CPM leaders manhandled by police

The police caned CPI (M) workers in Nelloor district of Andhra Pradesh, who were protesting in front of the district collectorate against the forceful removal of CPI(M) leaders who were on an indefinite fast near Gandhi statue during the early hours of Friday. Some party leaders sustained injuries in the lathi charge.

Non-bailable cases have been filed against 23 including eight women for trespassing into the Collectorate. The leaders of CPI (M) and its mass organisations had launched an indefinite fast five days ago, demanding house sites, permanent houses, pensions and ration cards to the eligible. The fasting leaders include CITU town secretary, Mr K. Ajaykumar, DYFI town secretary, Mr Nageswar Rao, Sramika Mahila district secretary, Ms S.K. Rahena Begum, and Girijan Sangam district president, Mr B.L. Sekhar.

They demanded an assurance from higher authorities to call of their agitation on Thursday. The CPI (M) leaders warned that they would intensify the stir if officials failed to talk to them before Friday afternoon. Although Nellore tahsildar, Mr Bhaktavatsala Reddy, spoke to them on Thursday night, they were not happy since they expected the intervention of higher authorities.

Irked by the police highhandedness, a large number of party men assembled at Gandhi statue and took out a rally to stag-ed a dharna before the Collectorate . The police chased them and arrested 35 of them including party district-level leaders.

Cases have been filed  against leaders, Mr Mohan Rao, former deputy mayor, Mr Madala Venkateswarlu, former corporator, Mr Katti Srinivasulu, Mr Pulimi Sridhar, Mr Suryanarayana, Ms Arigala Ramamma and Ms Annapoornamma, among others.

Meanwhile the fasting leaders, who have been shifted to the government headquarters hospital, are being treated there.

Countrywide Protests against Obamas visit on November 8

The Left parties – the CPI(M), CPI, AIFB and RSP -- have issued the following statement:

The President of the United States, Barack Obama is visiting India. Being the first Afro-American President and coming after the neo-conservative Bush regime, there were expectations of positive changes. These, however, have not materialized.

On this occasion, the Left parties have decided to organise a countrywide day of protest on November 8, 2010. The United States, as part of its global hegemonic designs, is pursuing policies which are inimical to the national sovereignty and the people’s interests of many countries. As far as India is concerned, the United States is aggressively pressurising the government to adopt economic policies which are detrimental to the people in the name of a strategic alliance.

Contrary to the official view of the ruling establishment regarding the role being played by the United States, both globally and vis a vis India, the Left parties would like to convey the views of the vast mass of the people of India.

The Left parties will highlight the following issues on the protest being organised on November 8:

1. Justice for the victims of the Bhopal Gas accident; to make Dow Chemicals pay for the damages and for the clean up of the factory site; US should extradite Warren Anderson to India to stand trial.

2. The United States should stop pressurizing India on foreign policy and to open up agriculture, retail trade, education and other services for American capital and multinational companies.

3. Scrap the Indo-US Defence Framework Agreement which seeks to convert India into a military ally of the United States. Stop pressurizing India to give up liability claims on US nuclear suppliers.

4. Withdraw the remaining 50,000 US troops in Iraq forthwith; have a political settlement in Afghanistan to establish an independent and neutral state and withdraw US-Nato forces immediately.

5. End the US embargo on Cuba; stop all assistance to Israel till it vacates the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories.

The Left parties call upon all its units to organise demonstrations and rallies on the above demands on November 8.

CPI(M) protest seeking wall demolition

Cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and members of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front staged a demonstration here on Wednesday demanding the demolition of a wall at Edamalaipattipudur in the city that denied Dalits access to the main road.

The demonstration was headed by the party's city secretary, K. Annadurai, in which the CPI (M) district secretary, S. Sridhar, Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front convenor P. Sampath and CPI (M) functionaries took part.

The party claimed that the wall was constructed on a pathway on the Muthumariamman Koil Street in Edamalaipattipudur, falling under the 40th ward, to prevent Dalits from using that way. It said several Dalit families were residing on the Muthumariamman Koil Street and the Tiruchi – Madurai national highway was just 50 metres from that street. The Dalits had to take a detour to reach the main road owing to the presence of the wall, the party claimed.

Meanwhile, Collector Mahesan Kasirajan has said that the district administration was in the process of verifying the document produced by the resident of Sakthivel Colony in Edamalaipattipudur indicating ownership of the portion of the tiled house that blocks the path to the Tiruchi-Madurai road for residents of the adjoining Adi Dravida colony, before initiating steps to clear the way.

The resident, Nalla Mohamed, has submitted the photocopy of the document for the ‘Natham' patta he was given in 1994.

The Revenue Divisional Officer has asked him to produce the original document to ensure its conformity with the records maintained by the district administration.

