“A coward dies a thousand deaths... a soldier dies but once.” - From Shaekespeare's Julius Ceaser
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Shakesphere 's - Julius Ceaser Quote
Quote Shakesphere
“A coward dies a thousand deaths... a soldier dies but once.” - From Shaekespeare's Julius Ceaser
“A coward dies a thousand deaths... a soldier dies but once.” - From Shaekespeare's Julius Ceaser
People of the Shining Path - A documentary on Peru
People of the Shining Path
This film provides a sympathetic look at the Peruvian revolution and the Peruvian Communist Party before President Gonzalo's capture.
This film provides a sympathetic look at the Peruvian revolution and the Peruvian Communist Party before President Gonzalo's capture.
CRPF in Chhattisgarh launches monsoon thrust against Naxals
CRPF in Chhattisgarh launches monsoon thrust against Naxals
A brainchild of supercop K P S Gill, the operation is meant to recapture 'liberated' areas
PTI
New Delhi: The CRPF has launched a crackdown against Naxalites in insurgency-hit Bastar region of Chhattisgarh to recapture areas “liberated” by the rebels, a low-key but massive operation fine-tuned by former supercop K P S Gill.
The monsoon thrust, planned to surprise Naxalites who usually lie low during the rainy season, began towards the end of August and is progressing without much bloodshed, top officials of the force said.
The strategy is to conduct surprise raids on the basis of intelligence reports and the CRPF has so far apprehended over 100 rebels and killed two, besides seizing huge quantities of arms and ammunition.
Official figures show that there were 24 shootouts between CRPF personnel and Naxals in August and September, with the force losing only one jawan. Nine persons were injured during the operations.
The operation, planned by CRPF director general J K Sinha and Gill, was launched in the wake of a Naxal raid on a relief camp for displaced people in Dantewada district in July that left at least 29 people dead and over 80 injured.
Now, the CRPF has directed its troops to avoid schools and hospitals while moving forward, as they apprehend that such structures could be booby-trapped.
After the start of Salwa Judum on June 4 last year, over 300 villagers have been killed by insurgents and about 50,000 people from nearly 700 villages of Dantewada have taken shelter in relief camps run by the state government.
Sources said the force had opened a control room at Jagdalpur to oversee the operations and set up “repeater stations” in remote jungles to boost communications.
A brainchild of supercop K P S Gill, the operation is meant to recapture 'liberated' areas
PTI
New Delhi: The CRPF has launched a crackdown against Naxalites in insurgency-hit Bastar region of Chhattisgarh to recapture areas “liberated” by the rebels, a low-key but massive operation fine-tuned by former supercop K P S Gill.
The monsoon thrust, planned to surprise Naxalites who usually lie low during the rainy season, began towards the end of August and is progressing without much bloodshed, top officials of the force said.
The strategy is to conduct surprise raids on the basis of intelligence reports and the CRPF has so far apprehended over 100 rebels and killed two, besides seizing huge quantities of arms and ammunition.
Official figures show that there were 24 shootouts between CRPF personnel and Naxals in August and September, with the force losing only one jawan. Nine persons were injured during the operations.
The operation, planned by CRPF director general J K Sinha and Gill, was launched in the wake of a Naxal raid on a relief camp for displaced people in Dantewada district in July that left at least 29 people dead and over 80 injured.
Now, the CRPF has directed its troops to avoid schools and hospitals while moving forward, as they apprehend that such structures could be booby-trapped.
After the start of Salwa Judum on June 4 last year, over 300 villagers have been killed by insurgents and about 50,000 people from nearly 700 villages of Dantewada have taken shelter in relief camps run by the state government.
Sources said the force had opened a control room at Jagdalpur to oversee the operations and set up “repeater stations” in remote jungles to boost communications.
Women and People's War in Nepal by Hisila Yami( Comrade Parvati )
"Dear friends,
We are happily announcing the publication of the book People's War and
Women's Liberation in Nepal written by Hisila Yami (Comrade Parvati).
Total number of pages – 246 plus 15 coloured photos.
The price of the book is:
a) In India: Paper pack – Rs. 125.00 and
Hard Bound – Rs. 200.00
b) In other countries: Paper pack – $ 7.00 or equivalent and
Hard Bound – $ 10.00 or equivalent.
* For individual copies, we will bear the cost of mailing.
For bulk orders (applicable for more than 25 copies):
a) 25% Discount;
b) Purchaser has to bear the mailing cost;
c) Only pre-paid orders will be accepted.
For further enquiries, please contact:
purvaiya_publication @ yahoo.co.in
With greetings,
M.Pal /26-09-06
WOMEN
AND
PEOPLE'S WAR IN NEPAL
By Hisila Yami (Comrade Parvati)
Contents
1. Ten Years Of People's War And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
2. Women's Participation In People's War In Nepal
3. The Question Of Women's Leadership
In People's War in Nepal
4. Women's Participation In People's Army
5. Women's Position In The Party,
People's Army And The New State
6. Ideological Synthesis And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
7. Philosophy And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
8. Interview To People's March
9. Multidimensional Exploitation And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
10. Rape: An Instrument Of
State Repression In Nepal
11. People's War And The Question of Dalits
12. Nationality Question In Nepal
13. Experience Of People's Power In Nepal
14. Women And The Democracy Movement
15. APPENDIX – 1
16. APPENDIX – 2
17. APPENDIX – 3"
We are happily announcing the publication of the book People's War and
Women's Liberation in Nepal written by Hisila Yami (Comrade Parvati).
Total number of pages – 246 plus 15 coloured photos.
The price of the book is:
a) In India: Paper pack – Rs. 125.00 and
Hard Bound – Rs. 200.00
b) In other countries: Paper pack – $ 7.00 or equivalent and
Hard Bound – $ 10.00 or equivalent.
* For individual copies, we will bear the cost of mailing.
For bulk orders (applicable for more than 25 copies):
a) 25% Discount;
b) Purchaser has to bear the mailing cost;
c) Only pre-paid orders will be accepted.
For further enquiries, please contact:
purvaiya_publication @ yahoo.co.in
With greetings,
M.Pal /26-09-06
WOMEN
AND
PEOPLE'S WAR IN NEPAL
By Hisila Yami (Comrade Parvati)
Contents
1. Ten Years Of People's War And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
2. Women's Participation In People's War In Nepal
3. The Question Of Women's Leadership
In People's War in Nepal
4. Women's Participation In People's Army
5. Women's Position In The Party,
People's Army And The New State
6. Ideological Synthesis And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
7. Philosophy And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
8. Interview To People's March
9. Multidimensional Exploitation And
The Question Of Women's Liberation
10. Rape: An Instrument Of
State Repression In Nepal
11. People's War And The Question of Dalits
12. Nationality Question In Nepal
13. Experience Of People's Power In Nepal
14. Women And The Democracy Movement
15. APPENDIX – 1
16. APPENDIX – 2
17. APPENDIX – 3"
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Mao Tse-Tung quote
Mao Tse-Tung quote
“The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue”-Mao Tse-Tung quote
Mao - Thirty years on
“The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue”-Mao Tse-Tung quote
Eight Glorious Years of Nepali People's War (2004)
Eight Glorious Years of Nepali People's War (2004)
This movie shows the heroic and inspiring struggle of the Nepali people, against all odds, even in the face of US imperialism and Indian expansionism.
In the face of all of this oppression and imperialism, the third poorest
country in the world with extraordinarily backward fuedal relations that oppress women and indigenous peoples, is standing up from the ground and ripping all oppression from the very root of culture, economic, and social relations.
The People's War in Nepal is a shining beacon to all oppressed peoples around the world, and this documentary vividly demonstrates that.
This documentary has two parts
Click here to watch Part 1
Part 2,
1 hr 36 min 7 sec
Click here to watch or download this video on the Google Website
This movie shows the heroic and inspiring struggle of the Nepali people, against all odds, even in the face of US imperialism and Indian expansionism.
In the face of all of this oppression and imperialism, the third poorest
country in the world with extraordinarily backward fuedal relations that oppress women and indigenous peoples, is standing up from the ground and ripping all oppression from the very root of culture, economic, and social relations.
The People's War in Nepal is a shining beacon to all oppressed peoples around the world, and this documentary vividly demonstrates that.
This documentary has two parts
Click here to watch Part 1
Part 2,
1 hr 36 min 7 sec
Click here to watch or download this video on the Google Website
Communists targeted in Iraq violence
Communists targeted in Iraq violence
A bomber attacked the headquarters of the Iraqi Communist party killing five people as violence across the country left 27 more people dead.
At least 15 people were also wounded when the bomber, riding a motorcycle, blew himself up in the capital's central al-Andalus Square on Tuesday.
A party official said none of the dead were communists.
A bomber attacked the headquarters of the Iraqi Communist party killing five people as violence across the country left 27 more people dead.
At least 15 people were also wounded when the bomber, riding a motorcycle, blew himself up in the capital's central al-Andalus Square on Tuesday.
A party official said none of the dead were communists.
Maoist leader arrested in Jharkhand
Maoist leader arrested in Jharkhand
Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) general secretary Keshwar Yadav, allegedly involved in attacks on police stations, has been arrested in Jharkhand, police officials said here Wednesday.
Yadav was arrested at Namkom, 13 km from Ranchi, Tuesday ‘after specific information on him’, said state director general of police V.D. Ram. ‘It (the arrest) is a big success for the police,’ he added.
Yadav joined the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 1993 and gradually rose to become one of the top leaders of the Maoist organisation. When MCC merged with the People’s War Group in September 2004, he was given charge of the group’s activities in Chhattisgarh.
Police had announced a reward of Rs.100,000 for his capture.
Yadav was arrested along with another CPI-Maoist member, and two self-loading rifles were recovered from them, police officials said.
During interrogation, Yadav admitted to his involvement in several landmine blasts and attacks on police stations, claimed police officials.
Maoist rebels are active in 16 of the 22 districts of the state.
- Indo Asian News Service
Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) general secretary Keshwar Yadav, allegedly involved in attacks on police stations, has been arrested in Jharkhand, police officials said here Wednesday.
Yadav was arrested at Namkom, 13 km from Ranchi, Tuesday ‘after specific information on him’, said state director general of police V.D. Ram. ‘It (the arrest) is a big success for the police,’ he added.
Yadav joined the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 1993 and gradually rose to become one of the top leaders of the Maoist organisation. When MCC merged with the People’s War Group in September 2004, he was given charge of the group’s activities in Chhattisgarh.
Police had announced a reward of Rs.100,000 for his capture.
Yadav was arrested along with another CPI-Maoist member, and two self-loading rifles were recovered from them, police officials said.
During interrogation, Yadav admitted to his involvement in several landmine blasts and attacks on police stations, claimed police officials.
Maoist rebels are active in 16 of the 22 districts of the state.
- Indo Asian News Service
Nepal's gain could be India's pain
The issue of the transfer of weapons from the Nepali to the Indian
Maoists is rehashed in the Indian press again. From The Times of
India:
Nepal's gain could be India's pain
Subodh Ghildiyal
NEW DELHI: It is feared Indian Maoists may get hold of some of the
sophisticated arms from their ideological brothers from the Himalayan
nation.
Security managers are also concerned over the reported growth in
naxal bases and movement on the Indian-Nepal border.
Uttaranchal has reported to home ministry that CPN (Maoist) cadres,
who dominate Nepalese areas along the border, routinely cross into
Indian territory. The state has sought help in manning bridges and
checking-in procedures.
Naxalites have begun to spread in north Bengal, bordering Nepal, from
their strong turf in the south-west of the state adjoining Orissa and
Jharkhand.
Falling in the north is Darjeeling, a tough mountainous terrain from
a security angle. The Centre recently warned the state on the
radicalisation of these areas and asked it to initiate action to nip
the threat in the bud.
Bihar, meanwhile, has sanctioned a special package for development
along the international boundary and it plans to strengthen the
intelligence network there as well.
Fresh fears over new arms dumps have heightened the worry, as they
come in the backdrop of Centre already grappling with the improving
quality of rebel arsenal, with the interception of naxal-bound
consignments of over 800 rockets in Andhra.
Evidence points to increasing militarisation of naxalites, matching
cops in the quality of weapons. Naxals in AP have acquired
sophisticated VHF sets for communication besides pressure-activated
and wireless activated mines.
AKs and SLRs are present in all naxal states. Crude rockets seized
recently have rattled the agencies as they were found to have been
manufactured in part at industrial units of Tamil Nadu.
Source:
http://timesofindia .indiatimes. com/articleshow/ 2023367.cms
Maoists is rehashed in the Indian press again. From The Times of
India:
Nepal's gain could be India's pain
Subodh Ghildiyal
NEW DELHI: It is feared Indian Maoists may get hold of some of the
sophisticated arms from their ideological brothers from the Himalayan
nation.
Security managers are also concerned over the reported growth in
naxal bases and movement on the Indian-Nepal border.
Uttaranchal has reported to home ministry that CPN (Maoist) cadres,
who dominate Nepalese areas along the border, routinely cross into
Indian territory. The state has sought help in manning bridges and
checking-in procedures.
Naxalites have begun to spread in north Bengal, bordering Nepal, from
their strong turf in the south-west of the state adjoining Orissa and
Jharkhand.
Falling in the north is Darjeeling, a tough mountainous terrain from
a security angle. The Centre recently warned the state on the
radicalisation of these areas and asked it to initiate action to nip
the threat in the bud.
Bihar, meanwhile, has sanctioned a special package for development
along the international boundary and it plans to strengthen the
intelligence network there as well.
Fresh fears over new arms dumps have heightened the worry, as they
come in the backdrop of Centre already grappling with the improving
quality of rebel arsenal, with the interception of naxal-bound
consignments of over 800 rockets in Andhra.
Evidence points to increasing militarisation of naxalites, matching
cops in the quality of weapons. Naxals in AP have acquired
sophisticated VHF sets for communication besides pressure-activated
and wireless activated mines.
AKs and SLRs are present in all naxal states. Crude rockets seized
recently have rattled the agencies as they were found to have been
manufactured in part at industrial units of Tamil Nadu.
Source:
http://timesofindia .indiatimes. com/articleshow/ 2023367.cms
Maoist leader in freedom cry - Let India prove it is democratic: Mohan Baidya
Maoist leader in freedom cry - Let India prove it is democratic: Mohan Baidya
Siliguri, Sept. 25: The only way to prove that democracy exists in
India is to withdraw all cases against Mohan Baidya.
At least Baidya himself thinks so. The third-in-command of the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) or CPN (Maoists), who was produced
in the court of the additional district and sessions judge in
Jalpaiguri today, said: "It is typical of India, a democratic
country, to pursue legal proceedings against me. The cases under
which I have been booked are false and baseless.
"To prove that there is democracy here, the state and the Centre
should take steps and withdraw the charges that they have levelled
against me, especially when I am fighting for democracy in Nepal,
which the CPM here supports," the politburo member of the CPN
(Maoists) said. After spending two years in jail, Baidya's trial
started today. He had been arrested from a private nursing home here.
Baidya said it was ironic that the dialogues ensued by top CPM
leaders, like Sitaram Yechuri, with the Maoists, including general
secretary Prachanda, in Nepal is not in sync with the action of the
CPM-led Bengal government, which is keeping leaders like him behind
bars. "I don't understand this riddle. We appreciate the initiative
taken by the CPM leaders in India and their support to establish
democracy in the Himalayan kingdom, but simultaneously they should
withdraw the charges that have been levelled against us," he added.
About the Maoist movement in India, the leader admitted that they
have "political relations" with his outfit but said he was unaware of
the current state of affairs. He, however, appeared to be at a loss
when asked to comment on the present status of Nepal.
"We had dreamt of the end of monarchy and the rise of democracy but
the current situation has left me in despair. There are several
issues which need to be addressed to bring about the long-cherished
change in the life of the citizens," Baidya said as he headed for the
prison van.
Clad in a sleeveless sweater and a formal shirt and trousers, Baidya
said: "When the relationship is so cordial among the two nations, why
doesn't the Indian government release me? I am helpless here and
can't do much except for some verbal opposition."
His trial ensued at the court of Subhankar Bhattacharya, the
additional district and sessions judge, Jalpaiguri first court. L.B.
Kumai, the deputy superintendent of police, Darjeeling, and the
police officer who had lodged the FIR at Bhaktinagar police station
on April 4, 2004, appeared as the first witnesses, court sources said.
Anmole Prasad, Baidya's lawyer, said: "He has been booked under
charges like waging war against the state, conspiracy against the
state and some other sections of the IPC. We have requested the court
to expedite the trial process." The next hearing is slated on
November 13-17, Prasad said.
Siliguri, Sept. 25: The only way to prove that democracy exists in
India is to withdraw all cases against Mohan Baidya.
At least Baidya himself thinks so. The third-in-command of the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) or CPN (Maoists), who was produced
in the court of the additional district and sessions judge in
Jalpaiguri today, said: "It is typical of India, a democratic
country, to pursue legal proceedings against me. The cases under
which I have been booked are false and baseless.
"To prove that there is democracy here, the state and the Centre
should take steps and withdraw the charges that they have levelled
against me, especially when I am fighting for democracy in Nepal,
which the CPM here supports," the politburo member of the CPN
(Maoists) said. After spending two years in jail, Baidya's trial
started today. He had been arrested from a private nursing home here.
Baidya said it was ironic that the dialogues ensued by top CPM
leaders, like Sitaram Yechuri, with the Maoists, including general
secretary Prachanda, in Nepal is not in sync with the action of the
CPM-led Bengal government, which is keeping leaders like him behind
bars. "I don't understand this riddle. We appreciate the initiative
taken by the CPM leaders in India and their support to establish
democracy in the Himalayan kingdom, but simultaneously they should
withdraw the charges that have been levelled against us," he added.
