CPIM Khammam District Padayatra Concludes with a mass rally

A Huge public meeting was held in Khammam to mark the conclusion of the CPI (M)’s two-week long ‘Saagu Neeti Sadhana Rythu Maha Padayatra’ on Saturday. CPI (M) district leadership organised the 14-day Rythu Padayatra covering a distance of over 300 km in the district to espouse the cause of farmers. CPIM P B Member Com. Sitaram Yechury inaugurated the public meeting which was attended by Party central committee member T. Veerabhadram, district secretary P. Sudarshan and others.

If the scams involving loot of crores of rupees of public money was curbed, all the pending irrigation projects in the country could be completed and the surplus river waters tapped at an optimum level to boost agricultural growth, said Comrade Yechuri while inaugurating the rally.  “Dearth of funds” has become an oft-repeated phrase for the persons at the helm of affairs right from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy when it comes to completing irrigation projects, he said slamming the Congress governments at the State and the Centre for offering lame excuses in fulfilling the developmental aspirations of the people. On one hand, the government was doling out subsidies worth crores of rupees for big multinationals and on the other was withdrawing subsidies to the poor people.

It is hell bent on imposing burden on common man in the name of fiscal deficit by resorting price hike at regular intervals, he charged. “The CWG, 2G, 3G, CG (Coal Gate) and Jijaji multi-crore scams plundered public wealth and resulted in unbearable burden on common man,” he said accusing both the Congress and the BJP of having resemblance in terms of pursuing detrimental economic policies and corruption practices. The need of the hour was to build public movements to fostering political alternative. Taking a dig at the Congress government in the State, he alleged that it lacked commitment to complete the Dummugudem (Rajiv Sagar) project for which the foundation was laid in 2005.

He lauded the

Stone laid for Makineni Basavapunnaiah Adhyayana Kendram

CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury laid foundation stone for the Makineni Basavapunnaiah Adhyayana Kendram at Vijayawada in Krishna District on Saturday. Addressing a gathering on the occassion he said the economic crises across the globe were toppling governments. What appeared to be a “corporate bankruptcy had led to sovereign bankruptcy”. Many governments, including Greece, Spain, Italy and US, were facing the brunt and India was no exception. The government, however, was ready to increase the prices of petrol and reduce subsidies, saying that hard decisions were the need of the hour. These initiatives would fuel inflation and push up unemployment. The purchasing power of the people would come down drastically, he said.

Governments of different countries allowed sub prime lending to boost purchasing power, and that led to collapse of Wall Street and banks (stage-II, 2008). In third stage the governments announced bail-out packages to the financial institutions. The governments to save their skins were axing the subsidies given to the poor. It impacted the purchasing power of people (leading to fifth stage). And now we are back to square one, and another economic crisis was imminent, he said. 

With the money embezzled in the 2G, and Coal Gate scams India could have easily implemented right to education, and provided 35 kg foodgrain to every family in the country for two years, he said. CPI(M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu, CPI(M) central committee member Paturi Ramaiah, Makineni Basvapunnaiah Memorial Trust chairman P. Madhu, and secretary Y. Venkateswara Rao were present. 

Referring to the adhyayana kendram, Com. B V Raghavulu said it will be a political centre for churning thoughts and exchanging views. The facility, which was expected to be complete before the centenary celebrations of Basavapunnaiah in 2014, would be thrown open for every one, except for those propagating militant ideas and communal hatred. The centre would have a library, a conference hall, a mini hall, and a dormitory for the convenience of public.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Ludhiana Witnesses Successful Halla Bol Rally

AT the call of the Punjab CITU a massive Halla Bol rally was held at Ludhiana on November 4, in protest against the criminal delay in revising the minimum wages of industrial workers of Punjab. Over 10,000 industrial workers, brick kiln workers, MNREGA workers, forest, construction, transport and FCI workers, workers of private security agencies, Anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHA and mid-day meal workers took part in this rally.

