[Marxism] ML Update Vol. 11 No. 50 09 - 15 DECEMBER 2008

["CPIML Liberation" <cpimllib@xxxxxxxxx>]

 *ML** **Update***

*A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine*

Vol.  11        No. 50        09 - 15 DECEMBER 2008

* *

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*Assembly Elections Are Over –*

*the Battle Now Begins for the Lok Sabha*


If the terror siege of Mumbai had left the country in a state of shock, the
verdict of the recent Assembly elections should have a sobering impact.

The overall outcome of the Assembly elections held in Delhi, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram suggests gains for the Congress and
losses for the BJP. Before the elections the Congress was in power only in
Delhi, now apart from retaining Delhi it has regained Mizoram and Rajasthan.
The BJP will have to content itself with Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

This election outcome has also challenged some rather well entrenched media
perceptions about elections, the politics in these states and the present
political situation in the country. The so-called 'anti-incumbency factor',
invoked time and again by media analysts to explain election results and
elevated to the status of almost an iron law, does not seem to have held
good in these elections. The Congress has won in Delhi for the third
successive time, the BJP in MP and Chhattisgarh for the second successive
term. In the absence of powerful mass assertion and a viable electoral
alternative, the 'anti-incumbency factor' by itself does not automatically
lead to change even in a limited bourgeois context.

It was also commonly believed that the Amarnath land row in Kashmir and the
issue of terrorism would yield considerable dividends to the BJP. In recent
months, the BJP has once again been quite aggressive in invoking the bogey
of 'appeasement of Muslims' and 'persecution of Hindus'. It tried to justify
the anti-Christian violence in Orissa, Chhattisgarh and elsewhere as a
legitimate reaction to 'religious conversion' and the killing of an infamous
VHP functionary in Orissa. The ATS investigation into the September 29
Malegaon blasts that led to the arrest of 'Sadhvi' Pragya Singh Thakur and
Lt. Col Purohit was sought to be rubbished as a conspiracy to defame the
Sangh and Hindu saints. And finally following the Mumbai terror siege, the
BJP went into overdrive with its 'fight terror, vote BJP' call.

The results do not suggest that this entire campaign has yielded any
electoral benefit for the BJP. No less instructive in this context is the
debacle suffered by Uma Bharti and her BJSP, who only gave the BJP's theme a
more aggressive and shrill note.

A third hypothesis regarding the 'bi-polar' nature of politics in these
states may still seem to hold good. But the gains made by the BSP and the
relatively impressive performance put up by the CPI(M) in Rajasthan, where
the party has won three seats for the first time, point to a growing third
camp in a political environment otherwise dominated by the BJP and the
Congress.

The script of the downfall of the BJP government in Rajasthan was being
written for quite some time. The Raje government had become infamous for its
feudal-monarchical arrogance, record of brutal repression and utter
insensitivity to the problems of the masses. The anger of the peasantry and
alienation of powerful social groups had made the end of the Raje regime a
near-foregone conclusion. The repressive Raman Singh government of
Chhattisgarh too deserved a similar fate, but in Chhattisgarh the Congress
remained busy colluding with the BJP to sponsor the infamous Salwa Judum
campaign and every other assault on democracy. The Congress thus had neither
the organisation nor the necessary oppositional plank to oust the BJP in the
state. In Delhi, the anger of the traders over the issue of sealing of shops
had already been played out in the 2007 municipal elections, leaving the
Congress on a stronger wicket vis-a-vis a confused, divided and faded BJP.

The refusal of the electorate to get swayed by the BJP's high-voltage
propaganda and fascist communal campaign has surely sent out a healthy
message. But as long as politics in the country will remain polarised
between the Congress and the BJP, and pro-US policies will dictate the
economic and foreign policy agenda of the country, there can be no respite
for the people in any key sphere of national life. As we begin a new year
and start preparing for the coming Lok Sabha elections, we must make sure
that the battle for reversal of existing policies and freedom from the
American strategic stranglehold acquires an unstoppable momentum and takes
the rulers to task for all their betrayals and lapses.

Jharkhand: Jan Sunwai against Loot-Repression & Deprivation

T

he aspirations with which people waged the long struggle for the state of
Jharkhand have been completely shattered in the eight years since Jharkhand
was formed. The four governments and six chief ministers in this period have
waged war on the rights of the poor workers and tribal people.

