CPIM observes martys day in Tripura

CPIM Tripura State Committee on Friday observed the 25th Martyrs day to commemorate the deaths of 13 people, including 11 party cadre, who were brutally murdered during the Congress-led regime 25 years ago. Eleven CPI-M cadres and two security personnel were butchered in Birchandra Manu village in 1988 when the Congress-led government ruled the state. A series of programmes has been planned by the CPI-M to mark the day. People assembled in large numbers Friday at Birchandra Manu, about 85 km from here, where a 50-foot memorial was built earlier in honour of those killed.

CPI-M politburo member and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, addressed the gathering.

With assembly elections due in Tripura in February next year, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today alleged that opposition parties were conspiring to incite communal tension between tribals and non-tribals and to use insurgents to snatch power through the back door. 

Com Manik Sarkar called for the installation of the seventh Left Front government in the state to give a fitting reply to the Congress which he said was trying to come back to power through the back door by inciting communal tension.  "Formation of the seventh Left Front government is very significant because the entire country is looking at Tripura how it survives after the debacle of the Left in Kerala and West Bengal," the chief minister said.

"Our victory will give a new orientation to the Left movements in the country, Sarkar, a CPI(M) politburo member said. Referring to killing of 13 people including 11 party activists including an Executive member of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council on this day in 1966, allegedly by the Congress, the chief minister said it was a barbaric incident. "It was barbaric, but not exceptional because Congress and reactionary forces have tried to throttle the Communist movement by using barbaric ways," the chief minister said at Birchandra Manu, 

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Bijon Dhar alleged that during the Congress-led coalition's regime (February 1988-April 1993), total 301 CPI-M leaders and workers were murdered across the state. "Ahead of the assembly elections, we want to expose the killings and anti-people policies of the Congress before the people, especially the new generation," he said.

Prakash Karat Visits Relief Camps in Assam

 CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat visited relief camps in the violence hit districts of Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon on October 5 and also inaugurated distribution of relief materials to the affected people. It may be noted that the CPI (M) has given a call for collection of relief materials and funds for the displaced people of Assam who are residing in the relief camps till today. The ethnic violence that took place in the month of July had rendered more than five lakhs people  homeless in the BTAD areas. According to the government sources, nearly two lakh people are still in the relief camps leading a deplorable life. Of these, 1.5 lakh people still displaced are Muslims.

One of the thickly populated relief camps is the Lakhipur relief camp where 392 Muslim families are taking shelter without having basic amenities. Out of them, 112 families have lost their houses. Visiting this camp, Prakash Karat interacted with the people and said that the CPI(M) is raising the demand that the state government and the BTAD administration must take all measures so that people can go back to their homes at the earliest. Explaining the conditions of the people of the camp Ahmed Ali, secretary of Lakhipur relief camp said that the people are residing in the camp without any basic amenities. There is no sanitation, no drinking water and the students are out of schools for all this period. The conditions of women are even worse. The government is providing rice, dal and salt. The question of nutrition is completely neglected. There is no firewood to cook. There is no electricity and the government is providing only two candles in three weeks.

The relief camp speaks volumes about its own condition. Prakash Karat expressed great concern at the utter negligence on the part of the government towards the people in the relief camps. He personally visited each and every hut made of plastic sheets and was astonished to see how people can be left to live in such condition by the Congress government in the state. Prakash Karat also inaugurated the distribution of relief materials to the people. He said that the CPI(M) is collecting funds to provide some relief to the affected people. He also said that the West Bengal committee of the Party is taking special steps in so far as collection of funds for relief work is concerned.

Earlier he visited Kakrikhola M.E. School relief camp in Kokrajhar district. In this camp, 200 Bodo families are taking shelter. The MLA of the constituency Pramila Rani Brahma welcomed the initiative of the CPI(M). Prakash Karat stressed that it is the urgent need of the hour that people go to their respective homes. All other issues can be addressed after peace and normalcy returned to the state. CPI(M) Assam state secretary Uddhab Barman, CPI(M) leader Hemen Das and other leaders of the districts accompanied Karat.

