Birth Centenary of Bengal's Legandary Revolutionary

Comrade Pramod Dasgupta
1910-1982

The Birth Centenary of Comrade Pramod Das Guptha, one of the towering figures of the communist movement in India, and the leader of popular struggle in West Bengal is being celebrated on July 13th. With his untiring efforts and organizational capabilities he made CPIM the biggest revolutionary party in the state. He was the state secretary of the undivided communist party from 1961 January and after the formation of CPIM in 1964 till his death in 1982 November becoming the longest serving secretary of the party.

Comrade Pramod was born in a middle class family in Faridpur (Bangladesh) on July 13th 1910. His father Mothilal Das guptha was a government doctor. It was during his study years in Calcutta he came into contact with the revolutionary movement. In 1931 he was arrested for joining the national struggle. He was kept under the custody without any trail for 6 years. During his jail life he came into contact with the revolutionary leaders of the state and went through the Marxian literature. After his release in 1937 he came into contact with Comrade Muzaffer Ahamed, one of the founders of the communist movement in India and on May 1st 1938 he became a party member. In 1940 he became the Kolkotta district secretary of the part. In 1942 he was arrested and was released in 1942. After hat he took the responsibility of party publishing house. He played a pivotal role in bringing the cadres under the banner of CPIM during the inner party struggles of 1964 and 1968. He was one of the founding Polit Bureau members of the CPIM.
He was also considered as the architect of the Left Front movement in West Bengal. He died on 1982 November.

Red Salute to Comrade Pramod Das Guptha on his Birth Centenary.......While you sleep in the graveyard. Your words and deeds are still leading us forward..

Police atrocities on CPIM cadres in Madurai

Cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), volunteers of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front and residents of Uthapuram were injured when the police used force to remove protesters who laid siege to the Collectorate here on Monday.

Among the injured were State president of the front P. Sampath and its general secretary K. Samuel Raj and rural district secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association S.K. Ponnuthai, party sources said.

Over 370 agitators, led by the party's Rajya Sabha MP T.K. Rangarajan, were arrested by the city police after they continued with their agitation as “the Collector refused to fix a timeframe to settle untouchability issues at Uthapuram.”

The arrested cadre went on a hunger strike on the Tamukkam ground where they were lodged. They refused food offered by the police.

The protest was organised to urge the district administration to give Dalits the right to worship at a temple in Uthapuram; allow them to use a common pathway and permit construction of a bus shelter for the benefit of the oppressed class under the MPs' Local Area Development Fund.

After staging a demonstration in front of the Collectorate, a delegation led by Mr. Rangarajan, including party MLAs N. Nanmaran and S.K. Mahendran, represented their demands. The Collector promised to look into the demand of ensuring use of the common pathway by the Dalits. “But he said the other two demands could be considered only after inspecting the village,” Mr. Rangarajan told. “It is now three years since the ‘untouchability' wall was demolished on the intervention of the Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi. The district has seen four Collectors since then. The Chief Minister promised to make Uthapuram an ideal place. But things have only got worse there,” he added.

As the talks before the Collector failed,the demonstrators raised slogans condemning the Govt of TN and District Administration who are in collusion with the upper caste people in denying the basic rights to dalit people of uthapuram and also demanding basic rights to the people of Uthapuram. The Police all of a sudden started lathicharging the demonstrators and the leader are dragged in the street and handled roughly by the police.Nearly 40 persons severely injured and they were admitted in the Govt.Hospital.

Stating that Rs. 3.75 lakh of the local area development fund he had allotted for construction of the bus shelter in the village remained unutilised, Mr. Rangarajan said that the officials feared a law and order problem on construction of the shelter. “It is the duty of the officials to take action against those who create problems,” he said.

(Photos : Lenin, Theekathir)

CPIM protest against the anti-cow slaughter Bill in Karnataka

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPIM Dakshina Kannada district committee an agitation against the anti cow slaughter act proposed by the State government. The protest was part of a coordinated effort by the CPI(M), which staged similar protests across the State as the Bill is expected to come up for discussion in the Legislative Council on Monday.

Party's district unit secretary B. Madhava said that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the State was pushing for the Bill with the aim of persecuting Christians and Muslims. “There is no doubt that this is a sinister plot of the Sangh Parivar to target the minorities,” he said.

Mr. Madhava pointed out that beef was a major source of protein for Dalits and the Backward Classes, who formed a sizeable chunk of Hindu society. “It is the only meat that is affordable for the economically marginalised classes,” he said.

