ML Update 13 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 13, 20 – 26 MARCH 2012

 

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav's Murder:

Feudal Criminality Behind Nitish Government's Façade of 'Good Governance'

Much media hype has been manufactured about Bihar's Nitish Government's model of 'good governance' (sushasan) and development, which have supposedly made the notorious criminality and feudal violence things of the past. The murder of Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav, CPI(ML)'s Rohtas District Secretary, by feudal criminals enjoying BJP-JD(U) patronage, has busted such hype, proving that feudal forces and criminals are striking back with renewed confidence in Nitish's Bihar.

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was shot dead in Nasiriganj, by armed assailants on 14 March evening. The police had failed to come to the spot even after being informed of the shooting, and the accused assailants are yet to be arrested.

A member of the CPI(ML)'s State Committee, Comrade Bhaiyyaram had been leading several struggles against instances of feudal atrocities and criminal violence. He had organized a major struggle demanding punishment for the notorious feudal strongmen responsible for the gang-rape and murder of a 6-year-old dalit girl late last year. However, the rapists, who are known to be close to the ruling BJP-JD(U), brazenly roam free in Rohtas. Instead, Comrade Bhaiyyaram had been jailed on cooked-up charges of assault. He was killed soon after being released on bail – at the behest of the same feudal criminals backed by the ruling combine whose arrogance and atrocities he had been challenging.

One of Nitish Kumar's first acts, on becoming CM for the first time, had been to disband the Justice Amir Das Commission that was about to submit its report on the links of political parties to the feudal private army, the Ranveer Sena, that had perpetrated massacres against dalit landless poor. Since then, the Nitish Government has displayed its loyalty to its primary support base of feudal sections, time and again. While the Nitish Government's promises to mahadalits, MBCs, and sharecroppers stand betrayed, it is the feudal forces which have felt emboldened. In Nitish's Bihar, Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh goes scot free, but a popular mahadalit leader, along with nine other mahadalits, has been sentenced to death on flimsy grounds for the Amausi massacre.

In sharp contrast to such blatant hypocrisy and opportunism, Comrade Bhaiyyaram represented the idealism of young people inspired by the values of Bhagat Singh. Just before his death, Comrade Bhaiyyaram was in fact supervising preparations for installation of a Bhagat Singh statue on 23 March.

From Bhagat Singh to Bhaiyyaram, the ruling classes have killed revolutionaries but failed to stifle their ideas and politics. Defying murder and repression, the legacy of Bhagat Singh will continue to live in the example of youth like Comrade Bhaiyyaram and Comrade Chandrashekhar – inspiring future generations of young people!

CPI(ML)'s Press Releases on Railway and General Budget

Union Budget 2012-13: All-out Attack on Common People

CPI-ML demands Rolling Back of Hikes and Restoration of Subsidies

New Delhi, 16 March: After the massive fare hikes announced in this year's Railway Budget and the 1.25% reduction in the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund, the General Budget marks the third successive blow on the common man in the ongoing budget session. While the Finance Minister has taken every care to appease the rich and the corporate sector by refusing to increase corporate tax or income tax on higher income brackets, he has come down heavily on the common man by slashing subsidies and effecting an across-the-board hike in service tax from 10 to 12 per cent.

Priority sectors like agriculture, public health and education have once again been neglected. No improvement has been made in MNREGA provisions nor has any announcement been made for the urban unemployed. Public health workers like those involved in ASHA and Anganwadi schemes have once again been taken for a ride. There is also no provision for adequate and universal food security. By contrast, the already high defence outlay has been raised further by 17%, taking India's defence budget to an incredibly high level of nearly Rs. 200,000 crore.

The Budget makes no serious attempt to bring back black money or penalize tax evaders. Despite every evidence pointing to the disastrous consequences of the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, the budget has again announced a whole set of measures to further open up the economy for global capital and the corporate sector. The civil aviation sector is being opened up for foreign airlines and private airlines have been allowed to borrow foreign funds to the tune of 1 billion dollars. The government also continues to push for backdoor privatisation by setting a high disinvestment target of Rs 30,000 crore.

The CPI (ML) calls upon the working people and all sections of small producers, traders and consumers to mount pressure on the government to roll back the hikes affecting the common people, expand MNREGA and PDS provisions, restore subsidies and increase allocation for social sectors and especially health and education by increasing taxes on companies and higher income groups and reducing defence outlay.

