>ML Update >A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol.-3; No.-22; 7-6-2000 > > >Strengthen India-China Cooperation and Friendship > >President K.R. Narayanan has just come back after a week-long visit to >China. Both India and China share a modern republican history of more >than fifty years and KRN’s visit marked the fiftieth anniversary of >bilateral relations between these two ‘billionnaire’ Asian republics. >The warmth with which his visit was greeted in China is indeed >remarkable. After all, only two years ago Fernandez had termed China >India’s number one enemy and Vajpayee had written a personal letter to >US President Bill Clinton, justifying the Pokhran blasts in the context >of the 1962 India-China war and the alleged threat posed by China’s >nuclear capability. The saffron rulers never miss an opportunity to >indulge in China-bashing, one of their favourite pastimes, and the >continuous Indian appeasement of Washington and all the accompanying >rhetoric of a so-called strategic partnership between India and the US >have a pronounced anti-China edge. >India’s relations with China have long been inconsistent and uneasy. >With less cultivable land and water and many more mouths to feed, China >has managed to stay far ahead of India in terms of almost every >socio-economic indicator. This has created a complex in the official >Indian attitude towards China resulting in an inconsistent policy >approach. The most glaring expression of this inconsistency lay of >course in the sudden outbreak of the 1962 border war which rudely >interrupted the apparent bonhomie of the 1950s. In spite of prompt and >unilateral withdrawal on the part of China, Indian ruling classes >continued to suffer from a veritable Sino-phobia and it took almost >twenty-five years for bilateral relations to return to anywhere near >normal. Since late 80s, the two countries were however moving quite >smoothly, never allowing the border dispute to overshadow the >multi-dimensional ties in other spheres of bilateral relations. The >BJP’s rise to power has once again upset the rhythm, with Indian foreign >policy acquiring a pronounced pro-US anti-China tilt. >India has a lot to learn and gain from China. While Indian rulers never >tire of citing the Chinese economic reforms, obviously hoping to confuse >and silence the domestic leftwing criticism of India’s neo-liberal >economic campaign, the specificities of the Chinese experience - its >revolutionary rural reforms, extensive social infrastructure and strict >control of economic crimes - are always sought to be ignored. More >importantly, close cooperation between China and India can go a long way >to counter the US strategic design on Asia and tackle the challenges of >imperialist globalisation. Good neighbourly relations with China are >indeed an indispensable input for India’s economic development and a >strong safeguard for India’s sovereignty and independence. On the other >hand, the anti-China course sought to be pursued so zealously by India’s >saffron rulers is a sure recipe for crisis. >Democratic opinion in India should put sufficient pressure on the Indian >government to reciprocate the warmth displayed by China to KRN’s visit. >Bilateral relations between our two republics must be allowed and >encouraged to grow unhindered in every sphere of mutual concern and >benefit and the border dispute must not be unduly emphasised. It is well >known that the US wants to draw India into a so-called civilisational >alliance against China and Islam and secular, democratic and patriotic >Indians must thwart this sinister American design. Making Indian foreign >policy reflect the interests and aspirations of the Indian people as >opposed to the imagined nation of the Hindutva brigade is an important >agenda of anti-fascist struggle. >Ranvir Sena and Other Criminal Gangs Must Be Thoroughly Disbanded > >While the state administration in Bihar is busy congratulating itself on >the arrest of a few Ranvir Sena henchmen, Party asserted that the common >people of central Bihar cannot heave a sigh of relief till the Sena is >completely disbanded and the spate of killings brought to a credible >end. Citing the confessions of the arrested Sena man, Party reiterated >that the Sena is just a bunch of professional killers operating with the >one-point programme of perpetrating massacres of landless agricultural >labourers and intimidating the rural poor. All misleading attempts to >justify and even glorify the Ranvir Sena as a legitimate reaction of a >helpless