On Other Pages1

February 7–13, 2016

„ Deaths Must Be

New Delhi

Probed Thoroughly: CPI.........................5

New Delhi Vol. 64

Central Organ of the Communist Party of India

No. 06

(Total Pages 16)

February 7–13, 2016

„ Communitarian

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Synthesis Against Communalism...8-9

Denial of Rights and Justice is Violence: NFIW

Flag hoisting by Primla Loomba VISAKHAPATNAM (AP): On the theme of ‘Denial of Rights and Justice is Violence’, the 20th Congress of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) was held here from January 20 to 23, 2016. Since the last Congress was held in Chennai in 2012, the organisation has conducted numerous struggles and made many sacrifices for the cause of gender equality and for a just society. Fighting against innumerable challenges, the NFIW has completed sixty-two years of its functioning. Expressing its solidarity to the struggling people especially the women of the world, challenging the anti-people and the antiwomen policies of the governments, gaining more support and momentum for its campaigns and activities, 587 elected delegates from 23 states out of 27 in the country where NFIW has its units, took part in the Congress. During this period,

NFIW focused on many important issues and launched mass action to resolve them. Since its inception in 1954, NFIW has been the first mass women organisation to fight for the emancipation of women and children and for building a gender just society. The Congress began with a huge rally of thousands with 20 women in uniform marching in the front carrying 20 flags

Annie Raja inaugurating the public meeting Annie Raja symbolising the 20 th Congress of the organisation, and culminated in a public meeting. The venue for meeting was named after Prabhavati Sharma, our senior leader who passed

NFIW 20th Congress away last year. NFIW general secretary Annie Raja, inaugurating the public meeting, condemned the course of actions that forced the

Hyderabad central university scholar Rohit Vemula to end his life. There were black flags and slogans raised against the communal fascist forces unleashing atrocities, visible and invisible, against the Dalits, the Minorities and the downtrodden sections of the society. The Flag to be hoisted at the venue of delegate session was brought from Chennai where the last Congress was held in 2012 and handed over to the veteran leader Primla Loomba by the TN leaders P. Padmavathy and R Sushila. The fraternal delegates from abroad were also present. Senior leader of NFIW Gargi Chakravartty, AITUC leader Dr. B V Vijayalakshmi, CPI Krishna district secretary Vanaja and state secretary of AP Mahila Federation Durga Bhawani also spoke at the public meeting. On the second day, the delegate session began with flag hoisting by NFIW veteran Primla Loomba at Bani Das Gupta Nagar. Also floral tributes were paid to the martyrs by the president Aruna Roy, followed by other delegates.

CPI General Secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy inaugurating the International Seminar

The inaugural session started with the welcome

message by Lalam Bhavani, chairperson of the reception committee. It was read out by Durga Bhavani, general secretary, AP Mahila Samakhya. In her message, Lalam said that the country is faced with critical problems. The struggle launched by women for freedom, equality and empowerment have to show way for establishment of a new society. The condolence resolution was placed by Nisha Sathyan. It paid homage to all those members and sympathizers of NFIW who valiantly took part in all the campaigns and struggles since the last Congress and also to the prominent leaders of the progressive movements nationally and internationally. The delegate session was inaugurated jointly by Naurti Bai and Manorama. Naurti Bai is a strong fighter for Women’s cause especially for the Dalit women and children. Though ‘illiterate’, she became Sarpanch in Rajasthan and learned computer operation. Now she trains village children. However, On Page 6 New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016

Over 300 Districts Under Drought Keeping in view the ensuing state assembly elections in five states— Assam, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Kerala—— Prime Minister Narendra Modi is organizing Kisan rallies in these states to woe the farmers who had shown their opposition to his government during the country-wide agitation against Land Acquisition Bill imposed by the Modi government through promulgation of Ordinance twice as it could not get it passed due to lack of majority in the Rajya Sabha. After the ordinary farmers took to the streets all over the country against Modi’s bid to snatch away the cultivable land from farmers for patrons in the Corporate world, he did not dare to promulgate the ordinance once again. That does not mean that government has given up the idea of Land Acquisition Law. The threat is still alive as the Bill for which ordinances were issued is still under parliamentary process. Through Kisan rally, Prime Minister is trying to mislead the people about his government’s real anti-farmer policies. Not only the investment in agriculture sector is continuously declining but farmers already burdened with economic miseries due to government’s failure to ensure minimum support price for agriculture products, disbanding of PDS and rush relief to the drought hit areas. According to several non-official surveys, almost half of the districts in the country are under drought. In states like UP, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra and Telangana, there are regions like Bundelkhand, Vidarbha and Marathwada where it is third consecutive

year that the farmers are facing drought or drought like conditions. In Bundelkhand region that includes parts from both UP and MP, in the last one decade, people have suffered deficient rain fall eight times. In some other regions, people have to walk miles and miles to fetch drinking water. From number of villages, reports are coming of starvation as there is no source of income for poor agricultural workers. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) that was enacted to ensure hundred days employment in a year under the pressure of Left that was supporting the UPA-I from

Editorial outside is deliberately sabotaged. States are denied necessary financial support. After assuming power, in his first parliamentary intervention, Narendra Modi has denounced MGNREGA and predicted that the colossal financial loss this scheme will cause will be the monument of UPA-I that was imposed on it by the Left parties. Allocation for it had been cut in both the budgets the Modi government has presented so far. With no chance to earn for even a meal a day, agricultural workers, small and medium farmers have no option other than migration to urban areas in search of job. Others are facing starvation. Even medium farmers are in deep crisis. Children are being withdrawn from schools, as farmers could not afford to pay nominal fee and purchase books or other requirements.

Kerala Chief Minister Must Resign: CPI The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India issued the following statement on January 28, 2016 demanding resignation of OOmmen Chandy, chief minister of Kerala: In view of a FIR filed against him in Solar scam case and after the exposure of corruption in which he was involved along with his two ministers, we believe that he has no moral right to continue in office. CPI demands immediate resignation of Oommen Chandy from the post of chief minister of Kerala. Law should take its own course.

Photo Album On Com Bardhan The National Council of the Party has decided to publish a Photo Album on Com Bardhan. We request all the comrades/ party units and friends, to send memorable photos to be included in the Album. Please send the photos on the following address: Com. Roykutty, office secretary, Ajoy Bhavan, 15-Com. Indrajit Gupta Marg, New Delhi-110 002 New Age Weekly

Farmers are reeling under the burden of loans, repeated failure of crops , nonavailability of minimum support price for whatever has been grown and harassment for recovery of loan. Number of suicides by farmers is going up unimaginably. In Maharashtra assembly, the government itself has informed that over one thousand farmers have committed suicide in past one year. The situation is really grim. It seems that neither the government nor the Corporate Media that makes every nonissue part of “breaking news” has any information on the tragedy the rural community is facing. Governments, both central and states have paid no attention to it. The gravity of the situation demands that the drought in over 300 districts is declared a “national calamity” and all relief measures are taken to redress the miseries of rural people. Immediate relief is rushed to the affected people. Loans are waived and all recoveries are stopped. Avenues of jobs are created and MGNREGA provisions are implemented by providing sufficient funds. Students fee be waived and they be provided all facilities to continue their studies. There are many more such steps that need to be taken urgently. Modi regime will not do it on its own. To force the government to take measures, massive mass campaigns and struggles need to be conducted. Apart from the left parties, their mass organizations have to identify the specific problems and demands concerning their area of activity and launch result oriented struggles.

Cruel Joke On Petrol and Diesel Prices The Central Secretariat of The Communist Party of India (CPI) has issued on February 4, 2016, the following statement on dirty game being played by the Modi government on reduction of oil prices due to fall in international prices: The Narendra Modi government that claims pursuance of market economy is playing a dirty game with the consumers by refusing to transfer the benefit of fall in international oil prices. During January 2016, there was fall in international market of US Dollar four per barrel. The reduction should have been Rs. 1.4 per litre in Petrol and Rs. 1.53 in diesel. In place of transferring this benefit to consumer, on February 1,

petrol price was slashed by just 4 paise per litre and diesel by 3 paise a litre. Rest of the money has been pocketed by the government by raising the excise duty thrice in one month. In November and December also the government has raised the excise duty when the international prices fell down drastically. By refusing to transfer the benefit in fall in oil prices, the Modi government is going to pocket Rs. 17,000 crore additional revenue. If government had actually transferred the benefit of fall in

international prices, the prices of petrol had been less by Rs. 4.02 per litre and diesel by Rs. 6.97 per litre. The cruel joke is that it reduced the per litre price for consumer by 4 paise and 3 paise per litre for Petrol and diesel respectively As the prices of petrol and diesel have cascading effect on prices in general, it is obvious that the Modi government does not want to give any relief to common people who are crying with continuously rising prices of all essential commodities.

Long liv CPI Let us Carry Forward the Legacy of Com. Bardhan

C. S. Ramaswamy, RS Puram, Coimbatore

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February 7–13, 2016 The Central government statistics and programme implementation ministry has released a statement as per which India’s economy grew by 7.2 percent in the financial year 2014-15, marginally slower than the previous estimate of 7.3 percent. “Real Gross Domestic Production (GDP) or GDP at constant (2011-12) prices for the years 2014-15 and 2013-14, stands at Rs 105.52 lakh crore and Rs 98.39 lakh crore respectively, showing growth of 7.2 percent during 2014-15 and 6.6 percent during 2013-14”, informed the statement. In terms of real Gross Value Added, that is, GVA at constant (2011-12) prices, there has been a growth of 7.1 percent in 2014-15, as against growth of 6.3 percent in 2013-14, according to the statement. The GVA as a concept was introduced by the NDA government last year to measure economic growth. This is fantastic! During 2014-15, since Narendra Modi and the BJP led NDA government came to power, the growth in industrial production has come down; in November 2015, the industrial Production Index was in negative territory (-3.2 percent); factories are working at 30 percent below capacity; the secondary sector, c o m p r i s i n g manufacturing and construction, grew at 5.4 percent in the same period, down from the estimated 6.5 percent; the export from the country is continuously going down for the last 13 months; even the import has gone down which is an indicator of slow down in the overall economy; agriculture is in serious crisis; agrarian growth is below two percent (the revised numbers peg the agriculture GVA at 1.3 percent); farmers in the country are committing suicide because the agriculrture is not fetching them earnings even equal to the input costs; despite all sorts of

incentive from the NDA government, the private industry is shirking from investment and telling that the demand in the country is weak and it is not in a position to operate even at its established capacity; loan take-off from banks by industry is at a historical low which indicates nothing but industrial slow down; industry is not paying back loans from banks on the plea that it is in distress, as a result of which bank NPAs have reached dangerous proportions threatening the very viability and stability of the banking system; share market has drastically gone down; Gross Capital Formation, a proxy for economic activity has also marginally decreased from 36.2 percent in 2013-14 to 35.9 percent in 2014-15. These are not symptoms of any remarkable growth in the economy.

