LEFT FRONT MANIFESTO RELEASED IN TRIPURA

Left Front Manifesto Released

THE election manifesto of the Left Front was released by Left Front convener Khagen Das at a press conference at the CPI(M) Tripura state committee office on on January 17, in the presence of the leaders of the constituent parties of the Front.

Das said that the manifesto of the Left Front has emphasised on 34 important sectors ranging from communication, agriculture, industries, employment, health, education, food security to welfare of the SC, ST, OBC, religious minorities in particular and all sections of the people in general. He said that the Left Front has an impeccable record of implementing all its electoral promises and done even what it had not promised in the manifesto. For the continuation of the atmosphere of peace, harmony and development, formation of the seventh Left Front government is necessary.

CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar termed the manifesto as the composite strategic plan of the Left Front based on its alternative set of policies for the development of the state.

RED TSUNAMI IN AGARTALA

RED TSUNAMI IN AGARTALA

Rahul Sinha

AGARTALA turned into a red sea of humanity on January 20, 2013 as the Left Front organised its central election rally. The mammoth gathering of people from all over the state flooded the city and the militant mood of the masses was convincing enough to indicate that nothing can stop the formation of Seventh Left Front government  in the state as it goes to polls on February 14.

It was a foregone conclusion that the ‘Stable Ground’ would be too small to accommodate even half the number of people who would come to Agartala to join this central rally. Accordingly, the Left Front Committee had, well in advance, sought permission from the union home ministry to use the Assam Rifles ground for the meeting. But, it was denied. So, on the day of the central rally, the Left Front made the whole city of Agartala the place of meeting. There was an unending flow of masses pouring in from every corner of the state, resembling a red tsunami. From the early morning itself people from the far-flung areas started for Agartala. Well before the meeting started, the ground and the galleries were jam-packed. The whole city was flooded as the rallies from outside Agartala poured in. The meeting started at around 1.30 pm. But the jubilant rallies continued to enter till 3 pm. But that was only a fraction of the gathering. All the main streets of the city were also jam-packed as thousands of people who could not enter the ground chose to hear the leaders through the loudspeakers put up across the city. All the roads leading to Agartala came to a standstill as the long queue of vehicles carrying the Left Front supporters stuck in a traffic jam. At least 700 vehicles could not even enter the city.

This historic mass meeting was presided over by Tripura Left Front convener Khagen Das. The meeting was addressed by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, chief minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Manik Sarkar, CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar, CPI(M) CC member Aghor Debbarma, RSP central secretariat member Manoj Bhattacharya, CPI leader Dinesh Saha and AIFB state president Brajagopal Roy.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat in his speech said that the way the Left Front government has performed in the state for the welfare of the toiling masses and if this historic gathering is any indication, we are convinced that the Seventh Left Front government shall surely be formed. He said except for a spell of 5 years, from 1988 to 1993, the Left Front has been in office here for 30 years. The history of the LF governments is the history of struggles. The central government, the ruling classes and the imperialist forces have tried repeatedly to dislodge it. It had to move forward by overcoming all these challenges. It has implemented its policies of land reform, welfare of workers and their social security in a total contrast to the anti-people policies of the centre.

The ruling classes have tried their best by creating hurdles to see that the policies of the Left Front government do not get implemented. But the people have always stood by the LF government because they know that only the Left can safeguard their interests. Equally, the ruling classes know that their policies cannot be implemented here as long as the Left Front is in office. That is why in 1988, the heinous conspiracy was hatched by using the extremists to murder innocent people just days before the election, following which the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi promulgated Disturbed Areas Act all over the state and sent paramilitary forces to the state. The subsequent election was totally rigged to ensure the victory of Congress-TUJS alliance. Karat said the people of the state shall never forget those dark days when hundreds of our Party leaders and cadres were murdered, thousands were forced to flee from their houses and even women were brutally tortured.

“Today, the picture of the state has gone through a sea change. We feel proud for the achievements of this government. What the Left Front government in Tripura has done is an example to follow for other state governments. While in other states, only 40-50 man days of work is being provided under MGNREGA, in Tripura it is 86-88 days. The state is way ahead of all the other states in terms of implementing the Forest Rights Act in terms of the number of families who got pattas”, he said.

Lambasting the centre for its anti-people policies, Karat said that one after another attacks are being mounted on the livelihood of common man. Prices of diesel and fertilisers have been decontrolled; rail fares have been increased across the board. But the corporates have been given a tax holiday worth over Rs 5 lakh crore. The centre is creating obstacles for the LF government in Tripura, he charge.  It deprived a huge amount of Rs 10,500 crore to the state through the Finance Commission. But the state has done its best to extend all kinds of help to the people despite its financial limitations. While the much talked about food security legislation of the centre talks of giving 25 kg of foodgrains to the BPL families at Rs 3 per kg, here the Left Front government is providing 35 kg of foodgrains at Rs 2 per kg. In education, the state ranks fourth among all the states today. The neo-liberal policies of the centre shall not be implemented here as long as Left Front is in power, he asserted.

