West Bengal Observes All-out Strike Amid Series of Intimidations and Attacks

Refuting incessant intimidation from the West Bengal State Government and series of attacks on road on workers of Left Front and CPI(M), the conscious participation of common people has collapsed the normal life of the state to make the General Strike protesting FDI in retail sector, drastic hike on Diesel price and LPG cooking gas. While rallying in Kolkata the CPI(M) state secretary and Left Front Chairman Biman Basu has commented that the strike was all-out and will mark the beginning of bigger movement in very near future if the Central Government does not withdraw its anti-people decisions.

The strike was called to protest the unprecedented decisions taken by the Central Government to
(i) allow Foreign Direct Investment in internal retail sector; (ii) huge hike in Diesel Price; (iii) withdrawal of subsidy in cooking gas that causes unbearable hike in cylinder price;

The strike in West Bengal also marks its solidarity with the national protest of 8 Left and other parties including CPI(M)in other parts of the country. Since the call of the 12 hour general strike in Bengal the State Government and TMC, being indecisive to launch any drastic mark of protest, started intimidating people and workers of CPI(M) and other left parties throughout the state. Amid such an intimidation people of West Bengal have participated in the general strike.

Whole Hearted Strike

The state witnessed an massive response from the common people working in different fields and disciplines. The shop owners including small enterprises responded hugely not only to mark protest against the decisions but also against the intimidations by the TMC hooligans. The people associated in transport sector have remarkably participated in the strike. The industrial areas, like Kalyani, Durgapur, Taratala, of the state remained almost closed. Most of the schools and colleges remained closed as students have not attended in numbers. The water transport system severely lacked its regular passengers. Rallies have been organized in different areas of the state where state CPI(M) leadership led from the front. Biman Basu himself led the rally in Kolkata.

Intimidation turns into attacks on workers across districts

Having observed the magnitude of the strike and spontaneous participation of common people all over Bengalthe State Government and TMC hooligans from early hours have unleashed series of attacks and assaults on workers of left parties. They did not even spare workers of their present and former allies like SUCI, BJP and others.

Workers and Party Offices of CPI(M) and other left parties have been attacked by TMC hooligans in almost every part of the state.

• Party Office in Bardhaman city has been attacked by TMC hooligans; • CPI(M) workers were attacked in Asansol, Naihati, Khardah, Barjora, Bankura, Birbhum, Tarakeswar, Arambag, Chinsura, Habra, Lake Town, Howrah, Shyambazar, Mathabhanga, and in Amta; • SUCI workers were attacked in Coochbehar, Shyambazar in Kolkata; • More than 20 left front workers have been injured while some of them suffered serious injury.

Translate Peoples’ Discontent into Concrete Movement ; Call from CPI(M) West Bengal Extended State Committee Meeting

Two day extended meeting of CPI(M) West Bengal state committee, which took place on 15th-16th September in Kolkata, reviewed the political situation in the state, state of Party organization at different levels and called for more organized movement on the burning issues of the people. After extensive discussion the meeting noted that there are discernible signs of peoples’ discontent against the State Government which has to be translated into concrete movement

Prakash Karat in his inaugural speech spoke against the anti people policies of the Central Government. He pointed out that this liberalisation drive will ultimately add up to the sorrow of the working people.

Karat added that a rise in the price of diesel will have cascading impact on prices of all commodities and will further hit the common people. The worst hit would be the farmers due to rising cost of production. He added that FDI in retail sector will have a direct adverse impact on the employment of a huge chunk of the population who are engaged in small and unorganised retail trade. He also criticised the UPA Government for its faulty natural resource allocation policy where precious natural resource were being allocated for mere pennies. He also warned of the communal situation in the country and role of different communal and fundamentalist forces, particularly after the events in Assam. Karat emphasized that the independent activities of the Party must be strengthened so as to build Left unity and move towards a left and democratic alternative. To achieve this, fight against liberalization must get priority in the coming days.

