>>From: CPI(ML) LIberation <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>Date: October 3, 2000 11:59 AM
>>Subject: ML Update, Vol:3; No.39; 4-10-2000.
>>
>>
>>ML Update
>>A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
>>Vol.-3; No.-39; 4-10-2000
>>
>>Editorial:
>>
>>Roll Back the Unacceptable Hike in Petro-Prices
>>
>>
>>The NDA government is trying to cushion its second successive
>>announcement of a steep hike in the prices of petroleum products with a
>>whole set of false arguments. It is being argued that the hike has been
>>rendered necessary by the rise in petroleum prices in the international
>>market. This argument is untenable, for the prices have all along been
>>higher in the Indian market because of taxes and duties. The prices in
>>the international market are known to fluctuate and a trend of decline
>>is also being seen over the last few days. But prices once increased
>>never come down in India. Obviously, the government is merely taking
>>advantage of the hike in the international market to advance its own
>>ongoing campaign for elimination of subsidies on diesel, kerosene and
>>cooking gas.
>>The government claims that it is transferring only a third of the burden
>>on to the consumers. If the government can bear two-thirds of the burden
>>by slashing customs and excise duties and refunding oil pool deposit
>>from the exchequer, it could also have borne the remaining one-third of
>>the burden in a similar manner. If the hike in international prices
>>means an increase in the government's import bill, attempts should have
>>been made to reduce imports by curbing the all too visible wasteful
>>expenditure of petrol by the top bureaucracy and the consumerist elite
>>sections of the society. Instead of penalising the ordinary citizen,
>>much of the additional burden could be recovered by asking car owners to
>>shell out a bit more by way of special taxes and imposing surcharge on
>>the growing sale of luxury cars in the country.
>>Hike in the prices of diesel and kerosene will hit the poor
>>disproportionately harder; the steep rise in the price of cooking gas
>>cylinder will also affect millions of working and lower-middle class
>>households. The same government which refuses to treat cyclones and
>>floods as national calamities, leaving it primarily on the calamity-hit
>>states and the people to fend for themselves, is now rushing to transfer
>>the impact of an international rise in petroleum prices on the entire
>>nation. The same government which is bent upon privatising even
>>profit-making public sector industries and removing every subsidy meant
>>for the poor and the needy, is bent upon nationalising and subsidising
>>the petro-profligacy of the rich and the powerful. It is also important
>>to understand the real meaning of globalisation in the light of this
>>price hike. If the oil-producing and oil-exporting countries can
>>increase their bargaining power, India must also learn to respond to the
>>challenge by uniting with tea-producing countries to bring about a
>>comparable increase in the prices of Indian exports.
>>Meanwhile, the hike in petroleum prices has fuelled the NDA's internal
>>crisis in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, who for obvious reasons has of
>>late been trying to distance herself from the BJP on the eve of the
>>forthcoming Assembly elections, has found an opportune occasion in the
>>hike to tender her resignation. It remains to be seen, however, if like
>>ever before she will climb down in a few days, if only as a goodwill
>>gesture for Vajpayee's imminent knee operation!
>>Her complaint of not being 'consulted' on the hike issue is of course
>>not to be taken seriously. She has raised this issue only to keep open
>>the option of a subsequent climbdown. The TMC has been snubbed recently
>>on three occasions-- firstly, by the Centre's refusal to do anything
>>'visible and concrete' in West Bengal, by Nitish Kumar's recommendation
>>for adequate central assistance for flood-hit West Bengal (Mamata would
>>like the nation to believe that the Left Front government had
>>'engineered' the present spate of unprecedented floods in the state only
>>to obscure the law and order issue!) and by the BJP's move to induct a
>>second BJP minister from West Bengal bringing the BJP's representation
>>at par with the TMC's. The resignation drama is Mamata's way of hitting
>>back. While not carrying any immediate threat to the survival of the NDA
>>government, it surely has the potential of unleashing a realignment of
>>political forces in West Bengal and beyond.
>>In short, the hike in petro-prices has started fuelling widespread
>>public resentment and even adding to the NDA's internal crisis. The
>>situation is ripe for a wave of militant and united mass protests. Let
>>us move resolutely in that direction.
