December 23, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
MASSIVE WORKERS RALLY IN AGARTALA: ‘ALL CONSPIRACIES WILL BE FOILED; SEVENTH LF GOVT WILL BE A REALITY’
Haripada Das
THE people of Tripura shall make a new history by re-electing the Left Front in the ensuing assembly elections to form the seventh Left Front government. Tripura will be the epicenter to generate waves of nationwide struggle in the forthcoming days against the misrule of UPA-II government led by Congress which is pursuing anti-people, anti-working class neo-liberal policies that are ruining the livelihood of millions of masses, said A K Padmanabhan, CITU president and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, while addressing an enormous rally of working class masses at Agartala on December 9.
After the mammoth rallies of tribals, dalits and youth, it was the turn of the working masses of the state to storm the capital city of Agartala, resolutely airing the message that they will frustrate all conspiracies, rebuff all scandals, misinformation to make a repetition of 1978 election where Congress bagged nil to represent in the assembly.
From noon itself, all the lanes and streets of the city were occupied by the working people who converged in the city from all parts of the state to be a part of another memorable rally at Vivekananda Play Ground (Stable ground) at Agartala. When four workers’ brigades in the name of four veteran trade union leaders namely, M K Pandhe, Baidyanath Majumder, Biren Datta and Bhanu Ghosh, were entering the rally site, it was found that within a short time the ground was filled to the brim and yet a large part of the procession had to be stranded on the streets.
Most of the participants came by vehicles managing fare by daily labour, a good section of rallyists particularly from Dharmanagar came by rail, and large section of them joined on foot. The colorful decorative processions with their respective trade based festoons had high pitched slogan: ‘Saptam Bamfront Sarkar Garboi garbo’, ‘Jana Swartha Birodhi Kaalo Rajatwer Nayakder Aar Firte Deya Jabena Jabena’ etc. (‘We shall inevitably form the seventh Left Front government’, In no circumstances, the black regime of Congress would be allowed to come back’ etc). The rallyists were greeted by the people standing in the thoroughfares.
Hailing the rally on behalf of the 55 lakh CITU members, Padmanabhan remembered the martyrdom and sacrifice of the people of the state in staging innumerable struggles under the leadership of Nripen Chakraborty, Dasaratha Deb, Biren Datta and Baidyanath Majumder. He also remembered the more than 300 martyrs who gave up their lives during the black regime of Congress-TUJS coalition during 1988-93. He said, “you the people of Tripura carry the glory of defeating that regime and establishing a pro-people Left Front government. This government under Manik Sarkar has repeatedly been admired by the central government led by none other than Congress party. Ironically, this same Congress party, from the position of opposition here, is trying to nail every pro-people measure of the government.” He urged the audience to remind every householder about that jungle rule during Congress-TUJS government.
Explaining the neo-liberal policies being pursued by successive governments at the centre since 1991 and its chilling impact on the common people, Padmanabhan said the country at present is passing through an unprecedented crisis. Unemployment is rising every day, retrenchment is rampant, exploitation, poverty, hunger etc are on the rise. To add salt to the wounds, in the name of the so-called ‘Food Security Bill’, the centre is trying to wind up even the existing ration system in the country. The attitude of the centre towards the more than one crore scheme workers is shocking and insensitive, having least concern for the weaker sections. On the other hand, it showers largesse on private corporates involving lakhs of crores of rupees of public money, apart from the many corruption scandals. All these are the manifestations of the neo-liberal policies, he asserted.
Elaborating about the resistance to the centre’s anti-people and anti-democratic moves, the CITU president referred to the nationwide strike on February 28, 2009, at the call of the 11 central trade unions, including the Congress-sponsored INTUC. More than 100 million workers from all sectors paralysed all the manufacturing and service sectors of the country. Yet the ruling classes were proceeding with the same ruinous policies. Considering the gravity of the crisis of the working people, the struggle has to reach new heights and it is now in the offing. All the central trade unions had jointly called for a two day general strike on February 20 and 21 next year, which will be the first time in the country. In this national perspective, we view the electoral battle of Tripura and hope that the Left Front’s victory in the battle would add fillip to the national movement against neo-liberal policies, so saying Padmanabhan concluded.
