NEW AGE

May 18—24, 2014

Weekly

Central Organ of the Communist Party of India

Vol. 62

No. 20

MAY 18—24, 2014

New Delhi

1 On Other Pages ‹Polls in Local Bodies in United Andhra Pradesh................2 ‹ No to Nuclear Power..............8-9

Price: ``5

Bull-Run in Stock Market

Ambani-Adani Recovering Poll Expenses Though the poll results are yet to be out, the Corporate houses that invested thousands of crores of rupees on the elections in the form of financing the high-pitched election campaigns of almost all bourgeois parties are out to recover their investment. It is no more a secret that the Corporate houses, particularly the Reliance and Adani groups were the real financiers of the poll campaign of BJP, Congress and a few regional parties. This time money flowed like water. Not only hundreds of crores were spent on rallies and road shows but even “party workers” were paid handsomely to carry on the campaign that included inducing the vulnerable voters with cash and gifts. Election Commission that claims to have seized record amount of money and illicit liquor meant for distribution will never be able to know the real role money has played in this election.

T

he Corporate houses that made this investment want to establish a more pliable regime after milking the UPA-II fully. They hope that the new regime under Narendra Modi will allow them to usurp the farmers’ land and accord total freedom to loot the national and natural resources as it

did in the state of Gujarat during the past one decade. But for that they have to wait for the formation of the new government. Corporate houses are not ready to wait that long. They want return of their invested amount even before the poll results. For that they have started the game on Stock market. During the past five

By Shameem Faizee days, the Stock market has registered record jump. It crossed 24,000 limit on Wednesday. The game is simple that has been played regularly by the so-called foreign investors twice at least in a financial year. Select few targeted companies, buy their shares that pushes up the stock index. This induces the common investor to invest in these shares. When it peaks, the game-planners quietly withdraw their investment with huge profit and the market collapses. The common investors suffer the blot. This time the financiers of BJP, Congress and other bourgeois parties are playing this game to recover their invested amount. Through their controlled media, they succeeded in creating frenzy that Modi is winning. Exit polls have been used to bolster this impression. Simultaneously, they started pushing up the

prices of certain selected shares that resulted in the bull-run in the stock market. The main beneficiaries of it are Reliance of Mukesh Ambani and Adani group companies. According to the reports, Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani and Adani group promoter Gautam Adani are the two biggest beneficiaries of the rally in the stock markets since Friday. Reliance shares have risen 9.2 per cent since Friday, meaning the value of the promoter group shareholding (45.3 per cent) has soared by Rs. 12,898 crore to be 1.55 lakh crore. Similarly the shares of the three Adani group companies— Adani Ports and SEZ and Adani Power— have also gained hugely. Its net increase is Rs. 5, 975 crore. Soon after the polling in Gujarat on April 30, the state government allowed the Adani power and Trident to raise the tariff by 45 paise per unit. Poll

investment on Modi is being recovered by taxing the common people. It means, whatever may be the poll result, the Reliance and Adani groups have ensured that they will recover at least Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 5,000 crore respectively only from their ploy in the stock market. Whatever they earn later with the help of the Modi dispensation, if at all it realizes will be sheer profit. Of course, the loot of national and natural resources allowed by the new dispensation will be duly shared among the looters and the ruling politicians. It means we should be ready for many more scams and scandals in the future. There will be bigger scams involving mind-boggling amounts. Really the country is at cross-roads and whatever may be the shape of new dispensation, it is only the looters of Corporate sector for whom “ Achhe Din Ane Wale Hain.”

CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy addressing the LF dharna against rigging in West Bengal polls [Reports on inside pages] New Age Weekly

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May 18—24, 2014

Rising Communal Threat Though the poll results will be out only

started its campaign with the slogans of “good

that the riots spread because the Muslim

on May 16, the Sangh Parivar has moved in

–governance” and “development on Gujarat

action, as if their crony Narendra Modi has

Model” reverted to its communal agenda once

already assumed power. Certain newspapers

the hollowness of these slogans was exposed.

youths too did not show any restrain and indulged in counter attacks and burning of shops and vehicles. Merrut is still simmering.

have published reports declaring the names

Provocative statements like “Azamgarh being

of possible ministers and their portfolios. RSS

the den of terrorists” and warning to the

bosses are also advising the BJP to tackle

opponents of Modi to be ready to get dispatched

carefully, but according to the whims of RSS,

to Pakistan after the poll results were brazenly

the issues related with party veterans like

made and repeated. Even after the polling was

L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Both

over, the BJP candidate from Nawada, Giriraj

have been listed among the leaders who

Singh has accused a particular community to

should not be included in the “new’ cabinet.

be source of all terrorism.

RSS bosses are making it clear that, if Modi

So the danger to the secular polity has not

wins, it will be solely due to their effort and

to be judged just from the action of the Modi

they are not ready to wait for implementation

dispensation, if at all it materializes, but also

of their pet agenda. It wants to “guide”

has to be viewed from the actions and

the proposed government from the beginning

movements that the emboldened RSS outfits

itself.

Editorial

Hence there is the advice by RSS ideologue M.G. Vaidya on the core issues of the Sangh Parivar that were put on the backburner during the six- year rule of Atal

will launch. VHP senior leader Praveen Togadia

Behari Vajpayee. According to a news report,

has already asked his followers to occupy the

Vaidya wants that ‘there should be some

isolated properties of Muslims in Hindu localities.

initiative from the (Modi) government on the

And it has started.

Now the news has come that, after a communal clash in Hyderabad, three people have died due to firing. It started as a clash between two minority communities, the Sikhs and the Muslims, but soon entered the die-hard Sangh communalists. A Dal Khalsa leader has said that the clash started with the burning of Nishan Saheb and thrashing of a Muslim youth for this condemnable act, the most mischievous role was played by the Sangh Parivar activists. According to him, certain miscreants belonging to Hindu right wing organizations used Social Media to spread rumors to create further animosity between the two minority communities. Cooked up stories of Muslims attacking Sikhs were spread through the Social Media.

issues of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Uniform

The riots in Merrut were result of this non-

Civil Code and repealing article 370’. All these

tolerance towards any action of the minority

issues are not only contentious but are totally

community. Certain Hindu zealots were not ready

divisive. Ram Mandir was once used to

to allow the Muslims to install a drinking water

neutralize the Mandal card and this time it

booth near a mosque. They not only demolished

will be used to further strengthen the

the half constructed booth but also started

The two incidents clearly point to the fact whether Modi government becomes a reality or not, the country has to be ready for a more vicious offensive by the communal outfits. The Sangh Parivar that has staked every thing on Modi will use the opportunity to re-establish its dominance on its political wing and take every step to further polarize the country on communal lines. The secular forces have to enhance their vigilance and

communal polarization of the population that

attacking the houses and shops of Muslims.

counter the fresh and more vicious offensive

has been accelerated during the most part

This led to firing and death of an innocent

of the Sangh Parivar unitedly and decisively.

of the poll campaign in May. The BJP that

bye-stander. Here one should also point out

They can ignore it on their own peril.

Polls in Local Bodies in United Andhra Pradesh “We will utilize our right to vote provided if you give us note!” It was the cry of the demonstrators in a remote village of Andhra Pradesh. To rub salt on the injury, another leader stated in a public meeting, “Take notes from all parties who ever come to you, but cast your vote in favour of my party only”. The dismal level of the values held by political leaders as well as the voters was not only a symbol of extreme desperation but also a result of deprivation of one section and the glittering riches of the other. There were even threats of boycotting the elections. There were also incidents of some villagers taking money on the eve of polling and after drinking New Age Weekly

throughout the night, they went to polling station to cast their vote in the same inebriated condition. Andhra Pradesh is having highest record of seizure of bundles of currency notes of highest denominations. A minister of Telangana had hidden money in bundles worth crores in the engine of an

Dr. K. Narayana Innova car that caught fire in a short circuit. As a portion of the money got burnt, the initiative to hide money in such a unique way was exposed. There were instances of candidates hiding liquor bottles in tanks located in the outskirts of village.

There have been practice of distributing coupons to voters by which they could either get liquor bottles or else could bring provisions from provisional stores. Elections to municipalities, corporations, mandal parishad territoral committees, zilla parishad territorial committees and also assembly and

Parliament took place in a short span of one month. Despite the fact that the CPI(M) had taken stand against bifurcation of the state, the party could bag only five wards in municipalities in Seemandhra region where as CPI got 16 wards more in that region than CPI(M). However, the CPI position has also been not very encouraging in Telangana where it could get only 24 wards, whereas the CPI(M) got only 19 wards in Telangana. In corporations, the CPI could get two divisions and CPI(M) could bag three. In elections to corporations, TDP got seats in Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Chittoor and Anantapur, while the YSRCP On Page 10

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May 18—24, 2014

Democracy in Flames in TMC Ruled Bengal In the last phase of the 16th Lok Sabha elections on May 12, 2014, the country was witness to an unprecedented blood bath that West Bengal had ever seen. Lackadaisical administration and the supportive police of the Trinamool Congress government promoted the divisive forces as the musclemen encouraged by the state regime unleashed the reign of terror and violence to grab all 42 parliamentary seats in West Bengal. The TMC led by Mamata Banerjee encouraged the goons and miscreants to go to any extent of brutal suppression since the third phase of parliamentary elections on April 30. As the skeletons from the cupboard started tumbling out, like Saradha Scam, myth of the development of Muslims, OBC and downtrodden people, the TMC supremo got unsettled. Added to it was the process of detailed enquiry started by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about Saradha Scam. They started questioning her close aides too. Meanwhile came on May 10, after a prolonged hearing, the verdict of the Supreme Court for CBI enquiry in Saradah Scam. Saradha scam has the credit of being unparalleled in the state with alleged appropriation of Rs.33,000 crores by the TMC MPs, leaders and their aides. As the scam was uncovered, there were attempts made to ascertain links between Saradha and TMC leaders and questions were raised about the buyer of Mamata’s painting at Rs.1.86 crores. Kunal Ghosh (now in jail), one of the TMC MPs and Srinjay Bose, owner of ‘Pratidin’, a Bengali daily siphoned Saradha’s fund through an agreement of paying Rs. 60 lakh per month to ‘Pratidin’ to wrap misdeeds of Saradha Group. They forced Sudipta Sen, owner of Saradha Group to appoint actor Mithun Chakrabarty as brand ambassador of Channel – 10 at Rs.20 lakh per month. Saradha group had to buy

