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Removal of Honduras President

2009-06-30T01:31:00.001-07:00

June 30, 2009

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued
the following statement:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the coup against the
elected President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya and the forcible removal
from his country. It expresses its solidarity with the people of
Honduras. It is reported that military forces are acting in collusion
with vested interests who opposed the reforms of the country's
constitution to bring it in line with people's aspirations, needs and
fundamental right. The coup took place on the eve of the proposed
national referendum on these issues. The military has surrounded the
houses of important ministers including the Foreign Minister Patricia
Rados and other officials.

Given the international condemnation of the naked attacks on democratic
rights of the people of Honduras, steps should be taken to ensure that
President Zelaya is allowed to return to his country and reinstated in
his position as President. The United Nations should intervene in the
matter.

BENGAL LEFT FRONT CALLS FOR STATEWIDE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST ANARCHY, DISCORD

2009-06-30T01:30:00.001-07:00

Kolkata, June 29: Bengal Left Front met on 25th June at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan in Kolkata. Biman Basu, chairman, led the discussion. Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was present. The meeting conversed in discursive detail the outline of a political campaign across Bengal touching the issues that concerned the mass of the people. The meeting as usual specified the details of the campaign. Biman Basu later briefed the media in some detail.

The LF leadership in attendance at the Front meeting earlier took up the issue of violence committed with impunity on the people by the goons and professional hoods in the pay and protection of the Bengal opposition, especially the Trinamul Congress, the Pradesh Congress, and the self-styled ‘Maoists.’ The attacks and assaults have been an unpleasant if ongoing feature of opposition ‘politics’ from the time of the parliament election. The aggression intensified following the publication of the Lok Sabha results.

Campaign-movements

Political programmes have already taken place at the initiative of the LF in major cities and townships of Bengal, and this programme has to be made situation specific and with increased and intense mass contact. Biman recalled that the Front meeting after the election results had been announced called for an intensification of people-oriented political campaign work. The bond with the masses must be further improved, the Front had then already decided.

The present meeting dwelled on the mapping out of a precise scenario where the political campaign had the participatory presence of the people themselves, irrespective of their electoral inclination. ‘Common people,’ or ‘sadharan manush,’ were the two important words in the resolve that the experienced Front leadership chose to focus the political highlight on, in the meeting and later at the proscenium of the masses.

COMMON PEOPLE TO THE FORE

The Front chose to stress on such particular programmes touching the sadharan manush in the townships as amongst the hamlets as the rectification of anomalies in the BPL listings; the extended implementation of the NREGA, the work of furnishing of fertilisers (the Front had always particularised bio-fertilisers, one recalls), supply-side qualitative and quantitative improvements in pesticides, higher-yield and pest-resistant seeds-seedlings and so on. The district-specific issue again touching the people are to be identified and implemented appropriately at the level of the district LF.

Taking up the BPL issue the LF leadership felt that the factor of correct identification of people eligible to be brought in the purview of BPL contained lacunae. A section of the impoverished faced problems of livelihoods-- and of lives because of the anomalous situation. Inclusion in the BPL list, Biman pointed out, entailed the cascading benefits of free healthcare as well as of PDS-supplied essential goods of daily consumption at a lower array of prices.

BPL, NREGA ANOMALIES

There was an associated problem to which Biman drew the attention of the media. There remained a plethora of districts in Bengal where the number of counterfeit ration cards proliferated and continued to do so. There are districts where the number of ration cards exceeded the estimated population. A vice versa has prevailed in some other districts. In such clearly anomalous cases as these, the Front’s suggestion to the administration was the cancellation of the ration card and an issuance de novo of such cards to the people. This could be done after the BPL list has been made to stand corrected.

Dwelling on the NREGA, the Left Front thought that weaknesses persisted in the implementation of the programme. Biman would mention ‘various difficulties,’ that would seem to have set the programme back a while. The LF leadership agreed that it must be probed how newer projects could be included in the NREGA programme without flouting or causing anomalies to occur in the concerned central government act. Citing examples, Biman mentioned the task of erecting bunds, earthen or otherwise, in the districts affected by the recent and devastation-causing cyclonic storm.

Bengal must rise above the national average of employment rate of people under this scheme, which is at 60% at the all-India level. The LF leader pointed out that in invoking newer schemes, the evolving situational reality of the Bengal countryside and the principal rural characteristics of the state must be recalled. During the ‘off’ season in the agricultural belts when work is hard to come by for the khet mazdoors and the itinerant farm workers, the NREGA projects could come in very handy for this section of the rural poor. The NREGA could also be used to employ gainfully those of the agri-labour who found it tough going even in the ‘on’ season of sowing, growth, and harvest.

FARM WORK TO BE ACCELERATED

Noting specifically the shortcomings in the supply of farm ‘productive collaterals’ like seeds, pesticides and fertilisers, Biman noted a few precise points in this connection. The senior CPI(M) leader noted that supplies often failed to turn up in good time. In the case of seeds and seedlings, errors of choice have turned up again -- and then once again. Citing instances Biman said that to the astonishment and often dismay of the farmer, the seeds purchased proved to produce crops of a variety different from that anticipated.

The district units of the Left Front have been asked to meet and put on motion a wide-ranging political campaign on all the issues. The campaign-movements will take place in seriatim, at the levels of the blocks, the sub-divisions, and the districts, with each tier of movement climaxing with organisation of deputation to the concomitant levels of state administration. The matters touching the people’s peace and security would be placed before the various levels of the police administration at the same time. Rallies would be organised in a lengthy schedule all over Bengal-- on the developmental and people’s security-related issues, Biman Basu assured the media.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE LATERITE ZONE

Biman also dwelled on the issue of development of the western part of Bengal, an issue that the Front leadership had taken up. Earlier, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee reported on the recent developments taking place at Lalgarh and adjoining blocks of Midnapore west. The report made it clear that with 30, 000-odd people ejected out of home-and-hearth in the jangal mahals by the aggression of the ‘Maoists,’ the façade has been ripped away and the real anti-people face of the marauders exposed in the pitiless light of facts, hard facts. The forcible push forward of the innocent women and children to form human barricades to daunt the security forces has been another example of the barbarity perpetrated by the ‘Maoists’ and their allies, the Trinamul Congress.

LF leadership focussed on the need to speed up development further in the laterite zone of Bengal where most of the poor villages of the state are located. The majority of the Gram Panchayats and the Panchayat Samities of the blocks affected with ‘Maoist’ depredations, e.g., Binpur I and Binpur II, are controlled for some time now by an ally of the ‘Maoists,’ the Jharkhandis. The decentralised plans and programmes were deliberately not implemented in these blocks by the forces of division.

ANTI-PEOPLE JHARKHANDIS, ‘MAOISTS’

Biman mentioned a case that he knew of to exemplify the anti-poor behaviour of the Jharkhandis. At the village of Amlasole, there is an acute water crisis, especially of potable water, come the cruel and unproductive summer months. The need is to dig a large pond where rainwater and sub-soil water will accumulate and filtrate to create a perennial source of water. Since the excavation will endanger the anti-Communist propaganda of both the Bengal opposition and their belligerent cohorts in the big media, the pond never materialised. Finally, it was Dr Pulin Behari Baskey, the present MP and then Zillah Parishad chairman, utilised ZP funds to have the pond dug.

Much in a similar vein, the ‘Maoists’ have indulged in acts of commission including blasting of land mines to destroy both roads and road-making machines. Government offices and tourist bungalows, one recalls in this connection, have been blown up, repeatedly. Road rollers have been set a-fire, and cement mixers have been dragged off into forests and systematically dismantled. Communication network has been torn down for communication is something of which ‘Maoist’ is always afraid. The LF urged upon the state government to add a further and fresh impetus to the ongoing developmental work in the laterite zone of Bengal in particular.

TRIPURA TO START EMPLOYMENT SCHEME FOR URBAN POOR

2009-05-20T23:06:00.001-07:00

Agartala, 20th May
Setting another precedence of its pro poor stance the Left Front Govt of Tripura has decided to start empolyment gurantee program for the urban poor of the state. Unique in its kind all over the country the program coined as Tripura Urban Employment Program will be effective from July 2009. Under the program people living below poverty line in the urban areas of the state will be provided 50 days of work per year. In the 1st phase the program will be implemented in Agartala Municipal Council and the 15 Nagar Panchayats of the state.
The Left parties particularly CPI(M) has all along been demanding that the centre should introduce Employment guarantee schemes for the urban poor following the model of NREGA since in the urban areas too the number of poor people is on the rise. But even after repeated demands the Centre has chosen to turn a deaf ear to this urgent and legitimate demand .So implementing its own promise in the current state budget the state govt has decided to give the much awaited urban employment project a green signal.Because of paucity of funds the number of mandays will 50 as against 100 in NREGA,nonetheless the state has become the trendsetter in introducing such a program for the urban poor.
Just like in NREGA people applying for job under TUEP will also be provided with job cards.People holding BPL cards and those who are enlisted as BPL if not having a card will be entitled to apply for and get a job under the new scheme.One person above the age of 18 years from each family shall be eligible for getting job.
The whole project will be financed by the state govt and initially an amount of rupees 15 crores has been allocated for the purpose.

Politburo Communique on Lok Sabha Polls

2009-05-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

The 15th Lok Sabha elections have resulted in the success of the Congress and its allies and they are in a position to form the government. The Congress party has won 61 more seats than the 2004 elections and has got an increased vote share of around 2 per cent according to provisional figures. The BJP has suffered a comprehensive defeat after failing for the second successive time in its bid to come to power with its allies. The BJP tally has come down by 22 seats and its vote share has fallen by over 3 per cent. Thus the loss suffered by the BJP vote share has more or less gone to the Congress. It should be noted that both the parties together have polled less than 48 per cent of the vote, which is less than the 2004 elections.

What stood the Congress in good stead were some of the measures adopted by the UPA government like the NREGA, the Forest Tribal Act and other social welfare measures which were pushed through under Left pressure.

The Congress party also gained more support amongst the minorities and sections of secular minded people who were keen to ensure that the BJP does not make a comeback.

The BJP has been rejected by the people as it could not offer anything beyond its communal agenda combined with rightwing economic policies which the people had already spurned in 2004. The rabid communal rhetoric of the likes of Varun Gandhi and Narendra Modi dominated its election campaign.

The Left parties had allied with certain non-Congress, non-BJP parties in various states. This was required so that a secular electoral alternative emerged. However, these alliances forged in some states on the eve of the elections were not seen by the people as a credible and viable alternative at the national level.

The serious reverses suffered by the CPI (M) and the Left parties in West Bengal and Kerala are of deep concern. The CPI (M) has lost 25 sitting seats from these two states. The CPI (M) has won 16 seats with a vote share of 5.52 per cent, which is marginally less than the 5.66 per cent it got in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. There should be a serious
examination of the reasons for these reverses. Both national and state specific factors are responsible for the poor performance. A self-critical review will be conducted by the concerned state committees and the Central Committee, which should form the basis for corrective steps. The Party will make all out efforts to regain the support and confidence of those sections of the people who have been alienated.

The Polit Bureau congratulated the people of Tripura for giving a massive victory to the two CPI (M)-Left Front candidates for the Lok Sabha. It is remarkable that the Left Front could establish a lead in all the 60 assembly segments of the state.

Accepting the people's verdict, the CPI (M) and the Left parties will work as a responsible opposition in parliament. The country is faced with serious economic difficulties, which have a direct bearing on the people's livelihood and well-being. The new government has to address this issue urgently and squarely. The CPI (M) will be vigilant in defending the interests of the people. It will work for strengthening the unity of the Left parties and will continue the cooperation with other secular parties in the opposition.
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Joint Statement by Left Parties on LS Elections

2009-05-17T22:01:00.001-07:00

Press Statement
The leaders of the Left parties, the CPI(M), CPI, AIFB and RSP met in New Delhi and have issued the following statement:
The Left parties will work as a responsible opposition in parliament. The Left parties will continue our cooperation with the non-Congress, non-BJP allies. In the light of the Lok Sabha election results, it was decided that each party individually would review the reverses suffered in the elections. Following this, the Left parties will come to a collective assessment on how to overcome the shortcomings and move ahead.

The meeting was attended by A.B. Bardhan, Prakash Karat, Debabrata Biswas, T J Chandrachoodan, Sitaram Yechury, S Ramachandran Pillai, D Raja and G Devarajan.

On Lok Sabha Election Results: CPI (M) POlitburo

2009-05-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

From India News Network (INN)

New Delhi, May 16: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

ON LOK SABHA ELECTION RESULTS

The elections to the Lok Sabha have resulted in a victory for the Congress and its allies who will be in a position to form the new government.

The CPI(M) and the Left parties have suffered a major set back in these elections. This necessitates a serious examination of the reasons for the Party's poor performance.

The CPI(M) will continue its cooperation with the non-Congress, non-BJP secular parties with whom we have been working.

The CPI(M) assures all those who have reposed faith in the Party in these elections that we will continue to champion the interests of the working people, national sovereignty and secularism.

Lengthening Shadows Of Global Recession

2009-05-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Weekly Editorial

THE country is paying a very high cost for the state of denial of both the Congress and the BJP on the impact of the global economic recession. Mired as they are in the neo-liberal mindset, both are living in an illusion that the current recession is a case of the normal rise and fall of the capitalist business cycle. The current recession, as we had repeatedly shown in these columns, is caused by the structural inadequacies of the capitalist system and is, therefore, a crisis of capitalism and not due to lack of or faulty regulations or excessive greed by a few captains of international finance.

World Bank's Global Economic Prospects (GEP), 2009 says: “What began six months ago with a massive de-leveraging in financial markets has turned into one of the sharpest global economic contradictions in modern history”. It continues to say: “Global GDP is expected to contract by 1.7 per cent in 2009 which would be the first decline in world output on record”.

“The deceleration in economic growth in low-and middle income countries as a group is expected to match the deceleration in high-income countries. The developing world is anticipated to see growth fall from 5.8 per cent in 2008 to 2.1 in 2009, a drop of 3.7 percentage points, similar to the fall in high-income economies (drop of 3.7 per cent from 0.7 per cent to minus 3.0 per cent). This highly synchronous growth collapse cannot be solely explained by trade linkages, but illustrates also that developing countries have been directly hit in their domestic economies by the financial crisis. The reversal of capital flows, collapse in stock markets, and in general the deterioration in financing conditions have brought investment growth in the developing countries to a halt, and in many developing countries investment is sharply declining.” (emphasis added)

This is precisely what we had analysed and anticipated in these columns in the past. On this basis, we had argued that unless there is a quantum leap in public investments, domestic demand and employment cannot be shored up. Without this, the economy cannot be stimulated for growth and to prevent the slide to recession. Unfortunately, the Manmohan Singh government has paid little heed to this. We had even stated both on the floor of the parliament and outside that the general elections cannot be used as an excuse to postpone such a decision as this would have damaging and possibly irreversible impact on our economy.

Given their state of denial, this refusal to sharply increase public investments has had its inevitable effect in the sharp drop in our industrial output. India's industrial output dropped to an alarming minus 2.3 per cent growth in March 2009. Of this, the manufacturing sector, which has nearly 80 per cent weightage in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) fell by a whopping minus 3.3 per cent.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India has been estimated to have dropped by over 55 per cent – from $4.4 billion in March 2008 to $2 billion in March 2009. India's exports have declined for the seventh consecutive month in April 2009 amounting to a fall of 33 per cent. Similarly, imports contracted by 35 per cent. While this may narrow the trade deficit, the export targets for 2008-09 are much less than even the revised scaling down done by the commerce ministry.

Notwithstanding the bombastic claims made regarding India's GDP growth rates by the government, the GEP has estimated the current growth rate this year to be 5.5 per cent projected to fall to 4 per cent next year. Apart from having a devastating impact on employment (with reports of various agencies indicating that over a crore of jobs have already been lost and many lakhs returning from foreign lands having lost jobs there), this sharp fall in the growth rate has increased the level of poverty in India with the GEP estimating that we are now only ahead of Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of population below the poverty line with over a quarter of Indians “living in extreme poverty” living on less than $1.25 a day. In terms of purchasing power parity, this tallies with the estimation of the Arjun Sengupta Report of 78 per cent of Indians living on less than Rs 20 a day.

Given this reality check of our economic fundamentals, it is clear that the Indian people need to brace themselves for much harder economic conditions in the near future. This can be prevented only by the new government substantially hiking public investment that will generate both employment and demand while, at the same time, building the much needed economic and social infrastructure in the country.

People Demand Relief: Sitaram Yechury

2009-05-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

AS we go to press, the last vote in the 15th general elections should have been cast except in such cases where the Election Commission may have ordered for a re-poll. This, however, has not happened in one constituency – Mathurapur – in West Bengal where due to faulty electronic voting machines, polling will now take place on May 14 in 101 polling stations. This constituency will, thus, be subjected to undue influences as the exit polls have been aired under the presumption that the voting has been completed on the 13th. All pleas to the Election Commission to postpone the exit polls till after this have fallen on deaf ears. Would this have been the case, if the concerned constituency was not in a Left-dominated West Bengal, but Advani's Gandhinagar or Sonia Gandhi's Rae Baraeli?

Be that as it may. A long and grueling election campaign has ended. Unlike fools who rush into places where angels dread to enter, we refrain from making predictions on the outcome. This, in any case, would be known by the time we reach you. But certain observations would be in order.

Campaigning for over six weeks from Darjeeling to Kanyakumari, from Sikar in Rajasthan to Barpeta in Assam, the one dominant feature that was obvious was that people everywhere were seeking relief from their day-to-day burdens. Growing unemployment as a result of the global recession (see editorial) accompanied by spiralling prices of essential commodities have been subjecting the people to a double whammy onslaught. How such a relief could be provided was, of course, left to the political parties and their candidates and to the new government that will assume office.

WIDE
DISCONNECT

This may sound to be at complete variance from large sections of media reporting, particularly by the electronic media. Given their proclivity for sensation and, hence, the emphasis on the inane and the trivial, they have tried to project these elections as one without any issue.

In a sense this reflects the wide disconnect between the `shining' and `suffering' India. The bulk of the viewership of the English news channels comes from the elite sections in the metros, where majority of the population did not vote. The bulk of those who have voted must, surely, belong to the working sections servicing the needs of this elite. This is unfortunate for the future of our democracy where there is a growing distinction between the `voter' and the `people'.

Returning to the campaign, it is clear that the people expect of the new government that assumes office to take urgent measures to provide relief. This, however, can only be done if there is a radical shift in the policy direction which puts people before profits. As argued in these columns on many occasions, only a government that has the courage and commitment to hugely enlarge public investments, which generate both employment and domestic demand, can meet the current challenges and provide relief to the people. Let us hope that such an alternative secular combination that can undertake this urgent task will form the government following these general elections.

UNPRECEDENTED
USE OF MONEY POWER

Another feature of these elections has been the unprecedented use of money power in many parts of the country. Phenomenal expenditures have been made. It is, indeed, ironic that general elections coming in the context of the global recession may be fortuitous. The expenditures could well provide a much-needed stimulus. It is true that during elections, every strata – from rag pickers to corporate executives – find gainful employment. The budget has allocated Rs 9700 crore for these elections (This, as is the general practice, may well increase substantially). While the expenditure limit prescribed by the Election Commission is Rs 35 lakh for a candidate in a constituency, there is no limit on the expenditure incurred by the parties or by their friends and well-wishers (For instance, the BJP has reportedly paid Rs 72 lakh for a helicopter for its president to campaign for just six hours!). Given the current profligacy, the major parties are estimated to spend anywhere around Rs 10 crore per candidate. Various independent estimations suggest that on a very conservative basis, the expenditures would be over Rs 25 crore by all candidates in a constituency. Added to the budgetary allocation, this means that at the very minimum at least Rs 30,000 crore would be spent. Additionally, illegally accumulated monies will also be laundered. During the recent Karnataka assembly elections, according to media reports, the police had impounded two cars stacked with gunny bags loaded with Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes. No one owned up to these crores of rupees. In Andhra Pradesh alone, the police is reported to have seized over Rs 40 crore while this was being ferried to various constituencies during these elections.

In the midst of this, the Indian voter has turned out, as always, to be more intelligent. Money has been taken from all those who are distributing it. Thus leaving in grave doubt as to whom they have voted for! No wonder, that pollsters continue to be bewildered in their projections.

Mercifully, all efforts to sharpen communal polarisation by the BJP and its candidates have not yielded the desired results for them. Practicing the worst form of `vote bank politics', the BJP had tried to whip up communal passions. While the communal undercurrent will always there, it failed to reach the levels of a crescendo that the BJP was hoping for.

While the Left has assiduously worked for the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative secular government which can bring about a radical shift in the policy trajectory in the country, it is clear that a new alignment of parties that will form the government is bound to take place after these elections, as has been the case in 1996, 1998 and 2004.

Whichever government assumes office, it has to, by necessity, urgently tackle the economic situation in order to provide relief to the people. If the new government refuses to do this, or, is simply incapable of meeting this challenge through adequate policy measures, then the popular struggles must be intensified to make the government act in the interests of the country and the people.

Do Not Meddle in Our Internal Affairs: Yechury Warns the US

2009-05-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

THE CPI(M) has said that if reports appearing in the media about US Charge d'Affaires A Peter Burleigh seeking to influence the decisions of political parties ahead of government formation are true then it would be a "gross interference in our internal affairs".
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury speaking to newspersons said that the imperialist character of US has once again come through such brazen interference in the affairs of an independent country.
He was responding to questions from reporters regarding the recent meetings of US ambassador with BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani and earlier with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Praja Rajyam Party chief and film star Chiranjeevi in Hyderabad.
Yechury said if the meetings were merely to know or understand the political scenario then there would be no problem. But if as sections of media have reported, these meetings were aimed at preventing third front government then it is nothing but gross interference in our internal affairs.
(INN)

Peaceful Polling in West Bengal

2009-05-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Kolkata,13th May- The last phase elections in West Bengal passed off peacefully barring stray incidents of violence. As reports are trickling in , more than 75% voters have cast their vote. Stream of people began to stand in line from early morning and long queues were seen throughout the day in a keenly fought battle.
Trinamool Congress planned attacks on booths and signs were visible from last night. Many miscreants , including persons fron Nandigram were arrested last night in and around Kolkata. An ambulance, ferrying arms was spotted by police. TMC miscreants attacked some booths in Joynagar, Jadavpur, DumDum but generally they were resisted by the people. There was wide cover of central forces too.
However, TMC assailants killed CPI(M) leader and elected member of the Panchayat Samiti , Jainul Mollah in Canning, part of Joynagar. He was severly attacked with sharp weapons when returning after casting his vote.
Left Front Chairman Biman Basu congratulated the people of the state for exercising their democratic rights in a peaceful manner.
In 101 booths of Mathurapur constituency voting will take place tomorrow as EVM machines generated technical error last night. Torrential rains caused this damage. Left front Chairman expressed his surprise over this incident.

Non Congress, Non BJP Parties To Meet On May 18

2009-05-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

The non-Congress, non-BJP parties are to meet in New Delhi on May 18 to take stock of the election results and decide on government formation in mutual consultation. The BSP would also be taking part in this meeting.
This was decided after consultations among the leaders of AIADMK, TDP, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular) and BSP. The meeting will explore all avenues for the formation of an alternative secular government.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat made this announcement to media persons today at AKG Bhavan. He also announced that a meeting of the Left Front would be held on May 17 to take stock of the results. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) would meet on May 18, followed by Central Committee on May 19 and 20 to take a view on these issues.
Referring to rumours about disarray in third front, particularly about likely desertion of TDP, Karat said it was Chandrababu Naidu who has asked him to convey about the decision of holding of the meeting of non-Congress non-BJP parties. Karat debunked these reports saying Naidu is the main mover of the third front.
Asked about JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Karat said Deve Gowda has clarified that they continue to remain in third front. On TRS attending NDA rally in Ludhiana, he said that they seem to have found a new home.
(INN)

Biman Basu Statement

2009-05-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Biman Basu, Secretary, West Bengal State Committee, CPI (M), has issued the following statement:
The comments made by Com. Subhash Chakraborty in an interview to a private news channel yesterday evening, has no connection whatsoever with the political positions of the CPI (M). His assessment of the Congress Party goes against the understanding of our Party. What he has said regarding the decision of not joining a Congress led Government in 2004 is contrary to the resolutions of the Central Committee and the Party Congress. Support to the Congress led Government was withdrawn by the Party in July 2008 on the basis of a unanimous decision by the Central Committee. Had we not withdrawn support, it would have meant our acceptance of the Congress Governments’ surrender before US imperialism. Our Party is firmly anti-imperialist and therefore we could not accept Congress Governments’ surrender before US imperialism. The Central Committee of the Party took these decisions in keeping with the line decided by the last Party Congress.
The initiative to work for a non-Congress, non-BJP secular alternative Government, which will adopt pro-people policies and pursue an independent foreign policy, was taken on the basis of a unanimous decision by the Central Committee. Discussions with various parties were held with the above objective. Discussions with BJD leader Naveen Patnaik was also held as a part of this understanding. The BJD has severed its links with the BJP and NDA. The CPI (M) is confident of formulating a minimum programme with these parties, which will comprise of pro-people economic policies, secularism, genuine federalism and independent foreign policy. A third front government formed on that basis will enjoy huge mass support, and peoples’ struggles will ensure the stability of that Government.
During the period between two Party Congresses, it is the Central Committee of the CPI (M) that takes political decisions on the basis of its assessment of national and international developments. The day to day activities of the Party in different States are guided by those Party decisions.

CPI (M)'s VIGOROUS ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN PUNJAB

2009-05-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

MOHAMMAD SHAHNAZ GORSI, CHANDIGARH reports:
The CPI (M) ran a vigorous election campaign in Punjab where its candidate Mahan Singh Rori is contesting from Anandpur Sahib (General) Parliamentary Constituency. The Campaign began with state level General Body meeting of its cadres at Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahar) on 14th February’ 2009. The meeting was addressed by CPI (M) Central Secretariat member Comrade Nilotpal Basu and Acting State Secretary CPI (M) Comrade Charan Singh Virdi. Over 500 party cadres attended the General Body meeting.

The Punjab State Committee of CPI (M) met on 7 and 8 February’ 2009 which was attended by Comrade S. R. Pillai Polit Bureau Member and Comrade Nilotpal Basu Central Secretariat member. The two days State Committee meeting of the party did the work division among the state Secretariat members, State Committee members and District Committee members. The meeting chalked out plan of election campaign and gave a state vide fund call.