In this context of rule of loot-repression and deprivation a Jan Sunwai
(People's Tribunal) was held on December 1, 2008 at Ranchi's Vidhansabha
grounds. The Jan Sunwai was called by Jharkhand Gramin Mazdoor Samiti
(Jharkhand Rural Workers' Committee – JGMS) and the dais was named after
martyred Com. Kameshwar Yadav and Lalit Mehta, who were killed because they
were fighting against corruption in NREGA. The Jury of this Jan Sunwai
comprised of Com. Ibnul Hasan Basroo – Convenor Jharkhand Pradesh Kisan
Sabha, Veteran Communist leader Com. Tridiv Ghosh, Dr. BP Kesri – well known
intellectual and State President of Jharkhand Jan Sanskriti Manch, Dr.
Sambhu Badal – formerly HoD of Hindi Dept. of Vinoba Bhave University and
veteran journalist Faisal Anurag. Xavier Kujur who is a journalist was
appointed to record the entire proceedings of Jan Sunwai. The proceeding was
conducted by JGMS' State Secretary Com. Anant Prasad Gupta. Vigorous
participation of rural poor-tribal and mass leaders of movements from most
rural areas and districts, activists of the anti-displacement movement,
intellectuals-cultural personalities and representatives from the media was
witnessed.

Before the proceedings began a Pledge was taken after a minutes silence in
memory of the leaders who were martyred. JGMS General Secretary Com.
Janardan Prasad placed the Jan Sunwai in the context of the ongoing
struggles of the rural poor. JGMS leader Com. Parmeshwar Mahato read the
people's chargesheet against the Government. Its copies were distributed
among Jury members and media representatives. Consequently people's
representatives representing different regions of the State while giving
their approval to the chargesheet, elaborated giving examples of the rule of
loot-repression and deprivation in their respective areas.

As the main speaker CPI(ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya
asked the people what did they get in eight years of the State. He pointed
out how people had deposed in the Tribunal about activists being killed for
protesting against loot of public funds; how in Shibu Soren's rule innocent
children are being forced to die after consuming adulterated milk; a lakh of
para-teacher on strike are threatened with ESMA; Tata is laying off workers.
Soren claims to be the first true representative of Jharkhand – but his
regime is proving to be the greatest betrayal. Instead of abrogating
anti-Jharkhand MoUs Soren is promising to implement all MoUs. If this
happens the people will lose whatever control they have on all the resources
of the State. Acts like CNT and SPT will be rendered meaningless. The UPA
and NDA which never had anything to do with Jharkhand movement have now
become proprietors of the governance. The situation demands that
proletarians and rural poor, tribals-dalits and women must unite and come
forward once again in massive numbers to wage a battle for new Jharkhand
under the banner of the Red Flag. He recounted that the JMM that had Vinod
Bihari Mahato as its leader and AK Rai's party of the red flag have today
become agents and political managers of the capitalists.

CPI(ML)'s MLA in Jharkhand Com. Vinod Singh expanded the list of charges
against the Government and made clear to the people that the Legislative
Assembly which people expect to discuss and deliver on their pressing
issues, neither entertains these questions nor these issues are allowed to
be raised. Rather there is across the party unity on loot of NREGA fund and
pro-rich issues. People attending the Jan Sunwai were moved emotionally when
a young schoolgirl, child of martyred Com. Rajeshwar Das who was killed for
exposing NREGA corruption, wept on the dais and demanded for justice to her
family. Comrades Rajkumar Yadav from Giridih, Chandranath Bhai Patel from
Hazaribagh, Geeta Mandal from Santhal Pargana, Kalicharan Mehta from Palamu
and comrades recently freed from jail (they were jailed for fight against
loot and corruption) Usman Ansari of Giridih, Sukhdev Munda of Paanch
Pargana and other speakers added to the list of chargesheet against the
Government.

On behalf of the Jury members, Dr. B P Kesri delivered the verdict -
punishment for all those responsible for the rein of loot-repression and
deprivation of people in the State, for the chief secretary and secretaries
of various departments involved in massive scams in development projects and
all corrupt politician-official-contractor-middlemen. Immediate punishment
to the killers and those responsible for the death of Kameshwar Yadav, Lalit
Mehta, Rajeshwar Das, Tapas Soren, Turia Munda, and others. He said that
there should be no acquisition of land without people's agreement for the
same.