Economic Growth of 7.2%: An Exercise in Fudging economic data and indicators do not corroborate the high GDP numbers. The claim of high GDP growth seems to be doubtful. Despite such dismal economic indicators, how could the government arrive at such high number of growth? The secret lies in the new methodology of calculating GDP which was changed and introduced by NDA government. The new methodology takes into account the market prices to decide GDP growth and not the quantity of the real production.. For the sake of quickly understanding the trick in the new methodology, let us take one simple example. Suppose, last year the

R S Yadav a growth of 17.6 percent. Look at the magic of ‘Modi Methodology”. This can show negative growth as a positive one. An outright fudging! The 7.2 percent growth of economy during 2014-15 is a product of this trick. On January 28, 2016, only a day before the ministry’s release about the GDP growth, even the Reserve Bank of India Governor Dr Raghuram Rajan raised doubts over the new methodology. Addressing students of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development, he said that “there are problems with the way we count our GDP which is why we need to be careful sometimes just talking about growth”. He cited the example of two mothers who baby sit each other’s kid and said there is a rise in economic activity as each pays the other, but the net effect on the economy is questionable.

In the years India recorded eight to nine percent GDP growth, exports were rising at over five percent per annum compared to 25 percent decline in 2014-15. Similarly, during the years of peak GDP growth, corporate top lines were also growing at well over 20 percent annually with similar growth in corporate profitability. But the combined revenue of the top 500 India’s corporations grew by zero percent in 2015 and growth on their profitability was likely to be negative. Even credit growth is down to nine percent from peak of 2030 percent in the high growth years. This gloomy situation does not corroborate high growth of 7.2 percent in 2014-15. Real activities,

economic different

country produced 1000 locomotives, and the price of each was Rs 100 crore; and this year, the production of locomotives is 980, but the market price of each is Rs 120 crore. Thus the overall cost of last year’s production was 1000 x 100 crore = Rs 100,000 crore, and that of this year’s production is Rs 980 x 120 crore = Rs.117, 600 crore This year’s production is 20 locomotives less than last year’s. As per the earlier methodology, and also as per normal rules of mathematics, this is a negative growth of two percent (- 2 percent) in production. But as per the new methodology, let us call it “Modi Methodology”, as compared to last year, there is a value growth of Rs 117,600-100000 crore = Rs17600 crore, which is

‘If mother A went to look after the children of mother B, and mother B went to look after the children of mother A, AND THEY EACH PAID EACH OTHER AN EQUAL AMOUNT, GDP WILL GO UP BY THE SUM OF THE two salaries. But would the economy be better off? Presumably, kids want their own mother rather than the neigbouring mother. And the economy would be worse off ,” Rajan elaborated. “We have to be a little careful about how we count GDP because sometimes we get growth because of people moving into different areas. It is important when they move into newer areas, they are doing something which is adding value. We do lose some, we gain some and what is the net, let us be careful about how we count that,” he said.

However the very next day of the government’s announcement about GDP growth, on January 30, 2015, we heard him saying that “it was not anything about new GDP number or the way GDP is calculated. I think it is broadly correct”. One can understand his fix. The eminent economist in Dr Rajan asked him to speak what he spoke earlier, while the bureaucrat in him, may be prodded by powers that be, thought it expedient to speak what he said latter. He is not alone to question this sort of tricky methodology. “Around 80 percent of economists feel the way the new GDP numbers are being calculated has yielded higher estimates than reality. The belief is that the economy is actually growing at five to six percent,” said Ashok Gulati, Infosys Chair Professor at the Indian Council for Economic Relation. “If you look at all the other indices, growth in capital stock, exports, agriculture, industrial production etc, then this (the GDP growth) will reconcile with none of them,” said Rajiv Kumar, senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. Now the government is also compelled to take cognizance of this. It is time the GDP numbers are comprehensively reviewed since suspect data does not anger well, the commerce minister Nirmala Seetharaman said on February 3, 2016. She said that “there are definitely a lot of questions being raised about them. The chief economic advisor of the government Arvind Subramanian has come out openly speaking about it, she said”. Last year Subramanian had said that the new GDP numbers are “puzzling”. New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016 On Making Sex Determination Mandatory

WCD Minister’s Statement will Lead to Genocide The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) has issued on February 2, 2016, the following statement strongly condemning the statement of Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on making sex determination mandatory. This is a very retrograde position and will lead to increase in female foeticide in the country. The PC PNDT has been brought through numerous struggles by Indian women and their organisations to stop sex determination due to a patriarchal mind set. The minister must make all effort to see that the implementation of this Act is done properly. The women who work as ASHA must be given worker status and all the benefits as workers, not as volunteers The move to make sex determination is nothing but a ploy to serve vested interest in the country. In the name of increasing hospital deliveries, this move will result in genocide of women. NFIW therefore demands immediate withdrawal of this statement and any such move by the government in this regard.

On the occasions of the Punya Tithi of Mahatma Gandhi, on January 30, 2016, Sarva Bhasha Sanvad conclave organized a meeting at Dandi-Navsari (where Salt Satyagraha was held), Almost 600 writers, intellectuals, film makers, social activists, academicians, doctors, advocates and others took part from across the country. Present among them were the family members of com. Govind Pansare, Dr Dabholkar, Dr Kalburgi. All speakers criticized intolerance of the government.

Battlefield Delhi

What the Others Say… Gujarat must give up terror bill Gujarat should give up its persistent efforts to get the controversial Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill, 2015, approved by the President. First moved by Narendra Modi in 2003 when he was Chief Minister of the State, the Bill has been facing objections on the ground that it contains some draconian provisions. The Centre refused to clear the Bill three times when the United Progressive Alliance was in power. The Union Home Ministry has now recalled the Bill from the office of the President, to whom it had been sent for assent. The reason appears to be that it wants the Bill to be reworked based on additional inputs from the State government. The controversial nature of the GCTOC Bill became apparent after A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as President objected to a clause that made evidence based on interception of communication admissible in court. His successor, Pratibha Patil, too declined assent. In March 2015, the Assembly passed the Bill and sent it afresh to the Centre for presidential assent. The Centre ultimately prevailed in having the clause that permitted the State Home Secretary to authorise the interception of telephone calls on his own dropped. Under the Indian Telegraph Act, State Home Secretaries do authorise telephone taps, but using power delegated to them by the Centre. The watered-down Bill was sent last September to the President for his assent. It has been recalled now, possibly because of fears that President Pranab Mukherjee might refuse assent again. The Gujarat law is modelled on the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, but that does not make it any more acceptable. The Maharashtra law itself has not achieved any remarkable success in curbing organised crime. The GCTOC Bill also has provisions similar to earlier anti-terrorism laws, such as making confession to a police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police admissible in court, and allowing 180 days, instead of the usual 90, for the filing of a charge sheet. There is really no need for more Statelevel laws of such a nature. Police investigators need better resources and training to combat organised crime and terror, and not laws that abridge and modify conventional criminal procedure to the detriment of human rights. Courtesy: The Hindu New Age Weekly

BJP vs AAP is causing a breakdown of municipal governance. And undermining high-profile Central schemes - See more at: The confrontation between the BJP and the AAP, the ruling parties at the Centre and in Delhi, has found a new arena. Over 1.2 lakh workers on the rolls of two of the three municipal corporations in Delhi have gone on strike to protest delay in the disbursement of salaries. The state government blames the BJP-ruled corporations for misappropriation of funds, while the latter accuses the AAP administration of holding them back. With garbage piling up in city streets, a health hazard looms. The agencies involved — the state government, corporations and the Centre — have sought to pass the buck instead of addressing the core issues. Delhi’s unique power-sharing arrangement puts a significant part of the onus to resolve the issue on the Union government. At the same time, the Modi government has invested a lot of political capital in urban governance. The focus is also on sanitation and solid waste management in the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). In this context, the stink rising from Delhi’s streets and the breakdown of essential public services, including healthcare and education, belie the Centre’s commitment to the SBA and SCM. While the south corporation in Delhi was vested with affluent colonies and neighbourhoods enabling better tax collections, the poorer bodies of the north and the east fell back in terms of revenue generation. The east corporation, for instance, came into existence with a Rs 450-crore deficit that was to be provided for by the state government, which the latter defaulted on. The state government also did not pay its tax share and transfer money to the corporations from the municipal reforms fund. The Centre, for its part, cut grants and allocations to the state government, compelling the latter to reduce support to the corporations. A one-time Central grant or loan may be needed to address the current funds shortage. In the long run, however, revenue generation and distribution must be streamlined, which may call for redrawing the present corporation boundaries. Delhi has multiple governments which work at cross purposes. This must end if the city is to become smart. Courtesy: The Indian Express

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February 7–13, 2016

Suicide Note at SVK Medical College

Deaths Must Be Probed Thoroughly: CPI From Ram Narsimha Rao As a suicide note written in Tamil by three girl students, namely Monisha, Priyanka, and Sharanya was found at SVK Medical college, Communist Party of India national council secretary Dr K Narayana along with Murugan from Puducherry, Sharavan, Willipuram, secretary, Ram Murthy, MLA, CPI(M), Adhala Rasu (VCK) and Natarajan (MDMK), visited the medical college. The suicide note said, “We are studying at SVS Naturopathy medical college. Authorities of the college are collecting huge amounts as fees. But they are not giving receipts and more over there is no staff in the college. We have complained number of times but there is no action taken. We are literally working instead of studying in that college. Chairperson Vasuki scolded us as criminals and characterless. We are studying in second year, but so far we have spent Rs. six lakh. Kindly take action against the

management.” Lot of opportunities are there for the graduates of Yoga, naturopathy and Ayurveda. Hence middle class and even marginal sections too are sending their children to these institutions by taking loans. Students are getting frustrated as they are having lots of hopes about their future. There is no possibility of launching strong student movements too as the main obstacle for such a step is corporatisation of education, and the entire management has been playing in their hands. Management of educational institutions are either politicians or their agents. They are engaging gangsters and suppressing any organized protest by students. In this background the rate of suicides are increasing in such corporate colleges. There are absolutely no minimum facilities in SVS Medical college. What is happening to inspections of medical council of India? If students have been selected through counseling, the institution is having

CPI national council secretary Dr K Narayana visiting SVK medical college recognition from the university. Medical university is trying to escape by stating that they have not given any recognition. This issue was taken up to the notice of district collector. But in the name of legal solutions, the issue is being dragged on. Courts are dismissing the cases filed by the students unions on the pretext of not having locus standing.

of Vasuki has been suffering from renal failure, students have to do all kind of services to him.

