Violence and non-violence?

Can there be any perfectly non-violent agitation when the state apparatus is becoming more and more violent and suppress every people’s movement brutally? When the police and para-military forces used hundreds of rounds of lathi charges beating the protesters like street dogs, when hundreds of tear gas shells were fired directly against them and when lakhs of litres of water was targeted against them from water-cannons to throw out the tens of thousands of students, youth and women for two days, will not they react if they are living beings? When many gets killed in trampedes during Kumbha Mela and other religious congregations, do the police book them as murders and charge sheet the worshipers for them?

What the government and its criminalised police force is doing in Delhi now is nothing different from what the military and police are doing in J&K and Northeast and later against the Naxalite movement in 1970s and now in the adivasi areas in the name of suppressing the Maoists. It is pure and simple state terror to suppress genuine demands of the people. Was it not justified on the part of students , youth and women to protest against the ghastly gang rape of a girl in Delhi streets? Though it happened on 16^th evening, did the government come forward with any concrete proposals to prevent recurrence of this 1001th attack on women during this year in Delhi alone? The protests had started from 17^th, but the government did not respond. It was then it took massive forms on 22^nd and 23^rd. Still the government did not address the protesters. Instead the union home ministry ordered removal of the protesters by any means. The people were attacked in the most foul ways. It was when the protesters were provoked in most heinous ways including the police men dealing brutally with the girls there were some retaliation. Who was violent? The protesters, or the police who indulged in all vile acts to throw them out from the ‘sacred preserves’ of the ruling elite?

Without bothering to go in to these, the NGOs, a section of the petti-bourgeois intellectuals, a section of media etc have started echoing what the criminalized state machinery is repeating; they say violence should not be there! Was not the attack on the girl on 16^th violence? Are not all these attacks on children, girls and women violence? Was not the order of home ministry to throw out the protesters and the wanton way the police accomplished it violence of the worst sort? After all these violence, do these goodies want that the students, youth and others protesting there to act like inert things? Like the anti-people, anti-national government and its brute machinery, these goodies are also serving their masters, directly or indirectly: the upsurge of the students, youth and their supporters on 22^nd and 23^rd in Delhi streets was great; let us salute them and denounce the brutal state which tried to drown it with lathis, water cannons and tear gas, and now trying to vilify it and to suppress its participants.

New Year, New Challenges!

The year that passes in to history-2012- was a provoking, challenging one. Internationally it witnessed the deepening of the crisis faced by the global finance system. In spite of the efforts by the governments of the imperialist countries to transfer its burden to the toiling masses of their own countries and to the people of the countries under neo-colonial plunder, they could not overcome it or minimize its impact. On the contrary, it is showing signs of further intensification. There are possibilities of more bitter struggles than the Occupy Wall Street which pitted the 99% against the 1% or the street fights in Greece breaking out more militantly. Egypt is still in turmoil as people at large are learning about what is the role of religions today. The street fights in Syria are continuing unabated. The miners in South Africa are continuing the struggle. There is not a single country in the world including China, where the GDP growth level is claimed to be still in two digits, which is free from growing people’s revolts, as price rise, under employment, poverty of the masses, gender- caste- race inequalities and corruption are sky-rocketing. Everywhere people are angry and the New Year is going to witness more bitter revolts and increasing calls for social change.

Within the country the UPA government has launched more neo-liberal onslaughts through further dilution of the public distribution system through so-called cash payments of the subsidies, manipulation of a parliamentary majority to impose 51% FDI in retail and other vital sectors. Its policies are giving rise to more scams and it is protecting the scamsters, devastating the life of the masses further. In spite of the dog-fights in the parliament, in implementing these anti-people policies the different political parties leading the central and state governments are competing with each other.

During this year the bankruptcy of the bourgeois parliamentary system existing in the country was further exposed. While the government and opposition got engaged in shouting duels, the attacks on the people went on intensifying unabated. The masses were devastated further while the elite class became richer. Prices of all essential commodities and charges of essential services soared high. Corruption became more rampant. As more people are forced to migrate to the urban areas due to impoverization of rural life and displacement for neo-liberal projects, the administration intensified attacks on the slums to uproot them, without providing any alternative housing. The communal and caste forces increased their divisive and reactionary work in the service of the ruling system. The women, dalits, adivasis, minorities and other oppressed sections came under increasing onslaughts. As a result,  all the socio-economic, political contradictions have further sharpened. People are coming out on the streets increasingly, challenging the ruling system. Delhi witnessed the storming of the elite ruling class centers by the students, youth and women. In Ahmedabad people rallied with red flags challenging the communal fascists and calling for a people’s alternative. All these expressions of people’s anger and calls for revolutionary changes are bound to intensify  in the New Year.

So it is going to be New Year which poses New Challenges. A powerful countrywide people’s alternative capable of mobilizing the angry masses and people’s movements and to lead them towards a radical social change is the need of the hour. Building such a people’s alternative against all imperialist onslaughts and against the ruling system is the urgent task before the revolutionary and democratic forces. The tamashas in the parliament and in state assemblies expose how anti-people, anti-national and utterly opportunist are the ruling class, regional, communal, cast based and pseudo left parties whether in power or in opposition. The task before the revolutionary left is to expose all these opportunist forces, to mobilize the masses based on anti-imperialist revolutionary ideological, political line, to strengthen the people’s alternative capable of overthrowing the ruling system through mighty people’s uprising, and to advance towards people’s democracy and socialism.

The experience at international and national level shows that, after the severe setbacks suffered by the international communist movement and the fall of the socialist models projected in Soviet Union, China and in other former socialist countries, such an alternative cannot inspire the left masses if it focuses only on quantitative aspects, only on the number of people getting mobilized. Such an alternative, while trying to bring together all genuine left and democratic forces, should focus on a qualitative leap to transcend past mistakes and limitations and to reach new theoretical clarity. It should develop the Marxist-Leninist understanding according to the present conditions and become capable of re-instilling confidence among the working class and oppressed masses regarding the possibility of capture of political power and achieving socialist transformation with an advanced perspective. Let us pledge to take up this challenge, and advance along this path in the New Year. Let us make it a year of mightier and more advanced revolutionary offensives.

CPI (ML) and Nine Decades of the Communist Movement in India.

The communist movement started in India in 1920s inspired by the victory of the great October Revolution in Russia and formation of Soviet Union under the leadership of Lenin. During the next two decades the CPI organized the working class and peasantry in many parts of the then colonial India. It led many heroic struggles of the working class and led many anti-feudal movements with “land to the tiller slogan”. But it failed to apply the strategic line of the People’s democratic Revolution put forward by the Communist International in the concrete conditions of India. It failed to establish the leadership of the working class in the independence struggle and in effect surrendered it to the Congress and Muslim League, the parties of the big capitalists and landlords  which were compromising  with the British colonialists. As a result, when the people’s upsurge against British colonialists was intensifying during the post-Second World War period, they could communally divide the country to India and Pakistan and transfer power to these comprador parties in 1947. After the transfer of power, the CPI leadership in its 1948 party congress denounced the right deviation of the past decades. But it adopted a left sectarian line of armed uprising without any preparation which was soon crushed by the Congress government. Though a Party Program and tactical line conforming to the post-1947 period was adopted in the 1951 Conference, it was soon abandoned. Under the influence of the revisionist line which had come in to dominance in the 20^th Congress of the Soviet Communist party under the leadership of Krushchov, the CPI leadership soon degenerated to revisionist path and adopted class collaborationist line. This led to the first split in the party in 1964 and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) came in to existence. Though its leadership claimed to reject the rightist line of the CPI, it refused to support the ideological struggle then waged against the revisionist line of the Soviet leadership under the leadership of Mao and the CPC. It also failed to make a concrete analysis of the changes taking place in the country after transfer of power, took a centrist line, refused to evaluate the comprador character of the bureaucratic bourgeoisie leading the state and soon degenerated to neo-revisionist positions by the time of the 1967 general elections.

By struggling against the revisionist CPI and neo-revisionist CPI(M), the communist revolutionaries, upholding  Marxism-Leninism- Mao Tsetung Thought as their guiding ideology, led the Naxalbari Uprising in W.Bengal in 1967 with “land to the tiller” slogan, which was suppressed by the state forces of the then CPI(M) led government in the state and the Congress government at centre. Uniting the Communist Revolutionary forces in the country the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries was formed in 1968.  Major sections of them took initiative to found the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) in 1969 under the leadership of com. Charu Mazumdar. It adopted its Program, Constitution and tactical line at the first or Eighth Congress in Calcutta ( Kolkata) in 1970.

