On OnOther OtherPages Pages 1
November 19–25, 2017
No Alternative to Socialism............3
New Delhi
Economy in India Taking Nose Dive.................8-9
Central Organ of the Communist Party of India
Vol. 65
No. 47
(Total Pages 16)
November 19–25, 2017
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Three-Day Relay Dharna by Workers Concludes
CTUs Warn Govt of Indefinite Strike
The three-day massive relay dharna by the Central Trade Unions (CTUs) in front of Parliament concluded on November 11, 2017 with a clarion call to intensify the agitation of workers at all levels and force the Narendra Modi government reverse the anti-worker anti-people
and anti-national policies. The future programme includes district-level Satyagrahas in the last week of January and a joint sector wise strike against privatisation. During the three days of agitation, lakhs of workers from the nook and corner of the country representing all the
By C Adhikesavan sectors of the economy vent their anger and agony against the policies of BJP led Union and state governments. The declaration approved unanimously by the workers with thunderous
applause at the last session of the relay dharna warned the government of a countrywide national indefinite strike if the government does not change its attitude of ignoring the genuine demands of the working class. On November 11, the third day of the historic
Red Salute to Working Class The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India has issued the following statement on November 12, 2017 hailing the working class for its massive demonstration in Delhi: The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India warmly congratulates the working class for its mighty demonstrations at Delhi from of November 9 to 11, 2017. The call to gherao the Parliament was given by ten Central Trade Unions including AITUC, CITU, INTUC, HMS and other organisations, except the BMS that is the BJP mass front for workers. More than two lakh workers from different sectors of the industries, unorganised workers, and scheme workers among others took part in the “Parliament Gherao” programme. In spite of sudden cold and high pollution,
the workers bravely joined the agitation with determination and also anger. The demands include defence of public sector, scraping of anti-labour amendments in labour law, curbing of price rise, employment, minimum wage, pensions, etc. The successful programme should open the eyes of the government, which is hell bent on implementing anti-people, anti-working class policies. The arbitrary authoritarian rule should go. CPI extends full support to the just demands of the working class, and express solidarity with their struggle. United battles of workers, peasants, agricultural labour, youth and students are necessary to fight back the wrong policies of the Modi government.
protest by workers affiliated to various CTUs and independent federations, more than a lakh, mainly scheme workers from Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Hariyana, Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh comprising Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-day Meal and domstic workers, accompanied by organised sector workers namely electricity workers and transport workers from Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh etc, swarmed overflowing the Parliament Street. In the first session, all top CTU leaders addressed the protesters. AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta in his address said that the working On Page 10 New Age Weekly
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Over two lakh workers coming from all corners of the country held a three-day dharna or ‘Mahapadaav’ on the Parliament Street in the national capital to condemn the blatant anti-people and pro-corporate economic policies of the Narendra Modi government. They not only raised their class demands and opposed the calculated anti-working class policies like snatching away of the trade union and other rights` to curb the growing workers movement but also raised demands like curb on unprecedented price rise, attack on basic human and democratic rights of the people in general, conspiracies to destroy the ethos of our Constitution and secular democratic character of our society. This government basically represents the interests of the corporate capital that is totally in alliance with the International Finance capital, has targeted the working class from day one. It is bent upon snatching away all the trade union rights and destroy the working class movement altogether. First it tried to amend all the trade union laws at the national level. Facing resistance, both by the TUs as well as social and legal fraternity, it is changing the laws dealing with workers and trade union rights through state governments controlled by the BJP. Rajasthan has taken the lead. Today working class movement is not fighting for wages or other economic benefits, it is a fight for the very survival of the movement and their hard-earned trade union rights. Almost all the central trade unions barring RSS controlled BMS, have rightly decided to carry forward the united struggle for defence of their rights. The appeal issued after the Mahapadaav by the CTUs rightly
People on the Move calls upon the “entire working class of the country to prepare for a prolonged agitation including strike. If the government does not change its attitude CTUs will be forced to explore for the countrywide national indefinite strike”. Just a week before the dharna by the working class, the peasantry was on the streets, again in the national capital. On the call of the All India Kisan Sabha, thousands and thousands of kisans from all over the country held Dharna before Parliament for five days. As the
Editorial government has banned all agitational activities at Jantar Mantar, they opted for the Shaheed Maidan by the side of Bhagat Singh statue near India gate. The difficulties faced by the farmers are not result of weather disaster or manipulations by brokers and others. The suicides committed by farmers on a daily basis are result of the deepening crisis in agriculture. It is true that successive governments since independence have never paid attention to development of agriculture as such. But the crisis has started taking ugly turn due to the impositions of antifarmer conditions of various tools of international finance capital, particularly the IMF and WTO. Modi government, during the past three years has seen to it that our farmers do not get reasonable prices for their produce. When there is bumper crop, it imports grain
and other agricultural produce to keep the prices at the lowest. Or else impose ban on export of these products, as it happened in the case of onion. Both ways, kisans are forced to either sell out their products at throwaway prices and much below the cost of production or throw out the produce itself. This has led to growing economic miseries for the farmers. The demand for implementation of recommendations of Swaminathan Commission is fully justified. Like farmers and workers, other segments of people are also taking to agitational path. Government employees, bank employees and other segments are on the streets. The growing unemployment, retrenchment and reduction in existing jobs have forced the youth to come out against these policies. Almost all the educational campuses are in turmoil. Women are facing humiliation and social activists are aggrieved due to curtailment of human rights and curbs on freedom of expression and democratic rights. Caste and communal polarization is on top of the agenda of the ruling clique. In a way, the country is heading towards turmoil due to anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi government. Real task now is to create atmosphere for a coordinated onslaught on the anti-people and pro-corporate economic policies of the government and to defeat the fascistic offensive of the government backed by the RSS and its various outfits to destroy the very democratic set-up of the country. Situation has ripened and the Left forces have to take initiative with clear cut socio-economic alternative programme.
100 Years of the Russian Revolution
Books Released to Celebrate Centenary Year Bangalore district council of the Communist Party of India and Navakarnataka Publications organised a book release programme on the occasion of centenary year of the Russian Revolution on November 5, 2017, at the CPI Party office, Ghate Bhavan. The classic work chronicling the most crucial phase of the Russian Revolution by the American Journalist John Reed, “Ten days that shook the world” has been abridged and translated in to Kannada by Dr.B.R.Manjunath and Madame Binh (Nguyen Thi Binh)’s autobiographical work “Friends, Family and Country” chronicling her experiences of the Vietnamese revolution and period after has been translated in to Kannada by GS Nagendran. Both these works have been published by Navakarnataka Publications. These works add to the great body of popular socialist literature in Kannada. The programme was presided over by MD Harigovind, secretary, CPI New Age Weekly
Bangalore district council. A large number of party cadres, workers and people, sympathetic to the cause of socialism and progressive values participated in the programme. Udupa, manager, Navakarnataka Publications welcomed the speakers and gathering to the book release programme with a brief introduction to the books. Dr G Ramakrishna, eminent Marxist and educationist released the Kannada translation of Ten Days that Shook the World and spoke on the occasion. He explained the events leading up to the Russian Revolution and the central role of the Soviets across the urban and rural areas of Russia. He stressed on the importance of the collective action of the workers, peasants and the soldiers under the correct line propagated by Lenin and the Bolsheviks in the success of the revolution. John Reed as a first hand observer of the immediate events leading to the revolution identified correctly the significance of the revolution
MD Harigovind as events that shook the world. For the first time in the history of society, the proletariats had assumed power of the state apparatus of an entire nation. The responsibility of smashing the bourgeois state apparatus and simultaneously creating the conditions for realising the full potential of the proletariat was borne by the heroic Bolsheviks. Dr.Vasundhara Bhupathi, President, Karnataka Pustaka Pradhikara, released the Kannada Translation of the book “Friends, Family and Country” and spoke on the occasion. She described the experiences and various important incidents of Madame Binh’s life. She also extolled the freedom and liberation experienced by women as a result of their full fledged participation in the socialist revolution. PV Lokesh, state secretary, CPI Karnataka state council, addressed the gathering about the importance of socialist
values in a society ridden by inequality. He described how socialism is the only force that has taken on fascism across the world. In today’s situation where right wing reactionary/ fascist forces in our country are on the ascendance, it is only through adherence to peoplecentric socialist values that can defeat the forces of fascism. Fascism always attempts to pursue the policies favouring big business at the cost of further exploitation of the toiling classes all the while invoking the false god of ultra nationalism. It is therefore the duty of the progressive sections of the society to inculcate the values of socialism in the toiling classes. Sriram Reddy, state secretary, CPI(M) Karnataka also spoke on the occasion. He recalled how the book “Ten Days that shook the world” influenced him. He stressed on how socialism is a revolutionary science and the proper study of the evolution of human society. Siddanagouda Patil, CPI national council member spoke
about the importance of forging the unity of left, democratic and secular forces in the country today. MD Harigovind presided over the meeting and also recounted his own personal experiences as the trade union leader of Mysore Electrical Industries in the year 1969-70, when Madame Binh visited Bangalore. At the same time, the MEI union was striking work for recognition of the union. At the time of reception to Madame Binh as a part of the AITUC delegation, the MEI trade union raised slogans to recognise the republic of South Vietnam. He also spoke about the increased relevance of socialism in times of heightened economic and social inequality. Shivaraj Biradar, assistant secretary, CPI Karnataka state committee helped in conducting the meeting. Muralikrishna, CPI Bangalore district committee member thanked the speakers and the participants of the programme.
