[L-I] ML Update, Vol.5; No.24; June 12 - 18, 2002

ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol.-5; No.-24; 12-18 June 2002

Editorial:

CAN ARMS TRADERS BE PEACE BROKERS?

Following Richard Armitage's visit to Islamabad and New Delhi, it is now
being claimed that the tension between India and Pakistan has now eased a
bit and the danger of a war has been minimised. Washington has informed
Islamabad that New Delhi is agreed on a partial restoration of diplomatic
ties as well as a certain reduction in the level of deployment of armed
forces along the LoC. If implemented, these measures would indeed be
welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Indians and Pakistanis and the
subcontinental diaspora spread across the world.

But this is indeed a big 'if'. Defeated in the February and March elections
and thoroughly isolated over the genocide in Gujarat, the BJP has managed to
regain some political initiative in the current climate of war hysteria.
Gujarat has been relegated to the inside pages of newspapers. The party has
managed to retain Goa with a marginal edge. And now in Maharashtra, the
Sena-BJP combine is making a desperate bid to topple the Congress-NCP
government. The BJP would therefore try its level best to sustain the
present state of hysteria. Indeed, peace and friendship with Pakistan is
antithetical to the BJP's essential political design.

While welcoming any reduction in Indo-Pak tension, we cannot ignore the
growing danger of imperialist involvement in the region. It is indeed
ironical that the Bush and Blair administrations, two of the biggest
suppliers of weapons to the region, are being lauded as brokers for peace.
Even some critics of Washington have joined the pro-US chorus describing the
US intervention in the present crisis as a 'benign' move on the part of the
world's sole superpower. They naturally see no harm in 'welcoming' the
growing US role in the subcontinent. How easily do they forget the history
of American imperialism in which the US has almost always used such benign
covers to strengthen its strategic stranglehold over various regions.

In the midst of this war-hysteria, some interesting findings emerged from an
opinion poll conducted in Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian affiliate of the
renowned British opinion poll agency MORI. It is not known who commissioned
the poll, but it was done with the express permission of the Union Home
Ministry. The opinion poll shows that only 6% respondents would prefer to
join Pakistan. The poll also showed that 76% people remained opposed to
another Indo-Pak war over Kashmir; 86% see free and fair elections as a step
towards solution of the Kashmir problem; 87% want direct talks between the
Indian government and the people of Kashmir; and 92% oppose any further
fragmentation of the state on religious lines.

To the NDA government, which has never been confident of Kashmir's
commitment to India, the poll outcome must come as music to its chauvinistic
ears. But the real message of the poll is that Kashmir does not want war,
and that Kashmir wants a peaceful and secular political solution through
dialogue and fair democratic elections. The poll has also exposed the utter
incongruity of New Delhi's obsession with the Pakistan factor. While the
Indian government habitually reduces the Kashmir question to one of
Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, only 6% people in the state really have
Pakistan on their mind!

Rest of India should echo this voice of peace, sanity and democracy
emanating from the trouble-
torn state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Government of India must be pressured
to adopt concrete measures like demobilization of troops and resumption of
dialogue with Pakistan. And to set the stage for free and fair elections in
Jammu and Kashmir, state repression must be brought to an end and general
amnesty granted to all political activists who are currently languishing in
Indian jails.


CPI(ML) CALLS FOR ANTI-WAR PROTESTS ON JUNE 13

The CPI(ML) will hold 'anti-war protests' on June 13 in state capitals and
major centres of the country with the call of 'No more war between India and
Pakistan', 'Indians and Pakistanis need peace and not war', 'India and
Pakistan must resume direct bilateral dialogue to defuse tension' and
'Say no to Bush-Blair's imperialist intervention in the sub-continent'.
The anti-war action programme includes peace marches and demonstrations.
CPI(ML) has appealed to all peace-loving people and forces to join the
anti-war protest on June 13 in Delhi and elsewhere to reflect the genuine
voice of the peoples of the two countries.

Four left and democratic parties in Pakistan including the National Workers
Party, Labour Party of Pakistan, Communist Mazadoor-Kisan Party and People's
Party (Shaheed Bhutto Group) have also decided to hold such anti-war
programmes on June 13 in Lahore and elsewhere in Pakistan.
Sharply hitting at the increasing institutionalisation of Bush-Blair
intervention in the subcontinent, Party called upon all peace-loving
democratic and patriotic Indians to reject it in no uncertain terms.
Describing the reported proposal for the deployment of a US-UK special force
to monitor the LOC as 'deeply disturbing', the CPI(ML) said, "both the US
and UK are busy fuelling the already growing arms race in the subcontinent.
They are also guilty of aggravating the war-like build-up in the region by
calling back their diplomatic staff and asking other tourists to return. All
this amounts to nefarious imperialist intervention in the region."