Dilip Chakrabarty this channel under pressure at Rs.24 crores with liabilities of Rs.6 crores. Afterwards Kunal Ghosh pressurized Sudipta Sen to sell Channel – 10 at Rs.55 lakh. (Sudipta Sen’s letter to CBI dated April 6, 2013, pages 7 and 8). This year early May Kunal Ghosh while coming out of the court said in front of the media, “Police is not allowing me to talk to media, neither my points are registered. Police is destroying documents related to Saradha Scam.” As Mamata found the involvement of TMC leaders and their aides in Saradha Scam amounting to Rs.33,000 crores unveiled, she resorted to all out rigging to win more than 19 seats that TMC had in 2009 to establish her authority in country’s parliamentary politics and fishing in trouble water. Hearing on Birbhum district’s Parui murder case had been continuing in Justice Dipankar Dutta’s bench. Few days before third phase of elections on April 30, bench comprised of chief justice of Calcutta high court took charge of the said case in which Anubrata Mondal, favourite of Mamata, was accused of murder. The bench issued stay order for three weeks. Encouraged, Mondal organised his goons and musclemen to stop voters except marked TMC voters and recorded high percentage of polling in Birbhum district. In presence of police a big chunk of genuine voters of Howrah and Hooghly districts were prevented by TMC workers from casting their votes. On May 7, TMC MLA of Sonamukhi (Bankura district) Dipali Saha along with her 10 musclemen had casted 100 votes. FIR was lodged; but police could not trace her to arrest. TMC’s two panchayet pradhans entered different booths without permission and inspected casting of votes. Police, para-military staff and presiding officer did not

protest or prevent. It was May 12, the last phase of polling in Bengal for 17 seats. Bengal’s capital Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts witnessed administration, police and central forces to dwarf down with fear of TMC. There was no respite from violence and rigging by TMC. TMC musclemen and miscreants captured more than 150 booths at different villages and towns under Basirhat parliamentary constituency. In another incident at Minakhan of Basirhat Parliamentary constituency under the leadership of TMC MLA Usharani Mondal, TMC musclemen shot and injured 20 people. Just a few km away from Kolkata, Left Front voters of Baranagar were threatened of consequences if they dared to reach booths. Booth capturing started at Baranagar of Dum Dum Parliamentary constituency, North 24 Parganas district at around 10 a.m. by TMC goons after driving out polling agents of Left Front. Nadia district’s Krishnanagar, Chapra, Bethuadahari, Nabadwip of Krishnanagar parliamentary constituency, Ranaghat, Chakdha, Gaeshpur, Kalyani and Kupars of Ranaghat Parliamentary constituency and Baikara village of Haringhata of Nadia district were marred by violence, rigging, threats and assault by TMC goons. TMC goons entered the house of a CPI (M) supporter at Haroa (North 24 Parganas) and fired guns at all present, even a pregnant woman was not spared. Presiding officer of Haroa in Basirhat constituency appeared to be captive of TMC. There was fierce violence in Haroa’s Brahmanchak. TMC goons indulged in shooting injuring four including two women and also abducted five of the CPI(M) family members. Kolkata’s Burrabazar area had suffered brutally. Bombs were hurled on houses of anti TMC voters and streets of the locality where TMC supporters are negligible.

Protest Rallies All Over Country

Left Decries TMC Violence in WB The national capital on May 14, 2014, witnessed a strong protest dharna at Jantar Mantar condemning both rigging and vandalism by TMC workers, The Left leaders who addressed the rally in the national capital of Delhi urged the Central Election Commission to order re-polling in all the rigged booths in the state. The leaders also warned the TMC of serious consequences if it does not immediately refrain from attacking the Left Front workers. The nationwide protests, held in Delhi, Lucknow, Thiruvanthapuram, Kolkata and other places were in response to a joint call given by four left parties — CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and RSP. The leaders who addressed those sitting on dharna in Delhi include Communist party of India general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, All India Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas, communist veteran A.B. Bardhan CPI(M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yehury MP and R.S.Dagar of RSP. The leaders condemned the West Bengal TMC goons who not only rigged the polls but fired and attacked the left parties’ workers. Left parties said that a list of 1,500 booths with proof of rigging had been submitted to the election commission. The leaders in unison demanded that orders must be issued immediately for holding re-poll. The rally which adopted a resolution demanded an immediate end to the attacks on the activists of the left parties by TMC goons. Other leaders who also participated in the rally were CPI leaders D Raja, Amarjeet Kaur, Dhirendra Sharma, Prof. Dinesh Varshney, CPI(M) leaders S R Pillali, Brinda Karat, RSP leader R S Dagar, and AIFB leaders G Devrajan and Dharmendra Kr.Verma. This dharna was joined by students and professors of JNU, NFIW leaders and activists, workers, youth and scientists as well as the common masses of Delhi. Addressing the dharna S Sudhakar Reddy pointed out that what had happened in West Bengal proves that the bourgeois parties would go to any extent to capture and retain power. It is a sad commentary on the democratic setup in our country. He appealed to all progressives forces to come together and defeat such nefarious moves.

CPI Welcomes SC Order on Saradha Chit Fund The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India has issued on May 9, 2014 the following statement welcoming the Supreme Court order to CBI to investigate the Saradha Chit Fund scam: The CPI welcomes the directive of Supreme Court ordering the CBI to investigate the Saradha Chit Fund Scam. This scam has affected several lakhs of poor people in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Odhisha and Jharkhand. By its very nature, CBI was the appropriate agency to investigate the fraud perpetrated. However the TMC government in West Bengal headed by Mamata Banerjee blocked the referring of the case to CBI in the name of state’s CID looking into it, even though the other states had been demanding a CBI inquiry. This was obviously motivated with the intention of protecting the TMC people who are alleged to be involved. The Supreme Court has therefore done well referring the whole case to CBI. New Age Weekly

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May 18—24, 2014

Reject Nayak Panel Report on Privatisation of Banks: CPI The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India has issued following statement on May 15, 2014 to the press. The secretariat of the Communist Party of India condemns the Nayak Committee report on Privatisation of Public sector Banks and demands the government to reject it totally. Nayak committee has recommended that the government equity capital should be reduced to less than 51 per cent which is nothing but privatising the banks. This is a retrograde step. Ever since the nationalisation of banks, branches have grown from 8,000 in 1969 to 80,000 and nearly half of them are doing service in rural areas. Bank deposits have grown from Rs 5,000 crores to Rs 78 lakh crores and advances of Rs 50 lakh crores are given. Services of public sector banks can be improved further by ensuring credit facilities to poor people, farmers, small and middle businessmen. Public sector banks are also fulfilling the national objective of upholding social and economic justice by recruiting people from down trodden sections of society while a number of private banks failed and collapsed and also looted the life0long savings and investments of the people. There are more bad loans in private sector banks. CPI appeals to all democratic sections of people to fight back the conspiracy to privatise the public sector banks. CPI extends full support to the struggle of bank employees, in defence of public sector banks.

On BJP, Election Commission Face Off The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India issued on May 9, 2014 the following statement expressing serious concern over the ongoing confrontation between the BJP and the election commission and its implications: The spat between BJP and the Election Commission is a serious issue which will have far-reaching implication about the functions of constitutional bodies in the country. By this time it is clear that BJP has become very desperate. It is trying to politicize and polarize the people at any cost and create tense situation. It is using the caste card out of context unhesitatingly which is also highly objectionable. Political parties have a right to protest on the action of Election Commission if they feel it is not justified. But cannot blackmail Election Commission. Election Commission is a constitutional body; it draws power from the Constitution to conduct free and fair elections. Despite its efforts, it is unable to stop rigging and booth capturing, completely. The CPI has brought such violations to the notice of the Election Commission for appropriate action in the case of Manipur and West Bengal. But what BJP has done in protesting against Election Commission and the way Mr. Narendra Modi has challenged the Election Commission is not acceptable and really condemnable. The CPI appeals that the authority of constitutional bodies must be upheld by everybody. Constitutional bodies like EC should work without any fear or favour to discharge their responsibilities. New Age Weekly

Protest Violence, Rigging in West Bengal: Left The Left parties — Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party issued the following statement on May 12, 2014 on the violence and rigging in West Bengal as well as the country wide protest against it by the left parties on May 14: The last phase of elections for 17 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal has been marked by widespread violence, capture of more than a thousand polling booths, polling agents of opposition parties being driven out and physical attacks on people going to vote in various places. The Trinamool Congress had launched this campaign of terror and intimidation on the eve of the polling. The entire State machinery and the police have

connived in this effort to manipulate the elections. The worst incident took place in Haroa block in the Basirhat parliamentary constituency where voters going to the polling booth were fired upon. Four persons suffered bullet injuries and 17 others were injured by sharp weapons. Some of the worst affected seats are Kolkata North, Barrackpur, Ghatal, Dumdum, Basirhat, Bongaon and Diamond Harbour. Along with the rigging done in the third and fourth phase of polling, this constitutes a brazen attack on the democratic system. Despite this violence, people have been braving these attacks and asserting their right to vote. It is shocking that the Election Commission has been unable to intervene effectively during this round of polling, even though there

was enough forewarning about what was to come, after the earlier two phases of polling. The Left parties demand that the Election Commission intervene urgently to restore conditions for a free and fair poll. This can be done only by ordering a re-poll in all the affected polling booths in the third, fourth and fifth rounds of polling. It is only by doing this that the sanctity of the democratic process can be protected. The Left parties call upon all democratic forces to voice their protest against this assault on democracy in West Bengal. The Left parties will organise protests all over the country on May 14 to demand that re-polling is conducted in all the affected areas under the strict supervision of the Election Commission.

Anxiety About Saibaba CPI Leader A B Bardhan has issued the following statement on May 15, 2014: The manner in which the police swooped down upon Prof Saibaba at his residence and spirited him away at the dead of night to the farthest corner of Maharashtra, Gadhchiroli, deserves strong condemnation. Saibaba is a 90 per cent disabled man and yet he has been kept in a nondescript prison under most unhygienic condition. He has threatened to go on hunger-strike against such treatment, deprived of his usual medication. I know from long experience how such hunger-strike in prison can tell upon a person’s health, particularly a disabled man like Prof Saibaba. I request that he be granted all facilities which are required, and shifted to proper accommodation forthwith. “Connection with the Maoists” is the usual charge under which social and Left activists who oppose all police repression on tribals and other affected people under the guise of “Operation Greenhunt” are arrested and harassed. Saibaba should be released and allowed to resume his duty in the Delhi University.

NFIW Against Verdict on Marital Violence NFIW has issued the following statement on May 14, 2014 condemning the Delhi court verdict as it upholds marital violence against women: The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) expresses serious concern about the reported verdict given by a Delhi court on forcible sex between partners. This verdict will have an extremely negative impact on women especially those married among them. This will encourage and perpetuate the alarmingly increasing menace of marital rape.

The verdict and position of the court that sex between husband and wife, “even if forcible, is not rape” is nothing but the manifestation of the patriarchal mindset which always stands in the way of gender equality. When the entire women’s movement and the people who believe in the importance of gender equality are campaigning and agitating to make marital rape a crime, NFIW considers that this verdict of the Delhi court is highly retrograde.

