G20 Solidarity Protests in Auckland- 530pm, Brit Consulate, 151 Queen Street,
TODAY Thursday
In
the event of police riots and mass arrests against the Anti Capitalist
protests in London today, Socialist Aotearoa will be taking action at
the British Consulate in Auckland at 5.30pm.
txt 021 1861450 for updates.
Please spread the word through union, college and group networks. Bring banners
and flags.
The British Consulate is located at Level 17
151 Queen Street, Auckland, Auckland 1010.
mobile/ txt: 021 186 1450
email: solidarityjoe@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Photos by *David Bacon*
Oakland, California, March 12, 2009 -- On the steps of the Alameda
County court house, community activists in the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) protest against the auction of the
foreclosed home of Armando Ramos and Fernanda Cardenas. Their home
mortgage, held by the mortgage company OCWEN, had an adjustable
rate. When it went up, Ramos and Cardenas could no longer make the
payments. OCWEN then decided to auction off the home on the courthouse
steps.
Photos at http://links.org.au/node/976
Subscribe free to /Links - International Journal of Socialist Renewal/ -
at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=343373
(For a Cuba-hater like Frances Robles,
this must really stick in her craw.)
===========================================
MIAMI HERALD
Posted on Tuesday, 03.31.09
Cuba will be the talk of the Summit of the Americas
A worker paints a wall next to a sculpture by New York artist Padraig Tarrant
called "Castrobama" at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana Friday. The
piece shows Fidel Castro's profile on the left, and Barack Obama's on the right
JAVIER GALEANO/AP PHOTO
* Photo
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/breaking-news/story/977445.html
BY FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@...
Cuba promises to be a hot topic at the upcoming Summit of the Americas in
Trinidad and Tobago, as more Latin American leaders push for the communist
country to be embraced by hemispheric organizations, Trinidad's ambassador said
Tuesday.
At a meeting with The Miami Herald, Trinidad's ambassador to Washington, Glenda
Patricia Morean-Phillip, said Cuba may not be on the official agenda, but it's
certainly on everyone's lips.
''One issue that expected to come up -- especially from your president -- is
Cuba, because that's on everybody's mind,'' Morean-Phillip said. ``Latins are
very much in favor of admitting Cuba to the hemispheric organizations. I think
there is a lot of sympathy and support.''
Trinidad will be hosting 33 hemispheric leaders April 17-19. The United States
alone is bringing a delegation that's more than 1,000 people strong, she said.
In all, up to 7,000 people are expected on the island, she said. Cruise ships
will handle hotel overflow.
''We may be small, but we punch above our weight,'' she said, insisting that the
country of 1.3 million is up to the daunting task of hosting so many visitors.
Among those she said is not expected to pop in uninvited: Cuban leader Raúl
Castro.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning invited Castro to visit Trinidad, and Castro
accepted, the Cuban media reported. But the hemisphere's last military dictator
is not expected to take Manning up on the offer during the summit.
Manning, currently in Cuba getting a health check up, met with Castro on Sunday.
The prime minister had a cancerous left kidney removed on the island last
December and also previously had pacemaker surgery there, according to the
Trinidad media.
Manning is one of about a dozen hemispheric heads of state who have visited Cuba
in the past weeks. The parade of presidential visits have added to the mounting
pressure on the Obama administration to address Cuba policy.
President Barack Obama is widely expected to announce revisions to the rules
that restrict how often Cuban-Americans can visit their family there. But Latin
American presidents may use the summit as the opportunity to try to talk Obama
into doing more, experts say.
The ambassador said it's unclear whether Obama will use the forum to announce
major Cuba policy changes. But he'll have to ''say something,'' she said.
=========================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=83706
NIGER: Desert residents pay high price for lucrative uranium mining
------------------------------
Photo: AREVA Resources
Canada<http://www.irinnews.org/PrintReport.aspx?ReportId=83706>
<http://www.irinnews.org/PhotoDetail.aspx?ImageId=200903307> AREVA uranium
exploration in Canada- same mineral, different context DAKAR, 30 March 2009
(IRIN) - After a visit in late March from French President Nicholas Sarkozy
to Niger, residents in the uranium-exporting desert country continue
questioning whether AREVA, a company primarily owned by the French
government, will honour its promise to protect communities from mining
hazards.
Studies and residents’ testimonies have pointed to health and environmental
dangers from mining operations owned and operated by both AREVA’s
subsidiaries and the Niger government.
Salifou Adifou, 67, worked for 40 years as a driller at Niger’s SOMAÏR (Aïr
Mountains Mining Company), a public-private venture with AREVA owning 63
percent.
The retiree told IRIN he has undiagnosed health problems. “I have stomach
and chest pains, but since retirement [in 1999], I cannot afford health
care.” Adifou said his friend who had worked as a miner is now bedridden.
Neither knows the cause of his health problems, Adifou told IRIN.
*Air
*
The AREVA majority-owned mine called COMINAK (Mining Company of Akouta)
commissioned an environmental study of its operations in Arlit in 2006,
which reported that the number of deaths linked to respiratory infections
was twice as high in the mining town (16 percent) as in the rest of the
country.
Arlit’s population is 110,000.
“The wind carries dust contaminated with the long-lasting radium [time
required for it to lose toxicity is more than 1,600 years] and lead…Samples
taken from 5km within site…Sandstorms [and] atmospheric waste from mines
could be aggravating factors for pulmonary [illnesses] in the region,” the
researchers wrote in COMINAK’s environmental study.
Photo: Phuong Tran/IRIN <http://www.irinnews.org/photo>
<http://www.irinnews.org/PhotoDetail.aspx?ImageId=200808298> How
dust storms can be deadly (file photo)But AREVA dismisses the link between
mining and elevated health problems in its January 2009 report on mining
activities in Niger. “These problems are typical in desert zones…they are
not linked to mining activities.”
Nevertheless AREVA directors have agreed to set up health diagnostic centres
in all countries where it extracts uranium, starting with Gabon, according
to the Paris-based human rights legal association Sherpa. "It has been two
long, difficult years to get to this point with the company to give workers
a voice," Sherpa director Yann Queinnec told IRIN.
Plans are still being finalised, said Queinnec, but the agreement is that
each centre would have an advisory board with representation from workers,
local officials, non-profit organisations and AREVA.
Queinnec said it took years “to craft an agreement that will be different
from other accords signed in the name of protecting workers," of which key
components, the lawyer said, remain unfulfilled.
*Soil *
The Paris-based Commission of Research and Independent Information on
Radioactivity (CRIIRAD) has written of “serious safety lapses” in and near
AREVA mining sites in Niger.
In 2007 CRIIRAD researchers said they found locals selling contaminated
scrap metal from mining sites and the materials were eventually used in
housing construction, kitchen utensils and tools. In 2003 CRIIRAD had
recommended that AREVA identify and dispose of contaminated metals.
Radioactive waste – possibly used in road construction – may be responsible
for the abnormally high levels of radiation, according to CRIIRAD. In 2007
CRIIRAD researchers wrote that radiation levels were up to 100 times above
average in front of the AREVA-funded hospital near the COMINAK mine.
*Water *
In response to criticism that mining has contaminated increasingly scarce
drinking water in northern Niger, AREVA published a statement in January
2009 that “monthly bacterial, bi-annual radiological, and annual chemical
analyses show the absence of [water] contamination.”
*Niger mining codes*
*Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative*<http://eitransparency.org/Niger>
*International Commission on Radiological Protection* <http://www.icrp.org/>
*French Association of Quality Assurance
(French)*<http://www.afnor.org/metiers/certification/panorama-certification>
*International Atomic Energy Agency* <http://www.iaea.org/>*, which provided
training to Niger's Centre of National Radioprotection
*
*For more information*
*Aghir In'Man** (French)* <http://www.cooperation.net/aghirinman>
*AREVA*<http://niger.areva.com/niger_home/liblocal/docs/AREVA%20au%20Niger%20jan\
vier%2009%20version%20anglaise.pdf>
*CRIIRAD (French)* <http://www.criirad.org/> *Sherpa
(French)*<http://www.asso-sherpa.org/>
*World Health Organization* <http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/en/> But
environmental studies carried out by CRIIRAD and Sherpa in 2005 in mining
communities showed water radiation levels up to 110 times higher than World
Health Organization (WHO) safe drinking water standards in industrial areas
and 10 times higher in urban areas.
Uranium extraction requires water to clean the mining site, treat the
mineral and cover workers’ and their families’ water needs, according to
AREVA.
Pastoralists have also accused AREVA of depleting the region’s water.
By AREVA’s calculation the company has pumped 270 million cubic metres of
groundwater during the past 40 years from its two mines in Arlit, of which
35 percent has been for mining activities and the rest for the town’s use.
AREVA spokesperson Yves Dufour said recently in the French media that
AREVA’s future water needs in Imouraren, 80km south of Arlit, will be only a
fraction of the eight billion cubic metres of desert groundwater available
in the area. AREVA is investing US$1.5 billion in Imouraren in what is
expected to be the country’s largest uranium mine.
Hydrologists estimate that rain-fed groundwater sources – similar to the
aquifer AREVA is tapping 150m beneath the desert – can take some 200 years
to replenish.
*Corporate responsibility
*
Though the Niger government owns one-third of the uranium mines, Almoustapha
Alhacen – head of the Arlit-based environmental NGO Aghir In’Man – told IRIN
he holds AREVA wholly responsible for the north’s environmental and health
problems. “AREVA is in Canada, but does it exploit uranium as savagely as it
does here? Have Canada’s cattle also died?”
Pastoralists have blamed a number of cattle deaths on contamination of wells
from which animals drink.
AREVA extracted an estimated 3,200 metric tons of uranium in northern Canada
in 2007, slightly more than in Niger for the same period. In a May 2007
survey of 1,000 residents living near AREVA’s uranium mining operations in
Canada, 80 percent respon ded they supported uranium exploration.
[image: '']*AREVA is in Canada, but does it exploit uranium as savagely as
it does here?*[image: ''] AREVA Resources Canada’s spokesperson Alun
Richards told IRIN his company rents daily charter planes to transport 350
employees from their remote northern homes to the mining site in
Saskatchewan province explaining how workers, mostly nomads, “need to be
near their extended family networks”. In addition, the Canadian mine gives
local communities $80,000 per year to carry out their own environmental
impact studies. “People do not read studies. They trust results more if they
test their own food and rivers they fish from,” said Richards.
Mines in Canada are “heavily regulated” by some 30 government agencies, from
fisheries to nuclear safety, he added.
Half the work force is hired from the local community, Richards told IRIN.
“It is just as important that we maintain our social obligations and
community standing as it is [that we] meet environmental and health
regulations,” Richards said.
Even though AREVA France invests $1 million a year for community development
in northern Niger, according to its records, NGO leader Alhacen said most
mining community residents have “generally negative” views about the
industry.
When asked why a private company that shares ownership with the Niger
government should bear most of the burden of community development, Alhacen
said multinationals working in Africa should recognise their corporate
responsibility.
Niger’s living conditions – as measured by health, education and income -
are among the worst worldwide, according to the UN.
AREVA France has said its approach is not to dispense “charity” but rather
to engage locals in running projects and to increase coordination with
donors. Alhacen said damages from mining far outweigh the benefits in Niger.
“AREVA [France] publicises that it pays for 200,000 medical visits a year.
We do not see that here. Even so, that is admitting that tens of thousands
are getting sick every year,” said Alhacen.
*
Photo: Phuong Tran/IRIN <http://www.irinnews.org/photo>
<http://www.irinnews.org/PhotoDetail.aspx?ImageId=2008090210> Desert
rebels demand more uranium royalties (file photo)Government responsibility
*
Since June 2007 the Niger government has placed more than half the country
under a state of alert as a result of a decades-long
rebellion<http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72223> that
re-erupted in February 2007. Hundreds have died and thousands have been
displaced in the last two years as a result of fighting.
Rebels who have attacked military posts and water and electricity plants
that feed AREVA operations are demanding more mining profits for community
development and more protection from mining’s hazards. They have accused the
government of overlooking what they call AREVA’s environmental
non-compliance in exchange for mining royalties.
The government dismisses the rebellion as a front for smuggling.
Minister of Information Mohamed Ben Omar told IRIN: “The government has made
every effort to protect local populations from harmful mining practices.
Just because of profits, we are not looking the other way,” he said. “We
have ratified every international relevant convention [on mining] and taken
all necessary control measures.”
But leader of the rebel front that launched the February 2007 attack, Aghaly
Ag Alambo, told IRIN that mining communities are still not safe. "AREVA is
not the main problem. It is not AREVA's job to provide for Nigeriens. It is
the government that has failed its people."
pt/np
*Themes:* (IRIN) Conflict <http://www.irinnews.org/Theme.aspx?Theme=PEA>,
(IRIN) Economy <http://www.irinnews.org/Theme.aspx?Theme=ECO>, (IRIN)
Environment <http://www.irinnews.org/Theme.aspx?Theme=ENV>, (IRIN) Health &
Nutrition <http://www.irinnews.org/Theme.aspx?Theme=HEA>, (IRIN) Water &
Sanitation <http://www.irinnews.org/Theme.aspx?Theme=WAT>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
By *Salim Vally*
[Salim Vally, a leading member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee in
South Africa and a veteran anti-apartheid activist, will be a featured
guest at the /World at a Crossroads/ conference, to be held in Sydney,
Australia, on April 10-12, 2009, organised by the Democratic Socialist
Perspective, Resistance and /Green Left Weekly/. Visit
http://www.worldATACrossroads.org <http://www.worldatacrossroads.org/>
for full agenda and to book your tickets.]
There are moments in modern history when particular struggles galvanise
millions around the world to act in solidarity. This occurred during the
Spanish Civil War, the struggle of the Vietnamese people against US
imperialism and the liberation struggles of Southern Africa. The time
has now come for progressive humanity to cut through the obfuscations,
canards and calumnies and meaningfully support the resistance of the
Palestinian people.
Full article at http://links.org.au/node/979
Subscribe free to /Links - International Journal of Socialist Renewal/ -
at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=343373
(NOTE: In Obama's message to Iran, there
is no mention of human rights, democracy,
a multi-party political system or any of
the other conditions which Washington has
set as requirements to have normalized
relations with Cuba and its government.)
=========================================
Barack Obama's address to Iran
Full text of Barack Obama's videotaped message to the people and leaders of Iran
as they celebrate their New Year's holiday, Nowruz
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 March 2009 08.10 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/20/barack-obama-usa/print
Barack Obama Iran video message
Barack Obama addresses the Iranian people on the White House video message.
Photograph: AFP/AFP/Getty Images
"Today I want to extend my very best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz
around the world.
This holiday is both an ancient ritual and a moment of renewal, and I hope that
you enjoy this special time of year with friends and family.
In particular, I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Nowruz is just one part of your great and celebrated
culture. Over many centuries your art, your music, literature and innovation
have made the world a better and more beautiful place.
Here in the United States our own communities have been enhanced by the
contributions of Iranian Americans. We know that you are a great civilisation,
and your accomplishments have earned the respect of the United States and the
world.
For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But
at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together.
Indeed, you will be celebrating your New Year in much the same way that we
Americans mark our holidays – by gathering with friends and family, exchanging
gifts and stories, and looking to the future with a renewed sense of hope.
Within these celebrations lies the promise of a new day, the promise of
opportunity for our children, security for our families, progress for our
communities, and peace between nations. Those are shared hopes, those are common
dreams.
So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's
leaders. We have serious differences that have grown over time. My
administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of
issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States,
Iran and the international community. This process will not be advanced by
threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual
respect.
You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to
take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right – but
it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through
terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true
greatness of the Iranian people and civilisation. And the measure of that
greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to
build and create.
So on the occasion of your New Year, I want you, the people and leaders of Iran,
to understand the future that we seek. It's a future with renewed exchanges
among our people, and greater opportunities for partnership and commerce. It's a
future where the old divisions are overcome, where you and all of your
neighbours and the wider world can live in greater security and greater peace.
I know that this won't be reached easily. There are those who insist that we be
defined by our differences. But let us remember the words that were written by
the poet Saadi, so many years ago: "The children of Adam are limbs to each
other, having been created of one essence."
With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that
we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise
of a new beginning.
Thank you, and Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak."
=========================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================
President Obama hasn't tried this kind of approach
to dealing with Cuba. Cuba, of course, has said on
many occasions that it's willing to resolve their
differences with the United States through talking
at the negotiating table. If that's too difficult
as a starting point, attorney Jose Pertierra has a
proposal which could well get the ball rolling and
no formal contacts would be needed to get started:
Jose Pertierra: Gesture for gesture (English)
http://www.counterpunch.org/pertierra03272009.html
Jose Pertierra: Gesture for gesture (Spanish)
http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs2360.html
Walter says: "Where there's a will, there's a way."
