From: "Himmat Singh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 12:31:12 +0530 To: "CPI(ML) CENTRAL OFFICE" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Fw: ML Update Vol.4 ; No. 36 ; 05 -09 - 2001. Due to technical problems in our e-mal, for the time being we are using this e-mail address Sorry for the inconvieniences [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: AUCCTU <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, September 06, 2001 3:31 PM Subject: ML Update Vol.4 ; No. 36 ; 05 -09 - 2001. > > >ML Update: A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine >Vol.-4; No.-36; 5-9-2001 > >A Desperate Exercise in Face Saving > >There are reshuffles and reshuffles. Though the recent one looks drastic, >but something of this sort was not unlikely to happen, in fact due, in view >of the critical situation faced by Mr. Vajpayee. In a recent review, it was >found that half of the recommendations made in a dozen of reports submitted >by the big business loaded 'Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry' >could not at all implemented, and from among the rest, only one or a few >recommendations were taken care of. The PM has to answer for this poor >performance before his 'Council' on 7 September. A non-performing government >can do at least one thing, save its face by reshuffling the pack and show >that it is concerned about "kick-starting the economy". In the process some >scapegoat heads may roll and some zealots may get rewarded. Like the >proverbial monkey distributing the loaf, the fascist saffron bosses decided >to put all the blame on erstwhile "centrist" allies. Thus a Sharad Yadav is >shown the doors of prestigious civil aviation ministry for "hindering" >disinvestment of Air India, an Arun Shouri is promoted to cabinet rank for >his self-professed zeal in disinvestment. A Ramvilas is ousted from >communication and despatched down the coalmines and a Pramod Mahajan is >handed over both IT and communication ministries, supposedly for their >"convergence". A George is kept waiting pending his clearance from Tehelka >while Rajiv Pratap Rudy, an MP from Bihar also tainted in Tehelka, is handed >over a berth. If during all this turmoil Nitish Kumar manages to keep his >portfolio, it is only because of the shrewdness with which he has planned to >milch in the name of providing "safety" even the marginal, most unsafe man >riding a train. The only BJP man who has been really demoted in the >reshuffle is Advani's man Jagmohan, because recently he had initiated a plan >to reclaim the illegally occupied land even from temples and other religious >sites causing considerable annoyance to RSS and builders mafia. >With this kind of reshuffle Vajpayee wants to suggest the big business that >whereas the BJP in the main wants to implement the reform, the so-called >"socialists" are creating nonsense. This has led him to snub the NDA allies. >And not only Sharad Yadav and Ramvilas, Omar Abdullah too had to pay for >National Conference outburst on PM and Advani's remarks on rigging elections >in Kashmir. While Abdullah remained a deputy in foreign ministry, Chamanlal >Gupta, another BJP MP from Jammu got an independent portfolio as state >minister. Maneka Gandhi too was kept busy in an inconsequential ministry. >Vajpayee has realised that these allies, who joined NDA peddling the >daydream of "counterbalancing the saffron thrust in a coalition" have lost >much of their spine and sting they cannot hit back even if whipped in the >back. This was amply demonstrated when the BJP toppled the Samata-led >Manipur ministry. Moreover, Samata today is itself a divided house. Saffron >dictating power has reached a point where they can deny a berth to the >surrendering Mamata Bannerjee and PMK in the reshuffle! >However, the basic problems are much deeper than the ones a reshuffle of >this kind can get over with. It is the lack of investment that is the main >reason behind the slump in industrial growth after October 1996. India is >now dangerously vulnerable to consumer goods import from other countries and >is in imminent danger of losing as many as five million jobs in the next two >or three years. Foreign reserves boasted to be sufficient to pay for 9 >months of import bill are most volatile -- 93% of the $ 43 billion worth of >foreign currency reserves consists of "vulnerable liabilities"-- trade >credits, NRI deposits, foreign portfolio investment and govt. short term >borrowing. A sudden exodus on these will cause a crisis of outflow from the >currency reserves. The economy is sitting on a powder-keg because of very >policies of reform. How then implementing the same policies more zealously >under the direction of IMF-WTO and the guidance of Indian big business by >means of