CPI (M) flays killing of Tamil Nadu fisherman

CPI (M) Tamil Nadu State Committee has strongly criticised the killing of a Nagapattinam fisherman, Chellappan, ALLEGEDLY by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a statement here, State Secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the island navy continued to indulge in such acts. The party urged State and Central Governments to take steps to stop such incidents. The assistance to the bereaved family should be increased to Rs.5 lakh.

The State and Central Governments were not giving due importance to prevent attacks being unleashed by the Sri Lankan navy on the Tamil fishermen, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central Committee Member and Rajya Sabha MP T.K. Rengarajan alleged.

Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr. Rengarajan said that the attacks on the Tamil fishermen were continuing despite the presence of Indian navy in this region. The Indian Government, having cordial relationship with the Sri Lankan Government, should have put a permanent end to the attacks by conveying its concern through proper channel. However, it did not happen and hence attacks continued.

He welcomed Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard while appealing to him to initiate stringent action against ‘honour killings' that had entered Tamil Nadu also.

The CPI (M) would stage demonstration in front of the Madurai Collectorate on July 12 in protest against not giving permission to construct a bus shelter at Uththapuram with his Local Area Development fund, he said. The party would organise campaigns and rallies across the State from August 22 and 29 against untouchability, inflation, unemployment, fuel price increase etc. to create awareness among the public of these issues and popularise alternative solutions to these pressing issues.

He criticised job fairs being conducted by the DMK, saying it was only showing the failure of Tamil Nadu Government's Department of Employment and Training.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

CPI(M) to remain neutral in Andhra bypolls

The CPI (M) has decided to keep away from the upcoming byelections to 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana region.

The party's State committee which met here on Saturday endorsed the proposal made by the party's secretariat to adopt a neutral stand in the elections where all the contesting parties are raising separate Telangana issue for which the party is principally opposed. The CPI(M) central leadership had authorised the State leaders to take a decision on the issue.

“This is an issue which has to be decided by the State committee,” CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury who was present at the deliberations said.

The State committee accordingly asked the party leaders and cadre not to support any party or campaign for any leader in the elections.

The meeting discussed, among other things, irregularities in the Indiramma weaker section housing scheme that came out during surveys conducted in different districts. Participants also expressed concern at the way white ration cards of the genuine poor were being removed in the name of weeding out bogus ration cards while ineligible people, mostly belonging to the ruling party, continued to enjoy the benefits.

Brinda Karat to PM on "Honour" Killings

In response to the decision of the Central Government to refer the issue of “honour crimes” to a GoM, Brinda Karat, MP and Member of Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) had written the following letter to the Prime Minister on July 9, 2010.

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh ji,

I am writing to you in connection with the decision of the Government to refer the issue of legislation for “honour crimes” to a Group of Ministers. Such a decision will undoubtedly further delay the entire process. It is a great disappointment to all democratic minded citizens in this country who are appalled at the retrograde assaults and violent action against young adults who assert their constitutionally and legally protected rights for self choice marriage/ relationships. They had expected the Central Government not to procrastinate any further and to take steps to ensure an adequate legal framework to address this increasing crime and to bring some relief to affected couples. The country is not unaware that in some of the States where this particular type of crime is taking place, there are political considerations at work to downplay the magnitude of the crime. There is an attempt by those in office in at least one of the States where such crimes have occurred to defend the highly retrograde actions of self-styled caste panchayats in the name of tradition. You will agree that to put vote bank politics over the requirements of those in office to uphold the rights granted by the constitution is abhorrent. Yet this is being done. Delays on the part of the Central Government to decide on a firm course of action in setting up a legal framework strengthens the perception that it is caused by the pressure of vote bank politics.

I would like to draw your attention to the short duration discussion on the issue of “Crimes related to ‘honour’ ” in the Rajya Sabha almost exactly a year ago, on July 28th, 2009 which I had raised. Parties cutting across political lines had supported the suggestion that there should be a separate law to deal with the range of so-called honour crimes. There are many dimensions to these crimes including the absence of a definition of the ‘honour” crime, the role of caste panchayats, the role of the girl’s family because of which often there is no complainant in the case of the disappearance of the girl when she has actually been murdered which necessitates the mandatory role of State intervention, monitoring and investigation, the role of the law enforcement agencies acting in connivance with the perpetrators of the crime and so on. The crime includes murder but also many other crimes such as social and economic boycott, coercive dissolution of the marriage, leveling of fines on the family of the boy and their supporters, externment from the village, public humiliation, threats and harassment against relatives of the boy etc.

Unfortunately the Union Home Minister who is clearly unaware of the logic, the reasons and the struggle of women’s organizations for such a legislation stated "I think the demand for a special law is the one that has been made most eloquently. But I am afraid that it is a very simple demand in the sense that make a law, but the answer is not to make another law. Whatever law we make honour killing is murder…I would look into this whether we can define honour killing, but prima facie I am not sure whether that will take us very far.”

It is this flawed understanding of those charged with addressing the crime which is responsible for the misconceived piecemeal attempts for a legal framework that we see today. For a whole year after the issue was raised in Parliament, the requisite legal initiatives were not taken. On the contrary, other suggestions made in the course of the debate such as simplification of the Special Marriages Act and changes in the Evidence Act which were to be complementary to the enactment of a separate law are suggested as the main legal framework. This is now to be the basis for discussions with State Governments and the GOM. This will not be at all helpful. Women’s organizations as for example the All India Democratic Women’s Association have already worked on such a comprehensive law which the Government may consider.

I request you to do justice to young couples who are victims of anti-democratic and casteist notions and beliefs which are strengthened by the absence of a comprehensive law to address the crimes they face in the name of honour.

What is required is a firm decision by the Government for a separate law, the draft of which may be placed in Parliament in the coming session.