While interviewing certain students, it was found that they were forced to do domestic work as well. As husband

Parents of the girls who committed suicides have demanded postmortem to be done in Chennai instead of Villipuram, but

Parents and relatives of the suffering students

There are certain gangsters too under some one called Venkatesham and they keep harassing the students who question their actions. They openly harass those too who cannot pay fees in time. Venkatesham is now behind the bars along with Vasuki.

no body listened to them and the postmortem is taking place at Villipuram only. Parents of Monisha have approached the court and court has censured the authorities of hospital and the college. There is also a suspicion that the management might have thrown bodies of these girls into well, after killing them. Though technically it could not yet be proved as murder, but neither has there been a clean chit and hence the apprehension persists. It is true that they have died due to harassment of college management. Medical council of India, Medical university and government have to bear the responsibility of the incident. Leaders of above said parties headed by Dr. K. Narayana, have demanded that high level enquiry be conducted apart from the following: B. Rs one crore to be paid to each family of the deceased. C. The assets of the management be confiscated and distributed among the families of the victims. D. All other students should be provided admissions in other colleges by the government and free education be given to them. New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016

Denial of Rights and Justice...

Vinie Burrows representing WIDF speaking at the seminar From Front Page she was not allowed to contest again as the state government made it a criteria that the candidate must have studied at least up to 8 th standard. Manorama is the heroin of the POSCO Movement. She mobilized the women and children of the village and resisted the effort of the state to acquire land for the Korean Corporate. She could not come out of the village for eight years because of the 52 cases against her including three murder cases. Presiding over the inaugural session, Aruna Roy said that the conference would deal with a range of issues critical to both the women’s movement in India, as well as the nation’s future as a sovereign, socialist and secular republic. Quoting Subramanya Bharati Aruna narrated the gravity of the situation.”A poor woman tells Bharatiyar (Subhramanya Bharati) that she wants her bowl of gruel, in order to stay alive, but much more important for her is the right to say that she wants the gruel. Fraternal Greetings: Vinie Burrows, a leading Afro-American Activist and a popular US actress led the 16 member fraternal delegation from abroad (Guyana, Behrin, Lebanon, Russia, Western Sahara). They greeted the delegates with their messages. Jagmati Sangwan, General Secretary, AIDWA, participated and greeted New Age Weekly

the inaugural session that ended with a vote of thanks by Vimla, the Visakhapatnam district secretary of NFIW. The plenary session was held in Vidya Munsi Hall and was presided over by a presidium headed by Aruna Roy. The other members were Gargi Chakravartty, Primla Loomba, Sushila Sahai, Sakhi Devi, Asha Mishra. The National Executive of NFIW worked as steering committee. The resolution committee was led by Gargi Chakravartty, Minutes by Noor Zaheer, Credential by Nisha Sathyan and Meedia by B.V.Vijayalakshmi. Annie Raja presented the general secretary’s report. Mentioning about the aims and objectives of the organization she said that NFIW has a long history of struggle to fight for women’s rights, equality and emancipation. On one hand, it fights against feudal values of patriarchal structure and on the other hand, NFIW believes that the emancipation of women is inseparable from the liberation of the economically exploited, socially oppressed, and politically marginalised people of our country. Hence, the struggle of the women is part of the poor and the toiling masses for fundamental changes of the present order. NFIW is committed to such a social order where justice will be guaranteed in sociopolitical and economic spheres and equality and fraternity will determine social relations.

While referring to the present day socio-political situation the report says that ever since Narendra Modi became the PM, RSS and the Sangh Pariwar outfits have started showing their communal face in many forms with the Hindutva agenda. Minorities and Dalits are attacked in the name of fighting love-jihad, conversion etc. Dalit atrocity has gone up. Narendra Dabolkar, Govind Pansare, M. M. Kalburgi were murdered by the Hindu fanatics. The atmosphere of intolerance towards dissent and rationalism has been created by the Sangh Pariwar outfits. On economy the report analyse that after almost two years of the NDA government taking over, the economy is in deep stress. While farmer suicides have gone up substantially and wage rates have stagnated

leading to overall decline in demand, the government has not done anything to revive the rural economy.

‘equality, justice and peace’. It was inaugurated by Sudhakar Reddy, general secretary, CPI. Dr. K.S. Chalam also spoke.

The general secretary’s report mentioned among other issues, the uncontrolled, uninterrupted and escalating atrocities on women, and other vulnerable sections of the society, their health conditions and education, employment as well as price rise prominently.

The audit Report was presented by the Treasurer, Aruna Sinha. Renuka Thomas helped in presenting this report.

Concluding the report, Annie Raja said that institutions which are meant for the protection of women’s rights have failed the women. The legislature, executive, judiciary and media should become more sensitive on women and gender issues. Commissions:The five commissions that were set up were on Communalsim and Religious Fundamentalism, Gender and Politics of Caste Violence, Revolutionary Potential of Women workers in Agriculture, Right to education and the Role of NFIW and Women and work with special focus on MG NREGA. The commission papers were prepared by Dr. Noor Zaheer, Dr. Kaushal Panwar, Dr. Jaya Mehta and Dr. Koninika Ray. These Commisions were held in Dhabolkar-PansareKalburgy Hall, Savithri Bai Phule Hall, G.Saraladevi Hall, Dr. Hemlata Swaroop Hall and Parvathi Krishnan Hall respectively. On the evening of January 22, 2016, there was an International Solidarity seminar on

Resolutions.: Many resolutions were passed during the Congress like on violence against women, communalism and religious fundamentalism, price rise and for proper implementation of NFS Act, on MG NREGA, on Bauxite mining, on the impact of excise policy of state governments, against AFSP Act, on SC verdict on the qualifications for contesting PRI elections etc. Campaigns: NFIW’s campaigns for the coming three years will be around policies which impact women and children negatively, against discriminations in all forms and Rights- women and Peace. Leadership: The Congress elected a 131 member National Council with Aruna Roy as President and Annie Raja as General Secretary. Gargi Chakravartty, Kamala Sadanandan, Krishna Majumdar, P . P a d m a v a t h y , Shyamasree Das, Sakhi Devi, Durga Bhavani were elected as Vice Presidents. Nisha Siddhu, Aruna Sinha, Dr.Koninika Ray, Dr. Noor Zaheer, Nisha Sathyan, Dr. Kamaljeet were elected as National Secretaries and Shyamkali as Assistant Secretary.

Participants raise black flags against attrocities on dalit

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February 7–13, 2016

NPAs Piling, So are Luxuries of Defaulters! What a contrast! When the banking system in India, particularly the public sector banks (PSBs) are reeling due to their growing non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans as the Indian promoters are defaulting, defaulters themselves are seen enjoying lavish lifestyles! Even Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines owe banks over Rs 7,500 crore, was seen celebrating in style his 60th birthday in Goa!

Government, bad loans of PSBs have increased to Rs 2.67 lakh crore at endMarch, 2015 from Rs 2.16 lakh crore a year ago. Similarly, gross NPA ratio of PSBs increased to 5.43 per cent from 4.72 per cent during the same compared period and all set to cross 6 per cent by end-March, 2016.

Sunil Mukhopadhyay to understand that the defaulters are mainly the industry captains and their likes who are more interested in getting cheaper loans than repaying their previous ones. They are not only reluctant to repay but often recalcitrant.

Governor, the amount written off by banks as bad debts (or unrecoverable debts) in the last five years would have been enough to fund the education of 15 lakh of the poorest children in the top private universities of the country, all expenses paid. What a colossus grab of public money! And who is to be blamed for

“What is wrong in it?” one may argue. If somebody is a defaulter it does not mean that he will not repay the loan. Moreover, defaulters enjoying luxuries are nothing new in India. It has become so deeprooted in our culture that we find no fault in it. We cannot forget what our wise ancestors had taught us: “Rinong Kritwa Ghritong Pibet!” True, our ancient economic classics like Artha Shastra written by Kautilya, the great minister in the court of Chandragupta, did not discourage people to take loans. There is no harm, rather very logical in taking loans for developing businesses and thus creating new wealth. It is practiced everywhere in the world and India is no exception. However, it is not good if somebody does not repay his loans and at the same time, enjoy a lavish lifestyle. Nobody has the right to put his burdens created by his own wrong doings on others. People often cut down their expenditure when in trouble. It is only logical. If you don’t, it only means that you are not bothered about others. Money that you are taking from bank as loan is the money of the depositors. If you don’t repay, it only means that you are cheating them as well as the banking system. According to provided by

data the

Loan recovery, on the other hand, is not at all satisfactory. It was only Rs 41,236 crore during the 2014-15 fiscal year compared to Rs 33,698 crore in previous fiscal. It only shows that loan recovery is going on at a slow pace. What is more interesting; the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan had to complain the other day that the PSBs were trying to suppress the real NPA figures! If it is so, then one has to ask bluntly: Whose interests the bankers are serving? It has to be mentioned in this connection that poor people rarely default. They fear that if they do not repay their loan in time it will only increase their interest burden. Moreover, they will also not get new loans when required. And bankers admit that nonrepayment of bank loans by the weaker sections of society, including agriculture is a meager five per cent. So, it is easy

The Union government has set up debt recovery tribunals with an aim to faster recovering of bad loans which are gradually weakening our banking system. But the problem is that the outcome is far from satisfactory. Even the RBI governor had to admit the other day that only

that?

Rs 30,590 crore of bad debt was recovered by banks through the debt recovery tribunals in FY14 from the Rs 2,36,600 crore claimed even as cases keep piling up.

and higher taxes in the interest of the society as a whole. Otherwise, the gap between the rich and the poor will only increase. At present, our tax income is only 10 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP), which can be easily increased to 20 per cent.