To publicly kick start the election campaign and to announce the name of the CPI (M) candidate from the Anandpur Sahib Parliamentary constituency a mass rally was held at Balachaur on Ist March’ 2009, which was addressed by General Secretary of CPI (M) Comrade Prakash Karat and Central Secretariat member Comrade Nilotpal Basu and Acting State Secretary, Punjab State Committee of CPI (M) Comrade Charan Singh Virdi. The name of the CPI (M) candidate was announced by Com. Prakash Karat on behalf of Central Committee of the party. The mass rally was attended by about 7 thousand people, majority of them were from the Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency.

The State Committee published eight booklets in Punjabi each numbering 2,000, which were translated from the English pamphlets sent by the Polit Bureau titled such as (1) Price Rise, Hunger, Malnutrition : Congress led Government’s Gift to Aam Aadmi, (2) Workers’ Chargesheet against Congress led Government, (3) Lies, Deceit and Demagogy : The UPA Report Card in Agriculture, (4) The Global Economic Crisis and India : Need for Alternative Pro-People Policies, (5) In Defence of Rights of Minorities, (6) Defeat the Communal Forces, Unite against Terrorism, (7) Education : Congress –led Government Fails the Test, (8) Health Sector : Trail of Broken Promises. These booklets were distributed in all the nine Assembly Segments which make the whole Parliamentary constituency. In addition to this joint appeal was translated from English to Punjabi and 2,000 copies were got published and distributed among the masses. Another booklet ON WOMEN was also translated from English to Punjabi and 2000 copies were published and distributed among masses especially among women.

The CPI (M) Election Manifesto for the 15th Lok Sabha 2009 was translated in Punjabi and 5,000 number of copies were printed and distributed among the voters of the constituency.
At least 700 Booth Committees were organized to streamline the election campaign of CPI (M) candidate, Election offices were opened in all the Assembly segments and zones, which were under the control of State Committee members.

The main political opponents of our candidate are Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combination which is part of NDA and Indian National Congress candidate and BSP candidate on the other side. Our election campaign was directed against both Congress led UPA and BJP led NDA and their disastrous anti-working class and anti-national economic policies, for independent Foreign policy and against Nuclear Deal. The specific issues which were focused were the NREGA, Price rise, breakdown of the PDS, malnutrition, recession, unemployment, plight of the peasantry and suicides due to indebtedness, power scarcity and neglect of Kandi area, Beet area and Chunger area which are neglected areas and are parts of this constituency, by different Governments since independence.

In the constituency total around 25,000 big posters and 2.28 lakh hand bills were printed and distributed in the whole Parliamentary constituency. Thousands of CPI (M) activists and activists of the mass organizations from whole of Punjab ran a village to village, street to street and a door to door campaign for over a month in the whole constituency, held group meetings, disbursed voter slips and did everything else that was possible to take the message of the party to the people. Women activists and youth took part in the election campaign in a big way. Selected party activists from state cadres were given special responsibilities to run the campaign in a better way.

For the purpose of introducing the party candidate to the public, the election campaign was divided in three phases. In the first two phases public meetings were addressed and in the third phase road shows were organized. The first phase of the election campaign was completed before 20th of April’ 2009, the day of filing nomination papers. A massive rally was held at Bhasin Bhawan, Ropar and impressive procession was taken out in the city of Ropar before filing the nomination papers. The second phase of electioneering was organised from 21-04-2009 to 02-05-2009 and the third phase from 03-05-2009 to 08-05-2009. In the first phase the candidate and party state Secretariat members addressed more than one hundred public meetings/rallies and in the second phase about 150 public meetings/rallies were addressed. During these meetings and rallies there was great enthusiasm among the party cadres and other workers.
We had a joint campaign along with CPI and Lok Bhilai party. The CPI candidates contested from two seats i.e. Bathinda and Faridkot ( SC ) whereas Sh. Balwant Singh Ramoowalia of Lok Bhilai party contested from Sangrur constituency. Elsewhere in the state and Chandigarh we casted our votes to vialable secular candidates generally BSP candidates.

Campaign Trail of Dr Onkar Shad, CPI (M) candidate in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

2009-05-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Tikender Singh Panwar reports:

Dr Onkar Shad the CPIM candidate from Mandi parliamentary seat in Himachal Pradesh has become the first candidate in the state to reach the maximum number of electors in the constituency. According to the assessment made by two local dailies namely the Tribune and Hindustan Times he has been able to put a considerable impact on the electorate by directly meeting them which has forced the other contestants as well to change their tactics from just holding public rallies to real intervention. The campaign was started in the month of February. A large number of meetings were organized in the entire constituency which happens to be the largest in the state and covers almost half of the geographical area of Himachal Pradesh. Initially the issues raised pertained to demands of the people that include rights over forests, questions of rehabilitation and compensation in the project affected areas, saving the crops from wild animals , raising the support price of milk and other horticulture produce and so on. This helped in activating the party and other mass organizations leadership in the area . From March onwards the party campaign was unleashed with a target of at least a rally in each assembly segment of the parliament. There are 17 assemblies in Mandi parliamentary segment. Organizationally the constituency was divided into Mandi, Kullu, Sundernagar, Rampur zones. All these four zones were further divided into constituency wise responsibilities. From a meeting in the zones several meetings of constituencies were further fixed. Initially the candidate of the party traveled on foot for almost a fortnight in his native area where his team was able to cover almost 10 panchayats and the move was from village to village. This helped in enthusing party sympathizers which later helped in generating confidence amongst the common people of the area who took a position of supporting Onkar irrespective of their political affiliations. Similarly campaign was unleashed in other parts like Rampur, Kinnaur, Jogender nagar, Karsog, Kullu , Balh. The next target was to mobilize for the nomination . The nomination was done in Mandi on 20th April which was attended by A Vijayraghwan and Tapan Sen from center. A large number of people attended from different parts and largest from Anni which is the native assembly constituency of the candidate. The public meeting was addressed by A Vijayraghwan, Rakesh Singha , Dr Onkar and Tapan Sen. Taking a dig at the so called development in the state of which both the Congress and the BJP are claiming to be champions he said that this development is just an eye wash and is actually development of few individuals and companies and not of the common man. While describing the condition of the schools he said the situation is such that almost 20% of the schools are on the verge of closure in the state as the required number of teachers are not available.
The issues of the constituency and that of the state
The state of Himachal was carved out because of the aspirations of the people and was heavily dependent upon central assistance. Besides, the only wealth that the state used to get was from forests that was abruptly ended in 1980 after the forest conservation act. In lieu the state was accorded a special category status . This status helped the state to develop some infrastructure in the state, because of which schools and health infrastructure could be developed. The services sector was also developed with a strength of over 3 lakh employees in the state. But this special category status was snatched by the 9th finance commission. Then under the liberalization era the successive state governments of both the BJP and the Congress have blatantly and profusely bled the people of their savings and have sharply restricted the scope of investment in the social sector . Even before the FRBM was passed in the state which both the parties vehemently welcomed, a MOU was signed with the central government thereby applying the conditional ties of the FRBM through the backdoor. This is the major issue of the state.
Secondly the only other viable source for mobilization of resources is water ie the hydel projects in the state. The state has an immense potential of generating over 23000 MW electricity through the hydel projects.But due to the policies of crony capitalism and of hoodwinking the people by robbing them of their share and interests this issue has become the second major issue in the state. The land is being acquired in the interests of big business , be it for cement plants eg in Sundernagar , or Lafarge in Tatta pani or Jaypee in Bagha or acquisition of land for hydel generation in either the Satluj , Ravi or Beas basins. These projects are having multiple impacts on the common people and the state as a whole. Firstly the interest of the state in not being protected. The power companies producing electricity both in the private as well in the public sector have not been asked to give their due to the state. For example there is an utmost demand that the share of the state should be 15% distress cost and 30% equity in all the projects . But both the BJP and the Congress have failed to protect this and in projects like Parvati with a capacity of 2020 MW , the state has no share at all. Similarly in the private BOT (Built Operate and Transfer ) projects the state has no share. The second issue arising out of these projects is a contradiction emerging out of this development. Since the governments allowing these projects or signing these projects do not even have an iota of interest to protect the share or the interests of the common people, the affected inhabitants are the suffered most. For example in the ongoing Wangtoo karcham 1000 MW hydel project the people of the adjoining villages were opposing the project for the settlement of their demands like rehabilitation, compensation, pollution and most importantly employment. But the then Congress government instead of dealing with the agitation used force and fired at the meeting in which several were wounded. Now since the project is half way over, cracks have appeared in the house that are atop the hill underneath where the head race tunnel is being dug. Now the company is not even prepared to listen to the woes of the distressed people. Similar kinds of problems are faced all over the state. The third important issue pertains to the continuous increase in the cost of production of horticulture produce in the state. The entire hilly terrain is horticulture oriented that produces apples. Since last many years especially after the liberalization spree , the government has sharply reduced the subsidies provided for fungicides, insecticides and other medicines, also the cost of fertilizers has gone up substantially. Compounding this, there is not intervention in the market and the apple and potato producers are forced to sell their produce even at a loss to the Commission agents. Last year in Kalpa in Kinnaur district that produces one of the finest quality apples , the apple orchardists were not even able to pay back their loans taken from the Commission agents because of fall in the market . Another important issue pertains to the cuts in social expenditure especially on health and education. The condition of schools is such that a 10 class school in a majority of places is being run by either 3 or 4 teachers, out of whom 2 are regular employees and 2 on contract , here it is called under various name like PTA (parents teachers association), which is a new form of a user charge in education, Vidya Upasaks and so on. Similarly , the health is in shatters. The health centers have turned into money generating enterprises with user charges being levied on every step. Not just that here there is a very glaring example of PPP(Public private partnership). The state government has allowed to attach three district hospitals to any private medical college entrepreneur who opens in Mandi, hamirpur and Una. Thereby meaning that the private college would mint money from the students and the hospitals made out of public money would also be laid out for the private players.
Then there are several other demands like the proper implementation of the NREGA, the forest tribal act, employment to the local youth in the coming up projects in the state , demand for drinking water, schools, and so on.

Post Nomination period
Immediately after the nomination of the candidate, rallies were planned in all the constituencies. The biggest rally took place in Sainj where over 4000 workmen gathered on May day. This rally was addressed by Onkar Shad. The other important rally was in Anni on 7th May which was also well attended and the main speaker in the rally was A VijayRaghwan and Rakesh Singha. Besides public meetings were addressed by the candidate and other leaders of the party from the state and the center , the details are as:

23rd April Bharmour Onkar Shad
30th April Patlikuhl Onkar Shad
1st May Rampur Pushpender Garewal
4th May JogenderNagar Rakesh Singha
4th May Jarol (Sundernagar) Kashmir Singh Thakur
5th May Jhanjheli Onkar Shad, A Vijayraghwan
6th May Garagushaini(Mandi) Onkar, A Vijay Raghwan
7th May Anni A Vijayraghwan and Rakesh Singha
8th May Karsog Suneet Chopra and Kuldeep Singh
8th May Machial (JNR) Pushpende Garewal, Asha Lata& Kushal 8th May Nirmand Rakesh Singha & Onkar
9th May Rampur Suneet Chopra, Rakesh Singha& Onkar
11th May Manali Pushpender Garewal & Prem Gautam
11th May Nankhari Onkar

Besides , a road show was also organized in Kinnaur district which was led by Onkar Shad and Tikender Singh . This show started from Bara kamba then enroute Chaura, Nigulsaari, Kache, Thanang , Baro the last meeting was held at Ponda. Despite inclement weather and snow the people braved it and participated in large numbers.
On the last day of campaigning there were several meetings in Nankhari, Urni and Chagaon. On the 12th once again door to door campaign was unleashed where contacts were consolidated .

Campaigning for the Last Phase in West Bengal Concludes

2009-05-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

West Bengal Left Front Chairman Biman Basu cautions the voters to be alert in order to exercise their voting rights on the last phase of Elections in West Bengal.
Kolkata 11th May- Amidst all the slanderous campaigns and provocative attempts of the West Bengal‘s opposition, Kolkata today saw unprecedented waves of people draped red in different parts of the city and in the mofussils. Thousands of onlookers stood patiently with most of them waving to Mahamichils or padayatra that crisscrossed the city roads amidst the burning asphalts under the hot summer sun. From the early hours of the morning parts of Kolkata South constituency witnessed Rabin Deb, the Left candidate of Kolkata South constituency with Brinda Karat CPI (M) politbureau member being the star attraction in the rally . The rally started from Hazra, Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold in South Kolkata constituency and traversed through Khidderpore and Mominpore where the onlookers were seen clicking photographs with their mobile camera’s.
In Kolkata North Constituency a huge rally was organized with MD Salim, candidate for the Kolkata north constituency leading thousands of Left workers which was also joined by eminent artistes and citizens In Dumdum Constituency Amitava Nandy traversed his constituency and spoke in many small road meetings which were overflowed by people. Sougata Roy, the TMC candidate from the Kolkata North constituency was seen traversing Dumdum with a group of about 100 supporters visiting the inner parts of the para’s or the localities. While Tapan Sikdar former union minister took out a road show and emphasized his belief that he too is in a good position to win this again which he once represented in the parliament. In Barasat Sudin Chattapadhya the Left Front candidate was seen addressing path sabha (ie small road side meetings) in Madhyamgram area in the outskirts of the city.
However the highlight of the last day’s campaign in Kolkata was definitely the huge procession that took place in Jadavpore constituency where the Left Front Chairman Biman Basu himself walked in a padayatra along with Sujan Chakraborty the Left Front candidate from Jadavpore. Khokan Ghoshdastidar, district secretariat member of the CPI(M) south 24 district committee , too walked the entire path though his wife and CPI(M) leader Chandana Ghoshdastidaar is admitted in the hospital injured in the viscious attack unleashed against her by Trinamool hooligans in Falta . Tens of Thousands of Red Flags waved making it a spectacular sight in Jadavpore. Their along the more than a kilometer long Padayatra greeted the residents of the area in the morning. In Jadavpore, the mood of the party workers was that of hate and contempt towards the Trinamool goons who had injured their leader Chandana. Women too, walked along the entire stretch in large numbers as thousands of people were seen giving slogans in large numbers.
Noted Film director Raja Sen, former Cricketer and former BCCI selector Sambaran Bannerjee walked the entire stretch in the eastern fringes of the city in Jadavpore. When asked about his possible prediction about the elections he told that “No match in Jadavpore, Sujan is a winner- it is the question about how Mamata Banerjee can retain his seat. The people of West Bengal is being fed daily by a dosage of lies, half lies and full lies accompanied by a section of the media and the vested interest s . There ultimately will be a boomerang as people of the state will not under any cost let the state to fall in the hand of anarchists. When confronted as to ‘Why are u talking like a Leftist He told that the anarchists are leading the state to a pandemonium and any sane man will support the Left in west Bengal - he quipped . This feeling perhaps was portrayed by the people of Kolkata who draped the city red today prior to last phase of the polls in the city . All together in the last phase of elections in West Bengal in the remaining 11 Loksabha constituency area the Left is sure to retain its stronghold if participation in political rallies and overwhelming response can be thought to be determining factor in gauging the people’s mood in the last phase of the elections . The only question of doubt that remains is of the terror tactics of the opposition that has made the left leaders, a bit tense just before the elections.

Trinamul Trying to Bring Back Seventies in Bengal: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

2009-05-12T22:18:00.002-07:00

Photo 1: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya meets the press in Kolkata.
Photo 2: Brinda Karat leads a campaign march in West Bengal.

Kolkata,11th May- West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya has alleged that Trinamool Congress was trying to bring back the days of seventies in the state. Bhattacharya categorically castigated Trinamool for the violence in last few days while participating in the ‘Meet the Press’ programme at Kolkata Press Club today. The election campaign ended this afternoon in the state.

In the 1970-s, West Bengal faced a semi-fascist terror and worst kind of political violence. Reminding the history, Bhattacharya said, from 1972 to1977 West Bengal witnessed terror and murders everywhere. After the Left Front government assumed responsibility in 1977, the situation gradually changed. That was because we wanted that political language will be the term, not the language of violence. The atmosphere of violence once again started to emerge after the birth of Trinamool Congress. They are now trying to change the atmosphere in the state. They are trying to bring back the days of seventies.

Answering questions on Nandigram, Bhattacharya said, in the name of resisting land acquisition, violence was planned in Nandigram from January 2007. We had categorically said that there would not be any land acquisition there. What is the motive of maintaining a “Bhoomi Ucched Protirodh Committee” there? Even Maoists from outside were brought to create violence there. We admit mistakes. On 14th March 2007, police was sent to Nandigram to reconstruct roads. We asked for cooperation from the opposition parties too. But ultimately there was a clash. We never want death by police firing, it is not congruent to our political- ideological understanding. If I had any inkling that such a thing would occur I would not send police in the first place. The families of all those killed have been given compensation, police officers were also transferred.

Bhattacharya said, CPI (M) is trying to defeat Congress and BJP in the elections. Our target is to form a non-Congress, non-BJP secular government at the centre. It has to be seen who supports whom only after the elections. In 2004, there was no scope for the third force. We therefore were forced to support Congress to keep BJP away from power. But the situation is quite different this time. We will be able to form a government of third forces. CPI (M) may join such a government if we can play an effective role .The question is open.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in Meet the Press

2009-05-12T22:18:00.001-07:00

Kolkata,11th May- West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya has alleged Trinamool Congress was trying to bring back the days of seventies in the state. Bhattacharya categorically castigated Trinammol for the violence in last few days while participating in the ‘Meet the Press’ programme at Kolkata Press Club today. The election campaign ended this afternoon in the state.
In the 1970-s, West Bengal faced a semi-fascist terror and worst kind of political violence. Reminding the history, Bhattacharya said, from 1972 to1977 West Bengal witnessed terror and murders everywhere. After the Left Front government assumed responsibility in 1977, the situation gradually changed. That was because we wanted that political language will be the term, not the language of violence. The atmosphere of violence once again started to emerge after the birth of Trinamool Congress. They are now trying to change the atmosphere in the state. They are trying to bring back the days of seventies.
Answering questions on Nandigram, Bhattacharya said, in the name of resisting land acquisition, violence was planned in Nandigram from January,2007. We had categorically said that there would not be any land acquisition there. What is the motive of maintaining a “Bhoomi Ucched Protirodh Committee” there? Even Maoisists from outside were brought to create violence there. We admit mistakes. On 14th March,2007, police was sent to Nandigram to reconstruct roads. We asked for cooperation from the opposition parties too. But ultimately there was a clash. We never want death by police firing, it is not congruent to our political- ideological understanding. If I had any inkling that such a thing would occur I would not send police in the first place. The families of all those killed have been given compensation, police officers were also transferred.
Bhattacharya said, CPI(M) is trying to defeat Congress and BJP in the elections. Our target is to form a non-Congress, non-BJP secular government at the centre. It has to be seen who supports whom only after the elections. In 2004, there was no scope for the third force. We therefore were forced to support Congress to keep BJP away from power. But the situation is quite different this time. We will be able to form a government of third forces. CPI(M) may join such a government if we can play an effective role .The question is open.

Yechury Ends campaign in Kanniyakumari

2009-05-12T22:17:00.001-07:00

Sitaram Yechury addressed a public meeting at Kulasekaram in Kanniyakumari constituency in support of CPI(M) candidate AV.Bellarmine on Monday afternoon.

Sitaram Yechury campaign in Tamil Nadu / VICTORY IN TAMIL NADU WILL CREATE ANEW HISTORY

2009-05-12T22:16:00.001-07:00

By N.SIVAGURU
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CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member Sitaram Yechury did hectic campaign in Coimbatore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Trichy, Dindigal, Madurai and Kanyakumari Parliamentary counstituencies.
Starting his campaign, from Coimbatore for the CPI(M) Candidate P.R.Natarajan he accused the long led UPA of not implementing pro-people schemes instead followed policies which led to unemployment, agrarian crisis, price rise, industrial slowdown.
Addressing huge gathering in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam in support of AIADMK&CPI candidates respectively he reitrated that it who only because of the presure of left parties the UPA came out with NREGA scheme and various other pro-people policies.
Braving scorching Sun, thousands gathered in Trichy to hear the speech of Com Yechury in which he said that the directionless foriegn policy that made Sri Lankan Tamils issue a volatile situation. He said the new 3rd Front Govt. to be formed at the centre after the elections would take a logical stand to end the crisis.
Addressing a messive public meeting in Dindigul, in support of AIADMK candidate it was the anti people policies of UPA Govt and the erstwhile central Govt.s that has made Indian Women anaemic and to birth of malnourished children still today. He came down heavily on the corrupt UPA Govt which did not spend on public sectors and said this situation will reversed after the election.
Campaigning for CPI(M) candidate P.Mohan in mammoth meeting in Madurai he lambasted the DMK of using money and all power to defeat the CPI(M) but he expressed confidence over Madurai voters that the evil designs will be thwarted.
He alleged that there were two Indias today ,one a shining India in which there are people who are crorepathis who coustructs houses valued upto Rs. 400 crore but a dark India where the people are unable to get wages of Rs.80 a day.
He also said that today even developed country like Japan do not have billionaires as that of India. He also added that today people in India want a change from their grief.
He them addressed a huge rally at Kulasekaram in Kanyakumari counstituency for CPI(M) candidate A.V.Bellarmine.

Sitaram at Madurai Rally

2009-05-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

Sitaram yechury, CPI(M) state secretary N.Varadharajan, candidate P.Mohan, AIADMK secretary Sellur K.Raju, JD(S) leader Jhon Moses and othr leaders of the alliance parties in a massive rally held at Madurai, on Sunday night.

Tamil Nadu people’s verdict crucial: Yechury

2009-05-12T22:13:00.001-07:00

Sitaram with media persons at Nagarcoil.

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TIRUCHI/ NAGARCOIL:

The verdict of the people of Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha elections will have an important bearing on the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP secular alternative government at the Centre, said Sitaram Yechury, Rajya Sabha MP and Polit Bureau Member, Communist Party of India (Marxist).

"It will be crucial and that is why we are appealing to the people of Tamil Nadu to give a sweeping verdict in favour of the AIADMK-led alliance," he said addressing press conferences at Tiruchi and Nagarcoil on Sunday and on Monday.

Only a non-Congress, non-BJP coalition at the Centre could provide an alternative policy direction that the people of the country were looking for.

"We will discuss the post-poll situation and possibilities based on the actual position after May 16. But our objective as decided by the party Central Committee is to form a non-Congress, non-BJP government," he said answering a query on the possibility of the Left parties supporting a Congress government. He expressed confidence that the alternative government could be formed without the support of BJP and Congress.

Yechury maintained that the Left parties were responsible for all the pro-poor measures initiated by the United Progressive Alliance government, including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the loan waiver scheme for farmers. "The Congress is claiming credit for the schemes now. But why did the party fail to implement such pro-poor programmes when they were ruling the country by themselves in the past," he asked.

The Left was also responsible for stopping the UPA government moves on financial liberalisation that could have had disastrous consequences on the country in the wake of the global economic slowdown.

"We stopped moves to bring in capital account convertibility, privatisation of pension funds, increase in foreign direct investment in insurance sector and the takeover of domestic private banks by foreign banks," he said.

On the Sri Lankan issue, he said that the CPI (M) favoured complete autonomy for the Tamils. Ensuring the safety and dignity of the Tamils was non-negotiable. But this can be achieved only if there was a policy change.

Third Front is Now a Reality

2009-05-12T22:12:00.001-07:00

Change at the Centre becomes the motto of rallyists at a huge rally in the South Kolkata constituency today morning in support of Rabin Deb, Left front’s candidate for Kolkata south constituency

Kolkata 10th may – Change of guard at the Centre and not anarchy and blood shed in the state as preferred by the West Bengal’s opposition became the mainstay of thousands of Rallyists at the Kolkata South constituency which was attended by Left Front Chairman Biman Basu,West Bengal’s chief minister Buddha Bhatttacharya and chief minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar. From the wee hours of the morning thousands of onlookers were mesmerized by the wave of red flags making waves at the South Kolkata localities where CPI (M) candidate Rabin Deb is leading a valiant fight against the Trinamool supremo herself. At the end of the rally in Deshapriya Park of south Kolkata,West Bengal’s CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya told the rallyists that chances of BJP coming to power has been minimized and Congress too will be defeated in the ongoing Loksabha elections. In the centre opportunities has been created that a new pro people government may be formed at the Centre which will work with pro people policies. Mounting criticism on the opposition of West Bengal he outlined the role of the opposition keeping mum to wherever the CPI (M) workers are slaughtered. Even the nefarious incident of slaughtering of the Physician and nurse by the Maoists had never been condemned upon by the West Bengal’s opposition. He said that ultimately the people’s power will defeat the forces of anarchy in the state. He told that a pro people government at the Centre can only work towards taking pro people measures that will be aimed at the masses of the country. He harped that the destructive politics of the opposition will not find takers in the state. Our dream for singur is not over.
Earlier the rally was inaugurated by the Left Front Chairman Biman Basu at Jagubabur Bazaar. Their he told that the Leftists had got the experience of Governance and it is for the sake of the national unity that a government of the third front will have to be formed at the centre He said that a government of the third front can only ensure development and progress for the country. Besides thousands of citizens of south Kolkata eminent film director Tarun Majumdar, famous magician PC Sorcar junior , ex international soccer player Shivaji Banerjee EX BCCI selector Sambaran Banerjee , handicapped swimmer Masudur Rahman along with actors of the Bengali film industry Arindam Sil, Biplab Chatterjee, Sankar Chakraborty film director Anindita Sarbadhikary along with numerous Left front leaders Like RSP’s Khiti Goswami , MFB’s Pratim Chattejee, and Srikumar Mukherjee of CPI took part in the procession along with Candidate Rabin Deb .
Taking part in the procession, Tripura’s chief minister Manik Sarkar told that Third front is now a reality and every day numerous party’s including NDA’a allies are willing to take part in the Third front. The attack on the Leftists in West Bengal should be seen as a reflection of this development at the Centre. It is not an isolated incident and to reduce the strength of the Left Front inside the parliament different foreign powers has aligned with the reactionary forces of the country to eliminate the role of the leftists in the parliament as a determining force. .
The huge walkathon created flurry of interests amongst the onlookers and at places women were seen throwing flowers to the rallyists who waved the red flags of their hands to honour the assembled crowd. The mood of the rally was also for a change. That change was of which the people of the country is looking at to make at the Centre in the aid of millions of toiling Indians. Braving the hot summer sun, thousands of Padayatri’s took part in the rally , resulting in a red wave across the 3 km stretch .

