Real Face of Ruling Classes-Tiny Children Die of Starvation in Capital Delhi while Governments Wrangle

The Shame of it has moved no Government Three tiny children died in Delhi from starvation. They had eaten nothing for eight days. The father, a rickshaw driver, had lost his hired rickshaw, went out looking for work and did not return; the mother is probably mentally challenged or just desperate with starvation and loss herself. The Delhi Government says that this is why they were demanding the Central Government let them do door step delivery of rations; the BJP and Congress condemn the Delhi Government and the BJP representative says that the Centre has given ration to the Delhi Government and it is for that Government to distribute it. What sensitivity!

This is not the first starvation death in Delhi in the recent years. Few years back, three sisters were found starving in Kalkaji- two were qualified women and had looked for jobs but could not find employment. In this case too, the father was looking for work; apparently one of the children went to school where she should at least have got a mid day meal. The second too was of school going age, but apparently was not going to one. This is the reality of this city, so many looking for those jobs that no Government ever created and which now Modi would have us believe are raining down in the country, so what if they miss an occasional person in Delhi. School education too – the AAP Government would have all believe that it has done wonders for education in Government schools with huge buildings and ‘happiness’ classes. These are for those who manage to cross the portals- hundreds and hundreds of little children of Delhi’s jhuggis are turned away for lack of address proofs or on some other issue, so many other families never even dare to think of approaching schools in this Capital city and this when there is a law ensuring right to education. Mid day meals are routinely reported as inadequate, spoilt, and occasionally so bad that children need hospitalization. Children even of primary classes being sick for several days and maybe not even attending school, continues to not be the concern of the school

Deaths occur due to starvation in the Capital city- and yet the successive Govts. would have it that the people below poverty line are decreasing, women are coming out of the workforce because household incomes are increasing, and children and women facing malnutrition is something that people’s movements allege, obviously falsely. The truth is India is facing desperate levels of unemployment and underemployment and people are facing a food crisis- whatever may be the data of Govts. The truth is that the agrarian crisis is desperately impacting especially the small and landless peasant also and migration for work is at an all time high. The truth is that the term ‘Development’ is a dirty farce bandied by the ruling classes of India to obscure the horrible reality, the darkness in the lives of a big majority of the people.

There are outpourings galore of how the people of the city ‘do not care’, ‘should have helped’. None of this should blind us to the culpability of Governance, of the failure to give even children enough to eat, 71 years after 1947. This current case has happened in Delhi, the Capital of the country and it is no accident but a real mirror to the state of the people country wide. This is the reality of this system, where the economic policies were never aimed at building a sovereign, self sufficient economy oriented to the needs of its people.

We call on the youth and students of Delhi- do not waste the deaths of these little lives. The demand being raised by an AAP spokesperson for an ‘enquiry’ is a sham, meant to deflect issues. The current system is guilty. Build a serious, broad based struggle to demand jobs for all and an unemployment allowance equivalent to minimum wage. Citizens of Delhi should demand the Government ensure hundred percent enrolment of children living in the Capital in Delhi’s schools and good quality Mid day meal for all children. Everyone moved, concerned, heartbroken and disturbed by these piteous ‘hunger killings’ by India’s rulers should move to support the forces of new democratic revolution in India. Tears are not enough, not after 71 years and pretending ‘reforms’ are the answer when the very intent of the ruling classes of India is anti people, is running away from reality.

Delhi Committee- CPI(ML)New Democracy.   

Rise Against Supreme Court Judgement on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act! Protest Against Repression on participants in April 2 Bharat Bandh! Release Chandrashekhar !!

 

On April 2 people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and those who oppose the discrimination and harassment, oppression and violence, rapes and murders against the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes demonstrated throughout the country against the Supreme Court Judgement which virtually annulled The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. The Judgement is a blatant and cruel attack on these sections which suffer from crude oppression and atrocities at the hands of dominant upper castes. The Supreme Court Judges have gone against the very spirit of the Constitution and have given a judgment which will intensify the caste oppression, hatred and atrocities and also boost the morale of upper caste goons. The Attorney General has not bothered to attend the Court despite being asked to and the Govt. has represented before the Court that this Act is being widely misused. This is contrary to the harsh reality of an abysmal rate of convictions, low rate of filing of cases anyway, plethora of false cases under other sections filed by the upper castes and police in most cases of such atrocities against the Dalits and adivasis who are the victims and who dare to lodge complaints. Govt.’s filing for review is but an eye-wash as the whole exercise was well orchestrated to annul the Prevention of Atrocities Act. This is in keeping with the upper caste chauvinist, patriarchal agenda of the BJP-RSS Central Govt.

April 2 demonstrations became a sort of outburst of anger against the systematic attempts by the ruling establishment to protect perpetrators of these atrocities, to further marginalize members of these communities and even attack those rights which the struggles in the past had been able to snatch from the ruling classes. It was also an expression of anguish against the insensitive and committed judiciary.