About the Maoist movement in India, the leader admitted that they
have "political relations" with his outfit but said he was unaware of
the current state of affairs. He, however, appeared to be at a loss
when asked to comment on the present status of Nepal.
"We had dreamt of the end of monarchy and the rise of democracy but
the current situation has left me in despair. There are several
issues which need to be addressed to bring about the long-cherished
change in the life of the citizens," Baidya said as he headed for the
prison van.
Clad in a sleeveless sweater and a formal shirt and trousers, Baidya
said: "When the relationship is so cordial among the two nations, why
doesn't the Indian government release me? I am helpless here and
can't do much except for some verbal opposition."
His trial ensued at the court of Subhankar Bhattacharya, the
additional district and sessions judge, Jalpaiguri first court. L.B.
Kumai, the deputy superintendent of police, Darjeeling, and the
police officer who had lodged the FIR at Bhaktinagar police station
on April 4, 2004, appeared as the first witnesses, court sources said.
Anmole Prasad, Baidya's lawyer, said: "He has been booked under
charges like waging war against the state, conspiracy against the
state and some other sections of the IPC. We have requested the court
to expedite the trial process." The next hearing is slated on
November 13-17, Prasad said.
New Maoist group in the Hills - United Gorkha Revolutionary Front
SILIGURI, Sept. 24: A new group, with suspected links with Maoists in Nepal,
has emerged in the hills of Darjeeling which gave birth to the Gorkhaland
movement by GNLF chief Mr Subash Ghisingh, with a call to take up arms for
creation of a separate state.
The new outfit, United Gorkha Revolutionary Front led by a former former
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) man Mr Ajay Dahal, was launched two
years ago, but its existence came to be known in the hills recently, police
said.
The police came to know about it from posters put up in Kalimpong on 6
September.
In the posters, the UGRF called for an armed struggle for Gorkhaland, as
peaceful movements had failed to achieve it.
The sources said that the UGRF, with suspected links with Nepal maoists,
were asking the hill people to "work hand in hand to secure their right for
a separate land for Gorkhas in West Bengal".
Intelligence sources said that Mr Dahal had joined the GNLF, but left to go
over to the GNLF(C) faction led by by Mr CK Pradhan who was killed four
years ago. He then left it to form the UGRF.
Darjeeling superintendent of police Mr Rajesh Sharma said that four
activists of the UGRF were arrested recently.
The police were looking for Mr Dahal, who was believed to have gone
underground.
Police sources in Kolkata said it was being ascertained if the UGRF had any
link with the subversive Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) in north
Bengal and the ULFA in Assam.
KLO, active in both Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts, has been fighting
for a separate state for the Rajbanshi tribes in north Bengal. Municipal
affairs minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya said that the people in the hills
would reject the UGRF which was launched with "a suicidal policy".
The minister said he had asked the police to take up the matter urgently and
act on it. Mr Bhattacharya said that Mr Dahal might be seeking to assert
himself as a leader after failing to emerge as one in the GNLF and in the
breakaway faction GNLF(C).
has emerged in the hills of Darjeeling which gave birth to the Gorkhaland
movement by GNLF chief Mr Subash Ghisingh, with a call to take up arms for
creation of a separate state.
The new outfit, United Gorkha Revolutionary Front led by a former former
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) man Mr Ajay Dahal, was launched two
years ago, but its existence came to be known in the hills recently, police
said.
The police came to know about it from posters put up in Kalimpong on 6
September.
In the posters, the UGRF called for an armed struggle for Gorkhaland, as
peaceful movements had failed to achieve it.
The sources said that the UGRF, with suspected links with Nepal maoists,
were asking the hill people to "work hand in hand to secure their right for
a separate land for Gorkhas in West Bengal".
Intelligence sources said that Mr Dahal had joined the GNLF, but left to go
over to the GNLF(C) faction led by by Mr CK Pradhan who was killed four
years ago. He then left it to form the UGRF.
Darjeeling superintendent of police Mr Rajesh Sharma said that four
activists of the UGRF were arrested recently.
The police were looking for Mr Dahal, who was believed to have gone
underground.
Police sources in Kolkata said it was being ascertained if the UGRF had any
link with the subversive Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) in north
Bengal and the ULFA in Assam.
KLO, active in both Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts, has been fighting
for a separate state for the Rajbanshi tribes in north Bengal. Municipal
affairs minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya said that the people in the hills
would reject the UGRF which was launched with "a suicidal policy".
The minister said he had asked the police to take up the matter urgently and
act on it. Mr Bhattacharya said that Mr Dahal might be seeking to assert
himself as a leader after failing to emerge as one in the GNLF and in the
breakaway faction GNLF(C).
World People's Resistance Movement Meeting Sunday 1st October 2006
Invitation: Open Meeting of the World People's Resistance Movement (Britain)
Sunday 1st October 2006 2pm
Discuss the progress of the Nepalese revolution.
Discussion about the heroic resistance struggles in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan and the global situation in general.
Come and talk about the the future with us.
Venue: 100 Flowers Cultural Centre, above 24 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, N16 (side entry)
Close to Dalston/Kingsland Station. Buses 67, 76, 149, 243
We will not be sending a reminder email. Please put this date in your diary today.
Sunday 1st October 2006 2pm
Discuss the progress of the Nepalese revolution.
Discussion about the heroic resistance struggles in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan and the global situation in general.
Come and talk about the the future with us.
Venue: 100 Flowers Cultural Centre, above 24 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, N16 (side entry)
Close to Dalston/Kingsland Station. Buses 67, 76, 149, 243
We will not be sending a reminder email. Please put this date in your diary today.
Human Rights Watch on Pakistan Occupied Karshmir : 'Azad Kashmir' Far From Free
Pakistan: 'Free Kashmir' Far From Free
Government Opponents Face Torture, Censorship and Political Repression
(Islamabad, September 21, 2006) – In Azad Kashmir, a region largely
closed to international scrutiny until a devastating earthquake hit
last year, the Pakistani government represses democratic freedoms, muzzles the
press and practices routine torture, Human Rights Watch said in a
report released today.
Based on research in Azad Kashmir (which means "free Kashmir") and
Pakistan, the 71-page report, "'With Friends Like These …': Human
Rights Violations in Azad Kashmir," uncovers abuses by the Pakistani
military, intelligence services and militant organizations.
"Although 'azad' means 'free,' the residents of Azad Kashmir are
anything but," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"The Pakistani authorities govern Azad Kashmir with strict controls on
basic freedoms."
Before a massive earthquake struck in October, Azad Kashmir was one of
the most closed territories in the world. Tight controls on freedom of
__expression have been a hallmark of government policy in Azad Kashmir.
Pakistan has prevented the creation of independent media in the
territory through bureaucratic restrictions and coercion. Publications and
literature favoring independence is banned. While militant organizations promoting
the incorporation of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir state into
Pakistan have had free rein to propagate their views, groups promoting
an independent Kashmir find their speech sharply, sometimes violently
curtailed.
Under Azad Kashmir's constitution, which Pakistan imposed in 1974,
election candidates are prescreened to ensure that only those who
support Kashmir's union with Pakistan can contest elections. Anyone who wants
to take part in public life in Azad Kashmir has to sign a pledge of
loyalty to Pakistan, while anyone who publicly supports or peacefully works for
an independent Kashmir faces persecution.
"There is a façade of an elected local government, but the federal
government in Islamabad, the army and the intelligence agencies control
all aspects of political life in Azad Kashmir," said Adams. "The
military shows no tolerance for dissent and practically runs the region as a
fiefdom."Torture is routinely used in Pakistan, and this practice is also
routine in
Azad Kashmir. Human Rights Watch has documented incidents of torture
by the intelligence services and others acting at the army's behest but
knows of no cases in which members of military and paramilitary
security and intelligence agencies have been prosecuted or even disciplined for
acts of torture or mistreatment. Despite the Pakistani government's criticism of human rights violations in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir state in India,
refugees from Jammu and Kashmir are discriminated against and mistreated by the
authorities.
Kashmiri refugees and former militants from India, most of whom are
secular nationalists and culturally and linguistically distinct from
the peoples of Azad Kashmir, are particularly harassed through constant
surveillance, curbs on political __expression, arbitrary arrest and beatings."The Pakistani government often pretends that the only problems faced by Kashmiris are in India," said Adams. "It should start looking into ways of ending human rights abuses in Azad Kashmir.
"Human Rights Watch urged international donors, which have poured
billions of dollars of urgently needed relief and reconstruction aid
into Azad Kashmir since the earthquake, to insist on structural changes in
governance and the promotion of both human rights and the rule of law. Recent corruption allegations against senior government officials highlight serious weaknesses in the rule of law and governmental accountability.
"As it supports reconstruction efforts, the international community
must insist that Pakistan respect the human rights of the people of Azad
Kashmir," said Adams. "The Pakistani government must ensure that the
people of Azad Kashmir can exercise their fundamental civil and
political rights in an environment free of coercion and fear."
Testimonies from the report:
"About six or seven soldiers led by a major ran the proceedings, which
lasted for about five days. The soldiers kept changing and 'worked' us
in shifts. They started by making us do push-ups and sit-ups for hours,
then beat us with rods and belts when we collapsed in exhaustion. They kept
saying that we must admit that we had become 'double agents,' that we
had crossed over to the Indian side because we were 'Hindu lovers,'
that we were 'shameless bastards who wanted to be raped by the rapists of
our sisters and mothers.
' Initially, I and the others argued, told them
they were wrong and what they were doing was wrong. But when
you are beaten and bloodied, barely conscious, nothing
really matters beyond a point. They
decided to make a particular example of Sameer [name changed] who was
the most vocal of us.
In front of us, he was stripped naked and
chillies were shoved up his rectum. He screamed and screamed and the more he
screamed the more they beat him with batons and belts, kicked him,
punched him. They would beat him unconscious, bring him back and then
beat him unconscious again. He did not die in front of us. But it has
been eight years and we never saw him again after those five days together
so I think he is dead. He has to be. After what they did to him, it would be
better for him too." Interview with "Shahid," a former militant, Azad Kashmir
"On April 7, we went on a hunger strike …Why have we been locked up
for hailing and supporting the bus [service between Srinagar and
Muzaffarabad] ? On April 10, at about 6 a.m., we were given breakfast.
We refused.
The jail authorities started beating us with sticks and
metal rods. About 14 or 15 people were beating each person. All other
criminal prisoners and the police present were included. The jail
superintendent, Raja Aftab, was standing at the sentry post
directing the prisoners to
beat us.
We were beaten badly. (It was pre-arranged between the other
prisoners and the police.) One person had an eye torn out. One had
several head injuries. Another had his hand broken. Everyone was bruised. We
were beaten for about two-and-a-half hours. This happened in all three
cells between 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Then the jailer came and said, 'If
you don't eat, we will shove the food up your ass.'
We agreed to eat under duress, as those who refused to eat
were beaten very severely. Mohammad
Ayub Butt refused to eat, so they cracked his spine. Why did the Azad
Kashmir government arrest us and beat us up? We were only supporting
the stated policy of the Pakistani government. Is that not allowed? Or
does Musharraf sitting in Islamabad not know what goes on in
Muzaffarabad? "
Government Opponents Face Torture, Censorship and Political Repression
(Islamabad, September 21, 2006) – In Azad Kashmir, a region largely
closed to international scrutiny until a devastating earthquake hit
last year, the Pakistani government represses democratic freedoms, muzzles the
press and practices routine torture, Human Rights Watch said in a
report released today.
Based on research in Azad Kashmir (which means "free Kashmir") and
Pakistan, the 71-page report, "'With Friends Like These …': Human
Rights Violations in Azad Kashmir," uncovers abuses by the Pakistani
military, intelligence services and militant organizations.
"Although 'azad' means 'free,' the residents of Azad Kashmir are
anything but," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"The Pakistani authorities govern Azad Kashmir with strict controls on
basic freedoms."
Before a massive earthquake struck in October, Azad Kashmir was one of
the most closed territories in the world. Tight controls on freedom of
__expression have been a hallmark of government policy in Azad Kashmir.
Pakistan has prevented the creation of independent media in the
territory through bureaucratic restrictions and coercion. Publications and
literature favoring independence is banned. While militant organizations promoting
the incorporation of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir state into
Pakistan have had free rein to propagate their views, groups promoting
an independent Kashmir find their speech sharply, sometimes violently
curtailed.
Under Azad Kashmir's constitution, which Pakistan imposed in 1974,
election candidates are prescreened to ensure that only those who
support Kashmir's union with Pakistan can contest elections. Anyone who wants
to take part in public life in Azad Kashmir has to sign a pledge of
loyalty to Pakistan, while anyone who publicly supports or peacefully works for
an independent Kashmir faces persecution.
"There is a façade of an elected local government, but the federal
government in Islamabad, the army and the intelligence agencies control
all aspects of political life in Azad Kashmir," said Adams. "The
military shows no tolerance for dissent and practically runs the region as a
fiefdom."Torture is routinely used in Pakistan, and this practice is also
routine in
Azad Kashmir. Human Rights Watch has documented incidents of torture
by the intelligence services and others acting at the army's behest but
knows of no cases in which members of military and paramilitary
security and intelligence agencies have been prosecuted or even disciplined for
acts of torture or mistreatment. Despite the Pakistani government's criticism of human rights violations in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir state in India,
refugees from Jammu and Kashmir are discriminated against and mistreated by the
authorities.
Kashmiri refugees and former militants from India, most of whom are
secular nationalists and culturally and linguistically distinct from
the peoples of Azad Kashmir, are particularly harassed through constant
surveillance, curbs on political __expression, arbitrary arrest and beatings."The Pakistani government often pretends that the only problems faced by Kashmiris are in India," said Adams. "It should start looking into ways of ending human rights abuses in Azad Kashmir.
"Human Rights Watch urged international donors, which have poured
billions of dollars of urgently needed relief and reconstruction aid
into Azad Kashmir since the earthquake, to insist on structural changes in
governance and the promotion of both human rights and the rule of law. Recent corruption allegations against senior government officials highlight serious weaknesses in the rule of law and governmental accountability.
"As it supports reconstruction efforts, the international community
must insist that Pakistan respect the human rights of the people of Azad
Kashmir," said Adams. "The Pakistani government must ensure that the
people of Azad Kashmir can exercise their fundamental civil and
political rights in an environment free of coercion and fear."
Testimonies from the report:
"About six or seven soldiers led by a major ran the proceedings, which
lasted for about five days. The soldiers kept changing and 'worked' us
in shifts. They started by making us do push-ups and sit-ups for hours,
then beat us with rods and belts when we collapsed in exhaustion. They kept
saying that we must admit that we had become 'double agents,' that we
had crossed over to the Indian side because we were 'Hindu lovers,'
that we were 'shameless bastards who wanted to be raped by the rapists of
our sisters and mothers.
' Initially, I and the others argued, told them
they were wrong and what they were doing was wrong. But when
you are beaten and bloodied, barely conscious, nothing
really matters beyond a point. They
decided to make a particular example of Sameer [name changed] who was
the most vocal of us.
In front of us, he was stripped naked and
chillies were shoved up his rectum. He screamed and screamed and the more he
screamed the more they beat him with batons and belts, kicked him,
punched him. They would beat him unconscious, bring him back and then
beat him unconscious again. He did not die in front of us. But it has
been eight years and we never saw him again after those five days together
so I think he is dead. He has to be. After what they did to him, it would be
better for him too." Interview with "Shahid," a former militant, Azad Kashmir
"On April 7, we went on a hunger strike …Why have we been locked up
for hailing and supporting the bus [service between Srinagar and
Muzaffarabad] ? On April 10, at about 6 a.m., we were given breakfast.
We refused.
The jail authorities started beating us with sticks and
metal rods. About 14 or 15 people were beating each person. All other
criminal prisoners and the police present were included. The jail
superintendent, Raja Aftab, was standing at the sentry post
directing the prisoners to
beat us.
We were beaten badly. (It was pre-arranged between the other
prisoners and the police.) One person had an eye torn out. One had
several head injuries. Another had his hand broken. Everyone was bruised. We
were beaten for about two-and-a-half hours. This happened in all three
cells between 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Then the jailer came and said, 'If
you don't eat, we will shove the food up your ass.'
We agreed to eat under duress, as those who refused to eat
were beaten very severely. Mohammad
Ayub Butt refused to eat, so they cracked his spine. Why did the Azad
Kashmir government arrest us and beat us up? We were only supporting
the stated policy of the Pakistani government. Is that not allowed? Or
does Musharraf sitting in Islamabad not know what goes on in
Muzaffarabad? "
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Eight Glorious Years of Nepali People's War (2004)
Eight Glorious Years of Nepali People's War (2004)
This movie shows the heroic and inspiring struggle of the Nepali people, against all odds, even in the face of US imperialism and Indian expansionism.
In the face of all of this oppression and imperialism, the third poorest
country in the world with extraordinarily backward fuedal relations that oppress women and indigenous peoples, is standing up from the ground and ripping all oppression from the very root of culture, economic, and social relations.
The People's War in Nepal is a shining beacon to all oppressed peoples around the world, and this documentary vividly demonstrates that.
This documentary has two parts
Part 1,
1 hr 26 min 22 sec
Click here to watch or download this movie on Google Video
Corporate India's land grabbing mania - SEZ
SEZs — Stop the runaway train
The concept is a dangerous force that aligns self-interest in a particularly intense manner
I wrote an article in this publication a few weeks ago that was critical of Special Ecomomic Zones (SEZs). Among the responses were a surprising number from professionals in the corporate sector — those who were involved in working on SEZs. And their sentiments were deeply disturbing: without exception, the common refrain was that the SEZ idea was a runaway train, and that it was using the singular, concentrated force of greed and self-interest to rip open the land market in the country.
