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CRPF brutality in Jharkhand villages
- On 5-6 March 2021, a human rights fact-finding team of CDRO and HRLN visited three police station areas of the Giridih district – Madhuvan, Dumri and Pirtand, where the central government has decided to set up para – military camps. Following the decision there has been massive protests by the villagers. The team met these villagers and got complete information from them.
It may be known that the major newspapers of the country reported in December 2020 and January 2021 that many CRPF camps are being constructed in Giridih district, which the villagers here are strongly opposing. There has also been a lot of confrontation between the villagers and the administration over this issue, with several FIRs on people and arrests.
During investigation, it was found that the residents of this place are predominantly Adivasis living in the hilly terrain with rich natural forest and mineral resources. The Adivasiʹs right to forest, land and traditional governance systems have also been ignored by the government from the beginning. Till date, individual and community claim papers have not been granted under the Forest Rights Act 2006. Also, there is no means of employment for the local residents residing here. Qualitative medical and education completion is completely missing. The lives of these people, who are facing economic, culture and social problems, was made heel – like when the police and CRPF started the campaign against Naxalites in this area. People say that they do not know why the government is running this kind of repression on the innocent tribal villagers here, due to which they and the coming generation will have to live a life of constant fear and terror. The fact-finding team received information from villagers, including women and children from a total of 16 villages in Chingiapahari, Tesfuli, Bariarpur, Jeetpur, Banpura, Karipahari, Belathan and Taratand areas. The following information came to light:
Rape – A case of rape by security forces was reported in Tesaphuli.
Sexual Harassment – 7 minor girls were sexually abused by security forces in Banpura.
Fake Encounter – A labourer was killed in a fake encounter in Dolkatta.
Custodial Death – A resident of Jharha village in Pirtand police station area was murdered in police custody. It is to be known that this personʹs hotel was adjacent to the Pirtand police station where the security personnel visited regularly for tea and breakfast.
Custodial torture – Two youths from Taratand village were detained by the police and beaten up in SP Office, Giridih in an inhuman manner.
A MGNREGA worker of Kariphari village was brutally beaten up by the police in custody. His mobile, bike, bank passbook and muster roll of 15 MNREGA personnel were snatched by the police. Due to this incident, 15 MNREGA workers have not been able to get 2 weeks salary till date.
Cases of assault on women, children and innocent villagers was reported in almost all the villages. The houses of some villagers have also been ransacked. In between, the security forces have raided peopleʹs home both during the day and night. There have also been incidents of looting money and jewellery from homes. Often, crops and grains kept in homes are also destroyed during raids. There are no female police officers in this type of raids and almost during every raid, women are molested and abused.
Fake cases on innocent villagers – 6 people are still in jail in fake cases; There have been fake cases against 2 unknown people but no arrests have been made so far; and 1 person was sent to jail in a fake case who is currently out on bail. UAPA and CLA have been misused in these places and innocent villagers have been oppressed and this has created an atmosphere of fear amongst them.
A shocking case has also come to light where a vegetable-seller in front of the Pirtand police station use to give vegetables to the police personnel on credit. When he asked for his money, the police station in-charge immediately levied false case of UAPA against the vegetable-seller. He was sent to jail and is currently out on bail.
The fact-finding team has found that the villagers are widely opposed to setting up of the CRPF camps keeping in mind the persecution that has been perpetrated by the security forces. They say that the government is using their money to exploit them. The villagers are demanding hospitals, schools, employment and development instead of the security camps. Villagers also reported that the CRPF has forcibly built a camp in their traditional places of worship. Despite being the fifth scheduled area, permission has not been taken from the Gram Sabha to set up camp. The victims do not get any kind of legal aid in the area. Any kind of forest rights of the villagers living in the forests here, whether it is cutting firewood or picking fruits and flowers or hunting small animals has been stopped because of security forces.
Apart from these cases, laborers in Madhuvan are also facing severe hardships. The workers say that earlier there used to be a union of labourers. The union ran hospitals to provide free treatment to all people and safeguarded their labour rights. But the union was banned by levelling false charges against them and to benefit the outsiders and exploit the local laborers. Today, all places are discussing payment of lower wages to the labourers in all places. 21 workers of a Dharamshala are sitting on a strike regarding this issue. These workers are being expelled from their jobs and have no social security.
A cultural organisation of Giridih, Jharkhandi Aven was also banned by the government. This organization used to spread awareness about the dowry system, witch-hunting, superstition, education, etc. through its songs and plays. Today, many cultural workers are prosecuted in false cases and many are arrested.
Keeping all these things in mind, the fact-finding team demands the following from the government:
All innocent villagers prosecuted under false charges should be immediately withdrawn and they must be released unconditionally.
The violence against those detained should be stopped immediately. The custodial death should be investigated by the independent agency according to the directions given by the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission.
Being a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on Social Progress and Development, the government must fulfil its obligations towards community development.
Under the Forest Rights Act, the government should immediately fulfill the community rights of the people on the forest.
In a 5th schedule area, no work should be done without the consent of the Gram Sabha and government must follow the provision of PESA law.
All the victims must be given free legal aid.
Justice D.K.Base guidelines must be followed strictly.
Team Members – Tapas Chakrovarty, Prabhas Singho Roy, Samir Sen Poddar (APDR, West Bengal); Kumar Swamy (CLC, Telangana); Adv. Anup Kumar Agarwal, Adv. Raju Hembrom, Adv. Rohit Thakur, Adv. Sonal Tiwary (HRLN, Jharkhand); Rajni Kumari (Activist); Lix (Activist); Deepak Bara (Activist and Independent Journalist); Varsha Poddar (Researcher and Activist); Bhagwan Das (Activist); Sanjay Verma (Journalist, Taza Khabar); Jaideep Deoghariya (Journalist, Times of India); Mukesh (Journalist, Times of India).
Sticky Posts
On May 8, fascist and genocidal Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, will visit Porto (Portugal) to participate in a meeting between the EU and India for the purpose of reaching commercial and military agreements. These agreements collaborated with the Hindu-fascist and genocidal project that is taking place in India. EU rulers are complicit in these atrocities.
The Hindu-fascist government of Narendra Modi is a government that does not respect human rights, that defends a fascist ideology where there are people who do not have the same rights (caste system), that indiscriminately assassinates the Adivasi, Dalits communities, to the peoples of Kashmir, Assam or Manipur and which persecutes religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims, which detains human rights activists, trade unionists, students and intellectuals, declaring a real war against the people.
The Galician Committee in support of popular war in India makes an international call, especially to the Portuguese people, to all progressive and democratic political, union and mass organizations, to publicly express their greatest rejection to the visit of the fascist and genocidal Narendra Modi.
We will not be accomplices.
Modi Will not pass!
https://indiavermella.blogspot.com/2021/04/galiza-chamado-do-cgagpi-em-contra-da.html
info statement of CPI(Maoist) about an action at Tarrem in Chattisgarh’s Sukma district
Sukma District, April 6, 2021: The CPI (Maoist) released a statement on Tuesday that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commando who went missing after the April 3 encounter at Tarrem in Chattisgarh’s Sukma district was in their custody.
The Communist Party of India (Maoist) also demanded that the State government announce a mediator for the release of the commando.
Chhattisgarh Director General of Police D.M Awasthi said that the letter issued by the Maoist party was authentic and the government would soon take a call on the mediator.
The commando, identified as Rakeshwar Singh Minhas, belonged to the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action unit (CoBRA) of the CRPF, a unit specially trained for operations in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas.
A senior government official said that a media person or a social activist could be considered as a mediator.
The statement signed by “Vikalp”, spokesperson of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoist), said that four People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) cadres were killed in the encounter at Tarrem on April 3. It added that they had also taken away 14 weapons, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and other items belonging to the security personnel.
The PLGA cadres killed during the firefight were identified by the Maoists as Odi Sanni, Padam Lakhma, Kowasi Badru and Nupa Suresh, all residents of south Bastar. Sanni’s body was recovered by security forces on April 3.
The Maoists said that the men had died in the “courageous” counter attack. “We could not secure the body of Sunny. Final rites of the remaining three were held with revolutionary traditions,” they stated. The statement said that Madvi Sukkal, another villager, was also killed before the encounter.
The Maoists have named the condition that the officer would be set free if the government specifically announced the names of the mediators. “Till then he would be safe in the protection of Janatan sarkar,” a Telugu statement released in the name of CPI (Maoist) Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee official spokesperson Vikalp said.
The statement also said, “We are always ready for talks but the government had no integrity or conviction. Revolutionaries never gave up arms during the several previous talks held with governments. It is the government’s responsibility to creative atmosphere conducive for talks…Talks would materialise only if the government stopped deployment of forces, organising camps, attacks and restrictions. Policemen lost their lives in Kondagaon, Narayanapur and Bijapur since the government was carrying out attacks instead of holding talks. Government is responsible for this situation.”
Conveying condolences to the bereaved families of 22 policemen killed in the “counter attack”, the Maoists said the police were not their enemies. “We appeal to the police not to become scapegoats in the unjustified war brought about by the ruling classes,” the spokesperson said.
According to them, nearly 2,000 policemen “belonging to Modi and Amit Shah”, led by the Bastar Inspector General, had come to carry out attacks on villages in Sukma and Bijapur three days ago. The main objective of the “Samadhan-Prahar” operation was to decimate the PLGA, they said.
Close to 150 civilians and “our party workers and leaders” were killed in such attacks executed since November, 2020, the Maoists said. A similar offensive was organized by the police three days ago by deploying thousands of policemen, they said.
The seven-year rule of Narendra Modi, deepened economic crisis and deteriorated political situations had posed a serious threat to the lives and property of people, the Maoists said. Attacks on intellectuals and supporters of democracy were on the rise “by branding them Urban Naxals”. People were fighting against this suppression with the slogans of “Jal-Jungle-Jameen” and the Maoists would continue to support their struggle, the statement said.
Chhattisgarh Police had said in a statement on April 4 that teams had been dispatched to Tarrem as they wanted to corner PLGA chief Hidma, who was said to be in the area. Hidma heads the PLGA Battalion 1, one of the most lethally armed and trained units of Maoists active in southern Chattisgarh.
Chattisghar Encounter: Maoist Party released a Letter
The outlawed CPI (Maoist) has claimed that CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, who went missing after the April 3 ambush in Chhattisgarhʹs Bastar region, is in captivity of ultras, and asked the state government to appoint interlocutors for his release.
The Maoist Party also admitted that four of its cadres were killed in the encounter in which 22 security personnel had lost their lives.
Constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas of the 210th CoBRA battalion, an elite unit of CRPF, had gone missing after the gunfight along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts last Saturday.
The CPI (Maoist) statement also claimed that 24 security personnel were killed in the encounter.
ʹAs many as 2,000 police personnel had reached near Jiragudem village to execute a major attack (on Saturday). To thwart them, PLGA (Peoplesʹ Liberation Guerilla Army) retaliated during which 24 security personnel were killed and 31 others injured. We have caught a policeman (CoBRA commando) at the spot while others escaped,ʹ said a statement purportedly written by Maoists and being circulated on social media on Tuesday.
It said the government should first announce names of interlocutors and the jawan will be released later. He will remain safe in our captivity till then, it said.
The two-page statement was issued in the name of Vikalp, spokesperson of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of Maoists, which had been instrumental in executing several deadly attacks in south Bastar, including the Jhiram valley attack in Bastar district on May 25, 2013, in which top Congress leaders of Chhattisgarh unit were killed.
Maoists admitted that four cadres were killed in the Bijapur gunfight and the body of the slain woman cadre could not be retrieved from the spot.
Visakhapatnam District, April 6, 2021: CPI (Maoist) Visakha East Division Committee secretary Aruna has alleged that the Central and State governments are trying to suppress the tribal people and Maoists to further their agenda of bauxite mining in the Agency areas of the district.
In a statement here on Tuesday, the Maoist leader alleged that the Adivasis like ‘Pilku’ were being turned into ‘police informers’ by the police themselves and hence, the police and government should own responsibility for his death in the hands of the people. She called upon the tribal people to oppose the ‘false campaign’ launched by the police against the Maoist party.
She alleged that the police were trying to create a rift between the tribal people and the Maoists. She claimed that Maoists were true followers of revolutionary leader Alluri Seetharama Raju, who had fought the British rulers to protect the tribal people and their rights in the forest areas of Visakhapatnam district. She lashed out at the Centre on its move to privatize the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and other PSUs.
Political Prisoner G N Saibaba Dismissed From Post At Delhi University’s Ram Lal Anand College
April 2, 2021: Authorities in Delhi University’s Ram Lal Anand College have removed scholar-activist GN Saibaba from his assistant professor post. Confirming the development, his 22-year-old daughter Manjeera told Scroll.in that the family received his termination letter on Thursday.
Saibaba, a wheelchair-bound, 90% physically disabled scholar-activist was sentenced to life for his alleged connections with Maoists in 2017, and has been in the Nagpur Central Jail since. On February 13, he tested positive for Covid-19.
Saibaba taught English at Ram Lal Anand College until his arrest in 2014. After that, the college had formed a one-member committee to look into the matter of his suspension.
Manjeera said there were no supporting documents attached to the letter to provide any reason for the termination. She said the family would challenge the letter in court, which said her father’s services are terminated with immediate effect from March 31 afternoon. The letter added that three months’ salary has been credited to Saibaba’s account.
“They initiated disciplinary proceedings [at the time of his arrest] against him saying that he was not present in college to teach so he has violated terms of services,” Manjeera said. “Our lawyer was in touch with the committee and we sent them a letter demanding some documents they did not give us, and we said they cannot use that reasoning because he is in a situation where he is not voluntarily not going.”
Saibaba’s daughter said the family had sent a letter six months ago to the college about the documents, but they did not receive any response. “All of a sudden, we got this new termination notice,” she said.
The termination notice would end Saibaba’s salary from the college, raising concerns for the family. “It is a matter of our sustenance now,” Manjeera said.
Last month, members of human rights groups, civil society organizations, and international academic associations had demanded Saibaba’s immediate release on a medical parole, citing his grave health condition. A statement said that over the past five years, the government has consistently ignored and rejected appeals and petitions demanding that Saibaba be provided with medical care appropriate to his ailments or that he be allowed medical bail to seek treatment.
The farmers’ movement has been ongoing for the past four months. After several rounds of negotiations with the Centre and its subsequent silence, the farmers’ unions have announced they will intensify the fight against the Farm Laws. First published in Newsclick.
Farmers’ march to parliament: The date for the event will be announced in the coming days (File)
Thousands of farmers, who have been protesting against the central government’s three agriculture laws near Delhi borders for over four months, will march to parliament in the first half of May, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha – an umbrella body of 40 farmers’ unions that has been leading the agitation – announced on Wednesday.
“SKM has announced a parliament march in the first fortnight of May. Other than farmers and labourers, women, Dalit-Adivasi-Bahujans, unemployed youth and every section of the society will be part of this march. This program will be completely peaceful,” it said in a statement.
The body said protesters will come to the three main protests sites – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur – in their vehicles to participate in the “paidal” (on foot) march to parliament. The date for the event will be announced in the coming days, it added.
The farmers’ unions will intensify their agitation against the laws from April 1. They said they will block the KMP expressway for 24 hours on April 10.
The march to parliament had originally been scheduled on February 1, the Budget Day. However, it was cancelled in the wake of violence during the farmers’ Republic Day tractor march.
Hundreds of police personnel had been injured on the Republic Day, when thousands of farmers on tractors had veered off the permitted routes and barged into the national capital, breaching barriers set up by the authorities.
Kothagudem District, March 28, 2021: Viplava Karmika Samakhya (Vikasa), affiliated to the CPI (Maoist), extended its support to the protest planned on April 5 in New Delhi demanding that the Central government set up a railway coach factory at Kazipet. Four railway trade unions and an all-party delegation, excluding BJP, planned to stage dharna at Jantar Mantar to put pressure on the Centre to fulfill the demand.
In a statement released to the media here on Sunday, Samakhya secretary Azad called upon the laborers, students, youth, intellectuals, artists and others to extend their solidarity to the protest. For several decades, the local laborers and public have been demanding the government to establish a coach factory and set up a railway division with Kazipet as its headquarters. There was highest number of workers at Kazipet, which also earns more in comparison to all existing divisions, he said.
Yet the Modi government denied the possibility of setting up the coach factory, Azad said while adding that a provision was made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act for sanctioning a Tribal University, Bayyaram steel factory and Kazipet coach factory to Telangana State. He reminded that the coach factory was sanctioned at Kazipet during the tenure of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.
He also accused the Modi government of privatizing the Indian railways, the heart of the public transportation system in India. Pledging the Samakhya’s support for the cause, Azad urged the public and working class to continue their agitations until the demand was fulfilled, and to oppose the privatization of railways.
Gaya District, March 24, 2021: The CPI (Maoist) has announced a Bandh in southern Bihar and western Jharkhand on March 24 and 25 to protest against the murder of four Naxalites in a fake encounter in Gaya district of Bihar.
The CPI (Maoist) have termed the encounter between Cobra, CRPF and Naxals that took place in the Chakarbandha forest of Dumariya block on March 16 as a fake encounter.