===================================================================
OBAMA'S MESSAGE TO IRAN
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/20/barack-obama-usa/print
===================================================================
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Iran to the U.S.: Where we go now
Offering a response to President Obama's Persian New Year speech, an Iranian
official says the offer to talk is promising but that there are old wounds that
must be dealt with.
By Ali Akbar Javanfekr
March 31, 2009 in print edition A-25
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/03/31/editorial_pages/oe-javanfekr31
On March 20, at the start of the Persian New Year, President Obama delivered a
speech offering "the promise of a new beginning" in relations between the U.S.
and Iran. But Obama also told Iranian leaders that the right to be part of the
world's "community of nations" came with responsibilities and could not be
achieved "through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions." An aide
to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad submitted this Op-Ed article in
response to Obama's speech.
President George W. Bush's actions during his time in office generated hatred
and mistrust of the U.S. throughout the world. But in fairness, he was also one
of the most honest American presidents, because his deeds and words matched.
America's Democratic Party has historically been less honest than its rival
Republican Party. I hope President Obama can change this approach and that he
will turn out to be the most honest U.S. president of all.
Mr. Obama's recent message to Iran on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New
Year, contained some encouraging signs -- and some negative ones.
The president expressed a willingness to talk openly with Iran's leaders. This
willingness is promising. The Islamic Republic of Iran appreciates friendly
behavior that stems from respect and courtesy toward other cultures and nations.
We support justice and humane ethics in international relations. On the other
hand, we condemn arrogant, bullying and insulting behavior.
The U.S. has a long history of interfering in Iran's domestic affairs, starting
with its backing of a coup against the lawful government of Prime Minister
Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953. Later, your country provided all- out support to the
dictatorial regime of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The U.S. nurtured
counter-revolutionaries plotting against the Islamic Republic of Iran and froze
assets and properties owned by Iran in the U.S. and Europe.
There is evidence that your country also encouraged the dictatorial Iraqi regime
of Saddam Hussein to attack Iran militarily in 1980. During the eight years of
war that followed that action, the U.S. interfered in favor of Hussein, downing
an Iranian passenger plane and imposing widespread economic and trade sanctions
on Iran.
For decades, the U.S. has heaped insulting invective on our nation and made
continuous threats of toppling its lawful government. It has put obstacles in
the way of Iran's progress in technological and scientific fields.
Mr. Obama expressed his country's willingness to see our Islamic Republic take
its true position in the international community. This new approach by the
United States is appreciated, but we would note that Iran already occupies a
distinguished position in the international community. President Ahmadinejad is
one of the most beloved dignitaries in the world, and freedom-loving nations in
all corners of the Earth love Iran.
The policies of previous U.S. administrations led to a rise in hatred, anger and
worries. In all corners of the world, it is worth noting, the only flags being
set ablaze belong to the U.S. and the occupying Zionist regime.
President Obama has proclaimed a policy of "change," and the American people
have embraced it. But to remedy its image in the world, the U.S. needs to truly
change its past methods.
Change is mandatory for the U.S. administration. For as history demonstrates,
either you change, or you are forced to change.
Ali Akbar Javanfekr is the presidential advisor for press affairs to Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
=========================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================
Book: John Paul impressed that Castro studied him
By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA
Associated Press Writer
1 April 2009
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Cuban leader Fidel Castro impressed Pope John Paul II by
reading up on his teaching and poetry ahead of their 1996 meeting at the
Vatican, according to a new book on the late pontiff's daily life.
The book, "He Liked Tuesdays Best" is based on interviews by journalist Brygida
Grysiak with Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, who served as a secretary to the
Polish-born pope from 1996 until the pontiff's death at 84 on April 2, 2005.
The book authorized by the Polish Roman Catholic Church was released last week
and the 20,000 copies have already sold out, chief editor Piotr Slabek said
Wednesday.
An Italian edition of the book is expected to be released this year and the
publisher is in talks about English, German, Ukrainian and French versions.
In the 180-page work, Mokrzycki recalls details of the pope's meetings with
political leaders like Russia's then-President Vladimir Putin, the late
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the communist Castro.
"Fidel Castro was extremely well prepared for the meeting," Mokrzycki said. "He
had read many of (the pope's) works, also his poetry. He was very well oriented
in the encyclicals, had studied them in detail."
"The Holy Father ... was very impressed," said Mokrzycki, now the Archbishop of
Lviv in Ukraine.
Dozens of books concerning the much-beloved pope -- born Karol Wojtyla in
Wadowice -- have appeared in Poland since his death, including 16 volumes of his
works.
Mokrzycki said one of the pope's unfulfilled dreams was to visit the Roman
Catholic community in predominantly orthodox Russia.
During visits to the Vatican in 2000 and in 2003 then-President Putin said in
the pope's presence: "I would invite the Holy Father, but ....the Orthodox
church is not mature enough for that yet," according to Mokrzycki.
Mokrzycki said John Paul II "had a special liking" for Arafat and held a number
of meetings with him, granting an audience each time the Palestinian leader
requested one, even if the pontiff was on vacation.
The meetings gave the pope "a lot of joy because he was meeting with a man
despised by many, to whom he was giving strength and courage," Mokrzycki said.
"The Holy Father was not concerned" about criticism these meetings drew from the
world.
"He believed he should not abandon the poor and the suffering in need,"
Mokrzycki said.
Mokrzycki recalled the Pope's meeting with the Turkish Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot
and seriously wounded him in 1981.
"There was no repentance in him (Agca), no grief, there was no 'I am sorry,'"
Mokrzycki said. The pope forgave him anyway.
Mokrzycki also recalled how the pope liked Tuesdays -- which inspired the book's
title -- because once or twice a month those were his days off. He would travel
with close aides to the Dolomites or Tuscany. He walked, read books and had
lunch offered by the wives of the police officers accompanying them. In the
evening the group would sing around bonfires.
John Paul II also liked sweets, but was mindful of his weight, which led to the
Polish nuns who cooked for him not offering up desserts. Sometimes, Mokrzcki
said, he would smile and draw circles on the tablecloth with his finger.
"The nuns had to bring a cookie," Mokrzycki said.
The pope "disliked new shoes and used old ones as long as he could," Mokrzycki
said.
Italian television occasionally remarked that the pope's shoes had holes but new
ones, even though they were specially made for him, usually caused him
discomfort at the start, Mokrzycki said.
=========================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================
G-20: Uncertainty and Cuba
By Noel Manzanares Blanco
ACN
April 1, 2009
The G-20, made up by the economically developed and emerging nations,
which represent some 90 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and 80
percent of world trade in addition to two thirds of the population, will
hold a summit on April 2nd in London.
This event will be a continuation of the meeting held in Washington last
November 15th sponsored by George W. Bush. What this means is that
there will be attempts to look for a coherent response to the world
economic crisis, without excluding the protagonism of the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund. And, there is the problem.
How will they be able to solve the serious problems generated by the
international crisis if the financial architecture is not changed?
On March 24th, the International Labor Organization (ILO) championed the
overcoming of the serious effects of the economic tragedy through the
Global Pact for Employment based on policies that favor decent work and
make globalization more just.
Juan SomavÃa, the Director General of the ILO spoke about "urgent
actions" to counter the work calamity and pointed out: "If the measures
are only taken in the coming six months, the process will be slower and
the recovery will not begin until the early 2011".
According to what is understood, the urgency is ruled by the demand of
the labor market, between 2009 and 2010, requiring the creation of 90
million extra new jobs, something difficult to achieve in the reigning
context of international relations.
With these estimates, who can deny the inability of the G-20 to develop
alternatives, as well as the consequent uncertainty for the great
majority? Will a way out generated by the bourgeoisie be imposed?
In this order of thinking, the Cuban Revolution comes to mind. The
reality is that in Cuba everyone enjoys benefits that are not even dreams
for the majority of the inhabitants to the South and many in the North,
despite an economic blockade unprecedented in the history of humanity.
In addition to free education, the life expectancy has reached 80 years,
less than five children die for every one thousand live births, there are
exclusive advances in vaccines for several pathologies...just to give a
few examples.
The Cuban people have also approved a new Social Security Law, there are
numerous positions open in production and services and a reorganization
of the economy is underway, aimed at more efficiency.
All this achieved amidst the international disorder that, logically, also
affects the island.
Faced with the world crisis, the G-20 meeting just represents more
uncertainty.
This is an ACN translatin of a Spanish original by Noel Manzanares Blanco
otherarticles/map/ycr/12:46
El G-20, la incertidumbre y Cuba
=========================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================
I/II.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT50/003/2009/en/0b789cb1-baa8-4c1b-bc3\
5-58b606309836/act500032009en.pdf
P. 22-23
REPORTED EXECUTIONS 2008
The following chart summarise reported executions carried out
in 2008. These figures represent those death sentences known to Amnesty
International.
Other countries may have condemned prisoners to death but the information
has gone
unreported.
These numbers represent minimum estimates.
Key
“+†after a number indicates that the figure is a minimum one. The true
figure is at least the
figure shown. For example, “47+†means that there were at least 47
executions in the given
country in 2008.
If “+†is not preceded by a number, it means that we know that there were
executions or
death sentences (at least more than one) in the given country in 2008 but we
do not know
how many.
Country Executions
CHINA 1718+
IRAN 346+
SAUDI ARABIA 102+
USA 37
PAKISTAN 36+
IRAQ 34+
VIET NAM 19+
AFGHANISTAN 17+
NORTH KOREA 15+
JAPAN 15
YEMEN 13+
INDONESIA 10
LIBYA 8+
BANGLADESH 5
BELARUS 4
EGYPT 2+
MALAYSIA 1+
MONGOLIA 1+
SINGAPORE 1+
SUDAN 1+
SYRIA 1+
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 1+
BAHRAIN 1
BOTSWANA 1
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS 1
II.
http://iranhr.net/spip.php?article1004
China and Iran responsible for at least 86 % of the executions world wide in
2008
Thursday 26 March 2009
[English] [Ùارسى <http://iranhr.net/spip.php?article1005>]
[日本語<http://iranhr.net/spip.php?article1008>
]
Iran Human Rights, March 25: At least 346 people have been executed in 2008
in Iran according to the Amnesty International’s annual report on death
penalty in 2008.
Amnesty International’s numbers are in line with the the annual report
published by Iran Human Rights <http://iranhr.net/spip.php?article958>,
according to which at least 350 people were executed in 2008 in Iran. The
actual number of the executions is higher since many executions are not
reported <http://iranhr.net/spip.php?article1001> by the Iranian media.
*Amnesty International’s annual report that was published on March 24. says:
*
"In 2008, at least 2,390 people were known to have been executed in 25
countries and is estimated that at least 8864 people were sentenced to death
in 52 countries around the world.
*The following countries carried out executions in 2008*: China (at least
1,718), Iran (at least 346), Saudi Arabia (at least 102), USA (37), Pakistan
(at least 36), Iraq (at least 34), Viet Nam (at least 19), Afghanistan (at
least 17), North Korea (at least 15), Japan (15), Yemen (at least 13),
Indonesia (10), Libya (at least 8), Bangladesh (5), Belarus (4), Egypt (at
least 2), Malaysia (at least 1), Mongolia (at least 1), Sudan (at least 1),
Syria (at least 1), United Arab Emirates (at least 1), Bahrain (1), Botswana
(1), Singapore (at least 1) and St Kitts and Nevis (1).
Some of the methods used to carry out executions in 2008 included beheading
(Saudi Arabia), hanging (Bangladesh, Botswana, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Japan,
Malaysia, Pakistan, St. Kitts & Nevis, Singapore, Sudan) lethal injection
(China, USA), shooting (Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Indonesia, Iran,
Mongolia, Viet Nam), stoning (Iran) and electrocution (USA).
Amnesty International knows of 13 countries that have carried out executions
every year for the last 5 years: China, Bangladesh, Belarus, Indonesia,
Iran, Japan, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Viet Nam, Yemen
and the USA.
As in previous years, the five countries with the highest number of
executions in 2008 were China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United
States of America (Fig. 1). Together these five countries carried out 93% of
all executions carried out in 2008. These countries provide the greatest
challenge towards global abolition of the death penalty."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The joint statement is highly welcome as far as it goes and as a definitive
departure from the dark mood prevailing during the preceding Bush regime.
It, for a change, categorically recognises Iran's right to develop nuclear
energy.
It also talks in terms of specifics.
But unfortunately it does not go far enough.
It projects universal nuclear disarmament only as a "long-term goal" without
venturing to define even a rough timeframe.
It also falsely privileges "peaceful use of nuclear energy", even if with
some "if"s and "but"s. .
But, even then, it could be a useful starting point. And is, definitely, a
very significant reversal of the Bush-Cheney days of open sabre-rattling.
Sukla
On Wed, Apr 1, 2009 at 7:52 PM, Alice Slater <aslater@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Alice Slater
>
> Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, NY
>
> 446 E. 86 St.
>
> New York, NY 10028
>
> 212-744-2005
>
> 646-238-9000(cell)
>
> aslater@...
>
> www.wagingpeace.org
>
>
>
> *We may now care for each Earthian individual at a sustainable
> billionaire's level of affluence while living exclusively on less than 1
> percent of our planet's daily energy income from our cosmically designed
> nuclear reactor, the Sun, optimally located 92 million safe miles away**from
us
> *.
>
> Buckminster Fuller
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* bananas-bounces@... [mailto:
> bananas-bounces@...] *On Behalf Of *Nickolas
> Roth
> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 01, 2009 9:36 AM
> *To:* ANA list
> *Subject:* [Bananas] Full Medvedev-Obama Statment
>
>
>
> THE WHITE HOUSE
> Office of the Press Secretary
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> April 1, 2009
>
> *Joint Statement by President Dmitriy Medvedev of the Russian Federation
> and President Barack Obama of the United States ofAmerica *
>
> Reaffirming that the era when our countries viewed each other as enemies is
> long over, and recognizing our many common interests, we today established a
> substantive agenda for Russia and the United States to be developed over the
> coming months and years. We are resolved to work together to strengthen
> strategic stability, international security, and jointly meet contemporary
> global challenges, while also addressing disagreements openly and honestly
> in a spirit of mutual respect and acknowledgement of each other's
> perspective.
>
> We discussed measures to overcome the effects of the global economic
> crisis, strengthen the international monetary and financial system, restore
> economic growth, and advance regulatory efforts to ensure that such a crisis
> does not happen again.
>
> We also discussed nuclear arms control and reduction. As leaders of the
> two largest nuclear weapons states, we agreed to work together to fulfill
> our obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of
> Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and demonstrate leadership in reducing the number of
> nuclear weapons in the world. We committed our two countries to achieving a
> nuclear free world, while recognizing that this long-term goal will require
> a new emphasis on arms control and conflict resolution measures, and their
> full implementation by all concerned nations. We agreed to pursue new and
> verifiable reductions in our strategic offensive arsenals in a step-by-step
> process, beginning by replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a
> new, legally-binding treaty. We are instructing our negotiators to start
> talks immediately on this new treaty and to report on results achieved in
> working out the new agreement by July.
>
> While acknowledging that differences remain over the purposes of deployment
> of missile defense assets in Europe, we discussed new possibilities for
> mutual international cooperation in the field of missile defense, taking
> into account joint assessments of missile challenges and threats, aimed at
> enhancing the security of our countries, and that of our allies and
> partners.
>
> The relationship between offensive and defensive arms will be discussed by
> the two governments.
>
> We intend to carry out joint efforts to strengthen the international regime
> for nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of
> delivery. In this regard we strongly support the Treaty on the
> Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and are committed to its further
> strengthening. Together, we seek to secure nuclear weapons and materials,
> while promoting the safe use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We
> support the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and
> stress the importance of the IAEA Safeguards system. We seek universal
> adherence to IAEA comprehensive safeguards, as provided for in Article III
> of the NPT, and to the Additional Protocol and urge the ratification and
> implementation of these agreements. We will deepen cooperation to combat
> nuclear terrorism. We will seek to further promote the Global Initiative to
> Combat Nuclear Terrorism, which now unites 75 countries. We also support
> international negotiations for a verifiable treaty to end the production of
> fissile materials for nuclear weapons. As a key measure of nuclear
> nonproliferation and disarmament, we underscored the importance of the
> entering into force the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In this
> respect, President Obama confirmed his commitment to work for American
> ratification of this Treaty. We applaud the achievements made through the
> Nuclear Security Initiative launched in Bratislava in 2005, including to
> minimize the civilian use of Highly Enriched Uranium, and we seek to
> continue bilateral collaboration to improve and sustain nuclear security. We
> agreed to examine possible new initiatives to promote international
> cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy while strengthening the
> nuclear non-proliferation regime. We welcome the work of the IAEA on
> multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle and encourage efforts to
> develop mutually beneficial approaches with states considering nuclear
> energy or considering expansion of existing nuclear energy programs in
> conformity with their rights and obligations under the NPT. To facilitate
> cooperation in the safe use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, both
> sides will work to bring into force the bilateral Agreement for Cooperation
> in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. To strengthen
> non-proliferation efforts, we also declare our intent to give new impetus to
> implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 on preventing
> non-state actors from obtaining WMD-related materials and technologies.
