Tuesday, August 28, 2012

SFI West Bengal State Conference

 
34th West Bengal State Conference of  Students Federation of India was held at Alipurduar in Jalpaiguri district from 24th August to 26th. 512 delegates participated in the conference. A student rally was organised on the 24th August which was inaugurated by Com Biman Basu. CPI(M) state secretary and Left Front Com. Biman Bose called up the student leaders to fight for the democratic rights of the people.Com. Biman Bose said the student leaders need to fight for the democratic rights of the people. SFI general secretary Ritabrata Bandopadhyay said like there was need for good student leaders in the country.

The conference resolved to protest against the commercialization drive in the education sector by the Mamta Banarjee government in the state and also to protect the the pro people education policy of the earlier Left Front governments. The Students Federation of India also criticised the violence and attacks on teachers in different colleges in West Bengal allegedly by Trinamool Congress."We will take up the issue of violence and attacks on teachers in different colleges in West Bengal allegedly by Trinamool Congress and will soon start an agitation on this," SFI general secretary Ribabrata Banerjee said at the concluding day of the conference.

The conference elected a 89 member state committee and a 27 member state secretariat. 53 members in the committee are fresh faces. The conference also elected com. Madhuja Sen Rai and Debjyothi Das as the President and Secretary respectively.










DYFI Maharashtra State Conference


  
DYFI Maharashtra State Conference ahead of the All India Conference to be held at Bangalore in the second week of September, was held in Mahur, Nanded district from August 23 to 27. Representing One Lakh members in the state, 300 delegates from 16 districts participated in the conference. The  conference was inaugurated by DYFI All India Secretary Com. Tapas Sinha.

The conference strongly criticized the policy of Maharashtra Government to completely withdraw from the service sector and thereby helping the corporates to gain control of the service sector like education and health. The Conference passed a resolution condemning the policy of the government to establish Public Private partnership, which in turn has rights of the common man. The conference also decided to raise huge struggle against the privatization of water supply. The Conference also asked the state government through various resolutions to fill all the vacancies in the Government sector, declaration of complete youth policy.

 The conference also elected the new office bearers. A 35 member state committe with 13 member state secretariate is also formed. Com. Bhagvan Bogje from Aurangabad and Com Preethy Sekher from Mumbai were elected president and secretary respectively.Com Bhasker patel from Raigud is elected as the treasurer.The Concluding session of the conference was inaugurated by CPIM State Secretariat member and DYFI founder president Com. Mahendra Singh 

CPI(M) Holds Mass Dharna in Mangalore Demanding Basic Needs





Demanding to resolve various basic problems of the city, CPI(M) Mangalore city committee organized a mass protest in front of the Mangalore City Corporation on Monday August 27.

Addressing the gathering  Com.  Sunil Kumar Bajal said the homeless people in the city should be identified and their application for housing needs should be considered by the MCC. He added that the condition of many roads in various wards and drainage system should be improved. Though roads have been concretized, construction of footpath is a mirage. Disposal of garbage should be done at least twice a day in city limits and once a day in suburban areas. He also came down heavily on the MCC’s apathy over epidemic diseases being spread. 

Slaughter house project should be taken on priority, thereby to safeguard the right of people to eat non vegetarian.

The processions started from different areas of the city such as Kankanady, Yeyyadi, State Bank and Urwa Store  at 10 am which converged in front of the Municipal Corporation, Lalbagh.The protestors gathered in front of the MCC building and shouted slogans demanding to fulfill their needs.

CPI(M) district secretary B Madhava, Com. Vasanth Achar, corporator Jayanthi among others were part of the protest.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Onward to the 14th All India Conference of SFI



Ritabrata Banerjee

THE 14th all India conference of Students’ Federation of India is going to be held at Madurai, Tamilnadu during September 4-7, 2012. The conference manch has been named after the founder all India president of the organisation Comrade C Bhaskaran and former general secretary Comrade Subhash Chakraborty. The venue of the conference has been named after the student martyrs from Tamilnadu Comrades Somasundaram and Chembulingam.

A total of 750 delegates and observers from all over the country representing more than 40 lakh students and 23 state units will be assembling at Madurai to deliberate and discuss on various issues and matters related to education, organisation and politics. The conference will decide the future course of action to resist the commercialisation and centralisation of education and to intensify the struggles for democratic rights and equitable access.

Education, in history, has always been a site of contestations. Be it on the question of who gets access to education and who gets denied, or what comprises the content and ideology of education. The infamous episode of Ekalavya in the Mahabharata or the denial of education to women and the oppressed castes by the Manusmiriti are but a few examples of how far back this conflict goes in Indian history. Debates over the ideological agenda of colonial education in India or over saffronisation of education by the BJP-RSS betray its deeply contested terrain.