Biman Basu moving the agenda for the meeting outlined the attack on democracy and democratic institutions, mounting burden on the people and an ever increasing crime on women. The movement, through mobilizing the people has to be broadened in this perspective. That calls for strengthening the party organisation, uplifting the political and ideological level of the party, more active role of Party members, development of functioning of Party committees. Basu emphasized intensive work among the toiling people and particularly among the urban and rural poor. He has also stressed upon the need to mobilize younger sections and women.

33 comrades from different districts and mass fronts deliberated on the report. While summing up on the second day, Biman Basu said, only mass struggle can change the situation. What is needed is a patient effort among the masses.

One of the major content of discussion was the panchayat elections due to be held in coming months. Biman Basu urged to treat this election as a mass struggle and move forward with courage and determination even in the face of attack from TMC and other forces. Decentralisation and exercise of peoples’ rights have come under severe attacks. This has to be exposed to people through intensive campaign. The meeting took a resolution protesting these attacks and decided to fight the elections facing all odds. Though there is an apprehension that TMC will try to prevent opposition from contesting in many areas and will force bloodshed, CPI(M) has decided to combat these attacks and an all out preparation to mobilize people would start immediately. Polit bureau member Surjya Kanta Mishra explained the situation in the rural areas and outlined the main tasks in this very important political battle.

Buddhadev Bhattacharjee addressing the meeting said there are perceptible positive changes in the state. We could see the positive impacts of Party’s efforts in many areas. However, the balances of forces are still tilted towards the anti-Left forces. The people who left us have not returned entirely. A degree of alienation is still there. Our priority is to win over those sections of the people. We have to concentrate among the toiling people and the poorer sections. The impact of centre’s fresh reform initiatives and misrule of TMC Government in the state would bring a large scope of building movements. But to respond to the situation we need more developed and cleaner Party organization.

Extended meeting decided the tasks before the Party. Those are : to build up powerful movement against neo-liberal attacks on people; taking up the issue of food security and mobilize poor people; to take up issues of demands and social security of the unorganized sections of workers at local level; to build up movement against detoriating public services; mobilizing people against anarchy in educational institutions, mobilizing democratic opinion against detoriation in law and order situation and particularly against attack on women; massive campaign in villages against attack on panchayats.

The meeting called for a widespread mass movement against the price rise of diesel and cooking gas along with the decision of ushering in 51% FDI in the retail sector and disinvestment of profit making PSU’s. It called upon to make the general strike in West Bengal on 20th September, called by Left Front a success.

The meeting also adopted a resolution extending support to nationwide strike on 20th-21st February, 2013, called by central trade unions.

It has been decided that a mass collection will be organized on 23rd, September to collect money for the distressed and homeless people of Assam.

Apart from Party’s general secretary, Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and S. Ramchandran Pillai attended the meeting. Polit Bureau member Nirupam Sen presided over the two day session.

Resolutely Oppose Notification on FDI in Retail

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

 

 

 

The CPI(M) strongly protests the policy notification on FDI in retail trade issued by the government. Notwithstanding the widespread opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail trade, the government has gone ahead with the notification.

 

The rules announced by the government for FDI in multi-brand is designed to serve the interests of MNCs like Wal-Mart, TESCO and Carrefour. The investment floor of $ 100 million (R. 550 crore) is insignificant for the giant retailers like Wal-Mart which are multibillion companies.

 

The restriction that foreign retail outlets should be in cities with over 10 lakh population is also irrelevant because these are precisely the urban centres which the MNCs want to access as they are the most lucrative segment of the market. Furthermore, the rules provide that in states/Union Territories which do not have cities  having a population of more than 10 lakh, foreign retail outlets may be set up in cities of their choice. Thus foreign supermarkets can be set up in all parts of the country and in a wider range of urban centres.

 

The condition for making at least 50 per cent of the investment in ‘backend’ infrastructure is being cited to argue that this would lead to more cold chains and other logistics, benefiting the farmers. International experience has, however, shown that procurement by MNC retailers do not benefit the small farmers. Over time, they receive depressed prices and find it difficult to meet the arbitrary quality standards.

