CPI (M) stands for united AP

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu has said that his party was committed for an integrated Andhra Pradesh.

Replying to queries on the sidelines of a meeting organised in connection with the centenary celebrations of veteran Marxist leader E.M.S. Namboodiripad here on Tuesday, he said that while most other political parties have changed their stand on Telangana, the CPI (M) wouldn’t do so for the sake of gaining seats or power.

He, however, condemned the police lathicharge on students of Osmania University.

Mr. Raghavulu said that the Congress has no clarity on the Telangana issue and held the party responsible for the present crisis.

He blamed Chief Minister K. Rosaiah for first putting the onus on the Congress high command, and later calling for an all-party meeting on the issue but failing to hold any fruitful discussions.

He said that the State government should own moral responsibility for the deteriorating health condition of TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao.

EMS was a man of the masses

E.M.S. Namboodiripad, who can be ranked among the top 10 communist leaders in the country, was not a born communist. He had learnt the Vedas early in life and was later influenced by the Freedom Struggle and Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha, said CPI(M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu.

He recalled the pioneering efforts made by EMS seeking equal rights to women. He realised that women had specific problems associated with childbirth, dowry and disparity in wages. He had strived to eradicate caste system.

Mr. Raghavulu said that EMS had passed orders against police interference in workers strikes and protests by farm labour and tenant farmers, after becoming the Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957.

His objective of protecting the interests of workers and small farmers came in the way of their exploitation by managements and landlords. The NehruGovernment, acting under pressure from landlords and managements, invoked Article 356 of the Constitution and dismissed the democratically elected Kerala Government.

Referring to the present situation, Mr. Raghavulu said that the UPA Government was ready to dance to the tunes of the Obama Government while jeopardising the defence and economy of the nation. He said that UPA was ready to do away with welfare schemes and had failed to take any measures to control the spiralling prices.

He said that the CPI(M) had supported the UPA Government during its last tenure only with the objective of preventing the ‘communal’ BJP from coming to power. The presence of the CPI(M) in the UPA Government had prevented the Centre from acting according to its whims and fancies.

Revenue

He said that AP had got the maximum revenue during the tenure of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy as Chief Minister. It was not because of YSR’ s greatness but as the world economy was booming at that time.

The excise revenue which was Rs.1,200 crores when YSR took over as Chief Minister for the first time, went up to Rs.6,000 crores when he was elected for the second term. The global economic meltdown has hit the State’s economy badly and it was a tough time for Chief Minister Rosaiah, he felt.

CPI(M) District Committee secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao recalled the contribution of EMS as CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and as Chief Minister of Kerala.

He had written several articles which give an insight into his concern for the common man.

CPI(M) city unit secretary Lokanadham was present.

(courtesy : The Hindu)

Struggle against Price Rice in Tamil Nadu

Thousands of activists from CPI and CPI(M) staged protests all over Tamilnadu condemning the hike in the price of essential commodities.
Agitations that took place in various parts of the State saw participation of MPs, MLAs and senior leaders from both the parties. Most of them were arrested.

Photos : Gavaskar, Theekathir

Clarify Position on Climate Change

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

The Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, has over the last two weeks been repeatedly introducing modifications and caveats to India’s fundamental negotiating position on climate change. These are per capita emissions as the basis of negotiations, differentiating between the Annex 1 and non Annex countries and the actions of the developing countries being predicated on the financial and technology transfers from the rich countries. On each of these points, the Minster is now deviating from India's position and even from position that the PM has taken on these issues.

At the end of the debate in the Lok Sabha, the Minister was dismissive of India’s stand on per capita emissions as the basis for equitable burden-sharing at Copenhagen. Calling India’s low per capita emissions an “accident of history’’, he added that India’s biggest failure was our inability to control population growth. These remarks go against India’s stated positions on both climate policy and population policy. It is well-known that the Minister has modified the Prime Minister’s stated position on climate policy that India’s per capita emissions would not exceed that of the developed countries by replacing the words “would not exceed’’ by the words “will stay below’’ making it open for rich countries to negotiate India well below rich countries per capita emission levels. When queried in Parliament as to why the modifications have been introduced, he has dismissed such queries claiming that the two phrases ``mean the same thing".

In an interview to the Times of India today, the Minister has stated that India would be willing to accept monitoring, reporting and verification of mitigation actions in India even if they are not supported financially and technologically by the developed countries. He has dismissed the earlier position as a negotiating tactic and not an operational strategy. He has specified that even unsupported actions would have IMF/WTO style reporting.