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Weeklong GOSR Centenary Celebrations in Russia
No Alternative to Socialism The week-long centenary celebrations of Great October Socialist Revolution participated by the representatives of over 150 Communist, Workers and Left parties from more than hundred countries has reaffirmed its resolve to continue to struggle for Socialism as there is no alternative to it. The celebration began on November 1, with the 19th International meeting of the Communist and Workers Parties in Leningrad now re-named as Petersburg that has agreed to the proposal to hold the next meeting in Greece next year. The formal celebrations began with the inauguration of the seminar, the theme of which was “The 100 th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution: The ideals of the Communist movement, revitalizing the struggle against imperialism, for peace and socialism”. It was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Communist Party of Russian Federation, Gennady Zyuganov. He also presented the main paper on behalf of his party. The Petersburg seminar was attended by 103 parties from 82 countries. Each party was given six minutes to explain the main theme of their party’s opinion on the subject of the seminar. They were also asked to submit the full text of their papers that were translated at least in four languages and distributed. On behalf of the CPI, I presented the paper and also submitted the full text of our contribution as well as the text of the abridged speech. Almost hundred parties took part in the deliberations that continued in six sessions within two days on November 2-3, 2017. The remaining parties were assured that they will be provided opportunity in Moscow seminar. Almost all the
participants were unanimous that the first socialist revolution that occurred hundred years ago on this very land under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, the great Marxist mentor, was an earth shattering event. This epoch-making event has profoundly changed the course of development in human history. The October Revolution transformed socialism from an ideal to reality and from a theory to practice. Under
By Shameem Faizee deliverance from imperialist war, transfer of land to peasants, control over factories and means of production to the workers, acceptance of the rights of self determination of nations, and finally, way for the transition to the socialist stage. There was also the consensus on validity of Marxism-Leninism as a guide that teaches that it is possible for the working
Shameem Faizee addressing the 19 th Meeting of the Communist and Workers Parties at St. Petersburg
the leadership of Lenin and Bolshevik Party, the Russian people established the first socialist state, turning socialism from a theory of a socio-economic system into a reality, and initiated a modernization model that was never seen before. The October Revolution ushered in a new epoch in human history. It fundamentally overthrew the system of exploitation and oppression and established a set of institutions with people as masters. The Great October Revolution was a genuine and profoundly people’s revolution. It was greatest social breakthrough of the 20th century accomplished and defended in subsequent period by the overwhelming majority of the working people. It realized the demands of
class in alliance with the peasantry and other working people, to take power and blaze the trail to socialism, towards social and economic justice and equality. It was further emphasized that the very concept of world without wars and armaments is the contribution of the Socialism and the first socialist state offered it first and continually strived for it. It was the socialist countries which have acted as shield for the newly liberated countries against imperialist nuclear blackmail and neo-colonial threats. With unparalleled sacrifices and unsurpassable heroism, Soviet Union contributed the most to save the world from Hitler’s fascist domination. This paved the way for decolonization and
liberation of colonies. Most of the contributions from Communist and Workers parties eulogized the immense contribution of the Soviet Union and socialist states in changing the world economic and political scenario. Relieving the world from imperialist domination and making it a bi-polar world was the contribution of the Soviet Union and its strides in all fields, economic, social, scientific and technological development. The feat of Yuri Gagarin was referred in number of contributions. Obviously, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and collapse of Socialist regimes in Eastern Europe was repeatedly referred. There were different views but certain common features too were visible. Almost all the parties reiterated commitment to MarxismLeninism. Most of the parties said that collapse of socialism is not the collapse of Socialism as such. It is the collapse of a model of socialism. Naturally, with this assessment, the parties also concluded that no model of Socialism could be copied. Every country has to evolve its own model based on geographical, national, ethnic and cultural traditions and other local realities. There were different views on causes of collapse of Soviet Union. Some parties attributed it to rigidity and conservatism, failure to change with the changing environment and misconception about spreading democratic values and democracy within the socialist structure. But all were firm in their conclusion that there is no alternative to socialism and Communists have to continue their struggle for it. About the challenges faced by the Communist and Workers parties, it was generally agreed that international finance capital, since the collapse
of Socialist states, is on its mission of establishing its economic and political hegemony. It conspires to see that ideological opponents of economic neo-liberalism are marginalized and the world is pushed towards rightward polity. It uses all the means for it, including blunting of class consciousness, promoting religious fundamentalism and hate politics, float and finance political and social organizations for pushing back the class based polity and promote classless organizations that use radicalism to hoodwink the masses. Though the proceedings could not be concluded due to paucity of time, the Communist and Workers Parties approved an outline of the final declaration which rejects the speculation that the counter revolutionary changes that took place in the late 20th century can annul the historic significance of the October Revolution and achievements of the USSR in building and developing the new type of society. It affirms that in face of the capitalist system, plunged in a deep structural crisis and to a violent and dangerous exploitative and aggressive offensive of imperialism, socialism is the demand of present as well as of the future. The declaration calls for observance of several events in the coming period, including the 200 th birth anniversary of Karl Marx. The discussion continued on November 6 at Moscow. Actually it was an International Forum of Left forces and the topic was “October 1917: breakthrough towards Socialism”. Apart from the parties, that participated in Leningrad seminar, over forty Left parties and representatives of the international organizations like WFTU, World Peace On Page 12 New Age Weekly
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One More Killed by Cow Vigilantes in Alwar The family of a man, whose body was found on rail tracks in Rajasthan’s Alwar has claimed that he too had been killed by cow vigilantes. The body of Umar Khan, 32, was found on November 10, 2017 around 12 km from the Ramgarh Police station. His body had been kept in the mortuary since there was no identification. The family members recognised Ummar with the help of his slippers. Six days after the incident police confirmed that gau rakshaks were behind the attack, saying that the two arrested have admitted to tht assault and mutilation of the Ummar’s body. Later, his family people who are residents of a village in Bharatpur called Ghaatmeeka arrived. According to them Umar Khan and two of his relatives had been attacked by cow vigilantes while
they were bringing home cows they had bought. Two bullets were shot at Umar, one went into his chest and the other went through his left shoulder but the doctors now say that they can’t trace bullet marks in the body. “To remove evidence, they have disfigured the body.” One of them, 42-yearold Tahir Khan, has been admitted in a hospital in Jirka Ferozpur in Haryana. He has sustained gunshot wounds on his shoulder. Another man, 28-year-old Javed Khan is missing. After killing Umar Khan, his body was thrown on rail tracks. A passing train mutilated his body. The villagers said the pick-up belonged to Umar Khan, Javed and Tahir. Alleging a cover-up by the police, they reached the district headquarters of Alwar and demanded a fair inquiry into the matter.
Alwar had made headlines in April after a dairy owner, Pehlu Khan, was beaten to death on suspicion of cattle smuggling. The video footage of the 55-year-old
saying there was no evidence against them. Alwar Police had lodged a FIR under Section 147 (rioting), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 201 (causing
being hauled by the neck, thrown to the ground and kicked had sparked nationwide outrage. The Rajasthan police later gave a clean chit to the six men he named in dying declaration as his attackers,
disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code after the uncle of deceased Ummar Muhammad wrote to the Govindgarh Thana police chief, requesting him to investigate the death of his
What the Others Say…
Retro Rajasthan Rajasthan has a foot in the modern era while pushing determinedly backwards. Gau rakshaks appear to be active again in Alwar after the Pehlu Khan lynching: another dairy farmer, Ummar Khan, was allegedly lynched when he was transporting cows on Naovember 19, 2017. Even as Rajasthan’s cow slaughter law places the burden of proof on the accused, overturning a key principle of Indian jurisprudence, there isn’t much heat on lynch mobs: intentions of local police have been suspect after Rajasthan High Court granted bail to those accused in Pehlu Khan’s murder this September. Alongside, in a state ruled by a woman chief minister, the government education department’s monthly magazine Shivira has suggested absurd means for women to stay fit: they should carry out domestic chores such as filling buckets and mopping floors to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This comes even as communal groups in the state are threatening violence over the impending release of Bollywood film Padmavati, without even having seen the film: due to a concern that the film might stray from fetishised depictions of queen Padmavati — more likely a fictional than historical character — in the act of committing jauhar (self-immolation). State education minister Vasudev Devnani has now said his department is working on a plan to make Sanskrit compulsory in schools, which again shows skewed priorities. There’s no doubt Sanskrit is an ancient language with a rich and storied heritage, and the government (perhaps at the central level) should set up centres of excellence to pursue advanced research and scholarship in Sanskrit. But to make it mandatory and force it down the throats of unwilling students is a travesty, when the country faces a jobs crisis as education doesn’t impart skills that are relevant in a modern economy. A recent study shows only 20 per cent of class V students can read beyond a class I level text in rural Rajasthan.
New Age Weekly
nephew. The police have detained one and he has named six others who were also involved in the killing. The suspect has admitted to have thrashed Ummar and his associates. He also admitted to having disposed off the body along the railway tracks. The incident has sent ripples in the Mewat community, with residents launching a protest. Relatives of the victim alleged that policemen too were present when the crime took place but did nothing to stop the attackers. They have demanded immediate arrest of the accused. Muslim members and the Meo community members are now organising a Muslim Mahasabha in Jaipur to voice their demands to the Vasundhara Raje government.