a reshuffled pack will rescue Vajpayee? It is your policies that >are the true villain, Mr. Vajpayee, and not the ministers alone! > >CPI(ML) Condoles Death of Palestine Leader Abu Ali > >Abu Ali Mustafa, the 64 year-old leader of the Popular Front for the >Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was killed at his desk on 27 August when an >Israeli helicopter gun-ship fired two missiles into his Romullah office. The >killing, ordered by General Sharon, was supposedly a response to a >Palestinian commando attack on an Israeli army camp inside the Gaza Strip on >25 August. >China strongly condemned the assassination of the PFLP leader. In Beijing a >Foreign Ministry official expressed China's profound regret and grief at Abu >Ali Mustafa's death and said that China always opposes Israel's policy of >tracking and killing militants and its continual assassinations of >Palestinian leaders. >In a condolence message sent by CPI(ML), Com. PV Srinivas said that the >barbarian cool-blooded killing was more than an act of murderous state >terrorism, it was a key component in a larger war strategy of genocide and >occupation carried out by US and Israel jointly, in the ultimate >geo-political interests of the US. "We cannot ignore the fact that just days >before assassination, US administration had justified Israel's murder >policy. The US media launched a campaign for calling NATO to occupy >Palestine and run Palestine state; and after the assassination, large-scale >political and diplomatic cover-up operation has been undertaken to divert >the world attention from a most significant political murder in the recent >time", the message says, while demanding withdrawal of Israel from Palestine >territories forthwith. The letter extends "deep condolence and solidarity to >the Palestine people, PFLP members and the family members of Comrade Abu >Ali." > >AISA Procession in Delhi > >Around 100 students activists marched in a procession under AISA banner in >Delhi University (DU) North Campus on 3 September in the course of the >election campaign for DUSU (Delhi University Students' Union). Led by AISA >National President Kavita Krishnan and AISA candidates Aditi Pandey, Srikant >and Rohit, the procession started out from Vivekanand Statue in the Arts >Faculty, and passing through several colleges and faculties, including >Ramjas, KM College, Hindu College, etc. reached Law Faculty where it turned >into a short meeting, addressed by Kavita Krishnan and Aditi Pandey, the >AISA candidate for DUSU presidential post. On this occasion, AISA manifesto >for DUSU elections was also released. The manifesto opposes the govt. >attempts to saffronise and privatise the education, lays stress on ending >discrimination against women and ensuring their free participation in >socio-political life, arranging for cheaper accommodation facilities to the >needy students and freeing the campus from hooliganism. It demands >restoration of voting rights to students not properly enrolled because of >administrative lacunae. > >Bihar State Conference Concluded > >CPI(ML)'s 6th Bihar State Conference concluded on 28 August with the pledge >to transform the party into the centre of aspirations of development and >reconstruction nurtured by poor and dalit toiling masses and >progressive-democratic minded people of Bihar, to develop it into a leader >of people's resistance, and a full-fledged alternative in the state. Com. >Swadesh Bhattacharya, PB member and Com. Krishna Adhikari, Central observer >addressed the concluding session. >In the organisational session, there were 358 delegates from 35 districts. >As many as 298 among them were whole-timers. There were 42 women delegates; >and class-origin wise there were 139 delegates from landless-poor peasants, >59 from lower-middle peasants, 100 from middle peasants and rest from rich >peasant or petty bourgeoisie. While 54 delegates had come over to CPI(ML) >from other left streams, there were 13 delegates who had earlier worked in >RJD or other centrist formations. Around 150 delegates expressed their views >on the report presented by the outgoing state committee and finally it was >unanimously passed amidst standing ovation. The session was presided over by >a 5-member presidium composed of Com. Pawan Sharma, KD Yadav, Saroj Chaube, >Rameshwar Prasad and Shyam Chandra Chaudhary. >The conference elected a 35-member state committee. Com. Ramjatan Sharma was >reelected its secretary. A 13-member standing committee was formed by the >newly elected state committee. >The Conference resolved to press for declaring Bihar as a famine-struck >state as it has been badly hit by floods and drought. The conference >observed that both central and state governments were displaying utter >apathy to the