peasantry to 'excesses' committed by agricultural labourers >stand exposed in the face of emerging official revelations regarding >this private army. It is indeed time for all sections of the agrarian >population to acknowledge the truth and denounce the Sena's nefarious >activities in no uncertain terms, the Party said. > >Hold Panchayat Elections at the Earliest > >While welcoming the fact that the Bihar government had been forced to >recognise the need for holding the long-awaited elections to panchayats >and other local bodies, CPI(ML) expressed concern that in the name of >waiting for the Supreme Court verdict, the state government wants to >adopt a dilatory approach on this vital question of democracy. So the >Party called upon left and democratic forces in the state to mount >greater pressure on the state government and force it to make a >categorical and time-bound commitment for holding panchayat elections at >the earliest. > >Civic Polls in West Bengal > >Election to 79 municipalities in West Bengal is over. Out of 78 >municipalities (counting suspended in one), 34 have gone to the Left >Front, 17 to Congress and 9 to Trinamul. BJP has failed to capture even >a single municipality. In the rest 17 municipalities, formation of >boards remains uncertain due to fractured verdict. Number of seats won >by LF has gone down from 843 in ’95 to 797 this time, and in terms of >percentage of votes too they have gone down from 53.66% to 50.02%. >CPI (M-L) contesting in as many as 50 seats conducted wide propaganda to >expose anti-people policies of LF as also against the fascist emergence >of Trinamul-BJP alliance. However, in terms of votes the tally is not >significant. >A fresh round of hobnobbing between Congress and Trinamul has started to >reach an adjustment regarding 17 hung municipalities. CPI (M), which >congratulated Congress for its secular stand in the elections is now in >a fix. > >Statewide Campaign Against Criminalisation > >Criminalisation in Bihar has reached an unprecedented high water mark. >In just 10 days as many as four massacres have took place, viz. in >Nawada, Mairwan (Siwan), Nasriganj (Rohtas), and Palani (Nalanda). >In Nawada, as our investigation team revealed, Akhilesh Singh gang of >upper caste (Bhumihars) patronised by both BJP and Congress has killed 6 >Yadav peasants in Pakri Barama. The gang also maintains links with >police personnel and murders with impunity. >In Mairwa P.S. of Siwan, goons belonging to Rajput caste murdered >Rajnath Bhagat (60), a Party sympathiser in Chhotka Majha village on May >25. The news was received late but Party organised road jam with the >corpse on 31 May which ended only after the administration gave >assurance of arresting the criminals. In another incident, Suresh Yadav >gang fired to kill Shivnath Prasad and his son Sunil Prasad sitting at >their shop. The same gang had killed 4 persons a few days back. Soon as >they got the information, people gheraoed the police station to look out >for the police sub-inspector who is suspected to have connived with the >killers, but he had already fled away. A successful Mairwa bandh was >observed on 4 June demanding arrest and suspension of the sub-inspector. >The police authorities assured to suspend and transfer the sub-inspector >and provide arms license to the shopkeepers, as demanded by the Party. >On 5 June a large mass meeting of over 5,000 was held at Mairwa. >In Pipradih of Nasriganj PS in Rohtas district, Bhagwan Das, a party >cadre was killed by criminals on 28 May. Protesting against this >hundreds of militant cadres staged a demonstration with the dead body at >Nasriganj market. Only after 22 hours when the administration bowed down >to protestors' demand did they hand over the dead body to police. Again >on 31 May hundreds of militant cadres ensured Nasriganj bazar bandh. Ex >RJD minister and MP tried to pit shopkeepers against CPI(ML) and their >goons attacked our Party Office. Later they had to retreat. >A CPI(ML) investigating team visiting Palani village in Nalanda revealed >that local feudal elements had killed two dalits because dalits had >earlier opposed the encirclement of a public well by upper caste men. >Last October, before Parliament elections, 5 dalit hutments were put on >fire by the feudal goons. Despite assurances given by the police >following a gherao by dalit masses, no criminal has been arrested till >date. This has emboldened the criminals to kill dalits with impunity. In >connivance with police their terror tactics continue till date. Even >before the police camp the criminals armed with fire arms come and >terrorise dalits. >In this backdrop, Party's State Committee has launched a statewide >campaign on 4 June against increasing incidents of crime in the state. >Under the campaign, meetings, rallies and demonstrations will be >organised and police stations, the centres of the >criminals-politicians-police nexus, will be gheraoed. The first leg of >this movement will end on June 10. During this period, the list of >criminals at local levels will be made public and their heinous >activities will be exposed before the masses. The Party holds that mass >initiative, and mass activity alone can provide a befitting answer to >this criminalisation as no state or police is expected to come to the >protection of rural or urban toiling people. > >Yashwant Sinha Must Resign, DTAT Must Be Scrapped > >CPI(ML) in a press statement issued from Patna said that Yashwant >Sinha's previous term as Finance Minister was surrounded by >controversies and allegations of several scams raised by none other than >Mr. Mohan Guruswamy, who was an advisor to the ministry. Now new scams >have started surfacing in his current term. It is well known that Sinha >had stopped the Income Tax department from punishing the foreign >institutional investors who were found guilty of largescale tax evasion >by registering fake companies in Mauritius with which India has a >dubious Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAT). It has now been exposed >that the Finance Minister's daughter-in-law is the chief portfolio >manager of one such company, viz., India Fund Inc., which has been the >biggest beneficiary of the DTAT and Sinha's discriminatory intervention >restraining the IT department. In view of the disclosures CPI(ML) >demanded that Mr. Sinha must immediately step down from the Finance >Minister's post and face a joint Parliamentary enquiry. It also demanded >from Vajpayee govt. to immediately scrap the DTAT which is resulting in >a recurring loss of at least Rs. 3,000 crore per year. > >Protest Rallies on Famine in South Rajasthan > >CPI(ML) and Rajasthan Kisan Union staged a protest demonstration and >rally on May 30 at Lasarhia sub-divisional headquarters in Udaypur >district, participated in by hundreds of villagers including adivasis >from Lasaria Dhariawad area. The rally was called to protest against >callousness and incompetence of the state govt. in tackling the grave >situation of famine. Party and Rajasthan Kisan Union leaders Com. >Mahendra Chaudhary, Srilata Swaminathan, Ambelal gometi, Puranmal Mal, >Mangilal Mina and Narendra Mina addressed the gathering. >Another demonstration called jointly by the two organisations was held >on 29 May at Salumber on the demand of providing employment, fodder and >potable water as part of the famine relief. It culminated into a mass >meeting addressed by Srilata Swaminathan who apart from criticising the >state govt. for its callousness and corruption in relief work, accused >both BJP and Congress of neglecting the problems of adivasis. Com >Mahendra Chaudhary accused the police, forest officials and feudal >forces of looting the adivasis who were already in the grip of >worst-ever famine. >Addressing yet another mass meeting held at Padawali in Kotra >subdivision of Udaipur district on 27 May, Com. Srilata Swaminathan said >that the government that cannot provide food, fodder, potable water and >employment to the famine stricken people has no right to stay in power. > >RYA Dharna in Patna > >Revolutionary Youth Association staged dharna at Income Tax crossing on >30 May on the demand of pucca houses for mushahars who have been evicted >from Rajendra Nagar while their houses were bulldozed on 10 May. The >dharna was led by Com. K.D. Yadav, RYA leaders Kamlesh Sharma and >Paramhans, AISA leaders Dhananjay and Ranvijay. Large number of evicted >mushahars were also there at the dharna. The mushahars had been dwelling >there for the past 70 years. Now land mafia patronised by Laloo Yadav >with the connivance of Patna Development Authority has got that land >registered in their names. > >Subsidised Foodgrains Siphoned Off > >A special investigating team probing the Public Distribution System >under Food and Civil Supplies Ministry has now established that more >than Rs.35 crores of subsidised foodgrains meant for distribution among >85.90 lakh people below the poverty line in Bihar is siphoned off to >black market each month. The total worth of ration sanctioned to Bihar >is worth Rs.40 crore