These bad loans are also impacting on our investments in social sector and impeding our development. As calculated by RBI

So, one can easily see how the rich of our country are failing to show their responsibility towards the society. Here the government has a serious role to play. It has to compel the rich to give their dues like timely repayment of bank loans

Instead of imposing progressive taxation on

the rich, the Union government under the leadership of Narendra Modi is all set to gradually reduce the taxes on the corporate sector and at the same time cutting the expenditure for the social sectors like health, education, and downsizing the programmes meant for the poorer sections of the society like MNREGA. And the government is claiming that everything is being done for growth. Nobody is arguing against growth. The question is: growth for whom? Is it for the poor, or for the rich? Should we ignore equity in the name of growth? Narendra Modi and his comrades have no iota of doubts: they are out to make the rich richer and the poor poorer under the pretext of growth for all. In the process, they are weakening our economy. They have had enough opportunity to make use of the fall in crude prices in the international markets for the growth of our economy. But they are failing miserably. They promised employment, but forgot to create jobs. The government is going to introduce crop insurance for the peasants. Fine! But who will be the beneficiaries? Of course the rich and middle peasants as they are capable of paying for the insurance premium. The poor peasants, however, will only remain onlookers. The reason is simple. They do not have the capacity to pay for the premium. The Union government is only blaming the opposition for its failure in revamping the economy. The central ministers are burning all their waxes in pointing out that they could not pass goods and services tax (GST) because of the opposition. As if, GST is the only panacea for treating all the evils in our economy! New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016

Communitarian Synthesis

It is generally understood that when cultures carve out their specific space of existence for centuries, it usually results in both co-existence and confrontation. But more relevant is the nature of the conflict and its implications. The space for harmony and reconciliation should be wide enough to subsume the periodically manifested strained relationship of communities in terms of their faith and beliefs. The struggle for Islam, for instance, to strike root in India since the 8th century onwards, points to the latent and inherent nature of both collusion and coexistence that it faced with Hinduism. Yet, India continued to be a sanctuary for also other immigrants, like Greeks, Scythians, Parthians and the Huns who ruled India for quite some time and were assimilated in the broad cultural milieu.

Assimilation at the Roots As such a new lifepattern had emerged; assimilation did not happen in mere superficial ways but in a more fundamental manner as was evident in the introduction of new political institutions, traditions and rituals, etc., which gradually struck some balance with local, belief- system, integral to the Indian way of life. In Maharashtra the entry of Islam in the Konkan can be traced to the maritime history and its contact with the Middle-East. Apart from sowing the seeds of Islam among locals, the existence of the sea route encouraged others — Jews, Parsis and Sunni Muslims—to get santurary in the state. The locals widely accepted Islam because of its message of love and brotherhood preached by the medieval Sufi Saints. The Masjids, Darghas and Kankaks they established attracted both Muslims and Hindus.

Most Muslims were Converted Hindus Most Muslims consisted of converted Hindus, from lowerincome strata, caste and rural background and therefore were not foreigners. Today, however, the syncretism of Indian New Age Weekly

culture and civilization is at the crossroads. The centuries old harmonious relationship between Hindus and Muslims is fractured. Social ties have broken down and communities polarized. Feelings of minority and majority are being inflicted regularly by religious revivalists as well as by outright communal outfits. Intolerance is mounting. The government too promulgates certain policies and activities that lead to widening the gap between communities. For instance the current ban on consumption of beef. But nothing could also be more evident than the vulgar use of religious sentiments for narrow bigoted ends by these communal forces. They sustain their political ideologies on this morbid premise by hammering the Indian past on the basis of ‘Hindutva’ as their sole plank of Indian nationalism. Indian history provides no justification for such revenge! Instead, it records how some of great personages of the past adopted the spirit of reconciliation. There is the need to delegitimize such a communal narrative and also decommunalise the warped view of India’s past. While the distortion of history is a form of perversion, popularizing the truth about our

national inheritance and uncovering the rich heritage of Islam is the need of the hour. MYTH: India’s medieval history of the Hindu- Muslim conflict were religious wars. FACT: Battles between Hindu and Muslim rulers were many but these were never fought in the name of religion! The battles consisted generally of mixed armies on both sides. On some occasions those who showed bravery happened to be Hindus, and, on other occasions Muslims. Above all, the biggest heroes of this era were those who transcended the narrow, sectarian vision and who diffused the message of fraternal goodwill and peace. Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak are examples. India’s Medieval Wars were, thus, Not Fought On Religious Lines! In the 1857 uprising against British rule the Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar became a symbol of freedom for Hindu and Muslim freedom fighters alike whereas some Hindu kings were pro-British; Shivaji’s army had a significant number of Muslims and all through Aurangzeb’s prolonged fight with Shivaji several Maratha nobles continued to occupy an important place in Mughal court. Shivaji’s father had at one time agreed to fight on the side of the Mughals, although this agreement was soon breached as the Mughals did not give him the promised ‘jagir’ around Pune. Besides, the Marathas had also enlisted in the armies of Malik Ambar and other Muslim rulers of the Deccan region. In his army, Akbar had many Hindus in various capacities and had attacked even Muslims armies. He had even sent

a force under Todar Mal against Bihar and Bengal, and another under Raja Man Singh to check the expected attack by Mirza Hakim. When the (Hindu) King of Bikaner was defeated by the King of Marwar, his family sought refuge in the court of Shehenshah Suri. When Emperor Humayun was defeated by the Shehenshah Suri, he sought refuge with the (Hindu) King of Amarkot, birthplace of Emperor Akbar. Later in Ayodhya, Nawal Rai died fighting for Nawab Safdarjang. At Akbar’s court the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were translated into Persian, as also the famous story of Raja Nala and Damayanti. Prince Dara Sikoh wrote the well-know work ‘MaIjul Behrain’, showing the similarity of Tauhid and vedantic philosophy. Kabir sang of Ram and Rahim. The ‘Guru Grath Sahib’ contains extensive quotations from Kabir as well as Baba Farid. This mutual linguistic exchange led to the growth of Hindi along the line which finally led to the birth of Urdu; Hindus and Muslims interacted freely in each other’s festivals. Social interaction, manners and etiquette, customs and traditions tended to be common to both communities of a particular locality or region. Intermarriage was also commonplace. All this led to cultural fusion as well as reconciliation between Islam and Hinduism. The Turks loved India ardently. Arnir Khusru hailed “Delhi as the second heaven and a great centre of justice”. This process of fusion matured so well that by the end of the 18th century the Hindus and the Muslims identified themselves as a single entity of one nation.

MYTH: Muslim rule in India was nothing but a history of invasions and conquests, destruction of Hindu temples, forts, etc. FACT: The Babri Masjid Ram Jamnam Bhoomi incident was aimed at creating a false image of Muslim rulers as temple destroyers. As pointed out above, in the past the battles between Hindus and Muslims were common but this was also later followed by reconciliation. For instance, the long drawn out Battle of Haldighati, between Akbar and Rana Pratap, despite the bitterness that may have accumulated in the course of this war, Rana’s family suffered in the wilderness for several years. However, following his death, Rana’s son, Amar Singh established a cordial relationship with Akbar’s son Jehangir and subsequently fought on the side of the Mughal rulers on several occasions. On the Mughal side there were a large number of Rajput soldiers led by Raja Man Singh. Still earlier at the battle of Khanwa, Mahmood Lodi and Hasan Khan Mewati had fought on the side of Rana Sanga against the army of Babar. Emperor Aurangzeb was known to be a cruel ruler. Yet, Guru Govind Singh did reach a friendly agreement with Aurangzeb’s successor Bahadurshah. If the Guru was so great as to forget and forgive even at that time, when the wounds were still raw, how can there be any justification to reopen them hundreds of years later and to spread hatred on that basis, as it is being done today?! Shivaji had the high respect for Islam and Muslims. He assigned Muslims with high positions in his army. In also his Navy he had a number of Muslim

February 7–13, 2016

Against Communalism commanders viz., Daulat Khan and Siddi Misri, Madari Mehtar. Shivaji’s confidential foreign secretary was one Mulla Haidar. At his capital Raigad he had built a mosque for Muslim devotees in front of his palace in the same way that he built the temple of Jagadishwer for his own daily worship. He paid his respects to several Muslim saints and saw to it that Muslims in his kingdom lived without fear or discontent. He looked upon Baba Yakut of Kelli (a Muslim divine) as his honored friend and benefactor, while a number of Muslim shrines received liberal endowments from his government. He showed similar respect and consideration to a Catholic priest, Father Ambrose when he met him at Surat. .Shivaji had also started a translations department to get the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bible translated into Persian.

Muslim Rulers Protected Hindu Shrines Although, Aurangzeb’s track record showed high intolerance to pluralism, there was the larger picture which showed examples of his patronage and largesse towards other religions. If he decided to destroy temples that were political centers, he also funded the repair of the Chitrakoot temple, the Maharani temple and several gurudwaras. At Chitrakoot he not only built the Balaji temple but also gave eight villages for revenue for maintenance.

Grants for Temples by Muslim Rulers During their rule the Mughals had the practice of giving grants for the maintenance of temples. Aurangzeb had continued

the practice. He had also decided to make Sambhaji a ‘mansabdar’ in the contest against the Bijapur Sultanate and the Marathas. Whilst he imposed the Jazia’ tax on able-bodied non-Muslims who did not volunteer to be in the army, he also collected ‘zakat’, ‘ushr’, ‘sadaqah’, ‘fitrah’ and ‘khums’ from only Muslims. He also restored the temples of the Vrindavan-Mathura region. Other documents at the Vrindavan Research Institute and in some of the temples reveal how Emperor Akbar also had enlarged and consolidated all grants to temples and templeservants in the Matura region by his farmans (dated 27th August 1598 and 11 September, 1598) in Vrindavan, Mathura and their environs. He also added at least two more temples to the list of the 35 already with a grant of 1598. In addition he provided 121 bighas of land for 5 families of temples sevaks. Further, emperor Jehangir not only continued these grants; he substantially added to these. Tipu Sultan is also known to have made grants to several temples. In his journal, Young India, Mahatma Gandhi showed how Tipu Sultan made lavish gifts of land to Hindu temples and temples dedicated to Shri Venkataramanna, Shrinivas and Shriranganath and located in the vicinity of Tipu’s palaces still bear testimony to his broadminded toleration. The nawabs of Oudh gave several grants to the temples of Ayodhya and provided them protection in other temples. Nawab Safdarjung gave land for the construction of a temple at Hanumangarhi, Asafadullah’s diwan gave further help for the

construction temple.

of

the

MYTH: As aliens the Muslims did not play any role in India’s freedom movement. FACT: On the contrary!