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May 18—24, 2014

With voting for the last and the 9th phase of polling on May 12, 2014, the election process for the 16th Lok Sabha is over. When counting takes place on May 16, the results would be known by the evening. Since the people’s mandate is expected to be a fractured one, the picture as to alliance of which parties emerges to form the government at the centre may not be clear on 16th itself. That may take three to five days more. In any case, the new government has to take over not later than May 21, 2014. The people of India, as also people world over are eagerly waiting to see which way the wind blows. The election took place in the background of extremely difficult situations faced by the common masses — poverty and all sorts of miseries that it entails, unprecedented price rise, vast and increasing unemployment, layoffs and closures, increasing loss of jobs year after year, serious crisis in rural economy reflected in agriculture becoming nonremunerative and its inability to provide jobs to people hitherto dependant on it, flocking of large population to towns and cities in search of livelihood resulting in increasing number of homeless and slum dwellers, proper education and health care going beyond reach because of privatisation, overdrive and commercialisation, rampant corruption in all walks of life and from top to bottom, growing inequality between haves and have-nots and last but not the least the growing sense of despair, frustration, helplessness and disenchantment in vast sections of masses, especially amongst the youth which is partly responsible for the spurt in crimes and violence in recent years. There was general discontent, anguish and anger against the Congress and the UPA-II government led by it. The Congress was, therefore, at a disadvantageous position from the very beginning of the election campaign, while the main opposition party, the BJP, tried to exploit the discontent and anger of the masses to the hilt. Along with its pet theme for polarising

By R S Yadav

wealth and resources in the hands of few capitalists while vast masses would suffer more and more deprivation. This has really happened. Most of the problems that the people face today are the direct result of these very policies.

voters on religious lines, most of the problems faced by the common man, especially the problems of price rise, unemployment and corruption found high resonance in the BJP’s electioneering. It tried to convince the voters that if voted to power, the party will address all the problems. It, however, did not elaborate how.

During the election campaign it was only the Left which echoed the people’s grievances and problems and sufferings in proper perspective. The Left placed before the people that to tackle the problems they face today, what is needed is the reversal of the policies that have aggravated and created these problems. The Left placed an alternative policy frame work to tackle the country’s problems.

Whither Now

BJP didn’t place before the people through its election manifesto or otherwise any policy frame work to tackle these problems. On the contrary, the party reiterated its commitment to pursue the policies of economic reforms more aggressively and more vigorously. This showed that to exploit the people’s discontent and anger against UPA-II and Congress, the BJP paid lip sympathy for the people’s woes while it intends to pursue those very disastrous policies of economic reforms that have aggravated these problems to these levels. This is tantamount to cheating the people. The stand of others including most of the regional parties is also not much different. Most of them are also equally committed for the neo-liberal policies of economic reforms and in the states they rule, they unhesitatingly pursue those very policies. It is only the Left that has been from the very beginning insisting that as far as the common man’s interests are concerned, the policies of neo-liberalism are a sure recipe for disaster. The Left has been continuously raising its voice of protest and mobilising different sections to fight against these obnoxious policies. The Left has been consistently pointing out that these policies are meant to benefit the capitalist class and implementation of these would lead to concentration of more and more

If ,as expected, a fractured mandate is there, and neither the Congress led alliance nor the BJP led alliance gets sufficient numbers to form the government that would mean rejection of the Congress and BJP both. If that be the situation, it would also mean a tacit mandate for formation of a non-Congress non- BJP government. Here comes the role of the Left which has been contemplating formation of a non-Congress non BJP government and has been discussing with various secular and democratic parties on the subject and therefore can pursue further. In view of various contradictions between some secular and democratic parties and also innumerous known and unknown other complexities of the situation, this would certainly not be an easy proposition. But if the people really reject alliances led by the Congress and BJP both, and thus give a tacit mandate to others which include other secular democratic parties along with the Left to form a nonCongress non-BJP government, these parties need to rise to occasion and to work out to honour the mandate of the people, they need to put their heads together for the common good of the nation and work out a minimum common programme as an alternative policy frame work and form a government on that basis. Of cource, the Left has to play an important role at this delicate juncture.

No Perusal of Lay-off Notices to 1,017 Workers PANAJI: The Goa State Committee of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Goa Labour Welfare Union affiliated to AITUC welcome the decision of the Sesa Sterlite Limited Management and Sesa Mining Corporation Ltd. not to pursue the lay-off notices issued to 1017 employees in the month of January, 2014 to be effective from January 2, 2 0 1 4 . I n t h e circumstances, the decision of the management of Sesa Sterlite Limited not to pursue the lay-off notices is a wise one. The AITUC and the unions however fail to understand as to why the state government in Goa is still in the process of

formulating a ‘transparent mining policy’ ! We may briefly recall that the Goa government had published in its Extraordinary Official Gazette on September 20, 2013 a Goa Mineral Policy, 2013 which delineates the objectives and parameters in a policy frame-work for the regulation, development, exploration and mining of major mineral resources in the state. It is therefore strange that the Sesa Sterlite Management has tagged its decision not to pursue the matter of lay-off until the time a transparent mining policy is formulated! Is the government of Goa begging the question that its Goa mineral policy, 2013 was not transparent

enough? One fails to fathom as to why the BJP government of Goa did not formulate a transparent mining policy as envisaged during the last more than two years that it has been in power in Goa and waited for the Supreme Court which vacated its stay on ban on mining on April 21, 2014. It must be remembered that the workers employed in Sesa Sterlite Limited and Sesa Mining Corporation Ltd., have relentlessly struggled against all forms of retrenchments and lay-offs and have consistently opposed these moves of the managements in every forum. The Goa Mining Labour Welfare Union (AITUC) had opposed the proposed

lay-off before the Union labour ministry, New Delhi and also before the labour minister, government of Goa. The management was unable to secure permissions to lay-off as sought by them both from the central as well as the state governments. S u b s e q u e n t l y, t h e management had challenged the orders declining lay-offs to 1017 workmen before the Goa bench of the Bombay high court as well as in the high court of Delhi. The writs filed by the Sesa Sterlite management in the Delhi high court before Justice V. Kameswar Rao came up for admission on April 30, 2014. The admission of the writs are now posted for October 1, 2014.

The AITUC commends the workers and unions of Sesa Sterlite Limited as well as Sesa Mining Corporation Limited for maintaining their ‘unity-in-struggle’. We call upon the government of Goa that it should take all steps to ensure that mining operations in Goa must start, expeditiously. In the matter of restarting mining operations - in a correct and sustainable manner, speed and time is the essence. Meanwhile, the AITUC will call upon chief minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar to seek clarifications from the government on several issues which are of interest to the mining workers as well as to the mining stake - holders. New Age Weekly

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May 18—24, 2014

CEC Must Probe Distribution of Money, Liquor The Pondicherry state unit of the Communist Party of India has lodged a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner of India regarding the distribution of cash and liquor in the p a r l i a m e n t a r y constituency of Pondicherry. The text of the letter sent to the CEC on May 9, 2014 by state secretary R Viswanathan who is the CPI Lok Sabha candidate is as follows: On the onset of election announcement 2014, the steps taken by the Election Commission to conduct free and fair election throughout India and in Puducherry are laudable. Election Commission’s Voters Awareness Campaign, opening of toll free numbers for complaints, warnings for sale of vote, etc, were all appreciable. These steps initially seemed helpful to those genuinely working for the people and

their interests and stand for their political convictions. Election observers, expenditure observers, election officers, returning officers all worked initially unbiased. But in the last leg of campaign there was slackness in their vigilance against distribution of liquor and cash to the voters. We understood that about Rs 50 crores and above might have been distributed to the voters by the four major parties of Indian National Congress (INC), NR Congress, AIADMK and DMK after six p.m. by instigating power cuts in the areas of distribution. If the commission goes into the pattern of power cuts in the urban constituencies within the last 10 days of the election that is April 12 to April 23, the truth will be revealed. Our party activists complained about the distribution of cash to voters to the toll free numbers of

1950 and 1800-425-4151. The record of toll free complaints from the following cell numbers for example have not resulted in any booking of cases against the culprits.

When we called ‘1950’ on April 22 and 23, 2014, we found either the toll free phone was dead or jammed or unattended. The election officers and police officers were also

In 1943, he joined the CPI and participated in struggles launched by the party. From 1952 onwards he plunged into Trade Union activities. In 1956 he came to Chennai to work in the state centre. Later he became the general secretary of Tamilnadu AITUC. He worked with Sakkarai Chettiyar, and senior trade union leaders such as M. Kalyanasundaram, K.T.K.Thangamani and others. He was a member of national executive committee of AITUC for 25 years. He was instrumental in forming AITUC unions in many sectors such as Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Hindustan Photo Films, Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Chennai), Madras Fertilizer etc. He was office bearer of several the All India Federations such as All India Transport Worker’s Federation. All India Engineering Workers Federation New Age Weekly

* How much circulation of money took place in Puducherry constituency during election period, compared to last year. * What is the pattern of unannounced power cuts after 6.00 p.m. in urban constituencies during the last leg of campaign. * How many cases were booked based on leads of complaints recorded in toll free Nos 1950 and 1800425-4151

9 4 4 3 6 4 7 3 4 4 : Ramamurthy, Bahoor; 9994117470: Sedhuselvam, Pudupet; 9976121212: Kerthivarma, Sithankudi; 9360666046: Chandra Sekar, Saram; 9894676461: G e e t h a n a t h a n , Ariankuppam; 9488822280: Murugan, Muthialpet; 9442399908: Manivannan, Bahoor;

aware of these complaints but turned their back, perhaps, due to the fact that those who were at the helm of these acts were present or were ex-MLA s and that after the elections they have to work together. We would like the EC to enquire into the following: * How much liquor sales

Com K M Sundaram is No More Veteran AITUC leader Com. K.M.Sundaram passed away in Chennai last month. He was 94. He was born in a family of middle strata in Ramanathapuram in the year 1920. While he was studying in high school, he organized the students in freedom struggle. During ‘Quit India’ movement he was very active among students and led them in agitations. Number of times he was arrested and brutally beaten up.

took place between the election periods compared to the same period in the last year.

and All India Plantation Workers Federation. He was also a member of State Wage Board, ESI Committee and EPF Committee, Worker Education Board, State Coffee Board etc. On behalf of AITUC he visited Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Bulgaria and Poland. He was expert in preparing the charter of demands, conducting negotiations, arguing in Labour Courts, lead the struggles and arriving on settlements. He was respected by leaders of other Trade Union centres. He was editor of Trade Union News, a fortnightly which was published in Tamil by the Tamilnadu AITUC. He was unwell for the past several years. Soon after coming to know of his demise, general secretary of Tamilnadu unit of AITUC, T M Murthy, deputy general secretary K. Ravi, treasurer Virudhai Gandhi and other trade union leaders rushed to his place and paid their last respects. After the election campaign was over, state leaders of CPI including state secretary D Pandian visited his home and offered condolences to the bereaved family.

