Poor farmers up in arms against eviction, rallying under red flags

After Bhangar in South 24-parganas now at Galsi in Burdwan. Everywhere in rural Bengal farmers, poor and marginal, are up in arms against land grabbers. Emboldened by the victory of the Trinamool Congress-Congress combine in the recently-held Assembly elections landlords had raised an “army of Trinamool gangsters“ to evict peasants from land they have been cultivating as sharecroppers or bargadars and pattadars. It was the Left Front government that had given them the right to cultivation immediately after coming to power in West Bengal 34

years ago.

What the evicted peasants of Bhangar did in the name of resistance against eviction at Bhangar was an eye-opener for the poor farmers across rural Bengal. Led by Basudeb Sardar , Golak Munda an Bharat Munda hundreds of farmers who were evicted by landlord and jotedars put an organized resistance and finally took possession of their captured land. After holding back of their land they took out a procession of which the peasant women carrying red flags were front-liners.According to the CPI(M) leaders and local MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah, more than 400 bighas of cultivable khas ( government land ) land which was distributed among poor pattadars had been forcibly occupied by Trinamool gangsters. Because of strong resistance movement the entire plot of land was recaptured by poor farmers under the leadership of the CPI (M). In the morning of July 25, Galsi witnessed a similar form of resistance that took place at Bhangar a day before with hundreds of slogan raising peasants carrying red flags to take possession of their land from where they had been forcibly ousted by landlords with help of Trinamool gangsters and police. They were able to recapture about 15 bighas of land under Paraj Jotekolkol mouza at Galsi. After taking possession of the land from where they were evicted the poor farmers undertook necessary work for cultivation. They planted red flags in the field.Before eviction some of the farmers like Seikh Asnar, Seikh Askari, Seikh Aed Nabi, Seikh Denwara , despite repeated warning by elderly peasants like Sheikhlal Mahammed and Sattar Mullick, joined the local Trinamool camp. But soon they realized the mistake they had committed when their land was also forcibly captured by the jotedars. Leaving Trinamool camp they have again come back to rally under the banner of Krishak Sabha and fight against eviction.After taking possession of their land the poor farmers took out a procession covering a wide area in Galsi to send a message of resistance against eviction.

AIDWA seeks a better deal for women

Better transport and health facilities for women workers in Tirupur knitwear cluster, a skill development centre for women, and social security for the poor were the put forward at the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) 13th Tiruppur district conference held on Sunday.

CPI (M) central committee member and AIDWA state general secretary U. Vasuki said the district administration should take immediate steps to run more public transport buses exclusively for women during peak hours, as feedback obtained from the public indicated that women workers were subjected to sexual harassment in overcrowded buses on many occasions.

She went on to stress the need for better infrastructure in the District Headquarters hospital here, especially in the maternity and neo natal wards, as staff shortage had been preventing people from getting speedy and quality treatment.

“The pharmacy at the institution does not have adequate medicine, forcing the women coming from economically weaker section of the society, to purchase costly drugs from outside,” she said.

The meeting also passed a resolution condemning alleged wide-scale corruption in the District Headquarters hospital. “Though it has been widely claimed that the medical care at the said hospital is free, many patients end up spending from their pockets, as staff demand money from patients for various services,” Ms. Vasuki said.

The conference asked the district administration to set up an exclusive skill development centre for women to help them hone their entrepreneurial talents.

Another issue raised by the AIDWA was the need to set up more government high schools in Tirupur city.

Ms.Vasuki criticised the methodology of the Union Planning Commission that sets a ceiling for allocation of funds to the states for below poverty line (BPL) people.

“We are of the opinion that all BPL people should get the social security benefits without any discrimination,” she said, adding that there should a fresh enumeration of BPL people carried out in a transparent manner.

The AIDWA state president N. Amritham, state secretary P. Suganthi and district secretary G. Savithri, spoke.

Left Parties organize dhrana in Delhi against price rice and corruption

The four Left Parties organized a dharna against corruption and price rise at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on July 21. The dharna was organized as the culmination of the week long campaign by the left parties from 15-21 July against corruption and price rise. Hundreds of activists participated in the dharna. Leaders from Delhi and the national leadership of the left parties were present in the dharna and addressed the gathering.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechcury pointed out that the corruption we are seeing today is not some simple corruption due to deterioration of moral values. Corruption today is linked with the neo-liberal economic policies being pursued by the ruling classes today. Without fighting corruption it is not possible to build a new India for which we have the potential, he said. The money lost in 2G spectrum scam alone is sufficient to provide food to all people at Rs 3 per kg for two years, or finance the expenditure on the Right to Education for five years. He emphasized on the need for electoral reforms to strengthen the fight against corruption and demanded that corporate funding of political parties be banned. He appealed to the people to strengthen the fight against corruption and price rise.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said the UPA government was completely sunk in corruption and it has lost all credibility. The Left Parties want a comprehensive and effective Lokpal bill and not a toothless legislation. He appealed to the participants to be ready for bigger struggles in the future.

Abani Roy from the RSP called on the people to mobilize against corruption and price rise in greater numbers. He said that those who cannot provide relief to the common people have no right to remain in government.

Debbrata Biswas from the AIFB attacked the government for fueling price rise. He also said sustained struggles need to be built and anger of the people must be channelized into militant struggles.

CPI (M) Delhi State Secretary P M S Grewal, Dinesh Varshney from the CPI, Asit Ganguly from RSP, and Dharmendra Kumar from AIFB also addressed the gathering.

CPI(M) urges Tamil Nadu government to evolve ‘land use policy'

The State unit of the CPI(M) on Friday urged the State government to evolve a “land use policy” to prevent indiscriminate acquisition of agriculture lands for other purposes.

Talking to reporters here, State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said in many places lands had been acquired in the name of industrialisation but never utilised for the purpose.

“Let the State government evolve a policy for acquiring agriculture lands. This is very important since the agricultural production in the State has come down from Rs.22,022 crore in 2005-06 to Rs.20,876 crore in 2009-10,” he said.

