New Democracy, October 2014

Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Oct ober , 2014 Oct ober , 2014

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Mobilize people into
militant struggles against
Modi Govt.s offensive
Recent Lok Sabha elections have for the first time given a clear majority
to political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) the BJP and
thereby control over the executive power in the country. The most important
feature of these elections as noted by our CC resolution is nearly total
support to Modi led BJP by MNCs and Indian corporate and the media
controlled by them. It is to advance further 'economic reforms' in the service
of the corporate i.e. giving control over the land, particularly mineral
resources to the corporate doing away with peoples consent, social impact
assessment and other limitations, enacting anti-labour changes in the labour
laws making way for 'labour flexibility', its employment and working hours,
curtailing and doing away with social welfare schemes and subsidies thereby
allowing foreign and domestic big capitalists to monopolize all aspects of
economic life and all social savings, and doing everything to facilitate FDI
further opening all sectors of economy to foreign capital. It is no wonder
that imperialist countries, their MNCs and Indian corporate are pleased
with Modi led BJP Govt. at the Centre.
Another pillar of the Modi led BJPs advent to power is the weapon of
aggressive Hindu communalism or Hindutva. It is complementary to the
pro-imperialist and pro-corporate orientation of the ruling party. The essence
of this is upper caste chauvinism which is being used to deepen communal
divide in the country. It caters to the regressive social forces and traditional
semifeudal values. Thus a mix of pro-corporate and hindutva policies is
being pressed to serve the imperialists, big capitalists and big landlords. A
concomitant of this policy framework is increasing attack on peoples
struggles particularly communist revolutionary movement specially where
it is challenging the rule of the ruling classes and mobilizing people to
resist it. Central Govt. is sending more forces and allotting more money for
suppressing the communist revolutionary movement called Left extremism
by the ruling classes.
FOREIGN POLICY: CLOSE ALIGNMENT WITH US AND
ALLIES, ESCALATING TENSIONS WITH CHINA AND
PAKISTAN
Besides these, as CC resolution had noted, BJP Govt. is aligning the
country ever more closely with US imperialism and its allies particularly
Israel and is increasing tensions with neighbouring countries particularly
China and Pakistan. Since its coming to power, Narendra Modi Govt. has
in the first few months made foreign policy its important thrust area. Modi
travelled to Bhutan and Nepal to stamp Indian overlordship over the region.
His coining of B4B only means further tightening Indian control over Bhutan.
His overtures in Nepal have also seen his deliberate ignoring of the reality
of relations between two countries. Of more importance have been his
visits to Japan and USA and visit to India by Australian Prime Minister and
Chinese President. While Modis visits to Japan and USA have been low
on content, the rhetoric has been in full force of India being a willing
participant to US pivot to Asia. While Japan did not enter into civilian nuclear
agreement with India, US Admn. made its displeasure known on Indias
stand on WTO deal on TFA. Obama also insisted that Modi should change
Indian laws on intellectual property rights and nuclear liability to facilitate
US investments in India. While concrete specific commitments are lacking,
the overall drive is to make India a part of Contain China policy of US
imperialism. It is particularly significant that India-US joint statement
expressed concern at the tensions in South China Sea, rare for India to
mention China in a communiqu with USA. Modis meeting with Israeli
Prime Minister Netanyahu in New York is also significant as Modi had
refused to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Australian PMs
visit resulted in Australia agreeing to supply India with Uranium and Modi
is set to visit Australia soon. It is significant that US, Japan, Australia and
India are part of Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) meant to police the
sea routes of Indian Ocean.
On the other hand, Chinese Presidents visit was marred by continuous
standoff at the border. It remained the most talked about point during his
stay in India. Indian Govt. and media made it out as Chinese incursions,
but later it was reported that the standoff was resolved with both sides
withdrawing from contentious area. Modi Govt. has announced plans for
building military infrastructure along border with China. It is also significant
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that since Modis coming to power, border with Pakistan has witnessed
repeated firings across line of actual control (LOC) in J&K. Both countries
are blaming each other for these violations and civilian casualties in them
but no serious attempt is being made by Modi Govt. to take up this issue
with Pakistan Govt. Rather Modi Govt. has refused to talk to Pakistan and
cancelled foreign secretary level meeting. Escalation of tension with China
and Pakistan is no mere coincidence but a calculated move by Indian
Govt. to emerge as a regional hegemon under the tutelage of US imperialism.
Hightened tension with Pakistan further serves communal agenda of Modi
led BJP Govt. Obviously Indian Govt.s moves are tempered by a change
in international situation which has become multi-polar and sections of
Indian ruling classes wont like too close and overt alignment with US
imperialism. Hence the apparent balancing act like agreeing to BRICs
building of Infrastructure Investment Bank. But the overall policy thrust is
clear. It fits in with Indian ruling classes ambitions of emerging a major
power in Asia and beyond. Escalating tensions with Pakistan and China
are being used to bolster nationalist pretensions of Modi Govt. under which
it is pushing anti-people agenda on a number of scores.
FLURRY OF ECONOMIC REFORMS
After the votes were cast in Haryana and Maharashtra elections, Modi
Govt. has made a number of announcements long demanded by the
corporate. Govt. has deregulated prices of diesel thereby posing a serious
threat to prices of essential commodities and agricultural operations. While
prices of crude oil have fallen more than a fourth in the international market,
Govt. has made only a token reduction in oil prices. Moreover, gas prices
paid to the companies have been increased by nearly half. Govt. has
announced e-auction of coal blocks intending to hand them over to private
companies. For that it is planning to amend Coal Nationalization Act. On
the other hand Govt. is downscaling MNREGS. It has curtailed allocation
for the Scheme and changed wage component of the expenditure under
the Scheme. There is a move to cut subsidies for which Union Finance
Minister had announced setting up of an expert committee in his Budget
speech.
Where the Govt. is unable to change the laws of the land it is changing
the rules to render ineffective the provisions of the law like LARR, FRA and
Panchayati Raj Act (Extension to Scheduled Areas) and environment
protection laws. The changes in rules have even gone beyond the changes
made in the relevant law in 2013. The Govt. has provided that consent of
the villagers will be communicated not by the Gram Sabha but by the District
Magistrate thus rendering the whole provision superfluous. Govt. cleared
more than 150 projects in a single day.
Giving over possession of land, particularly mineral resources rich areas,
to MNCs and Indian corporate is one of the main reasons why corporate
backed Modi to power. It is failure in this area which turned corporate against
Manmohan Singh Govt. and their desiring to bring a 'muscular' Manmohan
Singh in Narendra Modi. Union Finance Minister has already announced
the intention of Modi Govt. in his Budget speech that obstacles to mining
will be removed. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced Govt.'s intent
of making changes in the amended law on land acquisition of 2013 which
BJP had supported then. Intensified drive to take over land from peasantry
particularly tribals would be one of the main areas of thrust of Modi Govt. It
poses a danger of displacement of a large number of peasants particularly
tribals. Their anti-displacement struggles, which had posed a concrete
challenge to the attempts of Manmohan Singh in advancing implementation
of 'economic reforms', are bound to again rise.
One important area in which Modi Govt. has moved is to make anti-
labour changes in labour laws. It has brought and passed Apprenticeship
(Amendment) Act thereby opening many more industries to the employment
of apprentices and removing the requirement of providing jobs to them
after apprenticeship. This is a very sinister move as it paves the way for
crude and cruel exploitation of labour as apprentices get only stipends and
no requirement is there to pay minimum wages to them. Modi Govt. is also
planning to amend to remove a majority of workers from the purview of
Factories Act; increase duration of overtime work and make way for night
shift for women obviously without providing security to the women to and
from the place of employment, dilute the provisions of Chapter VB of the
ID Act thereby giving free hand to owners to close industries without need
of approval of the Govt. Modi Govt. has also announced end to what it
calls "Inspector raj" which means labour inspectors would not be making
inspections for the compliance with labour laws; even in cases of complaints
they would be able to do so only with the approval of 'central authority'. In
India the number of labour dept. officers is any way very low compared to
the number of workers and even these are given other official duties. Their
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performance in enforcing labour laws is any way pathetic given the
inefficacious legal provisions and rampant corruption. Even this machinery
is being further degraded. The only inspectors Modi wants in the industrial
areas are police inspectors!
The intent in all these measures is to increase profits of corporate and
attract FDI and this is the essence of Modis Make in India slogan. It is
going overboard in attracting FDI with increasing share of foreign companies
in insurance and defense production. Govt. is also contemplating changes
in the law governing intellectual property rights which will further increase
prices of essential drugs.
COMMUNALIZATION OF ALL ASPECTS
RSS-BJP are on fast drive to give communal colour to all incidents,
targeting Muslims. They have coined Love Jihad, propagated against cow
sl aughter and li ke issues. Hindutva organizations and many such
organizations are run by RSS, are targeting educated Muslims while state
agencies arrest Muslim youth indiscriminately. Hundreds of them are behind
bars without any evidence. Even if they are later acquitted by courts they
end up spending the best part of their lives in jail.
RSS has placed its nominees in the institutions governing historical
research and framing education syllabi. They are distorting history and
teaching students communally distorted version of history. They are belittling
Indian peoples struggle against colonialism and highlighting conflicts of
feudal India as nationalist projects. They wish to eliminate spirit of enquiry
into historical studies by branding all such attempts as Marxist inspired
substituting mythology for history. They negate all scientific advancement,
making absurd claims about the past claiming mythological stories to be
proofs of scientific advancement, treating fancies as facts. Human longing
to fly like birds cannot be a proof of their having developed aircrafts! They
negate a scientific approach towards past achievements in India. In
particular they wish to negate the composite culture of India and the
contributions made by peoples inhabiting this great land.
Moreover, majoritarian thrust of RSS-BJP sits well with top echelons of
bureaucracy, police, intelligence agencies and military. This convergence
between military bureaucratic machine and the party in power on chauvinist
communal platform poses a grave danger. This deep seated communalism
in the wings of the state gets aligned with Hindutva now in power. This
aspect is either ignored or deliberately hidden in the struggle against Hindu
communalism. The struggle against communalism and against attacks on
lives and property of minorities, particularly Muslims, has become urgent.
ONSLAUGHT AGAINST PEOPLE'S STRUGGLES
Modi led BJP Govt. is focusing on suppression of peoples struggles
particularly revolutionary movement. More forces have been sent to
Chhatisgarh and more funds have been allotted for this suppression.
Besides, many state govts. are taking their own steps in this direction. In
Punjab state govt. has brought forward a law penalizing protests including
strikes and recovery of damages as land revenue. In Telengana while
peasant suicides continue unabated despite change in ruling dispensation,
there is increased drive against revolutionary movement in the state. In
Odisha the state govt. is intensifying its repression against struggles against
mining and for land, framing false cases and imprisoning activists. The
state govts., taking cue from Modi led BJP Govt. at the Centre, are coming
up with their own repressive measures.
These are some of the areas where Modi Govt. is unleashing feverish
offensive against the people. Anti-displacement movements of peasantry
including tribals, workers' struggles against anti-labour changes in labour
laws, struggle of rural poor against dismantling of welfare schemes, struggle
of the people against cuts in subsidies increasing burden on the people in
the form of price-rise are going to rise. As RSS-BJP attacks on minorities
and attempts at communalization of all aspects of life increase, so does
also the importance of struggle against communalism and in defence of
lives, properties and liberty of minori ties, particularly Muslims. As
resistance to the offensive of Modi Govt. increases, the importance of
defence of democratic rights particularly people's right to defend their land,
livelihood and hard won rights also increases. Hence the tasks of democratic
rights organizations and the need to mobilize vast masses in defence of
the democratic rights also increases.
BUILD BROAD-BASED AND MILITANT STRUGGLES
There is an urgent need to build struggles and mobilize vast masses
into action. To that end, it is necessary to unite all the forces which are
willing to join and mobilize the people into struggles. There is an urgent
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need to build struggle based joint fora for these struggles on each aspect.
While one has to shun sectarianism, we should be clear that the very aim
of these efforts is to draw people into struggle. This should not be lost
sight of. Success of these efforts and the need to reach agreements on
immediate tasks can only be judged by the breadth and intensity of people's
struggles which result from them. Unity of the forces forged through struggles
and in the course of struggles, would be a force against the drive of Modi
Govt. in favour of imperialists, corporate, landlords and reactionaries.
Building such struggles is the need of the hour. Not only Modi led BJP
has secured a majority of its own and is backed by corporate and its media,
the main opposition party is in doldrums even otherwise not having any
difference on economic policies. Parliamentary left has suffered a big
decline in its electoral strength and not less decline in its prestige post
Nandigram and subsequent developments in Bengal and Kerala.
It is time to act. It is time to forge unity among people. It is time to
advance the struggles. It is the task of communist revolutionaries to play
their due role in these tasks. While Govt. offensive poses a challenge to
the people, it is also an opportunity to develop their struggles by mobilizing
wider sections of the people into them.
However, while emphasizing these present tasks we should not lose
sight of the fact that building agrarian revolutionary struggles remains the
primary task of the party. Only by building and developing areas of sustained
resistance, revolutionary communists can play their due role in influencing
the present situation and intervening in people's struggles. This aspect is
worth remembering even while new tasks emerge out of Modi led BJP's
advent in power. And these two aspects are not contradictory but are rather
complementary. The more the struggles under the leadership of communist
revolutionaries, particularly agrarian revolutionary movement, intensify the
bigger role they can play in emerging situation. While strategy without tactics
is either naivity or pious wish, tactics without strategy is a blind alley.
Barack the Bomber
Obamas amorphous strategy
(CC Statement, September 15, 2014)
On the10
th
of September, US President Barack Obama declared war on
the Islamic State. The key points of the strategy he cooked up over a few
days, having remarked earlier that he had no strategy, entail air strikes
against IS positions in Iraq and building of an international coalition to
degrade and ultimately destroy IS. Secretary Kerry has been scouting
the Middle East to earn allies for this offensive. The visit has earned empty
support complementing the hollow strategy of his President.
What has prompted Obama Admn. to embark on this course? He had
famously remarked while backtracking on the decision to bomb Syria last
year that he was not in the White House to unleash wars. Obama repeatedly
announces that he would only take military action when threat to American
security arises. Admittedly, there is no threat to American security from IS
and this is vouchsafed for by FBI, Department of Homeland Security and
National Intelligence Alliance, a conglomerate of a myriad of intelligence
agencies of USA. Obama, in his address, talked of threat to core interests
and further amplified the same by talking of threat to US and its allies. It is
clear from the address that the present US action is in defense of its allies
who are crucial to US control over the Mid-East oil and international trade.
The two components of this strategy correspond to two different sets of
goals complementing and supplementing each other. The target of the first
is to aid the forces who are actually fighting against IS and the target of the
second is to maintain its overstretched network, economic and military,
among what are Sunni Arab Sheikhdoms. This virtual coalition is being
forged by US to camouflage the real coalition that exists on the ground
between different forces fighting against IS. Such forces are Iraq's Shia
Govt. based in Baghdad, Kurd forces based in Northern Kurdish areas,
Shia militias supported by Iran and Assad Govt. of Syria which has of late
started attacking IS positions in Syria and its Hezbollah allies from Lebanon.