* What are the offences booked by EC because of video recording of major campaigns. At last, at the end of election campaign, the EC’s motto ‘My Vote is not for Sale’ ended in ‘My Vote for Money’ The election in Puducherry in future will be of democracy, not of the people, for the people, or by the people, but of the, for the, by those who have resources. The existence of Election Commission will become a big question if EC has not followed the complaints lodged in toll free numbers and offences found in video recording. Please make necessary enquiry and follow up action to save democracy. Besides the above, in order to save and to have faith on electoral democracy by the people, we suggest that the present ‘First pass the post (FATP)’ system should be replaced with ‘Proportional representation with list system’ with the aim to curb money power. India has to evolve its own representative democracy instead of following British or American system of democracy. The Peoples Representation Act and Rules 1951 has to be reviewed and modified in consultation with all stakeholders in this behalf.

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May 18—24, 2014

Media Trims Its Sails to Favour BJP When Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency in 1975, the vast majority of Indian academics, intellectuals and media c o m m e n t a t o r s protested. Barring a few publications most newspapers carried sharply critical comments and truthful, horrifying accounts of the excesses perpetrated in the name of defending India against contrived “threats”—until censorship was imposed, and sometimes defying it.

Jammu and Kashmir, and imposition of a Uniform Civil Code.

Many critics paid a heavy price for opposing the government, including arrests and sackings. Except the ruling Congress, no party or civil society organisation backed the suspension of fundamental rights or forced sterilisation of Muslims and razing of their homes under Sanjay Gandhi’s diktat.

All the past manifestos were replete with emphases on the three issues. They

In contrast to this stands the near-euphoric reception being accorded by much of the media to the grave Right-wing threat from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerialaspirant Narendra Modi, and worse, rationalisations proffered on his behalf by certain academics and columnists, who claim to be liberals, and had held him culpable for the 2002 butchery of Muslims in Gujarat. Today they are trimming their sails to the wind— changing their views to suit temporarily prevailing opinions, and becoming time-servers. They see many virtues in Modi, including signs of “moderation” and restraint. Some even speak of “the two Modis”, one responsible for 2002, and the other who is no longer anti-Muslim and might become “remorseful” about 2002. Why, just last fortnight one analyst lavished praise on Modi for not mentioning the BJP’s trade-mark “Trident” Hindutva issues: building a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 pertaining to

With the belated release of the BJP’s 2014 election manifesto, these delusions should stand shattered. The three issues figure in the document just as they did in all its manifestos from 1996 to 2009 (barring 1999, when the National Democratic Alliance issued a “National Agenda for Governance”, which for opportunistic power-related reasons, omitted their mention.)

termed “Sanatana Dharma” synonymous with “Indian nationalism”, declared that “Shri Ram lies at the core of Indian consciousness”, equated “the Hindu world view” with “cultural nationalism”, and demanded a Ram temple, abrogation of Article 370, and a commission to “draft a Uniform Civil Code”. The new manifesto is no different, despite minor changes in wording like building a Ram temple “within the constitutional framework”, and a UCC with “gender equality”. Modi’s imprint is embossed all over it. It lifts entire sections from the recent “Vision of Modi” document and even the Gujarat 2012 Assembly manifesto. As a paper put it, it’s a manifesto “for, by and of Modi”. The re-emphasis on the “Trident” issues shows that

By Praful Bidwai

the BJP remains firmly in the vicious grip of Hindutva. Indeed, the RSS has tightened its hold on the BJP’s day-to-day working, organisational appointments and ticket distribution like never before. LK Advani would not have been compelled to stand from Gandhinagar instead of Bhopal had RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat not intervened. Nor would Murli Manohar Joshi have agreed to vacate the Varanasi seat for Modi without the RSS’s order to do so.

The RSS is fully complicit in Modi’s plans to weed out all the personnel and policies associated with the Vajpayee legacy, and build a primarily Sangh-based party around Modi. Advani has been utterly marginalised. Nothing illustrates this better than the design of the Gujarat BJP’s huge posh new headquarters near Ahmedabad, worth Rs 40 crores. This massive complex has rooms for various BJP national office-bearers and the state party president, a media centre, meeting rooms, a huge auditorium, a 120-seat conference hall, a library, a cafeteria, and a wi-fi network, but with no room for Advani, the Gandhinagar MP! As Modi purges the BJP of all Vajpayee-era influence, a frustrated

Advani is left taking swipes at him about being a great “event manager” and an “able administrator”, who however does not belong to Vajpayee’s class. That may wound Modi, but doesn’t change the power equations. As for those who see signs of “moderation” in Modi’s team, his right-hand man in UP Amit Shah recently spewed communal venom and called for “revenge” at Shamli and Muzaffarnagar, the worstaffected areas in the riots last September that left 60 people (mainly Muslims) dead and thousands homeless. One must

sincerely hope that the Election Commission will take exemplary punitive action against Shah. Those who have softened their stand on Modi advance two other arguments. First, they point to internal “checks and balances” in the BJP, including the presence of the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and various elected committees. Modi has taken care not to antagonise the CMs or other regional leaders. The BJP, they claim, is more democratic than the dynasty-controlled Congress, as well as other parties centred around one or two leaders. This view is partly true, but dangerously one-sided. While most parties other than the Communists don’t hold genuine internal

elections and conventions regularly, and the Congress works more through nomination-from-above than election-from-below, they do some internal consultation. The BJP is no exception to this, but that doesn’t make it a federal or “bottom-up” party. What makes the BJP truly different is RSS control of it. And the RSS is not an elected body. All its officebearers from the sarasanghachalak downwards are nominated. It decides on all major changes at the apex of the BJP, including the appointment of party presidents and organisational secretaries. It is the RSS that asked Advani to resign after his 2005 speech extolling Mohammed Ali Jinnah. It meted out the same treatment to Jaswant Singh. It later removed Advani as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha too. BJP president Rajnath Singh, like Nitin Gadkari earlier, owes his position to the RSS. Modi’s nomination as PMcandidate was cleared by the RSS, as was Amit Shah’s appointment as UP’s chief campaign manager. Modi today needs BJP CMs and non-party regional leaders to win votes and build alliances, but he will overrule them and treat them like dirt once they have served their electoral purpose. Make no mistake: Modi is incurably authoritarian and will brook no dissent—so long as the RSS is on board, and the BJP lists “Modi-mantra” as the topmost “core issue” on its website. RSS control apart, elected BJP bodies like its 12-member parliamentary board and the 19-member central election committee are regularly bypassed when crucial decisions are made. This happened when Jaswant Singh was denied the Barmer seat. So much for “checks and balances” in the BJP! ™ New Age Weekly

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n one of its major development goals, “Electricity for All”, India faces the challenge to provide cheap and abundant supply of electricity. It still is a pipe dream! The country faces an energy deficit of around 10 per cent despite per capita consumption of electricity (879 units per year) being lower than that of China (2,500 units) and of the US (12,500 units). Electricity consumption on the one hand is governed by the elite consumer class and by the majority-poor on the other. The latter (85 percent of the rural poor), however, use traditional energy sources, firewood, crop residue, bio-mass and animal dung, as fuel for their daily needs. The solution to this energy deficit lies in ramping up the power capacity but in terms of a secure, lowcost, reliable source of energy. It is the primary responsibility of the state to establish more widespread access to affordable modern energy. This does not mean, however, following the energy profligacy of the affluent consumer class. Such a path will merely result in excess burning of nonrenewal sources of energy generating electricity using fossil fuels, one of the main causes of GHGs and responsible for CO2 emissions that India must necessarily reduce. Unsustainable forms of energy consumption must go, replaced by sustainable modes of energy use. A paradigm shift on India’s development needs for modern electricity consumption is thus an essential prerequisite. Policy makers must face the task of developing an energy solution that addresses the above crucial concerns that are, the environmental concerns and simultaneously an affordable and secure supply of energy for the people. In this quest, the government has however stepped into sinking sand! It has been constructing nuclear power plants to New Age Weekly

May 18—24, 2014

No to Nuclear Power deliver nuclear electricity. The obsession has however blinded them from learning the lessons on the number of nuclear accidents within the country and aboard, like Chalk River (1952), Greifswald (1976), Three Mile Island (1979),

Chernobyl (1985), Monju (1995), Tokaimura (1999) and Fukushima (2011). Even when there have been no nuclear accidents, the normally functioning plants have had harmful health effects! One study showed reports of infant deaths and childhood cancer-rates having dropped after the nuclear plants were shut down! Japan is the only country, which suffered a nuclear holocaust. Two atom bombs were dropped on it in 1945. The Japanese experienced how lethal nuclear energy is. Why did they then opt for nuclear energy for power generation? The Fukushima Daiichi exploded and flung Japan for the second time

into a nuclear holocaust, in just 65 years! Yet, this has not stopped India to go for nuclear energy by claiming that “nuclear power for peaceful purpose” is safe? The earthquake in Fukushima not only exploded the nuclear plant but also

Japan’s claim of nuclear safety! Thus, for umpteenth time, it has to be reiterated: Nuclear power is not the solution! Nor is it safe! There are serious problems on costs, safety and risks as well as its effectiveness in combating global warming. By catering to merely 10 per cent of India’s energy needs, this source will not have the critical mass to provide energy security to the country. These are of vital concerns to the present and future generation of Indians. Another writing on the wall: Renewable energy is the Option. It can technically contribute to practically all sectors of energy demand, that is, fuel

for transportation, electricity, and low temperature heat for space heating and hot water and, to a limited degree, to high temperature process heat. Whatever the case, observing energy efficiency and energy conservation while fostering all-round development is thus of paramount importance as strategies of reducing emissions. In many cases, energy efficiency pays off after a short time. However, these strategies, however, by themselves will not suffice to meet the long term objectives. “Supply must be reliable. Even if energy efficiency is problematique the most important tool to mitigate man-made greenhouse gas emission and even the most ambitious programme would

Despite these disasters the nuclear crats, among others, also constantly misjudge the dangers associated with nuclear power plants. This failure is due to their lack of experiences and one reason behind their pro-nuclear stance.

not suffice to cut CO2 emissions by the required amounts. Substantive increases in the use of renewable energy need to contribute as well For the Global South, however, nuclear energy has to be also affordable, not merely accessible!

other hand there are institutions like USAID script India’s power sector reforms advocating a supply-side restructuring model favoring its mega power producers viz., Westinghouse Electric Co., GE Electric, and AREVA, (French MNC).