Though the formation of CPI (ML) was a significant step forward, it mechanically upheld the left adventurist line which had come in to dominance in the CPC by the time of its Ninth Party Congress in 1969. According to this ‘Chinese path’ adopted by the Party, refusing to make a concrete analysis of the changes which were taking place after the transfer of power under the influence of imperialist camp led by US imperialism, India was evaluated as a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country like pre-revolutionary China with area wise seizure of political power and protracted people’s war as the path of revolution. Armed struggle was adopted as the only form of struggle and the Leninist Bolshevik concept of building party surrounded by class and mass organizations was abandoned. ‘Annihilation of class enemies’ was adopted to facilitate the armed struggle. Soon, ever intensifying external suppression by the state forces and internal dissensions led to severe setbacks to the movement including the elimination of its leadership and thousands of its cadres, imprisonment of tens of thousands of its activists and supporters and its disintegration to many groups by 1972. Even those who remained outside CPI (ML) had no alternative approach to put forward, and they also faced the same fate.

Though many of these groups talked of rectifying the sectarian line and adopted ‘mass line’ and utilization of all forms of struggle including the electoral forms of struggle, almost all these groups still adhered to characterization of Indian state and society as ‘semi-colonial, semi-feudal’ and path of revolution as people’s war, the Chinese line, refusing to recognize the vast changes that has taken place in the country under new forms of exploitation under the imperialist forces, their various agencies and MNCs through the comprador Indian state. One of the trends among them, the CPI(ML) People’s War, CPI(ML) Party Unity and Maoist Communist centre, who were still adhering to the 1970 line of armed struggle as the only form of struggle, have merged in 2004 to form the CPI(Maoist).

Another trend, even while upholding the 1970 line in name and, unlike others still upholding the present Chinese leadership as socialist, with the CPI(ML) Liberation as the major force among them, is veering round to the line of forming a ‘grand left alliance’ with CPI, CPI(M) like forces. A third trend, with the CPI(ML) New Democracy in the lead, in form upholds the 1970 line but is advocating the ‘resistance struggle’ as an interim phase of armed struggle, while accepting mass line and utilization of all forms of struggle. There are a number of small groups working at state or district levels which uphold the 1970 line in form along with mass line, but do not put forward any form of armed struggle or other forms of struggles in to practice. Their number and strength is getting reduced every day.

After the revocation of the internal emergency rule of Congress during 1975-77  period, a large number of communist revolutionary forces were released from jails. By this time after the death of Mao the capitalist roaders had seized power in China also. The imperialist forces beset with a new wave of crisis of the global finance capital system had launched the imperialist globalization and neo-liberal policies at international level. Within the country a new wave of agrarian struggles led by the newly emerging rich peasant-agricultural bourgeois class were taking place. All these developments called for a new analysis and evaluation of the concrete conditions internationally and in the country. A section of the CPI (ML) forces mainly from UP region initiated an evaluation of these changes which took them to the conclusion that the mode of production has become capitalist and India had become a capitalist country with the stage of revolution as socialist. In the interpretation and elaboration of this line soon differences surfaced among them, which led to a number of splits within these Communist League of India groups. They do not recognize the intensifying plunder of the imperialist agencies in the country and of the character of the ruling class which is basically comprador. None of these groups have so far succeeded to make any significant advance in political organizational fields.

In the post-emergency situation as explained above, the Central Reorganization Committee- CPI(ML), formed in 1979 with the merger of the CPI(ML) group in Kerala and a group from  AP, initiated an evaluation that during the post-Second World War period the imperialists have transformed the colonial phase of plunder to neo-colonial phase in order to confront the challenges posed by the growing strength of the communist forces and to overcome the crisis faced by the imperialist finance capital system. Instead of utilizing the feudal forces as the social prop for imposing their domination as they were doing during the colonial phase, in the neo-colonial phase the agrarian sector was transformed with the entry of finance capital, market forces and technological inputs.  Failure to recognize this transformation of imperialist camp under its new leader, US imperialism, including its ‘de-colonization’ policy led the socialist forces to grave mistakes. The Soviet party evaluated that as imperialist system has weakened, peaceful co-existence and peaceful competition with them and peaceful transition to socialism was possible. The 9^th Congress of the CPC evaluated that as imperialism was facing total collapse, worldwide victory of socialist forces was possible with a last putsch. Both these evaluations led to serious setbacks to the ICM. On the contrary, imperialism had adopted more heinous and sinister neo-colonial form of plunder and world domination in order to intensify its hegemony. Based on this analysis, the CRC evaluated Indian state and society as neo-colonial, where capitalism is developing from above under imperialist domination. The ruling system has become more comprador and the all major social contradictions including the new one between capital and nature are intensifying. It also evaluated that in this phase of imperialist globalization the international character of revolution has increased calling for speeding up the unity of the Marxist- Leninist forces. Through a process of intense ideological struggle, the CRC-CPI(ML), later changed to CPI(ML) Red Flag and now CPI(ML), with Red Star as its central organ, has propagated this line and in its Ninth party Congress held in 2011 it has adopted new Party Program, Constitution and Path of Revolution rejecting the programmatic and path positions put forward by the 8^th Congress of 1970. It has spread the Party organization at all India level and organized class/ mass organizations and various movements to intensify the mobilization of the working class and other left masses for seizure of political power through a countrywide mass upsurge. The CPI (ML) has succeeded to unite with fraternal forces and has found the International Coordination of the Revolutionary Parties and Organizations (ICOR), and to spread the international activities in different fields. It has built a Democratic People’s Forum uniting the revolutionary left and democratic forces as the People’s Alternative to the ruling reactionary system at all India level.

This brief narration explains which are the different trends of the Communist forces in the country and their orientation. Only by struggling against and defeating the wrong lines the correct line can be established and the revolutionary movement can be carried forward.

DPF Organizes Ahmedabad rally on 7th Novemeber with the slogans: OUST Narendra Modi, Strengthen People’s Alternative.

Democratic People’s Forum (DPF)

c-141, Nagar, New Delhi-110059, Ph no 011 25332343

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DPF Organizes Ahmedabad rally on 7^th Novemeber with the slogans:

OUST Narendra Modi, Strengthen People’s Alternative.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is in power for ten years and has already launched the election campaign for December elections  with an eye on  hatric victory  which will strengthen him  to compete for prime minister ship after next Lok Sabha elections. His campaigners are marketing him as a ‘steel man’ in the mould of Vallabhai Patel, a ‘Vikas man’ who has led the state forward in the path of ‘globalized development’and a ‘clean man’. When many cooruption chagres are haunting him. In his inaugural election speech he tried to compare himself even to Vivekananda. Pumping huge funds, communalizing the voters and projecting false visions of a prosperous Gujarat the BJP band wagon is working overtime for his victory.

But even his main detractors like former BJP leader and chief minister, Keshubhai Patel and the Congress from the ruling class camp are challenging his claims. His conscious attempt to belittle and conceal the 2002 pogrom  and its horrific impact on the society as a whole and Muslim minority in particular are challenged even by the Congress which still wear a secular façade. In the name of development he has made the state the most open area in the country for imposing  neo-liberal policies. Almost all the corporate houses in the country and MNCs are provided maximum facilities to loot the natural resources and labour. Making Gujarat maximum ‘investor friendly’ means giving maximum subsidies and tax concessions. It also means making the labour department one to serve the employers. Even private ports are opened as SEZs. In the agricultural sector  finance capital, market forces and corporate forces with ‘forward trading’ like speculative facilities are given free reign. Privatization-liberalization are made supreme in every sectors, including education, healthcare, drinking water etc.

Though Narendra Modi is vocal against price rise, corruption, opening retail to FDI etc, he and his party fully upholds the neo-liberal policies which have led to this situation. He is a votary of contract system like Congress. If BJP with or without Modi as prime minister comes to power at Delhi, as proved during 1998-2004, it will further speed up the UPA policies. Apart from that, in place of Congress policy of appeasing all communal and caste forces, it will further speed up Hindutva fanaticism and caste divisions. It will cut down even whatever remnants of welfare policies are surviving.The disastrous policies of BJP/Congress has led to scores of farmers suicide as well as several attacks on dalits.  Narendra Modi’s victory in the elections will only lead to further intensification of subservience to imperialist dictated policies and communalization. So it is the prime task of all left, democratic and secular forces to tirelessly work for removing Modi from power, to defeat him in the state elections so that his dream of prime ministership is shattered.