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje needs to set the right priorities for her government and focus on problems that need urgent attention, such as Rajasthan’s poor performance on many social indices. She must set the ball rolling for a future which offers equal and rich opportunity to all. Overall, nationally and across the political spectrum, it’s a tragedy that political parties appear obsessed with various versions of the past and spend so little time conceiving a brighter future for Indians. Courtesy: The Times of India
A hazy policy The Delhi government, the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) agree that the capital’s ongoing air pollution crisis is an “emergency”. Unfortunately, nothing they have done over the past three weeks has assured the city’s smog-struck residents that the three agencies are willing to work together in confronting the situation with the urgency it requires. Two days before Diwali, the EPCA enforced a slew of measures, including a ban on diesel generator sets, that seemed to signal the SC-appointed body’s seriousness in dealing with the pollution that ensues after the festivities. The EPCA also indicated that it would recommend the odd-even policy of road-rationing if Delhi’s air quality did not improve. But when it made such a recommendation last week, the city had already registered “severe” on the Air Quality Index. The Delhi government, despite its reservations over road rationing, decided to comply with the directive. The odd-even policy should have been in place on Monday. But the NGT felt that the policy was too watered down to be effective. The green tribunal wanted the exemptions to two-wheelers, women and government servants to go first. The AAP government promised to respond to NGT’s reservations but on Monday, it appeared before the green court more than an hour late. Courtesy: The Indian Express
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Implement Schemes for Minorities: AITI FARIDABAD-DELHINCR: The first meeting of the national council of All India Tanzeem-e-Insaaf (AITI) after the second Patna national conference was held here from November 11 to 12, 2017. Inaugurating the meeting Shameem Faizee emphasized on the need to change the agenda from emotional politics to development for minorities. He said that there is enough scope for struggles for the implementation of the minority-oriented schemes. Unfortunately most of the minority people do not know about the schemes. Priority bank loans, quota in governmental housing schemes, special grants for minority educational institutions and reservation for OBCs among the minorities in jobs and admissions to educational institutions are there which can be used purposefully. Shameem Faizee also pointed out that BJP is trying to destroy the composite culture of the country, which reflects the unity in diversity. Hence people should be ever alert to protect the secular fabric of our society and against the conspiracies thatched by the reactionary forces led by RSS. Former member of Parliament and national president of AITI Azeez Pasha pointed out that Narendra Modi has been encouraging Hindu communal organisations to divert people’s attention from real problems. AITI secretary general Dr A A Khan presented the report of activities since the Patna national conference and expressed satisfaction at the expansion of influence of the organization. The meeting was also addressed by national vice president M Appadurai former member of Parliament, Prof Suheb Shervani and Islahuddin Khura, national secretary of AITI.
In the meeting, 80 members from 13 states were present and most of them participated in the discussion. In the last session, the organisational and financial issues were discussed in detail and some concrete decisions were taken. It was decided that state party schools for INSAAF cadres will be held as per the convenience of the state committees as early as possible.
Resolutions Adopted The national council of AITI adopted two resolutions on continued imprisonment of terror suspects and on citizenship of Assamese Muslims. The resolutions were presented
Our Special Correspondent have to undergo unimaginable mental, emotional and physical trauma as well as great financial hardships. They hardly find any sympathy and moral or financial support from their relatives or community during their period of their trial because of the stamp of terrorist fixed on them. Even after they are exonerated by courts of law of all charges of having been involved in any kind of terrorist activity, the young persons and their families are condemned to lead isolated
treated in such inhuman ways, while on the other hand members of H i n d u t v a v a d i organisations are treated very leniently, are granted bails by courts of law, even rewarded in various ways and represented as heroes in front of society although sufficient proofs are available against them.” The national council demanded: * Officers of ATS and other law enforcing agencies dealing with cases of terrorism should be selected on the basis of competence and impeccable secular credentials.
INSAAF members takeing part in all India dharna in Delhi by Suheb Shervani and were adopted unanimously. The resolution on terror suspects “noted with deep sense of anguish that the persecution of innocent Indian Muslims is continuing unabated in the name of fighting terror. Young, mostly educated Muslims are indiscriminately arrested by police, ATS or other law enforcing agencies without proper investigation. In most of the cases the arrested persons are subsequently found not guilty by courts of law, but only after they have spent many years in jail. “During the period of trial the falsely accused persons and their families
lives because of the tag of ‘terrorist’ attached to them. Moreover, no compensation of any kind is paid to them by the government of India despite the fact that their lives are destroyed beyond repair by the insensitive attitude of various agencies of the government and Indian society. “Neither those who have been responsible for causing incalculable trauma to these innocent Indian citizens are punished or reprimanded in any way. This situation is a gross violation of natural and human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India to the citizens of India. On the one hand, Muslims who have been arrested without any proof are
* Special training in ensuring human rights of the suspects should be provided to such officers and personnel. * Special courts should be set up to deal with terrorism related cases, with the provision that such cases be tried in a time bound manner. * In case the courts find that any of these cases have been handled with insensitivity or incompetence, the concerned officers should be appropriately reprimanded and punished. * A d e q u a t e compensation should be provided to such accused who are subsequently
exonerated by courts of law. * The findings of courts of law should be extensively publicised through print and electronic media. * Judicious and practical rehabilitation packages should be designed by the government of India for victims of false terrorism charges, including respectable employment commensurate with their qualifications in case they are found innocent by courts of law. * All those accused of involvement in terrorist activities should be treated at par irrespective of their faith, religion or political affiliations. The resolution on Assamese Muslims “condemns the conspiracy hatched by nodal officer and his sub-ordinate officers, who have been deputed to prepare and update NRC in Assam to brand Assamese Muslims and Bangladeshis foreigners. It is alarming to note that different parameters are being followed by the nodal and sub-ordinate officers including Hindus and Muslims in the list of OI (Original Inhabitants) and Muslims are being rejected for inclusion in the list despite producing valid documents in support of their claim of Indian citizenship. All India Tanzeem-eInsaaf demands: * Nodal officers and subordinate officers be directed to prepare and update NRC without any discrimination. * Whoever produces valid documents like voter ID, ration card, Aadhaar card, etc, be included in OI list. * Whatever is not included in the directive of the Supreme Court, like family tree in particular should not be followed as a prerequisite for inclusion in NRC. On Page 12 New Age Weekly
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AIFUCTO to Protest Gross Injustice in Pay Revision
UPR Scheme Shocks Teachers Countrywide After a long protracted struggle by AIFUCTO, the 7th UGC Pay revision scheme was released by the MHRD on November 2, 2017. AIFUCTO president Prof Kesab Bhattachaya and general secretary, Prof Arun Kumar, in a statement issued on November 3, 2017, said with utmost shock and dismay that this has belied the hopes and aspirations of lakhs of university and college teachers of the country, putting the sincerity and commitment of the central government to higher education in dock. It is now clear why the revision scheme was not shared by the 7th UGC Pay revision commission with the stake holders like AIFUCTO. They were reluctant to bring to light the hidden agenda that now stands exposed. The long awaited recommendations of the 7 th pay revision commission are finally brought out. AIFUCTO has already communicated its thanks to the MHRD when it announced on
October 11, 2017 that it would implement the 7th PRC. It had also stated that unless the full report is published AIFUCTO would not be able to come out with any comments because AIFUCTO had not been apprised or involved in the process of finalising the recommendations as has been the norm in the past. The government maintained stoic silence on the recommendations and moved in a clandestine manner till its announcement. Both the leaders of AIFUCTO said that it was very unfortunate that there is no tuning between PIB issued on October 11, 2017 and the notification issued on November 2,2017 specially on funding .there is clear-cut contradiction between the two. The Official Press Statement issued on October 11, 2017, by MHRD has conveyed the Cabinet decision to approve revised pay scales of teachers and equivalent academic staff in universities/colleges and
GST Rollback to Win over Gujarat Voters: CPI The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India issued on November 11, 2017 the following statement on the GST Council decision to slash rates across the board: The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India while taking note of the GST Council decision on November 10, 2017 to slash rates across the board feels the timing of the trimming down clearly indicates that the exercise is being done eyeing the ensuing Gujarat assembly elections. Nothing else could have forced the RSS-BJP led Narendra Modi government and the adamant finance minister to resort to such a rollback. The so called feel-good package, which comes into effect from November 15, is unlikely to boost consumer demand, which also has been badly hit by demonetisation. If the prime minister thinks that he can go on hoodwinking people saying the changes are ‘people-inspired, people-friendly and peoplecentric,’ the party wants to just state here that it is too late and the damage has already been done. Also the benefit will be marginal and not as it is being publicised. This is for the third time that the GST slabs are amended in the last few months. This action shows that the government did not do home work properly which resulted in confusion and problems in the country. The CPI has been demanding from the very beginning that the hurried move to bring in GST without proper debate and the high rates of GST, prevalent nowhere in the world, will bring in only more damage for the economy and put the common man in deep distress. The party’s stand has been vindicated. The party reiterates its demand that the rates need to be further pruned after taking into confidence the states, Parliament, opposition parties and all others concerned. New Age Weekly
also those manned centrally. Shockingly, the MHRD notification on scheme of revision of pay of teachers issued on November 2, 2017 contradicts crucial clauses of the Cabinet decision. No functionary of MHRD has the authority to modify Cabinet decisions. 1) “The Central Government will bear the additional burden of the states on account of revision of pay scales” as conveyed in last para of Cabinet decision is modified in para 16 (iv) (a) of MHRD notification to: “iv (a) Financial assistance from the Central Government to State Governments opting to revise pay scales of teachers shall be limited, by way of reimbursement, to the extent of 50% (fifty percent) of the additional expenditure involved in the implementation of the pay revision,……..”. 2) The clause in 2nd para of Cabinet decision indicated that apart from teachers in universities funded by the UGC/MHRD the decision will also benefit “teachers from 329 Universities which are funded by State Governments and 12,912 Government and private aided colleges affiliated to State Public Universities.” Now, rather than a mandatory instruction, the MHRD notification has left it to the wish of the state governments to adopt and implement the scheme. AIFUCTO has been consistently demanding for the 100 percent central assistance to the states for uniform and simultaneous implementation of the revised UGC Scales of Pay for the college and university teachers of the country. Despite the demand and struggle on this issue, the central government very callously and carelessly has declared only 50 percent central assistance to the states, that too, only for 39 months, from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019. This is the real cooperative federalism of the present central government. The shifting of the financial burden to the states is a wellcalculated design and conspiracy to deny the revised UGC scales of pay to the majority of the University and college teachers who serve under state universities. Many states may not implement the 7th UGC pay scales due to reduced central assistance.