Warning

Warning the BJP that it would be an imprudent move to pursue, he said, “In the name of persecuting the minorities, you will be pushing poor people into malnutrition.” “Farmers use cattle for tilling their land and for milk. Once these animals age or go dry, they are sold. This is an important chain,” he said and added that once the ban was imposed on the slaughter of cattle, farmers would have to continue keeping cattle that had lost their utility. “This will push them into deeper distress,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion CPIM activists said the anti cow slaughter act proposed by the state government was nothing short of draconian law. The Muslims, tribals and other backward castes consumed meat of the cows and cattle and if there was an anti cow slaughter act that will deprive them of their food and many Muslims who were trading in cow's meat will be deprived of their livelihood. They urged the government to allow those who want to consume cow's meat to continue slaughtering cows and cattle and those who want to oppose should stop opposing it.

They said there was no need for the government to promulgate such a draconian law as most of the people living in India consumed cow's meat. It was inexpensive source of food for many communities. In foreign countries cows were being reared for their meat and the milk why should India have such a retrograde law they asked.

(Courtesy : The Mangalorean, The Hindu)

Greek General strike of, July 8: Workers’ direct militant response to the demolition of the social security system

The strike demonstrations organised by All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) on Thursday 8th July in Athens and in 63 cities rank among the most massive ones over the last months.

Factories, construction sites, offices, ports, airports, public transport, media were literally paralysed. The picket lines mounted in front of numerous factories facilitated to go on strike the workers in many workplaces who face the employers’ intimidation and blackmails. In addition, the class oriented forces proceeded to symbolic sit-ins of public buildings in a series of cities. The 13th strike demonstration over the last 7 months was staged on the day when the parliament was passing the grotesque bill on social security which establishes 40 contribution years and retirement age 65 years both for men and women, abolishes the list of hazardous occupations, hands over to the big capital the property which has left to the insurance funds while at the same time it establishes wages far below the collective labour agreements for the young people under 25 years old.

In fact this bill implements the guidelines of the EU Green Paper on the pension systems, according to the “2020 strategy” promoted currently by the EU. Thus, the working class is forced to work till death while those who survive will receive a gratuity instead of a pension.

The bill was passed by the social democrat PASOK, as well as by the liberal ND and the nationalist LAOS that voted a series of separate articles, though at the same time they hypocritically voted against several others. KKE condemned the anti-labour bill and voted against it.

At the same time, anticommunism intensifies through the attack on the party’s finances. Furthermore, the new bill about the local elections promotes the ban on political parties to use coupons for their financial support. In Greece this method is followed by KKE and constitutes the main means of its financial support.

During the discussion in the Parliament, the General Secretary of the CC of KKE, Aleka Papariga, answered to the anticommunist attack and the measures of the bourgeoisie that target the activity and the economic independence of KKE. She stressed: “the war against KKE is absolutely normal. We would be surprised if it was absent under the conditions of the crisis. Nevertheless, anticommunism is a different thing. We know very well that you will turn against KKE. But you should take into consideration the following: we won’t be frightened and we also know who take part in these meetings. But this is not the point. The point is that this situation indicates that new measures are coming; that you want to beat the movement and you even call other parties to participate in this effort. We will not become a state-dependent party, neither a party serving the system nor a state-dependent party.”

In the framework of its ongoing multiform activity, which does not restrict merely to the strikes, PAME organised a big concert in the centre of Athens. The concert was held two days before the strike in cooperation with the Pan-Hellenic Music Association and the Association of Greek Actors with the participation of famous singers and actors. Thousands of friends of PAME attended the concert where the voice of strikers met with artists and workers.

The action of PAME continues in the sectors, with struggles in the workplaces, with the foundation of hundreds of factory committees throughout the country, responding to the dismissals and the employers’ intimidation that intensifies.

Stop privatization of higher education in Himachal: CPI(M)

In opposition to privatisation of higher education by permitting opening of many private universities, Communist Party of India (Marxist) plans to launch a state wide agitation and intends to knock the doors of the court for containing the government’s plans.

“Rampant privatisation of higher education has severely undermined the creditability of the entire education system in the state,” says Tikender Panwar, a CPI(M) leader.

The party has stated that Chitkara University, one of new private universities in the state, held its admission counseling at Chandigarh so as to avoid a fair and transparent process on the campus.

Shortcomings have surfaced in the functioning of Manav Bharti University and yet the government has failed to take stern action against the promoters of the institution, says Panwar. Admission process at the first counselling at EIET University Baddi which was recently upgraded from a college to a university only proved that money making was prime motive of the private institution, he added.