While ‘Oust Narendra Modi’ slogan should reverberate all over the state and in the country, what can be the alternative is a serious challenge before the people. This is all the more important as Congress, BJP dissidents and other contesting ruling class parties are pursuing the very same policies of Modi wherever they are in power. Even while opposing the genocide of Muslims in 2002 and the communal hatred created following it, none of them have a firm secular approach. In this situation, in spite of the fact that the left forces are weaker in the state, when the anger of the people against Naarendra Modi government in the state and against the neo-liberal policies and their horrific consequences at all  India level are mounting day by day, it is the responsibility of the left, democratic and secular forces to work hard for uniting their forces and to strengthen the people]s alternative with a basically alternative approach to development  The DPF beliefs that left democratic forces are the only alternative force that can save India from the clutches of Imperialism ,Hunger and Poverty. The Left forces alone can combat the intrusion of FDI,FII in all sectors.

It is to put forward this basic approach with the slogans: Oust Narendra Modi, Strengthen People’s Alternative’, the Democratic People’s Forum is organizing  massive people’s awareness rally on 7^th Novemeber at Anmedabad, with popular forces from all all over the country joining hands with the left forces in the state The DPF constituent in the state, New Socialist Movement, will field few candidates and DPF shall mobilize a vigorous campaign during the elections to state assembly with these slogans. We appeal to all secular, democratic and left forces to join hands in this campaign for strengthening a people’s alternative to the ruling class alternatives.

Convener DPF

Join the valiant struggle to build a People’s Alternative to the corrupt and barbarous ruling system; Help to strengthen the CPI(ML) by generously contributing to the Party Central Fund

Dear comrades and friends,

We are living in a turbulent period. During the post Second World War period, the US-led imperialist system and its compradors and lackeys launched a mighty neo-colonial offensive across the world and succeeded in inflicting severe setbacks on the once powerful international communist movement and socialist countries which had seemed capable of overthrowing the imperialist system during the 1950s. Especially after the 1970s, neo-liberal policies were imposed to overcome stagflation which was intensifying the crisis confronted by the imperialist system, and all the achievements of the working class and other toiling and oppressed masses gained through more than two centuries of bitter class struggle were lost. All welfare policies introduced as a by-product of class struggle were taken away, the contract system replaced permanent jobs and speculative finance capital and market forces ruled supreme. Imperialist cultural values and consumerism went on bulldozing all socialist consciousness with a vengeance. Religion, casteism, racism and parochialism were increasingly utilised as effective tools to bind people to decadent values, to divide them and to make them impotent.

What we are witnessing in our country is not in any way different from the international scenario. Under crony capitalism and mafia raj imposed under neo-colonial plunder, price rise, corruption, unemployment, under employment and commercialization of all fields are devastating people’s life and ecology. While the UPA government stands condemned for numerous mega-scams, the BJP is stalling Parliament session in sham protest, having proved itself equally corrupt during its NDA rule and now in states ruled by it. While BJP, Shiv Sena, Muslim League-like parties flourish parading naked communal politics, Congress and others talk about secularism but pursue appeasement of all religious, casteist and sectarian forces. All use money and muscle power, religion, caste, parochialism etc. as part of vote-bank politics. Even the long years of CPI(M)-led Left Front rule in Bengal, Kerala and Tripura have proved that the CPI(M) and its Front partners are not basically different from the ruling class parties when in power. All these parties presently represented are sharing the very same neo-liberal policies and all have polarized against the interests of people. As a result, though governments change, there is no change in their policies. The very same ruling system continues, becoming more anti-people and barbarous day by day. Though the Maoists claim to be working for overthrowing the ruling system, in effect they have degenerated to the extent of pursuing mercenary and terrorist activities. Their anarchist actions have become an alibi for the ruling system to snatch away whatever democratic rights still exist, and to fascicise the system. In the same way the isolated terrorist actions of militants influenced by religious fundamentalism and the insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast are utilized to impose virtual military rule in vast areas, to retain AFSPA like black laws and to terrorize the minorities and the oppressed masses.

Thus the neo-colonial plunder and the so-called development policy which devastate people’s life and nature are being fanatically pursued by the central and state governments. The ruling system has become fascistic, anti-people and absolutely corrupt. Whichever party or alliance comes to power, this situation does not change; rather it becomes more reactionary. What is required is a people’s alternative which will democratize the system, establish people’s power at all levels, ensure all basic rights like food, housing, healthcare, education and employment to all, and pursue a people-oriented, sustainable development policy. The past and present performances of the parties ranging from Congress and BJP to the CPI(M)-led Left Front have proved that none of them can or will do the above, but will rather do just the opposite. In spite of some cosmetic differences, the Congress-led UPA, the BJP- led NDA and the proposed amorphous third alternative by CPI(M) and other opportunist parties are nothing but different variations of ruling class alternatives.

But contrary to the early 1990s when the Soviet Union had just disintegrated and the imperialists and their lackeys were declaring ‘end of history’ and ‘end of socialism’, the global situation has undergone significant positive changes. From the beginning of this century, while the global imperialist finance system is facing ever-intensifying and repeated crises, the toiling masses and oppressed people are on the move, waging upsurges in Latin America, persistent strike actions in the imperialist countries, Arab Uprising-like gigantic movements in North Africa and West Asia, and numerous revolutionary advances as in Nepal, Greece and elsewhere including India. Though the imperialists, especially US imperialists and their lackeys of all hues, are challenged everywhere, they are succeeding in diverting the movements from the revolutionary path and suppressing them in the absence of revolutionary vanguard forces to lead them forward. That is, while the objective situation is becoming favorable for yet another upswing of revolution, the subjective forces are still weak and unable to utilize the excellent revolutionary fervour at the global level.

The situation in our country is also the same. It is at this critical juncture that the Party Programme and Path of People’s Democratic Revolution adopted by the Ninth Congress of the CPI(ML) at Bhubaneswar in November, 2011, have shown the revolutionary way forward to the working class and the oppressed masses and peoples. Only by strengthening the Party’s activities at all levels can the dreams of our valiant martyrs be realized and the country advance to People’s Democracy and Socialism.

Struggling against all obstacles, including the right opportunist and anarchist deviations still haunting the movement, and uncompromisingly fighting against the neo-liberal policies, the CPI(ML) has succeeded in building party organization in almost all states and in leading many all-India campaigns against the central and state governments over the last decade. Along with strengthening class and mass organizations in all fields, it is consistently struggling against the neo-liberal policies and their consequences. While organizing land struggles with the slogan “land to the tiller”, it is fighting against displacement in the name of development, the new counter-revolutionary offensive in the agrarian sector leading to suicides and pauperization of millions of the peasantry and for rights of the slum dwellers and all homeless people. It has taken the initiative in launching a caste annihilation movement and is active in the anti-nuclear plant movement, in the struggles against ecological destruction, in the struggles against militarization and AFSPA and all other black laws. It is waging a consistent struggle against neo-colonization, against the hegemony of IMF-World Bank-WTO and MNCs, and commercialization of all fields etc. The massive rally planned under the banner of Democratic People’s Forum (DPF) on November 7^th in Ahmedabad is part of its consistent struggle against communalization and for secular values. It is working hard to build and strengthen DPF at all-India level and such forums at state levels as People’s Alternative to the ruling system. Extending these activities at all-India level to the international level, upholding the spirit of proletarian internationalism, the CPI (ML) could play a leading role in building the International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties (ICOR) which has already taken a number of international initiatives. Through a number of publications it is consistently propagating its views among the masses.

All these activities require huge funds for which the Party entirely relies on the toiling masses and friends.  The Party and class/mass organizations develop all-round activities by regularly collecting district level and state level funds every year, besides collections for day to day functioning, from the masses. Besides, every year, a central fund is collected for the central functioning of the Party, which is developing day by day. This year also our Party comrades will approach you for fund collection both within the country and also everywhere else the comrades and friends from the country are working, like the Gulf region. The Central Committee of the CPI (ML) appeals to all of you to generously contribute to the Party Central Fund collected from 1^st October to 30^th November. Please hand over your contributions to the activists of the Party who approach you with this appeal. If no such comrades are near the area where you are working, please send your contribution directly to the Party centre (account no. 2007 1010 16469 of K.N.Ramachandran, Uttam Nagar Branch, New Delhi, of Canara Bank (IFSC Code CNRB 0002379). Please visit our website: www:cpiml.in and facebook of the undersigned as well as of CPI(ML).