Nuclear Power Stations and Toxic Leaks Reports from around the globe continue to inform that nuclear power stations, abandoned and in- operation, continue to discharge highly lethal dozes of chemicals. These endanger the environment and all life. For instance Chernobyl, melted down in 1986, is still releasing radioisotopes. In Belarus, north of Chernobyl, only 20 percent of children are deemed to be healthy although previously 80 percent were considered well! The Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State (US) is currently leaching radioisotopes in the Columbia River. The MNC, DuPont, was the original contractor. Since then other MINCs have also failed to contain the leaching radio activity. The Fukushima is still leaking large quantities of Cs-137 and Sr- 90 in the Pacific Ocean. A recent study confirms hypo-thyrodism in new-born babies in California, whose mothers were pregnant during the early releases from Fukushima. Thyroid abnormalities were also detected early in Marshall Islanders. Radioactive iodine, known to interfere with thyroid, entered the US from Fukashima in late March after the meltdowns, and was carried by dairy products, and results in damage to the unborn!

Today, the nonsense of nuclear technology is however gradually sinking in. Some countries in the North are beginning to give up this toxic technology. For instance, Switzerland will phase out all 5 of its nuclear reactors by 2034; Germany by 2022; Netherlands’s only operational nuclear plant will be shut down by 2033. Italy and Taiwan promised to be nuclear- free; Venezuela and Israel have already cancelled them. On the

In constructing nuclear power stations India has been acquiring land (read: land grab) for the purpose. Its action has displaced the locals from their dwellings, and destroying traditional livelihoods. These project affected persons (PAP), victims of this form of “development”, are viewed as a necessary sacrifice (by someone else) for the greater good of the country. While benefits are harvested by one section of the society, the victims have to sacrifice “for the greater common good”. The inherent dichotomy of this development paradigm

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needs not only to be exposed but also the hallucinatory project of nuclear power that will supposedly provide “nuclear electricity for all”! MYTH: Following its audit, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) -after the Fukushima disaster -was declared totally safe and the “lessons learnt”. FACT: Poor safety records and the culture of silence is a characteristic feature of nuclear establishment generally including the Indian nuclear industry. According to the former chairman of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), a list of corrective

only after all the measures listed by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) were implemented. Since the loading of nuclear fuel was to take place in 2013, it became clear that either Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) had gone back on its sworn affidavit and got the timetable wrong. Knowing the past record of each and every authority in India, (central or state governments or local bodies or public and private corporations) it is quite obvious that Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) lied. Disaster Management in India has been among the worst disasters!

launches involving cutting edge science and technology are insured. Quantification has two basic dimensions. First, the probability function of a range of possible scenarios that are likely to be mapped. Then the resulting damage from each of the likely occurrence is estimated. Together these give insurance analysts good idea of probable losses arising out of insuring a risk and whether to offer an insurance product and at what premium. The Nuclear industry also boasts of hundreds of reactors in successful operation. Then, why hasn’t it been able to convince

electricity needs FACT: Not so! The reasons why it will not deliver is due to the history of failure, poor technological choices and “lack of organizational learning”. Besides, the current nuclear capacity, over 60 years after the atomic

but failed to deliver! The DAE has simply not learnt the lessons from the miserable history of breeder technology globally, and thus shows a lack of “organizational learning”. Further, India needs electricity that is cheap and affordable but nuclear power in this sense is ill- suited. It is costly. This is easily borne out in India’s case, where coal based thermal power has been much cheaper than nuclear electricity. Future reactors, both imported light water ones as well as fast breeder reactors tend to be more expensive which will make electricity generated in these unaffordable to the poor. MYTH: The “alternative” sources of energy “cannot scale up fast enough to deliver cheap and reliable power at the scale the global economy requires” today. FACT: The dismissive nature of the nuclearcrats on renewables is inaccurate. For instance, Wind, power and solar can replace fossil fuels quickly, without nuclear power! Nuclear power takes “10-19 years to plan, permit, and install, compared with 2-5 years for a solar or wind farm’.

measures and modifications had been prepared in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. It would take for some cases six months, in other cases, 24 months, to implement the modification. NPCIL gave a sworn undertaking to the Chennai high court that it would load the fuel at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP)

MYTH: Nuclear energy is a clean and safe source of power. FACT: Generally insurance cover is taken out for each and every commercial and industrial activity, whether of repetitive nature or not. It covers myriad risks that are quantifiable. Even space programmes like satellite

insurance industry to provide a comprehensive cover for its nuclear plants including occurrences of melt- down disaster. The people who know how to make money by betting on risks would not be gullible folks to insure a nuclear power plant! MYTH: Nuclear power is the answer to India’s

energy programme was established, is just 5,780 mw, about 2.5 per cent of the total generated capacity. Even with the optimistic assumption about the future, this fraction is unlikely to increase to more than five per cent for decades. But optimism is not warranted. The DAE has long made ambitious projections

Of course, nuclear power is low carbon in the usephase, but the problems with the nuclear fuel cycle, as managed today, are of: cost and extreme accidents. Today, nuclear power plants can cost as much as $10 b. for a 1,500 MW plant 34 and take a decade to construct... The climate crisis ac demands significant low-carbon deployment w today, and it is not clear if nuclear energy can be meet that immediate challenge”. „ Curtsy: Facts Against Myths New Age Weekly

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Finger on the Nuclear Trigger India does not need to fine tune its nuclear weapon policy, it needs to work towards abolition. When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) first formed a government at the centre in 1996, it began preparations for a nuclear weapons test even before it could prove its majority in Parliament. When, in 1998, it did enjoy a majority as head of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, it lost no time in conducting a series of nuclear tests, thus giving a nuclear edge to all conflicts India would be engaged in. There is therefore some concern that if the NDA once again forms a government, it may decide to indulge in some nuclear adventurism as proof of its “strong and decisive” nature. It is in this light that we must evaluate the statements in the 2014 manifesto of the BJP, which promises that its government will “revise and update” India’s nuclear doctrine. This evoked concern that if the BJP were to form a government it would abandon the “No First Use” (NFU) policy that has been a central element in India’s nuclear doctrine since 1999. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, subsequently sought to douse these anxieties and

stated that there would be no “compromise” on NFU and that this policy was “a reflection of our cultural inheritance” (whatever that means). Given the BJP’S naturally aggressive posture, such clarifications must be viewed with some scepticism and it is legitimate to explore what maybe on the agenda.

Behari Vajpayee, reportedly warned Pakistan that India will not wait for Pakistan to drop a nuclear bomb on the country -a statement that goes against the spirit of a NFU pledge not to use such weapons first. In 2002, during Operation Parakram, both the then defence minister, George

India’s NFU policy states that New Delhi will not start a nuclear war but if an aggressor uses such weapons then the country will retaliate “to inflict unacceptable damage” and it will do so by maintaining “a credible minimum deterrent” that is expected to withstand a first round of a nuclear attack. This is expected to warn the aggressor about the futility of using nuclear weapons. While no one knows whether the country will, in the event of war, stay with this commitment, a stated NFU policy is a signal of a less aggressive nuclear posture. That said, India’s claims to follow a NFU policy should be taken with a pinch of salt. On many occasions of heightened tension with Pakistan, political leaders and army chiefs have threatened, in essence, to use nuclear weapons first. In early 2000, the then prime ministet; Atal

Fernandes, and the then army chief, General Padmanabhan, threatened Pakistan with the use of nuclear weapons. Since then, under the NDA and United Progressive Alliance gov- ernments, the Indian anned forces have acquired or are in the process of acquiring the capability to carry out a

Polls in Local Bodies... From Page 2 could get Kadapa and Nellore corporations. The Congress got majority in Ramagundam and TRS won in Karimnagar corporation. The hung position is continuing in Nizamabad. Surprisingly, the Congress and BJP both could not open their account in corporations. So far as the municipalities are concerned, the TDP could get, 65 YSRCP got 17 and in 10 municipalities hung position is continuing in Andhra Pradesh. In Telangana New Age Weekly

nuclear attack through land, air and water-based delivery vehicles, an anti-missile ballistic system, advanced reconnaissance and early warning systems, and more sophisticated infrastructure. All of these render the dangers associated with the potential initiation of nuclear war that much more severe.

region, the Congress got 20, TRS 10, Telugu Desham seven municipalities. The BJP has registered victory in only two municipalities, that are Narayanapet and

Vemulawada, both popular pilgrimage. MIM got Bhainsa municipality where communal riots took place few years back. The BSP has opened its account in Nirmal of Adilabad district.

The range of distance from which a nuclear attack can be launched has also increased, as has the number of civilian and military targets that are potentially reachable. Publicly as well, India’s security establishment has started speaking about “no first use against non-nuclear states”, which is quite

So far as the MPTC elections are concerned, in Seemandhra area, the CPI got 14 and CPI(M) got 16 MPTC. In Telangana region CPI got 83 and CPM got 131 MPTCs. In the election for ZPTC, both the CPI and CPI(M) got two seats each.

different from the original formulation that “nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack” and can only be interpreted to mean that India has abandoned its NFU policy towards China and Pakistan. India’s western neighbour’s intention to develop Tactical (or Theatre) Nuclear Weapons that can be used on the battlefield and are meant to neutralise India’s superiority in conventional arms has begun to persuade New Delhi’s strategic establishment that a NFU policy has lost its meaning. In such a scenario, one can imagine that a BJP-Ied government can easily be persuaded to formally repudiate a NFU policy even if it has not decided to do so already. This step can best be described as a confidence-destroying rather than a confidencebuilding measure and will serve to lower the threshold for nuclear weapons deployment and possible use. Experience in the nuclear weapons states shows that grave dangers attend even the mere possession and deployment of nuclear weapons (keeping the warheads that contain nuclear explosives attached to delivery vehicles, ballistic missiles or aircrafts, and having them ready to be used to attack a designated target), and not just when they are used deliberately in war. To have gone 16 years without having seen the use of nuclear weapons does not mean south Asia is free from the threat of nuclear devastation. India does not need to fine-tune its doctrine, it needs to work with its neighbours to make, in the first instance, south Asia a nuclear-free zone. This may be a farfetched hope, but dream and work towards such a goal we must. That is the only assurance that there will be no risk of a nuclear holocaust. (Courtesy: Economic and Political weekly)

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May 18—24, 2014

Price-Rise Woes Turning Worse The nation which was in the grip of elections for over a month is now set to face all kinds of pressures to squeeze the masses further. The corporates which spent huge sums, unheard of in the earlier polls till date, are all set to demand their pound of flesh in all possible forms viz., more tax relief, land at cheaper rate, freedom to loot more and more natural sources, higher price for their products and berths for their men in the higher echelons of power. Neo-liberal policies to which the country has been made to commit with jaundiced eyes will only burden the masses further so that the corporates and well-todo can reap more and more profits. National assets which are already under the custody of big business are being ploughed back to the nation and its people at enormous costs. As such sell-offs have been taking place, the Communist Party of India, its representatives in Parliament and state legislatures have been warning the government of the disastrous turn that is being forced on the nation in the name of growth and development. All protests by the left parties and masses against such exclusive growth models were ignored. Even the demand for reintroduction of administered price mechanism for petroleum products was rejected. All these have resulted in weekly, fortnightly and or monthly revision of prices mostly upwards making the day-today lives of people more and more miserable. Such partisan programmes were being implemented in the name of growth and fighting poverty whereas in reality it was only a handful of the super rich and business lobbies that benefited. The latest to add to the woes of the masses is the recent hike in diesel prices.