The Third Front will capture power at the Centre : Sitaram Yechury

2009-05-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

NAGAPATTINAM:

The Third Front will capture power at the Centre and a non-Congress and non-BJP alliance Government will be formed without outside support after the elections, said Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), here on Saturday.

Addressing an election meeting campaigning for M. Selvaraj, the CPI candidate of the Nagapattinam Lok Sabha constituency, comrade Yechury said that the Third Front had a number of competent leaders and the Congress and the BJP need not worry about the Prime Ministerial candidate if alternative alliance came to power.

“We do not want to announce a Prime Ministerial candidate now like the BJP projecting L. K. Advani. The people will choose the Prime Minister through their elected representatives,” he said.

Referring to the view of the Congress and the BJP that the third front was an unstable alliance, Mr. Yechury accused both the parties of causing instability at the Centre by withdrawing support to two Governments of alternative alliances and pointed out that the V.P. Singh’s National Front government fell because of BJP’s withdrawal of support and the Congress withdrew its support to the United Front government later.

Foreign and economic policies

Earlier, addressing an election meeting at Sembanarkovil in Mayiladuturai Lok Sabha constituency, campaigning for the AIADMK candidate O.S. Manian, Yechury stressed the need for changes in India’s foreign and economic policies for solving several problems, including Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

The CPM leader pointed out that the country did not witness major developments due to wrong policies adopted by the UPA Government. He said that the BJP had been playing communal politics.

Yechury appealed to the voters of Tamil Nadu to repeat the sweep of the 2004 elections this time in favour of the alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

2009 is not 2004, Karat reminds Congress

2009-05-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

2009 is not 2004, Karat reminds Congress
Kolkata, 9th May- CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat has reminded Congress leadership that it is 2009, not 2004.This time Congress has to decide whether they will support a secular government at the centre, not the other way round.
Karat addressed massive rallies in Kolkata this evening.
Referring to Prime Ministers’ comment that the third front is a non-starter, Karat said, the allies of Congress have openly admitted that there would not be any government without the Left. Congress has already lost allies and UPA is non- existent. May we ask with whom Congress will form the government? Their new-found ally in West Bengal Trinamool Congress has a record of somersault and there is no certainty that they would remain with Congress after the elections. In fact, Trinamool will leave Congress as soon as they will not be able to muster a majority.
On the oft-repeated comments of Congress leaders on Left’s support to a Congress-led government after polls, Karat said, “It is 2009, not 2004. Five years ago, in the face of grave challenge from the communal forces, the Lefts supported Congress to form a government at the centre. We did so even after 54 of our 61 members in the parliament were elected after fighting Congress. This time there will an alternative secular formation and the secular credential of Congress will be tested. Congress will have to decide whether they will support such a secular formation or not.
Karat asserted that in last two months it has been proved that a third way is possible politically, socially and on the question of economic policies.

Sitaram Yechury at Mayiladuthrai

2009-05-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

CPI(M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury addressed massive public meeting at Mayiladuthurai constituency in TN in support of AIADMK candidate O.S.Maniyan. After this meeting , he attended a huge rally at Nagapattinam , a strong bastion of Communist movement ,in support of CPI candidate M.Selvaraj.

P. Mohan comes home to a rousing reception

2009-05-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

MADURAI:

"The people of Madurai will win (in the election)," said Communist Party of India (Marxist) Madurai Lok Sabha constituency candidate, P. Mohan.

Arriving home to a rousing reception at various points here on Friday after being hospitalised in Chennai, he said that the people of Madurai would prove that their Lok Sabha constituency too would go for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance.

Sixty-year-old Mohan underwent a surgery in Chennai after he developed stomach ache on April 28.

He was hospitalised there for 11 days.

With tears rolling down his cheeks, the two-time MP expressed gratitude for the affection shown to him by the people of Madurai.

"I apologise for being unable to participate in the protests against political rowdyism and distribution of money. I am sure, the people of Madurai will win," he said in a choked voice.

Scores of party men and cadres of alliance parties gathered at Jeeva Nagar to welcome him. Comrade Mohan would resume his election campaign on Sunday, R. Annadurai, district secretary of the party, said.

CPI (M) State secretary, N. Varadarajan, district secretaries, R. Annadurai and V. Sundaram (both CPI-M), K. Raju, M. Boominathan were among those who received him at the airport.

Sitaram Yechury : Third Front has able Prime Ministerial candidates

2009-05-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

COIMBATORE:

The Third Front has a number of competent leaders who make Prime Ministerial candidates and therefore the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress do not have to worry about who will be the Prime Minister if the alternative alliance comes to power, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said here on Friday.
Addressing a public meeting in support of CPI(M) candidate for Coimbatore constituency PR.Natarajan, he said: "We have Chief Ministers and also former Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers in our alliance. Yet, we do not want to announce a Prime Ministerial candidate now like the BJP has projected Mr. L.K. Advani. We respect the Constitution and the sovereign right provided by it to the people to choose the Prime Minister through their elected representatives." Yechury said projecting a candidate as Prime Minister was fraught with the risk of defeat if there was public resentment towards that person.
He recalled the defeat the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suffered in Rae Bareilli in 1977 after the Congress declared she would be the Prime Minister if it won the elections.
On the view of the Congress and the BJP that the Third Front was an unstable alliance, the CPI (M) leader accused them of causing instability at the Centre by withdrawing support to two Governments of alternative alliances.
The National Front Government headed by V.P. Singh fell because of the BJP’s withdrawal of support to it over the arrest of Mr. Advani during his rath yatra. The Congress had withdrawn support to the United Front Government later. But, it would not happen this time as the alternative alliance will have the required number of seats to form a Government on its own.
Using a cricket parlance to describe Mr. Advani being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate, comrade Yechury said: "He is only the night watchman for Narendra Modi."
On the scepticism over an alternative alliance coming to power at the Centre, he pointed out that the United Front was formed after the elections in 1996 and it came to power.
This was the case with the National Democratic Alliance in 1998 and the United Progressive Alliance in 2004. In the same way, a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance will come to power after this election.
Yechury called upon the people of Tamil Nadu to repeat the sweep of the 2004 elections, but this time in favour of the alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). "The people of Tamil Nadu have a historic role to play in deciding who will come to power at the Centre. We need a policy shift to build a better India. For that you must vote for the AIADMK alliance."
The global economic crisis had hit India also. Already one crore jobs had been lost and if damage control measures were not initiated now it would rise to five crore in the next three months. There were reports that 71 retrenched workers had committed suicide at Surat in Gujarat and that workers in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were selling their organs to help their families survive. "We need to bridge the gap between the shining India of millionaires and the suffering India," he said.

Yechury starts campaign in Tamilnadu

2009-05-08T19:29:00.001-07:00

CPI(M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury addressing public meeting at Coimbatore in support of CPI(M) candidate PR.Natarajan. Yechury will be in TN for next four days.

Third Front poised to form govt at Centre: Prakash Karat

2009-05-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Bhubaneswar, May 8 (UNI) CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat today asserted that the Third Front was poised to make a good and serious bid to form the non-Congress secular government at the Centre as neither the Congress nor BJP would be in a position to get absolute majority in the election.
Mr Karat, who held discussion with Orissa Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas here on the possibility of formation of Third Front government at the Centre, later told newspersons that he was hopeful that other non-Congress and non-BJP political parties will support the Third Front. ''At present we are consolidating our strength with the political parties with whom we had pre-poll alliance and have appealed to all the secular political parties to extend their support to the Third
Front,'' he said.

On being asked whether the Third Front would seek the support of Congress in the event of it falling short of majority, Mr Karat quipped, ''Let us wait for the result.'' He also parried a question when asked whether the Third Front would seek the support of JD(U) supremo and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying, ''We appeal to all non-Congress and secular parties to join us.'' On being asked as to whether they would also take the support of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP supremo Mayawati, the CPM leader said nine political parties had met Mayawati in Delhi on March 15 and issued a statement that all would work together post-election.
He said in Orissa the alliance led by the BJD would form the next government and Naveen Patnaik would again become the Chief Minister. Mr Patnaik reiterated his party's stand saying that under no circumstances the BJD would support either the BJP-led or Congress-led government at the Centre. He said several secular political parties were in a good position to come together and form a non-Congress and non-BJP government at the Centre.

Mr Patnaik expressed his surprise when asked to comment on Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's recent statement that the Congress would hold discussion with the BJD to seek its support. He said this indicated the ''desperation'' of the Congress for seeking support and made it clear that his party would not support
the Congress-led or BJP-led government at the Centre.

Congress, TMC Unleash Violence in Bengal Second Phase Polls

2009-05-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Kolkata,7th May- The second phase polling in West Bengal was marred by violence, unleashed by Trinamool Congress and Congress in some constituencies, resulting in deaths of two persons. The polling was by and large peaceful in most of the constituencies. The polling percentage will cross 75 per cent in the state.
In Nandigram, part of Tamluk constituency, TMC activists captured 58 booths and the entire voting took place in terrorized atmosphere. CPI(M) polling agents were not allowed to enter in the booths.TMC resorted to violence by hurling bombs in Sonachura, Adhikarypara, Gokulnagar, Kendemari . At least 7 CPI (M) workers were injured. Left Front Chairman Biman Basu demanded a repoll in those areas. Already Election Commission has been informed about the violation of democratic rights of the people in Nandigram.
In Khargram, part of Murshidabad constituency, CPI(M) supporter Kashinath Mondal was killed while two of his brothers were grievously injured when Congress workers hurled bombs. The brothers were returning after casting their vote.
In Jangipur, where Pranab Mukherji is the Congress candidate, Congress workers attacked some booths in the morning.
TMC activists captured few booths in Uluberia , where Hannan Mollah is CPI(M) candidate. In Raina, part of Burdwan-East constituency, TMC activists attacked a booth and crushed EVM. In Asansol, TMC activists attacked voters in a booth resulting in a clash. One person was killed there. In Jangipara , part of Serampore constituency, TMC activists attacked in three villages and captured four booths.
Biman Basu alleged that TMC leaders issued threats of violence even before the elections. The democratic people of the state thwarted their attempt in most part of the state. However, TMC and Congress could implement a part of their conspiracy in some constituencies.

Biman Basu Writes to the CEC About Poll Violence in West Bengal

2009-05-08T19:26:00.002-07:00

Following the Text complaint by Biman Basu, Secretary, West Bengal state committee of CPI(M) to The Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

This is to draw your attention to the situation obtaining in the Nandigram area of 210 Nandigram AC under 30 Tamluk PC in West Bengal. There have been widespread violence under Gram Panchayat areas of Sonachura, Kendurmari, Mohanpur, Boyal – II, Gopalpur.

It is very unfortunate that this has happened despite our prior information on 26.04.09 to the CEO, West Bengal (copy attached). In 42 polling booths, CPI(M) polling agents have not been forcibly allowed to enter the designated booths and the CPI(M) candidate of the constituency Shri Lalxman Seth has already demanded repelling in 50 polling booths (copy attached). Report of escalation of violence in 12 more polling station areas leadding to deadly injuries inflicted on several other CPI(M) workers have just received. I have earlier written to CEO, WB on 29.03.09 seeking his intervention to ensure return of the voters forcefully driven out of the area. Sri Kanu Sahu, secretary, Purba Medinipur district committee of our party had also written to CEO in several occasions explaining the pre-poll situation in 50 polling stations in this constituency and requesting his intervention to ensure free and fair election in this area. There have been also reports on attack on media persons and a BJP MP couple of days back in the Sonachura area.

We would like to request you to urgently intervene and order the repolling to rectify the situation where clearly free and fair election has been completely undermined.

Thanking you,

With regards

Following is the complaint by Lakshman Seth Contesting Left Front candidate for 30 Tamluk PC letter to Chief Election Commissioner.

Sir,

Sub: Capture of booths of 210 Nandigram AC under 30 Tamluk PC by Trinamool Congress.

With grave concern I like to draw your kind attention to the above noted matter.

Today from the early morning Trinamool Congress led rowdies have captured the following booths with arms. Our polling agents have been unable to enter into polling stations due to their threats. Many polling agents have been forced to leave polling stations. Trinamool Congress rowdies have broken up covered area of polling stations. They are pressing button openly in the symbol of Trinmool Congress.

Therefore it is apprehended that there will be false voting. It is also reported that Trinamool Congress is forcing voters under arms to cast their vote in favour of Trinamool Congress by capturing polling stations. Presiding officers and polling staff are forced them to remain silent.

Under the above circumstances, there will be no free and fair election.

I therefore demand re-polling in the following booths.

List booths:-

45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 160, 160-A, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 165-A, 166, 167, 168, 168-A, 169, 171, 171-A, 172, 172-A, 174, 175, 175-A, 176, 176-A, 177, 177-A, 178, 180, 182, 183, 191, 191-A, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 198-A.

CPI (M) Demands Repoll in Tamluk LS constituency, West Bengal

2009-05-08T19:26:00.001-07:00

Press Release
Shri Jogendra Sharma, Member, Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met the Dy. Election Commissioner Shri Balakrishnan this afternoon to appraise him of the incidents of rigging in the Nandigram area of 210 Nandigram AC under 30 Tamluk Parliamentary Constituency in West Bengal.

He handed over a memorandum listing out 42 polling booths that were forcibly captured by hoodlums belonging to the Trinamul Congress. CPI(M) polling agents were not allowed to enter these booths. Several CPI(M) workers have suffered injuries in the attacks. It was also pointed out that the Biman Basu, Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of the Party and the Secretary of the Purba Medinipur District Committee had written to the West Bengal CEO on several occasions detailing the situation and seeking his intervention to ensure free and fair polls in the constituency.

The Party has demanded repoll in 50 polling booths in the Tamluk Parliamentary constituency.

Manmohan led an unclean Government : Prakash Karat

2009-05-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Coimbatore:
The General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist), Prakash Karat, on Wednesday accused the Union Ministers from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of corruption and added that Dr. Manmohan Singh, said to be a "clean Prime Minister," was heading an "unclean Government."
He addressed public meetings at Udumalpet organised by the CPI (M) in support of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate from Pollachi Lok Sabha constituency K. Sugumar and in Coimbatore South to campaign for CPI(M) candidate from Coimbatore constituency PR.Natarajan.
He said that the Congress-led Government had been facilitating the transfer of resources to the rich and cited that India had four of the world’s ten richest people.
The Left parties chose to support the UPA to stop the "communal BJP" from coming to power. But from day one, the CPI (M) had to fight against the "anti-people and pro-capitalist" policies of the Congress. The Government failed to even fulfil the promises made in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP), he added.
The only good measure initiated by the Congress led Government was the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), he said and attributed this to the pressure from the Left parties which he claimed were responsible for ensuring one-third of works for women and minimum wages.
He added that if the third front came to power, NREGS would be extended to urban areas, which the Government failed to do resulting in unemployment in urban areas as well.
Karat was confident of secular parties currently with the Congress and the BJP joining hands with the Left to form an alternative "pro-people" government. Even before the polls, the third front was comfortable with a five-party alliance in Tamil Nadu, four-party alliance in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh and a three-party alliance in Karnataka, besides alliances led by the Left in Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal .

Nuclear deal

Prakash Karat accused the Congress-led Government of mortgaging the interests of the country and its people and acting under the pressure from Washington. He said that the Indo-US nuclear deal would cost the country Rs. 2,80,000 crore for installing nuclear reactors, taking the cost per unit of electricity to Rs. 12 to Rs. 15. If the Left-led front came to power it would not allow this to happen, he added.

BRINDA KARAT: VOTE AGAINIST CHIDAMBARAM IS THE VOTE FOR ANTI- POOR AND ANTI-WORKER POLICIES

2009-05-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Madurai:

CPI (M) Polite bureau member com. Brinda karat made a whirl wind campaign in Tamilnadu. She campaigned in KanyaKumari, Madurai & Sivagangai Lok Sabha Constituency.

Addressing Thousands of people in Colachel, Thuckalay of Kanyakumari constituency. She exposed the congress led UPA govt. retrograde economic policies which has affected the common people of the country. She came down heavily on the corruption involved by DMK and the Congress. And said that there was big fight going on between the DMK and Congress in doing corruption. She appealed the voters to vote for the CPI (M) candidate A.V.Bellarmine.

While addressing large gathering in Melur, a important town in Madurai constituency. She exposed the money, muscle powers and misuse of state machinery by the DMK and urged the voters to safeguard the democratic principles by making the CPI(M)'s candidate victorious.

Finally addressing a public meeting organised by CPI (M) in Sivagangai in support if AIADMK candidate who is fighting aganist the Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram, she exposed the economic policies pursued by the then finance minister and explained the sufferings of women working in NRGEA scheme and said that how the minister was irresponsible in not taking any steps to ensure that the women are getting the assured wages. She also said that efforts were made by the women organisations in announcing the pension scheme for the widows who are financially dependant . But still no word is uttered about that scheme. The house hold women who form SHG's are not given loans at lower interest rates but on the contrary big corporate houses are given huge with lesser interest rates . Only the left consistently demanded higher loans for the SHG's, but was not heeded.

She questioned that what spectacles do Mr.P.Chidambaram wear which only looks in to rich mans balance sheet - Bombay stock exchange and problems of big corporate houses but does not look in to common mans plight and problems.

Finally she appealed that the vote aganist Mr.Chidambaram is the symbol of vote for the anti – poor and anti- worker policies. The public meeting was attended by more than 10,000 people.

-N.SIVAGURU

Photos: MA.Prasad and J.Ramachandran

Realignment Of Forces For A Non-Cong Secular Govt

2009-05-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

EDITORIAL

NOTWITHSTANDING the repeated assertions of this column that India's vast social plurality will necessarily manifest itself in a political multipolarity, both the BJP and the Congress began this election campaign asserting with bravado that Indian polity is essentially bipolar with each one of them being the pole around whom all other political parties will necessarily have to choose and align.

This was soon exposed as wishful thinking when many an erstwhile ally of the BJP deserted the NDA. The most `shocking' was the departure of the Biju Janata Dal in Orissa. Many UPA allies who continue to remain ministers in the union cabinet have parted ways with the Congress to form new groupings. Such developments are not, as suggested by some, mere expressions of opportunism and `positioning' by the regional parties but are a reflection of the pressure being mounted on them by their own mass following that is demanding relief from the overbearing economic burdens. This is nothing but the reflection of the fact that people are seeking an alternative. What this alternative is or needs to be has to be defined by the political leadership of the country.

It is only the Left that has consistently articulated the need for an alternative policy trajectory for the country in order to build a better India for its people. Given past experience, such an alternative policy trajectory can only be brought about by a non-Congress, non-BJP political alternative. The need of the hour, therefore, is for the installation of a non-Congress secular alternative government at the centre following these elections. The Left is focussed on pursuing this objective.

Soon after the third phase of the elections were over, the Congress suddenly started speaking in terms of a possible post-electoral understanding with the Left. This is nothing but an admission of the fact that the Congress has seen the writing on the wall that it cannot form the next government along with its existing allies.
The indispensability of the Left in the current Indian political situation has been articulated from other quarters as well. These include the current allies of both the BJP, like the JD(U), and the Congress, like the NCP and others. What is in store for the future, therefore, is a realignment of political forces leading to the emergence of a new secular combination post-elections. This would be nothing new in contemporary Indian politics. As noted in earlier column, the United Front was formed post 1996 elections, the NDA post 1998 elections and the UPA post 2004 elections. So shall be again post 2009 elections.

The Congress's overtures to the Left comes while it simultaneously justifies the India-US nuclear deal as being in supreme national interest. The Left's reasoning for withdrawing its outside support to the UPA government when the latter unilaterally insisted on going ahead with this deal is now vindicated by the latest pronouncements made by the US administration itself. As we go to press, the US assistant secretary of state, Rose Gottemoeller, told the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference at the UN headquarters that “Universal adherence to the NPT itself – including by India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea – remains a fundamental objective of the US”. Interacting with media persons, she said that, “The India-US civilian nuclear deal along with several other steps taken by New Delhi in the recent past has brought India closer to the NPT”. Bringing India into the NPT, she said, was “an important goal of US foreign policy”. She also showered praise on India's willingness to proceed with a fissile material cut off treaty and also its willingness to pursue the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and other important measures such as export controls on nuclear materials.

India has all along refused to endorse the NPT and the CTBT as these were discriminatory treaties that leave intact the monopoly of nuclear weapons with the P-5 (USA, UK, Russia, France and China) while debarring all other countries from possessing or developing nuclear weapons.

The NDA government led by Vajpayee had compromised India's position by agreeing to endorse the CTBT through a series of secret parleys between India's foreign minister and the US assistant secretary of state. Mercifully, this could not happen because the US Congress itself refused to ratify the CTBT then.

Now it is clear that while cementing the India-US nuclear deal, the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh, has virtually surrendered to US imperialist pressures and committed India to ratify the NPT. This is tantamount to a complete negation of India's traditional proclamations of seeking universal nuclear disarmament and not allowing a discriminatory monopoly of nuclear weapons by the P-5. It was, in fact, under Rajiv Gandhi's prime ministership that India placed a timetable before the United Nations for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons from this planet and announced that India shall not endorse both the NPT and the CTBT till this goal has been achieved. The Manmohan Singh-led UPA government has negated this position of India in its urge to develop a strategic alliance with US imperialism by reducing India as its subordinate ally.

Thus, even on this score of restoring and maintaining India's place of pride in the international community by pursuing an independent foreign policy, the need is for an alternative secular government at the centre, post-elections. Apart from the need for an alternative policy trajectory in economic policies, for ensuring effective social justice and for resolutely combating both communalism and terrorism, the forging of a non-Congress secular combination to form the government at the centre acquires utmost urgency.

United Progressive Alliance is virtually dead, says Karat

2009-05-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

Prakash addressing Cuddalore meeting

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CUDDALORE: If the Congress thinks that after the Lok Sabha elections the Left parties will support it, it is living in a fool’s paradise, said Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Comrade Karat was addressing an election meeting here on Tuesday. He said the United Progressive Alliance had practically ceased to exist. All its constituents such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Lok Jan Shakti Party, the Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party had gone their separate ways or struck alliance with other parties at the regional level.

In such a scenario the Congress might have a fond hope of getting the support of the Left parties but it would not happen. Karat said the Left parties were not alone. They had an understanding with parties such as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Telugu Desam, the Janata Dal (Secular), and the Biju Janata Dal. After the polls these parties would take a decision together.

Karat said both the Congress and the BJP were stating that a Third Front was an illusion and therefore there was no question of its forming a government.

However, he said, the Left parties and their allies were confident of achieving victory and forming a non-Congress secular government.

Such a government would formulate a people-friendly economic policy, fight against terrorism, follow an independent foreign policy and ensure social justice.

Prakash Karat said the Congress-led UPA government had utterly failed to tackle the problems facing the country, such as agrarian crisis, farmers’ suicide and spiralling prices of essential commodities and to strengthen the Public Distribution System.

Due to the global economic crisis the country had lost 25 lakh jobs in the last six months in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors. But neither the DMK nor the Congress had any solution to offer.

Through the civilian nuclear deal the U.S. wanted to dictate terms to India on its foreign policy and to sell nuclear reactors at an enormous cost of Rs. 1,80,000 crore. It was the Left parties and the AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa who opposed the deal.

Another reason why the Congress should be defeated was the unprecedented level of corruption such as in the spectrum deal in which the country lost Rs. 1 lakh crore. But both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram turned down the request for a probe.

Karat alleged that the Congress government was using the Central Bureau of Investigation in a partisan way against the Opposition, while it looked the other way in case its own party men were involved.

It was at the instance of the Congress the CBI had withdrawn the charges against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochchi in the Bofors gun deal, he charged.

The bribery involved in the gun deal was only Rs. 64 crore but today the corruption had gone up over 1,000 times. He said the DMK-Congress alliance had the weapon of illegally acquired money and it was seen in play at Madurai.

He said the people should give a fitting reply to them in the election and vote for the AIADMK-led alliance candidates M.C. Sampath (AIADMK) in Cuddalore and E. Ponnuswami (PMK) at Chidambaram.

After this meeting , Prakash Karat addressed a massive public meeting at Pudhucherry Union Territory in support of PMK candidate Ramdoss.

Warm welcome to Tripura CM in Madurai

2009-05-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

Traditional Aarathy reception for Tripura CM comrade Manik Sarkar at Madurai.(Photo: LENIN)

"Exit of two-party system in the offing" : Manik Sarkar

2009-05-06T03:50:00.000-07:00

CPI(M) state secretary N.Varadharajan honoured Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar at Madurai public meeting.

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MADURAI:

This Lok Sabha election will see the exit of two-party system and the emergence of the third force as a viable alternative. It will also witness the sharing of power by Dalits, minorities, working classes and other downtrodden sections of the society, said Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura and Polit Bureau Member of Communist party of India (Marxist).

Addressing an election meeting here on Tuesday in support of Madurai candidate P. Mohan, he said that during this election an important slogan had emerged and it was making waves across the nation — "A government without the direct or indirect support of Congress or Bharatiya Janata Party."

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance was a sinking ship whose vote base was eroding day-by-day and would be routed in the elections. Stating that democracy provided space for competing ideologies but not for "terrorising" the opposition using muscle and money power, he said that the national media had been taking note of the incidents happening in Madurai and was acting as a gatekeeper, keeping democracy alive. The pertinent question in this election would be who was going to frame the policies. The Congress-led government had failed on the economic front and its policies resulted in price rise, job cuts and unemployment of an unseen nature.

India’s foreign policy had been compromised at the behest of United States’ imperialism and the whole credit for this went to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

All the regional parties, which stood by the Congress and BJP, had deserted them.

TAMIL NADU: THE LAST PHASE WILL GUIDE THE NATION

2009-05-06T03:48:00.000-07:00

From S P Rajendran/INN
Chennai, May 6, 2009

The campaign for the 15th Lok Sabha Election reached its peak in Tamil Nadu, which is going to poll in the last phase on May 13. Particularly, the leaders of AIADMK led five party alternative front are touring throughout the state and addressing massive rallies in various cities and towns.

On the other hand the DMK-Congress alliance has encaged in illegal business of bribing voters and unprecedented transgressions of code of conduct.