Upper caste chauvinist character of ruling class machinery was much in evidence on April 2. The demonstrators were lathi charged and tear gassed. Live bullets were used against them killing several of them. No action has been taken against the police officials who attacked and killed the protesters. The killings occurred in Rajasthan, MP and UP –all BJP-RSS ruled states. On the other hand a large number of participants, mostly youth, have been arrested, have been beaten and ill-treated by police, false cases have been foisted against them and they are being kept in custody to punish them from daring to protest against caste atrocities and their perpetrators.

April 2 protests opens a new phase of struggle against caste oppression and atrocities, of struggle against the system perpetrating the caste oppression and discrimination and against the ruling class parties which are protecting the perpetrators of these atrocities and are perpetuating the domination of upper castes in all walks of economic, social and political life in the country. April 2 marked large scale participation in the protests all over the country. It is an outburst of a pent-up anger of the exploited and oppressed.

Let us rise to build a broad based and militant struggle against the Supreme Court order and against caste discrimination and oppression. Let us rouse the people into struggle against the inhuman caste system and against the present anti-people system perpetuating caste oppression. Let us intensify the struggle for radical land reforms.

Jyotiba Phule and Dr. Ambedkar have been tireless fighters against the decadent caste system and have become symbols of that struggle. It is appropriate that in this struggle we honour their role in educating and rousing the people against the caste system and in bringing the caste question on the political agenda of the country.

CPI (ML)-New Democracy Central Committee calls upon the people to organize the protests against the Supreme Court order from April 11 (Jyotiba Phule’s Birth Anniversary) to April 14 (DR. Ambedkar’s Birth Anniversary).

Mobilize widest sections of people in these protests. Join hands with revolutionary organizations and other organizations fighting caste oppression and caste discrimination.

We demand that Supreme Court Judges who have given this verdict against the spirit of the Constitution and in favour of increasing the caste atrocities should be impeached. Attorney General should be dismissed. Union Minister of Law should resign failing which he should be dismissed. Supreme Court order should be annulled.

All those arrested for April 2 protests should be released immediately and unconditionally. Police officers responsible for killing, injuring and foisting cases against protesters should be punished.

Rise with intensity and in number to wipe out this blot (Supreme Court Order). Mobilize the people against caste atrocities, caste oppression and this inhuman caste system.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy

April 7, 2018

 

 

Lenin and Indian Freedom Struggle

http://navyanal.blogspot.in/2018/03/lenin-and-indian-freedom-struggle.html

Trump Govt. Stop Killings and Attacks of Indians in America! Trumpet of Trump, Modi Govt. Condemn these attacks! Ensure Protection to Indians in America.

 

In the context of the racist, chauvinist, anti immigrant ranting of President Trump hate crimes are on against Indians in America. First a young IT Professional was killed and his friend injured in an obvious hate crime. Next was the turn of a Gujarati businessman right outside the store he owned, with the State administration fervently denying this crime was race related. Anyway, just the day after, came the stabbing of a Sikh youth whose attacker yelled at him to ‘go home’’.

These crimes are on in a country whose ‘founding fathers’ were themselves immigrants. The indigenous of America were marginalized and are barely represented in today’s American society which has been taken over dominantly by the whites. The Trump Govt. is projecting itself as the representative of their interests, though the young American who was injured while challenging the killer in the first incident showed that Americans do not subscribe to Trump’s agenda. In fact, the immigrants from the poor and developing countries of the world have done much of the work which has made America ‘’great’’ in the first place. They are spread through America’s institutes of science, centres of medicine, IT industry, its space research centres and are also part of its general workforce. This huge army of technically trained immigrants have been trained at the cost of their parent countries.

Trump has come to power in America on the support of the white American middle class and the politics of hate he is pouring out is meeting public opposition from the American people. However, the silence of PM Modi , who speaks on all issues , is resounding. It took the Trump administration several days to be forced into condemning the first murder,that too in general terms. However, PM Modi is yet to speak out and condemn the Trump Govt. whose uttered policy has made Indians the target of hate crimes. He is yet to speak to demand the safety of the thousands and thousands of Indians settled in that country. Actually, the Hindutva forces have been left in the lurch by these killings. They thoroughly approve of the anti Muslim edge of Trump’s ranting and are taken aback to see that immigrant hatred will translate into attacks on all Indians too. Modi Govt. uses the excuse of ‘nationalism’ to physically attack all alternative opinion. Trump has used the same slogan to create an atmosphere of hate resulting in the killing of Indians.

Come together, friends. Let us condemn these heinous hate crimes. Support the democratic movement in America which is opposing Trumps’ racism and xenophobia. But let us also forcefully speak out against the silence of our own PM. He is not daring to speak out against these killings which are direct results of the politics of hate being trumpted by Trump. The Foreign Minister’s function is restricted to tweeting. The Govt. intervention cannot be limited to this and the Indian Ambassador helping the family to bring the body back to India.