He has also declared in the same interview that the question of Intellectual Property Rights is not a major issue in the part of the climate negotiations that relates to technology transfer. He has further downplayed the entire issue of technology transfer itself, stating that the issue real issue is technology development and not technology transfer. This is unacceptable, considering that the official language of the UNFCCC and the negotiating documents at climate negotiations use the specific term technology transfer (together with technology development, application and diffusion).

On both these issues the Minister is going against the officially stated negotiating positions of the Government of India. This is clear from the documents regarding India’s position that are available on the Ministry’s website itself.

Ahead of the crucial negotiations at Copenhagen, here is a Minister who publicly and repeatedly keeps modifying accepted policy positions. The Minister has also made derisive remarks about the G77 leader, Sudan. He has also stated soon after joining with China, Brazil and South Africa that he is not sure about China and Brazil. He has argued that India should distance itself from G77 states. Before the Indian delegation leaves for Copenhagen, the UPA government should categorically clarify what India's negotiating position will be.

DYFI LAKSHADWEEP COMMITTEE FORMED

An organising committe has been formed in the union territory of Lakshadweep on 5th December. The convention held at Kalpani island was inaugurated by DYFI kerala state committee secretary Com T V Rajesh.
The convention asked the authorities to form a Public service commission for service recruitment to avoid backdoor entries to the government department in Lakshadweep. The convention also decided to raise the issue of inadequate health facilities and transportation facilities and conduct struggles for these issues.The convention also elected Com Muhammed Muslim Khan (Kalpani Island) as the convener of the organising committe. T P Rahim (Kavarthi Island), P Nazar (Androth Island) and com Jaleel (Kalpani Island) were elected Joint conveners. The convention was addressed by Com. A N Shamseer (SFI All india Joint Secretary), and CPIM leader Lukmanul Hakim

Deshabhimani making big strides forward

Deshabhimani daily, the mouthpiece of the toiling masses is making big strides forward. Two new editions are going to be opened in the coming months. Bangaluru edition of the newspaper will be inaugurated on Dec 28 by Com. Pinarayi Vijayan (CPIM Kerala State Secretary). CPIM Karnataka State secretary Com VJK Nair will preside the meetin. This will be the eighth edition. In January 2010 the tenth edition of the daily will be inaugurated in Mappuram District. Deshabhimani which started functioning under Com. EMS Namboothiripad from 1946 has now editions from Trivandrum, Kottayam, Eranakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Baharin. Another thing that is adding more joy is the fact that a recent survey has made it clear that Deshabhimani daily is having the biggest growth in readership.

Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2009
The list of the top 10 publications that have recorded the highest growth in their average issue readership (AIR) sees Deshabhimani (Daily) right on top. Though the base numbers of the publication is modest, the growth number seen is a significant 365,000, which takes the AIR number of the publication to 2,027,000 in this round from the earlier 1,662,000.

Lokmat follows with an AIR increase of 315,000, taking its current AIR number to 7,104,000. Malayala Manorama has grown by 300,000 and is at 9,183,000. Times of India has grown by 276,000 and is now at 7,142,000. The sixth largest growth rate is of Mathrubhumi, which has moved from 6,413,000 to 6,678,000.

Central team to West Bengal : Assault on Federal Structure

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

The decision of the Central Government to send a Central team to West Bengal bypassing the state government is an assault on the federal structure mandated by the Constitution. It is unfortunate and regrettable that the Central government should succumb to the unreasonable and politically motivated demand of the Trinamool Congress for sending a team.

The politically motivated demand by the Trinamool Congress is against the spirit of the Constitution and amounts to a gross interference in the affairs of the state government. It further contravenes several judgments of the Supreme Court on this question.

The Trinamool Congress in collaboration with Maoists is creating a law and order situation in West Bengal by murdering CPI(M) and Left cadres and blame the Left Front government to cover up its nefarious activities.

The Polit Bureau appeals to all the democratic forces and the people to oppose the move of the Central government and the Trinamool Congress which violates the spirit of the Indian Constitution.

Food Security Act will create food insecurity: Prakash Karat

Bangalore: The proposed Food Security Bill by the Centre will only add to the existing food insecurity rather than improve access to food, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has said.

Speaking at a mammoth rally organised by the Left parties here on Wednesday, he pointed out that the Bill had proposed giving rice or wheat at Rs. 3 a kg, while seven States in the country were already giving it at Rs. 2 a kg. He blamed the “Centre’s skewed policies” of allowing forward trading in essential commodities as the root cause of spiralling food prices.