MANIK SARKAR’S
SPEECH
Hailing the state’s working people for massively attending the rally at the call of the CITU, chief minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Manik Sarkar spoke at length about the national situation and the Left Front government’s work in the state. He said the nation has no dearth of resources. But under capitalism, they are being handed over to private entities for their capital accumulation even as millions of labourers are being exploited and deprived of their due. This is the law of capitalism. Thus even after 66 years of independence, nearly 20 crore youth are languishing in our country without any job, 35 crore are illiterate, 40 per cent infants are suffering from malnutrition, 55 per cent women suffer from anemia. “The British divided our country on religious lines and the Congress divided us in two distinct parts. One, a shining India which is flourishing for a handful few and the other, a dark India where vast majority of workers, peasants, dalits, tribals, minorities etc are languishing from hunger, poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition.”
Terming the UPA-II government as an enemy of the working class, Manik Sarkar lashed out at the employment policy of the centre, its ban on recruitment, ban on creation of new posts, abolition of existing posts, hiring contractual labour, privatisation and disinvestment, curtailment of trade union and workers rights etc. He said though the centre is mounting pressure on the states to impose their anti-working class policies, the Left Front government has categorically rejected to follow their policy because it would tantamount to declaring a war against the working class and poorer sections of the state. Thus while about 40 lakh posts in the central government departments are lying vacant, the Left Front government in Tripura -- even with its very limited resources -- has not stopped recruitment for a single day. It has also declared various welfare schemes including pension schemes for various sections of the working people of the state. Here lies the alternative approach towards the welfare of the working masses, he said.
Describing the Left Front government’s measures for the welfare of the workers, Manik Sarker said only big rallies are not sufficient to ensure victory. Nobody can imagine how low the power hungry opposition can stoop to grab power by manipulating people’s verdict. He elaborated the Rajib-Hrangkhawl secret pact on the eve of 1988 assembly election. To implement the deal the then TNV leader Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl carried out series of mass killings at selective areas mainly at mixed habited areas to break ethnic harmony and create mutual mistrust and tension between tribals and Bengalis. Within one week before the polling day, no less than 91 people, aged, women and infants, were butchered in the most ghastly manner.
Taking this as pretence, the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi unilaterally imposed the Disturbed Areas Act in the state and deployed army, not in the TNV-hit areas, but in the urban areas. While imposing the Disturbed Areas Act, Rajiv Gandhi did not consult with the state government, which was mandatory, nor did he take the consent of the Election Commission. The army jawans were used by the Congress to gain mileage in the polling booths. In spite of all these illegal efforts, when they found that majority was still beyond their reach, they adopted the same methods at the counting hall. Making mockery of the counting process, results of at least four assembly seats, including Majlishpur, were reversed in favour of Congress party. In Majlishpur, the Left Front candidate Manik Dey was declared winner. But the Congress under duress forced the Returning Officer to order a recount which the RO had categorically rejected earlier. And in this manner they managed a ‘majority’ of two seats in the assembly. And for this ‘benevolence’, B K Hrangkhawl, a mastermind behind the killings of hundreds of innocents, was being honored as a guest of prime minister and allowed to sit with the VVIPs at the independence day ceremony at Red Fort, he said.
Manik Sarkar said that even in the ensuing assembly elections, Congress is depending on the outlawed extremists to fight the Left Front. Dhanu Kalai, who was arrested by the police with Rs 25 lakh cash, divulged that he sent similar amounts to the NLFT leaders thrice earlier. All the transactions were arranged by one of the tribal state Congress leaders. And the last installment was paid at MLA Hostel No.1, which is exclusively used by the opposition MLAs, in the presence of that Congress leader. Though the extremists at present are on the verge of liquidation, Congress is trying to extend all material support to revive them. The extremists are mobilising on the other side of the border of Gandachhara, Kanchanpur and Chawmanu to get entry to Tripura to help the opposition. Whenever any extremist or their collaborators are arrested by the police, the Congress leaders jump up demanding their release saying they are innocent. Sarkar reminded that INPT, a traditional electoral ally of the Congress, is basically parent organisation of the extremists. Do these facts sufficiently not vindicate that the Congress is still maintaining contact with the extremists, asked the CM.
He concluded by saying that the Left Front activists must approach every voter, including those supporting the opposition parties, and persuade them politely with reasons, facts and evidence to win them over. At the same time it is imperative to keep vigil over the situation, not to fall prey to the trap of provocation but to foil any foul game of the opposition in cooperation with people and the administration.
In his presidential address, Manik Dey highlighted the pro-working class measures adopted by the Left Front government in Tripura. He said that the rights of the working people -- democratic, social and economic -- are protected under the Left Front rule. About 4.20 lakh families have benefited under RSBM Yojana; labour laws have been enforced in no less than 22 sectors; more than 31,000 families have been brought under the benefit of Construction Workers Scheme declared by the LF government; various allowances/schemes were introduced for the benefit of unorganised workers, bidi workers, handloom workers, salon workers, rickshaw pullers, transport workers etc which were hard to imagine during the Congress rule.