Karl Marx had noted emphatically - “The Communists have not invented the intervention of society in education; they do but seek to alter the character of that intervention, and to rescue education from the influence of the ruling class.”
The poor status of education in India continues to exist despite the otherwise high growth rates the country has achieved. One of the most important reasons for this has been the continuing apathy and unwillingness of successive central governments in committing more resources to the education sector. The UPA-I government also did not make any serious efforts to overcome this problem. The small increase in spending, which was done under pressure from the Left parties, was also far from sufficient and reached nowhere near ensuring the promised spending of 6 per cent of GDP and 10 per cent of the budget on education. The result is that today around 90 per cent of our country’s youth in the 17-23 years age group are outside the ambit of higher education, as opposed to 45  to 85 per cent enrolment in higher education in developed countries. The literacy rate of our country is also just 65.38 per cent with the male literacy rate being 75.96 per cent and the female literacy rate being as low as 54.28 per cent. Even out of those students who take admission in Class I, only 16.6 per cent  reach Class XII  as per Yashpal Committee Report. As expected, the poor and the marginalised (females, dalits, adivasis, minorities, OBCs) are facing the brunt of these faulty policies. The literacy rate among SC/STs is 52.2 per cent, Muslim minorities 59.1 per cent and OBCs is 65 per cent.

NEO-LIBERAL
AGENDA
Attempts to further the neo-liberal agenda of commercialisation also continued in various forms. The UPA-II government has waged a renewed offensive in the field of education. This constitutes the twin attacks of commercialisation and centralisation of education. The attempt is not only to push for increased commercialisation and opening up of the education sector to foreign players, but also to fundamentally change the structure of education sector in the country. To put it in simple terms, the thrust is to fundamentally curb the democratic values in the realm of education policy and make it subservient to the whims and fancies of the market.

The most dangerous step in this direction is the proposed The Higher Education and Research Bill (THER) 2011 which has been brought by the government. The defining feature of this bill is that it takes away all rights of policy and decision making in education from democratically elected bodies like the parliament and state legislatures and gives sweeping powers to a seven member body. Similar steps can also be seen in the field of school education where attempts are being made to undermine the autonomy of state boards in the name of uniform syllabi and curriculums.

All this is being done in the name of “reforming and rejuvenating” the education sector in the country and is being presented as a drastic reform of the otherwise inefficient education system, which prevails in the country. While the government is not showing any inclination to increase resource allocation for the education sector, it wants to acquire all powers to implement its ‘one size fits all’ policies. Education, especially in a country like ours, which is marked by large diversities, cannot be straight jacketed. It would require a participatory and democratic attitude, where diverse sections can both relate to and benefit from attaining education, to improve the sorry state of affairs which prevails today. It is indeed absurd to think that some “enlightened” individuals sitting in Delhi can decide upon what policies should be undertaken to address the problems of providing quality education to students studying in a remote village in the north eastern part of the country as well as the urban poor in our big cities. It also fails logic to argue that a clique of some individuals, who will have no accountability whatsoever to the common people, would get rid of all the problems which are facing the education system today.

MARKET
DRIVEN
It is important to understand that the driving force behind all these measures is the urge to cater to the needs of the market and undermine the progressive content of education in the country. To take an example, the HRD minister recently gave a statement stressing on the need for having identical syllabi for science and commerce streams at the higher secondary level across all states. One might ask why there is no felt need to include humanities or social sciences as well. The answer is clear. Science and Commerce streams have a direct relation to the needs of the market today. The ruling elite in our country needs supply of a skilled labour force to compete in the world market. That is not the case with social sciences or liberal arts which have no direct contribution to material production in the country, and in fact poses a challenge to the imperialist hegemony which would want us to interpret our society in a particular manner.

Such designs constitute a concerted attack on the very idea of our country, which is known for the deep rooted democratic consciousness among the people. Disregarding all the earlier recommendations of committees appointed by the government, they now seek to undermine the federal aspects of our Constitution. There is an urgent need to expose the real intentions behind the government’s “radical reforms”. A thorough and painstaking campaign must be launched to explain the dangers which such ‘reforms’ pose to the education sector at large. Also we must wage militant struggles to pressurise the government to commit more resources to the education sector and stop its dilly dallying on our long pending demands. It must be forced to withdraw all plans which seek to further the agenda of centralisation and commercialisation of education. All such moves like scrapping multiple regulatory bodies like the UGC and AICTE, pushing for common school boards and curriculums, and other regressive provisions in the THER Bill 2011 must be defeated. We must resist all these attacks on the very spirit and grain of diversity which the SFI and democratic movements have always upheld and cherished. Given the larger stakes involved, there is also an urgent need to mobilise the student community along with other democratic sections in the society against such moves.