US air strikes like all air strikes can only help and aid the ground forces
and the forces on the ground are those enumerated above. A word more
about Kurd forces. An increasingly prominent role is being played by PKK
which has already become a major force in Syrian areas through its sister
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organization, DYB, and also in Kurd areas of Iraq where Kurds are excited
by the real opportunity to strive for their independence. PKK, designated
as a terrorist organization by US and EU at the insistence of NATO member
Turkey, is adding to the headache of the overstretched imperialist power
which is neither willing nor able to come to terms with the collapse of
unipolar world. US is aiding this coalition on the ground and there lies its
problems. Victory of Shias would add to the problems from its Sunni Arab
clients and strengthening of Kurdish independence would alienate Turkey,
another key ally in the region.
About extension of air strikes to Syria. US Admn. knows well that without
Syrian Govt.s approval or UN Security Council authorization they would
be violating international law. That however is a lesser concern for them.
But being seen in the company of Assad, who had to go, would further
alienate its Middle East allies. Anyhow Obamas declaration has articulated
that the main danger in middle-east is terrorism operating under Islamic
label and not the authoritarian regimes they sought to overthrow in the
wake of and to subvert upsurge in the struggle of Arab people. Obama has
also announced help to moderate Syrian rebels. But even before this
message could reach the people, the major Syrian rebel groups announced
an agreement with Islamic State to not attack each other in Syria and to
focus against Assad regime, thus knocking off one of the main points in
the strategy cooked up by Obama. It is important to emphasize that
reference to aiding Syrian rebels is meant for imperatives of the virtual
coalition being forged by US Admn. Syrian Govt. has announced its
willingness to be on board. Assad Govt. would only seek to direct US
strikes to its own advantage and support US air strikes only to that extent.
Russia and Iran have also denounced Obama's announcement of strikes
within Syria. China has also dissented from this course.
Now if we take Obamas virtual coalition, Turkey has openly dissented
from it and refused to sign Jeddah declaration. It has many reasons. There
are a number of Turks fighting under IS banner in Syria as Muslim
Brotherhood fighters have a presence among these fighters. Turkey is more
worried about strengthening of Kurdish independence forces, particularly
PKK and sees IS as a counterweight to it. Involvement of MB is also an
important factor. British Foreign Minister ruled out participation in air strikes
in Syria in light of last years vote in UK House of Commons. French Govt.
has also expressed inability for action in Syria and Germany has ruled out
participation in any offensive action. Among Arab allies, no concrete
measures have been agreed upon. Jordan is of the opinion that issues of
Palestinians should be addressed while Egypt has demanded extension of
this operation to North Africa. Saudi Arabia and UAE have announced
participation in air strikes which any way will be made by Americans from
their bases in these countries. Hence this coalition is a virtual coalition, up
in the air, mainly to offset the public perception of American cooperation
with the real coalition.
It needs no great analysis to say that US has been spurred into action
to stave off dangers to Saudi and other monarchies in the region which
have been one of the main pillars besides Israel of US imperialist influence
in the region. Obama has mentioned and Kerry has detailed the need to
differentiate between Islam of IS and real Islam, moderate Islam and
belligerent Islam, good Islam and bad Islam. Both have made this ideological
offensive part of their plan to degrade and ultimately destroy IS. But the
real problem is that Saudi monarchy and Wahabi clergy, instrumental in
maintaining its power, have been the main source of ideological and material
help to Jihadist groups. Saudi ruling family has been afflicted with the
problem of running with the hare and hunting with the hound, of close
collaboration with western imperialist powers and preaching of pristine values
not permitting the same, the cleavage extending right into Saudi ruling
family. With the growth of IS, the danger of being seen as the apostate in
their own country and with their own forces looms large. According to a
poll, even after Saudi ruling family terming IS as anti-Islamic, 92% of Saudi
citizens refused to treat IS as anti-Islamic. Ruling Saudi family and their
American patrons have been finding other targets for their Jihadi zeal, now
they fear its targeting the Saudi monarchy itself through implosion or
explosion. They have long sought to dispatch them to other shores but
chickens threaten to come home to roost.
Obamas declaration of war has shown the utter shallowness of his
avowed convictions against war through the escape channel of unnecessary
and necessary wars. He has sought to shrug off the label of weak by
launching into another middle-east aggression. Already over a thousand
American troops are there in Iraq and another 475 are being sent, a much
larger figure than what Kennedy sent to Vietnam which he had then termed
as a mere police action. Obamas announcement has endeared him to
republican establishment and has drawn the ire of his traditional supporters
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including influential NYT. The mainstream US media has again unleashed
a war campaign of distortions and misinformation to whip up frenzy for war
in Middle-east. Obama has joined his predecessor George Bush in
unleashing war in Middle-East but with a vital difference- 2014 is not 2003.
But with no foot on the ground, air strikes can only cement the hold of
those on the ground. With US bombing to aid Iraqi Govt. and Arab monarchs
joining the fight, IS will gain more and more adherents to its cause. It has
already a vast land mass and over 20 million people living in areas under
its control, has a disciplined and motivated armed force and has popular
support of the people on whose behalf it is fighting. Strong presence of
Bathist political and military leaders in IS has lent it a strong strategic
vision and tactical finesse, mass popular support and vast network among
the people and above all a well trained military force along with huge cache
of arms from fleeing US trained forces. The trajectory of IS actions in
Middle-East would determine whether they would play into imperialist hands
by fighting against Kurds and Shias, thus losing their fighters and dissipating
their energy and image or they would help reshape the Middle-east in a real
sense by enabling Arab people to rid themselves of these decadent and
autocratic monarchies who are accomplices of western imperialists in looting
their resources and subverting their national aspirations. The course taken
by IS would be of immense importance in determining whether a true change
in the middle-east would come.
Developments in West Asia have largely abolished boundaries set by
Sykes-Picot agreement. It is to be seen whether another anachronism of
post first world war, Balfour Declaration, would also be challenged. The
twin pillars of imperialist domination of the energy rich West Asia and larger
Middle-East are facing serious challenge. Hamas, itself an offspring of
MB, symbolizes unity of anti-imperialist forces in the Middle-East, of support
from Shias and Sunnis alike. Islamic State drawing from Al Qaeda, MB
and Bathists will play a major role in determining this outcome.
Barack Obamas bombing campaign would draw cheers from pro-war,
pro-military industrial complex forces and jeers from all those who are
opposed to imperialist sponsored wars in different parts of the world. It has
once again highlighted that developed bourgeois democracies have an
efficacious vetting mechanism, weeding out all those who genuinely differ
with their course, only encouraging pretenders and that too, to hoodwink
the people.
Support Kurdish Struggle for their national aspirations
Condemn Turkish Bombing of
PKK; Support Kobane
(CC Statement, October 16, 2014)
In the backdrop of declining power of US imperialism and rising anger
of the people of West Asia, turmoil in the Middle-East intensifies. To divert
the peoples struggles in Arab countries and to drown upswing in peoples
struggles in sectarian bloodshed, imperialism and reactionaries have lifted
a huge stone only to drop crushing their own feet. There is widespread
anger in the Arab countries against US led wars of aggression and US
imperialism led expropriation of their natural resources.
US imperialism is back to bombing IS targets in Iraq and Syria with
Arab monarchies in tow. Islamic State controls vast swathe of land in Iraq
and Syria withstanding US led bombing campaign and is posing an existential
threat to the Arab monarchies, particularly Saudi monarchy, a pillar of
imperialist influence in the region. IS, a conglomerate of different forces
particularly Salafi Islamists, Muslim Brotherhood and Bathists, is fighting
several battles, directed against western imperialist powers and their cronies
but also against minorities in the region.
This turmoil has given an opportunity to the long suppressed Kurdish
nationality inhabiting several countries of the region. In Iraq, Kurdish
autonomous region has resisted attacks of IS. In Sinjar mountain while US
trained Iraqi Army had abandoned Yezidis without even giving weapons to
them for self-defence, it was PKK and its supporters in Syria and Iraq who
had defended them. In Syria, Kurdish forces had established their own
administration in north eastern Syria during civil war raging in that country.
It is led by YPD and its forces YPG which has links with PKK (Workers
Party of Kurdistan) which had been waging an armed struggle in Turkey for
Kurdish national aspirations (Ceasefire for last year and a half) and has
been the most consistent and determined fighter for this aim. They are
now resisting advance of IS forces in Kurdish areas. Kobane has become
a symbol of Kurdish resistance. PKK and YPG are the main force of this
resistance which has unleashed the fighting spirit of the Kurd men and
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women and despite being ill-equipped have withstood IS onslaught. Kobane
deserves support of all justice loving people. Whatever may happen on
this front as odds are heavy against Kurdish fighters with Turkey ranged
against them, their war has resonated throughout the region and has
enthused Kurds everywhere. It is their just struggle which progressive forces
of all countries are supporting. It is drawing even fighters from other parts
of Syria.
Biggest obstacle to and biggest enemy of realization of national
aspirations of Kurds is Turkey where largest number of Kurds live. Turkey
has been in the front line of armed rebellion against Assad regime in Syria
and has been the main conduit of arms, fighters and supplies to Anti-Assad
forces there and has not joined the US led war against IS. It is viewing the
development in the region from anti-Kurd prism and is going all out to crush
Kurds both in Turkey as well as in Syria. It has closed the border and is not
letting Kurd fighters go to Kobane which is on the border with Turkey and is
not allowing civilians from Kobane to enter Turkey. It is not that it is against
US imperialism, their main imperialist backer, but it is more against national
democratic aspiration and struggle of Kurds. It fears the influence that free
Kurd regions of Syria would exercise over struggle for national aspirations
of Kurds in Turkey. Further it fears that the new developments in Middle-
East threaten to leave Assad regime in power, an outcome it does not
cherish having thrown every thing into violently removing Assad regime
from power in Syria. Rulers of Turkey see IS as 'lesser enemy'; besides a
large number of MB activists from Turkey are fighting under its banner.
They are supplying arms and ammunition to IS fighters in Syria. Rulers of
Turkey also plan to intervene in Syria if the situation deteriorates and
international pressure to act against IS mounts further.
Not content with playing their surreptitious game against Syrian Kurds,
Turkey has torn away cease fire agreement with PKK and has bombed
PKK positions in South Eastern Turkey on October 13, 2014. They wish to
inflict maximum damage on Kurd fighters. When Kurds in Turkey protested
to be allowed to defend their Kurd brethren in Kobane, Turkish police killed
42 Kurd protesters in police firing. Turkish rulers, who had abandoned their
avowed zero problem with neighbours policy in favour of carving out a
larger sphere of influence in Arab land, are now facing grave internal strife
with the script gone awry for them and their imperialist patrons. Turkish
President Erdogan, who fancies himself a sort of New Ottoman, has
unleashed this war on Kurds.
US is conducting air strikes against IS positions in Kobane. This airy
US campaign is making very important contribution in US controlled world
media and much less on the ground. Kurd fighters and their sympathizers
are fighting with tenacity and resilience offering greatest sacrifices in the
process. US imperialism's dubious game to serve its imperialist interests
in the Middle-East to control oil rich region is on open display. Less any
spin of human rights' defence is put on it, the better. As said by Obama,
US Admn. is trying at present to degrade IS so that it does not pose any
threat to the interests of US imperialism and its lackeys. They are willing
to use any and every tool for their ends.
As for IS, as we had observed earlier, intensifying contradictions and
growing conflicts in West Asia would intensify the contradictions within IS
and would in turn be influenced by this development. If IS was to act against
imperialists and their lackeys, the Gulf monarchies, they would be dealing
a big blow to imperialism, particularly US imperialism, but if they turn against
minorities, including Kurds, they would be only playing into the hands of
imperialists and reactionaries in the region. Their asssociation with Turkey
and western intelligence agencies in the past as well as presence of large
number of Bathists in its ranks and military leaders portend a bitter struggle
on the issue.
And in Middle-East, Israel continues its genocidal policy against
Palestinians, further grabbing their land. This most justified and longstanding
struggle of Arab people, particularly Palestinians against Zionists, needs
urgent support and solidarity.
US Imperialism, Stop Bombing Iraq and Syria!
Turkish rulers, Stop Bombing PKK!
Support Kurdish Struggle, Support Kobane!
Intensify Struggle against US imperialism, Arab reactionaries and Zionists!
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The rise of BJP in
Maharashtra
Pr avi n Nadkar
2014 Assembly Election results in Maharashtra are indicative of the
changing equations in Maharashtras political arena. At the time of writing
this article, BJP is undecided about its choice of alliance partner and it
looks as though this Diwali in Maharashtra will have to go without the name
plate at the CM office in Mantralaya. Voters in Maharashtra have fallen
short of giving a clear majority to the BJP. Regional parties like Shiv-
Sena, MNS and NCP were rejected by the voters, who gave maximum
number of seats to the BJP. The party however is now compelled to find a
partner among these regional forces to lay its claim to Government formation
in the state. As such, BJP has done remarkably well in Maharashtra by
winning maximum seats on its own. Without having a network of party
cadres comparable to Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena, it has stormed other
party citadels in Mumbai, Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Northern
Maharashtra. Congress fought the elections with a losers mentality and
the leaders of the Party were busy safeguarding their own individual vested
interests. The agenda of the so called development program of the
Manmohan Singh Government was successfully utilized by BJP to favorably
mobilize the voters for its own victory.
Traditionally BJP in Maharashtra was known as the party of the Shetjis
and the Bhatjis. Since the formation of Janata Party of which the Sangh
outfit was also a part, it has taken decades for the RSS political wing in the
shape of BJP to reach this powerful position in the state. Maharashtra has
always vouched by the social reformist agenda of Jotiba Phule, Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar and Shahu Maharaj. It would have been impossible
to imagine, a few years back, that forces from the Dalit movement in
Maharashtra would ever join hands with BJP for any reason. NCP in the
past could not have dared to make friendly gestures towards BJP, without
facing a political humiliation before the people in the state. The RSS
connection of the BJP leaders formerly were not convenient for them in
public life but today it is nothing to be ashamed of. The RSS positions on
various cont roversial issues relat ing to the view of Indian hist ory,
understanding of the national culture etc. are being supported in the political
and social discussions in the media like factual statements. This is the
kind of change that is impacting the politics of Maharashtra.
Never in the past the OBC communities could influence the power pattern
of Maharashtra to the extent that is happening now. The cooperative sugar
factories and co-operative institutions in general have a very significant
hold over the state's politics. Till now this network was predominantly
controlled by the Maratha lobby in the state, under the leadership of Congress
and NCP. BJP stalwart in the state, the late Gopinath Munde from Vanzari
community who often called Sharad Pawar his political Guru, was obliged
by the NCP in the state to spread his influence over the sugar co-operatives
in Marathwada and Nagar district to offset the influence of the Congress
stalwarts in those regions. Vanzari community in Marathwada stands second
in the region after the Maratha community in terms of its social standing.
With the sugar co-operatives under the belt, this community in the region
has been able to significantly undermine the political authority of Marathas
organized under the leadership of Congress. The Congress and NCP both
have their strong traditional social base among the dominant Maratha
community. The years of congress rule in the state helped this community
to become extremely powerful in the rural areas. The attitude of this
community towards Dalits and OBCs has been very discriminatory at the
grass roots level. The Congress-NCP Government in the state had even
promised reservation for Marathas on the eve of the elections in a bid to
appease them. Dhangars (shepherds) community too had asked for
reservations but the Government had conveniently ignored their demands.
The ploy of accepting reservation for Maratha and Muslim community did
not result in getting votes for Congress and NCP but in fact it helped to
galvanize the votes of the left out communities for the BJP.