The following historical events will substantiate the role of the Muslim community in India’s Independence. Following the battle of Baxar in 1764, Bihar, Bengal and Orissa came under British colonial rule. Peasant communities in Eastern India and local zamindars that were Manu Shah and Habana Pataki opposed their foreign occupation. (The Fakirs of the Madariya sect of Muslims led the Fakir rebellion while the Shaiva Sanyasis led the Sanyasi rebellions.) In the 19th century the British had consolidated their power and control of India. The ruling British viceroy, Lord Cornwallis, had declared Permanent Settlement for revenue in Bengal. This was strongly opposed by the people like the Muslim Wasabi movement who were also called ‘Mohammadiya Tarika’ and whose founder was a fakir from Rai Bareili, Syed Ahmad Barelvi. When he was touring Eastern Bengal to explore the possibility of a campaign against the British, another movement the Ferazia movement led by Peer Sanyatullah of Faridpur had been launched. The latter movement had organized the people to oppose the feudal zamindars, the money lenders and indigo planters who were exploiting the local people. The anti-British resistance of 1857 included several Muslims that included farmers and peasants. Thousands lost their lives. Some of these

included Nana Sahib, Tatia Tope and Rani Lakshmibai. There was also Sharif Maulavi Ahmadullah of Faizabad who played a major role in the struggle and the British had offered a cash reward to get him “ dead or alive”. Then there was Begam Zenat Mahal of Ayodhya who had led a role similar to that of the renowned Rani Lakshmibai, in the 1857 rebellion. On the other hand there were the conservative and other orthodox elements in the Muslim community who were pro- imperialist. At the Indian National Congress (1898), Rahmatullah Siyani strongly condemned these pro-British Muslims. A number of Muslims joined the movement against the partition of Bengal in 1905 and later the swadeshi movement. Between 1900 and 1907 an underground movement was launched led by Shibli Numani and Rashi Ahmad Gangoi. One of the foremost of the Muslim leaders in the Independence Movement was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and a great proponent of HinduMuslim unity. Ansari and Amjal Khan were other leaders of the freedom movement. On March 30, 1919, Satyagraha Divas, Hindus and Muslims had joined ‘en masse’ to struggle against the British. When the noncooperation movement launched on August 1, 1920 a number of Muslims had also expressed support for the coming elections; boycott of government institutions, etc., and the renunciation of honors and titles awarded by the colonial government. For 20 months Hindus and Muslims worked actively together for the cause of Swaraj. The leader of the

9

non-cooperation moment, Narayan Menon, had declared that none of those involved in the Moplah Rebellion may be accused of communalism and for attacking or looting their Hindu fellowmen. Other Muslims active in the anti-colonial movement were eminent personalities like Titu Mir, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Muhammad Ashfaqullah Khan of Shahjehanpur who looted the British treasury at Kakori (Lucknow); Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (known as the Frontier Gandhi). There was Barakatullah of Bhopal one of the founders of the Ghadar party whose other member, Syed Rahmat Shah, worked underground in France but later was hanged following his unsuccessful uprising in 1915; Ali Ahmad Siddiqui of Faizabad (UP) who planned the Indian mutiny in Malaya and Burma along with Syed Mujtaba Hussain of Jaunpur who was later hanged in 1917 as also Vaikkom Abdul Khadir of Kerala and active in the “Quit India” movement; Muar Subhani, industrialist and millionaire of Bombay Presidency provided funds to Gandhi for Congress expenses; Maulana Mahmudul Hasan; and Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani. There were also prominent Muslim women active in the freedom struggle viz., Hazrat Mahal, Asghari Begum, and Bi Amma among many others. The first ever antiBritish rebellion was the Vellore Mutiny of July 10, 1806 led by Tipu Sultan. It predated the Indian Mutiny of 1857 but was defeated by the British. The mutineers and Tipu On Page 14 New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016

Anganwadi Agitation Gains Success, Turns Violent VIJAYWADA: The ‘chalo Vijayawada’ rally by Anganwadi workers and Helpers turned violent when the police tried to foil the workers attempt to seize CM’s camp office at Vijayawada on December 18, 2015. The workers hit the streets demanding immediate resolution of their grievances and hike in the honorarium. The police detained more than 150 persons in this connection. By 9 am in the morning, Anganwadi women reached Vijayawada in thousands. They were found in large numbers at the railway station, Gandhinagar, Hanumanpet, Bus station areas. Many women were seen carrying their little children in arms. Supporting the Anganwadi workers, AITUC, CITU, CPI, CPI (M), IFTU and other trade union leaders and

activists reached Kalakshetram premises.

V V S Murthy

Thousands of Anganwadi workers, affiliated to AITUC and CITU, took out a rally from Thummalapalli

In this connection, AITUC state general secretary G. Obulesu, CITU state general

R a m a r a o , R.Ravindranath, R.Hari Krishna, V.Radha Krishna Murthy, S V Subbaiah, J Lalitha, S Manjula, CITU leaders V.Uma Maheswararao, Subbaramamma, Supraja and others were all detained briefly. CPI state secretary K Rama Krishna condemned the police action. On hearing about it, the chief minister, who is in Hyderabad, is said to have directed the police department to regain control without using force in such a situation.

Kalakshetram. While police who appeared on the scene in hundreds with ropes and lathis thwarted their plan by blocking them at Hotel Manorama Junction. However, some of them managed to reach their destination.

secretary M.A. Gaffoor, Anganwadi leaders J.Lalitha, S.Manjula ( A I T U C ) K.Subbaramamma (CITU) CPI district secretary A.Vanaja, city secretary Donepudi Sankar spoke on the occasion expresseing their anger

Share Data on GMO in Public Domain: CPI Following is a letter from Communist Party of India national council secretary and MP D Raja to Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, Prakash Javadekar, written on February 4, 2016, asking to share all the data on GMO in the public domain and also requesting to intervene and ensure that the regulators do not proceed further: I have come to know from media reports that the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) in your Ministry is about to meet on February 5, 2016 and take a decision on the commercialization/ “environmental release” application of Delhi University’s GM mustard hybrid DMH11. These reports point out that the government is moving forward in a hurried and secretive fashion in this regard, and is declining to share the biosafety dossier of this GMO, despite Supreme Court and Central Information Commission Orders that require the government to proactively put out all information in the public domain for public scrutiny. My party, Communist Party of India, has resisted the entry of GMOs into our food and agriculture for reasons given that this transgenic technology is unsafe, carries its own political economy of taking away farmers’ seed sovereignty, jeopardizes our national food security and is clearly risky for our farm livelihoods. The move to introduce GM crops into Indian food and farming systems is not in the interest of our agriculture and the country. I gather that non-GM mustard hybrids are available in the market for farmers, and that there are numerous other methods for improving mustard productivity in the country. Why is the government processing an application that is clearly based on a presumptive need that is unfounded, especially in the case of a GMO which has traits like Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT) and Herbicide Tolerance (HT) that have been recommended against by very serious and credible committees in the executive, parliamentary and judicial setup? In this context, I write to you to ask the government to first share all the data on this GMO in the public domain. I also request you to intervene and ensure that the regulators do not proceed further – this cannot be treated as a routine administrative process, and should be treated as a matter of policy and political decision-making by the government since the matter has huge implications for our environmental and public health, as well as food and livelihood security. New Age Weekly

against chief minister of AP, Chandra Babu, who had appointed a cabinet subcommittee that recommended Rs 7100 and Rs. 4600 for the Anganwadi workers and

helpers respectively and also promised that the wage increase would be effective from September first, though delayed issuing a government order for the same. The government. is also not paying wages since the last five months. That is the reason for the Anganwadi workers to come on the roads starving and shouting slogans against the government. Additional force was deployed at Governor’s house in anticipation of trouble. Tussle ensued between police and Anganwadi workers when the later tried to lay seize on the CM’s camp office. When the police used force, as many as 60 workers sustained injuries and many workers fainted. They were rushed to the nearby hospitals. Tension prevailed on MG Road when the protesters led by YSRCP leader K P Saradhy raised slogans against chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. The leaders slammed the police high handedness and said that the workers were only fighting for their rights. AITUC Obulesu,

leaders G Chalasani

Chandrababu Naidu made a statement in the AP Legislature that the wages of Anganwadi workers and helpers will be raised from the present Rs.4200 to Rs.7000 and from Rs. 2200 to Rs.4500 and the enhanced wages will come into effect from April 1, of next year. After the chief minister made the announcement, G. Obulesu addressed a huge gathering of agitating Anganwadi workers. Hailing their heroic fight, he told them that Chandrababu has come down one step due to the struggle launched by them and announced the above said wages, and added, “But we are not ready to believe and accept the same without the release of the G.O. with effect from September 2015 which cabinet subcommittee had announced earlier.” “For the time being we postpone our agitation. Before completing the winter session of the assembly, the chief minister may not release government order at the rate of Rs.7100 and Rs.4600 with effect from September 2015 onwards. Therefore, both AITUC and CITU affiliated Anganwadi unions should launch even more intense agitations,” G. Obulesu said.

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February 7–13, 2016

New Mining Policy Set to Boost MNCs The government plans to transform the mining sector with a new policy by offering global and Indian firms about 100 large plots for exploration of various minerals with a reverse auction to explore, followed by another round of bidding to extract the ores, official sources said. It is going to be a sellout to MNCs and big business houses in India. A report in The Economic Times (February 3, 2016) says the first stage companies will bid for royalty they will get for minerals they discover and compensation for the expenditure on exploration if they do not find any commercial reserve in the block. The mines ministry has initiated interministerial consultations for the new minerals policy, which aims to significantly expand exploration of minerals and attract private capital for the sector that will also benefit the states. The government has been was identifying large tracts of land for auction to mineral exploration companies. The apprehensions of the left parties and in particular CPI that our economy is being pushed towards the right are turning true. Confirming the move Union mines secretary Balvinder Kumar said “the ministry has sought concurrence of states on the policy that is a win-win for private exploration agencies”. The policy provides for identification and auction of potential blocks to exploration agencies that are registered in India. The government will conduct an online reverse auction among technically qualified agencies. The companies will have to quote share of royalty that accrue to state governments throughout the lease period of the mine once it begins operations. Companies seeking lower share in royalty will win the blocks for exploration. If the reserves are established after exploration, the blocks will be auctioned to miners who will pay royalty to the exploration agencies and state governments for 50 years of the mine life. The government will work out normative cost of exploration works for different minerals to compensate mineral explorers in case reserves are not found. The compensation will be made through a fund set up to enhance exploration activities.