The Naxalites have accused the police of shooting Amareesh, Shivpujan, Sita, Udaya under a conspiracy to murder them and show their killing as an encounter. The Maoists claim that the police want to get the credit by saying that they have killed them in an encounter but this is not an encounter it is the cold blooded murder of Maoist leaders.
The Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee of CPI (Maoist) issued a press release, supporting the Bharat Bandh of March 26 called by ‘Samyukta Kisan Morcha’ against three farm act brought by the Central Government and appealed to the common people to make it successful as well. The Maoists’ letter has protested against all three agricultural laws. In the letter issued by the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee Spokesperson, Azad mentioned that the outfit is fully supporting the demand of the farmers’ organization.
It may be mentioned here that the Bharat Bandh has been called by the United Kisan Morcha on 26 March against the three farm bills brought by the Central Government. The CPI Maoist has written in support of the farmer movement that all the three agricultural laws are anti-people. Therefore, it is very important to repeal it. The organization fully supports the Bandh called on March 26 in protest against the three laws.
In view of the CPI Maoist’s Bandh on March 24 and 25, the announcement of Bandh in southern Bihar and western Jharkhand and the CPI Maoist support for the Bharat Bandh by farmers on March 26, an alert has been issued in Bihar-Jharkhand and the rumor is being monitored.
Nabarangpur: Maoist posters have surfaced yet again in Raighar area of Nabarangpur district on Wednesday.
The Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr. GN Saibaba organised a press conference at the Press Club of India in Delhi which was addressed by writer Arundhati Roy, former Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha D Raja, General Secretary of the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) Muralidharan, former President of DUTA Nandita Narain, professor Parminder Singh, filmmaker Sanjay Kak, wife of Dr. Saibaba and women’s rights activist Vasantha and Delhi University professor Vikas Gupta. Dr. GN Saibaba tested positive for COVID-19 on February 12th 2021. A wheelchair bound former professor of Delhi University with 90% disability and several severe co-morbidities,Dr. Saibaba remains incarcerated in the Nagpur Central Jail. The speakers strongly underlined the need for his release, immediate and adequate medical care and access to his family to ensure his recovery.
After repeated appeals by Dr. Saibaba and other inmates to the jail authorities to test the inmates at the Nagpur Central Jail, he was eventually tested for the COVID-19 and the results were positive.
Vasantha spoke of how 13 out of 25 people in his barrack tested positive. Despite this, none of the inmates were taken to the hospital. They were provided basic antibiotics and told to fend for themselves. Distressed by the neglect of Dr. Saibaba’s health she asked, “why was he not taken to the hospital? Why is a person suffering from post-polio paralysis, a person who cannot walk, a person whose heart and mind work but every other part of his body is affected not being given bail? Why is the State afraid of giving him bail?” She spoke of how he was not allowed to meet his dying mother or even perform the last rites after her death. When so many others were being given parole, bail or even being acquitted after being released from jail, why is Dr. Saibaba still being held in custody? She spoke of the terror she felt when she heard of the death of Kanchan Nannaware, a prisoner with a severe ailment in the heart who was operated on and died during surgery, a surgery performed without informing her husband or family. Speaking of the strength shown by Dr. Saibaba who consoled her over the phone, she said, “he told me to not lose my confidence as these dark days will not continue for long. Every period of repression has to end. So, he asked me to continue fighting boldly for his release.”
Reiterating the inhumanity of denying a person with such severe ailments reprieve, Muralidharan said, “the experience of Dr. Saibaba amounts to nothing but torture, cruelty and indignity.” As someone speaking for the rights of persons with disabilities, he said, “we are demanding that they implement the laws enshrined in the Constitution.” With COVID-19, Muralidharan felt that when the government is willing to acknowledge that persons with disabilities are more vulnerable then why are they not releasing Dr. Saibaba? He said that denial of assistive devices like wheelchairs for persons who cannot walk amounts to torture. In light of the torture faced by him, Dr. Saibaba must be released.
Laying out the current political climate where anyone fighting for the rights of others faces false cases, Nandita Narain reiterated the unequal nature of the law wherein, “today, justice looks at the face of the person standing before it and gives justice accordingly. If you are a Saibaba, Sudha Bharadwaj or others, false cases are foisted on you, something proved beyond doubt by the Arsenal Report.” She said, “we are here to demand his release on bail and proper medical treatment instead of the anda cell.” Also speaking of the use of electronic evidence to accuse, charge and convict dissenting voices, Prashant Bhushan spoke of the manner in which emails are planted in computers as revealed by the Arsenal Consulting Report. He drew attention to Justice DY Chandrachud’s dissent in the Supreme Court in the petition filed by Romila Thapar and others in light of the Bhima Koregaon arrests where emails which were allegedly recovered from the computers of people using a language unknown to its purported author. He said, “they are now going after everyone who is seen as against the government. They have even gone after journalists who have written stories against the government. The method of doing this is by making any kind of charge. As seen in the Delhi Riots case, they have gone after people against whom they have no evidence, people like DevanganaKalita, SafooraZargar, Umar Khalid besides many others, all of whom are targeted under the UAPA.” He felt that this law is utilised due to the provision where at the first instance, without any investigation into the facts of the case, the judge is expected to establish if there is a prima facie case against the accused. He concluded by saying that, “unless the police are held accountable for foisting false cases, they will go on doing this.” Likewise, the continued incarceration of Dr. Saibaba amounts to torture and he called on the courts, the establishment and the others to ensure that he is released immediately.
Drawing connections between the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Sedition Act, the role of the BJP-RSS and the incarceration of Dr. Saibaba, D Raja said, “today, anyone who questions the government is targeted. We are facing a grave threat to the ethos that we have been proud of. Today, we are witnessing fascist rule. Why are they afraid of Dr. Saibaba? They are not afraid of his body but his brain. The government is afraid of the questions raised by people like Saibaba and the hundreds and thousands of people coming to the streets questioning the policies of the State.” Remarking on the mental agony of the family of Dr. Saibaba, he felt that people from all sections of society must come together to demand his release. Highlighting the physical ailments of Dr. Saibaba, Vikas Gupta found the inordinate delays by the judiciary amounts to denial of justice. He hoped that, “the judiciary will learn a little more sensitivity and release Dr. Saibaba expeditiously.”
As a member of the defence committee for Dr. Saibaba, Sanjay Kak reminded everyone of the threat posed by Dr. Saibaba for simply drawing attention to the Operation Green Hunt. But today, the threat to his life is also a threat to us and what lies ahead for all of us. Calling Dr. Saibaba a prisoner of conscience, he said that Dr. Saibaba was appealing to the conscience of the people, just as those at the borders of Delhi today are appealing to the conscience of the people of this country. He found that, “it is a tragic situation that this tussle over an embattled nation is being conducted over a body like that of Dr. Saibaba. And so, it becomes our duty to continually speak for his release.”
Marking the importance of the questions raised by people like Dr. Saibaba, Prof. Parminder Singh spoke of the condition of the people of Central India. Those struggling for their land, water and minerals belong to a glorious history of struggle by tribal communities in India against the predatory acts of the government, something repeatedly raised by Dr. Saibaba. He found that, “if we consider the imprisonment of people like Sudha Bharadwaj, Rona Wilson, Gautam Navlakha and others, it becomes clear that they were speaking against the acquisition of resources, against the attack on the natural resources of this country.” He felt that it was out bounden duty of all the democratic people and organisations to speak against the neoliberal policies of the state. Locating the struggle against acquisition of land in central India with the present-day struggle of the peasants in the outskirts of Delhi he found that, “this is also a part of the same struggle as the ones waged by tribals and Dalits. Today, the peasants fear that their land will be acquired under one pretext or another.” He felt that it is not merely a question of livelihood under threat but the resources of the people under attack by the corporate world. And to defend these rights is to defend the basic rights of the people of this country to their livelihood, resources and culture and to live a life of dignity. In this context he found that to demand the release of Dr. Saibaba becomes absolutely urgent and legitimate as his incarceration is part of the onslaught against all those who speak against the attack on the resources of this country.
Starkly reminding the audience of the changing conditions over the last five-six years, Arundhati Roy spoke of how the incarceration of Dr. Saibaba, a person in judicial custody, amounts to torture every single day that he spends behind bars. She said, “every single day something irreversible is happening to him. This is every day, slowly taking something away from him. While there is a sliding scale of access on the basis of ability, caste, class etc., for a person like Dr. Saibaba who is paralysed waist down, for him even in judicial custody he is tortured every day and everything that happens to him is irreversible.”
Speaking of Operation Green Hunt and the period where hundreds and thousands of security personnel were released to wreak havoc against Adivasis, she spoke of how people expected the Adivasis to protest non-violently. Drawing parallel with today, she spoke of how the struggle being fought today by peasants was being fought by Adivasis over all those years. At one time Saibaba, Sudha, Gautam and others were fighting it. It has now reached the borders of Delhi. It has not reached our homes. The people have understood that their land is being corporatised. She said, “what we are witnessing now is not politics, it is pathology.” She said, we have to remember that some of the best lawyers in this country, including Dr. Saibaba’s lawyer, Adv. Surendra Gadling, is in jail. Anyone who stands up for anyone is in jail. Remarking on the threat looming over everyone daring to speak for the release of others, she said, “Today, it is dangerous to be in the defence committee. Whoever speaks for Saibaba is likely to be picked up, be it Rona Wilson, Hany Babu and others.”
She felt that the nation is being hypnotized in some way. We have to capture the alternate, the reality, and disable this onslaught on the people of the country.
From bourgeoisie press collected by Redspark
CAF Trooper Killed By IED Blast Triggered By Naxalites In Dantewada District
Dantewada District, March 5, 2021: A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) trooper was killed on Thursday when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Dantewada district, police said.
The incident occurred around 1 pm near Pahurnar village in the Geedam police station area when security forces were providing security to a bridge undergoing construction work, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.
Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and CAF launched an area domination drive from the Chhindnar police camp for the project on the Indravati river, he said.
“When the patrol team was on the other side of the river, Head Constable Laxmikant Dwivedi (CAF 22nd Battalion) inadvertently stepped over the IED, triggering a blast that left him critically injured,” Sundarraj said.
The incident occurred near Pahurnar, some 400 km from Raipur. Dwivedi, from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, succumbed to his injuries.
CPI Maoist Squad Execute Police Informant In Visakhapatnam District
Visakhapatnam District, March 6, 2021: A squad of CPI (Maoist) cadres allegedly executed a 35-year-old tribal person and former militia member after branding him as a police informant, at Kothapalem village near Mandipalli under G.K. Veedhi police station limits in the Agency area of Visakhapatnam district, late on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Korra Pilku, a resident of Kothapalem
According to ASP of Chintapalle, Ch. Vidhya Sagar Naidu, Pilku allegedly was an active militia member about a year ago. He allegedly used to supply food, provide accommodation and make other arrangements for the Maoists. However, since the last six months, he started to stay away from the Maoists with an intention to lead a peaceful life with his family.
The ASP said that since he stopped working for the Maoists, they grew suspicious about him. They put pressure on him several times to cooperate with them, but Pilku reportedly refused. Suspecting that he had become a police informant, the CPI (Maoist) tried to kill him on a couple of occasions, but he managed to escape.
A squad of about 15 Maoists, reportedly led by Kakuri Pandana alias Jagan of Galikonda area committee, came to the village late on Friday night and asked him to accompany them. His family members and other villages protested and urged the Maoists to leave him. But they promised to return him back after questioning him, said Superintendent of Police B. Krishna Rao.
The Maoists executed him by beating him with sticks and hacking him with axes late in the night. “They wanted to set an example and create fear among other villagers,” Mr Vidhya Sagar Naidu said.
The victim is survived with a wife and four children.
This is the third incident in the last four months. Earlier, Maoists executed two tribal people after branding them as police informants in G. Madugula mandal in December last year.
The G.K Veedhi police have registered a case and an investigation is ongoing.
3 Jaguar Force Jawans Killed By Landmine Blast Triggered By CPI Maoist In West Singhbhum District
West Singhbhum District, March 4, 2021: Three jawans of Jharkhand Jaguar (JJ) Special Assault Group-11, a special unit of the state police department, were killed and four others were injured in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI (Maoist) in Langi jungle atop Langi hills under Toklo police station (PS) in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand early Thursday morning, said police. The encounter with the Maoists is still underway, it added.
“Three JJ AG-11 jawans have died while two others have been seriously injured in IED blasts triggered by Maoist in Langi jungle under Toklo PS in West Singhbhum district this morning. Two other jawans have also sustained minor splinter injuries and have been shifted to Chakradharpur hospital while two seriously injured jawans have been airlifted to Medica Hospital in Ranchi. Encounter with the Maoists is currently on,” said Niraj Sinha, Jharkhand director general of police (DGP).
As per sources, the landmine blasts were triggered by the Maoists when a joint team of district police, CRPF and JJ were on a search operation early this morning in and around Langi hills, the site of four encounters in three days between security forces and the Maoists last month.
Kokhan DIG Rajiv Ranjan Singh, West Singhbhum SP Ajay Linda, DSP Sudhir Kumar, with additional forces, had reached Chakradharpur and were on their way to the encounter site under Toklo PS
Two of the three killed jawans have been identified as constable Haridwar Shah (Palamu) and constable Kiran Surin (Simdega).
Three of the four injured jawans have been identified as head constable Devendra Kumar Pandit (Godda), constable Deep Topno (Khunti), constable Nikku Oraon (Latehar).
March 7, 2021: Poet and activist Varavara Rao, who is an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, was released on Saturday from a hospital, reported NDTV. The Bombay High Court had on February 22 granted the 81-year-old activist bail on medical grounds for a period of six months.
He was undergoing treatment at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital, where he was admitted by the Maharashtra government following the High Court’s intervention. Rao’s lawyer Indira Jaising posted a photo of the activist, saying he was “free at last”.
Rao was granted bail on the condition that he has to stay within the jurisdiction of the Special National Investigation Agency Court. The court also asked the activist to mark his presence with the nearest police station through video call on messaging platform WhatsApp. Besides, Rao has been directed not to issue any statements or speak to the media.
The activist and poet was shifted to Nanavati Hospital, after the High Court on November 18 observed that he was “almost on his deathbed”. Since then, the court extended his stay in the hospital on December 15, December 21 and then on January 7. The National Investigation Agency has, however, maintained that he was fit to be shifted back to Taloja Jail, where he was lodged before being hospitalized.
Rao was arrested in 2018 along with several other activists and booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The poet and activist suffers from multiple ailments.
Dear Comrades and Friends,You all are well aware that for past 5 decades we have been building a Revolutionary movement. The revolutionary movement led by our Party is not tolerated vie bit by the ruling classes. This revolutionary movement has become a big hurdle to their loot. They have understood that they cannot come out of the swamp of crisis without setting aside this ‘Hurdle’ . Hence, in 2005 itself they declared that Left Wing Extremism (that is our Party) is thesinglelargestthreatto the Internal Security of our country. They are speedily advancing to uproot our Party and the Indian revolutionary movement. Hence, in the areas of our revolutionary movementthey have deployed Indian Army in disguise. Apart from this, applying Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) too is in the pipeline. You all have seen how AFSPA have destroyed lives in Kashmir and the North East. Very soon the iron heels of the Indian Army is going to mercilessly trample upon the people of the areas of our movement in Central and Eastern India. This should not be acceptable to any Indian citizen on any condition. This would be purely unconstitutional. We appeal to you all to strongly oppose this develop a moment on the demand for calling the Indian Army Since the Indian government declared the Left wing Extremism (that is our Party) as the singlelargest threat to the Internal security of our country it has resulted in continuous and prolonged repression campaigns against our Party, the revolutionary movement and the revolutionary masses. You all are well aware that between 2005 and 2009, under the aegis of state and Central governments, how the white militia, Salwa Judum and Sendra, were organised and unleashed on the masses and an environment of terror was created in the areas of the movement. Then too we were united in defeating their attempts. Later, from mid 2009 theenemy started an undeclared-Operation Green Hunt, with the intent to repress our all India movement. When this too was challenged by us then in mid 2017 the Indian State reviewed it and since May that year they are carrying out the multi pronged, fixed 5 year Operation SAMADHAN. We are facing this for past threeandhalfyears. Now that the duration of SAMADHAN is about to end, the North Block is again restless. Consequently, since Dec 2019, they brought in a new plan named ‘Prahaar’. As a part of this, since November 2020 the Prahaar is intensified. Under the leadership ofour Party, the revolutionary movement and the PLGA is giving them a fitting reply, but some actions such as nearMinapa village on March 21 2020, led by the PLGA,has made them really disterbed. As a result, with the aim of uprooting Indian revolutionary movement on October 15th 2020, National (Internal) Security Adviser, Vijay Kumar conducted a meeting of top Police Officials of five states, Paramilitary, State and Central Intelligence Agencies via video conference and declared a new decisive attack plan,to be implemented from November 2020 to June 2021, of 10 point tactics based on the lines of military operations. Actually, before the declaration of this plan, the police have acknowledged the deaths of 4 Army jawans in the March 21st 2020, Minapa village ambush, carried out by the PLGA.Eventhough they participated in the campaign as DRG, it is clear that the Indian ruling classes are deploying Indian Army in disguise and carrying out its wars on the people of India.The Army that is supposed to fight foreign invaders are being stealthily disguised as DRG and put to war against the civilians of the country, that too on the indigenous inhabitants of this country. We appeal you to strongly condemn this and develop a movement at several levels on the demand to call back the Army. Since 2014 we are facing deadly attacks by the ruling hindutva forces. We have already lost people’s well wishers like Gauri Lankesh and Govind Pansre. Presently a lot of friends are languishing in many of the jails of the countryeven at the time of Corona Pandemic. They have neglected their own Supreme Court suggestions to release prisoners in the background of Corona, and denied bails to them. Actually they are all innocent people who have committed the only crime of opposing the dictatorial, blind religious and murderous policies of 2Brahminic Hindutva Fascists’ government. To finish the Indian revolutionary movement such conspiracies are carried out. The ruling Brahminic hindutva fascist are trying to stifle every voices of dissent and everyone who struggles. They have converted the whole country into a big Jail. They are constantly conspiring to divert and divide the people’s movements and creating an environment of terror and amuck. Leftists and Democrats are perpetual enemiesof these Brahminic hindutva fascist. They have violated promises and rights enshrined in the constitution to the Kashmiris. They have trampled upon the aspirations of self-determination of the people of North East. They brought CAA on religious lines. They have brought the farm laws with the intent to smash the agricultural sector. In the name of New Education Policy they’re encouraging irrelevant hindutva policies. They are not tolerating any opposition to their neoliberal Brahminic hindutva fascist policies by the peasants, students and workers. They are trying their level best to divert such movements. They are attacking the left democratic leadership who are not willing to compromise. This needs to be countered with even more unity. Those neoliberal hindutva policies, their idea of new India needs to be opposed by creating strong people’s movements.