The Maratha community has been at the forefront of the crimes against
dalits like the infamous incidence of Khairlanji murders in Vidarbha. The
Maratha community in the st ate has systematically denied other
communities their due share of social and political prestige besides keeping
them out of reach of economic benefits. These oppressed communities
have been nursing a grudge for years against the Congress rule in the
state for favoring Marathas and doing nothing to uplift the status of the
other communities. NCP has never come to the rescue of Dalits by punishing
NEW DEMOCRACY
17 18
the guilty of Dalit atrocities, in spite of controlling the Home Department.
Maharashtra leads in having maximum number of Muslim youths in prison
without trial in India. This has been the attitude of the Congress and NCP
in the state towards the Muslim minorities. The Congress in the state has
always banked on the support of dalits and Muslims besides Marathas in
the state for its electoral performance. The Congress Government did not
take the suggestions of Sachhar Committee report towards the betterment
of Muslims, seriously. The guilty police officers involved in infamous
Mumbai riots of 1992 went not only unpunished but most of them actually
received promotions. The Muslim community therefore was not very
enthusiastic about voting for Congress. Alienation of the Dalits and Muslims
from the Maratha leaders of Congress and NCP in the rural areas is also
one of the important reasons for the failure of these parties to retain political
power in the state.
There was a time when Congress was known to be a staunch supporter
of the liberal Nehruvian model of the mixed economy. Since Manmohan
Singh Government surrendered the Indian economy to the World Bank and
IMF dictates, Congress has moved away from this economic model
adopting neo-liberalism. The Gujarat model as projected by Modi is the
new model of economic development for the developing countries as
advocated by the intellectuals from the neo-liberal camp. When Congress
itself had principally agreed to do away with the social welfare model of
the mixed economy, BJP lost no chance in finding fault with the old model.
In the year 2008, UN General Secretary and World Bank officials jointly
declared that fighting against corruption will be our main work in the
developing countries. In the year 2009 again World Bank declared its wish
to seek transparency in the governance of developing countries. The BJP
then came up with slogans of su-shasan (good governance with
transparency) and Bhrashtachar Mukt (corruption free) society. These
slogans created a huge favorable impact on people in general and
multinational corporates in particular. The officials of the MNCs wanted no
hurdles in their swift operations of looting Indian natural resources and
establishing their supremacy in the Indian markets. Scams under the
Congress Government had already brought to the fore the issues relating
to corruption, favouritism and misrule with regard to sanctioning permits
and allocating natural resources. Congress thus has become a symbol of
bad governance, corruption and misrule. BJP gained from promoting this
image of Congress and claimed to provide a Government free of these
weaknesses. The so called Modi wave is actually created by a propaganda
campaign unleashed in the media by the BJP think tank on these above
mentioned issues. The vast majority of the middle classes in urban centers
of Maharashtra too are under the spell of this national dream of corruption
free Modi Government offering good governance. Even the strong Marathi
vote bank of Shiv Sena had to suffer losses due to this illusory vision of
the Modi Government.
The BJP cleverly popularized the term pseudo secularism in order to
ridicule the concept of secularism itself. The party thus blunted the edge
of the opposition towards the Hindu Rashtra concept. The practice of the
Congress could easily be painted as being pseudo secular because of
their hypocrisy of constantly harping on secular values in public debates
and playing the soft Hindutva card in political practice. This hypocritical
conduct of Congress neither pleased the majority nor the minority
community. Even the broadly secular people decided to try out the Modi
Government ignoring the BJPs Hindu rhetoric. The aspirational appeal of
Modi politics in this case won against the ideological concerns against
communal politics in the state. This is the reason why a lot of traditional
secular vote also went in favour of BJP.
Farmers suicides in Vidarbha exposed the rampant practice of
exploitative private money lending in the rural areas of the state. It has
also highlighted the need for irrigation for agriculture. The power crises
also affects the farmers because if electricity is not available at the time of
watering fields then, due to inability to use the water pumps, the crops do
not get timely water supply. The Government had abandoned the monopoly
procurement scheme in the region and that affected the cotton growers
adversely too. The BT cotton seeds need well irrigated lands but the farmers
lost out on account of lack of proper irrigation facilities. Seed bags often
contain useless seeds in a big proportion of the total quantity. Farmers
meagre resources are compromised in this way due to the cheating by the
seed vendors. Vidarbha in general has received less attention from the
rulers and this state of its neglect, fuelled anti incumbency in the region.
At present, the CM candidates from the region are in the forefront of the
race for the post. BJP utilized the dissatisfaction on the issue of farmers
suicides very effectively in its election campaign. The peasants who are
suffering due to the implementation of the neo-liberal policies relating to
the agricultural sector readily supported BJP in a big way in many regions.
NEW DEMOCRACY
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Unfortunately, they do not know that a bigger onslaught on their living
conditions is in the offing under the new Government following the same
old policies. The low support prices offered to the cane producers by the
sugar co-operative factories and private sugar factories caused the anti-
incumbency in western Maharashtra.
The phenomenal rise of the real estate business in the state has
impacted the political scene too. There had been a perception that the
Government was being controlled by the builders lobby. The Adarsh scam
happened in this scenario. Housing problem for the ordinary citizens has
become very acute and people have developed a sense of disgust towards
the powerful builder-mafia-political nexus in the state. Association of the
important political leaders with the Adarsh scam further dented the image
of the Congress and the case for the promised Acche din by Modis party
became even stronger. Lot of black money from the builders' lobby is finding
its way into the funds of the political parties. Politics has now become
mainly a source of earning money. In Maharashtra too politicians jump
from one party to another without any discomfort, like at the national level.
It is said that a large number of NCP members got tickets from BJP. Many
of them even won the elections. This group of new entrants in BJP from
NCP seems to be a block within BJP that can still be swayed by the
NCPs wishes, which declared unsolicited support to BJP for the formation
of the Government. The name of Nitin Gadkari which has come forward at
the last minute is indicative of the different lobbies within BJP struggling
to have greater control over the party. Nitin Gadkari is known to share
business interests with the NCP boss Sharad Pawar. Economic interests
are thus linked beyond the political boundary lines and its reflection in
politics is very complex.
We can conclude from the above factors that, it is not only the Modi
wave which has worked for the electoral victory of BJP in the state but
many other factors helped BJP score maximum seats in Maharashtra.
Anti -incumbency worked more than the Hindutva ideological plank of BJP.
The party however is not on a very strong wicket in Maharashtra. It will
have to be constantly at the mercy of Shiv Sena or NCP in the state to
retain its influence. The BJP will try to push the ideological agenda of
Hindutva at the social, cultural and also political level. People in the state
will have to ready themselves to defend progressive traditions to offset
the impact of this saffron agenda. Since the Modi Government is bent
upon blindly following the dictates of the imperialists' controlled World Bank,
IMF, etc. people have to be prepared to face further onslaught on the rights
of the working people. There is no cure for inflation and price rise within the
frame work of neo-liberal economic policies. People are bound to face more
hardships on account of cuts in social welfare schemes, forcible acquisitions
of natural resources, imposition of orthodox cultural practices and anti
minority steps taken by the state. The rise of naked right wing politics is a
common picture even at the global level. Since the famous declaration of
the end of ideology which was made at the outset of unleashing the neoliberal
policies at the global level, state itself is perceived to be the instrument of
the ruling class devoid of any ideological moorings. The state under the
neo-liberal spell, is wary of any grand universal commitments like poverty
alleviation, reduction in economic inequalities, commitment towards natural
rights over natural resources and civil rights. Nothing should come in the
way of the exploitative capitalist system which has been apprised as a
ideologically neutral instrument of progress. The state under neo liberal
environment is meant to exist only for the smooth operations of global
capital internationally. Liberal agenda of civil rights, states' responsibility
towards its citizens and respect for sovereignty of nations and countries is
not of any concern for the international leaders of imperialist system. The
Modi led BJP Government at the centre is fast learning the new ways of
the neoliberal post-modern reality. It will have to maintain a public posture
of being pro people and at the same time act in the interest of the capitalists
and the rural elites to deprive people of their rightful share in the countrys
economic growth. People in Maharashtra will have to wake up to the new
methods of exploitation of the working class and peasantry. Struggles
against the plunder of the natural resources, land acquisitions for private
companies, changes in the educational curriculum, communalization of
politics, communalization of the bureaucracy and the struggle to defend
civil rights will have to be strengthened in the state. Going back to the
Congress rule in the state is not the answer to the present situation. Working
class and peasantry will have to make common cause with the vast majority
of the urban middle class and all the patriotic forces to unleash a new
powerful movement against neoliberal economic onslaught and the right
wing communal political challenge facing India.
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Social and economic cost of
Green Revolution
SS Mahi l . .
Punjab is the province which became the first state in India to experience
the Green Revolution which actually was an imperialist model of
agriculture. It is very interesting to know why this model of agriculture was
named as a Green Revolution. Actually imperialism was very much terrified
by the Chinese red revolution, as it occurred in a backward and agrarian
country, which was yet to pass to the stage of capitalism. This was an
alarm bell for imperialism because peasantry, which was a propertied class
and hence considered to be a conservative class, played a revolutionary
role in the Chinese revolution. Not only that, it was the main force of
revolution. In the whole set of backward countries, which were colonies,
neo colonies and semi colonies, peasantry was the major section of the
population and was potentially a revolutionary force. Imperialism was afraid
because if red revolution spread to the peasantry of all backward countries
then the existence of imperialism would be endangered. In this context,
the green revolution was the imperialist response to the red revolution of
China. As Vandana Shiva writes, Green Revolution was prescribed as
techno-political strategy that would create abundance in agriculture societies
and will reduce the threat of communist insurgency and agrarian conflicts.
British American sponsored Colombo plan of 1952 is an explicit articulation
of development philosophy which saw the peasantry in Asia as incipient
revolutionaries who if squeezed too hard could be rallied against the
politically and economically powerful groups (Violence of the Green
Revolution). Harry Kaliver in his book Technique As Political Weapon
says, Food in so many places in Asia was used as a political weapon to
suppress and undermine the peasant revolution. From its very inception
seeds of green revolution were the method of using science and technique
in the service of counter revolution.
After the Second World War, America emerged as the main winner and
beneficiary because it had got the capacity to intervene in the markets
world over. But inside America its war industry was no more in operation
as world war had ended. So one way to keep it in operation was to convert
this industry into a chemical industry for agriculture. Alfred Howard in his
book Agrarian Will says, Main feature of fertilizers in the west are the
artificial manures. The factories engaged during the great war in the fixation
of atmospheric nitrogen for the manufacture of explosives had to find other
markets, the use of nitrogen fertilizer increased.. Thus use of chemical
fertilizers increased in the west, particularly in America. But meantime,
another development took place. People were becoming aware of the
dangerous effects of the excessive use of chemicals in agriculture. Rachel
Carson published a book in 1962, named Silent Spring. In this book Carson
emphasized soil degradation and the devastating effects of chemical
fertilizers on atmosphere. A debate ensued around this book in America.
As a result use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides drastically decreased.
So markets had to be found in other countries. India, being a very large
agrarian country, became the natural destination. Punjab was a state which
had an agrarian economy, 82% of its peasantry was owner peasantry and
84% of its land was irrigated. So Punjab was the most suitable place for
the implementation of this imperialist model of agriculture, ill termed Green
Revolution.
What is this model? This is based not on the rational use of natural
resources i. e. land and water etc., which is the basis of sustainable
agriculture. It is a model of maximum exploitation of them. But for maximum
use of chemical fertilizer a suitable seed variety was needed. Norman
Borlaug, the pioneer of Green Revolution was working in the war laboratory
of American company Du Pont but Rockfeller Foundation hired him by
offering a much bigger pay packet. American government, Ford Foundation
and Rockfeller Foundation entrusted him with setting up a research centre
named CIMMYT in Mexico for research in wheat and corn. Reference given
to him was to develop such dwarf high yielding crop varieties which can
consume maximum fertilizer without falling on the ground, with fertilizers
helping in increasing yields. This seed variety was sent to Punjab in 1966.
At that time it was called Mexican wheat. Similarly an institute named
International Rice Research Centre was set up in Manila. These were mainly
funded by American government and its Foundations, for example IRRI got
74% of its fund from American govt. and its companies. Paddy was not a
regular crop, was planted only in water logged areas but after high yielding
varieties came in mid seventies, wheat paddy rotation became the crop
pattern. Thus green revolution landed in Punjab.
Initially, green revolution was seen as a miracle. Yields tripled in two
decades. More area was brought under cultivation. The country, which was
largely dependent on import of food stocks, became self-sufficient. Income
NEW DEMOCRACY
23 24
of farmers increased and also their standard of living. Little benefit trickled
down to the classes other than peasantry too. Punjab looked like a
metropolis of rural India. This was the positive side of green revolution, but
it was temporary and immediate, its long term effects unfolded later on.
One such effect was depletion of ground water. In the sixties, water table
was at a depth of 40 to 50 feet. This aquifer had plenty of water and it could
be easily pumped out. Now this aquifer is completely depleted. Now water
is available at 250 to300 feet below the earths surface. Situation is such
that 80% of the area of Punjab has been declared as a black zone, where
further digging of borewells is prohibited, though in theory only. In practice
Punjab Power Corporation is issuing tubewell connections. As a result
Punjab is facing a serious water crisis and prospects of Punjab becoming
a desert are very real. Apart from it, now cost of sinking a borewell has
enormously increased. It costs from one and half lakhs to two lakhs, which
no small peasant can afford and they are either dependent on the rich
farmers for irrigation or are pushed out of tilling. It has accelerated the
process of the alienation of small peasantry from the land. This impact is
on the poor and small peasantry. It has not only affected small peasantry
but middle and rich peasantry too, because it has enormously pushed up
the cost of cultivation.
Apart from agriculture, Punjab is facing a crisis of drinking water also.
People are largely dependent on ground water for drinking water. With water
available in the shallow aquifer of 40 to 50 feet it was possible for all
sections of population to draw it. But now, because of the depletion of this
shallow aquifer, it is not possible for poor sections to sink deep borewells
for installing hand pumps. Now poorer sections of society are dependent
on water supplied by Public Health and Sanitation department of the Punjab
government. But under privtization drive, these water works are handed
over to the panchayats. As panchayats have not enough sources of income
to pay the electricity bills, these are disconnected and people are without
drinking water. This is a very serious problem in the Malwa region i.e.
south Punjab.
Secondly, Green Revolution has resulted in serious soil degradation.
The fertility of the upper crust of the soil has been badly damaged resulting
in decreasing of productivity very rapidly due to the excessive use of
chemical fertilizers and other chemicals in the form of pesticides and
weedicides. As pests and weeds have become chemicals resistant, these
are required in more quantities to be effective, further damaging the soil's
health. So, to maintain the level of yield, peasants have to use more and
more fertilizers and other chemicals. Result of this phenomenon is rapid
increase in cost of production. Along with it, the prices of agricultural produce
have not kept pace with the increase in the prices of inputs, resulting in an
unfavorable position of agrarian sector in comparison with industrial sector.
This is resulting in the continuous decrease in the returns to the peasantry.
According to a study, farms upto three hectares do not have positive returns,
only farmers having four hectares of land are having some profit. This
process has led to the heavy debt burden on the shoulders of peasant
community. A study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University a few
years back, shows that 82% of the peasantry is in heavy debt. Out of this
22% are such that they cannot repay their debts even if they sell everything
they have. Many villages in the Malwa region have boards displayed
outsides the village that the village is on sale.
Excessive use of machinery has also contributed to the crisis in the
agricultural economy. Though farmers are engaged in modern methods of
cultivation but they have feudal mentality. They dont purchase machinery
according to the needs of their land holding but also for social status.