CITU state secretary Pijush Nag said that the Left Front government should not be judged only on the benefits it had rendered to the people. It must be judged on the alternatives evolved by it and the restoration of self-esteem of the working people that it has ensured. Thus the working people would repose their trust firmly on Left Front, hoped Pijush Nag.
PUKASA SEMINAR, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
PUKASA SEMINAR, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Progressive Cultural Movement: Historicising the Past, Exploring the Future
C Asokan
THE progressive literary and art movement in Kerala, known as the Purogamana Kala Sahithya Sangham (PUKASA), is celebrating these days the platinum jubilee of its formation (in 1937) by organising various cultural programmes, debates and seminars. The dominant Left cultural movement has been actively intervening in the field of culture as well as organising activities to establish and strengthen the democratic and secular cultural values in the public sphere of Kerala. Now the task that is now to be undertaken is to organise a national platform of various cultural movements active in other parts of India.
NEED OF INTERVENING IN CULTURAL SCENARIO TODAY
The progressive literary and art movement in Kerala started to function when in the field of culture, a part of superstructure of the society, the ideological struggle was quite intense, and it played a crucial part in transforming the society. Literature and art played a significant role in establishing the democratic and egalitarian socialist values in the public sphere. However, culture has now become something controlled by the finance capital. Today, entertainment or culture has become an industry in India as in
the other parts of the world; it is a field of business where huge profits are secured. A decadent pro-imperialist American culture is increasingly pervading the urban as well as rural areas of Kerala day by day. At the same time as these post-modern phenomena, religious revivalism and fanatic activism are also getting strengthened in our society.
In this situation, the PUKASA realises the importance of intervening in the present cultural scenario and of organising our people to resist the degenerative tendencies. Today, the values and ethos of the renaissance movement are getting jeopardised by the cultural invasions through the visual media. Fascist and terrorist tendencies are evident among the majority and minority religious groups, and among with the various NGOs promoted and financed from abroad. Thus the field of culture has become a terrain of ideological struggle where various forms of politics, ethics and aesthetics are playing crucial roles. The PUKASA has initiated new researches to develop new forms of communication and relationship to reinforce secular and democratic values in the public sphere that includes the cyberspace. It goes without saying that a large platform of all progressive forces and individuals is very much needed in order to forge the struggle for democracy and peaceful coexistence of various religions and non-religious attitudes and views.
P GOVINDA PILLAI REMEMBERED
It was in this situation that the PUKASA organised a three-day national seminar as part of its Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram from November 30 to December 2, with the aim of taking note of the new challenges and issues in the cultural terrain. The inaugural function was held in the Gandhi Park, a public venue in Thiruvananthapuram.
However, the recent demise of P Govinda Pillai, popularly known as PG, came as a shock to the progressive community in the state as he was one of the founding leaders of the progressive literary and cultural movement in Kerala. As a communist leader, scholar, cultural critic and thinker, PG was respected and admired by people in the Left political parties as well as in other democratic groups. The inaugural function at Gandhi Park started by paying tribute to PG and a former prime minister, I K Gujral.
The function was inaugurated by Professor Aijaz Ahmed, an eminent scholar, writer and Marxist thinker, and was presided over by well known Malayalam poet O N V Kurup. The condolence resolutions were read by Professor V N Murali who is general secretary of the PUKASA and by Dr Ninan Koshi, a social thinker and Left co-worker.
On this occasion, well known Left thinker and economist Prabhat Patnaik released PG’s last book written in English and titled The Bhakti Movement: Renaissance or Revivalism?
M A Baby, member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau honoured O N V Kurup, Puthussery Ramachandran and Sugathakumari, eminent poets who have made remarkable contributions to the growth of progressive Malayalam poetry, by presenting them mementos and golden shawls. CPI(M) state committee member Pirappankode Murali, its Trivandrum district secretary and state committee member Kadakampalli Surendran, the PUKASA’s state vice president and seminar committee convenor Dr S Rajesekharan, PUKASA district president and Malayalam poet Neelamperoor Madhusoodhanan Nair, and PUKASA district secretary and poet Vinod Vaisaki were also present at the inaugural function.
The inaugural function was followed by the Kathaprasamgam ‘Prema Silpi’ by Professor Vasanthakumar Sambasivan, and it was inaugurated by Professor V N Murali.