India’s Govts have followed policies which have left its trained technical personnel forced to seek jobs in other countries. This Modi Govt. is accelerating all those policies and in addition is executing its own policies of hate. Force it to speak up for the safety of Indians oversees especially in America. Oppose Trump-Modi politics of hate.

Pressss Release – 02.02.2017 – Budget – Lies, Misleading, Tall Unsubstantiated claims for Farmers.

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CEC, AIKMS has criticized the Union Budget for failing to address problems of farm sector and rural poor. Agriculture is facing a severe crises due to costly and irregular supply of inputs, insecure prices, crop damage and virtually no compensation. Farmers and agricultural workers face heavy debts and are committing suicide. Demonitization caused maximum harm to farmers, but the govt. has not taken any step to help farmers.

Finance Minister Jaitley’s budget proposals are a continuation of the anti farmer measures of previous years. His so called pro farmer measures include increasing debts to Rs 10 lac crores. He has refused loan waivers for farmers and microfinance loans of agricultural workers although industrial loans have been waived. He has refused to decrease custom duty and reduce diesel prices for farmers. He has refused to grant free electricity through Solar panels to reduce costs or to improve agricultural infrastructure and services.

He has made two big unsubstantiated announcements in line with BJP’s culture of falsifying facts and making tall claims. One is farmer’s income will double in 5 years. Sale of crop does not even pay for daily wage of farmers and they suffer heavy losses, leading to debts and FM is talking about double income.

FM has also claimed that target of 5 lakh farm ponds has been achieved and by March 2017 10 lakh farm ponds will be completed. This is a complete lie. The IV Mini Irrigation Census in 2006-07 had listed a total of 5 lac water bodies irrigating less than 2000 hectares each and a total of 7.98 lac water bodies. Of these the govt. was  able to take up Repair, Restoration and Rehabilitation of only 1000 to 1500 tanks per year. FM’s claims have no relation to even govt. records.

The increased allocation of Rs 20,000 cr for irrigation is long term and remains undefined when it will be done.

FM has announced 40% cropped area for crop insurance. He has not explained that why farmers suffering losses of crop value of Rs 50,000 and above per acre are paid measely sums of Rs 1000 and 1200 as compensation and how he will address this problem.

FM has ‘increased’ MNREGS allocation to Rs 48,000 crores while RE shows that on Feb 1, 2017 expenditure under this head was already Rs 53,594 crores. He has also patted himself for increasing women’s enrollment from 45 to 55% without explaining that wages are so low, less than half the market wages that men prefer not to work there.

FM has announced increased payment to pregnant mothers as a positive health care measure without explaing it is with several riders. Moreover women employees of ICDS Anganwadi, ASHA workers and schhool assistants are the lowest paid ‘govt.servants’, getting less than a fourth of the minimum wages.

Some measures have been announced for skill development and dairy infrastructure. But there is no announcment of plans for development of modern rural life along with safeguards for farm income which alone can help solve the unemployment problem. On the contrary govt has announced a new Contract Farming law which will hand over control of farming to companies and farmers will loose their independence as well as their land.

The most dangerous announcement is of 4.1% claimed agricultural growth rate this year and suggestions to promote GM seeds to ensure such growth rate in the next year. Budget for rural roads, rural drinking water, rural health remain stagnant which means with increasing costs, services will come down.

The budget is anti farmer and pro MNCs and their middlemen.

(Dr. Ashish Mital)

General Secretary

Union Budget 2017-18 : Total Neglect of the Concerns of the People

Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley is devoid of any attention to the problems faced by the common people. It showers further concessions on the MNCs and corporate and increases economic burdens on the people. There are no measures for addressing unemployment and the ills plaguing the major sectors of Indian economy mainly agriculture and industries. Industrial production is stagnant and whatever growth has been registered in agriculture is due to favourable weather conditions. This Budget is marked by total neglect of the main sectors- agriculture, industries, health, education and social sectors.

Mr. Jaitley has acclaimed demonetization and consequent increased deposits in the Banks but the Govt. has used this to lower interest rates whose main beneficiaries will be foreign and domestic corporate. There is no waiver of the loans for peasants, agricultural labourers, small businesses and other sections of poor people. Finance Minister has also not addressed the question of rising NPAs of the Public Sector Banks which have reached over 12% of their total lending. While the Govt. has commended itself on demonetization, there was not even acknowledgement of the sufferings of the workers, peasants and middle classes.

In this Budget and preceding it, Modi Govt. has tried to increase the tax net and tax burden on the people. Goods & Services Tax (GST) and cashless transactions are meant to draw increasing sections into the tax net. The projected increase in revenue by 17% even while the growth rate is projected by the Govt. to be between 6.75 to 7.5% is due to increasing the tax burden on the people. The increase in indirect taxes will only increase the burden on the people and fuel increase in the prices of essential commodities. While Mr. Jaitley has complemented himself on low rate of inflation the reality is that price rise of the commodities used by the common people is much higher.