An executive from one of the big four consulting firms told me:
“I advice my clients on succeeding in being a part of these SEZs, but I am selling my soul.”
Another lawyer said: “Unfortunately, it’s the biggest money-making opportunity we have ever seen.”
A senior IT industry executive said: “I agree that it’s a land scam, and it shouldn’t be happening. But we ourselves are bidding for them, because we can’t be left behind. I have my shareholders’ interests to protect — they would tell me, ‘You want to be Gandhi, don’t do it on our money’”. So much for Munnabhai.
Shenzhen, arguably among the most ‘successful’ of China’s SEZs, raises more questions than answers for us. A sampling: “The costs to the state for developing Shenzhen will not be recaptured until probably the second decade of the 21st Century. The size of the net loss was projected in 1990 to be US $131 billion by 2003.” (Wu, China’s Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, 1990).
“Early on, manufacturing took on the most important focus. The following few years saw more real estate speculation than industrial development. Speculation in the property market has been ‘little short of anarchic’” (Studwell, Unlocking China: A Key to Investment Regions). I looked up the list of countries that have SEZs: Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Kazhakstan, Leichtenstein, Monaco, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka. I thought of India’s buzzword in Davos 2006, when we made the big splash — “The world’s fastest growing democracy”.
Examine our august SEZ company when it comes to this qualifier: there is not one mature, functioning democracy in that list—with Kazhakstan, we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel. So have we reduced democracy to a tagline now? There is an old proverb— “cross the river by feeling the stones”, meaning, do it carefully. As we gingerly tread the path to economic prosperity, our democracy is what is holding us together. We do have a system of checks and balances—however inefficient it may seem to an outsider or a layman.
Clearly, there is an urgent national economic imperative, especially given our demographics, and what seems like an opportunity to capitalise on the current momentum. But we are also beginning to slowly rip apart into two countries, with the naxalite movement spreading across more than 30% of the districts.
There is an 85-km barrier fence with check-points that separates Shenzhen SEZ from the rest of Shenzhen municipality. Is this what we want our cities to look like, walled-off economic fortresses? These boundaries will become the contested terrain of conflict between the two Indias, one globalised and competitive, the other left behind, with no tools to participate and only the rage of disaffection. This is besides other distortions, like the the use of fertile agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, or skewed spatial planning outcomes.
Link
The concept is a dangerous force that aligns self-interest in a particularly intense manner
I wrote an article in this publication a few weeks ago that was critical of Special Ecomomic Zones (SEZs). Among the responses were a surprising number from professionals in the corporate sector — those who were involved in working on SEZs. And their sentiments were deeply disturbing: without exception, the common refrain was that the SEZ idea was a runaway train, and that it was using the singular, concentrated force of greed and self-interest to rip open the land market in the country.
An executive from one of the big four consulting firms told me:
“I advice my clients on succeeding in being a part of these SEZs, but I am selling my soul.”
Another lawyer said: “Unfortunately, it’s the biggest money-making opportunity we have ever seen.”
A senior IT industry executive said: “I agree that it’s a land scam, and it shouldn’t be happening. But we ourselves are bidding for them, because we can’t be left behind. I have my shareholders’ interests to protect — they would tell me, ‘You want to be Gandhi, don’t do it on our money’”. So much for Munnabhai.
Shenzhen, arguably among the most ‘successful’ of China’s SEZs, raises more questions than answers for us. A sampling: “The costs to the state for developing Shenzhen will not be recaptured until probably the second decade of the 21st Century. The size of the net loss was projected in 1990 to be US $131 billion by 2003.” (Wu, China’s Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, 1990).
“Early on, manufacturing took on the most important focus. The following few years saw more real estate speculation than industrial development. Speculation in the property market has been ‘little short of anarchic’” (Studwell, Unlocking China: A Key to Investment Regions). I looked up the list of countries that have SEZs: Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Kazhakstan, Leichtenstein, Monaco, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka. I thought of India’s buzzword in Davos 2006, when we made the big splash — “The world’s fastest growing democracy”.
Examine our august SEZ company when it comes to this qualifier: there is not one mature, functioning democracy in that list—with Kazhakstan, we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel. So have we reduced democracy to a tagline now? There is an old proverb— “cross the river by feeling the stones”, meaning, do it carefully. As we gingerly tread the path to economic prosperity, our democracy is what is holding us together. We do have a system of checks and balances—however inefficient it may seem to an outsider or a layman.
Clearly, there is an urgent national economic imperative, especially given our demographics, and what seems like an opportunity to capitalise on the current momentum. But we are also beginning to slowly rip apart into two countries, with the naxalite movement spreading across more than 30% of the districts.
There is an 85-km barrier fence with check-points that separates Shenzhen SEZ from the rest of Shenzhen municipality. Is this what we want our cities to look like, walled-off economic fortresses? These boundaries will become the contested terrain of conflict between the two Indias, one globalised and competitive, the other left behind, with no tools to participate and only the rage of disaffection. This is besides other distortions, like the the use of fertile agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, or skewed spatial planning outcomes.
Link
Seven arrested for being ‘sympathetic’ to Naxalites
Seven arrested for being ‘sympathetic’ to Naxalites
Statesman News Service
PARALAKHEMUNDI, Sept. 24: The Gajapati police today arrested seven suspected Naxalite sympathisers, including two women, after conducting raids at several places. Those arrested have been charged with supporting, cooperating, sympathising, liaisoning and propagating for the Naxalites and distributing anti-government propaganda materials at the Gilakatu village in Mohona block .
According to the Gajapati SP, Mr AN Sinha, the seven have been forwarded to court and one of them has been charged under the Arms Act.
The police have recovered incriminating documents including diaries, cassettes, propaganda materials (with anti-government propaganda writings), medicines and books from the arrested persons.
All the arrested people are from the Kui community and belong to Raipanaka area of the Mohona block. It is for the second time during the course of one month that the local police have managed to nab Naxalite sympathizers and activists here.
Those arrested today have been identified as Lajar Majhi (Gillakutaa village) along with a rifle, Narendra Durga Makka (Garada), Muluku Majhi (Geranga), Prasant Kumar Dika (Chipilima) and Monoj Majhi (Chipilima) and the women are Baramani Majhi and Sunita Majhi from the Jaragidua village. While all the arrested persons are in their twenties, Lazar Majhi is 54-year-old.
One Dasuram Majhi, who is wanted by the police in many cases and was reportedly with this group, however, managed to escape.
Link
Statesman News Service
PARALAKHEMUNDI, Sept. 24: The Gajapati police today arrested seven suspected Naxalite sympathisers, including two women, after conducting raids at several places. Those arrested have been charged with supporting, cooperating, sympathising, liaisoning and propagating for the Naxalites and distributing anti-government propaganda materials at the Gilakatu village in Mohona block .
According to the Gajapati SP, Mr AN Sinha, the seven have been forwarded to court and one of them has been charged under the Arms Act.
The police have recovered incriminating documents including diaries, cassettes, propaganda materials (with anti-government propaganda writings), medicines and books from the arrested persons.
All the arrested people are from the Kui community and belong to Raipanaka area of the Mohona block. It is for the second time during the course of one month that the local police have managed to nab Naxalite sympathizers and activists here.
Those arrested today have been identified as Lajar Majhi (Gillakutaa village) along with a rifle, Narendra Durga Makka (Garada), Muluku Majhi (Geranga), Prasant Kumar Dika (Chipilima) and Monoj Majhi (Chipilima) and the women are Baramani Majhi and Sunita Majhi from the Jaragidua village. While all the arrested persons are in their twenties, Lazar Majhi is 54-year-old.
One Dasuram Majhi, who is wanted by the police in many cases and was reportedly with this group, however, managed to escape.
Link
Now, Greyhounds gun for Praja Pratighatana
Now, Greyhounds gun for Praja Pratighatana
Monday September 25 2006 10:00 IST
KHAMMAM: Buoyed by their successful offensive against the Maoists, the Greyhounds now seem to be going after CPI (ML) Praja Pratighatana, in the vast forest tracts of the district.
The recent encounter in the forest near Paloncha, in which three guerrillas were killed, indicates a plan of action aimed at completely eliminating the Praja Prathighatana, which is just beginning to gain ground among the trade unions.
Among those killed were IFTU-affiliated auto workers union of Hyderabad president A Moses.
BACKGROUND: CPI ML (Praja Prathighatana) was formed in 1994 as a splinter group by those who were against the policies of CPI (ML) Prathighatana.
A second rung leader Chalamanna led the movement supported by women’s leaders like Radhakka (wife of Chandra Pulla Reddy, an active member of Prathighatana group).
Later, the group split again with Radhakka forming a separate group, ‘Godavari Loya Prathighatana’, which later split up and one group led by one Mohan emerged stronger, which commanded at least ten dalams in Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts.
This group recently made attempts to float a legal organisation on the lines of CPI (ML) New Democracy and the recent meeting at Paloancha was aimed at discussing the modalities of a trade union movement by the unorganised labourers.
Greyhounds team found papers of agenda littered all over the area.
“There is no doubt that the police are targeting the Praja Prathighatana cadre and are aiming at nipping the movement in the bud. Though the extent of their operations may not match that of the Maoists, we cannot brush them aside,” said a senior police officer.
Link
Monday September 25 2006 10:00 IST
KHAMMAM: Buoyed by their successful offensive against the Maoists, the Greyhounds now seem to be going after CPI (ML) Praja Pratighatana, in the vast forest tracts of the district.
The recent encounter in the forest near Paloncha, in which three guerrillas were killed, indicates a plan of action aimed at completely eliminating the Praja Prathighatana, which is just beginning to gain ground among the trade unions.
Among those killed were IFTU-affiliated auto workers union of Hyderabad president A Moses.
BACKGROUND: CPI ML (Praja Prathighatana) was formed in 1994 as a splinter group by those who were against the policies of CPI (ML) Prathighatana.
A second rung leader Chalamanna led the movement supported by women’s leaders like Radhakka (wife of Chandra Pulla Reddy, an active member of Prathighatana group).
Later, the group split again with Radhakka forming a separate group, ‘Godavari Loya Prathighatana’, which later split up and one group led by one Mohan emerged stronger, which commanded at least ten dalams in Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts.
This group recently made attempts to float a legal organisation on the lines of CPI (ML) New Democracy and the recent meeting at Paloancha was aimed at discussing the modalities of a trade union movement by the unorganised labourers.
Greyhounds team found papers of agenda littered all over the area.
“There is no doubt that the police are targeting the Praja Prathighatana cadre and are aiming at nipping the movement in the bud. Though the extent of their operations may not match that of the Maoists, we cannot brush them aside,” said a senior police officer.
Link
KPP, kins of ultras to join fast - Ulfa and Maoist Activists on hunger-strike
KPP, kins of ultras to join fast
Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, Sept 21: Poles apart policywise, the CPI-ML (New Democracy) and the Kamtapur Peoples’ Party are but projecting a united face on the issue of the agitating prisoners at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and at the Jalpaiguri Correctional Home.
The prisoners arrested as suspected KLO, Ulfa and Maoist activists have resorted to a hunger-strike demanding trial. The CPI-ML (New Democracy) and the Kamtapur Progressive Party have taken up their cause and have decided to express solidarity by holding a parallel hunger-strike and sit-in-demonstration in Siliguri on 25 and 26 September.
“Try them or release them,” is what the two organisations are demanding. According to the leadership of the two organisations, the family members of the agitating prisoners would also join the stir as would human rights and social welfare activists.
The two organisations plan to intensify their movement jointly after the Pujas on a horde of other issues including the state government’s policy to acquire land for industrialisation, wage increase, preference for local employment and others.
To launch the immediate stir, the New Democracy and the Kamtapur Progressive Party have decided to shelve their original demands of armed struggle and Kamtapur statehood respectively, for the time being.
Admitting that their philosophies were miles apart, New Democracy leader Mr Sridhar Mukherjee said: “The issue in question transcends the party line. We are not choosy about who we join forces with on such issues.”
KPP leader Mr Atul Roy too said that his organisation was keeping the statehood demand aside for the time being. “It is a question of human rights, which cuts across the party line,” he added. The two organisations brought out a rally in support of their demand in the town today. In addition to initiation of the prisoners’ trial without delay, the two organisations have also raised the demand of compensation for the prisoners’ families.
Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, Sept 21: Poles apart policywise, the CPI-ML (New Democracy) and the Kamtapur Peoples’ Party are but projecting a united face on the issue of the agitating prisoners at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and at the Jalpaiguri Correctional Home.
The prisoners arrested as suspected KLO, Ulfa and Maoist activists have resorted to a hunger-strike demanding trial. The CPI-ML (New Democracy) and the Kamtapur Progressive Party have taken up their cause and have decided to express solidarity by holding a parallel hunger-strike and sit-in-demonstration in Siliguri on 25 and 26 September.
“Try them or release them,” is what the two organisations are demanding. According to the leadership of the two organisations, the family members of the agitating prisoners would also join the stir as would human rights and social welfare activists.
The two organisations plan to intensify their movement jointly after the Pujas on a horde of other issues including the state government’s policy to acquire land for industrialisation, wage increase, preference for local employment and others.
To launch the immediate stir, the New Democracy and the Kamtapur Progressive Party have decided to shelve their original demands of armed struggle and Kamtapur statehood respectively, for the time being.
Admitting that their philosophies were miles apart, New Democracy leader Mr Sridhar Mukherjee said: “The issue in question transcends the party line. We are not choosy about who we join forces with on such issues.”
KPP leader Mr Atul Roy too said that his organisation was keeping the statehood demand aside for the time being. “It is a question of human rights, which cuts across the party line,” he added. The two organisations brought out a rally in support of their demand in the town today. In addition to initiation of the prisoners’ trial without delay, the two organisations have also raised the demand of compensation for the prisoners’ families.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
CPI(Marxist) -Big Broker for capitalist interests
Naam he Joker, Kaam he Broker -
CPI(Marxist's) new age mantra.
CPI(Marxist) -Big Broker for capitalist interests
Condemn the efforts of the CPI(marxist)government of
West Bengal to seize the land of peasents and farmers !
by signing the online petition below.
Background Information on Singur
Singur is a thriving farming community in the West Bengal State of India. Its 20,000 habitants, mostly small peasants, agricultural workers and small traders will be displaced soon in the name of "development" as Tata Motors is set to take over their land.
More than 4000 peasant families as well as agricultural labourers, unregistered sharecroppers, cottage industry workers and local small business people are living under the threat of imminent eviction from their 1253 acres of land and their livelihood is endangered with this move of the West Bengal government.
The State has ordered the peasants to immediately stop sowing rice and to accept the State's decision of farmland acquisition and the following eviction. The government plans to acquire land through the Land Acquisition Act, then would be leased /sold out to Tata Motors, a giant Indian corporation, at a subsidised rate through the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.
The selected land for acquisition is a fertile multi-cropping agricultural land. Its lush and multi-crop land yields 8,000 to 9,000 tons of rice, wheat, vegetables and jute per year. The decision of the State Government to acquire this land surprised the peasants and many other Civil Society activists as Tata could easily be set up in other locations in the state where adequate non agricultural land are available.
The Chief Minister offered the Tatas unarable land in West Medinipur for setting up the manufacturing unit, but the latter preferred this agricultural land and the supposedly pro-people Left Front government in order to oblige the influential multinational company surrendered meekly to this compulsion. Besides this, the acquisition of such a huge land area signifies that the Tata may turn these lands into a 'Real Estate' venture in the near future like the other Indian companies did.
Moreover, no adequate compensation or rehabilitation package has been offered to the affected. Only one time monetary compensation is promised, which the peasants think is way below the market price. No economic rehabilitation is offered to 20,000 peasants whose livelihoods would be directly affected, neither any compensation is offered to those agricultural labourers, sharecroppers and others who depend on these lands indirectly and would also be deprived of their livelihoods.
Peasant women would be severely affected as in most cases lands are not recorded in their names and they would not get the compensations themselves. Moreover, it must be noted here that no compensation will be appropriate for such damage as the peasants have practised only agriculture over generations and are rendered unskilled and inadept for other occupations. Thus, they will lose their access to food producing resources i.e. land and would be exposed to hunger and starvation. In fact, the whole process of alignment of the compensation package is not transparent, meagre and there is no participation of the affected people in this process.
It is important to mention here that acquisition of 1253 acres of fertile agricultural land in Singur, is part of the larger plan of the State Government to acquire 43000 acres of land (mostly agricultural) for industrial purposes in the state.
Acquisition of 1253 acres of land in Singur will destroy food security of 20,000 people who depend directly or indirectly on these lands. Even the trivial compensation promised by the Government overlooks those who indirectly depend on these lands for food security e.g. agricultural or unregistered share croppers, workers of local cottage industry, people locally engaged in small business etc.
Please take action by publicising this issue and by signing to this online petition. A copy of the petition letter will be automatically sent to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, West Bengal Human Rights Commission and to the United Nations Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
Sign the petition by clicking here
CPI(Marxist's) new age mantra.
CPI(Marxist) -Big Broker for capitalist interests
Condemn the efforts of the CPI(marxist)government of
West Bengal to seize the land of peasents and farmers !
by signing the online petition below.
Background Information on Singur
Singur is a thriving farming community in the West Bengal State of India. Its 20,000 habitants, mostly small peasants, agricultural workers and small traders will be displaced soon in the name of "development" as Tata Motors is set to take over their land.
More than 4000 peasant families as well as agricultural labourers, unregistered sharecroppers, cottage industry workers and local small business people are living under the threat of imminent eviction from their 1253 acres of land and their livelihood is endangered with this move of the West Bengal government.