When the polling date is nearing, the overall pulse of the people of Tamil Nadu is favour for the AIADMK led alternative front.

Among the 40 Lok sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry (39+1) AIADMK is contesting in 23 seats; PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) in 7 seats; MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) in 4 seats; the CPI(M) and the CPI each in 3 seats.

In all these constituencies, thousands and thousands of cadres and supporters of the alliance parties are working fierce fully for the clean sweep in the polls.

AIADMK General secretray Ms J Jayalalitha has started her campaign tour on April 18th from Kanniyakumari constituency, in which the Communist party of India (Marxist) is contesting for second term.

From this southern tip of the nation, Ms Jayalalithaa continued her campaign programme towards Chennai via Thirunelveli, Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Erode, etc. she planned to cover all 40 constituencies in her campaign. Almost in all constituencies, thousands of people poured in the public meetings, which were addressed by Ms Jayalalithaa. She said in an interview at Madurai in the midst of the campaign that the massive gathering of the rural as well as urban people in her campaign gave an energetic enthusiasm to the cadres.

As Ms Jayalalithaa’s campaign is progressing, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury, Manik Sarkkar (Tripura Chief Minister) Brinda Karat, K.Varadharajan, Central Control Commission Chairman N. Sankaraiah, state secretary N.Varadharajan, Communist Party of India general Secretary A.B.Bharadhan and National Secretary D.Raja are touring through out the state and addressing massive public meetings in support of five party alliance candidates. PMK founder Dr.S.Ramdoss and MDMK general secretary Vaiko are also attending huge rallies in various constituencies.

Left Parties
Among these 40 constituencies the left parties, CPI(M) and CPI are fighting in 6 seats. CPI(M) candidates P.Mohan, A.V.Bellarmine and P.R.Natarajan are fighting respectively in Madurai, Kanniyakumari and Coimbatore.

CPI Candidate D.Pandian, M.Selvaraj and P.Lingam are facing election respectively in North Chennai, Nagapattinam and Tenkasi.

All six constituencies are basically strong holds of communist movement and working class movement. Particularly Madurai, Nagapattinam, Kanniyakumari and Coimbatore are the strong bastions of the red flag.

With the support base of AIADMK and allies, the victory of left candidates is confirmed one.

In this situation, the DMK - Congress combine unleashed violence and dadagiri as it is losing its ground and minimal support.

As a futile effort to save the sinking ship of Congress - DMK alliance, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi firstly took up the Sri lankan Tamils issue.

As the Sri Lankan Army is moving forward in northern Sri Lanka, thousands of Tamil civilians without any support, caught in No Fire Zone and the plight of the innocent people is getting a grave concern, it took the centre stage of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu. Communist Party of India (Marxist) had urged the UPA government to bring maximum pressure on the Lankan government to make it cease hostilities immediately till all the civilians trapped in the conflict zone are evacuated. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said in public meetings at Madurai and Kanniyakumari constituencies that mere voicing of concern by our government wouldn’t help in saving the lives of thousands of Tamil civilians caught in the fighting. He said the Indian government should persuade the Sri Lankan government to heed to the request of the UN security council which has appealed for allowing international relief agencies to enter the area and do their work. He also said the LTTE must lay down arms.

But Mr. Karunanidhi, whose party the DMK is enjoying power in the UPA government had announced a general strike; and one week later he had observed an unannounced fasting in the name of Sri lankan Tamils.

Tamil Nadu people irked with these high dramas of DMK chief. Karunanidhi‘s such dramas didn’t attract the voters of Tamil Nadu and he couldn’t able to cheat them.

After this failure, the DMK tried another attempt to cheat the voters by reducing bus fares overnight. Earlier, the DMK government raised the bus fares in all over Tamil Nadu.

CPI(M), CITU and other organisations fought against this unannounced bus fare hike. But the government did not respond the people’s agony.

But for the election purpose only, DMK government had crossed previous limits of transgressions of code of conduct.

By effecting a statewide reduction in bus fares just days before the Lok Sabha election without even a formal government order, the DMK government has fallen foul of the rules of the game. If the overnight reduction without any prior announcement was bad enough, worse was the explanation offered to the election commission by the chief secretary: that the managing directors of the state transport undertakings took the decision on their own. That all the transport corporations ordered a downward revision on the same day without consulting the Minister was such a tall tale that the Election Commission was able swiftly to dismiss the explanation and ask the state government to withdraw the fare cut.

However, the bus fare cut is only one of several violations of the code.

Madurai
The blatant violations of poll code by DMK had gotten worse in Madurai. Madurai, where M K Azhagiri, son of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, is contesting on the DMK ticket, is witness to money power and muscle power undermining the democratic process. Ruling party men have been distributing money to voters and attacking political opponents, particularly CPI(M) cadres who objected to their ways. Several cases have been filed and the Chief Electoral Officer has sent a report to the Election Commission. Evidently, an attempt is being made to replicate the formula worked out in the by - election for the Thirumangalam Assembly constituency in Madurai district in January. Then as now, huge money resources were placed in the hands of the ruling party’s campaign managers.

Nearly 28 crores of rupees were distributed to the voters with in 24 hours through out Madurai constituency by DMK men. They have plans to distribute another 50 crores of rupees at the final round.

All these illegal business of bribing voters took place in various places in the presence of police, but they did not take any action.

Earlier, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat had complained to the CEC about the violence and violations of the ruling party in Madurai.

Other than Madurai, in Sivaganga constituency, Congress candidate and union Home Minister P.Chidambaram‘s men were trying to bribe voters. But, the cadres of CPI(M), caught the culprits red handed.

Thus in many constituencies, the DMK - congress alliance is having faith in money and muscle power. On the contrary the AIADMK led alternative front is having its faith on people.

The people of Tamilnadu will prove their faith on this alternative on May 13th.

"Third alternative committed to uplift of poor" : Brinda Karat

2009-05-06T03:47:00.002-07:00

NAGERCOIL:

The Third Front is committed to the uplift of the poor and downtrodden and also keen to safeguard the interest of the nation, said Polit Bureau member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Brinda Karat on Tuesday.

Addressing election meetings at Colachel and Thuckalay in the Kanniyakumari constituency , comrade Brinda said that Colachel was one of the worst affected areas when tsunami hit the coastal areas of the State. Even as the then government extended all kind of assistance to the affected people, the present government failed to take any follow up action to sustain their livelihood.

The Communist parties provided moral support to the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre from outside for the betterment of society. But the misrule, including the signing of the nuclear deal with the USA and the failure to take any action to control prices of essential commodities and steps to ensure employment to the already employed youth in many fields, particularly in IT, who lost their jobs, had forced the left parties to withdraw support to the government.

She appealed to the people to cast their votes in favour of the CPI (M) candidate, A. V. Bellarmine, who had done a lot for the development of the district, particularly the construction of fishing harbours at Colachel and Thengapattinam. If he were elected as MP again, he would take necessary steps for the setting up of a commercial harbour at Colachel so that fishermen in the coastal areas need not migrate to other States in search of jobs.

Voters in Kanniyakumari would facilitate the formation of a Third Front government at the Centre because people were fed up with the misrule of the Congress and the BJP. They should opt for a neutral person like Bellarmine, instead of other candidates who were seeking votes in the name of caste and religion.

BJP's Class and Caste Bias Stands Exposed in Gujarat

2009-05-06T03:47:00.001-07:00

From Babulal Likhure

Ahmedabad : Despite the BJP’s tall claims about coming to power at the Centre and installing L.K.Advani as its Prime Minister, the just concluded election for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat have exposed many chinks in the party’s shining armour of ‘morality’ and ‘principles’.
The BJP, which for long marketed itself as the party with a difference, this time stood exposed right from the stage of choosing its candidates for the 26 seats in Gujarat.
Foregoing all its acclaimed inhibitions, the BJP happily gave party nominations not only to three bank fraud accused in Panchmahal, Anand and Navsari but also to as many as three turncoats from its arch rival Congress in Patan, Dahod and Surendranagar.
While the bank scamsters Prabhatsinh Chauhan (Panchmahal), Deepak Saathi (Anand) and C.R.Patil (Navsari) were long time BJP leaders in their own territories, the party could not find any one from its rank and file for constituencies like Patan, Dahod and Surendranagar where the electorate’s caste arithmetic required a backward Thakore, a tribal and a Koli to be chosen.
This compulsion of having to fall back upon defectors from Congress in the tribal and backward dominated seats while finding it easy to choose a new face in urban areas proves the oft-repeated perception that the BJP is indeed a party of urban and upper classes.
When it came to choosing new candidates for the tribal seat of Dahod and the backward dominated seats of Surendranagar and Patan, there were no suitable people available from among the BJP’s rank and file and thus Congress defectors with dubious track records had to be chosen as nominees of the party with ‘principles’.
But the same BJP did not feel any problem of dearth of people from its ranks while searching for replacements in urban, middle class seats like Rajkot, Surat, Panchmahal and Navsari where alternative people were readily available.
This dichotomy of enjoying easy availability of second line leadership in urban, middle class areas but dearth of such people from among its ranks in backward dominated and tribal areas is almost an incontrovertible proof of the BJP’s class and caste bias.
The BJP’s compulsions to give party tickets to tainted leaders and turncoats stemmed from Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s insistence on new faces, a euphemism for proven psychophants who would remain ever obliged to him for having sent them to Lok Sabha.
While choosing the candidates for Gujarat’s 26 seats, the BJP high command actually succumbed to the high-handedness of its rabble-rousing Chief Minister Narendra Modi who was also keen to settle his scores with the party’s senior MPs who had raised their voices against his autocratic style of functioning.
Thus, in its bid to satisfy the whims of Modi, the BJP dropped former Union Ministers Kashiram Rana and Dr Vallabh Kathiria in Surat and Rajkot respectively, even if that meant fielding political novices for the two seats reputed to be the party’s fortresses for two decades.
Naturally, both the seats proved to be death traps for the BJP’s new candidates as the party’s rank and file virtually revolted in Surat and Rajkot.
While the new BJP nominee Darshana Zardosh in Surat faced the wrath of laid off diamond workers for whom Modi refused to announce any relief package, the BJP workers in Rajkot remained in mutiny mood with allegations making the rounds that the new nominee Kiran Patel procured the party ticket through his money power generated from the chain of schools his family runs in the city.
Surat and Rajkot are not the only trouble-spots for the BJP as its fortress in Gandhinagar, from where its “Prime Minister” in waiting is seeking re-election, is also under siege with a massive consolidation of Patel backlash personified in the Congress nominee Suresh Patel.
As the influential Patels are cut up with the BJP ever since their patriarch Keshubhai Patel was unseated as Chief Minister by Modi, the Congress sought to cash in on the situation arising out of the delimitation exercise making the Lok Sabha constituency a Patel dominated seat.
Even as Congress nominee went about transforming Patel resentment against BJP into votes for himself, Advani’s trouble multiplied with the VHP cadres refusing to campaign in his favour in protest against the demolition of illegally built temples in Gandhinagar last year.
Though the VHP declared its last minute support to Advani, the cadres were not amused and remained away from working for the party. The vacuum caused by the VHP cadres staying away was probably filled by the “Mantranaad” programmes organized all over the state by the Art of Living wherein people were clearly asked to vote for the party which would “bring black money back from foreign banks”.
The Election Commission had rightly called the bluff of the Art of Living programmes and slapped notices on them for violation of Model Code of Conduct. In some places, the EC has told the BJP candidates who shared the dais at “Mantranaad” discourses that the function’s expenditures would be added to their election expenses account.
Moreover, the Supreme Court’s ruling to start investigation into the role of Modi in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots also could not be turned into BJP’s advantage as the Chief Minister got only a day to launch his tirade against the Centre. All that Modi could do was to try and fool his audience by declaring that he is ready to be hanged, not just jailed.
Eom, Babulal Likhure, Ahmedabad, 19-30, May 5, 2009

Congress and BJP stand for interests of Big Business, not people: Prakash Karat

2009-05-05T01:27:00.000-07:00

Sikar, 4th May: Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the CPI (M) attended a massive public meeting at Sikar, Rajasthan in support of the CPI (M) candidate, Amra Ram. Leaders of NCP, JD (S) and CPI also participated along with the CPI (M) MLAs, Pawan Duggal and Bemaram. The state secretary of the CPI (M), Vasudev was also present.

Sikar Lok Sabha constituency comprises of eight assembly segments and the CPI (M) had contested six of them in the last assembly elections, and got 1.9 lakh votes altogether. The present candidate Amra Ram won from Dattaramgarh assembly seat while Bema Ram won the Dhod seat. This election, Amra Ram is contesting Sikar seat against Congress and BJP candidates.

Speaking at the public meeting, Prakash Karat said that the country has witnessed bankruptcy of the polices pursued by the BJP led six year rule and the subsequent five year rule of the Congress led UPA government at the centre. Today, both their fronts are in disarray. Because, the ten party alliance constituting the third alternative has posed a formidable opposition and is gaining strength. This alternative will be able to provide a real and viable alternative at the centre.

In 2004, the Left had supported the Congress led UPA to keep the BJP out of power, on the basis of the common minimum programme. The Congress went against its commitment and pursued polices which were in the interests of big business and monopoly capital outfits. The rich have got richer, evident in the fact that four of the top ten richest people in the world are Indians, while the vast majority’s conditions of living has deteriorated. The Congress led government has refused to implement the decisions of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, which asked the government to provide debt relief and credit at cheaper interest rates to farmers. Provision of debt relief and cheaper credit to farmers is one of our major demands in this election as well. The UPA government has failed to tackle price rise. We are against any targeting of public distribution system and we stand strongly by our demand for a universal PDS.

In this election, both the Congress and the BJP are not addressing the question of loss of jobs of about 25 lakh people in the country due to the global economic crisis. Even the NREGA was brought and implemented due to consistent pressure mounted by the Left parties. It is the Left, which opposed foreign direct investment in banking and insurance sector, which minimized the damage to economy due to the current recession.

The BJP is no different. It should not be allowed to come to power. In states, where the Left and third front partners have come together, the BJP will not be able to win. Now, frightened by the prospects of the third front, both the BJP and the Congress are attacking us saying that we will not be able to form government. But they have forgotten that together, they did not manage to get more than fifty percent of votes in the last Lok Sabla elections. They will not get it this time as well. On the other hand, there is nothing called the UPA now and the allies of the Congress are fighting it in many states.

Introducing the CPI (M) candidate, Amra Ram Prakash Karat said that he is a man of the people. The people of Rajasthan identify with him. He has been a consistent fighter for the real concerns of the people, as witnessed during the struggles for water from the Indira Gandhi canal and against electricity fare hike in the state. He appealed to the people of Sikar to elect Amra Ram as their representative and strengthen the Left and its third alternative in the coming elections.

On developments in Nepal: Sitaram Yechury

2009-05-04T22:29:00.001-07:00

Responding to media query on developments in Nepal, Sitaram Yechury, Politburo member of the CPI (M) said in Kolkata today that the CPI (M) wants any solution to the present crisis in Nepal to be within the democratic framework. The election of the present government in Nepal was to form a constituent assembly. It should have been on the basis of a national consensus from the very beginning, with the participation of all political parties. The main objective of the government is to draft a constitution. All the political parties in Nepal should try to resolve the problems through consultation and dialogue.
He further added that democracy in Nepal has been established after a long struggle and it is a heroic struggle of the people of Nepal. In a nascent democracy like this, many hiccups can develop, which is not unnatural. But there should not be any interference from outside. The resolution of the crisis should be done by the people of Nepal only.

Madurai CPI(M) Secretary complains to CEC

2009-05-04T22:28:00.001-07:00

R. ANNADURAI
District Committee Secretary
CPI(M) Madurai Urban District Committee
04.05.2009

The Chief Election Commissioner
New Delhi

Sir,

Since the process of elections for the 15th Lok Sabha started, we have been compelled to send letters of complaint which are as many as 26 on various types of violations by the ruling DMK party in the Madurai Lok Sabha Constituency. Of these 26 letters, most of them were addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer – Tamilnadu. Copies of some complaint letters written to the District Election Officer/District Collector were also marked to the CEO-Tamilnadu. After the Central Election Observers were posted to Madurai copies were sent to them, apart from making personal representations to them.

The violations brought out by us were on a number of aspects and we would quote a few:

Campaign

Ø A number of flex boards and posters were displayed by the DMK. The hoardings even obstructed traffic in the public roads.
Ø DMK Election offices were put up at unauthorized places. Despite the DEO ordered for removal of such unauthorised occupations, they were put up again caring too little for the Election authority.
Ø When Maha Kumbabihsekam of Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple was telecast live by a local TV Channel, there was a scroll advertisement seeking vote for the DMK candidate. Though the District Administration was immediately informed of this, it took three hours for the channel to stop the telecast.
Ø Posters for Sri Lankan Tamils put up by the DMK included the Election symbol.

Bribing the Voters by the DMK

Ø Token for performing arathis for the candidate were distributed by the DMK people during the campaign of the candidate. Later they gave money for this token. This was captured in camera and a CD shown to the press and also sent to the Election Commission.
Ø Saris were distributed to women voters through Self Help Groups. The SHG members were given money for distributing the saris.
Ø On the Akshaya Thrithaya day, arrangements were made to distribute gold/golden ornaments through jewellery shops.
Ø The DMK distributed Advance tokens using the party manifesto with the name and serial number of the voter for which money was guaranteed. This was done, despite the practice banned by the DEO.
Ø On 2nd/3rd May midnight, money was distributed to the voters in many parts of the Constituency with the help of goondas mobilised from various parts of the neighbouring areas. Known anti social elements including those who were earlier detained under the Goondas Act were pressed into service for this purpose.

Attack on the cadres of AIADMK alliance

Ø Even before the Nominations were filed, the DMK started indulging in violations of the Model Code. When such violations came to be resisted by the AIADMK alliance cadres, they were either attacked by the DMK or false cases were foisted on the very complainants.

Ø Mr.N. Nanmaran, CPI(M) MLA of the Madurai East Constituency was attacked with lethal weapons right in front of his house.
Ø The major attack was on 2nd/3rd May midnight, when AIADMK alliance cadres resisted the move of DMK men distributing money to voters. The hooligans brought from various parts of the neighbourhood brutally attacked our cadres. More than 20 of them with serious injuries had to be hospitalised. While a Corporation Councilor was a victim of the attack, interestingly the list of attackers included the Deputy Mayor of the Madurai Municipal Corporation.

Apathy of the District Administration and the Police

Ø Right from day one, the Madurai District Collector has been quite indifferent to whatever complaints on violations by the DMK that were brought to his notice. This even went to the nasty extent of the Public Relations Officer attached to the District Collectorate allowing his Office to be used for sending electoral advertisement through e-mail seeking vote for the DMK candidate Azhagiri.
Ø Despite many complaints to the Police Stations in the Constituency, especially in the Madurai City limits, no action has been taken against the offenders of law. This was manifest in the major violation of Model Code i.e., distribution of money. Detailed information regarding the modus operandi of distribution, the name of persons involved, registration numbers of vehicles used was given to the Commissioner of Police. He also assured to do everything in his power to prevent the distribution of money. But to our dismay, what happened later is diametrically opposite of what was assured. As we write this letter to you, the entire city of Madurai is now witnessing an interesting scenario in which the DMK is distributing money to the voters in almost all the wards of Madurai Corporation, with the Police escorting the DMK men. Popular media coverage would simply bear testimony to this fact.
Ø As matters stand to day, we have come to the inevitable conclusion that we cannot anymore count upon the District Administration and the City Police for a free and fair election in Madurai Lok Sabha Constituency. As we have already written to you in our previous letter, the District Collector and the Commissioner of Police are either afraid of the ruling DMK or they are willing partners in the DMK’s electoral game – for whatever reasons.

In such a situation that is not conducive for free and fair elections, our earnest appeal to you is as follows:

1. It is gathered that some criminals released from Madurai Central Prison in the recent times are likely to be used by the DMK to incite violence in the Constituency before and during the poll. Therefore we would request you to have a list of such known rowdies and take suitable preventive action.
2. We feel that the present size of the security forces may not match the present needs. So we would request you to see that additional forces are deployed for poll duty.
3. We sincerely feel that free and fair elections are simply impossible with the present leadership in the District Administration and the City Police on whose attitude and approach the lower officials are sold upon. Therefore, we would request you to arrange to replace these officials with those who would fit the bill.

We hope, you would appreciate the enormity situation that is confronting us and do everything possible of you in order to ensure free and fair poll.

Thanking you, yours faithfully,

(R. ANNADURAI)
Copy to Sri Naresh Gupta, CEO-TN, Chennai
Copy to Central Election Observers of Madurai LS Constituency

Madurai CPI(M) Secretary complains to CEC

2009-05-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

Non-Congress, non-BJP secular combination will get majority: Sitaram Yechury

2009-05-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 4th May - The non-Congress, non-BJP secular combination will get majority in the Loksabha and they will not need any support from outside, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury asserted today. He was addressing a Meet the Press programme in Kolkata this morning. Answering questions on post –poll scenario Yechury said that the Left was fighting a political battle right now to pave the way for an alternative government at the centre. Other necessary decision will be taken only after the elections.

Yechury said, the need of the hour is a shift in policy direction for the interest of the people. Neo liberal policies and the worldwide economic recession have created havoc for the common people. This is bound to intensify. Congress and BJP have been proven followers of the neo-liberal agenda. Only an alternative government can reorient these policies.
Mentioning the widening distance between ‘shining India’ and ‘suffering India’ Yechury said, greater state intervention and bigger public investment is necessary to cope with the crisis. However BJP was for withdrawal of state as reflected in forming a ministry of disinvestment in NDA regime while Congress follows the motto of ‘government has no business in business’. Even the meager stimulus package of UPA government was virtually a bailout package for the corporates.
On the oft-repeated question of ‘future PM’, Yechury said, in 1996, United Front was formed after the elections and a Prime Minster was selected. In 1998, NDA was formed after the elections and a PM was selected. In 2004,UPA was formed after the elections and a PM was selected. Even Manmohan Singh himself had no idea that he would become the Prime Minster. The same thing will be there in this election. The third force will sit together and select their leader. Yechury said, in the parliamentary system as practiced in our country, the people are sovereign. Projecting PM before an election is in fact an insult to the people and the constitution.
On Congress charge that the Left is helping BJP by dividing the secular votes, Yechury reminded Congress that it was their withdrawal of support to UF government in 1998, which paved the way for BJP to come to power. On the other hand the Left parties supported Congress in 2004 despite the fact that most of their 61 MPs won the elections fighting against Congress. No one can dare challenge the Left’s commitment to secularism.
On Prime Minister’s recent overtures towards the Left, Yechury said, it is a clear admission of their defeat in elections.

Sitaram Yechury said that it was very important to strengthen the Left component in Indian politics. He said there are two trends of Left in India - the Communists and the socialists who evolved from the ideas and work of Acharya Narendra Dev, Jaiprakash Narain, Rammonohar Lohia and others. This trend should regroup them to widen the Left component in Indian politics.

Sitaram Yechury in Kolkata

2009-05-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

The non-Congress, non-BJP secular combination will get majority, Sitaram Yechury in Kolkata
Kolkata,4th. May- The non-Congress, non-BJP secular combination will get majority in the Loksabha and they will not need any support from outside, CPI(M) polit bueareu member Sitaram Yechury asserted today. He was addressing Meet the Press in Kolkata this morning. Answering questions on post –poll scenario Yechury said that the Left was fighting a political battle right now to pave the way for an alternative government at the centre. Other necessary decision will be taken only after the elections.
Yechury said, the need of the hour is a shift in policy direction for the interest of the people. Neo liberal policies and the worldwide economic recession have created havoc for the common people. This will bound to intensify. Congress and BJP have been proved as follower of neo-liberal agenda. Only an alternative government can reorient the policies.
Mentioning the widening distance between the ‘shining India’ and ‘suffering India’ Yechury said, greater state intervention and bigger public investment is necessary to cope with the crisis. However BJP was for withdrawal of state as reflected in forming a ministry of disinvestment in NDA regime while Congress follows the motto of ‘government has no business in business’. Even the meager stimulus package of UPA government was virtually a bailout package for the corporate.
On the oft-repeated question of ‘future PM’, Yechury said, in 1996, United Front was formed after the elections and a Prime Minster was selected. In 1998, NDA was formed after the elections and a PM was selected. In 2004,UPA was formed after the elections and a PM was selected. Even Monmohan Singh himself had no idea that he would become the Prime Minster. The same thing will be there in this election. The third force will sit together and select their leader.
Yechury said, in the parliamentary system as practiced in our country, the people are sovereign. Projecting PM before an election is in fact an insult to the people and constitution.
On Congress charge that the Left is helping BJP by dividing the secular votes, Yechury reminded Congress that it was because of their withdrawal of support to UF government in 1998 which paved the way for BJP to come to power. On the other hand the Left parties supported Congress in 2004 despite the fact that most of their 61 MP-s won the elections fighting against Congress. No one can dare to challenge the Left’s commitment to secularism.
On Prime Minister’s recent overtures towards the Left, Yechury said , it is clear admission of their defeat in elections.
Sitaram said that it was very important to strengthen the Left component in Indian politics. He said, there are two trends of Left in India-the Communists and the socialists who evolved from the ideas and work of Acharya Narendra Dev, Jaiprakash Narain, Rammonohar Lohia and others. This trend should regroup them to widen the Left component.

Madurai: Blatant bribing of voters by DMK , violence unleashed / Stiff resistance by CPI(M) and allies

2009-05-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

MADURAI: Thousands of Cadres of AIADMK - CPI(M) - CPI- MDMK- PMK blocked roads here early on Sunday morning, alleging that the city police failed to prevent ruling DMK partymen from distributing money to voters. Subsequently, vehicular traffic was disrupted for more than two hours. Similar protests were held at three places in the Madurai rural district.

At least three activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) sustained bleeding injuries after they were attacked by an armed mob of DMK on A.A. Road at Arapalayam in the morning when they squatted on the road protesting against "police inaction". Their ire turned against the police as they claimed they were assaulted in the presence of policemen. Senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner (Law and Order), K. Thondiraj, faced criticism from the protestors. A few women complained that bribing of voters went on unabated near the Arapalayam bus stand even as the protest was going on.