Withdraw Hike in Railway fares

New Delhi, 14 March 2012: The Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) demands immediate withdrawal of hike in railway passenger fare and freight. The Railway Budget 2012-13 presented today in Lok Sabha has announced massive and all round increase in Railway fares which is a crushing burden on common people, who are already reeling under unprecedented price rise for last many years. 'The first railway fare hike in ten years' has turned out to be an accumulated hike in railway fares even though the travelling by trains continued to become costlier in these years by other means. Not even platform ticket fare has been spared.

The Railway Minister's logic of 'Increasing fares to accumulate funds for improving the safety and amenities of Railway passengers' is a cruel joke on common people, and is nothing but a logic of liberalization. Further, The Railway Minister's explanation of this hike as a few paisa per kilometer and nothing more is an insult to the intellect of common people.

With Assembly Polls out of the way, the UPA Government now feels safe in imposing this massive fare hike without political consequences. The UPA ally, TMC, is claiming to oppose the hike – which none other than the Railway Minister from its own party has introduced!

Immediate withdrawal of the hike in fares is the only solution that can be acceptable to the common citizens.

CPI(ML) Liberation

Central Committee

Protests against scaling down of EPF Interest Rates, Rail and General Budget

Delhi: Workers from both organized and informal sector gathered at Jantar Mantar and burnt the effigy of anti-poor, pro-rich Budget and held a demonstration. The students of AISA also participated in the demonstration.

The demonstration was addressed, among others, by Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary of AICCTU; Santosh Roy, Delhi State Secretary of AICCTU; Sanjay Sharma, State Secretary of CPI-ML, AICCTU leaders Ardhendu Roy and Sankaran.

Terming the both Budgets as an all-out attack on common people and demanding the withdrawal of hikes and deduction in interest rate of EPF and restoration of subsidies, Swapan Mukherjee said that after the massive fare hikes announced in this year's Railway Budget and the 1.25% reduction in the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund, the General Budget marks the third successive blow on the common man in the ongoing budget session.

West Bengal: As a part of national protest day by CPI(ML), several district units in West Bengal organized protest rallies. Rallies were taken out at Howrah Maidan in Howrah, Jadavpur and College Street in Kolkata, Dharmada bazar and Bethuadahari in Nadia, Burdwan proper and Kalna in Burdwan and Siliguri in Darjeeling district. At Hashmi Chawk in Siliguri, an effigy of Manmohan Singh was also burnt. At College Street student activists burnt draft copies of the general budget.

Maharashtra: Protest demonstration was held by Maharashtra Sarva Shramik Mahasangh and AICCTU in front of the Dadar Station in Mumbai on 19 March. About 200 workers- textile, domestic women and others – participated in this demonstration that was addressed by Comrades Uday Bhatt, Mahendra Sagar, Shyam Gohil and Dheeraj.

Tamil Nadu: On 15 March itself Party's Villupuram unit held a demonstration against the anti-people railway budget and the general budget. The demonstration was led by Com. Kaliamurthi, member of the District Committee. Com. M Venkatesan, State Committee member addressed the demonstration.

On 19 March 2012 protests were held all over Tamilnadu against the anti-people budget, reduction in EPF interest rate and for Indian govt's support for resolution against Srilanka. In Coimbatore gate meetings of Pricol workers were held in two units in which over 1000 workers participated. Com. S Kumarasami, Politburo member of the Party addressed this meeting. In Chennai a public meet was organized by the Party which was presided over by Com. S Sekar, City Committee Secretary of the Party. Com. Thenmozhi, State President of AIPWA and Com. Jawahar, State President AICCTU addressed the meeting.

In Namakkal, a demonstration was held on 19 March that was led by Com. Pugalendhi, DC member. Com. A Govindaraj, SCM, addressed the demonstration. In Salem also a demonstration was held for two hours with Com. Velmurugan presiding over and Com. Chandramohan, SCM, Com. Viswanathan, AICCTU State working committee member addressing the protesters. In Cuddalore demonstrations were held at 2 places. Com. Ammaiappan, SCM attended these protests. Posters were released in Tiruvallore district.