Far from making the state a hub of higher education, privatisation of the education has only facilitated transfer of land to promoters who otherwise are restricted from buying land in Himachal, the party said. To stop privatisation of higher education, CPI(M) will launch a state wide agitation and even knock the doors of the High Court to put a check on the government, said Panwar. 

(Courtesy : Myhimachal.com)

Investigate True Nature of Terrorist Activities

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

The interrogation of some responsible RSS functionaries in Uttar Pradesh on their links with Hindutva terror groups is a serious development. Hindutva terror groups are suspected to be behind the bomb blasts targeting the minority community in at least three incidents in which innocent people were killed. These are the blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer Sharif and Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad. That RSS pracharaks are suspected to be linked to such elements cannot be put down to individual aberrations but it is precisely the hatred filled irrational propaganda and inculcation of rabid anti-minorityism by the RSS which is responsible.

The Congress led UPA has been tardy in investigating these links which have been raised in different fora repeatedly. In 2006, in the context of the Nanded bomb blasts and the blast at the RSS office in Coimbatore, which it was later found that RSS workers themselves had engineered, demands had been raised in parliament by the CPI(M) for a comprehensive inquiry to probe whether there was a wider network in operation. The Government did not act. At least now, it must pursue the cases on a fast track without compromise so that the true nature of these terrorist activities are revealed.

CPI (M) flays killing of Tamil Nadu fisherman

CPI (M) Tamil Nadu State Committee has strongly criticised the killing of a Nagapattinam fisherman, Chellappan, ALLEGEDLY by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a statement here, State Secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the island navy continued to indulge in such acts. The party urged State and Central Governments to take steps to stop such incidents. The assistance to the bereaved family should be increased to Rs.5 lakh.

The State and Central Governments were not giving due importance to prevent attacks being unleashed by the Sri Lankan navy on the Tamil fishermen, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central Committee Member and Rajya Sabha MP T.K. Rengarajan alleged.

Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr. Rengarajan said that the attacks on the Tamil fishermen were continuing despite the presence of Indian navy in this region. The Indian Government, having cordial relationship with the Sri Lankan Government, should have put a permanent end to the attacks by conveying its concern through proper channel. However, it did not happen and hence attacks continued.

He welcomed Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard while appealing to him to initiate stringent action against ‘honour killings' that had entered Tamil Nadu also.

The CPI (M) would stage demonstration in front of the Madurai Collectorate on July 12 in protest against not giving permission to construct a bus shelter at Uththapuram with his Local Area Development fund, he said. The party would organise campaigns and rallies across the State from August 22 and 29 against untouchability, inflation, unemployment, fuel price increase etc. to create awareness among the public of these issues and popularise alternative solutions to these pressing issues.

He criticised job fairs being conducted by the DMK, saying it was only showing the failure of Tamil Nadu Government's Department of Employment and Training.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

CPI(M) to remain neutral in Andhra bypolls

The CPI (M) has decided to keep away from the upcoming byelections to 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana region.

The party's State committee which met here on Saturday endorsed the proposal made by the party's secretariat to adopt a neutral stand in the elections where all the contesting parties are raising separate Telangana issue for which the party is principally opposed. The CPI(M) central leadership had authorised the State leaders to take a decision on the issue.

“This is an issue which has to be decided by the State committee,” CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury who was present at the deliberations said.

The State committee accordingly asked the party leaders and cadre not to support any party or campaign for any leader in the elections.

The meeting discussed, among other things, irregularities in the Indiramma weaker section housing scheme that came out during surveys conducted in different districts. Participants also expressed concern at the way white ration cards of the genuine poor were being removed in the name of weeding out bogus ration cards while ineligible people, mostly belonging to the ruling party, continued to enjoy the benefits.

Brinda Karat to PM on "Honour" Killings

In response to the decision of the Central Government to refer the issue of “honour crimes” to a GoM, Brinda Karat, MP and Member of Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) had written the following letter to the Prime Minister on July 9, 2010.

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh ji,

I am writing to you in connection with the decision of the Government to refer the issue of legislation for “honour crimes” to a Group of Ministers. Such a decision will undoubtedly further delay the entire process. It is a great disappointment to all democratic minded citizens in this country who are appalled at the retrograde assaults and violent action against young adults who assert their constitutionally and legally protected rights for self choice marriage/ relationships. They had expected the Central Government not to procrastinate any further and to take steps to ensure an adequate legal framework to address this increasing crime and to bring some relief to affected couples. The country is not unaware that in some of the States where this particular type of crime is taking place, there are political considerations at work to downplay the magnitude of the crime. There is an attempt by those in office in at least one of the States where such crimes have occurred to defend the highly retrograde actions of self-styled caste panchayats in the name of tradition. You will agree that to put vote bank politics over the requirements of those in office to uphold the rights granted by the constitution is abhorrent. Yet this is being done. Delays on the part of the Central Government to decide on a firm course of action in setting up a legal framework strengthens the perception that it is caused by the pressure of vote bank politics.