Meanwhile, the district secretaries, R. Annadurai (CPI-M), Sellur K. Raju (AIADMK), M. Boominathan (MDMK) and M. Saravanan (CPI) led their party cadres in a massive road block near the Crime Branch Office and on the Tirupparankundram road, cutting the vehicular movement between Palanganatham and Periyar bus stand. "The police did not register cases; in some places they let the culprits go", comrade Annadurai said. Similar protests were held at Oomachikulam, Chatrapatti and Paravai.

After many rounds of talks with police, the cadres started raising slogans when Commissioner of Police K. Nandabalan said that efforts would be made to arrest the culprits within two days.

Later, addressing the protestors, Mr. Raju said the anti-social elements had come from Dindigul, Theni and Virudhunagar districts. On Saturday night, six persons were caught red-handed while distributing money in Othakadai and as many as 221 covers containing Rs. 500 each were seized from them. Each voter was given Rs. 500, they said.

The accused along with the money were handed over to the police.

Similar allegations came up in different parts of the district police and city police limits.

"At Chockalingapuram our men rounded up a DMK worker with money inside a house," Annadurai said. The CPI(M) leaders have put the cadres of alliance parties on high alert to prevent money distribution planned by the DMK, he added.

The rural police have registered seven cases against the DMK cadres under Sections 171(b) and 188 of the Indian Penal Code at Othakadai, Samayanallur, Kottampatti, Melavalavu and Nagamalai Pudukottai.

Eight of them were remanded, the police said.

Bribing shows DMK will be defeated : N.Varadharajan

Distribution of money to voters only indicated that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was on the verge of defeat, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary, N. Varadarajan, has said.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, he said that the ruling party had unleashed violence in the city while distributing money. The Election Commission should ensure that the Madurai Lok Sabha polls were conducted in a free and fair manner.

Comrade Varadarajan said that the Madurai city Commissioner of Police "failed" to take any action. He said the party would seek legal course of action if the city police did not initiate proper action. Varadarajan also addressed a massive demonstration in which leaders and cadres of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance parties participated to protest the money "distribution" to voters and the police "inaction" here later in the day.

Left parties will provide an alternative : Manik Sarkar

2009-05-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

CHENNAI: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Sunday said that the DMK, which has aligned with the Congress, should answer for all the anti-people policies of the Congress-led government at the Centre.

Campaigning for the AIADMK’s central Chennai candidate Mohamed ali Jinnah, comrade.Sarkar alleged both the Congress and the BJP, particularly the Congress which was in power for almost 45 years had not only forgotten their promise to the people, but also had worked against them.

Accusing the Congress-led UPA Government of failing to protect agriculture, control price rice and create employment, the polite bureau member of the CPI(M), who started election campaign in Tamilnadu for the AIADMK led five party alternative front in the state, said even 62 years after independence 60 per cent of the arable lands were in the hands of 4 per cent of land lords.

He said no efforts had been taken to revive agriculture and industrial sector to provide employment to the youth of the country. Stating that the prices of the essential items had gone beyond the reach of the common man, he said that the UPA Government was not ready to strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS) because it would affect the interests of the black marketers and hoarders.

"Congress used to shed tears for the poor people, but would forget them when they reach the seat of power. It is working for the benefit of the rich," he said.

Comrade Manik Sarkar said though the Congress was asking the people of the country to fight against terrorism and cessionary forces, in Tripura it had actually joined hands with political fronts of many banned organisation such as Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) to defeat the CPI (M).

The Tripura Chief Minister asserted that the third front comprising the Left parties alone would be an alternative both to the Congress and the BJP and implement pro-poor economic policies and adopt an independent foreign policy.

He said both the Congress and the BJP had lost their alliances in all the states one by one and the third front had become a reality.

AIADMK presidium chairman E.Madhusoodhanan and CPI (M) central committee member A.K.Padmanabhan participated.

After this meeting, Manik Sarkar attended a massive meeting in North Chennai constituency in support of comrade D.Pandian, CPI candidate and state secretary of CPI.

Coimbatore

Comrade Manik Sarkar is going to campaign for CPI(M) candidate for Coimbatore constituency P.R.Natarajan at Palladam and for MDMK candidate of The Nilgris constituency at Avinashi on today evening.

Prospect For A Third Front Govt Brightens Every Day: Manik Sarkar

2009-05-04T22:22:00.001-07:00

Manik Sarkar, Tripura chief minister and a Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M) has been touring along various districts of Bengal during the phased elections taking place. Addressing two big rallies at Bongaon and Basirhat in support of the Left Front –nominated candidates, Manik sarkar said that with three phases of the elections over, the prospect for a Third Front government in Delhi was becoming brighter every day. This has made the Congress and the BJP confused, afraid, and directionless.

PRICE RISE
Manik Sarkar said that the UPA government would not react in any way to the galloping price-rise, and that it would not bother to listen to the sane advice of the left that the public distribution system in the country should be strengthened. Had the Congress done so, the price rise would not have followed in the size and sweep that it did. By brining in 14 to 18 articles of common consumption within the rationing system and ensuring their constancy of supply would have cost the central government but Rs 20 thousand crore – but the anti-people Congress government was not willing to listen, lacking the proper political will.

LEFT NOT HEEDED
On the other hand, the rich had stashed away more than Rs 74 lakh in Swiss banks to evade taxes. Simply by recovering that fund, the rationing system could have been refurbished and strengthened several times over. The people would not, then, have remained without the benefits of subsidies in essential commodities. The hoarders and the black marketers would have been let disappointed.

The price rise itself could well have been effectively stemmed. Both the Congress and the BJP stand by the side of the hoarders and the racketeers from a class point of view. The crocodile tears are only kept for the time when elections are announced. When the electoral process is finished, the old class values return to torment the poor. Manik sarkar also criticised the communal brand of politics of the BJP.

Prakash Karat Campaigns in Kanyakumari

2009-05-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

In a well attended campaign meeting at Marthandam, in Kanyakumari constituency, Tamil Nadu Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the CPI (M), D. Raja of CPI, P. Md. Ismail of JD (S) and Shri Thalavai Sundaram of AIADMK participated. There were over 20,000 people at the meeting.

Explain the truth to the people: CPI (M) tells Manmohan Singh

2009-05-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

Responding to Prime Minister Manmonhan Singh's remarks on Left parties made in Bengal yesterday, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said, " Manmohan Singh government has mortgaged Indias' foregin policy for the sake of Indo-US nuclear deal. His government has given a commitment to buy 10,000 MW capacity worth of american nuclear reactors which will cost the country not less than rupees 2 lack 80,000 crores. This would only enrich the american corporations and make electricity beyond the reach of the common people".

Sitaram Yechury, Politburo member of the CPI (M) said, " If the (nuclear deal) was only for meeting India's energy needs, why did the government spend tens of crores of ruppes for lobbying with the government of USA? There was another agenda, which the PM is not revealing, and that is what we are objecting to. It is that in the name of nuclear commerce with the US, there are policy pressures too. PM does not explain all this to the people. He should also explain how the strategic defence tie-up with America would help us in getting electricity to the people?"

News Update from West Bengal

2009-05-02T03:57:00.000-07:00

From B Prasant/INN

SITARAM YECHURY CALLS FOR CHANGE
AT THE CENTRE IN FAVOUR OF THE THIRD FRONT

Kolkata, May 2: ‘We need new governance for a new India,’ said CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury at Ranigunj right amidst the coal belt of Bengal. He was addressing a mass rally in the afternoon of 1 May.

REJECT ‘GADDI HASIL’ POLITICS

The entire country is now poised to throw out the ‘gaddi hasil’ brand of politics in favour of popular governance. The new government shall have people’s welfare as the locus of its policies. The certainty of the Third Front assuming control in Delhi, post election, was becoming clearer every day.

Held at the large Sihrasole grounds, the rally saw participation in their thousands of both coal mine workers and workers in the unorganised sectors, in particular. There was also a large number of adivasis who came in their traditional dressage and raised a storm of kettle drum beats.

TWO INDIAS

Sitaram Yechury said that at present a ‘Chamakta hua Bharat’ was confronted by a ‘tadapta hua Bharat.’ In the former, ‘shining,’ India, a few people and families concentrated in their hands of massive amount of wealth. More billionaires exist in that India than even in the rich and developed nation of Japan.

In the suffering India, 75% of Indians cannot have Rs 20 per day as income. Every day, 1000 children die. 755 of the mothers are the victims of anaemia. One crore of Indians have been thrown out of employment as a consequence of the big depression worldwide. The jobs of five crore more are under serious threat. In Surat in Gujarat 71 workers have taken their own lives. The textile workers sell their kidneys to survive. ‘We want a change of this India,’ said the speaker.

NEW FORMATIONS

Sitaram Yechury said that the secular formations were coming together in a new way. On the eastern coast of the country, the alliance partners have left the BJP. Laloo Prasad Yadav and Ram Bilas Paswan have created a separate morcha. The Third force will become stronger after the elections are over. Sitaram Yechury recalled to the mind of the politically conscious Bengali the words of Gopal Krishna Gokhale: what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.

LF TO SHOW THE WAY

The Left Front government is established in Bengal after winning seven consecutive elections. Bengal shows the way to the future for the rest of the country. Sitaram Yechury called for a massive electoral triumph of the LF-nominated CPI(M) candidate from the constituency, and a sitting MP, Bangsa Gopal Chaudhuri. Other who addressed the rally besides Bangsa Gopal was CPI leader and MP, R C Singh. [444 words]

Item 2

MINE BLAST BY ‘MAOISTS’ AT JAMBANI
CLAIMS LIVES OF THREE POLL WORKERS

When we reached the spot at a remote corner of Jambani in Midnapore west, where an improvised explosive device or IED detonation buried in a desolate part of the road leading to Jhargram town, had taken place post-poll in the evening of 30 April, and we were met with the combined reek of blasting powder, of human remains -- the bodies were scattered over a half-a-kilometre radius -- and with the smell of death.

LAST WORDS

Prasada Bandyopadhyay, polling work completed, rang up his ailing and elderly father telling him that everything was all right and that he was well on his way home, and then he asked of his three-year old daughter to ‘tell mummy to have some food ready.’ He had hardly beeped off his cell phone when the word turned topsy-turvy for the Bandyopadhyay family.

The IED exploded with ferocious impact on the jeep Prasada and two of his colleagues Sougata including the chauffeur Sanjay Das were travelling in. We found little evidence of the vehicle other than a few steel parts from the engine. The body parts were flung as high as the flowering Palash trees crowding both sides of the metalled road, trees that reached out 40 feet into the sky. A ‘Maoist’ leaflet later clamed with glee that they had exploded the devices and that ‘many more deaths would follow.’

HUMAN TRAGEDY

What is tragic is the fact that Prasada who was computer software engineers, and his men innocently believed in -- and that cost them their lives-- what the ‘Maoist’ posters had earlier proclaimed in the jangal mahal that: ‘we shall only kill police personnel and not the civilian populace.’ Does one believe the cruel criminal, the merciless and opportunistic hunter of men and women, the social evil incarnate, and the people on the dangerous lunatic fringe?

As we had reported earlier, the presence of the fourth component during what was purported to be a tripartite meeting that the CEO Bengal took with the Maoist backed ‘people’ committee,’ upset all equations, leaking in profusion the poll arrangements to the criminals and the killers. A slip meant the death of three men, and a dirge-like impact on their family units, especially as all three men who mat such a cruel end on the line of duty were the only earners in their household units.

NO REACTION FROM OPPOSITION

Expectedly, none of the opposition political groupings, none of the foreign-funded ‘democracy-mad’ NGOs, none of the members of the ‘civil society’ would deign to utter a single word in empathy for the departed and for those the murdered left behind.

Earlier, last October, a similar IED blast had left a doctor Dhaniram Mandi, a nurse, Bharati Mandi, and the chauffeur Pranay Mishir, dead much in the same spot. It is believed by the local Party unit that the same gang had brought about the latest detonation and that they operate out of a remote forest area of Jharkhand across the porous border.

Item 3

PM DR MANMOHAN SINGH VS
CONGRESS LEADER DR MANMOHAN SINGH

Dr Manmohan Singh addressed a Congress rally in Howrah on 1 May and said that ‘recently the Congress has published a report card on the working of the Bengal government with which I tend to agree, and it is shown there that Bengal has dropped back in various developmental activities.’

The same Dr Manmohan Singh had said on 12 January 2005 while in Kolkata that ‘when I see newspapers call Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee the best chief minister in the country, I am not surprised. I agree with this statement. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his government are working away with courage, with the heart in the right place, and with intelligence. This is what is needed for the development of the nation. Bengal is about to re-claim the position of leadership in the country.’

Need one add anything more?

Congress did nothing to protect workers: Prakash Karat

2009-05-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

Madurai, 1st May 2009: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat addressed a massive rally at Madurai on Friday evening, in support of the CPI (M) candidate P. Mohan, attended by well over 30,000 people. Addressing the meeting Prakash Karat said as in 2004, mandate of the people of TN would be decisive in forming an alternative government at the Centre. On the occasion of May Day, Karat greeted the people and reminded them how people all over the world have intensified struggle against exploitation. While global capitalist system is facing a huge crisis, millions of workers have lost their jobs, worldwide. In India, 25 lakh people have lost jobs. These are people working in industries, services and agriculture, who have no option but to work for a livelihood. The Congress government has nothing to offer to save the jobs of working people of the country. They have remained silent about this even during this election campaign.

We have called for the defeat of this Congress and its allies, which is the DMK here. Congress led government pursed anti-people policies, one after the other. They brought in foreign investment in retail trade, wanting Walmart like companies to come in, leading to job loss of lakhs of people. We said, we will not allow this. They wanted to increase foreign capital in our banking and insurance sector. We said we will not allow this. In a time when finance firms are collapsing the world over, it is only due to our opposition that Indian banks and insurance sector are protected from the impact of the crisis, but the Congress and the DMK are still willing to sell our financial institutions to foreign companies.

This is the same government which wanted to hand over pension funds to private companies, putting hard earned pension funds to the vagaries of stock market. The Left parties firmly said no to these policies. It is the Left which warned the government that you are allowing thousands of crores of rupees to go outside India without paying taxes. A fraudulent Mauritius route was created by the rulers. We have opposed this and will close this route.

The Congress led government is trying to convert India into a junior partner of the USA. This government signed a forty year nuclear cooperation pact, which no self respecting country would have accepted. I came down personally here and told Mr. Karunanidhi that we have reservations. But, finally they endorsed the deal. But AIADMK has come out strongly against this agreement. We will review this agreement if the third alternative is voted to form a government.

Acute power shortage faced by the people of Tamil Nadu now tells how fraudulent are the claims of the Congress that nuclear deal will solve problems of power in this country. They knew this will not solve any problem. The entire track record of the government is betrayal of the people and this is why we want to defeat the Congress and its allies.

BJP has decided to carry out communal agenda. Wherever the BJP is running a state government, in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh everyday the minorities are being attacked. If we bring back the BJP it will further disrupt the life of common people. We will have to make sure that they do not come to power. Both the Congress and BJP do not even have 50 percent of popular support. Last time they both together got less than 50 percent of the votes. That is why we said all non-BJP and non-Congress political formations should come together. We have made a good beginning. Here is a five party alliance. In Andhra, we have the Maha Kutami. This has made the BJP and congress wary of the third front.

Today Both Congress and BJP are attacking third front. They are saying it is an illusion. Why are they afraid? At the national level there is no alliance for them. The congress led UPA is disintegrating. They have only few allies like DMK. BJP also knows the formation of the third front has nullified their chances. Alternative government will be formed with alternative policies which will benefit the people.

You must have heard of the telecom scandal and it is a DMK minister, who is involved in this, which has cost the government 1 lakh crores rupees. We asked the PM to investigate. They refused to investigate the matter. Only a few days ago, the only accused in Bofors cases, Quattrochi has been let off. The charges against him have been dropped, including charge of taking bribe of Rs.64 crores. Now just in one ministry, the corruption involved is a huge sume of 1 lakh crores rupees. In the Congress manifesto, of 64 pages, they have not mentioned a word about corruption. The DMK and its ministers have played a major role in fostering corruption. The people have decided to remove this government.

In Sri Lanka, tens of thousands of Tamils have lost their normal life. But this government has not done anything. Because, they are focused on making friends with the USA, and do what the USA tells them. In Tamil Nadu, we are witnessing a rising popular support to the third front. Against this popular support, the DMK has only one weapon, which is money power. The DMK is not for Dravidian advancement as its name suggests, but it is only for ‘self advancement’. I have written to the Election Commission on situation in Madurai. I hope that the politically conscious people of Madurai will take it as an insult if offered money for votes. The people of Madurai will not tolerate this. I appeal to the people of Madurai to defeat money power and goondaism and elect the CPI (M) candidate, P. Mohan on 13th May.

Yechury addressed massive rally in Bengal

2009-05-02T00:20:00.002-07:00

Kolkata 1st May- CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury called upon the people to march forward to build a ‘New India’ through forming an alternative government at the centre. He addressed a mammoth gathering in the industrial area of Raniganj in Asansol constituency this afternoon.

Speaking in Hindi, Yechury said, under two successive rule of NDA and UPA , distance between ‘Chamakta hua Bharat’ (Shining India) and ‘ Tarapta hua Bharat’ (Suffering India) has increased. Now the time has come to shift the policy orientation of the government at the centre. Already Congress and BJP has been weakened to a great extent. Their allies have left them. After the elections, there will be an alternative government at the centre which will concentrate on peoples’ welfare. The Left forcers along with others will ensure that the government will be stable with focus on peoples’ interests.

Yechury said it is because of the pressure from the Left that steps like NREGS and forest right for Adivasis have been enacted. But in general, UPA government was more concerned about the corporate sector. Now the people will give them a fitting reply.

May Day - Struggles the only way for emancipation

2009-05-02T00:20:00.001-07:00

Hyderabad, May 1, 2009 (INN): On the occasion of May day, B V Raghavulu, secretary of Andhra Pradesh State Committee of the CPI(M), gave a call to the working class to wage relentless struggles unitedly, imbibing the spirit of May day and irrespective of political affiliations, for solving various problems confronting the people. After hoisting the Red flag at the Party’s state heaquarters, M.B. Bhavan, he made it clear that the Party would continue struggles on the issues of the working class and the people in general, irrespective of the political parties that would come to power in the State. Explaining the significance of May day, the credit for uniting the working class, irrespective of castes, religions and regions went to it, Raghavulu said. As a result of the financial crisis, workers and employees in many countries of the world lost jobs and employment and suffering a lot and starvation deaths are increasing, he explained. The central and state governments are not coming to the rescue of our people and workers who have lost jobs as a result of the financial crisis, while the capitalist class and corporate houses are working for their profits only, ignoring the problems of the working class, Raghavulu said. It is the responsibility of the governments to see to it that companies do not reduce mandays and wages to the workers and employees, he stressed. Cautioning that terrorism is increasing internationally and that it is our responsibility to see that the impact terrorism in our neighbouring countries does not fall on our country, Raghavulu said we have to extend our solidarity to the countries which are fighting against terrorism. State secretariat member of the CPI(M) Y Venkateswara Rao, other leaders and workers of the Party, CITU, SFI, DYFI, AIDWA, KVPS, AWWAZ and other mass organisations participated in the May day programme.

May day was observed at M H Bhavan, the headquarters of Prajasakti Telugu daily. S Veeraiah, state president of CITU, hoisted the Red flag. Addressing a meeting organised on the occasion under the presidentship of B Tulasidas, news editor of Prajasakti, Veeraiah made it clear that struggles would increase if problems of the workers are not solved by the party that would come to power. As long as capitalism and exploitation continue, struggles of the people would increase, he said. Veeraiah explained that strikes in various countries, including India, have been increasing over the years. S. Vinay Kumar, editor of Prajasakti, made it clear that the people would dislodge the governments that would do harm to their interests. Just as the people defeated the NDA government and elected the UPA government, they would defeat the latter also for its failure to solve their problems and that there are indications that a government of the third front would emerge at the centre, he said. V Krishnaiah, general manager of Prajasakti, explained that there would be the impact of financial crisis on our country in the coming days. He stressed on the need for wagiang struggles for emncipation of 75 crore workers in our country. (MVR)

CPI (M)'s Memorandum to the CEC today

2009-05-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

May 1, 2009
Press Release
We are releasing two letters addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner by Brinda Karat, Member, CPI(M) Polit Bureau, today.
The first one pertains to the release of a government advertisement concerning the new pension scheme, in total violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The second relates to the rigging of polls in three assembly segments in the Darjeeling Parliamentary constituency and demand for a repoll in the affected segments.
*****************
May 1, 2009
The Chief Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India
Nirvachan Sadan
Ashoka Road
New Delhi
Dear sir,
We wish to bring to your notice the advertisement issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority published in The Hindu today. This advertisement is a clear violation of the model code of conduct issued by the Election Commission. We seek your appropriate intervention in this matter.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely
(Brinda Karat)
Member, Polit Bureau

********************
Ref No. : BK/2009/II/36
1st May, 2009
The Chief Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India
New Delhi – 110 001
Dear Sir,
This is to draw your attention to the serious complaint of subversion of democratic rights by the supporters of B.J.P. and G.J.M.M. in three hill sub-divisions of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency. Shockingly, the complaint includes the connivance of certain presiding officers as well as the strange inaccessibility of observers when their intervention was
required. The CPI(M) candidate Shri. Jibesh Sarkar has made the written complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer of the West Bengal. I enclose the copy of the complaint. He has sent a complaint subsequently to the Chief Election Commissioner.
I believe it is serious enough to warrant intervention from the Election Commission of India. I do hope you will intervene to take the appropriate action to ensure re-poll in the affected segments of the constituency.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
BRINDA KARAT
Member, Polit Bureau

CPI (M) Appeals to Strenghten Class Struggle and Forge Working Class Unity

2009-05-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

On the occasion of May Day 2009, the red flag was hoisted by S Ramachandran Pillai, Politburo member of the CPI (M) at AKG Bhavan, this morning. Speaking to a gathering of comrades working at Party centre and mass organisations, SRP recounted the history of May Day struggle and related it to the significance of the working class movement the world over. It has been a long history for the working class in terms of the struggles for its own rights as well as to strengthen the numerous left and democratic movements the world over. It has suffered some setbacks during the course of advancing the working class interests. Despite the foul cry of forces of capital that announced the death of socialism, today the working class the world over has withstood several onslaughts and is forging ahead the world over in marching towards socialism. When world capitalism is facing yet another crisis, it is time for the working class to forge further unity and solidarity, as has been witnessed in several regions in Latin America. He called upon everybody to strengthen struggles towards working class unity.

Speaking at the occasion, Brinda Karat, Politburo member of the CPI (M) related the significance of May Day 2009 to the ongoing struggle of the left and democratic movements in India today, particularly in the context of the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections. She referred to the continuous onslaught of forces of capitalism through identity politics to undermine the very relevance of the notion of class as a category to understand society and social change. It is the working class struggles led by the Left forces that has consistently fought against this trend of dividing the working class unity. The struggle now, goes beyond mere electioneering. It is a class struggle as well. The Left objective is to fight for the welfare of the oppressed sections of the society in terms of seeking a policy alternative perched on improving the quality of life of the people. There is concerted opposition from the ruling classes to this objective. In North Bengal, the present elections are directly a class struggle between forces of opportunism and divisive politics and that of the Left, in which we have sacrificed several martyrs. The very centrality of class struggle needs to be upheld and she appealed to strengthen struggles to defeat sectarian forces.

N - deal: 'It is nothing but a big fraud' / The country still faces acute power shortage: Karat

2009-05-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

Kanchipuram:

CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday asked why the Congress and its allies were not talking about the India- U.S. civilian nuclear deal in this election.
While every sphere of the economy suffered because of acute power shortage, the United Progressive Alliance government claimed that the deal would help the country solve the problem, he said. "It is nothing but a big fraud". By signing the accord India agreed to pay more than Rs.2.80 lakh crore for setting up nuclear reactors for generating 10,000 MWe. But the UPA constituents now stopped talking about the nuclear deal simply because the country still faced acute power shortage. "We will review the nuclear deal and will produce electricity by tapping alternative sources if people vote the non-Congress and non-BJP alliance to power at the Centre"
Karat was addressing a rally here in support of the AIADMK candidate for the Kanchipuram (Reserve) Lok Sabha seat, E.Ramakrishnan.

Corruption record

Karat said the Congress-let UPA government had set a shameless record in corruption and in protecting corrupt persons.

"Two days ago it was decided to drop the name of Ottavio Quattrochi, Italian businessmen, from the list of Red Corner Notice (of the Interpol) as the Congress wanted to bury the Bofors payoffs case. This was nothing but an achievement of Congress" Karat said, in the last five years of UPA rule, several in stances of corruption had taken place which put together would involve a sum 1,500 times more than the Rs.64- crore payoffs in the Bofors scam, he said. "I am sorry to state that some of the Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu are more corrupt, " Karat said, adding that in the Telecom Ministry alone more than Rs. 1 Lakh crore had been swindled. " When we demanded an inquiry the Manmohan Singh government refused it. The then Finance Minister, P.Chidambaram, waid that nothing illegal had taken place and hence there was no need for an inquiry."

The CPI(M) general secretary said the policies pursued by the Congress-led govenment resulted in foreign in stitutional investors taking back their money, without paying any tax, through the mauritius route. He lauded the AIADMK for joining the Communists in their efforts at checking the outflow of money through the Mauritius route.

Claiming that the five-party alliance led by the AIADMK would sweep the polls in the State, Karat said that in the last Lok Sabha elections the verdict given by Tamil Nadu voters resulted in the formation of the UPA gobernment. But this time the Tamil Nadu verdict would decide the formation of a non-Congress /non - BJP secular government.

Long Live International Solidarity of the Working Class!

2009-04-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

May Day Manifesto
Centre for Indian Trade Unions
On the occasion of May Day – 2009, the day of the international solidarity and unity of the working class,the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) extends warmest revolutionary greetings to the entire working class and the toiling people of the country and the world as a whole. The CITU re-affirms its commitment to class struggle and complete emancipation of the human society from all forms of exploitation.

Fraternal Greetings

The CITU conveys its fraternal greetings to the working class of the socialist countries for holding high the banner of socialism.

The CITU also greets the working class of the developed capitalist countries for their grim battle for right to employment, right to higher living standard and in defence of trade union rights
The CITU conveys greetings to the working class of the developing countries for their struggles against of imperialist machinations against their nations and the people abated by the ruling polity of the respective countries.

