NEW DEMOCRACY Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Editorial
Bea
Beatt Back the Attac
Back ks on
Attacks
Democr
Democra atic Rights
With the economy sputtering and resentment among all sections of
people rising, the ruling RSS-BJP is plotting to come back to power on the
strength of deepening communal polarization in the country and anchoring
it around a narrative of pseudo-nationalism. The plank of 'development of
all' is only a cover to hide the elitist character of the ruling dispensation.
RSS is a fascist organization. It is anchored onto upper caste
chauvinism. It is subservient to imperialism. No wonder it is the largest
recipient of funds from abroad. Its world view articulates the interests of
landlords and big capitalists who are subservient to imperialism. In this
RSS essentially shares its class nature with other ruling class parties.
However, its Hindu Rashtra is a brazen and unabashed pursuit of communal
division and antiquated attitude towards all oppressed sections like tribals,
Dalits and other oppressed castes, and women. It is against even the limited
democracy that exists in India, though it has used it to come to power as
that was the route chosen by the ruling classes earlier in the concrete
background of national and international developments in the first half of
the last century.
While it is important to expose the real character of the ruling RSS-
BJP, it is even more important to understand and expose why the ruling
classes of the country are backing them. With contradictions of the present
system dominated by big capitalists and big landlords and subservient to
imperialist powers intensifying and people’s struggles rising, ruling classes
have opted for this fascist organization. One can see this in the large
scale endorsement and propagation of RSS agenda on the big media
controlled by the corporate. Their need is rooted in their pursuit of
augmenting their wealth and safeguarding their class rule and hence their
domination over the country. For augmenting their wealth they are attacking
all sections of people and to safeguard their rule they are atomizing the
people, increasing divisions and fomenting hatred amongst them.
All sections of people are under attack. Peasants are facing worsening
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conditions of existence. Their huge number is dependent on decreasing
share of the country’s income. They have to pay high prices for inputs but
do not get corresponding prices for their produce. Even the land owning
peasantry is feeling increasingly squeezed. RSS-BJP Govt. is only trying
to fool the peasants with misleading announcements which peasants are
seeing through. Workers are being attacked and the rights they had won
through valiant struggles are being taken away. Tribals are being
dispossessed of their land and means of livelihood because their land is
rich in mineral resources. Dalits and other oppressed castes are being
attacked for challenging upper caste domination and demanding their share
in jobs and land. Women are being asked to conform to patriarchal norms
enshrined in Manusmriti. All these classes and sections are rising in
struggle.
RSS-BJP Govt. is facing growing opposition from the people and is
facing isolation for betrayal of its promises before 2014 elections. They
squandered the advantage of lower prices of crude oil in the international
market to shower benefits on the chosen corporate. There is a long list of
those who have defrauded the Govt. banks and were allowed to leave the
country. Demonetization was one of the cruellest attacks on the common
people including small businesses. Besides, this was the biggest fascist
exercise to browbeat the people into accepting in the name of nationalism
a measure targeting them. Now with 99.3% of the demonetized currency
back with RBI and some more with local institutions and even neighbouring
country Nepal, the façade of black money and fake currency has been
shred to pieces.
Performance of RSS-BJP on creating employment has been abysmal.
They had promised to create 1.5 core jobs every year, but there have been
hardly any new jobs. Now they including Modi are trying to portray the odd
jobs people are forced to do to feed themselves as job creation. Youth is
restive and wants productive employment. Unable and unwilling to provide
them employment, RSS-BJP has been enrolling them as volunteers in
communal conspiracies. A large number of youth are being employed by
RSS as ‘gau raskshaks’ and lynch mobs targeting Muslims and Dalits.
Facing the rising resentment of the people, RSS-BJP are intensifying
their efforts at communal polarization. They are raising the issue of infiltration
from Bangladesh with that motive. They are, with the help of corporate
media, raising to feverish pitch their anti-people version of nationalism.
August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Facts are exposing the performance of RSS-BJP Govt. and their false
propaganda is running into the hard rock of people’s anger. Hence they are Inter pr
Interpr eting the
preting
trying to muzzle all voices of dissent, all exposure of their performance.
While large sections of corporate media are their willing accomplices, they Pathalgadi Mo
thalgadi Movvement
are now trying to control social media as well. Despite their large army of
misinformation and disinformation, issues are reaching the people through Aparna
social media which is a cause of concern to RSS. People’s right to
information to whatever extent it exists is under threat from RSS-BJP. The term Pathalgadi Movement has come into discourse to describe
one type of powerful assertion by tribals which has been sweeping through
With the intensifying fascist drive of RSS-BJP facing opposition from
Jharkhand, adjoining districts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha – essentially
the struggles of the people, attacks on the democratic rights of the people
moving down the Munda tribal belt. To put this movement and its tremendous
are going to increase. RSS-BJP’s performance or their agenda cannot face
potential in perspective, it is necessary to begin with the provisions which
people’s scrutiny hence they will do away with all its avenues. Facing the
already exist in the Constitution of this country.
attacks of the RSS-BJP and the state agencies controlled by them on the
democratic rights and people’s struggles is going to increasingly dominate Schedule 5 of the Constitution covers the areas where the tribal
the agenda of the coming period. Obviously revolutionary forces will be population is more than 50% and which are not in the 4 north eastern states
their main target of attack but this attack will target all voices of dissent, of Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya where Schedule 6 applies.
all people’s struggles, in brief, all forces who RSS-BJP consider to be Schedule 5 guarantees protection of tribal life and areas in every way,
standing in their way of complete fascist takeover of the country. making the Governors of the states where these areas are situated and the
President of India the custodians for protecting the same. The Governor
has the right to adapt applicability of laws passed by the state govt. in
accordance with the interests of these areas and to restrict it. It is the
Read and Subscribe only area in the Constitution where the President has been accorded direct
CPI(ML) Or
Orgg ans power and can even change the size of the area declared as scheduled.
The difference between the Schedule 5 and 6 is that in the former Tribal
New Democracy English Advisory Councils can be constituted whereas in the latter Tribal
Autonomous Districts can be constituted where the powers of both
Pratirodh Ka Swar Hindi Governors and state govts are curtailed.
Voice of New Democracy Telugu In 1996 was enacted PESA- the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled
(Telengana) Areas Act- which spoke of ensuring self rule to the tribals through their
Gram Sabhas in Schedule 5 areas. This legislation was intended to give
New Democracy Bulletin Telugu
the tribal gram sabhas the last word over utilization of forest resources and
(Andhra Pradesh) land in Scheduled areas. After this came the Forest Rights Act which sought
Biplabi Ganaline Bengali to ensure rights of the tribals over their traditional land.
Inquilabi Sada Rah Punjabi The spirit of Schedule 5 and these legislations is to view the tribals as
the keepers of the forest wealth and with traditional rights over them. It
Lok Yudh Marathi needs very little imagination to appreciate that neither law would have been
Sangrami Ekta Oriya enacted if tribals had not waged sharp struggles and if it was not thought

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 NEW DEMOCRACY
necessary to wean away the tribals from the communist revolutionary
movement by assuring them of their rights over the forests. Needless to
add that the ruling polity representing the ruling classes of India never had
intent to implement them. For instance, a member of the Ranchi based
Adivasi Buddhijeevi Manch, who does not agree with the Pathalgadi
movement has still said successive governments are responsible for the
unrest. He points out that Jharkhand is a scheduled area but rather than
gram sabhas there still was “a three tier panchayat system” (Indian Express,
8th July 2018).
The Pathalgadi movement should be viewed in this background. In the
same context should be assessed the claims of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh
police as also of the Ministers of these two RSS-BJP ruled states which
variously attribute the movement to Christian missionaries, Naxalites, opium
growers (Jharkhand police says they are synonymous with the PLFI, a
break away group of CPI-Maoist) who have been nipped in the bud by the
alert police, etc. The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister has also labelled it a
conversion movement. Any or all these factors may or may not be present;
the problem is that none of authorities are asserting that the Constitutional
rights of the tribals, the PESA, are being enforced and that the assertion of
self rule by the tribals is uncalled for. Tribals are 26.2% of the population in
Jharkhand, 31% in Chhattisgarh and 23% in Odisha.
In November 1996, the Jharkhand Govt. brought two amendments, one
each to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Parghanas Tenancy
Act. The amendments sought to do away with existing restrictions on sale
and transfer of tribal land to non tribals. The Pathalgadi movement began
in its wake, while the storm of protests ensured that the Governor was
forced to return the bills. However this did not dilute the intensions of the
state Govt. which then brought amendments to the Land Acquisition Act
2013 in the 2017 monsoon session of the state assembly. These sought to
do away with the clause for consent of 70% of landowners before land
acquisition and also the clause to assess social impact of land acquisition.
All this, of course, was to promote development or so said the Chief Minister.
Contours of the Pathalgadi Movement
The movement draws its name from imitating the tribal custom of
erecting huge stones to mark ancestral land or to honour the dead or to
engrave instructions for the tribals on stone plaques. It consists of holding
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Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
mass meetings or gram sabhas in the tribal villages and then installing
‘pathals’ or stones carrying plaques at the entrance of the village marking
the rule of gram sabhas or self rule. The plaques being installed are green
in colour. Some plaques carry the provisions of PESA. Bandi Oraon (90
years)- member Bhuria Commission to frame PESA, former IPS officer, ex
MLA from Sisai constituency of Gumla and member of Bharat Jan Andolan,
has been quoted as saying that the members of the Jan Andolan used the
same tradition of inscribed stone plaques to make the clauses of PESA
known to the tribals. Today the pathals are being used to assert self rule in
the name of the Constitution and the Act which assures the same.
In 2017, Joseph Purti (also named as Yusuf Purty),Vijay Kujur, Krishna
Hansda, Babita Kachyap and Tuti Powell became leaders of the Adivasi
Mahasabha formed to establish the supremacy of the gram sabhas. Vijay
Kujur was formerly General Manager of Shipping Corporation of India in
Kolkata. Krishna was a Reader in a Court. The movement spread over 100
villages in the districts of Khunti (the birthplace of Birsa Munda), Simdega
Gumla, Jharle (Hindustan Times 27th June 2018) and also Dist Saraikela
Kharsawan and abutting areas of Chhattisgarh, i.e. eastern areas of Surajpur
Dist. and Dist. Jashpur. It is also present with great energy in the Sundergarh
district of Odisha. Over 70 villages of Khunti are part of this movement. In
these villages, gram meetings are held and the pathals installed outside
the village. They proclaim self rule and in some places writings on the
plaque (and in other places police say speeches of leaders) prohibit outsiders
from entering the areas of the gram sabha rule and this latter assertion has
been highlighted as highly unconstitutional by the Govts and the Police
officers of the two BJP-RSS ruled states. The tribals are asserting that no
govt. schemes should proceed in the area and all schemes should be routed
through the gram sabhas. In some villages the tribal masses block the
entry of administration and police asserting the rule of the Gram sabhas,
they have armed presence chiefly with bows and arrows though there are
photographs in the bourgeois press of some tribals with other weapons.
They guard the entrance to the villages and also some of their leaders and
the chief method of resistance to both police and administration entry is
mass resistance supported by tribals armed with traditional weapons. They
raise the demand that the President of India should come to the area and
clarify their rights. There has been a move in Jharkhand area to run a tribal
bank and passbooks have reportedly been issued to over 100 tribals, they
are trying to run their own schools, tribals are called upon to discard their
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 NEW DEMOCRACY
voter cards and aadhar cards as proofs of identity as they are enablers of
access to the govt. schemes. Even in a state where starvation deaths
have been reported due to denial of rations as the aadhar link up failed,
calling for refusal to be part of the schemes is considered highly
objectionable by the police. A report in Hindu in April 2018 said that many
tribals showed old copies of the citation of the British Victoria Cross awarded
in colonial times and said ‘heaven’s light our guide’. Others say they believe
in the sati pati cult of Gujarat (sati pati is mother and father) and hold that
Queen Victoria had gifted the jungles and rivers to the tribals much before
India got independence.
On the 24th of August 2017 (IE 8th July 2018), villagers detained a team
of policemen who had gone to Kanki Sriladon village of Khunti Dist. There
was no stone plaque outside this village but barricades had been installed
indicating the extent of rule of gram sabha. Since then 15 cases have been
lodged in Jharkhand and 20 ‘’main’’ leaders of the movement arrested and
charged with sedition. On 25th February 2018, a large ceremony was held in
Kochang village situated on the border of Khunti and West Singhbhum and
police have said that here a call was given to not observe 26th January and
15th August. In response, Vijay Kujur was arrested in March 2018 and the
DGP of Jharkhand has stated he is the main leader. Krishna was arrested
in May 2018.
Repression Against the Movement
Against this backdrop, came allegation of a gang rape on June 19th
2018. This has provided the administration with a reason to go all out against
the movement though the basis for this is totally muddled. On the 19th of
June, a group of 5 women and two male members of an NGO went to a
church run school in Kochang to perform a play against human trafficking.
The women have alleged that they were gangraped and thereafter the
Principal of the school, Fr. Alfonso Aien and two nuns, asked them to keep
quiet about the incident. The police have said that the Pathalgadi movement
leaders are responsible for ordering and executing the gang rape, have
arrested the Principal and the two nuns as complicit and this is being used
to prove that the Church is behind the Pathalgadi movement. Subsequently
two tribals have been arrested as the guilty and are said to have stated
that they were instructed by two leaders of the movement, Joseph Purti
and John Jonas Tidu (both from Udburu village of Khunti) to gangrape the
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Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
women. Anyway, the police had begun a manhunt for these two leaders
even before the arrests. It is totally unclear whether the women named the
leaders, or recognized the rapists or identified them subsequently. What is
a fact is that several Pathalgadi villages denied the charge and offered to
help to identify the guilty and Tidu has been quoted in India Today as
saying that this was a conspiracy to defame a movement uniting the tribals
and that the movement was looking for the real culprits and would punish
them. The police, in turn, call him the mastermind of the gang rape without
specifying the basis for saying this or explaining how this gang rape would
help the movement. It has so far really helped the Jharkhand Govt and
police to launch severe repression in the area as the following description
amply bears out.
