in TNEB.

(Source : The Hindu)

General strike brings Portugal to a halt

General strike on 25 November in Portugal brought the country to a halt. Millions of workers from the public and private sector stayed away from work to protest ahead of a vote in Congress on government’s budget and austerity measures.

general strike was called by the Communist Party-led General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) and the PS-aligned General Union of Workers (UGT), the first time both unions have called out their members for nearly three decades.

“We consider it to be the biggest strike ever,” declared UGT head Joao Proenca. CGTP general secretary Manuel Carvalho da Silva added, “I’ve never seen so many people support and identify so closely with the causes of a strike before.” CGTP officials said 75 percent of all workers in the country took part in the strike. Labour Minister Maria Helena Andre revealed, “We are facing a very reduced participation in the private sector of the economy.” This is a new development—up to now strike action has largely been confined to the public sector.

Statement by Jerónimo de Sousa, General Secretary of Portuguese Communist Party

 

The General Strike of November 24, convened by [the Trade Union Central] CGTP-IN, is one of the most important days of struggle held in Portugal after the April 25, [1974 Revolution]. It was a powerful response to the brutal offensive by the PS Government and the PSD, and to all those who, as is the case of the President of the Republic, have backed the course towards a national disaster that is being imposed upon our country.

 

It is a great General Strike that will go down in the history of the Portuguese workers and people, in which participated more than 3 million workers. A victory over resignation and conformism. A day which, due to the scale of the protest, has reasserted the key importance of the struggle.

1- The PCP highlights the national dimension and the cross-sector nature of the General Strike. Throughout the entire country, in the mainland and in the autonomous regions, there was an extraordinary participation in all sectors of activity.

 

The PCP stresses the importance and significance of the strong participation in the transportation sector, with the Lisbon, Oporto and South of the Tejo Undergrounds, the [urban naval transport company] Soflusa, [the rail companies] Transtejo, CP, Refer, EMEF and dozens of road transport companies, as is the case of STCP, Carris, Rodoviaria Entre-Douro e Minho, Barraqueiro Group and Transdev. All sea ports and many of the fishing ports were closed and all the (more than 500) scheduled flights were cancelled. The General Strike also had a strong impact on the productive sector, as for example in: the automobile sector with Auto-Europa and its entire industrial complex, Renault-Cacia, Mitsubishi, Tudor and Camac;  the metallurgy and metalworks sector with the Viana do Castelo Shipyards, the Alfeite Arsenal, Lisnave, Sacti, Jado Ibérica, Camo; the cement, ceramics and glass sector with CNE, Atlantis/Vista Alegre, Saint Gobain/Covina, Cinca and Lusoceran; the cork industry, with the Amorim Group; the textile, garments and shoemaking sector with Paulo Oliveira Group, Almeida e Filhos Textiles, Califa, Triumph and KIAIA; the food and beverages sector with CentralCer, Kraft Foods; and in hundreds of other companies of other productive sectors.

 

The PCP also underlines the major response that was given by the workers of the central and local public administration, with stoppages that reached historic proportions, totally or partially paralyzing the waste collection throughout the country, closing hundreds of schools, Polytechnics and University Colleges, public departments, finance departments, courts and other public services, as was the case with the health sector, where there was a strong participation of the sector's workers.

 

The PCP also stresses the scale and impact which the participation of thousands of striking workers had upon many sectors and companies, such as the Viana do Castelo Shipyards, the over 400 agencies of CGD [national public bank] and other banks that were closed, the closure of almost all post offices (CTT) and the important and significant levels of participation of the workers of Super and Hypermarkets, Motorways and Call Centers.

 

The scale of the strike is all the more significant in that it was achieved by the workers under pressure and blackmail. Ideological pressure, which proclaimed the alleged useleness of the struggle; blackmail resulting from the illegal imposition of minimum services which sought to restrict the right to strike; economic pressure, which targeted in particular workers with precarious labour relations, threatening them with dismissals and losses of income (bonuses); and the illegal harassment which in various places involved the use of the PSP and GNR [police and militarized police forces] to assist in the violations of the Strike Law.

 

This is a success that is all the more remarkable as hundreds of thousands of workers are confronted with dire situations of debts and galloping living costs. These are workers for whom a day of strike means the difficult loss of a day of income.

 

This General Strike emerged from the heart of each company and shop floor, from the determined and consciencious decision of each worker. It emerged from a feeling of protest, indignation and struggle of millions of workers who chose to say “enough!”. No more injustice! No more injustice towards those who are always called upon to pay the costs. This General Strike was a unique moment of assertion of the dignity of Portuguese workers.