>
> We agreed to work on a bilateral basis and at international forums to
> resolve regional conflicts.
>
> We agreed that al-Qaida and other terrorist* *and* *insurgent groups
> operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan pose a common threat to many nations,
> including the United States and Russia. We agreed to work toward and
> support a coordinated internationalresponse with the UN playing a key role.
> We also agreed that a similar coordinated and international approach should
> be applied to counter the flow of narcotics from Afghanistan, as well as
> illegal supplies of precursors to this country. Both sides agreed to work
> out new ways of cooperation to facilitate international efforts of
> stabilization, reconstruction and development in Afghanistan, including in
> the regional context.
>
> We support the continuation of the Six-Party Talks at an early date and
> agreed to continue to pursue the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean
> Peninsula in accordance with purposes and principles of the September 19,
> 2005 Joint Statement and subsequent consensus documents. We also expressed
> concern that a North Korean ballistic missile launch would be damaging to
> peace and stability in the region and agreed to urge the DPRK to exercise
> restraint and observe relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
>
> While we recognize that under the NPT Iran has the right to a civilian
> nuclear program, Iran needs to restore confidence in its exclusively
> peaceful nature. We underline that Iran, as any other Non-Nuclear Weapons
> State - Party to the NPT, has assumed the obligation under Article II of
> that Treaty in relation to its non-nuclear weapon status. We call on Iran
> to fully implement the relevant U.N. Security Council and the IAEA Board of
> Governors resolutions including provision of required cooperation with the
> IAEA. We reiterated their commitment to pursue a comprehensive diplomatic
> solution, including direct diplomacy and through P5+1 negotiations, and
> urged Iran to seize this opportunity to address the international
> community's concerns.
>
> We also started a dialogue on security and stability in Europe.
> Although we disagree about the causes and sequence of the military actions
> of last August, we agreed that we must continue efforts toward a peaceful
> and lasting solution to the unstable situation today. Bearing in mind that
> significant differences remain between us, we nonetheless stress the
> importance of last year's six-point accord of August 12, the September 8
> agreement, and other relevant agreements, and pursuing effective cooperation
> in theGeneva discussions to bring stability to the region.
>
> We agreed that the resumption of activities of the NATO-Russia Council is a
> positive step. We welcomed the participation of an American delegation at
> the special Conference on Afghanistan convened under the auspices of
> Shanghai Cooperation Organization last month.
>
> We discussed our interest in exploring a comprehensive dialogue on
> strengthening
> Euro-Atlantic and European security, including existing commitments and
> President Medvedev's June 2008 proposals on these issues. The OSCE is one of
> the key multilateral venues for this dialogue, as is the NATO-Russia
> Council.
>
> We also agreed that our future meetings must include discussions of
> transnational threats such as terrorism, organized crime, corruption and
> narcotics, with the aim of enhancing our cooperation in countering these
> threats and strengthening international efforts in these fields, including
> through joint actions and initiatives.
>
> We will strive to give rise to a new dynamic in our economic links
> including the launch of an intergovernmental commission on trade and
> economic cooperation and the intensification of our business dialogue.
> Especially during these difficult economic times, our business leaders must
> pursue all opportunities for generating economic activity. We both pledged
> to instruct our governments to make efforts to finalize as soon as possible
> Russia's accession into the World Trade Organization and continue working
> towards the creation of favorable conditions for the development of
> Russia-U.S. economic ties.
>
> We also pledge to promote cooperation in implementing Global Energy
> Security Principles, adopted at the G-8 summit inSaint Petersburg in 2006,
> including improving energy efficiency and the development of clean energy
> technologies.
>
> Today we have outlined a comprehensive and ambitious work plan for our two
> governments. We both affirmed a mutual desire to organize contacts between
> our two governments in a more structured and regular way. Greater
> institutionalized interactions between our ministries and departments make
> success more likely in meeting the ambitious goals that we have established
> today.
>
> At the same time, we also discussed the desire for greater cooperation not
> only between our governments, but also between our societies -- more
> scientific cooperation, more students studying in each other's country, more
> cultural exchanges, and more cooperation between our nongovernmental
> organizations. In our relations with each other, we also seek to be guided
> by the rule of law, respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, and
> tolerance for different views.
>
> We, the leaders of Russia and the United States, are ready to move beyond
> Cold War mentalities and chart a fresh start in relations between our two
> countries. In just a few months we have worked hard to establish a new tone
> in our relations. Now it is time to get down to business and translate our
> warm words into actual achievements of benefit to Russia, the United States,
> and all those around the world interested in peace and prosperity.
>
>
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/ceos-confident-economy-will-reboun\
d-soon-20090402-9k8y.html
But while members may be looking for the silver lining in the economic down,
they are not satisfied with the Federal Government's policy settings.
Some 75 per cent feel government policies are not adequately supporting
business.
"Members just cannot understand why more is not being done to reduce
employment costs, and support keeping people employed," Mr Gunn said.
--
"The free market is perfectly natural... do you think I am some kind of
dummy?" — Jarvis Cocker
"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" — Oscar Wilde
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Socialist Unity <http://www.socialistunity.com/> has a series of accounts
and pictures from the series of anti-G20 protests and actions - and the
extremely brutal response by police. Tyhis has included a brutal assault on
Climate Camp and
The Australian has a picture gallery
Unsurprisingly, heavy on clashes with police and "protester violence" -
although the pictures tend to actually show police brutality - pic three is
reminiscent of some of the pictures from the S11 protests in Melbourne in
2000 - a cop, looking pleased with himself, belting a protester in the face.
A lot have captions ;like "demonstsrators clash with police" while showing
police assalting people... and of course some anarchists smashing some
windows gets a big play.
G20 protests picture gallery
<http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/gallery/0,26637,5038250-5010140,00.html>
"The free market is perfectly natural... do you think I am some kind of
dummy?" — Jarvis Cocker
"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" — Oscar Wilde
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&Do=&ID=36788
Ma’an News
Agency
31 / 03 / 2009
Israeli exporters forced to slash prices due to boycott
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli exporters have been forced to cut prices in
part because of a worldwide boycott of Israeli products in protest of
Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, a leading industry association
reported this week.
Israeli exporters have been “losing foreign markets and customers
because of the global economic crisis and a growing anti-Israel boycott
of locally made products following Operation Cast Lead.â€
The findings were made available by the Israel Manufacturers Association
on Sunday, and published in the Jerusalem Post the following day.
According to the report, 21 percent of Israeli exporters face
difficulties selling abroad, particularly to the UK and “Scandinavian
countries.â€
The boycott and the financial crisis were cited as the issues behind a
forced price cut by 66 percent of Israeli exporters.
The report emerged as boycott campaigners announced that they are
stepping up their efforts in Palestine and internationally.
On Monday in Ramallah, a press conference was held by the Palestinian
National Boycott Committee (BNC) in Ramallah, which urged local and
international parties to continue their boycott actions. They called the
boycott a “tool to realize long-denied Palestinian national rights.â€
Representative of the BNC and the Palestinian NGO network Allam Jarrar
called Land Day an appropriate time to call a Boycott and Divestment Day
because both events shared the same goal.
“In Palestine the boycott of Israeli products, institutions and
companies is once again gaining ground. Increasing numbers of students,
women and ordinary people see the boycott of Israel as an effective form
of resistance and are beginning to make it a part of their daily lives,â€
Omar Asaf, another representative of the BNC and a member of the
National Higher Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return said.
“In the last month,†he continued, “regional and local committees have
been formed to promote the boycott of Israeli products and an end to
ties between Palestinian organizations, and their Israeli counterparts,â€
According to BNC more than 75 demonstrations, protests and festivals
were held in 19 countries to promote the Global BDS day of action.
http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=658
--
"The free market is perfectly natural... do you think I am some kind of
dummy?" — Jarvis Cocker
"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" — Oscar Wilde
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
2 APRIL 2009:
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ENDORSE
UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
on Friday, April 3 at Parliament House, Canberra
This newsletter:
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/wgar-news-australia-endorse-un-indigenous-r\
ights-declaration-2-apr-09
Contents:
Background
Opinion
Radio Interviews
Media Release
News
Related Newsletters
BACKGROUND:
National Indigenous Times:
The intervention: a battalion of human rights breaches
http://www.nit.com.au/News/story.aspx?id=16231
2 Oct 08: "Of the 46 articles of the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Northern Territory
intervention breaches at least 25 of them - more than half.
In addition to this, the intervention also breaches almost
half of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, which Australia endorsed decades ago."
Australian Human Rights Commission: Questions and answers on
the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/declaration/declaration_QA_2009.htm\
l
Apr 09: "Apr 09: "On Friday 3 April 2009, the Australian
Government will make a statement in support of the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
This will reverse Australia’s previous opposition to the
Declaration. Under the Coalition Government, Australia was
one of four countries that voted against the Declaration
when it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
in September 2007. This Q & A factsheet is aimed at
informing Australians about the Declaration and addressing
some myths that have been raised in the lead up to the
Government’s statement of support for the Declaration."
OPINION:
Brisbane Times: Intervention is hurting health
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/intervention-is-hurting-health-20090330-\
9gzm.html
30 Mar 09: "On Friday, the Government is expected to
endorse the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People,
along with the national apology to the stolen generations,
another symbolic shift from the Howard government's
indigenous policy. But there are still striking
similarities between the practical approaches of the former
government and the present." Larissa Behrendt and Irene Fisher
Survival International - The movement for tribal peoples:
At last – Australia announces support for UN Declaration
http://www.survival-international.org/news/4385
26 Mar 09: "Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today,
‘At last the phalanx of four countries which opposed
indigenous rights at the UN is beginning to crumble. They
are all English-speaking and, apart from the US, members of
the Commonwealth. New Zealand pretends to rely on its
Waitangi Treaty, but what about Canada? Will it continue to
hide behind US skirts, or finally come out with an
endorsement of a statement of rights which the rest of the
world now accepts. As Australians celebrate, it's time for
Canadians to hold their leaders to account.’ "
RADIO INTERVIEWS:
ABC PM: Australia to support UN Indigenous declaration
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2527318.htm
26 Mar 09: "The Federal Government has set a date for a big
symbolic change on indigenous rights. Next Friday, three
Government ministers will officially reverse Australia's
opposition to the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights. It
was adopted in New York in 2007, when the then Howard
Government was one of just four nations to oppose it."
[includes interviews with Jon Altman, George Brandis and
Claire Smith]
MEDIA RELEASE:
STICS: Intervention protesters condemn UN Declaration hypocrisy
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/media-release-intervention-protesters-conde\
mn-un-declaration-hypocrisy
30 Mar 09: " "Jenny Macklin’s recent announcement that
Australia will support the UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples is rank hypocrisy while they continue
with the NT Intervention", said Paddy Gibson from the Stop
the Intervention Collective. "The minister has already been
quick to say that the Rudd government will not be bound by
the UN declaration. It is a hollow gesture designed to
distract from harsh attacks on Aboriginal rights and living
conditions currently being extended around the country"."
NEWS:
New Zealand Herald: New look at UN declaration
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10564570
1 Apr 09: "New Zealand is looking with interest to see if
Australia signs up to a controversial United Nations
declaration and may follow its lead, says Prime Minister
John Key. Australia's new Government is preparing to
endorse a UN declaration on the rights of indigenous people
that the country voted against last year. New Zealand also
voted no."
NIT: Rudd government's UN Declaration support hypocritical:
anti-intervention group
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=17415
30 Mar 09: "The Rudd government is being hypocritical by
pushing its controversial land lease agreements while
announcing it will endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples, an anti-intervention group [Stop the
Intervention Collective in Sydney (STICS)] says."
NIT: ALP to endorse UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples next week
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=17404
28 Mar 09: "The Rudd government will fulfill an election
promise when it officially supports the UN Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples next week. But the
Opposition says endorsing the UN Declaration would have
far-reaching consequences. Indigenous Affairs Minister
Jenny Macklin will make the statement of support at
Parliament House in Canberra on Friday, April 3. But she's
been quick to stress it won't bestow additional rights on
Aboriginal Australians."
ABC: 'Good citizen' would restore Racial Discrimination Act
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/27/2527696.htm?section=australia
27 Mar 09: "A lawyer [George Newhouse] representing a group
of central Australian Aboriginal people has reiterated
calls for the immediate restoration of the Racial
Discrimination Act. The Federal Government will keep an
election promise next Friday when it pledges its support
for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
But despite UN concern, the Racial Discrimination Act
remains suspended ... "
Canberra Times: Rudd Govt to sign rights declaration
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/rudd-govt-to-sign\
-rights-declaration/1471139.aspx
27 Mar 09: "Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said
supporting the declaration would not change the
Government's commitment to the Northern Territory emergency
response but it would help ''reset'' the relationship
between government and indigenous Australians. ...
Professor Altman suggested that supporting the declaration
and continuing the intervention could be incompatible
goals."
Australian: Late support for UN indigenous charter
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25248762-5013871,00.html
27 Mar 09: "THE Rudd Government will deliver a statement of
support next week for the UN's charter on indigenous
rights, its second major symbolic act after the historic
apology to the Stolen Generations. ... Australian of the
Year Mick Dodson, who has been urging the Government to
support the declaration, has been concerned the
Government's support would offer "too many riders or
qualifications or explanatory statements"."
SMH: Australia backs UN on indigenous rights
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/australia-backs-un-on-indigenous-r\
ights-20090326-9buw.html
26 Mar 09: "Sixteen months after taking power, Labor will
make good its election promise to endorse the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. ... [Jenny
Macklin said] "This declaration is not legally binding and
will not affect Australian laws." ... Prof Dodson has
previously stated the commonwealth's intervention into
remote communities in the Northern Territory breaches many
of the declaration's 46 articles."
ABC: Australia to support UN Indigenous rights declaration
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/26/2527177.htm
26 Mar 09: "Australia will next week officially back the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, reversing the Howard Government's vote against it
in 2007. ... The declaration is not legally binding and the
Government's statement to support it could be reversed by
the next Government."
RELATED NEWSLETTERS:
WGAR News: Media monitoring of the NT Intervention (31 Mar 09):
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/wgar-news-media-monitoring-northern-territo\
ry-intervention-31-mar-09
WGAR News: Global focus on Australia's racism (27 Mar 09):
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/wgar-news-global-focus-australias-racism-27\
-mar-09
WGAR News: Aboriginal Australia appeals to President Obama (24 Mar 09):
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/wgar-news-aboriginal-australia-appeals-pres\
ident-obama-24-mar-09
WGAR News: UN, Australia and Aboriginal Rights (18 Mar 09):
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/wgar-news-media-monitoring-un-australia-and\
-aboriginal-rights-18-mar-09
WGAR News: Surrendering Land Rights for Housing (cont.) (13 Mar 09):
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/surrendering-land-rights-housing-expanding-\
nt-intervention-continued-13-mar-09
- - -
Subscription to 'WGAR News' is free.
'WGAR News' monitors the media, focusing on the Northern
Territory intervention along with other Aboriginal issues.
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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Farwana: “95 detainees held by Israel for more than twenty yearsâ€
Palestinian researcher, specializing in detainees’ affairs, Abdul-Nasser
Farwna, stated that in March another four have joined the list of detainees who
have been imprisoned by Israeli for more than twenty years. This brings the
number of detainees imprisoned for more than twenty years to 95.
Â
Farwana added that the four detainees are Ibrahim Lutfi Taqmouq, detained since
3/3/1989; Sami Nayif Al Na’neeshy, detained since 3/5/1989, both from Nablus;
Eyad Ahmad Abu Hasna, detained since 15/3/1989; and Mohammad Abdul-Rahman
Zaqqout, detained since 23/3/1989, both from Gaza.
Farwana added that there are six detainees who were kidnapped by the army in
March 1986. He identified them as Mohammad Abdul-Hadi Al Hosni, from Gaza;
Tawfiq Ibrahim Abdullah; Mustafa Mahmoud Qar’oush, from Nablus; Ibrahim Nayif
Abu Mokh; Roshdy Hamdan Abu Mokh; and Ibrahim Bayadsa. Also, detainee Mahmoud
Salem Abu Khreish, from Ramallah, was kidnapped by the army twenty-two years
ago.
Furthermore, Farwana stated that three detainees entered their fifteenth year in
detention last week. They were identified as Abdul-Rahman Hasan Al Awawda from
Hebron; Atiyya Salem Abu Mousa; and Hazim Qassem Shbeir from Khan Younis. These
three were kidnapped in March 1993.
Â
334 detainees were kidnapped before the Oslo peace deals, and before the
Palestinian Authority was established.