On 26th June 2018, police went to Udburu village to arrest Purti and
Tidu. According to the police (HT, 27th June) when the 500 strong contingent
of police and CRPF reached the village, 2000 villagers including women
and children blocked their way. By the time they entered, the two leaders
had been warned away but police managed to seal their properties. They
maliciously propagated that while Purti asked tribals not to use Aadhar, his
own was in his home, thus insinuating that he was using the same. When
police forced entry into this village, in Chandidah village 300 tribals forced
their way into the ancestral house of BJP MP Karia Munda and abducted
three security guards from here. The obvious intent was to bargain for the
release of their own leaders, whom they feared had been arrested. Next
day a big meeting was held in Ghagra village (also in Khunti). Police waited
outside the village on 26th night thinking the guards had been brought here
and would be released, but later the next day (27th June 2018) they tried to
force their way in. Forces from Bokaro, Simdega, Chaibasa and other
districts and RAF and SSB (which mans the borders of the country and is
the Special Security Branch) were brought here (IE 28 th June 2018 page
10). HT of 28 th June 2018 quotes the police as saying that 5000 tribals
including women and children along with many tribals armed with bows and
arrows and sitting on tree tops, blocked their way. They stated the ‘clash’
lasted two hours and that tear gas shells were lobbed (IE, 28th June), rubber
bullets fired (HT 28th June) and later police had to fire in the air. One person
was killed and police stated he was ‘unidentified’ but had a bow and arrows,
so it is quite clear he was a tribal killed by the police. Subsequently they
forcibly conducted house to house search and Munda’s relative told IE
that this was done following a cane charge on the tribals.. The guards had
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 NEW DEMOCRACY
been moved out of the village by the tribals through the forest, but their
three SLRs were recovered by the police from here. HT reported that 200
people were injured that day. Next day the abducted personell- three guards
and one policeman whom the police did not know was abducted- were
released by the tribals and walked to the nearest police post. They had
only been told to leave their jobs and not harmed- the security guards were
Subodh Kujur, Vinod Kerketta and Suyon Sureen and the policeman was
Nagendra Singh. The newspapers wrote that the stone plaque near Ghagra
carried messages invoking the Constitution of India and said the ‘prakritik
gram sabha’ was ‘sarvasampan’ and it should rule. In subsequent days,
both the tribal leaders have been arrested.
Chhattisgarh and Odisha
In Chhattisgarh, on April 2018 three villages in Jashpur district held
Pathalgadi programmes. Some incident occurred in village Kaliya and the
Govt of the state accused the movement of taking hostages and arrested
Herman Kindo (retired IAS officer) and Joseph Tigga (former ONGC official)
on 1st May 2018.The Chief minister labels the movement as a conversion
programme which is contested by the President of the Sarv Adivasi Samaj
in Chhattisgarh, Shri BPS Netam (retired IAS officer), who says his
organization is going to extend the movement.
In Odisha too, the movement flared in 2018 in several villages in the
Sundergarh area adjoining Jharkhand. In one village a person attempting
to uproot the stone with the plaque died after being beaten up. A policeman
who entered the village was also taken hostage and released after prolonged
negotiations. This forced the Dist officials to convene a meeting to discuss
the issues.
In Jharkhand, as the movement continues to spread, a bandh was held
on 18th June spearheaded by the Jharkhand Disom party and the sister
Adivasi Senegal Abhiyan (40 tribal outfits are part). Another all party bandh
was held on 4th July against the repression and the amendments proposed
to LAAR 2013.
In Jharkhand in Godda district a protest is on against a power plant of
Adani. Elsewhere in the country too, tribals are rising in struggles and
essentially the issue is the same- attempts to displace them and use the
rich forests and the minerals under it for the superprofits of imperialists
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Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
and their Indian cahoots, the compradors. This is of course all in the name
of development. Recently the santhals have held a massive meeting in
Bengal. Tribals in Maharashtra are demanding implementation of Forest
Rights Act (India Today says 50,000 applications are pending before the
Govt of the state), are refusing to give land for the Bullet Train project. The
Mumbai march of AIKS consisted overwhelmingly of these tribals asking
for forest rights. In Telengana there is a move to drive them from the forests
in the name of saving the forests and hundreds of cases have been foisted
on tribals defending podu land pattas allotted to them in Kothagudem dist.
It is in this context that CPIML(ND) state leader Com. Madhu was arrested
alongwith two other comrades and UAPA was thrust on him. Other leading
comrades were arrested and now Com Madhu has been abducted by the
police from Hyderabad and rearrested to quash the tribal movement. PD
Act has been imposed against him. For the first time in this state, 4 tribals
from this area attempted suicide, as the Telengana Govt born of the
Telengana Movement for separate state drove JCBs over their cultivated
podu lands. Tribals are into struggles in Madhya Pradesh against forcible
land acquisitions.
The tribal experience in India continuing since 1947 is of displacement
and take over of their lands in the name of ‘development’. They were displaced
thus under the Nehru Govt in the name of dams and heavy industry. Post
the new economic policies the move was forced for land acquisitions for
even corporate. In Jharkhand itself, the reserved forests have been infiltrated
by illegal miners of iron ore- all corporate houses named by Srikrishna
Commission to detect illegal mining. Captive Coal blocks are being handed
over to private companies and open cast mining is ruining ecological
conditions. Tribals challenged their displacement and the development
model by resisting land acquisitions through glorious struggles in Kaliganagar
and Nyamgiri in Odisha and this form was rapidly taken up by the peasantry.
Yet in Chhattisgarh terrible violence was let loose in the name of the state
sponsored Salwa Judum to displace them forcibly. Meanwhile Bakkarwals
in J&K are demanding extension of FRA to their state.
The mood in the tribals of India today is of resisting forcible displacement-
‘we will not give our land, we will not give our village. We will not leave our
land, we will not leave the struggle’. The policy of displacement is continually
being pushed by various state govts as well as the govt at the Centre.
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Indian Ag ricultur
Agricultur e in the
riculture
age of Liber aliza
Liberaliza tion
alization
(This article by Dr. Amitabh Chakrabarti was first published
in the Bengali Magazine "Parichay". We are here publishing the
English translation of the article. - Editor)
Several discussions are going on centering around Indian agriculture
and its ongoing crisis. Near about 180 peasant organizations across the
country are marching and demonstrating on different demands of the
peasants. Activists are debating to find out the primary demand which will
resolve the basic problems faced by the peasants. Meanwhile, Jignesh
Mewani, one important face of recent Dalit struggles, is trying to organize
a Dalit movement with the question of land as one of its central driving
forces. Putting this land question in the forefront, landless peasants
belonging to Dalit community have developed glorious struggles in Sangrur
and other districts in Punjab.
Various left organizations and intellectuals are now analysing the
changes that have taken place in Indian agriculture over the last three
decades. However, while trying to end the enormous distress of the Indian
peasants, they are replacing the land question and the pre-capitalist
exploitation in Indian agriculture as the primary question, they are finding
their way in “somewhere else”. What will be the new feaures of Indian
agriculture in such a condition and what will be the line of peasant
movement?
In this present article, we will briefly try to understand this problem. If
we look at the agricultural economy of India in the last two decades, we
will observe that more than 3 lakh peasants committed suicide since 1998.
The percentage contribution of Agriculture to Indian GDP was reduced to
17.42% (2014-15) in this period. On the other hand, the percentage of Indian
labour force associated with agriculture (2011-12) is 48.9%. As the
contribution of agriculture to Indian GDP is following a decreasing trend, a
major portion of the economists has started saying that creating job
opportunities outside the agriculture sector should be considered as the
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Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
remedy for this agrarian crisis and peasants’ suicides. Unfortunately these
intellectuals have failed to realize that GDP acts only as an index to measure
the role of different sectors in the current system. There is no relation
between GDP and the social importance or necessity of these sectors. It
is not possible to assess the socio-political importance of the people
associated with Indian agriculture with the help of GDP.
Nearly half of the total labour force in India is associated with this
agricultural sector and the percapita average income of this labour force is
one-sixth of the income of the labour force associated with other sectors
(Economic Survey). This is the reason why governments are forced to
introduce various schemes in this agriculture sector. State-investment in
agriculture had doubled in 2007-08, when compared to the scenario of 2003-
04. However, after analysing the data of the agricultural loans during this
period it is observed that 1/4 th of such indirect loans (for agricultural
equipments and agricultural businesses) are not at all meant for the
peasants. Moreover, the direct loans, which was 4/5 th of the total in the
year 2000, was reduced to less than 1/2 in 2011. Corporate agricultural
traders captured the rest of the loan. The Indian ruling classes waived
loans for the big capitalists to save them from the worldwide economic
crisis of 2008. At the same time, they also waived agricultural loans to
extract electoral benefits out of this and introduced schemes like MNREGA
across the country. This initiative had some positive impact on agriculture,
giving rise to a demand for agricultural goods. But worldwide the price of
agricultural products started to fall again from 2012-13. As Indian agriculture
was already associating itself with the global market through various means,
therefore, the subsequent impact was also visible on Indian agricultural
products. As a result of this, the investment in agriculture and other related
sectors was reduced in proportion to the income from these areas. In 2011-
12 it was 18.32%, and in 2014-15 it was reduced to 15.82%. Peasants
faced severe distress due to the increasing production cost and decreasing
prices of agricultural products. Wages in rural area were reduced drastically
due to less work opportunities in agriculture, slow down in construction
works, and the scaling down of the government support to MNREGA
scheme. As per the actual calculation it reached a negative value at the
end of 2014. In the last few years the price of agricultural products remained
stagnant or followed a decreasing trend due to economic recessions in
national and international economies. That is why the income of the peasants
is reducing. Approximately 1/3 rd of the income of a peasant’s family is
12 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
constituted by wage labour. Therefore, the wage reductions in construction,
manufacturing and agriculture have a large impact on peasants’ families.
In a situation like this, the scheme of mitigating the deficit in tax collections
was introduced in 2015 and was also expanded in 2016-17, which resulted
in a decrease in national demand. Due to this scheme, in 2016, just before
the demonetization, onion, moong dal, soyabean, nut and cotton were sold
at prices that were 3-5% lesser than the minimum support prices
recommended by the government. In the first week of October 2016 few
news articles regarding this were published in various newspapers such as
Hindu, Business Standard etc. Then demonetization struck. It gave a severe
blow to agriculture by pulling 86% of total money out of the market. Due to
the condition of agricultural crops, including kharif crops (autumnal harvests)
and poultry, the market demand reached nadir. The income in agriculture
was reduced further due to demonetization, the decision of mitigating the
tax deficit of 2017-18, the unwillingness of the Reserve Bank to reduce the
rate of interest (for fear of losing foreign capital), and the continuation of
the recession which was on since the last 5-6 years. Apparently it is nice
to hear that the price of agricultural product has dropped. However, if it
occurs through the decline in overall demand then it reduces the income of
the working class. In turn it results in unemployment, the peasants get
lesser price for agricultural products, the workers get lesser wages, and
on the other hand the capitalists extract increased rate of profit out of this
devastating situation. The growth in agriculture was upwards in 2004-12
period. At the same time, it was observed from the result of the 70th
round (2012-12) of National Sample Survey (NSS) that in case of 70%
peasant families their income from all sources are lesser than their
expenses. If we evaluate the same by considering the income from
agricultural sources only, then the income of 87% peasant families was
lower than their expenses. The average income of the land owners who
possess 4-10 hectares of land, was Rs. 19,637, and it was Rs. 41,388 for
the land owners who possess more than 10 hectares of land. Out of 18
states, the dependency of the peasants on loan has increased in 12 states.
With respect to the annual income, the average loan amount of a peasant's
family was increased from 49.6% in 2002-03 to 61% in 2012-13. It is not
true that the dependency on loan always leads to poverty. The owners of
large agricultural farms may gain more profit by taking more loans. However,
in case of poor peasant families where it consists of more than 70% of the
total, the scenario is different. Their deteriorating condition testifies to the
August,, 2018 13
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
presence of a pernicious usury system. In case of banking institutions the
percentage of long term loans, which was 70% in 1991-92, was reduced
to 40% in 2011-12. This indicates the increasing stronghold of non-
institutional loans and the loans taken from moneylenders. After the
nationalization of the banks in 1971 till the beginning of the liberalization
era in 1991, the proportion of non-institutional loans in Indian agriculture
was low. However, the scenario started to change from the nineties. When
the report of such loans was published, then several economists started
discussion by marking it as “the return of the moneylenders”. Even the
then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said legal recognition should be
provided to such moneylenders. According to information of 2012-13, it
was clear that lesser the area of a land, higher the dependency on usury.