Karat said that the imperialist forces have backed the extremists here to destabilise the Left Front government by creating disunity among the tribal and non tribal population. After much bloodshed, our government has re-established peace and harmony here which is again an example for the other states.  Karat charged the UPA-II government of surrendering the economic sovereignty of the country to the international finance capital. The working class of the country has called for a two-day strike on February 20 and 21 against the policies of the Congress-led UPA-II government. A massive victory of the Left Front in the ensuing election shall be a big boost to this struggle. He appealed to the people to ensure a bigger victory of the Left Front to carry forward this atmosphere of peace, harmony and development.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and chief minister Manik Sarkar expressed confidence that if the present scenario can be maintained the Left Front will secure a massive victory both in terms of seats and votes secured. “But we should not be complacent. Conspiracies are being hatched to create law and order problems during the election, lots of money, even fake currencies, will be used by the opposition. He called for consolidating the confidence of the workers, winning over those who are still in the opposition camp and ensure victory of the Left Front candidates in all the 60 seats to write a new chapter in the history of the state.

Manik Sarkar said that the extremist forces had created a horrific situation in the state by their terrorist activities. Today, after peace has been re-established, there is a qualitative change in all the sectors including political, social and economic. This is ensuring a speedy and all round development. The Seventh Left Front government is necessary to maintain this atmosphere of peace and development. But the Congress party does not want this environment to continue. That is why they have again forged electoral alliance with INPT, the mask of the banned extremist outfit. This alliance is an indirect alliance with the extremists themselves. “The Congress slogan of so-called poribartan (change) is stolen from Bengal and they want to return the state to those dark days of semi-fascist terror of 1988-92. The people of the state shall not opt for such a destructive change. Today, democracy in the state is extended to the grassroots level, a secular atmosphere is established and our government is implementing welfare programs for all the sections of the masses. There is not a single incident of starvation death or farmer suicide in Tripura. The per capita income of the people of the state has gone up to more than Rs 50,000 from around Rs 20,000 seven years back. No one has to beg here. We are working to ensure communication, electricity, health, education and irrigation in every village. The Left Front is the guarantee  for a prosperous Tripura.”

CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar appealed to all the peace and development loving people who are still with Congress to join hands with the Left Front. He underlined that electoral battle is also a form of class struggle. The class enemies of the working people shall not sit idle. We have to be alert to foil any of their ploys.

Aghor Debbarma said, the unholy alliance of Congress and INPT will be harmful for the peace and harmony of the state. We have to reject it straightaway to save the state.

Khagen Das said that the people of Tripura will give the Congress a befitting reply if they try to create a situation like that of 1988. We have paid a huge cost to bring peace. We will not allow it to be destroyed.

RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya spoke about the so-called poribartan in Bengal that has resulted in a situation where democracy itself is at stake, women are being raped day in and day out. People of Tripura will not let this happen.

CPI leader Dinesh Saha and AIFB leader Brajagopal Ray also appealed to ensure a massive victory of the Left Front.

THE All India Lawyers Union (AILU) held its 11th biennial conference in New Delhi from December 27 to 29, 2012, with more than 600 delegates from 24 states --- representing lawyers, law teachers and law students --- deliberating upon subjects of vital importance to the public at large and to the lawyers fraternity. The Delhi state committee of the AILU, the host unit, had set up for the conference a reception committee with Justice R S Sodhi (former judge of Delhi High Court) as chairman and Som Dutta Sharma (AILU’s national treasurer and the host unit’s vice president) as its secretary. Twelve committees were formed to make preparations for the conference.

AILU HOLDS 11TH CONFERENCE

Striving to Bring Justice to People

Som Dutta Sharma

THE All India Lawyers Union (AILU) held its 11th biennial conference in New Delhi from December 27 to 29, 2012, with more than 600 delegates from 24 states --- representing lawyers, law teachers and law students --- deliberating upon subjects of vital importance to the public at large and to the lawyers fraternity. The Delhi state committee of the AILU, the host unit, had set up for the conference a reception committee with Justice R S Sodhi (former judge of Delhi High Court) as chairman and Som Dutta Sharma (AILU’s national treasurer and the host unit’s vice president) as its secretary. Twelve committees were formed to make preparations for the conference.

REMEMBERING THE BEGINNING

The Delhi state committee had the opportunity of holding an event after a gap of 27 years. It was in 1982 that a convention of eminent lawyers was held in New Delhi, in which the decision to form an all-India organisation of lawyers, law teachers and law students was taken. The 1982 convention was addressed, apart from others from the bar, by late Comrade Jyoti Basu, himself a Bar at Law, and by Justice V R Krishna Iyer, Justice A C Gupta and Justice H R Khanna, all retired judges of the Supreme Court.

The 11th conference, held at Rai Kedarnath Memorial Hall situated within the compound of Ramjas School No 4 on Chitragupta Road, Paharganj, New Delhi, began on December 27 morning, with AILU national president Hashim Abdul Halim hoisting the flag. The delegates entered the conference hall after offering floral tributes at the martyr column.