3rd Conference of Jhamas

Post Jan Sunwai of 1st December the 3rd Conference of Jharkhand Gramin
Mazdoor Samiti (Jhamas) began at Comrade Ashok Kumar auditorium. The dais
was named Comrade Rajeshwar Das Manch. The Conference continued till the
next day in which around 600 delegates participated

The Conference was inaugurated by its central observer and AIALA's (All
India Agricultural Labourers' Association) national leader Com. Satyadev
Ram. Emphasing on the need to organizationally strengthen Jhamas he made it
clear that the impending challenges can only be dealt with if we have a
strong and powerful organization.

Com. Dipankar – CPI(ML) General Secretary also addressed the delegates in
the Conference and said that Jhamas can will play an important role in
expansion of the Party and intensification of the movement. For this we have
to weave a web of organizational network down-to panchayat and village level
along with developing militant movement on the ground and he reminded
movement and struggle are the pivot on which our identity rests. It is
crucial that the members of Jhamas are organized in active organizational
structures and equipped with political consciousness. Describing the global
economic recession centred in the US, he said that the bubble of economic
growth has burst. The pro-rich, anti-poor and pro-speculators policies of
the ruling classes not only ignoring but destroying the modern productive
forces across the world are responsible for this recessionary phase. This
has demolished many of their castles built in air. The capital that ought to
be invested in production for providing employment to 85 percent people was
set aside for stock markets and speculative activities for the unproductive
and gambling activities of the 15 percent of population. Therefore a
resolute struggle for round the year employment and adequate wage is
important for bringing the economy on track and this type of global
recessionary cycle can only be prevented through workers control over
production process. Therefore the workers and poor people have to create the
pressure for employment and wage. They have to understand that it is their
toil and money which is running and maintaining the entire affairs of the
economy, Country and society. Therefore they must say that they be handed
over their money and means of production. But these governments are doing
the exact opposite- snatching everything from the poor and doling out to the
rich, influential and powerful. Only a powerful struggle of the working
people will ensure actual economic prosperity and stop the imperialist
domination.

Comrade Janardan Prasad, General Secretary of the Jharkhand Grameen Mazdoor
sabha (JGMS) presented the work report on which many delgates from different
regions took part in debate-discussion. The Conference was conducted by a
presidium comprising Comrades Parmeshwar Mahato, Akhtar Ansari, Hira Gope,
Sukhdev Munda, Usman Ansari and Kanhai Singh. The Conference was also
addressed among others by Comrades Subhendu Sen – AICCTU Jharkhand General
Secretary, Rajaram – CCM, Nepal Vishwakarma – State Secretary of RYA and
Xavier Kujur – State Jt.Secretary of Jharkhand Jan Sanskriti Manch. The work
report was unanimously passed after wider debate-discussion. During the
delegate session the central observer Satyadev Ram facilitated the election
and formation of 79-member central council and 17-member executive council
and vice presidents. Com. Anant Prasad Gupta was elected President and Com.
Parmeshwar Mahato as General Secretary. The name Jharkhand Grameen Mazdoor
Sabha was unanimously adopted replacing the earlier name Jharkhand Mazdoor
Samiti. The artists from Jharkhand Jan Sanskriti Manch presented arousing
cultural programmes and songs devoted to martyrs were sung in the beginning
by them.

CPI(ML) Sankalp March on 6 December

On 6 December, on the 16th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition,
CPI(ML) held 'Sankalp March' programmes all over the country to pledge to
intensify the struggle against the divisive forces of terrorism, communalism
and regional chauvinism. Condemning the terrorist assault on Mumbai, the
CPI(ML) protests on 6 December rejected all prescriptions of dictatorship,
army rule, war with Pakistan and partnership with the US as 'solutions' to
make us secure. They asserted that democracy, secular unity and independent
anti-imperialist assertion are the best guarantee of security for India.
They demanded punishment for the forces of Sanghi terrorism who seek to reap
a political harvest from each terrorist attack – and even go to the extent
of staging such attacks themselves. They demanded a delinking of India from
the 'strategic partnership' with the US' imperialist and racist policies,
which is rendering India more vulnerable to terror.

