> ML Update > A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine > Vol.-5; No.-41; 9-15 Oct 2002 > > > DISINVESTMENT IS PLUNDER - STOP IT! > > Defying Corporate India's boastful claims of a national consensus over the > economic policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, > economic reforms have once again come back on top of the political agenda of > the day. Vajpayee's September mission to the UN General Assembly was > preceded by an 'innocent' letter from George Fernandes seeking a mid-course > review of the NDA government's disinvestment strategy. The government > responded by deferring the petroleum sector disinvestment programme for > three months. Interestingly, the NK Singh Committee's report recommending a > host of measures to attract greater FDI inflow was also released at the same > time. > Now on the eve of Vajpayee's forthcoming visit to Europe and China, three > ministers of his cabinet held a 'casual' meeting to discuss disinvestment. > This was followed by the RSS chief's October 2 address to the intelligentsia > in Delhi in which he repeated the standard Sangh shibboleths against the > so-called Western model of development. This time around, Vajpayee has > promptly responded by reaffirming his government's 'commitment' to the > reform process with specific reference to the two areas of disinvestment and > foreign investment. To drive the point home he has also asked Mr. Shourie, > the 'disinvestment dynamo', to accompany him on his European trip! > Meanwhile, Orissa is witnessing powerful protests against the proposed > disinvestment of government holdings in the National Aluminium Company. With > its annual production of 2,30,000 tonnes, Nalco is a close second to the > A.V. Birla group's Hindalco (2,42,000 tonnes). Sterlite, the group which > picked up 51% stake in Balco by paying a pittance of Rs. 550 crore (the CAG > has now confirmed that the firm was undervalued by the global advisor, > Jardine Flemming, to the tune of at least Rs. 302 crore!), now stands third > with a capacity of 1,30,000 tonnes. Nalco, it must be noted, not only has a > soaring graph in terms of export, domestic sales and profit - between > 1998-99 and 2000-01, exports rose from Rs. 632.17 crore to Rs. 1,314.20 > crore, domestic sales from Rs. 874.48 crore to Rs. 1,094.40 crore and gross > profit from Rs. 621.35 crore to Rs. 1,137.78 crore -- it also has the best > quality ore, its bauxite reserves are the largest in Asia, and its > production cost of $ 94.50 a tonne is considerably cheaper than the global > average of over $ 100. No wonder, the disinvestment offer of 29.15% stake in > such a company -- the government actually plans to bring down its holding > from the current level of 87.15% to 26% over a few rounds of > disinvestment -- holds great attraction for all aluminium majors including > Alcoa of the US and Alcan of Canada. If Nalco is also allowed to be > sacrificed like Balco, the entire aluminium industry in India will virtually > be privatised. > Disinvestment, however, is just one form of the ongoing economic plunder. > Shourie's disinvestment target of Rs. 50,000 crore is comparable in size to > the staggering amount of Rs. 58,000 crore that the banks have declared as > Non-Performing Assets, loans gobbled up mostly by corporate houses and > fly-by-night money-merchants and share-market operators. There is also a > third component of loot which is equally glaring: the so-called bailout > packages. Since the days of the early 1990s securities scam to the recent > UTI crash, successive central governments have diverted public money worth > Rs. 30,994 crore to revitalise financial institutions. And now packages > worth another Rs. 35,561 crore have been announced to rescue UTI, IFCI and > IDBI, which almost equals the amount the Government has earmarked for food, > fertiliser and petroleum subsidies. > These are indeed too serious questions to be left to be exploited as fuel > and fodder for the internal 'power play' of the NDA government and the Sangh > Parivar. The fact that various lobbies within the ruling establishment have > chosen disinvestment as the arena for their shadow-boxing clearly > demonstrates the potential of the issue to agitate the popular opinion. We > must not let the Shouries and Sudarshans hijack this agenda. This is