The process will be carried out at the earliest, the Collector told media persons on Wednesday.

There are means to revoke the grant of patta. Since the wall has been in existence for more than 30 years, the district administration has to make sure it has not acted in haste. Hence the enquiry, he said, adding that had the wall been constructed on ‘poromboke' land, it could have been removed right away. With the issue hogging media limelight, facts have to be viewed in the right perspective, he said.

Mr.Kasirajan informed that 100 families in the Adi Dravida colony were given pattas in 1965, and that the 29 families in Sakthivel Colony to the West of the Adi Dravida Colony encompass seven Muslim families, five Christian families, one Adi Dravida family, and other communities.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

DYFI stages stir against Mangalore City Corporation

Alleging that the tenders for development projects were not being awarded in a fair manner in Mangalore City Corporation and charging council members and officials with demanding bribe from contractors, DYFI members staged a protest outside MCC Office on Monday.

DYFI District President Muneer Katipalla said that contractors in the city are reluctant to take up development works because of the corrupt practices prevailing in MCC. Council members and officials are bothered about the percentage of share they can earn through the contracts for development works. They have no concern for the city and its development, Katipalla said. He said that while crores of rupees have been spent to develop city roads, the corporation has conveniently ignored interior roads in the City limits. The major achievements of BJP-led MCC are the anti-poor city development plan and the hike in the water supply tariff.

The billing process for the water supply in the City has been handed over to private agency thereby leaving consumers in a fix. Even though there were several complaints with regard to excessive billing, the City Corporation could not address the same,he said and added that BJP corporators are more concerned about the State politics than the real problems of the poor in the City. A procession was taken out from Jail Road to the MCC Office.

(Source : Mangalorean.com)

Rejoinder by Prakash Karat to certain Press reports on Cambridge speech

There have been certain reports of my speech at the Memorial Conference for Victor Kiernan in Cambridge that are inaccurate in parts and misleading. Some agencies have attributed to me that I stated that we committed “a historical blunder” in not recognising the role played by caste in politics and society. It is also alleged that I said that Communists are “stuck in the forties” as far as their theory and practice is concerned.

 

I wish to make it clear that these remarks attributed to me are neither correct nor accurate. As far as caste is concerned what I said is as follows: “We should understand both in theory and practice how class structure in India is influenced by and integrated with structures of hierarchy, discrimination and oppression that are particular to Indian society reflected for instance in caste system.” Stating that Communists recognise the role of caste in the socio-economic formations in India is far from saying what has been attributed to me.

 

Secondly, contrary to saying that Communists are stuck in the forties, what I pointed out was and I quote from my written notes:

 

 “The bulk of the support for the Communist Parety even today comes from the movement areas and outlying region, where mainly in the 1941 to 1948 period the Communists succeeded in bringing together and leading the two main historical currents of people’s struggles -- the struggle against the colonial power and the struggle of the rural masses for freedom from exploitation. Thus where the Communists brought the anti-imperialist and anti-landlord movements together and gave leadership to this united struggle, they gained mass support. Tebhaga (Bengal), North Malabar (Kerala), the tribal struggle (Tripura) the Telengana struggle are some instances.”

 

I had concluded by saying that the agenda of the forties such as land reforms and struggle for land is still being pursued by the Communists.

Left favours right to strike: CITU

The Left parties are supporting the workers' right to go on strikes and countering the Pension Fund Regulatory Authority Bill, CITU State president S. Veeraiah said on Sunday. Speaking at the 21st general conference of LIC Employees Union's at the LIC Divisional Office here, he said India could withstand the global economic crisis on account of the stand of the Left parties that public sector undertakings and financing agencies should be in the Government's control. The Nuclear Bill and reforms were delayed by four years owing to pressure from the Leftists. The onslaught on workers' rights was also resisted by the Communists, Mr. Veeraiah said.

Employment of four crore persons was safeguarded due to 13 nationwide-strikes organised by Communist parties, the CITU leader said. Employees and workers must strive to safeguard pro-worker Governments in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, Mr. Veeraiah said. All India Insurance Employees Association national joint secretary V. Ramesh said LIC employees secured a good pay revision recently. He wanted a concerted movement to oppose Bills on increasing foreign direct investment in the insurance sector.

LIC Senior Divisional Manager M. Veerabhadra Rao, union president A. Sultan Mohiddin, general secretary B.V.S. Raju, union's zonal president B. Rajendra Kumar, joint secretary Clement Xavier Das and Class I union general secretary D. Basava Raju, LIC Pensioners Association president S. Khader Basha and CITU district general secretary A. Ramamohan participated.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Report confirmed: U.S. intelligence hand behind attempted Ecuadorian coup

THE uprising against President Rafael Correa by a coup faction within the Ecuadorian police force is confirmed in an alarming report into the infiltration of this force by U.S. intelligence services published in 2008, which states how many members of the police departments were developing a "dependency" on the U.S. embassy in that South American country.