Farwana said that the detainees are hoping to be freed in a prisoner-swap deal
between the resistance and Israel under Egyptian mediation.
 saed at imemc dot org
Â
This article is on a great blog run by Linda Richard about prisoners at
Guantanamo.Â
http://freedetainees.org/4860
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Salim Vally, from the spokesperson of the Palestine Solidarity Committee in
South Africa, will be speaking at the World at a
Crossroads<http://www.worldatacrossroads.org>conference in Sydney,
April 10-12, on the global solidarity and boycott
campaign.]
From Melbourne to Gaza
Yasmine Fathy
27 March 2009
*It took Kamahl Mashni six minutes to decide to join the Viva Palestina aid
convoy headed to Gaza from Britain on Valentine’s Day. *
The convoy, the initiative of George Galloway, a British MP for the anti-war
Respect party, aimed to travel from Britain to Gaza to break Israel’s siege
and bring humanitarian aid to help those affected by the latest conflict.
“I got an email on my Blackberry at 3.40 and I think by 3.46, I sent an
email back saying I would love a spot if you’ve got one”, Mashni remembered.
Mashni, 35, lives in Melbourne. Of Palestinian heritage, the father of two
has been very active in raising awareness of the Palestinian crisis for
years.
His father moved to Australia in the 1950s and was active in supporting the
Palestinian struggle. Following in their father’s footsteps, Mashni and his
two brothers founded the Australians for Palestine advocacy group three
years ago.
The Viva Palestina convoy was a chance for Mashni to do something more hands
on.
The convoy had 500 members, mostly volunteers, but they were looking for
someone who had experience driving a heavy vehicle to drive a fire engine.
As a former truck driver, Mashni fitted the bill.
By the time the convoy took off from Hyde Park in London, it had over 100
vehicles to donate to the Gazan people, including 12 ambulances, a boat and
the fire engine driven by Mashni — as well as £1 million worth of aid.
The day before the convoy began, nine participants were arrested under
anti-terror laws. Galloway accused the authorities of deliberately timing
the arrests to undermine the convoy.
However, once underway, the trek through Europe was uneventful. The trouble
began when the convoy finally made it to the first Arab country on their
route.
“Once we crossed into Morocco, we were very much dictated to by the
authorities”, Mashni told *Green Left Weekly*. “We had a police escort
waiting for us as soon as we got off the ferry and they controlled our
movements.”
While the initial plan was for the convoy to travel 400-800 kilometres per
day, it was not always possible in the Arab nations.
“If we’ve done two or three hours and they weren’t happy with something,
they stopped us”, said Mashni. “If they wanted to push us to drive 14 hours,
they made us drive.”
“It seems that they wanted to draw a very strict line”, Mashi said of the
Arab governments. “They didn’t want their people mixing with outsiders.”
In some towns the police would stop traffic, paving the way for the convoy
to zoom through the cities as fast as possible. On most nights, the vehicles
and the members of the convoy were locked down in car parks, soccer stadiums
or military camps.
“They kept telling us that they wanted to keep us safe”, said Mashni. “I
don’t know what they meant to keep us safe from — the locals treated us as
heroes.”
In fact, in every town they entered the locals lined up the streets for
them, giving them food and water and cheering them on.
“Everybody got recharged every time we went through a town like that”,
Mashni said.
However, the biggest obstacles the convoy faced was in Egypt. Until they
entered the country, they did not know if Egypt would allow them to cross
the Rafah border and into Gaza.
“As we went further and further into Egypt, it became apparent that there
might be some control issues.”
When the convoy reached the town of El Arish, 45km from the Rafah passage to
Gaza, they were locked up in two car parks and were surrounded by 500
Egyptian soldiers.
The convoy was trapped in the city for two days before they were finally
given the green light to enter Gaza.
However, much to Mashni’s dismay he was refused entry. The Egyptian forces
told him that they had reservations over a fire engine entering Gaza,
without explaining why.
“I was devastated”, Mashni recalled. “I’m a full Arab man and I broke down
and was crying like a three-year-old.”
After much negotiations, Mashni was told that he would be allowed in if he
parked the fire engine outside of the border.
However, after more negotiation with the Egyptian authorities, he was denied
entry once again, because he had an Australian passport.
“As far as I know relations between Australia and Egypt [are fine], there
was no strain on any relationship”, said Mashni.
Resigned to his fate, Mashni stayed in El Arish and was only allowed to
leave when the convoy exited Gaza.
Now back in Melbourne, Mashni insisted that even though he was turned away
when he was so close, he doesn’t regret his decision to join the convoy.
“If they put the offer on the table, I would go again.”
From: International News, Green Left Weekly issue
#789<http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2009/789>1 April 2009.
--
"The free market is perfectly natural... do you think I am some kind of
dummy?" — Jarvis Cocker
"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" — Oscar Wilde
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Members of the FMLN in Australia are holding a workshop at the World at
Crossroads conference in Sydney at 3.30pm, Sat April 11 - under title "El
Salvador after the elections: the struggle continues"]
El Salvador: ‘Our people are in state of
revolution’http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/789/40608
Coral Wynter & Jim McIlroy, San Salvador
28 March 2009
“For
us in the FMLN [Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front], the victory
in the presidential elections is a demonstration that our people are in
a state of constant revolution, and understand the necessity for real
changeâ€, Rigoberto Diaz, assistant secretary of the FMLN international
relations commission, told Green Left Weekly.
Diaz was speaking the day after the victory of Mauricio Funes, the FMLN
presidential candidate, in the March 15 elections. Funes won more than
51% of the vote despite significant evidence of widespread electoral
fraud by the right-wing incumbent Arena government.
“The people lost their fear of electoral fraud, and showed that they have the
will to construct a better futureâ€, Diaz said.
“In many departments [provinces], the FMLN won the vote by a small
margin. This was achieved despite all the fraud, and attempts by Arena
[which has ruled El Salvador for two decades] to divert the desire of
the people for change.
“There is a lot of evidence of this fraud. In San Miguel, a mayor
sold out to the government, including signing a contract, in which he
offered votes in exchange for money.â€
However, Diaz said, “the people defeated him. The mayor was elected
for the PDC [Christian Democratic Party], but he went with Arena and
promised to provide 100,000 votes in exchange for funding a local
project.
“This is a violation of the constitution, but they claim this isn’t
fraud.â€
Diaz told GLW: “We have had 20 years of an Arena
government that strengthened these structures of power, of cheating,
lies and maintaining this corrupt system that does nothing to help the
ordinary people.â€
Diaz pointed out that the FMLN had also won the vote in the
capital, San Salvador, despite the fact that it lost the January
elections for mayor.
“We have to rememberâ€, he said, “it was a huge apparatus that Arena
utilised to implement the fraud in the capital at that time. We know
they carried out a massive fraud in San Salvador in many of the
localities then, but were defeated this time.â€
For the presidential poll, “the people were ready. And we should
state that it was the Salvadoran people who are responsible for this
victory, with the FMLN in front leading the way.
“It was the people who didn’t sleep on Friday and Saturday nights,
watching the streets and places where they knew there was the presence
of foreigners [brought in by Arena to vote illegally].
“The people are the true heroes of the moment. They are the ones who prevented
the fraud stealing this election.â€
Diaz explained that Arena’s electoral fraud included providing
false accreditation documents to people from outside Nicaragua. “In
addition to this, they are given double identity documentation [DUIs],
or even three DUIs, so they can vote in several different parts of the
country.
“It is very difficult to detect this fraud, because the government
just produces more DUIs than are properly authorised. It is very
difficult to put an exact figure on this fraud because we have had no
access to this information.â€
Diaz told GLW that “we know that there are an average of
50 people in a bus, and 100 buses makes for 5000 bogus voters. We had
expected to win the presidential elections by more than 100,000 votes,
but actually won by only 68,000 votes.â€
Diaz said: “International solidarity was crucial for us. We managed
by all means to get accreditation for more than 1000 international
observers for the FMLN [4000 observers were accredited by the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal overall], because we were wanted this international
presence to dissuade Arena from committing some of the fraud.
“In reality, solidarity saved El Salvador.
“El Salvadorans owe an enormous debt to the international effort —
not only now, but throughout the years of struggle. From the period of
the 1970s and ’80s, when our people began to fight against the military
dictatorship, we have had solidarity from all over the world.
“This is something that makes us feel deeply grateful to those who have helped
us and continue to help us.
“This victory in the presidential elections gives us great
happiness, but begins a process in which we will need continuing help,
because the right wing won’t give up easily.â€
Diaz pointed out that “we have been assisted by Salvadorans who
came back from other countries. And it was because of the repressive
government of Arena that they left in the first place, not because they
like adventure, tourism, or because they are restless and like to
travel.
“No, they left because of the threat of death, because they had to
survive. In the beginning, emigration was because of political issues;
afterwards, it was because of economic necessity.
“All the Salvadorans who emigrated, but kept thinking about what
was happening in El Salvador, and love their homeland in Central
America, have a place to which they would like to return.
“Many have now completely rebuilt their lives outside of the
country. But they have always held in their hearts the desire to
return.
“But, because of the disastrous situation we have had here under Arena, they
have not been able to do so, until now.
“We hope that with the FMLN in government, we can create the conditions so
that many of these comrades can come back some day.
“They can return any time, and if they want to stay, they can be
certain that they will be received with open armsâ€, Diaz concluded.
[FMLN members living in Australia will present a workshop on the
struggle in El Salvador after the elections at the World at a
Crossroads conference in Sydney, April 10-12. For more information, or
to register, visit http://www.worldatacrossroads.org.]
From: International News, Green Left Weekly issue #789 1 April 2009.
“It is not possible to re-found the capitalist system; it would be like
trying to sail on the Titanic when it’s laying on the ocean floor.†— Hugo
Chavez
"Our demands are moderate — we only want the Earth" - James Connolly
Enjoy a safer web experience. Upgrade to the new Internet Explorer 8
optimised for Yahoo!7. Get it now.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Well, I thought Brendan nelson came off best.
On Wed, Apr 1, 2009 at 9:04 PM, Peter Robson <campbell.robson@...>wrote:
> Full scoop at:
>
> <http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=17419>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
--
Kunal Chattopadhyay
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
“How did so many millions of decent Canadians come to be ruled by such a weird
government?â€
Robert Fisk: Galloway a victim of Canada's baffling approach to fighting
terror04.01.2009 | The Independent
“Come out and debate with me like a man,†the old bruiser shouted over the
video-link to Toronto. “Let’s book the biggest hall in Canada and you and I
will debate these issues of war and peace and freedom of speech and
censorship… If we don’t achieve a political settlement (in the Middle East),
we’re in for war. If there’s no justice, there will be no peace for
Palestine.â€
Â
It was, of course, the old scallywag himself, George Galloway, fuming about the
Canadian Immigration Minister James Kenney’s refusal to allow him to speak in
Canada on the grounds that he – Galloway – was involved in “terrorismâ€.
The Scottish-born MP was talking from an important centre of “world terrorâ€
– New York City.
Â
Mr Kenney’s spokesman, Alikhan Velshi, last week compared Mr Galloway to
Oliver Cromwell and said he would not be allowed to enter Canada.
Self-publicist, friend of dictators, reality TV show performer and general silly
ass Mr Galloway may be. But he has no more in common with Cromwell than the
minister has with Ghengis Khan.
Â
But this is no laughing matter. How could the Canadian embassy in London have
believed Mr Galloway’s food and medicine shipment to Gaza, made with
Israel’s agreement, and its delivery to the Hamas government was a
“terrorist†act, even if Stephen Harper’s Canadian government regards
Hamas as a “terrorist organisationâ€.
Â
Mr Galloway wasn’t shipping guns and is touring the US with his anti-war,
pro-Palestinian, non-terrorist speeches. “It’s just not credible, Mr
Kenney,†Mr Galloway shouted, “to call a man touring the United States,
playing to packed audiences… a terrorist or a security threat.â€
Â
Quite so. After all, the US has lost thousands of soldiers in its “war on
terror†in the Middle East. Canada’s army in Afghanistan comprises barely
2,000 and has suffered fewer than 120 military casualties.
Â
Only a Canadian Jewish organisation agreed with Mr Galloway’s exclusion; one
paper here suggested this might have prompted the ban. The right-wing National
Post came out against the exclusion, though only because a “future left-wing
Canadian government†might ban Israeli or US speakers.
Â
But there’s a bigger issue. Canada helped the US send an innocent Canadian
citizen, Mahar Arar, to “rendition†in Syria, where he was savagely
tortured. Only a few days ago, another Canadian Muslim told me how he was
whipped with steel cables in Damascus as his torturers read out questions from
the Canadian embassy. Yet another Canadian Muslim citizen, Abousfian Abdelrazik,
has been living in the reception of the US embassy in Khartoum for 10 months
after Canadian agents asked the enormously democratic Sudanese government to
imprison him for terrorism. Now the government won’t let him come home unless
he’s taken off not a Canadian, but a UN “terrorist†list. Cromwellian
isn’t the word for it. But the mystery is this: how did so many millions of
decent Canadians come to be ruled by such a weird government?
Â
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/how-did-so-many-millions-of-decent-canadians-co\
me-to-be-ruled-by-such-a-weird-government/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ensuing Lok Sabha poll
Appeal of SUCI Central Committee to the electorate
The country is faced with another bout of general election to Parliament for
constitution of the 15th Lok Sabha, polls for which are slated to be held
throughout the country, between 16 April to 13 May next. Simultaneously,
elections to State Assemblies will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim.
The country goes to polls in a situation of adverse and explosive economic,
political, social and cultural environment. So dark and long is the shadow of
tense concern cast, so menacingly it looms, this overriding situation presents
the spectre of a life for people that is all in a shambles - dismal, wretched,
stunned at the impasse. All hopes of economic and political security in their
lives drained off to the dregs, the masses of people find themselves without the
minimal means to provide for themselves and destitute in every way. Unable to
trace the actual roots of all these problems, people of this country are truly
without a guiding beacon. Today so confounded are all sections of them,
irrespective of their nationalities, their religious faiths, languages, castes,
or regions where they live, that incidents flare up here and there when one
section is attacking another, one killing the other, much to the glee of the
real culprits of this ghastly state of affair - the capitalist rulers. The
problem of unemployment is aggravating all over the country.
Backdrop of coming election: unbearable economic situation
The process of industrialization that began in the wake of independence, in
whatever measure, got bogged down in the mire of market crisis in a space of a
few years only. The setting up of new industries gradually came to a grinding
halt. Not only that. Even the industries established erstwhile began closing
down. Else, these industrial units took to wide-scale retrenching and laying off
of workers. All this was the inevitable result of the market crisis. In the
aftermath, the labour-intensive mode of production came gradually to be replaced
by the capital-intensive mode in the production process. Inevitably further
retrenchment of workers took on a menacing dimension - job opportunity was
further squeezed. Invariably, this increasing squeeze-in of job opportunity,
instead of opening up of large-scale job opportunities and setting up of more
and more industries keeping pace with the growing population, consequently made
earning a living as difficult as to be beyond every means. The sequel to this
slide into abyss could not remain confined only to those living in urban areas;
it hit the lives of rural people who live on agriculture. As in the context of
population growth, to eke out a living depending upon agriculture became ever
more difficult and consequently necessity for getting employment in factories
and industrial units increased manifold, it was found that because of the deeply
entrenched recession, to eke out a living by agriculture based rural people
became even much more difficult, and the living standard declined fast. Price
spiral of essential commodities made life even more difficult to bear with. As
the ranks of landless peasants and agricultural labourers swelled ever faster,
many of them transformed into rural workers. In the decades since the
independence, 80 per cent of the Indian people, living in abject poverty have
become impoverished even further in this course. Let alone there be any
amelioration of this terrible condition, the situation has become more menacing
with the passage of time. Such is the stranglehold of the situation today, its
grip clamped all over the country, that this destitute peasantry, who have been
forced out of all means of earning a living in the encumbering state of rural
economy, who are unable to anyhow catch at a straw for survival, are joining in
thousands every day the long line of tragic exit from village home and hearth
towards towns, driven by life's urge and in the hope of securing any jobs in
industries. But hopes belie as they do not get the much-wanted jobs. So, in
order to eke out a living in the towns, they take to driving rickshaws and vans,
pulling handcarts, or toiling as daily wage earners in whatever way. They
struggle for bare existence, anyhow. Many of them find themselves unable to
carry on in this hard way for long. So, inevitably at last, they have to pass
days in starvation, and inevitably too most of them fall prey to severe
ailments, and, uncared for, untreated, premature in years, they succumb to
death, they die on the streets like cats and dogs. Some others, still struggling
in their village homes to survive on agriculture, confront yet another situation
that is hard in the extreme to bear with. It is needless to speak about the
wretched disarray in education, in healthcare, in road conditions, or in
electricity supply in the villages. The problem that brings the maximum of
distress to the peasants, besides all these, is that they cannot sell their
produce at fair prices. Their rhetoric notwithstanding, no government, whether
at the Centre or the states, run by any of the parliamentary parties, are taking
any effective measures to ensure fair price for agricultural produce, in the way
governments in other countries are taking. Let alone middle and marginal
peasants be provided with fertilizers, seeds, electricity and irrigation waters
at cheap rates, the costs of these articles are soaring up by the day. On the
other hand, under the stranglehold of middlemen, actual producers receive only a
minor fraction of the sale prices of their produce in the market. Further to
note, compared to the rate at which prices of essential commodities are rising
skyhigh, sale prices offered to the peasants for their produce fall so short
that a fatal gap comes to separate the two. Circumscribed in this situation,
peasants find themselves forced to take loans from money lenders at prohibitive
rates of interest, the burden of debt fatally going on the increase. The general
ranks of the peasantry cannot repay their loans from any possible increased
incomes from agricultural produce. Many of them are forced to pawn their lands,
or else forced to sell out lands at throwaway prices. In the end, when they find
no other means to repay, many take recourse to ending their lives by suicide.