the > time when not only trade unions but all Left and democratic forces must step > up the campaign against the ongoing neo-liberal offensive. The plunderers > must not be allowed to go unpunished. > > > COUNDOWN TO CPI(ML)'S 7th ALL INDIA CONGRESS > > The seventh all-India congress of the Communist Party of India > (Marxist-Leninist) is slated to be held at Vinod Mishra Nagar (Patna) from > 25 to 29 November, 2002. This is the first congress of CPI(ML) to be held > after the untimely demise of our beloved leader Comrade Vinod Mishra who > steered the Party for tough 23 years (1975-98) of its journey, and holding > this congress in his honour at the place where he was cremated would be a > befitting tribute to him. The preparatory work for this congress had started > as early January 2001 when the Central Committee sent a detailed > questionnaire to the district committees. On the basis of the inputs from > the districts the CC has prepared key chapters of the draft report to be > tabled before the congress. Three chapters, viz. 'International Situation > and Our Tasks', 'The Developing National Situation and Our basic Orientation > and Tasks', and 'Agrarian Crisis and Agrarian Struggles' have already > appeared in Liberation (English) and Lokyudh (Hindi). Other eight chapters > have also been circulated in Hindi and English, and soon the states will > bring them out in vernaculars. These documents are to be discussed by all > Party members, sympathisers and even friends who want to make any > suggestions for the advancement of Indian revolution. They must send their > opinions by 25 October to Party Central Office. > Preparations in Patna to host the congress are in full swing. Not only the > venue but the whole Vinod Mishra Nagar is to be decorated. A number of > observers and guests including representatives of fraternal parties and > organisations from abroad will also participate in the congress. > > > MURDEROUS ATTACK ON PARTY LEADER > IN EAST CHAMPARAN, BIHAR > > The CPI(ML) East Champaran district committee member and state executive > member of Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha, Prabhudev Yadav was shot at on 3 Oct. > at Kohbarba village in Ramgarhwa block of the district by the criminals > hired by the feudals of the area against whom the Party and BPKS have > launched struggle raising many issues related to the rural poor. After the > incident, local people tried to take the seriously injured Prabhudev to the > hospital but police from Sugauli PS stopped them on the way and took him to > Motihari Govt. Hospital, where he was referred for Patna Medical College > Hospital by the doctors. Police instead sent him to jail without providing > any treatment. > This incident evoked widespread protests against the attack and the role of > the police and hundreds of people took to the streets. On October 4, > torchlight processions were organised at many places in the district. One > such procession was attacked by feudals and criminals at Sugauli. These > criminals enjoy open backing of the MLA from Sugauli. The Party, while > demanding immediate release of Prabhudev Yadav and arrest of the criminals, > has announced to further intensify the struggle against the feudal > politician-police nexus. > > > PARTY LEADER'S MURDER > BY PEOPLES WAR GROUP(PWG) CONDEMNED > > The CPI(ML) organised a massive gathering at Bahadurganj in Paliganj on > October 5 to protest the killing of its leader Virendra Goswami by the > People's War Group goons on Sept. 17. More than 10.000 people participated > in the meeting which was addressed by CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member and leader > of the Party's legislative group in Bihar Ram Naresh Ram. He called upon the > people to rise in self-defence and give a decisive blow to the forces like > PWG which are acting at the behest of the ruling RJD and working > hand-in-glove with other criminal gangs like Ranvir Sena and the Bhumi Sena. > This protest meeting was also addressed by Bihar Predesh Khet Mazdoor Sabha > leader Rameshwar Prasad, Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha leader Shiv Pujan Yadav > and CPI(ML) leaders N. K. Nanda and Shivdani Yadav. > > > PARTY CONFERENCE IN BHAGALPUR AND SAHARSA > > The second conference of Bhagalpur district unit of Party was held on 28-29 > Sept. which resolved to intensify the struggle on basic issues of the rural > poor. It was inaugurated by Party state secy. Ramjatan Sharma. Other Party > leaders who addressed the conference included Saroj Chaube, CCM, Prabhat > Chaudhary, standing committee member, Mazdoor Ekta Manch leader SK Sharma, > Purnea district committee secy. Pankaj Singh and veteran CPI leader > Bhuvaneshwar Singh. A 13-member district committee was elected with > Bindeshwari Mandal as secretary. An impressive rally was also taken out on > this occasion. > The first district conference of Saharsa Party unit was held on 30 Sep.