They came from every corner of Ludhiana. Workers of bicycle and various other industries marched towards the venue of the rally in processions, carrying banners of their respective unions and CITU flags while shouting loud slogans. They were demanding revision of the minimum wages, abolition of contract labour system, implementation of the May 30 notification issued by the Labour Department of Punjab, and coverage of all scheme workers under the Minimum Wages Act.

Later the whole pandal too reverberated with slogans for long.

The rally was addressed by CITU general secretary Tapan Sen who made a scathing attack on the economic policies of the centre and its abject surrender before the indigenous capitalists and multinational corporations.

Local trade union leaders too lambasted the UPA government for slashing subsidies to the common people in the name of economic reforms while doling out subsidies, tax rebates and loan remission worth thousands of crores to the corporate sector. They also criticised the SAD-BJP government of Punjab for suppressing the workers’ rights and denying them minimum wages. They said a notification issued by the state government for the purpose in May 2012 was yet to be implemented.

Addressing the rally, state CITU general secretary Raghunath Singh said all the trade unions of Punjab are unanimously demanding Rs 10,000 as the minimum wage for unskilled workers, Rs 15,000 for semi-skilled workers, and Rs 20,000 for skilled workers, and Rs 350 per day for the daily rated unskilled workers. After several meetings and discussions in the Labour Advisory Board of Punjab, the principal labour secretary issued a notification on May 30, 2012, proposing Rs 5,200 for the unskilled, Rs 6,000 for semi-skilled, Rs 7,200 for skilled and Rs 8,700 for highly skilled workers per month, and Rs 200 per day for daily rated workers. The notification also made some other proposals such as an increase in the rate of DA from Rs 6 per point to Rs 9 per point, and promotion of unskilled workers to the level of the semi-skilled after a period of three years, of semi-skilled workers to the skilled category after four years of service and of skilled worker to the highly skilled category after five years. The notification also proposed to give an annual increment of Rs 50 to the unskilled, Rs 60 to the semi-skilled, Rs 80 to the skilled and Rs 100 to the highly skilled workers. But the notification, issued by the Labour Department of the state government, remains still on paper.

Announcing the next phase of action, Raghunath Singh said that to get the May 30 motification implemented in letter and spirit, the CITU would launch a Jatha March campaign from December 13 to 17 and block the road traffic for two hours on December 18, apart from continuing the present campaign of burning effigies of the Punjab government and holding rallies and demonstrations.

State CITU president Vijay Misra, who presided over the rally, asked the workers to endorse the action plan for future agitation. The workers endorsed it amid resounding slogans. Misra also announced that over 10,000 workers from Punjab would participate in the March to Parliament on December 20 to protest against the anti-people policies of the UPA government.

The rally was also addressed by state CITU vice presidents Chander Shekhar, Jatinder Pal Singh, Ranvir Virk and Ram Singh Sohian CITU, Sat Pal Bharti and Tarsem Jodhan (president and general secretary respectively of the Lal Jhanda Punjab Bhatha Mazdoor Union), Usha Rani (president) and Harjit Kaur (general secretary) of the Anganwari Mulajam Union, Mohinder Kumar, state CITU joint secretary Jagdish Chand, Fateh Chand and other office bearers of the CITU.

(Peoples Democracy)

People’s Democratic Right in Panchayat to be Restored: CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee

CPI(M) will fight for people’s right to run their own panchayats; this would be the prime agenda of the party in coming Panchayat Elections. The CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee Meeting has resolved that the party would participate in Panchayat Election with this agenda.

In a statement issued to the press the Party State Committee stated that the meeting widely discussed about the preparation for panchayat election. Party Polit Bureau member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee while expressing concern stated that the processing is on to curb down the people’s democratic power and right to run their panchayats, what the Left Front Government had ensured earlier in its regime. This would be menacing to the panchayati system in our state. The party would therefore fight for the people’s right in coming panchayat election. The ruling party is already trying to hold the election earlier before the scheduled time. Come what exertion of power may the party would combat the election resisting that. Also the poor working class women are to be organized to take part in this election.