All roads leading to the venue of the conference and the venue decked with AILU flags, banners and flowers wore a festive look. The conference hall was decorated with flowers and flex boards displaying the message of the organisation and theme subjects of the conference.

The host unit’s president P V Dinesh said the Delhi unit felt proud of hosting the conference that had a special importance for Delhiunit as the All India Lawyers Union was born in Delhi 30 years ago. Holding of an all-India conference came as an opportunity to us to organise ourselves by reaching out to the maximum number of advocates in the city and that the unit took this opportunity as a challenge as Delhi unit is one of the small units. The Delhi unit stated gaining confidence from the response it got from the ten thousand lawyers of all shades including super seniors. The reception committee had also created its website www.ailudelhi.in as an interface between itself and the delegates. The speaker expressed confidence that the conference deliberations would be memorable.

IMPORTANT ADDRESSES

Delivering his presidential address, Halim recounted the political situation in 1980 and the meeting he had at Justice Hari Swaroop’s residence with some friends and their resolve to form an all-India organisation for taking up the cause of working class, peasantry, dalits, women and children. He said the thought processes in the society are changing very fast with the advent of television, computer and internet. He asked the delegates to integrate with the people for their own purposes. Referring to the recent rape incident in Delhi, Halim said the police do not work the way they should and that the judicial system is bogged down with delays in deciding the cases. Young lawyers, in this scenario, have to come forward, take charge of the organisation and march forward. He hoped that the conference would identify the issues on which to move forward.  

Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly, former judge of the Supreme Court, inaugurated the conference. He said some judgements and some developments made him to feel ashamed that he was a judge of the Supreme Court. Quoting Roscoe Pound, Justice Ganguly said “law is a tool of social engineering” and that the position of lawyers is crucial in our society. In a democratic country law has a very important role to play since the state is an all-embracing body affecting the life of the people when they are asserting their rights under the law. He asked the audience to understand why protests from the civil society are coming. Why women are treated like cattle in the backyard? Why infanticide? In one village of Rajasthan, no marriage has taken place for decades. Girls are killed immediately after birth. Justice Ganguly asked the audience to understand how the country came to acquire its constitutional values. He said each subject of the conference, viz quick and inexpensive justice, corruption free judiciary and human rights, is a constitutional right of the people. He also talked of the impact of globalisation on the legal profession.

Justice Ganguly said honesty is a basic assumption for a judge and the often-used expression that he or she is an honest judge is a sad commentary on the judiciary. He said justice reaches its finest moment when it stands firm in the fight between the rich and the poor, between the strong and the weak. He castigated the Supreme Court for engaging in corporate cases and relegating the common men’s cases to the background. He asked what would happen to the cases affecting the people’s human rights if the Supreme Court gets busy in deciding the cases of corporate siblings.

Justice Ganguly reminded the audience about the role played by lawyers in the freedom struggle, in framing of the constitution and later on in its radical interpretation by judges like Krishna Iyer, Chinnappa Reddy, B K Mukhrjee and Vivian Bose which activism is found missing today.

Justice Ganguly said people are losing faith in judiciary because of delays in and the cost of getting justice. Not many can come to the Supreme Court today; it is a place of luxury for the rich who can afford it. The poor can’t. To ameliorate this situation, much can be done by lawyers and their organisations like the AILU.

Earlier, Justice R S Sodhi’s address (read in his absence because of his indisposition) welcomed the delegates and recalled the how formation of AILU in 1982 when H A Halim and other leaders used to meet in the Lawyers Chamber No 66 of the Supreme Court for the purpose.

In his pre-recorded address to the conference, Justice V R Krishna Iyer asked the delegates to bring justice to the have-nots and through alternative redressal mechanisms since justice to them brooks no delay. He asked the conference to devote time to discuss as to how colonial laws could be converted into swaraj. Wishing grand success to the conference, Justice Krishna Iyer asked the delegates to organise legal aid programmes for the downtrodden.

IDEOLOGICAL THRUST AND THEME

The inaugural open session of the conference was also addressed by three distinguished speakers on the subjects of the conference. Dr C P Chandrasekhar, professor in economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, spoke on corruption in the neo-liberal era. Dr J S Chhokar, retired professor of IIM, Ahmedabad, spoke on electoral reforms and Dr Arun Mohan, a senior advocate, spoke on access to justice.

The ideological thrust of the conference was on four subjects:

(1) Restructuring of justice delivery system towards quick and inexpensive justice through a decentralised and democratised judicial system.

(2) Corruption in judiciary and political system.

(3) Human rights and Indian constitution.

(4) Impact of globalisation on legal profession.

The delegates thoroughly discussed these subjects in four different commissions, each one of which was chaired by one member of the organisation’s secretariat. The Commission on Restructuring of Justice Delivery System was chaired by E K Narayanan, all-India vice president; the Commission on Corruption in judiciary and in political system by Kolli Satyanarayan, joint secretary; the Commission on Human Rights and Indian Constitution by Joginder Singh Toor, vice president, and the Commission on the Impact of Globalisation on Legal Profession was chaired by Nisith Adhikary, vice president. The chairman of every commission then placed the quintessence of discussion in his commission in the delegates session. Discussion on the theme subjects of the conference by delegates in different commissions was a new experience for a majority of the delegates who participated in the commission deliberations with great enthusiasm.