-1 > Oct. which was addressed, among others, by Prabhat Chaudhary, state standing > committee member and Kumar Anil, BPKS secy. CPI leader Chandra Shekhar also > addressed the inaugural session. The conference was also attended by Party > leaders from Supaul and Madhepura districts. It elected a 7-member district > committee with Bibhuti Kumar Singh as its secretary. > > > DHARNA IN UTTARAKHAND > > ALL INDIA PROGRESSIVE WOMENS' ASSOCIATION (AIPWA) staged a dharna on 2 > October at Lalkuan in Nainital district, > demanding punishment to the culprits of Muzaffarnagar rape case and > high-handedness of concerned authorities during Uttarakhand movement days. > > > DISTRICT CONFERENCE IN RAIPUR, CHHATTISGARH > > Raipur district CPI(ML) unit in Chhattisgarh held its first ever conference > on 5-6 October at Darasram Sahu Hall. It was inaugurated by Rajaram, Party > incharge of Chhattisgarh. Swadesh Bhattacharya, Polit Bureau member, was the > chief guest. Other speakers included SK Sinha, Dr. BS Jadu, Udaibhan Singh > Chauhan, apart from local party leaders. Narottam Sharma placed the work > report and after the discussion the conference elected a 9-member committee > with Narottam Sharma as secretary. The conference resolved to stage a > massive dharna at Raipur on 1 November protesting against the 2-year misrule > of Jogi government. > > > DHARNA IN GORAKHPUR, U.P. > > In protest to the Katra episode of killing of extremely backward people by > upper caste feudal forces in Gorakhpur, hundreds of Party supporters took > out a demonstration and staged a dharna at divisional headquarters on 16 > Sep. It was led by CPI(ML) state secy. Akhilendra Pratap Singh. > > > PROTEST HELD ON RATION CARD, LAND ISSUES IN U.P. > > To protest starvation death of a person displaced due to change in the > course of river near Sampoornanagar, and to demand BPL cards, proper > rehabilitation and employment guarantee, CPI(ML) staged a dharna at Pilibhit > district headquarter on 24 Sept. Similar demonstration was also held at > Palia tehsil of Lakhimpur Kheri district, which resulted in administration > agreeing to take prompt action. > > > PEASANT CONFERENCE IN CHANDRAPUR, ASSAM > > The first Chandrapur conference of Sadou Asom Krishak Parishad was held on > 29 Sep. 2002 at Bonda ME School near Guwahati City. Chandrapur block is one > of the most backward areas where majority of peasant till date have no patta > for the land they cultivate. On the other hand, a sizable number of peasants > settled on the so-called forest land are facing eviction drive launched by > the Forest Deptt. Here CPI(ML)-led Sadou Asom Krishak Parishad is leading a > movement on patta and development issues - communication, drinking water, > electricity, hospital, educational institution etc. It is in this process > that the peasant organization has been built up. More than 100 delegates > from various corners of entire block area participated in the conference. > Kamal Ch. Boro placed the report of work and Monteswar Rahang delivered > welcome speech. Rubul Sarma, Secy of Assam State Committee of CPI(ML) was > the chief guest, who in his speech criticized the land and agrarian policy > of the Govt. and called upon the people to carry forward the movement. > Pankaj Kr Das, Party Secy of Guwahati City Committee, Janik Barman, Secy of > Guwahati City AICCTU unit, Geetanjali Sonowal, Publicity Secy of State Unit > of AIPWA also participated in the conference. The Noonmati Branch of Sadou > Asom Jansankritik Parishad performed street play "Gatt". Loknath Goswami, > eminent singer and Gen. Secy. of Sadou Asom Jansankritik Parishad presented > people's songs. > The conference elected Chandrapur block committee of Krishak