New Series Vol. 8 No. 8(January 2002)
Editorial
CPI(ML)'s Vinod Mishra Memorial Meetings on December 18, 2001 condemn BJP's war mongering and POTO.
CPI(ML) observes Vinod Mishra Memorial Day all over the country every year on December 18, his death anniversary. Leaders from different left parties and democratic personalities participate in these meetings to speak on burning issues of the day. This year the meetings were devoted to discuss the topic 'Communal Fascism Today'. BJP's war mongering, Ayodhya and POTO figured prominently in the discussions. A report.
Commentary
The pre-election scene in Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh has been desperately trying to shore up the BJP's prospects in the coming assembly elections. The reservation for Most Backward Castes and Most Dalit Castes, said to be his master stroke, has not paid much dividends to the BJP. His government is resorting to increasing repression on opposition forces, minorities, adivasis and dalits. Mulayam Singh is facing erosion of his minorities base to the Congress. With new players like Ramraj/Uditraj and Ramvilas Paswan entering the scene, the BSP is facing fresh competition for the dalit plank. The dalit politics in the state is witnessing a new fragmentation. A review of the pre-election scene in Uttar Pradesh.
New political realignments amidst a slew of neo-liberal reforms and militant industrial actions
Tamil Nadu is witnessing political realignments. Faced with powerful resistance mounted by organised labour in the state to a spate of neo-liberal reforms and savage revenue measures, aided by the formidable combination of DMK and left unions, Jayalalitha has rushed to offer issue-based support to the NDA government at the Centre. A round-up of certain recent developments.
Cover Feature
BJP is pushing the country to the brink of war making use of the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament.
The BJP is trying to utilise the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament to advance is fascist agenda the same way Nazis made use of the Reichstag fire incident. The saffron fascists are pushing the country to a dangerous brinkmanship with Pakistan through diplomatic adventurism and war mongering. Indian democracy is to be saved a much from the terrorist grenade as from Advani's salvo.
Special Report
A powerful mass mobilisation secures the unconditional release of arrested CPI(ML) leaders in Sonebhadra, Mirzapur. The highhandedness of the UP police rebuffed.
Rajnath Singh's police in UP has let loose a reign of terror in Sonebhadra area of Mirzapur district. Making use of an MCC raid on a PAC camp, police arrested CPI(ML) leaders, totally unconnected with the incident, and subjected them to third degree torture. Even the State Secretary and CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member Comrade Akhilendra Pratap Singh was detained for undertaking a protest hunger strike. A powerful campaign of mass mobilisation ultimately forced the UP government to unconditionally release the arrested leaders.
CPI(ML)'s Party School discusses Globalisation, Communal Fascism, Agrarian Crisis and Caste and Class.
CPI(ML) held its Central Party School at Bhuvaneshwar on 27-30 November, 2001. About 150 students from all over the country participated in the School. The four topics discussed were: 1) Globalisation, Imperialism and War; 2) Communal Fascism; 3) The Agrarian Question Revisited: (i) The Present Agrarian Crisis and (ii) The Agricultural Labour Question; 4) Marxist Approach to Caste and Class. A report.
Special Feature
Three noted historians, DN Jha, Uma Chakravarty and Satish Chandra, speak out against saffron rewriting of history text books.
The saffron spin-doctors are busy doctoring history to suit their communal and brahminical ends. History text books are being tinkered with to load them with dubious saffron stuff. AISA students interview three renowned historians DN Jha, Uma Chakravarty and Satish Chandra on this controversy.
Special Article
A radial left critique of rightwing policies of the Left Front Government in West Bengal.
The Left Front Government in West Bengal is further moving to the right under Buddhadev Bhattacharya. Its slogan of an "Improved Left Front" only signifies this rightward shift Buddhadev's government has shamelessly embraced the World Bank-IMF theology of neo-liberal reforms by evicting slumdwellers and hawkers in the name of beautifying Calcutta and bringing in draconian legislations like Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) which are similar to POTO. A revolutionary left critique of Buddhadev's Royal Bengal Perestroika.
Report
CPI(ML) West Bengal conference calls for regeneration of the revolutionary left.
Regeneration of the revolutionary left in West Bengal. A report of the West Bengal State Conference of CPI(ML)
A workshop on revolutionary trade union work in Tamil Nadu.
Revitalising working class work. A report of an AICCTU workshop in Tamil Nadu.
For a Brighter World
The post-election situation in Sri Lanka. A radical leftwing assessment from India.
The recent elections in Sri Lanka dealt a body blow to chauvinism. Will it promote the peace process. An assessment.
Protests in Argentina against neo-liberalism.
Neo-liberalism has landed Argentina into a deep crisis. Swift developments during the week from December 14-20 saw a popular uprising, the sacking of the minister responsible for the economy, imposition of a state of siege, popular siege around the President's house, and the resignation of the President. A brief description of the developing revolutionary crisis.
Palestinian peace process under attack by Israel.
The US-Israel axis is out to finish the Palestinian Authority and throw the Middle East peace process to the pre-Oslo days.
Opinion
A critical review of some silly statements by CPI(M) on September 11.
Why the CPI(M) bends over backwards to prove itself to be a 'responsible party' in the eyes of the establishment? A series of statements emanating from the party on September 11 betrays a wishy-washy attitude of the party on questions of anti-imperialism and its inclination to win approval from the ruling classes. A scrutiny of some of these statements.