ANDHRA PRADESH GOVERNMENT HAND IN GLOVE WITH MICRO FINANCE INSTITUTES: CPI (M)

THE central and the state governments were hand in glove with the micro finance institutes, charged CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and Andhra Pradesh state unit secretary, B V Raghavulu. He expressed surprise at the lack of a provision in the recent ordinance issued by the state government for restricting the exorbitant interest rates being collected by these institutes that range from around 30 per cent to 100 per cent. He demanded that this usury must be immediately restricted.

The state committee meeting of the CPI (M) which was held at M B Bhavan, Hyderabad on October 21 was presided over by Sarampalli Malla Reddy. The state committee meeting discussed about the problems that are tormenting the people of the state and the ways and means for their resolution, Raghavulu told the media after the meeting.

Blaming the state government for the recent suicide deaths of around a dozen people due to the harassment of the micro finance institutes, the CPI (M) leader asked the government to change its deceptive and escapist attitude. The government must act firmly to prevent the micro finance institutes from cruelly collecting the usury loan amounts from the hapless poor victims.

Raghavulu criticised the AP chief minister K Rosaiah for declining to admit that Rahul Gandhi is in favour of the MFIs and reminded him about the words of praise showered upon MFIs by Rahul Gandhi at their inception. He attacked Rahul Gandhi for keeping mum even after so many suicides under the impact of the pressures brought about by the MFIs on the people and so much of rage prevailing in the state around the issue. “If a single statement by Rahul Gandhi on behalf of the tribals of Orissa could stall the mining by the Vedanta Company in that state, as was very much publicised, then why couldn’t he repeat the same in the case of these sad suicides of the victims of the MFIs in the state of AP”, he questioned. Raghavulu also raised the question as to why the central government that strived so hard to get the nuclear accidents compensation bill passed in the parliament at the earliest, is trying to push under the carpet the draft act pertaining to the MFIs that was completed in 2007 itself.

EMPTY THE GODOWNS

The state government has to respect the commitment it has made to the all party meet, that there will be procurement of grain as there is vacancy in the godowns. But, this commitment is turning out to be an empty phrase in practice, the CPI (M) leader pointed out, mentioning the real scenario around the state with the example of the district of Nalgonda. The sweet and placating words of the state government are turning out to be empty phrases in practice, he said and demanded procurement of grains after emptying the godowns. He also demanded for the strengthening of the co-operative societies in the state.(INN)

Source: www.pd.cpim.org
Vol. XXXIV, No. 44, October 31, 2010

BIRBHUM STANDS UP AGAINST MAMATA-MAOIST TERROR

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CENTRAL UNIVERSITY, HYDERABAD - SFI LED COMBINE SCORES MASSIVE VICTORY

THE vibrant spirit of the students community in the University of Hyderabad gave a clear mandate to the SFI led combine in the students union elections this year, while sharply rejecting the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) by a margin of about 951 votes. On an average, while the panel put up by the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) polled 1722 or 62.89 per cent of the votes, the ABVP could secure only 763 or 27.88 per cent of the total 2738 votes polled in these elections. The All India Students Association (AISA) contested for the president’s position only and polled 108 votes (3.94 per cent) while the Telangana Students Association (TSA), contesting for the general secretary and cultural secretary posts, polled 287 or 10.48 per cent of the votes on an average.