 

 

That the government is bent upon promoting FDI in retail at the cost of domestic interests is clear from the dilution of the conditions set for FDI in single-brand retail. Earlier, the rule was that for FDI above 51 per cent in single brand retail, there was a mandatory sourcing of at least 30 per cent of the value of products sold from Indian “small industries/village and cottage industries”. Now this has been diluted. It is stated that instead of mandatory sourcing it is “preferably” from small and medium enterprises etc. Further, the definition of small industries has also been done away with.

 

By this policy announcement, the Manmohan Singh government has taken the single biggest step of destroying the livelihood of the largest number of people engaged in retail trade in India.

 

The CPI(M) will resolutely wage the struggle to get this anti-national decision rescinded.

Massive Response to Protest Day

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

 

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) congratulates the people for the massive response to the protest day on September 20, 2012.  Eight parties had given a call for observing the day through hartal, picketing and court arrests against the steep rise  in prices of diesel, limiting of gas cylinders and opening retail trade to FDI.  The NDA had also called for a bandh on this day.

 

The hartal has been successful in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and other states.

 

In West Bengal, there was a total strike.  Vehicles and traffic was off the roads; shops and markets were closed; workers in the industrial establishments and tea gardens were on strike and schools and colleges were closed.  The strike call was implemented despite attacks on Left Front workers by TMC goons in a number of places.

 

In Tripura, there was a complete bandh all over the  state with all offices, markets and educational institutions closed.

 

In Kerala, a hartal was observed on September 15, therefore the day was observed through protest marches in all the 140 assembly constituencies under the banner of the Left and Democratic Front.

 

In Delhi, leaders of the eight parties among them Mulayam Singh Yadav, H. D. Deve Gowda, Chandrababu Naidu, Prakash Karat, S. Sudhakar Reddy, A. B. Bardhan, Ram Gopal Yadav and Sitaram Yechury courted arrest at Parliament Street.

 

In Tamilnadu, Left leaders and cadres conducted picketing in 200 places. More than 50,000 protestors were arrested.

 

In Odisha, the BJD has called for a protest day on September 17 due to the Nuakhai festival in western Odisha.  The Left parties and the Samajwadi party called for a hartal on September 20 which was observed widely with transport, shops and commercial establishments closed. 

 

In Maharashtra, there was no strike in Mumbai because of Ganesh Chaturthi. Protest demonstrations and local strikes took place in various cities and towns.

 

The widespread support for the hartal manifested the anger of the people against the anti-people measures taken by the UPA government.  The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands of the Manmohan Singh government  that it cancel the FDI in retail, the disinvestment of public sector shares, rollback the price hike  of diesel and restriction on gas cylinders.  The struggle against these anti-people measures should be intensified in the coming days.  

CPI(M) Assam State Committee criticises Gogoi on FDI in multi brand retail

Criticising Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's decision to support 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, CPI(M) today said any attempt to introduce the concept in the state will affect both farmers and consumers.

"Gogoi has supported Centre's decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail. But any attempt to allow foreign companies to open such shops in Assam will be detrimental to the interest of both farmers and consumers," CPI(M) state secretary Uddhav Barman told reporter.

Gogoi, he said, has supported the Centre's stand without going into details regarding cost-benefit analysis. "Globally wherever FDI has been allowed into retail segment, there have been monopoly of big companies. This has hurt both traditional shopkeepers and also made products expensive," Barman said.

There have been news reports that Walmart has purchased land in Guwahati in anticipation of the move. "If true, we oppose such things," he said.  Barman said seven parties -- CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML-Liberation), Forward Bloc,Revolutionary Socialist Party Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (Socialist) -- have called for a day-long hartal in Assam on September 20 to oppose the entry of MNCs in multi-brand retail sector.

"We have also called the hartal against the hike in diesel prices, limiting the number of subsidised LPG cylinders and disinvestment in public sector undertakings," he said. Assam government had recently announced a one-month ban on bandhs and so the parties have called for a hartal, Barman

Gender and legal studies centre at Kozhikode inaugurated

The Centre for Gender and Legal Studies, set up by the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) in Kozhikode distritct, Kerala, was inaugurated on Sunday by AIDWA national general secretary Sudha Sunder Raman. The centre is being set up in memory of late communist leader Susheela Gopalan. 