Again this is to divide the college teachers of the country as both AIFUCTO and FEDCUTA have shown historic solidarity and unity of the teachers in our struggle. AIFUCTO strongly condemns this decision of the government and demands that this be immediately reversed and 100% assistance be given to the states for uniform implementation of the revised UGC Scales of Pay in the country in the interests of quality higher education. AIFUCTO strongly criticised the suggestion of denial of incentives for M Phil and PHD both at the entry point and during service years. This reflects the extreme insensitivity of the central government towards the hard
work and challenges faced by researchers in the country in getting these degrees, thereby reducing the dignity and devaluating the significance of these prestigious degrees. It is to be noted that the office of principal has been demeaned by creating difference in their ranks on the basis of their appointment in undergraduate and postgraduate colleges. Principals of undergraduate colleges, as per the new notification, will now be treated at par with the associate professors. This surely is a divisive move designed to create rift and tension among the administrative heads vying for the same post in undergraduate and post graduate colleges. Also
Control Air Pollution with Immediate Effect: CPI S. Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary, Communist Party of India, issued the following statement on November 10, 2017 on the deteriorating environmental situation in Delhi due to smog: The intense pollution with dense smog in the National Capital Region of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and parts of Western Uttar Pradesh is a matter of serious concern. Air Quality Index (AQI) warns that it has gone from bad to worse. AQI should be 0-50 or can be moderately 50 to 100. In Delhi it has long back crossed 500 level, causing serious problem of breathing for people. Schools are closed. People with respiratory problems, heart diseases and children are the worst victims with suffocation. Air pollution is supposed to be from industries, emissions of vehicles and now with burning of paddy straw after the crop in Haryana and Punjab. All steps should be taken to control the pollution on war-footing. Prime minister should take the initiative to call a meeting of chief ministers of the concerned states along with concerned central ministers and examine the possibilities of controlling pollution. Pollution control is a central subject. Punjab chief minister asked for Rs 100 per quintal as additional bonus so that the cost of transport of grass can be borne by peasants. It may cost about Rs 3,000 to 4,000 crore of subsidy from the Union government. As a long time measure the government should, purchase modern machines to dispose of waste grass in a scientific manner and supply it to peasants in Punjab and Haryana. This will cost another Rs 25,000 crores. This should be borne jointly by state and central governments in ratio of 25 percent and 75 percent respectively. Machinery should be given to small peasants on nominal rent. All this will cost a big amount of money but health cost will be much higher than this expenditure. The government should take steps to control vehicle pollution. CPI urges upon the central government to act immediately.
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November 19–25, 2017
Compensation, Rehabilitation Still Remain a Far Cry
Polavaram Project Evictees Struggle for Fair Deal Development induced displacement is increasing taking its toll in today’s Indian neo liberal mode of development. Nation has invested in industrial projects, dams, roads, mines, power plants and new cities to achieve rapid economic growth. This has been made possible through massive acquisition of land and subsequent displacement of people. Both the imperatives lead to acquiring land belonging to small and marginal farmers and their displacement that adversely affects their livelihoods. Experience during the last few decades indicate that non payment of fair compensation to acquired land, non implementation of several clauses of LRR act, such as resettlement and rehabilitation of evicted families, public consent and violation of environmental clauses and others. Land acquisition is primarily affecting the livelihoods of marginal farmers especially those belonging to tribal and dalit communities. During the last 50 years, 21.3 million people have been displaced from their lands and villages for construction of dams, high ways, mines, industrial projects in the country. However, not even 30 percent of them were resettled, rehabilitated and paid promised compensation packages. Studies conducted (2013) revealed that nearly 40 percent are Tribals and 30 percent are dalits among the displaced in states from Orissa, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, West Bengal and Assam. Polavaram, a multipurpose irrigation project with aim to utilize surplus Godavari water and being constructed with an investment of nearly 60,000 Cr as a national project with major assistance from Union government. The project reservoir will have
a gross storage of 194 tmcft with a promise to irrigate 23,20,000 acres in Krishna, West and East Godavari districts, Visakhapatnam, Vizainagaram and Srikakulum districts of Andhra Pradesh. Habitations of over four lakh people in three states of Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh and Orissa, 8,000 acres of forest and 500 acres of wildlife sanctuary are on the brink of going under water. Apart from destruction of valuable environmentally sensitive (biodiversity Eastern ghat forest region) livelihoods of centuries old tribal sects such as Konda Dora, Koya, Reddiraju communities would vanish due to the unscientific execution of Polavaram project in violation of Article 21 and Schedule V of the Constitution. For Polavaram project, in AP alone, 80,000 families from 400 villages have been evicted without payment of compensation and rehabilitation of the displaced. So far people from only 14 villagers are rehabilitated while the project work is progressing rapidly day and night. Till passing of land mark Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land
Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, by Parliament in 2013, there are no clear policies for acquiring land from farmers, payment, payment of fair compensation and their
years are included with active intervention of left MPs in the Parliament. However present NDA government in 2014 made several retrogressive changes to this land bill, 2013 that include removal of social responsibility and consent clauses, drastic reduction of compensation,
rehabilitation. During the last 50 years in independent India, nearly 50 million people have been evicted without payment of fair compensation and resettlement. Till recently we followed the old colonial land acquisition act of 1894. After a series of long and consistent struggles led by communist parties, Kisan Sabha and other NGOs championing the cause of evicted people of Narmada, Hirakud and Tehri dams this historic land bill was passed by then Parliament in 2013. The land bill, 2013 has several clauses to protect the interests of farmers that include payment of fair compensation (four times to the market value), provision of matching land, seeking consent of Gram Sabha (consent and social responsibility), construction of new villages with all basic amenities, payment of monthly pension to all the youth above the age of 18
expansion of provisions for land acquisition especially to private industrialists, real estate and builder lobbies and other private parties giving enormous powers to administration. Surprisingly, obligation of states to resettle and rehabilitate the displaced were drastically reduced. As a result, Kisan Sabha, various farmers unions and left parties opposed it vehemently, launched militant nation wide agitations and forced NDA government to back track and remove most of the newly introduced changes to the Land bill, 2013. However, it left a window open to state governments giving them powers to make changes to the Land bill while acquiring land. During the last two years states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have made several
Dr Somu
changes to the land bill that takes away transparency and consent of Gram sabhas, scrapping social responsibility, environmental clearance, drastic reduction in amount of compensation to be paid, shortening of notice time served to farmers and villagers before eviction. These and several other anti- farmer changes primarily served the interests of private industrialists and contractor lobbies. For example in Andhra Pradesh, apart from Polavaram, for construction of other projects like Vamsadhara, Pula Subbaiah Valigandla, Teertha Sagar, Amaravati Capital, Pulichintala, Bhogapuram airport, Machilipatnam port, Anantpur Nandi Knowledge park and Mallanna Sagar (Telangana), lakhs of acres of land is acquired without payment of fair compensation and rehabitaing the evicted farmers and villagers. In these project zones 80 percent are poor and marginal farmers owning less than three acres of land. Among those losing land and houses are small rural entrepreneurs, 40 percent of whom belong to tribals and 30 percent belong to dalits. Andhra Pradesh Council of CPI and other left parties have organized a 30- hour long Dharna in Vijayawada on October 15-16, 2017, in support of displaced farmers and villagers demanding payment of fair compensation to the acquired land, houses, monthly pension to both old and young people. The massive dharna was attended by thousands of displaced people from Polavaram, Vamsadhara, Veligandla and other projects from East and West Godavari, Prakasam and On Page 12 New Age Weekly
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November 19–25, 2017
Economy in India Taking Nose Dive
The downturn in the Indian economy is neither a sudden development nor it is due to any “technical reasons,” as is made out to be by the ruling BJP leaders. Unable to explain why industry sector, exports, agriculture and domestic consumption are stagnant if not going down with each passing year since BJP came to power, they try to downplay the issue or try to blame it on the economic actors and the officials. But strangely this time, the very agencies which were supposed to strengthen the arms of the government have turned critical of the g o v e r n m e n t ’ s performance. This is without doubt a government that caters to the interests of big business as the only priority before it. But, notwithstanding the smaller companies, which are anyway hit hard by both demonetization and GST, even bigger business entities are turning out to be open critics of the present dispensation. Demonetisation ultimately turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. The Reserve Bank had conceded that 99 percent of cash had come back to the banks, thus rendering the whole purported “daring experiment” of flushing out black money, which in the end turned out to be a wasteful exercise in terms of destruction of livelihoods, wrecking havoc with the economy at enormous social and economic costs, loss of more than 150 lives and ultimately, acting as a brake on the economy. Millions of poor workers in small and medium industries, small producers and vendors, construction sector, services and most importantly, in the agricultural sector had lost their livelihoods as all sectors of the economy suffered from shortage of cash. Black money is there, in benami assets, gold and stashed away in foreign banks. It is the poor vendors New Age Weekly
in the market place, the small workshops in the dusty industrial lanes and the smaller traders who are shown to be villains. The little money that is kept for a rainy day by poor families has been sucked by banks and being poured down the bottomless pit of NPAs. More than 2.2 lakh crores of NPAs have been written off only to be paid back by the common masses as steep increases in taxes in the name of GST. The much advertised “Loan Waiver” to farmers turned out to be a cruel joke being played out on the poor and marginal farmers across the length and breadth of the country and they are up in arms against the government. Whereas lakhs of crores of rupees of tax payers’ money is being drained off to give tax concessions to big-biz Agro MNCs, poor farmers have to be content with a paltry sum as compensation. In fact the real intention of the ruling party is to enable the big companies to capture agriculture and rural markets and destroy the livelihoods of tens of crore of rural poor. Another failed experiment is the “Digital India Initiative,” an attempt to force digital transactions down the throat of 120 crore poor and semi-literate Indians, who survive on a few rupees of daily earnings. The obvious beneficiaries of this socalled “Cashless India” are the digital MNCs, who palm off commissions from every transaction, running into lakhs of crore of rupees annually. It is again the poor majority who have to feed the rich. The shameless cases of corruption, inept handling of the economy and bad decisions that had wrecked havoc with the country’s economy are far too many to be listed elaborately, but here are a few glaring examples: 1. How was Shourya Shah, son of the BJP president Amit Shah,