The Party said, "The present crisis follows largely from India's refusal to
break the diplomatic deadlock and resume direct bilateral dialogue with
Pakistan. With bilateral diplomatic channels being successively closed down
and war-hysteria between the two countries reaching a crescendo amidst free
exchange of nuclear warnings, the arrogant rulers of India and Pakistan are
only inviting greater external interference. Peace-loving people in India
and Pakistan must therefore exert greater pressure on their rulers for an
early resumption of bilateral dialogue with a view to de-escalating tension
and keeping the imperialist powers at bay."


CHANDIGARH RALLY: MOVEMENT IN SOLIDARITY TO
STRUGGLING HARYANA PEASANTS


At the call of CPI(ML) and All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (AIKSS), Protest
Day was observed at various places on June 5 in solidarity with the movement
of the farmers in Haryana. In Rajasthan, day-long dharna was held by
CPI(ML), AIKSS and Rajasthan Kisan Sangathan at Jhunjhnu where homage was
paid to the peasant martyrs of Jind, Haryana. Com. Phulchand Dhewa, Jhunjhnu
Distt Secy of CPI(ML), RKS distt. President Subedar Guljhai Lal and secy.
Ramchandra Kulhari addressed the meeting. A memorandum addressed to Governor
of Haryana was handed over to the Distt. Collector. At Mansa in Punjab,
Party activists staged a dharna at the district collecorate that was
addressed by State Party Secy. Com. Rajvinder Singh Rana, BKU senior vice
president Ruldu Singh, Com. Bhagwant Singh and Harbhagwan Bhikhi. In U.P.,
dharna was staged by Terai Kisan Sabha at district HQ of Pilibhit and a
memorandum signed by Alauddin Shashtri, convener, Ramchandra Verma and
Moolchand Gangwar was sent to Governor of Haryana.

Com. Rajaram Singh, Co-convenor of AIKSS and Party MLA from Bihar, Com.
Mahendra Chaudhary, Secretary of Rajasthan Kisan Sangathan and Com. Prem
Singh, Party incharge of Haryana visited the village Kandela in Jind
district to express solidarity with more than ten thousand debt-ridden
peasants led by Ghasiram Nain-led BKU who have been staging rasta roko
agitation for more than one and a half month, demanding cancellation of
electricity tariff. The leaders also addressed a large rally, participated
in mostly by Punjab people, that was held in support of Haryana peasants'
struggle on 7 June at Matka Chock, Chandigarh. The rally was called by
BKU(Ekta), Punjab, Kirti Kisan Union, AIRPF, Lok Sangram Morcha, Inquilabi
Kendra, Lok Chetna Manch, Milkmen Dairy Union, PSU and Punjab unit of RYA.
It was addressed by Pichora Singh Siddhupur, president of BKU(Ekta), Hardev
Singh, president of Kirti Kisan Union, Nardev Singh of AIPRF among others.
Prior to the meeting the potesters burned the effigy of Haryana chief
minister Chautala.

Com. Rajaram Singh said that the agitating peasants have no money left to
pay huge electricity bills and this is an outcome of the failure of green
revolution and the policy of globalisation. Chautala should fulfil promises
made to the peasants at election time instead of unleashing terror, which is
totally unjustified and condemnable. Cautala should learn from Badal who has
recently been overthrown by people of Punjab, he said. The demands include
judicial enquiry to probe the truth behind the repression; compensation of
Rs. 10 lakh to the next kin of farmers killed in the agitation and Rs. 2
lakh for the injured; immediate implementation of the January 31 agreement
between the BKU and Haryana government; unconditional release of farmers
arrested during the agitation; and withdrawal of police cases and
registration of criminal cases against officials after the judicial inquiry.


AGRICULTURAL LAQBOURERS' PROTEST RALLY IN WEST BENGAL

Around 4000 agricultural workers organised under the banner of Paschimbanga
Krishi Mazur Samiti (W.B. Agri. Lab. Assn.) held a rally and mass
demonstration at Esplanade in Kolkata on 30 May. Two big processions marched
out from Sealdah and Howrah stations highlighting the main demands of the
state agricultural labourers, namely, a comprehensive legislation for
agricultural labourers by the LF govt., guarantee for minimum wage, fresh
publication of BPL chart and withdrawal of proposed anti peasant
agricultural policy by the State Govt. The Samiti also highlighted plight of
the peasants in the state, who are forced to distress sale as they are not
getting the minimum support price.