>>
>>
>>Martyrs Memory
>>
>>Resistance March, Mass Meeting in Muzaffarpur
>>
>>
>>To attend the resistance meeting organised at Etbarpur in Bochaha PS of
>>Muzaffarpur district in Bihar on 28 Sept., thousands of people from
>>Muzaffarpur and adjacent villages of Darbhanga participated in 'March to
>>Bochaha'. Prior to this the foundation stone of the martyrs column in
>>memory of Com. Kishor Sahni was laid at Etbarpur in presence of Party
>>Gen. Secy. Com. Dipankar and PB member Com. Ram Naresh Ram. Com. Kishor
>>fell to police bullets on 23 Sept., the Bihar Bandh day while leading a
>>road blockade at Etbarpur. Following this, people gheraoed the DM of
>>Muzaffarpur and compelled him to suspend the OC of Bochaha PS. But
>>neither he was arrested nor a case was instituted against him. So Party
>>intensified the protest movement and organised this programme. Com.
>>Dipankar in his address said that out of fear of peoples's might, this
>>coward govt. has taken recourse to lathis and bullets, so it must be
>>taught a lesson by the people. The meeting was also addressed by Com.
>>Ranjit Abhigyan, Central Secretariat member, Party's Mithilanchal
>>incharge Com. Dhirendra Jha, Muzaffarpur District Party Secy. Com. Meena
>>Tiwary, Com. Shatrughna Sahni and others.
>>
>>
>>Com. Subbu's Martyrdom Day Observed
>>
>>
>>A memorial meeting was held on Comrade Subbu's martyrdom day on 13 Sept.
>>in front of the martyr's colummn erected in Madakkottai village of
>>Muthuramalingam disttrict in Tamil Nadu. Local Party leader Com.
>>Duraimanikkam hoisted the red flag. Party district secretary Com. T.
>>Pandian, AIPWA distt. organiser Mary, People's Rights Movement leader
>>Karuppayya and other local prominent leaders paid homage to the heroic
>>martyr.
>>
>>
>>Protests & Resistence
>>
>>AICCTU Rally In T.N
>>
>>
>>More than four thousand workers led by AICCTU marched on the streets of
>>Chennai with red flags and banners on 28 September, challenged the
>>govt's false claim of occupying no.1 position in the influx of capital
>>and rapid industrialisation. They raised slogans against anti-worker
>>policies, large no. of sick industries, particularly closure of textile
>>mills, police repression and oppression of dalits.
>>The rally participated in by workers from organised as well as
>>unorganised sectors, large number of women, was flagged off by Com. N.K.
>>Natarajan, secretary of Tamil Nadu unit of AICCTU. The meeting was
>>presided over by AICCTU working president Com. S. Kumaraswamy. Party
>>State Secretary Com. S. Balasundaram, Com. Bharathi of AISA, Com. C.
>>Eraniyappan of RYA and Com. Bhuvana of AIPWA were among the speakers.
>>
>>
>>Hike in Oil-Gas Prices Protested
>>
>>
>>On 2 October, protest marches were taken out in Patna and other towns of
>>Bihar by CPI(ML) against the recent steep hike in the prices of
>>petroleum products. RYA and AISA burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Atal
>>Bihari Vajpayee.
>>Kerala trade unions under the leadership of left and regional parties
>>called for a dawn-to-desk statewide general strike on Oct 4, and
>>organised protest demonstrations against hike in fuel prices.
>>Motor transporters are to go on an indefinite strike from Nov. 3
>>preceded by a day hunger strike on Oct.10 in all parts of the country
>>according to All India Motor Transport Congress. These are the
>>indications of the mood of the masses against the recent assault on
>>their life.
>>
>>
>>AISA Dharna in Lucknow
>>
>>
>>Protesting against govt. repression on minorities and its attempt to
>>tarnish the image of prestigious Aligarh Muslim University in the name
>>of I.S.I. activities, AISA held a dharna at G.P.O. Park in Lucknow on 27
>>Sept. Students from AMU also participated in it. Sunil Yadav, General
>>Secretary of AISA, Rakesh Singh and Ajit Yadav, state AISA leaders and
>>Hemant from AMU addressed the students sitting on dharna.
>>
>>
>>MTNL Dharna in Delhi
>>
>>
>>MTNL employees organised day-long dharna and a mass meeting at GM(North)
>>office in Delhi on 26 Sept. protesting assault on trade union rights and
>>the treachery by "recognised" unions who entered into an agreement with
>>the management that there will be no strike till 2006. The mass meeting
>>held at mid-day recess was presided over by Shiv Shankar of MTNL Mazdoor
>>Sangh. The meeting was addressed by Com. Satbir Singh and PN Kaul,
>>leaders of MTNL Employees Union and veteran leader Com. Sagliram Sharma.