Already in many states, suicide by debt-laden peasants in thousands has taken on
an alarming dimension. Yet, even this explosive condition leaves all the
governments in the country unmoved. Their conduct bespeaks their attitude:
'Nothing so serious about it, such things are quite natural.' Distress
penetrates so deep in peasants' lives that they prefer in many cases to leave
their lands uncultivated. These are the reasons as to why destitute peasants,
evicted from home and hearth, are thronging townships in increasing numbers; the
numbers of destitute pavement-dwellers are increasing in every city in the
country. So widespread and intense are the pangs of want that big businessmen
and self-seeker parasites, corrupt to the bone, are out to exploit the situation
to their heinous end; they are using a very large section of the helpless youth
today not just for theft, robbery, snatching and wagon breaking, etc., they also
use them for far more heinous crimes, far more unethical activities.
The unbridled spiral of prices of all articles of use including commodities of
daily consumption are affecting the whole multitude of people of the country,
hitting 90-95 per cent of them who are workers, peasants, toiling masses living
in towns and villages, reducing them to destitution every day, every moment.
This skyhigh price rise of commodities result from the price-fixation policy in
the interest of the handful of capitalists to make maximum of profit, and
alongside from the inflation caused by unrestricted supply of banknotes,
continuous enhancement of taxes, speculative price manipulation, blackmarketing,
hoarding, and so forth, under government patronage. Precisely it is this what is
causing steep and fast decline of the purchasing power of all sections of common
people. In a word, this unbridled spiral of prices is grinding down all sections
of people.
So-called globalization on the plea of development not just aggravates plight of
people, it bleeds them white
In this unspeakable misery in people's life, the other ghastly onslaught, yet
more savage and deadlier, by monopoly capitalists and imperialists together is
being mounted under the 'enchanting' banner of globalization. Just like the
unsparing onslaught which had been mounted on the poor masses in the interest of
the capitalist class with the slogan of garibi hatao or 'banish poverty', under
the dispensation of Indira Gandhi in the 70's of the past century, this time
raising the slogan of 'development and more development', the lives of workers,
peasants, employees, toiling masses who are 85-90 per cent of the population are
being subverted, dispossessing them of the poor means of survival they may be
left with still. Foreign monopoly capital is making deep inroads into the
market, almost in tidal gushes. They are buying raw materials of the country at
cheap rates, plundering natural resources. They are producing commodities by
employing the minimum number of workers, paying minimal possible wages and
selling the products within the country and abroad to loot the maximum of
profits. Thus are they contriving to realize their object, alluring the
country's capitalists and the capitalist rulers with the lucrative baits of
selling their products in foreign markets. In the face of this onslaught,
small-middle-big industries all over the country are plunged in an intense
crisis of the market, industrial units in thousands are closing down fast,
workers and employees in millions are losing jobs and going to ruins, the system
of permanent employment is getting abolished. In its place, the system of
employing workers on contractual basis is being introduced not only in
industries but in offices, schools, colleges, hospitals - in every establishment
in fact. Workers are being employed on unbelievably paltry wages, while they are
made to work for even 14-15 hours a day. Hardly any scope remains to build up
workers' movements to resist this naked assault and realize their just demands.
Through various means the workers' right to movement is being robbed off. More
than that, the mental make-up to protest is being destroyed. The fleecing and
exploitation of workers has thus become still more unbearable, more savage. The
state-owned industrial establishments, which were set up with people's money,
are either being handed over to private national or foreign capitalists at
throwaway prices, or, through backdoor arrangement, their production process
transferred to private capitalists with a signboard of government undertaking
put up on the outside. As a result, large-scale retrenchment is taking place in
these establishments while private capitalists are looting super profits.
Unsparingly, on the other hand, the monstrous stranglehold of this capitalist
globalization has come down on the rural life. Cultivable lands are being
forcibly acquired under the false captivating slogan of setting up of
industries. And, this way, thousands of hectares of land are being snatched away
from peasants throughout the country for setting up Special Economic Zones
(SEZ), and, in the name of industrialization, they are being handed over to
monopoly capitalists from this country and from abroad. Exceptional favour,
privileges and exemptions are being doled out to them at a loss to the public
exchequer in the name of industrial development. The terms and conditions
granted leave no room for building up workers' movements. No industries that
create job opportunities are, in fact, coming up in these zones. The capitalists
are reaping super-profits by building houses, apartments, markets etc., on these
lands. But this crafty handiwork is no exclusive performance of the rightist
parties alone, parties putting up the label of Marxism betray no less craft to
carry out this business in the interest of Indian and foreign capitalists. What
is noticeable alongside is that at this phase of globalization the urge of big
capitalists to invest capital in lands grabbed by them, seizing upon the growing
wants and poverty of poor and marginal peasants and to set up farm industry to
reap profits has grown manifold. In spite of the fact that mechanization of
agriculture would be conducive to the aggregate interest of the ruling
capitalist class, the Indian capitalists so far refrained from taking this
recourse on consideration that those who would as a result be rendered
unemployed in the agricultural economy could not be provided jobs in industries,
which in turn would accelerate the danger of social revolution. But now, faced
with the new contradiction in the situation arising out of globalization, their
aggregate interest is taking a turn. In many of the states, the Land Ceiling Act
has been withdrawn. In other states too it is going to be the same. This is
giving the monopoly capitalists the cherished opportunity to set up farm
industry. In sequel to this, the threat of peasants losing their lands in
multiplying numbers is becoming more acute. Whatever little was left to them,
even after gradually losing security of livelihood, is now going to be lost -
the peasants already in despair now face total disaster. Equally noticeable is
the trend that the governments are now utilizing this opportunity to wash their
hands off all the welfare measures which they had been taking for people in
towns and villages so long under pressure of popular demands and movements. This
is how, in the name of globalization, they are stomping over the whole of the
country, and the common masses are groaning in a life that is unbearable.
A partner of all-out crisis-ridden world capitalism, Indian capitalism has
attained imperialist character itself
As inevitable consequence of its own governing law, worldwide
capitalist-imperialist economy is immersed in a deep crisis. Plagued by its
unrelenting market crisis, capitalist economy is in the throes of a grave
recession. Spokesmen of capitalist economy admit, in terms of spread and
penetration, the present crisis by far outweighs the crisis of 1930-34. So deep
is its impact that the leading force of the imperialist-capitalist world, the
US, is gasping like in a dying state. The ballooned economy of artificially
created market demand, providing house loans galore, and unrestricted
speculation on packaged debts or securitized debt instruments in the share
market, has burst. This sub-prime crisis of today, an outgrowth on the already
crisis-ridden economy there; is rocking the entire base of economy. Palliatives
in plenty, even a call for taking interest-free loans are failing to work.
Ordinary citizens of the US who have lost jobs and means of income, are
suffering from a trauma of insecurity. Evicted from homes, they have been taking
taken shelter under trees and in open lands. In Britain, France, Germany and
Japan, in all the major imperialist countries, the economy is in the deadly grip
of this crisis, which has brought public life everywhere face to face with the
looming danger of disaster. All the malaise of the world capitalist system,
steeped in extreme crises, rocked by daily and hourly crises, and their fallout
are vividly manifesting themselves in this way in the Indian capitalist economy,
and every day it is getting exposed. Creation of increasing job opportunities
through augmentation of production, a characteristic feature of capitalism in
its days of rise and development, has become a myth today. No sign of economic
development exists in the Indian economy of today. Behind an inflated and
blown-up façade of false propaganda hides a capitalist economy enmeshed in an
extreme economic recession. Long back the great Marxist thinker Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh showed that Indian capitalism, after having given birth to monopoly
capital has reached the stage of finance capital through merger of banking
capital and industrial capital, that it has acquired imperialist character and
is exporting capital abroad. Not only to developing countries, it is exporting
capital to developed countries also. With the passage of time, the market for
capital investment is ever shrinking owing to this recession-entangled Indian
economy.
On the other side, the monopoly capitalists are more inclined to export capital
to foreign markets. No question, this crisis-ridden economy of the country is
enmeshed in full in defalcation, forgery and speculative manipulation. Every
day, one or another shocking financial scam is getting exposed. It is the
people, the masses, who have to pay for all this. In India too, as in every
other capitalist-imperialist country, increased productivity based on increased
incomes of people, which is called 'demand-driven economy', is conspicuous by
its absence because of the drastic fall in purchasing power of the people. In
its place, we witness now that in a desperate bid to cope up with this
situation, a craze for buying or 'consumerism' is being fanned up among the
people through aggressive publicity, and side by side, there is the bid to prop
up a 'credit-driven economy' by dishing out loans on a wide scale. But this
attempt is also proving to be futile, for which the capitalist economists
themselves are forced to admit that it is a 'bubble economy'. It is in this
situation of the capitalist economy of India that the few rich people are
getting richer while, in stark contrast, the poor are getting poorer. Even the
statistics furnished by the government cannot deny this reality.
Backdrop of coming election : explosive political situation
Along with this terrible economic situation, the political situation too has
become unbearable. Such is the situation since after independence that common
people representing 85-90 % of the population are rendered so helpless that
despite their unspeakable unbearable economic condition are left with no
political power worth the name to confront the increasing economic onslaught and
thereby get their grievances redressed. Wherever the masses have risen in
protest when the onslaught of exploitation and repression crossed every limit of
endurance and suffering, the subserving governments of the ruling capitalist
class have let loose extreme repression on them. As the exploitation
intensified, people's will to resist, their firmness have grown. At times their
accumulated grievances burst out powerfully. And all these governments have
reacted with savage repression and torture mounted to crush these with
indiscriminate use of lathis and bullets. And they are at it as before. Not just
the police or CRP battalions, the military too at times have been deployed to
crush democratic mass movements, and state terrorism has taken monstrous
proportions. Draconian laws are being enacted, one after another, to rob the
people of their fundamental rights. In effect today, people are practically left
with no democratic rights.
Elction at all levels today has come down to nothing but worst farce
From the very beginning, elections in this country have been a farce, a
smokescreen. In Lenin's words, polls are held to elect who, or which group or
groups, will gain agency to exploit people in favour of the ruling capitalist
class. From the word go, polls have been used as a contrivance to hide the rule
of the capitalists. Today, at this stage of decadent capitalism, the electoral
process at all levels having been sapped of even the remnants of democratic
elements in the wake of centralization of all political power in the hands of
the handful of monopoly capitalists, the whole of the poll process has been
reduced to a gameplan driven by the power of black-money of these monopoly
capitalists. They are vitiating people's mind with a design, pandering to
divisive sentiments round religion, caste, language, nationality, regionalism,
and so forth, and, there upon, inciting one section against another section of
people, only to render it impossible for the electorates themselves to make
choice of the parties and candidates taking the aggregate interest of society as
a criterion and exercise their right to vote. On the other hand, they are
seizing upon the absence of adequate political consciousness of the electorate
masses and their abysmal poverty to silence people's conscience spending money
lavishly. To channelize the election results in favour of chosen parties and
candidates, they are deploying at will the capitalist-controlled newspapers and
other print media, television and radio. At the same time, the capitalists and
their servitor parties are setting up gangs of hired criminals all over the
country. These criminal gangs are being deployed to intimidate and terrorize the
poverty-stricken voters to cast their vote as dictated by them, and, moreover,
these gangs are used to capture polling booths. These musclemen are used to
seize the ballot papers and freely stamp them to ensure victory of the
candidates of their choice. They are forcing government employees to act in a
partisan manner. In the petty interest of election politics, they are stirring
up communal and caste hatred. At every stage, starting from the preparation of
voters' lists to counting of the votes, cast or manipulated, the monopoly
capitalists and their agent parties are using the administrative power and
utilizing the police, para-military forces and gangs of criminals to manipulate
poll results. If need be, they go to the extent of tampering with the voting
machines to facilitate manipulation and yield the poll results that they want.
This situation makes it all the more clear that in the ultimate analysis no
ground remains for the claim of the much-vaunted 'free, fair election and
universal franchise'. Today, the election verdicts are no longer reflection of
people's real interest, will, choice or preference. These circumstances have
created wide opportunities for notorious criminals who are without a shred of
principle, void of ideology, depraved individuals to easily become members of
the Assembly and Parliament and be ministers or deputy ministers. In this way
bourgeois politics throughout the country and bourgeois parties have become
havens of criminals. Criminalization of politics is a stark reality today, none
can deny it.
People must rid themselves of parliamentary infatuation
At the other side of the political scenario of the country what is being found
is that whichever government took charge through this so-called electoral
process since after independence, of whatever party or whatever alliances, from
the seat of power they just carried out the daily dictates of the capitalists.
Whichever the government formed through this 'great democratic process' of
elections, they have been burdening people with one after another of
exploitative fiscal measures solely in the interest of the capitalists. On this
or that pretext, one by one they have stripped the people of their democratic
rights in order to suppress people's discontent. With batons and bullets they
have silenced organized movements of people. Just to this end, they have passed
Acts at will in the Parliament and the State Assemblies. And they are not
stopping there. Very well do they keep track of the pent-up grievances and
discontent of the working masses. Constantly they are hatching plans and schemes
so that these grievances and discontent cannot anyway get channeled into
organized movements and revolutionary movements. To ensure, on the one hand,
that the ever-growing discontent of the overwhelming majority of people cannot
create a decisive impact on this electoral process, to ensure that the chance of
those parties which are the ever vigilant guards to protect the interests of the
oppressed masses, those parties which are by no means ready to surrender to the
capitalists - that their chance to enter the parliamentary forum almost becomes
nil, and even to debar them from participating in the polls and also to ensure,
on the other hand, that only the most favoured and trusted agents of the
capitalist rulers find room in the Parliament and Assemblies without any
trouble, favourable electoral laws and bye-laws are being enacted and erstwhile
laws are being amended, as need be.
So, it is clear as daylight that in this drummed-up electoral process, whoever
may in this way secure the stamp of 'elected' they do not represent in any way
the genuine aspiration, desires and wishes of the masses of people of the
country. This electoral process in its entirety is nothing other than a heinous
game of 'fixation' organized under the aegis of the black money, which the
capitalists sucked out from the masses.
At the instigation of capitalist class all kinds of separatism-divisive traits
are fast on the rise throughout the country
The other aspect of grave concern of the country's political situation is the
rupture in the amity and unity of the people, which is manifest in India today
with disastrous consequences in this land of multi-lingual, multi-religious,
multi-ethnic people. It is true that because the freedom struggle of India had
been waged under compromising bourgeois leadership, it could not develop into a
truly secular national movement free from divides of caste, religion or
nationality feeling. As a consequence of the domination of mainly high-caste
Hindus in the Congress leadership many among the Muslim population, even Hindus
of Dalit community, could not freely join the freedom struggle in vast numbers.
Clearly, taking advantage of this the British imperialist rulers, the
reactionaries, the vested interest, engineered the partition of the country. It
is also clear at the same time that to whatever extent the national unity and
fraternity had developed, notwithstanding this weakness in the relative sense in
the anti-imperialist struggle - even this is now being systematically destroyed.
It is being increasingly felt that divisive mentality, separatist thinking,
communalism, extremely narrow ethnic feelings and thinking, parochial mentality
have spread over the whole of India. The dangerous growth of divisive mentality
and separatist thinking no doubt makes the task of developing powerful struggles
in different areas against the exploitative rule, oppression and injustice
perpetrated by the capitalist class harder than before, more difficult to
accomplish. Correct analysis clearly reveals that under patronage of the
capitalist class all the parties who are the trusted defenders of capitalist
interests are craftily working to crush people's bid in the budding stage itself
to unite in their anti-capitalist struggle, raising whatever slogan they deem
fit at whichever places, instigating one section of people against another, one
group against another - the bloody fratricidal conflict and clashes endangering
the entity and survival of a united India.
There is another aspect of this grave political situation. While under the
patronage of the exploitative capitalist class, divisive mentality, splitist
thinking, separatist thinking and parochial tendency centring round ethnic
identity, religion, language and caste are assuming greater dimension, it is
also being observed that as their inevitable consequence the extremely harmful
phenomenon of formation of political parties completely devoid of any ideology,
simply based on religious, linguistic, caste divides, which stood totally
condemned in the period of freedom movement, and they are today raising their
ugly heads. Caste and religion-based parties have mushroomed all around the
country. These are liberally funded by the capitalists of the country.
Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the whole media under the capitalist
control are projecting these parties, and, in inevitable sequel, this utterly
anti-people act of destroying the people's unity -a condemnable mischief - is
gaining a kind of legitimacy. In this way, not only a new grave danger appears
before the united struggle of all exploited and working masses irrespective of
caste-religion-language-regionality, the concept of 'one India, one nation' is
threatened to be wiped out. Under the secure patronage of the capitalist rulers,
these enemies of people are setting up a Hindu communal party in the name of
protecting the interest of the Hindus; or a party under the signboard of Muslim
League - the same one used by the party whose political stand contributed in a
large way to the partition of the country - has been propped up again by enemies
of the people who are now stomping across the country. Behind all this, what is
at work is the interest of the capitalist class and their conspiracy.
Communalism has assumed a menacing shape all over the country
One more aspect of grave concern in the political situation of the country is
that the divisive trend between the two major sections of population, Hindus and
Muslims, has reached an explosive stage today. Not that only the divisive trend
between the two communities is growing alarmingly, or that the mutually hostile
and inimical mentality between them is aggravating, communal parties and
organizations are orchestrating ghastly carnages. In most of the instances, the
poverty-stricken masses of the minority Muslim community are at the receiving
end of such heinous and cruel communal attacks, they are the helpless victims of
slaughter. The BJP and other outfits of Sangh Parivar are spitting communal
venom, unchecked, overtly and daily all through the country. The BJP is a
branded communal party, but the Congress too, with its so-called secular
posture, is inciting communal hatred overtly and covertly, it is instigating
communal riots. The communal bloodsheds of Rourkela, Jamshedpur and Bhagalpur in
the past, and the organized communal slaughter of Sikhs in the aftermath of
Indira Gandhi's assassination are clear pointers to this. How could one forget
that worship of Rama was started in the Babri Masjid by this very Congress? To
make the Rama issue a handle at the hustings, the BJP engaged in the demolition
of the Babri Masjid. Palpably noticeable side by side is the stark fact that not
one of the political parties owing allegiance to the bourgeoisie has done
anything effective to counter the aggressive communal machinations of the Sangh
Parivar, other than some rhetoric and a feeble show of protest. And it is this
situation which has made possible to freely conduct hate campaign against the
minority and mount raids of onslaught on them with even greater vengeance. The
feature to note here, is that, let alone prevent these criminal perpetrations,
the government, of whichever party it is, and the state machinery in tandem is
allowing unhindered recurrence of these crimes to happen. The idea of
administrative neutrality is fast losing ground, in its place prejudiced
administrative practice is getting institutionalized. To get saddled in the seat
of power and from the greed to anyhow stick to the seat, social democratic
parties like the CPI(M) and CPI have taken to pandering to the capitalist class
and have to this end abandoned the road of democratic mass movements of all
kinds. It is for this, it goes without saying that united movement of the
toiling people under inspiration of genuine left and democratic ideals is
languishing in a state of extreme weakness. This at the same time has handed
down to the rabidly communal parties the opportunity to rave about recklessly.
It is no exaggeration to underscore that, as a result, millions of minority
people are passing sleepless nights. The fright of losing everything at any
moment has gripped them. Further, this is also interposing a block on the road
to building movements of the exploited masses for survival, and through these to
realize some of their demands. Evidently, on the other hand, this has a role to
aid in further consolidation of the capitalist economic-political base in India.
For this reason the capitalist class is doling out any sums of money to these
vile communal parties, and assisting them grow stronger with its propaganda
machinery. In sequel to the criminal perpetrations of these communal parties
with the banner of Hinduism, who at the same time are standard bearers of
capitalism, the fundamentalist and communal forces are again raising their ugly
head among the minority community people. These vile forces are casting their
evil influence on the helpless ranks of the minority community. It is not just
that these activities born of communal bent cannot bring any shreds of relief to
the life of the oppressed minority community; it is aiding the RSS-BJP outfit to
become aggressive and desperate in their nefarious acts. Clearly, thus, their
communal outlook and activities instead of bringing any relief further endanger
the security of lives of the minority people, proving thereby that counter
communalism can never be the antidote to communalism. Equally true, the communal
resurgence of the RSS-BJP outfit is not just posing grave danger to the lives of
the minority people; it is striking at the roots of the effort to build united
broad-based movements of the exploited working masses as also to build working
class struggles. The battle cry of all these forces is against the ideology of
Marxism and communism. They are out to overwhelm the minds of the exploited
people with communal feelings. They are creating not only severe hindrance
towards their coming into contact with this noble ideology but, more than that,
poisoning people's minds against this ideology.
United movement of all sections of people and its higher spiritual content, only
can thwart communalism
It is known to all that during the independence movement communal outfits like
the Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS could create practically no impact on the people
despite all their bid for it. Freedom-loving people hatefully rejected them in
those days. In the aftermath of independence, however, when the selfsame forces
tried to raise their ugly heads under patronage of the ruling capitalist class,
the Congress then saddled at the Centre and the states, who garnered votes of
the minority people on lavish promises of ensuring security to these people,
took no effectively hard measures against the aims, plannings and abettings of
the rabid communal forces. These heinous communal perpetrations were not opposed
or resisted by any means. On the contrary, covert as also overt support and
assistance were given to these reprehensible activities. And it is in this
environment that the strength of the RSS-JanSangh-BJP rose rapidly. Needless to
say, it is in this course that the Hindu-Muslim communalism has come to assume
today a dangerous dimension throughout the whole of the country.
Clearly, to resist these detestable communal forces, working people from every
part of the country, irrespective of caste-religion-language-nationality, need
to be rallied under the banner of united movements with the object of realizing
burning demands related to life and livelihood, and these movements are to be
conducted basing upon true leftism and leftist ideas and on the edifice of
higher ethics and morality. A torrent of united movement has to be released
among all sections of people against the enemy of all people - the ruling
capitalist class. The flame of inspiration for fulfillment of their yearning to
be freed of shackles of the grinding capitalist rule and exploitation has to be
kindled deep in the hearts of exploited people of all communities, and in this
way a new sense of unity has to be created in them. In this way too they have to
be freed from the tentacles of communal sentiments and ideas. Thus, by building
up a contrary, higher and nobler ideological movement, creating a new spiritual
atmosphere, the rockbottom foundation of communalism has to be uprooted. It is a
matter of deep regret that the social democratic parties - the CPI(M), CPI, and
the like - in their burning craze for winning elections by hook or by crook and
be in the saddle of power, veritably stands as obstacles on the way to building
these movements. Similarly, their shameless cozying up to the Congress stands as
a formidable obstruction to building resistance against communalism in the right
course. It is evident, some difference in the mode of operation notwithstanding,
both Congress and BJP are perpetrating the same division of Hindu-Muslim people
- this in the sole interest of the capitalist class. That the role the Congress
played simply conduced to fortification and rise of the RSS-BJP outfit is a fact
of history. Yet, the CPI(M)-CPI by covering up wholesale this role of the
Congress, and by labeling the Congress 'secular', has come into alliance with it
at the battle for votes. Hoodwinking people and building this alliance with the
Congress they have sought to fulfill their greed for power. And to hide this
nefarious bid, they raised the slogan: 'The Congress is a secular party. If the
secular parties rally together and are able to defeat the BJP at the polls and
form government, then the danger of communalism will end.' But the truth is
otherwise. Roots of communal ideas and sentiments cannot be eradicated in this
way, as each and every turn of event goes to prove this. Even as the BJP loses
at one of the elections, it wins at another. Not only does the danger of
communalism persist, it is growing all the more. Clear as daylight, the task to
build united democratic mass movements to resist and fight back communalism,
which is a historically imperative necessity today, faces a most difficult
obstruction as a result of the hypocrisy of these parties.
CPI(M) politics today revolves round appeasing capitalist class and rising to
power and clinging to it
It should be pointed out, this dangerous role of the CPI(M) cannot be examined
in isolation from this party's base political line. From their craze to occupy
the corridors of power, they have taken to the course of appeasing the
capitalist class and to realize this objective they have not only thrown away
the banner of mass movement, they are fostering among the masses throughout the
country an apathetic attitude and mental make-up towards movements. The free
association and hobnobbing of the CPI(M) with the capitalist class and its most
trusted agent, the Congress, and other such parties are as clear as daylight.
'Capitalism is inevitable' - this is no longer an implied assessment, now it is
the express language of theirs. On the other hand, the love of the capitalists
for the CPI(M) is no longer a secret. Taking care of CPI(M)-CPI with money and
media support, the capitalist class is protecting them as the apple of its eye.
The capitalists lavishly shower praise on them, and they too in turn are
full-throated in expressing appreciation. In the states where these parties are
in power, in full trustworthiness they are implementing the programmes of
globalization and privatization which serve the interests of the monopoly
capitalists. Advancing this process of privatization in the interests of the
monopoly capitalists, the way they are withdrawing economic benefits and welfare
measures for people, won long back through hard struggles, in the fields of
industry, agriculture, education, healthcare, in a word in all public services
rendered by the government, they have, in fact, overtaken even bourgeois
governments in such activities.
They are forcibly seizing fertile agricultural lands, indiscriminately setting
up SEZ projects; and to forcibly grab agricultural lands in the interest of the
capitalists they are suppressing in a barbaric manner with batons, boots,
bullets, and rape of women the movements being developed to secure the poor and
middle peasants' existence. Well-meaning people all over the world have been
thunderstruck at the savage display of their conduct in Nandigram and Singur in
West Bengal. People of this country witnessed the fascistic method the CPI(M)
employed to repress mass movements in Nandigram and Singur. They shuddered in
hatred at the heinous crimes committed by the CPI(M) and its associates who call
themselves leftist. It is not that they are capitulating only to the capitalists
of the country, these parties, all who once thundered against infiltration of
foreign capital, are openly rolling out red-carpet of welcome to monopoly
capitalists of many imperialist countries, including the US, for investment of
capital, and are offering them all conceivable and inconceivable facilities and
privileges. They are eager to give the capitalists access for business not only
in the wholesale market but in the retail segment of the market as well. Thus,
they have endeared themselves not to US imperialism alone but to all imperialist
powers in fact. Treading this course to subserve the imperialist-capitalist
interests, they are fast losing people's support in the states where they run
the government, have become isolated from people, and in the circumstances have
turned rabidly corrupt, giving up all ethics and principles only to stick to
power anyhow. The entire government administration has been usurped in the petty
party interest, in fact, the administration has become a tool in their hands to
secure their reprehensible objects. Corruption unbounded and total lack of
principles are glaringly manifest at all levels of government and the party.
People of these states find little difference between these parties and the
branded and condemned bourgeois parties.
This is the background in which the conscious section of the proletariat
recalls, in deep respect and wonder, the unerring, scientific and profoundly
wise analysis of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, an outstanding Marxist thinker, great
leader of the proletariat, founder General Secretary of the SUCI, who 62 years
ago exposed the petty bourgeois social democratic character of the CPI, now
split into CPI(M) and CPI.
Yet another grave aspect of the prevailing political situation is the stark fact
that by concentrating all capital and wealth in the hands of monopoly
capitalists of the country, robbing off all political rights and power of
people, vesting all power in the capitalist state machinery, creating a peculiar
mix of science and religion, the ruling capitalist class, like in every other
capitalist-imperialist country, has already installed administrative fascism in
this country to perpetuate its rule, and to this end they keep up the façade of
parliamentary politics, using it as a shield. Constantly they are working to
consolidate it. With the same object, and conducive to it, they are working day
and night in their bid to foist a system of government by two underlings - their
two most trusted and obedient political parties. They are yet to realize this
objective because there are a few obstacles on the way. But the capitalist class
has already nearly instituted the two-party system, by artificially dividing
into groups the power-hankering, capitalism-driven, ideology-bereft political
parties with the slogan that this is the era of coalition governments. The sign
of polarization is today quite manifest and pronounced in the conduction of the
affairs of the state. It pertains to point out, one grave aspect of introduction
of this system is that the subserving parties are no more obligated to seek
people's verdict for formation of government on the basis of respective policies
and programmes presented to the electorate in the run-up to elections. Whether
the Right or the liveried Left, no parties have any use for principles,
ideologies and programmes at the hustings for formation of government. Think,
hardly any difference exists between buying MLAs and MPs for cobbling up a
government by offering them ministerial berths, lucrative offices and any
amounts of money, and buying articles in the market in exchange of money. What
ought to be noticed is that the entire media in orchestration create hullabaloo
over any procession of people in cities and towns, any election graffiti on
walls, are not coming out at all against all this loathsome abomination by the
rulers. Precisely for it, this political debauchery has become the order of the
day.
This cooked-up 'polarization' that now is surfacing in its clearer relief is
doubtless the first step towards institution of a two party parliamentary
system. This is how the rulers are manoeuvring to inculcate in people's mind a
favourable attitude for the two party parliamentary system. The result is that
the roots of the capitalist class rule, the very capitalist order are
penetrating even deeper. No doubt, in consequence the people are going to be
divested of their rights and scope to elect the party or the individual of their
free choice. Even greater is the consequence that the tested revolutionary party
that refuses to conform to the exploitative rule of the capitalist class, the
party that is tempered in the struggle against the encumbering capitalist order,
is going to be deprived of access to using the parliamentary political forum, as
far as and as long as it remains an imperative of the revolutionary necessity.
And this with the result that there will be no one present in the Lok Sabha or
the Assemblies to espouse the cause of the exploited masses, fearlessly and
unswervingly, to expose the ruthless exploitation, limitless hypocrisy and
savage tyranny of the capitalist class. It is in this direction of disaster that
the capitalist rulers and the subserving political parties are driving this
country to.
Parliamentary politics, and the electoral process as part and parcel of it, has
thus been robbed of its democratic essence to be transformed into a naked
instrument to serve the interests of the capitalist class. Over and above, the
other face of this parliamentary politics to cause deep anxiety is that men of
learning, men who are honest, dedicated, strong in character, who are cultured,
knowledgeable, experts in different fields, and, of course, who have patriotic
devotion, find access to the forum of Assemblies, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
blocked for them. Instead, the doors of Lok Sabha, and Assemblies are wide open
for entry of ugly characters, the obedient servitors of the capitalist rulers -
moneyed men, smugglers, contractors, speculators, convicted criminals - but who
have no capabilities to participate in deliberations and discussions yet who
sneak into Lok Sabha with money and muscle power. To win seats by whatsoever
means, deliberate attempts are being made to induct in parliamentary politics
even such film actors and actresses who hardly have any insight, but are just
symbols of a decadent culture. Not patriotic feelings, but the urge to line
one's pocket, self-aggrandizement, getting a ministerial position or an office
to spin money as much as one can by any dishonest means - these alone are today
the sole objective at work for persons to stand as candidates at the polls. This
situation is what makes persons of culture and scholarly pursuit averse to
parliamentary politics. The proceedings of Lok Sabha and Assemblies do not
evince any inquiry into truth and untruth, right and wrong, the correct and the
incorrect. High-standard deliberations, once considered the hallmark of
parliamentary politics, have become extinct now. Sessions in Lok Sabha and
Assemblies are the haunt of bourgeois parties to bargain for the safeguard of
petty party interests, and for spoils and shares. Not to mention the rows and
brawls witnessed every day, shouting over issues that have nothing to do with
people's interest is the free recourse to obstruct for days together the holding
of sessions. Thus, colossal amount of people's hard-earned money is wasted.
Shamelessly and without batting an eyelid these members of Lok Sabha and
Assemblies are selling themselves out, and then using again the black money of
the capitalists some or other of the bourgeois parties are buying them in open
daylight. Lok Sabha members sentenced to life-imprisonment for murder have been
brought from behind bars and allowed to cast their votes. Enactments on the
basis of deliberations, principles, ideals and critical considerations, which as
a matter of fact involve the question of people's life and death, for which
purpose the institution of elected legislative body was introduced in the stage
of development of democracy, has become a really impossible task today. Clearly,
Parliament or legislature having lost its earlier glory and importance, getting
divorced from social interest to the extent it was attached to at the time of
its advent, has today turned out to be a centre for the pursuit of the naked
interest of the capitalists.