The party on Thursday met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and submitted a memorandum drawing her attention to various issues, including agricultural reforms, land distribution to poor, uniform education, industrial policy and empowerment of women and minorities.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said the State government should table in the Assembly the privileges extended to industrial and corporate houses while signing a memorandum of understanding for setting up industries in the State.

“The report should tell the investment brought into the State by these companies and the employment generation by them. We also need the details about the loss caused to the exchequer because of the privileges offered to these companies,” he said.

Asked about the allegations of the DMK leadership that their party functionaries had been targeted by the State government on land grabbing cases, Mr. Ramakrishnan said many of the incidents took place during the DMK regime and no action was taken against the culprits. “There was a direction from the Madras High Court against former Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam in connection with land grabbing. But the police did not take any action at that time,” he added.

As regards uniform syllabus, he said the government should immediately distribute textbooks to students.

“We should keep in mind that uniform syllabus is only one of the many recommendations of the Muthukumaran committee constituted by the previous government. There are other aspects such as education through mother tongue, quality education in government schools and infrastructure development,” he further said. Besides demanding a university for the development of folk arts, the CPI(M) also wanted allocation of adequate land for the sports university.

(Source : The Hindu)

Enthusiastic Response to Left Campaign Against Corruption and Price Rise

There is massive and enthusiastic response to the week- long anti-corruption and anti-price rise campaign launched on July 15 by the four Left Parties— CPI, CPI (M), RSP and Forward Bloc — all over the country.  Massive rallies, hall meetings and conventions are being organized in different parts of the country rouse the people in the battle against corruption. In several places the meetings are also being organized against price rise also. 

Through the week long campaign the Left parties are highlighting the following five demands:

i) Adoption of an effective Lokpal Legislation
ii) A National Judicial Commission to curb corruption in high judiciary
iii) Stringent action against the rampant corruption fostered by the big business-politician-bureaucratic nexus which has led to scandal such as the 2G spectrum case.
iv) Implementation of electoral reforms including introduction of proportional representation system to check money power in elections.
v) Steps to unearth black money and repatriation of the illegal money stashed abroad.
 

As all these evils including the unprecedented rise in the prices of all essential commodities are bye-products of the policies of economic neo-liberalism shamelessly being implemented by the Dr. Manmohan Singh government, the Left campaign is aimed at highlighting the fact that the policies of globalization, liberalization and privatization are the one that were dictated by the international finance capital through its tools like World Bank, IMF and WTO. 

Add caption

Chennai, Tamil Nadu (July 19)

Sikar, Rajasthan (July 21)

Hanumangarh, Rajasthan (July 21)

Left backs struggle to stop Jaitapur Nuclear project

Vivek Monteiro (Source : Pragoti)

A report on the recent visit by the central leadership of the CPI(M) and CPI to Jaitapur, where the proposed Nuclear Power Project has been opposed by residents. 

 

On July 12, a delegation of the Left parties comprising CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and central committee member Tapan Sen, MP, CPI national secretary D Raja, MP, PWP leader Dhairyasheel Patil, MLA, and Dr Ashok Dhawale, Mahendra Singh, Kiran Moghe, Dr Vivek Monteiro, Hemkant Samant of the CPI(M), Narayan Ghagare, Prakash Reddy, Uday Chaudhary of the CPI; along with Adwait Pednekar and Mangesh Chavan of the Konkan Bachao Samiti visited villages in Ratnagiri district that will be affected by the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP). 

This visit could well become a landmark in the struggle to stop the ill-considered nuclear project.

After the Fukushima disaster, serious questions have been raised internationally about the hazards arising out of situating multiple nuclear reactors at a single location. First Germany and subsequently Japan announced plans to cancel all new nuclear projects and further, to make a phased exit from nuclear power. In this backdrop the assertion by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that there will be no reconsideration of the JNPP and that the project will go forward as scheduled makes it crystal clear that what is driving the project forward is not economic or scientific rationality, but international political compulsions.

Those opposing the project are also beginning to understand that the only way to stop the project in these circumstances is to defeat politically the forces which are pushing it forward against all wisdom. This political battle will have to be fought at the local, state and national level. It is in this context that the visit of Comrades Prakash Karat, D Raja and Tapan Sen to express support of the Left parties to the movement to stop the Jaitapur project assumes great importance.

The first item on the day’s agenda was a visit to the plateau above the fishing village of Musakazi which is situated across the Jaitapur creek from the Madban plateau. This plateau is similar topographically to the Madban proposed site for the JNPP. Here the delegation and accompanying media were shown several places where deep cracks and rifts had developed in previous decades due to seismic events or after heavy rains as is common in laterite rocks. Shri Pravin Gawhankar, President of the Janahit Sewa Samiti which is spearheading the agitation, raised several safety issues related to the development of these large cracks and land subsidence when rain- soaked laterite rock is stressed with large loads such as mammoth nuclear reactors.

The next stop was at the picturesque village of Sakhri-Nate. This fishing village is prosperous and self-sufficient. Most of its residents are Muslims. This was where young Tabrez Sayekar fell martyr to police bullets on April 18 this year. Tabrez’ martyrdom followed the killing of Irfan Kazi in December 2010 by collision with a police vehicle. The death of Irfan and the martyrdom of Tabrez have made a profound impact on the consciousness of the local residents. The delegation first visited the humble home of Tabrez and paid condolences to his aged father and mother. D Raja inquired whether any compensation had been paid to the family. He was informed that not a single ruling party Minister, leave alone the Chief Minister, had visited the family after the tragedy. No compensation had been offered.

 A large crowd of several hundred people gathered at the Jamaatkhana eager to narrate their problems and plight. Shri Amjad Borkar, a resident of the village, and the President of the Ratnagiri District Machhimar Kruti Samiti, who is normally a very quiet and reserved person, made an impassioned speech stating that Tabrez’s father had told him that he too would be prepared to lay down his life like Tabrez, but the Jaitapur Nuclear Project must be stopped. Narrating his visit to the site of Tarapur plant Borkar asked what should we believe: the assurances of the government that fishing will not be affected, or the actual experience of our fisher community brothers and sisters at Tarapur whose livelihoods have been destroyed?