Presenting the draft of the work and organisation report in the delegates session, AILU general secretary D K Agarwal emphasised the importance of the subjects chosen for discussion in the conference. He highlighted the work done by the centre and the state units during last four years, underlined the weaknesses of the organisation and also dwelt on the tasks before the organisation. He recounted the difficulties faced by the centre in bringing out and distributing the Popular Jurist. He asked the delegates to comment on the report objectively and critically so that the organisation’s functioning could be improved in the next two years. Delegates discussed the report presented by the secretariat for ten and a half hours on December 28 and 29.

The conference adopted resolutions on price rise, decentralisation of judiciary, violation of human rights, all-India bar examination, formation of a National Judicial Commission, problems of junior lawyers, central welfare fund for lawyers, crimes against women, foreign direct investment, incident at a temple in Udupi, and the Delhi gang rape case.

The conference elected a National Council of 171 members which immediately thereafter elected an executive committee of 81, including 33 office bearers. Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya from West Bengal was elected the AILU president, Som Dutta Sharma fromDelhi was elected general secretary and Ms G Chamkiraj was elected the treasurer. There will be 14 vice presidents, nine joint secretaries and seven secretaries, while one post is vacant.

The newly elected president and general secretary addressed the delegates in its concluding session on December 29 afternoon when nine veterans of the organisation, including the outgoing president and general secretary, were presented shawls and mementos. The conference then concluded with the resolute determination of the delegates to take the organisation to the mass of the lawyers, law teachers and law students.  

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The conference elected a National Council of 171 members which immediately thereafter elected an executive committee of 81, including 33 office bearers. Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya from West Bengal was elected the AILU president, Som Dutta Sharma fromDelhi was elected general secretary and Ms G Chamkiraj was elected the treasurer. There will be 14 vice presidents, nine joint secretaries and seven secretaries, while one post is vacant.

The newly elected president and general secretary addressed the delegates in its concluding session on December 29 afternoon when nine veterans of the organisation, including the outgoing president and general secretary, were presented shawls and mementos. The conference then concluded with the resolute determination of the delegates to take the organisation to the mass of the lawyers, law teachers and law students.  

Human Chain against Sexual Violence on Feb 11

Human Chain against Sexual Violence on Feb 11

Sudha Sundararaman

THE AIDWA central executive committee meeting at Kolkata on January 20-21, 2012 has called for a nationwide signature campaign on a petition to the prime minister, with a charter of demands, to deal with sexual violence and crimes against women on an urgent basis. On February 11, AIDWA along with members of the SFI and the DYFI will form a human chain and take a pledge to continue the struggle for justice, intervene in cases of violence against women and inculcate values of gender equality.

AIDWA CEC also resolved to have widespread protests jointly with women’s organisations on March 8 – International Women’s Day, linking the ongoing violence to economic and social devaluation of women in a neo-liberal regime. The demand for 33 percent will be taken up as well.

The meeting, which was presided over by AIDWA president Shyamali Gupta, along with vice presidents, Subhashini Ali, Savithri Mazumdar and Rampari, passed a condolence resolution for the Delhi gangrape victim, and resolved to intensify the struggle for justice and equality. The general secretary, Sudha Sundararaman, while presenting the report on current developments, highlighted the different facets of violence that was being faced by women today, and stressed the need to intervene on them at many levels.  

ALARMING INCREASE

The report noted that in the aftermath of the brutal gangrape of a 23 year old paramedical student in a moving bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012, women, students, youth along with other sections took to the streets in an unprecedented storm of protests. They laid siege to parliament braving water cannons and lathi charges by the police. The girl’s death on December 29, despite her courageous fight to live, sent the whole nation into mourning.  Seldom has the country seen such a mammoth reaction on an issue of violence against women. 

Many aspects of the crime provoked this spontaneous outburst. The inhuman brutality in a moving bus in a crowded area of the country’s capital served as a trigger for pent up resentment against insecurity and harassment in various forms that girls were facing almost daily. The frustration of being groped in crowded areas, or in buses, without recourse to justice, the sexist comments that demeaned and humiliated women, has fed into the anger. The extensive media coverage also played a role, giving constant updates of the girl’s brave battle, and of the protests that went on for days.

The protests also highlighted the glaring failure of the legal system as a whole. The repeated submissions to the government demanding changes in the rape laws have been met with apathy. Now, after the pressure mounted from all quarters, two committees have been set up to examine the legal aspects. But the biggest problem of implementation remains. AIDWA, along with the other national women’s organisations has submitted a detailed memorandum, highlighting the changes required to ensure justice. Kirti Singh from AIDWA had made a detailed presentation to Justice Verma Committee on this. Speedy trials, certainty of punishment, accountability of the police, proper rehabilitation and support, all have to be guaranteed.