each month. Over 500 cases have been filed in 32 >districts and over 350 dealers licenses recommended for cancellation >after preliminary enquiries. >The officials estimate that Bihar's poor have been set back by at least >Rs.1050 crore since 1998 when the schemes were started with the local >block-politician-dealer-civil authorities combine all sharing the loot. >Bihar, which had 48% of its people below the poverty line in 1991 has >now 54.96% of people below it (assessed by a centrally deputed Modified >Expert Group). >Follow-up on the instructions by several district administrations have >now revealed that the racket in foodgrains is all pervasive affecting >each district, specially those south of the Ganga divide. The lapse is >much more in most districts which would form a part of Jharkhand. (The >Hindustan Times, 27-05-2000) > >Youth Attempts Self-Immolation at Parliament > >Shiv Kumar, an unemployed youth from Kanpur of U.P. attempted >self-immolation at Gate No.2 of Parliament on 3 June. With 95% burns he >has been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. In a >statement the youth said that some local Congress leaders raped his >sister in Kanpur but police and administration are busy whitewashing the >incident. Even in Delhi nobody is lending an ear to him. So he had no >other way but to take this course. In a similar incident an ordinary >Congress worker had attempted self-immolation before Delhi Chief >Minister Sheila Dixit's residence. A month back a worker had committed >self-immolation on May Day in Delhi. Similar incidents are taking place >in various parts of the country. > >Commentary > >On A Bumpy Ride BJP Prepares for A Blast > >Kahin ki eent, kahin ka roda, Bhanumati ne kunba joda (to somehow jumble >up different things gathered from different places). With that epithet >Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the leader of the opposition lampooned the >United Front govt. for pulling together a ragtag coalition. Little had >he thought then about leading a similar assortment like National >Democratic Alliance of today. Blame it on irony of fate that, when he >could not succeed to pull together an 18-party coalition govt. he was >entrusted with a responsibility to pull together a 24-party coalition. >What outcome could one expect of such a feat? >Not unexpectedly, while lust for power has compelled BJP to pick all and >sundry as a 'strategic partner', it could nowhere prosper at the expense >of its allies. In U.P., where it had been the dominant political force >since 1991, an alliance with an odd assortment of breakaway groups had >to be kept intact to help the BJP to retain power. >Now the man who performed the trick, Mr. Kalyan Singh, has only to say, >"It is the beginning of the end of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP... >BJP's doom is written on the wall. Everyone but the BJP can see it. In >fact their MLAs are worried not knowing who should lead them in the next >election (in U.P.). >Not that this is the situation in U.P. alone. "State of party's health >worries BJP top brass... Whether it is in U.P., or M.P., Bihar or >Gujarat, senior BJP leaders are concerned that the organisation has been >on a downhill", observes a journalist. "It is no longer a secret that >the health of the organisation will have to be restored", says >senior-most BJP vie president K. Jana Krishnamurthy. >Bu then, amidst this utter frustration and desperation, a quiet but >definite preparations have begun for the next major electoral battle -- >the U.P. Assembly elections due next year. And, the Sangh Parivar seems >to have left with no option but to revive Ayodhya issue! The aerial >avenue conjured up by BJP from Washington to Jaipur failed to save it. >Therefore, an earthly route is being paved from Jaipur to Ayodhya. Ram >Mandir by 2001, as announced by VHP's Giriraj Kishor. Has not Vajpayee >heard the Hindi saying: a wooden vessel cannot be mounted on fire twice? > >Free Phones: The Real Plan Behind > >When the cabinet had rejected an additional Rs.50 crore in perks to the >telecom employees, approved the ambitious disinvestment plan, >privatization and downsizing of the Govt. and drastically reducing the >staff strength coupled with granting 100% FDI in telecom sector, the >Minister for telecommunication Ram Vilas Paswan announced free >telephones without registration rental or installation charges with 75 >free monthly calls to 3.2 lakh employees of DOT and DTS. > >This invited lot of criticism from within his own camp as well as >corporate houses and media. Though he first tried to sell it in the name >of "social justice" and "pro-poor commitment", he was soon forced to >reveal the real scheme: "Financial strain on DOT is for only six >months(!) because by the year end, majority of our workers will be part >of the corporation". And corporatisation, which was earlier proposed >with effect from April 2001 but now will be completed before this year >end, is just a transitory step towards privatization of DOT. The burden >of free phone for an year is estimated at Rs. 36 crores, which will >actually reduce to Rs. 6 crores only, because according to Paswan, "Last >year we had paid bonus for 71 days whereas this time we will pay for 70 >days. In the process, we will save over Rs.30 crores." > >While the class III & IV employees have been agitating for long time for >free telephones, the former minister Sushma Swaraj decided to gave the >facility to the 50,000 retired employees, who could play no part in the >privatisation drive. A clever Paswan says: "It was part of a >give-and-take package which would enable the Centre to go in for crucial >structural changes in the telecom sector without inviting the ire of the >workers ... to take the workers into confidence... I am hopeful that the >same workers who had strongly opposed the concept of corporation, will >now respond more positively." Whereas the NFTE leader Com. OP Gupta >thinks that the step would assuage the feeling of telecom employees, >Paswan finds it necessary in order to implement Centre's plan "to push >through several changes in the telecom sector like converting the DTS >into autonomous corporation". Whereas his predecessors wasted energy in >desperately trying to break the unity and resoluteness of the telecom >workers on the question of bifurcation, corporatisation, privatisation, >Paswan used sugar coated bullets to deliver what they failed to do. > > >International > >Demonstration by Korean Workers > >On 31 May, some 70,000 workers at 140 work sites in south Korea went on >a four-day general strike. They demanded a shorter (5-day) work week and >better working conditions. They marched three kilometers through the >main boulevard in central Seoul, carrying placards and distributing >leaflets. South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions threatened to >extend the strike unless the government accepts its demand by >June 4. >Supporting the strike as "an expression of their firm will to win the >right to existence and democratic freedom through struggle", Rodong >Sinmun of North Korea said in a commentary: The South Korean rulers have >sold "market, land and enterprises to foreign monopoly capital lock, >stock and barrel ... acting as henchmen of the IMF ... bringing the >economy to total bankruptcy and reducing people to economic slaves of >foreign forces." It noted that in South Korea there are at least 8 >million jobless people and over 13 million absolutely poor and destitute >people, among whom suicide is reported in an unbroken chain. > >Norway : Major Strike in Private Sector > >Though the grassroots workers' opposition had lost the vote on the >question of centralised bargaining in January 2000 to the social >democrat TUC leadership which commenced to negotiate for the private >sector as a whole, when the result was made public on April 1, the terms >were so treacherous that when they were put to referendum, the majority >of no votes was historically high: 64% voted against. > >The commencing strike was formally led by the TUC-leadership, but was in >reality led by the left opposition, with massive support in the general >public. During the strike the opposition formed new demands: 3 kroner >more per hour in general wage rise; no flexibility clauses, two year >collective agreement; the four holidays within the two year period and a >couple immediately. > >After a short week with over 80,000 on strike, the TUC leadership and >the employers commenced new negotiations. The strike grew in strength >each day it lasted, and the self-confidence of the trade-union members >grew proportionately. The social-democrats in the top of the TUC have >experienced a major political defeat. The general attitude of the left >opposition in Norway is that the strike is a great victory, both against >the employers and in the struggle against those who put collaboration >with the capitalists instead of solidarity with workers internationally. > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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