Symposium at Kottayam, Kerala
The Kerala unit of CPI(ML) organised a symposium at Kottayam on 11 October 2008 on 'Revitalising the Left Movement in India'. CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar addressed the symposium in which many social activists, dalit leaders, representatives of democratic forces and Left party activists participated in the discussion. The symposium assumed importance in the backdrop of ongoing social and political turmoil being witnessed in the Kerala society that feels betrayed by the dominant Left, the CPI(M).
In Kerala, people had hopes from the LDF government led by VS Achuthanandan. But VS as CM has gone back on the positions he had advocated earlier as leader of the Opposition. The LDF government has not reversed any decisions of the previous UDF regime while vigorously implementing anti-people policies of liberalization. The present government has accepted ADB loan with harsh conditionalities, stopped the much publicized Munnar demolition drive midway yielding to the pressures of the real estate lobby, and is going ahead with elitist projects like Smart City, etc. Now, to appease private investment, it is advocating hire and fire policy, launching a systematic assault on the rights and gains secured by the organized peasant and workers’ movement in the state.
CPI(ML) plans to concentrate in some pockets of three districts, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Palakkad, organising agricultural labour and construction labour. Comrade John K Erumely presided over the symposium while OP Kunjupillai, Kanul, Joy Peter, Velayutham and Viswam actively participated in the discussions.
Tamilnadu Party State Conference
- Kailash Pandey
The 8th TN State Conference of the Party was held on October 9-10 at Pudukottai, where the party is waging a militant struggle against land grab for a liquor factory. Comrade Ramasami, Central Control Commission member, hoisted the red flag. Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, CPI(ML), addressed the open session, holding the UPA Government responsible for inviting the US crisis onto Indian soil; failing to check communal violence and terrorism; and witch-hunting minorities in the name of anti-terror laws. Comrade Balasundaram, CCM also addressed the open session. Comrades D P Bakshi, S Kumarasami, PBMs and Comrade Malleswar Rao, CCM and Central Observer for the conference, and Comrade Balasubramaniam were also present in the meeting.
The conference elected a 23-member State Committee, with Comrade Balasundaram as State Secretary. The conference resolved to organize demonstration against the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka on October. The conference demanded the scrapping of nuke deal, safety and security of minority communities from the attacks of the saffron brigade, and ban on Bajrang Dal, VHP and Hindu Munnani. The conference resolved to mobilise against the Karunanidhi govt, which failed to fulfil the promises it made during elections regarding 2 acres land for agrarian poor, 5 cent house site patta for the rural and the urban poor, Trade Union Recognition Act and organize rallies and demonstrations at the dist level. The Conference resolved to take up a campaign against the Karunanidhi and Manmohan governments on the above issues in November and December.
Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand
The three tier Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand were held at a time when most of the MLAs and Ministers of the ruling BJP were demanding ouster of Chief Minister B C Khanduri. Ruling party MLAs want a bigger share in the loot of people’s money, but the people in the state have their own reasons for expressing their no confidence in this government as they see it as corrupt and callous as the earlier ND Tiwary regime. While the BJP received a setback in the panchayat elections, the Congress was also not spared. The people expressed their anguish against the corrupt practices of elected representatives of last panchayats and refused to re-elect them.
The reality behind the much hyped slogans of decentralization of power and people’s participation in decision making has now been exposed in view of increased corruption and coming up of a flourishing new breed of touts and middlemen in villages.
This time, the panchayat election saw more illegal distribution of liquor. Though 50% seats were reserved for women, who have been always at the forefront of anti-liquor movements in the state, but it remained controlled by men and even election propaganda at many reserved seats was conducted in the name of ‘husbands’. At some places women candidates remained completely absent throughout the elections. And after winning the ‘election’ it was the husbands who wore all the garlands in victory processions, at some places their wives followed them silently. At a few places liquor was distributed freely in the elections of women candidates who are known supporters of anti-liquor movement. This is the real face of women’s empowerment under Khanduri’s government.
In this scenario, the CPI(ML) registered its limited but effective presence with the slogans of exposing the corrupt politician – middlemen nexus and for making the panchayats a centre of struggle. The CPI(ML) campaigned against the bourgeois parties’ attempts of reducing panchayats elections into an apolitical event, and using castiest and regional sentiments. This resulted not only in an improved tally but also strengthened and reorganized our work in the areas where we fought in elections. We won two Pradhan seats in Almora and one BDC member seat in Pithoragarh district. Two pradhans and two BDC members supported by the Party in Pithoragarh also won. Party meetings were organized in all places after the elections and it was resolved to organize our work among rural women and youth in hill districts of Uttarakhand.
Cadre Convention in Uttarakhand
The party held a Cadre Convention in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on 13-14 October, in which party activists from Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Nainital, Almoda, Udhamsingh Nagar, Pauri and Dehradun districts discussed issues and agendas of struggle in the state and building of party and mass organisations. The State Leading Team of the party placed a proposal which was critically discussed. This proposal was placed for discussion by CPI(ML) CCM Comrade Rajendra Pratholi.