Yasmeen Bhosar, a woman gram panchayat member challenged the NPCIL propaganda. They are fooling us, she said, and banning the entry of those who are telling us the truth. She asked the leaders to take steps to stop the construction work of the wall which has started. Maulana Naeem received a resounding ovation when he stated that “these are the Left leaders who opposed the Congress in Parliament on the nuclear deal issue without compromise. They were prepared to give up power, but not their principles”. He stated that people here have set aside all differences of religion, community, political allegiance. They have forgotten Hindu-Muslim and Congress- ShivSena - “Yeh sirf hakk ki baat hai”. He said that fishing provides livelihood not only to thousands of Konkan residents but also to an even larger number of workers on the boats who come from Karnataka, Orissa and Nepal. “Sab ka pet bharta hai yahan.” Majeed Gowalkar who was next to Tabrez when he was shot narrated how the police opened fire without any warning. “Jo bachha mar gaya, wo poore gaon ka bachha tha”, he said with tears in his eyes.

Heavy rain compelled the meeting to adjourn briefly and people crammed into the Jamaatkhana. Here they were addressed by the leaders of the delegation. Dhairyasheel Patil of the PWP narrated how the struggle of the local farmers was able to successfully stop the huge Mukesh Ambani SEZ in the adjoining Raigad district. He exhorted the residents to be firm and not be demoralized if a few persons accept compensation. D Raja stated that the left parties had already raised the issue in Parliament and would again raise it forcefully in the coming session in August.
 
Prakash Karat stated that the issue of Jaitapur is not only a local issue. It is a national issue. The Left parties had come to express their solidarity with the local struggle. Similar struggles are taking place at Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere. The Left will play its role in building a national resistance. The Left is opposed to all the projects based on expensive and untested imported reactors. After the Fukushima disaster we demand that all new nuclear projects be put on hold and a fresh examination be conducted including scrutiny by independent experts.

The next stop was a visit to the site of the JNPP on the Madban Plateau. Due to prohibitory orders it was decided that only five persons, Prakash Karat, D Raja, Tapan Sen, Dhairyasheel Patil and Pravin Gawhankar should go into the site. A large posse of police stood guard. Objections were taken by them to Gawhankar’s entry. However, after a brief discussion, the leaders along with Gawhankar were escorted by NPCIL officers and given a tour of the site.

Next was a visit to the village of Mithgawane, in the project-affected area. Another meeting was held in the ancient and beautiful Anjaneshwar temple at the village. Here Dr Milind Desai, a respected physician, narrated how he was arrested at midnight and kept in police custody for several days. His case was typical, he said. The state government is trying to thus terrorise and pressurise the local people into abandoning their agitation. Dhairyasheel Patil, D Raja, Tapan Sen and Prakash Karat assured the project-affected residents that their problems would be raised at the national level including in the next session of Parliament.

The culmination of the visit was the public meeting at the Ratnagiri City Library Hall at 6 PM. It was the first public meeting in the last several years that was organised by the Left in the south Konkan districts. Only two days earlier on July 10, activists of the Youth Congress and Minister Narayan Rane’s “Swabhimaan Sena” had disrupted a daylong workshop organised at the same venue by the Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti, a coalition of groups opposing the JNPP. The Congress goons made a public announcement in the district papers that if the leaders of the KVPVS came to attend the Left parties’ public meeting they would not allow the meeting to take place.

However their attempt to disrupt the meeting was effectively foiled by the strong mobilization of the Left. A large contingent of working people from Ratnagiri including fisher folk, youth and women from Nate, farmers, members of the teachers union BUCTU, CITU members from the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Project, CPI(M) comrades from the neighbouring Kolhapur district led by state committee members Dr Subhash Jadhav and Chandrakant Yadav, as well as local citizens was significant in this effort. Leaders of the KVPVS like Ms Vaishali Patil, Dr Vivek Bhide and Amjadbhai Borkar were securely escorted into the hall by cordons of activists. The heavily outnumbered Congress goons shouted slogans and threw a few stones. They were not allowed to enter the meeting premises and were later dispersed by the police.

The meeting was presided over by CPI(M) state secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale and was addressed by Mahendra Singh, Kiran Moghe, Tapati Mukhopadhaya, Narayan Ghagare, Prakash Reddy and Pravin Gawhankar, along with Tapan Sen, D Raja and Prakash Karat.

Ashok Dhawale said that the Left parties had already commenced to take the agitation beyond the confines of Ratnagiri district. On April 26, the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl Day, the Left parties had held demonstrations in several districts of Maharashtra. In March, our CPI(M) MP Khagen Das and ex-MP Subhashini Ali had visited the area and Khagen Das had raised the issue in Parliament. Kiran Moghe said that this meeting has shown that strong arm tactics will never be able to stop the spread of our movement. She commended the women for their large scale participation in the struggle. Mahendra Singh stated that those who think they can terrorise us into silence should understand that we will never let the martyrdom of Irfan and Tabrez go in vain. Narayan Ghagare in a speech laced with sarcasm and humour delivered in characteristic Konkani style and accent stated that he too is a Narayan from Konkan. Shri Narayan Rane must realize that if he attacks the Konkani people who are fighting for their rights and livelihood, his party’s victory in the last Lok Sabha election will be its last election victory in the Konkan. Prakash Reddy and Tapati Mukhopadhyaya both raised the important issue of the impact of the JNPP on the livelihoods of the fishing community and the world famous Ratnagiri alphonso mango horticulture. Pravin Gawhankar thanked the Left parties for their continued and consistent support. He said that from 2005 itself both the Left parties and the local residents have been consistently opposing the anti-national nuclear policy sell-out to multinationals on different platforms. Now we are coming together.