Assam (19 March) - Dharna was held at Guwahati and Tinsukia, street corner meeting and effigy burning took place at Dibrugarh.

Jharkhand: A protest march was held on 15 March condemning the massive fare hike in the railway tickets. The march culminated in a mass meeting at the Albert Ekka roundabout that was addressed by Party leader and CC member Comrade Subhendu Sen.

Demonstration in TN Demanding arrest of Policemen who Raped Adivasi Women

On 20 March, a demonstration was organised by the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) in Villupuram, as part of the sustained protest demanding arrest of policemen who raped Adivasi women. Com. Thenmozhi, State President of AIPWA, and Com. Shenbagavalli, State Secretary of AIPWA, led the demonstration. Com. M Venkatesan, SCM also addressed the gathering.

Martyr's day observed in Siliguri

Darjeeling District committee commemorated on 19 March 2012 the 10th death anniversary of Com. Tapan Chakraborty (Sona), the then west Bengal state committee member and Darjeeling district secretary of cpiml, who passed away way back in 2002. In a befitting manner district and local committee leaders gathered at district party office and paid homage to the revolutionary ideals of their deceased leader. Among the state and district party organizers Com. Basudeb Bose, Com. Nabendu dasgupta,Com. Gouri Dey, Com. Abhijit Mazumdar, Com. Sarat Singha, Com. Apu Chaturvedi, Com. Mojammel Haque , Com. Pulak Ganguly, Com. Paisanju Singha spoke on the present political challenges and our tasks. A minute's silence was observed.

Meeting of ML Parties in Mumbai

Four ML parties – Liberation, Red Flag, Red Star and New Democracy – held a joint meeting in Mumbai's Dadar area on 18 March to discuss and decide on a joint movement in Maharashtra and to mobilise support for the movement against Shahi Dam in Shahpur, on which the State Govt has let loose repression. The meeting discussed the large scale displacement taking place of peasants and common people through various Govt projects in the State. The meeting emphasised on united movement of ML parties against such projects as Jaitapur atomic power project and participating in the ongoinf movements. A coordination committee will be formed next month after inviting more Left and democratic forces.

Odisha: Movement of Sanitation Workers

East Coast Safai Karmachari Sangha of Puri Railway Station are agitating for minimum wages, EPF, ESI and proper recreation and other benefits by the contractors as well as the principal employers. The movement has been on for over a week now under the banner of AICCTU. The contractor is denying minimum wages i.e. Rs. 171 per day at Puri. The RPF (railway police) is threatening workers of preventing their entry into station premises and the contractor is trying to employ other workers through local goons. The situation is very tense, however the AICCTU is in soliadrity with the movement of Safai Karamcharis. The AICCTU also held dialogues with the railway authorities to find a solution.

CPI(ML)'s 4th Ranchi District Conference

CPI(ML)'s 4th District Conference against Corporate Loot, Revision in CNT Act and Repression was held on 11-12 March at Shaheed Mahendra Singh Smriti Bhawan in Parmeshwar Singh Munda Nagar, Ranchi . The Conference began with paying homage to the martyrs of communist movement. The inaugural session was addressed by State Secretary Comrade Janardan Prasad who said that Jharkhand has become hotbed of corporate loot, for the continuation of which a revision in the CNT Act is being considered after doing away with the Urban Ceiling Act.

53 delegates from Ranchi, Bundu, Tamad, Rahey, Adki, Namkum, Ormanjhi and Burmu blocks participated in the conference. Comrade DP Bakshi (incharge for Jharkhand) and CCM Comrade Bahadur Oraon were present among others. The Conference elected a 15 member District Committee with Comrade Bhuwaneswar Kewat as the new Secretary.

Protests against Murder of Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav

Bihar: Protests were held all over the State on 15th March demanding arrest of the criminals without any delay. Hundreds of infuriated protesters in Patna marched from JP Chowk to Station where a protest meeting was held. This meeting was addressed by Party's Central Committee member Comrade Saroj Chaubey, AIPWA General Secretary Comrade Meena Tiwari among others. In SIwan more than 300 people led by Party leader (and ex-MLA) Comrade Amarnath Yadav marched in protest. At Darbhanga hundreds of protesters were led by Comrade Dhirendra Jha, CC member. Comrade Niranjan Kumar – District Secretary of Gaya – led the protest march in Gaya, at Nalanda it was led by District Secretary Comrade Surendra Ram and at Bhagalpur it was led by Comrade SK Sharma. Protest demonstrations were also held at Bhojpur, Buxar, Aurnagabad, Arwal, Jehanabad, Nawada, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Munger, Gopalganj, Begusarai apart from other district headquarters on 15th March.