Addressing the meeting Party State Secy. Com. Kartick Pal strongly
criticised the LF govt. for not providing adequate support to the agri.
labourers to get their govt. fixed minimum wages even though the state has
been under left rule for the last 25 years. He also appealed to the people
of Bengal to foil the Bangla Bandh called by Trinamul Congress on 7 June and
Congress on 14 June. Com. Srikanta Rana, Com. Basudev Bose of AICCTU and
Com. Biman Biswas also spoke at the occasion. The meeting was presided by
Com. Sajal Pal, president of the Agricultural Labourers Association. A
memorandum highlighting the demands of the agricultural labourers was
submitted to the Chief Minister of W.B.


PEASANTS MOBILISATION IN ASSAM ON LAND ISSUE

A peasent mobilization was organized by Chandrapur block Krishak Parishad in
Panikhaiti, near Guwahati on May 24 on the demand of issuance of Patta to
the peasants. It was presided over by Com Basanta Kalita, Manteswar Rahang
and Krishna Bahadur Chetri. At the beginning the Block secretary of the
peasant organization Com. Kamal Bodo put forth the purpose of the
mobilization.
Rubul Sarma, Party State Secy., Lila Sarma, Convener of Sadou Asom Krishak
Parishad, Pankaj Das, CPIML Guwahati City Secy, Junu Bora, State AIPWA
vice-president, Loknath Goswami, General Secy of Sadou Asom Janasanskritik
Parishad, Viren Kalita, State President of AICCTU, and some local prominent
persons and peasent activists delivered their speech. It was attended by 300
peasants from different villages of the block.

The meeting opposed the indiscriminate eviction by the forest department and
asked the government to  stop the eviction unless there is no arrangement
for rehabilitation of the people who have been living here for 20-30 years.
It further demanded for settlement by issuance of pattas.
The meeting resolved to intensify the movement for pattas and development
and to launch struggle against indiscriminate eviction.


PROTEST DAY AGAINST BLACK LAW IN TN

AICCTU Tamil Nadu state unit observed protest day against TN ESMA made as
law by the state legislature, on 4 June. The protest was led by Com. S.
Kumaraswami in Chennai and all other state office bearers of the state unit
in 15 districts. The protestors also called upon the people to rise against
the communal fascist NDA govt's war-mongerings.

The law, harsher than the central ESMA, stipulates that those who
participate, instigate or give financial aid to the strike will be punished
with 3 years imprisonment. While the central legislations prohibit lock outs
and make it punishable, the State ESMA says nothing about this. On these
grounds, TN AICCTU has challenged this law as unconstitutional. The case was
argued by com. S.Kumaraswami on 7 June and the case is coming up for
disposal of the stay petition on 14th June.


RYA MEETING AGAINST CORRUPTION IN ANDAMAN

RYA held a public meeting at Municipal Park on 24 May decrying corruption
prevailing in all the departments, especially the malpractices in the matter
of ticketing system where sand collectors have become the sole agents in
distribution of ship tickets and also backdoor appointments in the PWD
disregarding the rights of the local youth.
Presided over by the RYA president Com. Arvinder Rai Sharma, the meeting was
addressed by comrades Satyanarayana, Tata Rao, NKP Nair and SK Wazid. They
held Congress responsible for the present state of affairs in the island.


LEFT-DEMOCRATIC PROTEST ON GUJARAT CARNAGE

On 20 May, 8 left and democratic parties including CPI(ML)-Liberation, CPI,
CPI(M), RCPI, SUCI, RSP, Janata Dal (S) and Samajwadi Party staged a protest
dharna and a meeting at Judges Fields in Guwahati. Participated in by over
1,000 persons, the meet was addressed by Party State Secy. Com. Rubul
Sharma, CPI(M) state Secretary Hemen Das, CPI National Council member Pramod
Gogoi, Ambu Bora of RCPI, Bimal Nandi of SUCI, Paresh Barua of RSP, Rakhal
Dasgupta of JD(S) and Bhubaneswar Barman of SP. Com. Rubul Sharma said that
it is not just a communal riot in Gujarat, it is implementation of its
fascist agenda by BJP. Only left forces can give a determined rebuff to this
communal fascism. At the end of the meeting a procession was taken out from
the meeting place to Panbazar Dighli Pukhuri.


MOVEMENT ON PEASANT, WAGE ISUES IN WEST BENGAL.

On 24 May, a dharna was staged by West Bengal Krishak Samiti before the DM
Office in Raiganj of North Dinajpur district in West Bengal demanding
adequate support to paddy and proper wages to agri. labourers. They also
demanded compensation from the government for the crops damaged due to
hailstorm.
On 27 May, a mass meeting was called by CPI(ML) at Raiganj, addressed by
Party District Secretary and peasant leader Com. Ajit Das, comrades Ganesh
Chhetry, Bablu Soren, Pranesh Mahato, Basthu Hasda and Binoy Barman.