NEED TO DEVELOP REVOLUTIONARY PRAXIS
After the inauguration, the seminar sessions began on December 1 in K Damodaran Nagar (EMS Academy, Thiruvananthapuram). The first session on progressive movement in India started at 10 a m and the first paper was presented by Professor Prabhat Patnaik. He pointed out the fact that capitalism, especially finance capital, has invaded the sphere of culture as a centralised region of production of cultural facts and commodities. The centralisation of capital in the sphere of production, leading to the formation of giant multinational corporations, has led to free flow of capital in production processes across countries, and this is impacting every field including culture. Reforms and welfare measures are being discarded. Therefore supranational movements along with workers of other countries are necessary to defend the rights and reforms through coordinated struggles. The rejection of grand narratives by the postmodernists is not a rejection of the grand narrative of market economy or ‘liberal’ capitalism or of the religious grand narratives of Christianity, Hinduism or Islam; they are rejecting only Marxism. All the progressive movements, especially ours, are, however, built around the grand narrative of Marxism. Thus it implies the rejection of all progressive movements. Here we are confronting the all-embracing grand narrative of capitalism which has an imminent tendency to change itself and is in perpetual motion. It also implies that no “model” of revolutionary praxis is permanently valid. It is necessary to have a continuous innovation in revolutionary praxis --- where revolutions have succeeded in overthrowing the system as well as where they are yet to succeed. The creative community of the progressive cultural activists have to play a leading role in developing the progressive revolutionary praxis in India.
Professor Aijaz Ahmed stressed the fact that progressive politics and progressive culture had developed together in the country. It is evident that the Left oriented progressive cultural movement in India is much stronger in parts of India where the Left parties are strong. In the rest of India, the Left oriented progressive movement has declined very sharply and can be rejuvenated only if Left parties themselves get rejuvenated. We have to keep this dialectical relationship in mind when we talk about progressive culture. When we are working for a progressive culture, we are working for progressive politics too. The present situation demands a wide democratic platform for all progressive forces and individuals. There are many people who associate themselves broadly with the Left thinking, who write from a broadly Marxist perspective and produce movies and plays though without associating themselves with any of the communist parties in India. These individuals and groups have to be accommodated in a broad democratic cultural platform for developing a progressive movement and struggle in India.
Mihir Bhattacharya, a leading cultural activist and writer from West Bengal, said we must learn to listen to the people in order to organise them for cultural struggles, as their voices are being suppressed by the state and its institutions in various ways. PUKASA state secretary Kunju Muhammad (popularly known as KEN) also emphasised that the progressive movement has to take up the cultural traditions of the downtrodden people in order to communicate with them and develop a people’s cultural revolutionary praxis.
In the third session of the seminar, papers were presented on the topic “Progressive Art and Literary Movement: Regional Reflections.” In his paper on progressive literary and cultural movements in Maharashtra, Uday Narkar (Marathi) narrated the long tradition of progressive thought there. He emphasised the role played by Mahatma Jotiba Phule in the progressive movement against Brahmanism as well as British imperialism. Phule revolutionised Marathi theatre by deconstructing the puranic ideology to lay bare its material and social basis. Phule’s intervention in the arena of theatre halted the degenerating process and transformed it into a secular world.
Naresh ‘Nadeem’ (Urdu) pointed out the mistakes committed by the Progressive Writers Association in spite of its seminal progressive role. Due to the mistake of dogmatism, a section of its leadership derided a writer like Sa’adat Hasan Manto (Urdu) and ignored one like Muktibodh (Hindi) who both made a resurgence in the 1970s. The paper by Nadeem clearly showed how Manto was one of the finest products of the progressive cultural movement of our country and how he upheld its values and tradition despite all his idiosyncrasies.
Though Chanchal Chauhan (Hindi) could not come to the seminar because of indisposition, his paper described the growth of progressive literary movement in the Hindi-Urdu region. He explained the factors behind the formation of Progressive Writers Association and its development and decline. After the decline of PWA, organisations like the Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, National Federation of Progressive Writers (renamed later as PWA some years back) and Jan Sankriti March were formed; they sometimes conduct joint activities on specific issues like communalism and fascism.
Professor K P Mohanan (Malayalam), editor of Desabhimani weekly and the state committee member of PUKASA, presented a paper on evolution of the progressive literary movement in Malayalam. He underlined the fact that PUKASA has become a dominant Left and democratic forum in the field of culture by actively intervening in the Kerala culture as well as by organising a myriad of cultural activities. He explained the various ideas and views formed in the postmodern era as a cultural logic of late capitalism. He also asserted the fact that cultural activists of the PUKASA have developed a criticism of the postmodern ideas and defended the Marxian tenets.