>>The speakers decried govt.'s fascist assault on trade union rights and
>>surrender by "recognised" union leaders, and vowed to make the coming 11
>>October protest rally a success.
>>
>>
>>Police Repression on Minorities in Meerut
>>
>>
>>UP police proved its communal credentials once again when on 28 Sept.
>>when police went on rampage in Macheran Bazar, a Muslim-majority area in
>>Meerut. They mercilessly beat local residents, misbehaved with women,
>>looted their property and the whole business of the area came to
>>standstill. On 27 Sep. govt. fisheries deptt. had conducted illegal
>>raids in the area and harassed local people. Consequently tension
>>prevailed and traders kept their shops closed. Com. Prem Singh, member
>>of Central Secretariat, after investigation in the area met the DM
>>along with a delegation of local people and demanded that culprit
>>policemen be suspended and punished, proper compensation be paid and
>>police must apologise for the excesses. This has drawn positive response
>>from the local people.
>>
>>Six Party Supporters Killed by PWG in Patna
>>
>>Adopting the style of feudal private army Ranvir Sena, People's War gang
>>has perpetrated a massacre of six poor CPI(ML) supporters in
>>Badepura-Shabazpur-Mehaddipur villages of Punpun PS in Patna district on
>>October 2. Local people offered stiff resistance to the killers. The
>>deceased include Vineshwar Paswan, Raj Kishore, Bihari Chaudhary and
>>Arvind Paswan. On October 1, Ranvir Sena criminals killed Indal Majhi, a
>>resident of Bigan Bigaha at Goraiya Bagicha in Nauatpur PS in Patna
>>district.
>>While strongly condemning the two barbaric killings perpetrated by the
>>PWG and Ranvir Sena, Party has declared to observe protest programme
>>against these massacres throughout Bihar on October 4. At a time when
>>CPI(ML) has launched a movement against massacres and police atrocities,
>>for development and democracy in Bihar, PWG by perpetrating massacre of
>>CPI(ML) supporters is only trying to weaken this movement and strengthen
>>the hands of Ranvir Sena and the government. Party has appealed to all
>>progressive and pro-democracy persons to rise against PWG and Ranvir
>>Sena.
>>
>>Student-Youth Convention in Samastipur
>>
>>AISA and RYA organised a seminar on the question of development of Bihar
>>on 23 Sept. in Samastipur, in which besides hundreds of students and
>>youth from the district many citizens and intellectuals also
>>participated. It was addressed by Central Secretariat member Com. Ranjit
>>Abhigyan, Party's Mithilanchal incharge Com. Dhirendra Jha, RYA leader
>>Kamlesh Sharma and others.
>>
>>
>>
>>Exposure:
>>
>>
>>Police is the Killer and Police Stations are Slaughter Houses in U.P.
>>
>>
>>Hindi daily Janasatta (27-9-2000) reports: The police has turned into a
>>killer gang and police stations have become slaughter houses in U.P.
>>During the first six months this year as many as 26,829 cases of
>>violation have been registered with the National Human Rights Commission
>>from this state. As many as 159 persons have been died in police custody
>>in U.P. this year alone. Police has opened fire on sugarcane growers,
>>along with revenue officials killed a peasant on the charge of not
>>clearing the loan. Lawyers have been thrashed to bleed in Etawah. Be it
>>6-year old Kanhaiya of Sonebhadra or Jangali Ram of Mohammadabad, police
>>shoots to kill both in the same style. This is in no way democracy, this
>>is only rule of the gun. An emaciated Ram Prakash Gupta govt. has failed
>>to check police autocracy. PUCL state president Chittaranjan Singh says
>>the criminals are running the government and organised gang of goons in
>>police garb are wreaking havoc in the state, they have been given
>>licence to kill people.
>>Police and revenue officials thrashed to kill Lallan Singh (35) at Korha
>>village of Machhalishahar in Jaunpur district of U.P. on 18 September
>>just because he could not pay back outstanding loan amounting to
>>Rs.1800. Knowing that he was dead, the revenue officials left the corpse
>>outside town hospital and fled away. When people agitated at this
>>incident were holding a protest demonstration the next day, police
>>opened fire to kill a newspaper hawker Surendra Maurya (28). The body of
>>Lallan Bind was not handed over to his family, the police silently burnt
>>it to ashes.
>>An investigation team led by Com. Ambarish Rai visisted Machhalishahar
>>and found that it was another example of state repression and BJP govt's
>>autocracy. Party has demanded institution of murder case against revenue
>>and police officials for the two killings.
