UPDATES

Convention against Koodankulam Nuke Plant

CPI(ML) held a convention in Tirunelveli in Tamilnadu on May 30 against the Koodankulam nuke project and state repression on the protestors. In Tirunelveli, police and administration are denying permission to any democratic protest against the nuke project and in support of the people of Idinthakarai. This is no doubt a part of a larger design of the Central and State Governments’ attempts to stifle any democratic voice against the project. Hundreds of false cases have been booked against the people of villages in and around Idinthakarai who are still participating in the peaceful protest against the largest nuke project of the country which could cause radiation daily and havoc in case of accident or natural disaster. Coordinator of the protest SP Udayakumar and core team member Pushparayan, who are facing sedition charges, are in Idinthakarai, and will be arrested if they step out of Idinthakarai.
In this backdrop, the Party planned an open convention in Tirunelveli. The police denied permission. Party filed a writ petition against the refusal of permission. The government cited ‘improvement of power situation’ as a reason to postpone the convention! The Judge was not convinced by this rationale and ordered quashing the refusal of permission, and as a result the convention could take place as planned. The court’s advice for a change of venue was accepted.
On May 30, Comrades Kavita Krishnan (Party’s Central Committee member), SM Anthonimuthu, (Kanyakumari District Party Secretary and SCM) and Bhuvana (SCM) visited Idinthakarai and met SP Udayakumar and Pushparayan and expressed the Party’s support to their struggle. The latter expressed their happiness about our timely intervention. Though they could not attend the convention they organized around 300 people from Idinthakarai and nearby villages to participate in the convention.
The convention was conducted by Comrade T Sankarapandian, SCM, and Tirunelveli District Party Secretary. Comrades S Kumarasami, CPI(ML) Politburo member, Balasundaram, Party’s TN State Secretary, Kavita Krishnan, SM Anthonimuthu, G Ramesh, SCM, Bharathi, SCM and State Convenor of RYA, Sagaya Imida of Idinthakarai and Samuel Aseer Raj, Convenor, Teachers Against Nuke Power addressed the convention.
Comrade S Kumarasami called upon the people of TN to take up vigorous struggle against the killer nuke plant and foil the attempts of the UPA government to jeopardize the lives of lakhs of people at the altar of global nuclear corporations. He also called upon the people of TN to fight against the repressive attempts of the Central and State governments. Comrade Balasundaram came down heavily on the repressive measures of the state government and demanded that all false cases against the protestors be withdrawn immediately. Comrade Kavita Krishnan expressed support of the Party and AILC for the Koodankulam Protestors and said that the struggle of Idinthakarai people will become victorious in closing down not only Koodankulam nuke project but also similar projects at Haripur and Jaitapur. Comrade Thenmozhi read out the resolutions of the convention which demanded immediate scrapping of the project and withdrawing all false cases against the protestors.
Comrades from Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Virudunagar, Dindigul and Madurai districts also participated in the convention.

Massive Demonstration by Khatta & Forest Dwellers in Uttarakhand

Khatta dwellers and forest dwellers took out a huge rally on June 11 at Lalkuan (Nainital) under the banner of All India Kisan Mahasabha to protest against the atrocities and oppression unleashed upon them by the Bahuguna government. The rally was led by AIKM State president Purushottam Sharma, CPI-ML State secretary Com. Rajendra Pratholi, Com. Bahadur Singh Jangi, Com. Ghulam Nabi and others.
For the last two years these khatta and forest dwellers have been fighting for implementation of their basic civic amenities and forest rights Act.  Comprising about 1 ½ lakhs of the State population, they are still deprived of basic amenities such as ration card, health, education, roads, electricity, water, Panchayat Raj, MNREGA, old age pension etc. Under pressure from the AIKM, the administration had started some work for their basic amenities, but after the elections, ensconced in power, the Congress government has started oppressing them. On 17 May, 25 forest dwellers including women and children of the Chhedkhatta basti, including the family of Ghulam Nabi were beaten up under the leadership of the SDO of the Forest department, and three vangurjar youths have been sent to jail. The watering places of their cattle have been blocked and they are threatened against cultivating crops in their forest villages. Cheedkhatta forest dwellers organized a meeting on June 3 where it was decided to organize the huge rally on June 11.
Addressing the rally, Com. Rajendra Pratholi castigated the Bahuguna government, accusing them of aggravated oppression upon the khatta and forest dwellers. Com. Purushottam Sharma remembered the atrocities of May 17 and warned the government that unless the oppression is not stopped immediately, AIKM would gherao the state secretariat. He demanded that the cases slapped on the gurjars of Cheedkhatta be immediately withdrawn.
The 500 strong rally started from old Tehsil and marched through the bazaar to reach new Tahsil, where a memorandum to the Chief Minister was submitted through the ADM.   q