Writers from Telugu, Tamil, Kannad and Oriya also presented papers on the occasion.
ARTISTS RESPONDING TO ALL CRUCIAL EVENTS
The fourth session of the seminar was on “Progressive Art Scenario.” The first paper was on painting and sculpture by Vijayakumar Menon who is a renowned art historian and critic. He started his paper by pointing out the fact that national movement in art was started in Bengal before Gandhiji appeared in the national scene. ‘Swadesivalkaranam’ at first began in painting. The foreign colours and images were abandoned for the sake of indigenous signs and pigments. It was Tagore who inspired this national movement in art. As a part of this movement, painters rejected oil colour and chose water colour. This was a historical event as the dress codes and colours are the signs of particular views. Renowned painters like Raja Ravi Varma and M F Hussain were punished in the name of dress code. Artists always responded to the problems of the society and nation. During the emergency, artists reacted to it by raising criticism through their artistic creations. They have responded against war and poverty. Vijayakumar Menon concluded his paper saying that art has shifted its focus from abstract to concrete after emergency period.
In this paper on folk art, Dr A K Nambiar, a well known folklorist and Left activist, said the folk art is an expression of the downtrodden people. So it is not only the art of the past and the present but of the future as well. Folklore can play a significant role in the class struggle, he concluded.
In his paper on cinema, film critic and PUKASA secretary V K Joseph narrated the evolution of Indian cinema and the influence of progressive ideas on its evolution.
Shibu Muhammad, in his paper on music, explained the ideological nature of musical structure and expressions. Almost all the people absorb without any doubt the metaphysical leaning of music as if it is quite natural. The session underlined the necessity of critical evaluation of all art forms as they are the ideological expression of class interests.
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT NEEDS TO BE REVAMPED
The fifth session was on secular culture in which two papers were presented by Dr P Soman and C Asokan, literary critics and cultural activists of PUKASA. These papers analysed the historical formation of secular space in Kerala culture and its present status. The renaissance movement and freedom struggle played an important part in the formation of secular cultural space in which religious as well as non-religious views coexisted peacefully and dialogue and discussions were carried out in a friendly manner, in the belief that all the religions are only different paths to one end i.e. God. Gandhiji’s definition that truth is God also shows the influence of secularism. But now religions and castes treat each other as enemies. The progressive cultural movement is inevitable in defining and promoting secular values, the session concluded.
PUKASA state secretary V Seethammal and also the state vice president of Vanitha Sahithi (women’s movement) associated with PUKASA, presided over this session.
The sixth and final session of the seminar was on “The Future of the Progressive Literary and Art Movement: Scope and Challenges,” and was presided by S Ramesan, a vice president of the PUKASA and Malayalam poet. He emphasised the point that the only alternative to the present invasion of market culture and fanatic attitudes is the secular cultural praxis being developed by the Left and democratic movements in Kerala.
Dr S Rajasekharan, a Malayalam critic and poet, presented the outlines for future action of the progressive literary and cultural association; saying that the emerging cultural organisation should include all the literary and artistic forms and practices of the country. So the present progressive literary and art movement has to be revamped as a front of progressive cultural workers. This platform will have to democratically coordinate the activities of all the progressive movements and groups which have been active in other states of India.
Professor M M Narayanan (a cultural activist and literary critic), Asokan Charuvil (renowned Malayalam story writer and PUKASA leader) and Prabha Varma (famous Malayalam poet and senior editor of Desabhimani newspaper) also presented their views on the future of the progressive cultural movement in India, especially Kerala.
The seminar concluded with a renewed commitment to fight against the degenerative cultural trends, to defend the secular democratic cultural values of our society and to explore new forms of struggle and practices.
