> ML Update > A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine > Vol.-5; No.-34; 21-27 Aug 2002 > > > THE BATTLE FOR GUJARAT IS A BATTLE FOR INDIA > > The BJP's battle for Gujarat has entered a new and decisive phase. Stung to > the quick by the Election Commission's strong indictment, the government has > now referred the whole matter to the President with the calculation that the > latter, in turn, would seek the Supreme Court's opinion on the subject. The > blueprint of a veritable institutional tug of war is now almost complete. > > The very fact that the Election Commission chose to undertake two successive > tours - first by a 9-member team and next by the three commissioners > themselves - to make a first-hand assessment of the situation prevailing in > Gujarat instead of accepting the Gujarat Government's plea for premature > elections itself amounted to an indictment of the murderous Modi regime that > passes for an elected state government. The widely televised image of CEC > Lyngdoh reprimanding a senior Gujarat official with a stern "Aren't you > ashamed of yourself?" was an added insult to injury. And now the 40-page > indictment issued by the EC to the press instead of what the BJP wanted - > election dates - has clearly left the Advani-Modi gang fuming. > > The EC's report has nailed several loud lies being churned out regularly by > the RSS propaganda machine. The report has specifically refuted the > Government's claim that the impact of the 'riots' has been confined to just > a few areas. Based on the Gujarat government's own admissions and > submissions made by senior police officials, the EC has observed that 24 out > of 25 districts of Gujarat were affected. In terms of Assembly > constituencies that means a staggering 154 seats in a house of 182. The BJP > leaders who claim that the Commission is authorised to defer elections only > in specific constituencies and not in an entire state conveniently gloss > over this simple truth. > > The Commission has candidly acknowledged the prevailing undercurrent of fear > and tension that will make an absolute mockery of the notion of free, fair, > fearless and impartial elections if premature elections are forced on the > state. More importantly, apart from calling for expediting relief and > rehabilitation measures and ensuring comprehensive revision of electoral > roll in view of large-scale displacement of the electors in the aftermath of > the communal holocaust, the Commission has highlighted the need for urgent > confidence-building measures. "Foremost among these," in the Commission's > own words, "would be to arrest and punish the guilty, irrespective of their > status and rank, for their crimes." The EC has also emphasised steps like > removing forthwith all physical obstructions and barriers erected to deny > access of the riot-affected people and to their destroyed homes, and > restoring to their original postings the officers who performed their duties > fearlessly and forthrightly to contain the riots. > > The EC report also examines the contention that elections should be held > immediately to uphold Article 174 which requires that not more than six > months should elapse between two successive sessions of an Assembly. > According to the EC in the interest of democracy, Article 174 must yield to > Article 324 which empowers the EC, and the EC alone, as the final arbiter to > decide when and whether free and fair elections can be held. The report also > contains a clear hint that the apparent conflict between the two Articles > can and should be resolved by bringing Gujarat under President's Rule. > > Such advice of the EC is of course not for the BJP to accept without a > fight. The call for early elections in Gujarat is, after all, the BJP's > latest battle cry in its drive for a fascist Hindu Rashtra. And Modi, the > murderer, the second most popular Chief Minister according to the latest > India Today-MARG opinion poll, is the BJP's latest mascot. So the ball has > been sent to the President's court. And the meaning of Abdul Kalam as India' > s President will begin to unfold soon. > > Bharat, that is India, must prepare in real earnest for handing out a > fitting rebuff to these soldiers of saffron subversion. A rebuff which will > not need any reinterpretation by any President or any Court. > > > 'POLITICS OF PARLEYS' IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR > > CPI(ML) in a statement said that the experience of the Kashmir Committee > headed by Ram Jethmalani has also proved that any serious political process > in Kashmir can not proceed in a vacuum unless the govt. of India takes up > concrete confidence-building measures as an integral part of a transparent > political package to lend credibility to the elections and to ensure maximum > political participation in it. > > The Party said that the people of Kashmir sees backdoor parleys as a ploy to > create confusion and rift in the movement than generating any conducive > political atmosphere in the state. Party said, "steps like release of > political prisoners, journalists and intellectuals and meting out of harsh > punishment to the security