According to NSS data, the total amount of loans of 9 crore peasant families
was Rs. 4,23,000 crore, in which Rs. 1,23,000 crore (29.5%) was taken
from moneylenders, businessmen, landlords, shop-owners. According to
an information of 2012-13, the payable interest on the agricultural loan
was higher than the net investment on the tools of production. The stronghold
of the businessmen and the lack of government’s involvement have made
the situation more difficult for the peasants. According to a report of NSS
(2012-13) among 20 primary crops, except sugarcane (50-57%) the
government or cooperatives did not collect more than 20% of produced
kharif crops e.g. rice, wheat, barley, cotton etc. Regional businessmen,
traders of agricultural tools bought most of the stuff at a low rate. The large
difference between the wholesale price of agricultural products and the
prices that the peasants had got is clearly visible in the report of Economic
Survey in 2015-16. This difference is more in the case of potato, onion and
nuts, which are easily perishable. The small peasants are forced to buy
agricultural tools at a higher price. The Economic Survey of 2015-16 exposed
that 51% of peasants were forced to buy urea at a higher rate than the
maximum retail price. In Punjab, Tamilnadu and Uttar Pradesh the small
marginal peasants used to buy agricultural tools by paying 61% more than
the rich peasants. If we consider the country-wide average it is around
17%. From the Survey of 2002-03, we also come to know that the states
that had more tendency of selling crops in market had more agricultural
loans, and astonishingly the incident of peasant suicides were also more
in these states.
Now let us analyse the position of the political and economic analysts
who are emphasizing on increasing the work opportunities in other sectors
14 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
compared to agriculture in this period of agrarian crisis. If we analyse the
situation of different livelihood opportunities in India in 2009-10, then we
will find that 52% of the total workforce was associated with agriculture,
9% with construction works, 12% with retail business and restaurants and
9% with unregistered manufacturing industries. The amount of percapita
value-contribution of the agricultural workforce was only 29% of the average
percapita value-contribution of the total workforce. On the other hand, the
very small workforce associated with finance insurance and real estate
contributed 25 times of the average contribution per capita. Near about
85% of the industrial workforce was associated with unorganized sector of
manufacturing industries and they earned only 22% of the total income.
On the contrary, the small 15% workforce of organized manufacturing
industry earned the remaining 78%. It is also evident from the available
data that the labour from unorganized sector added 1/3 rd of the total price
per head.
In reality, the unorganized sector is the last resort of the workers who
have been uprooted from the agriculture. Meanwhile, if we look into the
Economic Surveys of the Central government in 2012-13 and 2015-16, we
will find the attempts at destroying small industries and unorganized sectors.
Alleged Government support to small industries, labour laws, legal
restrictions were claimed to be barriers against such attempts. The Survey
suggested transferring agriculture into the hands of the corporate by first
acquiring the lands and then leasing out the lands to the corporate. It was
touted that such attempts will result in healthier agriculture, where the work
opportunity will be increased. But how much opportunity is there for the
workforce that has been evicted from agriculture? In 1980, with respect to
per unit capital, 4.5 times the number of workers got work in comparison
with the year 2000. But in the present time recruitment of the workers is
reduced drastically, both in capital intensive industries and labour intensive
industries. As a result of this, the workers, who are evicted from agriculture,
are getting work in less productive and less income generating unorganized
sectors. The rural families are trying to survive by drawing earnings from
various low-income non-agricultural sources and by putting family labour in
agriculture. In this regard, an interesting reading is noted from available
statistics. In 2016, Thomas and Joyce showed in an article that while census
was showing an increase in labour force in agriculture, NSS portrayed just
its opposite. The reason behind this was NSS considered the same
agricultural worker as a construction worker. In the first two decades of
August,, 2018 15
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
liberalization (1991-2011) total 16 crore 70 lakhs employment was created,
among which 9 crore 10 lakhs jobs were marginal (workers got to work for
only six months in a whole year) in nature. Only 52% of the able workforce
in India gets a chance to work. The percentage is 71% in China and 65.5%
in Brazil. According to a statistics of 2010-2011, in the village areas in
unorganized non-agricultural sectors a total of 5 crores 30 lakhs people
worked and yearly they generated a value of Rs. 37,000 per head, which
was lower than the agricultural sector (In case of agricultural sector it was
Rs. 54-57,000 in 2010-11). Therefore, from this piece of information it is
evident that the unemployed force generated by the agrarian crisis will
return back to their agricultural roots if enough opportunities are provided
there. In such a circumstance, according to the NSS survey in 2011-12 a
person from rural India spends Rs. 80 for his/her clothes, beddings etc.
though it was the average amount.
In reality, 2/3 rd of the village people spend less than this. According to
the Economic Survey of 2016-17, in an initiative of manufacturing clothes
24 jobs per lakh rupees are generated in which 8 women are associated, 7
jobs are generated in factories of leather products and shoes, 4 jobs are
generated in garment industries, and 0.3 employment is generated in car
manufacturing factories. This survey tells about export-based employment,
where if more than 1 crore is exported in cloth manufacturing industries
then 8 jobs will be generated, and 7 jobs will be generated in leather and
shoe manufacturing industries. In spite of the low rate of buying power in
2011-12 the national market of clothes and decorative products touched
Rs. 1,36,000 crores. In case of leather and shoe industries the amount
was Rs. 29,500 crores. It is evident from these statistics that a radical
reform in agriculture will definitely increase purchasing capacity of rural
population, extend rural industries, rural employment, and rural market.
As the agricultural GDP is only 17%, the capital owners are not much
interested in such reforms. However, if we think from the perspective of
the working class and people as a whole then definitely investments in
agriculture and people centric reforms will lead towards huge employment,
because 52% workers are involved in this agricultural sector. State
investment in agriculture is following a consistent decline in the last two
and half decades. In 1980 it was 42% of the total expenditure on agriculture,
and presently it has become 15% of the same. In 2011-12 the government’s
expenditure in agriculture became 0.4% of the total GDP (on-going
expenditure and the wages of the workers will be added with this figure).
16 August,, 2018
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Even mainstream economists believe that government’s investment on
agriculture will by default bring investments from private organizations.
Such investment from the government side also leads towards various
developments such as different types of irrigations, rural electrification,
extension in agricultural fields, supply of seeds, services for cattle, rural
banks etc. These types of infrastructural developments increase the capital
investment and accentuate the production growth in agriculture. Such
initiatives are more useful in mitigating rural poverty in comparison with
other policies. However, in reality, government’s illusive strategies are
constantly pushing the peasants and the whole agricultural sector towards
a severe crisis.
In this context, another opinion is growing among the present
economists, the political parties and even among the radical and
revolutionary leftist parties. According to them in last three decades of
liberalization the inequalities in land owning, land tenancy, usury system,
and the loot of the traders are not like the past. According to them pre-
capitalist and semi-feudal characteristics are not very prominent in the
present rural India. Therefore they are trying to find a solution in a different
way.
Let us start the argument with a statement of Working Group on Land
Relations (WGLR) of Planning Commission (2006): “When liberalization
slowly started entering into Indian economy in the mid-eighties, and then
since 1991 with a power of thunderstorm, then the question of land reform
became obsolete in Indian political arena. It became an issue that everyone
had forgotten by then”.
In this time period, what was the status of land in terms of rural wealth?
Joyraj and Subhramaniam showed in an article written in 2006: “Land is
still considered as wealth and a symbol of power in rural India. Till now
73% of the wealth of the first 14% richest people in rural India is land, and
15% is their home. The proportion of machineries and other tools is very
less.” Those who are shouting about capitalist development in Indian
agriculture, how are they going to explain this fact? In 2013, according to
the 70th round of NSS, this proportion of land was further increased, although,
in that case the measurement techniques were different.
The inequalities are not reduced in case of land distribution. According
to the information of land and livestock resource holding, top 2% of land
August,, 2018 17
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
owners are owners of 25% agricultural land, and top 7% of owners are
owners of 47% of agricultural lands. Small and marginal farmer families,
who consist of 87% of the total peasant families, own less than 2 hectares
of land. The proportions of moneylenders, traders, and landlords increased
6% in 2012-13, in comparison with the same for 1991. On the other hand
loan intakes of rural poor families increased by 4% at the same time
(according to the data of 48th and 70th round of NSS). Meanwhile, the
average volume of agricultural holding was reduced to 1.15 hectare (2010-
11). In an article published in EPW in 2008, Vikash Rawal showed that if
we take the ceiling of 8 hectares per holding then the area of land available
for distribution will be 3 times the area of the land which has been distributed
so far. We should remember that we are only considering the lands that
have exceeded the government defined ceiling . We are not considering
the principle of “Land to the tillers” here. In the data of net amount of tilled
land we often notice differences between information received from NSS
and other official surveys. From a paper written by Deepak Kumar (2013),
we come to know the difference between NSS data and the data of
agricultural census (2010-2011) was 38%, and the NSS information was
46% less than the information collected regarding the utilization of agricultural
lands (2013). Despite this, according to the information of NSS, in this
period the land holding of the bottom 50% of peasant families was reduced
from 4.1% to 0.4%, and it was increased 1.6% in case of the topmost
10% families. The percentage of landless peasant families that only had
homestead land has crossed 50%. It was 56% according to the Socio
Economic Caste based census of 2011. It is noticed that the number of
self-employed workers (domestic) has reduced a bit. Due to the
unavailability of any alternatives, the poor peasants are forced to involve
themselves with cultivation in spite of their low income from agricultural
labour.
In 1976, the National Commission on Agriculture announced that land
reforms were initiated in order to break the existing relation between tenant
and landowners. But after 30 years, in 2006, Working Group on Land
Reforms( WGLR) of the Planning Commission said that although ensuring
the land ownership of the tenants or the sharecroppers is the policy, but it
is not possible to achieve this in near future. In addition to this, the Specialist
Committee of NITI Aayog is now saying that the system of lease holding
of land is not equivalent to feudalism, rather it has become an economic
necessity, and the poor masses have become politically stronger due to
18 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
the presence of democratic institutions.
On the other hand, the WGLR committee of Planning Commission
remarked that NSS is showing the land tenancy in a way which is 7-8%
less than the real scenario. The amount of this hidden land tenancy is 15-
35%, which is hidden in many researches. Many of these are hidden and
verbal deals. According to the Koneru Ranga Rao Committee of Andhra
Pradesh the amount of land tenancy in the state in 2006 was 50%. Reserve
Bank of India conducted a survey in coastal Andhra Pradesh and found
that approximately 60-80% of farmers were associated with land tenancy.
Commission on Farmers’ Welfare of Andhra Pradesh stated that there is
no legal record regarding land tenancy, and according to the concerned
circle approximately 1/3rd of the total agricultural land is under this land
tenancy.
In the case of Bihar, the NSS of 1991 found only 3% of land under
lease holding, but, in an essay titled “International Conference on Land,
Poverty, Social Justice & Development” writer Ravi Shrivastav (2006)
showed that its amount was 1/3 rd of the total land. D. Banerjee, the
chairman (2006-08) of Bihar Land Reform Commission, said that there is
no information regarding bataidar or sharecroppers in Bihar. According to a
conservative calculation near about 35% land is used in bataidari or
sharecropping. In 1/3rd of the remaining land 3.5% is owned by large and
medium landowners. They are protecting tax-based feudal income and social
hierarchy. He pointed to this inequality and this intensely exploitative
bataidari system as a barrier in agricultural development in Bihar. D.
Bandyopadhyay recommended providing 2-3 bigha of ceiling-excess land
to the poorest agricultural labourers. He also recommended securing the
rights of sharecropping that was achieved as hereditary profession, and
requested to pass an official law that will ensure the sharecroppers 60%
(in case the landowner bears the production cost) or 70-75% (in case the
sharecropper bears the cultivation cost) ownership of the cultivated product.
In 2009, Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, ignored this
recommendation by forming arrangements with rural vested interests.
Proper research is needed to validate the claim that production can be
increased by transferring the lease holding of land from small landowner
to the large farmers. It might be related with exploitative moneylending
system, where wealth is being captured by lease holding of land from a
debt-ridden peasant at a very low rate. However, the productivity is not
August,, 2018 19
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
increasing. By centering the distribution of tube-well water in rural areas
the big landowners control the irrigation water, and hold lease of lands at
very low rates. The small and marginal peasants are losing their everything
in this exploitative cycle. Various examples across the country are bringing
this stark reality to the forefront.
H. S. Shergill Report, the EPW article of Anita Gill (2006), writings of N.
Shyamshundar and S. Rao on the situation of Andhra Pradesh, Priya Basu’s
book “Improving Access to Finance for India’s Rural Poor” (World Bank,
2006) – all these sources clearly state that the non-institutional loans
(from moneylenders, traders etc.) of Indian peasants amounts to double
their institutional loans (from banks, cooperatives). According to the NCAER
survey of World Bank, 21% rural loans in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh
are institutional, and the percentage of non-institutional loans is 40%. In
the Situation Assessment of NSS in 2012-13, it was found that to increase
the production-related wealth the peasant families spend 4% on an average.
However, as their income was even lesser than this, they were forced to
borrow money for this purpose. Even if we do not consider increased
production, 87% debt-ridden peasants are struggling for their mere existence
in order to maintain normal productivity.
Between 1997 to 2003, due to such agrarian crisis the peasants were
forced to borrow just to survive. A high-level committee for savings and
investments measurement showed that in 2002-03 savings and investments
were like daydreams to peasant families. Rather, for survival they were
forced to dismantle their savings at a rate of 2.4% of the GDP. In this
particular year the total amount of loan taken by these families was
equivalent to 3.3% of the GDP of same year. These facts proved that
moneylending business is a huge barrier in front of production-related
investments in agriculture. A survey of World Bank NCAER is showing that
10-20% bribes are required to get institutional loans. One has to wait for
near about 10 months to get loan, and even after that one needs to mortgage
their land, which most of the peasants cannot afford to do. On the other
hand, there is no need to mortgage land while getting loans from
moneylenders. In most of the cases the labour of the peasants are shown
as collateral. In this way a bond is formed between loan and labour, where
peasants put their own labour as condition. The borrowers are landless
peasants or marginal peasants in almost all cases. In case of Dalits, in1991
they used to get most of the loans from commercial banks, but over the
20 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
years the situation changed, in 2002 usury capital took the place of
commercial banks. In rural India though 21% peasant families belong to
Dalits, they own only 9% of the total land. This shows the problem of
landlessness among Dalits.