Machinery standing in the outhouse is considered to be the reflection of
the land holding, which is helpful in marrying their sons and daughters. But
it certainly pushes up the cultivation cost.
Now we shall discuss certain social impacts of green revolution.
With the use of machinery the role of manual labour has drastically
gone down in the agricultural sector. This has resulted in the sharp decrease
in the avenues for manual labour in the villages. India has uneven
development and this unevenness is very sharp. Punjab is considered to
be a comparatively most developed state whereas India has many backward
regions. Labourers in large numbers migrate to Punjab from these backward
regions. So, there is labour abundance in rural Punjab. Punjab is very less
developed industrially, so the landless labourers of Punjab face
unemployment as do the youth. The younger generation sees no future in
the face of unemployment. To make things worse, high mechanization and
alienation from physical labour has led to the phenomenon of idleness. In
this situation youth is full of frustration and anger. Thus they were lured
into the Khalistani movement in eighties. Now this youth is badly trapped
in the mire of drugs and other narcotics. In the villages hundreds of youth
are addicted to one or other drug- heroin, smack, ice drug, white powder
opium, poppy husk- and of course liquor. Liquor is the main source of
NEW DEMOCRACY
25 26
State Govts revenue and Akali BJP govt is planning to set up 500 factories
more for its production. One study shows that liquor vends triple the number
of hospitals in the state. Opium and poppy-husk are smuggled from
Rajasthan, of course with the connivance of the police and under tutelage
of ruling party politicians. One SGPC member is in jail in the smuggling of
poppy-husk. This is mainly consumed in Malwa region which has a common
border with Rajasthan. Heroin is smuggled across the Pakistan border.
Chief Minister Badal usually says that the border is under the control of
Centre, hence his govt is not responsible for this, but he conveniently
forgets that smuggled drugs are not dumped at the border but are distributed
and sold in the State which is under the control of his government. The
border of Punjab is separated by barbed-wire from Pakistan then how is it
possible to smuggle the drugs across the border? There are two methods.
One is to put a long plastic pipe across the barbed wire, where drug is put
in it and then it is lifted high and the drug lands on the other side of the
fence. Where the border is on the river Ravi, a small tunnel is dug under
the wire and a rope is used to send the drug across. This is the method
used by small smugglers. Second is to pass material through the border
post; its operators are high profile people who have setting at the high
levels with high officials. They are never caught. If sometimes a situation
arises, some small fry is made the scapegoat.
Most dangerous is the ice drug or white powder popularly known as
chitta meaning white. It is a chemical preparation. It is produced in the
factory. One such factory was unearthed in Baddi, a town of Himachal
near the border of Punjab near Chandigarh. This was being run by a youth
Akali leader, who is close to the Revenue minister, Bikram Singh Majithia,
brother in law of deputy CM, Sukhbir Badal and brother of Cabinet minister
at centre, Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The son of another minister, Sarwan Singh
Philaur, is said to be also involved in it. Sarwan Singh was forced to resign
from the cabinet, but Bikram being the brother of Harsimrat was not touched.
Apart from these, narcotic drugs are sold by quacks spread across the
state in large number and by some pharmacists .
Heroin, smack and white powder are very costly drugs. Youth of even
upper middle class cannot afford it. So the modus operandi is that when a
person gets addicted to the drug and is not able to pay for it, he is pursued
to become a supplier. In order to sustain, he drags others into the net.
Thus a chain is created and multiplication continues. Even in a middle
sized village, addicts are in hundreds and largely, they are youth. Many
villages have witnessed dozens of deaths due to drugs. There are houses
in the border area of Amritsar where youth are very rarely seen, only elders
and women are left. Because of this, in some areas, marriages of girls
have become a big problem. Main worry of the parents of a girl while finding
a match for her is whether the boy is an addict or not. This has created
many social complications.
One IG of Punjab police, Shashi Kant, who was IG CID, prepared a
report which contained the names of smugglers, politicians and police
officers who were hand in glove with the smugglers. Those political leaders
who were providing tutelage to the smugglers were mainly from the ruling
Akali Dal but included some Congress leaders too. According to Shashi
Kant, he gave this report to CM, Parkash Singh Badal but instead of
patting him and taking stern action, the CM advised him that such reports
should not be prepared. Later on, that is last year, Shashi Kant made those
names public. They include Sarwan Singh Philaur, Virsa Singh Valtoha, a
Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Bony Ajnala another CPS, Vir Singh Lopoke
etc., all from ruling Akali Dal and OP Soni of Congress party. What to talk
of any action against those named, no enquiry was ordered. Drugs and
narcotics became a major issue during last Lok Sabha election and Akali
Dal had to pay very dearly for it. If opposition votes were not divided between
Congress and AAP, Akali Dal would have faced a complete rout.
Many social organizations are doing some propaganda work but
Naujawan Bharat Sabha took up a sustained struggle on this issue. It
gheraoed the residence of Jail minister, Sarwan Singh Philaur, demanding
his resignation and his arrest, staged dharna at district headquarters, gave
a call to gherao Revenue minister, Bikram Majithia. In response, youth
tried to gherao him in Faridkot. They were lathicharged and more than fifty
were arrested. In Kapurthala NBS activists blocked him and climbed onto
his car. Half a dozen youth are still facing cases in the court. Results of
Lok Sabha elections and growing opposition to the drug trade has forced
the govt. to move on the issue. But instead of catching the kingpins it is
arresting addicts. Narcotics have disturbed the whole social fabric of Punjab.
As a result of Green Revolution, the atmosphere is terribly polluted with
the excessive use of chemicals. In research, excessive chemical residue
is found in water, grains, vegetables, milk and all other eatables, so much
so that even in mothers milk. Earth, water, air are dangerously polluted.
According to one study conducted with the help of one reputed South African
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laboratory, uranium is found in the earth and water samples from Faridkot
and Firozepur districts. This situation has resulted in spreading of cancers
on a large scale. According to one survey cancers are spreading fast in
almost all the districts of Punjab. Cancer has become an epidemic in the
Malwa region of Punjab, which is more than half of the state. People in
large numbers go for treatment to Bikaner to Cancer Research Institute
and hospital there. The train from Bhatinda to Bikaner is called cancer
express or cancer train. In some villages some families have been
completely wiped out. The tragedy is that there are not enough medical
facilities available in Punjab for the treatment of the cancer. Despite the
tall claims made by the government not enough is done in the field of
cancer detection and treatment. Apart from cancers, Hepatitis C has
acquired alarming proportions. Baba Farid Center Faridkot conducted a
survey in some villages of Firozepur and Faridkot. That survey found that
in certain villages 35% to 50% populace is suffering from Hepatitis.
With the advent of Green Revolution, crop intensity has highly increased.
Two crops in general and in many areas three crop cultivation is the norm.
In this crop pattern, time space between paddy and wheat is very short
and there is no effective method of managing the crop residue, hence the
only method in vogue is to burn it. In that season whole atmosphere is
filled with smoke. This results in not only accidents but also in respiratory
diseases. Cases of asthma, bronchial inflammation etc. are reported in
large numbers.
Punjabis are known for their rich diet. Milk and milk products are
consumed in large quantities and now, the consumption of alcohol and
meat has increased. This last increase has occurred along with the Green
Revolution. As stated earlier, the role of physical labour has sharply
decreased with the introduction of machinery and also the disdain toward
physical labor is also a phenomenon concurrent with the Green Revolution.
Rich diet and very less physical labour is the life style of Punjabis. This
has led to the life style diseases i.e. blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks
etc. We can safely conclude that Green Revolution has also proved to be
a health disaster.
Indebted peasantry, peasants committing suicides, highly polluted
atmosphere, drug addicted youth, sick populace is the long term economic
and social cost of the green revolution.
All India Convention by IFTU
NO TO ANTI WORKER CHANGES
IN LABOUR LAWS
On the 11
th
of September 2014, the National Committee of the IFTU
organized an all India Convention in Delhi against the proposed anti worker
changes in labour laws. Over three hundred delegates from Andhra Pradesh,
Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab and Uttar
Pradesh attended the Convention at Ambedkar Bhawan in Delhi. Other
Trade Union Centres whose leaders attended the Convention were AICCTU,
NTUI, TUCI and AIFTU.
Despite the pouring rain and the consequent delay in arrival of trains,
the Convention started off in a packed hall at 12 noon. Com. Aparna (NCM,
Delhi) began the proceedings by highlighting the labour law changes being
pushed by the Modi Govt. and that the Amendments to the Apprentice Act
have already been passed by the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile significant
changes in Labour laws have already been passed by the Rajasthan
Assembly and are awaiting Presidential consent. She then invited the
Presidium and the speakers onto the dias.
A three member Presidium of Com. D.V. Krishna (President IFTU), Com.
NEW DEMOCRACY
29 30
Kulvinder (NCM Punjab) and Com. P. Prasad (Secretary IFTU from Andhra
Pradesh) presided over the Convention and Com. Kulvinder conducted the
proceedings. He detailed some of the proposed changes in the labour laws
and then began the process of inviting the various speakers to address the
Convention.
General Secretary of IFTU National Committee, Com. B. Pradeep was
the first speaker. He explained the various changes being proposed by the
Modi Govt. and those passed by the Rajasthan Assembly. He said this
was part of the attempt to push through labour flexibility and had long
been the urging not only of the corporate but also of the World Bank. He
pointed out that the push to keep temporary workers had been on over the
past 25 years with increasing contractualization of jobs but these changes
in labour laws will do away with the rights of the workers.
The next speaker was Com. Sanjay Singhvi of the TUCI. He condemned
the proposed changes saying that it would put a large number of workers
outside the pale of labour laws. General Secretary of AICCTU, Com. Swapan
Mukherjee said his organization supported the initiative taken by IFTU on
this issue. He said that the Labour Law changes being brought by the Modi
Govt. were actually the pending agenda of the previous UPA Govt. He said
that the changes in the Apprentice Act were extremely dangerous especially
as this section was merely entitled to a stipend . NTUI President, Com.
Vasudevan, said that workers across the country have started to raise
their voices against the anti worker attacks on labour laws by the Modi
Govt. He termed the IFTU initiative for a united fight back as praiseworthy
and stressed the need to unitedly fight back the proposed changes. Com
Vithal Raj (Gen. Sec AIFTU ) described how the labour laws are not
applicable in the SEZ areas. Com. Ashim Roy from NTUI said that the
proposed changes were Modi Govt.s well planned design against the
working class. The consequences would be catastrophic. Com. Sujan (IFTU
NCM from Bengal) also addressed the Convention and condemned the
proposed changes.
Com. D.V.Krishna (President, IFTU) said that the ruling classes have
been continually attacking the rights of the working class. He said that the
contradiction between labour and capital is deepening. He said the proposed
changes in labour laws will also lead to massive unemployment and called
for struggle against the same. Com. V.K. Patole (Secretary, IFTU) said
that all efforts must be there to build a broad based movement and for this
there must be full effort to build struggle at ground level. A united struggle
of the working class is the need of the hour.
Com. Pradeep and Com. Patole read out the proposed resolution in
English and Hindi. It called for participating in all united actions of trade
unions against the proposed changes in labour laws. It also called for
observing 24th Sept. as a day of protest against the proposed changes in
labour laws. After vote of thanks by Com. P. Prasad the Convention ended
with the raising of slogans for workers struggle and united fightback.
Delhi
Investigation into fomenting of
communal tension in Bawana
On the 5
th
of October, several messages were circulated in Delhi regarding
fomenting of communal tension in the JJ colony at Bawana alleging that
cow slaughter was going to take place there. The Party in Delhi immediately
mailed the Police Commissioner demanding that the police intervene
immediately to restrain the Hindu communal forces, protect the people of
JJ colony Bawana who were all together opposing the false allegations of
cows being kept for slaughter in their colony and to ensure that no attack
on the people of the colony takes place. Immediately, a team comprising
of Com. Dr. Mrigank (Delhi Committee, Indian Federation of Trade Unions,
IFTU), Com. Poonam (Gen. Secy. Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, PMS),
and Com. Rajeev (Convener, Progressive Democratic Students Union,
PDSU) was constituted which went to JJ Colony Bawana on the morning
of October 5
th
, 2014 and investigated all aspects of the reports of alleged
planned cow slaughter and intimidation of the residents especially the
Muslims of the colony.
Bawana JJ Colony is situated opposite CRPF Camp near Bawana 'City'.
It has resettled people displaced from Yamuna Pushta, Saraswati Vihar,
Laxmi Nagar etc. Its population is about 1.5 lakh and about 70% are Muslims
(as the team was told). Most of them are factory workers or do petty jobs.
The area falls in Outer district of Delhi and two Police stations cover the
area. Bawana PS covers the village and Narela P.S. covers JJ Colony.
Mr. Udit Raj of BJP is MP here, who was not even seen by the people.
NEW DEMOCRACY
31 32
The team prepared its report the same evening and besides sending it
to the press, it was circulated widely on social media where there was
outpouring of criticism at the attempts of Hindu communal forces to foment
communal tension in Delhi. A non existent issue had been selected as is
the usual case with these forces. Though the police was forced to ensure
that both the Anti cow slaughter oath taking on 5
th
October at Bawana
village (see details below) as well as Eid passed off peacefully, the threat
remains for the future. It is worth remembering that in Ahmedabad on the
same day i.e. 5
th
October, the pocile fired on muslims in Shahpur colony
alleging stone throwing when they went to investigate the same allegation
of cow slaughter. One muslim youth was killed and the police promptly
included his name in one of the two retrospective FIRs they filed. The
police have yet to clarify whether any case of cow slaughter was actually
found by them.
The Teams Narrative
The teams Report states that when it reached JJ Colony it first met
Noorul Qasim (Area President, Jamait E Ulema e Hind and President
Madarsa Jamia Rahmana). He along with others narrated the incidents. It
was told that on 2
nd
of October 2014, a mob of 200 odd youth from Bawana
village (called City by the residents of JJ camp and the notice boards there
also term the village as Bawana city) invaded the Colony. They had 3-4
police constables with them, as they had called the police on pretext of
some cows being hidden in JJ Colony. These youth broke up into four
groups with one constable each. These searched the houses (search
warrants and suchlike are refinements the Delhi police does not comply
with) and found nothing. They caught a man with a cow and beat him up in
the presence of the police. He turned out to be one Mahesh from A Block
of the colony and was a milkman selling milk. He told them his religion, but
they refused to believe him. Then he showed them pictures of Hindu gods
in his room. They left him and later JJ Colony, throwing stones as they
went by which a boy of the colony was hurt. This was done in the presence
of Constables Ramkaran and Amit. The boys MLC was done, but no one
has followed up the case which must have been registered.
Next day, late at night (around 12:15am or so) a man from Bawana City
came with two cows and tried to infiltrate them into JJ Colony. Alert as the
residents of JJ Colony were, they caught him and handed over the man
and cows to the Narela police. The teams report states that they were told
by the residents that it seemed as though the man was related to some
policeman as he was treated like a guest by the police. The residents were
not aware if any case was registered.
The SHO of Narela called both parties at different times to the police
station. The people of JJ colony went later. They were intimidated and
beaten right in the police station in front of the policemen. Later, when they
told the same to the SHO, he told that they should have called him. They
told him it was not possible but that he check the CCTV footage. Finding it
on CCTV, action was promised.