CPI(M) CONDUCTS TWO DAY PICKETINGS IN ANDHRA PRADESH
CPI(M) CONDUCTS TWO DAY PICKETINGS IN ANDHRA PRADESH PEOPLE’S anger against the burdens being heaped on them in the form of higher power tariffs and cut backs in subsidies found resonant expression during the 48 hour long picketing of district collectorate offices by CPI(M). Thousands of people picketed the collectorate offices right in the morning office hours on December 10 and 11, leading to closure of the offices for some time. In few places, the police resorted to brutal lathicharge, injuring scores of activists. In Karimnagar, one activist was seriously injured on the head while in Nizamabad, limbs of two activists were broken and they had to be hospitalised. CPI(M) central committee member S Veeraiah also suffered injuries in the police lathicharge in Nizamabad. In Srikakulam, senior leader of the Party, Choudhary Tejeswara Rao was injured in the police action. Over five thousand Party activists, including top state leadership, were arrested by the police in these two days of protests. Such massive protests on people’s issues across the length and breadth of the state has occurred after a long time. The state is being crisscrossed by leaders of TDP, YSRCP and Congress hurling abuses at each other and raking up non-issues. The media too has only highlighted these superficial controversies rather than the struggles at ground level. The brutality of police action in many districts showed the jittery reaction of the ruling party at the growing anger of people being channelised into organised protests. The CPI(M) state committee had identified issues such as severe power cuts, burden of fuel surcharge adjustment on power consumers, payment of minimum wages, contract workers issues, lacunae in construction of Indiramma houses, pensions, cuts in subsidies etc and called for two day picketing to protest against the state government’s apathy in solving pressing issues facing the people. Speaking to media persons before being arrested by the police in front of Hyderabad district collectorate, Party state secretary B V Raghavulu said this is only the beginning of the struggles, which would be intensified in the coming period. He said the common man is being severely assaulted by both the central and state governments by their policy decisions. There was scuffle when the police tried to whisk away Raghavulu even as he was speaking to mediapersons and Party activists tried to prevent the arrest. The activists sat on the main road and blocked the traffic protesting the police action. The CPI(M) state committee in a statement strongly condemned the high handed behaviour of the police in many districts during the picketing. Using brutal force on peacefully protesting activists was reprehensible, it stated. Over seven activists were injured in the lathicharge in Karimnagar, including three whose heads were broken. It warned the government about intensifying these protests in the coming period.
TAMILNADU: DHARMAPURI ATTACKS - CPI(M), TNUEF DEMAND CBI ENQUIRY
THE unprecedented violence on dalits in the three villages of Dharmapuri district should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) demanded CPI(M) and Tamilnadu Untouchability Eradication Front(TNUEF).
G Ramakrishnan, CPI(M) state secretary, had visited Natham Colony, Anna Nagar and Kondampatti villages that were subjected to massive violence unleashed by the casteist forces on November 7. The people of those villages came up with startling revelations post violence. They narrated how the milk vendors are refusing to take milk from dalits. Some dalit people were supplying milk to the vendors regularly before the violence. The day, G Ramakrishnan visited the villages, there was a protest demonstration organised by the CPI(M) and TNUEF. When the villagers had approached for vans and some vehicles to attend the demonstration, the owners of those vehicles have refused to rent them out.
While addressing the press at Dharmapuri, G Ramakrishnan charged that these attacks were not emotional. They were pre-planned ones. The casteist forces have targeted those who had inter-caste marriages, those who prospered in the recent period etc. The reason for the anger of casteist forces is that the dalits are no more dependent on them, he said. Except few women, nobody else is going as a labourer to the nearby areas. Most of the men are working in Bangalore , Coimbatore
For the protest demonstration, people started pouring in since morning. When it started, more than 3,000 people were sitting and raising slogans demanding CBI enquiry. The meeting was addressed by G Ramakrishnan, G Anandan, CPI(M) state committee member, K Samuel Raj, TNUEF general secretary, P Dilli Babu, CPI(M) MLA, M Marimuthu, CPI(M) district secretary, CPI(M) senior leaders Deva, Perinban and Ilamparithi, Raman, district president, Kuppusamy, district secretary of TNUEF.
While addressing the demonstration, G Ramakrishnan charged the Pattalli Makkal Katchi for not condemning the violence. He also described the situation in the state as bad as far as the untouchability is concerned. Still dalits are not able to enter many temples. They can’t wear chappals. Two tumbler system still exists. Despite this situation, Ramadoss, leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi, keeps telling that the untouchability practice is abolished in the state, he charged. He assured the people that the CPI(M) will not rest till justice is delivered to Natham Colony, Anna Nagar and Kondampatti people.
The speech by the affected woman, Thaiyal Nayaki, brought tears and many people had started crying while listening to the speech. She explained, how her family had spent that “worst night in their life”. When she asked the crowd, “What did I do…?? Is it a sin that I was born as a dalit..??” , many people broke down. After two days of the violence, her son asked his father to touch one finger by showing two fingers. When he touched one, her son said, “That means today also they will come… they will beat us… they will burn everything…”
K Samuel Raj, had quoted her in his speech. He appealed to Ramadoss to learn lessons from Thaiyal Nayaki’s speech, which never talked about revenge. G Anandan in his speech had demolished many arguments put forth by the casteist forces.