Let us go through a revealing example to see how the caste system
protects class exploitation. In Maharastra, landowners mostly belong to
the Maratha sect. Only 30% of the peasants are Maratha in this state but
in Maharastra, 75% land, 71% cooperatives, 86 among 105 sugar factories,
and 54% educational institutes are in the hands of Marathas. In the past
40 years, elected 17 chief ministers and 55% legislators are Marathas.
This caste domination in rural India is a part and parcel of precapitalist
exploitation.
For the last three decades Indian agriculture is directed towards serving
imperialist globalization and liberalization, the tight noose of which has
pushed the Indian peasants into the grave situation they are facing. Debt-
ridden conditions, loss of works, severe agricultural deficit, landlessness
and extreme inequality in distribution of land, opulence of usury capital,
embezzlement of most of the agricultural surplus by the nexus of jotedar-
moneylender-traders – these are the primary tendencies of the present
agricultural relations.
Seeing few changes in the pre-capitalist production relations in Indian
agriculture between 1970 and 1990, it is ridiculous to ignore the imperialist
penetration that has strengthened the neo-colonial exploitation in Indian
agriculture in the next three decades. It is very clear that imperialism is
again restructuring the backward pre-capitalist production relations in Indian
agriculture in order to protect the semi-feudal system. Thus, in this period,
the primary task is distributing land and dismantling the pre-capitalist
production relations. Considering any other task as the primary one is
equivalent to strengthening the hands of the state.
August,, 2018 21
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
IFTU General Council in Jadugoda Calls on
working class
Resist Fascist Attacks of
Central Govt.!
Fight to defend the Unity and
Rights of Working Class!
The All-India General Council of the IFTU was held on the 12 th and 13th
of August 2018 at Jadugoda, East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. The
Uranium Kamgar Union affiliated to IFTU hosted the Council at the Com.
Satyanarain Singh Hall in the Community Centre of the staff residential
complex of the Jadugoda Mines of Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL).
The Council began with the hoisting of the IFTU flag outside the Hall
complex by the President of IFTU. Slogans were raised and songs saluting
the red flag and working class martyrs were sung in Telegu, Punjabi and
Hindi.Com. Aparna then announced that the venue of the Council had been
named as Com. Satya Narain Singh Hall in memory of Com S.N.Singh who
had established the Uranium Kamgar Union (UKU) and led its struggles and
had played a key role in the formation of IFTU 40 yrs ago. The delegates
and the members of the UKU then entered the Hall and thus began the
Inaugural Session of the Council.
The Inaugural session began with the Jt. General Secretary of UKU,
Com. Raja Ram welcoming the Chief Guest and all the delegates. He then
called the IFTU General Secretary Com. B. Pradeep, IFTU President Com.
Aparna, Chief Guest Shri Arvind ‘Vidrohi’, IFTU President of Jharkhand
and NCM Com. Vyas Tiwari and UKU Working President Com.A.K.Ansari
on to the dais. Following this all present in the Hall rose for observing a one
minute silence to pay homage to the martyrs of workers movements and to
martyrs of the revolutionary movement. In particular were mentioned Com
Jayaram of NDLF who was killed in the police firing at Tuticorin in TamilNadu,
22 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
the martyrs of the Nellimarla struggle against lockout in Andhra Pradesh Class! Com Aparna presented the draft on behalf of the National Committee,
and the martyrs of the Ajanta Tubes in Ghaziabad among others. After this outlining the situation since the last IFTU Conference and presenting the
the members of the National Committee of IFTU paid floral tribute at the tasks before the working class. Seventeen delegates then spoke on the
Martyrs’ Column. Draft, giving their suggestions for strengthening the document. A maximum
number of the specific suggestions presented were accepted by the NC and
The IFTU President then introduced the Chief Guest, Shri Arvind ‘Vidrohi’,
the draft Call with the accepted amendments was passed unanimously amidst
poet, writer and satirist and requested him to address the gathering. Shri
vigorous slogan shouting.
Arvind began his address by paying homage to Com. S.N. He said that he
believed that poets and writers can play a role in social change and he was The next morning the General Secretary, Com. B. Pradeep presented
glad to be called to address the IFTU General Council. Detailing the political the Organizational Report of the past three years since the last Conference.
situation in the country, he emphasized that struggles of a new type are In his presentation he dwelt on the programmes taken up on the call of the
needed. Bhagat Singh had spoken of building a society free of exploitation
but today the workers and peasants in India were in deep distress. Muslims
had made no less sacrifice in the anti colonial struggle but today their
patriotism was being questioned. The current attacks against the people
by the Hindutva forces included muzzling the people and denying right to
speak and right to dissent. He reiterated his commitment to stand by the
struggles for the rights of the working class. In concluding, he recited some
stanzas from poems written by him.
Com Pradeep then addressed the gathering and focused on the
communalization which was dividing the people including the working class.
He also spoke of the attacks on the working class since the last Conference
held in 2015 in West Bengal. Com. Vyas Tiwari described the attacks of
the Jharkhand Govt. on workers’ rights and on the Adivasis, especially
mentioning the cases of sedition lodged against twenty activists of the
Pathalgadi Movement while Hindutva activists who burnt copies of the
Constitution at Parliament Street in Delhi went scot free. Com.Ansari
described his memories of Com. S.N. and the struggle of the uranium
workers. The session was concluded by Com. Aparna addressing the
NC, on the positive and negative features of IFTU’s work over the past three
gathering. She emphasized how exploitation of Dalits was being sheltered
years and on the immediate tasks before the organization. He emphasized
by the upper caste chauvinist, patriarchal Hindutva rule and the need for
the need to ensure functioning of Committees at state and district level,
the working class to fight against divisive trends.
stressed that while whole timers must be developed, where there were no
The post lunch session saw the Council begin its business sessions. A whole timers to take up tasks the part timers must come forward and take
three member Presidium consisting of Coms. Aparna, DVK (Vice President, responsibility rather than leaving tasks undone. He also pointed out that
IFTU NC) and P. Prasad (Secretary, IFTU NC)) was elected to take the there is need for IFTU leaders to develop planned movements of working
proceedings to their conclusion. The first item of this session was the class, a task which we have been unable to fulfil. IFTU must also never
presentation of the Call to the Working Class-Resist the Fascist Attacks of forget why it was established and politicalization of cadres and activists
the Central Govt.! Fight to Defend the Unity and Rights of the Working with ingraining of the orientation of IFTU must be an important task. Around

August,, 2018 23 24 August,, 2018

 NEW DEMOCRACY
17 delegates expressed themselves on various aspects of the Report, after
which it was accepted after the NC accepted several of the suggestions.
During the summing up of the Report, the abysmally small numbers of
women leaders was pointed out. This was mentioned by Com. Aparna in
her speech during the first session too, attributing the absence to patriarchal
attitudes to organizing and to development of leadership. Though we are
having good presence in AASHA, Anganwadi and midday meal scheme
workers in several states and overwhelming presence in Beedi workers in
Telengana – all these sectors being almost totally staffed by women
workers- women are either absent or in very small number in district and
state committees.
Com. Pradeep announced the delegates present from the various states.
The General Council consists of the state committee members of the
different states where IFTU works or the organizing committee where one
has not yet been formed(as in Odisha) and any leading members from the
states who are due for inclusion in the Committees. Thus a total of 89
delegates participated in the General Council including NCMs leaders from
Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, W. Bengal, Odisha, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. A total of 3 delegates from among these
were women.
The proceedings of the General Council were enriched and enlivened
by songs of struggle and revolutionary change presented by delegates in
Telegu, Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi, Bhojpuri and Santhali.
The last item on the agenda was the Resolutions to be passed by the
General Council. Before the Org. report was summed up, news was received
that Com. Umar Khalid ( BASO, Delhi) had been shot at in Delhi outside
the Constitution Club, which is a high security zone especially at this time
in view of the due 15th August celebrations. The Council immediately passed
a resolution strongly condemning the attack and vowed to fight divisive
forces tearing apart the fighting unity of the people. In the last session,
this Resolution was reiterated. NCMs then presented the various other
resolutions supporting movements of various sections in the country and
opposing both assault on democratic rights and state repression. Moved
by the NC, each was passed unanimously. Thus Com P. Prasad (Secretary)
moved one Resolution calling on the IFTU to observe the 25th anniversary
of Nellimarla firing on 29 th January 2019 throughout the country. He also
August,, 2018 25
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
moved another Resolution demanding end to search and cordon operations
by the Army in J&K, that the Central Govt. inform the Supreme Court that
it does not support the petition challenging Article 35 pertaining to Kashmir.
Com. Sujan (Vice President) moved the Resolution against the ban on
Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti imposed by the Jharkhand Govt. and for
immediate release of Com. Bachcha Singh, General Secretary of the Union
and other leading members of the Union. Com Tiwari presented a resolution
against repression of Patalgadi Adivasi movement while another Resolution
demanded that the Telengana govt stop snatching Podu lands of Adivasis,
stop repression on them, release all activists and immediately release Com.
Madhu, a leader of CPI(ML) New Democracy, withdraw the draconian PD
Act and UAPA charges against him and withdraw UAPA imposed against
other activists and cases against other leaders.Com. Kulwinder presented
the resolution against police firing in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu in anti Vedanta
protests and demanded withdrawal of false charges against the legal
advisors to the people’s movement including against Adv. Vanchinathan.
Com Radheysham moved a resolution demanding that deaths in industry
be treated as deaths due to negligence and non bailable sections with
compulsory jail terms be imposed on owners while factory inspectors should
face penal charges.Com. Ashish read out the Resolution against the
communalization of the NRC process in Assam. A resolution was also
passed against the state support to exploitation of Dalits and to acts of
mob violence against them, demanding release of workers and intellectuals
under the Bhima Koregaon FIR and arrest of the actual perpetrators of the
violence (all Hindutva activists), demanding immediate release of Bhim
Army leader Chandrashekhar ‘Ravan’, release of Dalit youth arrested during
April 2nd bandh and action against police officers guilty of ordering firing on
them in various states on the same date. It also reiterated the IFTU demand
for reservations to be extended to private sector jobs.
The General Secretary then moved a Resolution calling on all IFTU
units all over the country to observe 30th August as a date on which to
propagate the Call of the General Council to the working class. This was
passed with resounding applause.
Following the passing of the Resolutions, the presidium called the leaders
of the Uranium Kamgar Union onto the stage where they were warmly
thanked and applauded for the efficiency, care and concern they displayed
as hosts to the General Council. The whole Hall then rose to stand as the
26 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
recorded strains of the International played by the orchestra of the erstwhile
Soviet Union rang out in the Hall. This marked the successful conclusion
of the General Council proceedings.
Gujarat is Suffering a Water Nightmare
Lessons from the National
Ir rig
Irrig
rigaation Disaster Plan called
“Sar dar Sar
“Sardar Saroovar”
Ashish Mital
Launched in 1961, Rs 50,000 plus invested, several lakhs of people
displaced, 40,000 ha land (400 sq km) submerged, all to provide water to
the agricultural fields of Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan and the
result is there is NO Water for Irrigation. The reason given is that the
Narmada catchment area had 45% less rainfall last year. This is another
classic from anti people governance of India’s ruling classes. Such a huge
dam was constructed precisely for this one reason, to store water and to
protect agriculture from the adverse impact of shortfall in annual rainfall,
and in one year of bad rain they have run out of water! They can’t be
shamed because they are shameless. They have made their buck at the
cost of lakhs of lives and played havoc with nature.
What was the Project ?
Sardar Sarovar Dam was built to irrigate 18,45,655 ha land. Of this only
August,, 2018 27
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
6,02,446 ha had been covered with sub minor canals upto March 2016.
The Narmada Nigam’s website indicates only 9,87,776 ha was going to
have water by 31 December 2017. This is after the Narmada Dam was
inaugurated on 18 Sept 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However,
there are also reports that though 75,000 kms of canal network was to be
in place, 80 percent of the linking canal network remains incomplete and
actual irrigation is being provided to only to 3 lakh ha.
The Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. (SSNNL) issued the notification
of not providing irrigation water in the Narmada command area for the
summer crop post-March 15 as the water reserves in the Sardar Sarovar
dam had come down to 45% of the 15 year average. What credence can be
laid on such data is questionable as the reserves have come down in one
year by the same percentage as the rainfall shortage claimed at 45%. The
claim is that the rainfall in Narmada basin last year was only 14 MAF
(million acre foot) as against a normal of 27.5 MAF. Data from IMD on the
other hand shows that last year rainfall shortage during monsoon season
for the entire country was down by 5.2% and Narmada basin received only
20.089% less rainfall over the previous year (source SANDRP).
The dam’s gross storage capacity is 7.7 MAF while the live storage
capacity is 4.75 MAF of which 2.97 MAF is dead storage. Its average
storage in one year's rain shortfall is claimed to have come down to 45%.
Yet the dam’s height was raised by Modi govt to 138.62 metres from 121
metres to achieve increased live storage capacity of 4.75 MAF which at
121 metres was just 1.3 MAF. It was claimed that this will increase hydro
power generation from 1,300 MW to 1,450 MW! The full reservoir would
now occupy an area of 37,000 ha. and would have a linear stretch of 214
kilometres of water and an average width of 1.77 kilometres.