The Finance Minister has called Indians as non-tax compliant and India having one of the lowest tax/GDP ratio. This however hides the fact that while between more than half or nearly two third of the tax collections in developed countries are spent on social sectors, in India this expenditure is virtually miniscule.

Govt. talks about providing employment but there are no measures for the same in the Budget. Employment generation has been low and has further slowed down in the recent years. Mr. Jaitley has only talked of self-employment and not announced any measures to spur the employment. This ‘Swayamsewak’ is enamoured by the ‘swayam’ and does not think it is the Govt. responsibility to provide employment.

There is a lot of rhetoric of investment in the agriculture and rural development but that is only an eyewash. The large increase is in the credit flow to the agriculture while peasants are sinking deeper into debt burden and peasants’ suicides owing to them are continuing. There is no attempt to address the causes of this increasing indebtedness of peasantry, there is no attempt to lower the prices of inputs and no announcement on the remunerative prices of the produce. This increased flow of rural credit will only help the landlords and other rural rich who corner these loans and further give them to small peasants on exorbitant rates.

On the other hand, Mr. Jaitley has announced the Govt. intention of promoting contract farming which is another name for bringing in corporate agriculture and deprive the peasants of their land and agriculture and make them labourers on their own land.

Mr. Jaitley has made much of his ‘increased allocation’ for MGNERGS but this again is misleading. He has allocated Rs. 48000 crores in this Budget while Revised Estimates for the last year have put the expenditure under this head at Rs. 47000 crores.

The increased expenditure on SCs and STs is similarly misleading as these expenditures are made without any result to improving the lot of these sections.

In his Budget Speech, Finance Minister has declared the Govt. intention to carry through anti-worker changes in labour laws doing away with the rights of workers. Modi Govt. has already announced its proposal to replace all existing labour laws with four codes. This is yet another effort to bring in FDI to exploit the lower wages to labour in the country. On the other hand there are no measures to address the crisis faced by the textile industry which is one of the biggest employer in the country. There are no measures for the workers employed in construction industry and other sectors of economy which are facing stagnation or where growth rate has slowed down.

Even the so-called emphasis on infrastructure is mainly to rope in private investment through PPP. The Budget Speech mentioned utilization of land assets by the infrastructure sectors like railways, airports and ports which is in fact abdication of the responsibility of the Govt. in favour of the private players in these fields.

Finance Minister has claimed an increase in FDI inflows. The whole strategy of the Govt. is to depend on FDI particularly in face of declining private investment in the country. There are a number of concessions announced for the FDI and select corporate.

Abolition of separate budget for the railways has coincided with abdication of responsibility towards this public carrier. Budget banks on privatization for providing the funds for investment. In the recent years there has been gross neglect of the maintenance including on tracks resulting in increasing accidents and declining quality of service. The Union Govt. has adopted totally callous approach towards these problems.

Union Budget also neglects the growing crisis of health care delivery system in the country and health services going out of the reach of the overwhelming majority of the people. There is no emphasis on improving the peripheral health care centres which are crucial to affecting any improvement. There has been announcement of increase in PG seats, the same are in private institutions with their quality already doubtful. Similarly, education too has been neglected. Mr. Jaitley has talked of increasing autonomy of the educational institutions while every day the Govt. interference in their affairs is increasing. Scientific research has also been neglected. Modi Govt. has cut down funding for the scientific research as it depends more and more on foreign sources for bringing in new technology and improvements.

Jaitley has made a mockery of addressing the question of funding of the political parties. Reduction of the permissible limit to Rs. 2000 will be as meaningless as the earlier one. Nexus between corporate and ruling parties is at the root of political corruption which has not been addressed in the present Budget. The whole effort of Modi Govt. is to divert the attention of the people from the real causes and to hide the role of big sharks.

The whole Budget exercise has been robbed of its credibility with its larger outlays but less spending on social sectors, with jugglery of figures, increasing of burdens on the people round the year and with announcement of the schemes year after year with virtually no implementation.

Union Budget 2017-18 once again shows the priorities of the Modi Govt. and how little it cares for the people.

Central Committee

CPI(ML)-New Democracy

February 1, 2017

BRING BACK BLACK MONEY STASHED IN FOREIGN BANKS! DISCLOSE NAMES ON NPA LIST!

Dear Friends, Fellow Citizens,

We are living in the midst of a cataclysm. PM Modi, swearing that he is going after black money ignoring the risk to his life, has demonetized 500 and 1000 notes overnight. We are spending days and days in queues while being reassured that this is helping to bring back black money to India, that we are fighting anti national elements…. Here are some issues to consider.