The report specifies that certain police units "have an informal economic dependence on the United States in terms of paying informants, training, equipment and operations."

The systematic use of corruption techniques on the part of the CIA in order to secure the "good will" of police officers was exposed on many occasions by former CIA agent Philip Agee who, prior to leaving the agency, was assigned to the U.S. embassy in Quito.

In his official report, published at the end of 2008, Ecuadorian Defense Minister Javier Ponce revealed how U.S. diplomats dedicated themselves to corrupting police officers and also officers within the Armed Forces.

Confirming that fact, the leadership of the Ecuadorian police force then announced it intended to sanction its agents who were collaborating with Washington, while the U.S. embassy declared the "transparency" of its support for Ecuador.

"We are working with the Ecuadorian government, the military and the police, for very important security purposes," declared Heather Hodges, the U.S. ambassador in Quito.

However, the diplomat told journalists that she would make no comment "on intelligence issues."

For her part, press attaché Marta Youth categorically refused to discuss the Ecuadorian government’s condemnations, which include the CIA’s participation in an operation with Colombia which resulted in the Colombian military attack against FARC guerrillas on Ecuadorian territory on March 1 of that year.

Army intelligence chief Mario Pazmiño was removed from his post for concealing information related to the attack on the FARC.

In the past few months, U.S. officials have appeared in Ecuador on the pretext of strengthening relations between Ecuador and the United States.

Arturo Valenzuela, assistant secretary of state for Western hemisphere affairs, traveled to Ecuador and met with President Correa with a view to securing a visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to that country.

Valenzuela was accompanied by Todd Stern, "special envoy for climate change", is also known for his affinity to the CIA."
(Source : Granma)

Left parties to protest agaist land allotment to TIFR in Andhra Pradesh

CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh State Committee had said it would protest against allotment of over 200 acres of land to Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the Central University on October 19th. Prime Minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the TIFR campus.

A section of faculty members and students of the university have objected to the allotment of over 200 acres of the university land to the TIFR and the CPI(M) has supported their contention. "We urge the Prime Minister to cancel his programme to lay the foundation stone of the TIFR campus. If he comes here, people would see what would happen" CPI(M) leader and MP comrade P Madhu told reporters.

CPI(M) State Secretary B V Raghvulu had earlier written a letter to the Prime Minister to cancel his programme to lay the foundation for TIFR campus as the students and academic staff had reservations over the land allotment.

Leaders of Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), in a joint letter to the prime minister, appealed to him to cancel his proposed programme as it could be used by an “unscrupulous” administration to sanctify its “selfish” and “unreasonable land deals”. CPI leader K. Narayana said there were proposals to allot 1,000 acres more to institutions and Singh’s foundation stone laying for TIFR would enable the university to clear them.

Petrol Price Hike

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

 

The public sector oil companies have increased the price of petrol by 70 to 72 paise per litre. This follows an increase in September of 27 paise per litre. The price of petrol has already been increased by Re. 1 per litre in the space of three weeks. 

 

The CPI(M) strongly opposes this recurrent increase in the prices of petrol. By deregulating the petrol pricing, the government has opened the way for successive hikes in petrol prices. 

 

The rise in petrol prices will further fuel inflation. The people who are suffering from continuous food inflation will be more burdened. There is no transparency in the pricing decision making.

 

The Polit Bureau calls upon the government to scrap the deregulation in petrol pricing.

DYFI activists protest delay of trains on western line Read more: DYFI activists protest delay of trains on western line

DYFI activists protested against the delay of trains on the Western Railway (WR) line near the Andheri, Mira Road and Vasai stations.

They demanded that railway officials and motormen resolve their issues as lakhs of commuters were being affected. After an inquiry by officials, motormen have been following speed limits, thus causing delays.

"Following a meeting convened by officials to investigate the issue of motormen speeding to make up for delays, motormen are now following the rules, thus causing delays," said Shailendra Kamble, who was protesting at Andheri station.

Several activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) protested against poor railway services and the delay of trains on the Western Railway (WR) line near the Andheri, Mira Road and Vasai stations .

The protesters demanded that the railway officials bury the hatchet with the motormen and end the rivalry that is causing delays on the WR line. Some of the other demands included the speeding up of Virar car shed construction.

"Last month, senior railway officials convened a meeting to investigate the issue of speed limits. Following this, the motormen, who would earlier make up for the delays by breaking the speed limits, started going by the rule book and following all the prescribed limits. This is clearly causing the delay and affecting commuters," said an agitated Shailendra Kamble, who was protesting at Andheri station.
(Source : The Times of India)