Parishad with > Monteswar Rohang and Kamal Ch. Boro as President and Secy. respectively. > Conference adopted resolutions including condemnation of recent communal > violence by saffron brigade, pledge to resist anti-peasant policy of the > central and State governments, building up peasant movement on patta and > development issues. > > > FILM SCREENED IN MEMORY OF CHANDRA SHEKHAR > > In the memory of Com. Chandra Shekhar, the JNU unit of AISA in Delhi, > organised the screening of Ek Minute Ka Maun -- a film on the life of > Chandra Sekhar and the movement that followed his brutal assassination -- on > the occasion of his birth anniversary on 19 Sept. A large audience attended > the screening. > > > MASS MEETING AGAINST SATE TERROR > IN NORTH BENGAL > > Following the attack on the CPI(M)'s Dhoopgudi office in Jalpaiguri district > by suspected KLO (Kamtapur Liberation Organisation) militants on 17 August, > around 1,500 indigenous rajbanshi people have been detained on the charges > of sedition, and night raids are being conducted by the police as a daily > routine on villages inhabited by these people. All this is being done in the > name of flushing out KLO militants. A CPI(ML) delegation led by Com. Kartick > Pal met the DM, Jalpaiguri, on 17 September and called for immediate halt to > police high-handedness. On 21 Sep., a 5-member investigation team led by > Com. Pal visited the villages which witnessed the worst repression. On > October 4, a mass meeting was held in Jalpaiguri town. Addressing the > meeting speakers citing the recent attack by CPI(M) on the SUCI's Kultali > office and pointedly held the CPI(M) guilty for reintroducing 'politics of > murder' in the 1980s and continuing the same since then. > > > THANA GHERAO IN RAIGANJ > > A militant gherao of the Raiganj police station in North Dinajpur district > was organised on 26 September. A delegation led by Party Distt. Secretary > Ajit Das met the officials and thereafter addressed hundreds of people who > were assembled before the police station defying torrential rains. The > leaders condemned the police repression - including firing - on the ongoing > peasant struggle and demanded immediate release of Party state committee > member Ganesh Chetri and other leaders of the movement. > > > BANKURA PARTY CONFERENCE > > Party's Bankura district conference was held in Bankura town on 29 September > which vowed to carry forward the peasant movement defying police repression. > The conference elected an 11-member district committee with Com. Sudarshan > Bose as secretary. > > > AIPWA CONFERENCE IN WEST BENGAL > > The 6th West Bengal state conference of All Inida Progressive Women's > Association was held at Moulali Yuba > Kendra, Kolkata, on 30 September. AIPWA national secretary Saroj Chaube > attended the conference as central observer and addressed it, besides AIPWA > leaders and CPI(ML) state secy. Kartick Pal. The draft report was placed by > Chaitali Sen. A 23-member state council and a 13-member state executive were > elected, with Geeta Das and Chaitali Sen reelected as president and > secretary respectively. A seminar on "Communal Fascism and Women's Movement > in West Bengal" was also held. > > > INITIATIVE IN CHHATTISGARH > > Activists and supporters of CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M) held a dharna at Durg in > Chattisgarh on 23 September in protest to the closure of the State Transport > Corporation. They also protested non-payment of salaries to the employees. > On 25 Sept, a large number of workers belonging to AICCTU, AITUC, CITU and > HMS held a general meeting at Bhilai Steel Plant in protest to the > government's anti-working class policies. They held a dharna at District > Collector's office on 27 Sept. which was also joined in by RMS workers. > > > PROTEST DHARNA IN JHUNJHUNU > > A large number of peasants and workers held a protest dharna at the office > of the District Collector in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on 19 Sept. demanding > speedier relief work in the drought affected areas, ten hours free > electricity supply to the peasants and employment to the workers. Agitators > also held a meeting which was addressed, among others, by Phoolchand Dhewa, > district Party secy, Ramchandra Kulhari, Secy. of Rajasthan Kisan Sangathan > and Mahesh of