Fear of global deflation Haunting FIIs Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have net sold equities to the tune of nearly Rs 10,700 crore so far in January, making it the worst start to a New Year (worst January) since 2008 when the global financial crisis roiled the markets across the world. The fear of a global deflation is driving away foreign investors, says an expert. “More than 40 markets across the world are now in the bear zone, having fallen by over 20 per cent.” A report in The Times of India (January 27, 2016) says FIIs were net sellers in value terms in all but three trading sessions during the month, data with share

depository NSDL showed. They have been on a selling spree since August last year when the crash in Chinese stock markets — on fears of a sharp slowdown — led to a global selloff in equities. Overseas investors have net sold stocks worth Rs 37,289 crore or about 5.7 billion dollars since August, data showed. They have remained net sellers of equities since the Chinese meltdown in all months except October when they net bought stocks to the tune of Rs 6,650 crore or about 1 billion dollars. The sharp selloff by FIIs has brought the markets close to what experts consider a bear hug. A fall of 20 per cent from recent peak is typically called a bear market. The benchmark sensex has fallen about 18.5 per cent from its all-time high of around 30,025 hit in March 2014. The sensex is now hovering just above pre-Modi levels or the level seen on May 15, 2014, the day before the Narendra Modi-led alliance won a thumping majority in the Lok Sabha. While the sensex has lost 6.3 per cent so far in 2016, the broad-based nifty has fallen 6.4 per cent. FIIs were the biggest buyers in the postelection market rally pumping about 16 billion dollars (Rs 97,054 crore) in 2014. But they made net investments of just Rs 17,808 crore or about 2.7 billion dollars into the

Indian markets in 2015, the lowest in four years. In contrast, equity mutual funds received net inflows of Rs 90,603 crore or about 14 billion dollars during the year, the highest ever on record.

New UK Visa Rules to Hit IT Companies Even as US visa issues haunt India’s technology outsourcing industry, the UK has proposed changes to its skilled-workers visa policy that could increase costs for companies and make transfer of workers more difficult. The UK is the second-largest market for Indian IT companies and accounts for 18 per cent of their export revenue, amounting to about 19 billion dollars annually, according to National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom). The UK’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has proposed increasing the minimum salary level of IT employees entering the UK for short or long terms to 41,500 poinds, according to a report on its website. It has asked for immigration health surcharge and immigration skills charge to be levied on each employee sent to client sites in the UK, which will have a combined impact of 1,200 pounds per applicant per year. Prime Minister David Cameron had tasked the MAC to review the tier-2 visa system last year as part of his pledge to cut total annual net migration from outside the EU. According

to the MAC report, it is the “government’s ambition to reduce annual net migration to the tens of thousands (from the current level of 336,000)”. Major Indian IT companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro, make use of intra-company transfer visas, which are a part of the UK’s tier-2 visas. Nasscom urged UK to reconsider the panel’s proposals. “We are disappointed that companies leveraging Indian talent in information technology domain are singled out in the report. The UK and India enjoy strong trading relationships,” Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar said in a statement

Move to Tap Rich PSUs for More Dividend A sudden change of heart and PSUs have become good to reap. Cash-rich Coal India Ltd (CIL) and a clutch of oil-marketing firms may be called upon by the government to cough up larger dividends this time around to help meet the shortfall from other public sector enterprises and state-owned lenders. The government has estimated revenues from dividends from public sector enterprises and other investments at Rs 36,174.14 crore for 2015-16 as against Rs 28,423 crore received in 2014-15. A report in The Financial Express (January 25, 2016) says most state-owned lenders could see their profits shrink further as they provide for non-performing assets and ‘emerging stress’. Moreover, they also need to maintain capital adequacy ratios to adhere to Basel III norms. In first half year of FY16, a clutch of 25 PSBs collectively reported a 20 per cent year on year drop in profits to Rs 16,165 crore and with provisions expected to rise, they are unlikely to be able to match their FY15 collective payout ratio of 20 per cent. The RBI had recently acknowledged that the dividend distribution policy of PSBs needed to be reviewed. While the government had hoped to mop up a sizeable amount from dividends paid out by PSEs and banks to boost revenues, their poor financial performance might put paid to its plans. Indeed, several PSEs are struggling to turn in profits in the wake of the collapse in commodity prices, changes in regulation and weak order books while banks are grappling with nonperforming assets. Against this backdrop of a sluggish economy, the finance ministry is understood to have asked them to cough up as much as 30 per cnet of their net profits. However, even if the 15 highest dividend-paying PSUs shell out 30 per cent of their estimated profits for 2015-16, the payout could be about 25 per cent lower than in FY15. It is possible, therefore, that oil marketing companies, which have reaped a bonanza from the sharp fall in the price of crude oil and the deregulation in petrol and diesel, may be asked to increase their dividend payouts to compensate for the shortfall from other companies. New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016

AITUC Opposes Disinvestment of ITDC Hotels Following is the letter written on January 28, 2016, addressed to Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of Tourism, Government of India, on behalf of the Action Committee of Trade Unions in ITDC (JAC), affiliated to AITUC, INTUC registering strong protest against proposed disinvestment of ITDC properties: We would like to refer to the meeting of the delegation of our union with the minister on few occasions, once at Hotel Janpath and another at his office at Parliament street. There were a number of issues discussed pertaining to ITDC, including performance of the corporation. The minister had assured to hold an exclusive meeting with workers representatives for detailed discussion pertaining to future of ITDC. The workers representatives also assured the minister to cooperate in this matter as workers themselves are much worried about the future of ITDC since their own future is linked with the future of ITDC. This could not happen, fortunately, may be due to the minister’s preoccupation as holding charges of three ministries and in between elections in Delhi and Bihar.

The result of the election reflects how the citizens of India have responded to the policies of the Government. We were expecting interaction with the minister on issues of ITDC.

India while campaigning for election and after winning with a huge majority, a bright future for the people of India but such news of disinvestment has scared people.

In the meetings with the minister, the unions were assured that those units of ITDC which are not doing well, efforts would be made to revive and if revival could not be done, other alternatives would be considered in consultation with the workers representatives. The minister had also assured that the three Delhi units, that are Hotel Ashok, Hotel Samrat and Hotel Janpath will not be considered for disinvestment.

As the workers have been telling the representatives of the Government of India as under:

There have been lots of news in past few weeks in the print as well as in electronic media regarding decision of the Government of India regarding disinvestment of ITDC properties, some times for eight properties and other times 13 properties. The workforce of ITDC are much worried about such news and become scared about their future, even the trade unions operating in ITDC are also not aware about the factual position regarding such news. Prime Minister had assured the people of

Ø The Ashok Hotel was built at the initiative of Late Jawahar Lal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India in 1956 in order to accommodate the Heads of States of various countries visiting India on invitation of Government of India. The idea was to give services to the level of international standards to the visiting dignitaries and Heads of the State, therefore, he personally looked after the project. Three state owned companies, that were Ashok Hotels Ltd, Janpath Hotels Ltd. and ITDC, were merged into ITDC in seventies with a view to develop tourism in India by developing tourist destination, providing infrastructure like, hotel, transport, literatures etc in order to attract guests. The private sector was not interested in providing infrastructure to unknown or less known tourist places. The responsibility was given

to ITDC to become a model for private sector in order to invest in this sector. Ø ITDC has been grown from a small company to a fully grown up giant public sector having more then 34 hotels (from no star up to five star Delux level), more then 30 Ashok Travels and Tours centers (having fleet of hundreds of luxury and other cars and buses), was the only company having duty free and tax free shops, light and sound shows, publication department of literature on tourism in the country,training centre to train and retrain the students for hospitality industry, management services to other private hotels, joint venture projects and a lots of other activities through out the country along with a number of additional projects taken up at one point of time. The ITDC has been fulfilling its responsibility given and made India a tourist destination for the world. Ø Then a number of prime ITDC properties were sold at throw away prices during the last NDA regime. The government had to face reaction of the people and NDA did not come back to power and disinvestment was stopped then and there.

Com Bardhan Memorial Meeting From Page 15 agrarian livelihood has been destroyed by the natural calamities as well as anti- agriculturist policies of the Modi government. The result is seen everywhere as the farmers are opting to end their lives due to unpaid loans. On the other hand the policies of the Modi government are prominently anti-labour. There are also initiatives taken by the government to bring anti- labour laws to facilitate the process for the corporate sector to New Age Weekly

gain huge profit. It was on such promises only, the finance was supplied by the corporates in the country with which the elections were contested by the BJP. Atul Kumar Anjaan strongly condemned the communal hatred perpetuated by RSS- BJP and its government. He spoke at length for more than an hour on present political situation in the country. While addressing, Prof Dinesh Varshney lauded the role of CPI and its

struggles during nine decades of its existence for the down trodden of the country as well as for the freedom from the British colonial yoke. In this struggle, the role played by Com. Bardhan would always be remembered. Dinesh Varshney explained how the CPI led the heroic struggles for the deprived sections, agrarian masses, working class, dalits, minorities and all those exploited because the other political parties, being pro

capitalist, have been on the same side. They are always keen to reap the share of benefit more and more. The rich and the richest are also after gaining profit. He said that BJP-RSS and Modi

Ø The ITDC Hotels, even now, have been hosting big national and international, events like commonwealth games during 2010 and ITDC was nominated official hotels for the games and then Asian International Soft Tennis Tournament during 2015. Ø The corporation is doing profit for last three years in spite of all odds, a number of guests prefer ITDC Hotels for security reasons since they are government hotels. Prime Minister has also assured the nation that the profit making PSUs would not be disinvested, then why it is being considered for disinvestment? Workers of ITDC had been optimistic as they had voted along with their families with a hope to get a bright future for them and their family. We lodge our strong protest, on behalf of the workers of ITDC, against the proposed disinvestment of ITDC properties and demand to stop the move of disinvestment of ITDC properties with immediate effect and save the future of ITDC, its workers and of the country as a whole, in the larger interest of the country and its citizens who voted for this government with great hopes. government has been unable to stop the price rise, and also get rid of poverty, hunger, corruption. Among others present on the dais was also assistant secretary, South Delhi district and TU leader Birpal.