DEROGATORY COMMENTS 

In the aftermath of the gangrape, the worst kind of sexist and regressive comments were being made by conservative sections including BJP and RSS leaders, and so called ‘god men’. Many of these statements justify sexual crimes against women by blaming them for becoming victims of assault rather than focusing on the crimes of the perpetrators. A number of fatwas denying use of mobile phones for women and restricting their mobility after sunset were issued by khap panchayats and Muslim fundamentalists across the country. AIDWA has demanded that the Supreme Court view expressed in Court recently that banning mobile phones, and issuing dress codes is illegal, should be acted upon by the government, and appropriate action taken against those issuing such diktats. In Puducherry, the announcement by the education minister that girls would have to wear a coat to school, as a knee jerk reaction to the abduction and rape of a school student, was vehemently opposed by AIDWA and others, forcing the minister to revoke the diktat. 

AIDWA CEC also strongly condemned the fascist assaults on freedom of expression in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka and in many other states which are an alarming indicator of intolerance. In all these cases, sec 66A of IT Act has been used. AIDWA has demanded removal of the sec 66A of the IT Act since it is being used widely to quash the democratic rights and freedom of expression.

The CEC expressed shock that the West Bengal state government has refused to accept a joint memorandum from women’s groups about the growing incidents of violence against women in the state. With panchayat elections drawing near in West Bengal, violence perpetrated by the ruling TMC is reaching a new high. The shameful and brutal attack on Devlina Hembram, ST woman MLA from Ranibandh, Bankura, inside the West Bengal assembly by members of the ruling party in which she was pushed down on the floor of the house and kicked and trampled on, depicted the extent of lawlessness under the TMC. The increase in political violence at a time when atrocities against women in the state also continue unabated, suggest that chaos and administrative inaction are being fostered deliberately from the highest level of the government in preparation for unleashing a reign of terror during the panchayat elections. This will surely affect the participation of women in the elections at a time when 50 percent seats are to be reserved for women. AIDWA has resolved that it will continue to resist the culture of political violence being fostered by the ruling party in the state.

In an era of neo-liberalisation, the privatisation of all welfare schemes and earlier governmental obligations in areas such as education and health is sought for private profit maximisation. AIDWA strongly opposed the replacement of subsidised food grains, kerosene, LPG and fertilisers with cash. In a period of high inflation, cash transfers to replace subsidised goods is meant to actually cut subsidies since the cash to be transferred will not cover the increased costs of the same amount of subsidised food grains, kerosene, gas  or fertilisers. Having cash transfers would end up in dismantling the PDS and procurement from farmers. It will lead to increasing malnutrition and hunger in the country, which will have a worst impact on women and children. AIDWA has demanded universal PDS with minimum entitlement of 35 kgs at a price not more than Rs 2 per kg, and has resolved to strengthen the struggle for comprehensive food security legislation in the coming days.

A resolution supporting the two day strike called by the trade unions was passed.

AIDWA patron Brinda Karat spoke at the meeting highlighting the role of young women in the movement against violence, and emphasising the importance of involving them at all levels in all our struggles and organisational work. She explained the intentions of the UPA government with regard to replacing goods with cash transfers, and underlined the need for survey based intervention on the issue.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 

Bihar committee of AIDWA was warmly greeted for accepting to host the 10th national conference of AIDWA, which is due in November 2013. The membership review which was conducted showed renewal of membership had been completed, and the total members had crossed One crore ten lakhs, and was poised to grow further. The CEC determined to make more efforts to consolidate the membership through unit level struggles and activities, and move for expansion so that more and more women would join in the struggle for equality and emancipation.

Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee Report

Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee Report

Archana Prasad

IN 2006 the Rajender Sachar committee report highlighted the poor socio-economic conditions of the Indian Muslims. It showed that the Muslim minorities were lagging behind even the scheduled castes and tribes in terms of their access to basic amenities, and this was impacting their overall social and economic conditions. The report further highlighted the segmented nature of the Muslim population, with special focus on the Muslim OBCs who needed special care if the lot of the Muslim minorities as a whole was to improve.

SITUATION NOT MUCH IMPROVED

Soon thereafter, debate and discussion on the report forced the prime minister to announce a 15 point programme for the development these social groups. The UPA government also initiated a flagship programme, the Multisectoral District Development Programme, for minority concentration districts. Initially the project was implemented in 90 districts and then extended to 121 districts in order to undertake the overall development of these groups. Apart from this, the prime minister’s 15 point programme declared its intention to ensure public sector employment for the minorities as well as to control communal disharmony and violence.

However, the situation is far from improved after the first six years of the implementation of these programmes, as shown by the analysis of a report prepared by a team of researchers led by Abusaleh Shariff. This experience of the post-Sachar experience also reveals the deep rooted systemic biases that prevail against the minorities.

MINORITIES AND EDUCATION

The prime minister’s 15 point programme clearly identifies enhancing opportunities for education as one of the main strategies for minority welfare. It states that the government will work towards providing pre- and post-matric scholarships, increasing access to school and technical education and improving pre school education.