2- This General Strike was a just and necessary day of action against the theft of their wages and pensions. Against the cuts of social benefits, family bonuses and unemployment bonuses. Against the increase in the cost of essential services and goods, such as transportation or medication. Against the destruction of public services and the privatization of strategic companies.

 

This General Strike was a just and necessary response to the growth of unemployment, to the ever more widespread precariousness and impoverishment of vast strata of the population. A just and necessary response to the process of destruction of the productive apparatus, to the country's ever-growing indebtment and the loss of national sovereignty.

 

This General Strike was a just and necessary response to the scandalous accumulation of profits by the big economic and financial groups who, invoking the crisis and the deficits in public accounts, wish to impose an even more intense exploitation of the workers and plunder of the country's resources.

3- The PCP greets all the Portuguese workers for their participation on this General Strike.

 

We greet, in particular, the thousands of young workers who, for the first time, took part in a day of struggle of this magnitude. This is a factor of unquestionable political importance, which becomes an important guarantee for the future.

 

The PCP greets CGTP-IN, the broad trade union movement and all the representative structures of workers for their actions and the organizational capacity which they displayed. CGTP-IN confirms and asserts itself as the great trade union central of the Portuguese workers, and an unavoidable reference when it comes to defending the workers' interests and the country's future.

4- This General Strike was not a point of arrival, but a new step in the demanding and long struggle which the national situation requires. After this General Strike, nothing will remain the same. The Government and the Parties that support its policies, and the President of the Republic which sponsors it, today had a clear condemnation, a strong warning and a firm demand for a break with their policies.

 

The General Strike was a powerful expression by the Portuguese workers and people that they are ready to prevent more of the current policies, ready to become the key players in the break and change which the country needs.

 

The PCP was always with this General Strike, because it is with the workers' struggle, because it is committed to the demand for higher wages, for the development of the productive apparatus, for investments and public services. The PCP was and is on the side of the workers' struggle, because their struggle is a struggle for a country of progress, social justice, for a sovereign and independent Portugal.

 

Renewing its permanent commitment to this struggle, the PCP reaffirms to the Portuguese workers and people that they can always count upon the PCP.

Womens’ and Peasants’ Day Observed in Sit-in protest in Kolkota

In the ongoing sit-in in Kolkata, at the call of Left Front, Women’s Day was observed on Thursday and Peasants’ day on Friday. Hundreds of women joined in the demonstration on Thursday and protested particularly against the terror unleashed in the state by Maoists and Trinamool Congress. Addressing the gathering, leaders of Left Womens’ organizations condemned murder and kidnapping of women in Jangal mahal by the Maoists. At least 11 women have been either murdered or kidnapped in this year only. Latest victim being Sampriti Mahato, who was kidnapped from her home and still untraced. Shyamali Gupta, Banani Biswas, Minati Ghosh  and others also questioned the lack of morality of TMC chief who herself is an woman. Fullara Mondal, a leader from Lalgarh described the day-today experience of the women of that area.

On Friday, veteran Kisan leader Benoy Konar addressed the peasant gathering and emphasized the role of imperialism behind recent aggression against the Left in the state. Among others, Suryakanta Misra, Madan Ghosh, Abdur Rejjak Mollah addressed the meeting. The call of the rally was to fight against the anti-peasant policies of the centre as well as to build up mass political resistance against the forces of anarchy in the state.

Mid Day Meal Workers march to Parliament

Thousands of Mid Day Meal Workers from around the country marched to the parliament demanding various issues including Minimum Wages, Social security, Pension under the banner of All India Co-ordination committee of Mid Day meals workers (CITU) on Thursday 25th November. CITU All India President Com. A K Padmanabhan inaugurated the dharna. Com.AKP called upon the activists to carry forward the struggle against the anti people policies of the UPA government.  The dharana came as a strong protest against the proposed privatisation of mid day meals scheme by the central government. Com. Sitharam Yechury, Com. Brinda Karat, also addressed the gathering and promised them to rauise the issues regarding them in the parliament. Com. A Sindu, Convenor of Co-ordination committee presented the Demand Notice. Later a delegation led by Com.Sindhu met the union minister for human resources and presented the memorandum of demands. 

A new wave of protest in Kolkata

A seven day sit-in , involving different sections of people started on Wednesday, November 24, in Kolkata . This new phase of movement by Left Front will continue as uninterrupted protest campaign in Metro Chanel, Esplanade.

 

This movement has been launched when the neo-liberalized policy of Central government is curbing rights of life of common people day by day , UPA-II is ready to offer our country for the ‘service’ of US imperialism, Trinamool-Maoist alliance in the state is trying to challenge the democratic rights of the people  of our state by bringing back their political-cultural heritage of anarchy and murder.