CPI(ML) GS Visits Bangladesh

CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya visited Bangladesh on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the reorganisation of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party of Bangladesh (14 June 2012). He was accompanied by Comrade Basudev Basu, standing committee member of the Party’s West Bengal State Committee and one of the National Secretaries of AICCTU.
On 13 June, they visited all important national memorials in Dhaka and paid homage to the martyrs of the Bangladesh liberation war and language movement. On the evening of 14 June, they addressed a seminar on imperialist aggression in South Asia and the fight for people’s liberation held in the National Press Club. Comrade Saiful Huq, General Secretary, presented a paper on behalf of RWPB. Other speakers from Bangladesh included economist Anu Muhammad, Secretary of the Committee to Protect Water-oil-gas-power-port, a popular broad-based Left platform of struggle in Bangladesh, and several left leaders and writers. Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya spoke on behalf of the CPI-ML.
The next day a daylong central delegate session of RWPB took place in which the two parties had an intensive exchange of experiences. On the morning of June 15 there was a get-together with Trade Union leaders of Bangladesh and in the evening there was a seminar on capitalism, corporate media and struggle for people’s liberation held in RC Mazumdar Auditorium of Dhaka University. This was organised by the RWPB monthly organ Janoganotantro (People’s Democracy) to mark its 8th anniversary. The Speakers included Prof Sirajul Islam Chaudhury, Emeritus Professor of English and noted Marxist intellectual, Nurul Kabir, editor of the English daily The New Age, Benzin Khan, writer, and Comrades Saiful Huq and Dipankar Bhattacharya. The seminar was chaired by Banhisikha Jamali, editor, Janoganotantro and the proceedings were conducted by Dr. Akhtaruzzaman, CCM RWPB and Professor, Food and Nutrition Science, Dhaka University. On the afternoon of June 17 a discussion session took place with leaders of various Left parties in Bangladesh in which CPB President Comrade Monzurul Ahsan Khan, Marxist writer Samsuzzoha Manik, Jonaid Saki, convenor of People’s Solidarity Movement, leaders of Basad (Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal), and various leaders of Ganotantrik Bam Morcha (Democratic Left Alliance) participated.
Experiences of revolutionary communist movements in both countries were exchanged, and discussion took place on issues of bilateral and regional importance, and it was resolved to intensify united anti-imperialist struggle, sectoral cooperation and people-to-people contact and exchange. India’s growing strategic proximity and partnership with the US, delay in resolving various issues of bilateral concern and lack of time-bound fulfilment of various commitments made by India in bilateral declarations and agreements are matters of serious public concern and anger in Bangladesh.
The visit will help deepen mutual understanding between the CPI-ML and RWPB, strengthen mutual ties and contribute to the coming together of revolutionary Left forces in South Asia. q

AICCTU delegation visits Japan

A 2-member delegation of AICCTU, comprising AICCTU Vice President N N Banerjee  and National Secretary Pradip Bandopadhyay attended the 28th Congress of Japan Confederation of Railway worker’s Unions (JRU) on 3-4 June, 2012 in Tokyo. The occasion also marked the 25th anniversary of the confederation. 
16 delegates from different countries participated in the conference. Prominent organizations among the participants were Rail and Maritime Transport Union New Zealand, Rail Train and Bus Union Australia, Solidarity of Filipino Workers, and Rail Trade Union Belgrade, Serbia. The President, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) also addressed the conference . 
Addressing the Congress, N N Banerjee expressed solidarity with the ongoing struggle waged by JRU against the Japan government’s violation of human rights and workers’ rights to organize. He spoke of the movement of the Indian working class against neoliberal policies pursued by the Indian government since 1991. He told
Japan’s workers of AICCTU’s participation in the solidarity movement in and around Koodankulam in Tamilnadu against the nuclear power plant. He also highlighted the deplorable working conditions of rail workers in India, particularly the unorganized section of workers engaged in outsourced jobs by contractors, whose right to organize is threatened with dismissal and police action including denial of statutory benefits like PF, ESI and minimum wages etc. Appreciating the role of JRU in organizing 70% irregular workers in JR East railway, he spoke of AICCTU’s role in organizing the unorganized workers in India.  In the interactive session all international delegates emphasized the need to organize globally against victimization of rail workers by MNCs and governments. Masaharu Takei, the president of JRU explained in details the history and background of their Union’s formation, including the collapse of Japan National Railways in collusion with corporate houses, railway bureaucrats and government of Japan.

The 28th Congress of JRU adopted resolutions resolving to fight neoliberal policies, resist re-operation of nuclear power plants, continue the struggle against the conviction of 7 union activists and dismissal from service of leaders in the JR Urawa Electric Train Depot case, a conviction upheld by the Supreme Court of Japan; against changing article 9 of the constitution in order to allow Japan to join wars.