DEMOCRATIC
RIGHTS
With the advent of neo-liberal globalisation, there has been a frontal attack on the democratic rights of common people throughout the world. Students are no exception. For students, this attack has been two pronged -- depoliticisation and curbing their democratic rights. The student unions have faced the biggest attack in this milieu. Most of the educational institutions, including most central universities, do not have elected students unions in India. The situation is much worse in private institutions where a majority of the students are enrolled today.

The SFI has been at the forefront of demanding and safeguarding the democratic rights of the students. One recent example of this struggle is in the state of Rajasthan, where a consistent struggle for five years forced the state government to restore student union elections in the state. The students voted in a big manner for the SFI which has registered its best performance in the state till date. Also in Himachal Pradesh SFI has been registering emphatic wins braving all sorts of repression and heinous attacks from the right and communal forces. Significant victories have been achieved also at Kerala, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. Successes have been registered in some institutions of Maharashtra, Assam, Odisha also.

In West Bengal, there has been an all-round attack on the democratic rights of the student community under the new regime. There have been constant physical attacks on the cadres and the supporters of the democratic student movement. They are not being allowed to sit in their examinations. They are also not allowed to enter the colleges. Since the new government came to office, more than 120 SFI activists were hospitalised. A total of 103 elected students unions have been forcibly captured. In the elections to student unions of 63 colleges, SFI registered victory in 53 colleges. Incidents of beating up of teachers at various levels are also taking place at regular intervals. The state administration is shamelessly shielding the miscreants who belong to the ruling party. All elements of the horrific days of the seventies in the state are in the air. Fighting for the democratic rights of the student community needs to be one of the main agenda of the SFI in the coming days.

In the 47 months since the last all India conference of SFI, six of our valiant comrades have been butchered by forces of reaction. The crime of these six valiant brave hearts was that they cherished the values of democracy, national unity and integrity, social and economic equality and decided to promote these values. They were murdered because they directly challenged the authority of the ruling classes and their agents. These brilliant flames have been put out. But these six flames, like many others earlier, have generated hundreds and thousands of sparks that continue to glow with determination. Spreading like wildfire they are conveying the message that we shall advance to a better future and those who are obstructing this will be consumed by the raging torrents of history. Our enemies have succeeded in killing six of our comrades but they cannot kill their ideas. The ideas of Comrades Abhijit Mahato, Partha Biswas, Tilak Tudu, Swapan Koley, A B Bijesh and Anish Rajan will remain the dominant ideas on most of the campuses in our country. They have proved once again, like our innumerable martyrs before, that rivers in spate cannot be held back by straws.

The challenging task of organising and uniting the millions of Indian students who continue to remain outside the ambit of organised student movement awaits us.

Charles Dickens in his celebrated novel – A Tale of Two Cities – had noted `This is the best of times, this is the worst of times; this is the spring of hope; this is the winter of discontent’.  We are confident enough that from the very womb of challenges, the process of a forward movement will emerge and carry the glorious legacies of ‘Study and Struggle’ and its spearhead – the SFI – forward.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Protest against reckless academic reforms in Delhi Univeristy


A joint protest march and Dharna was organized by various teachers’ and students’ organizations on 24th August in the North Campus of Delhi University against the reckless manner in which the host of academic ‘reforms’ including the proposed 4 years undergraduate course and the meta university concept are being pushed through in the university. The earlier experience is for all to see- inflated scores on one hand, while mass failures on the other; acute crisis of infrastructural facilities in various colleges, recurring administrative lapses have become order of the day for the students.

More than 600 teachers and students marched from the Vivekananda statue to the VC office, going through various colleges of the campus. The authoritarian attitude of the administration was clear once again, when for the first time in the last 40 years, the gates of the VC office were blocked by police barricades. It was only after the relentless pressure of the students and the teachers that the proctor was forced to give orders for removing the barricades.

The dharna at the VC office was addressed by: Prashant (AIDSO), Sunny (AISA), Durgesh (AISF), Sachin (CTF) and Sunand (SFI).

SFI resolves to intensify the fight against the ongoing process of neo-liberal reforms which are being pushed through at the diktats of the UPA government, ruining the future of the student community and declares that today’s protest rally only marks the beginning of a series of protest actions and broader movement in the University.

SFI CEC congratulate Himachal Pradesh unit for impressive victory


The Central Executive Committee of the Students’ Federation of India congratulates the students of Himachal Pradesh and the state unit of SFI for registering an impressive victory in the SCA elections. The elections were held on 23rd of August.