It is a critical period when we have to intensify our activities in all fields challenging the imperialists and their lackeys ruling the country. Please contribute generously and strengthen the CPI (ML) to carry forward the revolutionary tasks.

K.N.Ramachandran, General Secretary, CPI (ML), Dated 30^th September, 2012.

While President and Prime Minister Fiddles, India Burns.

After 20 years of neo-liberal raj when the inequality, corruption, price rise, under employment, criminalization, communalization, caste-gender based atrocities and cultural degeneration have reached unheard of levels, and they are going to multiply as the global imperialist crisis is increasingly sweeping across all fields with both production and export declining while inflation intensifies, when Assam is still burning and India is alienated from all neighbouring countries, what was stated by the president in his 14th night speech and the prime minister from Red Fort on 15th morning amounts to nothing but fiddling, while the country is burning. If prime minister is silent or nothing much to assure about  actions against  corruption, price rise,intensifying stagflation and the Assam riots, it shows the compound guilt of this government which has dragged the people to unprecedented miseries.

This shows the extent of malice within the system which cannot be remedied without the major operation of overthrowing it to be replaced by people's democracy with socialist goals. It calls for replacing present imperialist dictated development policies which pauperize masses and devastate the country, with people oriented sustainable development which ensures the all basic needs of the people to start with and which ensures non-antagonistic relation between nature and human beings.

This can be created only through a second independence struggle. On this day when the union jack was brought down 65 years ago, let us pledge to bring a people's raj.

In Search of a People’s Alternative. -K.N.Ramachandran-

Kuldip  Nayar had concluded his article “Where is the vision?”(Mainstream, June 30) with these words: “The people’s dilemma is that both the national parties, the Congress and the BJP, riven as they are with groupism and ambitions, do not qualify to lead the nation. How I wish there were some party, even though small, that had the vision to retrieve the country and take it forward!” Expanding this idea, Bharat Dogra has also explained his vision of a Party “which will never sacrifice its basic principles” for immediate electoral gains, to take such an initiative. “It will prefer to sit in the opposition rather than sacrifice its principles”. He has concluded by saying that “the lead can be taken by some eminent persons in this direction” and that “the country really needs such an initiative”(Mainstream, July 19). Few months back Mainstream (12^th November, 2011) had published An appeal by S.G. Vombatkere: “Urgent need for left unity and coordinated progressive action”. In response to Vombatkere’s appeal we had sent a response in which it was pointed out that as the so-called left parties are themselves having basic differences on the vision to lead the country forward, it is better to go for a unity of left and democratic forces based on a program for People’s Alternative to the present ruling system. As we had apprehended, nothing happened after that, in spite of some efforts by him to contact those parties which were in his list. Recently some of the members of Team Anna also had expressed the view that,  neither Congress, nor BJP, nor any of the present ruling parties can put forward a people’s alternative, and efforts should be made to build a genuine alternative so that systemic changes can be materialized by effectively intervening in 2014 general elections. When asked whether it will take initiative for this, the reply was an emphatic ‘no’. They hoped that some new force will emerge to satisfy the need for a People’s Alternative.

So, even though a large number of politically active individuals and groups, besides vast majority of the masses, who are suffering from acute pauperization and ever increasing miseries after six decades of so-called independence, are seeking a people’s alternative, no such efforts have materialized so far or possibilities for such an alternative with countrywide influence have not emerged so far.  During the last decades when CPI(M) led Left Front came to power for continuous 34 years in Bengal, for many years in Kerala and for long periods in Tripura, there was expectation among many that this opportunity will be utilized by it for putting in to practice an alternative to the reactionary ruling system. But as proved now, instead of going for alternate policies, it basically pursued the very same policies of the central government. The  Left Front government soon got degenerated and became corrupt like any other state government pursuing the neo-liberal policies, with disastrous effects to the people. The pity is that in spite of the electoral debacle in 2011 elections, its leadership does not see anything wrong in what they were doing. If it returns to power it is going to repeat what it was doing. Its government in Tripura is justifying the deployment of army and imposition of AFSPA still! Its two sections in Kerala are quarrelling  not for an alternative policy perspective, but merely a quarrel for leadership.

 If the CPI(M) has degenerated to opportunism in this manner, on the other side, the Maoists, pursuing anarchist practice  through the few squads they have in Chathisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha are in effect used  as a cover by the central and state forces to shoot down the adivasis indiscriminately and to put down all mass movements coming up in different states. Chidambaram found Maoist hand even behind the workers struggle in Gurgaon. Again, if one goes in search of individuals as an alternative, it will only lead us only to benevolent dictators.  What is required is a People’s Alternative, a platform of like minded left, democratic, dalit and adivasi forces, based on a program of systemic change and social justice; a program which rejects the imperialist dictated development policy which pauperizes vast masses and devastate the country, and instead puts forward a people oriented and sustainable development policy, rejecting consumerism and capitalist lust.

It is in this context, the efforts made by the CPI(ML) in this direction should be seen. At a time when even many of the so-called left parties and groups have either become apologists of neo-liberal policies, or seeking electoral understanding with parties representing the interests of elite classes, or refuse to go for any electoral fronts, the CPI(ML) has succeeded to launch a Democratic People’s Forum based on a ten-point program in which a number of organizations, mostly having state level presence, are already brought together. A countrywide initiative is launched to bring together dalit, adivasi, peasant organizations active in different states also in this platform.

The ten-point program put forward by the DPF includes:

1.Reject imperialist globalization and neo-liberal policies; Oppose imperialist domination through IMF-World Bank- WTO and MNCs.
2. Defend existing Constitutional, democratic and secular rights and fight for their expansion. Judiciary should function within the Constitutional framework, not under neo-liberal framework.
3. Make all out efforts to end corruption in all fields; Confiscate black money deposited in foreign banks.
4. Fight against all displacements for neo-liberal projects. Confiscate all land from mafias, big landlords etc. Implement land reforms based on land to the tiller.
5. Fight price rise. Struggle for universal public distribution system. Ensure education, healthcare, housing and employment for all.
6. Struggle for need based wages, job security and democratic rights of working class. Stop contract and casual, contract labor system.
7. Ensure adivasis’ right over their land and natural resources. Ensure Sixth Schedule in adivasi areas. Organize dalits, adivasis and minorities to resist casteist and communal oppression.  Struggle for casteless and secular society.
8. Fight all forms of gender discrimination. Ensure women’s equality in all fields.
9. Scrap AFSPA, UAPA and all other black laws. Withdraw military from J&K and Northeast. Fight state terror.
10. Fight imperialist promoted ‘development’ policies which devastate nature and pauperize the masses; implement people oriented and sustainable development policy.

This DPF program can be taken as a basis for further discussions and expansion including issues like the foreign policy perceptive also. In the present situation, the imperialist forces, especially US imperialism, are engaged in all forms of neo-colonial policies to transfer the burden of the ever intensifying crisis faced by the international finance capital system to the backs of the people of the vast number of undeveloped countries. For this purpose they use the  IMF-World Bank- WTO trio and other imperialist agencies and MNCs. These countries are prevented from pursuing an independent self-reliant development policy. These countries are attacked and controlled to loot their natural resources, especially petroleum, as in the case of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya under various pretexts or are threatened with aggression as in the case of Iran and Syria. In this situation, we are of the view that the so-called strategic agreements with US should be thrown out and the Indian government should ceaselessly try for uniting the undeveloped countries for their independence and sovereignty. India should try for transforming the United Nations in to a platform for struggle against hegemonic forces and for disarmament and world peace. As a part of this internationalist perspective, India should strive for peaceful political settlement of all disputes with countries in the neighborhood and, based on the principle of equality, try for a confederation of the South Asian countries.

Today, the UPA government is pursuing a nuclear policy which will have dangerous consequences. Already the so-called development policy imposed under imperialist dictates have devastated the environment to a great extent all over the world and creating violent changes in the climate including ‘global warming’. Instead of struggling against this, the UPA government is going for a number of nuclear plants in different parts of the country, when after Fukushima meltdown all the developed countries including Japan, France, Germany  are de-commissioning their nuclear plants. It is in spite of the fact that nuclear technology, including the question of nuclear waste disposal is still in an infant stage and nuclear power is the costliest. So it will be a significant step forward if the program includes a call for an end to nuclear arms, to nuclear plants and to Uranium mining. We should call for developing renewable energy and for rational use of energy.