The percentage of votes polled by the SFI-ASA panel reflects the mass base of the two organisations. It is clear that the ABVP does not have any solid base in the university. The students community in the university gave a clear majority to the ABVP only in 2007 when it won by a margin of 320 votes against the SFI. (One may note that it was the first election the SFI had contested under its banner, after a series of struggle in the University Discussion Forum. At that time the ABVP had polled 736 votes, the SFI had polled 416 votes and the ASA had polled 280 votes. In 2008, the margin of victory sharply declined with the ABVP polling 791 votes against the SFI’s 754 votes and the ASA-NSUI combine’s 536 votes. The SFI had then secured the cultural secretary post. In the same academic year, when the students union president left the campus, the SFI secured the president’s post by a 207 votes majority, bagging 807 votes against the ABVP’s 600. In 2009, the SFI polled 1150 votes against the ABVP’s 850 while the ASA-NSUI-DSU combine polled 600 votes. But the vice chancellor nullified the entire election process in the name of ‘rigging’ but had had no word when the SFI questioned him as to why he did not then punish any SFI member. The SFI went to the Andhra Pradesh High Court and the case is still sub judice. In the re-election organised by the university administration, the ABVP polled 973 votes against the SFI’s 836 and the ASA-NSUI combine’s 638 votes.

However, there has been not a single issue which the SFI did not take up, despite the fact that it had lost the election. It organised many protest actions against the central and AP governments’ anti-people and anti-student policies, and fought on local issues as well in the best interest of the students community. The SFI organised a powerful protest action when the union HRD minister Kapil Sibal visited the campus. He was questioned about the ‘reforms’ his government was bringing about in the education sector. The SFI also organised a number of talks, screened many documentaries and arranged for political education of the students.

Such vibrant activities of the SFI became an eyesore to the ABVP, the winner organisation. One may note that the ABVP never conducts any talks in the university campus as its ideology cannot provide a rational answer to any question. Hence the ABVP strove to suppress the SFI’s voice with brute physical force and organised attacks on the leading SFI cadres twice. It attacked the ASA cadres too. While being in the union leadership, the ABVP did not address even a single issue. Nor was it ever found ready for an ideological debate. As a result, its number of supporters came down. Within a short period, the students community realised that the ABVP was no good option if they wanted to have their grievances remedied.

Meanwhile, the SFI took steps to isolate the ABVP that had been surviving in the campus only because of its position in the students union. It was thus that the SFI and the ASA came together to humble the ABVP, and partially succeeded.

The SFI’s central executive committee (CEC) as well as its Andhra Pradesh state committee have congratulated the SFI cadres in the University of Hyderabad for working day and night for the latest union elections. The SFI’s university unit secretary was of the opinion that the victory was against the communal politics of the BJP and also was a slap in the face of the government of India which has been pursuing the agenda of commercialisation and centralisation of education with a vengeance.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org
Vol. XXXIV, No. 43, October 24, 2010

KRISHNANAGAR: CORRUPTION OF TMC LEADER EXPOSED

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THERE IS NO WORD CALLED CULTURE IN THE DICTIONARY OF MAMATA BANERJEE AND HER ARROGANT SUPPORTERS

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HOW ARE THE MINORITIES ?

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MAMATA BANERJEE WANTS CONTINUANCE OF KILLINGS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IN JANGALMAHAL BY PERVERTED MAOIST BUTCHERS, RAPISTS AND EXTORTIONISTS

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ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA HOLDS BRIEF FOR CHINESE DISSIDENTS

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SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRITICIZES DR. MAMNOHAN SINGH AND HIS UPA GOVERNMENT

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HARYANA - KARAT INAUGURATES PRITHVI- PRABHAT BHAWAN IN HISAR

WHILE inaugurating a newly constructed building for offices of the organisations of toiling masses, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat emphatically stated that the people of West Bengal will once again foil all nefarious games of anti communist forces as they have done so many times in the past. He was addressing a well attended meeting on September 29 at Hisar in Haryana after inaugurating a building named after Comrade Prithvi Singh and Prabhat singh who departed two years ago. He exhorted the audience to stand behind CPI (M) and Left front that has been making great sacrifices to fight back the unholy nexus of all anti communist forces including Trinamool, Congress (I), Maoists etc supported by imperialism.

