CPI(ML) CALLED CONVENTION ANNOUNCES ACTION-PLAN OF COUNTRY-WIDE PROTESTS ON AUGUST 9.
The CPI(ML) called 'National Convention against Communal Fascism and Imperialist Intervention' held at Mavalankar Auditorium in New Delhi on June 26 resolved to launch a nationwide 'Save Democracy, Save Independence' Campaign. The Convention announced a series of anti-fascist-anti-imperialist action-programmes which will culminate in a nationwide 'Rasta roko/ Rail roko/ Jail bharo' agitation on August 9. The Convention witnessed broad based participation of Left and democratic organizations including CPI(ML), CPI, SUCI, Forward Block, RSP, the break-away Punjab unit of CPI(M), ML groups like 'Red Flag' and 'Unity Initiative' as well as Narmada Bachao Andolan and several other groups. A large number of intellectuals, social activists, and journalists also joined the Convention. Nearly a thousand people form working class to youth and students mainly from Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and some centers of Uttar Pradesh took part in the convention. A contingent of Left activists from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal also joined it. CPI(ML) held meetings and conventions at several centers in Bihar, UP, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to mark the beginning of the campaign. At the beginning of the Convention, a two minute silence was observed in the memory of those killed in state-sponsored genocide in Gujarat. Addressing the convention, the CPI(ML) General Secretary outlined the perspective of the Convention and presented a twelve-point Charter of Resolutions. He said, "twenty-seven years ago, Indira Gandhi had sought to curb democracy in India by imposing a state of Emergency. In less than two years, the Emergency was overthrown by the people of India. Today, democracy faces a still more serious threat as the BJP tries to divide the country on communal lines and mortgage its hard-earned independence and national dignity to the US imperialists." "We cannot let this happen. India is not a piece of real estate for the Sangh Parivar to play with. It is the common land of a billion people who celebrate their unity in diversity and democracy. It is the shared legacy of our great martyrs who laid down their precious lives for the country and the people. We must save and reclaim India. And to do this we need a massive democratic resurgence of the people. We need a shared resolve, a new vision, and a powerful, united resistance", Mr. Bhattacharya said. Coming down heavily on what he called 'disastrous saffron governance and politics', the CPI(ML) General Secretary said the divisive politics of communal polarisation, denial of political liberty and subversion of democracy which the country is witnessing in Ayodhya, Gujarat, Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand and the entire North-East is a serious danger to our national unity, secularism and democracy. Only a broad-based movemental unity of all Left and democratic forces can resist this danger. "The illusion of containing and resisting communal fascism within the confines of Parliament has been thoroughly shattered and the country has to be saved by a powerful anti-fascist-anti-imperialist mobilisation of the people", he said. Condemning the government for conniving with the VHP and Bajarang Dal on Ayodhya and Gujarat issue, Mr. Bhattacharya demanded dismissal of the Narendra Modi government, arrest and public trial of the saffron rioters and police officials involved in the killings and ban on the VHP and Bajarang Dal. He said, "there should be no early elections to the Gujarat State Assembly in the communally surcharged atmosphere. Relief camps must not be closed and relief and rehabilitation work must be stepped up". He condemned and rejected the idea of fragmentation of Jammu and Kashmir on communal lines recently echoed by the VHP. Expressing serious concern on the prevailing situation in Kashmir and calling for immediate restoration of peace, normalcy and complete political liberty in the state, CPI(ML) General Secretary warned the Vajpayee government against playing with the Kashmiri people's aspirations for effective autonomy. He also accused the ruling National Conference in the state of paying mere lip service to the cause of autonomy and said that unless the National Conference showed the courage to dissociate itself completely from the NDA, its renewed clamour for autonomy was liable to be construed as a mere pre-poll rhetoric. He called upon the people to vigorously oppose the increasing imperialist intervention in South Asia and called for immediate demobilization of troops, complete restoration of all diplomatic ties and resumption of unconditional bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan. CPI leader Atul Anjan, RSP leader and MP Abani Roy, SUCI leader Ashutosh Banerjee, Forward Bloc leader Ram Charan Gaur, leader of the break-away Punjab unit of CPI(M) Chandra Sekhar, Red Flag leader K N Ramchandran, Unity Initiative leader P K Murthy and several other prominent people including noted social activist Medha Patkar, senior journalist Prabhash Joshi, Ahmedabad based writer Achyut Yagnik, senior journalists Kuldip Nayar, Javed Naqbi and Seema Mustafa, Ex-Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajender Sachar and socialist leader and former MP Surendra Mohan also attended and addressed the Convention. They congratulated the CPI(ML) for taking this timely initiative and underlined the need of building up a powerful resistance against the saffron offensive. They described globalisation and communal fascism as two faces of a growing rightist offensive. The Left sponsored Presidential candidate and veteran freedom fighter Laxmi Sehgal also attended and addressed the Convention. The Convention was chaired by veteran communist revolutionary and trade union leader P K Murthy and conducted by CPI(ML) Central Committee member Swapan Mukherjee. Among others who attended and addressed the convention include CPI(ML) leaders Akhilendra Pratap Singh, P V Srinivas, Kumudini Pati, Srilata Swaminathan, Raja Bahuguna, Prem Singh Gahlawat, Rajendra Pratholi and Ranjit Abhigyan. (The Convention was still in session at the time of writing this report.-- Ed.) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