Mobilizing the genuinely left, democratic, dalit, adivasi and other progressive forces based on such a programmatic approach as a People’s Alternative against the Congress, BJP and all other parties sharing power today at centre and in the states will be a historic step forward. There should be a bold effort for it. CPI (ML) is prepared to play any role required in order to realize such an alternative which shall strive for fulfilling the dreams of the millions who fought for the independence of the country.

Repeal Hike in Petrol Price and Bring Down Prices of Essential Commodities! Revoke Decontrol of Petrol pricing; Repeal Neo-Liberal Policies! Mobilize the Masses and Make 31st May Bharat Bandh a Great Success!

Dear comrades,

The UPA government’s declaration hiking the petrol price by Rs. 7.50 at one stroke is another arrogant attack on the masses who are already reeling under ever-intensifying and unprecedented rise in prices of all essential commodities and services. After decontrolling the petrol pricing without even getting it passed in parliament, prime minister Manmohan Singh is ridiculing the people by saying that it is done by the companies, and the government has no control over it. Similarly, if is happening because of the fall in Rupee value in relation to dollar, as the government shamelessly justifies, it is due to the neo-liberal policies imposed under imperialist dictation. So will the government  repeal these anti-people policies?  It should not be forgotten that even when the international finance capital crisis was intensifying for last three years or more, this government was repeating that everything is ok and that the resilient Indian economy will not be affected. Now they justify the crisis in the economy and hike in petrol price sighting the Euro zone crisis and what not. All these self-contradictory talks are for       hoodwinking  the people. It is abundantly clear that as Indian economy is getting increasingly integrated with the imperialist finance capital system under globalization, any crisis in the imperialist system will be soon transmitted to the economy of countries like India which are under increasing neo-colonial plunder. The worsening economic plight of the masses including the price hikes are the result of  these policies blatantly imposed by the government, and it alone is responsible for its consequences like price rise.

In this situation, the people have no other way out but to unleash their fury to compel the government to repeal of the petrol price hike and to revoke the decontrol of petrol pricing. This struggle should be expanded to a mighty struggle for revoking the reactionary neo-liberal policies themselves. But as far as the opposition parties are contended they are only interested in cornering the UPA government for their future electoral gains. They have no basic differences with the Congress or UPA government regarding the neo-liberal policies and servitude to imperialism. While campaigning and mobilizing for the bandh, these differences between the approach of the parties from BJP to CPI(M) who implement the very same policies of the UPA government whenever and wherever they come to power, with that of the revolutionary left forces should be highlighted. The CPI (ML) appeals to all genuine left and democratic forces to make the Bharat Bandh a great success and get prepared to use it as a stepping stone to carry forward the struggle to the very revocation of all these anti-people policies.

K.N.Ramachandran,

General Secretary, CPI(ML).

Dated 24^th May, 2012.

Kerala: Criminalization of CPI(M)

The responsibility for the dastardly murder of com. T.P. Chandrasekharan (TP), leader of Revolutionary  Marxist Party (RMP) of Onchiyam in Kozhikpde district on 4^th May night was first denied by the CPI(M) leadership. Still many of its own rank did not believe this denial, as they are well aware of its past record in dealing with the dissidents, especially when they try to persist in a left stand. Unlike numerous others from M.V.Raghavan to recent dissidents like Murali of Shornur, who after leaving CPI(M), went over to Congress led UDF side, in spite of the offer of Vadagara parliament seat by Congress in 2009 elections, com. TP had stood firm exposing the degeneration of CPI(M) and taking leftist positions. The later arrest of a number of its local leaders of CPI(M) for conspiring and murdering him, as a “renegade” according to the statement of its state secretary Vijayan, has convinced that it is the latest in the series of its ‘political’ murders, for which Kerala has already become notorious. With the statement of CPI(M) leader V.S.Achuthanandan, the former chief minister and present opposition leader of LDF, condemning Vijayan’s statement and calling TP a “brave communist” has once again taken the contradiction between these leaders to yet another flash point. Whether VS will stick to his stand and fight against the criminalization of his party as a part of its over all degeneration, or once again surrender to the central party leadership, limiting his fight to yet another opportunist bout against Vijayan, is yet not clear, though this time he has ostensibly moved to a position of no return. Only when the by-election in Neyyattinkara constituency in southern Kerala, where a CPI(M) MLA after resigning from the party is contesting as a UDF candidate, is over in early June, the CC of the CPI(M) will meet and the fate of the internecine conflict will become clear.

TP’s murder exposes the degeneration of the CPI(M) from Marxist positions to social democratic positions, to a bureaucratic establishment bereft of any communist values. The documents adopted by its recently held 20^th Congress in the same district with much fanfare, prove this degeneration from proletarian revolutionary positions. It has led to its criminalization for long, indulging in the murder of its political opponents, whether it is its own dissidents, RSS men or other political opponents, to continue its political sway. From the 1980s when the CPI(M)-RSS clashes started in Kannur district, CPI(ML) has exposed this criminal line pursued by these political forces including CPI(M) for petty political ends, while all of them are basically united in following the neo-liberal policies, turning the UDF and LDF in to two sides of the same coin.

An analysis of the political developments in Kerala from the second half of 1950s show that from the time the Congress had joined hands with the communal, caste-based, criminal forces and forged a front of reactionary parties to violently throw out the CPI ministry in 1959, Kerala had started sliding back from the advances it had made after breaking loose of its past when it was called a ‘mad house’’ by Vivekananda. As the famous ‘Kerala model’ was soon replaced by neo-liberal policies, it started becoming one of the worst show pieces of neo-colonization, a haven for land mafias, sex tourism and what not. Side by side, the criminalization with the spread of ‘quotation’ or mafia gangs, degenerating its socio-cultural-political life, was promoted by all the political formations: Congress- led UDF, CPI(M)- led LDF and BJP. Secular values were eroded, and majority as well as minority religious fundamentalism started dominating the social life. Along with this, the caste system was internalized in vulgar forms and started influencing all fields. Under the sway of post-modernism, all progressive cultural influences started getting weakened. In this degeneration, the right opportunist deviation influencing the CPI and then CPI(M) played a decisive role. As a result, though there are differences in details, the political scene in Kerala, like in any north Indian state, came under the sway of mafias. Commercialization of all walks of life became rampant. The brutality of the murder of TP with his face and head having 51 cuts with swords exposes the extent of this criminalization. The CPI(M), which still calls itself Marxist and holds the red flag, should be uncompromisingly criticized for indulging in this murder and becoming a part of this criminalization.

What is happening in Kerala after the murder of TP reminds one of what happened after the disintegration of Soviet Union on a larger scale after its degeneration to social imperialist path and later disintegration. Concealing that it had abandoned the socialist path long back, all the anti-communist forces led by the imperialists and their lackeys had then joined hands to unleash a furious attack on Marxism, shouting socialism has become obsolete. Similarly, for the sins of CPI(M), which has very little relation with Marxist values today, all the anti-communists, spearheaded by the Congress-led UDF, BJP, religious-caste leaders and reactionary intellectuals, have joined hands to attack Marxism, using TP’s murder as a cover. As those who claim to uphold his legacy, like the Left Coordination Committee (LCC) did not recognize the consequences of these attacks on Marxism by the rightist forces, two mistakes were committed. On the one hand, the platform for condemning the murder of TP was allowed to be utilized by anti-communists, UDF leaders and petty bourgeois opportunists who used the opportunity to attack Marxism in the name of attacking CPI(M). On the other hand, it has reduced the attack on the degeneration of the CPI(M) merely to an attack on Vijayan, as if it will be saved if he is thrown out, as their organ: Janasakthi gave title to its front article. Or, they refuse to go beyond what VS is ready to take up, even after TP’s murder. Both these approaches have weakened the ideological offensive needed to be waged against CPI (M) at this crucial juncture, to win over its cadres to Marxist positions from its criminalized, bureaucratic and social democratic positions, so that a left alternative which is capable of fighting against the neo-liberal onslaught with a people’s democratic outlook can be built up.