1. What about the massive NPAs(Non Performing Assets) of banks? Leave alone no action against those guilty, these accounts are being written off. The Supreme Court has re opined that the names of these defaulters need not even be made public. Three days ago SBI wrote off loans of 63 Industrialists worth 7 thousand crores.
2. Only 5-6% of total black money is in the form of cash. Everyone is aware that big hoardings are in the form of gold, speculation, real estate, fake companies, is stashed in foreign banks, in companies in Panama, Mauritius etc. The current move can at the most target small tax evaders; pursuit of these ‘hoarders’ is going to net only about 5% in all.
3. If all black money is stored only in notes of Rs. 500 or Rs.1000 then it means than it will amount to only 3% of the estimated black money.
4. It should be noted that though the number of the small evaders of tax is very much larger, it is the big ones who have inconceivably bigger money.62 people own about half the total wealth in the world; 1%people own 53% of the total wealth of India.
5. Similar measures were adopted and for the same declared end in 1978 and earlier in 1946. In 1978, 10,000, 5000 and 1000 rupee notes were banned. But at that time these notes were not used by common people. Anyway, at the end it was clear that the purpose stated was not achieved. Only 3% of the currency notes were in big denomination. Today a daily wage worker gets nearly 500 rupees a day. 86% of the total currency of India is in 500 and 1000 notes and this has been knocked off overnight, without the Govt. putting alternative currency in place.
6. The government is saying that peasants who have bank loans can withdraw higher amounts every week. But as per an NSSO survey, maximum sections of peasantry take loans from local money lenders or cooperatives. The Rabi crop is due for sowing imminently. Cash crunch in this period has serious implications for crop production and food security of the country. Reverses in agriculture even in good monsoon years abet land acquisition for corporate in the long-term. Imperialists are happy as dependence on import for food will increase.
7. Modi Govt. has been continually raising the ceiling on money that can be sent abroad. It has now been increased from 75,000 dollars (in May 2014) to 250 thousand US dollars.
8. In 2011, a list of 658 Indians with accounts in Swiss banks was sent to Swiss banks. Neither Congress led UPA govt nor Modi govt has (nearly half the term is over) bothered to take any action on this.
9. There are already ‘black operators’ in the market who are exchanging the money and transferring small bits to different accounts in lieu of commissions.
10. Actual target should be black economy rather than the term ‘black’ money implying money supposedly hidden away in mattresses, false ceilings, etc.We are not living in the movies. Blocked money is useless. It is always invested and partially not declared. Only small businessmen, petty greedy or really needy will hoard money as cash.
11. Women put away money in small amounts to use for children in families with drunken husbands, tie away a note or two for a rainy day or a child’s marriage.500 is not big cash now a days. Now all such savings are rendered useless and must be exchanged for new notes, i.e. ‘declared’ within the family.
12. Companies supplying the silver ribbing and the paper for the new notes are the same for both India and Pakistan. So, what use is the argument that the step will hit the counterfeit notes being circulated by Pakistan and if we are exhausted standing in lines, we should grin and bear it because it is all for the country?
13. This step will facilitate eventual FDI in retail, a step long contested by Indian people. The small neighbour hood shopkeepers are virtually at a standstill. A big section of the middle class is shifting to online shopping.
14. Banks are accepting more money (up to Rs. 2.5 Lakhs unquestioned and much more in current accounts) but giving much less in cash. What happens to our money in banks? Where does it get invested, to whom is it lent?
15. It is estimated that printing currency to replace the demonetized notes will take at least three months if presses printing these work three shifts continuously. So the inconvenience is not likely to be over soon. Money can be given to the bank but cash crunch shall remain with common people.
16. This step is mobilizing cash for the banks, which were facing massive deficits due to NPAs. The Budget speech of 2016 estimated that recapitalization of banks needed 9 lakh crore rupees and also a small grant was made to that end. 10 lakh crores is the estimated collection through this drive.
17. It will help plastic money companies and e-payment companies to flourish.
18. For common people it means
    1. Standing days and days in long queues to withdraw or exchange their own hard earned money.
    2. Leaving jobs, daily wagers are worst affected. Anyway, jobs have been an immediate casualty. Daily wage workers are employed. There are no takers at labour chowks. Machines lie silent in factories, raw produce is rotting in mandis, retrenchments are on in the textile sector (Tamil Nadu especially).
    3. No business for traders as they do not have enough cash to restock and also number of customers has dropped.
    4. People are cutting down on consumption as they do not have money. Perishable items like vegetables will rot in the market. It will have immediate impact on peasantry. The price of flour has already soared.
    5. Transportation is worst affected with no money for toll and to pay the dhabas for food en route. So drivers are not moving. It will in turn affect both business and price rise.
    6. No money for medicines and hospitals. Even if they are instructed to accept old notes, no change is available.
    7. People are dying, falling sick in queues. Already the toll is 50 deaths directly attributable.
    8. ATMs un (under) prepared to handle all this.