On 17 March, a bandh was called in the Shahabad region that comprises of four southern districts of Bihar. The bandh was total in the region and a Sankalp Sabha (pledge meeting) will be held on 23rd March (Bhagat Singh's martyrdom anniversary) at Nasriganj to be addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary.

Jharkhand: A protest rally was held that marched to Albert Ekka roundabout in Ranchi.

Delhi: Protest demonstration was held at Jantar Mantar on 17 March, against the murder of the party's Rohtas (in Bihar) District Secretary, Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav by BJP-JD(U)-backed criminals. The protest in the national capital coincided with the party's call for a bandh in the Shahabad region of Bihar (comprising the districts of Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur, and Buxar).

Addressing the protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the party's Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma said that Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was killed by feudal forces backed by the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, because he had been at the forefront of people's struggles in the area against feudal violence. AISA General Secretary Ravi Rai, addressing the demonstration, said that the murder of a young activist like Comrade Bhaiyyaram, who was committed to Bhagat Singh's ideals, at the hands of criminals patronized by BJP-JD(U), has exposed the reality of the Nitish Government's claims of 'Sushasan' (Good Governance). In Nitish's Bihar, those protesting against feudal atrocities and crimes on women were being assassinated, while the perpetrators of such crimes were protected by the administration and police.

After the demonstration, a delegation went to submit a memorandum to the Governor of Bihar (via the Resident Commissioner at New Delhi) demanding that the killers named in the FIR be arrested without delay, and the DM and SP of Rohtas district be penalized for protecting rapists and criminal killers. The memorandum demanded that the JD(U)-BJP Government of Bihar stop protecting the criminals who, confident of the patronage of the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, were killing activists who challenged their feudal reign of terror.

Red Salute to Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was shot dead in Nasiriganj, by armed assailants on 14 March evening. He had just been supervising the preparations for installation of a statue of Bhagat Singh (to be inaugurated on 23 March), and was returning to the party office, when he was shot in the gut by armed men on motorbikes. Even after being intimated that Comrade Bhaiyyaram was shot and lay injured, the police did not come to the spot.     

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was killed by feudal forces backed by the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, because he had been at the forefront of people's struggles in the area against feudal violence. Notably, Comrade Bhaiyyaram had been active in organizing a powerful struggle against the gang-rape and murder of a 6-year-old dalit girl in December 2011 by feudal forces (the rapists included the Rajput strongman Luv Singh, known to be close to the BJP and JD(U)). The local police and administration have yet to arrest the accused rapists.

On 9 February, former pramukh Anil Singh and his brother, ex-Zila Parishad member Babhan Bahadur Singh, also well-known to be close to BJP-JD(U), were involved in a shoot-out against those from oppressed castes who objected to their riding motorbikes at high speed in residential areas. The police, instead of arresting the instigators falsely implicated Comrade Bhaiyyaram in this case on cooked-up charges of assault, and had him jailed. Once Com. Bhaiyyaram was released on bail, the feudal forces in collusion with BJP-JD(U) leaders and local administration, have assassinated him.

Bhaiyyaram joined the CPI(ML) in 1986, inspired by the party's resistance to feudal terror in Nasiriganj (Karakat) and Bhojpur. As an activist of the party and youth organization, he helped organize the youth from among the rural poor. Since 2007, he was the Secretary of the party's Rohtas District Committee, and in 2008, was elected to the Bihar State Committee.

Hundreds of local youth and common people joined the funeral procession of their beloved 'Bhaiyya', and protests were held all over Bihar on 15 March. The CPI(ML)'s bandh in the Shahabad region (districts of Ara, Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar) on 17 March evoked a good response and support from people. On the same day, a protest was held at Parliament Street in New Delhi, demanding that the JD(U)-BJP Government of Bihar stop protecting the killers, and take action against the DM and SP of Rohtas district.

 

Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication, R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22442790, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org