The CITU extends solidarity with the Agricultural Workers in their struggles for achieving for better wages, right to land and livelihood throughout the year and comprehensive social security and welfare measures. The CITU also conveys fraternal support to the poor and middle Peasants in their struggles for right to remunerative prices, institutional credit at low interest and infrastructural and input support through massive public investment in agriculture. The CITU appeals to the working class to stand by the masses of peasantry and strengthen worker-peasant unity for conducting united struggles against the anti-people policies of the neo-liberal regimes.

50 years of Cuban Revolution & Latin American Countries

The Cuban Revolution continues to be a beacon of hope for the toiling people all over world .The saga of 50 years of the Cuban Revolution is saga of a constant battle against the US imperialism. The Cuban experience conclusively demonstrates that the fight against imperialism and the fight for socialism cannot be separated.

Socialist Cuba continues to be the source of political awakening of the people in the entire Latin-American continent. The electoral defeat inflicted on the pro-US ruling polities one after another in the countries of Latin America by the people under the leadership of the Leftist Forces have delivered a severe blow both to the neo-liberal economic policies..

Fight the Imperialist Machinations

On this May Day the CITU condemns the aggressive hegemonic machinations of the imperialist forces led by US imperialism. Iraq and Afghanistan continues under US military occupation. While in Iraq resistance is growing from within, the US occupation of Afghanistan is contributing in deteriorating political situation in Pakistan.

Israel continues to occupy Palestinian and Arab territories. The recent Gaza massacre by Israeli military forces is the latest examples of imperialist brutality against humanity. Moreover, the US is continuing with its conspiracy to attack Iran, Syria, DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).

On the issue of deployment of Missile Defence System in Europe, contradiction between USA and Russia is getting aggravated despite change of guard in US Administration.

Special Significance of This Year’s May Day

This year’s May Day shall be observed by the working class all over the world at a time when neo-liberal economic ideology under finance capital driven imperialist globalization has collapsed and the world is in the grip of a worst ever capitalist economic crisis since the Great Depression of 1930s. According to Cuban President Fidel Castro, “But it is not the usual crisis that happen every certain number of years, or even traumatic crisis of 1930; rather, the worst of all since the world started to pursue this model of growth and development.”

True, neo-liberalism has been totally exposed and “the crisis has certainly destroyed the credibility of the neo-liberal ideology.” The neo-liberal policies must be reversed and the struggle must march forward towards the ultimate goal of a new people oriented progressive social order. We must understand that the birth of a new social order over the graveyard of neo-liberalism is not automatic but depends on how far the working class movement would successfully organize the fight against the system in strict adherence to ideology of class struggle.

Impact of the Crisis on Working People

According to a ILO forecast in January this year, by the end of 2009 world unemployment could increase by 5 crore (50 millions) over 2007 alone reaching to 23 crore (230 millions) and besides that the number of working poor increasing by 20 crore (200 millions). Closure, lay offs, retrenchment, wage freeze, withdrawal or reduction in social security measures etc has been pushed to a dangerous dimension by the employers’ class. Already 3.8 crore (38 millions) people have lost their jobs over last couple of monthswhereas job creation is going to be far below compared to what it was two years ago.

Private business houses are given huge financial support at the expense of Government exchequers in the name of bail-out packages. Huge concessions are doled out to the capitalist class through repeated reduction in capital cost, interst-rate, tax cuts etc. instead of job protection and employment generation. Around 32 governments, which had spent about 1.19 trillion US dollars on stimulus packages, had spent a meager 9.2 per cent on relief to suffering people. The so called stimulus packages are mainly aimed at heating the financial markets for the benefit of the speculation and finance capital and the amount flowing for real economy are a meager less than one fifth of the total financial bailout packages. The Director General of ILO has commented, “People, Families and Communities did not create the crisis and yet they carry the highest human costs. And they are legitimately protesting.”

World-wide Wave of Strikes

The world is reverberating with Strikes and militant Street Demonstrations as well as different other forms of struggles participated by millions and millions of worker to protest against brazen neglect of toiling people by the Governments in handling the economic crisis. It is a situation of “billions for banks, pennies for people.”

The countries under the European Union have witnessed the maximum protest action. Eight national Federations of Trade Unions of France have jointly organized two giant strikes in quick succession. On 29th January and on 19th March this year hundreds of thousands of French workers

marched through the streets of the cities of France including Paris. The next action is on the May Day in which ten lakh (one million) workers will take out 200 rallies all over France.

On 13 February the Metal Workers’ Union had strike work in Italy. In solidarity with the strikers, “In Rome 700,000 blue and white collar workers marched side by side, in a unity that has not been seen in Italy for some time.” Russia also witnessed militant street rallies in almost every major city in January. In Britain sectoral strikes took place in different industries. More than one hundred thousand workers

from different Eurepean countries jointly staged millitant demonstration in London on 2nd April 09 at the venue of meeting of G-20 leaders including Obama, Gordon Brown, Sarkozy, Manmohan Singh.

Shocking Acts of the UPA Government

In our country the neo-liberal policies were introduced by the Congress Party-led Government headed by late Narsimha Rao with Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister. And the BJP-led NDA Government pursued the same policies more vigorously and caused maximum damage to the economy. During NDA regime, many blue chip capital rich CPSUs were sold out almost free of cost and involving deep corruption. After the defeat of BJP-led NDA in the hustings, the Congress party-led UPA Government that followed thereafter also tried to follow the same path leading to the present crisis.

In India the export-oriented sectors like textile and apparels, information technology and ITES segments, gems and jewelleries, leather, tea, automobile parts, construction, aviation etc. have already been seriously affected. Moreover Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) have been hit hard. There has been full or partial closure of industrial units, particularly the export oriented ones, then cut in production in the industries due to down turn in the market and resultant retrenchment, lay off etc. The official figure of job losses so far is only five hundred thousand but the actual figure of job-losses are many times more and this is increasing by leaps and bounds every day.

The bail-out packages of the UPA Government are still prioritizing on pumping funds to financial market to allure foreign and Indian speculators and not at all on protecting employment, promoting public investment in agriculture, infrastructure, public services and material production and expanding social security and public distribution system – which alone can improve purchasing power of the people, expand domestic market and save the national economy and the mass of the people from the onslaught of the crisis. By their perverse actions, the Congress led UPA has clearly demonstrated that their commitment is not to the people and the country’s interest but to the big Corporates and their strategic partners in the imperialist block.

The Ongoing Parliamentary Elections

This year May Day is being observed by the Indian working class in the midst of the on going parliamentary elections. The political parties in the electoral fray are mainly identified into three combinations. A major set back suffered by the UPA and the NDA led by the Congress party and the BJP respectively is that some of their major constituents have deserted them. On the other hand the Left parties have succeeded in launching the Non-Congress non-BJP Third Alternative. Reckoning fact is that the right from the inception the Third Alternative is continuously strengthening with support from different political parties. With every passing day the possibility of formation of an Alternative Government without BJP or Congress party at the centre after the elections is becoming more and more brighter.

The country needs a Government at the centre that would completely reverse the economic policies which have created the crisis and adopt new policies concretely directed to address the

sufferings of the people inflicted by the economic crisis. Need of the hour is protection of jobs, generation of new employment, stimulating domestic market by empowering

the people economically. Speculative economic activities must be rejected. In other words, not only dismantling of public sector must be stopped but further strengthened by fresh investment by Government.

This year’s May Day calls for intensified campaign by working class to fight communalism and religious fundamentalism. The BJP-led NDA is dangerous for their rabid communal and divisive agenda. The election manifesto of BJP has revived its ‘hindutva’ agenda and made the ‘Ram Mandir’ an

election issue. The Gujarat and Kandhmal (Orissa) carnage apart, communal riots has become the hall mark of the BJP ruled states. The BJP’s game plan is to divide the working class and divide the people.

Moreover, the fight against terrorism and the casteist forces are also very much important. On this May Day the working class of India has to take the pledge to relentlessly fight the forces pausing serious threat to national integrity, communal amity and unity of the working class till these forces are decisively defeated.

On this May Day let us remember that crores of Indian worker participated in 12 nation-wide general strikes, scores of industry-wise strikes and innumerable agitations, demonstrations and other forms of action against neo-liberalism in the country. But for these struggles of the Left Parties against UPA Government’s move to privatize banking sector and opening up insurance sector to foreign insurance companies, privatize the pension and social security funds etc, the impact of the meltdown of stock market and consequent financial crisis would have been much more severe than what the country is experiencing today. Enactment of PFRDA Bill aimed at facilitating speculation with pension funds could be stalled by the Left Political Parties and Left Trade Union movement and has saved the social security savings amounting to thousands of crores of rupees belonging to lakhs of workers from the great risk of being wiped out anytime due to down turn in stock market, as has happened in USA and European countries. Unfortunately access to Provident Fund money has been granted to private mutual funds including Reliance Capital by the UPA Government. The working class will have to fight to reverse the decision.

This May Day enjoins upon the toiling people of the country a vital responsibility to ensure the defeat of the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led NDA in the on going parliamentary elections. At the same time the victory of the Left, Democratic and Secular Alternative must be ensured so that an Alternative Government is formed after this elections at the centre.

The Pledge of May Day 2009

This year’s May Day pledge must be to intensify class struggle at the level of nation states and to consolidate the international unity of the working class to fight the menacing burdens of the economic crisis – principally, job losses, wage freeze, casualisation of employment, deterioration in quality of employment, social security, protection of the rights of migrant workers.

Long Live International Solidarity of the Working Class
Down with Imperialist Globalisation
Down with Neo-liberal capitalist Path
Down with Capitalism
Forward to Socialism
Workers of the world, Unite! .

Prakash Karat begins campaign in TN

2009-04-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

Prakash at Kanchipuram Meeting.

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CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat began his campaign in Tamilnadu for the candidates of AIADMK led alternative front yeterday. He addressed a massive rally at Kanchipuram, which was organised by CPI(M) Kanchipuram district committee in support of AIADMK candidate Dr.E.Ramakrishnan as well as May Day fest.

After this meeting , Karat addressed a huge public meeting at Vellore , in support of AIADMK candidate Vasu.

Comrade Prakash Karat is addressing today evening a massive rally in Madurai for the Party candidate P.Mohan .

On May 2nd, he is going to attend a massive meeting at Marthandam in Kanniyakumar Constituency in support of AV.Bellarmine, CPI(M) candidate.

He will address in Cuddalore and Pudhucherry on May 5th and in Udumalpet and Coimbatore(South) on May 6th.

Stray Terror in West Bengal First Phase

2009-04-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

Photo1: People voting in Darjeeling
Photo2: People voting in Jhargram
Photo3: People voting in Gangarampur

Kolkata, 30th April- Incidents of violence, Maoist terror and intimidation marred the voting process in some parts of West Bengal, in the first phase. 14 seats went to polls on Thursday,in northern and western part of the state. The general voting trend was, however, peaceful and large number of voters exercised their right in most of the constituencies.

Maoists called for vote boycott and to enforce this created an atmosphere of terror in remote villages of Purulia district. In the morning, landmine blasts created panic in some areas of Bandwan and Balarampur areas resulting in low turn out. Two Border Security Force jawans were injured in the blast triggered by at Biramdih in Purulia district.

In Lalgarh and Shalboni, the areas seized by the Maoist-backed forces, election commission and administration arranged buses to carry voters in the four centres as determined. But the Maoists have not allowed the voters to come and there was very low turnout. In these areas as many as seven CPI(M) leaders and activists were killed during election campaign.

In three sub divisions in the hills, the polling was not free and fair in many areas due to intimidation by Gorkha Janamukti morcha in support of BJP candidate.

The polling was otherwise more or less peaceful in most of the constituencies. There was no major incident in Midnapore, Bankura,two seats in Maldaha, Coochbehar, Balurghat.In Ghatal, where CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta is contesting, Trinamool Congress candidate slapped a polling official.

“The people of the state braved the terror and voted in a determined fashion,” Biman Basu, Chairman of Left Front said at a press conference in this evening.

Congress and BJP not committed to pro-people policies: Sitaram Yechury

2009-04-30T23:49:00.003-07:00

Both the Congress and the BJP will not do anything meaningful to deal with the current economic crisis and it is only a non-congress and non-BJP alternative, with an alternative policy paradigm committed to the interests of the people, which can deal with it, said, Sitaram Yechury, Politburo member of the CPI (M) during an interview to the Bloomberg News Channel in New Delhi today.

Discussing about a range of issues in the midst of the Lok Sabha elections, Sitaram Yechury said that there is a real yearning among the people of the country for a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative. It is such an alternative that can shift the current policy orientation to that of a pro-people centered paradigm, committed to improve the quality of life of the people.

Asked about the CPI (M)’s prospects in the current elections against the general predication that the Left may not get the same number of seats as the last time, Yechury said in India, it is never the case that an absolute strength in parliament that matters, but it has always been a question of relative strength. Asked about the possibility of forming a government without the Congress, he said that there are objective basis to that possibility. There has been a marked shift in Indian politics. In 2004, both the Congress and BJP together got less than fifty percent of votes. In the Lok Sabha, both the Congress and BJP together were less than the majority. This effectively means that there is already a non-congress and non – BJP platform that is in the majority within the Parliament. Despite such factors, any decision will be taken after the elections, based on concrete situation.

Responding to a question on why does the CPI (M) think allies of Congress party will leave and move over and what is it that they are offered, Yechury said that the offer is to form a coalition government, in which they will be part of. Notwithstanding this is also the fact that the mass following of these parties does not want any tie up with the Congress or the BJP, anymore. There is a pressure from below, on these parties not to ally with the Congress or the BJP as it has happened in the case of the AIADMK, the TDP and the BJD.

Asked about the nature of the policy changes post-elections, Yechury said that the priority is to deal with the current economic crisis that the country is facing. Both the Congress and the BJP are in a denial mode vis-à-vis the economic crisis. What it requires is a huge surge in public investment, which neither the Congress nor the BJP are committed to. The commitment so far made by the Congress led government is far too insufficient to deal the crisis of this magnitude. While the requirement is at least government spending of not less than 10 percent of the GDP, what we have witnessed so far is far too less, when compared to countries like China. While monetising deficit is important, it is also important not to forget the lessons of history, which is, no recession can be dealt without deficits.

Answering to a query if the CPI (M) would still be opposed to disinvestment, in the context of ‘slowdown’, Yechury asked if there is any real basis to the idea that such disinvestment will help bring in more investment. The task at hand to the contrary is to build and create assets, along with a concerted commitment to create more jobs. Creating employment to large sections of the people that will spur real demand should be the objective, he said. Asked about the issue of bringing in illegally stashes money from abroad, Yechury said that the issue was first raised by the CPI (M) on 23rd February, 2009. This is not to claim ownership of the idea, but to point out why we are skeptical about the concern of the BJP in brining up the issue. What made such huge chunk of money flight from the country in the first place, are the policies pursued by the BJP when in power. Removal of FERA, emphasis on the Mauritius route, removal of long terms capital gains tax and permitting participatory notes in stock markets. These contributed in a very large way to the phenomenon of tax evasion, not to mention the fact that taxation has been looked mainly as a source of revenue and not so much as a regulating mechanism too. So, unless these policy measures are reversed, mere talk of brining in money from abroad would not be meaningful, he argued. He also added that this is the best opportunity for India to breach secrecy and therefore the necessity for India to join the queue along with other countries like the USA and the UK.

In responding to query about the future of the nuclear deal after the elections, Yechury said that real objection to the deal, as far as the CPI (M) is concerned is the fact that stringent extraneous conditions were attached to the deal in the name of nuclear commerce, involving threats to the pursuit of an independent foreign policy. The CPI (M) will never compromise on the issue of pursuing an independent foreign policy and if there is a possibility that the deal can be reworked without involving any external conditionalities, then there are possibilities. With the change of guard in the US, which is precisely what the CPI (M) argued during the debate on the nuclear deal that India should press the ‘pause’ button and not go ahead with the deal then. With the democrats in power in the US, who are known for their commitment to non-proliferation, there exist concrete possibilities to rework the agreement, he said.

Asked if the CPI (M) will still be opposed to foreign investment, Yechury said that the CPI (M)’s stance on this is linked to three factors: that any investment should augment the productive capacity of the economy; increase technological capabilities and transfer and produce gainful employment. But this is not what we have witnessed, as in the case of foreign investment in the retail sector for instance. In times of financial uncertainty, it is important that any foreign investment caters to the real concerns and priorities of strengthening our economy, he added.

INSINUATIONS AGAINST BENGAL LF: People Shall Give A Befitting Reply

2009-04-30T23:49:00.001-07:00

Weekly Editorial
India News Network, New Delhi
April 30, 2009

A quarter century ago, Rajiv Gandhi, as India's prime minister, had infamously commented, “Calcutta is a dying city”. This affront against all that Bengal had contributed to the building of modern India and all that it stands for today has been rebuffed by the people of Bengal at every opportunity during this quarter century.

Today, his son, and Congress general secretary, echoing his father says: “This Communist government has forgotten the poor. And, instead of taking the state ahead, in the past thirty years, it has taken it at least thirty years backward”. He proceeded further to compare the levels of poverty in Bengal with those in Kalahandi in Orissa, parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Such absurd assertions can only come from those who pay a breezy whistle stop daylong tour by helicopters without planting their feet firmly on the ground. The ground realities of Purulia, the area in Bengal referred to, compare more favourably, not only to the places referred to in Orissa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh but also with Rae Bareily and Amethi, represented by the Congress president and the general secretary.

The Congress president, in turn, made disparaging remarks about the misuse of central funds in Bengal, levelling charges of corruption and diversion of such funds. Strange, that such charges come from the leader of the party that indulged in the worst form of political immorality with the unprecedented display of currency notes in the parliament used for buying votes to win the trust motion of the Manmohan Singh government after the Left withdrew support with the UPA's surrender to US imperialism on the nuclear deal!

A common refrain has been that the Left Front government in Bengal had not efficiently utilized the funds allocated under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. The Bengal Left Front government had written to the central government that the works permitted by the NREGA were designed primarily for the arid and semi-arid areas in the country and are, therefore, not suited for such places like Bengal which have very high rainfall. The West Bengal government, therefore, had asked for permission to employ people under this scheme for works that are already permitted under various centrally sponsored schemes. This listed special irrigation and land improvement packages that include land levelling, farm bunding, fruit trees and fodder plantation, creating farm ponds, producing low cost mud bricks etc. Such works are more suitable for climatic conditions of areas like Bengal. The central government, however, refused to permit the West Bengal government from undertaking such works under the NREGA. It is the UPA government, therefore, which is responsible for not permitting the efficient and exhaustive usage of the NREGA funds in Bengal. Thus, despite the unsubstantiated attacks by the Congress leaders that the Left Front government did not give `job cards' to “lakhs of poor farmers”, the fact remains that the West Bengal government has, by now, given 95 lakh job cards to deserving poor people. All over the country, so far only 4 crore job cards have been given. In other words, West Bengal, which accounts for 8 per cent of the country's population, has distributed 25 per cent of all job cards distributed in the country.

Let us take a look at the canards being spread against the Left Front on the issue of economic development in the state. In the period of neo-liberal economic reforms, during the decade between 1993 to 2003 (the last year for which authoritative data is available) the average growth of net state domestic product was 7.10 per cent – the highest amongst the sixteen big states in India. This is well ahead of the media favorites like Maharashtra (4.74 per cent), Gujarat (5.87 per cent), Karnataka (6.27 per cent) Andhra Pradesh (5.27 per cent) and Tamilnadu (5.24 per cent). This is from a study done by the Centre for Policy Alternatives quoting statistics from the Central Statistical Organisation, the Economic Survey and RBI bulletins. Studies by the World Bank and by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, earlier, corroborate such findings.

In terms of per capita income, West Bengal has registered an average growth of 5.51 percent as opposed to the national average of 4.01 per cent. This has happened despite the fact that the annual population growth was 1.64, much higher than the highflying states like Tamilnadu (1.06). The study notes “without doubt, the seemingly uncontrollable and unabated migration, particularly from Bangladesh but also from Nepal and neighbouring states like Bihar and Orissa, has contributed to this relatively high growth of population. Whatever are the reasons for this we can only surmise that the rise in per capita income could have been higher if there had been no population influx into Bengal.”

The more significant aspect of West Bengal’s performance is the fact that this is a growth led by agriculture in complete contrast to the national experience, thus making it the most effective example of `inclusive growth'. Land reforms are often seen purely from the humanitarian aspect of providing a source of livelihood for those who otherwise have none. This is definitely an important aspect. But a proper rational land distribution also contributes to a growth in productivity (both land and labour) and enhances the purchasing power in the hands of a vast majority of the people who are otherwise excluded from the market. All these three aspects are visible in Bengal today. Nearly 13 lakh acres of agricultural land was acquired by the Left Front government and distributed to the landless poor (This process continues even today). Nearly 25 lakhs of people have benefited as a result. Even if one were to assume the value of one acre of land to be a conservative Rs 10 lakhs, then this land distribution amounts to Rs 1 lakh 30 thousand crores of worth of resource transfer from the rich to the poor. Such a massive redistribution of wealth has contributed to making West Bengal the fastest growing rural economy today. In addition, nearly 20 lakh sharecroppers have been recorded; meaning that the landlord cannot now evict them. They have also been conferred hereditary rights to cultivation. Combined, these two measures have radically transformed the lives of nearly 50 lakh individuals or nearly two and half to 3 crores of people if we include their families.

West Bengal is the third most intensely agricultural state in India with 76.61 per cent of its land under cultivation. However, only 28.1 of this is irrigated, unlike say Punjab which has 89.72 per cent, thanks to central projects like the Bhakra Nangal dam, the like of which are denied to Bengal. Despite this, Bengal today has the third highest average yield in India and its volume of foodgrains production is also third after Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (undivided; because of its sheer size not productivity). Today it is the country’s largest producer of rice. In the early eighties the per capita net agricultural product in West Bengal was 18 per cent lower than the national average. Today it stands over 10 per cent higher than the national average.

Despite such hard facts which explain the reality why the people of Bengal continue to repose faith in the Left Front in over seven general elections over the last three decades, the Congress leaders, in their legally new-established company with the Trinamul Congress, continue to parrot the so-called `misrule' of the Left Front. In any democracy, the people will elect that political party, which, in their opinion, is best, suited to improve their quality of life. By this yardstick, the unprecedented re-election of the Left Front in Bengal, for over three decades, must inform all of us that the people continue to repose faith in the Left Front because of the improvements that they have seen in their quality of life.

This fact was often sought to be negated in the past by hurling charges of `scientific rigging'. Succumbing to such unfounded charges, the Election Commission in the 2006 elections to the state Assembly, decided to conduct them in five phases by drawing security forces and electoral personnel from outside Bengal as the local people were allegedly `pro-CPI (M)'. At that stage, we had told the Election Commission that as long as they do not bring voters from outside Bengal, no one could defeat the Left Front! The 2006 results hailed by all, including the Trinamul chief Mamta Banerjee as being completely free and fair, gave the Left Front a larger than two-third majority in the Assembly.

Thus, saying that the Left Front subjected Bengal to a three-decade long misrule is tantamount to insulting the people of Bengal and the electoral choices that they have made on the basis of their experiences. Bengal's electorate, shall, once again, reply to such insinuations in as appropriate a manner as they had done in the past.

In Contest From Jail

2009-04-29T23:24:00.002-07:00

India News Network
Rajender Sharma reports from Supaul:
SUPAUL is the headquarters of one of the three districts that fall in the Kosi division of Bihar. But what distinguishes this decrepit town from other district headquarters is the District Jail here. It is another thing that this prison house is just an old-style though specious building. You have to visit this jail if you want to meet Balram Singh Yadav, the CPI(M)’s candidate for the Supaul Lok Sabha seat. Moreover, here you can only see him from the other side of the iron bars in a barrack type room, from 11 a m to 12.30 p m. The room is full of visitors in this period everyday and you can meet Yadav only when these regular visitors vacate this place on the consideration that you have come from afar to meet Yadav.

Yadav was arrested just outside the District Election Office when he came out after filing his nomination papers. Unlike Varun Gandhi of the BJP, he was not involved in inciting the basest feelings against a particular religious community. Nor was he accused of breach of social peace. Yet he is behind the bars for over a month and a half, and the probability is that he would not be allowed to come out at least till the polling is over. It is obvious that even the highest court of the land is not going to allow this militant communist leader to come out on parole.

Yadav faces the charge of dacoity under Article 395 IPC, in connection with the Raghopur incident, along with as many as 32 more CPI(M) and Kisan Sabha workers. In fact, these other workers are in jail for about four months.

The case pertains to the situation in all the three districts of the Kosi division – Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura – after the breach in the Kusaha dam on the Kosi river in Nepal. Though the breach caused devastating floods in these districts, the state as well as the central government displayed extreme callousness towards the agony of the flood victims. The floods have worsened the already huge problem of endemic migration of people from this district. If anyone came forward to fight for these poor and hapless flood victims who had lost everything, it was the workers of the CPI(M) and the mass organisations led by the Party.

Though the Nitish government of Bihar promised to provide foodgrains to the flood victims for one year, it refused to do so just after one month. The CPI(M) then came forward to give expression to and mobilise the flood victims’ agony and anger. There were gheraos of the tehsil and district headquarters, curfews imposed by the flood victims and other militant actions, causing desperation to the JD(U)-BJP government. In Raghopur, tens of thousands of people gheraoed the government godown to demand implementation of the chief minister’s promise of grain distribution, and government officials simply ran away in face of the people’s fury. The agitating flood victims then distributed the grains among themselves.

At the behest of the state government, then, the administration and the police implicated more than 500 persons including prominent CPI(M) leaders in a case of dacoity. Though Balram Singh Yadav was nowhere near the spot on the day and was addressing a mass meeting in far-away Balua Bazar town at that time, he too was implicated in the case.

It is not surprising that Yadav’s appeal to the people, for their support in return for his sacrifices, is touching the people’s sentiments. He is undoubtedly a fighting and reliable leader of the area. He is pitted against the sitting MP, Mrs Ranjana Yadav, who deserted the LJP to land in the Congress camp, and against the LJP candidate Suryanarayan Yadav who was involved in the parliamentarians bribery case during the P V Narasimha Rao regime. The JD(U)-BJP alliance has put up Vishwamohan Kumar, an MLA, who Nitish Kumar had ousted from his ministry for poor performance.