problems of the people and it condemned the political game >being played by RJD and NDA while blaming each other but doing nothing to >help the victims. While demanding implementation of 'food for work' >programme throughout the state, the Conference announced the programme of >staging dharna and demonstration at district headquarters. >The delegates underlined the need of effectively countering the mass >killings of the rural poor and dalits in various parts of the state, as >Laloo-Rabri govt. has proved incapable of checking the activities of Ranvir >Sena, Shahabuddin or other criminal gangs including MCC and People's War >Group. Taking up the task of mass movement against the anti-people forces >responsible for such killings, the Conference decided to observe a protest >week from 7-13 September. Dhanarua has been the scene of the recent such >killing. Therefore the conference gave a call Dhanarua Chalo to be observed >on 14 September. People from nearby blocks and districts would be mobilised >to participate in this programme. >The conference emphasised the need to expand peasant movement and strengthen >Khet Mazdoor Sabha. With this objective the conference demanded disarming of >Ranvir Sena and other feudal criminal gangs and supplying free arms with >license to the rural poor and dalits. The conference reiterated its >commitment to build broadbased resistance movement in the villages to fight >these feudal-criminal gangs till their end. >The Conference decided to hold state-level working class conference by the >end of September. It appealed to the working class leaders and activists to >participate in the conference in broadest possible number and make it a >success so that this organisation becomes the main centre of working class >movement in the state. >The Conference pledged to fulfill the target set for recruitment of mass >organisation membership and also adopted a resolution to expand the Party >membership by 50% till the Party Congress next year. The Conference resolved >to build State Party office at the earliest. A resolution to raise Party >fund seriously was also adopted. >All these days the historic town of Rajgir was overlaid with red flags, >festoons and banners stuck out on lamp-posts; it seemed all of a sudden >Rajgir surrounded by hills acquired a new life. Cadres from Nalanda and >nearby districts worked overtime to make the conference a success. With its >widely acclaimed performances throughout this period, Hirawal team of Jan >Sanskriti Manch portrayed revolutionary culture in safeguarding the >integration of creativity and struggle. > >Tea Workers' Association Holds Convention > >On 11 July, Struggling Tea Workers Association held a convention at >Parvatipur tea garden in Assam. It was presided over by Ruplal Nagavanshi >and the basic agenda was presented by Debaru Murai. In the convention, >discussion was held on problems of workers. A new executive was formed with >Ruplal Nagvanshi as president and Debaru Murai as secretary. Com. Kanak >Saikia, secretary of Tingkhang local committee of CPI(ML), circle president >and secretary of Tea Workers Association Karan Murabi and Suraj Garait, Nari >Santha leader Bilasi Bhumij and many others addressed the convention. The >convention resolved to conduct membership recruitment campaign and it >adopted several resolutions concerning major problems being faced by >tea-workers. > >Oil Workers Oppose Conspiracy to hand over Oil Refinery to Reliance > >Northeast Oil Workers Coordination Committee organised an emergency meeting >at Bangaigaon Refinery Employees Association office on 12 August where they >strongly protested the central governments conspiracy to hand over oil >exploration in north Brahmaputra valley to Reliance. President Anant Mohan >Barman and Gen. Secy. Biren Kalita have said in a press note that this step >by the government on the basis of new economic policy is detrimental to the >cause of Rajhuwa section of Oil India Corporation and ONGC. The Oil Workers >Coordination Committee resolved to organise gate meetings, dharna etc. to >demand from the central government withdrawal of this decision, removal of >custom tax on refineries in Assam, establishment of gas-based industries in >Cachar and Tripura, withdrawal of vindictive suspension of Anil Das, General >Secretary of Bangaigaon refinery employees association by the management and >send a memorandum to the Petroleum Minister. As a preparation to this, >coordination committee called for holding a convention jointly with several >politcal parties, trade unions and mass organisations in Noonmati on 26 >August. > >Killing of Jagannath Mandal : Statewide Protest Day in West Bengal > >Assassins patronised by CPI(M) ambushed and killed Com. Jagannath Mandal >(46), Secretary of Kalna