It is in this situation, severely condemning the brutal murder of TP and CPI(M)’s role in it, the CPI(ML) has organized a statewide political campaign against the criminalization of politics in the state, reducing the state to one of the worst examples of neo-colonization, with communal, caste, mafia forces dominating the socio-cultural-political scene. It has analyzed the transformation of CPI(M) in to a criminal, bureaucratic organization as a result of its degeneration to social democratic positions. While focusing the attack on CPI(M) for this murder, it has launched a powerful campaign against all anti-communist forces who are using this incident as a cover to attack Marxism. It has called on all genuine communist forces to struggle against the right opportunist positions of the CPI(M) led forces and petty bourgeois sectarian tendencies who easily become prey to the forces of reaction, and to join hands to build a revolutionary left alternative to the forces of reaction and reformism.

Observe May Day with Revolutionary Spirit and Orientation

THE MAY DAY, the international working class day, is observed this year when the all round attacks on them in all fields are intensified by the forces of capital, thereby further sharpening the contradiction between labour and capital to unprecedented levels. Today there is not a single country in the world where this contradiction is not getting manifested in one way or other. In India the mighty general strike of tens of millions of workers on 28th February, irrespective of the reformist character of the leaderships of the trade union centres leading them, had revealed the potential of this vanguard class once they are politicized and mobilized. At many industrial centres across the country including the new centres like Gurgaon and Noida near Delhi repeated militant struggles are taking place for their basic rights.
This is the situation around the world also. Especially in Greece and in other capitalist countries including the US, millions of workers are coming out in struggles paralyzing the economies there. So if the international finance capital is intensifying its most barbarous attacks on the working class, the workers are also strengthening their resistance struggles which are sometimes spilling over to militant offensives against the capitalist imperialist forces and their lackeys.
It is high time the communist forces recognize the potentialities inherent in this newly emerging situation, when the working class is becoming more politicized, mobilized and joining numerous struggles against their class enemy. The revolutionary opportunities created by the increasingly favourable objective situation become brighter if the unity of the working class can be strengthened further and they are increasingly transformed in to a ‘class for itself’ through continuous politicization. May Day is not a day for celebrations today as the working class has very little left to celebrate. It is a day for pledging to carry forward the struggle to overthrow the rule of imperialists and their lackeys. For this the working class should get mobilized and politically educated to shoulder this task. The challenge confronting the communist forces is to help the working class to prepare themselves for the historic struggles of coming days. While observing the May Day let us resolve to vigorously carry forward this task.

Make Anti-Caste Movement a great success.

The Preparatory Committee for the Anti-Caste Movement with Anti-Cast Organization, New Democratic Party of India, AINUS-Mulpravah and CPI(ML) as its constituents and  com.Jayprakash, Adv. Arun Maji  and com. Brijbihari as its co-conveners has intensified the campaign to make the two day seminar at Garhwal Bhavan ( near Jhandewalan metro station) 20-21 April on various aspects of the caste question and the need for building an anti-caste movement with the objective of abolition of the caste system, and the one-day convention of forces dedicated to build a countrywide anti caste movement on 22 April a great success. The Preparatory Committee appeals to all those organizations and individuals who are working with this objective to send their papers and suggestions latest by 10^th April so that it can be circulated to all participants. About 250 delegates from almost 15 or more states are expected to participate in the seminar. On 22^nd April representatives from organizations which are prepared to join hands and form a platform of Anti-Caste Movement shall assemble at the same place to chalk out the organizational and campaign-agitation tasks. All interested forces are requested to contact the Co-Conveners at their following numbers:  com Jayprakash-09811484817; Adv. Arun Maji-09582529401; com. Brijbihari- 09648946426.

Proposal from the Convening Committee adopted by the Asian Agricultural Conference

Proposal from the Convening Committee adopted by the Asian Agricultural Conference

The Asian Agricultural Conference organized by the Convening Committee, composed of the All India Krantikari Kisan Sabha (AIKKS), All Nepal Peasant Association (ANPA) and Bangladesh Krishak Samiti (BKS) on 1^st to 3^rd April at New Delhi has created much revolutionary enthusiasm among the various organizations and delegates who participated in it. The papers presented and the deliberations, debates and discussion which has taken place during the three-day Conference on the theme identified have made it clear that in spite of differences on  ideological persuasions, it is possible for the peasant activists and organizations of Asia to come together and debate on the crisis confronting agrarian sector in this part of the world. It is definitely a significant step forward in the direction of arriving at a concrete understanding of the agrarian situation in Asia, which will enable us to arrive at practical steps in the direction of resolving the problem in the coming days.

In this context, in the concluding session of the Conference, the following proposals put forward by the Convening Committee in order to nurture and carry forward these efforts further were adopted unanimously:

1.The activities of the Convening Committee shall be continued and expanded grasping the experience it has gathered while convening this Conference and during the course of the actual Conference including other like-minded organizations also in the effort from the countries which already participated and from as many countries as possible from the continent..

2. As a follow up action, the Convening Committee shall compile and publish all the papers, presentations, discussions and opinions presented to the Conference as early as possible.

3. The Convening Committee shall take up the task of organizing a larger Conference in the near future ensuring the participation of more organizations from the Asia-Pacific region with the perspective of taking practical initiatives and putting forward an alternative, people oriented path of development against the imperialist path of development which is increasingly pauperizing the peasant masses and devastating, the nature in the direction of resolving the agrarian crisis.

Com.R.Manasayya, Co-Convener, General Secretary, AIKKS (India),

Com. Bharat Bhandari, Co-Convener, President, ANPA (Nepal),

Com. Sajjad Zahir, General Secretary, BKS (Bangladesh).,

Press Statement

Asian Agricultural Conference successfully concluded.

The Asian Agricultural Conference inaugurated by com.K.N.Ramachandran, General Secretary, CPI(ML) on 1^st April, began with the first session at 10 am discussing the perspective of the Conference which include  an attempt to make concrete analysis of the Agrarian Scene in Asia and the orientation to be developed for its people oriented transformation. 120 delegates including representatives of peasant organizations from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Philippines, agronomists, agricultural scientists and Marxist scholars along with two comrades from MLP of Germany participated all through the three day Conference. In the Second Session in the afternoon papers on the agrarian question in these countries were presented leading to an active discussion with a number of delegates participating. The papers presented by Prof.Manbahadur Khatri for All Nepal Peasant Association, Prof. Akah for Bangladesh Krishak Samithi, Prof. P.J.James for AIKKS, com.Rajesh Kumar Raju for AISKS, com.Narendra Khadka for All Nepal Peasant Organization (Revolutionary) and Dr. Ram Kavindra of Navjanavadi Lokmanch, in spite of ideological differences and theoretical positions of CPI (ML), RSP and other organizations from India, CPN (Mashal), UCPN (Maoist) and CPN(Marxist)  from Nepal, NDPF from Sri Lanka, CP of Bangladesh and CP of Philippines to whom the different agricultural organizations are linked, were emphatically pointing out the need to focus on the struggle against the neo-liberal policies and the need for a people’s centric alternative to the imperialist dictated ‘development’ which is pauperizing the masses and devastating the nature.

The third session on 2^nd April morning, dealing with the Asian Agricultural Scene During the Post- Second World War period, in which Prof. K.R.Chowdhry and Sharmistha Chowdhry presented the papers, once again there was active discussion by the delegates on the various aspects of imperialist penetration in the agrarian sector including consequences of state-promoted land reforms and ‘green revolution’. In the afternoon, during the forth session, Impact of the imperialist policies on the agrarian sector was discussed after presentation of papers by com. P.N. Provint for AIKKS and Prf. K.R. Chowdhry for Prof.Prasad Rao, which focused on the neo-liberal agenda in the farm sector and how it has led to large scale peasant suicides.

In the fifth session on 3^rd morning dealt with Impact of ecological changes, technological intervention and WTO policies on the agrarian sector.  Various aspects of this question were presented in the papers presented by Dr. Abdul Khader presented the paper on “Impact of climate change and imperialism: a case study of Kerala”, com. Indra Varma on “Global environmental crisis, neo-liberal trade policies and their impact on Nepal’s agricultural sector”, com. Krishna Prasad on “Agricultural practices-impact on environment and vice versa”, and com. Asit Das on “Sustinable agriculture in the age of changing climates”. The presentation of papers was followed by a lively discussion with the authors of the papers answering to the various questions raised. The unanimous opinion that emerged was that unless the neo-liberal policies under international finance capital” domination is not thrown out the catastrophic consequences of the climate change cannot be resolved.

