India: Ground Zero at Anti-POSCO Struggle in Orissa

Villagers man check gate at Jagatsingpur to keep out POSCO and government officials

This article appeared in the Financial Express on February 07, 2010

Anti-Posco Struggle: Ground Zero

From Bhubaneswar, it takes us five hours to reach Patna village, at the heart of Posco-India’s planned 12-million tonne steel plant. We find children playing with pebbles, but they aren’t at an innocuous game—they arrange tiny stones across the road when they see an approaching vehicle, imitating elders who routinely put up road blockades or gates to prevent entry of unknown vehicles. Patna falls within the core area of the proposed 4,004 acre plant site, and villagers, who are against the project, keep round-the-clock vigil on the movement of outsiders.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik may have assured South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak that the land acquisition process for the $12-billion plant in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district will be speeded up, but at Ground Zero, things don’t look so easy. Posco-India still doesn’t have an inch of land, though the final forest clearance camethrough in December, on the eve of Lee’s visit to India as chief guest for Republic Day. Of the 4,004 acres identified for the project, 2,958.79 acres is forestland.

He was keen to visit the Posco site, but was told the ground situation wasn’t conducive. There’s stiff resistance to the project from locals, but Posco-India and the Orissa government is hoping to win over the opposition with the promise of a better rehabilitation and resettlement policy.

Disqualified PLA Fighter: “I Don’t Need Rehabilitation”

This appeared in Irin News on February 5, 2010.

Shanta Karki: “I don’t need rehabil-itation”

SINDHULI – Shanta Karki was barely 13 when she volunteered to be a child soldier for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Maoists’ military wing in Nepal, in 2003. 

She was one of around 3,000 soldiers who were disqualified from the PLA for being an underage combatant when the Maoists signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2006, ending a decade-long conflict. 

Now 20,

Shanta was part of the first batch of former child soldiers to be released from Maoist army cantonments in January 2010. Returning home for the first time since joining the PLA, she will participate in government and 

UN rehabilitation programmes, but told IRIN she was unsure of her prospects: 

“After seven years of my life with the PLA, I feel very bad for being expelled like this. I have been deprived of helping to liberate my people from this ongoing repression. 

“I don’t know whether my family or village will accept me or not. I have yet to find that out. 

“I joined the war when I was still in school. I witnessed a lot of repression of the poor [and] this provoked me to do something when I was still a young girl.

I have been to the battlefield with a gun. I will continue my life with the Maoists until we have total liberation. 

“I’m not keen on rehabilitation. I don’t need rehabilitation. I’m already standing on my own two feet. The UN rehabilitation package is not going to make things better for me. They want to train us to weave baskets and make candles. They want to sponsor my schooling, but I am already educated. 

“I don’t want to spend my life making baskets.

Bhattarai Calls for Military Training for Millions of Nepalese

This article appeared on Telegraph Nepal on February 7, 2010

Military training to Nepal Citizens a must: Senior Maoist leader Bhattarai

The Unified Maoists’ Party that has been demanding formation of a new government under itsr own command has threatened that the constitution drafting process will not see timely conclusion unless their demand were met.

The former rebel party has also demanded that at least Millions of Nepalese must be provided with Military training to keep Nepali sovereignty intact.

“The local and foreign reactionaries have wrongly presumed that keeping Unified Maoists’ party having 40 per cent seats in the CA out of government the constitution could still be drafted…they are wrong in their calculations”, said the Unified Maoists’ Party vice chairman Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai while talking to journalists in Nepalgunj of Banke, Saturday February 6, 2010.

He also said that neither will the peace process see the desired conclusion nor the constitution drafting process amicably end by keeping our party out of the government structure.

The Rich Revolutionary Life of People’s March Editor Swapan Dasgupta

Swapan Dasgupta(19 April 1949—2 February 2010)

Swapan Dasgupta, the editor of Bangla People’s March, published from Kolkata, died in jail custody as the first political prisoner to die as a UAPA/Unlawful Activities Prevention(Amended) Act of 2008 prisoner.

He breathed his last on 2 February 2010 in the ITU, Mackenjee ward of SSKM hospital, Kolkata as a result of physical and mental torture in the police lock-up since his arrest on 6 October 2009 and utter negligence on the part of the government to give him proper medical treatment both inside Presidency Jail, Kolkata as also in the SSKM hospital.