What sense can this raise make and how much application of mind the
Supreme Court has done in the matter also comes into question. While
water level data make it unlikely that this full capacity will ever be achieved,
all that this raise in height will do is to allow the Govt. to displace more
people, the land around the reservoir having become more valuable will be
used for commercial enterprises. This means around another 2.5 lakh
people. The total area devoured so far includes 13,835 ha. of forest land,
192 villages and 1 township in MP, including around 50 Adivasi villages,
33 villages in Maharashtra and 19 villages from Gujarat.
28 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Water Allocation
Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal had allotted 9 MAF water per year for
Gujarat, of which 7.74 MAF water was meant for irrigation, 1.06 MAF was
for drinking water (especially in north Gujarat and Saurashtra) and 0.20
MAF was for industries. Activists say that when the dam had been planned
the entire project was for water starved North Gujarat and no allocation had
been planned for industries and for districts south of Sabarmati. Allocations
for industry and domestic use, including drinking water, came in later and
have been changed. They say that current allocations for various sectors
are not in public domain. During this shortage year Gujarat has been
allocated 4.71 MAF.
Narmada Control Authority (NCA) had closed the main gates of the dam
on June 16, 2017 for impounding of water in the reservoir for Full Reservoir
Level (FRL) of live storage of 4.75 MAF. Peasants claim that at that time
also the operating canals were flowing to full capacity. After Modi inaugurated
the project, on Sept 25 the water level in the dam was 130.75 metres. This
was already after the rain deficit period had passed and corrective measures
should have been placed. The level had fallen by 25 metres to 105.5 metres
since then on March 16. This is near the “critical storage level” and is
below the draw down level of 110.64 metres, below which dead storage
starts getting consumed. On Dec 1, 2017, near the period of Gujarat
elections the level was at 124.02 metres. The Sardar Sarovar Narmada
Nigam Limited (SSNNL) has been releasing water into the Irrigation By-
Pass Tunnel (IBPT) now. The reservoir spread which is 214 km during
monsoon was only at 90 km. presently.
While warning the peasants not to lift water illegally from Narmada canals,
the Govt. claims it is fulfilling its duty to supply drinking water in a crisis
period. It claims that upto 9000 cusec (cubic feet per sec) water has been
released to supply drinking water to cities, towns and villages till June 30.
The main canal is carrying 8,000 cusecs water while 600 cusec is also
flowing downstream in Narmada. With this it is supplying drinking water to
11,000 villages and 163 towns from Narmada through pipelines. In addition
the Nigam is supplying water to Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad
Municipal Corporation, Bharuch, Kapadvanj and Tharad Nagarpalika and
22 Industries in the state.
A major question has arisen about supply for Irrigation for which the
August,, 2018 29
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
dam was built. It is being asked that if Rajasthan can provide irrigation to
its 2,50,000 ha of land out of its share of 0.5 MAF, then why has Gujarat
not been able to provide for the entire 19 lakh ha which would at best
require 4 MAF of water?
Of the various accusations against the government, one is of diverting
more than 0.25 MAF- some claim it is more than 1 MAF- water to industries
even though originally no allocation was made for industry, or for areas
south of Sabarmati river. This is coroborated by the fact that no industry or
township in Gujarat is complaining of water shortage despite severe shortage
for agriculture. In 2014, the Nigam was providing 0.25 MAF to Industry.
Now in 2018 many more industrial units have come up, there are flourishing
industrial areas and they are all being given water. No one is complaining
from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Kapadvanj, Tharad. Coca Cola will
be given 70 lakh litres of water per day and this is at the cost of wheat and
rice.
There are newspaper reports that 50% of the water released into the
canal from the dam is not accounted for and this is going to the Sabarmati
River Front, a show piece of luxury entertainment for the rich, and to the
Gift City- Adani Seth’s Shantigram and Cansvilles golf course. There are
complaints that much water was wasted to raise the level of the canal for
Modi’s show of Sea Plane Sortie.
Peasants hit hard
The crisis precipitated with the Gujarat government deciding to stop
supplying water to peasants after March 15, 2018 while most crops still
require two irrigations before harvest. Unfortunately, when sowing was done
in November 2017, the Govt. made no such announcement as assembly
elections were due in December. In fact during that period, extra water was
supplied, which has contributed in a big way to the present shortage.
While peasants are at a loss to understand how to prevent loss to their
crops and pay back their loans, they will not even be covered by insurance
because this isn’t a natural disaster. It is man-made. There will be no
water for irrigation between March and September 2017. Borewells aren’t
possible.
The worst hit will be the share croppers or the bhagidari peasants. If the
30 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
landowner spends money on seeds and fertilisers, the share cropper gets
25-30% of the produce. If the landless peasant spends on seeds and
fertiliser, the landowner gets about 30% of the produce.
Bhavnagar, Batod, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Devbhumi-Dwarka, Rajkot,
Porbandar, Surendranagar, Dahod, Panchmahal, Amreli and several other
districts are facing this ‘drought’. Since the minor sub-canals which were
meant to take the water to the fields have not been built, peasants are
compelled to buy diesel water pumps to draw water from the branch canal.
A pump costs around Rs 25,000 and there is the additional cost of diesel
to irrigate.The grouse of rural folk is that land for these canals was acquired
at Rs 5,000 per acre then and they are effectively being used to provide
the water to the city people.
Officials guarded by State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) personnel are
raiding the villages and towing away generators and pulling out the large
tubes, often damaging them. New police posts have been made to check
water theft. In Saurashtra area which was to be the main beneficiary of
Narmada Dam, several pumps of the peasants have been confiscated. It
was reported that as many as 150 troops of the Narmada Battalion in
Kevadia Colony were deployed along the Narmada main canal since the
day the SSNNL issued notices to peasants. SRPF group XVIII personnel
were stationed along the main canal in addition to 750 personnel heavily
guarding the dam.
Peasants say notices to stop irrigation water is an annual feature and
they always continue to draw water till crops are ready. At various places
they are now preparing themselves for guerrilla tactics to complete the
required irrigation. They stand guarding their tubes and generators, dismantle
it on seeing SSNNL officials arrive and prepare to continue the irrigation
the moment this surveillance stops.
Official Response
Painfully for the peasants, the official response is to absolve the Govt
and lay the blame on the people. SSNNL Chairman, SS Rathore is on
record stating that “MP govt is not bound to supply water for summer crops”.
Advisor to Gujarat govt, BN Navalawala, justified the Govt’s position stating
that “Narmada water should be seen as an add on and not the main source.
We have asked administrators of cities to revive the local sources of water.”
August,, 2018 31
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Earlier ruling politicians, particularly the BJP leaders had described the
project as “Gujarat’s Lifeline”. They can’t get more shameless.
Questions before Peoples’ Movement
There are several reports of peasant movements on this issue. Last
year in February there was a massive clash by about 5000 peasants coming
face to face with an aggressive police force guarding diversion of irrigation
canal water to Sanand industries. There were several injuries too. In some
areas indefinite hunger strikes have been launched.
The question is what lessons are to be learnt? Allow and promote
Polavaram, Kanhar in the name of irrigation requirement? Huge stores of
water in big reservoirs of big dams are easy resource for commercial use,
industrial use, big supply to Coal Thermal Power Plants, water parks,
entertainment hubs, etc. Polavaram is being planned precisely for supply
to indusries in the coastal corridor. Kanhar is being planned for overcoming
the extreme shortage that has occurred due to pollution of Rihand Sagar
just adjacent to it. Are such white elephants the answer to our irrigation
water woes which require to consume 80% of water used?
The answer has to be found in deep excavated lakes and tanks to store
the precipitation most of which occurs in just four monsoon months. That
was used in the medieval period before the British and now our own
comprador rulers have destroyed this ecological balance. These provided
for local irrigation as well as green cover, which has been largely destroyed
leading to complaints of lower rainfall in several areas. Big projects, if any,
should only be planned after local surface storage of water in every village
is secured and rich agricultural land and forest cover is preserved, rather
than permitting land to be submerged and forest cover to be destroyed.
32 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Recent Political
Political
Developments
Dev
(This comment on recent political
developments was released after the meeting of
the Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy
held in early August, 2018)
We are going through a period of disorder both on the international scene
as well as domestically. The imperialist system in facing unprecedented
crisis- economically, socially and politically. There is increasing anger
among the people against neoliberal policies resulting in wage freeze or
even wage cut, cut in social security, rising cost of education and health
care, growing unemployment which has given rise to increasing sense of
despair and anger among the people. To deflect this, ruling big bourgeoisie
are promoting xenophobia targeted against immigrants while suppressing
people’s protests. However, there is as yet no qualitative upswing in the
struggle for alternative system though factors for such an upswing are
maturing. It is a situation where old is dying and new is not being born.
As noted previously, US led imperialist world order which emerged after
Second World War, is unraveling. The rise of unipolar world after dissolution
of the then Soviet Union was linked to imperialist globalization with its
institutions meant to ensure continued hegemony of US imperialism. This
was undermined by the deepening economic crisis in western imperialist
countries and rise of other imperialist countries, particularly China as an
economic power and revival of Russia as a military power. US attempts to
secure world hegemony through aggressions in the name of war on terror
met strong resistance from the people of the countries invaded, while
explosion of world financial-economic crisis undermined its ability to wage
endless wars. This resulted in disillusionment about war on terror of Bush
period. There followed a period of seeking hegemony through other means
in Obama period. But US hegemony could not be ensured without ever
increasing deployment of military forces and consequent huge expenditure.
Obama's strategy came crashing down only resulting in greater disorder
August,, 2018 33
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
while despair among US working class kept on rising. In this situation,
Trump, feeding on this despair, came to power. Trump presidency marks a
significant shift in the priorities of US imperialism and change in the strategy
of pursuit of hegemony. Trump has torn up TPP and NAFTA. Trump is
pursuing US imperialist interests outside the multilateral forums. He has
withdrawn from International Convention of Climate Change, UNESCO and
Human Rights Council. Trump is intensifying contradiction with third world
countries. He is pegging US military assistance even to traditional allies
on payment for the same. He is trying to strike deals with Russia on Europe
and Middle East. All this means reversal of a number of policies which
were pursued by earlier Admn. and this change is meeting strong resistance
from Democrats and also several Republican leaders.
Trump is pressurizing other countries to buy US goods and services
and is waging trade war for this purpose. He is pursuing an America First
policy which actually means America Only. He is attacking US allies like
Canada, Britain, Germany and France for taking advantage of America in
trade and putting the burden of their defense on US. He recently walked
out of the G-7 meeting in Canada and refused to endorse the communiqué
issued after the Summit. He also criticized European powers during the
NATO summit while he went and met President of Russia in Helsinki claiming
it to be a very fruitful meeting. Trump is unleashing trade war to galvanize
US economy and achieve US foreign policy objectives. He is trying to
achieve hegemonic ambitions through trade war. However, this trade war
is going to boomerang on US unless other countries cave in and submit to
US dictates. Shrinkage of trade will seriously affect US economy particularly
sectors producing high value goods and sectors where US has a large
share of world market. But Trump Admn. believes that they can outlast
their rivals.
Abrupt changes in ruling class policies are often brought about by
idiosyncratic personalities like Trump. His holding of talks with the leader
of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has dramatically eased the tensions around
North Korea, though this may be only temporary and the fact is that this
happened under South Korean pressure. He has recently also offered to
talk to Iran’s President Rouhani ‘without preconditions’ but only after
annulling the Agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and imposing
sanctions.
On the other hand Trump is following a white supremacist anti-immigrant
34 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
agenda in US. He is targeting minorities, plans to build a wall along the
border with Mexico and had recently ordered separation of children of
immigrants from their families which evoked wide condemnation and had
to be revoked.
In European countries as well, ruling classes are promoting xenophobic
groups which are targeting the immigrants from third world countries.
Ostensibly in the name of containing the influence of these ‘far right’ parties,
main ruling class parties are embracing the anti-immigrant agenda. This
drive has shifted the whole agenda of ruling classes in the rightward
direction. There is sharp growth of xenophobic, pro-Nazi groups in Eastern
Europe and these groups are also supported by Russian Govt.
In this anti-immigrant programme, it should be noted that workers from
other countries are the main target as it is meant to divert workers’ struggle
against neoliberal economic policies though trained professionals are also
suffering general discrimination and are also at times targets of such
attacks.
US-Israel-Saudi-UAE Axis
Trump Admn. is openly favouring Israel’s annexation of Palestinian lands
and has even formally given up the two state solution though earlier Admns.
too had been supporting Israel while keeping up the pretense of seeking
peace between Israel and Palestinians. Rising anger among Arab people
which was sought to be diverted into sectarian blood bath and regime change
in the countries opposed to US and its Arab allies, has been grounded in
Syria after military intervention of Russia turned the tide of war against
Jihadi forces backed by US and its Arab allies. Gulf monarchies’ suppression
of Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and support to military coup against MB Govt.
in Egypt drove a deep cleavage in pro-US camp. US’s enlisting of Kurd
forces in war against IS further alienated MB and Turkey who started drawing
closer to Russia. Trump Admn. is not taking on Russia in Syria. Russia
has emerged as the key power in Syria. Israel has also come around to
accepting Assad regime only insisting on elimination of Iranian forces and
pro-Iranian groups from the border with Israel and reduction in Iranian military
bases in Syria.