The discussion in the concluding session was on the Approach to agrarian revolution in the present context.Com. Sankar Das presented the paper “On agrarian revolution in Asian countries”, Dr. Vijayachandran on “Development of India Agriculture: Search for an anti-imperialist and patriotic alternative” and com. Gred Zitzner of MLPD on “On the orientation of the Asian Agricultural Conference”. The papers as well as all the comrades who participated in the discussion that followed agreed that in order to arrive at a revolutionary restructuring of the society in each country the path of agrarian revolution should be pursued based on worker-peasant alliance and according to concrete conditions. All participants agreed that this Conference has created a new platform for the first time to take up this question forcefully and this effort should be continued.

Before the conclusion, com. R.Manasayya presented a proposal for discussion calling for continuing the functioning of the Convening Committee, for publication of all papers and contributions and for convening another Conference to continue the process initiated by this Conference. Representatives of all organizations and the prominent intellectuals who participated unanimously congratulated the Convening Committee for this initiative and accepted the proposal. The Asian Agricultural Conference concluded at 5.30 pm amidst an enthusiastic atmosphere with the determination to continue the process at continental level initiated by it. For the delegates who came from six countries and ten states in India it was a new experience. Thus the Conference was a big success and the Convening Committee congratulated all the participants who made it so.

R.Manasayya, Co-Convener, Convening Committee,

Asian Agricultural Conference.

4^th April, 2012.

Repeal AFSPA, Stop Policing by Army

                                                                              

Press Statement issued at the Press Meet on 26^th March at Press Club, New Delhi.

                                                               

For six decades the people of Northeast and J&K are leading a miserable life under constant terror, persecution and killings under the boots of the army deployed there in the name of protecting the ‘national security’. All agreements signed by the government of India with the former administrations of these areas are flouted. The government refuses to engage in meaningful discussions to find a political solution to the problems concerning these regions. So what is prevailing is a state of continuous military rule in these areas depriving all democratic rights to the people.

From 1958 the government of India has imposed the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which violates the Constitutional provisions and provides the armed forces rights to violate even the existing laws of the land with immunity. As army is now deployed in the name of training commando forces in Chathisgarh, the conditions prevailing in Northeast and J&K are extended to this region also. So, the danger of deploying army and imposing draconian AFSPA anywhere in the name of suppressing insurgency, ‘left-wing extremism’ or terrorism is increasing in order to suppress all people’s movements by dubbing them as extremist acts. 

For the last six decades the people of these regions are struggling continuously against these violations of democratic rights, mass killings, rape and murder in increasing numbers, detention for long periods, and other forms of army brutalities. The indefinite fast by Irom Sharmila in Manipur which has entered the 12^th year is a symbol of the struggle of the people of these regions for the repeal of AFSPA and against policing by the army. The situation is so bad that in J&K though the police charged 42 cases of murder, gang rape and murder, rapes and torture happened in six months against army men and FIRs were presented, the central home ministry refused permission to proceed with them sighting the AFSPA. Whenever the people’s movements against army atrocities intensify, the government at a number of times had assured about repealing AFSPA. But the army chiefs have arrogantly overruled all such possibilities. Moreover it is now spread to more areas.

Whenever the atrocities like the ones perpetuated against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka take place, the government of India becomes incapable of doing anything against them as worse incidents of violations of democratic rights and atrocities by the armed forces are taking place within the country. So, all its talks about democratic rights in other countries become hypocritical. In this situation the CPI (ML) along with the struggling forces in these regions demand the Repeal of AFSPA and Stopping of Policing by Army forthwith. We demand political solution to the problems in these areas. The CPI (ML) appeals to all progressive, democratic and left forces to come forward in support of the struggling peoples of these areas. It appeals to all those who are fighting against the draconian AFSPA and army atrocities and all those who support these struggles to join hands and form a platform for joint struggles so that the movement can be continued more forcefully till the government agrees to these demands.

K.N.Ramachandran, General Secretary, CPI(ML)

CPI (ML) Severely Condemns Abduction of Two Italian Tourists by Maoists

Press Statement

These are days when the UPA government is imposing further price rises and other burdens over the common people under its neo-liberal budget, when even the existing workers’ rights are snatched away,   mounting attacks are unleashed on people’s movements at Kudamkulam, Jaitapur, Kalinga Nagar, POSCO etc, and when the AFSPA-Army policing is making life intolerable for people of J&K and Northeast. This is also a time when the UPA govt is getting more crisis ridden than ever. The BJD govt in Odisha is also faced with mounting people’s wrath against its pro-Corporate-MNCs policies. At such a  time by abducting two Italian tourists the CPI(Maoist) has provided a very good opportunity for the central and state government to divert people’s attention from the crises faced by the ruling system and to mount attack on the people in the name of confronting ‘left wing extremism’. Even it may be used to deploy army to these areas in the state, as already an army training camp is established in Jagdalpur in  neighbouring  Chathisgarh in the name of meeting Maoist threat. Instead of stopping the ‘Operation Green Hunt’ as the Maoists have now demanded, it is only going to be intensified as a result of this anarchist action. Even if they succeed to get some of their cadres released from jail as in the past as a result of the so-called ‘peace talks’, it will only become a further justification for the state forces to kill their cadres in fake encounters. This is an absolutely futile anarchist action which, instead of serving revolution, is serving the counter revolution. It should be severely condemned by all communist and democratic forces.

The CPI (Maoist) leadership has become so blind due to dogmatism that they are not ready to recognize the damage they are doing to the revolutionary movement. By their squad actions they destroyed the powerful mass movement in Lalgarh in West Bengal which had blocked Jindal like corporates from that area, and opened the way for deployment of central forces and for Jindal to start its project. While the CPI (ML) could lead mass movements and stop the SEZ in Ragnandgaon and partially stop the     privatization of Sivnath river in Chathisgarh, in the stronghold of Maoists in Bastar, the Essar has succeeded to construct and operate 204 kms long pipe line to Visakhapatnam to loot the iron ore from Baladilla.  There is no single instant any where in India where the Maoists could stop or block any corporate-MNC project through their anarchist actions. Similarly, in the name of defeating CPI (M), they went to the extent of supporting the TMC in last year’s assembly elections in Bengal as they are repeatedly doing in AP and Jharkhand, ultimately helping the forces of reaction. When all the erstwhile socialist countries have degenerated to capitalist path and the communist movement is facing many theoretical and practical challenges in politicizing, mobilizing and leading the masses to the revolutionary path, such isolated squad actions and anarchist practice of the Maoists are not only against the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism and Mao’s contributions to revolutionary theory, but also ultimately serve the ruling classes and their imperialist masters as we are witnessing in the areas where the Maoist squads are operating.

It is unfortunate that not recognizing this, some intellectuals who are not ready to involve themselves in any revolutionary propaganda or practice among the masses get infatuated with the adventurist ‘actions’ of Maoists and get carried away by the media hype they attract. This section like the Maoist leadership is far away from the Marxist teaching that the masses, masses alone are the creators of history. CPI (ML) appeals to these intellectuals and sections, influenced by the anarchist practice of the Maoists, to rethink and rectify their mistake. At a time when the imperialist system as a whole and the comprador ruling system in India are getting discredited and when objective conditions for revolutionary advances of the masses are becoming increasingly positive, the Maoist anarchist actions will only serve the ruling classes to attack the communist forces and weaken the people’s upsurges as they are using the social democratic CPI (M) led forces for this purpose. CPI (ML) appeals to all democratic forces and  masses of people to oppose and severely condemn the anarchist line of the CPI (Maoist) leadership and rally with the revolutionary left forces for advancing the class struggle for achieving people’s democracy and socialism.

K.N.Ramachandran

General Secretary, CPI (ML).

Dated 20^th March,2012.

Ph.011-25332343, Mob. 09447112136.

Come Out on the Streets to Oppose Commissioning of Kudamkulam Nuclear Power Plant

Just an hour ago the AIADMK ministry in Tamilnadu gave formal approval for commissioning of Kudamkulam nuclear power plant defying the people’s opposition to it. More than 5000 police-para military forces were deployed in advance to impose the decision around the plant. The police action has started arresting and removing hundreds of fisher people and peasants including the anti-nuclear activists from the area. It is a heinous attack on the people by the state government at the behest of the central government.  

The CPI (ML) calls on all the people to resist and defeat this attack by the ruling system. In Tamilnadu mobilizing as many forces as possible the dharna, protest marches, street corner meetings are already started by the Anti-Kudamkulam People’s Committee at a number of places. CPI (ML) appeals to all party comrades, all party committees to organize protest actions wherever possible against this barbarous attack by the ruling system. It appeals to all progressive forces to organize whatever forms of protests possible to resist this act of the government to appease the international nuclear lobby of the MNCs.