However, the data between 2005 and 2010 show that despite these measures, the Indian Muslims still lagged behind in terms of educational attainment. Though their literacy levels have improved considerably, the rate of rise has been slowest amongst the Muslim OBCs. In overall terms, the level of improvement in literacy among the scheduled tribes and scheduled castes was significantly higher than that among the Muslims. The data show that this pattern and the gap get only more accentuated at the higher levels of education. For example, the improvement at the level of matriculation for the scheduled tribes has been 13 per cent in urban and 10 per cent in rural areas. For the scheduled castes, these have been 11 per cent in urban and 7 per cent in rural areas. But for the Muslims these have been 5 per cent in urban and 7 per cent in rural areas. This not only shows them at a level that is lower than any other social group, but also shows that the improvement in their access is not taking place at a desired pace, despite a focussed programme.

At the level of higher education, the situation is still worse. While the Muslim OBCs recorded a mere two per cent increase in their participation in higher education institutions between 2005 and 2010, the Muslims of the general category recorded a net decline of 1.5 per cent in the same period. This trend is alarming because all other marginalised social groups --- like the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as well as other minorities --- recorded significant increases in the proportion of people within the ambit of higher education.

EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMY

This lag in educational attainment has had an impact on the patterns of employment among the Muslims. The data for 2009-2010 show that most of the formal sector employment is dominated by upper caste Hindus and the minorities other than the Muslims. The scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the Muslims fare quite badly as far as the formal sector is concerned.

For instance, the share of all Muslims in formal sector employment is only 11.6 per cent, compared to a combined 20.7 per cent amongst the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Of this, only 5.6 per cent are employed in the public sector in urban areas where as 83.4 per cent are employed in the private sector. In the rural areas, only 2.6 of the Muslims are employed in the public sector. They also have only three per cent of all job cards in a flagship scheme like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, thus revealing that this scheme is not catering to the needs of the poorest amongst the marginalised.

Thus the fact is that the Muslims, with their high concentration in urban areas, are largely self-employed or concentrated in the service sector comprising community, personal and social services. Thus 33 per cent of all the Muslim urban workers are employed in the traditional services sector. In contrast, only six per cent of them work in new and modern services such as banking, information technology, insurance and other fast growing sectors. This figure is even more significant in the wake of the fact that the proportion of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the modern service sector is 32 and 27 per cent respectively. This is directly related to their improvement in the education sector as well as in regard to the constitutional guarantees that have been implemented for them.

A large section of the Muslims are self-employed and are concentrated in artisanal occupations which have slow growth rates and also lack investment. As the government disinvests in social and economic infrastructure, the access to financial credit is crucial for any small self-employed enterprise. However, most minorities, and especially the Muslims, remain financially excluded. A committee of top bankers found that both public and private sector banks failed to provide credit support to the poor minorities. In its own review, the Reserve Bank of India states that though 20.3 per cent of all accounts were held by the minorities, they accounted for only 11.6 per cent of all loans.

In the years 2009-2011, the monitoring of 121 minority concentration districts under the multisectoral development programme suggested that the per capita availability of advance from banks increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh for all Muslim account holders between 2008 and 2011. For the same years, however, the scheduled tribes found themselves in a much better situation where the per capita advance made by banks increased from Rs 2,30,000 to Rs 2,70,000 per year.

Thus the disparity amongst the minorities themselves and between the Muslims and other targeted social groups like the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes seems to be growing despite the claims of the Ministry of Finance that the share of the Muslims in priority sector loans increased from 8.08 per cent to 13 per cent between 2005 and 2011.

NEED TO INTENSIFY THE FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

The discussion above shows a growing gap between the Muslims and other social groups in so far as their overall development is concerned. The report on the evaluation of the post-Sachar minority development programmes attributes this lag and the gap to the misdirected and inefficiently implemented programmes. For example, the multisectoral district development scheme in the minority concentration districts does not cover the urban areas --- thereby affecting the access of the Muslims, 40 per cent of whom form a part of the urban poor.

This explanation, however, is only a part of the truth as the exclusion of the Muslims is also structured by majoritarian attitudes and discriminatory practices. The targeting of the Muslim youth and the lack of constitutional guarantees has only accentuated these processes and led to further deprivation for the Muslim minority.

Thus the fight for the legitimate rights and access of the Muslim minority has to be fought at two levels --- for their better access to the basic services and amenities, on the one had, and against the communal attitudes and for basic human rights, on the other hand.

Further, the democratic movement needs to intensify the struggle that links this fight to the larger struggle against the neo-liberal policies by sensitising the mass organisations to the special circumstances and needs of the Indian Muslims. To this end, it must have to work towards building a political consensus on constitutional guarantees to bring women, dalits and OBCs within the Muslim minority in the ambit of affirmative action.

Moreover, special developmental programmes and subsidies need to be provided for upgrading the artisanal sector that has a concentration of the Muslim minority. This will strengthen the forces of social reform and enable the oppressed sections within the Muslims to organise themselves and fight against the right wing fundamentalism within their own communities. Such a fight is essential not for the Muslims alone but also for preserving the democratic fabric and countering the influence of the advancing right wing forces within the nation.