The State has ordered the peasants to immediately stop sowing rice and to accept the State's decision of farmland acquisition and the following eviction. The government plans to acquire land through the Land Acquisition Act, then would be leased /sold out to Tata Motors, a giant Indian corporation, at a subsidised rate through the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.
The selected land for acquisition is a fertile multi-cropping agricultural land. Its lush and multi-crop land yields 8,000 to 9,000 tons of rice, wheat, vegetables and jute per year. The decision of the State Government to acquire this land surprised the peasants and many other Civil Society activists as Tata could easily be set up in other locations in the state where adequate non agricultural land are available.
The Chief Minister offered the Tatas unarable land in West Medinipur for setting up the manufacturing unit, but the latter preferred this agricultural land and the supposedly pro-people Left Front government in order to oblige the influential multinational company surrendered meekly to this compulsion. Besides this, the acquisition of such a huge land area signifies that the Tata may turn these lands into a 'Real Estate' venture in the near future like the other Indian companies did.
Moreover, no adequate compensation or rehabilitation package has been offered to the affected. Only one time monetary compensation is promised, which the peasants think is way below the market price. No economic rehabilitation is offered to 20,000 peasants whose livelihoods would be directly affected, neither any compensation is offered to those agricultural labourers, sharecroppers and others who depend on these lands indirectly and would also be deprived of their livelihoods.
Peasant women would be severely affected as in most cases lands are not recorded in their names and they would not get the compensations themselves. Moreover, it must be noted here that no compensation will be appropriate for such damage as the peasants have practised only agriculture over generations and are rendered unskilled and inadept for other occupations. Thus, they will lose their access to food producing resources i.e. land and would be exposed to hunger and starvation. In fact, the whole process of alignment of the compensation package is not transparent, meagre and there is no participation of the affected people in this process.
It is important to mention here that acquisition of 1253 acres of fertile agricultural land in Singur, is part of the larger plan of the State Government to acquire 43000 acres of land (mostly agricultural) for industrial purposes in the state.
Acquisition of 1253 acres of land in Singur will destroy food security of 20,000 people who depend directly or indirectly on these lands. Even the trivial compensation promised by the Government overlooks those who indirectly depend on these lands for food security e.g. agricultural or unregistered share croppers, workers of local cottage industry, people locally engaged in small business etc.
Please take action by publicising this issue and by signing to this online petition. A copy of the petition letter will be automatically sent to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, West Bengal Human Rights Commission and to the United Nations Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
Sign the petition by clicking here
Dange's children throw tanturms - God Save the CPI(Marxist)
Long long ago when the CPI was the only communist party in India.
A man called S.A Dange was a predominant leader of the CPI,
his claim to fame were the love letters , he wrote to the
British officials, offering to become a British informer if he was
released from prison.
But what many do not know is that he wrote a book proclaiming
that the entire wisdom of Karl
Marx is derived from the Vaidik Vedanta !
Today Dange is dead but his children live on ,the filth
and the rot in the CPI(Marxist) is the perfect
breeding ground for mini-dange's who masquerade
as communists.
Now only God can save the CPI(Marxist) !
God Save The Party
Can Marxists seek divine blessings?
Joker Subhas Chakraborty
JAI Ma Tara. This invocation to goddess Kali has triggered off a heated debate in the CPI(M)—a party of ostensible non-believers—on God vs Marx. Or rather, on whether Marxists can seek divine blessings, even privately. The issue came out after Bengal’s transport minister, Subhas Chakraborty, visited the Kali temple at Tarapith, 300 km from Calcutta, on September 13 and offered puja. Photos of him praying at the temple and his statements reiterating his right to practise his religion have embarrassed the Marxists in West Bengal.
"Wherever I go, my name would suggest that first I am a Hindu and then a Brahmin. I can’t deny this," he said. But there were more blasphemies—he said he is more comfortable with Indian traditions like pranam and namaskar than the lal salaam (red salute). He dragged in CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu too: "Even Jyoti Basu visited a gurudwara with his head covered after Indira Gandhi’s assassination," he said. Next he threatened to name CPI(M) leaders who practise their religion on the sly.
But what got the party’s goat was his assertion that the CPI(M) hadn’t been able to spread its influence beyond three states (West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala) as the party has failed to accommodate Indian values and traditions. "How else can you justify our presence in only three states with a population of 11 crore in a nation of over 100 crore people?" he asked. And, to add to the CPI(M)’s woes, state BJP chief Tathagata Roy praised him and offered him a berth in the party.
Censuring his protege, Jyoti Basu minced no words and said: "Whom does he see and worship? Does She (goddess Kali) exist? It would be better if he worshipped mankind." Not to be silenced, Chakraborty exhorted workers in the transport sector to celebrate Vishwakarma Puja "with pomp and grandeur". And then wrote in a Bengali journal that his mentor was a modern-day Krishna who delivers victory to those who are on his side. This was too much even for Basu; he went on to say that Chakraborty had lost his head. To which Chakraborty promptly retorted: "If I’m mad, why don’t they throw me out? Mad people cannot have any place in the party."
However, despite such provocation, the CPI(M) hasn’t taken action against him. It indeed can’t, as doing so would, in the party’s analysis, anger Hindus. "A large number of Bengalis vote for us. But they’re not atheists. If any action were taken against Chakraborty, the Hindus would not like it," a CPI(M) state secretariat member told Outlook.
Also, many leaders, including those in the party’s top bodies, won’t be able to muster the moral authority to argue for action against Chakraborty as they themselves practise their religion. Besides, Chakraborty has enormous influence in the North 24 Parganas district and in the CITU and transport unions.
Party hardliners say religion is Marxism’s antithesis and believers have no place in the party. But a majority feel that there’s no bar on Marxists practising religion privately. So, the compromise: the party won’t bar its members from performing religious rituals and festivities as long as it is behind closed doors.
Though not many Calcutta-based or senior state-level leaders practise their religion openly, those in the districts who form a majority in the party do so, and very openly too. In fact, CPI(M) leaders lead religious processions, CITU holds Vishwakarma pujas, teachers’ unions affiliated to the CPI(M) hold Saraswati pujas while the party’s local units support Durga pujas across the state. It’s indeed strange that for a party that puts a premium on discipline, such ‘indiscretions’ and acts of ‘indiscipline’ have gone unpunished. However, state secretary Biman Bose has now sent out advisories to members of the CPI(M) state committee, asking them not to associate themselves with community Durga pujas.The hardliners, though, want more than this and are asking for stricter measures. Senior party leader Benoy Konar says that members would have to decide if they are Marxists or believers.
Others say the party must move with the times and has to accommodate traditions and religious beliefs. If it does not, it will alienate sizeable sections of the people. Chakraborty may be seen as a maverick and a trouble-maker, but the issue that he has raised is one the party cannot easily ignore.
Link
A man called S.A Dange was a predominant leader of the CPI,
his claim to fame were the love letters , he wrote to the
British officials, offering to become a British informer if he was
released from prison.
But what many do not know is that he wrote a book proclaiming
that the entire wisdom of Karl
Marx is derived from the Vaidik Vedanta !
Today Dange is dead but his children live on ,the filth
and the rot in the CPI(Marxist) is the perfect
breeding ground for mini-dange's who masquerade
as communists.
Now only God can save the CPI(Marxist) !
God Save The Party
Can Marxists seek divine blessings?
Joker Subhas ChakrabortyJAI Ma Tara. This invocation to goddess Kali has triggered off a heated debate in the CPI(M)—a party of ostensible non-believers—on God vs Marx. Or rather, on whether Marxists can seek divine blessings, even privately. The issue came out after Bengal’s transport minister, Subhas Chakraborty, visited the Kali temple at Tarapith, 300 km from Calcutta, on September 13 and offered puja. Photos of him praying at the temple and his statements reiterating his right to practise his religion have embarrassed the Marxists in West Bengal.
"Wherever I go, my name would suggest that first I am a Hindu and then a Brahmin. I can’t deny this," he said. But there were more blasphemies—he said he is more comfortable with Indian traditions like pranam and namaskar than the lal salaam (red salute). He dragged in CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu too: "Even Jyoti Basu visited a gurudwara with his head covered after Indira Gandhi’s assassination," he said. Next he threatened to name CPI(M) leaders who practise their religion on the sly.
But what got the party’s goat was his assertion that the CPI(M) hadn’t been able to spread its influence beyond three states (West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala) as the party has failed to accommodate Indian values and traditions. "How else can you justify our presence in only three states with a population of 11 crore in a nation of over 100 crore people?" he asked. And, to add to the CPI(M)’s woes, state BJP chief Tathagata Roy praised him and offered him a berth in the party.
Censuring his protege, Jyoti Basu minced no words and said: "Whom does he see and worship? Does She (goddess Kali) exist? It would be better if he worshipped mankind." Not to be silenced, Chakraborty exhorted workers in the transport sector to celebrate Vishwakarma Puja "with pomp and grandeur". And then wrote in a Bengali journal that his mentor was a modern-day Krishna who delivers victory to those who are on his side. This was too much even for Basu; he went on to say that Chakraborty had lost his head. To which Chakraborty promptly retorted: "If I’m mad, why don’t they throw me out? Mad people cannot have any place in the party."
However, despite such provocation, the CPI(M) hasn’t taken action against him. It indeed can’t, as doing so would, in the party’s analysis, anger Hindus. "A large number of Bengalis vote for us. But they’re not atheists. If any action were taken against Chakraborty, the Hindus would not like it," a CPI(M) state secretariat member told Outlook.
Also, many leaders, including those in the party’s top bodies, won’t be able to muster the moral authority to argue for action against Chakraborty as they themselves practise their religion. Besides, Chakraborty has enormous influence in the North 24 Parganas district and in the CITU and transport unions.
Party hardliners say religion is Marxism’s antithesis and believers have no place in the party. But a majority feel that there’s no bar on Marxists practising religion privately. So, the compromise: the party won’t bar its members from performing religious rituals and festivities as long as it is behind closed doors.
Though not many Calcutta-based or senior state-level leaders practise their religion openly, those in the districts who form a majority in the party do so, and very openly too. In fact, CPI(M) leaders lead religious processions, CITU holds Vishwakarma pujas, teachers’ unions affiliated to the CPI(M) hold Saraswati pujas while the party’s local units support Durga pujas across the state. It’s indeed strange that for a party that puts a premium on discipline, such ‘indiscretions’ and acts of ‘indiscipline’ have gone unpunished. However, state secretary Biman Bose has now sent out advisories to members of the CPI(M) state committee, asking them not to associate themselves with community Durga pujas.The hardliners, though, want more than this and are asking for stricter measures. Senior party leader Benoy Konar says that members would have to decide if they are Marxists or believers.
Others say the party must move with the times and has to accommodate traditions and religious beliefs. If it does not, it will alienate sizeable sections of the people. Chakraborty may be seen as a maverick and a trouble-maker, but the issue that he has raised is one the party cannot easily ignore.
Link
50 SFI activists caught travelling without ticket
The rot in the CPI(Marxist) is so deep that it has even begun to
affect the lower level cadre.
SFI is a student organisation of the CPI(Marxist) and
is a hangout for all sorts of freeloaders who believe
their passive delusions represent the highest levels
of Marxist thought.
50 SFI activists caught travelling without ticket
SILIGURI, Sep 21: Railway officials caught around 113 people, including 50 members of Students’ Federation of India, for travelling without tickets during raids conducted on the New Jalpaiguri-Jalpaiguri Road and NJP-Haldibari rail routes, today.
The public relations officer NF Railway, Mr Tarak Nath Bhattacharjee, said:
“We also fined around 50 delegates of SFI who were caught travelling without tickets in a Haldibari-bound passenger train in Raninagar Station.”
It was learnt that the Jalpaiguri MP, Mrs Minati Sen, rushed to Raninagar Station after getting the news of the detention of 50 SFI activists. “Mrs Sen came to the station and paid the fine on behalf of the SFI activists to the Railway officials,” Mr Bhattacharjee said. n SNS
affect the lower level cadre.
SFI is a student organisation of the CPI(Marxist) and
is a hangout for all sorts of freeloaders who believe
their passive delusions represent the highest levels
of Marxist thought.
50 SFI activists caught travelling without ticket
SILIGURI, Sep 21: Railway officials caught around 113 people, including 50 members of Students’ Federation of India, for travelling without tickets during raids conducted on the New Jalpaiguri-Jalpaiguri Road and NJP-Haldibari rail routes, today.
The public relations officer NF Railway, Mr Tarak Nath Bhattacharjee, said:
“We also fined around 50 delegates of SFI who were caught travelling without tickets in a Haldibari-bound passenger train in Raninagar Station.”
It was learnt that the Jalpaiguri MP, Mrs Minati Sen, rushed to Raninagar Station after getting the news of the detention of 50 SFI activists. “Mrs Sen came to the station and paid the fine on behalf of the SFI activists to the Railway officials,” Mr Bhattacharjee said. n SNS
Three naxalites killed in encounter
Three naxalites killed in encounter
Staff Reporter
KHAMMAM: Three naxalites of the CPI(ML) Praja Pratighatana were killed in an encounter with the police in the core area of the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary on Friday morning.
According to reports, two rifles, some other weapons and 20 kitbags were recovered from the place.
The exchange of fire between the special party and the PPG dalams, camping under two tents near mamidigudem village, lasted nearly half an hour.
Some of the naxalites managed to escape into the forests while two were killed on the spot.
Two of the naxalites killed in the encounter were identified as Ravi, 30, of Gundala village and Srisailam of Pandurangapurm village, near Palvancha.
One of the bodies is yet to be identified.
Staff Reporter
KHAMMAM: Three naxalites of the CPI(ML) Praja Pratighatana were killed in an encounter with the police in the core area of the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary on Friday morning.
According to reports, two rifles, some other weapons and 20 kitbags were recovered from the place.
The exchange of fire between the special party and the PPG dalams, camping under two tents near mamidigudem village, lasted nearly half an hour.
Some of the naxalites managed to escape into the forests while two were killed on the spot.
Two of the naxalites killed in the encounter were identified as Ravi, 30, of Gundala village and Srisailam of Pandurangapurm village, near Palvancha.
One of the bodies is yet to be identified.
CRPF goes cycling in Naxal territory
CRPF goes cycling in Naxal territory
NEW DELHI: With armoured vehicles becoming sitting ducks for landmine attacks, Central Reserve Police Force personnel will now be seen patrolling on cycles and motorbikes in Naxalite-infested jungles and hamlets in states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The paramilitary force, battling left wing insurgency in several states, has directed its company commanders to concentrate on patrolling on foot and with two-wheelers, a change of tactics in tune with the ground situation.
"Most roads in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are heavily mined. Two-wheelers can go deep into jungles and boost area domination. The personnel can even leave their vehicles behind if the need arises," an official said.
Heavy vehicles are easily targeted by the Maoist rebels and attacks on them usually inflict huge loss of life and property, a situation the force now wants to prevent.
The CRPF lost 29 personnel-- 13 in Jharkhand and six in Chhattisgarh -- so far this year in attacks by Maoists, compared to one death during the same period last year.
There were at least 25 landmine and IED blasts in Chhattisgarh this year alone.
The force had experimented with using two-wheelers for patrolling United Liberation Front of Asom-dominated areas of Lower Assam in 2001 and the tactic proved very successful, officers familiar with anti-insurgency operations said.
The introduction of two-wheelers, interestingly, is part of a modernisation drive under way in the two-lakh strong force, deployed in the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-affected states.
According to official figures, landmines are the second most used mode of attack by Naxalites after ambushes.
The CRPF has purchased 300 motorbikes and hundreds of cycles, besides 6,000 lightweight bullet-proof vests for operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on the basis of requirements projected by company commanders.
It has decided to arm formations with GPS-enabled satellite phones and to use deep search mine detectors during combing operations. The force still uses Morse code for communication.
The new steps to counter the rebels were taken after a rise in Naxalite attacks and the recovery of huge quantities of IEDs and landmines in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Significantly, attacks on CRPF posts and pickets have come down in the first eight months of this year.
As part of the modernisation and expansion plans, the force is recruiting 30,000 men, including around 5,000 from Jammu and Kashmir, for anti-insurgency operations across the country.
Of the 25,000 new recruits from across the country, 40 per cent will be drawn from disturbed districts as part of the government's efforts to provide jobs to unemployed youths in such areas to deter them from taking to extremist activities.
"Recruitment of youth from disturbed areas will help develop a sense of loyalty among the people there, besides raising their level of confidence in the system," an official overseeing the process said.
LINK
NEW DELHI: With armoured vehicles becoming sitting ducks for landmine attacks, Central Reserve Police Force personnel will now be seen patrolling on cycles and motorbikes in Naxalite-infested jungles and hamlets in states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The paramilitary force, battling left wing insurgency in several states, has directed its company commanders to concentrate on patrolling on foot and with two-wheelers, a change of tactics in tune with the ground situation.
"Most roads in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are heavily mined. Two-wheelers can go deep into jungles and boost area domination. The personnel can even leave their vehicles behind if the need arises," an official said.
Heavy vehicles are easily targeted by the Maoist rebels and attacks on them usually inflict huge loss of life and property, a situation the force now wants to prevent.
The CRPF lost 29 personnel-- 13 in Jharkhand and six in Chhattisgarh -- so far this year in attacks by Maoists, compared to one death during the same period last year.
There were at least 25 landmine and IED blasts in Chhattisgarh this year alone.
The force had experimented with using two-wheelers for patrolling United Liberation Front of Asom-dominated areas of Lower Assam in 2001 and the tactic proved very successful, officers familiar with anti-insurgency operations said.
The introduction of two-wheelers, interestingly, is part of a modernisation drive under way in the two-lakh strong force, deployed in the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-affected states.
According to official figures, landmines are the second most used mode of attack by Naxalites after ambushes.