personnel and officials guilty of custodial > deaths, fake encounters and brutal rapes can contribute much more to the > restoration of political confidence among the people than any amount of > 'parleys' by the Pants, Jethmalanis and Jaitleys". > > The Party said, "Let the government set an example by immediately punishing > the perpetrators of Chhatsingpura massacre about whose culpability the state > has conclusive evidence". > > > IMPOSE PRESIDENT'S RULE IN GUJARAT > > The CPI(ML) strongly denounces the ongoing vicious campaign launched by the > saffron forces and their government against the Election Commission for > forcing early elections on Gujarat which is still crying for rehabilitation > of the victims and action against the perpetrators of the genocide. > > The Party, in a statement issued on August 17, welcomed the EC's decision on > Gujarat polls and said, "instead of challenging the EC and taking it to the > court, the central government must immediately act on the EC's report and > dismiss the Narendra Modi govt. and impose President's rule in Gujarat as a > first step towards restoration of political confidence among the people in > the state". > > All opposition parties echoed the similar views, but true to its nature, the > Vajpayee-Advani government's Cabinet met on August 18 and decided to mount > further attacks on the EC by bringing the matter in the court of the > President. Reacting sharply to this Cabinet decision, CPI(ML) has said, > "following the EC's report the most dignified way for the central government > was to immediately act on the report, but it preferred not to go along this > dignified path. Rather, it resorted to a much more destructive campaign > creating institutional confrontation". The Party said, "now when the central > government has approached the President against the EC's decision, the > President should take this opportunity to affirm and uphold the autonomy and > dignity of the institutions of Republic and recommend for the dismissal of > the Narendra Modi government and imposition of President's rule in Gujarat". > Protests against Police Repression > > A dharna is continuing since August 18 at the headquarters of Lakhimpur > Kheri district against the arrest of CPI(ML) activists who were opposing the > illegal and forcible occupation of a madarsa land at Manpur and biased role > of the administratin helping communal elements of majority community. The > police had lathicharged and arrested Party activists on August 17. > In adjoining Pilibhit district, where Party has a long history of militant > struggles by the peasants and agrarian workers, the forest officials and the > police-administrative officials are now in desperation and conspiratorially > issuing misleading statements against the Party with ill intentions to > increase the repression on poor people who are struggling for their just > demands. The Party has strongly condemned such rumour campaigns. > > > CPI(ML) AND UPKMS PROTEST > CALLOUSNESS OF UP GOVERNMENT > > The CPI(ML) and the Uttar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha have started a > seven-day relay-dharna in front of State Assembly in Lucknow from August 17 > to press upon an 11 point agenda that includes mainly the demands to declare > a state of famine in the state, provide relief in rural areas, give BPL > cards to all below poverty line, waive all loans given to poor and to > immediately start food for work scheme on a war footing. On the first day, > while addressing the protesters CPI(ML) state secretary Akhilendra Pratap > Singh said that the state government's apathetic attitude towards peoples' > concerns in a state where monsoons are still alluding is apparent as it is > only making false promises instead of providing quick relief to the affected > people. Even opposition parties have not shown any seriousness about this > grave situation. Even after declaring the state drought affected, govt. has > not distributed even a single gram of the grains from its overflowing FCI > godowns. He said the the people in the state, where five starvation deaths > have already been reported in districts of Chandauli, Azamgarh and > Pratapgarh, are left with no choice other than occupying the godowns. He > vehemently criticised Vajpayee and Mayawati governments' anti-people > policies that have made miseries of the people more intense and appealed to > agricultural labourers, peasants, students and youth to come forward to take > initiative in saving the drought affected people. > > The eleven-point charter also included employment guarantee to the > agricultural labourers, immediate relief in cash to the drought affected, to > decamp the PAC from villages of Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts, > overhauling of PDS system and guarantee of food to the poor, payment of > unpaid wages to the tendu leaves workers and agrarian labourers, strict > implementation of Minimum Wages Act, punishment to the officials responsible > for starvation deaths, etc. > The AISA will also hold a demonstration in front of state assembly against > starvation deaths in the state, increasing fees and curtailing number of > seats