Tapan Sen stated that the CITU and other trade unions will mobilise their members to oppose the project which is anti-national and the result of political corruption. The strength of the working class would be rallied to support the agitation. Prakash Karat and D Raja reiterated and elaborated upon the points that they had made in their speeches at Nate. Prakash Karat made the important announcement that the Left parties will immediately take the initiative to form a broad-based national committee to take forward this struggle.

On July 13, Prakash Karat and D Raja addressed a crowded press conference at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh. The large hall was so crammed with reporters of the print and electronic media that several had to wait outside. The public meeting at Ambedkar Bhavan at Dadar was also filled to capacity. Dr. Bhalchandra Kango, state secretary of the CPI, presided over the meeting. Pravin Gawhankar spoke first. He thanked the Left parties for their consistent support and requested their backing for a protest dharna to be organised by the Janahit Sewa Samiti at New Delhi on August 9 with the slogan “Videshi Nuclear Projects, Quit India”. D Raja had just completed his speech when the news came in of the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai, including one at Dadar Kabutarkhana nearby. Prakash Karat announced this shocking news, and the meeting adjourned immediately after condemning the terrorist attack and condoling the deaths of innocent citizens.

Yeddyurappa Should Resign

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

The report on illegal mining by the Karnataka Lokayukta has named the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa as being involved in wrongdoing. This has been confirmed by Justice Santosh Hegde even though the report has not yet been officially released.

With this indictment, Yeddyurappa has no other option but to resign from office. After the report is submitted, all those named for wrongdoing should be prosecuted under the law. The BJP leadership cannot prevaricate in this matter any more. It must own up full responsibility for instituting a government in Karnataka which is riddled with the mining mafia and those patronizing them.

CPI(M) hold protest over corruption in Himachal Pradesh

Communist Party of India (Marxists) on Thursday held a protest demonstration in Shimla highlighting rampant corruption. Addressing the protestors, Rakesh Singha, state secretary CPI(M) accused ruling BJP of adopting double standards on the issue of corruption. 

At one place BJP is participating in an anti-corruption drive against the UPA government but in the state where the party is in power it is working like a mafia for real estate barons, he said. 

Kuldeep Tanwar, member state secretariat pointed out that Congress in the UPA government at Delhi and BJP in the state were trying to outdo each other over corruption.

He said that the state government had the dubious credentials of reinstating corrupt officials after briefly being suspended in corruption cases. “Some have even been convicted by the trial courts, he said. 

Tanwar pointed out that a BJP member of parliament from Kangra was openly leveling serious corruption charges against a government of his own party in the state.

“Instead of investigating the charges, a faction of the party was trying to gag the voice of an MP, he added.

Issues about the party in power being a favourite crony of a industrial house and violations in HP land laws were pointed out by other speakers which included Sanjay Chauhan and Tikender Panwar among others.

(Source : myhimachal.com)

Dalits separated by wall at colony

A 20-metre-long and 10-feet-high brick wall of near two decades old here separates 200 Dalit families from others.The wall, called by them as the ‘untouchable wall of Salem' is separating Raman colony where they, all Arunthathiyars, are living from VOC Nagar located on the other side of wall where many, a majority of them caste Hindus, are residing. The wall, running parallel to a drainage channel along Gandhi Mahan Street, has shut an easy access to main road on the other side.

The Dalits allege that the controversial wall was constructed some two decades back by a private person ‘to prevent the overflowing drainage waters from the adjoining colony to enter into his land.' “We are told that the wall was erected on both patta and porombok lands for which we need a resurvey,” demand Dalit youths who have taken up the issue with support from Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

They allege that their children have to take a circuitous route to reach the main road to go to schools.“The sick and elderly are suffering the worst. It is constructed on poromboke land,” said Pon Saravanan, urban secretary, DYFI. Many vouchsafe the same. As the sewage water gets stagnated, the entire area is stinking with scores of pigs roaming freely. 

M. P. Kandasamy, a 70-year-old Dalit, said that the wall has been put up for about 20 years. “It should be demolished and a way for us must be opened,” he insisted, while 40- year old Devakani said Salem Corporation had taken no steps so far to improve the colony's sanitary conditions. “We are boxed in with wall on one side and pools of sewers on other side,” she claimed. 

But those who are living in VOC Nagar on the other side of wall said they had purchased plots and constructed houses after spending their hard-earned money. “We are here to live peacefully in a good and hygienic environment and we are against any discrimination. We have not constructed the wall,” said a resident. A majority of them have moved in recently there. 

Salem Tahsildar D. Kumaresan told The Hindu that he was asked to conduct an enquiry into the claims on the disputed wall.“I will visit the spot tomorrow and after surveying it, I will submit a report. Many claimed that the wall could have been constructed on both private and porombok lands. I have called for land records and accordingly we will act,” he said.

(Courtesy : R. Ilangovan, The Hindu)

CPIM Dharna for effective anti-corruption laws in Jammu Kashmir

State Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Member of Assembly from Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday demanded framing of effective laws for weeding out corruption and to break what he termed the politician-bureaucrat nexus in the state.

“State Accountability Commission is a dead organization. It is headless and defunct for the past few years. Our demand is that government should make the body functional at an earliest to take on corruption. Our vigilance (commission) doesn’t have the courage to lay hands on big sharks,” he said addressing a protest rally of CPI (M) here against corruption and inflation.

The leader demanded a Lokpal-type legislation in Jammu and Kashmir for curbing the menace.
Castigating government for “failing to curb corruption”, Tarigami said, “Tall promises about taking action against the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats and tax evaders by the authorities have proven hoax.” “I want to ask the State government what happened to the promises made by them in and outside Assembly about taking on the corrupt officials,” he questioned.
Tarigami also appealed the political parties, civil society groups and intellectuals in the state to wage a united fight over both the issues.

About the campaign, he said, “This is the part of the nationwide campaign of the Left parties against price rise and corruption.” Tarigami urged India and Pakistan to continue dialogue process for the resolution of Kashmir issue. “I appeal India and Pakistan to stop fighting with each other and do justice with Kashmiris. We don’t want peace of a graveyard, but we seek its restoration with dignity,” Tarigami said. The CPI (M) leader said Kashmiris hail the firm stand of both the countries to carry forward the dialogue process after Mumbai blasts.