Abhay,
Spokes person,
Central Committee,
CPI (Maoist)
We extend our revolutionary solidarity and support to the militant peasant farmers and agricultural workers joining together as a peoples’ united front, resolved in the struggle to force the repeal of the reactionary and anti-people laws imposed by the Indian ruling classes led by the Modi government.
The protests began in mid-August 2020 in northern India in anticipation of the introduction of the three laws designed to remove all legal barriers to the spread of the influence of rapacious finance capital and corporation in the agricultural sector. In September 2020, ignoring the protests, the Modi Government using its majority position in the parliament, circumventing the parliamentary procedures pushed through the three ruinous bills. These controversial bills remove all barriers to the extension of India-WTO agreements signed in 1995 to the agricultural sector. This can only mean the wholesale handover of the Indian agricultural industry to the local and international financial institutions to further exploit and plunder.
Enraged by these anti-people bills, tens of thousands of farmers, particularly from the northern state of Punjab, after protesting in vain for almost three months, on November 26, 2020, began their march to New Delhi, the capital. The reactionary Modi government responded by deploying paramilitary troops armed with water cannons and tear gas and protected by barricades, razor wire and deep trenches dug into the freeways at the borders of the capital blocking the farmers’ journey to the centre of the city. The militant farmers fought off the violent attempts and held their ground against the authorities’ brute force.
Since then, the protests have spread across the whole country and represent the largest ever mass mobilization of farmers in India to date. Currently, an estimated 500,000 peasant farmers and agricultural laborers are encamped surrounding the city. Led by an alliance of 32 farmers’ and workers’ unions, the historic protest has swelled into an almost 20km stretch of camps with community kitchens, public libraries, film screenings and platforms for political meetings. So far, over 90 people have died during the protests. Some have died because of the cold, and some have committed suicide in protest as a political statement.
So far, eleven rounds of fruitless discussions and negotiations between the farmers’ representatives and the government bodies have taken place. While the government aims to exhaust the protests, the farmers are determined that they will not return to their homes unless these laws are repealed.
On January 26, hoisted as “India’s Independence Day” by the Indian ruling classes, the protest organizers had called for peaceful rallies and marches. They had negotiated agreed routes with the police. But the roads for the demonstrations by the masses were blocked by the authorities. During the mayhem, a group of militant farmers, notwithstanding the police violence and the blockades, broke away and symbolically occupied the Red Forth, where these ceremonies usually take place. They thus showed nothing can stop or hinder their resolve.
The upsurge and the resilience of the militant protests of the peasant farmers and its spread across the country is a significant blow to the Modi government and it’s policies of “divide and rule” as undisguised attacks on the working class and other toiling masses in India. During his term in office, furling the flag of Hindutva fascism, Mr Modi has unleashed many retrogressive measures aggravating social division and communal violence. Yet, at these protest gatherings, peasant farmers from all origins and from different communities, including Hindu, Muslim and Sikhs, live together, share the same food and shout the same slogans in their rallies. They stand resolutely, shoulder to shoulder against the authorities. Women, the backbone of the rural economy, have played a frontline role in the struggles. Dalits, typically undertaking the hardest manual labour in the countryside, have played a significant role in these struggles.
While the Indian ruling classes claim India to be the “largest democracy” in the world today, they deploy the most brutal repression against all forms of protest against the government. They unleash government backed Hinduvta fascist thugs to attack and brutalize the unarmed peasant farmers and protestors physically. Particularly during the last three weeks of the protests, the regime has cut internet and mobile access to New Delhi and surrounding areas. It has forced the closure of many social media channels that spread the news of the protests. The reactionary Modi Government has increasingly resorted to using “sedition laws” against protestors. These laws dating back to the 1870s when India was under British rule and are now revived to intimidate protesters and contain their struggles.
Yet despite all repression, the militant farmers continue in their fight. On February 18, 2021, they launched further protests calling a national day of protest and occupations of the railway stations to express their determination and resolve in continuing their struggles.
The struggle of the Indian peasant farmers against such reactionary policies today is unprecedented in size and the dimension of the resistance. But it is not a new phenomenon. The agricultural sector in India, which largely consists of smallholding and subsistence farming, is the source of income for over 50% of the population. As such, it has always been sensitive to such reactionary machinations by the ruling classes both during the British direct rule and since 1947 when power was passed to the Indian ruling classes.
Historically, Punjab was the epicenter of the notorious “Green Revolution” unleashed in the 1960s. The “Green Revolution” in India was the localized version of a general policy sponsored by US imperialism following the Second World War. It was designed as a comprehensive policy to stifle the influence of communists leading peasant revolutions sympathetic to the Soviet Union and the Peoples’ Republic of China led by Mao Tse-tung. It was aimed at putting an end to the revolutionary transformation of feudal relations through a revolutionary process and to impose a state-sponsored reform. Particularly in Punjab, following independence in 1947 and throughout the 50s and 60s, there were significant militant struggles for land reform and agrarian revolution by peasant movements led by communists. The “Green Revolution” in India followed similar examples in Latin America (Guatemala) and south-east Asia (Philippines), Middle East (Iran and Turkey) to stop the spread of communist influence. It was hoisted as an initiative to overcome “famine and food shortages”. This was applied to agriculture where the US supplied high yield fertilizer hungry seeds to increase the production of wheat, rice and other cash crops, introducing a basic form of industrial agriculture. With a Keynesian outlook, the Indian government subsidized and provided minimum prices for these agricultural products. The “Green revolution” ushered in greater and deeper dependency on the US and the supply of seeds, chemical fertilizers, and other farming products.
While the reactionary ruling classes in India and the US imperialism and it harbingers hail this as a success story, the effect was seen and felt on the ground taking the processes of dispossession and pauperization of the large numbers of peasant farmers to new dimensions. The “Green revolution”, in effect, was aimed at integrating the feudal relations with the comparator relations maintaining the existing social relations, the class structure, and the caste system of oppression intact.
Today, the Modi government is hailing the introduction of these laws as the “Green Revolution 2”. It is claiming that this will double the farmers’ wages and income. Yet all statistics show otherwise. With inflation at a steady average of 7.5%, farmers’ income has steadily decreased during the last decade. As a barometer of the worsening conditions of life, rising debt and bankruptcy of the peasant farmers, the suicide rate has taken a dramatic rise. In September 2020, the Indian parliament heard reports indicating that in 2019 alone, the number of recorded suicides amongst farmers and daily wage earners was 42,480 people. Some estimates show the number of suicides is steadily rising and that during the last decade alone, a figure close to 300,000 farmers and daily wage earners have committed suicide.
Clearly, the imperialist model of development and its endemic crisis is at the root of the problem. India is considered ripe for further extensive plunder of its resources and markets by imperialist powers and their collaborators. The Indian ruling classes, serving these interests, have at least for the past 25 years strived to introduce “neoliberal” policies and have made every attempt to usher in further instruments to ease the expansion of domestic and international finance capital over the country. Yet, at every turn and every attempt, the ruling classes have faced militant resistance by the people. Clearly, neither their policies designed to auctions off the tribal lands in order to plunder its mineral resources disguised as “Operation Green Hunt”, nor the opening of mega-store to the “Indian Walmarts”, or the opening of the claws of domestic and international finance capital in the agriculture, facilitated by the latest three bills passed by the government of Mr Modi, can address the crisis of a corrupt, decadent and reactionary system that is long overdue for revolutionary transformation.
The struggle of the Indian peasant farmers in India is an inseparable part of the worldwide struggle of workers and other oppressed against imperialism and reaction. The struggle against colonialism and imperialist domination and for a people’s democracy has a long, glorious history in India. The peasant farmers in India carrying on with such militant traditions in their just struggles are certain to attract the support, solidarity and sympathy of all oppressed and proletarian forces at home and abroad. Their persistent fight will undoubtedly contribute to and extend the ongoing revolutionary struggles of progressives democratic and communist forces in India.
We stand shoulder to shoulder with the revolutionary struggle of all workers and other oppressed people in India.
We extend our solidarity with the just struggle of the peasant farmers movement in India.
Victory to the oppressed farmers in their just and militant struggle against the imperialist backed reactionary offensive of the Indian state!
TKP-ML International Bureau
February 2021
INDIA: ‘Will go to Singhu border and sit with farmers,’ says activist Nodeep Kaur after release from jail
Labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur on Friday said that she will join the farmers’ protest against the new agricultural laws at Singhu border, NDTV reported. “I will definitely go to Singhu, sit with farmers,” she said, upon her release from Karnal Jail late in the evening. “I have not done anything illegal in the past and will not do anything illegal in the future and will always stand for the people.”
Earlier in the day, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted bail to Kaur. She was arrested on January 12 for mobilising workers near the Singhu border, the epicentre of the farmer protest against the three new agricultural laws. The Dalit activist and her colleagues staged a demonstration in the Kundli industrial area, near Singhu, outside a factory that had not paid its workers their wages.
Speaking on Shiv Kumar, another activist who was arrested along with her, Kaur said that his condition was very bad and he has not been shifted to a hospital despite orders of doing so. “He wasn’t even there on the 12th [January], yet he was arrested and thrashed brutally.”
A medical report has shown that Kumar has sustained eight injuries that are more than two weeks old. The court had on February 19 directed the superintendent of Sonipat Jail to have Kumar examined at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, after his father Rajbir alleged that the jailed activist was “subjected to police torture”.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=scroll_in&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1365316710643851264&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fscroll.in%2Flatest%2F988061%2Fwill-go-to-singhu-border-and-sit-with-farmers-says-activist-nodeep-kaur-after-release-from-jail&siteScreenName=scroll_in&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px
Kaur also spoke about the agitating farmers and said that people should speak out in favour of their demands. “The farmers are sitting on protest sites, leaving their fields,” she said. “Nobody likes to sit on the streets if not for their demands. So, people should speak out in their favour so that a resolution is reached.”https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=scroll_in&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1365315761900724232&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fscroll.in%2Flatest%2F988061%2Fwill-go-to-singhu-border-and-sit-with-farmers-says-activist-nodeep-kaur-after-release-from-jail&siteScreenName=scroll_in&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px
Meanwhile, her sister Rajvir Kaur said that the fight was still on as many activists were still in jail, PTI reported. “We have not won this fight,” she said, according to PTI. “How can we win this fight till the time activists like Shiv Kumar, Umar Khalid [accused in Delhi riots’ conspiracy case], Khalid Saifi [booked under UAPA in Delhi riots case]…The list is very long, are inside jails? They all are our country’s true leaders.”
She was speaking at the Press Club of India in Delhi during a public meeting, marking a year since the arrest of Saifi and Ishrat Jahan, both booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February last year.
COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST)
Central Committee
Press Release
Continue The Struggle Against The Three Anti People Agriculture Related Laws, Until Modi Government Doesn’t Repeal Them Completely.
Communist Party of India (Maoist), once again, conveys Red Salutes by extending revolutionary greetings to all those, in Delhi and all over India, who are resolutely, continuously and unitedly struggling for repealing the three anti peasants laws of the Modi government. We fully welcome with warm spirits, the ‘Tractor Rally’ carried out by them on 26th January 2021.
These struggles around Delhi and all over India reminds us once again of the struggles against the British government’s Rowlett Act. Then it was the British, now its Imperialist agent Modi. Then it was Bhagat Singh, today, as his rightfull heirs, there are lakhs of rebellious peasants. Instead of repealing those laws, the government is adopting the policy of buying time and exanimating the movement. 11 rounds of talks have taken place, where the peasant’s leaders have made it clear to the government that their main demand is that the three laws must go, yet the government is wantonly dilly dallying. It’s because the government, is in fact the government of the Imperialists and the Comprador Bourgeoisie of India.
On 26th January, lakhs of peasants in tractors marched to Delhi and exposed to the world how biased and anti farmer, this sham ‘Republic Day’ of India is. Even if after giving permission for the rally, the government had been, via police, consistently trying to stop the farmers from carrying it out. They barricaded the routes. Tear gassed. Lathi Charged. Navrit Singh, a youth was dead. Law and order is the responsibility of the government. They tried their best to convert the peaceful March of the farmers into a violent one. In fact they had been trying from start to infiltrate the peasants struggle to split it or create confusions. They succeeded in infiltrating BJP agents Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhna in the Rally. Even after tight security arrangements these agents were allowed to proceed towards Red Fort. Allowing them to proceed to Red Fort, hoist there flag, create ruckus and paint the tractor rally as violent and then foist false cases on in its leaders are a part of the conspiracy of the Brahminic hindutva fascist Modi government. We condemn this cheap and repressive tactics of the government. We appeal to the soldiers and the police to maintain balance and stand in support of the farmers, as they too are the sons and daughters of farmers.
This Rally has exposed the double-dealing hypocrite Modi who masquerades as ‘Principally Servant of the People’. The truth that he is not the ‘Principal Servant of the People of India’, but is in fact the obedient servant of the Imperialists and the comprador corporate houses, has come out openly. With an unreconciling stand towards repealing the laws you have through your unity and firm resolve has smashed all tricks to manipulate you to some sort of negotiation. Still there are some forces outside of the United Front. We appeal to all of them to understand the necessity of the situation and join hands in the fight to repeal the laws.
The Modi government is stealing the morsel from the mouth of the poor by handing over procuring and hoarding rights to corporate Adani and Ambani. They are tightening the noose around the farmer’s necks by starting private markets and making provisions to hand over the lands to the corporate. This law is a decree to snatch the livelihood of the small businesses and traders. It is not just the peasants but 80% of the ordinary citizens who will be badly affected by this law. Hence we appeal the vast masses to join the struggle. In the areas of your work carryout consistent struggles in support, and force the government to repeal these laws. We appeal all the people to protest and demonstrate at different places all over the country in support of the call by the Farmers United Front to gherao the parliament on Feb 1st 2021 and other programs we call on the Maoist party caders, PLGA, revolutionary organisation, other organisations and Revolutionary People’s Communities (RPCs) to carryout various struggles in support of All India militant movement and against the 3 – laws. As a continuation of this follow it up on 10th February (on Great Bhoomakal Day) all over the country.
Abhay,
Spokesman,
CPI (Maoist), 30-01-2021.
from Maoistroad
Farmers’ protest in India
Thousands of farmers poured into India’s capital, New Delhi, in a real siege between November and December last year to protest against the new three agricultural laws that the government enacted in September 2020.
A protest never seen in size, as several media admit: “Protests are the largest mobilization ever of the peasants …”
Soon after the promulgation of the three black laws, as the peasants call them, protests had begun in the various states of the Indian Union, especially in the northern states of the country, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh… and after a general strike on 25 September throughout India (Bharat Bandh), the protest also spread to entire Uttar Pradesh, and also to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Uttarakhand and parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; but since the beginning of November the organized peasant masses gathered in over 40 large “unions”, having had no response from the government, have decided to move the protest directly to the city where the government is based.
The reasons for challenging the three black laws are clear and simple, so as clear has become to everyone their substance: the government wants to give the green light to the entry of multinationals into the country’s agriculture by clearly dismantling the current system of production, sale and distribution of agricultural products (a system which works through the sale to the state at collection centers and protected markets – the so-called ‘mandi’ – at a guaranteed minimum price – MSP is the acronym used in India), which allows millions of farmers to survive; the government wants the privatization of the whole sector which accounts for about a quarter of gross domestic product and 650 million workers involved in agriculture (half of the population!) and put it in the hands of the large multinationals, especially Indian at the moment, dominated by the Ambani, Adani, Birlas, Tata etc., with their control over agricultural products, control of prices on contracts with farmers, etc., in short, total control of the sector. Modi’s statements in this regard are clear: “The new decade will see the birth and growth of indigenous multinationals”, “Reforms, from agriculture to space, will increase the scope of business…”
The meaning and objectives of the laws are therefore clear, but as everyone knows, governments try to disguise their content by adding words to deceive, to calm the masses in revolt, declaring that these laws even represent improvements and benefits for the people!