Diesel Price Hiked by Rs 1.09 per litre The government has allowed state-run fuel retailers to raise diesel price by Rs 1.09 per litre, excluding state taxes, as soon as polling in the nine-phase general elections concluded on May 12, 2014, say reports. The hike exposes the oil ministry’s lie to the Election Commission and the motive behind referring an ongoing policy practice such as the monthly diesel price revision to the poll panel. Surprisingly, it took the EC more than a month to respond, which came in handy for the ministry to defer the hikes twice. Such a camouflage was done by the UPA-II government hoping that the voters will forgive then for all other lapses. The ministry told EC that the Kirit Parikh report on fuel pricing had recommended freezing subsidy at Rs 6 a litre. The figure was only a ballpark and was suggested in conjunction to a one-time hike of Rs 5 per litre to wipe out the under-recovery level of Rs 10-11 per litre at the time when the report was being written. The government never accepted all the recommendations. In January 2013, when under-recovery stood at Rs 9.25 per litre, the Cabinet took up the Parikh report and decided to raise diesel price every month in

“small doses” — later decided at 45-50 paise per litre by the Congress brass — “till subsidy is wiped out” . At the same time, petrol price was freed from government control. Since then, diesel price has cumulatively risen by over Rs 8 per litre. In the run-up to last year’s Karnataka assembly election too, the government had stalled monthly hikes. But it allowed them to make up for the hiatus with a 90-paise increase on May 1, 2013 once the state polls were over. Under-recovery at that time stood at Rs 3.80 and continued to slide further till June but the monthly hikes continued. It is better that the new government that may take over power from UPA-II understands seriously the cascading effect that any hike in the prices of petroleum products will have on items of daily needs and revert back to administered price mechanism. ***

Milk Prices Turn Dearer in NCR Leading milk supplier Mother Dairy has increased milk prices by Rs 2 per litre in DelhiNCR from May 12, 2014 saying that there is increase in procurement cost. Mother Dairy, the largest milk supplier in Delhi-NCR with sales

Notes of the Week Chidambaram N of about 30 lakh litres per day, has increased the rates just two days after Amul hiked its prices by a similar amount. “Mother Dairy raises its milk prices in DelhiNCR for all its variants with effect from May 12, 2014,” the company said in a statement. Full cream milk will be sold at Rs 48 per litre as against Rs 46 per litre, while price of toned milk has been raised to Rs 38 per litre from Rs 36. Price of double toned milk has been hiked to Rs 34 from Rs 32 per litre and the rate of token milk has been revised to Rs 36 per litre from Rs 34 per litre. Mother Dairy had last increased the milk prices in Delhi-NCR on February 1 this year. “The company is compelled to raise the retail prices because of the ongoing rise in the prices of raw milk in the last few months coupled with the need to ensure availability of milk in the market,” the statement said. Defending the move the company said it has always attempted to strike a balance between the consumers’ interest and the milk producers’ interest and believes in giving remunerative price to the farmer to ensure sustainability of milk farming. The company said it passes on 80 per cent of the total sales proceed towards procurement on milk. Amul, a major supplier of milk to the national capital region, sells about 26 lakh litres per day. Kwality Ltd has also decided earlier to increase the price by Rs 2 per litre. It sells about 3.5 lakh litres per day in the national capital region. ***

Industrial Output Shrinks, Retail Inflation Up Industrial production shrank 0.1 per cent during the last financial year as mining and manufacturing sectors continued to be a drag on the overall output throughout the year, say reports According to the index of industrial production (IIP) data released on May 12, 2014, production in the mining and manufacturing sectors contracted 0.8 per cent during financial year 2013-14. In March, the index shrank 0.5 per cent year-on-year basis due to abysmal performance by these two sectors. The development adds to the challenge for the new government, which will have to battle subdued investment sentiments, lower exports growth and overall slowdown in the economy. Economists said that while the development is hardly a surprise, a pick-up in investment activity is unlikely until the second half of the current fiscal. “The industrial contraction in March was largely in line with our expectations, given the subdued core sector growth and contraction in overall merchandise exports… A pickup in investment activity is unlikely to take root until H2FY15, acting as a drag on overall manufacturing growth. Moreover, with a repo rate cut highly improbable in 2014, interest rates would remain sticky and limit the improvement in consumption sentiments,” says an expert. The power sector was the only saving grace with electricity generation clocking a growth of 6.1 per cent during the last fiscal as against four per cent growth during financial year 2013-14. However, it is feared that the healthy reservoir levels at present with reference to the year-ago period notwithstanding the possibility of sub-par monsoon rainfall would act as a dampener on hydroelectricity generation in FY15. Retail price inflation rose for a consecutive month in April to 8.59 per cent, diminishing hopes of a rate cut by the RBI in its June 3 review of credit policy. A sharp rise in the prices of vegetables and fruits by 17.5 per cent and 21.73 per cent, respectively, put the consumer price index (CPI) at a threemonth high. Along with high inflation, fears of a sub-normal monsoon might prevent RBI from taking a benign look at interest rates. The central bank has set a target of eight per cent CPI by January 2015. In the previous review on April 1, the regulator had kept the key policy rate unchanged. However, with inflation rising, RBI might be forced to hold the rates in its first review after formation of the new government. With food inflation inching up to 9.8 per cent in April (against 9.1 per cent in March), the forecast of a sub-par monsoon has clouded the outlook for the CPI. PS. The Adani-controlled power company raised consumer electricity charges by 45 paise per unit in the first week of May. New Age Weekly

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May 18—24, 2014

May Day Celebrations.... From Last Page Subarna Keshari Jena presided over the public meeting. AITUC secretary Kishor Jena, CPI district secretary Amarendu Mahanty spoke on the occasion. Udaya Keshari Burma, Sanjaya Jena, Amar Nayak spoke on the historical importance of the May Day and the struggle of the Working class. In this programme all the contract and regular wokers of the Industry participated.

Hundreds of workers and supervisors participated led by Union secretary N. Durjyodhan Reddy, Gurudeb Behera, Bairagi Reddy, Sibaram Sahu, Sikandar Khan and others. At Ganjam, Jayashree employees Union celebrated May. Union working president Brundaban Polei hoisted the AITUC flag in front of Jayashree Chemicals ltd; industry gate and Saheed Laxman

fighter Bashnab Jena. Before the meeting started, three streams of processions started from three points. They had started from Madhupur, Gopalpur panchayats, Biripatta, Palatpur, Damodarpur, Manasipatna and Srirampur, and then from Kanya panchayat, Kamaradihi, palatpur Panchayat respectively, with red flags banners and burning flames in their hands and bursting crackers. The march

Routa. After the flag hoisting a colorful procession was held under the leadership of Raghunath Patro, Srihari Ghana, Mitu Mohanta, Biranchi Dehuri and Markanda Dehuri. At Jurudi high camp also thousands of workers participated in the May Day celebration. Bidyadhar Mohanta hoisted the AITUC flag in the presence of Kanhu Charan Samal, Kapil Mohanty, Suresh Karua, Adikanda Patra and Kumari. At Pattobedha also Red flag was hoisted at the S.D. Mohanta mines by Bidyadhar

GANJAM: In Ganjam district May Day was celebrated in many places such as Aska, Digapahandi, Ganjam town, Chhatrapur, Polosara, Prushottampur, Bhanjanagar, Humma, Goutami, Pattopur, Kabisuryanagar and Berhampur, where AITUC flag was hoisted in the presence of their respective unions affiliated to AITUC. At Berhmpur AITUC flag was hoisted by district president Prasant Pattojoshy at the AITUC office. In the evening a colorful procession was taken out with thousands of workers of the trunk workers union, Anganwadi workers, Gopalpur Port Supervisors and Workers Union, Aska Sugar Industry employees union, Ganjam Salt Workers Union, Odisha Construction Workers Union, paper hawkers’ union and khalasi union. They all marched through the main streets of the Silk City and the colourful procession culminated into a huge public meeting. AITUC district secretary Brundaban Polei conducted the proceedings and among those who addressed the gathering were Prakash Patro, district CPI secretary, Odisha Nirman Sangha, secretary Alakanath Mishra, Kishan Sabha veteran leader Biswanath Sahu. At Chhatrapur, Gopalpur Port Supervisors and Workers Union members celebrated May Day and district AITUC secretary Brundaban Polei hoisted the Red Flag, explaining the significance of May Day. New Age Weekly

Mohapatra’s statue. To protect the rights and fulfillment of their genuine demands, workers have to be united and launch a struggle, and that is only way, he said. At Polosara, Gundicha temple construction workers union leader Dandapani Samala hoisted the flag followed by a massive public meeting presided by CPI leader Harihara Patra and addressed by Muralidhara Sahu and Bansidhar Mishra. M A N G A L P U R : Traditionally May Day is observed every year in this rural market centre of Jajapur district with much enthusiasm and celebration. Massive public meeting was held before the Mangalpur CPI Office chaired by CPI zonal secretary Sanatan Tripathy and addressed by AITUC national secretary Ramakrushna Panda, and veteran communist, Kishan Sabha leader and freedom

culminated in a meeting amidst slogans of May day. KEONJHAR: In the mining district here, May Day was celebrated by AITUC most enthusiastically at Barbil, Suakati, Jirudi, Pattobedha and Balani mining centres. At Barbil with the participation of more than 200 Red Shirt Volunteers and 300 workers and supporters, CPI district secretary and TU leader Bidyadhar Mohanta hoisted the Red Flag and addressed the gathered comrades. A colourful procession was taken out with drums beating and slogan shouting for the Day. The programme was conducted by Kapil Mohanty and Bijit Mohanty. Similarly at Suakati May Day was celebrated by AITUC affiliated KMFW Union where in 500 workers and activists of Gandhamardan Iron ore mines and Putulpani Iron ore loading workers union took part in the flag hoisting by the KMFW Union general secretary Maheswar