The team also met prominent Hindus of the area who, they recorded,
accompanied the muslims. One Mr. Paswan told them that it was a matter
in a colony where Muslims celebrate Diwali and Hindus participate in Eid.
Muslims had participated wholeheartedly in the recently concluded Durga
Puja. He asserted that they will not allow outsiders to break harmony. The
team also talked to Dr. Mishra who also echoed the same sentiments.
Failing twice, the village youth put up posters in the name of Hindu
Krantikari Sena, showing a picture of cow slaughter and calling on all cow
loving people to join a shapath samaroh. This was to be held on 5
th
Oct. at
12:00 noon at a cowshed in Hirevali village. The team went there and talked
to people participating. There were about 250 youth from nearby villages
like Hirevali, Pooth Khurd, Bawana and Bajitpur. Among the main organizers
were a nephew (so he claimed) of Mr. Pawan Sharma (BJP MLA) and
Mahendra. They narrated to the team some common propaganda like
muslims keeping 4 wives, increasing population etc. and some unbelievable
allegations like there being truckloads of cows in JJ Colony. The teams
report states it was unbelievable because the size of the plots given to the
residents of JJ colony are too small to hide cows and that too truckloads of
them. Anyway, the youth had a swearing in ceremony of this outfit.
The team was told by some people that minority residents of Bawana
village are living in fear as they are far less in numbers and are scattered
all over. Many of them have left their houses and their children are not
going to schools. Even children from JJ Colony who study at Bawana School
are not going. Not just that, Muslims have been forced to stop Ajaan, and
the Krantikari Sena is alleged to be even planning a Bhagat Singh ka
Bhandara at the place where namaz is held.
NEW DEMOCRACY
33 34
From the above facts the Report states that it is clear that the allegation
of a plan for cow slaughter was bogus. There is no possibility of hiding the
cows and no cows were found. It says there is intimidation of Muslims and
they are living amidst fear. The police protection is insufficient.It states
that organizations like Hindu Krantikari Sena are not spontaneous
organizations and this is clear from the fact that among the main organizers
was the nephew of a BJP MLA. Also total inactivity of the areas BJP MP
is a clear indication. The Report has recorded that there was total communal
harmony in JJ Colony and the people were together. Apart from communal
bias of the Hindu youth and the police, even class bias was clear as they
were derisive of the people of JJ Colony who are from working class or
poor background.
The team demanded that there should be enough police protection to
prevent any untoward incident. For Eid about 15 places of sacrifice were
planned. Police should be deployed there also to prevent any violence
against the minorities. It demanded that the people inciting, and spreading
rumours should be arrested booked and cases should be registered against
the people who were involved in beating and stone pelting and that the
guilty policemen should also be booked.
It is clear that the communal conspiracies of the Hindutva communal
forces will continually attempt to divide the people on communal lines in
order to divert attention from the pro corporate agenda of the Modi Govt.
and the policies he is poised to implement to this end. The unity of the
people of JJ Colony only reflects the sentiment of the common people for
peace and it is exemplary that they maintained their unity despite deep
provocation. Similar incidents were earlier reported from Ghaziabad where
people of middle class colonies together locked their colonies gates against
a rally by Hindu communal forces around two months back.
In Delhi University campus, the ABVP had recently formed a human
chain ostensibly for womens security but actually against love jihad. Its
statement said that it was not against relationships between consenting
individuals-everyone should see through this doublespeak. The BJP
controls both the Central Govt and Delhi through the Lt. Governor. Crimes
against women continue unabated as also the anti woman attitude of the
police. Struggles on the genuine issues of the people must be built and
the communal agenda of the Hindutva forces must be exposed and
defeated.
Khaps, Honour' Killings, Love Jihad
NO RIGHT OF CHOICE TO
WOMEN DIKTAT OF
SEMIFEUDAL INDIA
Apar na
Many changes have occurred for the young in India. Some happened
slowly over the years. The rise in access to television and radio leading to
spread of information, to rise of knowledge about consumer products
including appliances to lighten household work. Young women and girls
opting for education and careers and professions, initially as pioneers.
Rising prices and the need for a double income increasing the demand for
working girls for marriages. In the background, the comparative falling
income from agriculture, making it necessary for some sons of a family to
leave home for education and jobs. And over the past two decades the
tremendous increase in jobs in IT sector and in call centres and in scope of
higher education due to privatization, and the crisis in agriculture fuelling
seekers of such opportunities. Girls go to schools in tremendously
increasing numbers, not just to make better marriages but for careers, for
higher education and jobs. The phenomenon has penetrated rural India and
girls are increasingly coming to small towns and even living in large cities
in hostels, in rented accommodation in groups, to acquire education with
potential for jobs and also to do these jobs in bigger cities and in the metros.
Simultaneously has come an explosion in communications primarily
the mobile phones and internet. This has made it very much simpler for
youth to develop contacts and maintain communication overcoming several
barriers that the patriarchal norms impose as also barriers of caste and
religion .
Almost throughout the country, uniformly girls are doing much better
than boys in education, topping all India school leaving examinations
consistently with rising presence in front rankers of professional entrance
examinations like in engineering and medicine and other courses. Interesting
NEW DEMOCRACY
35 36
figures have been reported by Kerala (Hindu, 4
th
Oct.2014) Among students
entering the medicine course in the State, the sex ratio has gone up from
1420 girls in 2000 to 2214 girls in 2011. (Rising feminization among students
of Kerala medical colleges by Praveenlal K., Principal of Govt. Medical
College, Ernakulam). The sex ratio of medical students in Kerala is well
above the sex ratio of the general population. This sharp rise is a recent
phenomenon. Similarly, in Punjab there has been a recordable rise in the
number of girl students seeking higher education as compared to boys.
The figures of boys leaving the country or the state for higher education
will need to be compared for any accurate conclusion in both states, but
the rising trend of women studying well and going for higher education and
for careers cannot be denied.
All this is also marked with changes in the expectations of the girls
and young women, to their exposure to different types of people, to different
cities and and their increasing assertiveness about the kind of future they
want, the sort of life they wish to lead and importantly, their choices in
marriage. All these aspects have the potential to disrupt the patriarchal
clamps on marriage with their dos and donts designed for maintaining the
caste system.
English newspapers and magazines have been publishing surveys of
youth of large and small cities, more so in the aftermath of the 16
th
December
incident and the protests thereafter. They maintain that while there is free
mixing of girls and boys in campus interactions, friendships between the
two sexes, rising acceptability of live in relationships but still a majority of
respondents says they would marry the partner their parents choose. In
assessing this, scope must be left for the fact that very many parents now
try to ascertain whether the son especially has any particular preference
and then pursue the lead if there are no other very negative factors. Inter
state marriages within similar castes, intercaste marriages between two
upper castes are no longer so taboo that families would not indulge such
preferences. Given all these features, the fact remains that these surveys
bring out the fact that despite the changes noted above the youth of India
is not making marriages for love as a norm, and on this issue is quite
conservative. This is one feature to remember regarding current marriages.
However the fact is increased interactions, increased economic
independence of women and their ability to take their own decisions about
their future has increased. There definitely are cases of women and men
exercising their right to choose their partners, defying the social diktats
including the parental ones as also those of male siblings. Their number in
actual terms is small but as an example they have far reaching value,
being quoted throughout the community and the district. They send out
alarm signals that women and also the men have ignored the barricades
built by patriarchal society including its caste and religious diktats and
dared to decide for themselves.
The Khaps
This basically is the background to the activity of the khap panchayats
on this score which has been much in evidence over the last decade.
These are traditionally landlords of the upper castes in West UP, Haryana
and Punjab but there are similar configurations among the upper castes in
other parts of the country. They decree intra village, inter caste and intra
gotra marriages as void and dictate dissolution of the same with severer
penalty to the girls. But some khaps also decree death and this is usually
implemented through the family of the girl. In addition are the murders of
couples and girls who choose to marry according to their own choice. These
are initiated by either or both of the families involved, usually executed by
the girls family and along with khap decreed murders, were christened
honour killings by the patriarchal national press until, somewhat restrained
by the outcry from various sections, they put the word into inverted commas.
Into this scenario in Western UP was tipped in the term love jihad by
the Hindu communalists a year or so earlier to polarize on communal lines
landed upper castes of the area which were already besieged with the issue
of loosening of patriarchal diktats in the face of rising education and
recource to careers by women of their community and which already had
functional khap formations for social issues. The actual issue of these
sections was much better expressed in the parallel coinage of bahu, beti
izzat andolan. This phrase encapsulated the real dilemma of these
patriarchal landlord upper castes on how to rein in the women of their own
families.
LOVE JIHAD-RSS coinage used in 1990s in Gujarat
In 1998, the marriage of Hanif of Bardoli (Gujarat) with Varsha in Surat
after a love affair of many years was used by RSS in Bardoli to launch a
communal campaign against Muslims.It is another matter that reports
NEW DEMOCRACY
37 38
established that six muslim girls of the area had earlier married Hindu boys
and none of these became an issue. Hanif was a businessman and
flourishing, leading no doubt to much jealousy among the Hindu
communalists. Hanif was jailed and the communalists took over Vershas
life issuing all sorts of statements in her name. Similar incidents occurred
in Randikpur and Sanjeli. What is interesting is that objection to these
marriages were raised by Hindu communal elements in an atmosphere where
they were using every conceivable issue to target the Muslims.A team of
PUCL and other organizations noted among their conclusions the 10% of
Sanjelis Muslims are rich and are either shopkeepers or land owners; that
there is a class based tension between this 10% and local adivasis, and
that adivasi and Hindu girls of the area have eloped with Hindus also but
this had never excited this frenzied sort of comment. But in the instance
of muslims there was a full fledged theory of how they marry Hindu girls at
the instance of ISI and Pakistan and convert them to Islam so that the
Muslim population can increase. The Report of the POW and Nishant,
Minorities in the storm of Communal Attack observed that in cases where
Hindu girls went with muslim boys, when the police brought back the girls
they were taken over by Hindu communal elements before being able to
give their statements in courts. The Gujarat Govt. joined the hysteria, so
to speak, and State Home Minister, Haren Pandeya, set up a Special
Investigating Agency in the last week of July 1998 for all such marriages.
All such marriages need permission from this agency. All India Joint
Secretary of VHP announced in Ahmedabad in August 1998 that Durga
Vahini would familiarize the college going girls about Hindu traditions. A
squad would be formed by VHP to keep control on the behaviour of Hindu
girls. Thus the whole point was that Hindu girls were neither being kidnapped
nor abducted nor fooled but were voluntarily marrying the muslim boys,
from where arose the issue of teaching them' traditions. The last relevant
issue is that the actual number of such marriages over years also is very
small and is directly related to the two communities historically coexisting,
children growing up in the same areas. Versha and Hanif, for instance, had
a long standing love affair before they took the step of marriage. In fact
when the news of their marriage in Surat provoked a communal campaign
in Bardoli, Hanifs parents asked them to return and took the two to the
Bardoli police.
2009- Kerala and Karnataka
In late 2009, the propaganda by Hindu communal organizations about
love jihad began in Kerala and in Mangalore, a town in northern Karnataka.
The Govt. of Karnataka even ordered a CID enquiry into this alleged
phenomenon. In 2009, an interfaith couple eloped and married. The woman,
who had converted to Islam, was restored to her parents by the police.
Later she was allowed by the court to return to her husband because she
appeared in court to deny any pressure to convert and to demand that she
be allowed to live with her husband. In late 2009 the CID in Karnataka gave
a statement that they could find no evidence of such a phenomenon though
they would keep investigating (Wikipedia) The Ram Sena in Karnataka
later took to dragging by the hair those Hindu girls who happened to have
interfaith interactions with muslims. In 2011 Dec. the RSS in Karnataka
began propaganda that girls must be stopped from using cellphones.
In Kerala too, from 2009 there was propaganda by Hindu communal
organization against a supposed love jihad by muslim boys. The catholic
priests also started talking about their girls marrying muslim boys; whether
to deflect pressure or not is another matter. They claimed that 3500 of
their girls have been so converted to Islam; the Hindutva forces spoke of
30,000 Hindu girls. However in 2009, the Kerala Catholic Bishop Council
actually issued an alert. On 25
th
June 2014 Chief Minister Chandy issued a
statement that since 2006, 2667 women had converted to Islam and not
one was a forcible conversion.
Muzaffarnagar 2013- Love Jihad returns
In order to effect communal polarization in especially Western UP for
electoral dividends in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP brought in Amit
Shah to coordinate their campaign. Western UP is a social mix with a
significant muslim population. While the main landlords are the jats, a middle
caste but dominating the area, the muslims are not only agricultural workers,
but have diversified , work as artisans in towns or are employed in jobs in
other parts of the country. Their incomes come home and result in prospering
of their families in the villages. Such families purchase land, send children
for higher education and altogether there is enough reason for jealousy
given the fact that income from agriculture is stagnant. In this area there is
a long standing composite culture which the BJP and brother Hindu
NEW DEMOCRACY
39 40
communal forces have now systematically torn apart. There have been
inter caste, intra gotra, intra village marriages in Western UP off and on in
the past ten years at least( and sporadic cases must have occurred earlier
too) leading to the activity of the Khap Panchayats in the area with their
patriarchal decrees. The cases are still countable on fingertips . The violence
against their own girls and the non muslim boys who went with them, as
recorded by the Verma Commission for six years upto January 2013 was
as follows: cases of honour killings took place in UP in Meerut, Bagpat
and Muzaffarnagar apart from cases in Haryana, Delhi and other states.560
couples filed FIRs for threat to life over 4 years sprinkled over these areas.
Of the 121 persons thus killed, UP headed the list with 48 murders. Another
set of figures help to establish the patriarchal antecedents of the area. The
overall sex ratio in Muzaffarnagar district is 871 females to 1000 males
while the average for the state of UP is 898 females for 1000 males. The
child sex ratio in this area is 863 girls to 1000 boys as against the all India
figure of 919 girls for 1000 boys as per the 2011 census. All in all it is quite
clear that while honour killings are less frequent than selective sex
abortions and female infanticide , but all the methods taken together make
it obvious that the bahu beti izzat campaign may not be as important as an
urgent anti bahu beti murder campaign directed against their own community
itself.
Into this mileu the BJP and other Hindu communal organizations threw
the theory of love jihad on the steps of the violence against muslims that
broke out following an alleged incident of eveteasing in Kaval village in the
district. The actual instances of marriages between Hindu girls and Muslim
boys is very small and no Hindu communal leader has quoted any figure
for this very reason, but the propaganda around any one case and more so
the looming threat of Hindu women refusing the patriarchal diktats is what
the communal forces use. How small are the actual figures can firstly be
gauged from the responses elicited by the all India surveys mentioned
earlier. Recently Hindustan Times ran a feature on newly married Hindu
Muslim couples all of whom had to run a jihad to simply remain alive. And
as Azam Khan brought out, there are several cases of such Love jihad of
Muslim men marrying Hindu women even among BJP leaders. However,
the communal campaign of BJP in this district definitely resulted in the
looting of bahu beti izzat of Muslim women in the district with some gang
raped by long standing neighbours. There have been no arrests and no
hope of justice is there either, before these women.