Saudi Arabia and UAE offensive against Yemen has sunk to new depths
in targeting school buses, hospitals, social functions and civilian
August,, 2018 35
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
catastrophe. UN has described it as the biggest human disaster at present.
But the western powers which lecture to the world about human rights, are
supplying weapons for this murderous assault and participating in this
offensive without admitting so. Recent attack killing scores of school children
in capital Sa'ana has been condemned throughout the world. Thier inhuman
brutalities have angered the people of Yemen who have rallied around the
forces led by the Houthis.
Besides Trump Admn.’s open support to Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE
have also come out in support of Israel. They need Israel’s military support
in their struggle against Iran. They are pressurizing Palestinian leadership
to accept the terms offered by Israel and US Admn. This axis is planning
to liquidate the national struggle of Palestinian people. They are conspiring
not only to give the whole of Jerusalem to Israel, but also merge some
areas of West Bank with Jordan thus eliminating the very identity of
Palestinians. This is a grave situation faced by the Palestinian even as
their cause is winning more support worldwide. It should be recalled that in
Saudi's and UAE's hostility towards Qatar, an important point was Qatar’s
opposition to Saudi and UAE dealings with Israel. US Secretary of State,
Rex Tillerson, had lost his job as he did not support planned Saudi-UAE
offensive against Qatar.
Israel’s Parliament’s recent resolution to term Israel as a Jewish state
(Nation State Act) is to reduce Palestinians living in Israel into second
class citizens, deny the Palestinians right to their land in Israel, particularly
their right to return as guaranteed in UN resolution. Terming of Israel as a
Jewish state will formally erect an apartheid wall between Jews and
Palestinians. It is an attempt to destroy Palestinian national movement.
Palestinians are waging continuous and courageous struggle against Israeli
policies. They come out in thousands daily to face the bullets of Zionist
aggressors. Nearly two hundred of them have died at the hands of Israeli
security forces over past few months and thousands have suffered serious
injuries. They are waging a glorious struggle which is winning increasing
sympathy of the people all over the world.
More Attacks by Talibaan in Afghanistan
Attacks by Talibaan have been increasing in Afghanistan. Recent
occupation of provincial capital of Ghazni by Talibaan for several days
before retreating, proved their increasing strength. Some international
36 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
agencies are saying that 50 to 70 perrcent of Afghanistan in under the
control of Talibaan. Afghanistan has seen change in equations among world
powers. Russia and China along with Pakistan have come around to the
view of accepting Talibaan as a party to the negotiations on Afghanistan
though Ashraf Ghani Govt. in Kabul is insisting that Talibaan should be
asked to talk only to his Govt. and not invited to international fora. Russia
has convened a summit in Moscow on Afghanistan to which they have
also invited representatives of Talibaan which is being opposed by Ashraf
Ghani Govt. There are also reports that Russia is supplying military
equipment to Talibaan. This is yet another point of intensification of
contradiction among imperialist powers.
Elections in Latin American Countries
In the backdrop of Trump Admn.’s targeting of immigrants from Mexico,
Obrador defeated the conservative candidate to win Presidency in Mexico.
Traditional pro-US conservatives suffered a sharp drop in support. Obrador,
who had run unsuccessfully in the last two elections, won easily this time.
Mexico elections are a sharp rebuff to Trump Admn. particularly its targeting
of immigrants from Mexico. Though Obrador does not have a clear agenda
for distributive justice like some other forces in Latin American countries,
he also does not share the pro-corporate agenda of the conservatives.
In Venezuela, Maduro was re-elected President in an election despite
boycott by pro-US sections of the elite in that country. Despite economic
crisis deepening due to lower prices of crude oil, the main source of Govt.
revenue, poorer sections are supporting policies of higher expenditure on
social welfare. Forces opposing US imperialist exploitation have also done
well in the elections in Guatemala and Uruguay. FARC in Colombia has
also polled nearly one third of votes though a conservative ruling class
politician was elected as President.
Pakistan Elections
In the backdrop of intensified rivalry between US and China in South
Asia and particularly over Pakistan, Army asserted by deposing Nawaz
Sharief and installing Imran Khan through parliamentary elections. Pakistan
Army has a vast control over bureaucracy, judiciary, media and other
institutions and runs a vast business empire. The Army realized that both
China and US need its support in their contention over the region, US for
August,, 2018 37
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
saving its influence in Afghanistan and China for its investments under
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In 1999 also Pakistan Army
had seized power when US wanted to use Pakistan’s influence in
Afghanistan to extend US influence in Central Asian countries which had
come into existence due to break-up of erstwhile Soviet Union.
In fact all civilian leaders in Pakistan have arisen through patronage of
the Army. Bhutto came to prominence during Gen. Ayub’s rule and Nawaz
Sharief during Zia regime. When they rose to challenge the Army thinking
that they have mass base for such a challenge, they were shown their
place. It also demonstrates that bourgeoisie in Pakistan is quite weak and
civil rights movement does not enjoy strong base. Pakistan is ruled by
feudal-military alliance whose power centre is Punjab. Nawaz Sharief was
removed from power through intervention of the judiciary when his name
and those of his family members figured in Panama Papers. The whole
election exercise was done in a manner which favoured Imran Khan’s party.
Local feudal elite in Punjab (called electables) was mobilized to join his
PTI. Other parties were not allowed to run their campaign. 3.71 lakh military
personnel were deployed to man the election booths.
Another significant aspect of the results is the sharp decline suffered
by Mohajir organization- MQM- which had hitherto dominated the largest
city and financial capital, Karachi. Religious organizations too fought the
elections but their purpose was to erode support for PML (Nawaz) rather
than to win themselves. They are linked to and partonized by the Army and
are used by the Army estabishment to further its agenda.
In the run up to the election, Imran Khan had condemned Nawaz Sharief
as being pro-India. Though much of it could be seen as election talk, the
foreign policy of Pakistan, particularly relations with India, would continue
to be dominated by military establishment. Even otherwise, RSS-BJP Govt.
is unlikely to respond to any overture for talks with 2019 elections so near.
They are going to continue their Muslim-Pakistan-Kashmir propaganda to
deepen communal polarization in the country.
Chinese media is trying to portray that Imran Khan is not opposed to
CPEC as had appeared in his earlier statements against the China Pakistan
Economic Corridor, saying that he was only criticizing Nawaz Govt.’s lack
of transparency in executing the project. This shows some discomfort
among Chinese rulers over their ambitious CPEC as many of its aspects
38 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
have aroused apprehensions among the people of Chinese domination over
Pakistan. US on the other hand is mounting pressure on Pakistan to ease
its position in Afghanistan as it is facing increasing military attacks from
Talibaan. Pakistan is facing deep economic crisis, its foreign currency
reserves have declined. Pakistan urgently needs IMF bailout which is being
opposed by Trump Admn. in the name of this money going to pay interest
on Chinese loans but really to pressurize Pakistan Govt. and Army on
Afghanistan.
People of Pakistan face rising unemployment and increasing attacks
on democratic rights and their struggles. People of Balochistan and
Pakhtunkhwa are particular targets of military repression. A big grass root
movement of Pakhtun youth has emerged in Pakistan against this
suppression. Military establishment continues to be the main target of
people’s struggles.
People are rising throughout the world against neoliberal economic
policies, imperialist exploitation and oppression and also domestic reaction.
In imperialist countries, anti-neoliberal agenda is coming to the fore both in
parties other than main ruling class parties and also through politicians in
the main ruling class parties. Workers have organized big demonstrations
against attacks on their jobs and social security. Left forces of different
hues are also making their presence in struggles and also in electoral field.
Struggle in Philippines under the Communist Party of Philippines continues
to gain strength while revolutionary communist forces in West European
countries are fighting against rightist racist attacks on immigrants.
National Situation
Continuous fall in the value of the rupee and continuous rise in the
NPAs of banks are puncturing the Govt. claim of good health of the
economy. Indian rupee has lost over 8% of its value since the beginning of
the year. NPAs of banks have been growing despite periodic waiving off of
these debts of big business. While these are reflections of deep seated
malaise affecting the economy, RSS-BJP Govt.’s handling has also
contributed to these. Govt continues to depend solely on FDI for economic
growth and is giving all sorts of concessions to attract foreign capital at
the expense of people of the country. There are no efforts to help small
and medium industries and agriculture which provide bulk of the employment
to the people. Industrial Production on the whole is witnessing sluggish
August,, 2018 39
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
growth while agriculture is becoming increasingly burdensome for the
peasants with rise in the cost of inputs and relatively lower prices of produce.
Employment generation is not taking place with the number of unemployed
going up. Unemployment of educated youth is becoming serious and is at
the root of a number of agitations of different communities. On the other
hand a number of people defrauding Indian banks of tens of thousands of
crores of rupees have escaped from the country with the help of Modi
Govt. Modi Govt.’s economic policies are a dismal failure which have only
benefited RSS cronies.
RSS-BJP ruling at the Centre and in the majority of states are facing
increasing struggles of the people due to betrayal of their election promises,
particularly those relating to doubling the income of peasantry and creating
jobs for the youth. Peasant distress is increasing and it is being expressed
in the struggles of the peasantry. Youth are also restive. Modi is repeatedly
trying to fool the peasants by announcing that his Govt. has increased
MSP of crops to the tune of one and a half times the cost of production.
But this is not in accordance with the recommendation of Swaminathan
Committee. Modi is simply underestimating the cost of production as was
also the case in his recent claim. In fact MSP has grown much more slowly
under the Modi Govt. as compared to the earlier period. Peasant distress
continues to rise and their struggles are growing for the demand of higher
MSP (according to Swaminathan Committee Report) and for loan waiver.
The peasant distress is also manifesting in rising struggles of land owning
communities for reservation in jobs. Such struggles of Marathas, Patels,
Jats, and Kapus etc. are born of the increasing distress of the peasantry
and failure of the Govt. to provide jobs. Rising cost of education and lack
of commensurate jobs are also adding to the woes of the educated youth.
RSS-BJP has been communally polarizing the society for their fascist
drive. They have repeatedly launched attacks against Muslims constructing
Indian nationalism as anti-Muslim. In the name of Bahu Beti Izzat, Love
Jihad, cow protection, illegal migrants, conversions etc., they are organizing
attacks against Muslims. RSS Hindutva is also anti-Dalit and anti-women.
Dalits have been subjected to attacks in many parts of the country which
is resulting in rising anger among Dalits which was expressed in April 2
Bharat Bandh against Supreme Court decision, virtually annulling SC/ST
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad
“Ravan’ has been in jail for over a year and his health has been deteriorating.
40 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Criminal cases have been framed against a large number of Dalit youth for
their participation in Bharat Bandh and in Bhima Koregaon protests. RSS-
BJP Govt. at the Centre and in Maharashtra are trying to shield the RSS
activists who masterminded attacks on Dalits going to Bhima Koregaon.
Tribals are also angry because of rising attacks against them to hand
over their land to corporate. RSS-BJP Govt. in Jharkhand has amended
Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act to facilitate
such transfer and has amended LARR to do away with the provision of
70% land owners agreeing for acquisition of land. Anger among these
sections is reflected in Pathalgari movement in many parts of Jharkhand
as well as in neigbouring areas of Odisha and Chhatisgarh. Govt. has
unleashed a wave of repression on the activists of Pathalgari movement.
Podu lands under the cultivation of tribals and other poor forest dwellers
are being attacked in Telengana and their struggle to defend their lands is
being suppressed with brute force. Leaders of CPI(ML)-New Democracy
are being targeted, false cases are being foisted and PD Act was invoked
against leader of the resistance movement, Com. Madhu. Tribals in
Chhatisgarh and neighbouring regions of Maharashtra and Odisha are being
killed in cold blood in the name of fighting CPI(Maoist). This is an attempt
to crush the revolutionary movement in these tribal areas through brute
force.
Fascist drive of the RSS-BJP is facing opposition from exposure of its
failure to deliver on its promises. RSS-BJP, which are being heavily
supported by corporate media, are coming down heavily on the sections of
media which are exposing its performance. Recently, ABP News Channel
suffered for telecasting a programme where Modi’s interaction with selected
peasants was exposed to be pre-arranged. The woman peasant who was
seen saying that her income had doubled, was shown stating that she was
asked to say it. ABP was pressurized to drop the news editor, anchor and
a correspondent. Attack on the media is part of the fascist drive of RSS-
BJP. With corporate media abdicating its avowed responsibility to question
the powers that be, social media has become a source of propagation of
people's struggles. RSS-BJP Govt. is trying to control the social media to
check this.
Facing the resentment of the people, RSS-BJP Govt. are intensifying
their communal conspiracies targeting Muslims, painting them as anti-
national. There are a number of incidents of lynching, in the name of
August,, 2018 41
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
protection of cows, organized against Muslims transporting cows. All these
attacks are organized by RSS activists with the help of police. They are
not mob attacks as being portrayed by the Govt. and even most of the
media. Mobs are mobilized by RSS through its affiliates. All these attacks
are pre-planned murders. In a recent attack in Rajasthan, police had killed
a Muslim (Rakbar Khan) whose beating was organized by RSS activists.
Even the Govt. had to admit that it was a case of custodial death.
In fact, all the violence against minorities is politically organized. Whether
it was genocide of Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in 1984 or genocide of
Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, all these had a familiar pattern with ruling party
(Congress in case of 1984 and RSS-BJP in case of 2002) organizing the
killings with the active participation of police machinery. The same pattern
was observed in other cases of large scale violence against Muslims e.g.
Mumbai riots post demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. Lynching of Muslims
in the name of cow protection in RSS-BJP ruled states is being done to
communally polarize the society and in this corporate media is giving a
helping hand.