succeeded turning an 80 crore company in to a towering 50,000 crore enterprise in just one year? 2. Even the CBI was helpless to explain how 32 crore worth of new Rs. 2000 rupee notes were acquired by Sekhar Reddy, TTD board member. 3. Whose helping hand was there to help big sharks to draw bank loans and turn them into Non Performing Assets, that has jumped from 2.23 lakh crores in 2015 to 7.28 lakh crores by 2017? 4. What action was initiated after the sensational revelations of Panama Papers? Nothing of any substance can be expected from the Paradise revelations also, as the BJP government appears to be working overtime to protect the black sharks, and profit from such an exercise. 5. While bringing down corporate taxes with every budget from 32 percent to 28 percent (virtually 20 percent if some more unseen concessions are added in), and writing off 2.2 lakh crore of bad corporate debts, the government wants to meet its expenses by increasing taxes on essential goods up to 28 percent with imposing GST. The reasons for the growing deprivation are not far to seek. With the grand unveiling of the Make-In-India initiative, the Modi government has gone on to claim that India is set to become the world’s manufacturing hub, soon to overtake China. However, it proved to be a damp squib. The top priority before world manufacturers is to make use of this extra capacity and definitely, this is not the time when they will be prepared to make further investments in new capacities. And then, intense competition has set in to safeguard the export share of major countries. For example, China is
dumping its goods to keep its industries running. The major capitalist countries, USA and those of Europe have resorted to protectionism, where they will not allow imports in their countries, but force their products down the throats of poorer countries. In short, Globalization has turned sour for the major capitalist economic powers. Unable to bear the social and political pressures of soaring unemployment due to vanishing jobs and ever widening wealth disparities at home, the politicians of West now talk of import tariffs and scaling down overseas investments. Surely, India rushed to the station by the time the train had already left. Added to this, international scenario is the horror story of falling domestic consumption, throwing many businesses in to the red. Modi rode to power by garnering the votes of youth with the promises of weeding out black money, bringing back and distributing the booty in foreign banks to all Indians and creation of 10 crore jobs – the hype of “Acche Din”. After all these years, the dreams have fizzled out. Black money is where it is, the bank accounts of most of the Indians show zero balance and the unemployed youth are prodding along looking for work. Let us look at the performance of the economy in the last three years: Since 2015, in India the creation of organized sector jobs in large companies and factories in the last seven years have shown a significant downturn. While the proportion of jobs in the unorganised sector, without formal monthly payment or social security benefits, is 93 percent, demonetization and now GST have dealt a death blow to SMEs and micro
Dr K Narayana business units, resulting into joblessness in both rural and urban areas. Rural sectors, which accounts for 47 percent, jobs have shown a progressive deterioration. As many as 60 percent of the 45 crore of the nation’s working people survive on temporary jobs. A majority of them get wages for hardly two to three months a year. The formation of companies has slowed to 2009 levels, and existing companies are growing at two percent, the lowest in five years. Economic experts, including former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha have exposed the fallacy of bloated GDP figures. Though India recorded the lowest GDP growth rate in recent years at a mere 5.7 percent, down by about two percent, points from the projected figure, if inflation is considered, it is a mere 3.7 percent. Any developing country, with a GDP growth rate below four percent is considered to be in recession. While many business units have seen deterioration in the business environment, profitability has gone down significantly for many companies. As a result, capital formation has gone down and industry and financial analysts are alarmed that money required for productive activities is being diverted to speculation in the financial markets, where the returns are significantly higher than in production activity. But this can lead to an unstable speculative bubble and further drag down the economy in to a bottomless pit. Public Sector Banks are burdened with galloping NPAs, significantly dragging
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November 19–25, 2017 down their performance. To keep the banks afloat, the government, true to its nature, is writing off the NPAs. The Organised Sector, which accounts for 10 percent of employment is showing a decline in intake and workforce is being reduced in many companies. Many new industries being set up, including those with FDI are gaining higher levels of automation, thus their workforce intake has reduced significantly in the last 10 years. Of the 11 million students graduating from colleges each year, only 20 percent got jobs relevant to their skill. And though women comprise 49 percent of India’s population, they form only 21 percent of the workforce. Overall, only 50 percent of those that seek work, both in the skilled and unskilled categories are able to get some jobs, though most of them are temporary in nature. While agriculture is still India’s largest employer, as agriculture sector contracts, menial rural labour has grown to 34 percent. 75 percent of India’s 75 crore youth have not got education beyond fifth standard and 83 percent have not gone beyond high school. There is just no way, they can get employment as skilled workers in most of the industries running with state-of-the-art technology. It is argued that service sector can absorb all those displaced from agriculture. But the only sector that can absorb unskilled labour to some extent is construction. But this sector is also under stress and its labour intake has significantly comedown. Moreover the tertiary sectors, including service and financial sectors can only facilitate wealth generation in the primary sectors. Wealth is produced only at the base that is agriculture, industrial production and mining, power, transport etc. Hence
there is a natural limit to the expansion of service sector as it cannot grow in thin air, while the primary sectors are languishing. Modi’s ‘Skill India’ initiative claims to train 40 crore Indians over the next six years, that amounts to 10 lakh trainees every week. In 2014, as was reported, no more than seventy lakh were trained; in short, fewer than 2.5 percent of Indians have received formal skills training. India will need to generate 28 crore jobs in the coming 30 years, when the working age population will reach its peak.
Radically new approach needed The neoliberal economic policies being followed by successive governments in the last 26 years have wrecked havoc with the rural economies, small businesses and the much needed welfare measures have taken a back seat. 63 percent of health care industry in India is in private hands. Education is being increasingly privatized, with the closure of municipal and panchayat schools. The net result is that both education and health care have gone out of the reach of the middle and lower sections of the nation’s population, who constitute about 85 percent. Most of the health care schemes floated by various governments are meant for publicity and are little help to the needy. This explains why 75 percent of our young citizens remain virtually illiterate. There is no need to mention the condition of their health. About nine out of 10 children in this country are undernourished. What is urgently needed is a free public health and education infrastructure, through which we will be able to raise healthy and skilled manpower. There is just no short-cut for this. Modern industries running with latest technology cannot absorb all the aspirants. But a majority of unemployed youth come from families with crafts background,
with thousands of years of craft skills in their veins. A little attention and financial assistance can enable most of them to seek gainful livelihoods in their traditional occupations. Their skills and business opportunities can be progressively upgraded to world standards, by building up the necessary infrastructure and necessary technology inputs. We have the experience of Japan and China in this respect. Renewable energy, mini-cold storage facilities, solar powered drinking water production – there are so many options for creation of tens of crores of livelihoods for the youth across the length and breadth of the country. Fundamentally Indian economy relies on agriculture and its allied industries such as agribusiness industries besides textile, silk, handicrafts, and other small scale industries. These are the main sources of employment. Their well
being is vital for sustaining our rural economy. The improvement of employment opportunities in agriculture and its allied sectors will make the rural economy more prosperous. There are at present 15 crores people engaged in rural Small Scale and Micro and Cottage Industries, besides 45 crores who are directly dependent on agriculture. Modi’s flop initiative of ‘Notebandi’ only proved that adhoc and ill-planned measures at curbing black money can backfire and cause enormous suffering to the majority. Upwards of 35 lakh crore rupees of unaccounted transactions generate black money annually, out of which, 10 percent, that is 3.5 lakh crore rupees, gets siphonedoff to foreign banks and tax havens abroad. What is required is to close the tap at the source itself. By making businesses, big and small transparent using Information and Communication Technologies, all business
transactions can be accounted for, without the tedious procedure of filing tax returns. Smaller businesses and micro units can be given tax concessions and big fish can be made accountable. This will enable the tax system to be effective and improve revenues enormously. With so much money being tapped, there is no need to crave after FDI. With our own capital assets, we can bargain with MNCs on our terms and own the technology in a short time, as China had done. But in the end, the overriding condition is that an alternative perspective, free from the neo-liberal dogma is an absolute necessity, if we have to repair the damage inflicted on the poor of this country in the last quarter century. Concrete and down-toearth efforts are required to create opportunities for the vast majority of Indians to grow and prosper. This needs a radically new noncapitalist approach and a radical and progressive political alternative.
CPI Condoles Krishna River Boat Tragedy Communist Party of India general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy issued on November 13, 2017, the following statement expressing deep condolences to the bereaved families of all those who died in the boat capsize tragedy in Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh: We note with great shock and indignation the loss of twenty lives on November 2, 2017 in the man made tragedy of capsizing of an overloaded boat in the Krishna River in Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh. Many children and women died in the accident. Some families got washed off completely.
This is not the first time that boat operators without proper licence are conducting services, most of the time flouting all rules. Many such man-made tragedies and loss of numerous lives have taken place in most of the states. It is alleged that more than 2000 people died in such accidents in recent years while crossing river. It is state government which is solely responsible to control the boats with licences and to check-up load capacity. They miserably failed.