 

 

People’s demand has been that black money be ‘brought back’ i.e. the money stashed away in different forms abroad and ill gotten through activities involving the sale of the country’s assets with attendant commissions and bribes. These big fish are the facilitators in defence deals, politicians and the big capitalists or corporate etc. The current demonetization does not affect their wealth in the least. Let us see the facts and let us demand accountability and answerability from our rulers. Modi promised to put 15 lakhs in every citizen’s account from black money thus recovered. He has finished half his term.

Friends, just because there is a flamboyant action, with high publicity moralizing and nationalism evoked, and all our suffering supposedly for the good of the country, it is not necessarily what it is stated to be. We must study whether the action is actually relevant to the stated cause. What the move will result in is only to enlarge the tax net of India, bringing in small shopkeepers, peasantry. This too in a country where this section does not have the sort of earning which, if subjected to the high tax rates of India, could allow it to send children to private schools, access private health care etc. Anyway, this same end of widening the tax net in small fish could also have been achieved by adequate alternative currency being put in place. But this is politics for effect- perception politics. ‘Something’ must appear to be done. A logic has been let loose that the more uselessly painful such a step is for the common people the more effective it must be for the country. There was common knowledge that public sector banks were in crisis situation due to NPAs. These deficits were to the tune of 9 lakh crores. In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Jaitley spoke about the need for recapitalization and sanctioned some money for the same. Now the notes being brought in by demonetization will achieve the same end, decrease the constraints on the RBI as a lot of money will be thrown out of the system and banks will be able to lend again to those big capitalists who are responsible for the NPAs in the first place.

This anti people step must be rolled back immediately. Let us demand accountability and answerability from the Central Govt. Demand that black money stashed abroad should be immediately brought back. Demand that the list of those whose loans are the major NPAs should immediately be made public.

Delhi Committee, CPIML(New Democracy)

FROM JUMLA TO PERCEPTION POLITICS: MODI GOVT. PUSNISHES PEOPLE FOR QUESTIONING ITS CREDENTIALS ON BLACK MONEY

 

In order to cover its failure to bring back black money from the Swiss banks which Modi led BJP had promised before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Modi Govt. has resorted to dramatic and ineffectual measure of invalidating notes of denomination Rs1000 and 500. This step of the Modi Govt. for which no proper preparations were made have created a lot of hardships to daily wage workers, hawkers, vendors, small shopkeepers, common people in general. Modi Govt. in order to cover its embarrassment of doing nothing on what BJP President has termed as ‘jumla’ is resorting to creating a public perception of being pro-active in recovery of the black money.

This step of Modi Govt. displays scant regard for the concerns of the common masses. Rs.500 has become a very ordinary currency given the rise in prices of all the commodities. Even the daily earning of wage labour is near that amount. Modi Govt. must be well aware that these currency notes are used routinely by the common people. This step of the Modi Govt. has come handy to the black dealers of currency who have charged between 5 to 10% of the amount from common people. So many people have been stranded during their journeys and millions have queued up before the banks.

Modi Govt. with the aid of sympathetic media has tried to divert attention from the fact that the issue of black money relates to huge hoards of money stacked abroad. There have been reports of staggering amounts of such money. Just like its predecessor Govt., Modi Govt. too has not disclosed even the names of such black money holders, what to talk of recovering that money. This black money belongs to ruling politicians and bureaucrats who have taken huge sums as bribes and to the big capitalists who have dodged the payment of taxes. Obviously, many of these black money holders have been enthusiastic supporters of Modi led BJP and continue to be so.

 

So long as the question of recovery of black money continues to be tackled by the benefactors of black money holders like Modi, it is certain nothing will come out of it. Demonetization of the existing notes of Rs.1000 and 500 is an act of perception management causing a lot of harassment to the people. It is a gimmick of black humour and not an effort to recover black money.

 

Uphold the Struggle of Adivasis top Save Podu Land in Telangana: Down with Forcible Seizure and repression by TRS Govt.

 

K.C.R. led TRS Govt. has launched an all out offensive against the tribals in Telengana to dispossess them of their podu lands. Big police contingents are being sent along with forest officials to destroy crops in tribal lands, to get trenches dug to dispossess the tribals and unleash cruel repression against tribals wherever they resist the Govt. offensive. Even women and elderly are not spared by the force sent by KCR Govt.

Tribals are resisting this offensive which is depriving them their means of livelihood, their habitat and their traditional vocations. They are coming forward in struggles through demonstrations, rallies, processions and resisting the digging of trenches and destruction of crops. Tribals are being attacked by the police sent by KCR Govt. In these attacks tribals have sustained injuries, tribal women ill treated, tribal women and men framed and arrested in false cases, tribal houses burnt in several villages and tribal life disturbed in the vast areas. Forest areas of Khammam and Warangal have emerged as the centres of the resistance to this Govt. offensive though the offensive is against the tribals throughout the state.