Mohanta in the presence of 300 mining workers led by Bhikari Barik, Anit Barik and others. At Balani mines hundreds of workers paraded the mining centre and AITUC flag was hoisted at the Union office by Kapil Mohanty. The programme was conducted by Arabinda Sahi and Parameswar Moahanta and others. Nischintakoili: At Nischintakoili Hata grounds the local committees of Nischintakoili and Mahanga unorganized construction workers celebrated May Day and public meeting was held presided by Trilokya Nath. Red flag was hoisted by Union president Dadhibaman Nayak. Udaya keshari Burma, Suresh Chandra Barik, Bipra Charan Mahanty, Writer Shyama Sundar Lenka, Syndicate Bank Employees (AIBEA) leader Adikanda Mallick and Ranjan Kumar Ojha addressed the meeting. of In Saraskona Mayurbhanja district May

day was celebrated with the CPI district assistant secretary Jagabandhu Mishra hoisting the AITUC flag, followed by a public meeting in which took part huge number of comrades and supporters. JHARASUGUDA: In the premises of Veer Surendra Sai Bhavan here, May Day was celebrated enthusiastically with flag hoisting and public meeting. Contract labour leader Binod Singh hoisted the AITUC flag. A huge public meeting was organized chaired by Brajarajnagar Coal Mines Workers Union vice president Bikram Panda. Among those who addressed the meeting were AITUC district secretary Aswini Kumar Das, veteran AITUC leader Birulal Sharma, Brajarajnagar Coal Mines Workers Union secretary Sanjay Mishra, Rabi Narayan Mahakuda, Mithileash Kumar Singh, district AITUC president and state deputy general secretary Anit Chakravorthy, AITUC district working president Gajanan Sahu and others. BALASORE: Trade Union Association Coordination Committee here celebrated the day with great enthusiasm. A colourful workers procession was taken out with Red flags, banners and placards that paraded the streets of the town and culminated in a public meeting at Bicharaganj Phandi Chhak. This joint meeting was chaired by TUACC chairman and former MLA Pradipta Panda and TUACC secretary Gouranga Panigrahy explained the importance of May Day. CPI state secretariat member Dr, Prashanta Mishra, former MLA Arun Dey, CITU state secretary Radharaman Shadangi, AITUC leader Jayanta Das, NFITU state secretary Shantanu Das, May Day Committee secretary Gopal Chandra padhihary, Kishan Ekata Manch convenor Arun Jena and others in their addresses called for more struggling unity of workers and employees to strengthrn the struggle. For May Day one Mashal procession was taken out On Page 14

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May 18—24, 2014

South African Election Consolidates Democracy

T

he election under South Africa’s system of proportional representation for the fifth national assembly in Parliament has just concluded. Elections have been held regularly held since the late former President Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as democratic South Africa’s first president in 1994, when the white minority was forced to give up their superiority over the black majority. Since then, democracy in South Africa is alive, well and thriving, but still there are largescale hunger, poverty and unemployment. In 2012, police killed several dozen protesters during a labour unrest. There a major scam involving more than 20 million dollar which was alleged to have been spent on president Jacob Zuma’s private home. Elections had gone smooth despite some scattered delays and disruptions with the voter turnout of 73 per cent of the 25 million South Africans, who have registered for the national and provisional elections. Majority of seats have gone to African National Congress (ANC), once led by Nelson Mandela. Out of 29 parties that contested, only 13 could have make representation in the Parliament. In all 18 million Africans from 22,000 voting districts went to the polls in this National and Provincial elections. The elections to was held on May 7 and results were declared on May 11. Though the ANC was definitely the winner but the voters have also strengthened the prominent opposition groups too. The ANC campaigned on a record of promoting democratic freedoms and providing basic services to millions of countrymen since the end of white minority rule. The ruling ANC got 249 seats in the National Assembly out of 400 total seats. In 2009 election the party got 264 seats. The leading party has got 62.2 per cent of votes, several percentage points lower than its last election. The runner up party Democratic Alliance (DA) obtained 89 seats last time it bagged 67 seats in National Assembly. It polled 22.2 per cent of votes, an increase of more than 5 per cent from the last election. A new kind of group, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFE) has won 25 seats. In the fourth place, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) garnered 10 seats and the National Freedom Party (NFP), a breakaway of the IFP got six seats. The United Democratic Movement got four seats and Congress of the People (Cope) obtained three seats, while African Christian Democratic Party got three seats. To get one seat in Parliament, a party must get about 0.25 per cent of the national vote, or between 37,000 and 50,000 actual votes, depending on voter turnout. Every percentage points garnered by a party translates into how many members of parliament a party can send to Parliament. An Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) supervised the election at the National Results Operation Centre. The democratic Alliance that has centrist policies and campained on a platform of more jobs and curbs on corruption has

expanded its influence beyond its stronghold.

Public Works and Community Work programmes.

After election victory, internal leadership battle has begun in the ruling party. Cyril Ramaphosa is among other candidates to succeed Jacob Zuma as ANC leader in the next five years. The ANC overcame vigorous opposition to triumph in the elections. Now the real battle begins, the one inside the party to succeed a scam-prone president.

After 20 years in power and in the midst of an ongoing global capitalist crisis that has impacted on the country, this is a significant achievement for an incumbent governing party. This victory underlines the trust placed in the ANC and its Alliance particularly by the great majority of the workers and the poor. This trust also comes with important responsibilities going forward.

Zuma is of the view that he will use his fresh election mandate to foster “inclusive economic growth and job creation” in part through 80 million dollar in infrastructure spending. While he is likely to surround himself with political allies and try to engineer a smooth handoff to one of them, there are predictions that there would be deepening division in the ANC. There are other corruption charges against Zuma. It is said that he had unduly benefited from 23 million dollar in state spending on his privat home. Analysts say that ANC would dump Zuma in an attempt to restore some of luster of the party that has become tainted by patronage and corruption. The South African Communist Party (SACP) has lauded the ANC and its coalition victory. Before the elections the SACP has asked the working class to support the ANC-led Alliance government by remaining at the forefront of political struggle and socio-economic emancipation to consolidate progress made in the last twenty years of democracy. Particularly

Diary of International Events C Adhikesavan in the last five years, the President Zuma ANCled Alliance government: 1. opposed privatisation, because of working class and SACP struggles within the Alliance itself; 2. rescued the auto sector in our country through public investment of R22 billion in 183 projects, preserving 46 thousand jobs and adding nearly ten thousand more jobs; 3. led interventions in other industrial sectors including clothing and textiles, imposing a 75 percent local procurement requirement on the public sector; 4. driven an economic and social infrastructure programme, committing R1 trillion of public spending as a key counter-cyclical intervention in the midst of the gravest global economic crisis since the 1930s; 5. ensured that the 1 million jobs lost as a result of the crisis are regained, and further increased employment to the highest ever by 5 million people with a total of over 14 million now working; 6. introduced the removal of adverse credit information, which came into effect on April 1st, impacting on some 10 million South Africans suffocated by mashonisas and high bank charges. 7. in the face of DA opposition, re-opened the lodgement of land claims, to address the plight of millions of the landless and land hungry Provided work opportunities to 4.5 million unemployed South Africans through Expanded

The SACP congratulates the millions of South Africans who voted in the face of many ongoing attempts to sow mistrust and indifference in deepening and consolidating our democracy. The election outcome once more underlines the vast gap between private media-manufactured “public opinion” and real popular opinion in tens of thousands of working class townships, informal settlements and rural villages. With few exceptions the South African media remains untransformed and sometimes willing propagandist for the opposition. The ANC has emerged with a renewed mandate amidst sustained baseless attacks by the opposition and its other detractors, yet it remained tolerant, humble and was not distracted from its historic mission to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa in which there is a better life for all. The SACP is proud of the important role that Communist activists and volunteers played in ensuring this decisive ANC victory, working together with the Alliance partners and formations of mass democratic movement. The structures therefore were not to be demobilised but instead to continue the ongoing engagement with the masses in order to ensure a close partnership between the people and the government in driving the objectives in the wake of this victory. SACP must always be a people-centred and peopledriven developmental programme. The ANC election victory is an overwhelming mandate to pursue the state-led, inclusive growth and job creation programmes. With this renewed mandate the ANC and its Alliance must now ensure that, in line with the ANC‘s Mangaung National Conference resolutions, a radical second phase of the democratic revolution is pursued with greater rigour. This must build on the many advances that have been achieved since 1994 and over the past five years, and include the strengthening of state intervention into the economy to ensure job creation, re-industrialisation, greater beneficiation of our natural resources, a sustained public sector led infrastructure programme, salary and wage policies that ensure greater equality, and land reform that is focused on sustainable livelihoods, and productive activity by those who work the land. The scourge of corruption must be tackled vigorously in line with commitments made in our shared ANC election manifesto. Above all, together as the Alliance must ensure that foster a better daily working relationship between the state, particularly the local state, and working class communities. This will require better resourcing of these communities, local economic development, and greater levels of participatory democracy and social activism. New Age Weekly

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May 18—24, 2014

No to Withdrawal of Subsidy on Electricity Rates On behalf of the Delhi state unit of the Communist Party of India, the following letter, addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, N.C.T of Delhi with a request not to withdraw the subsidy on electricity rates until the elected government of Delhi starts functioning again, was released on May 1, 2014: Delhi state council of the Communist Party of India would like to request you that the people of Delhi are getting subsidy on electricity rates since the MoU was signed between the three private electricity distribution companies and the Delhi government. This subsidy should not be withdrawn until the elected government of Delhi starts functioning again. You are well aware that presently Delhi is under your rule. This subsidy should continue and in no case it should be withdrawn under any administrative order. There should not be any kind of hike in electricity rates and the proposed hike by converting the two KW connections to five KW connections should not be allowed until the CAG audit of the three private electricity companies is completed.

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May Day Celebrations.... From Page 12 in Balasore on April 30 evening where thousands of workers belonging to defence, Electricity, Bank, Indurance, Transport, Anganwadi, Ashakarmi, Rickshaw pullers, Lift Irrigation, Vending shop and Foot path, hawkers, construction workers, loading and unloading workers, contract workers, Railways Porter, Mal Godown workers and other Industrial workers participated. AITUC flag was hoisted at Padhuanpada AITUC office, Cinema Chhaka junction, Life insurance Office, Mal Godown Union, Remuan Golei chhak, Chandipur defence contract workers Union, Khet Majdoor Union office respectively by Jayanta Das, Gourango Panigrahy, Ratnakar Mohanty, Shyama Sundar Jena, Jateen Patra, Debendra Jena, Rabi Narayan Rauta, Gouri das, Prativa Pal and others. SORO: It is under Balasore. On the CPI district office too, red flag was hoisted on the occasion of May Day celebrations in front of the Lift Irrigation Office by Anam Charan Barik. Public

meeting was presided over by Mayadhar Nayak where in hundreds of lift irrigation employees and Anganwadi workers participated. At Simulia School grounds, Red Flag was hoisted by Anam Charan Barik followed by a meeting presided by Mano Ranjan Rout. In the AITUC office premises, workers from different trade unions, lift irrigation, transport, construction, as well as CPI members and activists gathered for flag hoisting that was followed with public meeting. CPI district secretary Niranjan Barik, AITUC district secretary Mayadhar Nayak, Anam Charan Barik, Jayakrusha Mallick, Pradeep Kumar Dash, and Sikshak Mahasangh leader Prof. Banamali Barik addressed the public meeting.

flag hoisting Union president Gagan Bihari Ojha presided over the May Day public Meeting. Souribandhu Kar addressed the huge gathering. Among others who spoke were AITUC district secretary Madhusuan Jena, CPI district secretary Bhajahari Mahapatra, CPI veteran leader Dibakar Biswal, Ramachandra Samala. Dr. Bhagyadhar Sahu, Sura Mohan Mohapatra, and Jatindra Jena. Among those taking part in the May day celebrations were construction workers and CPI members belonging to Bari darigha, Dharapur, Allipur, Balikuda, Bandereswar, Kampagada, Similia, Baruan and Sahasapurparticipated in a huge way.