Prakash Karat highlighted the pro-people record of the 33 year Left Front rule in West Bengal and the most arduous struggles before and after independence, resulting in the creation of the Left Front and government led by it and continuously supported by toiling people all along while making glorious sacrifices. He hoped that those who have been sympathising with the Maoists should also understand that they have nothing to do with any meaningful social change and were indulging in senseless violence mercilessly killing ordinary tribal workers, school teachers, poor agricultural labourers who were active in organising the poor. He said vested interests were using the Maoists against the organised Left.

Prakash Karat stated that he was sad in remembering the occasion when he had come to attend Comrade Prithvi’s condolence meeting where Comrade Prabhat too was present but alas he was not among us today as a fatal road accident snatched him from us only a few days after Prithvi’s demise. At the same time he said that he was happy that our comrades in Haryana and Hisar have shown the desired courage to bear this great loss and constructed this center of struggles of workers and peasants in a record time. He told that we were not like many other parties who use the resources of the people for their private interests, rather, we, the communists make the best use of financial contributions of the people for creating the working centers of toiling people.

Karat explained how the CPI (M) was striving hard to work for the alternative path of development in contrast to the capitalist path that has resulted into terrible disparities between the rich and the poor. He also appealed the people to receive the court verdict in Ayodhya dispute with patience as the only alternative to such disputes can be the legal recourse and those who were not satisfied could go to the next higher court.

Inderjit Singh, state secretary dealt with the problems of ordinary masses suffering from wrong priorities of the state government. led by Congress since past six years. He challenged the Congress party for boasting Haryana government’s land acquisition policy as ideal and asked why there were protests from the farmers everywhere the land was being acquired, if the policy was an ideal one. He also expressed deep concern over the increasing tendency of politics of caste consolidation resorted to by Congress and some other political parties as evident in incidents like Mirchpur in Hisar, post Dulina Court verdict happenings in Jhajjar or the hated honour killings etc. He called upon the audience to speed up the pace of social reform campaigns on issues like discrimination of women, dalits, minorities and other poorer sections and also against other social evils that were impediments in the socio- cultural development of society.

Others who spoke on this occasion included Surender Singh, Harpal Singh, Krishan Swarup, RamKumar Bahbalpuria. A sizeable number of women, employees and other sections also enthusiastically participated in the programme. The function was organised by Prithvi- Prabhat Samarak Samiti on whose behalf R C Jagga welcomed the participants and Suresh Kumar thanked all those who generously contributed financially and in kind for the Bhawan. The CPI (M) Karnal district secretary Jagmal Singh handed over a cheque of Rs 25,000 to Prakash Karat towards Surjeet Bhawan to be set up in Delhi.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org

CPI (M) CANDIDATES FOR BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS, 2010

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on October 4 and 5, 2010. It discussed the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and approved a list of 30 seats and candidates to be put up by the Bihar state committee.

S. No Constituency Candidate

01 Phulparas (Madhubani), Vikramsila Devi(F)
02 Loukaha (Madhubani), Satyanarayan Yadav
03 Chhatapur(Supoal), Balram Singh Yadav
04 Kishanganj, Abdulkalam Ajad
05 Dhamdaha (Purnea), Omprakash Mehta
06 Purnea, Amit Kumar Sarkar
07 Saharsa, Vinod Kumar
08 Pipra (East Champaran), Rammangal Prasad
09 Kusheshwar Sthan (Darbhanga), Sangita Bharti (F)
10 Bahadurpur (Darbhanga), Shyam Bharti
11 Kurhani (Muzffarpur), Rampukar Sahni
12 Ujiyarpur (Samastipur), Ajay Kumar
13 Vibhutipur (Samastipur), Ramdev Varma (MLA)
14 Hasanpur (Samastipur), Raghubansh Mukhiya
15 Motihari (East Champaran), Arbind Kumar
16 Hatua (Gopalganj), Dudhnath Singh
17 Manjhi(Saran), Satyendra Yadav
18 Taraiya (Saran), Ahamad Ali
19 Sahebpur Kamal (Begusarai), Vidyanand Yadav
20 Begusarai, Mohammad Usman
21 Khagaria, Dange Singh
22 Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur), Shriniwas Mandal
23 Lakhisarai, Ravi Vilochan Varma
24 Kumharar (Patna), B Prasad
25 Wazirganj(Gaya), Shambhu Sharan Sharma
26 Rajauli (Nawada), Premchandra Ram (Ex-MP)
27 Runni Saidpur(Sitamarhi), Candidate to be decided
28 Louriya (West Champaran), To be decided
29 Buxer, To be decided
30 Sasaram (Rohtas), To be decided