KN Ramachandran

General Secretary

CPI(ML)

19^TH March, 2012.

Budget 2012-12: Pampering Middle Class Illusions While Neo-liberalism Continued Unabated

 

 The Budget 2012-13 presented to parliament today is an ingenious move to broaden the  neo-liberal constituency by effectively exploiting middle class illusions with studied silence on the devastating inflation, unemployment and destitution suffered by the workers, peasants and broad masses of toiling people in the country. The decision to reduce the whole subsidies to agriculture, PDS, social, welfare sectors to below 2 percent of GDP, and move towards direct cash payment in the name of targeting the recipients, are all intended to prune the subsidy bill as directed by IMF and World Bank. This will soon followed by decontrol moves and further rise in prices of petroleum products including diesel, petrol and cooking gas.

Step to raise personal income tax exemption limit to Rs. 2 lakhs and tax exemption to tax payers who invest up to Rs 10 lakh annually in stock market coupled with a host of privileges granted to FIIs, reduction in corporate surcharge by 5 percent, granting of 49 percent FDI in civil aviation, etc. which are aimed at ballooning the corporate-speculative sector, are at the behest of crisis-ridden imperialist finance capital. Along with this increasing FDI in retail sector, infrastructure etc are sure to follow the budget. There is no effort to strengthen the resource mobilization on the part of the government by taxing the flourishing super-rich.

The budget shows an absolute reduction in direct tax mobilization by around Rs. 4700 crores. The net additional resource mobilization of Rs. 41000 crores comes from indirect taxes on the back of toiling people which also directly contributes to the rise in prices. There is no concrete proposal to deal with corruption and black money except high sounding sermons like bringing out a ‘white paper’ on it.. The increase in defence spending to Rs 195000 crores from the current year’s Rs. 165000 crores should be seen as part of the various arms deals arrived at with imperialist powers and in the context of the strategic defence agreements signed with US imperialism.The PPP/BOT scheme of road construction is further reiterated with the announcement of the completion of 8800 kms of  national highways in this regard.

On the whole it is nothing but a continuation of the last budget which led to more inflation, stagnation in the fields of agriculture and industry and unprecedented continuation of the price rise. While it tries to pamper the middle class, it conceals more than it reveals. This budget is going to intensify the attack on the masses reducing them to more poverty and destitution. It should be exposed and opposed by all popular forces without any let up.

K.N.Ramachandran,

General Secretary, CPI(ML)

Dated 16^th March, 2012.

UP Elections: Lessons.

The present Samajvadi Party has gone far away from even the ‘Lohia socialism’ of yesteryears. As proved in its earlier stint, it is one of the most ardent supporters of the imperialist globalization/ neo-liberal policies. It had ordered the first police firing in the country for enforcing the privatization of a cement factory, killing ten workers. The ruling class and the corporate/ MNC lobby have seen that the regional parties like DMK and AIADMK in Tamilnadu, TDP in AP, BJD in Odisha, TMC in Bengal, JD(U) in Bihar, Akali Dal in Punjab, Shivsena in Maharashtra and BSP and SP in UP are more ‘efficient’ sometimes in pursuing the neo-liberal policies and opening the country to neo-colonization, and so have started supporting them enthusiastically. In UP, as BSP got discredited they soon shifted their preference to SP providing all support which also played an important role in its victory along with other factors like caste and communal equations. This trend may influence even the all India political scene in coming days. So the victory of SP is essentially a victory of the corporate/ MNC lobby, which changes its preference according to conditions in each state to advance its interests. The corporate/ MNC lobby is so happy that whoever wins among the different ruling/ regional parties or alliances, all of them basically follow the neo-liberal policies very loyally.

It is in this situation the performance of the ‘left’ parties of various hues in UP elections should be seen. As SP rejected to accommodate them, the CPI(M) led Left Front parties fielded about 120 candidates. Though CPI(ML) Liberation started talks for joining it, due to differences on seat allocation, it declared its own 42 candidates. All these parties focused only on the number of seats to be contested, but their manifestos did not categorically reject the neo-liberal policies or put forward any alternative to the ruling class/ regional parties. So CPI and CPI(M) which had good representation in the vidhan sabha till recently were wiped out and their voting percentage also went down drastically. CPI which contested 55 seats could get only 99,000 votes, a far cry from the period when it had more than 10 MLAs. Out of this, they got 41,000 votes from Chitrakut seat alone, getting average 1000 votes each from other seats. CPI(M) contested 18 seats and could get only 54,000 votes, a steep downfall from its past gains. Out of this, it received 36,000 votes from Kuraha seat in Allahabad district alone, thus getting only 1000 votes each from other seats. The performance of Forward Bloc and RSP which contested nearly 20 seats each is not worth mentioning. Liberation which ultimately fielded 34 candidates could get only 33, 374 votes. The maximum they got was 5637 votes in one seat. Compared to 2007 elections, their vote share went down sharply. Akhilendra Pratap Singh, who was Liberation’s state secretary in 2007 and who left it and formed Jan Sangharsh Morcha (JSM), fielded 27 candidates and got only 19200 votes. Though all of these are projected as ‘left’ forces by their followers and corporate media, none of them had put forward a manifesto basically different from that of the ruling class/ regional parties and in effect had reduced themselves to pseudo left forces.

Contrary to this, the CPI(ML) had fielded ten candidates and supported five based on an election  manifesto which projected a revolutionary alternative before the people. It had started its functioning in an organized manner only recently. It collected the fund from the local people and organized campaign propagating its line through its Election Manifesto, handbills and a CD explaining Party line on elections. In spite of all these technical and financial problems and limitations, an effective campaign for a revolutionary alternative could be organized through the active participation of all party and class/ mass organization members and the 15 candidates together obtained 33,541 votes (average 2250 votes per candidate), with com. Mukesh from Bahreich (Barabanki dt) getting 6066 votes. It shows that if the revolutionary left can wage a political campaign utilizing the available strength of the organization based on a revolutionary manifesto, uncompromisingly fighting the ruling class agenda, it can win the support of ever larger number of toiling people and in the future develop in to a determining force. The election campaign and the votes received by the Part/ Party supported candidates are indications of the emergence of the revolutionary left in the state putting forward an alternative before the people.

Let us Struggle for the Repeal of AFSPA and Withdrawal of Army From Policing in Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir.

                       An Appeal to all Progressive Democratic Forces.

Dear Comrades and Friends,

Let us Struggle for the Repeal of AFSPA and Withdrawal of Army From Policing in Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir.

The military is deployed in the seven states of Northeast and in Jammu & Kashmir for almost  last six decades in the name of meeting the insurgency. As soon as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was enacted in 1958, it was imposed in these states, providing draconian powers to the armed forces. The presence of army and imposition of AFSPA, giving extra-Constitutional powers to army and para-military forces have created worse than an internal emergency situation in these areas. The indefinite fast launched by Irom Sharmila, enraged by the atrocities committed against the people under      AFSPA, has entered the 12^th year. She is kept in detention with forceful feeding for struggling against this draconian act. At the same time, in spite of numerous cases of murder, gang rapes, and other atrocities were investigated and FIRs presented by the local police, the military men are allowed to go scot-free. During these decades the people of Northeast and J&K have raised their voice for the repeal of this draconian law many a times. But, as consecutive governments are refusing to repeal it, the atrocities under it and the state terror are increasing day by day.

In this situation it is the task of all progressive, democratic and left forces to come together and raise their voice for repeal of this draconian act and for the withdrawal of the military from policing the villages and towns of these states with extra-Constitutional powers. After discussion with Sharmila Kanba Lup (SAKAL) and some other forces in these states, the CPI(ML) has taken initiative to unite  various progressive and democratic forces, civil right groups, women organizations and organizations in  Northeast and J&K who are active on this issue to come together and organize a Parliament March on 27^th March in solidarity with the great untiring struggle waged by Irom Sarmila and the people of these states, with the slogans Repeal AFSPA, Withdraw army from policing in Northeast and J&K.

We appeal to all progressive and democratic forces and sections to come forward and to make the Parliament March on 27^th March a great success. In this way let us prepare the ground for the formation of an all India coordination of the like minded forces on these issues to carry forward this campaign so as to compel the government to accept them.

Expecting immediate and favorable response,

With warm greetings,

K.N.Ramachandran,

General Secretary, CPI(ML)

Dated 12nd March,2012.