The three laws bear these high-sounding names:
- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act
- Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act
- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act
The first law expands the planned current commercial areas for agricultural products to “any place of production, harvesting, aggregation”; allows both wholesale and retail e-commerce of essential agricultural products: a modality almost impossible for farmers to use; prohibits state governments from imposing market taxes, excise duties or other types of levies on farmers, traders and e-commerce platforms acting in an “external trading area”.
The second provides a legal framework that should safeguard farmers who enter into contracts with purchasers, and provide for price indication; but in anticipation of the logical prevarication of “buyers” towards farmers, it defines a dispute resolution mechanism. The farmers, that is, after being screwed, as a journalist says, will be able to “complain”, perhaps bringing to court giants of the world economy!
The third law removes foodstuffs such as cereals, legumes, potatoes, onions, edible oilseeds and oils from the list of essential products, removing the storage limits of such items except in “extraordinary circumstances”; And in order to throw smoke in the eye it imposes a limit on the accumulation of stocks for agricultural products only if this leads to an increase in prices.
In fact, as we can see, it is precisely the dismantling of the current system, which by the masters of the multinationals has been called for as a ‘prerequisite’ (free market, prices to be bargained for, no ‘protected’ production) for any investments.
To get farmers into even more debt and bankrupt them, that is what they aim to, for a “free” use of the land, transforming it into monocultures or factories, mines. That’s what, exactly, they have been trying for about 30 years, as some analysts remember! It is the recipes of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the “structural adjustments” imposed on various states in exchange for the possibility of obtaining international loans: in fact, this is the case of “reforms” that worsen the living and working conditions of workers, labourers and the popular masses in general. And the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund says it openly: “The laws on agriculture and work are important steps in the right direction. They have the potential for a more flexible labour market… and in the case of agriculture to have a more integrated market that creates competition…” These ‘adjustments’ are gladly followed by Modi, who is simultaneously trying to restrict the powers of the various States of the Union, such as on agriculture, by centralizing decisions and passing the costs on to them.
Protests
Once they have understood the true content of the laws (and to these must be added the new law called the “amendment” on electricity that provides, also this, price liberalization and related increase in tariffs and additional costs for farmers!), the masses of farmers have unleashed protests with the sole aim of forcing the government to withdraw the three laws: these are the firm demands to date, together with another series of demands to lighten the burden on the masses of farmers … such as raising the minimum support price (MSP) by at least 50%, reducing the prices of agricultural diesel by 50%, withdrawing all charges against protesting farmers and releasing arrested leaders.
The protests targeted not only the government symbolically in the various states, but the places of production, sale and storage of the goods of India’s masters: supermarkets, petrol pumps, storage silos, telecommunications towers. The attack on these towers, in particular (about 2000) has unleashed the ire of billionaire Ambani (who has a personal wealth of 170 billion dollars in a country where the large masses “live” with one dollar a day – 102nd place out of 107 in the international ranking of countries where hunger is most suffering) who asked the courts and the government to intervene to put an end to “vandalism”.
These protests, which took the government itself by surprise in part, perhaps thinking of splitting the front that has been created by using the differences between large and small farmers, have expanded to the far-fetched, have expanded to other states and many other sectors, have won popular support, the solidarity and material support of intellectuals and workers who fight daily against masters, and against ruthless governments: just think of the factory workers who, when they rebel, are attacked and sometimes killed by the private militias of the masters with the support of the State that uses its industrial police (CISF) to safeguard the profits of multinationals; or think to the same State led by Modi who shows no scruples in having Muslims massacred by discriminatory and racist laws.
Repression
The right protests of the peasants were met by the government with the harshest violence; it first tried to stem protests in different states and then tried to prevent farmers from arriving in the capital New Delhi, raising barricades, even digging trenches in the streets, using “water cannons in the middle of winter, abuse, provocation, trolls, blatant misinformation…” (the Hindu), and still barbed wire, tear gas in an already ice-cold Delhi for polar cold and rain floods.
The death toll so far is about 60, not to mention the absurd scourge of debt and poverty suicides, more than 10,000 in 2019.
The strength of protest
But despite the implementation of a powerful internal “troop” movement, the government failed to do so: “We used water cannons and installed barricades but we were not able to stop the peasants who kept going … Protesters move in large numbers and some of them throw stones at policemen during clashes,” “Protesters broke through vehicle windows with water cannons and walked through the square. Because of the large number we had no choice but to let them through,” one policeman reported. “The police dug trenches to stop us from getting to Delhi. Our brave farmers have passed every barricade, water cannons, tear gas to get here,” said one farmer.
This revolting mass has armed itself not only with traditional weapons of popular struggles to repel police attacks, but also from a “legal” point of view, intelligently using the results of the National Farmers’ Commission led by a famous agricultural scientist and under the jurisdiction of the government itself; results that say that the solution is not at all that of privatization, but rather to strengthen the current system by recognizing farmers a higher price for their products.
The “novelty” of the massive presence of women
The other “surprise” of these gigantic protests against the Modi government is that of women. In fact, thousands of women have gradually joined the peasants that started the fight, somehow “breaking the feudal mentality” as one journalist says, and who have shown all their determination by placing themselves at the forefront of the fight.
For some Indian media it was a “surprise” and they talked about it in these terms: “A surprising feature of the protests this time is the presence of women”… “thousands of women have become a pillar of the farmers’ protests blocking the streets in New Delhi and which have become a major challenge for the government. The presence and above all the protagonism of women is truly a gigantic challenge for Modi’s Hindu fascist government. But this surprise is only the effect of the “invisibility” of the female workforce on India’s vast farmland.
Nearly 75% of rural women in India who work full-time are farmers, according to non-governmental organization Oxfam India, and the number is expected to even increase as more and more men migrate to cities to find a work. Yet just under 13% of women own the land they work. And now these women have “taken to the streets” as some of them say, with the intention of staying there until they have won their battle.
The importance of the issue (within the global crisis)
The Modi government’s obstinacy in wanting these laws to be applied at all costs is explained by the “necessity” of the representative of the Indian masters to give a positive response, this certainly, to the hunger for profits of multinationals aggravated by the global crisis and further aggravated at this time by the global pandemic. The scope of the demonstrations, in fact, a reflection of the importance of the subject in question, is of the gigantic ones, it concerns the current state of affairs at world level, it concerns the crisis and the response that governments try to give to it to get out of it, it touches on global competition, the kind of food supply that is fundamental to the very existence of humanity, it touches on land grabbing, with the expulsion of local populations, it concerns the destruction not only of agricultural land with the use of chemistry, but also the destruction of the immense forests of the country and the management of the immense “raw materials”.
Land and forests that must be “free”, precisely from the control of farmers to allow the owners of the multinationals Ambani, Adani etc. to “stay on the market”, to compete internationally, and given that, for example, the production of household appliances or clothing and other “old” sectors stagnates, other investment fields are needed such as the immense agricultural market or the “new sectors” of high technology that allow great profits… it is recent and very important, in this sense, Ambani’s billionaire agreement with the giants of the Internet, Facebook Inc., Google etc. and implanting new technologies, (the towers destroyed by farmers during protests!) throughout the country means having control of the territory, penetrating the forests building new roads.
This aspect of forest control is of great interest for the Modi government because these are the main place of action of the People’s War led by the PCI (Maoist), an insurmountable obstacle to the government’s plans. And it is no coincidence that some members of the government immediately targeted the protest and solidarity with it by saying that the farmers’ protest ended up in the hands of the Maoists.
Government plays the card of ‘dialogue’
After the first incessant and very strong weeks of struggle and the encirclement of New Delhi, the government summoned the representatives of the peasants to open the discussion on the three laws. After 7 meetings, however, the government, mainly through its Minister for Agriculture, has stood firm on its positions, it does not intend to abolish the three laws! He just wants to discuss some clauses and even try to convince the farmers of the goodness of the laws. And Narendra Modi, always filling his mouth with the word democracy, has said it openly and clearly: these laws are a watershed! There is a before and after these laws, and there can be no ‘human approach ‘on his part, as some farmers would like!
The farmers, and the peasants, in turn, have stood firm in their demand for the abolition of the three laws and are threatening other initiatives if the request is not granted. The answer is in fact the continuation of the struggle: the farmers have already built real citadels around the capital (which has about 20 million inhabitants) and in particular in some crucial places, and the situation can become even more fiery given that the huge outskirts of Delhi has a large number of industries and hundreds of thousands of workers. After 8 January, if there are no adequate answers, peasants are preparing the “tractor parade”, a march inside the capital for 26 January, Republic Day.
We then can say that with his new three pro-multinational laws Modi has raised such a great stone that in falling back he could give the mortal blow to him and his government…
PUTTING UNDER SIEGE FOR MORE THAN 40 DAYS NEW DELHI, IN A HEAD-ON CONFRONTATION WITH THE HINDU MODI FASCIST GOVERNMENT, FOR THE CANCELLATION OF THE LAWS ON AGRICULTURE THAT WOULD THROW THEM INTO HUNGER AND MISERY CRUSHED BY THE LARGE MULTINATIONAL GROUPS.
GOVERNMENT, WHICH RECENTLY ENACTED LABOR LAWS FOR EASY LAYOFFS, WAGE CUTS, PRECARIOUSNESS, WHICH LED TO THE GIANT STRIKE OF 250 MILLION WORKERS ON NOVEMBER 26, WHICH GAVE FARMERS STRENGTH TO BEGIN THE SIEGE
IN THE STREETS FOR DENUNCIATION OF THE FALSE NEGOTIATIONS TO BREAK THE FRONT OF STRUGGLE, OF THE JUDICIARY THAT FLANKS MODI AGAINST THE PEASANTS, OF THE REPRESSION AGAINST THOSE WHO FIGHT
BEAUTIFUL SQUARES THAT LOOK ‘TO INDIA AS AN EXAMPLE’
WHICH WERE ANIMATED BY THE ACTION OF THE WOMEN WHO, FROM THE LABORS ON THE FIELDS, TOOK THEIR PLACE IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE MOBILIZATIONS
WHO RECALLED THE SACRIFICE OF THE DOZENS OF PEASANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY DIED IN THIS HARSH SIEGE
A MOBILIZATION, THAT OF THE 17TH, THAT IS ONLY JUST ON THE BEGINNING, LOOKING AT JANUARY 26, THE DAY OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE, WITH THE DROP OF PEASANTS IN NEW DELHI THAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO PREVENT, BUT THAT ‘MUST BE DONE’ BECAUSE ONLY THE FIGHT PAYS OFF.
naio – OGGI LA SOLIDARIETA’ INTERNAZIONALISTA DEI LAVORATORI A FIANCO DELLA GRANDE LOTTA DEI CONTADINI IN INDIA
17.01.2021:
ORE 15.00 BRESCIA PIAZZA VITTORIA
ORE 15.00: CHIARI, TELGATE, CALCINATE, COLOGNO, CIVIDATE AL PIANO, GORLAGO, TRESCORE BALNEARIO,
NELLE PIAZZE DAVANTI AI COMUNI,
con il rispetto delle misure anti contagio, distanziamento e mascherine
Pubblicato da sindacatodiclasse a 15 gennaio – CON I CONTADINI INDIANI, PER LA VITTORIA DEI CONTADINI INDIANI, FORTE IMPEGNO SOLIDALE DEI LAVORATORI NELLE FABBRICHE E COOPERATIVE TRA BERGAMO E BRESCIA, IN CAMPO PER GARANTIRE LA RIUSCITA DELLA MOBILITAZIONE DEL 17 GENNAIO https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZAgGcpfddSdl9cSolhKHftc9SZ1EYfnF91x3rDzfOfMbLP3zpr5nFW5HQhW3H0YEcMWnKM30Crbw3cKI-SHHlT4V7jzb32WYGIRTBVgiKq_qw_iTvKItZWgBQMZ6rQCyHZncK
PUTTING UNDER SIEGE FOR MORE THAN 40 DAYS NEW DELHI, IN A HEAD-ON CONFRONTATION WITH THE HINDU MODI FASCIST GOVERNMENT, FOR THE CANCELLATION OF THE LAWS ON AGRICULTURE THAT WOULD THROW THEM INTO HUNGER AND MISERY CRUSHED BY THE LARGE MULTINATIONAL GROUPS.
GOVERNMENT, WHICH RECENTLY ENACTED LABOR LAWS FOR EASY LAYOFFS, WAGE CUTS, PRECARIOUSNESS, WHICH LED TO THE GIANT STRIKE OF 250 MILLION WORKERS ON NOVEMBER 26, WHICH GAVE FARMERS STRENGTH TO BEGIN THE SIEGE
IN THE STREETS FOR DENUNCIATION OF THE FALSE NEGOTIATIONS TO BREAK THE FRONT OF STRUGGLE, OF THE JUDICIARY THAT FLANKS MODI AGAINST THE PEASANTS, OF THE REPRESSION AGAINST THOSE WHO FIGHT
BEAUTIFUL SQUARES THAT LOOK ‘TO INDIA AS AN EXAMPLE’
WHICH WERE ANIMATED BY THE ACTION OF THE WOMEN WHO, FROM THE LABORS ON THE FIELDS, TOOK THEIR PLACE IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE MOBILIZATIONS
WHO RECALLED THE SACRIFICE OF THE DOZENS OF PEASANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY DIED IN THIS HARSH SIEGE
A MOBILIZATION, THAT OF THE 17TH, THAT IS ONLY JUST ON THE BEGINNING, LOOKING AT JANUARY 26, THE DAY OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE, WITH THE DROP OF PEASANTS IN NEW DELHI THAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO PREVENT, BUT THAT ‘MUST BE DONE’ BECAUSE ONLY THE FIGHT PAYS OFF.
naio – OGGI LA SOLIDARIETA’ INTERNAZIONALISTA DEI LAVORATORI A FIANCO DELLA GRANDE LOTTA DEI CONTADINI IN INDIA
17.01.2021:
ORE 15.00 BRESCIA PIAZZA VITTORIA
ORE 15.00: CHIARI, TELGATE, CALCINATE, COLOGNO, CIVIDATE AL PIANO, GORLAGO, TRESCORE BALNEARIO,
NELLE PIAZZE DAVANTI AI COMUNI,
con il rispetto delle misure anti contagio, distanziamento e mascherine
Pubblicato da sindacatodiclasse a 15 gennaio – CON I CONTADINI INDIANI, PER LA VITTORIA DEI CONTADINI INDIANI, FORTE IMPEGNO SOLIDALE DEI LAVORATORI NELLE FABBRICHE E COOPERATIVE TRA BERGAMO E BRESCIA, IN CAMPO PER GARANTIRE LA RIUSCITA DELLA MOBILITAZIONE DEL 17 GENNAIO https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZAgGcpfddSdl9cSolhKHftc9SZ1EYfnF91x3rDzfOfMbLP3zpr5nFW5HQhW3H0YEcMWnKM30Crbw3cKI-SHHlT4V7jzb32WYGIRTBVgiKq_qw_iTvKItZWgBQMZ6rQCyHZncK
P
from Maoistroad
Farmers’ protest in India
Thousands of farmers poured into India’s capital, New Delhi, in a real siege between November and December last year to protest against the new three agricultural laws that the government enacted in September 2020.
A protest never seen in size, as several media admit: “Protests are the largest mobilization ever of the peasants …”
Soon after the promulgation of the three black laws, as the peasants call them, protests had begun in the various states of the Indian Union, especially in the northern states of the country, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh… and after a general strike on 25 September throughout India (Bharat Bandh), the protest also spread to entire Uttar Pradesh, and also to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Uttarakhand and parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; but since the beginning of November the organized peasant masses gathered in over 40 large “unions”, having had no response from the government, have decided to move the protest directly to the city where the government is based.
The reasons for challenging the three black laws are clear and simple, so as clear has become to everyone their substance: the government wants to give the green light to the entry of multinationals into the country’s agriculture by clearly dismantling the current system of production, sale and distribution of agricultural products (a system which works through the sale to the state at collection centers and protected markets – the so-called ‘mandi’ – at a guaranteed minimum price – MSP is the acronym used in India), which allows millions of farmers to survive; the government wants the privatization of the whole sector which accounts for about a quarter of gross domestic product and 650 million workers involved in agriculture (half of the population!) and put it in the hands of the large multinationals, especially Indian at the moment, dominated by the Ambani, Adani, Birlas, Tata etc., with their control over agricultural products, control of prices on contracts with farmers, etc., in short, total control of the sector. Modi’s statements in this regard are clear: “The new decade will see the birth and growth of indigenous multinationals”, “Reforms, from agriculture to space, will increase the scope of business…”
The meaning and objectives of the laws are therefore clear, but as everyone knows, governments try to disguise their content by adding words to deceive, to calm the masses in revolt, declaring that these laws even represent improvements and benefits for the people!