After visiting the relief camps, Prakash Karat addressed a public meeting at Bijni. The meeting was presided over by veteran leader Dr Mahodar Pathak. Addressing the gathering, Prakash Karat said that the incidents in the BTAD and its adjoining districts have repercussions throughout the country. The exodus of people of the North-East from the Southern part of the country is a clear manifestation of this. This affects the working people the most. We must identify the forces of division and defeat their conspiracies. Karat stressed that all the people in the relief camps must be allowed to go back to their homes and villages. The minority community should not be targetted as demanded by the communal forces. The meeting was also addressed by state secretariat members Hemen Das and state secretary Uddhab Barman. They called upon the people of the state to fight all conspiracies to divide people on communal lines. They also criticised the state government for its utter failure in safeguarding the lives and properties of the people of the state.

CPI(M) protest rallies in Haryana against atrocities on women

CPI(M) workers held protest rallies and demonstrations across Haryana on Friday to protest against the rising number of cases of sexual assault on women and minor girls and increasing "lawlessness" in the state. Angry demonstrations were held at all district centres denouncing the alarming situation of "unabated cases of rapes" especially those of the weaker sections and Dalits.

Panchkula district unit of the party took out a demonstration and submitted a memorandum to the Haryana Governor, urging him to ask state government to take effective action to restore sense of security in the state.Party state secretary Inderjit Singh claimed that protest rallies were organised in all districts in which large number have taken part including women.

He said that CPI(M) has also given full support to a women rally planned for 15 October at Rohtak. This state level rally will be addressed by Com. Brinda Karat.

SFI sweeps polls in Kerala and Mahatma Gandhi Universities

Victory rally taken by comrades of Government Women's college Trivandrum

The Students Federation of India once again proved that it is the dominant force in college campuses of the University of Kerala and Mahatma Gandhi University. After these elections SFI emerged as the biggest students organisation in the state that won all the University Unions viz, Kannur, Calicut, Sanskrit, Kerala and MG along with the Poly Techinic Union and most of the school parliaments.

In University of Kerala SFI won college union elections in 38 of the 46 colleges where elections were held on Friday. Out of the 55 councillors 46 are SFI comrades. SFI, candidates were elected unopposed to all posts in 12 colleges affiliated to the varsity which includes University College, Government Arts College, Govt Fine Arts College,Govt College Karyavattom, IHRD College Parassala,  Govt. Music College, Govt Sanskrit college. In 16 colleges in Thiruvananthapuram district, the SFI bagged all seats that were contested. Of the 82 seats of university union councillor, the SFI cornered 65. The organisation recaptured the union in various colleges including the Government College for Women Thiruvananthapuram, SN College Punalur, KNM College Kanjiramkulam and the Government College Varkala. 

Other colleges in Trivandrum were SFI made impressive victory includes Mar Ivanios College, Iqbal College Peringamala, Govt College Nedumangad,

In Mahatma Gandhi University Students Federation of India has taken control of the students’ union in 73 out of the 90 colleges that went to polls on Friday. The SFI also wrested control over the University Union by winning 36 councillors out of the 46 posts.

The elections were conducted on the basis of the recommendations of J.M. Lyngdoh Committee Report on Campus Politics. While presidential model of elections, direct election of the college union office bearers, was followed by 18 colleges, other colleges adopted the parliamentary model where the office-bearers were elected indirectly by class representatives. Interestingly, two colleges, St. Berchmans’ College, Changanassery, and St. Thomas College, Pala, which took a strong stance against campus politics, saw the SFI take over their students’ union. In CMS College, Kottayam, the SFI made a comeback.

Earlier SFI won in Kannur University, where it bagged 34 out of the 40 college Unions. Of that too in 20 colleges all the posts were elected unopposed. Out of the 47 Councillors in the Kannur university 40 are won by SFI. In Calicut University, SFI won 58 out of the 87 colleges. 76 out of the 108 Councillors are from SFI. In Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University all the 8 colleges SFI made impressive victory. In that too 4 college unions were won unopposed. In the election to the Polytechnic unions SFI won 45 out of the 55 polytechnics in the state.