Subdivision Committee of CPI(ML), in the night of >24 August at Tamashapur village in Kalna block of Bardhaman district. In >protest, Party called a bandh in Kalna subdivision on 27 August, which was >completely successful. Bandh was also observed in nearby Nabadwip. >Overwhelming majority of people, who spontaneously joining the bandh, >condemned this heinous, cowardly act. >At the call of Party State Committee, 27 August was observed as a protest >day throughout West Bengal. In North Dinajpur district, around 200 peasants >participated in a protest meeting held at Raiganj. Earlier, Raiganj local >committee as well as North Dinajpur district committee had organised a >condolence meeting on 26 August. The district committee also observed black >day on 28 August and wore black badges. > >Operation Washout by CPI(M) > >As people quickly understood who is behind the killing of Com. Jagannath, >CPI(M)'s Kalna zonal secretary Biren Ghosh in a hurry issued a statement on >26 August that his party had no role in the killing and demanded that >killers must be apprehended. However, with the overwhelming success of Kalna >bandh on 27 August at the call of CPI(ML), CPI(M) leaders right from Kalna >level to the state became panicky. Now Ganashakti, the State Organ of >CPI(M), has initiated a maliciously false propaganda campaign. On 28 August, >Ganashakti concocted a story: "Naxalite activist killed in Kalna by his own >partymen on the charge of hobnobbing with BJP". The CPI(M) itself knows >quite well that both Abdul Halim and Jagannath were good, hard-working >cadres when they were in CPI(M). They became targets only when they left >CPI(M) and joined the revolutionary alternative. Countering this malicious >propaganda on the same day, CPI(ML) has issued a statement to the press >(including Ganashakti) exposing this Goebbelsian propaganda as a brainwork >of Alimuddin street pen-pushers. If they do not mend their ways, they too >would meet the same fate, it said. > >Bicycle March in Delhi by Construction Workers > >Under the banner of Nirman Mazdoor Union (NMU) and All-India General Kamgar >Union (AIGKU), a bicycle march was taken out to demand implementation of >central legislation for construction workers in national capital region and >oppose the conspiracy of introducing anti-worker amendments in labour laws >through second labour commission. The union declared that a human chain will >be formed around the Viswas Nagar labour office on 25 September and a >memorandum with thousands of signatures will be handed over to the Prime >Minister. The bicycle march started out from Jagatpuri and passed through >several localities of East Delhi including Karkardooma court, Krishnanagar, >Laxminagar, Shakarpur etc. ended at Shashi Garden in Mayur Vihar Phase I. >Apart from construction workers, unorganised labour from garment factories >and other small-scale units also took part in the procession. The rally was >addressed by AICCTU East Delhi Secy. Com. VKS Gautam, Central Office Secy. >Himmat Singh, Mahant Rai, Secy of NMU and Shashikant, Secy. of AIGKU. > >Kisan Rally and Meeting in Mansa > >Consequent to entering the World Trade Organisation in the decade of 1990 >and particularly as a result of anti-peasant agrarian policies of the >BJP-led central government, Indian agriculture is today writhing under the >grip of all-round and unprecedented crises... >To meet this situation, united struggle of peasants on a nation-wide scale >has come to the fore as an immediate and imperative task. Therefore ... >coming together of all peasant organisations and leaders opposed to new >agricultural policy and World Trade Organisation in a common struggle is the >need of the hour. >In this context, and to accomplish the abovesaid objective, the Mansa unit >of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta), Punjab is going to hold a peasant rally on >10 September 2001 and host a meeting of representatives of peasant >organisations. >Reach Mansa to Strengthen >Anti-WTO Peasant Struggle! > >Need to Diversify Theatre > >The Lucknow unit of Jan Sanskriti Manch organised a cultural seminar on 22 >July at Lenin Pustak Kendra. The basis of discussion was an article on >theatre, "Have we lost the ambition" by noted dramatist Prasanna, appearing >in Samkalin Lokyudh. This seminar was presided over by director Surya Mohan >Kulshrestha and participated in by well-known theatrical personalities of >Lucknow. >Initiating the discussion Ajay Singh, General Secretary of JSM said that the >basic concern of Prasanna is to make drama a medium of culture of resistance >in opposing the assault of imperialism and communal fascism. The centralised >system developed by the ruling culture has undermined the broadness of >theatre and weakened its social