It is the capitalist system that is breeding terrorism
The other side of this burning situation is that certain forces extremely
inimical to people's interests are carrying on subversive activities in
different parts of the country day after day with arms and explosives for their
own political ends- with which the question of solution to the burning problems
of lives of any section of people concerning their livelihood and living are not
related in any way - and they are wantonly killing innocent ordinary people of
all nationalities, religions, castes and languages. Even the last vestige of
physical security of people is thus disappearing. This spree of indiscriminate
killing and destruction is being termed terrorism, whatever be people's
perception of it. Of course, these cowardly deeds have destroyed common people's
peace. The situation today is such that people have little time to ponder on the
burning issues of life - issues of food, clothing, housing, education,
healthcare. 'Till now I am alive, I wonder if I shall be alive in the evening',
or, 'I am leaving home all right now, I don't know if I shall be returning
alive', - such questions haunt people every day now. Had the central and state
governments a real will to do it, it would not have been difficult for them to
contain these dastardly acts. It is not an insurmountable task for them to
identify these violent enemies of people and get rid of them. Even in the face
of this urgency, governments run by different parties show no inclination at all
to guarantee security to public life in general. The attitude seems to be: 'What
harm if some poor people of the fast growing population die?' There are, on the
other hand, no lapses or relent in measures to ensure safety of the rich
capitalist owners or their ministerial minions and bureaucrats. For the general
rank of working people they bother least to do something for safety and
security.
Social-cultural crisis - a planned onslaught of capitalism on morality of the
nation
This unbearable economic-political situation has its reflection also in the
social-cultural life of the country. The overall decadence in social-cultural
spheres has led to erosion of elements of noble character, such as honesty in
approach, sincerity of purpose, truthfulness in action. Sense of responsibility
is disappearing, commitment to duty is crumbling, an attitude of total
indifference to society, country and people as a whole is growing. Compassion,
humaneness, love, affection - all these tender qualities are evaporating.
Feeling of utter helplessness and total insecurity appearing in life's course
has sapped people's life to result in loss of sense of all considerations of
good and bad, just and unjust, right and wrong, virtue and vice, bringing them
down to the level of subhuman, cruel and all-for-self creatures. Capitalism has
engendered a mentality which draws people back from any consideration other than
for money. Today, the sole purpose and aim of life is to earn money - anyhow, by
hook or by crook. The reality is that no act is vile enough to dissuade them
from taking to any means to earn money. People have been brought down to a level
where considerations for parents and sibling are no matter, even wife and
children do not matter. The overwhelming consideration is of self, self alone.
He or she is driven by the sole thought of how to ensure a good living for self,
how to secure better positions for self. This mentality haunts him or her
constantly. For persons with this 'only-self' mentality, principle, ideology,
sense of values have no appeal. If this self-interest gets hurt, they have no
qualms to commit murder even. Long back the system of joint family broke up in
the country. Today, the idea of nuclear families comprising only the husband,
wife and children that started taking shape is fast crumbling. To fulfil
self-interest anyhow, the husband may anytime leave his wife, or vice versa,
they may even murder their children. Conscience no longer haunts him or her to
commit these deeds. Dispossessed of all normal means of life, young girls and
women in towns and villages find themselves forced to leave home in thousands to
sell their bodies. They are driven to bring destruction to their own lives and
youth. The sordid tale does not end here. Left with no other means, a father is
taking his daughter to the brothel. Married women pose themselves as
office-goers in daytime to go to hotels in towns and indulge in flesh trade, and
they come back home at night, and this is how they strive to anyhow ensure
survival of their families. This account has not an iota of exaggeration. This
true reflection of the reality of life today faithfully portrays the pervading
picture of sordid life of this capitalism-ruled country.
But nothing happens without a cause behind. This tragic downturn, this abysmal
slide-down of the cultural life of this country - what causes it to happen in
this land, the same land which gave birth to hundreds of thousands of
courageous, spirited students and youths aflame with patriotic fervour in the
days of freedom struggle, which kindled selfless patriotic love in people, this
is the question that churns up the mind of every thinking person today. The
correct answer is there for all to seek. In every respect it is clear today that
the ruling capitalist class, scared of any revolutionary upsurge against it, is
bent upon destroying people's sense of honesty and sincerity, their culture and
ethics and reasoning faculty. It is the class interest that lurks behind the
planned onslaught in culture and ethics mounted by the ruling capitalist class
to which our most beloved leader, great teacher, an outstanding Marxist thinker
of the era Comrade Shibdas Ghosh pointed long before: "But you should keep in
mind that however acute a form oppression and penury may assume, the people of a
country, a nation can still stand up firm and erect, raising its head high even
amidst severest of tortures if its moral strength is not decimated." Doubtless,
this capitalist class from its fear-complex of revolution is leaving no stone
unturned to sap people's human essence to the last drop. Commercialization of
education is one heinous recourse, in its class interest, towards curtailment of
common people's access to education. The poor and those of the middle class are
being driven out from the arena of education. Education is turning into an
article of privilege and luxury of the rich. A well-connived bid is afoot in
this country to deprave the student community, the youth, the whole of the
people, down below the level of lowly creatures, drowning them in drugs and
drinks, sexuality and cruelty. As its inevitable consequence, women of this land
have lost freedom to move about in safety. They are subjected to ever newer
kinds of abuse and oppression, and shaken all the while with fear of being raped
anywhere, any time.
There is the other face of this raving social-cultural crisis that truly beggars
description. 75-80 per cent of those who live below the poverty line feel they
have no other means than to put an end to their existence. They prefer death to
come for relief, awaiting its stalking footfalls to deliver them. At times, some
are killing wives and children with their own hand, in the end taking their own
lives. As victims of economic insecurity in life, countless young men and women
are losing balance of mind. Outbreak of mental disorder on a terrible scale is
spreading all over the country. Nothing remains of their creative abilities in
any field, and in the end they fall into the jaws of premature death. Nobility
of motherhood thrown away, the mother is killing her child whom she bore in her
womb, and killing herself in the end. This is the reality, the stark reality of
the social life of entire India today. The intensity of problems may be varying
from place to place, but the thrust of disaster is pushing fast into all the
states.
No less a matter of concern of this burning social-cultural crisis is the total
loss of faith that pervades in a major section of the thinking people, which
arises in the wake of crisis in cultural life side by side the ever deepening
crisis in economy. Such is the magnitude of this want of faith and lack of trust
today that they are averse to believing that something good and trustworthy
might yet outlive in some corner - that some honest idea, nobility of ideology,
uncompromised and steadfast principle is alive in some people. The problem is no
longer confined within bounds of pessimism, it has now assumed the character of
cynicism, an anti-life psyche, one that is born of want of trust in everything,
a total apathy. The other side of the same coin is that a great majority of the
thinking people who are daily and hourly witness to the spate of corruption,
depravity, deception and playing with people's life, which is the recourse of
all parties, small as also big, in all the states - with the genuine exception
of one or two but who are kept out of people's vision -condemns not only the
parliamentary political parties but politics itself, unable as they are to
realize that the root cause of all this is the capitalist economic system of
this country. Then again, for the same reason those people who maintain
individual honesty in some measure even in this situation are carefully avoiding
politics. The situation is such that they have taken the suicidal course of
abandoning politics - politics which great Lenin called 'concentrated
economics', politics which keeps a person inseparably entangled in it, no matter
whether he likes or dislikes it, which influences his or her life in the
positive way or in the negative way - "politics", which great Shibdas Ghosh
said, "calls for noble feelings of heart".
Not election politics, only road to people's emancipation lies in advancing
towards the goal of socialist revolution based on impeccable analysis of Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh
The only streak of silver lining that shines in this all pervasive suffocating
atmosphere is that the exploited and oppressed working masses of all states
-though they are not conscious of the truth that capitalism is the root cause of
all this exploitation, oppression, savage repression - are unwilling any more to
accept everything without protest, without resistance. Every now and then the
courageous advanced section of people is busting forth in discontent, though
because of the absence of a correct leadership over these struggles on the
correct realization to the effect that capitalism is at the root of their
inhuman suffering, the capitalist rulers are very easily crushing their
outbursts with bullets and bayonets. However, this in no way lends itself to
denying that these incidents are expression of people's strong desire and
yearning for the way out of this suffocation, for emancipation from capitalist
exploitation and oppression. At the same time it certainly brings to the fore
the deep yearning of each and every man and woman with head and heart for
knowing the exact cause because of which the freedom won 62 years back,
overturning the British imperialist exploitative rule with boundless sacrifice
of millions of people, the courting of death by thousands of students and youth,
has transformed into blissful heaven for the handful of the rich but into an
altar of slaughter for the poor who are 90 per cent of population. Exactly here,
it is very pertinent to recall that long 61 years ago at the dawn of this
political freedom, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh the founder General Secretary of our
party, an outstanding Marxist thinker of this era correctly realized by applying
the science of Marxism that under the tentacles of the exploitative capitalist
rule this country and its people are heading for this tragic end, this atrocious
suffering and misery.
Making a correct analysis of the situation, he brought to the fore the pertinent
fact that two mutually conflicting goals existed side by side in the freedom
struggle. 90-95 per cent of the population, the ranks of the common masses, who
earn their living with their own toil, desired freedom to free themselves from
exploitation and rule of British imperialism, desiring at the same time
emancipation from all sorts of exploitation, true emancipation of the masses,
all-out emancipation from the tentacles of all exploitation - from landlords,
from money lenders, from jotedars, from capitalists of the country. Else, if
exploitation of 90-95 per cent of population by a handful of the rich continued
without relent, exploitation and poverty could not be eliminated, peace,
happiness, relief would not descend in people's life. The tragedy that happened
is that contrary to people's yearning, the country's capitalists or the handful
of bourgeoisie conspired to cash in on the burning patriotism of people and
clamp their rule over the whole of the Indian market, ending British imperialism
through mutual understanding and compromise. In a word, two contradictory class
urges existed side by side from the inception of Indian freedom movement.
Comrade Ghosh further brought to the fore another pertinent fact that because of
the absence of a genuine communist or revolutionary party on this soil the
revolutionary leadership could not be established over the independence
movement. In this situation, seizing upon the want of adequate political
consciousness of people, the capitalist class established its rule of
exploitation and oppression. Emancipation from exploitation eluded people.
British imperialist exploitative rule was substituted by the terrible rule of
exploitation of the Indian capitalist class. Exhorting the countrymen Comrade
Ghosh said that people had been aware of the character of the foreign rulers
without much difficulty, but they did not as easily understand that a tiny
section of this country itself had established its own rule of exploitation,
which however will have to be realized by all the exploited people. Exhorting
further, he said, for emancipating the entire masses of people from under the
yoke of all sorts of exploitation, genuine revolutionary leadership would have
to be given birth to.
He urged that the anti-Marxist character of the pseudo communist party going by
the name of Communist Party of India (the then undivided CPI) has to be
uncovered in full, and the genuine communist party built up all over the country
on the basis of the correct theory and through pursuit of the correct
methodology. Under the banner of this revolutionary leadership continuous mass
movements and class struggles have to be developed centring round burning
demands of people's lives, directed against exploitation by the capitalist class
every day, against exploitation and oppression by the state and government of
the capitalist class. And, in this way, preparing the ground conducing to
revolution, the capitalist state has to be overthrown with the might of
revolution, and scientific socialism established in its place in the country. By
eliminating private ownership over means of production and establishing social
ownership in its place, the foundation of genuine socialism has to be
established which would ensure people's own rule. Time and again he laid
emphasis on it, pointing out that other than to be on strict, unflinching
pursuit in this course, the unaccomplished goal of the independence movement,
that is, winning emancipation from all sorts of exploitation, people's
emancipation, would be impossible to realize. To this end, people of the country
would have to be freed from the illusion of such parliamentary elections.
Because, the government, the caretaker of the capitalist state, can be changed
through election but thereby the state does not change, and unless the state is
replaced capitalism continues together with its tentacles of exploitation and
oppression. Dwelling on one of the major aspects of anti-capitalist socialist
revolution, he said, the working class movement for seizure of state power would
triumph only in culmination of this long course of preparation. This process
would be accelerated by giving birth to people's own political power developing
through conduct of continuous democratic mass movements and class battles under
working class leadership, on the one hand, and, on the other, by making the
exploited masses politically consciousness on the basis of the Marxist-Leninist
thoughts, and forging their unity. At the same time, Comrade Ghosh emphatically
pointed out that till the creation of this conducive condition the capitalist
state would routinely go on holding this drummed-up ostentation of elections
with the object of diverting people's attention away from revolution, and people
too would get entangled in it because of want of possession of adequate
political consciousness. In the given situation, in accordance with the
teachings of great Lenin and precisely with the object of ridding people of
their illusion for parliamentary elections, the revolutionary party has the onus
to take part in elections, and if victory comes its way the party's object will
be to expose from within the Parliament before the people the real character of
bourgeois state, its Constitution, bourgeois democracy and carry on the attempt
to free people from illusion of all these. The truth is as clear as daylight
today that this caution, this penetrating analysis by the great teacher Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh revealed unmistakably the correct road to emancipation of the
millions of exploited masses of India. Meanwhile, 61 years have passed by.
Elections to Panchayats, Assemblies, and the Lok Sabha have been held over and
again. Replacement of MLAs and MPs has been effected. Several times have the
central and state governments changed hands. But the stranglehold of capitalist
exploitation, let alone relent by an iota, has all the more tightened its grip,
become all the more unbearable. The country has become a hell now, this
suffocation strangling people to death. This state of affairs, this thriving
encumbrance prove to the hilt the correctness of the guideline Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh, they go to highlight irrefutably the correctness of his analyses. To
accelerate the process of their complete emancipation, therefore all sections of
the masses must make rapid strides along the course of revolution as was
unerringly delineated by this great revolutionary thinker - Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh.
Oncoming election exposes filthy opportunist character of all parliamentary
parties including Congress-BJP-CPI(M)
In this extremely crisis-ridden economic-political-social backdrop, elections
are going to be held for the 15th Lok Sabha and the Assemblies of Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim. Round these elections, all the trusted servitor big
and small parties of the capitalist class have plunged into a nefarious game to
win seats by any means and form governments, trampling down the vitally
important question of principle, ideology, programme and in total disregard of
the burning issues of people's lives - witnessing all which people are bursting
in hatred. They witness, not the Rightist parties only have plunged into this
nefarious game, the self-liveried Leftist parties too are desperately in the
fray to anyhow win seats at the polls. It is very clearly noticeable that on the
realization that no chances are there to form the government single-handedly at
the Centre, the Congress and the BJP, each the apple of the eye of the
capitalist class, are pursuing the object by forming each its labeled alliance -
the UPA and the NDA- they are shamelessly on the run to cajole any small or big
parties in the country, caring a fig for principle or ideology, giving bye to
picks and choices. And these small and big parties at their end are weighing
options to decide going which way will bring them bigger windfall and
accordingly they are bargaining before selling themselves out. Also can be
noticed, the CPI(M), CPI and their left allies who bear the sacred onus to form
a government in full trust of the capitalist class and serve its class interest,
are not lagging behind. Under the colours of the 'Third Front', they too are in
the race with the two political brokers of the capitalist class - the Congress
and the BJP, and they too are running about to cajole indiscriminately political
parties that are corrupt to the bone, rabidly anti-people, brazenly parochial
and communal. The source of funds for this trading is, of course, one and the
same for all. Each one falls back on the resource of the capitalists to offer
baits of unlimited amount of money and promises of ministerial berths. This is
the ghastly picture of reality of the parliamentary election that would decide
the fate of the people of India for the next 5 years; this makes conscientious
people shudder and burst forth in utter indignation and hatred.
Participation in election must be made conducive to sustained mass movements
In the face of this burning situation, addressing countrymen we like to firmly
affirm: Resting with mere condemnation under these circumstances has no meaning
and significance. All ought to realize what is its root cause, and ought to
organize and direct people's struggle in the right course to overcome this
unbearable situation. People, therefore, will have to play a decisive role at
the ensuing elections as well. Explaining further, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
exhorted that people ought to realize that in the same way as the population is
divided into the two camps, centring round production and production relations,
the exploiters and the exploited, into the capitalists and labours, the same
divide is sharply manifest in regard to political parties also.
As things are going on at this hour of election it is clear to all that on the
one side, the subserving parties of the ruling capitalist class are begging
votes, or buying votes with slogans like 'Give us your votes, then all the
problems will get solved'; while opposed to that we on behalf of the Socialist
Unity Centre of India (SUCI), the party built up by Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, the
great leader of the proletariat, the party inspired with his thoughts, are
emphatically asserting to the people: It is impossible to solve the basic
problems of people's life by changing governments through elections. Only by
conducting continuous democratic mass movements built on the edifice of higher
ethics and principles in demand of solution to the burning problems making them
conducive to the goal of overthrowing capitalism can people stall to an extent
the steam roller of exploitation and extract some measure of relief in people's
life. It is for this that the people have to participate in elections making
this participation conducive to the development of continuous democratic mass
movements. Only on this basis they can correctly decide whom to vote for, whom
not to.
Make SUCI candidates victorious to build up surges of mass movements over the
country
Our earnest appeal to the people of our country is that this crucial political
divide cannot be forgotten for a moment. The pertinent fact that the SUCI is on
the one side, the subserving parties of the capitalist class on the other side
cannot be glossed over at all. This is the yardstick, the one and sole
yardstick, to judge parties or candidates at the ensuing elections. Our people
will have to be conscious about the danger of getting caught in the web of
speculations on victories and defeats, losing sight of ideology and basic goal.