>>
>>
>>Initiatives
>>
>>Students and youth to gherao the UP Assembly
>>
>>
>>UP student-youth struggle committee held a meeting on 28 Sept. in
>>Lucknow University, in which it was decided to gherao the UP Assembly on
>>October 20to voice their protest against fee hikes, cut in admission
>>seats and increasing incidents of state repression by the BJP government
>>against students, youths, workers and peasants. It will also protest
>>against the harassment of the minorities in UP and the tarnishing of AMU
>>in the name of curbing the I.S.I. activities. Participants in the
>>meeting included office-bearers of various student-youth organisations
>>and other student leaders.
>>The meeting of the struggle committee was addressed by Com. Lal Bahadur
>>Singh, Gen. Secy. of RYA, Com. Sunil Yadav, Gen. Secy. of AISA, AIYF
>>State President Phoolchand Yadav, AMU leaders Joshan, Shahid and
>>Tarique, AISA state leaders Ajit Singh Yadav and others. They pointed
>>out that the subsidies for higher education, health and other basic
>>needs are being cut according to the directives of the IMF and World
>>Bank. They also attacked the BJP-led govt. in U.P. for whipping up
>>communal passions against minorities.
>>
>>
>>
>>Peasants Conference in TN
>>
>>
>>Working Peasants Association of Gandharvakkottai Block held its 1st
>>conference on Sept. 18 with 70 delegates. Main points taken up for
>>discussions were land redistribution, wages, social oppression &
>>employment opportunities. Com. Viduthalai Kumaran, Party's taluk secy.
>>delivered the inaugural address. Com. Mary of AIPWA, peasant organiser
>>Simpson, Distt. Party secy T. Pandian and others addressed the
>>conference. A 15-member working committee including three women was
>>elected. State Party secy. Com. Balasunderam stressed need for
>>developing a strong and vibrant rural people's movement which alone
>>could face and defeat the dravidian politics and the politics of
>>opportunist left.
>>
>>
>>Mass Awakening Rally in Nawada
>>
>>An anti-crime mass awakening rally was held in Nawada on 29 Sept.
>>attended by more than 4,000. Addressing the rally Party Gen. Secy. Com.
>>Dipankar said that without evicting feudal-criminal forces from society
>>and politics it is not possible to guarantee peace, development and
>>democracy. Com. Ramjatan Sharma, Secretary of Party's Bihar unit,
>>Chandrika Prasad, Secy. of Nawada Disctrict unit and Prof. Suresh Singh
>>also addressed the meeting.
>>
>>
>>Election
>>
>>Revision of Electoral Rolls
>>
>>
>>The Election Commission has announced the following schedule for special
>>revision of Electoral Rolls throughout the country except in the states
>>of J&K and Assam:
>>1. Draft Publication of the rolls:
>>2 November, 2000 (Thursday)
>>2. Period of filing claims & Objections: 2 Nov. to 30 Nov., 2000 (both
>>days inclusive);
>>3. Special campaign Dates:
>>11 Nov. (Saturday) & 12 Nov. (Sunday) and 25 Nov. (Saturday) & 26 Nov.
>>2000 (Sunday);
>>4. Disposal of claims and objections & preparing and printing of
>>supplements: 30 December, 2000 (Saturday);
>>5. Final publication of Electoral Rolls: 2 January, 2001 (Tuesday).
>>On special campaign dates of 11, 12, 25 & 26 Nov. 2000, staff will be
>>available at designated locations (Polling stations/Panchayat/Block
>>office) in close proximity to the residence of electors. Mandatory
>>acknowledgement for each application will be provided.
>>Party Committees should assign responsibilities to capable teams to
>>ensure enrolment of new and left-out names, raise objections to false
>>voters on the roll within the speified time and, most importantly, keep
>>a watch that genuine voters' names are not get cancelled (this can be
>>verified from the Electoral Roll displayed on 30 Dec. 2000.)