The CRPF has purchased 300 motorbikes and hundreds of cycles, besides 6,000 lightweight bullet-proof vests for operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on the basis of requirements projected by company commanders.
It has decided to arm formations with GPS-enabled satellite phones and to use deep search mine detectors during combing operations. The force still uses Morse code for communication.
The new steps to counter the rebels were taken after a rise in Naxalite attacks and the recovery of huge quantities of IEDs and landmines in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Significantly, attacks on CRPF posts and pickets have come down in the first eight months of this year.
As part of the modernisation and expansion plans, the force is recruiting 30,000 men, including around 5,000 from Jammu and Kashmir, for anti-insurgency operations across the country.
Of the 25,000 new recruits from across the country, 40 per cent will be drawn from disturbed districts as part of the government's efforts to provide jobs to unemployed youths in such areas to deter them from taking to extremist activities.
"Recruitment of youth from disturbed areas will help develop a sense of loyalty among the people there, besides raising their level of confidence in the system," an official overseeing the process said.
LINK
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Venezuela’s Chavez Says World Faces Choice Between US Hegemony and Survival
Venezuela’s Chavez Says World Faces Choice Between US Hegemony and Survival
Caracas, Venezuela, September 20, 2006 —Borrowing a line from U.S. linguist and foreign policy critic Noam Chomsky, Venezuela’s President Chavez told the 61st UN General Assembly that the world currently faces the choice between continued U.S. hegemony and human survival. Chavez also called for the re-founding of the United Nations, so as to avert this danger.
"The hegemonistic pretensions of the American empire are placing at risk the very existence of the human species," said Chavez, holding up a copy of Chomsky’s book and to the applause of many attendees. Chavez continued, stressing, "We appeal to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat, which is like a sword hanging over our head.”
Venezuela's President Chavez holds up a copy of Noam Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival during his speech to the UN General Assembly.
Chavez’s speech, which, following his well-received appearance at the UN the previous year, as widely anticipated, also went on to refer to U.S. President Bush as the “devil” on several occasions. “Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world,” he said.
Chavez strongly criticized Bush’s speech of the previous day, saying that he seeks to impose an elitist model of democracy on the world. “They say they want to impose a democratic model. But that's their democratic model. It's the false democracy of elites, and, I would say, a very original democracy that's imposed by weapons and bombs and firing weapons.”
Bush’s reference to the fight against extremists was another issue Chavez rejected, saying that those Bush sees as extremists are those who resist imperial domination, saying, “You can call us extremists, but we are rising up against the empire, against the model of domination.”
Chavez went on to mock Bush’s statement that he wants peace, pointing out how he is responsible for wars in Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine and then Bush says, according to Chavez, “We are suffering because we see homes destroyed.”
The ways in which the U.S. is able to get away with its ambitions are proof that the UN system has “collapsed” and is “worthless,” according to Chavez, and is in need of being “re-founded.”
Concretely, Chavez repeated four proposals that he said Venezuela had made a year earlier. First, the UN Security Council should be expanded, with new permanent members from the Third World. Second, said Chavez, it needs “methods to address and resolve world conflicts.” Third, the abolishing of the “undemocratic” veto in the Security Council. Fourth, the strengthening of the role of the UN Secretary General.
Chavez also referred to his effort to have Venezuela represented on the Security Council, accusing the U.S. of “an immoral attack,” in its effort to prevent Venezuela from obtaining one of the two-year rotating seats. He then listed the many countries that have publicly declared their support for Venezuela’s effort to be on the Security Council, such the members of Mercosur, of Caricom, of the Arab League, of the African League, and Russia and China.
For Chavez, Venezuela is struggling to “build a new and better world,” but it is being threatened by the U.S., which supports his government’s overthrow. Chavez reminded his audience that the U.S. employs hired assassins, such as Luis Posada Carriles, who Cuba and Venezuela hold responsible for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner, who but is about to be freed from temporary custody in the U.S. He also mentioned that several other individuals who are wanted for terrorist acts in Venezuela have found safe harbor in the U.S.
U.S. Government Reactions
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said that Chavez’s speech did not deserve a response. “We're not going to address that kind of comic strip approach to international affairs,” stated Bolton.
Bolton added, though, "The real issue here is he knows he can exercise freedom of speech on that podium. And as I say, he could exercise it in Central Park, too. How about giving the same freedom to the people of Venezuela."
A White House spokesperson, Frederick Jones, similarly said Chavez’s speech was, "not worthy of reaction."
State Department Spokesperson Tom Casey said, "You know, the U.N. is an important world stage, and an important forum, and leaders come there representing their people and their country. And I'll leave it to the Venezuelan people to determine whether President Chavez represented them and presented them in a way they would have liked to have seen."
Florida Republican Connie Mack called on the international community to block Venezuela's entry as UN Security Council member, saying, "Chavez's diatribe in the United Nations against liberty only strengthens the fact that he is no more than the paladin of demoralization and of despoitism and a sworn enemy of hope and opportunity," quoted the news agency EFE.
Link for full text of Chavez's Speech at the UN
Caracas, Venezuela, September 20, 2006 —Borrowing a line from U.S. linguist and foreign policy critic Noam Chomsky, Venezuela’s President Chavez told the 61st UN General Assembly that the world currently faces the choice between continued U.S. hegemony and human survival. Chavez also called for the re-founding of the United Nations, so as to avert this danger.
"The hegemonistic pretensions of the American empire are placing at risk the very existence of the human species," said Chavez, holding up a copy of Chomsky’s book and to the applause of many attendees. Chavez continued, stressing, "We appeal to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat, which is like a sword hanging over our head.”
Venezuela's President Chavez holds up a copy of Noam Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival during his speech to the UN General Assembly.
Chavez’s speech, which, following his well-received appearance at the UN the previous year, as widely anticipated, also went on to refer to U.S. President Bush as the “devil” on several occasions. “Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world,” he said.
Chavez strongly criticized Bush’s speech of the previous day, saying that he seeks to impose an elitist model of democracy on the world. “They say they want to impose a democratic model. But that's their democratic model. It's the false democracy of elites, and, I would say, a very original democracy that's imposed by weapons and bombs and firing weapons.”
Bush’s reference to the fight against extremists was another issue Chavez rejected, saying that those Bush sees as extremists are those who resist imperial domination, saying, “You can call us extremists, but we are rising up against the empire, against the model of domination.”
Chavez went on to mock Bush’s statement that he wants peace, pointing out how he is responsible for wars in Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine and then Bush says, according to Chavez, “We are suffering because we see homes destroyed.”
The ways in which the U.S. is able to get away with its ambitions are proof that the UN system has “collapsed” and is “worthless,” according to Chavez, and is in need of being “re-founded.”
Concretely, Chavez repeated four proposals that he said Venezuela had made a year earlier. First, the UN Security Council should be expanded, with new permanent members from the Third World. Second, said Chavez, it needs “methods to address and resolve world conflicts.” Third, the abolishing of the “undemocratic” veto in the Security Council. Fourth, the strengthening of the role of the UN Secretary General.
Chavez also referred to his effort to have Venezuela represented on the Security Council, accusing the U.S. of “an immoral attack,” in its effort to prevent Venezuela from obtaining one of the two-year rotating seats. He then listed the many countries that have publicly declared their support for Venezuela’s effort to be on the Security Council, such the members of Mercosur, of Caricom, of the Arab League, of the African League, and Russia and China.
For Chavez, Venezuela is struggling to “build a new and better world,” but it is being threatened by the U.S., which supports his government’s overthrow. Chavez reminded his audience that the U.S. employs hired assassins, such as Luis Posada Carriles, who Cuba and Venezuela hold responsible for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner, who but is about to be freed from temporary custody in the U.S. He also mentioned that several other individuals who are wanted for terrorist acts in Venezuela have found safe harbor in the U.S.
U.S. Government Reactions
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said that Chavez’s speech did not deserve a response. “We're not going to address that kind of comic strip approach to international affairs,” stated Bolton.
Bolton added, though, "The real issue here is he knows he can exercise freedom of speech on that podium. And as I say, he could exercise it in Central Park, too. How about giving the same freedom to the people of Venezuela."
A White House spokesperson, Frederick Jones, similarly said Chavez’s speech was, "not worthy of reaction."
State Department Spokesperson Tom Casey said, "You know, the U.N. is an important world stage, and an important forum, and leaders come there representing their people and their country. And I'll leave it to the Venezuelan people to determine whether President Chavez represented them and presented them in a way they would have liked to have seen."
Florida Republican Connie Mack called on the international community to block Venezuela's entry as UN Security Council member, saying, "Chavez's diatribe in the United Nations against liberty only strengthens the fact that he is no more than the paladin of demoralization and of despoitism and a sworn enemy of hope and opportunity," quoted the news agency EFE.
Link for full text of Chavez's Speech at the UN
The Revolution will not be televised - Hugu Chavez,Venezuela
The Revolution will not be televised
Link
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a 2002 documentary about the April 2002 Venezuelan coup attempt which briefly deposed Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.
A television crew from Ireland's Radio TelifÃs Éireann happened to be recording a documentary about Chávez during the events of April 11, 2002. Shifting focus, they followed the events as they occurred. During their filming, the crew recorded images of the events that contradicted explanations given by Chávez opposition, the private media, the US State Department, and then White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. The documentary concluded that the coup was the result of a conspiracy between various old guard and anti-Chávez factions within Venezuela and the United States.
The film has won awards at the film festival screenings where it was shown.
Link
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a 2002 documentary about the April 2002 Venezuelan coup attempt which briefly deposed Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.
A television crew from Ireland's Radio TelifÃs Éireann happened to be recording a documentary about Chávez during the events of April 11, 2002. Shifting focus, they followed the events as they occurred. During their filming, the crew recorded images of the events that contradicted explanations given by Chávez opposition, the private media, the US State Department, and then White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. The documentary concluded that the coup was the result of a conspiracy between various old guard and anti-Chávez factions within Venezuela and the United States.
The film has won awards at the film festival screenings where it was shown.
Did Mao Really Kill Millions in the Great Leap Forward?
Did Mao Really Kill Millions in the Great Leap Forward?
by Joseph Ball
Over the last 25 years the reputation of Mao Zedong has been seriously undermined by ever more extreme estimates of the numbers of deaths he was supposedly responsible for. In his lifetime, Mao Zedong was hugely respected for the way that his socialist policies improved the welfare of the Chinese people, slashing the level of poverty and hunger in China and providing free health care and education.
Mao’s theories also gave great inspiration to those fighting imperialism around the world. It is probably this factor that explains a great deal of the hostility towards him from the Right. This is a tendency that is likely to grow more acute with the apparent growth in strength of Maoist movements in India and Nepal in recent years, as well as the continuing influence of Maoist movements in other parts of the world.
Most of the attempts to undermine Mao’s reputation centre around the Great Leap Forward that began in 1958. It is this period that this article is primarily concerned with. The peasants had already started farming the land co-operatively in the 1950s. During the Great Leap Forward they joined large communes consisting of thousands or tens of thousands of people. Large-scale irrigation schemes were undertaken to improve agricultural productivity.
Mao’s plan was to massively increase both agricultural and industrial production. It is argued that these policies led to a famine in the years 1959-61 (although some believe the famine began in 1958). A variety of reasons are cited for the famine. For example, excessive grain procurement by the state or food being wasted due to free distribution in communal kitchens. It has also been claimed that peasants neglected agriculture to work on the irrigation schemes or in the famous “backyard steel furnaces” (small-scale steel furnaces built in rural areas).
Mao admitted that problems had occurred in this period. However, he blamed the majority of these difficulties on bad weather and natural disasters. He admitted that there had been policy errors too, which he took responsibility for.
Official Chinese sources, released after Mao’s death, suggest that 16.5 million people died in the Great Leap Forward. These figures were released during an ideological campaign by the government of Deng Xiaoping against the legacy of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. However, there seems to be no way of independently, authenticating these figures due to the great mystery about how they were gathered and preserved for twenty years before being released to the general public.
American researchers managed to increase this figure to around 30 million by combining the Chinese evidence with extrapolations of their own from China’s censuses in 1953 and 1964. Recently, Jung Chang and Jon Halliday in their book Mao: the Unknown Story reported 70 million killed by Mao, including 38 million in the Great Leap Forward.
Western writers on the subject have taken a completely disproportionate view of the period, mesmerized, as they are, by massive death toll figures from dubious sources. They concentrate only on policy excesses and it is likely that their views on the damage that these did are greatly exaggerated. There has been a failure to understand how some of the policies developed in the Great Leap Forward actually benefited the Chinese people, once the initial disruption was over.
U.S. state agencies have provided assistance to those with a negative attitude to Maoism (and communism in general) throughout the post-war period. For example, the veteran historian of Maoism Roderick MacFarquhar edited The China Quarterly in the 1960s. This magazine published allegations about massive famine deaths that have been quoted ever since.
It later emerged that this journal received money from a CIA front organisation, as MacFarquhar admitted in a recent letter to The London Review of Books. (Roderick MacFarquhar states that he did not know the money was coming from the CIA while he was editing The China Quarterly.)
Those who have provided qualitative evidence, such as eyewitness accounts cited by Jasper Becker in his famous account of the period Hungry Ghosts, have not provided enough accompanying evidence to authenticate these accounts. Important documentary evidence quoted by Chang and Halliday concerning the Great Leap Forward is presented in a demonstrably misleading way.
Evidence from the Deng Xiaoping regime Mao that millions died during the Great Leap Forward is not reliable. Evidence from peasants contradicts the claim that Mao was mainly to blame for the deaths that did occur during the Great Leap Forward period.
U.S. demographers have tried to use death rate evidence and other demographic evidence from official Chinese sources to prove the hypothesis that there was a “massive death toll” in the Great Leap Forward (i.e. a hypothesis that the “largest famine of all time” or “one of the largest famines of all time” took place during the Great Leap Forward). However, inconsistencies in the evidence and overall doubts about the source of their evidence undermine this “massive death toll” hypothesis.
The More Likely Truth About the Great Leap Forward
The idea that “Mao was responsible for genocide” has been used as a springboard to rubbish everything that the Chinese people achieved during Mao’s rule. However, even someone like the demographer Judith Banister, one of the most prominent advocates of the “massive death toll” hypothesis has to admit the successes of the Mao era.
She writes how in 1973-5 life expectancy in China was higher than in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and many countries in Latin America 1. In 1981 she co-wrote an article where she described the People's Republic of China as a 'super-achiever' in terms of mortality reduction, with life expectancy increasing by approximately 1.5 years per calendar year since the start of communist rule in 1949 2. Life expectancy increased from 35 in 1949 to 65 in the 1970s when Mao’s rule came to an end.
Read the full article
by Joseph Ball
Over the last 25 years the reputation of Mao Zedong has been seriously undermined by ever more extreme estimates of the numbers of deaths he was supposedly responsible for. In his lifetime, Mao Zedong was hugely respected for the way that his socialist policies improved the welfare of the Chinese people, slashing the level of poverty and hunger in China and providing free health care and education.
Mao’s theories also gave great inspiration to those fighting imperialism around the world. It is probably this factor that explains a great deal of the hostility towards him from the Right. This is a tendency that is likely to grow more acute with the apparent growth in strength of Maoist movements in India and Nepal in recent years, as well as the continuing influence of Maoist movements in other parts of the world.
Most of the attempts to undermine Mao’s reputation centre around the Great Leap Forward that began in 1958. It is this period that this article is primarily concerned with. The peasants had already started farming the land co-operatively in the 1950s. During the Great Leap Forward they joined large communes consisting of thousands or tens of thousands of people. Large-scale irrigation schemes were undertaken to improve agricultural productivity.
Mao’s plan was to massively increase both agricultural and industrial production. It is argued that these policies led to a famine in the years 1959-61 (although some believe the famine began in 1958). A variety of reasons are cited for the famine. For example, excessive grain procurement by the state or food being wasted due to free distribution in communal kitchens. It has also been claimed that peasants neglected agriculture to work on the irrigation schemes or in the famous “backyard steel furnaces” (small-scale steel furnaces built in rural areas).
Mao admitted that problems had occurred in this period. However, he blamed the majority of these difficulties on bad weather and natural disasters. He admitted that there had been policy errors too, which he took responsibility for.
Official Chinese sources, released after Mao’s death, suggest that 16.5 million people died in the Great Leap Forward. These figures were released during an ideological campaign by the government of Deng Xiaoping against the legacy of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. However, there seems to be no way of independently, authenticating these figures due to the great mystery about how they were gathered and preserved for twenty years before being released to the general public.
American researchers managed to increase this figure to around 30 million by combining the Chinese evidence with extrapolations of their own from China’s censuses in 1953 and 1964. Recently, Jung Chang and Jon Halliday in their book Mao: the Unknown Story reported 70 million killed by Mao, including 38 million in the Great Leap Forward.
Western writers on the subject have taken a completely disproportionate view of the period, mesmerized, as they are, by massive death toll figures from dubious sources. They concentrate only on policy excesses and it is likely that their views on the damage that these did are greatly exaggerated. There has been a failure to understand how some of the policies developed in the Great Leap Forward actually benefited the Chinese people, once the initial disruption was over.
U.S. state agencies have provided assistance to those with a negative attitude to Maoism (and communism in general) throughout the post-war period. For example, the veteran historian of Maoism Roderick MacFarquhar edited The China Quarterly in the 1960s. This magazine published allegations about massive famine deaths that have been quoted ever since.
It later emerged that this journal received money from a CIA front organisation, as MacFarquhar admitted in a recent letter to The London Review of Books. (Roderick MacFarquhar states that he did not know the money was coming from the CIA while he was editing The China Quarterly.)