“It was heartening to see that the peace process was not derailed in the wake of blasts and we hope that they will go ahead with the same spirit,” he said. Tarigami urged State Government to amend the Public Safety Act – which allows two-year detention without trial.
“To make the law more humane, the government should bring an amendment in the upcoming session of state legislature,” he said.

General Secretary of Kissan Tehreek, Ghulam Nabi Malik, while expressing concern over inflation said the price hike on petrol, diesel and cooking gas has severely affected the life of common man. “We wouldn’t sit as mute spectator and will raise our voice against the hike,” he said.

Hundreds of CPI (M) cadres marched from TRC ground to Press Enclave Lal Chowk shouting slogans like “expose the corrupt officials” demanding immediate steps to curb inflation and to end corruption at the bureaucratic and political level.
(Courtesy : Greater Kashmir)

Reject US Demand on Civil Nuclear Liability

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

The United States continues to exercise pressure on the Indian government to dilute the Civil Nuclear Liability law which was adopted by parliament. This has become evident from the statement made by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in Delhi asking India to engage with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that the nuclear liability law “fully conforms” with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC). The CSC does not provide for suppliers’ liability in the event of a nuclear accident.

The Indian government should reject this suggestion. The IAEA is only a depository for the Convention and cannot judge a law passed by parliament.

The UPA government has been vacillating and seeking to accommodate the US concerns which are primarily the interests of its nuclear industry. The Civil Nuclear Liability Act was passed in parliament after compelling the government to accept section 17(b) which provides for foreign suppliers liability. This national law should prevail over any international convention.

The Civil Nuclear Liability Act has not yet been notified and come into force, even though nearly a year has passed since its adoption by parliament. Nor the rules under the Act have been placed before parliament. The UPA government should explain why this has not been done.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the UPA government firmly adhere to the law as established with regard to nuclear liability of foreign suppliers. This is all the more necessary after the Fukushima disaster. Instead of the private company which operates the reactors or the foreign suppliers, billions of dollars are being spent by the Japanese government after the nuclear accident to clean-up and rehabilitate those affected.

West Bengal Left Front to organize march to Assembly and Lok Sabha in August

The Left Front has decided to organize a march to the State Assembly and stage a mass demonstration in front of the Lok Sabha on August 10 and 25 respectively to protect democratic rights and in protest against State-sponsored terrorism in West Bengal. The Front chairman Biman Basu said the Left Front at its last meeting on July 18 took a decision to let the Left and democratic minded people all over the country know about the new edition of terror that had been added to the already existent State-sponsored terror programme in West Bengal under Trinamool-Congress rule.

The new government headed by Mamata Banerjee has taken the side of landlords indulging in large scale eviction of bargadars and patta-holders with the help of Trinamool activists in rural Bengal. Now the government has launched fresh attack by not allowing the Left Front-governed panchayats to function freely. The pradhans of various Front-governed panchayat bodies are being threatened by Trinamool Congress cadres since the declaration of the Assembly election results in May. They are dictating the pradhans. A section of block development officers are hands-in-glove with the ruling party workers.

Left parties kept in dark about Darjeeling agreement : Strong Opposition Against inclusion of Terai and Dooars in new set-up

The Left parties in West Bengal have been kept in dark about the content of the tripartite agreement paving the way for the formation of Goorkhaland Territorial Administration. The agreement is going to be signed at Pintel village near Sukna in Darjeeling on July 18.

Surya Kanta Mishra, Leader of the Opposition, is surprised to know that he has been invited to be present at the time of signing of the agreement at a time when he is unaware of the content of the agreement. The agreement GTA will be signed between the State and Central governments and the GorkhaMuktiMorcha. Expressing concern over signing of the July 18 agreement Mishra said the CPI(M) and other Left Front parties were from the beginning opposed to the demand both of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) for a separate State in Darjeeling. “What we wanted is more autonomous status of the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) and its real democratic functioning,” he said.

Mishra said aiming at this talks started between the Central and State governments and the GJM during the Left Front regime. The talks yielded towards positive result and it was admitted by the Centre. The then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya also convened an all-party meeting although the Trinamool Congress did not participate in the meeting. At the meeting a draft memorandum of agreement was also adopted.

But the present Trinamool government, said Leader of the Opposition Mishra, without discussing the issue either in the Assembly or at any all-party meeting had initiated bipartite talks ignoring the consistence of the earlier tripartite meetings. “The content of the agreement going to be signed on July 18 between the State government and the GJM was neither made known to the people nor to us. We have to know from media sources that some additional Mouzas in Teraqi and Dooars are going to brought under the new administrative set up called Gorkhaland Territorial Administration against which we have strong opposition. Besides, we want debate and discussion about the name of the proposed administrative set up in the State Assembly,” Mishra said.

Meanwhile, a total bandh was observed in Siliguri in Darjeeling district on July 15 against the adoption of the name Gorkhaland in the agreement and proposed move to include a few “mouzas” of Terai and Dooars in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The bandh was also observed in many areas in Jalpaiguri district. Left Front on behalf of the Darjeeling District Committee appealed to the people not to participate in the bandh as because such a bandh would encourage a section of disruptive elements. The bandh was called by AdivasiBikashParishad and Bangla and Bangla Vasa Bachao Committee.

Left parties kick soff anti-corruption campaign in Manipur

The state units of several Left parties have launched a week-long democratic movement against corruption and other social ills in Manipur. The stir will be carried out in a phased manner at all district headquarters of the state.

On Friday, activists of the CPI, CPI (M), Forward Bloc and RSP kicked off the first phase of the movement at Aribam Mandhop in the Singjamei area of Imphal. During the campaign, the parties will call for adoption of an effective Lokpal Bill legislation, a national judicial commission to curb corruption in the judiciary and action against corruption by big businessmen in connivance with politicians.