Inquilabi Mazdoor Union. A memorandum was also submitted to > the district administration with above demands. > > > WORKERS' WORKSHOP IN DELHI > > All India General Kamgar Union (AIGKU), Delhi held a conference-cum-workshop > on 29 Sept. A good number of workers from unorganised sector in Delhi and > NOIDA (U.P.) participated in the conference. AICCTU Delhi president NM > Thomas, secretary Santosh Roy, Party CCM Kumudini Pati, Delhi state secy. > Rajendra Pratholi and Ardhendu participated in the conference. Later a > 19-member state council was elected with Himmat Singh as president and V.K.S > Gautam as secretary. > > > ANTI - WAR PROTEST AROUND THE WORLD > > Thousands of Americans rallied across the United States on 6 October against > war with Iraq. Anti-war protesters jammed San Francisco's Union Square, > beating drums, hoisting signs and proclaiming their opposition to war with > Iraq. It was one of dozens of anti-war rallies across the country organised > by the "Not in Our Name" Project, a grassroots group opposing a range of > Bush administration actions. Demonstrations were also held in New York, > Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and some smaller communities. Marchers called > President George W. Bush a "warmonger," "racist" and "irresponsible." > In New York, around 20,000 people showed up. In Portland, Ore, USA, around > 5,000 people rallied in the city's downtown against possible U.S. military > attacks on Iraq, chanting "no more war." Here, first-time protesters joined > veteran pacifists for the march. In Texas, the chant by hundreds was "No > more blood for oil." Protesters carried signs saying "Free the Press" and > "Stop the Bombs." > More than 1.5 million Italians took to the streets of dozens of cities on 5 > October to protest possible U.S. military action against Iraq - a surprise > show of discord that could be fervent enough for the Italian government to > rethink its support for Washington. Most of the anti-war demonstrations took > place on 5 Oct morning, with the biggest of those in Milan, drawing a crowd > that police estimated at between 60,000 to 100,000 people. Signs in the > crowd showed Bush's head on the body of a hawk - a reference to the > President's hawkish stance toward Iraq's Saddam Hussein - and others that > showed Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and British leader Tony > Blair as Bush's pets. Other large morning rallies took place in Bologna, > Florence, Naples and Palermo. But the day's biggest march was held in the > evening in Rome, where as many as 200,000 people gathered in protest. > Demonstrators made it clear that they opposed U.S. action against Baghdad. > The stance is significant because up to this point, Rome and London have > been President George W. Bush's strongest allies in Europe. > Hundreds of Australians gathered at a U.S. intelligence base near Alice > Springs on 5 October to protest against any war with Iraq and Australia's > alliance with the United States. The demonstration by some 300 people > outside the joint U.S.-Australian Pine Gap base was mostly peaceful, > although four were arrested after a scuffle with police. Groups including > the Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition, Medical Association for Prevention of > War, and Friends of the Earth, Australia, were the organisers of this > protest. > ____________________________________________________________________________ > > > OBITUARY > > CPI(ML) expresses deep sorrow over the demise of veteran socialist leader > Kapildev Singh. Party remembered him as a socialist who never compromised > his secular-democratic credentials and always cherished the idea of > left-socialist unity. > Party also mourns the death of Devendra Prasad Sinha, a close associate of > Jay Prakash Narain and former vice chancellor of Bhagalpur and Patna > universities. > ____________________________________________________________________________ > > **************************************************************************** > > > MAKE SEVENTH ALL INDIA PARTY CONGRESS OF CPI(ML) > > A GRAND SUCCESS! > > **************************************************************************** > > ______________________________ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [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