The issue of conversions
An important issue brought out by the newspaper feature on inter religious
marriages is how the laws and the state are against love marriages. How
the police in Gujarat allowed Hindu communal organizations access to the
Hindu girls has already been mentioned. The other feature is the Special
Marriage Act 1954 which insists on a month long notice. It is thus easier to
marry quickly under the various religious marriage Acts leading to the
propaganda regarding conversions. In Bangalore, journalists hid one such
couple for one month till the period of notice expired but not every couple
can have such intrepid and powerful supporters. In 2012 there was a proposal
in UP to remove the column on religion in the marriage registration form so
that interfaith marriages are also encouraged to register. It obviously did
not go through. The one month notice is a relic of the Victorian British laws
allowing objections to be raised against the marriage as also is the provision
of notifying both sets of parents.
While BJP makes a show of not entertaining the term of love jihad
(reference to the meeting of its UP Council in August 2014) and Home
Minister Rajnath Singh has never heard of the same( shows how deaf he is
to the concerns of his partymen) the RSS propaganda continues and the
ABVP is going to spearhead the campaign against this in Lucknow mainly
targeting Hindu girls to educate them. This is the same task set before
the Durga Vahini by the VHP in late 1990s and dangerously targets Hindu
girls. It is surprising it does not target BJPs elected representatives like
Hema Malini and Dharmendra for converting to Islam in order to marry thus
violating Hindu traditions. In 2014 the Akhil Bharatiya Vaishya Ekta
Parishad in UP said that they would stop all use of cell phones by young
girls. In the election campaign to the UP byelections recently Aditya Nath
called for converting 100 muslim girls each time a Hindu girl marries a
Muslim boy.
In the recent by elections to the Vadodara constituency in Gujarat
(vacated by Modi) in September 2014, there was circulation of a pamphlet
on love jihad issued by the VHP. Though the pamphlets were in circulation
for 4-5 days (Statesman, 12
th
Sept. 2014) the police ignored them. It warned
the parents of Hindu girls against minority conspiracy to entice their young
daughters. It described in Gujarati the modus operandi of well dressed
Muslim boys on motorbikes lurking around schools, colleges and hostel
NEW DEMOCRACY
41 42
gates to lure Hindu girls. These warnings against love jihad had been
printed by the VHP at Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Surat.
One comment on the issue of love jihad was (First post .com) Bodies
of women are a more potent polarizing and organizing tool than the Ram
Temple.
Communal, Casteist and Patriarchal Contortions- Some Recent
Cases
The Verma Commission had recorded that of the cases of harassment
of couples recorded,88% were in inter caste marriages. In the recent case
of Badaun in UP where two dalit sisters, both minors, were found hanging
from a tree, there are two different stories. One states that they were
pursued by two boys of landlord and upper caste who killed them after
violating them. The other is that they were friendly with the two boys which
was objected to by their parents who killed them. It is totally unlikely that
the truth will be ever established though it must be well known in the village.
The police initially arrested the boys but then veered towards the girls
family as the guilty while the medical examination did not establish rape.
Given the pro upper caste bias of the police, and the ability of the rich to
manipulate investigations as well as the fact that killings of recalcitrant
girls are not the monopoly of upper castes the only fact established is
patriarchal values.
In a case in 2012 in Tamil Nadu, a girl of the backward (Vynavar) caste
married a dalit boy of the same village. The social uproar provoked by
backward caste politicians so pressurized the father of the girl that he
died. The girl then gave a statement to the court that she was willingly
going back to her mother and she was escorted back by police. The boy
was found dead on a railway track the same day, and three postmortems
later the verdict remained suicide. The girl did not attend the cremation
despite being invited by the boys father. This was the fate of two consenting
adults. Additionally, there are off and on many reports of killing of couples
in upper caste bodies decreed deaths in Maharashtra and other states.
In a recent case in Meerut, the Hindu communal organizations were
frenzied over what they claimed was the gang rape of a Hindu girl by muslim
men including the village pradhan, her being taken to a madarsa for
conversion, her abortion etc. The girl was a teacher in the madarsa. She
was helped by her parents to file a case of gangrape against some muslim
men and she gave interviews to the press confirming her statement and
saying that 150 women were being held captive in the madarsa. Then some
different facts emerged. The girl had been admitted to Meerut Medical
College Hospital in her own name for an ectopic pregnancy (baby in the
tube) and the name of the man who accompanied her was a Kaleem who
was not named in the gangrape though the police arrested him as his name
was in the hospital records. She left hospital the next day as the ectopic
was removed but as this procedure requires aftercare, she developed severe
infection. She also had a scar on the abdomen due to the surgery. This
must have made her condition obvious hence the complaint of an abortion.
But the tremendous pressure on the girl to explain her condition is clear.
She had been readmitted to Meerut Medical College but was discharged
from there and taken away by her parents as soon as the medical facts
were brought to light by the police. The case abruptly faded away from the
media and from the high pitched campaign of RSS and BJP. No doubt the
pressures on a gang rape victim are tremendous but the rest of the facts
were not explained by her. The village in which she lives has an interfaith
divide and it is not routine for a Hindu girl to seek employment in a madarsa.
(Two months later the girl told the truth). In response to the propaganda of
love jihad and misuse of Hindu women, the police stated that of the cases
of gender violence in the district, only in 19% cases were the accused
boys Muslims and anyway not all complainants were Hindu girls.
The statement of sharpshooter Tara from Ranchi that she was a victim
of love jihad came as a shot in the arm for Hindu communal forces after
the Meerut fiasco. She alleged she had married her husband, who had a
Hindu name and Hindu (some reports said the father was a Sikh) named
parents, after getting to know him locally, according to Hindu rites. Few
weeks later, she alleged her husband was actually a Muslim and was forcing
her and physically beating her to convert to Islam. Neighbours said the
man was known only by the Hindu name and it turned out he had also
worked with a BJP leader and was well known to several police officers of
Jharkhand and a judge from Bihar. Much hue and cry later the husband
and his mother (the father was dead) were arrested. The fact then emerged
that the mother Kaushalya Devi was a Muslim (Kauser Parveen) who
converted to marry the boys father and she also took on a Hindu first
name. It is even probable that she or both the parents had also given the
boy an informal Muslim name. It is also possible that her interaction with
NEW DEMOCRACY
43 44
her natal family may have increased after her husbands death. As for the
man, one does not have to be of any specific religion to be a wife beater
and guilty of domestic violence. But the love jihad the sharpshooter spoke
of would have to start with her father in law. Thus do the Hindutva forces
lead to belittling of the love between two individuals. The victim of domestic
violence may have mistakenly hoped to get more attention with this
phraseology, but the facts of the mother in laws background took the steam
out of the national medias coverage. The Jharkhand police said that no
papers or documents have been found in which the man has used any
name other than his own. The senior police officers who knew the man
were called in for questioning. The husband was charged with terrorism
and with physical violence against the wife and sent to jail. Later the
Jharkhand CM handed the case over to the CBI. Kaushalya is also in jail.
Conclusions
The essential issue at stake is the freedom of women to right to choose
partners, lifestyles and careers. The last has been made easier by the
stagnation in agriculture, the rising priceline and the need of a second
income in the household. Women are preferred in jobs due to more sincerity,
less trend to organize and willingness to work for comparatively lesser
wages. All surveys of youth show that by and large they wed by parental
choice , but that tiny minority that makes its own choices has set patriarchal
India afire. Thus the first issue is that womens right to choice must be
asserted. Marriages face problems and breakups even in arranged marriages
and it is quite possible that some love marriages do not work out. Such
cases are no comment on such marriages. Bahu beti izzat worries, love
jihad and khap panchayat decrees are all part of the response of patriarchal
India to enchain women, to keep caste and faith lines pure. If the Hindu
Muslim marriages are seen they are between partners who grew up in the
same localities, or studied together or worked in one establishment. So too
for inter caste and intra gotra marriages. The version of the RSS pamphlets
of Muslim boys luring girls by going around on motorcycles is not
substantiated. Regarding eve teasing and boys on motorcycles and actually
now even cars as well as on foot hanging outside womens colleges and
hostel gates any survey will show that no religion has a monopoly on this
particular activity. Stalking as an offence, gender teasing to be punished
more severely, special punishments for acid attacks, attacks on women
who spurn unwanted advances-these were discussed as crimes by the
Verma Commission on the demands of women and they were directed at
no particular faith but at the patriarchal values of Indian society.
Second, on the issue of love jihad, it should be remembered that the
Nazis too would not let the aryan women cohabit with Jews or others in
order to protect the purity of the Aryan race. On 10
th
August 2014 the RSS
announced a rakhi drive throughout UP to protect the Hindu religion. Again
around mid and late 2000s, there was a hue and cry in Britain about love
jihad and 50,000 conversions or so were alleged.
Indian women definitely need new democratic revolution to break the
basis of patriarchal values and provide the structure to ensure progressive
values and right to equality and freedom for all women. Now progressive
movements must uphold the womens right to choice and demand proactive
police and state support for such couples and to safeguard the right to
choose. Laws should be changed to meet these needs. There must be
adequate safeguards for protecting the lives of such couples. Justice must
be demanded and fought for, for victims of communal sexual violence ,
caste based gender violence, apart from justice for all victims of caste and
communal violence. And especially women of all communities must be
reached to understand the issues of anti patriarchal struggles. Women
form a reservoir of backward feudal values but they are the victims of
these values too and they must be reached by the progressive womens
movement.
NEW DEMOCRACY
45 46
Sarada Scam in West Bengal-
Behind a Shadow economy
Ami t Chakr abor t y
The Sarada scam in West Bengal has created a sensation .The Sarada
group, a consortium of over 200 companies that claimed to run a wide
variety of schemes has bankrupted lakhs of small investors robbing them
of their life savings.The multi-level marketing scheme of the group - a
Ponzi scheme - has taken its toll.
The scam highlights the failure of the Trinamool Congress led
government and its regulatory agencies to reign in the mushrooming of
multi level marketing companies in the name of chit fund companies in
West Bengal. It also brings under the scanner the Trinamool Congress
close relationship with the group.
The group collected an estimated amount of INR 200300 billion (USD
46 billion) from over 1.7 million depositors before collapsing in April 2013.
The Government of West Bengal, where the Sarada Group and the majority
of investors were based, constituted an inquiry commission to investigate
the scam. They set up a fund of INR 5 billion ($92M) to ensure that low-
income investors are not bankrupted.The Central Government through the
Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate also launched a multi-
agency probe to investigate the Sarada scam, as well as other similar
Ponzi schemes. In May 2014, the Supreme Court of India citing inter-state
ramifications, possible international money laundering, serious regulatory
failures and alleged political nexus, transferred all investigations in the
Sarada Scam to Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI).
Like all Ponzi schemes, Sarada Group promised astronomical returns.
Its funds were sold on commission by agents who were recruited locally.
As much as 2540% of the deposit was returned to these agents as
commissions and lucrative gifts distributed to quickly build up a widespread
agent pool.The group used a nexus of companies to launder money & evade
regulators.
Initially, Sarada collected money from the public by issuing secured
debentures. Under Indian Securities regulations and section 67 of the Indian
Companies Act (1956), a company cannot raise capital from more than 50
people without issuing a proper prospectus and balance sheet. Their
accounts must be audited and it must also have explicit permission from
SEBI to operate.
In 2009 SEBI first sought clarification from Sarada Group . Sarada Group
adapted by opening as many as 200 new companies to create more cross-
holdings. This created an extremely complex tiered corporate structure in
order to prevent SEBI by disturbing their ability to consolidate blame.
Sarada Group changed its methods of raising capital. In West Bengal,
Jharkhand, Assam and Chhattisgarh, it began operating variations of
collective investment schemes (CIS) involving tourism , forward travel and
hotel booking, real estate, infrastructure finance, timeshare credit transfer,
and motorcycle manufacturing. Investors were not informed about the true
nature of their investments. With other investors, the investment was
fraudulently sold in the form of a chit fund.
In some schemes, the group promised that on a deposit of Rs 1 lakh an
investor will get Rs 10 lakhs after 14 years. If the same amount of money
was kept in a fixed deposit in a bank for the same period, the amount
accrued would be Rs 4 lakh. This means that the rate of return promised
by the group was more than double of that promised by commercial banks.
According to some media estimates, the number of agents employed by
Saradha group may be around 2,7 lakhs, while the total amount of money
mobilised by the group can run into thousands of crores. The huge collection
of money from the agents was deposited with the main company which
floated 160 companies (according to the letter submitted by Sudipto Sen
to the CBI), including a large number of newspapers and TV channels.
The money mobilisation technique of the group was very complex for
a number of reasons. Firstly, in none of the documents did the group mention
anything about mobilising money from the public, and hence kept itself out
of the purview of either the Reserve bank of India (RBI) or SEBI.The SEBI
report mentions that the group never sought any permission from it to run
such a scheme. The promise of providing a plot of land, or a flat after the
maturity of the scheme was also a hoax. The SEBI found that the land/flat
allotted to the investors was not pre-determined, and the investors had no
control over the scheme, or the property. Even after repeated prodding by
the SEBI, the group failed to furnish the required information, and tried to
NEW DEMOCRACY
47
48
mislead SEBI by providing voluminous& irrelevant data.Finally when they
furnished the information, it was found that it contained details of only 5
projects while the group claimed to have acquired land in 31 sites. The
details of allocation were not provided. SEBI was bound to conclude that
It is highly unlikely that the projects are actually in progress. The
investigation disclosed that a motorcycle factory run by the group did not
carry out any manufacturing. The workers were told to act as if they were
producing the bikes when the Sarada management brought in investors to
showcase the factory as an important asset of Sarada.The group worked
by blatantly violating all regulations and laws which shows complete failure
of the regulatory authority of both the Central & State governments.
In April 2010, the Left Front government sent a letter to the SEBI to
investigate the groups activities. The Left Front government had passed a
bill first in 2003, and then in 2009, to protect the interest of depositors and
reign in such fraudulent companies. The bill has sections under which the
property of such companies could be confiscated and auctioned to repay
investors and charge them with criminal culpability. But even after four
years, the bill still awaits Presidential assent.It is also interesting to note
that many prominent district leaders of CPI(M) had close relationship with
Sarada group.Before 2010 Sudipta Sen ,the Sarada top brass had very
cordial relationship with CPIM leaders & had easy access to Alimuddin
street office of state committee of CPI(M) .
Sarada Group invested heavily in sectors such as the Bengali film
industry. There they recruited famous actress and Trinamool Congress
(TMC) MP from Birbhum Ms.Satabdi Roy as its brand ambassador. Famous
Bollywood actor & Rajya Sabha MP from Trinamool Congress became brand
ambassador of Sarada Groups media platform. . Noted film actress Aparna
Sen was made the editor of Parama,a magazine for women.
Mr.Kunal Ghosh, another Trinamool Congress Member of parliament,
presently languishing in Jail worked as the CEO of the media group.There
was a time when not a single appointment in Sarada led media or newspaper
was possible without Kunal Ghoshs permission.That time Kunal Ghosh
was closest associate of Ms. Mamata Banerjee.Under Kunal Ghosh, the
group went on a spree of acquiring and establishing local television channels
and newspapers, investing around INR 9.88 billion in the media group. By
2013 it employed over 1500 journalists and owned eight newspapers
published in five regional languages. It also owned two Bengali news
channels (Tara Newz and Channel 10), two Bengali general entertainment
channels (Tara Muzic and Tara Bangla), one Punjabi general entertainment
channel (Tara Punjabi), one international channel aimed at Indian diaspora
(TV South East Asia) and one FM radio station.
In 2011, Sarada Group bought heavily indebted companies like Global
Automobiles, West Bengal Awadhoot Agro Private Ltd, located in North
24-Parganas, and Landmark Cement in Bankura to bluff agents and
depositors and convinced them that the Sarada Group had diversified their
business.