L Thoiren Singh, the assistant secretary of Manipur state council of CPI , said the campaign will seek implementation of electoral reforms, checking use of money in elections, unearthing of black money and bringing back illegal money stashed abroad.

CPI(M), CPC to promote stronger India-China relations

Anantha Krishnan (The Hindu)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of China have agreed to strengthen exchanges and to work together to promote the development of India-China relations, officials from both parties have said.

Sitaram Yechury, member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M), held talks with senior CPC officials, including China's top diplomat and State Councilor Dai Bingguo here on Thursday.

Mr. Dai told Mr. Yechury China wanted to increase mutual trust with India and take forward bilateral ties “from a long-term strategic standpoint”, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Bilateral relationship had maintained “a good momentum of development and faces unprecedented advancement opportunities,” added Mr. Dai, who is also a member of the CPC's Central Committee and is China's highest-ranked official on foreign policy issues.

The Chinese diplomat said as the “two biggest emerging and developing countries”, India and China needed to strengthen communication and cooperation and help promote “the overall competitiveness and influence of developing countries”.

In recent years, the CPC has pushed forward party-to-party exchanges with Indian political parties from across the political spectrum, inviting officials from the Congress and more recently, hosting BJP president Nitin Gadkari in January.

The CPC, however, has particularly close historical ties with the CPI(M). Mr. Yechury said the CPI(M) “valued its traditional friendship with the CPC” and was ready to expand exchanges “to promote a sound and stable development of India-China relations”.

“The Communist Party of India hopes to play a positive role in maintaining the good development of bilateral relations and help further ties between the two sides,” Xinhua quoted Mr. Yechury as saying.

Left to campaign against Corruption in Haryana

CPI(M) and CPI will undertake a weeklong special drive against corruption all over Haryana from July 15, 2011. In a joint press release CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh and his CPI counterpart Raghubir Chaudhary have announced that corruption scandals of the UPA-2 as well as those flourishing under Congress government in Haryana will be highlighted with the demand to its effective curb through tough measures including enactment of an effective Lok Pal legislation.

Units of both Left parties have already chalked out the campaign mode involving distribution of handbills and pamphlets, street corner meetings, picketing government offices etc. exposing the unholy alliance of ruling class politicians, corporate sector and the bureaucracy which was working overtime to facilitate the loot of public money and natural resources.

Left leaders have stated that the neo-liberal policies in vogue since early 90s have proved to be fountainhead of corruption as evident in the scale and amount of loot in the mega-corruption scandals exposed during recent years. They have alleged that corruption was rampant in Haryana from top to bottom though land acquisition for builders, arbitrary system for change of land use, lavish misuse of Red Cross funds ,MGNREGS ,bribes in jobs etc. The policy of public- private-partnership was being made a conduit to transfer public resources in the private hands. The recent episode of unceremonious ousting of a Haryana Minister and a Chief Parliamentary Secretary following allegations of bribes for government jobs followed by the sensational murder of two complaining cousins was mere the tip of an iceberg of corruption in the state, the Left leaders allege.

Haroa is still bleeding

Haroa in North 24 parganas is bleeding. In a bid to drive away poor farmers from their land and prevent them from cultivation organized attacks have been resorted to by landlords with the help of Trinamool land-grabbers and police. While the situation in Haroa is explosive the trend is similar everywhere in rural Bengal with landlords engaging Trinamool goons against bargadars or sharecroppers who achieved immense benefit through land reforms programme during the three decades of Left Front government. The bargadars were recorded getting hereditary right to cultivate land of landowners and among pattadars khas or government land were distributed for cultivation.

Now, emboldened by the installation of the Trinamool government organized attacks are being mounted on them by landlords with the help of Trinamool goons under the protection of police. Massive eviction of poor peasants is taking place everywhere in rural Bengal.

Most heinous attack has taken place at Haroa in North 24-parganas. A wide area is virtually under siege after Assembly elections. In the first week of July a massive eviction drive took place in which 7063 bighas ( one bigha is nearly one-third of an acre) of land have been snatched away from nearly 10,ooo peasants, mostly bargadars and patta-holders.

On July 9, when evicted peasants assembled at a place called Gazitala in Haroa to resist forcible eviction Trinamool land-grabbers armed with deadly weapons attacked them from different direction. Thereafter, they swooped down upon nearby villages, forced peasants to stop work in fields, posted Trinamool flags , destroyed cultivation and burnt makeshift shelters of peasants, locally known as ‘ala ghar.’ In Tentulia, nearly 12,00 bighas were taken over. In the face of stiff resistance, police arrived in the spot and opened fire injuring six peasants.

Aided by the police Trinamool land-grabbers has already in organized armed operations evicted more than 20,000 poor peasants, mostly bargadars and patta-holders in different districts of West Bengal. While in Haroa at Barasat in north 24-parganas alone recorded an eviction figure of more than 10,000,in West Midnapore and Birbhum the number of sharecroppers and patta-holders evicted are more than 3000 each. The reports of eviction are also available from Bankura and Hooghly.The Trinamool activists have been in many places engaged by Jotedars and Zamindars whose lands are used be cultivated by bargadars. Now with the help of Trinamool goons they are trying to evict the bargadars or sharecroppers.

CPI(M) will make a turnaround: Buddhadeb

Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said his party, the CPI(M) will make a turnaround. "We must bring change in state politics. We are prepared to fight against all odds. It will be absolutely wrong, if the new government thinks it will be able to dominate us. We will make a turnaround," Bhattacharjee said.

He said that the party was keeping watch on developments in the Darjeeling hills and junglemahal and other areas and would react at an appropriate time. Thousands of party workers were rendered homeless after the declaration of election results following violence by the ruling Trinamool Congress, he alleged at a rally to protest violence against party workers and the hike in price of diesel, kerosene and LPG.

He blamed the Mamata Banerjee government for failure to contain the violence against party workers despite repeated requests. Demanding that party offices 'captured' by Trinamool Congress be returned, he alleged, "Trinamool Congress workers are doing this in connivance with the police.