To carry this attack through KCR Govt. is targeting CPI(ML)-New Democracy which has been organizing tribals in Telengana for several decades. Govt. officials are openly threatening to physically liquidate leaders who have been leading struggles of tribals in the area for decades, police and administration opening old cases against party cadres some of which are more than a decade old and targeting party supporters for destruction of crops. KCR Govt.’s attack against CPI(ML)-New Democracy is basically part of its attack on the tribal people. KCR whose TRS had come to power on the strength of the movement for separate state of Telengana in which a large number of people had given huge sacrifices and in which CPI(ML)-New Democracy had played a very important role, is now targeting all the forces which stand for the people’s rights. Rather than fulfilling aspirations of the people of Telengana who had struggled for the separate state, KCR Govt. is attacking them and is targeting the tribal people and the forces fighting for them. Rather than allotting pattas to tribals and other traditional forest dwellers according to Forest Rights Act of 2006, KCR Govt. is unleashing a reign of terror on the tribals. KCR had promised before the elections to give every tribal family a minimum of 3 acres of land, a promise which he conveniently forgot after coming to power.

KCR Govt. started this offensive from March 2016 ostensibly in the name of “protecting the forests” and “green belt”. The ruling parties go out of their way to hand over tribal inhabited areas to MNCs and corporate but target tribals for protection of forests. Tribals are traditional protectors of forests and attacks of ruling class parties such as KCR’s attack on tribals of Telengana, are part of their attacks on the people, to clear the forests of these traditional protectors so that these may be handed over to corporate vultures. Obviously, KCR Govt. is only mouthing such phrases to hide its anti-tribal character. Since June 2016, KCR Govt. is sending large police forces along with forest officials to destroy the crops of tribals and dispossess them. These police parties are raiding the tribal villages. When tribals at a number of centres resisted this offensive, KCR is reported to have ordered to take more police to the villages but destroy the tribal crops at any cost.

A large number of villages have been targeted and raided. Forest areas of Kothagudem and Palvancha divisions in Khammam district and Mulugu, Narsampet and Mehboobabad divisions in Warangal district have been targeted by KCR Govt. in this offensive. In Khammam district, tribal villages in Yellandu, Tekulapalli, Gondala, Bangaruchalaka, Chandragonda, Bayyaram, Pinapaka, Palvancha, Korukonda, Dhammapet and Bhadrachalam mandals have been targeted.

In Warangal district, police has burnt down tribal huts/houses (of Gotta Koyas) in Mulugu area. Police torched 12 huts of tribals in Neeladaripet of Mangapet mandal, 10 huts in Boomaigudem and 7 huts in Chintalagudem. Burning down of the tribal huts is ample proof of the anti-tribal mindset of KCR Govt. Another incident demonstrating the anti-tribal mindset is closing of wells in Pakala Kothagudem mandal of Warangal district. These wells were used for irrigation in 10 tribal villages of the mandal.

KCR Govt. has neither given pattas for tribal land under FRA 2006 nor fulfilled its election promise. In this anti-tribal offensive, KCR Govt. has not bothered about even the legal rights already with tribal people. In Namadapadu of Kothapet village, patta certificates were given for 1100 acre land over 20 years back. Now the forest officials are trying to occupy even this land. In Marrigudem crops were destroyed by forest officials and police despite stay. It is obvious that KCR Govt. is not bothered even about legalities in this offensive against tribals.

Where-ever forest officials along with police force raided the tribal villages, tribals resisted and women played a very important role in this resistance. In Mittapally women opposed forest officials and police destroying their crops in 200 acres on June 15. Police resorted to lathi-charge in which a number of women were injured. Next day, on June 16, a large police force raided the village, arrested 29 women and foisted false cases against them. They were ill-treated in the police lock-up. 1500 women from this and nearby villages protested against the police brutality.

Tribals are resisting in village after village. In Bhadrutanda village of Polaram panchayat and Ompugudem village of Manikyaram pancharat, in RCpeta, in Repalliwada of Kumhraram panchayat, people resisted the police and forest officials and tried to prevent them from digging trenches. In Oddugudem of Tekulapalli mandal police attacked the people opposing occupation of their podu lands by the police and forest officials. In Kasturinagar in Bayyaram mandal people resisted the police and saved their podu lands. Police has foisted a false case against 6 peasants. Similarly tribals in 8 villages in Pakala Kothagudem in Warangal district defended their lands resisting police attacks. There are socres of such examples in different mandals of Khammam and Warangal districts.

Police has arrested over 100 people and foisted false cases against them. Number of people have been injured in police actions. In Shandnagar, a peasant named Mangaiah went into coma due to police beating. In Yellandu mandal, a peasant reportedly committed suicide after his crop was destroyed by the police.