As part of their corporate social responsibility program, Sarada Group
donated motorcycles to the Kolkata Police. They also donated ambulances
and motorcycles for the Jangalmahal area of West Midnapore. Sarada Group
invested in the best known football clubs in Bengal: Mohun Bagan A.C.
(INR 18 million in 201011) and East Bengal F.C. (INR 35 million since
2010).Mr.Debabrata Sarker,Secretary of East Bengal Club has been
arrested in connection with Sarada scam & alleged to have played the role
of middleman between Sarada & SEBI officials.The group also generously
sponsored various Durga Puja celebrations organised by local political
leaders.
The CBI investigations & Kunal Ghoshs recent press briefing hints at
the personal involvement of All India TMC general secretary Mukul
Roy,West Bengal Transport minister Madan Mitra,Haldia MP Subhendu
Adhikary& CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb.The contract between IRCTC & Sarada
group during Ms. Mamata Banerjees tenure as Railway Minister has also
tarnished the Clean image of West Bengal chief minister. Several political
leaders received financial support from Sarada Group, including members
of the Parliament of Trinamool Congress, the incumbent ruling party of
West Bengal.
Parliament member Kunal Ghosh drew a salary of INR 1.6 million per
month from Sarada Group. Member of Parliament Srinjoy Bose was directly
involved with the media operations of Sarada Group. Transport Minister
Madan Mitra headed the employees union of Sarada Group- Sudipto Sen
reportedly spent INR 18.6 million to buy paintings by Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata government later issued a notification that public libraries should
buy and display newspapers of Sarada group. The loss making Landmark
Cement company co-owned by Textiles Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee,
NEW DEMOCRACY
49 50
was bought by Sarada Group. The group also had financial dealings with
Ganesh Dey, the confidential assistant of the Finance Minister of the
erstwhile Left Front government who was later expelled from party.
Politicians from other states also benefited from Sarada Group. The
Health and Education Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, may have
profited personally from the Ponzi scheme. Sen claimed that he paid INR
250 million to Manoranjana Singh, wife of former Congress member of
Parliament from Assam and Union Cabinet minister Matang Singh, INR 30
million to her father K.N Gupta to buy shares in a TV channel , allegedly at
an inflated price. According to officials investigating the case, the actual
amount paid could be almost double of what is being claimed. Leaders of
BJD in Orissa ,many high ranking police officials of WB,Orissa & Assam
has been investigated & arrested.
The abnormally high rate of return promised by Sarada was either not
feasible or involved too much risk.The rate of return of more than 20%was
highly impossible.If we look at the second half of last decade we find that
the financial assets of household sectors in India increased to15.6% of
GDP while physical assets declined from12.9% to 11.8% of GDP.But during
this period in spite of greater degree of financialisation of savings the share
of small savings schemedeclined to 2.6% from 19.5% than the first half of
last decade.West Bengal was worst hit by fall in small savings deposits.The
data collected from small savings deposits shows that net collection from
small savings declined by Rs.9000 crore in between 2011-13.
The higher rate of return promised by Sarada must have sucked this
money from small investors during that period.RBI working group has
mentioned several reasons why the people do not want to keep their money
in banks; the newly added factor is the impact of liberalization.In West
Bengal decline of organized financial sector has helped small savings'
investors of rural area to fall prey to these institutions like Sarada, Rose
Valley, MPS, Alkemist etc.
The question to be answered is why people trusted Sarada & why people
enrolled as their agents.In spite of false promise of higher return by Sarada,
customers had faith in Sarada because this group & all other similar groups
built their trust by keeping proximity to ruling parties of different states.In
government sector government plays the role of guarantor and that brings
the trust of common people. But these types of companies where there are
information asymmetry and fraudulent promises are bound to run a nexus
between corrupt officials of SEBI, RBI, State administrators, Police officials
and political leaders in power.Initially Sarada had close proximity with
CPI(M) leaders & then with change of government in West Bengal they
developed close ties with Trinammol congress party and its associates.
The reason for enrolment of people as Sarada agents can be explained
by the following:liberalization has led to informalisation of labour force all
over India. The labour in informal sector of West Bengal is 86% rural and
71% in urban sector which is higher than all india average.In West Bengal
the manufacturing sector and agricultural sector was declining, NREGA
also failed to raise real wage of rural population. These phenomena led the
people to join these institutions in search of better livelihood.Trinamool
Congress and their government appeared as guarantor to people.The
common people believed them and were finally cheated.In the absence of
intervention by regulatory authorities and at the same time active patronage
by Trinamool Congress and other ruling party leaders of different states
this multi level marketing organization in the name of development robbed
off the small savings of common people.
This saga of shadow economy is part and parcel of economy of
liberalization and can never exist without the patronization of ruling political
parties, bureaucrats and state machinery.
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NEW DEMOCRACY
51 52
Chit fund Scam in Odisha
The so called Odisha Chapter (reference to W. Bengal) of a massive
chit fund scam is slowly unravelling to reveal firstly, that it is much bigger
than it was initially estimated. It is now measured at 20,000 crore rupees
and involves duping of one million ordinary, gullible people of Odisha. It
will probably prove to be a bigger loot of public money than the Sarada
scam of W. Bengal (70 crores of which are said to involve the Odisha
public) though it is the latter which has deluged the major newspapers as it
is in a state on the political target of BJP. However the exposure in Odisha
is showing up intricately close connections between the companies involved
and the political leadership of the state, in this case the BJD, which
patronized them and also kept their cover from breaking for as long as it
could. Thus do those who are supposed to protect the people and enforce
the laws remain in the pay of those who defraud the common people.
When the scam broke in early 2013, the Naveen Patnaik Govt. quickly
announced a Rs. 300 crore corpus fund for the victims. He said special
prosecutors would be appointed for such cases and all district police chiefs
would meet complainants on a regular basis. In addition he set up an Enquiry
Commission, first asking for a sitting judge of Odisha High Court to head
the same. He later appointed the ex Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court
and Chairman of Odisha Human Rights Commission as the head. He also
announced a probe by the crime branch of the Odisha police. The crime
branch had in 2010 made a list of around a dozen chit fund companies
including Seashore and AT, but the Odisha Govt. went ahead and signed
MOUs with them for Govt. projects. Be that as it may, the crime branch
probe did not question a single politician and this last process started only
after the Supreme Court mandated CBI probe began. This began after
activists including Alok Jena petitioned the highest court.
In the Supreme Court also, the state Govt. had vigorously argued against
handing over these cases to CBI. Even after the Court decided to hand
over the whole Chit fund scam investigation to CBI, the advocates on behalf
of the state Govt tried to persuade the Court at least not to include the AT
group and Sea Shore group in the CBI investigation list.
There are 44 companies under the purview of this probe. The earlier
investigation had centred mainly on the AT group (Artha Tatra) which may
just not be the biggest guilty.
Probe Reaches Govt. and State Operatives
In mid September 2014 the CBI arrested (former) Advocate General of
Odisha Ashok Mohanty for a highly suspicious land deal with AT group
chief Pradip Sethy. He is charged with abusing his official position and
misappropriating funds of AT. Mohanty resigned as AG after being
summoned by the CBI, but Naveen Patnaik govt. accepted it after four
months. The former AG was arrested 10 days after his resignation was
accepted.
While the former AG maintains that he paid for the land by SBI cheques
drawn on his own account, CBI believes it was a gift for services rendered
to save the company from law. They claim to have found that on 5
th
October
2012, Sethy sought no objection (NOC) to sell his plot further. Within 20
days of the NOC he sold it to Mohanty without receiving any payment. A
CBI special court denied bail and sent him to jail till 30
th
September. The
High Court Bar Association called for protests against the illegal arrest
but this is seen as a move sponsored by the ruling BJD.
11 MLAs including a couple of Ministers are said to be dodging summons
to appear before the CBI court for links with AT company. The entire BJD
top brass appears to have patronized this and several other chit fund
companies. The sitting BJD MP (Mayurbhanj), Shri Ram Chander Hansda,
is said to have been already interrogated. Rs.28 lakhs of cash was
recovered by the CBI raid from the residence of Mr. Hansda. The leader of
the BJD in the Rajya Sabha, Kalpataru Das, who was a former minister in
the state cabinet, resigned from his post after his MLA sons name figured
in a 200 acre land scam. It is said that the Speaker has kept sitting on the
CBI plea to question BJD MLAs including ministers, waiting for a nod from
Naveen Patnaik which was not forthcoming. The BJD leader in the Lok
Sabha, Bhartruhari Mahtab, has been mobilized to defend the former AG.
Besides names of several BJD leaders, including those linked to the Chief
Minister, are under the scanner. Fingers are also being pointed at the CM
for not only protecting the companies but also for projecting them. There
are some photographs of Ranjan Das (one of the prime accused) helping
senior BJD leaders Kalpataru Das and Pravat Tripathy file the nomination
papers of the CM for the party presidents elections. The CM also attended
NEW DEMOCRACY
53 54
the inaugural function of a news channel owned by jailed chit fund accused
Prashant Das who is the owner of Sea Shore group. Apart from the BJD
leaders two former BJP MLAs of Khariar and Keonjhar (the latter is now a
sitting MLA of BJD) and state Congress leader Sambit Khuntia were found
to be involved in this scam. While the former were interrogated by the CBI
and their houses were raided Sambit was arrested and put in jail. In the two
month long CBI investigation it is clearly established that leaders of all the
three major ruling class parties like BJD, BJP and Congress are involved
in this scam. The active involvement of political leaders, senior police
officers, AG, additional AG and judges, media barons in this multi thousand
crore chit fund scam, once again confirms that all so called pillars of
democracy are neck deep in this looting of public money.
Several top police officers are also being scanned by the CBI for their
role in firstly facilitating the operations of the chit fund scam and then
badly fudging the probe after the scandal broke out in early 2013.
Seven people have been arrested by the CBI including the former AG
and three media house owners (two newspaper owners and one Tv channel)
for their alleged links with AT group which is accused of swindling 700
crores from gullible depositors.
The Companies Involved
The CBI has registered 44 cases against 44 companies. One of the
bigger ones is the AT group whose scale of operations is reported to have
been enormous- from real estate to stock broking, gold trading to film
making. It began in 2009 and folded up in 2013. Deepak Chandratan Pareek,
the Mumbai based stockbroker who allegedly helped obtain stock broking
and gold trading licenses for the group said that the top bosses of the
company spent crores on showbiz stars, starlets and high society escorts
at a five star hotel on the Mumbai Pune highway every weekend. The AT
group was functioning as a multipurpose cooperative society under the
state Govts Orissa Self help Cooperative Society Act. Even the states
Cooperative Minister Damodar Rout had felicitated the AT group chief
Pradeep Sethy as the best cooperator of the year on behalf of the state
Govt.
The Seashore group is the biggest of the homegrown companies with
which the Patnaik Govt. signed a spate of MOUs for govt. projects. The
operations of this company became big enough for it to operate an office in
Dubai. This apparently was frequented by its unnamed mentor who was a
powerful leader of the ruling party at that time.
Another major chit fund company which is facing enquiry is GRIL-Green
Ray International Limited. This Balasore based company went into mining
in Nigeria using the money of the people of Odisha. It also opened an
office in Dubai. The passport of the promoter of the company, Mr.
Shahiruddin, has been impounded by the Nigerian authorities after India
informed of the criminal investigation against him. Another company raided
by the CBI is Nabadiganta Capital Services Ltd. a chit fund company. One
of its directors, Pradeep Kumar Pattnaik, has been interrogated. The
company is run by 5 active directors. Manoj Dash the owner of a private
television channel was sent to judicial custody for alleged involvement
with AT group. A Mumbai based model and producer Preeti Bhatia was
also arrested for alleged involvement with AT group.CBI maintains that
funds were diverted to her company account, personal account and accounts
of her relatives without any valid reason. Bhatia and AT group chief Sethy
are directors of a Mumbai based entertainment company (Prism Heights).
Activists believe that the scams of just AT and Seashore together would
amount to 20 thousand crore. Meanwhile there is almost consensus on the
involvement of the ruling apparatus including the Chief Minister in this
betrayal of public trust and loot of common peoples money by these chit
fund companies. All such companies run ponzi schemes, i.e. fictitiously
promising huge gains on small sums of money which they take from people.
Obviously their target is very ordinary and simple citizenry. Whatever the
truth behind the criminal charges of any given company, the criminal
culpability of the ruling class politicians and state machinery is undoubtable.
NEW DEMOCRACY
55 56
Punjabi University Patiala
Students Force Withdrawal
of Fee Hike
In this academic year, Punjabi University Patiala doubled the fee of its
affiliated colleges and also increased the campus fee. On 13th August
Punjab Students' Union (PSU) gave a state level strike call. Students
responded to it in various parts of Punjab. But Punjabi Universitys students
response was enormous. After almost a decade Punjabi University students
were in agitational mood. After the strike PSU decided to organize class
meetings to prepare the students to intensify the struggle. Simultaneously
PSU also called a meeting of campus based students' organizations and
formed a SANJHA VIDYARTHI ORCHA (Joint Students Front). PSU,
DSO and SWO became part of this morcha while PSU was its main. SFI
and AISF had earlier agreed to the fee hike and compromised with the
authorities.
Sanjha Vidyarthi Morcha organized a candle march in the University
and announced that it would initiate permanent gherao at the VC Office
from 18th September. On 18th September thousands of students came
onto the roads of the University and gheraoed the VC office. Next day was
Friday, hence authorities were expecting that due to the weekend students
will go home but hundreds of students stayed back on Friday night in front
of the VC office. Authorities initiated negotiations and agreed to roll back
the total fee hike of Arts departments but refused to roll back fee hike of
science and engineering students. Student leadership rejected their
proposal. The authorities then took recourse to threatening the students
but the leadership and the students stood firm. After that authorities resumed
negotiations.
Student leaders exposed the scam that Rs. 15,500 were charged from
Science and Engineering students in the name of Special charges, Sports
funds, educational tour funds and under many other heads. These were
charged five times. These Funds were not part of university fees. The
authorities had no answer. Students challenged the authorities to come
out with the real facts.
On Sunday a huge gathering started collecting in front of VC office late
in the evening. Authorities again started discussions with students'
leadership. Authorities had no answer on the scam. After four hours of
negotiations authorities had to agree on hundred percent fee hike roll back
in all departments and promise to build a 300 room hostel at the end of this
session. This agitation has saved 1.5 crore rupees of the university students
and post graduate students of all colleges. A committee had also been
formed to investigate the scam in the name of fees and funds. Student
leaders also will be part of this committee. It will investigate this matter
within a month and the people responsible will be punished. After four days
and nights, permanent gherao was lifted on 21st September night after the
announcement by Dean Students Welfare.
The significant aspect of this struggle was that after a long time the
science and engineering students participated massively. This struggle
has established a new leadership of all organizations. But PSU has gained
more than the others. This victory will have a huge impact on the student
movement in Punjab. This struggle also taught new lessons to the leadership
which can help in future to build students' movements. First, now girls are
coming massively in struggle and also stand firm when they come out.
Secondly, students of science and engineering no more consider struggles
as irrelevant. Heavy charges and little scope of placements have broken
their illusions and they are also seeing their future in struggle. Next, we
have to change the routine of agitational methods and try to build an
agitational centre. That lesson PSU had drawn few years ago as well and
this struggle once again reinforced this lesson.
NEW DEMOCRACY
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Punish Guilty of Attack on
Students of Jadavpur University
The Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress Govt. has unleashed an
unprecedented attack against the students of Jadavpur University (JU).