In Delhi the Sankalp March started from Mandi House and culminated in a mass
meeting at Jantar Mantar. The march was led by CPI(ML) Politburo member
Swadesh Bhattacharya, AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee, AIPWA
National Secretary Kavita Krishnan, CPI(ML) Delhi State Secretary Sanjay
Sharma, AISA General Secretary Ravi Rai, JNUSU President Sandeep Singh,
along with many democratic individuals, workers, and students. The meeting
was addressed by the above activists as well as by noted journalist Jawed
Naqvi, Tanweer Fazal of the Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group and student
activists of various universities in Delhi.

At Patna, the Sankalp March from Gandhi Maidan culminating in a meeting at
Patna Junction Circle, was led by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar
Bhattacharya, Bihar State Secretary Nand Kishore Prasad, CCM K D Yadav,
Saroj Chaube, Meena Tiwary, and BB Pande, AISA State Secretary Abhyuday,
AICCTU State Secretary R N Thakur and AIPWA State Secretary Shashi Yadav.
Apart from CPI(ML) leaders, the meeting was also addressed by Prof. Naval
Kishore Chaudhury, Head of the Deptt of Economics, Patna University, former
NIT professor Prof. Santosh Kumar, Prof. Amarnath Singh of Patna University,
intellectuals and social activists like Arshad Ajmal, Father Philip Methra,
Prakash Louis, Prof. Bharti S Kumar as well as Shri Kundan Singh, father of
Rahul Raj, the young man from Bihar who was killed in a suspicious encounter
in Mumbai.

The Sankalp March at Lucknow from Charbagh to the Assembly was led by UP
State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav, as well as state committee members Kranti
Kumar Singh, Madan Singh, Vidya Rajwar, Balmukund Dhuria, district secretary
Shiv Kumar, Jan Sanskriti Manch convenor Kaushal Kishore, Ravindra Sinha,
poet Shobha Singh, AIPWA National Vice President Tahira Hasan, PUHR General
Secretary Dr. Brijbihari, AICCTU leader Hari Singh and many other activists.


Similar marches were also held at Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Moradabad,
Mirzapur, Sonebhadra, Jalaun, Azamgarh and many other centres. An impressive
March was held at Sikandarpur in Ballia, and marches were also held at two
other centres in the same district.

Similar marches were held at Ranchi, Gumla, Giridih, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh,
Dumka, Jamtara, Bundu, Bagodar and Barwadih in Jharkhand; and Agartala,
Kailasahar, Udaipur, Dharampur and other towns in Tripura.

CPI(ML) General Secretary's Visit to the Flood Affected Bihar

Janhunkar (people's battlecry) rally was held on 24th Nov 2008 in Purnea in
which thousands of victims of flood and agricultural labourers participated.
The rally was addressed among others by CPI(ML) GS Com. Dipankar
Bhattacharya and Com. Madhavi Sarkar presided over the meeting. Addressing
the gathering he said that Chief of the State has himself been an engineer
and he does not requires telling how to secure the embankments. Later, the
poor and flood affected were heaped upon with Mega joke when 'Mega' camps at
Purnia, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Araria were provided only 'Mini'
relief. Addressing the people Central Committee member Com. Prabhat Kumar
pulled the attention on Nitish Government's total failure in implementing
any recommendation of the Bandhopadhya Commission on land reforms and Purnia
is a major centre of land controversies. The speakers demanded that
providing employment under NREGA round the year for people of flood affected
regions be made mandatory at the rate of Rs.200/day.

This mass meeting was witness to many activists and cadres of BSP, JD(U) and
JMM joining the CPI(ML). Com. Rupa Besra who came from Jharkhand and other
Party leaders including District Secretary Pankaj Singh and Com. Islamuddin
also addressed the assembly.

Prior to the meeting a motor-bike rally of youth in the leadership of Amit
Sarkar, son of martyred communist leader Com. Ajit Sarkar, was taken out and
this procession reached RN Shah chowk and garlanded the statue of Com. Ajit
sarkar.