Infiltration of Bangladeshis is another ploy by the RSS-BJP to target
Muslims. In the period of NDA I during BJP rule in Delhi there was an
attempt to target Muslims in the name of Bangladeshi infiltrators. RSS-
BJP are using this as a means to target Muslims particularly to expand
their base in eastern states especially in Bengal and Assam. But this has
an all India implication. They are advocating that NRC on the pattern of
Assam should be prepared in all the states including Delhi.
NRC in Assam
The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published
on July 30, 2018 leaving out over four million people who had applied to
enrol in the Register making it an attempt to deprive large number of people
of citizenship. While Govt. has stated in the Parliament that this is only a
draft and those left out will have an opportunity to produce the requisite
documents before the NRC is finalized in December 2018, President of
ruling BJP Amit Shah has stated that all these four million people left out
are infiltrators from Bangladesh and will be thrown out. This statement of
Shah is in line with Modi’s statements during Assam elections that
Bangladeshis should pack their bags to be deported. There is an ominous
ring to the exercise.
42 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Assam is linguistically, culturally, ethnically and religiously a mixed
society where people with different identities have been living for centuries,
contributing to the economic life of the region and interacting to produce
what is Assamese society today. These have come to Assam over last
two centuries since Assam was brought under colonial rule by British in
1826 taking it from the then Burma. Even before colonial rule, the region
which is today Assam was home to a large number of tribals. British colonial
rulers took Bengalis as employees to administer their colonial rule. Tribals
from Jharkhand were brought for tea plantations, Bengalis were encouraged
to migrate for agriculture, as colonial rulers wanted to increase revenue
collection from the area. Nepalis too came in over this period. In addition,
the predominantly Bengali region of Barak Valley was sliced off the Sylhet
district when it was merged with the then Pakistan. These people joined
the new state of Assam (post-partition) along with their land.
Ethnic and linguistic mix was ready made for the colonial rulers to deepen
and exploit the divisions for maintaining their colonial rule. They made
different communities fight each other. The same tactics have been
employed by the ruling classes that came to power in India after 1947.
1947 partition, carved out by the British colonial rulers in league with
exploiting classes organized under the banner of Congress and Muslim
League, tore asunder the fabric of these societies and has left an indelible
mark over the subsequent developments. It is worth noting that Congress
leadership at the Centre and in Assam was happy to give over the Muslim
majority Sylhet district of the then Assam keeping only a part of Barak
Valley. So overnight, the economic and social life of the people was
disrupted. Assam Congress Govt. dominated by Assamese elite, announced
in May 1948 that migrants to Assam after partition would not have the right
to own lands. Gopinath Bardoloi had declared that “Assam is for Assamese
(khalonjia) only”. Later the protests in 1961 against declaration of Assamese
as the sole official language in 1960 (prior to this both Assamese and
Bengali were official languages), was brutally crushed.
The background of the updating of NRC in Assam is the implementation
of Assam Accord signed between Central Govt. led by Rajiv Gandhi and
AASU in 1985 after a violent agitation since late 1970s over the demand
for exclusion of ‘foreigners’ from the voter list. This accord took March 24,
1971 as the cut-off date for recognition of those migrating (Independence
of Bangladesh was declared on March 25, 1971). Bengalis particularly
August,, 2018 43
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Bengali Muslims were attacked, the most infamous being Nelie massacre
where more than three thousand Bengali Muslim inhabitants including
women and children were butchered. The agitation was fuelled by the
apprehension that large-scale presence of migrants from Bangladesh (earlier
East Pakistan) threatened to reduce them to a minority. This apprehension,
shared by large sections of Assamese, became a tool of Assamese
chauvinists to target Bengalis. Mrs. Gandhi's Govt. had enacted the Illegal
Migrants Determination by Tribunal Act (IMDT) for detection of ‘foreigners’.
This was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2005 on a petition by the
present BJP Chief Minister and earlier AASU and AGP leader Sarbananda
Sonowal. Updating of NRC in Assam was then agreed upon during a tripartite
meeting between Central Govt., Assam Govt. and AASU representatives.
However, it gained speed after Supreme Court intervened to expedite the
process directing it to be completed by the end of 2016. While Supreme
Court monitored the process, the actual registration was done by the officials
of the state govt. Supreme Court intervened to expedite the process but
did not lay down the requirements for such registration nor issued the
guidelines for the officials conducting the exercise. The insistence on
producing documentary evidence of the family tree has been particularly
difficult for the poorer sections particularly rural poor who generally do not
have, nor do they keep, such documentary evidence over a long period of
time.
This issue was made a tool by RSS-BJP for their fascist drive targeting
Muslims. According to RSS propaganda there are 15 million illegal migrants
from Bangladesh, nearly 8 million of them in West Bengal, 5 million in
Assam and rest in other states including 13 lakh in Delhi. It is a part of the
larger RSS game plan to construct its ‘nationalist’ plank on anti-Muslim
basis. Their targeting of Muslims in the name of Bangladeshis is to carve
out communal division in the country particular in eastern states like Assam
and Bengal to spread their influence. RSS-BJP Govt. at the Centre had
brought a Bill in 2016 seeking to amend Citizenship Act aimed at giving
citizenship to migrating Hindus, Sikhs, Bodhs, Jains and other communities
to the exclusion of Muslims in the name that they are facing religious
prosecution in their countries. The Bill seeks to paint the neighbouring
Muslim countries, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, as places where
prosecution of Hindus and other minorities is taking place and thus further
its project of Hindu Rashtra. This is in line with the RSS-BJP design of
population exchange which they had advocated at the time of partition.
44 August,, 2018
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However, the Hindu communal design of RSS-BJP is meeting an
obstacle in the linguistic chauvinism in Assam which wishes to consolidate
their hegemony. It is apparent in the opposition in Assam to the RSS-BJP
Govt.’s 2016 Bill seeking to amend Citizenship Act. Chauvinists in Assam
are against all the Bengalis and other linguistic groups while communal
fascists ruling at the Centre are targeting only Muslims. Though no official
data of those excluded from the draft NRC has been made public, it is
learnt that a significant part consists of Bengali Hindus mainly Namashudras
and Kaivartyas besides people from Bihar, Nepal and Koch-rajabanshis
and other tribals.
Exclusion of over four million people from the final draft and the RSS-
BJP propaganda has created a very serious situation in Assam. Not only
do the documents sought to establish one’s right to be included in the
register defy logic, these are not easily available for the poor sections that
constitute the overwhelming number of those excluded. Further these are
being applied selectively for those from different linguistic groups. Those
excluded belong to Bengali, Jharkhand, Nepali and even Hindi speaking
laboring masses. The Govt. officials are talking about their right to approach
High Court and Supreme Court even after they are determined as foreigners
but it is not easy for these sections to approach these Courts for want of
resources.
Those who were earlier detected as ‘foreigners’ are being kept in
detention camps. Even women and children are being kept in these camps,
Now there is a threat of a large number of people being thrown into these
detention camps. They are facing an extremely grave situation. After the
publication of draft NRC, ruling parties have mobilized their cadres in the
neighbouring states who are checking all the vehicles with the help of the
police to detect "illegal migrants”.
Supreme Court, which had mandated the updating of NRC, must rise to
the occasion to ensure that poor sections are not harassed. People should
not be asked to again submit the documents, they have done so at great
pains. The officials should be instructed to verify these documents by
visiting them in their homes and villages. Further, requirements of the
documents should be decided by taking into account the availability of the
documents with the poor sections. Moreover, nobody should be allowed to
be harassed. Supreme Court should set aside the final draft and instruct
the officials to prepare a new list settling all claims and objections. Even
August,, 2018 45
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
those who are not included in the NRC should not only be given fullest
opportunity to prove their case, they should be afforded an opportunity to
pursue their vocations. It is the duty to treat them in humane manner and
respect their democratic rights.
People of Assam are facing deep crisis. Peasants are facing sharp rise
in cost of inputs and lower price of produce besides crop destruction
because of inadequate protection from natural causes. There is growing
unemployment, even the middle classes are facing paucity of jobs. Ruling
classes are diverting this resentment into chauvinist channels. The
chauvinist propaganda articulating the insecurity of Assamese middle class
is short sighted. While their rights need to be preserved, religious and
linguistic minorities should not be targeted. The cause of the insecurity is
the policies of the Govt. which are robbing the natural resources of the
state but not developing meaningful employment opportunities. But these
exploiters and oppressors are not the target of this movement. For this the
struggles of peasants and workers, tribals and other oppressed sections
should be built against foreign companies, big bourgeoisie and landlords.
Setbacks to AAP in Punjab
Ever since APP leader Arvind Kejriwal tendered an apology to Akali
Dal leader Vikarm Singh Majithia for alleging his role in the drug racket in
Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has suffered a setback in that state. In
Punjab alone, AAP had won four Lok Sabha seats while it had drawn blank
elsewhere. It had also emerged as the main opposition party in the state
legislature. In Punjab, drugs is an important issue with lakhs of youth having
fallen prey to this menace. There have been several reports of the
involvement of ruling politicians in the drug racket including Akali Dal leader
Vikram Singh Majithia. Arvind Kejriwal’s apology only to save himself
undercut AAP propaganda on this issue and also ran counter to the people’s
opinion on that issue.
Moreover, Arvind Kejriwal has displayed total intolerance towards leaders
who have independent stature or following. It has been much in evidence
in Punjab where all the leaders with some standing have been shown the
door. Now seven MLAs under Khaira have revolted after AAP leadership
removed Khaira from the post of the Leader of the Opposition. AAP
leadership is not taking action against them not because it has learnt to
tolerate but due to the fear of losing the Leader of the Opposition status.
46 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
AAP is practicing high command culture for which it had earlier criticized
other ruling class parties.
Kejriwal's intolerance towards leaders of some independent stature is
to ensure that his decisions are not challenged in AAP. Kejriwal handpicked
candidates for Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi. Two out of the three were
businessmen, one of them till very recently with Congress, while claim of
many leaders aspiring to go to Rajya Sabha was ignored. This has resulted
in rising dissidence in AAP. While AAP has nothing new to offer to the
people, it is basing itself on the dismal record of Congress and BJP in
power.
Foreign Policy of RSS-BJP Govt.
Modi Govt. had openly aligned itself with US imperialism though this
tilt was there even earlier. Indian ruling classes had hoped to become the
main destination of US capital and were willing to be part of US led alliance
against China for emergence as the regional hegemon. India became a
part of Quad including US, Japan and Australia for that purpose. Aligning
openly with US imperialism, Modi led Govt. isolated itself from all
neighbouring countries as these countries were not willing to go against
China in view of China becoming the main source of finance and main
trading partner. On the other hand, with rise of protectionism in USA, hope
of attracting FDI from US on a large scale faded rather Indian exports too
were targeted by US. Further US imperialism is unable to maintain its
control over Afghanistan and unwilling to commit more forces for that
purpose. Thus the question of maintaining presence in Afghanistan weighed
heavy as Indian rulers thought it necessary to deny Pakistan strategic
depth. First they toyed with the idea of maintaining a link with Afghanistan
through Iran’s Chabahar port. But with Trump Administration gearing to
tear up Iran agreement and put sanctions on Iran including its oil exports,
Indian Govt. sought alternate route. While China is seen as the long term
main enemy by the Indian ruling classes, their immediate main enemy
continues to be Pakistan. Also, lukewarm response of US admn. towards
Doklam standoff with China convinced Indian rulers that US cannot be
solely relied upon.
With these factors in mind, Indian rulers have embarked on improving
relations with Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the rising group dominated
by China and Russia. This group is particularly relevant to South Asia as
August,, 2018 47
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
these powers are closer to the region. India held a high level meeting with
Russia in December 2017 where a communiqué was issued which after a
long time mentioned the 1971 treaty of friendship and mutual defense between
the then Soviet Union and Mrs. Gandhi Govt. This communiqué also took
Russia to be main supplier of defense equipment. Then followed mending
the bridges with China. The Foreign Secretary issued a note that no Minister
or official should participate in Dalai Lama's function on the 60th year of his
coming to India. The programme in Delhi was cancelled and a junior minister
attended the programme in Dharmshala when the mainstream media
criticized the Govt. for this tame surrender before China. China obviously
commended the Indian Govt.’s stance. Then followed the Wuhan informal
summit of Modi and Xi. In that summit, India raised with China the issue of
security of Indian development projects in Afghanistan. Since this meeting,
Indian Govt. looked the other way when China undertook the same
construction activity on its side of border in Doklam which Inidan Govt.
had earlier objected to as changing the status quo. Indian Govt. has also
questioned the veracity of a report from US about the construction activities
being taken by China in Doklam.
With these moves, Indian Govt. has tried to mend relations with Shanghai
Cooperation Organization while its tilt towards US imperialism continues.
In brief, this is restoring the old stance of the Indian Govt. It does not
mean that Indian Govt. is changing the camp, it means that Indian Govt.
would maintain relations with all imperialist powers though closer relations
with US imperialism will continue.
48 August,, 2018
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PSU fights to stop charging of
PTA funds from Dalit students
Punjab Students Union launched an agitation against the state Govt.
for allowing all 49 Government managed colleges to pay salaries of Guest
Faculty Lecturers from the funds generated under the Parent Teacher
Association (PTA) head. Students across the state are paying anything
between Rs. 2000 to Rs. 4500 per annum as PTA charges. The PTA fund
itself is an outcome of the policies of privatization. There are 1873
sanctioned posts of lecturers in Govt. colleges out of which nearly 1000
are lying vacant. Guest Faculty members are employed against these vacant
posts and are paid Rs. 21,600 per month from PTA. No regular appointment
has been made since 2003. PTA fund is a non refundable fund/fee which
should not be charged from SC students as per Post Matric Scholarship
scheme. A Post Matric Scholarship scheme allows only refundable fee
charges from Dalit Students.