Prior to the demonstration, CPI(M) and TNUEF cadres had conducted many village level meetings across the district. It evoked good response from not only dalits but also from other caste people also. Till date, the mass organisations and middle class organisations have given relief materials to the tune of around Rs Ten lakhs. More relief is on the anvil. A case has been filed by the TNUEF in the Chennai High Court for ordering CBI enquiry into the violence.
TNUEF had planned to conduct “Support inter-caste marriages” conventions at various places. The first one is being organised in Chennai on December 26. Also, the Front had conducted state level protest demonstrations to demand justice for the affected people. The struggle continues.
ATTACK ON CPI(M) IN WEST BENGAL ASSEMBLY
Attack on CPI(M) in West Bengal Assembly
From our special correspondent
THE West Bengal assembly witnessed its worst bedlam when ruling Trinamool Congress members, including ministers attacked Left Front members within the house injuring several members. CPI(M) MLA and former minister Debalina Hembram was severely beaten and kicked by TMC male members also. Another MLA, Gouranga Chatterjee suffered a head injury. Three members were hospitalised in this brutal attack.
This attack started when Left members tried to bring an adjournment motion on the mushrooming of chit funds in the state. Thousands of people are facing dire consequences of cheating by these funds. There are clear allegations that the ruling party leaders are promoting some of the big funds. The reaction of the ruling party members within assembly actually proved that.
Opposition leader Suryakanta Mishra alleged that his adjournment motion on chit funds had been severely edited by the speaker, leading to a round of debate. When the opposition protested, TMC ministers and members rushed menacingly towards them. Some of them lifted Hembram, and threw her into floor, kicking and beating her. Some other members were injured when they tried to rescue her.
In another blatant action, the speaker of the house suspended three Left Front MLAs while remaining silent about the behavior of the ruling party. Left Front members refused to participate in the assembly proceedings after that. They staged ‘Mock Assembly” outside assembly building. There was an all-round criticism of this attack on democracy throughout the state. Rallies and protest meetings followed for two days.
TMC MLA Sikha Mitra has been suspended by her party as she criticised the behavior of her colleagues exposing the ruthless nature of the ruling party in the state.
THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT
CPI(M) Parliamentary Office
BOTH the houses were adjourned on the first day of the week after paying homage to Shri Inder Kumar Gujral, a former prime minister of India Bhopal
In Rajya Sabha, there were discussions on the government’s decision to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail trade and on the notification issued by the government under the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999. A slightly edited text of the intervention by Sitaram Yechury in the discussion on FDI is being reproduced elsewhere in this issue.
Basudeb Acharia spoke on the same issue in Lok Sabha. See the text of his intervention elsewhere in this issue.
In his maiden speech in Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) member C P Narayanan supported the motion regarding FDI in multi-brand retail, saying that, like other so-called reforms introduced by this government in the past, this one is also going to benefit only a very small section of the population. There was a general agreement among various political parties that the retail trade should not be opened for foreign capital, but the government is opening this sector at the behest of certain powers. To wipe out or reduce deficits, it is not necessary to invite foreign direct investment. The member also said the foreign companies would not be bound to do local purchases because the BIPA and GATT, two of the agreements India
For the government of the United Progressive Alliance, the tribulation was over after two days of discussion in the two houses, as the government won in the voting in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha separately, on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail trade. The government received generous help once again from the Bahujan Samaj Party that voted against the motion and from the Samajwadi Party that staged a walkout.
In Lok Sabha, speaking on the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws (Amendment) Bill 2011, A Sampath urged the minister to consider his point that this bill needed a detailed study by the standing committee of parliament. He said one’s dispossession from a dwelling house, an immovable property, as per the existing act, has led to suicide in certain instances. It is an unpardonable sin. The procedure followed in existing act is that normally four notices are published in various newspapers. But all these notices cost around one lakh rupees, including the cost of advertisements charged by the newspapers, and this also is credited to the concerned party’s account. Thus, the affected person is taken out of the frying pan and thrown into the burning fire. There have been reports in various newspapers about the role of the NABARD in some such cases. The prime purpose for which the NABARD was constituted was to refinance the cooperative movement and state governments and also to undertake certain flagship programmes of the government of India
The member also said it is not fair for parliament to handcuff the judiciary. The banks’ argument is that it is some immovable property that serves as a collateral for a bank loan amount but agricultural properties are exempted from the purview of the act, and hence inordinate delay is caused in realising the amounts due to banks as the revenue authorities are to be involved for taking physical possession over the secured assets. The member also said there is only one bench of the tribunal for Kerala and it is necessary to have another bench for Kerala and Lakshadweep , because the number of such cases are increasing. While there should no doubt be speedy trial, justice hurried is justice buried. Sampath concluded with a reiteration of his request that the bill be sent to the standing committee on finance for a thorough study and deliberation before it is passed.