People have to be on their guard against falling victim to the conspiracy of
entangling them in the mock fight between servitor parties of the capitalist
class. They have to decide on their task at these elections on the clear and
sole consideration of how to vote, for whom to vote taking into account the
primary question of principle, ideology, programme in order that the branded
enemies of people can be defeated, democratic mass movements can be
strengthened, certain demands may be realized thereby, and at once the struggle
for ultimate emancipation will get enhanced, fortified, stronger, thereby
accelerating the progress on the road to revolution.
Projecting this outlook, with appeal to this end, we, on behalf of Socialist
Unity Centre of India (SUCI), the only revolutionary party in India, the genuine
communist party of India, the tested and trusted party at the helm of legitimate
democratic mass movements conducted with the basic objective of overthrowing
capitalism, urge the people who are the electorate to bring resounding victory
to SUCI candidates at the seats where they are contesting, and at those seats
where the party has not fielded its candidates to make victorious those who are
honest, having a commitment to certain principles and ideology and tested in
democratic mass movements. Where such candidates are not there at this moment,
we call upon people to come forward to take initiative for putting up as
candidates those who have firm belief in democratic movements, who are tested in
democratic movements.
Programme of Movement and Charter of Demands
On the occasion of the forthcoming 15th Lok Sabha Election, SUCI Central
Committee raises the following Charter of Demands and Programme of movement, to
give effect to which the SUCI candidates, if made victorious, will, as elected
MPs, carry on incessant and resolute struggle within and outside the Parliament.
1. Central and state governments must bring down the prices of petrol, diesel
and kerosene in keeping with the fall in the prices of oil in the international
market and by withdrawing all taxes imposed by them.
2. Prices of all commodities must be brought down by strictly curbing hoarding
and black marketeering. By introducing all-out state trading, all ssential
commodities must be supplied regularly at low prices through the government
distribution system
3. Financial allocation on education, health and social welfare must be
increased by slashing allocations for military and administrative expenses.
4. All undemocratic black acts must be scrapped. Detention without trial must be
done away with. All political prisoners held without trial must be released
forthwith. Attack of police-military on democratic movements with a view to
suppressing them must be stopped.
5. Forcible grabbing and destruction of firm lands must be stopped. Policy of
setting up industries mainly on non-agricultural land must be pursued. SEZ must
be annulled. Effective measures ought to be taken towards ensuring permanent
effective control of drought and flood. Rivers-rivulets-canals- ponds and
wetlands must be dredged and maintained properly and made pollution-free. Dams
or reservoirs must be constructed at every block level for abundant supply of
irrigation water. Use of ground water for irrigation purpose must be dispensed
with.
6. Poor peasants must be freed from all debt burdens. Interest-free long term
government loans must be made available to them by putting an end to the system
of forcing them to borrow money from usurers at exorbitant interest-rates. Move
towards abolition of land-ceiling must be abandoned. Peasants should be supplied
with fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, power and diesel at amply subsidized low
costs. The government must ban wholesale trade of agro-products and instead
itself procure these from peasants at fair price.
7. Arrangements must be made for proper drinking water, power, primary school,
road construction and health facilities in all villages. Rural labours must be
provided with permanent job and fair wages throughout the year.
8. Tampering with BPL lists and corruption in rationing system must stop
immediately.
9. All closed industries must be reopened and all retrenched workers-employees
reinstated. New industries must be opened. Abolishing posts in the Central and
state government establishments must be stopped and all vacant posts must be
filled up with fresh appointments. Contract appointment in government as well as
private sectors must be abolished and all appointments should be on a permanent
basis. Privatization and disinvestment must be stopped. Government ownership on
all hitherto privatized industries must be restored. Moratorium on recruitment
must be withdrawn. Government should neither support nor extend any help to any
move to close down any industry by labeling the same as sick. If necessary,
government must take over such industries.
10. Imposing increased burden of income tax and wealth tax on middle class
people must be stopped.
11. Interest on small savings must be raised.
12 Right to work must be recognized as fundamental right in the Constitution.
All able-bodied men and women must be given permanent job and fair wage
according to their ability. Till such permanent jobs are provided, adequate
unemployment allowance must be given to them.
13. Right to free education must be recognized as fundamental right in the
Constitution. Privatization and fee hike of education must be stopped. The
decisions of the 'National Knowledge Commission' aimed at destroying education
must be scrapped. Universal democratic, secular and scientific education must be
introduced at the earliest. Sex education must be stopped. Examination system
must be kept in operation by scrapping gradation system of evaluation
14. Hospitals with all modern and developed facilities of medical treatment must
be established at the initiative of the Central and state governments at all
village panchayats, towns and cities. Commercialization of health service must
be stopped. Price of all life-saving drugs must be reduced
15. Dowry system and dowry deaths, female foeticide, torture and trafficking of
womenfolk must be stopped with a firm hand.
16. Publicity and spread of pornographic publications, cinema, drama and
advertisement materials must be curbed firmly.
17. Rampant spread of all kinds of intoxicating materials, including liquor,
drugs etc. must also be curbed with an iron hand.
18. Government must come out of the scheme of capitalist-imperialist
globalization. No tie-up with the imperialists including US imperialists should
be entered into. Bold resolute stand must be taken against imperialist
aggressions round the globe. All military and civilian treaties as well as
proposals of undertaking joint military exercises with the US imperialists must
be scrapped. US imperialists must get out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
19. Fomenting and pandering to noxious religious-casteist-community and racial
conflicts designed with a view to disrupting people's unity in democratic
movements and fulfilling the heinous interest of creating vote-banks must be
stopped.
20. State terrorism must be stopped immediately.
21. Despotic Armed Forces and Special Power Act must be withdrawn.
22. Highhandedness of bureaucracy must be curbed. Corruption must be extirpated
from all levels of administration.
23. Administrative neutrality must be restored.
24. Low-cost, neutral and rapid justice at all levels of judiciary must be
ensured.
25. Unearth and confiscate all illegally accumulated black money in the country
including those lying as bank deposit in foreign countries.
SUCI Supports Mallikaben Sarabhai
SUCI is supporting Mallikaben Sarabhai, an independent candidate, at Gandhinagar
constituency in Gujarat. Incidentally, SUCI is contesting 40 seats in the
ensuing Lok Sabha election round the country (the list of candidates is given in
the last issue of Proletarian Era).
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
By *Eric Toussaint* and *Damien Millet, *translated by Christine
Pagnoulle in collaboration with Elisabeth Anne
April 1, 2009 -- The G20 summit meeting in London from April 1 onward
was loudly announced and publicised. Those 20 industrialised and
emergent countries (G20) are meeting to find solutions to the economic
crisis. But long before the end of the summit, it is clear that they
will not rise to the challenge.
Full article at http://links.org.au/node/982
Subscribe free to /Links - International Journal of Socialist Renewal/ -
at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=343373
*Please pass on to all interested
*
‘Climate and Capitalism’ Editor Tours Australia
http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=660 April 1, 2009
/For the next two weeks your intrepid editor will be in Australia,
speaking and learning about the ecosocialist and climate action
movement there. I hope to meet Australian activists at the meetings
listed below./
*
Friday April 3: Perth*
6.30pm. Resistance Centre, 15/5 Aberdeen St, East Perth (near McIver
Station). Organised by the Socialist Alliance.
*Sunday April 5: Adelaide*
3pm Adelaide South West Community Centre, 171 Sturt St. Initiated Green
Left Weekly and Eco-socialist Convergence. Supported by CLEAN – Climate
Emergency Action Network. Ph
*Monday April 6: Melbourne*
7pm Climate Action Centre, lvl 5, New Building, Victorian Trades Hall
Council, cnr Victoria & Lygon Sts, Carlton South. Organised by Green
Left Weekly.
*Tuesday April 7: Melbourne*
1pm. Melbourbe University. Cussonia Court Rm 2 (Old Quad Blg). Sponsored
by Resistance.
* Wednesday April 8: Hobart
*
7pm. Dechaineaux Theatre, Arts School, Uni of Tasmania, Hunter St.
Organised by Green Left Weekly.
*Friday-Sunday, April 10-12: Sydney
*
“World at a Crossroads: Fighting for Socialism in the 21st Century.” See
below and http://www.worldatacrossroads.org/ for details, including
full agenda.
***
*
*
*CONFRONTING THE CLIMATE CRISIS*
*Friday April 10 – Sunday April 12, 2009 (Easter weekend)*
*Sydney***
The many environmental crises threatening to destroy humanity and the
planet will be a major theme of discussion at the
/World At A Crossroads: Fighting for Socialism in the 21st Century/
conference in Sydney on April 10-12.
The conference will feature speakers from North America, Latin America,
the Asia-Pacific and South Africa, including
*IAN ANGUS*, founder of the Ecosocialist International Network, editor
of /Climate and Capitalism/, and author of /Food Crisis: World Hunger,
Agribusiness and the Food Sovereignty Alternative/, /How to Avoid Action
on Climate Change: The fine art of greenwash in Canadian politics/, and
/Confronting the Climate Change Crisis/.**
*Conference panels and workshops on environmental issues include:*
*“Capitalism's crises and our solutions”** featuring *DAVID SPRATT,
co-author of /Climate Code Red,/ *with **
*Reihana Mohideen from the Philippines and Michael Lebowitz from
Venezuela* **(Fri April 10, **9.30am**).** *
*“*Challenges of building a climate change movement***” featuring
** *SIMON BUTLER, /Green Left Weekly/ environment issues journalist and
People for a Safe Climate activist, and DAVID SPRATT, co-author of
/Climate Code Red/ (Fri April 10, 11am).**
*“**Public ownership and workers’ control**” featuring* DAVE KERIN,
initiator of worker-run cooperatives in Victoria to build solar panels;
and MICHAEL LEBOWITZ on the experiences of self-management in Yugoslavia
and Venezuela (Fri April 10, 3.30pm).
*“**Confronting the climate change crisis: An ecosocialist
perspective**” featuring** *IAN ANGUS, founder of the Ecosocialist
International Network & editor of /Climate and Capitalism /and/ /DICK
NICHOLS, author of /Environment, Capitalism and Socialism/ and Socialist
Alliance national co-convenor. Introduced by STUART ROSEWARNE, co-editor
of /Capitalism, Nature, Socialism/ (Fri April 10, 5.30pm).
*“Climate refugees and the `overpopulation’ debate”** *featuring KAMALA
EMANUEL, Democratic Socialist Perspective (Sat April 11, 11am)
“*Production and consumption as a source of global warming”* featuring
HANS BAER, Centre for Health and Society, University of Melbourne, and
author of /Global Warming and the Political Economy of Health/ (Sat
April 11, 11am).
“*Building a worker-green-community alliance for sustainability”
**featuring** *TIM GOODEN, Secretary of Geelong and Regions Trades and
Labour Council; DAVE KERIN and MEL BARNES, Resistance activist in
Tasmania’s Stop the Pull Mill campaign (Sat April 11, 2pm)
“*Capitalism, agribusiness and sustainable agriculture” **featuring
TRISH CORCORAN, KATE STOCKDALE and NICK SUDAKOFF ** *(Sun April 12, 11am)
“*Sustainable cities: The transition to public transport, accessible
housing and liveability” **featuring* BEN COURTICE, DSP environment
movement activist; and JOHN RICE, Adelaide Ecosocialist Network (Sun
April 12, 3.30pm)
* *
*For the full conference agenda and to register, visit
www.WorldAtACrossroads.org <http://www.worldatacrossroads.org/> or phone
(02) 9690 1977
*
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[As otherwise anticipated - and flatly contradicting the loud, in fact
screaming, predictions made by the mainstream domestic opposition within
India - the first supplier of nuclear consignment is from France, with
Russia closely following. That again shows up the
intellectual/political/moral bankruptcy of these forces and help explain
their failure in opposing the, somewhat deceptively tagged, "Indo-US nuclear
deal" on false and dangerous chauvinistic/jingoistic grounds instead of
under the principled banner of anti-nuclear peace campaign.]
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090401/836/tbs-india-gets-first-consignment-of-ura\
n.html
India
gets first consignment of uranium post-NSG clearance Wed, Apr 1 09:16 PM
Hyderabad, April 1 (IANS) India has started benefiting from the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG) clearance for supply of nuclear fuel with the first
consignment of 60 tonnes of uranium from France landing at the Nuclear Fuel
Complex (NFC) here. This first shipment is part of the 300 tonnes of uranium
ore concentrate which French nuclear supplier AREVA NC has agreed to supply
to India under bilateral cooperation for supplying reactors and fuel
following clearance from the NSG, NFC officials said here Wednesday. They
said this uranium ore would be processed and used to produce power in
safeguarded pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs). 'This uranium has to
be used in safeguarded reactors only. We already have 15, out of which two
are safeguarded,' R.N. Jayaraj, chief executive of NFC, told reporters. He
said the remainder of 240 tonnes of uranium from France was expected to
reach NFC before the end of April. With Russia also expected to send its
first consignment of 120 tonnes soon, India hopes to tide over the shortage
of uranium. The official said uranium ore concentrate would be processed in
the designated fuel plants at the NFC by converting it into nuclear grade
uranium dioxide powder and then compacted in the form of cylindrical
pellets. 'These pellets are stacked and encapsulated in thin walled tubes of
zirconium alloy which will be sealed by resistance welding using end plugs,
a technology which has been innovated in India,' he said. Jayaraj said 19
such fuel pins would be assembled to form a fuel bundle for power plants.
The NFC would be able to supply this fuel to only two PHWRs covered under
the India-US nuclear deal. It would not be possible for NFC to supply the
same to 13 other PHWRs. NFC officials said reactors where the imported fuel
is used would have to be made available for international inspections under
the safeguards to which India has agreed. India has received the first
shipment of imported uranium at a time when its first nuclear plant, Tarapur
Atomic Power Station (TAPS), completed 40 years of successful nuclear power
generation. The shipments from France and Russia are expected to help India
tide over the current shortage of nuclear fuel and achieve the production
target of 20,000 MW of nuclear power by 2020. Atomic Energy Commission
chairman Anil Kakodkar had recently said that despite the current economic
slowdown, India was well on course to achieve the target. Indo Asian News
Service
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*Nuclear Information and Resource
Service*<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mBxowkqTEhS56ARkL\
u9s%2Bm4sU9ZlP9dz>
*THE DIRTY DOZEN
*
*ONLY YOU CAN STOP THEM*
April 1, 2009
Below is a list of 12 Senators: *the Dirty Dozen*.
These 12 Senators are the ones who are leading the charge to force new
nuclear reactors on the American public, regardless of the costs, regardless
of the dangers, regardless of the lethal radioactive waste these reactors
would create, regardless of the plentiful safer, cleaner, cheaper energy
sources available.
They are the ones who are this week pushing amendments to President Obama's
FY 2010 budget, trying to pave the way for more taxpayer subsidies for new
nuclear reactors later this year.
They are the ones who tried to get $50 billion in taxpayer loan guarantees
for new reactors in February--but they were defeated then.
*And they can be defeated now--with your help.*
*Pick up the phone and call your Senators, *and tell them to vote against
any and all amendments (and there are a number of them) to the budget bill
that would provide subsidies for nuclear power. *Capitol Switchboard:
202-224-3121.*
And if your Senator is listed below, you might want to call him (this list
is all men) and give him a piece of your mind: tell him to try representing
his constituents for once instead of the nuclear power industry!
*If you haven't yet sent an e-mail to your Senators, **please do so
here*<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=YTOEQKEZ6%2F0YJF%2BK\
nHc0ZW4sU9ZlP9dz>
*.*
*If you have sent your e-mail, forward this Alert to five of your friends* and
ask them to contact their Senators as well.
Votes on these amendments are likely to begin tonight (appropriately, April
Fool's Day, in honor of the fools pushing nuclear technology), and continue
throughout the day Thursday and perhaps Friday.
We know we've been asking a lot of you already this year. That's because the
nuclear industry is getting desperate, and they're doing everything they can
to get more of your money, since they can't raise any of their own. We thank
you for all your activism and action, and we hope you'll keep it up now and
throughout the year.
And we also thank you for your contributions to support this campaign to
stop taxpayer subsidies for new nuclear reactors. We're only able to do this
with your help: if you haven't made a small donation yet, please do so
now<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5jhzaA1OctAMV13JqfZvNG\
4sU9ZlP9dz>.
Your support is very gratefully appreciated.
Thanks for all you do,
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@... <http://mc/compose?to=nirsnet@nirs.org>
www.nirs.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=stmAj4DkUEZAl\
%2Bcf76xImW4sU9ZlP9dz>
*THE DIRTY DOZEN*
Sen Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Sen Bennett, Robert F. [R-UT]
Sen Brownback, Sam [R-KS]
Sen Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Sen Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]
Sen Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Sen Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Sen Risch, James E. [R-ID]
Sen Vitter, David [R-LA]
Sen Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Sen McCain, John, [R-AZ]
Peace Is Doable
------------------------------
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