AIPWA CAMPAIGN AGAINST SAFFRON TERROR

>From April to June, AIPWA conducted a nationwide campaign against BJP's
saffron terror, during which leaflets were distributed, signatures collected
and dharnas and demonstrations held at various places. AIPWA also
participated in the peace march held in Ayodhya. In Rajasthan, during the
campaign skirmishes took place here and there with BJP activists. A workshop
was also held in which around 30 activists participated.
On 5 June, a dharna was organised at Patna in Bihar. At Darbhanga, about 150
women took out a march.  Marches were conducted also in Samastipur and
Jahanabad. In Jharkhand, a demonstration was held in Ranchi, participated in
by around 500 women. In Delhi, a march was planned from Ferozshah Kotla to
Jantar Mantar. Large contingent of police obstructed the route by setting up
barricades at Ferozshah and although the women activists struggled at the
barricades for half an hour the march could not proceed. The meeting held
there was addressed by Com. Kumudini Pati, GS of AIPWA and Suneeta, Delhi
convenor. In U.P. too some meetings were organised. In Assam, the AIPWA held
a joint protest in Guwahati along with AIDWA, NFIW and YWCA. A memorandum to
the Prime Minister was handed over to the DC.
Com. Kumudini conducted a campaign tour of the southern states of Andhra,
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry from 25 May to 5 june. In Hyderabad the second
conference of CGHS Women's Wing was held on 27-28 May. Apart from Com.
Kumudini, leaders of AIDWA and SUCI's women wing also spoke. In Vijayawada,
a meeting of AIPWA activists was held. In Chennai, AIPWA activists as well
as CGHS Women's Wing held their meetings. In Pondicherry, meetings were held
among women handloom workers, agrarian labourers and immigrant Nepali women.
An AIPWA team comprising Com. Geeta Das, Saroj Chaube, Suneeta and Kumudini
Pati is leaving for Gujarat on 12 June.


DEMONSTRATION IN OTTAWA

Hundreds of Canadians of South-East Asian origin held demonstrations before
Indian and Pakistani High Commissions in Ottawa on 9 June 2002 against
growing warlike situation in two countries as "the govts. in India and
Pakistan are in full military preparation for a war which will have
catastrophic consequences for the region as well as the world in general",
they also protested massacres of minorities in Gujarat.


INDIANS-PAKISTANIS JOIN HANDS IN UK

In an impressive show of unity, the UK-based Indians and Pakistanis joined
hands and called upon the leadership in the two countries to pull back from
their current standoff, start "meaningful'' negotiations to resolve the
Kashmir dispute and end the nuclear arms race in the region. They also
protested the "continuing'' British arms supplies to India and Pakistan, and
demanded a "blanket'' embargo saying the present policy based on Britain's
commercial interests made a "mockery'' of its claim to pursue an "ethical''
foreign policy. The demand was supported by the Campaign Against Arms Trade,
an independent group of British pacifists whose supporters include Labour
and Liberal Democrat activists.

Hundreds of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans held a peace
rally outside Downing Street on 8 June and later submitted a memorandum to
the Indian and Pakistani High Commissions voicing their "deep concern'' at
the prospect of war. The memorandum, jointly addressed to the Prime
Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the President, Pervez Musharraf,
chastised them for threatening to plunge the subcontinent into a war.

Representatives of 15 India-Pakistan groups, organised under the umbrella of
the South Asia Solidarity Group, signed the memorandum and joined the "human
chain'' outside Downing Street. In a separate petition to the British Prime
Minister, Tony Blair, they urged him not to let his government push India
and Pakistan "further towards nuclear destruction'' and suspend arms
supplies to the two countries.

Amrit Wilson, a spokesperson for SASG, said expatriate Indian and Pakistanis
in Britain would continue to campaign jointly on issues such as war and
communalism.
 ____________________________________

Join
'National Convention
against
Communal Fascism'
June 26, 2002
Mavalankar Auditorium,
Rafi Marg, New Delhi.
at 11 A. M.

_________________________________________

Save
Democracy
Campaign !
June 26  to  August 9
To culminate in militant
nationwide protests on August 9
against
Communal Fascism

________________________________________

Join
in thousands
 in nationwide Anti-War protests on June 13

DEFUSE THE THREAT OF INDO-PAK WAR
RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE

Indians and Pakistanis Need Peace, Not War
Say No To Bush-Blair's Imperialist Intervention in the Subcontinent

____________________________________________
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http://www.cpiml.org
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