The three laws bear these high-sounding names:
- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act
- Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act
- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act
The first law expands the planned current commercial areas for agricultural products to “any place of production, harvesting, aggregation”; allows both wholesale and retail e-commerce of essential agricultural products: a modality almost impossible for farmers to use; prohibits state governments from imposing market taxes, excise duties or other types of levies on farmers, traders and e-commerce platforms acting in an “external trading area”.
The second provides a legal framework that should safeguard farmers who enter into contracts with purchasers, and provide for price indication; but in anticipation of the logical prevarication of “buyers” towards farmers, it defines a dispute resolution mechanism. The farmers, that is, after being screwed, as a journalist says, will be able to “complain”, perhaps bringing to court giants of the world economy!
The third law removes foodstuffs such as cereals, legumes, potatoes, onions, edible oilseeds and oils from the list of essential products, removing the storage limits of such items except in “extraordinary circumstances”; And in order to throw smoke in the eye it imposes a limit on the accumulation of stocks for agricultural products only if this leads to an increase in prices.
In fact, as we can see, it is precisely the dismantling of the current system, which by the masters of the multinationals has been called for as a ‘prerequisite’ (free market, prices to be bargained for, no ‘protected’ production) for any investments.
To get farmers into even more debt and bankrupt them, that is what they aim to, for a “free” use of the land, transforming it into monocultures or factories, mines. That’s what, exactly, they have been trying for about 30 years, as some analysts remember! It is the recipes of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the “structural adjustments” imposed on various states in exchange for the possibility of obtaining international loans: in fact, this is the case of “reforms” that worsen the living and working conditions of workers, labourers and the popular masses in general. And the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund says it openly: “The laws on agriculture and work are important steps in the right direction. They have the potential for a more flexible labour market… and in the case of agriculture to have a more integrated market that creates competition…” These ‘adjustments’ are gladly followed by Modi, who is simultaneously trying to restrict the powers of the various States of the Union, such as on agriculture, by centralizing decisions and passing the costs on to them.
Protests
Once they have understood the true content of the laws (and to these must be added the new law called the “amendment” on electricity that provides, also this, price liberalization and related increase in tariffs and additional costs for farmers!), the masses of farmers have unleashed protests with the sole aim of forcing the government to withdraw the three laws: these are the firm demands to date, together with another series of demands to lighten the burden on the masses of farmers … such as raising the minimum support price (MSP) by at least 50%, reducing the prices of agricultural diesel by 50%, withdrawing all charges against protesting farmers and releasing arrested leaders.
The protests targeted not only the government symbolically in the various states, but the places of production, sale and storage of the goods of India’s masters: supermarkets, petrol pumps, storage silos, telecommunications towers. The attack on these towers, in particular (about 2000) has unleashed the ire of billionaire Ambani (who has a personal wealth of 170 billion dollars in a country where the large masses “live” with one dollar a day – 102nd place out of 107 in the international ranking of countries where hunger is most suffering) who asked the courts and the government to intervene to put an end to “vandalism”.
These protests, which took the government itself by surprise in part, perhaps thinking of splitting the front that has been created by using the differences between large and small farmers, have expanded to the far-fetched, have expanded to other states and many other sectors, have won popular support, the solidarity and material support of intellectuals and workers who fight daily against masters, and against ruthless governments: just think of the factory workers who, when they rebel, are attacked and sometimes killed by the private militias of the masters with the support of the State that uses its industrial police (CISF) to safeguard the profits of multinationals; or think to the same State led by Modi who shows no scruples in having Muslims massacred by discriminatory and racist laws.
Repression
The right protests of the peasants were met by the government with the harshest violence; it first tried to stem protests in different states and then tried to prevent farmers from arriving in the capital New Delhi, raising barricades, even digging trenches in the streets, using “water cannons in the middle of winter, abuse, provocation, trolls, blatant misinformation…” (the Hindu), and still barbed wire, tear gas in an already ice-cold Delhi for polar cold and rain floods.
The death toll so far is about 60, not to mention the absurd scourge of debt and poverty suicides, more than 10,000 in 2019.
The strength of protest
But despite the implementation of a powerful internal “troop” movement, the government failed to do so: “We used water cannons and installed barricades but we were not able to stop the peasants who kept going … Protesters move in large numbers and some of them throw stones at policemen during clashes,” “Protesters broke through vehicle windows with water cannons and walked through the square. Because of the large number we had no choice but to let them through,” one policeman reported. “The police dug trenches to stop us from getting to Delhi. Our brave farmers have passed every barricade, water cannons, tear gas to get here,” said one farmer.
This revolting mass has armed itself not only with traditional weapons of popular struggles to repel police attacks, but also from a “legal” point of view, intelligently using the results of the National Farmers’ Commission led by a famous agricultural scientist and under the jurisdiction of the government itself; results that say that the solution is not at all that of privatization, but rather to strengthen the current system by recognizing farmers a higher price for their products.
The “novelty” of the massive presence of women
The other “surprise” of these gigantic protests against the Modi government is that of women. In fact, thousands of women have gradually joined the peasants that started the fight, somehow “breaking the feudal mentality” as one journalist says, and who have shown all their determination by placing themselves at the forefront of the fight.
For some Indian media it was a “surprise” and they talked about it in these terms: “A surprising feature of the protests this time is the presence of women”… “thousands of women have become a pillar of the farmers’ protests blocking the streets in New Delhi and which have become a major challenge for the government. The presence and above all the protagonism of women is truly a gigantic challenge for Modi’s Hindu fascist government. But this surprise is only the effect of the “invisibility” of the female workforce on India’s vast farmland.
Nearly 75% of rural women in India who work full-time are farmers, according to non-governmental organization Oxfam India, and the number is expected to even increase as more and more men migrate to cities to find a work. Yet just under 13% of women own the land they work. And now these women have “taken to the streets” as some of them say, with the intention of staying there until they have won their battle.
The importance of the issue (within the global crisis)
The Modi government’s obstinacy in wanting these laws to be applied at all costs is explained by the “necessity” of the representative of the Indian masters to give a positive response, this certainly, to the hunger for profits of multinationals aggravated by the global crisis and further aggravated at this time by the global pandemic. The scope of the demonstrations, in fact, a reflection of the importance of the subject in question, is of the gigantic ones, it concerns the current state of affairs at world level, it concerns the crisis and the response that governments try to give to it to get out of it, it touches on global competition, the kind of food supply that is fundamental to the very existence of humanity, it touches on land grabbing, with the expulsion of local populations, it concerns the destruction not only of agricultural land with the use of chemistry, but also the destruction of the immense forests of the country and the management of the immense “raw materials”.
Land and forests that must be “free”, precisely from the control of farmers to allow the owners of the multinationals Ambani, Adani etc. to “stay on the market”, to compete internationally, and given that, for example, the production of household appliances or clothing and other “old” sectors stagnates, other investment fields are needed such as the immense agricultural market or the “new sectors” of high technology that allow great profits… it is recent and very important, in this sense, Ambani’s billionaire agreement with the giants of the Internet, Facebook Inc., Google etc. and implanting new technologies, (the towers destroyed by farmers during protests!) throughout the country means having control of the territory, penetrating the forests building new roads.
This aspect of forest control is of great interest for the Modi government because these are the main place of action of the People’s War led by the PCI (Maoist), an insurmountable obstacle to the government’s plans. And it is no coincidence that some members of the government immediately targeted the protest and solidarity with it by saying that the farmers’ protest ended up in the hands of the Maoists.
Government plays the card of ‘dialogue’
After the first incessant and very strong weeks of struggle and the encirclement of New Delhi, the government summoned the representatives of the peasants to open the discussion on the three laws. After 7 meetings, however, the government, mainly through its Minister for Agriculture, has stood firm on its positions, it does not intend to abolish the three laws! He just wants to discuss some clauses and even try to convince the farmers of the goodness of the laws. And Narendra Modi, always filling his mouth with the word democracy, has said it openly and clearly: these laws are a watershed! There is a before and after these laws, and there can be no ‘human approach ‘on his part, as some farmers would like!
The farmers, and the peasants, in turn, have stood firm in their demand for the abolition of the three laws and are threatening other initiatives if the request is not granted. The answer is in fact the continuation of the struggle: the farmers have already built real citadels around the capital (which has about 20 million inhabitants) and in particular in some crucial places, and the situation can become even more fiery given that the huge outskirts of Delhi has a large number of industries and hundreds of thousands of workers. After 8 January, if there are no adequate answers, peasants are preparing the “tractor parade”, a march inside the capital for 26 January, Republic Day.
We then can say that with his new three pro-multinational laws Modi has raised such a great stone that in falling back he could give the mortal blow to him and his government…
from Red Spark
Rajnandgaon District, January 15, 2021: A group of Naxalites executed the husband of a village sarpanch on suspicion of being a police informant in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday night in Pardoni village in the Manpur police station limits, a Naxalite-affected area located around 170 km from Raipur.
The 47-year-old police informant, husband of the Pardoni village sarpanch (panchayat head), was beaten to death.
According to preliminary information, a group of Maoists entered the police informant’s house when he was resting after dinner and dragged him out on the street.
They then took him to the village outskirts and thrashed him brutally. The police informant died on the spot.
After being alerted, a police team shifted the informant’s body to a hospital for post-mortem.
Maoist pamphlets were recovered from the site in which the deceased was accused of being a police informant. A police official denied the informant’s association with the police.
A search operation by police has been launched to trace the Naxalite squad that carried out this execution.
According to a police official, on May 8 of last year, four Naxalites were killed in a gun battle with police in Pardoni village. The Naxals suspected that the informant tipped off the police about the presence of their colleagues.
Kandhamal District, December 28: CPI (Maoist) cadres today blocked Kotagarh-Muniguda road near Radiguma in Odisha’s Kandhamal district by cutting down trees as a part of bandh observed by the party. Vehicular movement was temporarily disrupted due to the incident.
The Maoists also put up posters at various places in Kotagarh and Tumudibandha areas of the district urging the people to extend support to the bandh call. In the posters, the Maoists have opposed construction of CRPF camp in the area and destroying of ganja cultivation.
The CPI (Maoist) has also alleged that tribal people are being engaged as police informers through the lure of money and false promises.
The Maoists had earlier given an Odisha bandh call for today protesting the recent deaths of several Maoist cadres during exchanges of fire with security forces. Releasing an audio clip in this regard, CPI (Maoist) Odisha Committee spokesperson Sonali said the rebels will give befitting reply to the deaths of the cadres. Terming the deaths as killings by SOG and DVF jawans, she warned of destroying the police informers network.
Giridih District, December 24: At least a thousand villagers launched an attack on the picket of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Pandeydih village under Pirtaand Block of Giridih district on Wednesday evening.
Holding traditional weapons, the villagers marched towards the picket. The attack has been alleged to be instigated by the Maoists.
The 7th Battalion of CRPF has opened a picket close to the house Ajay Mahato, a member of the Special Area Committee of the CPI (Maoist), in his village Pandeydih. Mahato is on the most wanted list of police with prize money of Rs 25 lakh on his head.
Pandeydih under Pirtaand Block of Giridih is a CPI (Maoist) stronghold. Apart from Mahto who is active from Parasnath to West Bengal and Orissa border, other Maoist cadres Karamchand Manjhi, and Dhirenda also belong to this village.
The entire Pirtaand block, which was once an impregnable fort of the Maoists, has now crumbled with CRPF’s bold presence and opening of the picket. By opening the picket virtually in the Maoists den, the Police and CRPF has managed to penetrate deep inside the area.
According to sources, the angry villagers, in which a large number of women were present, vandalized the picket. However, the CRPF jawans posted at the picket handled the situation in a calm and restraint manner using force and persuasion. The patience of CRPF personnel helped in normalizing the situation and avert any mishap.
In many places, Maoist violence has mellowed but despite all efforts, Ajay Mahto remains evasive. Mahto is involved in triggering several Maoist incidents and is presently active in the Chaibasa area, said sources.
CRPF DIG Dilip Kumar Chaudhary said, “The mob was there, but the CRPF personnel persuaded them to return. Naxal is directing and instigating them to protest against CRPF camp there.”
Sources said the villagers were opposing the opening of CRPF Picket in their village.
However, men-in-khakis believe that launching of the attack by villagers is a conspiracy of CPI (Maoist) cadre Ajay Mahto, whose entry to his house and village got restricted with the opening of the CRPF picket. The villagers before attacking the picket demonstrated with a traditional weapon and took out a procession in the village.
Police are camping on the spot after the incident. The atmosphere of the village remains tense at the moment.
Varavara Rao Will Remain In Nanavati Hospital Until January 7
Bombay high court on Tuesday continued the stay of Telugu poet and Political Prisoner P Varavara Rao (81) at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital till January 7, with the interim order of letting his family see him there.
Rao is fit enough to be sent back to Taloja jail, said additional solicitor general Anil Singh for National Investigation Agency (NIA) on his bail plea on medical grounds. Rao was shifted to the hospital in Vile Parle on November 19 for 15 days and then renewed for 15 others.
Narayanpur District, December 13: An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) trooper was injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Saturday, police said.
The blast occurred around 1 pm on the Narayanpur-Kurusnar road in the Kurusnar police station area where a team from the ITBP’s 53rd Battalion was on patrol, Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Sundarraj P said.
When the team was cordoning off the route that goes through a dense forest, one of the men inadvertently stepped over the IED connection, triggering the blast which left him injured, the official said.
The jawan was rushed to a local hospital from where he was shifted to Raipur for further treatment.
The ITBP is deployed in Narayanpur district, around 250 km away from Raipur, for anti-Maoist operations.
On October 30, an ITBP constable was injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxalites in Kohkameta area of Narayanpur.
ICSPWI
Political Prisoner Varavara Rao To Remain In Nanavati Hospital Until December 15
December 3, 2020: A division bench of the Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday extended 82-year-old political prisoner P Varavara Rao’s stay at Nanavati Hospital till December 15. Rao’s wife, P Hemlatha, told the court that Rao’s family is happy with the progress in his health, but needed to study the medical report before they could argue for his bail on medical grounds. The court accepted this and restrained the state and National Investigation Agency (NIA) from discharging Rao without informing the court. Rao is among the accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case.
On November 18, the court had directed the state to shift Rao to Nanavati Hospital for treatment. Rao has been in the hospital since November 19. On Thursday, Hemlatha’s petition regarding Rao’s medical condition came up for hearing and the state submitted Nanavati Hospital’s medical report on Rao before the division bench of justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik in a sealed envelope.
After seeing Rao’s report, the bench observed there had been some improvements in Rao’s condition, which Hemlatha’s legal team, comprising advocates Indira Jaising, Anand Grover and R Satyanarayan, confirmed.
Jaising requested the court to give the family a copy of the report and to allow them time to study it so that they may argue further. She also requested the court to restrain the state and NIA from discharging Rao and returning him to Taloja Jail.
The court acceded to the request and noted in its order, “Pursuant to the order passed by court on November 19, Rao is in Nanavati Hospital. Since the matter is adjourned to December 15, Rao may not be discharged from Nanavati Hospital without informing this court. The earlier order dated November 18 (related to visit of family members) shall continue.”
Chief public prosecutor Deepak Thakare and additional solicitor general Anil Singh for NIA informed the court they had no objection to the defense’s request. The court will hear the matter next on December 15.
International call to support the resistance of Dr. G.N. Saibaba!
Professor at Delhi University Dr. G.N. Saibaba has been held in Nagpur Central Prison since 2014, despite being 90 percent disabled. Well-known outside of India, attending many conferences abroad, human rights advocate Dr. G.N. Saibaba started a hunger strike on 21 October 2020, to condemn human rights violations in prison, as well as demanding medical care, books, and sending letters, which is the most fundamental right of every prisoner.
Saibaba, who is in life threatening condition due to many chronic illnesses he suffers from, had previously applied to the Supreme Court, but his brother’s house, which he showed as the address, was rejected because it was within the boundaries of the COVID 19 quarantine. At the current stage, the necessary medical needs are not met, and the medical supplies that his family wants to send are rejected. In addition, the books, letters, and newspaper clippings sent to him by his friends and family from outside have not been given for months. Letters and books are a prisoner’s most natural right and only connection with the outside. Not allowing them to him is a violation of human rights.
As if all this were not enough, Dr. G.N. Saibaba has been prevented from meeting with his lawyers on the pretext of getting COVID-19 for months. He is only allowed to speak to his lawyers by phone twice a month. Preventing him from meeting with his family, friends, and lawyers, and preventing the sending of books, magazines, letters, and newspapers from outside, is an attempt to cut his relationship with the outside world.
With his arrest, the Indian state is trying to achieve multiple goals, preventing him from giving lectures at university as well as cut his communication with outside to arrest his thoughts as well. Dr G.N Saibaba is not the only prisoners facing the human rights violations in India, there are thousands like him. Thousands of people in many countries of the world are arrested, tortured, and mistreated in prisons for their political ideas and opinions.
Dr. G.N. Saibaba’s Freedom Is Possible Through Solidarity!