CPI urges the Andhra Pradesh state government to hold the operator and staff fully responsible for the loss of The tourists on the boat were heading precious lives and award exemplary to witness the grand maha haarathi ritual punishment. at the Pavitra Sangamam. The boat The government should punish the belonged to a private company, River Boat Adventures, which had permission to concerned authorities who failed to operate only two small boats — a 2-seater avert the tragedy. CPI demands 25 lakhs and a 4-seater. The boat that sank did compensation to the families of those not have licence or permission. While the who died. capacity of boat is 20 they overloaded The party also expresses its deep felt with 38 tourists. And they were refused condolences to the bereaved families of life jackets even after asking for them. all those who died in the tragedy. New Age Weekly
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November 19–25, 2017
Call for Indefinite... From Front Page people are facing untold hardships under the Modi government. It just does not listen to the united workers’ voice, but has all the time to meet the honchos of the corporate houses. He exhorted the participants to prepare for continuous struggle, and not rest till they succeed in the reversal of the pro-corporate policies of the Modi government. Scheme workers national leader Dr B V Vijalakshmi was a member of the presidium. Mohan Sharma, secretary of AITUC, was a part of the presidium of the second session when Usha Sahani spoke. She recounted the struggles throughout the country,
New Age Weekly
waged by scheme workers and the shameless cutting back of social security allocations in the consecutive budgets by the NDA government. She said the only answer is to overthrow the NDA government. AITUC secretary Amarjeet Kaur in her address said that the workers, peasants and rural people built India and they also fought a valiant battle for freedom of India from Britishers. The current ruling class was nowhere in this struggle. Instead they served as informers to the British Raj. Further course of action will be decided by the joint platform of the CTUs and
the Independent Federations. The CTUs — AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC and independent federations and associations — called upon the working class to be prepared for a consistent struggle to achieve their demands. CTUs congratulated the workers for their overwhelming and enthusiastic response to the call. A notable feature of the dharna is the massive participation of women workers. Parliament Street has over the three days turned into a sea of workers from across the country vehemently protesting against rising unemployment, closures, shutdowns and
retrenchment. The protest made a powerful indictment of the antipeople policies of the Modi government. The workers deplored the attitude of the BJP government of ignoring the sufferings of the workers who have become victims of the government’s policies and stubborn insistence in continuing with the very same disastrous economic reforms strengthening the private sector and corporate houses. The CTUs declared that if the government fails to change its attitude, the working class would be forced to go on an indefinite strike. As a follow-up of the three-day programme, the CTUs have decided to hold the following programme: * Nationwide joint district level conventions by the first week of January 2018. *District-level ‘satyagraha in the last week of January, the common date for all districts to be decided by the state level joint meeting of CTUs, industrial federations and associations. * Sectoral/industry-level joint strike whenever the government takes measures for privatisation. * Protest actions on the day of presentation of Union Budget. The WFTU with its 92 million workers spread in five continents expressed solidarity with the battling working class in India through joint platform. The WFTU expressed its support to the class oriented movement in India and affirmed that the world body of workers will stand by the side of working class.
All Workers Militant Front (AWMF) of Greece affiliated to WFTU also expressed solidarity with the struggling workers of India. The Front supported the demands of the workers for minimum wages, pensions for all, universal social security and jobs for the unemployed through strikes, mass mobilisations. Several prominent intellectuals have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that his government must intervene to resolve the workers’ basic demands. The response of the government, so far, to the 12-point agenda raised by the CTUs made the situation all the more tense. Annoyed at this Gurudas Dasgupta said: “Today is not a question of flags or of politics. It is the question is of workers’ unity. Unity is our strength. We must fight the common enemy — the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the government. Fight to live and live to fight.” The second day had concluded with around one lakh workers sitting on dharna. Modi government’s anti-worker performance in the past three and a half years is primarily responsible for the wave of unrest and discontent sweeping India’s industrial areas. Ever increasing joblessness has become aggravated by job losses in the past year fuelled by an economic slowdown, demonetisation and then the GST rollout. The CTUs leaders will announce the next phase of action. In all probability there can be a general strike early next year, if the government fails to resolve the issues.
[Derclaration on Page 14]
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November 19–25, 2017
Retail Inflation Rises to Seven-Month High The pro-corporate RSS-BJP government led by Narendra Modi government is least bothered about the negative impact of its prorich policies on the masses. The prices of daily essential items including vegetables are rising and are unlikely to come down as the farm crisis is set to deepen further. In all likelihood, the prices of vegetables will push up retail inflation to double digit sooner than later. A related latest report says that even the wholesale inflation is up. In October, retail inflation accelerated to 3.58 per cent on the back of rising food and fuel prices, according to official data released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation on November 13, 2017. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 3.28 per cent in September and as low as 1.46 per cent in June. The food and beverages component of CPI saw a growth of 2.26 per cent in October, the fastest pace since March, and up from 1.76 per cent in September. This was mainly driven by a sharp uptick in vegetable prices. Inflation in the fuel and light segment came in at 6.36 per cent, up from 5.56 per cent in September. Within the food segment, vegetable inflation quickened rapidly to 7.47 per cent in October, from 3.92 per cent in September. Price changes in almost all other key food segments — fruits, oils and fats, spices, pulses, and sugar and confectionery — hovered around the same levels as in September. Inflation in the milk and milk products category quickened to 4.30 per cent in October from 3.87 per cent in the previous month. Similarly wholesale inflation too rose to a six-month high of 3.59 per cent in October from 2.6 per cent in September as food items and fuel became more expensive. WPI inflation was much lower at 1.27 per cent in October 2016.
Industrial Growth Slows to 3.8 per cent Despite all tall claims of positive impact of demonetisation and implementation of goods and services tax (GST) the country’s Index of Industrial Production rose only 3.8 per cent in September, compared with the revised 4.5 per cent in August and 5.7 per cent in September last year, which in fact is a slowing down. This slowing comes on the back of year-on-year fall in output in a number of sectors. These include textiles and apparel, electrical equipment, rubber and plastic products, electrical equipment and consumer durables. Data issued on November 10, 2017 by the Central Statistics Office showed the, AprilSeptember (first six months of the financial year) IIP was down 11.7 per cent compared with the first six months of 2016-17. IIP constitutes a fourth of industry in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data, the rest contributed by corporate results. The August as well as September data is a huge jump from the July IIP of 0.9 per cent, a 48-month
low. And, indicates that GDP for JulySeptember could be an improvement from the April-June economic growth of 5.7 per cent, the lowest in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime so far. “The momentum of post-GST restocking recorded in August did not sustain in the subsequent month, despite the impending festive season. While the 4.8 per cent contraction in consumer durables is disappointing, it has been led by the sharp year-on-year decline in gold jewellery and electric heaters,” says an expert. The drop in September IIP growth compared with September 2016, and the April-September cumulative figures, show the continuing effects of demonetisation and the GST. A survey of five manufacturing and trading hubs late last month — Kanpur, Tirupur, Ludhiana, Kolkata’s Burrabazar and Bhiwandi — by Business Standard finds the picture is grim for small and medium enterprises. There have been lay-offs, businesses are on thin margins, there is shortage of working capital, and there is down-sizing. Manufacturing, with weightage of 78 per cent in the IIP, grew 3.4 per cent in September but was down 12.3 per cent for April-
September year on year. Mining, which constitutes 14 per cent, was up 7.9 per cent in September but down 9.7 per cent for AprilSeptember. Electricity, with weightage of eight per cent, showed 3.4 per cent growth in September and was down nine per cent in AprilSeptember. “Growth came in lower at 3.8 per cent than our expectation, which was higher at five per cent. The higher growth in core sector industries and festival demand has not translated into higher growth this month. As the kharif harvest comes in, we could expect consumer demand to also pick up and expectation for the full year is four-five per cent,” said another expert.
Railways Opens Door to Private Steel Players Indian Railways has floated a global tender to procure rails, a move that may end the monopoly of state-run supplier Steel Authority of India Ltd as Asia’s oldest network seeks to plug a supply shortfall. The state-run freight and passenger carrier is seeking to buy 700,000 metric tons of rails for track upgrades. The move, claims the railway ministry, will ensure steady supplies and competitive prices to the railways, say a report in The Financial Express (October 28, 2017). Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, one of the biggest private steelmaker, may benefit as it’s the only other local producer of this grade, according to Goutam Chakraborty, an analyst at Emkay Global Financial Services. “If Steel Authority cannot supply, then they will go in for other producers. In that way, JSPL will definitely be benefiting,” Chakraborty said. “The railways’ first preference will always be Steel Authority.”
Indian Railways expects annual demand for steel rails to rise to 1.5 million tons in the year ending March from about 800,000 tons in the prior 12-month period. Jindal Steel has long been striving to make inroads into the segment. The company has the capacity to produce 800,000 tons of rails and universal beams, said Kapil Mantri, head of corporate strategy and business development at Jindal Steel. “We are the only other supplier in India for rails, so it is a clear advantage to us,” Mantri said.
18 PSUs with Land Lined up for Sale The government has lined up 18 public sector companies for strategic sales and has asked their administrative ministries to identify land that can be bundled and put on the block to make the deal more attractive. The companies in which the government proposes to sell stake and hand over management control include Dredging Corporation of India, Central Electronics Ltd, Scooters India, Hindustan Prefab Ltd and Pawan Hans Ltd. The government has set a record disinvestment target of Rs 72,500 crore in this financial year, of which Rs 15,000 crore is to come from strategic sales. Total disinvestment proceeds in the current financial year, as of November 1, were Rs 30,185.67 crore, according to the website of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management. Scooters India, a manufacturer of threewheelers, has over 150 acres of land in Lucknow. Hindustan Prefab, which builds civil engineering structures and supplies prefabricated components for the building industry and Indian Railways, occupies 28 acres of prime land in New Delhi. “Not all the land available with these firms will be put on sale. Each firm and its administrative ministry will identify land that maybe required for business expansion and only that will form part of the whole package,” said a finance ministry official aware of the developments. The remaining land will be transferred to a special purpose vehicle set up by the administrative ministry. The government has invited other state-run companies to take over six of these central public sector enterprises. Other companies in which strategic sales have been planned include Hindustan Latex Ltd, Goa Shipyard, Triveni Structurals and HEC Ltd. The government will also launch the proposed Bharat-22 exchange traded fund on November 14, with an initial issue size of Rs 8,000 crore, plus an option to retain oversubscription. The fund comprises 22 stocks including blue chips such as Oil & Natural Gas Corp, Indian Oil Corp and State Bank of India — all state-run companies — along with partial stakes in Axis Bank, ITC and Larsen & Toubro, which the government holds through the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India. New Age Weekly
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Implement Schemes... From Page 5 * Panchayat certificate, domicile certificate, Gaon Bora certificate should also be accepted as proof of citizenship. * The cases of those who have been sent to detention camps as “foreigners”, may be reexamined by impartial enquiry officer appointed by the Supreme Court.