Self-Defeating Actions against Cultural, Sports People

Self-Defeating Actions against Cultural, Sports People

The Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) issued the following statement on January 24, 2013, expressing concern over the actions taken against cultural and sports personalities and others from Pakistan

As a cultural organisation, devoted to the cause of solidarity of all peoples, the SAHMAT has been dismayed by the series of official and semi-official measures that have followed the unfortunate incidents on the Line of Actual Control in Jammu and Kashmir, in which soldiers on both sides have lost their lives. On such occasions it is most important to keep the avenues of communication open, even if for the purpose of conveying one’s own version of events to such people on the other side whom one can reach. To close down such avenues deliberately is surely senseless and self-defeating. By shutting down visas that were to be made available to aged Pakistan entrants, sending back Pakistan cricketers and sportswomen, refusing permission to stage Manto’s plays by visiting Pakistan theatre persons, and banning Pakistan’s persons of literature from participating in functions in India, are measures that manifestly belittle the image of our Republic, and do nothing to serve the cause of peace and improve relations between our two peoples.

The SAHMAT notes that amidst the jingoistic din of the media, some leading newspapers in their editorials have shown maturity by criticising these measures and the official pronouncements which inspired these actions. India and Pakistan have a rich cultural legacy to share, of which a common appreciation of Manto and the devotion to the sport of cricket are just two illustrations. Only those who scorn this legacy, and therefore the richness of their own culture, can commit the acts of intolerance that have taken place.

The SAHMAT hopes that good sense will prevail and our doors will be soon reopened to ordinary people as well as representatives of culture and sports from Pakistan. It goes without saying that we also hope similar gestures will be made by the government ofPakistan.

Comrade P Govinda Pillai

Comrade P Govinda Pillai

THE Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) pays homage to the memory of Comrade P Govinda Pillai, prominent Marxist intellectual, former member of the Kerala state committee of the Party.

Ever since he joined the Communist Party in Bombay as a young student, PG as he was popularly known, remained steadfast in his Marxist convictions and adherence to the Communist Party.

He made a big contribution to Deshabhimani as its chief editor for nearly two decades. He made an immense contribution to popularising Marxism. Govinda Pillai enriched the literary and cultural life of Kerala through his writings, speeches and discussions.

The Central Committee pays homage to his memory and conveys heartfelt condolences to his wife, daughter and other family members.

Concern over Ceasefire Violations

Concern over Ceasefire Violations

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while in session at Kolkata, issued the following statement on January 17, 2013.

THE Central Committee expressed its deep concern at the raising of tensions on the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir. It strongly condemned the killing of two of the Indian soldiers on January 8 and the beheading of one of them. The government of Indiashould take a firm stand and convey to the Pakistan authorities that such attacks are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

The ceasefire adopted on the Line of Control in 2003 had served the purpose of maintaining a relatively peaceful border all these years, and the deterioration of the situation on the Line of Control should be checked. For this, high level talks should be held with the government of Pakistan to ensure that such violations of the ceasefire do not recur.

The government of India should, while adopting this firm stance, also ensure that the dialogue process with Pakistan continues. There should be no curbs on the people to people relations being developed between the two countries.

DECONTROL OF DIESEL PRICES

The Central Committee condemned the decision of the UPA government to decontrol diesel prices. This will lead to continuous increase in the prices of diesel just as it happened with the prices of petrol after deregulation. The rise in the prices of diesel will impact on transport and increase inflation. It will also affect farmers adversely. The UPA government is adamant about further burdening the people who are already suffering from ever increasing price rise of all essential commodities.

In this connection, the decision to raise the cap on LPG cylinders to nine is insufficient and provides little relief.

Justice Verma Committee Report

On Justice Verma Committee Report

  

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on January 24, 2013.

THE CPI(M) Polit Bureau welcomes the report and recommendations of the Justice Verma committee concerning sexual violence against women. The report and recommendations are comprehensive and situate sexual violence against women within a broader framework of socio-economic conditions and issues concerning governance, the law, politics and social attitudes and the reforms required to ensure justice for women. The Polit Bureau appreciates the excellent work put in by the committee which has completed its work before time.

It is incumbent on the government to act without any delay on the recommendations. The CPI(M) demands:

(1) that the concrete recommendations concerning changes in the rape and sexual harassment laws should be placed and passed in the forthcoming session of parliament

(2) that a multi-ministerial committee should be set up with a time-bound mandate of one month to look into the other recommendations concerning different agencies such as on police reform, on bringing armed forces personnel under the purview of the criminal laws and withdrawing protection under AFSPA, changes in the Peoples Representation Act, on khap panchayats, on improvement of conditions in juvenile homes, on specific facilities for disabled women etc.

(3) An action taken report on these recommendations should be presented so that urgent reforms required in the areas mentioned by the Verma committee can be taken forward.