Party State Secretary Biman Basu in his speech stated that the political significance of this panchayat election is to safeguard democracy and to reestablish the long tradition of left movement in the state. The political equivalence is also to be established in this election. Organizing poor people in vast rural areas would be the prime task to make a complete unified ‘Left Front’ before election.

Left Front would organize an open rally on 17th November in Kolkata against the series of attacks on women in the state. Basu averred that all sections of people are to be organized to combat attack on women. All Left mass organizations on a joint effort would transform this rally in a huge mass meeting.

The State Committee has also supported the all India General Strike on 20-21 February jointly called by all trade unions. The party would initiate all effort to succeed the strike, stated Biman Basu.

The meeting however discussed about the political situation in the districts and progress of the party organizations there. Biman Basu later stated that Party Committees have to be activated more. Functions of local and zonal committee members are to be properly evaluated to improve considerably.

The Party Secretary Prakash Karat elaborated the decisions taken by the Central Committee and recent political situation also. He stated that the Central Government is taking bold steps on behalf of both internal and foreign capital. Hike in petro-price, deregulating cooking gas, approval of FDI in retail sector, disinvesting profitable public sector industries, deregulating fertilizer price, de-subsidizing food are the anti-people steps taken by the Central Government. The scams and corruptions of Congress and BJP are being exposed in these days. Left parties have decided to launch movement against neo-liberalism.

CPI(M) Greets CPC on its Eighteenth Congress

The following is the text of the greetings sent by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on November 5, 2012 on the occasion of its 18th  Congress

Dear Comrades,

THE Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) extends its warm fraternal communist greetings to the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China. We hope that the deliberations of this Congress will further consolidate the process of socialist construction in China.

The 18th Congress of the CPC is taking place at a crucial juncture. The entire world is reeling under the affects of global economic crisis. Unemployment, poverty, inequalities and hunger are on the rise. What has started as corporate insolvency has now got converted into full fledged sovereign insolvency. Many countries in Euro zone are under severe duress. The very sustainability of European Union is now under question.

Imperialism is trying to come out of this crisis by transferring the burdens of the crisis on to the people of the third world countries. It is using all the means at its disposal – military, economic, political – to ensure that it retains its hegemony over the world. People in many of the countries, both the developed and developing, are coming out in protest against the increasing burdens on their livelihoods.

US has identified Asia-Pacific region as crucial to sustain its hegemony. As the recent documents of the US show, it is planning to deploy 60 per cent of its naval force in the Asia-Pacific region. NATO is expanding its influence to many regions of the world. The involvement of NATO forces in the war in Afghanistan, in Libya and now in Syria all point to the growing aggressiveness of imperialism to control the world natural resources. It is in such a complex international situation that the 18th Congress of the CPC is taking place.

The CPI(M) has been keenly following the developments taking place in China. It notes the impressive economic advances made by China. The measures adopted by the CPC for ensuring harmonious development of the Chinese society, reduce the income inequalities and fight corruption and other alien tendencies are watched with immense interest.

The 18th Congress of the CPC is being held at a crucial stage of China's endeavour in building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round manner while facing the challenges of deepening reform and opening-up and accelerating the transformation of economic development pattern. The CPI(M) is confident that the deliberations of the 18th Congress of the CPC will facilitate the further growth and consolidation of socialism in China, upholding the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The CPI(M) is confident that the relations between the peoples of China and India will continue to improve and this, in turn, will contribute to bringing peace and stability in the region. The continuing close fraternal relations between the CPI(M) and the CPC, we are confident, will be further strengthened in the future, contributing to this process.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) once again wishes the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China all success and conveys its fraternal greetings to all delegates.