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February 7–13, 2016

US Threatens Chinese Sovereignty The sending of warship to South China Sea is escalating the tension in the region, between China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, South and North Korea and Philippines. The drastic and surreptitious of the US is posing “ extreme danger” in the already precipitate atmosphere. The US move has been considered as “most irresponsible” by China. The warship has been sent near to a disputed Island in the strategic South China Sea to challenge its sovereignty, warning that America’s deliberate provocations would have “extremely dangerous consequences” to regional stability. The Chinese armed forces have said that they would be taking proper measures necessary to safeguard China’s sovereignty and security, no matter what provocations the US side may take. The USS Curtis Wilbur, a guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Zhongjian Dao (Triton Island), part of the Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands) – an archipelago claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The US is claiming that the operation was about challenging excessive maritime claims that restrict the rights and freedoms of the United States and others, not about territorial claims to land features. But the US move as “very unprofessional and irresponsible” for the safety of the troops of both sides, and may cause “extremely dangerous consequences”. The US act severely violated Chinese law, sabotaged the peace, security and good order of the waters, and undermined the region’s peace and stability. The Chinese Defense Ministry is firmly against this. The South China Sea is rich in natural resources. It is also a major shipping lane. Over half of the world’s commercial shipping is passing through the Indo-Pacific waterways. China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. In October, USS Lassen, a guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island China is building in the Spratly Islands. The US must respect and abide by China’s laws, and not to undermine the mutual trust and regional peace and stability. The US warship violated Chinese law and entered China’s territorial sea without authorisation. The Chinese side conducted surveillance and vocal warnings to the US warship. China claimed that China’s law on the territorial sea and contiguous zone accords with the international law and practice. The US is fully aware of this, yet it still sent its warship into China’s territorial sea without authorisation. It is a deliberate provocation, and “warned and expelled” the US warship from the South China Sea area “swiftly”.

After decades, democracy in Burma After decades of struggles of bloodshed, torture and atrocities on civilians the Junta

regime brutality may come to an end soon. Hundreds of lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy were sworn into Myanmar’s parliament on February 1, 2016 with enough seats to choose the country’s first democratically elected government since the military took power in 1962. The NLD won some 80 per cent of elected seats in November’s historic vote, catapulting it to power as Myanmar’s ruling party after decades of struggle that saw many of its members imprisoned. But the juntadrafted constitution means the party will have to share power with the army that for years suppressed, often brutally, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and her allies. The first sitting of the NLD-dominated parliament is another step in Myanmar’s drawn-out transition, which started with the election and will go on until the NLD government officially begins its term in April after parliament has picked a president. This is Myanmar’s first parliament in years that was chosen by the people.

Americans among terror suspects arrested in Saudi Arabia Nine Americans have been arrested on terror charges in Saudi Arabia. The US citizens were among a total of 33 terror suspects detained over the past week. The arrests come following a string of attacks against Shia targets claimed by Sunni jihadists that have killed 50 people over the past year. Among the suspects are 14 Saudi citizens, nine Americans, three Yemenis, two Syrians, a Filipino, an Indonesian, a citizen of Kazakhstan, a Palestinian, and a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Gazette, an English-language daily, reported. Riyadh declared Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) a terrorist organization in 2014. In July of 2015 alone, Saudi Arabia announced the arrest of 431 suspected members of the terrorist group. IS responded with a series of terror acts, performed mostly by suicide bombers.

UN selective on terrorism

Some new members looked disoriented as they wandered through the enormous parliament building in the purpose-built capital, raised by the junta in secret from the region’s rice paddies. The presidential nomination process is likely to take place later in the month. Under the 2008 constitution, Suu Kyi is barred from taking the post because her children are not Myanmar citizens. She has given no indication as to who will take over from outgoing President Thein Sein and the NLD has no clear No. 2. Each of the parliament’s two chambers will choose a presidential candidate and the military officials who hold a quarter of seats will also put forward their own nominee. A combined session of the chambers will then vote on the three candidates. The winner will become president, with the other two serving as vice presidents. This week, the NLD will focus on appointing parliamentary speakers, who were announced last week. It will also prepare for the start of state and regional assemblies on February 8, some in places dominated by large ethnic minorities such as Shan state in the east or Rakhine in the west. Expectations are towering for Suu Kyi, who is regarded with an almost religious zeal in the Southeast Asian country. Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest after the NLD won an election in 1990. The junta never recognised the result of that vote. Myanmar’s 51.5 million people expect the NLD to fix everything, from completing the transformation of an economy stunted by decades of isolation to bringing peace to states driven by ethnic conflict.

Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry has repeatedly issued letters to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) requesting that such acts of terrorism in Syria be officially condemned, and that action be taken against those states supporting, financing, and enabling terrorism in Syria, namely Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The letters specify that the terrorism being committed in Syria is not only by Da’esh (ISIS) but also by other terrorist groups, including “Jebhat al-Nusra, Jaish al-Islam, al-Jabha al-Islamiya, Jaish al-Fateh, Ahrar al-Cham,” and the so-called “Free Syrian Army”. These letters are routinely ignored by UNSC and the Secretary-General, although they are based on the tenants of UN resolutions pertaining to terrorism. It its latest letters, following the January 24, 2016 terror-bombings in al-Zahra’a, the Ministry noted the significance of their timing with respect to the upcoming Geneva talks. Following the December 12, 2015 attacks, the Syrian Ministry sent their standard letters, requesting condemnation of the terrorism. The request was supported by Russia, with their own draft statement, which was rejected at the UNSC. When the majority of the above-listed terror bombings have been claimed by Da’esh (ISIS), whom the West claims to be fighting, the glaring lack of condemnation of the Homs bombings, and the once-off condemnation of the Beirut bombings, reveals again the blatant hypocrisy of Western leaders. In his November 13, 2015 address, President Obama, unsurprisingly, made no mention of either Beirut or Syria’s suffering under western-backed terrorists. Instead he called the Paris situation “heartbreaking” and uttered: “...we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism.” New Age Weekly

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February 7–13, 2016

Caution on Communal Fascism.... From Last Page TV channels and drugs. Nexus of smugglers, politician and police officers is kingpin of drug mafia. Law and order situation has deteriorated as latest event of Abohar shows. The sacrilege of holy book Sri Guru Granth Sahib had taken the Punjab to brink of black days of ‘80s and ‘90s but the people of Punjab foiled the nefarious designs of black forces. Hardev Arshi said that CPI, on its own, and in joint actions with left parties, has been agitating for 15point demand charter, and that will be intensified. An extended meeting of the state council along with district executives will be held in the third week of February for political reorientation and reactivation of the party. State conference of the All India Kisan Sabha will be held on February 17-18, 2016 at Zira in Firozpur district. He said that all district units has been asked to earmark the seats they want to contest and prepare for 2017 elections for which the political tactics will be finalized at the time of elections with guidance from the centre and in consultation with state council. In a resolution the council condemned the terrorist attack at Pathankot Airbase, paid tributes to the killed soldiers but stressed to continue the dialogue with Pakistan, of course with stress that Pakistan should take action on terrorist camps in their territory. Council expressed solidarity with agitating students of Hyderabad University and demanded the dismissal of VC and resignation of HRD minister. Council, at the start stood for two minutes in silence to mourn the demise of Com. A.B. Bardhan, the great communist leader and former General Secretary of CPI. Council paid homage to Comrades Chain Singh Chain, Gurnam Singh Dhirowal, Mrs. Gurdev Kaur Malhotra and other comrades departed since last meeting of council held in August, 2015. State Secretariat: The state council elected unanimously nine member state secretariat of the party comprising of comrades Hardev Singh Arshi, Bhupinder Samber, Jagroop Singh, Bant Singh Brar, Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, Kartar Singh Boani, Gurnam Kanwar, Jagjit Singh Joga and Kashmir Singh Gadaia. Earlier, the state executive in its meeting held under Sawaran Singh Aklpuri, formed various departments and sub- committees for distribution of the party work.

Communitarian Synthesis... From Page 9 Sultan’s family were incarcerated in the Vellore fort. In the Sepoy Mutiny a section of the Muslim elite were the main targets of the British and many of them were shot dead or later lynched near the Delhi Red Fort gate, known as ‘Khooni Darwaza’. The renowned Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) described the bloody executions, in his correspondences, published by Oxford University Press (translated by Ralph Russell and Khurshidul Islam (1994). The other prominent Muslim personalities included Mehmud Hasan of Darul Uloom Deoband, implicated in the famous Silk Letter Conspiracy in trying to overthrow the British; Zakir Hussain, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad; Allama Muhammad Iqbal, poet and philosopher. Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Shaukat Ali who struggled alongside Mahatma Gandhi for India’s Independence, and the Ulama of Firangi Mahal, among others. (Courtesy: Facts Against Myths) New Age Weekly

PPH PUBLICATIONS 1. Foreign Policy of India: Indira Gandhi Years Prof. P C Jain 2. Beyond the Sky, Efficiency Redefined 3. Family, Friends and Country Nguyen Thi Binh 4. Selected Works Vol. I Karl Marx and F. Engels 5. Selected Works Vol. 2 Karl Marx and F. Engels 6. Selected Works Vol. 3 Karl Marx and F. Engels 7. Gandhiji—A Study Hiren Mukerjee 8. Singaravelu – First Communist in South India K. Murugesan & C S Subramanyam 9. Russian-English-Hindi Dictionary of Proverbs and Idioms Shyama Joshi 10. Rabindra Nath Tagore—Himself A True Poem Hiren Mukerjee 11. Life is A Struggle Moni Singh 12. History will Absolve Me Fidel Castro 13. Subhash Chandra Bose andIndian Communist Movement Gautam Chattopadhyaya 14. Big Changes in Three Continents Pyotr. I. Polshivkov 15. Emerging Capitalism in Indian Agriculture Ambica Ghosh 16. Agrarian Problems of Permanent Settlement Girish Mishra 17. Consumption in Socialist Economy Arvind Vyas 18. A Public Facility, Its Management &The Workers Sisir Mitra 19. A contribution to the Critique of Political Economy Karl Marx 20. Crisis of Corporate Capitalism A B Bardhan 21. The Holy Family or Critique of Critical Criticism Marx-Engels 22. A Brief History of the CPI Anil Rajimwale 23. Ramayana: Myth or Reality H D Sankalia 24. The Moplah Rebellion and Its Genesis Conrad Wood 25. Grammatical Commentary and Russian-English Dictionary V G Budai, J Raghuvanshi, Shyama Joshi 26. Russian From ABC J Raghuvanshi, Shyama Joshi 27. A Comprehensive History of India R S Sharma (Ed.), Vol. IV, Part-1 28. A Comprehensive History of India Mohammad Habib, Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (Ed.)Vol. 5, Part-1 29. A Comprehensive History of India Mohammad Habib, Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (Ed.)Vol. 5, Part-2 30. Documents of the History of the Communist Party of India Dr G Adhikari (Ed.), Vol. 2 31. The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal 1902-1908 Sumit Sarkar 32. India Today Rajani Palme Dutt 33. Communists in Indian Women’s Movement Renu Chakravarthy 34. A Short History of Women’s Movement Vimla Farooqui 35. What is Marxism Emile Burns 36. Emergence of a Slave Caste K Saradamoni 37. Lokayata Debi Prasad Chattopadhyaya 38. Charting A New PathEarly Years of National Federation of Indian Women Gargi Chakravarthy, Supriya Chotani 39. Communalism and the Writing of Indian History Romila Thapar, Harbans Mukhia, Bipan Chandra 40. The Crisis in Physics Christopher Caudwell 41. Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky Please send your order to: People’s Publishing House (Pvt) Ltd, 5-E, Rani Jhansi Road, New Delhi-110 055 e-mails: [email protected] Web: www.peoplespublishinghouse.in