TOWARDS A SEVENTH LEFT FRONT GOVERNMENT IN TRIPURA - PRAKASH KARAT

THE Left Front in Tripura held a central rally in Agartala on January 20 to launch its election campaign. The state assembly elections are on February 14. I participated in this rally which saw one lakh people attending, a huge number, considering that the total population of the state is only 37 lakhs.

Tripura is in the north-eastern part of the country. It is surrounded on three sides by Bangladesh. It was here in the nineteen forties that the Communist party worked among the tribal people and organised them to fight against the Maharaja and his feudal rule. Nripen Chakraborty, Dasarath Deb and Biren Datta were the pioneers of the Communist movement. The first two later served as the chief ministers of the state.

Tripura has had a Left Front government since 1978. In the first two terms of the Left Front government, there were two major achievements: the implementation of land reforms and the setting up of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council under the sixth schedule of the constitution. There was a break only in 1988-93 when there was a Congress regime. The Congress came to power through a rigged election with the help of the central government headed by Rajiv Gandhi. This was one of the most sordid episodes in Indian politics.The five year period saw semi-fascist terror unleashed against the CPI(M) and hundreds of the Party members and supporters were killed. It was after an arduous struggle that the Congress was isolated and the Left Front regained office in March 1993.

Since then, in the three subsequent elections in 1998, 2003 and 2008, the Left Front won with a two-thirds majority. All in all, the Left Front has been in government for six terms since 1978, except for the one term in 1988-93.

The history of the Left Front government in the last two decades is a remarkable and inspiring one. In the first decade, in the nineties, the state was still affected by the violent insurgency by armed extremist tribal groups. Their attacks had begun in the early eighties. Sheltering in camps across the border in Bangladesh, these groups wreaked havoc in the tribal and hill areas. They were financed and equipped by imperialist agencies and the ISI of Pakistan. They demanded an independent Tripura. Thousands were killed in the three decades of terrorist violence and hundreds of CPI (M) tribal cadres and supporters laid down their lives defending the unity of the people and the country.

The Left Front governments could tackle this armed insurgency by adopting a three pronged approach. First, the political one, of preserving the unity of the tribal and Bengali communities which was sought to be disrupted. Second, by raising and equipping a state armed police (Tripura State Rifles) which could effectively counter the armed gangs. Third, the government stepped up its development and welfare activities once the violence was curbed in the tribal areas.  The Tripura Tribal Autonomous District Council was revitalised for this purpose.

Today Tripura is a peaceful state and there is harmony and unity between the majority Bengalis and the minority tribal people. Tripura stands out in the entire north-east for achieving this, whereas there is ethnic and tribal strife in other states like Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland. The CPI(M) and the Left’s role is the key factor in Tripura.

The record of the Left Front government under the leadership of Manik Sarkar is also outstanding in the developmental and welfare activities. It is acknowledged by all that Tripura is the best governed state in the north-east. In the 2001 census, Tripura was in terms of the literacy rate the 11th among all states; in the 2011 census,Tripura had reached the 4th position with 88 per cent literacy. There were no farmers suicides and no starvation deaths in the last ten years.

Tripura has an excellent record in the delivery of various schemes. Tripura stood first in the country in 2011 by generating 86 average man days under the rural employment guarantee scheme (MNREGA). Tripura has also done justice to the tribal people by being in the forefront in implementing the Forest Rights Act. By mid 2012, 1,19,342 pattas had been distributed to forest dwellers securing their land. There are 16 pension schemes that cover almost all BPL families.

As far as infrastructure is concerned, 90 per cent of the total of 8,312 habitations are electrified. 90 percentage of irrigable land has been brought under irrigation facilities and 50 per cent of the total cultivable land is now irrigated.

The biggest step taken by the current Left Front government was the introduction of 35 kgs rice at Rs 2 per kilo for all BPL card holders which is 2 lakh families. In the north-eastern states, rice is supplied at Rs 5 to 6 per kilo due to the higher transportation costs. It was so in Tripura too till August 2012. The supply of rice at Rs 2 has been welcomed by all sections of the people. The Tripura government is bearing the cost of the increased subsidy.

The Left Front was the first to announce its list of candidates for the 60 assembly seats, 20 of which are reserved for scheduled tribes. The CPI(M) is contesting 55, the CPI-2, the RSP-2 and the Forward Bloc-1.

The Congress party finalised its list of candidates among squabbles and open rifts. It has maintained its alliance with the tribal organisation, the INPT which is the body which incorporated the TUJS and some other tribal groups. The Congress traditionally had no base among the tribal people. It therefore allied first with the TUJS and later the INPT. These tribal organisations have had separatist platforms at various points of time. The Congress had the dubious record of encouraging the tribal separatist and extremist forces just to isolate and weaken the CPI(M)’s strong base among the tribal people.

Today, these tactics stand discredited before the people. The Left Front stands for unity, peace, progress and development – a platform which is attracting the youth in large numbers.

At the rally on January 20, wave after wave of people, marched into the ground raising the slogan “We will bring the Seventh Left Front Government”. This is a pledge which will be in all certainty fulfilled on February 14.