"Even share-croppers and patta-holders are not allowed to cultivate their land by ruling party workers." Criticising the increase in prices of petroleum products, Bhattacharjee said that this had resulted in hike in prices of all essential commodities.

"Despite our protests, the Centre remains indifferent and no steps have been taken," he said.

CPIM General Secretary Prakash Karat visit Jaitapur

On Tuesday, Prakash Karat, general secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and D. Raja, MP and CPI national secretary, visited Jaitapur, the site of the proposed nuclear power plant, along with activist Vaishali Patil and others. The delegation of Left parties met the family of Tabrez Sayekar, who was killed in the police firing in April.

“It was a courtesy visit to express condolences. There was a meeting at Nate village and another one at Ratnagiri. The two leaders also met Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited officials who took them on a tour of the site,” Vivek Monteiro, member, Maharashtra State Committee of the CPI (M) said.

“In Mithgavane village, they met the local people and leaders. The people said the Jaitapur issue was significant for the whole country. They said the struggle would be expanded to other parts of Maharashtra and the country,” Mr. Monteiro said.

Perils of Railway Passengers

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep shock and grief at the horrific accident involving the Howrah-Kalka Mail in Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh. 65 bodies have been recovered and the death toll is rising; more than 200 have been injured. This accident comes just three days after the Mathura-Chaapra Express hit a bus at an unmanned railway crossing at Adhurpur which left 38 bus passengers dead.

Suspected sabotage on the same day as the Kalka Mail accident has led to the derailment of the Guwahati-Puri Express injuring many. All these highlight the perils faced by passengers on the railways.

In the last two years, the railways have been on a disastrous path under the stewardship of former Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee. It has suffered acute neglect and was used for the political ends of the Minister in West Bengal. As a result, more than one lakh safety related jobs in the railways are lying vacant.

In the UPA government, no one is held accountable for this dereliction of duty. The Prime Minister should explain how this shocking state of affairs was allowed to go on. There can be no compulsions of coalition politics when the lives of the people are at stake.

It is not enough to have an enquiry conducted by the railways into the Kalka accident. The Polit Bureau demands the constitution of a high level enquiry into the spate of railway accidents and immediate steps to strengthen the safety measures in the railways.

Jyoti Basu Remembered on his 98th Birth anniversary

Communist Patriarch and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu’s 98th birth anniversary was celebrated across the state on Saturday. Among those who paid floral tributes in the Assembly were Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee, the former Speaker H.A. Halim, and Sitaram Yechury, member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

A non-governmental organisation Pather Panchali, which held annual celebrations on this day at Basu’s residence Indira Bhavan when he was alive, organised a small function at the venue. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Forward Bloc state secretary Ashok Ghosh, other political leaders and a large number of schoolchildren took part. Chatterjee demanded that Indira Bhavan, where Basu spent the last two decades of his life, be turned into a museum in his memory.

Born July 8, 1914, in Kolkata to a wealthy family, Basu took to communism in London. On his return to India, he joined the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) and plunged into the Left movement.  Basu made his debut in electoral politics in 1946. He was elected to the state assembly 11 times, losing only once – in the hugely controversial 1972 elections.
After the CPI split in 1964, he joined the CPI(M) and was elected to its first central committee and politburo.  He was West Bengal chief minister from 1977 until he retired in late 2000 due to ill health.

Sitaram Yechury files papers for RS polls in West Bengal

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury on Friday filed nomination as the lone Left Front candidate for Rajya Sabha elections in West Bengal.

The Rajya Sabha terms of four Left Front leaders -- Yechury, Brinda Karat, Mohammad Amin of CPI(M) and Abani Roy of RSP, besides Trinamool Congress’ Swapan Sadhan Bose -- will end on August 18.  The remaining sixth seat has been lying vacant since the death of Independent Arjun Sengupta, who was backed by the Left and Congress in September 2010.
The election will be held on July 22.

Our struggle has not ended with the defeat in the elections: Prakash Karat

The Left Parties on Thursday lashed out at the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, saying that as many as 24 of its workers and supporters had been killed since the Mamata Banerjee-led government took power in that State. In a joint resolution, they strongly condemned the “dastardly attacks being unleashed on Left Front activists in West Bengal” and demanded an immediate halt to them. 

Addressing a public meeting in Delhi as part of the national campaign of the Left Parties against Trinamool Atrocities in West Bengal , CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, while referring to the achievements of the former Left Front government in West Bengal in land reforms, establishing communal harmony and transformation of the rural areas, said this was clearly not to the liking of some people. Giving details of the attacks on Left workers since the coming to power of the Trinamool in West Bengal, he stressed, “Our struggle has not ended with the defeat in these elections. We are committed to battle for people's rights.” He also pointed out that people should not forget that two crore people had voted for the Left Front even in these elections, and it would not be easy to crush their spirits or continuing struggle. “If anyone believes that Communism can be ended through physical attacks,” Mr Karat said,” they are wrong.” 

Later, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan pointed out that Ms. Banerjee could not escape responsibility for the hike in the prices of petroleum products and rising prices as her party was one of the Congress's biggest partners in the UPA government at the Centre, while taking credit for slashing some of the taxes on these items in the State. “It isn't as though there are two Mamata Banerjees — one in Delhi and another in Kolkata,” he said. The meeting was also addressed by Debabrata Biswas of the Forward Bloc and Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Present on the dais were other Left leaders, including CPI(M) MPs Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat. 

The resolution blamed the “goondas” of the Trinamool, the Maoists and the Congress for the attacks on Left workers and demanded that the West Bengal government immediately intervene and end the “barbaric attacks.”

Alarming situation in rural Bengal, large scale eviction of peasants by Trinamool land-grabbers.

Poor villagers possessing land right (patta) granted by the Left Front government now facing mass eviction by Trinamool land-grabbers in rural Bengal. Photograph from Indpur in Bankura.  Photo :  Madhusudan Chatterjee.