Many people and democratic forums described his death as murder and sections of urban literati have raised the demand for enquiry about the circumstances leading to his death. Swapan Dasgupta was the editor of Bangla Peoples’ March since its inception in August 2004 and carried on his task to the best of his ability with courage, dedication and sincerity. Even when the English People’s March was banned by the government, he continued to publish the journal disseminating revolutionary ideas and news about revolutionary struggles in different parts of the country and also beyond, braving all odds. Intimidation from the state could hardly make any impact on his mind.

Swapan Dasgupta’s case is a case of deliberate brutal state-sponsored murder in custody. The following information about his life and his days under detention has been collected from the members of his family as also his friends who stood by his side till he finally closed his eyes at the age of 61 and was cremated at Keoratala crematorium.

Report on Organizing against Operation Green Hunt in Tamil Nadu

This was received from springthundertn@gmail.com on February 8, 2010.

“Resist the Naxal Witch Hunt! Organise Under the Naxal Leadership to Fight Recolonisation!”

Massive campaign across Tamil Nadu by Revolutionary Organisations!

Carrying forward the slogan, “War Against Naxals: The War Against Adivasis, Fishermen, and Peasants,” PALA and its revolutionary organisations have been intensely involved in the campaign against the state-declared civil war, Operation Green Hunt. Using pamphlets, booklets and posters that expose the ulterior motives of the Indian state behind this blood-thirsty war, comrades have been campaigning across the state in buses, trains, factories, and street corners. These organisations have also been organizing hall meetings, seminars, and cultural programmes as part of their campaign against the Operation Green Hunt. Democratic forces and working classes have been supporting this venture and generously contributing to this effort, understanding the importance of resisting this Naxal witch hunt and the need to take forward the struggle against recolonisation.

These organisations, along with several other democratic forces and organizations, arranged hall meetings in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Salem in the month of January. T. Vellaiyan, president of the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sanga Peravai (Forum of Tamilnadu Traders’ Union); C. C. Rajagopalan, a senior educationalist; Com. Thirumalairasan, senior advocate; Com. Balan, advocate, Karnataka High Court; and Aranga. Sampath Kumar, advocate, Chennai High Court stressed the need and importance of organising against this blood-thirsty war.

These seminars and hall meetings were attended by several hundreds of people, and comrades, in their campaigns on trains and buses, have taken this issue to several lakhs of people. The campaign to resist the Naxal witch hunt and to fight against recolonisation is being taken forward with great support from the people of Tamil Nadu.

India: Chidambaram Wants More Troops and Guns

Singh and Chidambaram

This article appeared in the Pioneeer on February 8, 2010

Consensus on fighting Maoists, but CMs want more forces, arms

The Chief Minister’s meet on internal security on Sunday saw convergence of opinion on tackling the challenges posed by Leftwing extremism, but the States clamored for more resources and firepower and the Centre asked them to take steps to fill up the massive vacancies in the police force.

The deliberation also highlighted the fact the despite the Government thrust on dousing the flames of Red terror, the States were ill-equipped to launch an all out war against the Maoists and much needed to be done to add teeth to various ongoing operations on the ground. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram urged the Naxal-affected States to boldly confront the Maoists, Chief Ministers asked more weapons, air power, infrastructure and funding from the Centre.

Chhattisgarh: Guns, Gags and Lies

This two-part series appeared in Express Buzz on February 7-8, 2010

No access to judiciary or media

Operation Green Hunt, launched last November, was supposed to provide security from the Maoists, but security for whom? It is unlikely to be the tribals who live in the jungles of Chhattisgarh. They have suffered the attentions of the authorities for years. Equally, they also have to deal with the Maoists on their ground.

At the same time, there’s no one to listen to them. They don’t have access to the judiciary or the press. If they complain, they risk harassment and torture. If they persist, they might simply disappear. For mainstream India it’s as if they don’t exist. The following stories illustrate their plight.

On March 18, 2008, security forces killed 14 Maoists of a dalam (armed squad) near Dareli, Bijapur district. They claimed no casualties in the alleged shootout while the Maoists said they were poisoned after police came to know of a meeting place. The incident was widely reported, yet what was neither reported nor investigated was the retaliatory killing of at least five villagers deemed ‘informants’ by the Maoists.

Rava Oonga (30), Badse Masa (50), Kovasi Hidme (35), Madkam Durva (70) and Madkam Idma (21) were returning to their villages in Bijapur district from Hyderabad after an election rally for the CPI (ML) New Democracy. They were axed to death in front of other villagers by a mixed squad of sangam and dalam members as suspected informants. One villager was from Pallagudem, two from Jeerlaguda and two from Dareli. Their previous visit to Hyderabad seemed suspicious to the Maoists who organised a Jan Adalat or People’s court to condemn them to death. When their relatives and neighbours were asked about the identities of the assailants and the Maoists who were present during the killing, they replied: “Agar hum aapko bol denge, phir woh log humko bhi marne aajayenge. (If we tell you who killed them, they will come to kill us also.)”