These attacks are part of a general offensive of KCR Govt. against tribals whose aim is to dispossess tribals from their podu lands. All the forest areas are in the ambit of this offensive though it may unfold in gradual manner. In this offensive, KCR Govt. is backed by Modi Govt. BJP Govts. in their own states are attacking tribals deploying huge police and paramilitary forces.

Though people have successfully resisted in most of the cases where forest officials and police attacked their lands. However, state govt. is sending more forces to these villages. This struggle of tribals for their means of livelihood and their habitat needs and deserves to be supported by all progressive and democratic sections of the people and organizations. It is the fight of tribals against anti-tribal KCR Govt.

 

Hail the assertion by Landless Dalits of Punjab and Gujarat of their right to Land! Land to the tiller-Key to Annihilating Caste!

Come, Strengthen the Forces of New Democratic Revolution.

Friends,

Dalits in Punjab and in Gujarat have unleashed a torrent of movements demanding their share of agricultural land. In Punjab, the share of the Dalits in the 1,58,000 acres of Panchayat land is 52,667 acres. There are also legal entitlements for them in the Nazool Lands. However, the actual possession of these lands has remained with the landlords and rich peasants. As per the agricultural census 2010-11, the SCs in Punjab, who are a third of its population, owned just 6.02% of the land holdings and 3.2%of the land area of the state. Of these operational holdings also a large proportion (nearly 85%) are said to be unviable due to the small size of less than 5 hectares. Since 2014, the Dalit peasantry organized under the banner of ZPSC (Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Samiti) and holding its red flag with the blazing sun firmly aloft, has begun to assert their claim over what is rightfully theirs. These lands used to be auctioned to dummy candidates of landlords; a gaushala in Sangrur district has been given land for 30years at the rate of Rs 7000 an acre by the Akali-BJP Govt. of the state where as the price for Dalits is over Rs 20,000an acre. This spreading struggle in districts of South Punjab has been met with  police and landlord repression , false FIRs against ‘unknowns’ but the struggle rages on like a spreading  blaze.

In August 2016, another struggle has been ignited by caste oppression, this time in Modi’s Gujarat where Dalits are 7% of the population. In the backdrop of this agitation is the growing and systematic campaign of violence against Dalits and Muslims all over India by the communal upper caste, patriarchal chauvinist RSS BJP with their contempt for the Dalits. The latest campaign has been to launch cow-vigilante groups in various parts of the country and attack Muslims and Dalits under this pretext. These extortionist groups are hand in glove with the police and have the blessings of the Central Govt. Following the beating up of four Dalit youth in District Una in Gujarat for skinning a dead cow, the Dalits of Gujarat, with the support of all democratic forces, are on the warpath. They are reflecting the new outpouring of anger, clarity and willingness to struggle that has also been seen recently in the movements against the suicide of Rohith Vemula, banning of Ambedkar Periiyar circle in Madras IIT etc.   They are demanding possession of their share of agricultural lands with 5 acres being given to every Dalit family, they are demanding jobs and arms and arms training for self-protection.  They are taking pledges to abandon their traditional occupations. According to figures available, 1.64 lakh acres of surplus land was supposedly distributed to 37,000 landless Dalits, but hardly any were ever given possession of their land. Other lands were earmarked for Dalit landless in Gujarat but they have never been given possession. As this struggle for land rolls ahead, so also does the retaliatory caste violence organized by RSS-BJP. Dalits returning to their villages in Gujarat on 15^th August from the concluding mass meeting of the Freedom March against caste oppression (from Ahmedabad to Una), were attacked at several places and beaten up for daring to speak.

Attacks on Dalits have increased since the advent of the RSS BJP Govt. However caste oppression is the reality of India irrespective of the party in power. While over the years, various ruling class parties have sought to mobilize Dalit vote banks in the name of reservations in education and jobs with its promise of access to a share in the system, they have neither been serious in implementation nor attacked caste discrimination. In reality, the caste system has served as a source of cheap labour and hence source of surplus for ruling classes of society in India for centuries. This is because it gives religious sanction to condemn vast sections of working masses to the lowest standards of life. In the vast rural areas of India the oppressed castes are mostly poor and landless peasants, agricultural land is the principal productive resource and its ownership determines the social, economic and political status of any segment of the population. Thus did the Mandal Commission make land distribution its first recommendation in its Report, but this can never come on the agenda of the parliamentary parties of India who are representatives of the big capitalist and big landlords. Yet, this is the key to caste annihilation by the building of a new democratic society.  Friends, come forward and support in every way the assertion of the Dalits in Punjab and Gujarat for their right over their land and their torrent of struggles to take what is theirs. Develop the movements of all sections of working people to strengthen the forces for New Democratic Revolution for land to the tiller. Such a society alone can form the basis for the annihilation of caste from society.

Delhi Committee, CPI (ML) New Democracy                           23^rd August, 2016