in educational institutions on August 20. > > > CONVENTION AGAINST TNESMA AND VR IN TAMILNADU > > A state-level Convention against TNESMA and VRS was held in Chennai on 15 > August by the SGWU, Union of TN civil supplies affiliated to AICCTU. > Shanmugavel, General Secretary, SGWU, A.Soundara Rajan of CITU, T.R.S.Mani > of AITUC, Soundara Pandian of TamilNadu Govt Employees Union, Pancharatnam > of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board workers Union, Seeman of General Workers > Union , Govt. Press , Antony Raj, General Secretary of TN Co-optex workers > union, A.S.Kumar, AICCTU leader, addressed the convention. Around 500 > workers participated in the convention. It was presided over by > G.Radhakrishnan, State Vice-President of AICCTU. S.Kumarasami, State > President of AICCTU called upon the workers to take up the challenge to > defeat the anti-worker law by waging an united struggle. He said that > workers will have to face the law that prohibits their right to strike in > the govt sector. > > > BJP GOVT'S ANTI-ML CAMPAIN IN JHARKHAND > > The BJP govt. of Jharkhand has intensified its anti-CPI(ML) campaign. > Alarmed by the growing movemental initiatives and influence of the Party, > the govt. has resorted to implicating Party leaders and cadres in false > cases. A month ago, CPI(ML) leader from Rajdhanwar in Giridih district, > Rajkumar Yadav, was arrested by the police, at the behest of Rajdhanwar MLA > Ravindra Rai, a close associate of CM Babulal Marandi, while leading a mass > protest. He was sent to Giridih jail with several other leaders. The Party > has launched a statewide agitation on this issue. On August 12, Jharkhand > High Court ordered his release. Following this court order, he was again > shown as arrested and jailed by the govt. under section 12(2) of the Crime > Control Act. Party has strongly protested this incident. > Statewide protests were held on August 16. Party activists and supporters > held demonstrations and burnt the effigy of the Jharkhand Chief Minister at > several places in the state. These protests will continue till the leaders > are released. > > CPI(ML) CENTRAL TEAM MET BIHAR GOVERNOR ON WEST CHAMPARAN ISSUE > > CPI(ML) central team led by Dr Jayanta Rongpi, MP and CC member of the > Party, Ram Naresh Ram, Leader of Party's legislature group in Bihar and > Rameshwar Prasad, ex-MP and General Secretary of Bihar Pradesh Khet Mazdoor > Sabha visited West Champaran in Bihar on 12 August for the first hand > appraisal of the growing feudal-police repression. The team met the Governor > of Bihar on 13 August and urged him to direct the govt. to order judicial > inquiry into Chiutahan and Bettiah firings. The team also demanded proper > safety arrangements for the rural poor and dalits of Chiutahan, a village in > the district, immediate orders for the arrest of Markandey Pandey and his > criminal gang and immediate action against the SP of West Champaran. > > Here we produce summary of the report and memorandum submitted to the Bihar > Governor: > > 1. Markandey Pandey, a resident of Deoria district in UP, is a notorious > land mafia who has been illegally possessing 250 acres of land in Chiutahan > village. He possesses legal papers only for 6.5 acres. The rest of the land > is benami and gair mazarua. Earlier CPI(ML) had submitted memoranda to the > district administration to get this land distributed among the villagers. On > 25 June the poor and dalits of that village occupied that land and hoisted > red flag on it. > > 2. Markandey Pandey got implicated four villagers of Chiutahan on the false > charge of theft of a tractor battery. Bettiah Sadar DSP Ram Vilas Mahato > along with 200 policemen from 18 police stations reached the village on the > pretext of arresting these four accused persons. The police resorted to > indiscriminate firing, killing Laxman Majhi (12) on the spot. Sheshnath > Majhi was seriously injured and is now admitted in Narkatiaganj Hospital. > Even a pig received a bullet. > > 3. At the same time the criminal gang hired by Markandey Pandey reached the > village from another side and fired indiscriminately. This gang was led by > BJP leader Harishankar Tiwari, ex-minister of UP. Police and the criminal > gang together looted the property of all the 70 villagers, including 12 > bicycles, poultry and pigs. Not only that, the women and children were > thrashed mercilessly. Police picked up 50 persons and took them to Mainatanr > PS. There false charges were framed against 21 villagers including 12 women, > one of them pregnant, and they were sent to jail. SP was all along present > in Mainatanr PS supervising the operation. > > 4. In order to prove this incident an encounter, first the police placed a > country-made rifle in the hands of Laxman Majhi's corpse. The rifle actually > belongs to members of the criminal gang, Nitya Pandey and Suresh Sah. > Against Chiutahan incident the police refused to register a case of killing > and loot. The police refused to hand over the corpse of Laxman to his > relative Sudama Majhi, his brother-in-law who had gone to the Police > Station. Later the police secured thumb impression of