Nepal: Prachanda to Give Peace a Chance to Work

This appeared in Hindustan Times on February 5, 2010

Nepal Maoists to give peace a chance

Five days after threatening to launch a people’s revolt, Nepal Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ took a step back on Thursday by announcing his party’s decision to give peace another chance. The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) standing committee’s decision came after a marathon eight-day meeting, which saw hardliners in favour of an immediate revolt getting sidelined by those backing peace.

Prachanda, however, made it clear that the party could launch a people’s revolt if the ongoing peace and constitution drafting processes fall prey to “conspiracy”. “There is no dispute in the party that the people hold the right to revolt if conspiracy against the promulgation of a people’s constitution prevailed.”

The party agreed on continuing with its agenda for restoration of civilian supremacy, national independence and formation of a ‘national government’ during its next campaign from February 13 to April 6. However unlike the previous four phases of agitations that witnessed shutting down of offices, blocking of roads and general strikes, the next campaign would be peaceful and focus on publicity.

The UCPN (M) has pinned hopes on the High Level Political Mechanism to break the political deadlock and take the peace process ahead through consensus and draft the constitution. Since stepping down from power in May last year over the President’s refusal to approve sacking of the army chief, Nepal’s largest party in parliament is agitating seeking civilian supremacy.

Nepal: 3 Small Maoist Parties Join for Anti-India Campaign

This article appeared in DNA on February 5, 2010.

Nepal’s 3 Maoist parties join for anti-India campaign

Kathmandu: Three Maoist parties in Nepal have come together for an anti-India protest, seeking the abrogation of all “unequal treaties” with New Delhi and withdrawal of Indian troops from disputed territories between the two neighbours.

A joint front of three ultra left parties – CPN-Maoist, Revolutionary Communist Party Nepal and Nepal Communist Party Unified has announced two-month long protests from February 8 to demand the abrogation of the landmark 1950 Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty and return of alleged encroached territory by India.

The CPN-Maoist led by Matrika Yadav, Revolutionary Communist Party Nepal led by Mani Thapa and Nepal Communist Party Unified led by Rishi Kattel are splinter groups of the main Opposition Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist headed by former prime minister Prachanda.

At a press conference in the capital yesterday, the Maoists announded their plan to hold protest in front of the Indian Embassy on March 12, apart from a nationwide general strike on April 24 and handing over a memorandum to prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on February 8. Their eight-point demands include annulment of all unequal treaties between Nepal and India, including 1950 treaty and withdrawal of Indian Army from the disputed Kalapani region, the tri-junction between Nepal, India and China. They have also sought the return of alleged encroached land by India in Susta and ethnic and regional autonomy with right to self-determination.

Kiran: High Level Political Mechanism Has Power to Change Government

This article appeared on eKantipur on February 5, 2010.

HLPM has got power to change govt: Maoist leader Baidya

KATHMANDU: UCPN (Maoist) Vice Chairman Mohan Baidya ‘Kiran’ Friday opined that the High-Level Political Mechanism (HLPM) has got the ability to change the government. He said the mechanism comprising of the top leaders from the major three parties has got the ability to logically conclude the ongoing peace and constitution drafting process and added that it has also got the guts to change the government.

Baidya’s statement comes at a time when some leaders from the incumbent coalition have questioned HLPM and its activities saying that the mechanism was concentrating more on changing the government rather than defusing the political deadlock. Speaking at a programme in the capital today, the senior Maoist leader said the government is not in the state to resolve the prevailing problems and the political deadlock.

He added that his party is hopeful about ending the political stalemate with the help from HLPM. “HLPM was formed to find a way out of the political deadlock,” said Baidya, “ It also holds the power to change the government.”

Nepal: Feb 13 Set for Fifth Wave of Protest

This article was published on the Himalayan Times.

Maoists to unleash 5th phase protest from Feb 13

KATHMANDU: Identifying the national independence, peace and constitution as its work-plan and announcing a fresh month-long protest programmes, the week-long Standing Committee meeting of the UCPN- Maoist concluded on Thursday afternoon. The meet also condemned the continued killings and attacks on its cadres in different districts.