The policies being pursued by the Centre were disastrous, he warned, even as agrarian crisis was deepening and food grain production plummeting.

The government had failed to see food as a fundamental human right even as India is home to the largest number of hungry and malnutrition people, he said. Hoping to sustain high growth even as price rise is eroding the lives of people was ridiculous, he added.

One of the principle demands put forth by the Left parties was universalising of the Public Distribution System.

Mining

Speaking on mining, Mr. Karat came down heavily on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for extending an invitation to foreign firms to invest in mining in India even as “illegal plundering and looting of mineral resources by India private companies” was on in full swing.

Mr. Karat said that the National Mineral and Mining Policy should be altered so that the mining sector was strictly regulated and ore used domestically. “Allowing short-term plunder” like at Bellary would exhaust all ore deposits within the next 30 years, he warned.

(courtesy : the hindu)

On Liberhan Commission Report

Press Statement

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

The Liberhan Commission which took 17 long years to complete its inquiry into the demolition of the Babri Masjid has made a clear and sharp indictment of the RSS, the BJP and other constituents of the sangh parivar. Several top BJP leaders have been named as being responsible for the crime committed. The report demolishes the defence put out by the BJP that it was a spontaneous movement which went out of control and lays bare the meticulous planning which went into the demolition. It shows the utter disregard for the Indian constitution by the BJP and the sangh parivar.

However the report fails to pinpoint the failure of the Central Government to take action at the appropriate time to prevent such a crime. In fact, as is well known, in spite of the repeated requests made by senior political leaders in the secular opposition at that time and the unanimous resolution of the National Integration Council asking the Narsimha Rao Government to take all measures to protect the Babri Masjid, it showed itself to be weak and vacillating in the face of the communal offensive. By giving a virtual clean chit to the then Central Government, the Commission has laid itself open to the charge of a political bias.

The nation now wants to know what action the Central Government is going to take. The Action Taken Report placed by the Government on the basis of some of the Commission’s recommendations is weak and inadequate. It displays a lack of political will to bring those responsible to justice. In the past also those who have been indicted by Commissions for communal violence have got off scot free as in the case of the Sri Krishna Commission report. It is incumbent on the Central Government to prosecute, within a timebound framework, all those named and to expedite the proceedings of the cases currently in the courts. The sangh parivar and its constituents far from showing any repentance are making efforts to use the report to once again rouse communal passions. People of this country will no doubt reject such sectarian politics.

Orissa State furthering interests of big firms: Left parties

BHUBANESWAR: Senior leaders of three major Left parties – Communist Party of India(Marxist), Communist Party of India, and Forward Bloc – on Tuesday lambasted the Naveen Patnaik Government for allegedly furthering the interest of big companies and neglecting the cause of the farmers of the State.

The leaders also blamed the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre for its faulty agriculture policy and anti-farmer approach of Orissa government which were forcing farmers commit suicides.

The rally jointly organised by the three parties was addressed by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, and West Bengal Minister and Forward Bloc leader Naren Dey.

More than 2,50,000 farmers had committed suicide in the country during the past on decade due to the anti-farmer policies being pursued by the successive government, Mr. Karat said.

Price rise

The leaders also criticised the State government for handing over large patches of agricultural land to big companies such as Vedanta and Posco-India.

As regards the multi-crore mining scam, the leaders demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation be handed over the cases pertaining to the scam for investigation. All those involved in the looting of the State’s rich mineral resources should be brought to book, they said.

The leaders also came down heavily on both the Centre and the State government for their failure to curb price rise.

They further criticised the State government for it failure to ensure proper functioning of the public distribution system. All poor families should be issued below poverty line cards, they demanded.

The State level leaders of the three parties who addressed the rally demanded for revival of the Lift Irrigation Corporation to help the farmers. They also demanded land rights for the landless tribals and poor families.

Koothuparamba Martyrs Day

History Belongs to them, they were the FLAMES of Revolutions. They were the CRUSADERS against - Injustice, They fought against inequality incessantly. They rebelled the brutality of so called omnipotent powers that be. They sacrificed everything for the downtrodden and oppressed, And to tried to redeem them. They negates Autocracy, Feudalism Imperialism, Fanaticism and Inhumanity that came and to come. They will eternally remain in the golden pages of History. Everything else will be wiped off to oblivion SPARTACUS is the epitome for all those who fought against human servitude. Revolutionary scientific pioneers can be named by a single term GALILEO. Blood that shed at the streets of CHICAGO is the Symbol of Unconquered minds of the workers and peasants the world over.

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