We, the undersigned, are calling on the international public to announce for Dr Saibaba to be freed, to be treated in a healthy environment, to be given his medicines, books, letters, and newspapers! The hunger strike initiated by Dr G.N Saibaba can only end with victory with the support of Democratic organisations and Individuals. We urge the democratic organisations and individuals to force the Ministry of Justice of India and Nagpur Central Prison to meet the needs of Dr G.N Saibaba!
We call on all organizations and individuals in the international arena to organise solidarity campaigns in their fields to support Dr Saibaba’s resistance!
Signatories:
ATİK – Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe
UPOTUDAK- International Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners
Partizan
Secours Rouge International
Secours Rouge Toulouse
Le CRI Rouge pour la défense des prisonniers révolutionnaires
Comité d’actions et de soutien aux luttes du peuple Marocainc
Campagne unitaire pour la libération de Georges Abdallah
Corriente del Pueblo Sol Rojo –Mexiko
Soccorso Rosso proletario – Italia
International Comittee of Support the People’s War in India
Dr. G.N. Saibaba’nın Direnişini Sahiplenmek İçin Enternasyonal Çağrı!
Delhi Üniversitesinde profesör olan Dr. G.N. Saibaba yüzde 90 engelli olmasına rağmen 2014 yılından beri Nagpur Merkez Hapishanesinde tutulmaktadır. Hindistan dışında da tanınan, bir çok ülkede üniversitelerde konferanslara katılan, insan hakları savunucusu Dr. G.N. Saibaba; hapishanedeki insan hakları ihlallerini kınamak, her tutsağın en temel hakkı olan tıbbi bakım, kitap okuma, mektup alıp gönderme talebiyle 21 Ekim 2020 tarihinden itibaren açlık grevine başlamıştır.
Hindistan’ın Nagpur eyaletindeki Merkez Hapishane’de tutulan ve birçok kronik hastalıktan yaşamsal tehlikesi bulunan Saibaba için daha önce Yüksek Mahkeme’ye başvuru yapılmış, ancak adres olarak gösterdiği kardeşinin evi, COVİD 19 karantinası sınırları içinde bulunduğu için reddedilmişti. Gelinen aşamada kendisine gerekil tıbbi ihtiyaçları karışlanmamakta, ailesinin göndermek istediği tıbbi malzemelerde ret edilmektedir. Ayrıca dışarıdan arkadaşları ve ailesinin kendisine gönderdiği kitaplar, mektuplar ve gazete kupürleri de aylardır verilmemektedir. Mektup ve kitaplar bir mahpusun en doğal hakkı ve dışarıyla olan tek bağlantısıdır. Bunların kendisine verilmemesi insan hakları ihlalidir.
Tüm bunlarla birlikte Dr. G.N. Saibaba aylardır COVİD-19’a yakalanma bahanesiyle Avukatlarıyla da görüşmesi engellenmektedir. Avukatlarıyla sadece ayda iki defa telefonla görüşmesine izin verilmektedir. Ailesiyle, arkadaşlarıyla, avukatlarıyla görüşmesinin engellenmesi, dışarıdan kitap, dergi, mektup ve gazetelerin gönderilmesinin engellenmesi, onun dışarıdaki dünya ile ilişkisinin kesilmesine yönelik bir girişimdir. Hindistan devleti, Dr. G.N. Saibaba’yı tutuklayarak onun üniversitede ders vermesini, yeni öğrenciler yetiştirmesini engellerken, aynı zamanda hapishanedeyken dışarıyla bağını kopararak onun düşüncelerini de hapsetmek istemektedir. Dr. G.N. Saibaba’nın yaşadığı Hindistan’da tutuklu olan binlerce politik tutsağın yaşadıklarından farklı değildir. Dünyanın bir çok ülkesinde binlerce insan düşüncelerinden dolayı hapishanelerde tutuklanmakta, işkence ve kötü muamele görmektedir.
Dr. G.N. Saibaba’nın Özgürlüğü Dayanışmayla Mümkündür!
Bizler aşağıda imzası bulananlar;Dr. G.N. Saibaba’nın özgürlüğüne kavuşması, sağlıklı bir ortamda tedavisinin görülmesi, ilaçlarının, kitaplarının, mektuplarının ve gazetelerinin kendisine verilmesi için uluslararası kamuoyunu duyuralı olmaya çağırıyoruz! Dr. G.N. Saibaba’nın taleplerinin kabul edilmesi amacıyla 21 Ekim’den itibaren başlattığı açlık grevini kazanımla sonuçlanması demokratik kurumlara ve bireylerin Nagpur Merkez Hapishanesi ve Hindistan Adalet Bakanlığı üzerinde baskı kurmasıyla mümkündür! Uluslararası alanda tüm örgüt ve bireyleri Dr. G.N. Saibaba’nın direnişine destek vermesi için bulundukları alanlarda dayanışma kampanyalar örgütlemeye çağırıyoruz!
İmzacılar:
Avrupa Türkiyeli İşçiler Konfederasyonu (ATİK)
Uluslararası Politik Tutsaklarla Dayanışma Komitesi (UPOTUDAK)
Partizan
Uluslararası Kızıl Yardım
Toulouse Kızıl Yardım
Devrimci Mahkumları Savunma
Maroko Halkının Mücadelesini Desteklemek İçin Eylem Komitesi
Georges Abudallah’ın Serbest Bırakılması İçin Üniter Kampanya
Corriente del Pueblo Sol Rojo -Mexiko
Proleter Kızıl Yardım İtalya
ICOR Avrupa Koordinasyonu
Avrupa Göçmen Emekçiler Konfederasyonu (AvEGKON)
Platforma Kurden Anatoliya Navin (PKAN)
Sosyalist Yeniden Kuruluş Partisi Avrupa (SYKP)
Avrupa Demokratik Haklar Konfederasyonu (ADHK)
Yeşil Sol Parti
Kongreya Civakên Demokratîk a Kurdîstanîyên Ewrupa (KCDK-E)
Avrupa Devrimci Demokratik Komün İnisiyatifi (ADDKİ)
Komün Dergisi
Avrupa Demokratik Dersim Birlikleri Federasyonu (ADEF)
Mezopotamya Özgürlük Partisi (MÖP)
Kürdistan Komünist Partisi
Yaşanacak Dünya
Nor Zartonk Avrupa
Naxalites Kill CRPF Commandant In Landmine Attack In Sukma District
Sukma District, November 29: The Assistant Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force has been killed and seven other soldiers injured in a landmine blast in Naxal-affected Sukma district of Chhattisgarh state. On Sunday, Inspector General of Police of Bastar region, Sundararaj P, said that Naxalites detonated a landmine in a forest near Tadmetla village under Chintalnar police station area of Sukma district. In this incident, Nitin P. Bhalerao, Assistant Commandant of 206 Cobra Battalion of CRPF was killed and seven other soldiers were injured. Earlier on Saturday night, the police had informed about the injuries of five soldiers in this incident.
Sundararaj told, “CRPF personnel were sent to patrol in Chintalnar area. The security forces personnel were in the forest of Tadmetla village at around 8.30 pm on Saturday, when the Naxalites detonated a landmine. Eight people, including assistant commandant Bhalerao, were injured in the incident. “They said that there was no information about firing during the incident.”
Inspector General of Police said that on Saturday, five soldiers were injured in the incident. Later it was learned that three other jawans were also injured in this incident. He said that after getting information about the incident, the injured jawans were taken out of the jungle by helicopter and they were sent to Raipur for treatment.
Sundararaj said that the Assistant Commandant has died from his injuries, and that seven other injured soldiers are being treated in a private hospital in Raipur. A police official said that the operation against the Naxalites involved in the incident is going on in the area.
CPI Maoist Posters Surface In Visakhapatnam and Kalahandi Districts During Run Up To PLGA Week
Visakhapatnam District, November 29: Ahead of the CPI (Maoist) People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week, scheduled from December 2 to 8, posters allegedly surfaced in Visakhapatnam district on Sunday.
The posters, issued in the name of CPI (Maoist) Visakha East-Division Committee, were pasted on the walls at Maddigaruvu and other areas in G Madugula mandal.
The CPI (Maoist) conveyed through the posters that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the PLGA week and appealed to the tribals to participate in week-long celebrations and make it a success. The Maoists also appealed to the tribal youth to join the PLGA.
It may be remembered that since the year 2000, the Maoists have been observing the PLGA week from December 2 to 8, to condemn the killing of three Central Committee Members of the party, namely Seelam Naresh, Nalla Adi Reddy and Yerramreddy Santosh Reddy, by the security forces in Koyyuru forest in Karimnagar district of Telangana, on December 2, 1999.
During the PLGA Week, the Maoists hold meetings in villages and offer tributes to the red rebels who were killed in police encounters.
Kalahandi District, November 27: CPI (Maoist) posters surfaced in Phuladumera village of Trilochanpur panchayat under Bijepur police limits in Kalahandi district on Friday.
Phuladumera village is located at the foot of Niyamgiri hill. On Friday the residents there discovered CPI (Maoist) posters put up throughout their village.
The Banshadhara-Ghumusar-Nagamali division of the CPI (Maoist) is opposed to the construction of a road at the foot of Niyamgiri hill. The party, which is said to be active in the Niyamgiri area but has not carried out any actions recently, has once again made its presence felt.
The CPI (Maoist) has also urged the population to observe it’s annual People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army Week, beginning December 2.
The last time the Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group jawans engaged in a gunfight with the PLGA was September 9. During that encounter two jawans were killed.
India saw one of the biggest nationwide strikes by workers, joined by protesting farmers today. Several states saw a complete shutdown. Over 250 million workers across sectors participated in the strike, called by 10 central trade unions and hundreds of worker associations and federations.
Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha, Assam and Telangana witnessed a complete shutdown while normal life was partially affected in several other states as workers struck work and took to the streets, protesting against the “anti-worker” and pro-corporate policies and labour laws as well as the new farm laws brought in by the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata party government, among other demands.
“The states of Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha, Assam and Telangana have reported complete shut down. Tamil Nadu reported complete shut down in 13 districts, while the industrial strike continues in the rest of the districts. Punjab and Haryana have reported that the state road transport buses have not left their depots in the morning,” a joint statement issued by the trade unions said.
Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh reported 100% strike, including at BALCO, the statement said.
The joint platform incudes Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC) and Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) , Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).
The strike saw stoppage of work in banks, financial services, various government services, transport, steel units, port and docks, telecommunication services, plantations, power generating units, coal and other mines, oil and natural gas production units, and millions of other miscellaneous industries. Government offices, railways, post and telegraph services and scores of other government offices are also likely to be affected as employees will hold solidarity demonstrations. Several lakh women working as Anganwadi workers/helpers, healthcare workers, mid-day meal cooks and those employed in other government run schemes have also gone on strike.
“Reports of successful strike in coal and copper mines, including other mineral resource mines, have been received. The employees of postal, telecom and steel sector were also in action and gramin dak sevaks observed 100 per cent strike,” the statement said.
Farmers from across the country also marched to Delhi in protest against the new corporate-friendly farm laws and in solidarity with workers, braving arrests, teargas, water cannons and numerous barricades on the way, especially in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh .
Almost five million labours from different sections including local government, union government, port, private companies, railway, anganwadi, banks in Maharashtra participated in the strike. This was the biggest strike in recent times.
Work in factories, refineries, banks, transport sector in Assam came to a standstill as workers, including in several tea gardens in Upper Assam participated in the strike. In Jorhat district, Jogibheta tea garden, Hindubari tea garden, Monomoi tea garden and Damayanti tea garden, workers organised protests and PM Modi’s effigy burning.
Among the places where picketing was reported since early morning were Digboi refinery, Guwahati refinery, India Carbon, Assam Carbon, Assam Asbestos etc. The Noonmati area, which has over 3,000 workers, joined the strike. Massive protests were also seen in Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, ONGC Silchar and other small scale industries in Assam. – Sandipan Talukdar
In Tamil Nadu the strike was near complete in banking, insurance, BSNL, Salem Steel Plant BHEL, Thoothukudi VOC Port and Bharat Petroleum bottling plant. Government employees, employees of cooperative societies, local administration department and anganwadi workers participated in large numbers in the strike and demonstrations.
G Sukumaran, general secretary of Tamil Nadu unit of CITU said, “The strike saw massive participation from workers across various sectors against the policies pursued by the BJP government. More than 50,000 people were detained across the state with huge participation of women workers as well”.
Narendra Rao, general secretary of Water Transport Workers Federation of India (WTWFI) said, “The workers of major ports across the country took part in the strike while we withdrew the strike in Chennai port. We reiterate our demands on scrapping the Major Ports Act, 2020, withdrawal of New Stevedoring policy and the new pension scheme”.
Work in Salem Steel Plant came to a standstill as 98% of the employees participated in the strike. Panneer Selvam, president of SPEU said, “The employees of the SSP have resolved to defeat all privatisation moves carried out by the Union government.” –Neelambaran A
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana saw massive campaigns among workers across sectors against the new labour laws.
Saibabu, Telangana state general secretary of CITU said there was complete strike in public sector units, including Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd among others.
“Among private entities, industries located around Hyderabad across Patancheru, Cherlapalli, Medchal and Sangareddy saw thousands of organised sector workers boycotting work and joined protest demonstrations,” he said.
Over 40,000 coal workers across units of the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd in Kothagudem, Bellampalli and Ramagundam too joined the strike, including contract and outsourced workers.
In the construction sector, “about 3 lakh construction workers, 2.5 lakh hamalis (loading and unloading workers) and about three lakh beedi workers have stopped work on Thursday,” said Paladugu Bashkar of CITU.
In Andhra Pradesh, despite Cyclone Nivar causing heavy rainfall, “response to the general strike has been overwhelming,” CH Narasinga Rao, Andhra Pradesh CITU president said.
PSUs in Visakhapatnam including steel plant, shipyard, Bharat Heavy Electronics Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Visakha Port, Dockyards, Indian Oil Corporation, Dredging Corporation of India, National Thermal Power Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited were completely shut down except for essential purposes. “Over 90% workers in Adani Group’s Krishnapatnam port in Nellore stopped their work as part of the general strike,” said Rao. – Prudhviraj Rupawat
Thousands of people took to streets and staged protests in Bihar during the nationwide general. Employees of banks, insurance, income tax ,BSNL along with contractual employees of the health,e ducation and other department of the state government participated in the strike that badly hit the work in offices and in the field.
Employees of about 5,127 bank branches sans SBI in Bihar remained on strike.
“It was a complete strike in banks as employees of Bihar Gramin banks and Cooperative banks also joined us.We have protested against privatisation of public sector banks by the centre”, D N Trivedi,a leader of All India Bank Officers Association said.
More than 15 million workers in Kerala along with farmers took part in the nationwide strike affecting normal life, barring essential services.
“Few states have proposed 12-hour work day. The government wants to reinstate enchained working system,” said state CITU president Anathalavattam Anandan, adding that the workers won’t allow the governments to exploit them.
The general strike saw participation of unions and associations from all sections including banking, insurance, public sector undertakings, scheme workers- including ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers- plantation, motor vehicle, unorganized sectors etc.
The employees from private finances and non-banking sectors, also joined under the banner of Non-Banking and Private finance Employees Association. The employees from BPCL, Manappuram Finance, Muthoot finance and other firms also held protests.
The strike witnessed a significant support among the workers in the satellite cities of the national capital; Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
The workers of the industrial units in Noida marched in Sector-2 and 8, Botanical Garden, Hosiery complex, Eco Third area and peacefully dispersed following the coronavirus guidelines.
Gangeshwar Dutt Sharma, Secretary, Noida CITU, said “trade unions, for long, have been demanding a liveable salary for factory workers. Currently, factory workers in Noida are being paid only Rs 8,400 as minimum salary.”
Sharma said workers’ anger was also against rampant privatisation of public sector undertaking that was snatching away employment.
Narendra Nath Pandey, Treasurer, Rehri Patri Karmakar Union affiliated to CITU, in Greater Noida said workers are being consistently fired from jobs after the nationwide lockdown was announced.
Roma Sharma, a street vendor at the March said that she has lost her confidence in the central government after it passed labour codes without consulting workers or their organisations. “We had no other option but to hit the street and we did it today.”
CITU West Bengal Committee secretary Anadi Sahoo and INTUC State President Kamrujjmann said 90% of Central government employees joined the strike while 60 -70% state government employees participated.
In military engineering services, 85% workers participated and ordinance factories saw only 20% attendance .
There was ‘huge ‘response in the jute, tea, coal steel and small and medium iron-based industries, too, the unions said.
The strike was also effective in Kolkata Port, cement, banking, wholesale markets and among medical representatives.
About 70% of vehicular traffic in Kolkata was off roads and picketing and blockades on suburban Railway lines were reported.
In Dumdum and Garia there were reports of skirmishes with police as well as in Jadavpur too.
The Police and administration had taken tough measures to foil the strike as the ruling Trinamool Congress did not supporting the workers and farmers strike, while backing the issues raised. – Sandip Chakraborty
Owing to the imposition of Section 144 in the various districts of State in a view of COVID-19 guidelines and cancellation of permission for rallies and processions, the nation-wide general strike got a lukewarm response in Madhya Pradesh.
Out of 52 districts, the strike got support in nearly 25-30 districts including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Damoh, Dhar in various sectors and workers and labourers of the various trade unions and factories registered their disappointment and boycotted the work for the first couple of hours.