On 16th September students of Jadavpur University had organized a
programme to meet the executive council of JU demanding proper &
impartial enquiry into an allegation of molestation. The Vice Chancellor of
the University who is a well known Trinamool loyalist, did not take up the
matter properly. In the dark hours of night, when peaceful demonstration
was going on, students were playing guitars and singing chorus songs,
suddenly, the lights were switched off. Police entered the administrative
block and attacked the students. Hundreds of them were injured. Several
students had head injuries and chest injuries & were admitted into hospitals.
36 students, including girl students, were arrested. Male police manhandled
girl students, there was no lady police during the police action.
Students from different parts of Kolkata, including thousands of students
of JU, spontaneously protested against this atrocity. In the early hours of
17th September students organized a road blockade in front of Jadavpur
PS . In the afternoon about 5000 students marched protesting the police
action, demanding resignation of Vice Chancellor and condemning the anti
democratic, anti student role of Mamata Banerjee government. Next day
also there was a large protest rally organized by the students of Kolkata. It
was a spontaneous one. On 19th Sept. APDR and students of Presidency
University organized a rally in solidarity with the students of JU. Students
of different colleges including Medical College and other general colleges
also participated there. Teachers Association of JU (JUTA) has condemned
the incident. On 20th Sept. a mammoth rally was organized by the students
of Kolkata which met the governor demanding resignation of VC and
punishment of guilty officials.
The police attack in Jadavpur has exposed the real face of TMC govt.
of West Bengal. When TMC leaders attack teachers and principals of
different colleges of West Bengal e.g. Bhangar college, Raigunj college,
Gourbanga University, there the police & govt . officials are indifferent.
The Chief Minister is trying to dilute the incidents calling them trifle matter.
In Jadavpur students are fighting for democratic rights and self respect.
We firmly stand by them. Raise your voice in support of their struggle.
Gajapati (Odisha) : Landless
tribals and dalits gherao
Collectorate
On 16
th
September 2014, thousands of landless peasants mainly tribals
and dalits gheraoed the Gajapati collectorate at Paralakhemundi demanding
their rights over land and forest. This programme was organized by
CPI(ML)ND and Lok Sangram Manch jointly in which more than three
thousand people from five blocks (Mandals) of the district participated to
press their demands over land and forest right before the state Govt. In
Gajapati district landless people particularly the tribals have taken the lead
in capturing hundreds of acres of land over the past several years. These
include Govt land, forest land, temple land and even the illegal patta lands
of landlords. Coming under the pressure of land movement, the district
administration (both the revenue and police) had convened meetings on
land issue several times in the past and assured the CPI(ML) ND and LSM
leaders to distribute the Govt. land among the landless people living in
each village. Though the Odisha Govt. several times in the past has
promised to distribute the Govt. land to every landless family but it has
never materialized. As per the Odisha land reform Act also there is provision
to distribute the Govt. land in each village to the landless and homeless
people.
After the enactment of Forest Right Act the Govt. does not seem to be
serious about allotting titles to tribals over their forest land. Thousands of
applications are pending
before different district
aut hori t i es f or years
together but the process of
clearance is very slow. In
majority of cases where
t i t le was i ssued t ri bal
people were given only
some deci mal s of
homestead land instead of
agricultural land.
Similarly after receiving
NEW DEMOCRACY
59 60
the letter of GOI, Govt. of Odisha has ordered all district collectors to carry
out a survey of landless dalits in their respective districts so that the Govt
will buy private land with its own money to distribute among landless people
particularly among dalits. But due to lack of political will this order was not
implemented. But citing this order CPI(ML)ND and Lok Sangram Manch
has demanded and organized movements to pressurize the Govt. to
distribute land among landless dalits where there is no Govt. land available
in that village Mouza.
In Gajapati district due to the pressure of land movement the district
administration convened several meeting in the past with our leaders and
in principle agreed to distribute the Govt. land and where there is no Govt.
land available, they will distribute only homestead land to poor people by
purchasing it from private persons. Similarly it has agreed to speed up the
processing of claim forms of tribal people under Forest Right Act (FRA).
Demanding titles over Govt. land, to distribute land purchasing private
land and issue pattas under FRA the Gajapati unit of CPI(ML)ND and LSM
organized the programme on 16
th
Sept. A huge rally started from the Court
square with members of Inquilab Sanskrutika Manch dancing in the front.
After reaching the Collectorate a meeting was held in which Comrade Jacob
Raita, district president of LSM presided. Comrade Bhalachandra,
spokesperson of CPI(ML)ND in Odisha in his speech criticized the Modi
led NDA Govt. for diluting the FRA, Land Acquisition Act, MGNREGA and
Labour Acts in the interest of corporate. Citing the ongoing arrest of many
ruling party leaders by the CBI in connection with the multi lakh crore Chit
fund scam he said that this has exposed the loot of peoples hard earned
savings by the Naveen Govt. Instead of distributing land to the landless
the Govt. is more concerned to allot thousands of acres to different corporate
houses. He urged the Govt to fulfill the demands of tribals and give them
right over land and forest otherwise people will force the administration.
CPI(ML)ND district committee member Comrade Karuka Sabara, LSM district
secretary Comrade Haribandhu Karjee and tribal leader Samsan Gomango
also spoke on the occasion and urged the people to intensify their struggle
over land and forest. In the end a 7 member delegation met the District
Collector and submitted a memorandum to her.
Ban Surrogacy in India
The Govt. of India has decided to table a Bill on surrogacy, which is
called the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill. In fact it is
a Bil l to regulate cl inics whose main work is surrogacy. Assist ed
reproduction is not at all about surrogacy, which is actually a method to
use another womans body to produce a baby entirely based on monetary
consideration; babies 'made to order' for those who want them and are
willing to buy. Surrogacy is a method of catering to the patriarchal cravings
of the rich by using the lives and bodies of poor women of developing
countries.But ART clinics do maximally this.
This Bill is coming before Parliament in a country where the facts of a
case involving an Australian couple in 2012 have just come to light. The
couple refused to take the female twin in a set of twin babies born of a
surrogate in India. Eventually the girl twin was probably sold to a customer
by the agent who had arranged the surrogacy, of course in the name of
being adopted but no due process of the law of adoption was followed. In
between the Australian Govt. was pressurizing its Embassy in Delhi to
quickly arrange for the couples return. This information has come out not
because of the Indian Govt. but due to an investigation in Australia. The
Govt. of India, whose citizens the twins were , did not appear on the scene
to assert that both children being equal should be equally treated and
especially being twins, should either both be left behind or be taken.
Regulations for surrogacy are in place, as those who talk about the need
for a law to regulate should know. Since 2005, guidelines of the ICMR(Indian
Council of Medical Research) are in place, the Supreme Court has declared
surrogacy legal on unstated grounds, but who will enforce these regulations
in a market transaction between the rich and the poor especially when the
victim is a woman a second sex in Indian society- and in want? That too
when the foreign markets' demand of Indian surrogates is high as they are
cheap, and medical tourism is a growing and flourishing industry with doctors,
agents, Hotel and Tourism industry presenting neat packages?
The Bill seeks to ban surrogacy for single foreigners. Now the rights of
gay couples are being talked about. But the issues of any surrogate in
India, of her assent being ultimately linked to poverty and want, of doctors
and agents who show this as a route to easy money without telling of the
NEW DEMOCRACY
61 62
risks involved to the health and even life of the surrogate and a poor
unemployed woman feeling that this is something she can do to ease the
economic burdens of her family- all these are not issues of concern. Nor
does the bill tell what should be the money that a surrogate is entitled to;
what in the eyes of the Indian legal system is the cost of the use of her
body? It is as if she is a mechanical instrument and a general law which
states how many times she can be so used is sufficient. How will life be
compensated for if she dies-like as of an accident victim or a construction
worker or a victim of natural calamity? What if the babies born to her have
genetic illnesses as has happened in Thailand where another Australian
couple discarded a child born of a surrogate because the baby was born
with mental retardation? In the name of regulation is the marketing of
babies where the pedigree of the genetic mother (if the ova of a donor is
used),the colour of the eyes, of the skin, the hair and even the sex will be
made to order.
Why not adoption? India has a vast number of discarded, unwanted
children in need of home and parents. But ofcourse this does not look after
the patriarchal pangs of own which is what the advertizers of this industry
cash upon so hard. This is a country of feudal values where there is idolatory
of film stars brave enough to be patriarchal and use surrogates rather
than upholding adoptors as role models.
Hypocricy is the byword of the rich and of the ruling class parties who
cater to them. The BJP has no problem with its Govt. facilitating rich of all
countries and hence of all religions to purchase the use of Indian women
as surrogates and to use their bodies for developing the children of the
former. The Congress led UPA Govt. who initially conceived this Bill, also
had anyway no scruples about poor women being used and viewed as
merely commodities in great want in the foreign market. Modi s call to
'Make in India evidently is to apply to all sectors and surrogacy is the
most happening event in bringing in money in medical tourism-not because
of medical skill, mind, but because of the cheap poor women .And as for
the CPM, Brinda Karat has been vocal about a law being needed to regulate
surrogacy. No womens organization of any official left party has yet
demanded a ban on surrogacy
This is the time to demand it. It is necessary to speak against patriarchal
values, to speak for the poor of India. Give employment opportunities with
a living wage to all women, let us demand. There is no question of free
will of one in want. Ban surrogacy, let us demand , and do not mock
women by seeking to regulate this ultimate commodification of womens
bodies. Let no one have illusions that this is only a problem of cities; it is
an intensely class question as much as a gender question. A powerful
movement to demand scrapping of regulatory bills will immediately expose
the penetration of this industry and its apologists in the name of right of
science It is an insult to Science and Scientific Research to call surrogacy
a scientific achievement. It is a practice as old as feudalism to use the
body of poor women to carry the progeny of the rich. The difference that
science has made is that the genetic mother need no longer be the biological
mother and the process of fertilization can be done in a laboratory.
An Investigation into Communal
Violence in Trilokpuri
The morning papers of 26
th
October 2014 carried news of communal
clashes in Trilokpuri area with policemen among 14 injured, gunshot injuries
and police claims of the situation as 'tense but under control. The police
also claimed that aman committees have been set up in the area.
A three member team from two progressive organizations of Delhi-
Advocate Ms. Poonam Kaushik, General Secretary and Advocate Ms.
Shobha, President of Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan (PMS) and Rajesh,
Delhi Committee Member of Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU)
visited Trilokpuri area on Sunday 26
th
October. They saw the people sitting
at the Mata ki Chowki in Block 20 (few youth who locals said were
unemployed), and met residents of Block 20, Block 26, and of Sanjay
Camp just adjacent to Block 27 and the ACP of the area. They also tried to
meet the DCP.
The facts that could be ascertained were as follows. Trilokpuri is a
resettlement colony set up since 1975, with residents having 22 yards
plots. Residents of the area are mostly Dalits (Valmikis) and Block 27 and
Sanjay Camp are overwhelmingly Muslim populated. The Councillor of the
area is Gurmeet Kaur (Congress), MLA is Raju Dhingan (AAP) and MP
Mahesh Giri (BJP).
There was an incident on Diwali evening (23
rd
October) at a temporary
Mata ki Chowki in Block 20. A dump was situated at the chowk of Block 20
NEW DEMOCRACY
63
64
men have been arrested from their Block and 10 or 12 from Sanjay Camp.
The team found shops were shut. Police and RAF were asking people
to stay indoors and few vegetable sellers they saw were also sent away in
about half an hour. The area was thick with rumours which shows the hand
of communal organizations as there are many elements of the common
propaganda against Muslims.
The ACP refused to speak saying that he was not authorized to do so.
The DCP did not answer the team's calls for an appointment. So a written
request was sent to be allowed to meet the injured policemen and those
who received gunshot injuries to know their version of the incident.
The team found that (1) The incident on Diwali Day provided an excuse
for the Rally on the next day organized by Hindu communal forces. The
subsequent stone throwing was also to deliberately provoke hostility among
communities. (2) No aman committees have been heard of by the people in
the area visited. (3) The area was thick with rumours. No one can say
exactly where and when any shooting took place but they believe it did. No
one saw the injured policemen. There are the usual allegations rife of school
girls of one community being eve teased by the other- by both sides.
The team concluded that a small incident had been used to deliberately
polarize the two communities and subsequently police wrecked barbarity
on the inhabitants of the Muslim dominated Sanjay Camp. The rally
organized by the BJP leader on 24
th
evening followed by a stone pelting
mob the next day laid the ground for deliberately unleashing barbaric police
violence on the minority community. The incident shows the same pattern
followed in Bawana and in other parts of India of using any excuse or incident
to provoke communal polarization. Since both communities live side by
side in so many parts of Delhi, great vigilance and determination is needed
from the people to defend their right to peaceful coexistence and to defeat
the communal conspiracies of the BJP-RSS.
Thus the team demanded that the police and administration must stop
hiding facts from the people. All facts must be made known about the
nature of injuries of the policemen, of the names of those with gunshot
injuries, the bullets should be recovered and sent to verify whether they
are police bullets. A judicial enquiry by a sitting judge should immediately
be ordered into the police violence in Sanjay Camp and into the entire
sequence of events. Police repression must be stopped forthwith; prohibitory
orders should be lifted so that people can procure essentials and policemen
guilty of attacks on minorities must be punished.
since the colony was set up. Few years ago all its walls broke but it still
continued to be the dump. Around five years ago a Hanuman idol was set
up to its left by local boys. These Navaratras a Mata ki Chowki was set up
to its right but no one knows the date of the Jagran when it is supposed to
be lifted. Fifty metres to the right of the dump on the same side is a
Masjid.
On 23
rd
evening around 7:30 PM there was an obscure incident at this
spot after which there was stone throwing. But the residents gave differing
accounts of what had actually happened ranging from a brawl turning into
a clash to stone pelting from the Masjid.
On 24
th
evening, according to the residents of Block 27, at 8 PM there
began a Rally of around 150 people from the office of Sunil Vaidya, former
BJP MLA in Block 21. The rally walked down the main road raising slogans
of Har Har Mahadev and Those who live in Hindustan will have to live
like us. No police escort was present. This is the event that actually
marked the deliberate intervention by Hindu communal organizations to
communally polarize the people.
On the 25
th
, around 1.30 PM, around 100 to 150 men (whom the people
of block 27 described as helmeted and whose photos they had taken)
walked down the main road in front of the blocks pelting stones and broken
bricks. The bricks are still lying on the road. Apparently they injured 13
policemen. A showroom in Block 27 was burnt down the same day.
Residents of other blocks suggested that the owners must have burnt it
themselves.
On 25
th
night the police came to Block 27. According to residents they
broke all vehicles which might have been marked as belonging to Muslims
and then entered the Sanjay Camp. Here they broke open all locked doors
saying men had been hidden in them. Broken doors could be seen when
the team went. Several women had injury marks on their bodies and visible
lathi marks. The team met six of them aged from 15 years to 50 years. A
16 year boy had an injury on the head which he said was a lathi blow. One
shop was open that night; its owner was thrown on the ground and beaten.
Injuries are still visible on his body. No shops were open in this Block and
Camp; residents of the Camp had either fled or are desperate for food and
even asked the team to ask the police to allow them to collectively cook
food. The injured were not going to govt. hospitals for fear of cases being
framed against them. The people here said that they visited the AAP MLA
who refused to help them. Residents of Block 27 said that around 20 boys/

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Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)

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