Those who have provided qualitative evidence, such as eyewitness accounts cited by Jasper Becker in his famous account of the period Hungry Ghosts, have not provided enough accompanying evidence to authenticate these accounts. Important documentary evidence quoted by Chang and Halliday concerning the Great Leap Forward is presented in a demonstrably misleading way.
Evidence from the Deng Xiaoping regime Mao that millions died during the Great Leap Forward is not reliable. Evidence from peasants contradicts the claim that Mao was mainly to blame for the deaths that did occur during the Great Leap Forward period.
U.S. demographers have tried to use death rate evidence and other demographic evidence from official Chinese sources to prove the hypothesis that there was a “massive death toll” in the Great Leap Forward (i.e. a hypothesis that the “largest famine of all time” or “one of the largest famines of all time” took place during the Great Leap Forward). However, inconsistencies in the evidence and overall doubts about the source of their evidence undermine this “massive death toll” hypothesis.
The More Likely Truth About the Great Leap Forward
The idea that “Mao was responsible for genocide” has been used as a springboard to rubbish everything that the Chinese people achieved during Mao’s rule. However, even someone like the demographer Judith Banister, one of the most prominent advocates of the “massive death toll” hypothesis has to admit the successes of the Mao era.
She writes how in 1973-5 life expectancy in China was higher than in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and many countries in Latin America 1. In 1981 she co-wrote an article where she described the People's Republic of China as a 'super-achiever' in terms of mortality reduction, with life expectancy increasing by approximately 1.5 years per calendar year since the start of communist rule in 1949 2. Life expectancy increased from 35 in 1949 to 65 in the 1970s when Mao’s rule came to an end.
Read the full article
Centre pins hopes on anti-Naxal cell
Centre pins hopes on anti-Naxal cell
NEW DELHI: Not enthused by results from centralised mechanisms on countering the spread of Naxalism, Centre feels the dedicated anti-Naxal cell in Union home ministry will provide it a toehold in states for direct monitoring.
With New Delhi keeping a direct tab on states, laggard states may be forced to implement security and economic measures they have failed to take up to check the Naxal menace.
The view comes with the increasing feeling in MHA that central mechanisms — Coordination Centre, Task Force and Standing Committee of chief ministers — have not yielded the desired results as their decisions are left to states for action. The feedback on their progress, too, came from states.
Effecting a change, the anti-Naxal cell, set to be operationalised in North Block, will see officials from MHA reporting from the ground level on implementation of decisions and providing fresh inputs for policy changes in future.
Having suggested twin measures of strong police action to beat back advancing Naxals and development of backward regions to win back the poor, especially tribals, from the rebel fold, Centre feels it has to go hand in hand with the states.
As a senior official said, states have to ensure development in a pocket cleansed of Naxalites to ensure that it does not lapse into the rebel grip again. The anxiety over return of Naxals from cleared pockets is heightened in the wake of initial success in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Going by evidence, states are ignoring development as a means of winning over rebel sympathisers. The use of funds under the Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) has been poor. Meant for 55 districts in nine states, only Rs 990 crore has been spent out of the Rs 2,295 crore available in the last three years.
Development and police response to the red brigade, will both be soon under Delhi's scanner. There will be officials from police to report on the armed strategy in naxal areas while non-police officials will report on development measures there.
An official said: "The meetings thus, have been failed primarily because of the states. Now, the idea is to go to the ground and have a direct feel of the situation."
The need for monitoring development was never greater. MHA has notified an Inter-Ministerial Group to review development schemes of central ministries in Naxal areas, like BDI and Backward Regions Grant Fund, and implementation of land reforms.
NEW DELHI: Not enthused by results from centralised mechanisms on countering the spread of Naxalism, Centre feels the dedicated anti-Naxal cell in Union home ministry will provide it a toehold in states for direct monitoring.
With New Delhi keeping a direct tab on states, laggard states may be forced to implement security and economic measures they have failed to take up to check the Naxal menace.
The view comes with the increasing feeling in MHA that central mechanisms — Coordination Centre, Task Force and Standing Committee of chief ministers — have not yielded the desired results as their decisions are left to states for action. The feedback on their progress, too, came from states.
Effecting a change, the anti-Naxal cell, set to be operationalised in North Block, will see officials from MHA reporting from the ground level on implementation of decisions and providing fresh inputs for policy changes in future.
Having suggested twin measures of strong police action to beat back advancing Naxals and development of backward regions to win back the poor, especially tribals, from the rebel fold, Centre feels it has to go hand in hand with the states.
As a senior official said, states have to ensure development in a pocket cleansed of Naxalites to ensure that it does not lapse into the rebel grip again. The anxiety over return of Naxals from cleared pockets is heightened in the wake of initial success in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Going by evidence, states are ignoring development as a means of winning over rebel sympathisers. The use of funds under the Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) has been poor. Meant for 55 districts in nine states, only Rs 990 crore has been spent out of the Rs 2,295 crore available in the last three years.
Development and police response to the red brigade, will both be soon under Delhi's scanner. There will be officials from police to report on the armed strategy in naxal areas while non-police officials will report on development measures there.
An official said: "The meetings thus, have been failed primarily because of the states. Now, the idea is to go to the ground and have a direct feel of the situation."
The need for monitoring development was never greater. MHA has notified an Inter-Ministerial Group to review development schemes of central ministries in Naxal areas, like BDI and Backward Regions Grant Fund, and implementation of land reforms.
2 cops killed, 29 hurt in blast
2 cops killed, 29 hurt in Naxal blast
The constables were defusing a bomb in a Maoist-hit area in West Bengal; the injured include 10 mediapersons
Rakhi Chakrabarty
Kolkata: Two constables were killed and 29 others, including 19 policemen and mediapersons, were injured when a bomb being defused on Thursday exploded in the Maoist-hit Lalgarh area in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.
Sumit Chaturvedi, additional SP (headquarters) of the district, was also admitted to the hospital with splinter injuries.
On Thursday, CPI (Maoists) observed their third foundation day. For this, they had called a 24-hour bandh in three districts of the state - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia - affected by the Maoist menace.
Around 7.30 am, villagers passing through the road cutting through Jhitka jungle in Lalgarh police station area saw a tree lying across the road. On the wayside, they also spotted wires and informed the Lalgarh police station, barely one kilometre from the spot.
Sensing trouble, a bomb disposal squad was despatched from Belpahari police station. They reached around 10.30 am.
By then photographers and reporters also reached the spot. The BDS team inspected and found that the wires were false detonators. From a small mound nearby, they dug out a steel container.
The constables handling the suspicious object were trained in bomb disposal. But, in violation of all standard procedures and precautionary measures of bomb disposal, they hammered the container trying to force it open. And, immediately, the container exploded. Two constables of the CID's Bomb Disposal Squad - Utpal Bhakta and Basudeb Chakraborty - handling it died on the spot.
Incidentally, the two had successfully defused bombs and landmines eight times earlier. "But, this time their approach seemed to be casual,” said a senior police officer.
The constables were defusing a bomb in a Maoist-hit area in West Bengal; the injured include 10 mediapersons
Rakhi Chakrabarty
Kolkata: Two constables were killed and 29 others, including 19 policemen and mediapersons, were injured when a bomb being defused on Thursday exploded in the Maoist-hit Lalgarh area in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.
Sumit Chaturvedi, additional SP (headquarters) of the district, was also admitted to the hospital with splinter injuries.
On Thursday, CPI (Maoists) observed their third foundation day. For this, they had called a 24-hour bandh in three districts of the state - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia - affected by the Maoist menace.
Around 7.30 am, villagers passing through the road cutting through Jhitka jungle in Lalgarh police station area saw a tree lying across the road. On the wayside, they also spotted wires and informed the Lalgarh police station, barely one kilometre from the spot.
Sensing trouble, a bomb disposal squad was despatched from Belpahari police station. They reached around 10.30 am.
By then photographers and reporters also reached the spot. The BDS team inspected and found that the wires were false detonators. From a small mound nearby, they dug out a steel container.
The constables handling the suspicious object were trained in bomb disposal. But, in violation of all standard procedures and precautionary measures of bomb disposal, they hammered the container trying to force it open. And, immediately, the container exploded. Two constables of the CID's Bomb Disposal Squad - Utpal Bhakta and Basudeb Chakraborty - handling it died on the spot.
Incidentally, the two had successfully defused bombs and landmines eight times earlier. "But, this time their approach seemed to be casual,” said a senior police officer.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Robert Heinlein Quote
Robert Heinlein Quote
"The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the sacharrine adoration of his creations, that he can be persuaded by their prayers, and becomes petulant if he does not recieve this flattery. Yet this ridiculous notion, without one real shred of evidence to bolster it, has gone on to found one of the oldest, largest and least productive industries in history."
-Robert Heinlein
"The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the sacharrine adoration of his creations, that he can be persuaded by their prayers, and becomes petulant if he does not recieve this flattery. Yet this ridiculous notion, without one real shred of evidence to bolster it, has gone on to found one of the oldest, largest and least productive industries in history."
-Robert Heinlein
Uma Bharati to provide seasoning to Bajrang Dal's half-baked communal riot initiation ceremony in Chikamaglur.
Uma Bharati to provide seasoning to Bajrang Dal's half-baked communal riot initiation ceremony in Chikamaglur.
Over 25,000 people, led by former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti, will participate in the 'Datta Maala Abhiyaan' in Chikmagalur district on October four, Rashtriya Hindu Sena chief Pramod Mutalik informed yesterday.
Talking to newspersons in HUbli, he said he had met both deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa and Higher Education Minister D H Shankaramurthy and reminded them that they were in the agitation for Datta Peetha of Bababudangiri.
Mutalik asked the Legislators of Chikmagalur district to resign en masse if permission was not granted for the Datta Maala Abhiyaan, to express solidarity with Hindutva.
Over 25,000 people, led by former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti, will participate in the 'Datta Maala Abhiyaan' in Chikmagalur district on October four, Rashtriya Hindu Sena chief Pramod Mutalik informed yesterday.
Talking to newspersons in HUbli, he said he had met both deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa and Higher Education Minister D H Shankaramurthy and reminded them that they were in the agitation for Datta Peetha of Bababudangiri.
Mutalik asked the Legislators of Chikmagalur district to resign en masse if permission was not granted for the Datta Maala Abhiyaan, to express solidarity with Hindutva.
Maoists kill CPI-M leader, bodyguard
Maoists kill CPI-M leader, bodyguard
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
Kolkata - Maoists in West Bengal killed a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and his bodyguard after dragging them out of a bus.
Police said Anil Mahato, 45, the local committee secretary of the CPI-M at Shilda in West Midnapore district and his AK-47-equipped guard Dinesh Baskey, 34, were gunned down by the rebels Tuesday evening, in one of the major attacks since the Assembly elections in the Maoist-affected district in April.
The incident occurred at Joypur in the district, about 230 km from here.
Mahato was provided an armed guard after a bid on his life in February.
The CPI-M has called for a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the Binpur Assembly segment of the district Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
Kolkata - Maoists in West Bengal killed a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and his bodyguard after dragging them out of a bus.
Police said Anil Mahato, 45, the local committee secretary of the CPI-M at Shilda in West Midnapore district and his AK-47-equipped guard Dinesh Baskey, 34, were gunned down by the rebels Tuesday evening, in one of the major attacks since the Assembly elections in the Maoist-affected district in April.
The incident occurred at Joypur in the district, about 230 km from here.
Mahato was provided an armed guard after a bid on his life in February.
The CPI-M has called for a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the Binpur Assembly segment of the district Wednesday.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Lal Salaam to Comrade Ramesh
This post has been taken from the blog Ajadhind
Lal Salaam to Comrade Ramesh !
STORY OF A COMRADE.
* Ramesh alias Shivakumar.
* s/o Babaiah.
* Two sisters , two brothers.
* B.A graduate.
Year 1989: - Shivakumar went to visit villages of Raichur district. He
went with a group in a programme called 'hallige nadeyiri'[walk to villages]
where he saw the problems of poor people and how they were
harrased by the landlords. He came in contact with Saket rajan.
Year 1993-1995: - With a group of youth with similar principles,Shivakumar
reached the border villages to organize people to fight for their justice.
There he called himself as RAMESH. Within 5-6 years , by his hard
work and sincerity he became one of the important leaders
of the peoples war group.
Death land ruled by landlords!!:- Yapaladinni, Jegarakallu,
Aathkooru, Korthagundha, Vaddepalli, Dongarapura,
Palavnadoddi, Pothagallu, Appanadoddi, Naganadoddi,
Ganjalli, Madidoddi-- team lead by Ramesh visited these villages.
Leave education and standard of living you can't call them
humans after seeing their way of living.
LANDLORDS:- They owned 50-100 acres of dry land.
In addition to that they had link with police and political
system. With their help they were dictators in their areas.
Siddanagouda of Aathkooru, Lingappa from Jegarakallu,
Harisavkara, Sannappareddy , Thimmareddy and many more
dictators ruled these areas. If you have watched the Andhra
movies about Telangana and Rayalseema areas you will see
the heights of violence, the real facts in these villages were
more than that.
Narasimha gouda of Appanadoddi village--> no one should
put a towel on their shoulders in front of gouda, if any one dies
in goudas family whole village should compulsorily cry for
some great?? man died in the family, without gouda's permmission
no one should marry, shouldn't buy land . Above all these when
his sexual desires increases woman from labour section
should share her bed with him.
When Ramesh and his teammates visited the villages this was
the condition. No court - no police - no government!!!! -> one and
all dictator were the landlords. peoples war group was the
backbone for ramesh. He organized people first to
demand the government to get their fundamental rights . Then
ramesh's teams aim was to stop the harrassment by landlords.
Police station instead of education:- This is what the
government did. It colluded with the landlords and started
a police station in Yapaladinni with thge only aim to arrest
members of PWG. Ramesh went underground . He worked hard
with his fellowmen to make Naxalism strong in Karnataka.
Saket rajan who then incharge of affairs of PWG in karnataka
was with him.
Blood flood:- Areas where there is a difficulty to get even
drinking water filled with blood after the opening of police station.
Violence from landlords, police restriction made most of the
villagers to support naxalism. by this time Ramesh
started 'praja panchaythi' [ court where villagers participate
in judgement] . Even Zilla Panchayat members came to
these people's court . Most of the landlords afraid from the popularity
of naxals went away to Raichur.
Aathkoor's landlord Siddana gouda borrowed some rowdies and
goondas from Andhra, above this he used to travel in police
jeep of Yapaladinni S.I. Budreppa, labourer of Aathkoor
joined 'raitha kooli sangha' [ Agriculture labours association] which
had links with PWG. Siddanagouda killed Budreppa. According to
people's courts judgement gouda was killed in 1999 june 19.
Abduction of Rijwana Begam:- Naxalites solved a dispute in
which Ismail from Korthanagondha village was involved. Ismail's
daughter Rijwana got attracted towards naxal movement. Rijwa's
brother Khaja needed help from naxals but he didn't
want her sister to be a naxal. but Rijwa who had support
from her father left home and joined naxal movement. khaja lodged
a complaint against ramesh, the naxal leader stating that
Ramesh has abducted his sister. many naxals got arrested ; but not
ramesh. At last Rijwa herself appeared in high court and
said that she was not kidnapped. It is said that now she is an active
member in the naxal squad of western ghats.
Ramesh arrested!!: - Police department were scared of the popularity
of naxals . They intensified their attacks. They killed Bhaskar in a fake
encounter in front of his wife Suma. Ramesh was also present during the
incident but he managed to escape.
To organise the naxal movement the border areas had the benefit of
getting support from the naxals of Andhra. But the police forces of both
the states joined together to destroy the naxal movement.
The most common problem for the naxals was they didn't get a
suitable place to hide in times of attacks because the areas were dry
and flat. They decided to stop their activities for some time in those
region and the camps shifted to ghats. Ramesh's wife Parvathi
reached malnad[ she was killed in an encounter].
May 2, 2001:- Ramesh with his mates Gopal and Manohar
were waiting for a bus in Mehboobnagar of andhra pradesh.
They didn't get the bus for a long time. They asked lift from other
vehicles but none of them stopped. After a while a jeep
stopped and took them. When jeep started they came to know
that the jeep was of police dept. and all were without
uniform, in mufthi. Police doubted ramesh and his mates,
they checked their bags where they got pamphlets ,
books of revolution . Police took them to station and
started interrogation. then police came to know that it was
RAMESH, THE NAXALITE . They planned to kill him in the name
of encounter but Ramesh's arrest came in newspapers.
* 19 cases filed against him.
* Most of them were fake.
* 5 years imprisonement was the punishment given to him.
* he fought against the inequality , corruption , food adulteration,
harrassment of prisoners in jail. he was not depressed in jail.
he is a born fighter and the jail environment never stopped him.
* Even the court praised Ramesh's attitude and behaviour in jail.
* every time when he came to court->
" MAOIST PARTY ZINDABAD" " NAXALISM ZINDABAD"
were the slogans which echoed in court room.
* RAMESH WAS RELEASED ON JULY 22, 2006.
[SOURCES :- UNKNOWN REPORTERS OF VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS]
I would like to congratulate Comrade Charu on his excellent informative work
and for bringing to light fact's that many of us did not know about our
Heroic Leader Comrade Ramesh
Lal Salaam to Comrade Ramesh !
Lal Salaam to Comrade Ramesh !
STORY OF A COMRADE.
* Ramesh alias Shivakumar.
* s/o Babaiah.
* Two sisters , two brothers.
* B.A graduate.
Year 1989: - Shivakumar went to visit villages of Raichur district. He
went with a group in a programme called 'hallige nadeyiri'[walk to villages]
where he saw the problems of poor people and how they were
harrased by the landlords. He came in contact with Saket rajan.
Year 1993-1995: - With a group of youth with similar principles,Shivakumar
reached the border villages to organize people to fight for their justice.