The idea of a man paying his wife for the household work she does is an insult to womanhood, Sudha Sunder Raman said. “The proposal devalues women,” she said, referring to a Bill proposed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development that men give their homemaker wives a salary. “Women should realise that these thoughts are influenced by globalisation. Today’s legal system is controlled by the interests of the ruling parties,” she added. She said ruling parties were trying to make the life of common man miserable by joining hands with capitalist forces. It was mainly women who suffered because of the cap on LPG use, she said.

State secretary of AIDWA and president of the Society for Gender and Legal Studies K.K. Shailaja presided. AIDWA national vice-president T.N. Seema; State treasurer P.K. Sainaba, Society secretary P. Satheedevi; and AIDWA district secretary M.K. Nalini were present.

CITU condemns the highest ever increase in prices of Diesel

The Secretariat of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has issued the following statement to the media:

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) strongly condemns the highest ever increase in prices of Diesel and also putting a cap with the most insufficient quantity of only Six subsidized Cylinders of cooking gas for a family in a year. This means people will have to purchase the remaining requirement at exorbitant price from the open market. Now the same Government is giving subsidy in the name of bailing out the capitalist class and heavily burdening the working class by withdrawing subsidy on such item of most essential mass domestic necessity. 

This hike in price of Diesel will have serious cascading impact on prices of every commodity and will result in increase in the economic burdens on the masses in the country. In a situation of unprecedented back-breaking level of continuing rise in prices of all commodities including food items, this hike in prices of Diesel and LPG cylinders shall act as fuel in burning fire and will further increase the sufferings on the people at unbearable level. 

The reasons attributed to the increase are a fraud on the people of the country. All the oil companies, both public and private, have reported huge incremental profits. The claims of losses and so called huge ‘under-recoveries’ and resultant financial crisis are based on imaginary false calculations which have been totally exposed by CITU with facts and figures in the past.
CITU calls upon all the trade unions and workers to unitedly protest against this flagrant class offensive of the government and conduct mass agitation demanding withdrawal of the price increase of Diesel and removal of the imposition of the limit on subsidised cooking gas cylinders.

Tripura LF calls for bandh on Sept: 20 against Diesel price Hike

The Left Front in Tripura has called for a dawn-to-dusk general strike on Thursday against FDI in multi-brand retail sector, media and aviation, hike of diesel and allocation of cooking gas cylinders, as part of the agitation announced by eight regional parties including CPI-M. CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said on Sunday that they would compel the government to roll back the decision for common people.

He, however, pointed out that India has a retail market of 535 billion US dollar but allowing 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail and 100 percent in single brand retail would leave as many as a crore people jobless. Moreover, 49 percent foreign investment in aviation sector and 74 percent in media would collapse Indian sovereignty, integrity and interest. This reflects that Indian independence is now at stake, Dhar observed.

Expressing concern over the future of unemployed youths, he said, "Left parties have been opposing the so-called strategic alliance in defence, investment sector and aviation but the Centre has surrendered to the US by allowing investment in all vital sectors."

He alleged that Congress-led UPA government is working at the behest of industrialists and foreign capitalists and this is quite evident from their arguments in favour of FDI. "To make up Rs 520 lakh core of deficit in current fiscal and ensure 8.2 percent growth in 12th five year plan, the Manmohan Singh government opened disinvestment for four profit making PSUs including two Navratna and allowed FDI in retail sector that is expected to manage Rs 15,000 cr, which is fabricated and anti-people."

The UPA II had announced tax holiday of Rs 528 lakh crore in its last budget for a few capitalists and made the budget deficit of Rs 520 lakh crore and now Indians are facing an uncertainty only because of the anti-people stand of the government.

Earlier, Tripura Chief minister Manik Sarkar had said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has succumbed to the pressure of US and the decisions of the Union cabinet bear testimony to this.

He also said, "Two leading media organisations who are propagating globalisation have strongly criticized Singh and that virtually compelled him to take the decision ignoring the people of the country."

"The decision of the Manmohan Singh government over the past two days has given a clear indication that he doesn't have any other option but to surrender to the US to ensure the protection of interest of the international finance capital and Walmart," Sarkar said.