one Akloo Majhi who > did not even know Laxman Majhi, and burnt the corpse. The whole episode was > conducted in the supervision of SP Anil Yadav. > > 5. It is most surprising that 200 policemen mobilised from 18 police > stations were sent to arrest four persons accused in a case of theft of a > tractor battery , and they chose to open fire, whereas there are hundreds of > murder cases waiting to be solved, dozens of notorious criminals roaming > around freely. And this large contingent was sent to encircle a tola > inhabited by merely 70 landless-poor families! > > 6. On 9 August Kranti Day, when West Champaran Bandh was being observed to > protest Chiutahan police firing, the police in Bettiah killed Ramji Patel in > cold blood. The police were already on the search of "a leader clad in dhoti > and kurta". No train was stopped at Bettiah, nor any act of destruction took > place there. People were peacefully waiting for the train. Had there been > any untoward incident the railway police would have acted. In this incident > however not the rail police but district police was involved, although there > was no magistrate to issue an order. > > 7. The DM and Bettiah Railway Station Superintendent have denied any > incident of destruction taking place at the station and held the firing as > unnecessary and unprovoked. > > SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY IN LONDON DECIDES TO PICKET ADVANI DURING HIS TOUR IN > BRITAIN > > The South Asia Solidarity Group and Awaaz have called to picket L K Advani > at the Indian High Commission in London when he arrives on August 21 on an > official visit These two organisations have asked the people not to let the > BJP profit from genocide in Gujarat and have issued an statement saying the > BJP is following through its horrifyingly cynical strategy of consolidating > power in Gujarat by demanding immediate elections in a situation where large > sections of the minority population are effectively disenfranchised. This is > despite the Election Commission's ruling that free and fair elections will > be impossible for many months to come. > > > UK's SANGH PARIVAR SWEAR BY GODSE > > The saffron fascist Sanghis in Britain celebrated Independence Day by > resolving to "advocate Godse's outlook and action" and challenged "every > anti-national Mulla-Commie", a shorthand for Muslims and Communists in their > rhetorical invectives. While whole world is condemning their role in > perpetrating heinous crimes in Gujarat, they have circulated an e-mail to > the members of the their fraternity asking them to observe 'at least a > minute's silence in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for > Hindutva". Although their frustration is also evident as the mail says , > "The battle is hard particularly when the Indians are not united for Bharat > Mata." So this is how they carry out their vicious and misleading campaigns. > > > AMARTYA SEN BLAMES NARENDRA MODI GOVERNMENT FOR GONOCIDE IN GUJARAT > > Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has held the Narendra Modi govt. responsible for > the communal violence in Gujarat and described it as a 'monstrous act'. He > said there was an attempt to incite a section of the polulation against > another with political motivation. He criticised the Modi Govt. saying that > the communal violence did not happen in any other state. So, the nature of > the governance in Gujarat had something to do with it. It was not proper to > correlate the communal violence with poor economic development and lack of > education. One of the highest sectarian violence in the twentieth century > occured in Germany, a developed state, and not in any third-world country. > > > SAFFRON REGIME! A SHAME FOR THE NATION! > > It is indeed a testing time for Indian Democracy. > Prime Minister unfurled the tricolour at the Red Fort on 15 August. This > time very less people attended the ceremony. The crowd was mainly from the > security personnel. He was ill. He was at loss. He made some shrill sounds > of anti-Pakistanism. Bush and Musharraf laughed. Nobody in India took him > seriously. The 'ghosts' of Taboot (coffin), Tehlka and UTI scam are still > alive. Vajpayee is finding it very difficult to get rid of them. No > 'yagna' - no 'mantra' can kill these 'ghosts'. They have become engraved in > the memory of the nation. Vajpayee's Parivar is bewildered. The number of > 'ghosts' has increased with new arrivals in this auspicious month of August. > The 'ghosts' of Petrol Pump and Land scam and journalist Shivani's murder > have become cruel. They are adamant to put last nails in the coffin of the > saffron regime. They are pulling the pillers of the palace where > Vajpayee-Advani-George-Yashwant-Naik-Mahajan are sleeping cozy. The 'ghosts' > are exhorting the people to thunder--- > > Gang of Corrupt-Criminal and venal politicians need not stay! > Saffron regime is a shame for the nation! > Oust this regime! > Long live the legacy of Quit India Movement! > ___________________________ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.cpiml.org > _________________________ > > _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