sense. In the last few decades, new social >forces have developed. The crisis of theatre can be overcome only by >accepting the challnege of leading them in the field of culture. >Initiating the debate, director Urmil Kumar Thapaliyal said that theatre has >worked with a commitment to society but in he past two-three decades no >important drama has come up. Rakesh, UP secretary of IPTA said that if our >ambitions do not match with the ambitions of the society we have to face >problems. Amongst us, there is a vast gap of communication. An artist in UP >or Bihar does not know about ongoing experiments in Bengal or activities in >Karnataka. Street theatre had played a great role in taking drama to the >common man. However there is a paucity of drama with a new theme. >Actor Jugal Kishor, who teaches at Bharatendu Natya Vidyalaya, Lucknow, said >that recently some new work has been there in the field of theatre. A big >reason of crisis in the field of theatre is in the system as a whole. Until >the policies of the system are hit, nothing will be accomplished. Mridula >Garg said that despite all the financial crisis, television can create a >crisis for us but it cannot do away with theatre. Theatre is a medium linked >with ideas and social commitment and till this is necessary, theatre will be >there. We have seen that whenever theatre has accepted challenges, and shown >the courage to show the social reality, it has become popular in the >society. Shaqil Siddiqi and Shyam Ankuram also participated in the >discussion. Summing it up, Surya Mohan Kulshrestha said that the problem >raised by Prasanna is basic. The centralised system centred in Delhi has >appropriated the role of assessing all activity throughout India. NSD gets >money for developing drama, it is working to fashion raw materials for films >and TV. In this situation, a national debate is needed how to make NSD >useful for drama. >Again it is the consequence of the concept of centralisation that everything >depends on director. In other countries as well, TV produced crisis for >theatre and against this centralisation, decentralising it saved theatre. >Community theatre, city theatre, etc. were established. The new social >forces coming up in our society can only have theatre as their medium of >expression and not TV. Theatre is a community act. So today theatre needs to >go to even smallest of places. > >Shramik ki Ghazalein Released in Kanpur > >Kanpur unit of Jan Sanskriti Manch and Yugprabha jointly organised a >ceremony to release Kamal Kishor 'Shramik' s poetry collection "Shramik ki >Ghazalein" on 26 August at Press Club. The collection was released by >veteran poet Sudarshan Chakra, while the ceremony was presided over by >renowned poet and educationist Madhavi Lata Shukla. Introducing the >discussion Dr. Prabha Dixit, national councillor of JSM, said that the voice >of democracy does not come out as mere slogan or fashion in Shramik's >poetry, it is an honest manifestation of his ideology and real life, so with >the simplicity in language the poetry gives new dimensions to Marxist >aesthetics. Dr. Madhavi Lata pointed out that apart from ghazals, Shramik >has also mastered the art of expressing himself in songs. Noted >intellectuals and cultural activists Dr. Premila, Neelima Chaturvedi, >Yatindra Tiwari, Ramkrishna Tailang, Arvind Mishra, Dharmendra Katiyar, >Kamta Prasad Tiwari, CPI(ML) leader Com. Vijay and AIPWA leader Shivani >Verma spoke on the occasion. Poet Kamal Kishor said about his creative >process that he became influenced with Marxism at a very early stage of life >and he also recited some of his poems. The second phase of the programme >witnessed a poetry recital programme presided over by Niresh Katyayan. It >was participated in by Devendra Safal, Dharmendra Katiyar, RD Singh, Ashok >Shastri, Satyaprakash Shirish, Akhilesh Tiwari, Azad Kanpuri, Ramkrishna >Premi, Narain Das Verma "Manav", Uma Shunya, Satryendra Tiwari, Surendra >Shashi, Chetna Sharma and others. It was conducted by Prabha Dixit. > >"Nila Charai" Drama Staged in Guwahati > >The Noonmati branch of Sadau Asom Jansanskritik Parishad staged a drama >"Nila Charai" (Blue Bird) at CD Hall of Guwahati Refinery Sector-II on 30 >and 31 July. The Assamese script of this progressive drama was written by >Jyoti Prasad Agarwala on the basis of a child story written by Maurice >Metarlink. Significantly, the drama was staged after little rehersal in a >workshop taking novice child artists but the people very much appreciated >the performance. > >___________________________________ >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >http:///www.cpiml.org > > >_________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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