Revolutionary Tribute to Com. Samar Mukherjee in His Birth Centenary

He was born exactly 4 years back from the occurrence of the Great October Revolution in Russia in the year 1917. He has devoted his whole life for the cause of Socialist revolution in India, for the cause of the workers and peasants and the cause of the deprived people of the country as a whole. He has travelled 100 years of journey of his life after crossing the long path of revolutionary tradition and its legacy. Comrade Jyoti Basu described him as ‘The God’s Own man’ because of his perfection in all respect of life and work. He is none other than Comrade Samar Mukherjee, The Living History of the Communist and Left Movement in India. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) West Bengal State Committee has paid a revolutionary tribute to this living legend on the very special occasion of his birth centenary on 7th November 2012 at a program held in Dilkhusha Street Party Commune. Comrade Samar Mukherjee was born on 7th November 1913 participated actively in freedom struggle and became member of Pradesh Congress Committee during. Later being attracted to the Communist Ideologies he became a member of Communist Party in 1940. Since then he remained Polit Bureau member of the party, Chairman, Central Control Commission, party leader in the Parliament, and General Secretary CITU etc. He still remains an invitee member to the party Central Committee.


While conveying his message in the meeting Comrade Prakash Karat, The General Secretary of the Party has remembered those words of comrade Jyoti Basu about Comrade Samar Mukherjee. Comrade Prakash Karat said that he first met comrade Samar Mukherjee in the year 1971 when he used to work at Party’s Parliamentary office and Comrade A. K. Gopalan was the then leader of the party in Lok Sabha and Comrade Mukherjee was then deputy leader in Lok Sabha. Comrade Samar Mukherjee has created an example of sincerity and dedication throughout his political life. He joined India’s Struggle for Independence as a student and he became a member of the Communist Party in the year 1940. Since then his life is being dedicated to the Communist Movement of the Country. He played an important role to build up the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the year 1964 and Centre for Indian Trade Unions.

By remembering one of his dedications towards the party comrade Karat said that Comrade Samar Mukherjee used to save his money for the party and he used to come to the party office and donate that money for the Party. He never used to spend money for his own cause. This is one of the examples of the revolutionary practices of Comrade Samar Mukherjee. Comrade Karat also recalled the role of comrade Mukherjee to protect the civil liberties at the time of emergency. His faith and conviction towards Marxism and Leninism remained the same after Soviet Union was dismantled. Comrade Karat wished Comrade Samar Mukherjee to spend many more years among his comrades to give them inspiration, courage and to give them opportunity to learn from his revolutionary path. Comrade Biman Basu, the Secretary of the Party’ recalled the journey of comrade Samar Mukherjee from a freedom fighter to a leader of the Communist Movement of India. He said that Comrade Samar Mukherjee was one of the architects of Refugee Movement in West Bengal and also the one of the makers of historical railway strike in the year 1974. Among the other the Forward Block Leader Comrade Ashoke Ghosh addressed the gathering. 7th November 2012 is a significant day not only in the history of the Communist Movement but for the Left movement as a whole.

CPI (M) MLAs visit Dalit colonies in Dharmapuri

A team of Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLAs and an MP has blamed the November 7 attack by caste Hindus on three Dalit colonies in Dharmapuri on a host of factors, including intelligence failure and the authorities not cracking down on kangaroo courts.

Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarjan, MLAs K. Balakrishnan (Chidambaram), P. Dillibabu (Harur) and K. Beemrao (Maduravoyal) visited the colonies and consoled the affected people on Saturday. They distributed mats, rice and other materials worth Rs. 2.5 lakh to the affected families.

They told reporters that the attack could not be prevented because of the total failure of the intelligence. They alleged that an inflammatory speech by PMK leader J. Guru a month ago at a public meeting in Naikkankottai encouraged caste Hindus to indulge in violence against the Dalits. The team referred to the allegation that a kangaroo court ordered that the marriage of the Dalit youth with the caste Hindu girl be called off.

The attack seemed to have been well-organised. Hence, the police should take action against those responsible under the SCs/ STs (Prevention of Crime) Act.

The Government should build new houses for the affected families. The exact loss they suffered should be calculated and appropriate compensation should be given. Adequate police protection also should be provided. The children should be provided with books, uniforms and the certificates they had lost in the fire. Families should be issued fresh ration cards as these too were destroyed.

The CPI (M) would submit its report on the visit and assessment of damage to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa soon. Office-bearers of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front were part of the team.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)