 

From 24^th November to 30^th November, each day will be observed as Workers Day, Peasants Day, Women Day, Student and Youth Day, Teacher and Non-Teaching Staff Day, Cultural Day etc. The campaign will end up by observing Uttarbanga-Jangalmahal-Sundarban day. In each day cultural programmes will be taking place in the stage.

 

The campaign inaugurated today in the presence of thousands of of -Workers. The meeting was presided by Biman Bose, Chairman, Left Front, West Bengal. In his speech he emphasized that, our state has been endangered aftermath of the 15^th Lok Sabha Election, when Trinamool-Maoist alliance has murdered 322 lives of Left Front organizer-leadership in last one and half years and they are conspiring with all forces of anarchists to  snatch away the democratic rights of the common people which has conserved in last three decades by Left front government. He appealed to all citizens of our state in the meeting to expose the actual content of all anti-left politics and to defend it with fullest strength of ideology of class struggle. In this meeting Ashok Ghosh, Chairman, Forward Bloc Bangla Committee, Monoj Bhattacharya, leader of RSP, Swapan Banerjee of CPI, Pratim Chatterjee of MFB, Rampada Samanta of DSP, Janmejay Ojha of SP, Subhash Roy of BBC also addressed the gathering.

The second half of the meeting was presided by Kali Ghosh, Secretary, CITU West Bengal State Committee. Shyamal Chakroborty condemned  nuisances of Trinamool-Maoist alliance in the state and appealed to the people to fight for preserving rights of working class till end. The representatives of TUCC, AITUC, UTUC and other left oriented trade unions also addressed.

 

An exhibition of photographs will be going on in the campaign place featuring the casualty of lives made by the Trinamool-Maoist alliance in recent past days. The exhibition is inaugurated by veteran Left Front leader  Ashok Ghosh.

Koothuparamba Martyrs Day

Koothuparamba’ is a symbol of historical struggle by the youth and students. It was a struggle against the imperialist policies and globalization propaganda of the government of Kerala. The incident happened on 25th November 1994 when the people gathered on the streets of Koothuparamba to protest against the privatization and commoditization of education. Police fired against the unarmed youth and students. Five brave and daring youths were shot dead in the police firing. Comrades K.K. Rajeevan, Madhu, Shibulal, Babu and Roshan have become the five stars of our movement against privatisation and commercialisation of education.

Maoist Brutality In West Midnapore

The Maoists, backed by Trinamool Congress, has once again showed their barbarous nature when they killed 5 CPI(M) leaders and activists within a span of 24hours in West Midnapore district.

One of the killed CPI(M) supporter was beheaded near Lalgarh. The bullet-riddled body of Ganesh Ahir was found on a road near Binpur’s Paluidanga, around 6km from his home in Lalgarh’s Rasikpur from where he had been dragged away. The severed head had been placed on the right hand. Ganesh’s nephew Madhu is a member of the party and his entire family was supporter of the party . Ganesh Ahir was agricultural labourer.

The murder came as a chilling reminder of the manner in which Jharkhand inspector Francis Induwar was abducted and beheaded in October last year.

In the other incident, which occurred in Salboni, Rohin Patar, a zonal committee member of CPI(M) and Pashupati Singh, a panchayat pradhan were shot by Maoists while they were returning from local panchayat samiti office for work related to the revision of electoral rolls.

Rohin Patar, 32, was a very popular Party leader. Pashupati, 55, was a local committee member of the CPI(M) also. They were attacked near a forest stretch in Godamouli. Local people alleged that the Trinamool workers tipped off the Maoists about the presence of the CPI(M) leaders there.

On Monday, CPI(M) local committee member Sushil Mahato and party member Paresh Rana were brutally killed in Sankrail .

The people of Shalboni and Sankrail came out in streets defying terror to protest against these murders. The villagers in Shalboni observed ‘arandhan” (no cooking) in their homes too.

Meanwhile an ICDS worker, Sampriti Mahato was forcibly abducted from her home in Belatikri in Binpur. Mahato, also a DYFI local leader was abducted after Maoists attacked her family members including her mother. Her whereabouts are still not known. With this, 11 women have been abducted and some of them murdered in Jangal Mahal area in this year.

In yet another incident , Debendranath Singh, a teacher of Kajla primary School in Jhargram sub-division was abducted by the Maoists. Singh's family members alleged that Friday he went to school and from there he went to sub-divisional school inspector office to attend a meeting. On his way back, he was picked up by three suspected Maoists, who came riding on motorcycles.

Biman Basu, West Bengal state secretary of CPI(M) condemned brutality of the Maoists. Dipak Sarkar, secretary of West Midnapore district committee of CPI(M) has strongly condemned these heinous crimes by the Maoists. “ Maoists and their Trinamool cohorts are indulging in these crimes in desperation as they have been forced to back out from many areas by the people”, he said.