Madhya Pradesh farmers who were on their way to Delhi to picket Parliament have also been stopped on Agra-Delhi National Highway 2. Social activist Medha Patkar, CPI(M) leader Jaswinder Singh who were marching towards Delhi with the farmer’s convoy had been stopped from entering Delhi.
The strike was effective in banks, coal mines of of Singrauli, Anupur, Shahdol, Umaria, Baitul and Chhindwara districts and Cement plants of Rewa and Satna districts where 65-70 % of the workers either remain absent or boycotted the half-day work.
In nearly 20 districts including Sagar, Damoh, Panna, Chhattarpur, Indore the private buses and loading trucks were off the road till 12 pm, claimed trade unions.
Various factories of Special Economic Zones including Govindpura Industrial Area, Mandideep, Malanpur, Pithampura and Defense factories of Jabalpur and Itarsi remain closed for half-day in support of the strike. Aganwadi, ASHA-USHA workers, Krishi Upaj Mandis labourers and medical representatives also extended their support and carried out protests despite the imposition of section 144.—Kashif Kakvi
Jammu and Kashmir saw a huge participation of workers in support of the national general strike called jointly by 10 central trade unions. Hundreds of workers gathered in protest at Press Clubs, of Jammu division and Kashmir division, respectively.
Raja, a migrant labourer from Bihar in Jammu, who works as a casual labourer with Border Roads Organisation said since 2016, they are working even on Sundays with no payment for extra work.
“Are these good days that Modi ji had promised? By keeping us empty stomach,” he said.
Slogans like Inqilab Zindabad, Lal Jab Aayega, Inqalab Laayega, Hamari Maange Poori Karo, rent the air as Anganwadi workers joined the strike, too.
In Chenab valley including Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, workers had picketed outside their work stations. Jai Lal Parihar, CITU leader from Kishtwar, said the primary demand of workers were minimum wages.
His Martyrdom and Birthday falls in the same month of November. Tamil Nadu Native A Velmurugan whose 33rd birthday is on November-27-2020 was martyred on November-3-2020 in an Extra-judicial murder committed by Kerala Government’s Blood Thirsty Commandos, Thunderbolt. November 3 is just another date marked in calendar with blood after November-24-2016 (Nilambur Fake Encounter), March-6-2019 (Vythiri Fake Encounter) and October-28-2019 (Manjakandi Fake Encounter). Velmurugan is the 8th Maoist Revolutionary to be murdered by this Pseudo Left Government of Kerala led by CPI(M).
According to the Version of Police, Velmurugan who was Commandant of Banasura Dalam (wing) of the Western Ghat Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist) was killed in an encounter in the forest region of Banasura Hill, Padinjarathara, Wayanad District on November 3. But there is controversy surrounding the timing of encounter. The local people’s testimony differs from that of the Police. Since there are several doubts and considering the past fake encounters, there is a huge chance of a fake encounter in this case also. Several groups protested in various parts of the state including at Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kozhikode against the fake encounter.
People gathered at High Court Junction, Ernakulam on November 4 and raised slogans against the state government and Thunderbolt. Even the pedestrians and onlookers protested against the extra-judicial killing of the Communist Revolutionary. Velmurugan who belonged to a very poor family in Theni District was a dropout student of law. Why did a Youngster who could have become a lawyer and lead a very comfortable and happy life left everything for Revolution? His Politics and ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism inspired him to wage Class War for a better world for tomorrow. Velmurugan’s blood brother, A Murugan who is a lawyer in Madras High Court said that Initially the family members were not allowed to see the martyr’s body at Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode. Later after huge outrage, officials allowed them to see the body and the brother told to media that there were a lot of bullet injuries, like more than 10 bullet marks and torture alike injuries indicating that he was murdered in a cold-blooded staged Encounter. It’s reported that there were burn injuries on his body which may be caused by the close-range bullet shot. Murugan has told that they would press charges and move Judicially against the Fake Encounter. Presently Crime Branch is investigating the encounter and Police has told that remaining members of Velmurugan’s Squad has escaped with injuries and no one was captured.
Liberals and Pro-Government people justify killing Maoists because they are armed, but let me ask these people where were your organisation and political ethics when your state police murdered “unarmed” innocent civilians in police custody? Majority of the murdered victims belonged to Dalit, Muslim and financially poorer families. Did CPI(M) and it’s youth organisation protest against the State Home Department, Home Minister and State Police? Resistance against State Terror cannot be labelled as violence. Next argument will be, why don’t Maoists join mainstream politics and participate in Democratic activities? This is very funny because their democracy is limited and altered for meeting their opportunistic interests. There are lots of Comrades in Kerala who were awarded with UAPA and jailed by State police for putting up posters against Fake Encounters and demanding judicial investigations on those encounters. The posters were put on daylight publically in name of their Organisations which are not banned. Now, which democracy were they talking about? Unless we destroy the ruling class and its ideas, there is no point in participating in elections for Political power. Now about attacking police officers, Here Maoists sees Police officers only as of the suppressing tool of the state. Both People who sympathise/ join Maoists and Police are exploited by the State. The State exploits their basic human rights, Poverty and hunger. It was only a few years back when Thunderbolt Commandos and their family protested in front of Secretariat against State Government. Thunderbolt commandos themselves hail from poor families and they alleged that they faced Casteist experiences, mental/physical trauma during the training. I, personally have talked with the tribal leader of Kannur, he has told that these Thunderbolts Commandos armed with assault rifles would come to hamlets at night and terrorise the area by throwing utensils and other things to outside in name of the search. If the Adivasis got leftover rice or green coloured dress, Thunderbolt would create havoc. When men go for fishing in the forest at night, these commandos would come for search. Even CPI assistant state secretary, Prakash Babu has said that thunderbolts physically examine the Adivasi womenThe CPI(M) leaders who claim to be a democratic Parliamentary party themselves have threatened to kill police officers publicly all for their personal needs and the party members themselves have destroyed public property even inside the Lower House during the Budget Presentation. Is not it hypocrisy when the same party who got an armed Militant squad called Harmad Bahini in Bengal to execute its Political Rivals criticise Maoists who wage Class war?
The government’s armed forces are given weapons to disarm their opponents, or if it’s inevitable, then they may shoot to capture Alive, not to kill. If there are cases against the communists, you may arrest them under IPC and CRPC according to evidence act and take them to court for judicial proceedings.
Forensic report and witnesses statement of CP Jaleel’s murder has given a brickbat to the Police. After the encounter, Police told that they were forced to fire after Maoists fired hastily. But the staff of Resort told before the media that it was Police who fired first and the Maoists didn’t terrorise the atmosphere. The forensic report also supports the statement of the staff, the report says Jaleel didn’t fire from the weapon which the Police accuses him of carrying. No Gun Powder was found from his hand and the shells found in the encounter site belonged only to the police, this indicates that the encounter was only one-sided and fake. Similar observations and evidence of torture can be found in Nilambur and Manjakandi also. Another suspicious thing is that why didn’t Police let the media enter the Encounter spot? Why didn’t the police allow the relatives to see Velmurugan’s Body? These actions by police support our doubts.
The government should order a Judicial investigation in all Fake Encounters and should Disband the Thunderbolt commandos who are the real disturbance for Tribals. Meanwhile, Anathalavattom Anandan, a State Secretariat member of CPI(M) became a joke when he asked why a Tamil Nadu Native Maoist Cadre came to Kerala. It seems like they have disowned Che Guevara who was born in Argentina, trained in Mexico, led Revolution in Cuba and got Martyred in Bolivia. Is there any new agreement or rules in Guerrilla warfare that, only natives can wage Revolution? If that’s your political Position, Mr Anathalavattom Anandan, Comrade CP Jaleel is a Youngster from Malappuram district of Kerala. He’s the 3rd Comrade to be murdered by your government after receiving SRE fund and other resources from BJP Central Government. The public should rise against the extrajudicial and inhumane Operation Samadhan and Operation Anaconda which are conducted respectively by Central Government and Kerala State government against Maoists
Dear friends
We are sending you a draft solidarity campaign statement for Dr. G.N Saibaba, who began a hunger strike since 21st October 2020 to protest the conditions in Prison.
It is only possible through international solidarity that Saibaba’s hunger strike to result in victor. We request you to sign a joint call to ensure this network of solidarity and turn it into a campaign. We will be glad if you sign and send it in a short time.
ATIK- Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe
International call to support the resistance of Dr. G.N. Saibaba!
Professor at Delhi University Dr. G.N. Saibaba has been held in Nagpur Central Prison since 2014, despite being 90 percent disabled. Well-known outside of India, attending many conferences abroad, human rights advocate Dr. G.N. Saibaba started a hunger strike on 21 October 2020, to condemn human rights violations in prison, as well as demanding medical care, books, and sending letters, which is the most fundamental right of every prisoner.
Saibaba, who is in life threatening condition due to many chronic illnesses he suffers from, had previously applied to the Supreme Court, but his brother’s house, which he showed as the address, was rejected because it was within the boundaries of the COVID 19 quarantine. At the current stage, the necessary medical needs are not met, and the medical supplies that his family wants to send are rejected. In addition, the books, letters, and newspaper clippings sent to him by his friends and family from outside have not been given for months. Letters and books are a prisoner’s most natural right and only connection with the outside. Not allowing them to him is a violation of human rights.
As if all this were not enough, Dr. G.N. Saibaba has been prevented from meeting with his lawyers on the pretext of getting COVID-19 for months. He is only allowed to speak to his lawyers by phone twice a month. Preventing him from meeting with his family, friends, and lawyers, and preventing the sending of books, magazines, letters, and newspapers from outside, is an attempt to cut his relationship with the outside world.
With his arrest, the Indian state is trying to achieve multiple goals, preventing him from giving lectures at university as well as cut his communication with outside to arrest his thoughts as well. Dr G.N Saibaba is not the only prisoners facing the human rights violations in India, there are thousands like him. Thousands of people in many countries of the world are arrested, tortured, and mistreated in prisons for their political ideas and opinions.
Dr. G.N. Saibaba’s Freedom Is Possible Through Solidarity!
We, the undersigned, are calling on the international public to announce for Dr Saibaba to be freed, to be treated in a healthy environment, to be given his medicines, books, letters, and newspapers! The hunger strike initiated by Dr G.N Saibaba can only end with victory with the support of Democratic organisations and Individuals. We urge the democratic organisations and individuals to force the Ministry of Justice of India and Nagpur Central Prison to meet the needs of Dr G.N Saibaba!
We call on all organizations and individuals in the international arena to organise solidarity campaigns in their fields to support Dr Saibaba’s resistance!
Signatories:
info@atik-online.net
Book Launch on the 21st November!
Of Concepts and Methods – “On Postisms” and Other Essays by K. Murali (Ajith), a new collection of essays, which covers a wide range of topics that are tied together by the author’s ongoing endeavor of “deepening the critique of mechanical thinking.” These texts grapple with different trends of post modernism which have had a stranglehold on “new” thought for that last several decades, Chavismo and “21st Century Socialism,” and the particularities of the manifestation of fascism in India. The essays not only delve into critique and analysis of contradictions in the world today, but also investigate questions about the basis for a materialist ethics, the politics of liberation, and the essential qualities of a vanguard party in current times.
And
Operation Green Hunt in India – Social Practices of the Genocidal Counterinsurgency Strategy “Hearts and Minds” by Adolfo Naya Fernández, a succinct text that methodically leads the reader through the damning evidence that the strategy known as “Hearts and Minds,” put into practice by the Indian State with Operation “Green Hunt” is actually a genocide.
This book launch will feature a panel discussion about topics covered in Ajith’s new book, moderated by acclaimed journalist, K. P. Sethunath with Ajith, Adolfo Naya Fernández, Sidhartha Samtani from People’s Magazine and Sourav Banerjee from Towards a New Dawn as panelists. Panel discussion topics include:
Maoist Critiques and Analysis of Post-Modernism
and
Modern-day Maoism: Maoism’s necessary theoretical developments and practical applications in these times
The book launch will start on:
- India: Saturday, 21 November @ 9:30PM
- Europe: Saturday, 21 November @ 5 PM/17:00
- North America East (EST): Saturday, 21 November @ 11AM
- North America West (PST): Saturday, 21 November @ 8AM
Registration here!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/tTTXamS-vtw
New Releases
November 2020: Manifesto of the Communist Party & Principles of Communism – Marx-Engels
November 2020: Essays in Historical Materialism – George Plekhanov
November 2020: The Fascist Offensive & Unity of the Working Class – George Dimitrov
September 2020: Mao Tse-tung Selected Works, Vol. VIII
September 2020: Anarchism or Socialism? & Trotskyism or Leninism? – Joseph Stalin
September 2020: Activist Study Araling Aktibista (ARAK) – PADEPA
September 2020: Curso Basico de Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoism
August 2020: Like Ho Chi Minh! Like Che Guevara! – Ian Scott Horst
August 2020: Critiquing Brahmanism – K. Murali (Ajith)
August 2020: Towards a Scientific Analysis of the Gay Question – Los Angeles Research Group
August 2020: The State and Revolution – Lenin
August 2020: Labour in Irish History – James Connolly
July 2020: Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism: A Primer – Jose Maria Sison
July 2020: Mao Tse-tung Selected Works, Vol. VII
July 2020: Socialism: Utopian and Scientific – Frederick Engels
May 2020: A New Outlook on Health – Advocators
May 2020: Critique of the Maoist Reason – J. Moufawad-Paul
April 2020: Historic Eight Documents – Charu Mazumdar
April 2020: The Foundations of Leninism – Joseph Stalin
April 2020: Wage Labour and Capital & Wages, Price and Profit – Karl Marx
April 2020: Reform or Revolution? – Rosa Luxemburg
February 2020: Ibrahim Kaypakkaya – On the National Question
February 2020: Mao Tse-tung Selected Works, Vol. VI
Mumbai, November 12: Political Prisoner Varavara Rao, in jail for over two years in the Koregaon-Bhima case, has been denied bail, the Bombay High Court said on Thursday after his family requested that he be freed urgently because of his worsening health condition.
The court said doctors at Nanavati Hospital could examine him via video call and would visit him if needed. If the doctors believe a visit is necessary, they should visit Taloja jail, where Rao is housed, the court ordered, asking that a report be submitted by November 16.
According to NDTV, the family’s lawyer Indira Jaising argued before the High Court, saying that his health was fast deteriorating. He said, “He is bedridden. He is on diapers. He can’t control urination. He is with a urine bag. His catheter has not been removed. Is this man going to run away from justice?”
Bombay High Court said a video call with doctors at Nanavati Hospital should be arranged today if possible and said the case would be heard again on November 17.
“To assess the present condition of Varavara Rao, it will be appropriate to have a video medical examination. All parties agree that video consultation can be arranged today or tomorrow morning by doctors of Nanavati hospital who made the July 30 report,” said the court.
The bench, comprising justices AK Menon and SP Tavade, also acceded to the request for a hearing after the report was submitted and posted the hearing of the petition of Rao’s wife P Hemlatha on November 17 at 3pm. The bench was hearing a writ petition seeking bail for Rao on health grounds.
The 80-year-old Political Prisoner Varavara Rao was arrested in January 2018 and charged under a stringent anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which allows detention without trial for years.
Varvara Rao has been in Taloja Jail near Mumbai. Co-accused Stan Swamy had called lawyers and informed them that Rao was severely unwell, Jaising said.
“I am seeking an urgent interim relief to shift Varavara Rao from Taloja jail to Nanavati Hospital. Ultimate relief I am seeking is that he be set at liberty as his rights are being violated,” Jaising told the court.
news
Jharkhand State, November 10: Indian Railway has issued an alert to Jharkhand Police about possible attacks by CPI (Maoist) cadres on railway installation and infrastructure in the wake of ‘Khuni Kranti Saptah’ observed by the Maoist party.
Every year the CPI (Maoist) organize ‘Khuni Kranti Saptah’ from November 9 to November 15 to commemorate the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, during which it’s armed wing (PLGA) targets police, railway and other government installations.
Sources in the railway said that senior officials of the railway too have been briefed about the security protocols to be observed during operation of trains.
“Intelligence inputs suggest that rebels are observing Khunti Kranti Saptah in their stronghold area. Railway being their soft target the possibility of destructive and subversive activities on railway infrastructure can’t be ruled out. In the light of the above findings we have sent an intelligence alert to Jharkhand Police whereas Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force will also remain alert,” a senior official of railway said.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand police have also issued specific alerts and security has been tightened in the Naxal affected train routes like Parasnath to Chichaki, Gajhandi to Pahadpur, Gomia to Karmahat and Tokisud to Barwadih where the CPI (Maoist) have a sizable presence.
On these routes patrolling has been intensified to ensure safety and security of rail track, railway underpass and likes.
Other than the railway, security has been increased in the Maoist hit pockets in the districts like Latehar, Lohardaga, Simdega, Gadhwa, Dumka, Palamu, Saraikela Kharswan, Gumla, Chatra, Hazaribagh and others.