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P F Dorokhim, Coordinator of Russia- India Inter-Parliamentary group accompanied by A P Tarnaev representing the Communist Party of Russian Federation visited the Party headquarters in New Delhi on December 5. They had discussions with Sitaram Yechury, Head of the International Department and Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M). They once again reiterated the invitation to the CPI(M) to attend the meeting of communist parties organised by the CPRF on December 15-16. Sitaram Yechury thanked them for the invitation and stated that the Party had decided to take part in the meeting. (Sitaram Yechury will be participating in the meeting.) On behalf of the CPRF, they presented Sitaram Yechury with a ‘Order of CPRF’ medal commemorating the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the USSR.
Friday, December 14, 2012
THE Cover Story (December 14) provided a detailed insight into what ails Gaza. It showed how international laws and human rights have been violated by Israel, which rained bombs on Gaza for days and gained little.
The world needs to apply pressure on Israel to stop such bombings and to ensure innocent lives are not lost and peace is restored. Justifying Israel’s offensive tactics is not the way out.
Balasubramaniam Pavani
Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh
THE Cover Story gave a clear picture of the Israel-Palestine issue. Israel has violated all human rights and international treaties by killing hundreds of innocent unarmed civilians, including children. It is pathetic to see U.S. President Barack Obama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, support Israel’s brutal slaughtering in the name of self-defence.
Dr E.N. Murthy
Hyderabad
THE tensions between Israel and Hamas are a cause for concern. The frequent acts of aggression in Gaza are only the tip of the iceberg with respect to the challenges facing countries. Retaliatory acts cannot provide permanent solutions to problems. Serious and urgent steps are needed to stop the current trouble brewing in Israel and Gaza. Otherwise, a major human catastrophe is on the cards.
P. Senthil Saravana Durai
Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu
Courtesy: FRONTLINE
Ways of neoliberalism: The neoliberal polity is marked by an effective strangling of democracy; a pervasive practice of “identity politics” that sustains multiple fascist tendencies; rampant “corruption”; and the pursuit of policies that impoverish people and roll back the social and political gains made by hitherto excluded groups like Dalits and women, and reduce the minorities to a subservient status. - PRABHAT PATNAIK
‘The government has failed miserably’
D. Raja, Rajya Sabha member, Communist Party of India
Morally, it [the vote on FDI in multi-brand retail] is a defeat for the government. The Congress has lost its moral political authority. As the principal opposition party, the BJP is in complete disarray. It does not have a focus or direction and suffers from its own internal contradictions and allegations of corruption. As for the Left, we are fighting back, but we have to rejuvenate ourselves by taking up issues relating to livelihood consistently. The background is one of deep crisis—economic, political, social and moral. The government has completely failed to tackle inflation, unemployment and the decline of the rupee. It has miserably failed in its taxation policy as well. Never before has any government so brazenly identified itself with the corporate sector. Even Indira Gandhi gave the slogan of “Garibi Hatao” and supported the nationalisation of banks. It is an irony that the same party is pushing for privatisation and de-nationalisation.
In such a situation, there are the regional parties and no one can wish them away. The Left will have to work with them but it will have to work with temporary and permanent allies. At the same time, the Left has to consistently project a political and economic alternative as there is widespread social unrest and dissatisfaction among youth, the downtrodden sections and the industrial working class. The situation demands an effective intervention by the Left, which alone cannot give an alternative.
As told to T.K. Rajalakshmi
Saturday, December 8, 2012
THIS column is admittedly, and regrettably, late in running an article commemorating the fiftieth year after the publication in September 1962 of Rachel Carsons’ Silent Spring, arguably one of the most influential books of our time. Many tributes and reviews of Silent Spring, not only on this half-centenary but even earlier over the past several decades, have hailed the book as marking the beginning of the environmental movement in the West or even, in some sense, in the world. That is somewhat of an overstatement, although not an unforgivable one. It would be a far closer description of its epochal character to recognise, as unfortunately few have done, that Silent Spring heralded a new way of looking at science and technology (S&T) and its relation to society in the second half of the twentieth century.
THE fourteenth meeting of the International Communist and Workers’ Parties (IMCWP) was held in Beirut, Lebanon’s Capital, between November 22 – 25, 2012, under the banner: “Strengthen the struggles against escalating imperialist aggressiveness, for satisfying peoples’ socio-economic-democratic rights and aspirations, for socialism”.
Friday, December 7, 2012
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