All India Dharna in New Delhi Hundreds of members and social activists belonging to AITI held a massive dharna at historic Shaheedi Park on November 13, 2017 in New Delhi in support of the demands of minorities. The protesting members of AITI were addressed by Dr A A Khan, Azeez Pasha, M Appadurai, (Tamil Nadu) Liaqat Ali, (West
Bengal) Irfan Ahmed Fatmi (Bihar), Iftekhar Mehmood (Jharkhand ), Islahuddin Khura (Manipur), Maula Mulla (Karnataka) and Muneer Patel (Telangana). AITUC secretary Sukumar Damle also greeted the protesters. CPI national council secretary Shameem Faizee took part in the dharna. All the speakers at the public meeting at Shaheedi Park not only supported the demands but also said that minorities under the present political dispensation are treated unjustly, while their demands should have been be taken on priority. Among the demands raised by the protesters are the following: * Complete and honest implementation of the recommendations of Sachar committee report. * End discrimination of
Dalits on the basis of religion and implement Ranganath Commission’s report. * Revive mechanism in all recruiting avenues to check discrimination on the basis of religion in government employment. OBC benefits to concerned Muslim communities. Recognise all Muslim and other minority professional communities as OBC on par with the professional communities in the majority community and grant them all OBC facilities. * Create mechanisms at all levels to oversee implementation of schemes like priority bank loan to minorities, reservation in admission and employment, scholarships, promotion of self help group schemes etc. * Retrieve all Wakf properties from all illegal occupation. It should begin with vacation of Wakf
Polavaram Project Evictees... From Page 7 Srikakulam districts. A massive rally was organized in Vijayawada on October 15. While speaking at the public meeting, CPI national secretary K. Narayana urged the AP state government to immediately pay fair compensation and rehabilitate the evicted. He further warned the government that if these demands are not accepted soon, a war will be declared. There were steps taken to mobilize farmers at all India level in support of project displaced families. State CPI secretary Ramakrishna said that left parties are not against construction of irrigation and other developmental projects but state government should seek consent from farmers, pay fair compensation to them. The dharna was addressed by Madhu, secretary, CPM AP council and several other left party leaders. During the last three decades of active New Age Weekly
implementation of neo liberal economic policies by successive governments in power, acquired nearly 43.63 lakhs of ha of land for construction of various projects, SEZs, mines, high ways, real estate, education institutions and hospitals. A greater share of the acquired land was given away to private industrialists and real estate lobbies at throw away prices if not free. These SEZs and other projects enjoy free electricity, water, a 10 year long tax holiday (income, excise import and other taxes). Acquiring land, villages and other public assets and handing over to private capitalists enables them free and easy mobilization of primitive capital as Karl Marx and later Kautsky noted. However, in spite of receiving all these freebies from state, in nealrly 27 lakh ha no SEZ activity was noticed. The acquired land was either transferred to real estate lobbies or put on mortgage to banks siphoning lakhs of crores of public money. This is also
a chief cause for escalating banking crisis in the country due to non payment of bad loans. Acquired land is being used by capitalists not for establishing industries and production of goods and employment generation but diverted to speculation for generation of unproductive finance capital. The blatant violation of Land Act and betrayal of farmers interests without provision of fair compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation by the state governments is not acceptable. Facilitating capitalists to grab public assets and capital in this era of neo-liberal economics is a characteristic feature of present day capitalism. Apart from loss of livelihoods the unscientific planning of projects is imposing several irreparable environmental costs. Photographs from Mass in rally,Oct 15 th, Vijayawada by displaced Project farmers.
properties occupied by government and its various agencies. Amend Wakf Council Act accordingly and empower it to use the income for socio-economic and educational development of the community. * Constitutional status to Minorities Commission at the Centre and in states. Sub plan for minorities on the pattern of SC-ST subplan. * Stringent law to curb communal violence. * Review policy on fight against terrorism. Release all those youth, who are behind bars for years even without filing of FIR or charge-sheet. Rehabilitate all those terrorism accused acquitted by courts by providing government job and adequate financial assistance. Punish officials who falsely implicate Muslim youth in terror related cases and conduct false encounter. Repeal all black laws including UIPA. * Education from nursery to secondary leveln
through mother tongue be g o v e r n m e n t s ’ responsibility. * A sub plan for Muslim minorities like SC/ST sub Plan. * Full proof arrangements for proper utilisation of funds for betterment of minority people’s supervisory mechanism at district and state levels. * Reduce selection of districts as special districts from 25 per cent to 15 per cent of Muslim population * Make villages and wards as basic units for dispersal of allocated funds for minorities. * Recognise all Muslim and other minority professional communities as OBC on par with the professional communities in the majority community and grant them all OBC facilities. * Accord job and educational reservation on the pattern of West Bengal and Kerala.
No Alternative... From Page 3
Council, WFDY and others fighting for human rights, peace and rights of the working people joined the daylong session. Apart from generally categorized Left, there were representatives of ruling parties that still fight against imperialist onslaught and generally adopt political and economic course that could pave way for building socialism. Representatives of parties from Angola, Mozambique, Syria, Namibia and Yemen spoke in clear terms about the imperialist conspiracies their regime face and their strategy to preserve the anti-imperialist character of their regime and economic course they follow that is against the dictates of the international finance capital. This session was really encouraging as it gave a sense of confidence that despite right ward shift in most of the developed countries, most part of the developing world is still in fighting mode against the onslaught of finance capital. Anti-imperialism is still alive and could be a force in fighting the worst exploitative form of capitalism. Communists and Workers parties have natural allies in these segments. Apart from the seminars in Leningrad and Moscow, the participants were taken to historic sights like Smolny, the Battleship Aurora, Winter Palace in Leningrad, Red Square, Kremlin, Lenin Mausoleum and other monuments. They also participated in the replica of 1941 Red army March on November 7 at Red Square. Though President Putin sent a message of greetings for the seminar at Leningrad and Moscow, he has disbanded the historical tradition of holding the March on Red Square on November 7, the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Communist Party of Russian Federation organized its own March and rally in the afternoon that was joined by the foreign participants of the week long celebrations on Centenary of Great October Socialist Revolution.
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Growing Inequality Haunting Europe than Brexit The neoliberal policies of European Union is not only destroying the countries within the Union but also harming haunting globally. As the clock ticks down on Britain’s exit from the European Union, one could not go far wrong casting British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn as the hopeful Miranda in
lower labor costs in order to increase exports.
Indeed, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (1982 to 1998) pressed the EU to admit Central and Eastern Europe countries precisely because they would provide a pool of cheap labour that could be used to weaken unions throughout the trade bloc. In this, he was Shakespeare’s Tempest: “How beauteous strongly supported by the British. Union mankind is! O brave new world that has such membership in Britain has declined from over people isn’t.” “And Conservative Party prime 13 million in 1979 to just over six million today. minister Theresa May as Lady Macbeth: “Out The Conservatives want to impede damned spot, out, I say!” immigration, and also have full access to the With the French sharpening their knives, trade bloc, what has been termed the “have the Tories in disarray, the Irish demanding your cake and eat it too” strategy. So far, that answers, and a scant 17 months to go before approach has been a non-starter with the rest Brexit kicks in, the whole matter is making of the EU. Polls show that only 30 percent of for some pretty good theatre. The difficulty EU members think that that Britain should be is distinguishing between tragedy and farce. offered a favorable deal. This drops to 19 The Conservative’s Party’s October 1-4 percent in France. The Conservatives themselves conference in Manchester was certainly low are split on what they want. One faction is comedy. The meeting hall was half empty, pressing for a “hard Brexit” that rigidly controls and May’s signature address was torpedoed immigration, abandons the single market and by a coughing fit and a prankster who handed customs union, and rejects any role for the her a layoff notice. Then the Tories’ vapid European Court of Justice. Another “soft Brexit” faction would accept slogan—”Building a country that works for EU regulations and the Court of Justice, because everyone”—fell on to the stage. And several of May’s cabinet members were openly jockeying to replace her.