Muraligunj: most badly ravaged by the floods, this block is still cutoff
from Dist. headquarters of rail and road links. A big demonstration was held
here by CPI(ML) on 26 Nov 2008. The mass meeting was held at Block HQ. The
Party has demanded that ration, kerosene for on year and ten thousand rupees
as cash be paid to each family, fertilizers and seeds be distributed free of
cost and embankments be repaired as soon as possible.

Madhepura: A huge dharna of flood victims was held here on 5th December on
the above mentioned demands. The meeting was addressed by Comrades Vidyanand
Vikal – AIALA, Pankaj Singh and Bharat Bhushan. The irregularities and
corrupt practice in distributing compensation among flood victims was one of
the issue of the dharna.

Araria: A protest march and mass meeting was held at the Raniganj block
headquarters of Araria district on 29 November, to protest against the
murderous assault on and abduction of the party District In-charge
Satyanarayan Yadav. Comrades in this district had done exemplary work among
the flood victims and are even now in the struggle against the corruption
and callousness of block officials. Most shocking is the fact that in this
district – one of the most backward in Bihar, and worst affected by the
floods – job-card holders have got the least work, and NREG funds are being
looted by contractors and officials. Comrade Satyanarayan was abducted and
assaulted because CPI(ML) comrades had been highlighting this loot. He was
released by the abductors only after protest and intervention by our party
comrades.

The mass meeting was addressed by CCM Prabhat Kumar, AIALA National General
Secretary Dhirendra Jha, Pankaj Singh, Islamuddin and Satyanarayan Yadav. At
this meeting, many CPI comrades joined CPI(ML).

Supaul: On December 4, CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar addressed
thousands of flood victims in a mass meeting. He said that the extreme
callousness of the 'engineer CM' had resulted in the Kosi floods. Nitish
appointed the Land Reforms Commission and a commission for implementation of
the Common School System, but the recommendations of these commissions have
been shelved. The meeting was also addressed by Pankaj Singh, Arvind, and
others.

Shaheed Mela in Bhagalpur

23 November is the martyrdom anniversary of Comrades Maheshwar Bhagat and
Uday Bhagat, two party activists of Bhagalpur district who had been killed
in 1990. On this occasion a 2-day Shaheed Mela was held in the Kadva Diyara
area of Bhagalpur, in memory of many revolutionary activists who have been
martyred in this region: including Comrade Mahendra Pandit and Viveka in
1981; Ganpat Mandal in 1981; Ganga Mandal in the land struggle of 1983 as
well as Maheshwar and Uday Bhagat in 1990.

The Mela began with CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar hoisting the
party flag and unveiling the newly erected Martyrs' Memorial. Family members
of the martyrs were honoured and presented with shawls as a mark of respect.
Thousands of people of the Naugachiya subdivision attended the mass meeting
at the Mela. Comrade Prabhat Kumar, CCM and Central Office Secretary, who
had worked closely alongside most of the martyred comrades, addressed the
mass meeting. Addressing the meeting, Comrade Dipankar said that even as
Nitish Kumar was indulging in self-congratulatory celebrations of three
years of his Government, touting faked claims of 'good governance' and
'development,' we are among the people who can show us the true picture of
Bihar's reality: who have been denied even the basic facilities of roads,
electricity, bridges, water, health, and education. He said that the only
forces truly concerned about development for the people were the
revolutionaries who had taken up issues of land, wages and dignity – and
many of whom were targeted and killed for that reason by the very feudal
forces who are Nitish's staunch supporters. He said Bhagalpur is not just
synonymous with communal riots, crime and instances of barbaric police
repression – rather Bhagalpur is also known for being a vibrant centre of
the Left movement – beginning with the CPI and continuing under the banner
of CPI(ML) today – and a site of peasant movement and the struggles of poor
students and youth. The meeting was also attended and addressed by Bhagalpur
District Secretary and SCM S K Sharma, Comrades Pradeep Jha, Katihar
District Secretary Rambali Yadav, AIALA District Secretary Bindeshwari
Mandal and AISA State President Rinku. On the second day of the Shaheed Mela
– 24 November – a seminar was organized on 'Naugachia's Development and
CPI(ML)'s Role', inaugurated by Pradeep Jha and presided by Bindeshwari
Mandal, in which many prominent local individuals and intellectuals
participated. On both days of the Shaheed Mela, Hirawal presented plays and
revolutionary songs.



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