This organisational session of the Convention was preceded by an open session, in which Uttarakhand in-charge Comrade Raja Bahuguna spoke of the BJP Government’s crackdown on democracy, workers’ struggles and Left activists in the State.
Comrade Jagat Martoliya of Pithoragarh shared the positive experience of organising workers on the Kailash-Mansarovar route into a porters’ union and successfully conducting struggles for better wages. Comrade Vijaylakshmi, who was elected Pradhan from a party platform in Almora, spoke of the need to link the panchayats with people’s struggles. Comrade madan Mohan Chamoli of Rudraprayag put forward ideas about Jan Sanskriti Manch work in the state. Others who spoke included Comrade Harish Joshi from Udhamsingh Nagar, many comrades from Bindukhatta in Nainital district, AISA activist Pavan Nautiyal, AISA National President Indresh Maikhuri and many others.
State committee member Comrade Girija Pathak led the discussion on organisational questions; Comrade Bahadur Jangi on building Kisan Sabha in the Terai Bhabar region; Peasant Front in-charge Purushottam Sharma on Kisan Sabha; and Comrade K K Bora on AICCTU.
The Cadre Convention resolved to complete some minimum organisational tasks by March 2009: including formation of party branches and renewal of party membership. It was decided that AICCTU would hold a demonstration at the Labour Commissioner’s office at Haldwani on 28 October; an effective demonstration would be held in December 08 at Haldwani to raise the demand for Bindukhatta to be declared a revenue village, and other issues. It was decided to hold AISA State Conference and conduct membership drives of AISA, RYA, AIALA, Kisan Sabha and AICCTU, hold of a workshop for elected panchayat representatives, study camps in each district to study the party programme and constitution, and block conferences of the Kisan Sabha by March 2009.
Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand
- Kailash Pandey
The three tier Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand were held at a time when most of the MLAs and Ministers of the ruling BJP were demanding ouster of Chief Minister B C Khanduri. Ruling party MLAs want a bigger share in the loot of people’s money, but the people in the state have their own reasons for expressing their no confidence in this government as they see it as corrupt and callous as the earlier ND Tiwary regime. While the BJP received a setback in the panchayat elections, the Congress was also not spared. The people expressed their anguish against the corrupt practices of elected representatives of last panchayats and refused to re-elect them.
The reality behind the much hyped slogans of decentralization of power and people’s participation in decision making has now been exposed in view of increased corruption and coming up of a flourishing new breed of touts and middlemen in villages.
This time, the panchayat election saw more illegal distribution of liquor. Though 50% seats were reserved for women, who have been always at the forefront of anti-liquor movements in the state, but it remained controlled by men and even election propaganda at many reserved seats was conducted in the name of ‘husbands’. At some places women candidates remained completely absent throughout the elections. And after winning the ‘election’ it was the husbands who wore all the garlands in victory processions, at some places their wives followed them silently. At a few places liquor was distributed freely in the elections of women candidates who are known supporters of anti-liquor movement. This is the real face of women’s empowerment under Khanduri’s government.
In this scenario, the CPI(ML) registered its limited but effective presence with the slogans of exposing the corrupt politician – middlemen nexus and for making the panchayats a centre of struggle. The CPI(ML) campaigned against the bourgeois parties’ attempts of reducing panchayats elections into an apolitical event, and using castiest and regional sentiments. This resulted not only in an improved tally but also strengthened and reorganized our work in the areas where we fought in elections. We won two Pradhan seats in Almora and one BDC member seat in Pithoragarh district. Two pradhans and two BDC members supported by the Party in Pithoragarh also won. Party meetings were organized in all places after the elections and it was resolved to organize our work among rural women and youth in hill districts of Uttarakhand.
Another Rural Activist Killed in Jharkhand
After Lalit Mehta and Kameshwar Yadav, now yet another rural CPI(ML) activist Rajeshwar Das of Deoghar, Jharkhand has been killed. Comrade Rajeshwar of Baghmari village, Mohanpur Block of Deoghar, was an agricultural labourer, and had been a party member since 2005. He was known in the village for being outspoken against corruption and malpractice wherever he observed it. He had been the treasurer of the Gram Vikas Samiti (Village Development Committee) of his village, and the President of the same committee, Rita Devi, also belonged to CPI(ML). The local BSP people were incensed that CPI(ML) was able to have effective control over the Samiti. Recently, 92 people whose homes were destroyed by severe rains were supposed to receive compensation, but there was much corruption in the disbursal of the funds. Rajeshwar exposed the role of brokers and openly challenged the corruption. In the last six months, many crores of rupees had come to the panchayat for development schemes; but local labourers were not being employed, and labourers were being underpaid. Rajeshwar had been vocal on these and other issues like NREGA implementation. He had therefore earned the ire of local contractors, who are close to the BSP. At noon on October 8, he was attacked by assailants with an axe and killed, and his wife who tried to save him lost several fingers off her hand (she is now undergoing treatment). Rajeshwar left behind his wife, three daughters and one son, and he had been the sole breadwinner. The local party branch is collecting funds for food and medical care for the bereaved family.