There he called himself as RAMESH. Within 5-6 years , by his hard
work and sincerity he became one of the important leaders
of the peoples war group.
Death land ruled by landlords!!:- Yapaladinni, Jegarakallu,
Aathkooru, Korthagundha, Vaddepalli, Dongarapura,
Palavnadoddi, Pothagallu, Appanadoddi, Naganadoddi,
Ganjalli, Madidoddi-- team lead by Ramesh visited these villages.
Leave education and standard of living you can't call them
humans after seeing their way of living.
LANDLORDS:- They owned 50-100 acres of dry land.
In addition to that they had link with police and political
system. With their help they were dictators in their areas.
Siddanagouda of Aathkooru, Lingappa from Jegarakallu,
Harisavkara, Sannappareddy , Thimmareddy and many more
dictators ruled these areas. If you have watched the Andhra
movies about Telangana and Rayalseema areas you will see
the heights of violence, the real facts in these villages were
more than that.
Narasimha gouda of Appanadoddi village--> no one should
put a towel on their shoulders in front of gouda, if any one dies
in goudas family whole village should compulsorily cry for
some great?? man died in the family, without gouda's permmission
no one should marry, shouldn't buy land . Above all these when
his sexual desires increases woman from labour section
should share her bed with him.
When Ramesh and his teammates visited the villages this was
the condition. No court - no police - no government!!!! -> one and
all dictator were the landlords. peoples war group was the
backbone for ramesh. He organized people first to
demand the government to get their fundamental rights . Then
ramesh's teams aim was to stop the harrassment by landlords.
Police station instead of education:- This is what the
government did. It colluded with the landlords and started
a police station in Yapaladinni with thge only aim to arrest
members of PWG. Ramesh went underground . He worked hard
with his fellowmen to make Naxalism strong in Karnataka.
Saket rajan who then incharge of affairs of PWG in karnataka
was with him.
Blood flood:- Areas where there is a difficulty to get even
drinking water filled with blood after the opening of police station.
Violence from landlords, police restriction made most of the
villagers to support naxalism. by this time Ramesh
started 'praja panchaythi' [ court where villagers participate
in judgement] . Even Zilla Panchayat members came to
these people's court . Most of the landlords afraid from the popularity
of naxals went away to Raichur.
Aathkoor's landlord Siddana gouda borrowed some rowdies and
goondas from Andhra, above this he used to travel in police
jeep of Yapaladinni S.I. Budreppa, labourer of Aathkoor
joined 'raitha kooli sangha' [ Agriculture labours association] which
had links with PWG. Siddanagouda killed Budreppa. According to
people's courts judgement gouda was killed in 1999 june 19.
Abduction of Rijwana Begam:- Naxalites solved a dispute in
which Ismail from Korthanagondha village was involved. Ismail's
daughter Rijwana got attracted towards naxal movement. Rijwa's
brother Khaja needed help from naxals but he didn't
want her sister to be a naxal. but Rijwa who had support
from her father left home and joined naxal movement. khaja lodged
a complaint against ramesh, the naxal leader stating that
Ramesh has abducted his sister. many naxals got arrested ; but not
ramesh. At last Rijwa herself appeared in high court and
said that she was not kidnapped. It is said that now she is an active
member in the naxal squad of western ghats.
Ramesh arrested!!: - Police department were scared of the popularity
of naxals . They intensified their attacks. They killed Bhaskar in a fake
encounter in front of his wife Suma. Ramesh was also present during the
incident but he managed to escape.
To organise the naxal movement the border areas had the benefit of
getting support from the naxals of Andhra. But the police forces of both
the states joined together to destroy the naxal movement.
The most common problem for the naxals was they didn't get a
suitable place to hide in times of attacks because the areas were dry
and flat. They decided to stop their activities for some time in those
region and the camps shifted to ghats. Ramesh's wife Parvathi
reached malnad[ she was killed in an encounter].
May 2, 2001:- Ramesh with his mates Gopal and Manohar
were waiting for a bus in Mehboobnagar of andhra pradesh.
They didn't get the bus for a long time. They asked lift from other
vehicles but none of them stopped. After a while a jeep
stopped and took them. When jeep started they came to know
that the jeep was of police dept. and all were without
uniform, in mufthi. Police doubted ramesh and his mates,
they checked their bags where they got pamphlets ,
books of revolution . Police took them to station and
started interrogation. then police came to know that it was
RAMESH, THE NAXALITE . They planned to kill him in the name
of encounter but Ramesh's arrest came in newspapers.
* 19 cases filed against him.
* Most of them were fake.
* 5 years imprisonement was the punishment given to him.
* he fought against the inequality , corruption , food adulteration,
harrassment of prisoners in jail. he was not depressed in jail.
he is a born fighter and the jail environment never stopped him.
* Even the court praised Ramesh's attitude and behaviour in jail.
* every time when he came to court->
" MAOIST PARTY ZINDABAD" " NAXALISM ZINDABAD"
were the slogans which echoed in court room.
* RAMESH WAS RELEASED ON JULY 22, 2006.
[SOURCES :- UNKNOWN REPORTERS OF VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS]
I would like to congratulate Comrade Charu on his excellent informative work
and for bringing to light fact's that many of us did not know about our
Heroic Leader Comrade Ramesh
Lal Salaam to Comrade Ramesh !
Peoplesmarch - August September 2006
Peoplesmarch - August-September 2006
Download Below
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This issue will soon be available on peoplesmarch.googlepages.com
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Mahasweta Devi
Mahasweta Devi Quotes
Who tried to integrate them into Indian society? It is said they are cut off from mainstream society. Who tried to integrate them? And what is there so beautiful in mainstream Indian society that they should get integrated and lose their
tribal entity ? - Mahasweta Devi,tribal activist
Who tried to integrate them into Indian society? It is said they are cut off from mainstream society. Who tried to integrate them? And what is there so beautiful in mainstream Indian society that they should get integrated and lose their
tribal entity ? - Mahasweta Devi,tribal activist
Will the tribals of Chhattishgarh survive the onslaught from the outsiders in the form of politicians and Multi national companies ?
WILL THE TRIBALS OF CHHATTISHGARH SURVIVE THE ONSLAUGHT FROM THE OUTSIDERS
IN THE FORM OF POLITICIANS AND THE MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES ?
In the age of Internet and Satellite T.V. when the whole world looks like
one big family its amazing how the Tribals of Chattisgarh,Orissa,Jharkhand
are fighting to save their culture and tradition,their forest,their land
from the greed of the Government at the Center,from the State
Government and most of all from the MNC’s like Tata,Reliance,
Essar,Iffco etc.In the name of development these MNC’s who are
capable of buying any politicians are only interested in the mineral
reserve available underneath these Tribal lands.
In Chattisgarh is it just a coincidence that “Salwa Judum” started
only few days after the State Government signed MOU’s with
these Multi National Companies ?
Tata Steel is being allowed to call the shots in Chattisgarh
only few months after they were responsible for the death
of nearly 20 tribals who had gathered to protest the land
acquisition by the Tata company in Kalingnagar in Orissa.
This was not the end of the terror for the innocent
Tribals because even their dead bodies were chopped
to create fear amongst them.Its shocking that the Press and
Television of our country who are at
payroll of these companies didn’t write much about it.
This is the dark side of these corporate houses like
Tata Steel,Reliance etc who project themselves as the
leader in nation building.
“Salwa Judum” in Bastar is a conspiracy to drive the Tribals
away from their homeland so that their forest and land can be
exploited without any resistance from them.Today more
than fifty thousand tribals are living in Camps,nearly
700 villages are empty, rest have migrated to neighbouring state
like Orissa and Andra Pradesh,thousands have already died.
Where is the world press and media I wonder?
The current State Government has leaders whose forefathers
came to Chattisgarh to exploit the Teak Forest and Precious
Stone of the State so its not surprising that their sons are also
doing the same.The Tribals of chhattisgarh have no voice at all.
Instead of reserving the CM post for the
Tribals even the Governor of the State has no knowledge
about the Tribal Culture and Tradition.
There is so much more to write but the pain I am feeling
right now at the state of Tribals is making me to stop.
Regards.
Prabhat
IN THE FORM OF POLITICIANS AND THE MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES ?
In the age of Internet and Satellite T.V. when the whole world looks like
one big family its amazing how the Tribals of Chattisgarh,Orissa,Jharkhand
are fighting to save their culture and tradition,their forest,their land
from the greed of the Government at the Center,from the State
Government and most of all from the MNC’s like Tata,Reliance,
Essar,Iffco etc.In the name of development these MNC’s who are
capable of buying any politicians are only interested in the mineral
reserve available underneath these Tribal lands.
In Chattisgarh is it just a coincidence that “Salwa Judum” started
only few days after the State Government signed MOU’s with
these Multi National Companies ?
Tata Steel is being allowed to call the shots in Chattisgarh
only few months after they were responsible for the death
of nearly 20 tribals who had gathered to protest the land
acquisition by the Tata company in Kalingnagar in Orissa.
This was not the end of the terror for the innocent
Tribals because even their dead bodies were chopped
to create fear amongst them.Its shocking that the Press and
Television of our country who are at
payroll of these companies didn’t write much about it.
This is the dark side of these corporate houses like
Tata Steel,Reliance etc who project themselves as the
leader in nation building.
“Salwa Judum” in Bastar is a conspiracy to drive the Tribals
away from their homeland so that their forest and land can be
exploited without any resistance from them.Today more
than fifty thousand tribals are living in Camps,nearly
700 villages are empty, rest have migrated to neighbouring state
like Orissa and Andra Pradesh,thousands have already died.
Where is the world press and media I wonder?
The current State Government has leaders whose forefathers
came to Chattisgarh to exploit the Teak Forest and Precious
Stone of the State so its not surprising that their sons are also
doing the same.The Tribals of chhattisgarh have no voice at all.
Instead of reserving the CM post for the
Tribals even the Governor of the State has no knowledge
about the Tribal Culture and Tradition.
There is so much more to write but the pain I am feeling
right now at the state of Tribals is making me to stop.
Regards.
Prabhat
26 Years of Gua Firing: Some Reflections, a report from PUCL
*26 Years of Gua Firing: Some Reflections*
*The history of India is really the history of people who never wrote the
history. It's not the colonial history, nor is it the history of the Gandhis or
Nehrus. *
Edward Said (1999)
The brutal Gua firing completed 26 years yesterday September 08 2006. This mail
is a remembrance as well as homage to those Adivasis died fighting in defense of
their land in Democratic Republic of India in 1980. Fight of Adivasis in defense
of forest continues till today. In fact it has it has intensified to new level.
Jharkhand today is a separate State but it is in the era where in imperialist
forces are tightening their loop around adivasis, Dalits and other common People
of Jharkhand.
The resistance is no longer restricted only to Gua but has spread out
through all over Jharkhand. Forest continued to be preyed upon by corporate as
Jharkhand State has signed Memorandum of Understandings MoUs with 44 corporate
houses from all over the World.
The capitalist model of development is seeking to strengthen its roots through repressive means. Considering the resistance offered by Adivasis and Dalits in the form of 'Janta Curfews' at the village levels the history of Police violence is all set to repeat itself many more times.
State have aligned itself with corporate and peoples solidarity have
become strong. The confrontations between the two sides are bound to create
history to be written in letter of blood. Tatas have proved it can do it on the
very next day of New Year 2006 in Orissa's Kalinganagar. It had done so while
establishing Jamshedpur 100 years before that when Santhal Adivasis were whipped
to death space cleared to establish Jamshedpur city. Kalamatti then was given a
new name after the founder of one of the most brutal industrial houses India has
ever produced - Jamshedji Tata.
And it is Tatas that who are involved in bulldozing Gua Adivasis under mining bulldozers in Gua. Tatas are our very own Indian company who are involved in genocides of our very own Indian, most peace loving people on earth -
the Adivasis.
Yet the Indian State sought to make every one believe that Tatas and adivasis
are equal in the spirit of Indian Constitution to the tune of 'Vande Mataram' on
the 26th Anniversary of Gua firing yesterday. And the fascist forces to whom
Corporate rule is most dear of everything, decidedly implemented the agenda to
forget the Gua firing with Malegaon bomb blasts. So from next year focus will
shift from the contradictions at the base of economy to superstructure. The
attempt is clearly to burry the public memory of the Gua firing. It will be a
deciding factor of borders between the two contentious forces as two organised
religions.
While Gua firing reminds us that the boundary of fight is between an
organised Corporate-State nexus versus the Adivasis. Corporate always benefits
from the fascists onslaughts. If not then check out the history of any of the
German companies as to whom they were politically aligning themselves at the
time of Nazi dictatorship in Germany. Corporate besides benefiting from
repression of Trade Unions and Progressive Intellectuals also were fed with
human products that came out of Holocaust as raw material for industry.
We have entered in a decisive phase of our contemporary times where in the
politics of memory and memory of politics is being played out on Public memory.
It is now upon you and me to collectively decipher the events unfolding in
complex manner in front of us and intervene decisively. Silence at this point is
lethal for us as community.
It is in this context that enormous significance gets attached to the twenty-sixth anniversary of Gua firing. The major motivation for corporate onslaught is increased consumption of Steel in urban centers of the world including India. Yet urban India refuses to acknowledge this and continue to align itself with the corporate in its consumption pattern.
Earlier the urban India becomes conscious of this fact better it is or the
contradictions are bound to widen further.
Here is a report prepared in 1981 by Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) to
refresh your memory as to what happened on that fateful day on September 08
1980.
Sebastian Rodrigues with inputs from BIRSA team in Chaibasa and Ranchi.
.....................................................................
PUCL Bulletin June 1981
*Gua*
On Monday, September 8, 1980, eight tribals were gunned down by the Bihar
Military Police in a hospital compound in the south Bihar mining town of Gua.
The incident was bizarre-and not unjustifiably likened to the Jallianwala
massacre-for obvious reasons. The police fired without provocation and without
authority; they fired on unarmed and wounded adivasis who were awaiting medical
attention inside a hospital; and what is even worse, senior doctors present at
the time did nothing to stop them.
This dastardly act was a sequel to a police firing in the township on a peaceful
crowd of 3000 adivasis gathered to protest against police harassment. According
to official figures, three adivasis died there. Of course, a large number were
injured; the wounded were not brought for medical aid for reasons that are too
obvious to state. However, a visit to just five villages neighbouring Gua in
December last year revealed that 14 people were still missing. Local people put
the figure of adivasis killed at around 100.
For months prior to the protest meeting, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had been
spearheading the much misunderstood "jungle kato" movement in Singhbhum
district. Contrary to the official propaganda mounted against it, its aim was
not the destruction of forests. The adivasis wanted to reclaim their lands lost
to the British during the rebellions of the last hundred years. All that has
remained to mark their lost habitations are "sarangs", or memorial stones in the
forests, indicating the burial grounds of their ancestors. Increasingly denied
access to forest produce in recent years, faced with continued exploitation from
moneylenders, contractors and the local officials, the adivasis had no choice
but to try and reclaim their lost lands or face starvation.
The growth of the tribal movement in Singhbhum invoked the wrath of the State
apparatus which represents the interests of the local power groups. A large
contingent of the Bihar Military Police was posted in the area. In a style
characteristic of the paramilitary forces, they exercised their punitive
authority over the tribals. The policemen would lift fowl and vegetables from
the villages without payment and indiscriminately arrest people.
To protest against this behaviour of the BMP, the adivasis organised a protest
meeting at Qua aerodrome on the afternoon of September 8 under the aegis of the
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. A contingent of the BMP arrived on the scene-along with
two magistrates-and encircled the crowd. The magistrates sought to pacify the
police who insisted that the tribals stop their march through the town towards
the office of the Block Development Officer to whom they proposed to present
their memorandum. The adivasis agreed to cancel their march. They insisted,
however, on holding their meeting in the local market square as planned, after
which they promised to disperse. They handed over their memorandum to the
magistrate present. The police left.
At the meeting, as soon as the first speaker started addressing the crowd the
police force returned. They surrounded the gathering with upraised rifles; they
forcibly dragged away the speaker to their waiting jeep and arrested other
adivasi leaders. The adivasis were incensed. There was an altercation-and a
clash. The police fired 37 rounds; the adivasis retaliated with their bows and
arrows which they customarily carry with them. Three adivasis and four policemen
died on the spot. The police then transported their injured to the Gua Mines
Hospital, half a kilometre away from the bazar The tribals too carried their
wounded there. They were made to deposit their bows and arrows at the gate; they
were asked to lay the injured under the tree in the hospital compound to await
the doctors. Before they knew what was happening, the BMP officials had opened
fire again on these helpless adivasis. All eight died on the spot.
Official sources admitted the "deterrent action" was a result of the decision
arrived at on August 30 at Patna at a high-level meeting of officials attended
by the Forest Minister The Minister is believed to have said : "We have to stop
this at all costs".
In the months that-followed this incident, police jeeps would raid the villages
in the area, in search of supporters of the JMM which is leading a movement for
a separate Jharkhand state. They broke into huts at night, beat up the
residents, stole the belongings of the adivasis, molested and, in a number of
cases, raped women. Terror stalked the Singhbhum countryside for months
afterwards. The moment a jeep arrives in a village, the inhabitants,
particularly the women, disappear into the surrounding Saranda forest.
Sourced from http://www.pucl.org/from-archives/81june/case-studies.htm
*The history of India is really the history of people who never wrote the
history. It's not the colonial history, nor is it the history of the Gandhis or
Nehrus. *
Edward Said (1999)
The brutal Gua firing completed 26 years yesterday September 08 2006. This mail
is a remembrance as well as homage to those Adivasis died fighting in defense of
their land in Democratic Republic of India in 1980. Fight of Adivasis in defense
of forest continues till today. In fact it has it has intensified to new level.