However, despite his popularity among and support from the people, the incarceration of the CPI(M) candidate and dozens of Party workers is posing a severe problem in the way of mass mobilisation during the poll campaign. Can the Party overcome this obstacle before the April 30 polling? This was the basic question facing the Party in Supaul.

--- Rajendra Sharma from Supaul

BIHAR: Left gets Heavy Support

2009-04-29T23:24:00.001-07:00

India News Network
Rajender Sharma
ADDRESSING a crowded press conference at Patna on April 28 afternoon, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury appealed to the secular parties to unite for the formation of a secular, non-Congress government at the centre. In this context he reminded that all the governments formed at the centre since 1996 have been coalition governments. This press conference was the last item in the CPI(M) leader’s three-day election programme; soon after the election campaign for the third phase of polls in the state also ended.
Earlier, Yechury made an appeal to the people, through another press conference, to send the CPI’s nominee to the Lok Sabha from Begusarai. The appeal underlined the mutual understanding reached by the Left parties in the state. It is because of this understanding among the CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML) that Shatrughna Prasad Singh, a veteran CPI leader, was reportedly having an upper hand in Begusarai, giving a tough time to the JD(U)-BJP as well as the RJD-LJP candidate.
The appeal made by Yechury on the eve of the last phase of polling in the state, though it involved a change in the CPI(M) leader’s pre-planned itinerary, added to the enthusiasm with which the Left cadre were running their poll campaign in the state.
Polling would take place for 11 seats in the third phase (April 30), while the last three seats would go to polls in the fourth phase (May 7). Polling had earlier taken place in 13 seats in the first and second phases each.
Out of the five seats the CPI(M) is contesting in the state, two would go to polls in the third phase. These are Bhagalpur and Supaul.
Yechury’s itinerary in the state started on April 26, from Bhagalpur. Former Lok Sabha member and an important kisan leader, Subodh Rai, is the CPI(M) candidate here. Rai represented the seat from 1999 to 2004 while he was at second position in the 2004 polls, with more than 30 per cent of the votes polled. The area has been an old mass base of the Communist Party, with a tradition of land struggles. While the CPI(M) has its organisation in a large part of the rural areas here, the CPI too has its presence in some pockets. The understanding reached among the Left parties has, therefore, enhanced the chances of the CPI(M) candidate’s victory this time. The coming together of the Left parties has also enthused the weavers of this traditional textile centre. These people, most of them Muslims, have been facing a severe crisis for years together.
In Bhagalpur, the BJP has again put up Shahnawaz Hussein, known as the Muslim mask of this communal party. He was the lone Muslim among the BJP members in 14th Lok Sabha. In 2004, he had promised to make Bhagalpur a secure city and ensure the availability of power and civic amenities, among other things, but he did precious little to fulfil his assurances, which has angered the people of the area. The RJD-LJP alliance has put up Shakuni Chaudhari who is notorious for petty politicking and jugglery, just what his name suggests. In contrast to both, the CPI(M)’s nominee is known for his clean and fighting image, and his stint in Lok Sabha further added to this image. Not surprisingly, Rai is giving both the alliances a tough fight.
On April 26, in support of Subodh Rai, Yechury addressed mass meetings at the headquarters of the Kahalgaon and Nathnagar assembly segments of Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat, appealing to the people of Bihar to make their precious contribution to the political change the whole country is waiting for. He pointed out that there is no guarantee of implementation of alternative pro-people policies if a secular, non-Congress government is not installed at the centre. This demands that a large number of representatives of the Left are sent to the Lok Sabha.
Yechury forcefully rebuffed the criticism that attempts to form a secular, non-Congress alternative go in the favour of the BJP only. He reminded that it was only the Congress party’s omissions and commissions which brought the BJP to power in several states since 2004. on the contrary, the BJP has been unable to open its account in the three states which are the Left strongholds. It is only because the Left is able to provide a secular alternative to the Congress in these states.
Another oft-repeated criticism is that the politics of a third alternative involves political instability. Rebuffing this criticism, Yechury pointed out that it was the supporting parties that destabilised the third front governments in the past. That is why the CPI(M) has appealed to the people to give a decisive mandate for a secular alternative this time.
CPI(M) candidate Subodh Rai and its state secretariat member, Sarvodaya Sharma, also addressed these meetings.
On April 27, Yechury had had, in a sense, road shows in the Bepur and Gopalpur assembly segments in the same Lok Sabha constituency. He addressed five meetings while passing through these assembly constituencies. The latter were recently added to Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat.
Yechury’s next programme was in the Supaul constituency in Kosi division, where he addressed mass meetings at Jadia, Chhatapur and Triveniganj in favour of the CPI(M)’s Balram Singh Yadav, widely known as a militant kisan leader.
Supaul is distinct from other Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar and has an importance of its own. The reason is that here the CPI(M) candidate, supported by the entire Left, is contesting from behind the bars. Balram Singh Yadav was arrested as soon as he came out of the Election Office after filing his nomination papers. Then the state administration tried all means at its disposal to ensure that he could not come out of jail before the polling ended. It is another thing that the ruling coterie is unable to face the wave of opposition that this conspiracy of somehow keeping Yadav in jail has evoked.

After the devastating floods in the Kosi river last year, the victims were unable to get the relief that had been announced by the central as well as state government, and the people’s mobilisation for the announced relief led to a gherao of the government’s foodgrains godown in Raghopur by tens of thousands of people. But when the administration still failed to come to its senses, the agitating people invaded the godown and distributed the grains among the flood victims. It is in that case that a criminal case was filed and more than three dozen leading CPI(M) and Kisan Sabha workers have been kept in jail for more than three months. Though Yadav was not in Raghopur on the day the said incident occurred, he was implicated in it under a well-thought out conspiracy, and later arrested and jailed in mid-March.
However, Yadav’s role in the whole struggle for flood relief is well known in the constituency and his candidature for the Lok Sabha has given a boost to the agitating flood victims’ morale. It is now being viewed as a part of the peasant population’s struggle here, and as a symbol of resistance to the whole cycle of the Nitish government’s repression. Yadav’s candidature is also posing a challenge to the ruling class politics of opportunism which today the wife of Pappu Yadav, a notorious criminal, represents here. It is known all over that this lady is nothing but a mask for her husband’s political ambitions. Incidentally, Pappu Yadav’s wife was last time elected from Supaul on the ticket of the Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan, but the couple deserted the latter on the eve of the latest poll process and joined the Congress.
It was therefore in the fitness of things that the series of CPI(M)’s mass meetings in this important Lok Sabha constituency concluded with one addressed by Yechury.
Earlier, CPI(M) central committee member and All India Democratic Women’s Association president, Subhashini Ali, addressed five mass meetings on April 14 and 25, in favour of the party candidate here. Before her, on April 21, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat had addressed election meetings of the party in Kumarkhand and Singheshwar.

Lok-Sabha Elections in Assam: Waveless and Unpredictable

2009-04-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

From India News Network (INN)
Guwahati, April 29, 2009
Isfaqur Rahman

The election scenario in Assam has been hazy and the prospects of the contending parties are still unpredictable. It has been a seemingly waveless election and the campaign largely media driven. There was, however, perceptible anti-incumbancy sentiment, if not wave, sweeping across the state.

Sporadic incidents of extremist violence and subversive activities became a cause of worry on the eve of the elections. The stepped up extremist offensives of the banned outfits in Karbi-Anglong and North Cachar vitiated the atmosphere and affected electioneering in the two hill districts. In the Brahmaputra valley, too, the situation was not quite condusive, free and fair. Stray but frequent incidents of bomb-blasts and extremist attacks left several persons dead in the run-up to the elections. In the capital city of Guwahati alone, at least 10 persons were killed since the announcement of the poll schedule.

Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, the ruling Congress put up its candidates in 13 seats leaving one seat — Kokrajhar to its coalition partner — the Bodo People's Front (BPF). However, the BPF has fielded its own candidate in Mangaldoi LS constituency against the Congress nominee and the two parties are engaged in 'friendly' fight in the seat. In the 2006 Assembly polls, the Hagrama Mahilary-led BPF won 11 of the 126 seats and extended support to Mr. Tarun Gogoi-led Congress-BPF coalition government.

Although the BJP has been licking its wounds inflicted by its former allies in most States, it has been able to thrash out an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam. The AGP has been forced to become a junior partner by getting only six of the 14 LS seats. The regional party has still been facing hit from a substantial section of its workers and supporters who were angry with the leadership for joining hands with the communal BJP. The AGP is on the backfoot for the unholy alliance and the issue has virtually become a thorn in the flesh of its leadership. Although it has stitched up an alliance with the BJP, the regional party still maintains that it is not a constituent of the BJP-led NDA.

The Rabiram Narzary-led Bodo People's Progressive Front (BPPF) has snapped its ties with the AGP on the eve of the elections. Cracks had appeared in the two party alliance after AGP joined hands with the BJP and decided to put up its own candidate for the Kokrajhar seat. The unprincipled alliance and opportunistic position of the AGP harmed secular-unity in the State.

Barring the left Parties and the relatively new Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF), the non-Congress and non-BJP opposition Parties have little presence and influence in the State. The CPI(M) is the strongest among the left in terms of organisation and influence, area and base. The party tried to consolidate the left unity and to work out seat-sharing arrangements with other secular parties to ensure the defeat of the Congress-BPF and the BJP-AGP combines.

The non-BJP and non-Congress parties, popularly called third force, represented by the CPI(M), CPI, NCP, AUDF and BPPF have tried to build up unity and enter into electoral adjustments. Several rounds of bi-lateral and multi-lateral discussions were also held and it had evoked wide response among the voters who were disenchanted with the ruling Congress-led dispensation and who were not willing to go with the AGP-BJP combine. The seat sharing arrangements, however, could not be properly and smoothy materialised. The big-brotherly and intransigent attitude of the AUDF was largely responsible for the crack in unity among the parties. The unilateral declaration of candidatures by the AUDF before the finalisation of the seat sharing deal hampered the prospects of the third force.

The CPI(M) decided to contest in three seats — Barpeta, Tezpur and Silchar. While the talks were in progress, the AUDF unilaterally fielded its own candidates in all the three seats claimed by the CPI(M). In the Guwahati seat, too, despite a formal agreement to leave the seat to the NCP, the AUDF hurriedly decided to put up its own candidate at the last hour of filing nomination papers. However, despite the internal contradictions and fragile unity, the emergence of the third force has made the contests triangular.

The CPI(M) has put up candidates in three constituencies. It has fielded Durge Deka for the Barpeta seat, Jiten Sundi for the Tezpur seat and Deepak Bhattacharyya for the Silchar seat. Twice represented by senior party leader Uddhab Barman, in 1991 and 1996, the prestigious Barpeta seat is presently represented by the Congress. In the 2004 elections, the Congress candidate A.F. Golam Osmani, who passed away on March 31 last following protracted illness, won the seat. The Tezpur seat is presently held by M. K. Subba of the Congress and the Silchar seat is represented by Union Minister and Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev.

The CPI (M) has extended support to the CPI candidates in Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur LS seats. It has also supported the Forward Block candidate for the Nagaon seat. The Party had decided to back the NCP candidates in Guwahati and Autonomous District (Diphu) seats while extending support to the BPPF candiates in Kokrajhar and Mangaldoi seats. For the remaining three seats at Dhubri, Karimganj and Kaliabor, the CPI(M) appealed to the voters to cast their votes in favour of non-Congress secular parties.

The AUDF has put up candidates in nine of the 14 LS seats with its president Badruddin Ajmal contesting from two seats — Silchar and Dhubri. Perfume baron Ajmal's brother Sirajuddin Ajmal is also contesting from two seats of the Nagaon and Kaliabor. Both the brothers are presently members of the Assam Assembly. The AUDF with a sizeable minority support base has emerged as a threat to the poll prospects of the ruling Congress in Assam. The State, a traditional Congress bastion has nine MPs from the ruling party. But the emergence of relatively new AUDF since the last Assembly elections in 2006 has made the going difficult for the Congress and it wil certainly spoil the chances of the Congress candidates in a number of seats. The Congress has alleged that the AUDF had entered into a 'secret understanding' with the AGP-BJP combine to defeat the ruling party in the parliamentary polls.

Issues Ignored by Major Parties

The performance of the Tarun Gogoi-led coalition government in Assam has been disappointing. The neo-liberal economic policies of the UPA government has been spelling disaster in the backward State. Now the Congress has been facing a challenging task as most of the 14 LS seats are set to witness triangular contest involving the Congress-BPF coalition. BJP-AGP combine and the Parties of the third force.

In the 2004 elections, the Congress won nine seats while the AGP and the BJP captured two seats each. One seat went to an independent candidate, backed by the All Bodo Students' Union, who later joined the BPF. The Congress secured 35.07 per cent of votes, the BJP 22.94 per cent and the AGP 19.25 per cent.

The run-up to the Lok Sabha elections has made many in the State question the stances of major parties vis-a-vis crucial issues which they believe should have been in the centre of political debate and discussions, but which have either been marginalised or simply ignored. The Congress, BJP and the AGP were least concerned with the issues concerning people and were indulging in mud-slinging and petty quarrels.

The AGP-BJP combine had little in common on the issues confronting the State. The BJP's views on issues like illegal migration, re-structuring of centre-state relations etc. are not similar with the views expressed by the AGP. On the development of Assam, too, the six-year rule of the BJP-led dispensation had done precious little. The BJP leader L. K. Advani had choosen Kheroni in Karbi-Anglong as the venue of his first election rally in Assam and said, his Party was sympathetic to the demand for the creation of two autonomous districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills as an Autonomous State within Assam under the provision of Article 244-A of the Constitution. This would, in fact, mean another division of Assam. The BJP's stance on this issue exposed its oppotunistic readiness to make any compromise to win power. It is widely believed, BJP's money power had a big role in stitching up an alliance with the AGP. The alliance, however, suffered a jolt when the nomination of the BJP candidate for the Dhubri constituency was rejected on the ground that he had not submitted the mandatory A-B forms along with the nomination papers.

BPF chief Hagrama Mahilary has stated that the extremist outfit NDFB, currently under ceasefire agreement, helped some Congress candidates for the current Lok Sabha elections in lieu of money. Interestingly, the BPF is a coalition partner of the ruling Congress. Mr. Mahilary, who is also the chief of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), accused the NDFB of helping some BJP and AUDF candidates in the elections in lieu of money. He also revealed that he himself had paid money to the NDFB in 2004 LS polls. The extremist outfit, too, issued statements and admitted that it supported Congress candidate at Tezpur and BJP candidates at Mangaldoi and Guwahati for the current elections. However, the Congress, the BJP and the AUDF are yet to make any official reaction to the accusation that the NDFB helped some of the candidates of the respective parties in exchange of money.

CPI(M) Highlights People's Sufferings

Apart from popularising the national issues incorporated in the CPI(M) Manifesto, the State unit of the Party also published an appeal to the electorate and focussed on certain state-specific issues the people are confronted with.
The State-specific issues were : speedy development of Assam with priority in infrastructure and employment generation, rapid industrialisation on the basis of huge natural resources, solution to the problems of floods and erosion and expansion of irrigation facilities, sealing of Indo-Bangla border and updating of the National Register of Citizenship (NRC), proper implementation and expansion of the NREGA schems, solutions to the problems of terrorism and extremism etc.

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau members, Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat adressed a number of well organised election rallies alongwith the state-leaders in Tezpur and Barpeta constituencies. CPI(M) central secretariat member Nilotpal Bosu and central committee members Badal Chaudhury, Tapan Sen and Noorul Huda also participated in electioneering in the three constituencies where CPI(M) has fielded candidates. Similarly, former M.P. Deepankar Mukherjee, Rajya Sabha member Moinul Hussain and DYFI General Secretary Tapas Sinha addressed election meetings in the state.

A day after Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat hit the roads to campaign for the CPI(M) candidates for the Barpeta and Tezpur constituencies, Sitaram Yechury addressed two election meetings at Manikpur and Bongaigaon on April 19 in support of the party nominee Durge Deka.

Addressing the huge gatherings, Sitaram Yechury said, "for the sake of Assam's development, I request you all to usher in a change in the political scenario by voting for the CPI(M)". He further added, the third forces had put its full strength and effort to bring the real issues — growing job losses, agrarian crisis, price rise and corruption — before the people and it was finding growing support among the people. He asserted that only a third alternative could ensure India's political, social and economic transformation.

Brinda Karat, addressing rallies at Dhekiajuli, Balipara, Jamuguri, Tezpur, Chamata and Pathsala under Tezpur and Barpeta LS seats on April 17 and 18 exuded confidence that the third forces were all set to form an alternative government at the centre. Warning that the continuance of the Congress government would spell doom for the whole country, Brinda urged the people to vote for the CPI(M) and the secular forces which aimed at protecting the farmers, working class, rural people, women and youth.

CCM Tapan Sen addressed meetings at Bahari in Barpeta and at Tezpur on 30-31 March. Ex-MP Deepankar Mukherjee campaigned at Bongaigaon, Kayakuchi, Kalgachia, Mandia , Pathsala and Barpeta Town on 3-5 April. Nilotpal Bosu addressed well-attended meetings at Dhekiajuli, Rangapara, Biswanath Chariali and Tezpur on 8-9 April. The Silchar constituency in Barak Valley was covered and election meetings were addressed by Tripura Minister and CCM Badal Chaudhury, CCM Noorum Huda and DYFI General Secretary Tapas Sinha. Rajya Sabha member Moinul Husain addressed meetings at Kalgachia, Barbala, Palhaji etc. under Barpeta seat on April 19. Most of the meetings were also attended and addressed by senior state leaders of the Party including the two CCMs — Uddhab Barman and Hemen Das.

Polling By And Large Peaceful : Stray Incidents of Violence

An estimated 69.51 per cent votes were cast for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. The two phase elections, scheduled for April 16 and 23, came to a close when polling for the second and final phase was over on April 23. There were 1,74,68,958 electors for the 14 seats. A total of 158 candidates were in the fray.
In the first phase of polling in three constituencies that went to polls on April 16, 64.37 per cent votes were cast in Karimganj LS seat, 70.60 per cent in Silchar seat and 69.36 per cent in Diphu seat. The polling was marred by sporadic incidents of rigging and snatching of EVMs. There were reports of clashes between the workers of the Congress and the AUDF at North Hailakandi under Karimganj LS constituency. Polling was by and large peaceful in the two hill districts of Karbi-Anglong and North Cachar under Autonomous District (Diphu) constituency that witnessed a spurt in extremist violence during the run-up to the polls.

69.82 per cent votes were cast in the second and final phase of polling on April 23 for the remaining 11 seats. However, 12 booths under four LS constituencies of Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhubri and Tezpur recorded nil polling with the voters boycotting to register protest against local problems. The second phase of polling, too, was by and large peaceful barring stray incidents of violence, rigging attempts and group clashes. In one incident of violence on the polling day, miscreants hacked to death a district leader of the AUDF at a place under Mornoi police station of Dhubri LS constituency. A host of senior Bodo leaders, including sitting MP and candidate for the Kokrajhar constituency S.K. Bwismuthiary, ducked indiscriminate bullets and escaped as miscreants fired on a convoy near Panbari under Gosaigaon P.S. in Kokrajhar district on April 24, a day after the polling.

The repoll in 14 polling stations under Kokrajhar, Mangaldoi and Jorhat parliamentary constituencies passed off peacefully on April 26 with an estimated 64.66 per cent polling amid tight security. Repoll was also held in five booths where first phase of polling was held.

Transfer Poll Officials in Madurai and Ensure Fair Elections: Prakash Karat writes to the CEC

2009-04-29T23:22:00.002-07:00

From India News Network (INN)

New Delhi, April 29: We are releasing herewith a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner by Prakash Karat, CPI(M) General Secretary, on the situation prevailing in the Madurai Parliamentary Constituency in Tamilnadu where the CPI(M) candidate P. Mohan is pitted against the DMK candidate and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's son M K Azaghiri.

Text of the Letter

April 28, 2009

The Chief Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India
New Delhi

Dear Shri Chawla,

I am writing to you regarding the situation prevailing in the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency in Tamilnadu. Our Party candidate, Shri P. Mohan, is contesting this seat. The DMK has put up M.K. Azhagiri, who is the son of the Chief of the state. The past few weeks have witnessed gross misuse of the official machinery and an unprecedented use of money and goods to lure voters. There have been physical attacks against the CPI(M) workers including an MLA.

In a recent by-election to the legislative assembly in Thirumangalam in Tamilnadu, there was an unprecedented use of money power. What we are witnessing in Madurai is Thirumangalam on a larger scale.

I am enclosing a note listing out the complaints made by our Party and the candidate's election agent. No effective and serious steps have been taken to stop the malpractices and ensure a free and fair poll.

I urge you therefore to intervene in the matter and see that the District Election Officer, the City Police Commissioner and the Public Relations Officer are immediately transferred out of their present responsibilities. Impartial offices must be assigned poll duties. The Commission should send special observers to see that there is no misuse of the official machinery and the blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct is put a halt to.

I wish to emphasise that immediate action needs to be taken if the polls are not to be vitiated in Madurai.

Sd/-

(Prakash Karat)
General Secretary
encl: Note on the situation in Madurai Parliamentary Constituency

NOTE ON MISUSE OF OFFICIAL MACHINERY, VIOLATION OF MODEL CODE, ADOPTING UNFAIR/UNLAWFUL METHODS FOR SOLICITING VOTES AND FAILURE OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TO STOP ALL THESE ACTIVITIES IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS (2009) FOR THE MADURAI PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY IN TAMILNADU

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is contesting the 15thGeneral Elections (2009) from the Madurai Parliamentary Constituency has been continuously bringing to the knowledge of the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamilnadu about various forms of malpractices and misuse of official machinery by the ruling party to influence the voters in the elections. Though various well meaning warnings had been issued by the CEO it had little effect on such nefarious activities of the ruling party and its leaders here and such activities are on the increase as the date of election draws closer. The ruling DMK and its candidate had invented new forms to bribe the voters and influence their decision. The District administration instead of intervening for the conduct of free and fair elections is aiding and abetting the unlawful methods adopted by the DMK candidate. The instances listed below explain the nature of such complaints given by the District Secretary, MLA and Election Agent of our party and other wings of the party.
1. Complaint against distribution of consumer goods to voters by the DMK (dated 03.03.2009)
2. Complaint against conducting Medical camp in the name of birthday celebration of the DMK candidate (dated 03.03.2009)
3. Complaint against the District Election Officer for not taking action against violation of model code of conduct (dated 05.03.2009)
4. Complaint against bulk applications for inclusion in the voters list (dated 20.03.2009)
5. Complaint against distribution of cash, sarees etc to the voters by the DMK and distribution of cash to self help groups (dated 28.03.2009)
6. Complaint against distribution of money to the voters by the DMK (dated 31.03.2009)
7. Complaint against using the marriage halls for preparing pockets of cash by the DMK (dated 03.04.2009)
8. Complaint on utilising places of worship for electoral campaign by DMK candidate (dated 08.04.2009)
9. Complaint by Nanmaran MLA (CPI –M) for changing the District Collector of Madurai for his partisan behaviour (dated 15.04.2009)
10.Complaint of inaction by the police against the murderous attack on Mr.Vijaya Rajan party member (dated 15.04.2009)
11.Complaint against disruption of CPI (M) election meeting by DMK men (dated 16.04.2009)
12.Complaint against misuse of police machinery to arrest our cadres on false complaints by the ruling party (dated 16.04.2009)
13.Complaint against inaction by the police against the murderous attack on Mr.Nanmaran.MLA (dated 17.04.2009)
14.Complaint against misuse of office by the Public Relations Officer for electoral campaigns of the DMK candidate (dated 18.04.2009)
15.Complaint against distribution of ‘tokens’ to the voters by the DMK men in Madurai Lok Sabha constituency (dated 22.04.2009)).

Many of these complaints were handed over to the Chief Electoral Officer in the state then and there. In spite of bringing these things to the notice of the authorities in time, no serious action for stopping such activities has been taken so far. This had strengthened the hands of the perpetrators of such unlawful electioneering methods. If the District Election Officer, City Commissioner of Police and the PRO are not immediately transferred out of their present assignment, the election in Madurai Parliamentary constituency would become a farce.

We urge the Election Commission to take immediate measures to stop the gross malpractices occuring in this parliamentary constituency. We request you to post honest and impartial officials for poll duties in the constituency. We also request you to send special observers in view of the blatant use of illegal money power and misuse of official machinery.

People of Bihar would also vote against the Congress and BJP as in the rest of the country –Sitaram Yechury

2009-04-29T23:22:00.001-07:00

Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of CPI (M) visited three constituencies in Bihar, viz., Bhagalpur, Supaul and Begusari to campaign for the candidates of the united left block in Bihar. Elections in these constituencies will be held on 30 May.
Sitaram Yechury sharply attacked Congress and BJP for their pro-US economic and foreign policies. He asserted that it was due to the unvarying resistance of the left parties both inside and outside the parliament that the full impacts of the worldwide economic recession could be avoided in this country. He said that the people of Bihar would also vote against the Congress and BJP as is the case in the rest of the country.
He addressed several meetings in Nathnagar, Kahalgaon, Thana Bihpur, Gopalpur in Bhagalpur constituency and in Jadia, Chhaatapur, Triveniganj in Supaul constituency. He came down heavily on government for putting Balram Singh Yadav, CPI(M)’s candidate in Supaul in jail just before elections. Yechury said that it was ironical that convicted criminals are roaming free and organizing anti-social elements for the Congress (I) whereas Balram Singh Yadav who fought for the people and ensured that flood victims get adequate relief is still in jail. He appealed to the people to give fitting rebuffs to the criminal-politicians nexus of the Bourgeoisie political parties by voting in favour of Balram Singh Yadav and making him victorious.
He addressed a crowded press conference on 28th April in Begusarai and appealed to the people of Begusarai to make the CPI candidate in Begusarai victorious as has been the traditions of Leningrad of Bihar.
Sitaram Yechury later addressed a press conference on the same afternoon in Patna at the state committee office of the CPI (M). He appealed to all secular parties to join in post-poll efforts to form a non-Congress and non-BJP government at the center. He also criticized Congress and BJP for projecting PM before the elections as this was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution as in parliamentary democracy people first elect their representatives who in turn elect the leader of the Lok Sabha who then becomes the Prime Minister. Yechury cited the example of Late. Indira Gandhi who lost her elections in Rae Barelliy in 1977 thus loosing any option to become the PM. He called such attempts as insult to the people of this country.