His Martyrdom and Birthday falls in the same month of November. Tamil Nadu Native A Velmurugan whose 33rd birthday is on November-27-2020 was martyred on November-3-2020 in an Extra-judicial murder committed by Kerala Government’s Blood Thirsty Commandos, Thunderbolt. November 3 is just another date marked in calendar with blood after November-24-2016 (Nilambur Fake Encounter), March-6-2019 (Vythiri Fake Encounter) and October-28-2019 (Manjakandi Fake Encounter). Velmurugan is the 8th Maoist Revolutionary to be murdered by this Pseudo Left Government of Kerala led by CPI(M).
According to the Version of Police, Velmurugan who was Commandant of Banasura Dalam (wing) of the Western Ghat Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist) was killed in an encounter in the forest region of Banasura Hill, Padinjarathara, Wayanad District on November 3. But there is controversy surrounding the timing of encounter. The local people’s testimony differs from that of the Police. Since there are several doubts and considering the past fake encounters, there is a huge chance of a fake encounter in this case also. Several groups protested in various parts of the state including at Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kozhikode against the fake encounter.
People gathered at High Court Junction, Ernakulam on November 4 and raised slogans against the state government and Thunderbolt. Even the pedestrians and onlookers protested against the extra-judicial killing of the Communist Revolutionary. Velmurugan who belonged to a very poor family in Theni District was a dropout student of law. Why did a Youngster who could have become a lawyer and lead a very comfortable and happy life left everything for Revolution? His Politics and ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism inspired him to wage Class War for a better world for tomorrow. Velmurugan’s blood brother, A Murugan who is a lawyer in Madras High Court said that Initially the family members were not allowed to see the martyr’s body at Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.
Later after huge outrage, officials allowed them to see the body and the brother told to media that there were a lot of bullet injuries, like more than 10 bullet marks and torture alike injuries indicating that he was murdered in a cold-blooded staged Encounter. It’s reported that there were burn injuries on his body which may be caused by the close-range bullet shot. Murugan has told that they would press charges and move Judicially against the Fake Encounter. Presently Crime Branch is investigating the encounter and Police has told that remaining members of Velmurugan’s Squad has escaped with injuries and no one was captured.
Liberals and Pro-Government people justify killing Maoists because they are armed, but let me ask these people where were your organisation and political ethics when your state police murdered “unarmed” innocent civilians in police custody? Majority of the murdered victims belonged to Dalit, Muslim and financially poorer families. Did CPI(M) and it’s youth organisation protest against the State Home Department, Home Minister and State Police? Resistance against State Terror cannot be labelled as violence. Next argument will be, why don’t Maoists join mainstream politics and participate in Democratic activities? This is very funny because their democracy is limited and altered for meeting their opportunistic interests. There are lots of Comrades in Kerala who were awarded with UAPA and jailed by State police for putting up posters against Fake Encounters and demanding judicial investigations on those encounters. The posters were put on daylight publically in name of their Organisations which are not banned. Now, which democracy were they talking about? Unless we destroy the ruling class and its ideas, there is no point in participating in elections for Political power.
Now about attacking police officers, Here Maoists sees Police officers only as of the suppressing tool of the state. Both People who sympathise/ join Maoists and Police are exploited by the State. The State exploits their basic human rights, Poverty and hunger. It was only a few years back when Thunderbolt Commandos and their family protested in front of Secretariat against State Government. Thunderbolt commandos themselves hail from poor families and they alleged that they faced Casteist experiences, mental/physical trauma during the training. I, personally have talked with the tribal leader of Kannur, he has told that these Thunderbolts Commandos armed with assault rifles would come to hamlets at night and terrorise the area by throwing utensils and other things to outside in name of the search. If the Adivasis got leftover rice or green coloured dress, Thunderbolt would create havoc. When men go for fishing in the forest at night, these commandos would come for search. Even CPI assistant state secretary, Prakash Babu has said that thunderbolts physically examine the Adivasi women.
The CPI(M) leaders who claim to be a democratic Parliamentary party themselves have threatened to kill police officers publicly all for their personal needs and the party members themselves have destroyed public property even inside the Lower House during the Budget Presentation. Is not it hypocrisy when the same party who got an armed Militant squad called Harmad Bahini in Bengal to execute its Political Rivals criticise Maoists who wage Class war?
The government’s armed forces are given weapons to disarm their opponents, or if it’s inevitable, then they may shoot to capture Alive, not to kill. If there are cases against the communists, you may arrest them under IPC and CRPC according to evidence act and take them to court for judicial proceedings.
Forensic report and witnesses statement of CP Jaleel’s murder has given a brickbat to the Police. After the encounter, Police told that they were forced to fire after Maoists fired hastily. But the staff of Resort told before the media that it was Police who fired first and the Maoists didn’t terrorise the atmosphere. The forensic report also supports the statement of the staff, the report says Jaleel didn’t fire from the weapon which the Police accuses him of carrying. No Gun Powder was found from his hand and the shells found in the encounter site belonged only to the police, this indicates that the encounter was only one-sided and fake. Similar observations and evidence of torture can be found in Nilambur and Manjakandi also. Another suspicious thing is that why didn’t Police let the media enter the Encounter spot? Why didn’t the police allow the relatives to see Velmurugan’s Body? These actions by police support our doubts.
The government should order a Judicial investigation in all Fake Encounters and should Disband the Thunderbolt commandos who are the real disturbance for Tribals. Meanwhile, Anathalavattom Anandan, a State Secretariat member of CPI(M) became a joke when he asked why a Tamil Nadu Native Maoist Cadre came to Kerala. It seems like they have disowned Che Guevara who was born in Argentina, trained in Mexico, led Revolution in Cuba and got Martyred in Bolivia. Is there any new agreement or rules in Guerrilla warfare that, only natives can wage Revolution? If that’s your political Position, Mr Anathalavattom Anandan, Comrade CP Jaleel is a Youngster from Malappuram district of Kerala. He’s the 3rd Comrade to be murdered by your government after receiving SRE fund and other resources from BJP Central Government. The public should rise against the extrajudicial and inhumane Operation Samadhan and Operation Anaconda which are conducted respectively by Central Government and Kerala State government against Maoists.
East Singhbhum District, November 9: A general high alert has been sounded in East Singhbhum district in anticipation of the CPI (Maoist) observing it’s Martyrs’ Week. The district police and paramilitary forces are on high alert in Naxal-infested areas, bordering West Bengal and Odisha. The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is set to observe it’s Martyrs’ Week from December 2-8.
Police said apart from ensuring deployment of additional police and paramilitary forces, the combing operations and patrolling has been intensified to check the possibility of the entry of CPI (Maoist) cadres from neighboring states. It has also stepped up intelligence-gathering in anticipation of Martyrs’ Week.
A senior police official said that the police have also intensified the efforts for strengthening security arrangements especially on the routes used by CPI (Maoist) cadres to enter the Naxal infested areas.
“We have asked security forces to conduct long-range patrolling in the areas of Ghurabandha, Ghatshila and Patamda,” said the official.
It may be mentioned here that the CPI (Maoist) observes Martyrs’ Week in memory of Charu Majumdar, the founder of the Naxalite movement. The CPI (Maoist) leadership organizes meetings in areas where it wields considerable influence.
Sources informed that the high alert has been sounded after intelligence reports that the PLGA may attack at Naxal areas of Ghatshila and Patamda.
Sources informed that there are intelligence inputs that CPI (Maoist) may indulge in demonstrative acts of violence by targeting security forces and economic infrastructure such as trains, buses, railway stations, bus stations and other places where people are likely to gather in significant numbers.
”Every effort will be made to maintain law and order and to ensure security of the people. This time all security forces have also been alerted to remain vigilant, particularly against IEDs and landmines,” said another official.
Sources informed that the mobility of the police has prevented the CPI (Maoist) from carrying out any violent activity in the past 15 days in the entire Kolhan division. All the police stations in the three districts of the division, including East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela Kharswan have been asked to increase security and keep a vigil at the bordering areas.
“A strict vigil would be kept on the non-government commercial establishments. Even the security would be beefed up at some of the Naxal prone areas of Ghatshila and Dumaria,” said the official.
According to intelligence sources, the CPI (Maoist) are trying to observe Martyrs’ Week by organizing small meetings at a number of places in West Singhbhum and adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district, and Chowka jungle is one of the probable venues for such meetings.
The CPI (Maoist) have resorted to a massive poster campaign at Chowka in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district as part of it’s upcoming Martyrs’ Week. Concerned over the situation the police and para military forces have started combing operations in that area.
Supreme Court Declines To Take Up Petition For Bail For Political Prisoner Varavara Rao
Alan Warsaw CPI (maoist), CPI(maoist), Naxal, naxalites, naxals, Political Prisonner, Varavara Rao
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to consider a plea for interim bail on health grounds to poet/activist/political prisoner Varavara Rao in the Bhima-Koregaon case, but asked the Bombay High Court to take up his pending petition in this regard expeditiously.
A bench presided over by Justice U U Lalit asked senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Rao’s wife to approach the High Court. The court noted that the questions regarding human rights of an accused-prisoner were involved here and that the matter was last heard by the HC on September 17
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Rao’s wife Pendyala Hemlatha, contended that his right to health was being violated.
The bench, however, said since cognizance has been taken so we cannot say detention of the man was illegal. The issue of bail was before the HC. The bail could be on merit or on medical grounds.
Jaising said the report by Nanavati Hospital was before the HC. It is bothering us that two judges recused and the matter was not being heard, she added.
“Why is the matter not being listed before the HC? We can direct for the matter to be heard by the HC in two weeks,” the bench said.
Jaising submitted that prisoners have a right to health in custody as held by the Supreme Court. She claimed that the petitioner’s right to life and dignity was being violated.
“The High Court must see if facilities at Taloja hospital is sufficient. We need to see if jail hospital has all the facilities or not. If they have, then you can’t say there is better facility in England or Nanavati. If its available, then treatment will be in jail hospital,” the bench said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the NIA in the matter.
The court finally allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea and approach the High Court.
In her writ petition, Rao’s wife Hemalatha claimed that his continued custody amounted to “cruel and inhuman treatment,” violating his right to liberty and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
She said Rao was hospitalized on May 27 but was hurriedly discharged on June 2. His bail plea on the grounds of his medical condition and Covid-19 was pending despite the fact that he needed constant follow-up.
Varavara Rao and nine other activists have been arrested by Maharashtra police in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case which was initially probed by the Pune police and transferred to the NIA in January this year.
The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune in December 31,2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial.
Nagpur Jail Authorities Reject Political Prisoner G N Saibaba’s Latest Plea For Parole
Alan Warsaw CPI (maoist), CPI(maoist), G N Saibaba, Naxal, naxalites, naxals, Political Prisonner, Saibaba
Hyderabad: The family members of political prisoner G N Saibaba claimed that Nagpur jail authorities orally informed the former Delhi University (DU) professor that his second parole was rejected. Saibaba is serving a life sentence after he was convicted by Nagpur court in 2017 for his links with the CPI (Maoist). His brother Ramdev told TOI that though they have applied for parole three months back they are yet to receive any official reply.
“On October 20, when we spoke to Saibaba, he informed us about the rejection of parole. The jail authorities refused to give any details to Saibaba. When he insisted on what grounds it was rejected they told him that since his family members moved the parole application they would only be given the reasons for rejection,’’ Ramdev said, adding that he did not get any official reply from the jail authorities. “Usually, jail authorities decide a parole application within 38 days. If the application is rejected, the applicant can appeal within 15 days before an appellate authority of the prison department,” Ramdev added.
So far, Saibaba’s family moved two regular paroles and an emergency parole when his mother died in August. It may be mentioned here that Saibaba threatened to fast-unto-death in the jail alleging that he was not being provided with facilities like newspapers and medicines supplied by his family and friends.
Saibaba is serving a life sentence after he was convicted by Nagpur court in 2017 for his links with the CPI (Maoist). So far, Saibaba’s family have moved two regular paroles.
Two Police Critically Injured During Ambush By CPI Maoist Cadres In Lohardaga District
Lohardaga (Jharkhand), October 30: Two police personnel were critically injured during an ambush by armed cadres of the CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district on Friday, police said.
During a search operation in Shahi Ghat area, Maoists exploded an IED and fired upon a police team, in which two personnel were critically injured, a senior officer said.
The policemen returned fire at the Maoists, following which they escaped into the dense forest, Lohardaga Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jitendra Kumar Singh told PTI.
The injured police personnel Upendra Singh and Arvind Pandey were airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Ranchi, he said.
Additional police forces and CRPF personnel have been deployed in the area and a search operation is underway, the officer added.
ITBP Jawan Injured By IED Blast Triggered By Naxalites In Narayanpur District
Narayanpur District, October 30: One Indo-Tibetan border police officer has been injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxalites in Narayanpur district while on a search operation where a sudden explosion occurred. However, it is reported that it was a minor blast and not much loss has been inflicted on the police force.
This is not the first time such an incident of attack has occurred in the Naxalite areas as previously, it has been noted that the Maoists were responsible for an attack at a camp of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force in the restive Bastar region of Chhattisgarh a few years ago, with no casualty or injury to anyone on the ITBP side.
Press Conference Invite Wednesday, 21.10.2020 12.00 noon via ZOOM
Political Parties & Eminent persons will jointly address this press conference : • to condemn the illegal arrests of 16 activists implicated in the Bhima Koregaon Conspiracy Case • to demand the release of all the arrested prisoners • and against the brazen misuse of the UAPA against dissentors.
Dear Madam / Sir,
There was nationwide outrage over the recent arrest in Ranchi by the NIA of 83 year old Father Stan Swamy, on 8th October, 2020, in the Bhima Koregaon case. Despite him being a patient of Parkinson’s disease and suffering other health problems, he is now in jail. Similarly writer and poet Sh. Varavara Rao, 80 years has been languishing in Jail for more than two years. Despite being seriously ill and having suffered COVID and subsequent hospitalisation, even bail is being denied to him. Apart from these two, there are five others currently incarcerated in this case who are senior citizens being held without any role in the criminal conspiracy of the Bhima Koregaon violence that happened on 1st January, 2018.
A total of 16 people have been arrested under the UAPA in this case, which include the recently arrested 3 cultural activists of the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), Ramesh Gaichor, Sagar Ghogre and Jyoti Jagtap, as well as thinker, writers and academics Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Shoma Sen, Hany Baby, lawyers, Sudha Bharadwaj, Surendra Gadling, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, who are all also trade unionists, and activists Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson, who are all being held in prison in this completely fabricated and motivated case.
This Press conference has been organized by PUCL to condemn the role of investigating agencies in carrying out these illegal arrests, to highlight the humanitarian crisis and misuse of UAPA to criminalise dissent and to demand the release of all 16 activists arrested in this case.
It will be addressed by the following members of political parties and civil society representatives : 1. Mr. Hemant Soren, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand. 2. Mr. Sitaram Yechury, Ex-MP, General Secretary, CPI(M). 3. Mr. D. Raja, MP (Rajya Sabha), General Secretary, CPI. 4. Ms. Supriya Sule, MP (Lok Sabha), NCP. 5. Ms. Kanimozhi, MP (Lok Sabha), DMK. 6. Mr. Shashi Tharoor, MP (Lok Sabha), INC.
7. Prof. Jean Dreze, Eminent economist. 8. Fr. Dr. Marianus Kujur, Director, XISS, Ranchi. 9. Ms. Dayamani Barla, well known tribal rights activist. 10. Mr. Mihir Desai, Senior Advocate, Bombay HC and Vice President, PUCL. 11. Ms. Rupali Jadhav, Kabir Kala Manch.
The ZOOM link to the call which will start sharp at 1200 pm (noon) on Wednesday, 21st October, 2020 is:The ZOOM link to the call which will start sharp at 1200 pm (noon) on Wednesday, 21st October, 2020 is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84413261787?pwd=Z25URE9MNlFTQW1OQXl1KzVsSHp1QT09
Meeting ID: 844 1326 1787 Passcode: 247523
We request you to send a reporter to cover the Press Conference. Regards, Dr. V. Suresh, General Secretary, (9444231497) For more details please contact: Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary, 9351562965 Mihir Desai, Vice President, 9821138056 V Suresh, General Secretary, 9444231497
tribune of the people
Philadelphia
Solidarity graffiti in support of the People’s War in India as well as Indian political prisoners was documented in Philadelphia, reading, “Support the People’s War in India,” “Free GN Saibaba,” and “Free Varavara Rao.”
Armed Naxalites Carry Out Action In Chatra District
Chatra District, October 16: Armed Naxalites set a loader and two dumpers on fire at Bachra railway siding of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Chatra district, police said on Friday.
Tandwa Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashutosh Satyam said around 15 Naxalites entered the Bachra railway sliding on Thursday night and to scare away the workers engaged in coal loading fired in the air.
The workers fled the spot in fear after which the Naxalites set a loader and two dumpers on fire, the police said.
The Tandwa SDPO rushed to the spot after getting the information. The fire was extinguished by the fire brigade personnel.
Superintendent of Police Rishabh Jha said police has started an investigation into the incident.
Internationalist Meeting in Italy the 8th of December 2018
International Week of Action 2-9 April 2016
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International Days of Actions 29-30-31 January 2015
International Meeting to celebrate the 10 anniversary of CPI(Maoist)
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Message to the International Meeting from the CC, CPI (Maoist)
Important CPI (Maoist) documents