An alarming situation has engulfed rural Bengal within one and a half month of Trinamool rule following a large scale eviction of peasants from their land by Trinamool land- grabbers with the help of the police.

The evicted peasants are mostly sharecroppers or bargadars who were given hereditary right to cultivate land of landowners under the Land Reforms policy of the Left Front government. Shortly after the formation of the government in 1977 the Left Front implemented its Land Reforms policy bringing about the end of immense exploitation of peasants by landholders. Under the new policy “patta” of government vested land was also  distributed among poor peasants. Within one and a half month of Trinamool rule the land-grabbers across the State have been regrouping  to forcibly occupy the ‘patta’ land distributed to landless poor peasants by the Left Front government. 

Aided by the police Trinamool land-grabbers has already in organized armed operations evicted more than 20,000 poor peasants, mostly bargadars and patta-holders in different districts of West Bengal. While in Haroa at Barasat in north 24-parganas  alone recorded an eviction figure of more than 10,000,in West Midnapore and Birbhum the number of sharecroppers and patta-holders evicted are more than 3000 each. The reports of eviction are also available from Bankura and Hooghly.The Trinamool activists have been in many places engaged by Jotedars and Zamindars whose lands are used be cultivated by bargadars. Now with the help of Trinamool goons they are trying to evict the bargadars or sharecroppers.   

CPI (M) scores significant election victories in Maharashtra

In the elections to several gram panchayats held on June 26 in Thane, Nashik and Nandurbar districts, the CPI(M) not only retained most of the gram panchayats that it had held earlier, but also won over 35 new ones, wresting them from opponents like the Congress, NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena. Particularly good results were achieved in the Dahanu, Talasari, Jawhar, Vikramgad and Wada tehsils of Thane district and in the Surgana, Kalwan and Tryambakeshwar tehsils of Nashik district. The CPI (M) won a total of 107 gram panchayats – 60 in Nashik district, 42 in Thane district and 5 in Nandurbar district. Many of the winners in these gram panchayat elections are AIKS activists.

Thane district: In Thane district, the Party won 42 GPs and 431 seats. 19 GPs were wrested from the opposition. In Talasari tehsil, of the 12 GPs that went to the polls it retained 9 of the 10 GPs held earlier by big majorities. Here the CPI(M) won 107 seats, the BJP won 25 and the NCP just 8. In the Dahanu tehsil, the Party won a total of 105 seats. It retained 4 of the 5 GPs held earlier and wrested 6 new GPs from the NCP. In the Jawhar tehsil, it won 60 seats, retained 4 of the 5 GPs held earlier and wrested 3 new ones. In the Vikramgad tehsil, it won 64 seats, retained 5 of the 6 GPs held earlier and wrested 4 new GPs. In the Wada tehsil, it won 60 seats, retained 1 of the 3 GPs held earlier and wrested 6 new ones. In the weaker Shahapur, Palghar and Mokhada tehsils, the Party won 35 seats.

Nashik district: In Nashik district, the Party won 60 GPs and over 500 seats. 15 GPs were wrested from the opposition. In the Surgana tehsil, all the 58 GPs went to the polls. The CPI(M) won 36 GPs by a clear majority and 294 of the 532 total GP seats in the tehsil, leaving the combined opposition with only 22 GPs and 238 seats. In Surgana, the Party won all the 28 GPs that it had won earlier and wrested 8 new GPs from the combined opposition. In the Tryambakeshwar tehsil, the Party won 11 GPs, 3 more than last time, and over 100 seats. In the Kalwan tehsil it won 10 GPs. It won a couple of GPs in Peth and Dindori tehsils also.

Nandurbar district: In Nandurbar district, the Party won 5 GPs, 4 in Shahada tehsil and 1 in Taloda tehsil. It won a number of seats in many GPs in the above two tehsils and also in Akkalkuwa tehsil.

Earlier, on June 12, CPI (M) and AIKS activists also registered a sweeping victory in the elections to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) of Surgana tehsil in Nashik district by winning 15 of the 16 seats. The single seat we lost was also because of a toss, since the rival candidates had won the same number of votes. Here also we defeated the combined opposition panel of all bourgeois parties like the NCP, INC, BJP and SS. On June 26, in another election to the Hamaal Mapadi (headload workers) constituency in the Parbhani APMC, the CPI(M) scored a significant victory over its opponents and a rebel candidate.

The significance of these victories was that they were won in an adverse political situation, in the wake of the defeat of the Left in West Bengal and Kerala a month and a half ago. This defeat was utilised to the fullest not only by the media to berate and slander the Left, but also directly by our opponents in all the above three districts in the election campaign. However, thousands of CPI(M) and AIKS activists successfully combated this motivated propaganda and worked hard to ensure these victories, which will stand us in good stead for the statewide Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections that are due in March 2012.

On Telengana Issue

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

The political crisis in Andhra Pradesh with regard to the Telengana issue has deepened with the resignation of many MLAs and MPs belonging to the Telengana region. The inaction of the Central Government and the Congress leadership in resolving the issue is the main cause for the present impasse.

It is more than six months since the Justice Sri Krishna Committee submitted its report to the Central Government. The Home Minister had convened a meeting of political parties from Andhra Pradesh soon after. But after that, the government has not taken any decision.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the government take a decision on the matter immediately.

Kozhikode will host CPIM 20th Party Congress

CPIM Kerala State committee has decided to hold the 20th Party Congress at Kozhikode on April 2012. Earlier it was decided at the Central Committee meeting held in  the last month decided to hold the 20th Party Congress in Kerala. The state committee has also decided to hold the State conference at Thiruvananthapuram. Party General Secretary Com. Prakash Karat made the political reporting in the meeting.The committee also made a schedule for the conferences starting from branch conferences  to be held in September - October months, Local Conferences by October last, Area conference by November and District conferences by January and February. It is for the Third time that Kerala is hosting the Party Congress. Palakkad was the venue for 4th Party Congress of the then undivided communist party in 1956, 8th Congress at Kochi in 1968 and 13th Congress at Thiruvananthapuram in 1988.