The party announced that it would organise a month-long publicity-oriented protest programmes starting from February 13. It also announced a mobilisation campaign from February 13 to March 8 to spread awareness among the people about its ongoing protest programme on national independence and civilian supremacy.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the Standing Committee meet in the premises of its party office Koteshwor, party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said that the party is committed to the peace process and drafting the new constitution. He also made it clear that he has not proposed Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala for the post of Prime Minister. His denial comes a few days after NC leaders reportedly made the claim. He added that the party would support the revision of the proposed deadline for drafting the new constitution if the other parties were in agreement. He said that differences among the parties can be resolved through the HLPM.

Nepal Maoists: Revolt If Writing Constitution, Peace Process Blocked

This article appeared in My Republica on February 4, 2010

Revolt if conspiracies against constitution

KATHMANDU: Maoists have decided to launch a people´s revolt only if the constitution writing and peace process fall prey to conspiracy. The Maoist party reached a decision to this effect during the eight-day long standing committee meeting that ended Wednesday. “There is no dispute in the party that the people hold the right to revolt if conspiracy against the promulgation of a people´s constitution prevailed,” said Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, while briefing the media on the standing committee´s decisions.

The meeting decided to continue pushing for national independence, civilian supremacy, peace, new constitution and national unity government as the party´s working policy.

Dahal said that there are no intra-party differences over the party´s strategic move, and the media reports that hardliners want preparation for an immediate revolt and moderates are for peace and constitution are totally false and part of the planned conspiracy against the Maoist party. “We have given continuity to the same old working policy and the party is unanimous on this,” he said.

Nepal: Maoists Call for Joint-Front of Patriotic and Republican Forces

This article was published on eKantipur on February 4, 2010.

Maoist propose joint-front of ‘patriotic, republican forces’ for peace, statute drafting

KATHMANDU: The UCPN (Maoist), which has been agitating putting forth the demands of civilian supremacy, correction of President’s move and more lately with the slogan of national sovereignty, on Thursday floated the proposal of a joint-front of ‘patriotic’ and ‘republican forces’ for peace and constitution drafting.

Speaking at the press conference organised at the party headquarters in Koteshwor to make public the decisions of party Standing Committee meting today, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the party put forth the proposal of joint-front as conspiracies are rife to derail the peace and statute writing process.

He mentioned that his party will take solid steps to form such front. He reiterated that the public had the rights to revolt if efforts were made to obstruct the peace and constitution drafting process.

Kiran: India Still Interfering in Nepal

This appeared on Telegraph India on February 5, 2010.

Expansionist India humiliating Nepal, Land grab continues: Baidya

“Those are the agents of expansionist India”, quickly replied Mohan Baidya Kiran-the senior vice chairman of Unified Maoists’ Party when asked to comment on the widespread allegation that the Maoists’ were looking for support from the former Royalist camp.

AP: What about Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai’s views that there still exist struggle between the adherents of Pushpa Lal (Unity with Democrats) ideology and Rayamaji (pro-monarchy) ideology in your party?

Baidya: I have no idea why he said so. He knows better why he made such comments and I know better for what I am saying now.

West Bengal’s “Communist” Leaders Amass Huge Fortunes

CPM bonfire in Lalgarh region

This very revealing article appeared in The Week on February 7, 2010. It gives some perspective on why the adivasis of the Lalgarh region, the farmers of Nandigram and Singur, and increasing numbers of the oppressed in West Bengal are targeting the ruling party, the Communist Party (Marxist) as an exploiting and repressive force.

Comrade bourgeois: Many communist leaders in West Bengal amass huge fortunes

Rabi Banerjee

Himangshu Das is the zonal committee secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Khejuri, Nandigram. A member of local zilla parishad, he gets a salary of Rs 1,500 a month. As district committee member of the party in East Midnapore he earns another Rs 1,500. These are his only known sources of income.

But, people of Nandigram say Das is a crorepati [one crore = 10 million]. He has a palatial house with air-conditioned rooms in Khejuri, and owns a car and a bike. Villagers allege that he siphoned off funds meant for the local civic bodies. In August 2009, they attacked his house, dragged him out and beat him up in public. Das fled the village with family and is yet to return. “How could a communist leader amass such huge wealth? He had become a crorepati and behaved like an industrialist,” said Manik Maity, a villager.

Not long ago, communist leaders in West Bengal were known for their simple lifestyle. Today, three decades after the Left Front started ruling the state, they live in palatial houses, drive expensive SUVs, own shopping malls and factories, and wear branded clothes. Ironically, they are still driven by the same philosophy—uplift the proletariat.