Jharkhand today is a separate State but it is in the era where in imperialist
forces are tightening their loop around adivasis, Dalits and other common People
of Jharkhand.
The resistance is no longer restricted only to Gua but has spread out
through all over Jharkhand. Forest continued to be preyed upon by corporate as
Jharkhand State has signed Memorandum of Understandings MoUs with 44 corporate
houses from all over the World.
The capitalist model of development is seeking to strengthen its roots through repressive means. Considering the resistance offered by Adivasis and Dalits in the form of 'Janta Curfews' at the village levels the history of Police violence is all set to repeat itself many more times.
State have aligned itself with corporate and peoples solidarity have
become strong. The confrontations between the two sides are bound to create
history to be written in letter of blood. Tatas have proved it can do it on the
very next day of New Year 2006 in Orissa's Kalinganagar. It had done so while
establishing Jamshedpur 100 years before that when Santhal Adivasis were whipped
to death space cleared to establish Jamshedpur city. Kalamatti then was given a
new name after the founder of one of the most brutal industrial houses India has
ever produced - Jamshedji Tata.
And it is Tatas that who are involved in bulldozing Gua Adivasis under mining bulldozers in Gua. Tatas are our very own Indian company who are involved in genocides of our very own Indian, most peace loving people on earth -
the Adivasis.
Yet the Indian State sought to make every one believe that Tatas and adivasis
are equal in the spirit of Indian Constitution to the tune of 'Vande Mataram' on
the 26th Anniversary of Gua firing yesterday. And the fascist forces to whom
Corporate rule is most dear of everything, decidedly implemented the agenda to
forget the Gua firing with Malegaon bomb blasts. So from next year focus will
shift from the contradictions at the base of economy to superstructure. The
attempt is clearly to burry the public memory of the Gua firing. It will be a
deciding factor of borders between the two contentious forces as two organised
religions.
While Gua firing reminds us that the boundary of fight is between an
organised Corporate-State nexus versus the Adivasis. Corporate always benefits
from the fascists onslaughts. If not then check out the history of any of the
German companies as to whom they were politically aligning themselves at the
time of Nazi dictatorship in Germany. Corporate besides benefiting from
repression of Trade Unions and Progressive Intellectuals also were fed with
human products that came out of Holocaust as raw material for industry.
We have entered in a decisive phase of our contemporary times where in the
politics of memory and memory of politics is being played out on Public memory.
It is now upon you and me to collectively decipher the events unfolding in
complex manner in front of us and intervene decisively. Silence at this point is
lethal for us as community.
It is in this context that enormous significance gets attached to the twenty-sixth anniversary of Gua firing. The major motivation for corporate onslaught is increased consumption of Steel in urban centers of the world including India. Yet urban India refuses to acknowledge this and continue to align itself with the corporate in its consumption pattern.
Earlier the urban India becomes conscious of this fact better it is or the
contradictions are bound to widen further.
Here is a report prepared in 1981 by Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) to
refresh your memory as to what happened on that fateful day on September 08
1980.
Sebastian Rodrigues with inputs from BIRSA team in Chaibasa and Ranchi.
.....................................................................
PUCL Bulletin June 1981
*Gua*
On Monday, September 8, 1980, eight tribals were gunned down by the Bihar
Military Police in a hospital compound in the south Bihar mining town of Gua.
The incident was bizarre-and not unjustifiably likened to the Jallianwala
massacre-for obvious reasons. The police fired without provocation and without
authority; they fired on unarmed and wounded adivasis who were awaiting medical
attention inside a hospital; and what is even worse, senior doctors present at
the time did nothing to stop them.
This dastardly act was a sequel to a police firing in the township on a peaceful
crowd of 3000 adivasis gathered to protest against police harassment. According
to official figures, three adivasis died there. Of course, a large number were
injured; the wounded were not brought for medical aid for reasons that are too
obvious to state. However, a visit to just five villages neighbouring Gua in
December last year revealed that 14 people were still missing. Local people put
the figure of adivasis killed at around 100.
For months prior to the protest meeting, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had been
spearheading the much misunderstood "jungle kato" movement in Singhbhum
district. Contrary to the official propaganda mounted against it, its aim was
not the destruction of forests. The adivasis wanted to reclaim their lands lost
to the British during the rebellions of the last hundred years. All that has
remained to mark their lost habitations are "sarangs", or memorial stones in the
forests, indicating the burial grounds of their ancestors. Increasingly denied
access to forest produce in recent years, faced with continued exploitation from
moneylenders, contractors and the local officials, the adivasis had no choice
but to try and reclaim their lost lands or face starvation.
The growth of the tribal movement in Singhbhum invoked the wrath of the State
apparatus which represents the interests of the local power groups. A large
contingent of the Bihar Military Police was posted in the area. In a style
characteristic of the paramilitary forces, they exercised their punitive
authority over the tribals. The policemen would lift fowl and vegetables from
the villages without payment and indiscriminately arrest people.
To protest against this behaviour of the BMP, the adivasis organised a protest
meeting at Qua aerodrome on the afternoon of September 8 under the aegis of the
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. A contingent of the BMP arrived on the scene-along with
two magistrates-and encircled the crowd. The magistrates sought to pacify the
police who insisted that the tribals stop their march through the town towards
the office of the Block Development Officer to whom they proposed to present
their memorandum. The adivasis agreed to cancel their march. They insisted,
however, on holding their meeting in the local market square as planned, after
which they promised to disperse. They handed over their memorandum to the
magistrate present. The police left.
At the meeting, as soon as the first speaker started addressing the crowd the
police force returned. They surrounded the gathering with upraised rifles; they
forcibly dragged away the speaker to their waiting jeep and arrested other
adivasi leaders. The adivasis were incensed. There was an altercation-and a
clash. The police fired 37 rounds; the adivasis retaliated with their bows and
arrows which they customarily carry with them. Three adivasis and four policemen
died on the spot. The police then transported their injured to the Gua Mines
Hospital, half a kilometre away from the bazar The tribals too carried their
wounded there. They were made to deposit their bows and arrows at the gate; they
were asked to lay the injured under the tree in the hospital compound to await
the doctors. Before they knew what was happening, the BMP officials had opened
fire again on these helpless adivasis. All eight died on the spot.
Official sources admitted the "deterrent action" was a result of the decision
arrived at on August 30 at Patna at a high-level meeting of officials attended
by the Forest Minister The Minister is believed to have said : "We have to stop
this at all costs".
In the months that-followed this incident, police jeeps would raid the villages
in the area, in search of supporters of the JMM which is leading a movement for
a separate Jharkhand state. They broke into huts at night, beat up the
residents, stole the belongings of the adivasis, molested and, in a number of
cases, raped women. Terror stalked the Singhbhum countryside for months
afterwards. The moment a jeep arrives in a village, the inhabitants,
particularly the women, disappear into the surrounding Saranda forest.
Sourced from http://www.pucl.org/from-archives/81june/case-studies.htm
Cops unravel the rocket mystery
HYDERABAD: Ending weeks of speculation over the identity of Srinivas Reddy and 'Tech'Madhu, on whose names rocket launchers were ordered in Ambattur in Tamil Nadu, the Andhra Pradesh police have confirmed that both were not two different individuals, but aliases of a Maoist technical squad member.
'Tech'Madhu, known by nom de guerre Gautam, Raghu and Srinivas Reddy, is a technical squad member of the CPI (Maoist). Sudha Rani, whose real name is Vasantha, is a deputy commander of the technical committee of the party. Both ordered rocket launchers on pseudonyms from engineering units in Ambattur.
On the information and photographs provided by the Tamil Nadu police, the state intelligence wing unravelled the mystery.
Police sources said 'Tech'Madhu, who is a native of Warangal district and studied polytechnic, has been in the CPI (Maoist) tech committee, which takes care of development and production of arms.
Though rank wise, a technical squad member belongs to a low-level cadre and is at par with district committee member, he has access to Central Military Commission leaders and top brass of the CPI (Maoist), sources said.
Sources claimed that the Maoist leaders issued a statement a year ago stating that party members 'Tech'Madhu and Vijay were arrested in Nellore even though they were not arrested by the police. The statement was issued after the duo failed to meet a 'contact'.
They even said they should be produced before a court, sources said. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been in Chennai for the last one week, is expected to reach Hyderabad on Monday. The Maoists placed their first bulk order with Ambattur engineering firms, the team claimed.
"Until December, 2005 they were experimenting with rocket launchers by making modifications to their old designs. They prepared the latest model recently and the seized launchers are perhaps the first batch adopting the latest design," a senior police officer told TOI on Sunday. For their field experiments, they must have procured spares like rocket shells and pipes from local engineering firms in the state, the officer said.
'Tech'Madhu, known by nom de guerre Gautam, Raghu and Srinivas Reddy, is a technical squad member of the CPI (Maoist). Sudha Rani, whose real name is Vasantha, is a deputy commander of the technical committee of the party. Both ordered rocket launchers on pseudonyms from engineering units in Ambattur.
On the information and photographs provided by the Tamil Nadu police, the state intelligence wing unravelled the mystery.
Police sources said 'Tech'Madhu, who is a native of Warangal district and studied polytechnic, has been in the CPI (Maoist) tech committee, which takes care of development and production of arms.
Though rank wise, a technical squad member belongs to a low-level cadre and is at par with district committee member, he has access to Central Military Commission leaders and top brass of the CPI (Maoist), sources said.
Sources claimed that the Maoist leaders issued a statement a year ago stating that party members 'Tech'Madhu and Vijay were arrested in Nellore even though they were not arrested by the police. The statement was issued after the duo failed to meet a 'contact'.
They even said they should be produced before a court, sources said. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been in Chennai for the last one week, is expected to reach Hyderabad on Monday. The Maoists placed their first bulk order with Ambattur engineering firms, the team claimed.
"Until December, 2005 they were experimenting with rocket launchers by making modifications to their old designs. They prepared the latest model recently and the seized launchers are perhaps the first batch adopting the latest design," a senior police officer told TOI on Sunday. For their field experiments, they must have procured spares like rocket shells and pipes from local engineering firms in the state, the officer said.
To Be Or Not To Be, Taslima`s Plea For Indian Citizenship
To Be Or Not To Be, Taslima`s Plea For Indian Citizenship
Palash Biswas
(contact: c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110,
India. Phone:033-25659551r)
Taslima is silent on minority prosecution in Bangladesh since she
wrote Lajjaa. Lajja was the documentation of the circumstances in
which minorities live in Bangladesh and leave it. The exodus leads to
India always. The infinite refugee influx from the eastern border of
India never stopped and minority prosecution happens the main cause
of exodus from Bangladesh.
Self-exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin has once again sought
Indian citizenship, facing death threats from hard-line Islamic
groups in her homeland. News agencies quote Ms. Nasrin as saying that
she says her birth country, Bangladesh, has slammed the door on her.
The Indian news agency also quotes her as saying she would love to
live in India's West Bengal state because that would help her in her
writings. She now lives in Kolkata with a residential visa extended
for one more year recently.
Government of India faced a quandary after Taslima Nasreen, the
controversial Bangladeshi author, asked repeatedely for Indian
citizenship. The plea was rejected in 2005. Thoughit is well known
that India stands for democratic freedom, freedom for minorities,
freedom from cast systems and above all freedom for women. And the
Indian intellegentia stands united with Taslima.
The feminist author fled Bangladesh in 1994 when Islamic extremists
threatened to kill her after she was quoted as saying the holy Koran
should be changed to give women more rights. After fleeing Bangladesh
in 1994, she primarily lived in Europe, collecting some awards for
artistic courage but little peace of mind.
Taslima is a Bangladeshi writer, born in 1962. She has published
poetry, essays, a syndicated newspaper column, and novels. She has
received awards in India and Bangladesh for her work. She sprang into
international consciousness when her novel, Shame, which depicts
Muslim persecution of Bangladesh's Hindu minority, brought forth a
death threat from Islamic militants. She had to flee Bangladesh lived
in Sweden for some time, and now lives in France.
August 1999: The Bangladesh Government has banned the latest novel by
feminist writer, Taslima Nasreen on the grounds that its contents
might hurt the existing social system and religious sentiments of the
people.
All copies of the book in Bengali titled "Amar Meyebela" (My
Childhood Days) published last month in Calcutta have been seized.
Amar Meyebela is available online in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, for
those who read Bengali.
Taslima's true struggle for the freedom and
adventures for the equal rights of women in Bangladesh did earn some
basic dignity and respect, for herself and for the women in Bengal,
in general. Ms. Nasrin has spoken out loud and clear in favor of
equal rights for women and has expressed opposition to the oppression
of non-Islamic minorities in Bangladesh society. She also mentioned
about the oppressive socio-cultural enviornment during her earlier
years.
This, of course, includes the Bengali women's bitter
experience of sexual exploitation by the brute Pakistan Muslim
soldiers during 1971 Pakistani Islamic Civil War in East Bengal.
Besides Lajja, her other autobiographical works, "Amar Meyebela" (My
Childhood) and "Utala Hawa" (Torrid Wind) were also banned. Nasreen,
whose book "Ka" described her alleged affairs with a number of
prominent Bangladeshi figures, earlier said she would like to settle
down in the Indian state of West Bengal which adjoins Bangladesh and
shares the same Bengali language.
The Bangladesh government has claimed that herbooks contain anti-
Islam sentiments and statements that could destroy the religious
harmony of Bangladesh, if any such harmony really existed, except in
the form of brute Islamic repression of Hindu community.
Taslima Nasrin, thus, has been living in exile for more than 11 years.
Recently, the West Bengal Government in India also banned the sale,
distribution and collection of her book "Dwikhandito" in November
2003; (though the Communist West Bengal Government should not do
exactly the same that Islamic Bangladesh Government has done!).
However, the ban was soon lifted by the High Court in September 2004.
Her attempt to read an anti-war poem entitled "America" to a large
Bengali crowd at Madison Square Garden in NY, nevertheless, resulted
in her being booed off in 2005 by an Islamic Bengladeshi crowd.
Palash Biswas
(contact: c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110,
India. Phone:033-25659551r)
Taslima is silent on minority prosecution in Bangladesh since she
wrote Lajjaa. Lajja was the documentation of the circumstances in
which minorities live in Bangladesh and leave it. The exodus leads to
India always. The infinite refugee influx from the eastern border of
India never stopped and minority prosecution happens the main cause
of exodus from Bangladesh.
Self-exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin has once again sought
Indian citizenship, facing death threats from hard-line Islamic
groups in her homeland. News agencies quote Ms. Nasrin as saying that
she says her birth country, Bangladesh, has slammed the door on her.
The Indian news agency also quotes her as saying she would love to
live in India's West Bengal state because that would help her in her
writings. She now lives in Kolkata with a residential visa extended
for one more year recently.
Government of India faced a quandary after Taslima Nasreen, the
controversial Bangladeshi author, asked repeatedely for Indian
citizenship. The plea was rejected in 2005. Thoughit is well known
that India stands for democratic freedom, freedom for minorities,
freedom from cast systems and above all freedom for women. And the
Indian intellegentia stands united with Taslima.
The feminist author fled Bangladesh in 1994 when Islamic extremists
threatened to kill her after she was quoted as saying the holy Koran
should be changed to give women more rights. After fleeing Bangladesh
in 1994, she primarily lived in Europe, collecting some awards for
artistic courage but little peace of mind.
Taslima is a Bangladeshi writer, born in 1962. She has published
poetry, essays, a syndicated newspaper column, and novels. She has
received awards in India and Bangladesh for her work. She sprang into
international consciousness when her novel, Shame, which depicts
Muslim persecution of Bangladesh's Hindu minority, brought forth a
death threat from Islamic militants. She had to flee Bangladesh lived
in Sweden for some time, and now lives in France.
August 1999: The Bangladesh Government has banned the latest novel by
feminist writer, Taslima Nasreen on the grounds that its contents
might hurt the existing social system and religious sentiments of the
people.
All copies of the book in Bengali titled "Amar Meyebela" (My
Childhood Days) published last month in Calcutta have been seized.
Amar Meyebela is available online in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, for
those who read Bengali.
Taslima's true struggle for the freedom and
adventures for the equal rights of women in Bangladesh did earn some
basic dignity and respect, for herself and for the women in Bengal,
in general. Ms. Nasrin has spoken out loud and clear in favor of
equal rights for women and has expressed opposition to the oppression
of non-Islamic minorities in Bangladesh society. She also mentioned
about the oppressive socio-cultural enviornment during her earlier
years.
This, of course, includes the Bengali women's bitter
experience of sexual exploitation by the brute Pakistan Muslim
soldiers during 1971 Pakistani Islamic Civil War in East Bengal.
Besides Lajja, her other autobiographical works, "Amar Meyebela" (My
Childhood) and "Utala Hawa" (Torrid Wind) were also banned. Nasreen,
whose book "Ka" described her alleged affairs with a number of
prominent Bangladeshi figures, earlier said she would like to settle
down in the Indian state of West Bengal which adjoins Bangladesh and
shares the same Bengali language.
The Bangladesh government has claimed that herbooks contain anti-
Islam sentiments and statements that could destroy the religious
harmony of Bangladesh, if any such harmony really existed, except in
the form of brute Islamic repression of Hindu community.
Taslima Nasrin, thus, has been living in exile for more than 11 years.
Recently, the West Bengal Government in India also banned the sale,
distribution and collection of her book "Dwikhandito" in November
2003; (though the Communist West Bengal Government should not do
exactly the same that Islamic Bangladesh Government has done!).
However, the ban was soon lifted by the High Court in September 2004.
Her attempt to read an anti-war poem entitled "America" to a large
Bengali crowd at Madison Square Garden in NY, nevertheless, resulted
in her being booed off in 2005 by an Islamic Bengladeshi crowd.
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