Source: www.cpim.org

INTERVIEW WITH DEEPAK SARKAR - 'MAOISTS' ARE TODAY POLITICALLY AND IDEOLOGICALLY CORNERED'

The 'Maoists' in Bengal are today politically and ideologically cornered due to the sustained ongoing campaign against them by the CPI (M), felt the Party West Medinipur district secretary, Deepak Sarkar. In an interview given to N S Arjun recently, he spoke about the people's resistance against the 'Maoists' gaining ground in many parts of the district.
Below we give excerpts of the interview

(Q) What is the latest situation in 'Maoist' terror affected villages in the district?

Situation in one part of the affected areas is happily improving because people have been able to overcome their fear and come out courageously against the 'Maoists'. But in other part where they are trying to penetrate, new methods of resistance have to be adopted.

(Q) There has been marked increase in the people's resistance to the 'Maoists' in the recent period. What has changed on the ground to result in this?

First of all the continuous campaign undertaken by the Party and Left forces against the 'Maoists' has helped. Secondly, our constant contact with the people and our support and reassurance to them not to be afraid as the democratic forces of not only the district but the entire state were with them gave the people confidence. Thirdly, people have become fed up because of the continuous torture for the last one and half years. So they came out desperately against the TMC-'Maoists' and got some success. This coming out against these forces is increasing in the recent past.

(Q) The 'Maoists' are nowhere in the country facing such organised people's resistance as is going on here. Can you explain how the Party is leading such resistance?

The CPI (M) and Left forces are well organised and strong in West Bengal. The Party is tackling the 'Maoists' politically, ideologically and organisationally. Naturally they are isolated from the people and their political manoeuvring capacity has decreased sharply. They are today ideologically and politically cornered.

(Q) How do you see the role of Trinamool Congress in this violence. Their union ministers are demanding withdrawal of joint security forces from jangal mahal area.

Trinamool party has directly colluded with the 'Maoists' because they have a one-point programme – oust the Left Front government. They have realised after many attempts that their aim cannot be achieved by democratic means. Now they are resorting to violent means for achieving their aim. They are therefore hand-in-glove with the 'Maoists'.

(Q) The opposition is charging that the CPI (M) is running armed camps in jangal mahal area and terrorising the people. Your response.

This is an old story. Our people are just now coming out of shelters and returning to the villages.They are protecting themselves and their villages with their traditional weapons. In Radhangar village in Jhargram area, one night hundreds of people came out against the 'Maoists', most of them being women. They chased the goons away with their traditional weapons. When they became successful the next day adjoining villages also witnessed similar resistance actions. Today the people are guarding their villages day and night. When this way the people are reclaiming their villages, the so-called independent media and Trinamool Congress are levelling baseless charges. Recently, the English daily 'The Hindu' exposed how Trinamool Congress MPs falsely depicted 'Maoist' training camp pictures as 'CPI (M) armed camps' ones.

(Q) How does the Party plan to defend these villages knowing the barbarity of 'Maoists' could return?

Party depends on mass mobilisation, mass activity and normal developmental work. With these the confidence of people will be high to face any sort of barbarity.

(Q) How do you view the recent solidarity campaign across the country in defence of the struggle being waged here?

Well, it has been very encouraging for us to find that people across the country are with us in this struggle. Moreover, this campaign would remove the misgivings and misconceptions through out the country about the Left Front government and the 'Maoists' activity.

Source: www.pd.cpim.org