(Courtesy : Times Of India)

LDF to conduct protest march in every Assembly constituencies in Kerala

The Left Democratic Front in Kerala will conduct protest demonstrations against the recent hike in diesel price and the decision to allow FDI in retail trade. The protest in all assembly constituencies will be held on 20th September in tune with the protest demo across the country announced by the left parties.  LDF convenor Com. Vaikom Viswan asked each and every Keralite to be part of this protest demo. He added that Kerala will be the worst to hit by the increase in Diesel price as Kerala is considered to be a consumer state.

Left parties call 12-hour strike in West Bengal on September 20

Left parties today announced a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on September 20 to protest against government's decision on diesel price, LPG cylinders and FDI in multi-brand retail.  CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told to press person That left and other non-BJP parties to continue protests in various forms against these measures, saying "as far as the Left is concerned, the battle will not be over on September 20" . He warned that they will not allow retail chains to function whereever they open shops in the country.

Earlier, Left Front chairman in West Bengal Biman Bose said the strike would be enforced in the state from 6.00 AM to protest against the "anti-people decisions of the UPA government," and called upon the people to respond to it.

"Everybody is opposed to it (FDI in muti-brand retail, except Manmohan Singh, who is more sensitive to criticism in foreign land," he said referring to some articles in US publications that have alleged that "he is not performing, not allowing FDI in retail." "What is said in Washington and London is more important for the Prime Minister than the interest of the people of the country," he alleged. "The UPA government has announced a series of measures which will harm the interests of people of the country, starting with diesel price hike and limiting of subsidized cooking gas cylinders to six per year while expecting a family to buy six more in the market price which will be double the amount," Karat said.

Stressing that the Left has always opposed the continuous process of hiking of prices of pretroleum products and demanded restructuring of tax structure on petro products, Karat said, "In the current increase, we have pointed out that you are making a false statement on losses by petroleum companies, whether it is IOC, ONGC or Hindustan Petroleum.
  

"None has reported any loss and many of these companies are making huge profits and paid dividends to the government," he said. "The notion of under-recoveries by oil companies is false," he said. The increase of diesel prices by Rs five per litre in retail would immediately increase the inflation rate, the CPI(M) general secretary warned.
 

Criticising the government for allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, Karat said, "Since 2005, the Prime Minister has been trying to get this through. I don't know why this interest in getting Walmart in India." "Ours is a country where shops employ four crore people. After agriculture, this is the largest employment provider in India.... Into this scenario, you want to bring these supermarket chains, which will destroy the retail shops."

"In western countries this has happened. No retail shop exists where there are these large multi-brand chains," he said. Claiming that all political parties, except the Congress were against FDI in multi-brand retail, Karat said, "I would like to challenge the Congress to show even two or three parties which have changed their stand and favoured it." "The entire Opposition is opposed to it, from the right to the left," he said.

 "Regional parties which are in power have opposed it -- chief ministers Jayalalitha, Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, Nitish Kumar or even their own allies, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK are opposed to it," he said.  "Already we have said that this Prime Minister should be investigated for his role in coal block allocation scandal. He was the minister-in-charge for four years," Karat said.

"Today, if he thinks his government can get away with such anti-nation, anti-people policies, he is mistaken," he said. Asked about the Trinamool Congress' deadline of 72 hours to withdraw the measures announced, Karat wondered, "I don't know why the Trinamool Congress cannot stop it despite being in the Cabinet. During UPA I, we were not in the government, we were providing outside support.

 "If we could stop it for four years, why couldn't they stop it now?" he wanted to know Karat said, "This is for the first time we are hearing of concern expressed by the Congress for the states. When we ask for PDS to the people or not to reduce fertiliser subsidy, they don't listen. Suddenly they are saying that they are not enforcing it, it is up to the states to allow foreign multi-brand retail chains. "Only the Congress-ruled states like Haryana and Delhi have accepted it," he said.

"We will continue to struggle to ensure that none of these chains, whether Walmart or any other, will set up shop," he said. "We have discussed with other parties (in) the short time we had, we have announced this all-India protest action on September 20. We shall meet again and if the government continues to go ahead with its policies, we will have to intensify action," Karat said.