I would like to draw your attention to the short duration discussion on the issue of “Crimes related to ‘honour’ ” in the Rajya Sabha almost exactly a year ago, on July 28th, 2009 which I had raised. Parties cutting across political lines had supported the suggestion that there should be a separate law to deal with the range of so-called honour crimes. There are many dimensions to these crimes including the absence of a definition of the ‘honour” crime, the role of caste panchayats, the role of the girl’s family because of which often there is no complainant in the case of the disappearance of the girl when she has actually been murdered which necessitates the mandatory role of State intervention, monitoring and investigation, the role of the law enforcement agencies acting in connivance with the perpetrators of the crime and so on. The crime includes murder but also many other crimes such as social and economic boycott, coercive dissolution of the marriage, leveling of fines on the family of the boy and their supporters, externment from the village, public humiliation, threats and harassment against relatives of the boy etc.

Unfortunately the Union Home Minister who is clearly unaware of the logic, the reasons and the struggle of women’s organizations for such a legislation stated "I think the demand for a special law is the one that has been made most eloquently. But I am afraid that it is a very simple demand in the sense that make a law, but the answer is not to make another law. Whatever law we make honour killing is murder…I would look into this whether we can define honour killing, but prima facie I am not sure whether that will take us very far.”

It is this flawed understanding of those charged with addressing the crime which is responsible for the misconceived piecemeal attempts for a legal framework that we see today. For a whole year after the issue was raised in Parliament, the requisite legal initiatives were not taken. On the contrary, other suggestions made in the course of the debate such as simplification of the Special Marriages Act and changes in the Evidence Act which were to be complementary to the enactment of a separate law are suggested as the main legal framework. This is now to be the basis for discussions with State Governments and the GOM. This will not be at all helpful. Women’s organizations as for example the All India Democratic Women’s Association have already worked on such a comprehensive law which the Government may consider.

I request you to do justice to young couples who are victims of anti-democratic and casteist notions and beliefs which are strengthened by the absence of a comprehensive law to address the crimes they face in the name of honour.

What is required is a firm decision by the Government for a separate law, the draft of which may be placed in Parliament in the coming session.

Mobilise public opinion against ‘anti-people' policies: Yechury

The Left parties should mobilise public opinion against the “anti-people” policies of the Central Government and promote alternatives that will retard the disparities these policies are bringing about between the rich and the poor, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury has said. Participating in a seminar on the “Central government's anti-peoples policies and alternatives” held at Tummalapallivari Kshetrayya Kalakshetram on Friday, he said the UPA-II was trying to project concessions to the rich as “incentives” and those to the poor as “subsidies”. The Central Government proposed to give tax exemption to the tune of Rs. 2 lakh crores to the very companies that were the reason for economic recession. It gave Rs. 80,000 crore of tax exemption as a stimulus package in the first year and it was getting ready to forgo another Rs. 1.20 lakh crores taxes in the second year. The idea behind the tax exemption was that the companies would spend the money saved for production and salaries of employees. Salaries would only create demand for various goods and buoyancy would be created in the economy. But the alternative to this model was the government collecting Rs. 2 lakh crore taxes and investing it in infrastructure, thereby creating jobs that would, in turn, generate wealth in terms of salaries, resulting in demand for production. This would also lead to economic recovery, but more gradually. He said that the money made in the form of profits by companies that were being given tax exemptions was finding its way into the “futures and speculation markets.” These markets were making profit only by driving up the prices of commodities. The increase in prices was becoming a burden to the common man. Another step that should be taken to revive the economy was banning futures trading on essential commodities. The Rajya Sabha member said that another alternative that would stop the downward spiral of the economy was exempting petroleum products from tax. “The import of petroleum products is very essential for the functioning of the economy. “Why should tax be collected on a commodity that is so necessary for the working of the economy?” Mr. Yechury asked. He said the victory of the CPI (M) in the Durgapur Assembly by-elections was a welcome trend in West Bengal. The victory had helped the party regain its “confidence”. In the party's three-decade rule in West Bengal, “mistakes were made” but these were now being rectified. CPI (M) city secretary R. Raghu welcomed the gathering and district secretary V. Umamaheswara Rao concluded the session. Party floor leader in the VMC general body Ch. Babu Rao was on the dais. (Courtesy : The Hindu)