In contrast, the Labour Party’s conference at Brighton a week earlier was jam-packed with young activists busily writing position papers, and Corbyn gave a rousing speech that called for rolling back austerity measures, raising taxes on the wealthy and investing in education, health care, and technology. they are afraid that bailing out of the single market will damage the British economy. Looming over all of this is March 2019, Given that countries like Japan, China, and the date by which the complex issues involving Britain’s divorce from the EU need to be the US seem reluctant to cut independent trade resolved. The actual timeline is even shorter, deals with Britain that is probably an accurate since it will take at least six months for the assessment. While the Tories are beating up on one European parliament and the EU’s 28 another, the Labour Party has distanced itself members to ratify any agreement. Keeping all those ducks in a row is going to take from the issue, quietly supporting a “soft” exit, considerable skill, something May and the but mainly talking about the issues that Conservatives have shown not a whit of. The motivated many of the Brexit voters in the first key questions to be resolved revolve around place: the housing crisis, health care, and the people and money, of which the first is the rising cost of education, and growing inequality. That platform worked in the June 2017 snap stickiest. Members of the EU have the right to travel election that saw the Conservatives lose their and work anywhere within the countries that parliamentary majority and Labour pick up make up the trade alliance. They also have additional 32 seats. Divorces are not only messy, they’re expensive. This past September, May offered to pay the EU 20 billion euro to disentangle Britain from the bloc, but EU members are demanding at least 60 billion euro —some want up to 100 billion euro —and refuse to talk about Britain’s access to the trade bloc until that issue Controlling immigration was a major is resolved. All talk of “cake” has vanished. Ireland is also a big problem for May. The argument for those supporting an exit from the EU, though its role has been over- island is hardly a major player in the EU. The estimated. Many Brexit voters simply wanted Republic’s GDP is 15th in the big bloc, but it to register their outrage with the mainstream shares a border with Northern Ireland. Even parties—Labour and Tories alike—that had, though the North voted to remain in the EU, to one extent or another, backed policies which it will have to leave when Britain does. What favored the wealthy and increased economic happens with its border is no small matter, in inequality. In part, the EU was designed to part because it is not a natural one. access to health and welfare benefits, although there are some restrictions on these. Millions of non-British, EU citizens currently reside in the United Kingdom. What happens to those people when Brexit kicks in? And what about the two million British that live in other EU countries?
Those counties that were majority Protestant in 1921 became part of Ulster, while Catholic majority counties remained in the southern Republic. During the “Troubles” from the late 1960s to the late 1990s, the border was heavily militarized and guarded by thousands of British troops. No one—north or south— wants walls and watch towers again. But trade between the Republic and Ulster will have to be monitored to insure that taxes are paid, environmental laws are followed, and all of the myriad of EU rules are adhered to. Other than trade, there is the matter of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the fighting between Catholics and Protestants. While laying out a way to settle the differences between the two communities through power sharing, it also re-defined the nature of sovereignty. Essentially, the Irish Republic and Britain agreed that neither country had a claim on Ulster, and that Northern Irish residents be accepted as “Irish, or British or both, as they may so choose”. Such a fluid definition of sovereignty is threatened by the Brexit, and most of all by the fact that May and the Conservatives— at the price of a 2 billion euro bribe— have aligned themselves with the extremely rightwing and sectarian Protestant party, the Democratic Unionist Party, in order to pass legislation. While the pact between the two is not a formal alliance, it nonetheless undermines the notion that the British government is a “neutral and honest broker” in Northern Ireland. May did not even mention the Irish border issue in her September talk, although the EU has made it clear that the subject must be resolved. Talks between Britain and the EU are barely inching along, partly because the Conservatives are deeply divided, partly because the EU is not sure May can deliver or that the current government will last to the next general elections in 2022. With Labour on the ascendency, May reliant on an extremist party to stay in power, and countries like France licking their chops at poaching the financial institutions that currently work out of London, EU members are in no rush to settle things. May is playing a weak hand and Brussels knows it. Eventually, the Labour Party will have to engage with Brexit more than it has, but Corbyn is probably correct in his estimate that the major specter haunting Europe today is not Britain’s exit but anger at growing inequality, increasing job insecurity, a housing crisis, and EU strictures that have turned economic strategy over to unelected bureaucrats and banks. “The neoliberal agenda of the last four decades may have been good for the 1 per cent,” says Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, “but not for the rest.” Those policies were bound to have “political consequences,” he says, and “that day is finally upon us.” New Age Weekly
14 The following is the text of joint declaration of central trade unions — AITUC, INTUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC — ,independent federations and associations approved with thunderous applause by the workers on November 11, 2017 at the last session of the three-day dharna: The central trade unions heartily congratulate the working class of the country for their overwhelming and enthusiastic response to the unprecedented three day joint ‘mahapadaav’ near Parliament on November 9-11, 2017. The exemplary discipline exhibited by the workers from different states and different organisations during the entire duration of three day ‘mahapadaav’ was highly significant and noteworthy. The massive participation of women workers including scheme workers, vendors, domestic workers, construction and home based workers as well as large number of young workers was another significant feature of the ‘mahapadaav’. Lakhs of workers from all over the country representing all the sectors of our economy
New Age Weekly
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CTUs Declaration have expressed their anger against the antiworker, anti-people and anti-national policies being pursued by the BJP-led government at the Centre. The ‘mahapadaav’ has also once again displayed the determination of the working class to intensify the united struggle brushing aside machinations of the communal divisive forces trying to disrupt their unity. The central trade unions deplore the attitude of the BJP led government in totally ignoring the sufferings of the workers due to its policies and its stubborn insistence in going ahead with the very same disastrous policies. In such a situation the central trade unions have no other option but to intensify their struggle to force the reversal of the anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national policies of the BJP government. Towards this objective, in the light of the August 8, 2017 national convention of workers held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi, the central trade unions call upon the entire working class of the country to prepare for a prolonged agitation including strike. If the
government does not change its attitude CTUs will be forced to explore for the countrywide national indefinite strike. In the meanwhile prolonged agitations and actions to continue in the next phase of our united trade union movement. As a follow up of this workers/employees three day padaav, we will take up the following activities in the coming months: * Complete joint district level conventions by the first week of January. * District level ‘Satyagraha’ in the last week of January —the common date for all districts to be decided by the state level joint meeting of central trade unions and industrial federations. * Sector/industry level joint strike whenever the government takes measures of privatisation. * Protest actions on the day of the presentation of the Union Budget it contains anti worker measures. * Central trade unions to meet soon after presentation of Union Budget to plan future course of action.
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Yuva Vahini, BJYM Goons Attack Kanhaiya Kumar Our Special Correspondent organisers only sought permission for holding a book fair and that they were not aware that actors and leaders would be at the event to deliver speech.
I am ready to face bullets, says Kanhaiya
LUCKNOW: Intoxicated with intolerance and hatred goons of Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit created by Yogi Adityanath, and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) attacked AISF leader Kanhaiya Kumar, the icon of freedom of expression and former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president. The unruly incident by the anti-national forces forced the organisers to cancel the fifth edition of Lucknow Literary
Festival on the theme of ‘Literature, Politics and We’. He was to speak on his book From Bihar to Tihar. Strangely the Lucknow city administration withdrew permission to the three-day festival. Kanhaiya was invited to speak on his book at Sheros Cafe which is run by survivors of acid attacks. What is surprising is the statement of district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma who said that the
In fact, it is the survivours of acid attacks, all females, who cordoned off Kanhaiya Kumar when the goons came to attack him. The police detained five people. Organiser Shamim Aarzo said: “Actor Divya Dutta was our guest for the first session last night. Thereafter, Kumar was to speak about his book... that is when about a dozen activists belonging to some organisations started creating disturbance. We tried to placate them... police were called in to bring the situation under control.” He further said they had informed the
administration about the event and only Dutta had confirmed her participation by that time. “Kumar’s participation was confirmed later... His event was publicised and it was not a secret,” Aarzoo said. Those present in the audience claimed the protesters belonged to some right-wing groups. Later, speaking on the occasion, Kumar said: “You have governments in 18 states but you cannot suppress an independent voice or stop someone to express his thoughts. I belong to a family of freedom fighter and no one can stop me expressing my thoughts.” He said: “I am ready to face bullets but will not stop opposing those taking the country to a wrong direction.” He pulled up the state government when he said: “Smile that you are in Lucknow under Yogi
Adityanath’s Ram Rajya. In ‘Satyug’, Lord Ram had left for vanvas but in Kalyug, Yogiji has left vanvas to rule Uttar Pradesh,” he chuckled. To ridicule ABVP, the former JNU president offered his condolences to the RSS worker died in a blast allegedly while making bombs. “I offer my condolences to children who died at the BRD Medical College and also for the RSS worker who died while making bombs”, he said. After him, BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha was called in to discuss his biography Anything But Khamosh written by Bharti S Pradhan. Sinha, in his inimitable style, once again slammed his own government on issues related to GST, demonetisation and unemployment. He said that the essence of democracy lay in the fact that voices of dissent could be heard.
On Record... Child and maternal malnutrition remain the single largest risk factor, responsible for 15 per cent of the total disease burden of India in 2016. Two years after Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched, the per person disease burden due to unsafe water and sanitation was 40 times higher in India than in China in 2016. The contribution of air pollution to disease burden remains high, with levels of exposure among the highest in the world, causing cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and lower respiratory infections. – The Indian Express, November 14. *** Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked opposition parties, saying by opposing “Hindutva” they are objecting to “development” and “bhartiyata” (Indianness). Hindutava is not synonymous with any religion or community but with nationalism, he told reporters before embarking on a visit to Ayodhya to campaign for the upcoming local body elections. “Hindutva and development are complementary to each other ... Those who are opposing Hindutva are in fact opposing development and bhartiyata,” Adityanath said. – The Times of India, November 14. ***
Last week, the Supreme Court saw heated arguments on plea involving alleged bribery of judges. This led to advocate Prashant Bhushan walking out of the courtroom after an exchange of words with the presiding Bench. The apex court is expected to rule on the maintainability of the plea. Here are key questions on the issue answered: The original case pertains to a Medical Council of India issue. The MCI had denied permission to Prasad Education Trust, an institution based in Lucknow to run a medical college. The Trust then moved court and obtained an order in its favour. The CBI raided several people related to the case based on allegations that there was collusion between the Trust and the judiciary. These raids and further investigation led to the arrest of former Odisha High Court judge
I.M. Quddusi and others. Justice Quddusi was released on bail. – The Hindu, November 14. *** “The incident took place at night and police are acting on the case. One person has been detained,” Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said. Police have detained one person in connection with the killing of 35-yearold Umar Khan by alleged cow vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. Reacting to the incident, RajasthanHome Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on that the State did not have enough manpower to “control” every situation well in time. – The Hindu, November 14. — Compiled by C Adhikesavan New Age Weekly
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Workers’ Firm No to Anti-Labour Policies of Modi Govt
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