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February 7–13, 2016

Com Bardhan Memorial Meeting in South Delhi

CPI national council secretary Atul Kumar Anjaan addressing the memorial meeting NEW DELHI: In Memory of Com A B Bardhan, a massive meeting was organized on February 1, 2016, at Giri Nagar, Kalkaji by the south Delhi district unit of the Delhi state Communist Party of India. The meeting was held in the district party office premises. Atul Kumar Anjan, CPI national council secretary and Prof. Dinesh

Varshney, assistant secretary, CPI Delhi state council garlanded the portrait of Com. A B Bardhan and paid floral tributes. Prominent among those who addressed the meeting were Atul Kumar Anjan, Prof. Dinesh Varshney, Ameer Haider, south Delhi district secretary of the CPI, Pramod Rajput, assistant secretary of the district unit and AITUC

On Record... The BJP seems to be pulling out all the stops for the Muzaffarnagar Assembly bypoll scheduled for February 13. The party is roping in pro-Hindu faces from western UP, including Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, MP Hukum Singh and MLAs Suresh Rana and Sangeet Singh Som to campaign. All four have been named in cases related to the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013. Sources said these leaders have been brought in to counter Congress candidate Salmaan Saeed, who too has been accused of giving a hate speech at a mahapanchayat that was held before the riots broke out in Muzaffarnagar. – The Indian Express, February 3. *** The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), which the NDA government showcases as the shield against all risks faced by farmers, has failed to be universal because there is a need for a comprehensive crop and income insurance scheme covering income and yield risks for all farmers and all crops. The farmer suicides had continued nationwide for more than two decades since the neo-liberal economic policies were put in place. However, the ruling classes have sought to underplay the unprecedented human tragedy and linked the plight of farmers to the weather. What Prime Minister Narendra Modi is proposing is to insure farmers from

leader, and Absar Ahamed, secretary, north east Delhi district. This meeting was presided by Maulana Abdur Kadir, president, Paigam e Insaniyat. Among those who came to attend the meeting were large number of women and among them were many party members also. In the gathering, there were party members, s y m p a t h i z e r s ,

representing all segments of the Society. In his address, Atul Kumar Anjaan said that Com. Bardhan was a messiah of downtrodden of the country. He explained to the gathering that the CPI always have fought against the forces of all types of exploitation and will continue to do so. He said that Narendra Modi promised achhe din. But in stead of the achhe

din, the prices of the essentials have been sky rocketing. The food for common people has gone beyond their reach as even the prices of pulses has gone up to Rs 240 per kg, mustard oil is sold at more than Rs 100 per Kg. Atul Kumar Anjaan asked where were the jobs promised at the time of elections by Narendra Modi? He said that On Page 12

the vagaries of nature. What is actually required is to insure them from the adversities created by deliberate government policies. – The Hindu, February 3. *** Does the Gujarat government think itself so “unique” that it can say ‘no’ to a law passed by Parliament? The Supreme Court verbally thrashed the State government and the Centre

At a time when women are fighting for their right to enter temples, the Delhi high court has ruled in a landmark verdict that the eldest woman member of a Hindu undivided family can be its karta (manager of the family and its properties). Extending the meaning of Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, which brings women on a par with men with regard to inheritance in a Hindu undivided family (Huf), Justice Najmi Waziri said the [Courtesy: rights of a female family member The Hindu] cannot be curtailed when it comes to management of the property. “It is a rather odd proposition that while females can have equal rights to inheritance in an Huf property, this right can nonetheless be curtailed when it comes to management of the same. – The Hindustan Times, February 2. *** In what seems to be a clear dereliction of duty by cops just a month before Delhi Police for not implementing the National Food Security commissioner B S Bassi retires, goons Act passed by Parliament in 2013 to ensure thrashed protesters outside the RSS that the poor in the nation do not go hungry. headquarters on Saturday with the policemen “Do you want to break away from the Union remaining mute spectators. of India? Can a State say it cannot implement A photograph posted on a social networking a law passed by Parliament? Are you saying site, in which Bassi has also been tagged, you are not part of India? What is the shows a man wearing a blue shirt hitting a Government of India doing about this,” a Bench protester in the presence of policemen. A of Justices Madan B. Lokur and R.K. Agarwal few other photos showed cops thrashing asked Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar, who protesters and media personnel. – The Times appeared for the Centre. – The Hindu, February of India, February 2. 2. — Compiled by C Adhikesavan *** New Age Weekly

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New Age, February 7–13, 2016

February 7–13, 2016 Delhi Postal Regd. No.DL(C)-01/1274/2015-17 Licenced to Post without Pre-payment No.U-(C)-47/2015-2017 (R.N.I.No.539/57) Posted in NDPSO, Friday & Saturday Date of Publication: 05/02/2016

CPI Launches Fortnight of ‘Go to the People’

Caution on Communal Fascism, Recession Gurnam Kanwar

C HANDIGARH : The Punjab state council of the Communist Party of India gave a call to its leaders, cadre and units to ‘Go to the People’ to spread awareness amongst them about the current political, economical, social and cultural situation of the country, about dangers of BJP led NDA government about which the CPI had all along been warning. Hardev Singh Arshi, state secretary of the CPI, releasing the decisions of the two- day meeting held here on January 25, 2016, under the presidium comprising Jagjit Singh Joga, Kashmir Singh Gadaia and Daswinder Kaur, said in the meeting that a fortnight from last week of March to first week of April has been earmarked for this

campaign. The presidium on the stage was joined by Shameem Faizee, member, CPI central secretariat, Dr. Joginder Dayal, member national executive and Hardev Arshi, state secretary of CPI. Shameem Faizee, inaugurating the meeting and speaking on the current situation of the country, said that India will also not be spared by the impending threat of world recession, as RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has warned that Great Recession which is looming large at our heads will be four times more disastrous than recession of 1930s which will affect the financial institutions and industrial enterprises, further increasing the price-rise and unemployment. He further said that communal and fascism-

CPI national council secretary Shameem Faizee, inaugurating the meeting and speaking on the current situation of the country oriented policies of BJP led NDA are bent upon destroying the social fabric of the country. Autocratic regime is being foisted, in which dissent is being curbed even by eliminating the dissenters, against which the writers and scholars and intelligentsia had come on streets and returned the awardes.

Faizee declared that the people of the country would not tolerate this intolerance regime. The CPI independently and along with left parties will mobilize the masses against this danger. Hardev Arshi, delivering the review report on the Activities of CPI and current situation of Punjab, dwelt on the

crisis in Punjab. Farmers are being forced to commit suicides. Theirs and other sections legitimate struggles are being made target of repression. Industry is also facing crisis. Corruption is all prevalent. Mafia is ruling here in every sphere, as sand and gravel, transport, On Page 14

Nobody is to Blame, It’s the System Are we living in a medieval society or the police force in the country has been given a free hand to brutalise the peaceful protests like the other day in the capital city of Delhi, the Khaki force ran amuck on the students, who were protesting against the discriminatory and anti-Dalit policies of the Modi administration. May be that they have dared to protest before the RSS headquarters in New Delhi, a big sin in NDA regime, but the brutal force let loose on the peaceful demonstrators made a huge uproar in the national media and the people were shocked to see the video. Delhi’s police commissioner Bassi has no word to soothe the injured feelings of the people, but he is at no fault, the police force has been trained that way, this is the colonial police and in seven decades, nobody tried to change its face according to the democratic aspirations of the people. It went all these years on its same old pattern as it suits the ruling classes to beat their political opponents into submission. Hundreds of cases of police brutality came into light, but at the moment of heat – the administration set-up some

S K Mittal enquiry commission and the matter came to a close- the Yamuna flows as its usual way. Reforms commissions were set-up and their reports were never implemented. India is a democratic country and we raise our voice against tyranny in other countries - but what is our record- let the powerful elite ponder. The minority community has a long standing grievance of victimisation of its youth on filmsy grounds or booked for terror plots. The courts acquitted many of the victims as the police could not prove their case or lack of evidence. The people were jailed for years, who is going to compensate for the years spent in that hell they have gone through the years. Families were ruined economically, boycotted by the society for fear of the law enforcing agencies, husbands were divorced, children became orphans. There is a widespread feeling amongst the minority community youth that they have no future in this country and this has alienated many youth, but these people are as patriotic as youth from any other communities. They

have fought for the freedom of the country, but nobody cares for that. Large parts of richer sections of the population had sided once with the British rulers, but after independence they switched sides overnight and became the part of the ruling elite. The police force, after independence was not modernized as of a free country, beatings, tortures, false cases are the methods the force to get confessions, which do not stand in the law courts, but how many people can afford to pay the hefty fees of the lawyers. In our films and serials, the police tortures are shown and may be some people enjoy these beast acts, but this is most ungraceful. What is the difference between a democratic country and dictatorship? We shed tears for others, but at home the story is different. The police has not been taught how to handle a demonstration and it even tries to instigate the mob for violence through its men to quell the movement. The LEFT has been targeted thus innumerable times. Let the politicians of every hue come forward for police reforms and to end tortures.

Printed & Published by Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy on behalf of the Communist Party of India at BFL Infotech Ltd (Media Division), C-9, Sector-3, Noida, Dist. Gautam Budh Nagar, UP. & Published from Ajoy Bhavan, 15-Com.Indrajit Gupta Marg, New Delhi-110 002. Ph: 011-2323 0762. EDITOR: SHAMEEM FAIZEE *E-mails: [email protected] & [email protected]*web:www.newageweekly.com Layout: JANARDANAN. R New Age Weekly