BADACHANA: AITUC affiliated Odisha construction workers union of Badachana organized May Day celebrations at Badachana Mangala Grounds. Construction workers belonging to Bari, Badachana, Dharmasala took out a colorful cycle procession from Kampagada Hata Grounds and reached Balikuda via Ratnagiri. After

Simillar May day celebrations were held at Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Phulabani districts with thousands of workers and employees participation. AITUC leaders Brajabandhu Pradhan, state president Ashok Dash, Prof. Durga Prasad Nayak and Janavadi Gouda spoke on the occasion respectively in these district centres.

15

May 18—24, 2014

AIBEA Protest Against Corporate Defaulters The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) plans to stage protests in front of the corporate premises of loan defaulters of public sector banks. The association will decide on the dates once the general election results are declared. Announcing this at a press conference in Chennai, AIBEA general secretary C H Venkatachalam said the initiative is to register “our voice against the daylight robbery by big corporates”. There has been an alarming increase in bad loans with public sector banks, and “we demand stringent measures to recover them,” he said. AIBEA represents more than five lakh employees in public and private sector banks. It also released a list of top 400 defaulters with dues ranging from a few crore rupees to a few thousand crores. Total bad loans from these borrowers exceed Rs 70,000 crore, according to the list.

Venkatachalam further said that the total NPAs of public sector banks as on March 31, 2013 stood at Rs 3,25,000 crore and the restructured portfolio of these banks stood at Rs 2,36,000 crore. Bad loans result of bad banking policy: It is scandalous that there has been a six-fold increase in bad loans advanced by public sector banks. According to AIBEA, the amount of such loans increased from Rs 39,000 crore to Rs 2.36 lakh crore over the last five years. These loans were advanced by 24 public sector banks. What is most significant is that during the first six months of this fiscal alone, the amount of bad loans advanced was of Rs 72,000 crore. If anything, this shows that there has been no conscious effort to minimise the enormity of bad loans. At the root of the problem are bad policies pursued by banks, which alone lead to bad loans. In other words, it reflects the failure of the Indian banking system.

ON RECORD... Arrested in March 2011, Pune-based stud farm owner and alleged hawala operator Hasan Ali Khan faces charges of money laundering and tax evasion. The Income Tax department has asked him to pay a whopping Rs 1.16 lakh crore. But, less than a week before it demits office, the UPA government at the Centre has finally acknowledged that its tax evasion cases against Khan “may not be sustainable”. Confidential finance ministry documents accessed by The Indian Express say that the government has little hope of winning any of the Income Tax cases or appeals pending before various authorities against Khan. After protracted exchanges with various foreign governments and banks, including UBS Zurich, where Khan was supposed to have illegally parked $ 8 billion, the finance ministry has come to the conclusion that most of the tax cases against him may not stand judicial scrutiny. – The Indian Express, May 17. *** The government is likely to infuse additional capital of up to Rs 8,000 crore in public sector banks in the current fiscal to expand their capital base. “Rs 11,200 crore, that is the provision we have made (in interim budget), although there

From Our Special Correspondent Whatever be the definition of bad loans, it is a pointer to the laxity banks have shown in advancing loans to undeserving firms or institutions. It also means that money has been advanced without adequate collateral security. The legal system is so cumbersome and time-consuming that it is as good as impossible to file civil suits against defaulters and obtain a decree in favour of the banks. By the time the cases are decided, the banks would have spent considerable sums of money making the recovery proceedings uneconomical. Often, bad loans are eventually written off causing enormous loss to the exchequer. Banks have to adopt a no-nonsense approach if bad loans have to be ended. In these days of technology, it is not difficult for banks to share information among

themselves about those seeking loans and their track record. Also, firms which default on repayment should be dealt with more strictly. In most cases, they default because they believe that they can get away with it. The laws need to be made stricter so that the property of the defaulters can be attached. Bad loans are also the result of corruption in the banking system. What is, therefore, required is a multi-pronged approach, the centrality of which should be zero tolerance for bad loans. World Bank staff fear whistleblower retaliation: An internal survey of 13,000 employees at the World Bank details that 24 per cent fear retaliation if they blow the whistle, says a report from Dylan Blaylock. That number increases to 41 per cent when only surveying employees in the bank’s anti-corruption office (the Integrity Vice Presidency). Further, the results of the survey (which the bank did not release publicly) show that “fear

was higher requirement and the balance which can be Rs 6,000-8000 crore,” said Financial Services Secretary G S Sandhu after a meeting of Finance Minister P Chidambaram with the heads of public sector banks. – The Economic Times, May 14. *** Three Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project employees and as many contract labourers

[Courtesy: The Hindu]

sustained burns when they opened a valve fitted to the pipes carrying hot water as part of the ongoing maintenance during the shutdown of the first reactor. – The Hindu, May 14. *** Only two Indian institutes —Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and IIT Bombay — have made it to the Top 50 in the QS Asian University rankings that were released here on Friday. Delhi University has been placed at a

of retaliation for reporting wrongdoing generally runs strongest at bank headquarters in Washington.” Broadly, the survey of more than 13,000 employees showed a general disconnect between rankand-file and senior leadership, with many perceiving favoritism in promotions, a lack of “openness and trust” with top brass and disharmony among senior managers as the bank undergoes a broad restructuring. In addition to showing scepticism of internal whistleblower policies, 49 per cent of employees at the Integrity Vice Presidency denied that senior management created “a culture of openness and trust” or that they understood the direction in which management was leading the bank. And 57 per cent rejected the proposition that management acted “as a unified leadership team.”

disappointing rank of 81, one fall down from its 2013 ranking of 80. IIT Madras, which was at 49 in 2013, has now slipped to 53. Although this year 17 Indian universities have made it to the rankings compared to last year’s 11, India is far behind China, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea. – The Hindu, May 14. *** Vigilance Commissioner J.M. Garg, peaking on a summit on corporate frauds here, blamed erosion of values and high ambitions among corporates to join the “billion-dollar club” by taking short cuts for corruption in the country and stressed on the need to strengthen the regulatory mechanism. – The Hindu, May 13. *** This was the most expensive Lok Sabha elections entailing a cost of Rs 3426 crore to the national exchequer, a substantial jump of 131 per cent over the expenses incurred in 2009. In the last Lok Sabha polls five years back, the cost to the exchequer was Rs 1483 crore. The official expenses are part of the whopping Rs 30,000 crore that were projected to be spent by the government, political parties and candidates in the nine-phased polls. – The Indian Express, May 13. Compiled By— C Adhikesavan New Age Weekly

16 NEW AGE

Delhi Postal Regd. No.DL(C)-01/1274/2012-14 May 18—24, 2014 Licenced to Post without Pre-payment No.U-(C)/47/2012-14 (R.N.I.No.539/57)Posted in NDPSO, Friday&Saturday Published on Every Friday

May 18—24, 2014

May Day Celebrations in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: May 1 is celebrated all over the world as the international working class solidarity day remembering the martyrs of Chicago as well as celebrating the victory of their struggle to get eight- hour working day in 1886.

has also been the call of the WFTU to protect human rights as well as protect the right of the worker to opt for the trade union of his or her choice, and organize it. Among other rights are the following:

As part of the celebrations in the country on the day, in Odisha, the workers belonging to both organized and the unorganized sectors came out on streets with processions. There were also massive public meetings organized. The All India Trade Union Congress called upon all its affiliated unions to celebrate the occasion as a day to pledge for the unity of the working class and to fight against the exploitation by the corporate houses. There

* Right of the childhood

* Right to emancipate the bonded labour, * No discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion or political views. In the Capital city of Bhubaneswar, AITUC flag was hoisted by state secretary Souribandhu Kar. Among others present were national secretary Ramakrushna Panda, state vice president Jatindra Roy, treasurer CVN Rao, Gobinda Chandra Mahanta and Soubhagya Routa. AITUC flag was hoisted

From Ramesh Padhy by Ramakrushna Panda at the Kalinga Hospital premises. Present there were the hospital employees union secretary Subhasis Swain and hundreds of their union members. In front of OMFED plant, AITUC flag was hoisted by Ramakrushna Panda. There were present hundreds of the OMFED contract labour union members. At east coast porters union office in front of Bhubaneswar railway station, and at fire station squire of the Auto Chalak Sangh and at Bapujinagar Rajadhani Kuli Muliya Sangh and at Badagada BRIT colony and Kalingabasthi with construction workers union members, red flag also

hoisted by AITUC district secretary Sura Jena. A huge procession was taken out with AITUC affiliated union members from Ashokanagar parading through Rajamahal and Master Canteen squire that culminated in a public meeting presided by Sura Jena. AITUC state secretary Souribandhu Kar, AOBEA president Manoranjan Dash, bank coordination committee convener Sanjeev Pati and OSEB federation secretary Jatindra Roy addressed the meeting. CUTTACK: A massive procession of workers and employees was taken out here led by the AITUC, CITU, HMS, Cuttack City Co-ordination Committee and city federation of workers’ union from circuit house that moved through the main streets of the Silver City and culminated in a huge public meeting at the railway station.. Two big tabloids depicting tributes to the famous progressive singer Pete Seeger and WFTU’s call to fight out the attacks of Finance Capital was of great attraction. The speakers decried the retrograde rules of the police that did not allow public meetings at open public places and demanding money for putting up meeting pandals. It was

decided to unleash struggle against these restrictions along with the trade union demands in the coming days. Earlier, at Deula Sahi, the red flag was hoisted in the morning by Odisha’s first registered trade union, the Cuttack press workers union leader Bijaya Kumar Padhihary. Among others who spoke were AITUC president Bhramara Bar Sahu, Nrusingha Patro, vice president Amarendu Mahanty, Sananda Sethy. At the traditional struggle junction of Chandini Chowk, veteran Press workers union leader Fakir Charan Behera hoisted the Red flag. At Raj Bagicha Labour Colony, Madhusudan Kar and Rabindra Jena conducted the meeting. At workers basti, at George Patha, veteran trade union leader Ramachandra Behera hoisted the flag. Among those who addressed the meeting were CPI city secretary Binod Behera, Namita Das and Jagarnath Mallick. At CPI district office, Red flag was hoisted by district party secretary Amarendu Mahanty and the programme was conducted by Vidya Prasanna Mohapatra. At Jagatpur, in the premises of SMG Beverage, the Trupti Drinks Workers Union celebrated the May day. Union president On Page 12

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