>>
>>
>>International
>>
>>Lessons from Yugoslav Election
>>
>>
>>Will the US and Western multinationals, who failed to break Yugoslavia's
>>resistance with 78 days of bombing, be now able to take over by
>>manipulation of an election? The question is haunting Yugoslav as well
>>as all anti-imperialist forces throughout the world because in the
>>recently held presidential elections in Yugoslavia, US-European Union
>>backed candidate Vojislav Kostunica has received 48% votes against
>>Slobodan Milosevic's 40%. As none of them could receive the required
>>majority vote, final results will be clear only after the run-off vote
>>on October 8. But most horrible is the fact that the US and European
>>Union governments have used every possible dirty trick, corrupt practice
>>and payoff, even military intimidation and promises to end sanctions,
>>only to overthrow Milosevic and get their puppet elected. US Congress
>>and House of Representatives have for the first time openly passed Bills
>>to send $182 mn. to anti-Milosevic forces. New York Times has admitted
>>that "Milosevic of Yugoslavia is running against NATO and the United
>>States, not against his democratic opposition". He is the main target of
>>the war carried out by US and NATO-- the imperialist world powers-- and
>>because of that he has come to symbolize Yugoslav resistance. So a
>>setback for Milosevic in the presidential election puts more at risk
>>than the future of one individual.
>>In a statement on the election day, some 210 international observers
>>from 54 countries noted that "There has been undue interference in the
>>Yugoslavian election by the Western powers, in particular by the United
>>States. This is a shameful--and no doubt illegal--intrusion into the
>>affairs of a sovereign nation. Also the attempts by the European Union
>>to bribe Yugoslavian voters to vote in a certain way in order to be
>>'rewarded' with the lifting of sanctions and other goodies, must be
>>condemned in the strongest possible terms". In the face of these
>>admissions, those in office in Yugoslavia (have every right to void the
>>elections and disqualify the opposition. In the United States, France,
>>Britain or Germany, would such an election have been allowed to
>>continue?
>>
>>
>>Protest Letter to Czech President
>>
>>
>>In a protest letter addressed to Mr. Vaclav Havel, President of Czech
>>republic, Party condemned the arrest of 800 persons holding a protest
>>demonstration against IMF and World Bank policies on the occasion of
>>their annual meeting in Prague on 26-28 Sept. While noting with concern
>>violation of all norms of human dignity in treating these political
>>prisoners and their brutal torture in the custody, Party demanded their
>>immediate and unconditional release.
>>
>>
>>>From the Party Documents
>>
>>Globalisation and our Tasks
>>
>>
>>"Globalisation has done away with the sense of security that marked
>>erstwhile socialist societies or even capitalist welfare states. In a
>>situation of highly volatile capital, no jobs are secure. In particular,
>>the unskilled and the averagely skilled are highly vulnerable. But there
>>is no one to protect them as governments are drastically cutting social
>>spending ... There are widespread apprehensions of India being turned
>>into a dumping ground for outdated technologies, and Indian industries
>>being swallowed up by MNCs. Only when their very existence begins to be
>>threatened do the Indian bourgeoisie cry themselves hoarse demanding
>>protection. This is how the other opinion gets shaped which doesn't
>>question the premise of globalisation, the new world order promoted by
>>the west, but confines itself arguing for retaining the relative
>>independence and autonomy of Indian compradors. ...
>>Globalisation has not ushered the globe into some sort of
>>post-imperialist phase... Powerful national groups of the bourgeoisie,
>>with the full backing of their governments, dominate this or that
>>transnational and the process of economic domination reflects
>>politically in the desperate bid of powerful countries to extend their
>>hegemony over the small and weak countries".
>>(from 6th Party Congress Document, 25 Oct. 1997)
>>"The multi-pronged reforms... have now started affecting every field of
>>economic activity and public service... Alongside the social divide
>>between the affluent and deprived sections, regional disparities are
>>also fast accentuating creating a sharp polarisation between the
>>beneficiaries and victims of economic reforms. Cheaper and unrestricted
>>imports of various raw materials including agricultural products and
>>minerals under the WTO regime of so-called free trade has caused serious
>>disruption in many productive sectors. Consequently, more than ever
>>before, popular anger has started snowballing into powerful mass action
>>over a whole range of issues with workers, petty producers, farmers and
>>various sections related to agro-based industries, small traders,
>>students and unemployed youth rising in major struggles in many parts of
>>the country.
>>While gearing up all our mass organisations and Party units for playing
>>a more vigorous role in the growing popular resistance against
>>globalisation and liberalisation... We can take the lead in launching a
>>patriotic platform against globalisation which would also serve as a
>>bridge with the popular quest for democracy. "
>>(from the CC Resolution, 9 September 2000)
>>
>>
>>Culture of Resistance against Communal Fascism and Imperialism
>>7th National Conference of
>>Jan Sanskriti Manch
>>Varanasi, 14-15 October, 2000
>>Inauguration : Jwalamukhi,
>>Revolutionary Telugu poet
>>Chief Guest : Pankaj Bisht
>>Novelist, Editor 'Samayantar'
>
>
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