Colleges’ authorities were adamant to charge PTA fund from SC
Students. PSU decided to boycott payment of PTA fund. The authorities
of Mahindra College, Patiala and Rajindra College, Bathinda accepted the
demand after an agitation of one week but the authorities of Brijindra College
in Faridkot and Ripudaman College in Nabha refused to accept the demand.
PTA fund is being charged since the past 20 years on verbal orders of DPI
colleges. In Faridkot PSU staged an indefinite Dharna in front of the City
police station to register a case under SC/ST Act against the college
authority which was refusing to give admission to SC students who refused
to pay PTA fund. PSU gave a call to gherao the Deputy Commissioner
Faridkot on 2nd August 2018. Hundreds of students, their parents and
activists of a fraternal organization joined the demonstration and gherao.
During the gherao, PSU leaders climbed onto the car of the Deputy
Commissioner and threatened that if the issue was not solved, PSU would
puncture the car of the Deputy Commissioner and gherao would continue
indefinitely. After two hours of gherao, the Deputy Commissioner invited
PSU for negotiations. DC assured that students of Brijindra College, Faridkot
and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College in Kotkapura would get admission
without any fee/fund within one day. DC also arranged a meeting of PSU
August,, 2018 49
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
leadership with Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education) at Chandigarh.
Students of Brijindra College and SBS College Kotkapura got admission
without paying any fee.
A delegation of PSU met the Additional Chief Secretary (Higher
Education) next day. After a long discussion he admitted that Punjab Govt.
was taking a paradoxical position on the fees to be paid by SC students.
Punjab Govt. was declaring that Dalit students would get education in all
institutions and yet was also charging PTA fund. Additional Chief Secretary
promised that Govt. would take a decision within few days regarding waiver
of PTA fund especially from Dalit Students.
The issue of the students of Govt. Ripudaman College in Nabha was
also resolved by the intervention of Additional Chief Secretary.
After a month long struggle against PTA fund, PSU claimed a partial
victory. Faridkot police also registered a police case against PSU President
Rajinder Singh days after the gherao of DC. PSU is also going to agitate
against the registration of this police case.
CPI(ML)-New Democracy Strongly
Condemns Killings of CPI(Maoist)
Cadres and Tribal People in Gadchiroli
Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy strongly condemns
killing of cadres of CPI-Maoist and tribal people in Gadchiroli district in
Maharashtra on April 22 & 23, 2018. Central and State Govts. are resorting
to brutal tactics to suppress the struggle of tribal people in Dandakarnya
region under the leadership of communist revolutionaries. These killings
reflect the repression let loose by the ruling classes against the people’s
struggles particularly against the struggles led by communist revolutionaries.
50 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Killing of the injured and unarmed tribals in the name of ‘éncounter’ with
CPI(Maoist) cadres has become a routine template of the security forces
in their all out war against the people in these regions. It is part of their
efforts to take control of the mineral rich region through physically eliminating
the communist revolutionaries and rendering tribals leaderless and helpless
and thereby incapable of resisting the onslaught of the ruling classes, foreign
and domestic corporate. In these attacks the security forces keep no regard
of the democratic rights of the people. They do not respect even the laws
of war though they themselves claim to be at war with CPI (Maoist).
Killing of unarmed tribals in cold blooded murders is not accidental but
a deliberate act to terrorize the tribals who are also arrested on trumped up
charges and incarcerated in jails for long periods of time. This is part of the
tactics of ruling classes to inflict collective punishment on the people for
daring to resist the onslaught of the ruling classes. State machinery’s
lawlessness and refusal for accountability is part of fascisization of the
state and must be fought back by democratic movements and organizations.
Though suppression of communist revolutionaries through security
forces has been a longstanding and long practised policy of the ruling
classes, this has been further intensified under the RSS-BJP Govt. which
represents the most reactionary fascist wing of the ruling classes. RSS-
BJP Govts. at the Centre and in different states are killing the people
under different pretexts to terrorize the oppressed sections as over 1500
‘éncounters’ in UP indicate.
CPI(ML)-New Democracy demands that an independent enquiry be held
into the Gadchiroli killings during April 22-24. CPI (ML)-New Democracy
calls upon all the democratic, progressive and revolutionary forces to oppose
this policy of physical liquidation of communist revolutionary cadres and
build a strong movement against this. CPI (ML)-New Democracy also
appeals to democratic rights organizations to raise their voice and expose
these murderous onslaughts of the RSS-BJP Govts. against the people,
particularly against the communist revolutionaries.
(Issued by the Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New
Democracy on April 28, 2018)
August,, 2018 51
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Protest against Repression by
TRS Govt. in Telengana, Invoking
of PD Act against Com. Madhu
TRS Govt. in Telengana led by KCR has launched one of the most
sinister attack against the people of Telengana particularly its tribals whom
it is trying to dispossess of the land which they have been cultivating for
decades, particularly Podu lands. TRS Govt. is also crushing the democratic
rights of the people. TRS Govt. which came to power after a broad
movement of the people of Telengana who fought against what they
perceived as exploitation and oppression, is suppressing the aspirations
of the people of Telengana. In order to crush the people’s struggles especially
those of tribal people in the agency areas, TRS Govt. is targeting leaders
and cadres of CPI(ML)-New Democracy which has been leading the struggles
of the tribal people for decades.
On July 3 night, state police arrested Com. Madhu, leader of the
resistance movement in Godavari Valley areas in Telengana and a state
leader of CPI(ML)-New Democracy from Hyderabad. He was kidnapped
while he was travelling in an auto. But the police showed his arrest from
Gondala forest in Kothagudem district and has foisted several false cases
against him. Com. Madhu had been arrested in July last year and then also
22 fake cases were foisted against him. UAPA sections were also invoked
against him. He was released on bail under these cases after some months
and he was out on bail. Now the police of TRS Govt. has again arrested
him and foisted several cases from the earlier period besides a case under
Arms Act. TRS Govt. has also invoked PD Act against Com. Madhu. This
is part of the brutal attack on the revolutionary leaders and the people of
these areas who are fighting to defend their land from the attack of TRS
Govt. Com. Madhu’s arrest along with the arrest of several other leaders of
the resistance movement and the struggling people, is aimed at suppressing
the struggle of tribal people. However, TRS Govt. will not be able to suppress
these struggles and will not be able to break the resolve of the people to
defend their lands and livelihood.
Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy strongly condemns
repression let loose by TRS Govt., foisting of false cases against leaders
52 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
of the resistance movement and CPI(ML)-New Democracy and imposing
PD Act against Com. Madhu. We appeal to all revolutionary organizations
and democratic forces to protest against this repression and invoking of
PD Act.
CPIML)-New Democracy calls upon all Party committees to protest
against this repression and use of PD Act on August 20 & 21, 2018. The
protests should be held on all centres in all states and at district headquarters
in Telengana.
(Issued by the Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New
Democracy on August 12, 2018)
The goals of the new
government and the role
of the SPD
On 7 February the heads of the monopoly parties SPD and CDU/CSU
agreed on a coalition agreement. On this basis the new government under
Angela Merkel was sworn in on 14 March, six months after the national
elections. The agreement had been previously put to a vote of the members
of the SPD. 239,604 voted with Yes, 123,329 with No. That means that 66
percent of those members participating in the vote said Yes. However, the
percentage of yes-votes is hardly more than half of the entire membership
(51.6%). We call this government GroKo for Grand Coalition – playing with
the word crocodile.
The monopolies are satisfied. Karl-Erivan Haub, head of the Tengelmann
retail chain, stated to the German newspaper „Handelsblatt“: „Common sense
won... I hope that parallel to that social democracy will succeed in
remodeling itself. I cannot imagine that the communist left would be the
sole representative of social issues.“
August,, 2018 53
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
With that, the open political crisis of the SPD has first come to an end,
but not the deep crisis of social democracy. The dilemma of the SPD is
that they are more and more loosing the ability to bind the workers to
monopoly policy. They are also losing their significance for the monopolies.
The government's shift to the right will be increasing. Germany is already a
war party in Syria. On the domestic level, spying and surveillance are
increasing and the AfD („Alternative for Germany“), which is preparing the
way for fascism, is being given room for their right-wing slander.
In the television news program ARD-Deutschlandtrend of 1 March, 52
percent of those asked were skeptical towards the new Groko, 46%
approved while grinding their teeth. Especially the workers are expecting
little of the new government. In the collective bargaining rounds in the
metal industry 1.5 million went out on strike for higher wages and shorter
working hours. According to new figures of April, in the meantime 2/3 of all
people are not or not at all satisfied with the work of the government.
Since their approval to the war credits in the 1st World War, the SPD
has always proved to be a reliable supporter of the monopolies. Their
followers must soberly recognize and comprehend the betrayal of the SPD
leadership and the degeneration of the former working-class party. They
can find a new future in the MLPD.
The coalition agreement contains small concessions, such as the child
benefits, that - over the years – shall increase by 25 euros per month and
child. Other benefactions are invented freely or sugarcoated in order to
divert attention from the intensified shift to the right. At least 190,000 new
jobs in foster care are necessary by 2025. 8,000 new jobs in foster care,
as promised in the coalition agreement, amount to hardly half a job per
foster home for the elderly, considering that there are 13,000 in all.
Today already about six million retired people live in poverty, especially
women. Their numbers will be increasing. Starting in 2025 retirement pay
can be lowered to 43% by 2030. Instead of the corrections promised by
Martin Schulz, the Hartz-IV-principle will so be extended to further spheres
of society.
The coalition agreement also leaves room for the monopolies' demand
to lower taxes for the capitalists. The new government is promising the
support of minimum rate of business taxes.
54 August,, 2018
 NEW DEMOCRACY
In the election year 2017 the initiated progressive change of mood was
overlapped for a while, especially by effect of the petty-bourgeois-
parliamentary mode of thinking. But for a few months this change of mood
among the masses of people has been enlivening again. 1.5 million metal
workers – men and women - participated in militant warning strikes which
were extended to 24 hours for the first time, especially in the
supermonopolies like Daimlerr, Ford, MAN, BMW, Audi, Airbus etc. Class
consciousness is also awakening in the increased numbers of independent
activities in companies. In the meantime, more than 200,000 employees of
the public sector have also participated in warning strikes and big
demonstrations.
Far more than 100,000 people demonstrated in the past weeks in Germany
in the Efrin-solidarity against the attack of the fascist Erdogan regime upon
the liberated are of Northern Syria. In many of these struggles the MLPD
is a driving force and is further growing into its new role in society.
The ruling powers want to maintain their crisis-ridden system of the
petty-bourgeois mode of thinking to appease the masses. This can be
clearly seen in the coalition agreement and its promises. At the same time
they have to position themselves against a movement for societal change
with the revolutionary perspective of genuine socialism. They are therefore
attempting to prevent a further drop in their mass basis, if possible, and
are massively arming themselves in their shift to the right.
In public they are maintaining that this increased fascization of the
state apparatus is necessary for attaining "more security for the population“.
The ruling powers are preparing for harder strikes and mass struggles.
15,000 additional jobs are planned for the security apparatus, 6,000 new
forces to upgrade the judicial apparatus. They are surveying the population
with cameras and are spying out their data. The counter-insurgency unit
GSG 9 is being increased by one-third.
New are the plans to revoke German citizenship for people with two
passports if they fight for a so-called "extremist“ organization. This is
directed against organizations that are active for a society without capitalist
exploitation and oppression; organizations like the Kurdish PKK, YPG/YPJ,
the CPP of the Philippines, Turkish and Palestinian revolutionaries. There
are plans to increase the military budget and to introduce combat drones.
This serves the extension of the power-political influence of German
August,, 2018 55
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
imperialism. In a January statement the BDI (Federal Association of German
Industry) writes: "The further development of the European Union is of
utmost political and economic significance for Germany.“
According to the coalition agreement refugees will be contained in central
concentration institutions in order to isolate them from the German population
and put them under pressure. The GroKo wants to introduce contingents
for the human right to flee to Germany. It intends to abolish the existing
right to reunite the families of refugees with subsidiary status and to allow
only a maximum of 1,000 refugees per month to enter the country. The
right of asylum – one of the most important anti-fascist achievements after
the 2nd World War – is so being further dismantled.
The new coalition wants to promote the neocolonial method of brain-
drain with an immigration law for trained professionals. In this way the
monopolies save the costs of training of skilled labor. They prefer luring
the most capable forces to Germany, who in turn are urgently needed in
their countries.
It is necessary to organize, especially in the Internationalist Alliance,
which can become the foundation for a future united front against the
government. All participants have called up to struggle against the shift to
the right of any future government. The crisis-riddenness of imperialism
can only be overcome by a fundamental, revolutionary solution in the united
socialist states of the world. The revolutionary working-class party MLPD
upholds this. The future government will be increasing polarization in
society. Up-to-date polls show an increase for the AfD as well as for the
Left Party. However, instead of organizing the struggle, the leaders of the
Left Party are currently courting left social democrats.
At the same time interest in the Internationalist Alliance is increasing.
It stands for uniting all progressive, antifascist, peace-loving,
environmentally conscious, internationalist, revolutionary forces and
organizing the progressive change of mood for a societal alternative.
(This write up is a reproduction of a statement issued
by Marxist Leninist Party of Deutschland (MLPD)
56 August,, 2018