Massive public meeting in Coimbatore

2009-04-28T23:03:00.001-07:00

Massive public meeting at Dhudiyalur in Coimbatore constituency in support of CPI(M) candidate PR.Natarajan on Tuesday. The meeting was addressed by MDMK general secretary Vaico.

Puruliya is Far Ahead of Prince’s Own Amethi-Raebareli

2009-04-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Left Front government for lack of development in West Bengal during his election campaign in the State. He has said that the situation in Puruliya is even worse than Kalahandi. The prince of Congress himself is an M.P. from Amethi in Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The Amethi and the Raebareli constituencies by virtue of traditionally being the constituencies of Gandhi family have got an undue favour from the central Government. Yet, the data says that these constituencies are closer to Kalahandi vis-a-vis underdevelopment instead of Puruliya, as Rahul Gandhi would have us believe. In certain aspects, they are even worse than Kalahandi.

If we look at the index of economic and social development, Puruliya is way ahead of Raebareli and Amethi. These indices are constructed by national sample survey, ‘Bharat Nirman’ project, department of rural development etc. Indices regarding health, education, infrastructure are taken from household and facility survey-3 of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Even from the constituency level data given in the website of Indicus Analytics, it is clear that Mr. Rahul Gandhi, or his team of political advisors, has not done minimum ‘homework’ before speaking in public.

Raebareli – Amethi – Kalahandi versus Puruliya Constituency: Some Indicators

	Puruliya		Amethi		Raebareli		Kalahandi
Indices	2004	2008	2004	2008	2004	2008	2004	2008
BPL Population (%)	24	20	47	44	53	58	57	59
Literacy Rate (%)	59	63	59	64	58	63	49	53
Urban Population (%)	10	11	7	7	10	10	7	7
Immunized children (%)	71	84	20	16	20	16	42	41
Under 5 Mortality Rate (%)	9.8	8.9	17.8	16.0	17.6	15.6	19.7	17.8
Infant Mortality Rate (%)	4.9	4.6	8.8	8.3	8.6	7.9	9.8	9.4
Households with Electricity Connection (%)	23	29	27	14	22	26	17	24
Houses with Landline Phone (%)	4	6	5	6	4	4	4	6
Annual HH Income (Rs.)	76349	82939	48666	51447	44139	46912	44486	49004
Per Capita Expenditure (Rs)	11382	13091	11274	6156	10141	6050	7840	10662
Work Participation Rate (%)	45	45	34	34	36	36	47	47
Female Work Participation Rate (%)	37	37	22	24	24	26	38	40
Agricultural Employment (%)	67	63	73	67	77	74	80	75
Secondary Sector Employment (%)	15	18	14	20	11	13	10	14

If we consider the proportion of population below poverty line, during 2008 in Puruliya constituency it was 20% population whereas that was 44% in Amethi,58% in Raebareli and 59% in Kalahandi. In puruliya, the proportion of the BPL population is reduced by 4% during last 4 years, whereas it has gone up in Kalahandi and Raebareli. The annual average household income has been Rs. 83 thousand in Puruliya as compared to Rs.51 thousand in Amethi, 47 thousand in Raebareli and 49 thousand in Kalahandi. Average annual Per capita consumption expenditure has been Rs. 13 thousand in Puruliya as compared to Rs. 6.2 thousand and Rs. 7.8 thousand in Amethi and Raebareli respectively which are lower than even Kalahandi (Rs. 10.7 thousand).

A district-wise study by Choudhary and Gupta (EPW, 2009) which is based on NSSO consumption survey of 2004-5 tells us that average per month per capita consumption expenditure in rural areas has been Rs. 304 in Kalahandi and Rs. 461 in Puruliya district, but for Raebareli district this was only Rs. 385. In urban areas per month per head expenditures have been Rs. 846, Rs.741 and Rs. 699 in Puruliya, Kalahandi and Raebareli respectively. According to this study the percentage of poor population in rural areas has been 70.5% in Kalahandi, 54.4% in Raebareli and 31.2% in Puruliya. The percentage of poor population in urban areas has been 60.3% in Kalahandi, 40.5% in Raebareli and 36.9% in Puruliya district. Therefore, it is clear that the poverty situation is much worse in Raebareli district than Puruliya and the former is comperatively closer to Kalahandi and not the later. However, indicators in Sultanpur district are much better, where part of the Amethi constituency is located.

According to the constituency-wise indicus data, the proportion of urban population is highest in Puruliya among Kalahandi, Amethi, Raebareli and Puruliya. The proportion of households having electricity is also heighest in Puruliya among these four constituencies during 2008. In Amethi, the work participation rate is only 34% and that in Raebareli only 36% as compared to 47% in Kalahandi and 45% in Puruliya. Work participation rate among women in Amethi is only 24% and that in Raebareli is only 26% as compared to 40% and 37% in Kalahandi and Puruliya respectively. Primary sector employment (i.e. agriculture and allied) is lowest in Puruliya during 2008 among these four constituencies. The infant mortality rate is 46 per thousand live births in Puruliya, whereas that is 83 in Amethi, 79 in Raebareli and 94 in Kalahandi. Under 5 years mortality rate is 89 per thousand in Puruliya as compared to 160 in Amethi, 156 in Raebareli and 178 in Kalahandi. Vis-a-vis immunization, Raebareli-Amethi are in medieval age - 84% children in Puruliya are fully immunized whereas only 16% children in Amethi and Raebareli are fully immunized. This percentage have come down during 2008 than 2004 for Amethi and Raebareli and it is even much lower than the Kalahandi (41%) constituency.

Raebareli – Kalahandi versus Puruliya District: Some Select Indicators

(as % of the population)

		Puruliya	Kalahandi	Raebareli	Sultanpur
1	have electricity connection	27.5	18.3	23.1	36.5
2	live in a pucca house	17.1	1.9	16.7	20.8
3	use piped drinking water	11.3	3.1	9.1	2.7
4	Institutional delivery	39.9	27.3	24.3	36.6
5	% children fully immunised	84.3	43.2	33.1	45
6	per capita consumption expenditure(rural)	461	304	385	516
7	per capita consumption expenditure(urban)	846	741	699	828
8	Percentage poor population (rural)	31.2	70.5	54.4	28.5
9	Percentage poor population (urban)	36.9	60.3	40.5	13.2

Note: Indicators 1 to 5 are for 2007-08 and are taken from the District level health survey of Minsitry of health. Indicators 6 to 9 are from Choudhary and Gupta (2009) which is based on the NSSO consumption expenditure survey of 2004-05.

The district-wise DLHS-3 data for 2007-08 shows that 27.5% households have electricity connection in Puruliya as compared to 18.3% in Kalahandi and 23.1% in Raebareli. 17.1% people live in pucca hoses in Puruliya as compared to only 1.9% in Kalahandi and 16.7% in Raebareli district. 11.3% people have access to safe piped drinking water in Puruliya district as compared to only 3% people in Kalahandi, 2.7% in Sultanpur and 9.1% in Raebareli district. 40% of total deliveries takes place as institutional delivery in Puruliya district, whereas only 27.3% in Kalahandi, only 24.3% in Raebareli and 36.6% are institutional deliveries in Kalahandi, Raebareli and Sultanpur districts respectively. In Puruliya district 84.3% children are fully immunized, whereas only 43.2% in Kalahandi, 33.1% in Raebareli and 45% children in Sultanpur district are fully immunized. Despite the presence of many remote places and substantial proportion of tribal population in Puruliya, Puruliya is far ahead of Amethi-Raebareli in respect of health service delivery.

SLANDEROUS LIES OF CONGRESS AGAINST LEFT FRONT GOVERNMENT AND REAL FACTS

2009-04-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

By Asim Dasgupta
On the eve of the forthcoming parliamentary elections on 5th April, 2009 the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on behalf of the Congress Party packaged baseless lies as a “report card” against the Left Front Government in West Bengal. On the 6th of April 2009, the State Left Front Chairman and Secretary of CPI(M) State Committee Biman Basu refuted the so called facts and canards in detail. However, I am once again putting together a comprehensive rejoinder to the numerous false charges in their write-up.

Slander 1: There has been no development in education during the tenure of the Left Front Government. The percentage of drop-outs in West Bengal is 82.7% which is way above the national average, and the quality of school education in the state is very bad, etc.

Real Fact: During the tenure of the Left Front Government special priority has been given to spread access, quality and continuity in education starting from the primary level upwards. This effort is not only limited in admitting children to schools, but emphasis is also given to involving women self-help groups in mid-day meal scheme in all schools and reduce the tendency to drop out. Simultaneously attention is given to activities of school-wise mother-teacher committees, village-based education committees and school inspectors to improve the quality of education. As a result according to the latest information from NUEPA (2007), the drop-out rate in primary schools of West Bengal has gone down to 8.56% which is in fact less than the national average of 9.36%. From the same source, we learn that at the junior high school level also this rate has gone further down to 7.34%. According to the last available state-wise information published by NCERT (2005), the students of West Bengal are at the top in the nation in overall qualitative evaluation of all the subjects after the completion of fifth standard in school.
The Congress “Report” is falsely critical of the education system under Left rule; and also in effect insults the honourable teachers and the students of West Bengal while real facts are showing diametrically opposite scenario.

Slander 2: The Left Front Government has failed to provide safe drinking water to the inhabitants of the state. Using information from the National Family-wise Health Survey (2005-06) it states that while safe drinking water is provided to 84.2% and 78.4% families in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra respectively, while in West Bengal only 27.9% families have access to safe drinking water.

Real Fact: The sample survey which has been referred to in this “Report” uses a very small sample for West Bengal. While the number of total families in West Bengal is around 2.29 Crore (1.34 Crore in rural area and 0.45 Crore in urban areas), this survey takes a sample size of 5992 families, which is a meager 0.03% of the total. In sharp contrast, according to the survey conducted by the State Government in which complete information from 1.34 Crore families in 40000 villages and around 0.40 Crore families in urban areas was collected, 90.5% rural families and 96.8% urban families have access to safe drinking water. Therefore here too the actual position is are just the opposite of what has been projected in the “Report.”
However, the Left Front Government feels that there is still some more scope for improvement and targets have already been fixed to make safe drinking water available to 100% families in urban and rural areas of the state. Simultaneously steps have been taken to supervise and maintain all water projects through panchayats and municipal corporations.

Slander 3: In the area of public health nothing much has been done during the Left Front rule because the average Body Mass Index of women in West Bengal is less than the national average in comparison and so on.

Real Fact: Information on women’s health is taken from the National Family-wise Sample Survey which has a serious statistical problem of very small sample size, as mentioned earlier. According to the latest round of this survey (2005-06), as far as BMI is concerned 51.8% women in this country have normal BMI while in West Bengal this ratio stands at 49.6%. What this so called “Report” forgets to mention is that the same source of information reveals data lower than West Bengal in some other major and more affluent and developed states like Maharashtra (49.3%), Karnataka (49.2%) and Gujarat (47.0%). Moreover, according to the latest report of FAO (2008) special mention has been made of India in the area of food insecurity and problems of women’s health; and more specific and serious concerns are expressed regarding some other states like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Orissa and Maharashtra. We feel instead of singling out a particular state by using this problem to make vulgar political points it is much more desirable to find a humane acceptable way towards solution to this problem through discussions with all the states in the country.

The progress of public healthcare in a state is ideally measured by looking at how rapidly a reduction in overall mortality rate and child mortality rate has been achieved and what has been the role of the state government in that reduction. The point to be noted here is that while only 40% patients get the opportunity to be treated in a government hospital nationally, in West Bengal 73% of the total patients get treatment in government hospitals. In the Left Front era this welfare role of the state government has been institutionalized and re-enforced; and the endeavour to provide decentralized preventive healthcare and treatment through panchayats and municipal corporations adds more strength to this emphasis, particularly on the basis of expansion of healthcare by employing more health workers. As a result of all these the latest published data of the central government (Source: SRS survey, 2007) show that mortality rate per thousand has gone down from 10.9 in 1980 to 6.3 now, which is much lower than national average of 7.4. Incidentally among the major states West Bengal has the lowest mortality rate and Kerala stands just after West Bengal at 6.4. Child mortality rate per thousand has also gone down from 91 in 1980 to 37 currently, which is lower than the national average (57) and fourth among the major states after Kerala (14), Tamil Nadu (36) and Maharashtra (37). Here one outstanding fact is that the child mortality rate decreased to even below 10 in Kolkata and the 41 adjacent municipal areas due to the involvement of the municipal corporations in the decentralized healthcare system. Moreover, this rate is even lower than the child mortality rate in municipal areas of Kerala.

If one takes all this information together the real picture becomes clear that West Bengal has come up at the top level in the country in public healthcare, but this kind of an intellectually and politically honest and principled approach would have highlighted the successes of the Left Front Government. As a result, the authors of this report and their allies would have been in a politically uncomfortable situation; and that is precisely why they created a huge gap between the reality and their slander to utilize this pack of lies politically.

Slander 4: During the Left Front Government’s tenure poverty and hunger have become significant in West Bengal. Murshidabad is the poorest district in the country and so on.

Real Fact: Information provided by the Planning Commission is the most acceptable source for comparing state-wise figures for population below the poverty line in our country. According to those statistics, during Congress rule in West Bengal in 1973-74 the percentage of population below poverty line was 63.43%, which was much higher than the national average of 54.88%. This was the intensity of poverty in the state during Congress rule. In contrast, during Left Front tenure using land reform as the basis and implementing alternative policies the percentage of population below poverty line rapidly decreased. The same Planning Commission’s latest information reveals that in the year 2004-05 this figure has come down to 20.6% which is less than national average of 21.6% unlike the Congress-ruled era in the State. Therefore, the scenario has transformed in favour of common people compared to the dismal situation during Congress government.

After knowing this what do the authors of this slander do and where can they find some faults? They incoherently quote from an article written by Dreze and Deaton (EPW, 14th February, 2009) and say that the percentage of population without adequate food intake is 11.7% which is higher than national average of 2.5%. The architects of this slanderous report either tried to exploit this article or they could not find the time to read it fully, or else they have deliberately hidden the facts. Page 45 of this article clearly mentions that these ratios were derived from a survey whose questionnaire was changed in between to a more controversial and questionable one. In the changed methodology the surveyors were instructed to write down the answers by asking questions based on completely psychological perceptions instead of asking objective and scientific questions. This methodology resulted in varied and unexplainable sets of answers from different states, and hence the authors cautioned that using this set of information may give rise to suspicious results for a state-wise comparison. Without reading this, or may be by hiding this, the authors of the Congress Report utilized this unreliable information.

That is not all. The authors forgot that the last National Sample Survey on state-wise information of food intake was published in that very year of 2004-05 based on solid objective and material information(61st round). That survey clearly spells out that in rural West Bengal per capita calorie intake is 2070 which is not only more than the national average of 2047 but also it is higher than Maharashtra (1933), Gujarat (1929), Karnataka (1845) and Tamil Nadu (1842).

West Bengal government undertook a survey in each village of each district which shows that at present the percentage of population not getting adequate food is only 3.59%. If the urban data is added to this then this ratio will go below 2.5% for the entire West Bengal. Therefore once again real facts and slander propagated as facts are absolutely different even in the matter of food intake.
The Congress report states that Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) has conducted a survey which shows that 56% of Murshidabad district’s population lives in abject poverty and this district is the poorest district in the country. We don’t know about any such survey conducted by ISI, but according to the family and district-wise survey conducted by the state government the population living in abject poverty in Murshidabad is 4.3% (not 56% as mentioned in Congress Report), and as far as this ratio is concerned Murshidabad is better than some of the districts in West Bengal itself.

However, the main reason for economic hardship of the common people of Murshidabad is the erosion of soil in the banks of the Ganga-Padma river. Since this erosion takes place along the international border the state government repeatedly petitioned the central government to treat the problem of erosion in the banks of Ganga-Padma as a crucial national level issue and the central government take adequate responsibility to solve this problem. In spite of this, the central government under both the Congress rule and the NDA rule (of which Trinamool Congress was a constituent) did not pay any attention to this legitimate demand of the people of Murshidabad. So, the majority (around Rs. 400 Crore) of the total money spent (Rs. 717.89 Crore) on preventing this erosion from 1977-78 to 2008-09 was done by the Left Front Government of West Bengal on its own.

People will respond to the true "fashion" of Congress: Brinda Karat

2009-04-28T22:52:00.001-07:00

Responding to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s remark, Brinda Karat, Politburo Member of the CPI (M) said that it is a fashion in the Congress party that a person can only be a Prime Minister when chosen by the Congress President. This time the people will in a truly democratic fashion decide who the Prime Minister will be, when all the non-Congress and non-BJP parties, together as part of the third alternative will decide on the basis of consensus. It is a shame that the Congress has become a junior partner in their alliance in Bengal that is out to destroy and divide Bengal in the name of fighting the CPI (M). The people of West Bengal will give a fitting reply to such divisive politics, Brinda Karat said.

CPI (M)'s Robust Election Campaign in Maharashtra

2009-04-28T22:51:00.001-07:00

From India News Network (INN)
Mumbai, April 28, 2009

The CPI(M) ran a robust election campaign in Maharashtra in the two Lok Sabha seats that it fought – Palghar (ST) in Thane district and Dindori (ST) in Nashik district. The campaign began in the first week of March 2009 with two district-level election workshops in Thane and Nashik districts that were addressed by CPI(M) central secretariat member Hannan Mollah, MP, and were attended by over 600 leading activists. A concerted six-month long agitational and political campaign had been conducted as a run-up to the actual election campaign in both districts. A brief report of this has already appeared in these columns earlier in the piece ‘The Election Scenario in Maharashtra’.

The CPI(M) Maharashtra state committee which met on February 22-23 and again on March 22 in the presence of Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and K Varadha Rajan, took broad decisions about the campaign, gave a statewide fund call and decided about the allocation of activists in both the constituencies. The state committee published three booklets for the statewide election campaign, titled ‘The Global Economic Crisis and the Lessons for India’, ‘Communalism and Terrorism: Two Sides of the Same Coin’ and ‘How to Win the Election Battle’ - the last one written by CPI(M) central secretariat member Nilotpal Basu.

The CPI(M) Thane and Nashik district committees had planned out the campaign in detail, and so had the CPI(M) Mumbai district committee, which took charge of the election campaign in the Vasai and Nalasopara urban assembly segments that fall in the Palghar constituency. A series of general body meetings of Party activists were held in all tehsils to explain the strategy to be adopted and the issues to be focused in the campaign.

While the main political cutting edge of the election campaign was directed against the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UPA and their disastrous policies, the specific issues that were focused were the Tribal Forest Rights Act, NREGA, price rise, breakdown of the PDS, malnutrition, recession, unemployment, plight of the peasantry and peasant suicides due to indebtedness, load-shedding of power and other issues of development of the constituency. In both constituencies a total of around 10 lakh leaflets were printed explaining the political line of the Party and giving a brief bio-data of the candidates.

The choice of CPI(M) candidates – ex-MP and three-time ex-MLA Lahanu Shidva Kom in Palghar and six-time sitting MLA Jiva Pandu Gavit in Dindori – both of them state secretariat members of the Party and senior leaders of the AIKS - was widely welcomed by large sections of the people who were conversant with their struggles and work in the cause of the people for the last several decades.

The other constituents of the Left Democratic Front that was formed in Maharashtra – CPI, PWP, JD(S), Socialist Front – and other organizations like the Bhoomi Sena, Kunabi Sena, Lokbharati etc helped the CPI(M) in the Dindori and Palghar seats.

The main rivals of the CPI(M) in Dindori were the BJP and NCP, while in Palghar they were the BJP, INC and the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.

Thousands of CPI(M) activists and activists of the mass organizations from Thane, Nashik and Mumbai districts ran a village-to- village, street-to-street and a door-to-door campaign for over a month in both Palghar and Dindori constituencies, which have over 15 lakh voters each. They collected funds, distributed leaflets, took group meetings, disbursed voter slips and did everything else that was possible to take the message of the Party to the people. Women activists, most of them Adivasis, also took part in this campaign in a big way. Selected Party activists from other districts of Maharashtra came to help in the campaign. Other district committees also contributed to the fund campaign.

One significant feature was that over 400 Party activists from the Party stronghold in Surgana tehsil and over 100 activists from the Tryambakeshwar tehsil fanned out to the weaker parts of the Dindori constituency for 8-10 days to strengthen the campaign. Similarly, over 100 activists from Shahapur tehsil, which lies outside the constituency, worked for over 10 days in different tehsils of the Palghar constituency.

Another significant feature was the large motor-cycle rallies with red flags that were organized by the Party towards the end of the campaign in the Talasari, Dahanu, Jawhar, Mokhada, Vikramgad, Wada and Vasai tehsils of Palghar and in the Niphad, Yeola, Nandgaon, Chandwad, Deola and Malegaon tehsils of Dindori. Over 1000 motor cycles were mobilized by Party activists in all these rallies and this created a big impact. An impressive day-long procession was organized in the Vasai-Virar-Nalasopara urban belt.

The highlight of the campaign was the series of large and enthusiastic public meetings addressed by central Party leaders. 12 such public meetings were organized in the Dindori constituency, and 19 public meetings in the Palghar constituency. Thousands of people braved the scorching heat to attend these meetings in impressive numbers. The total attendance in all these meetings together crossed the 50,000 mark. The public meetings enthused the people and they got good media coverage.

Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury and Central Committee member Subhashini Ali addressed meetings in both Dindori and Palghar constituencies. Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat addressed meetings in the Dindori constituency. Polit Bureau member Dr M K Pandhe addressed meetings in the Palghar constituency. Polit Bureau member and Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan and Sitaram Yechury addressed a large meeting in Vasai in the Palghar constituency. Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat also addressed well-attended press conferences.

In the Talasari meeting, the Lal Bavta Thane Jilha Kamgar Union presented a cheque of Rs 3.5 lakhs to Dr M K Pandhe for the Palghar election campaign, this being one day’s wage of each worker of the Union.

CPI(M) state committee members who led this election campaign were: In Dindori, candidate J P Gavit, Kumar Shiralkar, Dr D L Karad, Dr Vithal More, Kiran Moghe, Mariam Dhawale, Kisan Gujar, Janardan Bhoye, Sitaram Thombre, Jaisingh Mali, Nathu Salve, Shubha Shamim, Prakash Choudhary and Dr Ashok Dhawale; and in Palghar, candidate L S Kom, Krishna Khopkar, Mahendra Singh, K L Bajaj, Ashok Bannerjee, Mariam Dhawale, L B Dhangar, Rajaram Ozare, Barkya Mangat, Ratan Budhar, Edward Vartha, Hemlata Kom, Dr Kishore Theckedath, Sayeed Ahmed, Hemkant Samant, Dr Vivek Monteiro, Shubha Shamim, Kisan Gujar and Dr Ashok Dhawale.

Along with them were, of course, thousands of activists of the Party who worked admirably day and night in this election campaign in both constituencies for over a month, together with the leaders and activists of the friendly parties.

Elsewhere in the state, Party activists worked sincerely for LDF candidates and, where LDF candidates were not there, for credible candidates of parties opposed to the BJP-SS combine and the INC-NCP alliance. Particularly effective campaigns were led by the CPI(M) in the Solapur seat for the BSP candidate, in the Hatkanangale seat for the LDF candidate of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, and in the Kolhapur and the Shirdi seats for weighty Independent candidates.

prakash karat , raghavulu after meeting chandrababu in hyderabad on monday

2009-04-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

Madurai campaign

2009-04-27T23:42:00.001-07:00

cpi(m) candidate of madurai lok sabha constituency P.Mohan is campaigning intensively in rural Madurai.

He is receiving a warm wlcome in all villages in Madurai East assembly segment.

BJP WILL BE OUT OF SCENE AFTER RESULTS:PRAKASH KARAT

2009-04-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

Bharatiya Janata Party will be out of scene after the results are out, said Prakash karat, General Secretary of CPI(M) in Hyderabad today. He came here and discussed about the prospects and future action regarding third front with TDP supremo Chandrababu naidu. The meet held at the residence of the latter and after that Prakash spoke to the media.

Prakash asserted that non Congress-non BJP government will be formed at the centre. He told media persons that they discussed about how to get the non BJP ,non Congress parties together and to unify them on common plank. When the reporters asked about the comment of Venkaiahnaidu that the third front is like a parking place, he replied that BJP will be out of scene after the results of Loksabha polls are out. Prakash said that about nine to ten parties are already in the third front and they are all going ahead with common agenda.

Afterwards, Chandrababu naidu told the media that the alliance will form the government at the state level and at the centre the non BJP non Congress government is a certain. He also said that they discussed the political scenario in different states and about the poll pattern in the first two phases of elections.

BV Raghavulu, Member of the Polit bureau and the Secretary of CPI(M) AP committee alsoparticipated.

Left Leaders Campaigning in West Bengal

2009-04-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 27 th April- Campaign has reached to its peak in West Bengal before the first phase of election in the state on 30thApril. Voting will take place in 14 seats in this phase.
Huge mobilizations have taken place in Left Front rallies in last few days , with CPI(M) Polit Bureau members leading the charge. Apart from Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Biman Basu and Nirupam Sen , Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar , Brinda Karat and Md Amin have addressed public meetings in all corners of the state. Main focus of their appeal is to strengthen the Left in West Bengal to realize the goal of forming an alternative government at the centre.
Top leaders of the Left Front addressed a joint press conference on Monday and confidently asserted that the front would get a decisive victory in the coming elections in the state. Biman Basu, Ashoke Ghose, Debabrata Banerji and leaders of other constituents said that the rock solid unity of the Front will defeat the challenge of united opposition. Biman Basu refuted the allegations leveled by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and said, in development indices West Bengal was marching forward much faster than the states ruled by Congress.
Meanwhile, CPI general Secretary AB Bardhan attended ‘Meet the Press’ in Kolkata Press club on Monday. Bardhan said, the chance of an alternative government by the third forces have become brighter. The people of this country had seen enough of Congress and BJP. They are now eager to have an alternative at the centre. In first two phases, the parties in the third force have done well.
On the oft-repeated question of projected PM, Bardhan said, many leaders have been projected as PM earlier who never reached the spot. For example, LK Advani has virtually remained the PM in permanent waiting. Third forces have many capable leaders and there would be no problem in selecting a PM after the polls.
On Indo-US nuclear treaty Bardhan said the alternative government would review and put it on hold .