Out of the 300 panel posts throughout the state SFI candidates have been victorious in 102. Himachal Pradesh University once again confirmed itself to be a bastion of SFI. Out of the 49 Department Representatives SFI candidates won in 46. ABVP with 2 has been the nearest finisher!!! NSUI won 1 DR post. In the four central posts SFI panel registered its ever highest victory in the history of the SCA elections of HPU. Rahul Chauhan won the President post by a margin of 713 votes. The POST OF THE Vice President was won by Priyanka Chauhan by margin of 570 votes. Vikram Kayet and Amit Kumar won the posts of General Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively. The margins were 696 and 751.
 
SFI panel won completely in 18 colleges. Out of the four panel posts SFI won three in 8 colleges. In Shimla district SFI won 35 panel posts out of the total 48. SFI swept the election in the colleges of Shimla town. SFI candidates won all the 16 panel posts in the four colleges(Kotshira Government College, Rajakiya Kanya Mahavidyalay,Sanjoli College and Shimla Evening College) of Shimla town.
 
The victory is specially significant because the BJP government in the state with the aid of the state administration and the College and University authorities has been constantly hatching conspiracies against the SFI. Particularly in the HPU campus the Vice Chancellor Prof A D N Bajpayee had misused all his power to defeat SFI and create favourable ground for the ABVP. Blue eyed boy of the RSS, Prof Bajpayee had openly urged students to support the ABVP candidates.besides being regularly participating in open programmes of Viswa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal he Recently even inaugurated the office of VHP at Shimla. He was unable to digest the huge victory of SFI last year also and delayed the oath taking ceremony of the elected SCA by 7 months. False cases against the SFI activists were filed and six SFI activists including the elected President, General Secretary and Vice President were put behind bars for 29 days.
 
The victory of SFI in HPU and the colleges of Himachal Pradesh is a source of tremendous inspiration for the rank and file of SFI throughout the country and will strengthen the nationwide struggle for campus democracy. It is to be noted that only a few days ago SFI has also performed well in the College and University Union elections of Rajasthan also. The CEC of SFI once again congratulates the students of Himachal and our valiant comrades for registering such an emphatic win against all odds.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

SFI 14th All India Conference to focus on education issues



The 14th All India Conference of Students Federation of India (SFI), to be held in Madurai, Tamilnadu, will focus on issues like commercialisation of higher education, foreign universities bill and university campuses becoming undemocratic spaces, said J. Rajmohan, SFI  Tamil Nadu State secretary.

Addressing a press conference  Com. Rajmohan said that the SFI conference, to be held for the first time in Madurai between September 4 and 7, would focus on various contemporary issues affecting education in India.

The Union Government was taking efforts to dissolve the University Grants Commission, Medical Council of India, All India Council for Technical Education and other councils with a single regulator. This would be inimical to the interests of the weaker sections of the society as it would accelerate commercialisation and privatisation of education.

Despite India being the largest democracy , the university campuses, in recent times, have become undemocratic due to political bias and faulty administration . Citing the case of Madurai Kamaraj University, Com. Rajmohan said that only a democratic set up could provide the much needed conducive atmosphere, where research and education would thrive. “The MKU state of affairs is a bigger social problem. We will seek a greater public support and fight against undemocratic practices,” he said.

Various competitions in connection with the national conference are already under way at various places in the city. A mini marathon was held on Sunday. It would focus on drug abuse. The conference would also focus on the main issue affecting the students in Tamil Nadu – alcoholism. With the mushrooming of government-owned liquor shops in the recent past, students, mostly school goers, had turned alcoholics, said Stalin, State vice-president.

Veteran Marxist leaders like N. Sankaraiah, P. K. Biju and Sitaram Yechury will address a public meeting in Madurai. Economist C. P. Chandrasekhar will participate in a seminar during the four-day conference.

SFI Retains its Red Bastion - Himachal Pradesh University with huge margin

Student Federation of India (SFI) retained it’s stronghold over Himachal Pradesh University campus in Shimla by making a clean sweep in university Elections, polling to which was done held on 23rd August 2012.
SFI polled over 70% votes in the student elections completely routing the other two parties ABVP and NSUI. Despite best efforts of the ABVP and the ruling BJP in the elections, SFI has kept it’s stronghold intact in the elections.

Himachal Pradesh University campus remains a strong hold of the SFI for the past few years and results are an indicator for the oncoming assembly elections.  The Congress’s student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) candidates — Avtar Singh Hans, Ritu Raj Thakur, Sangeeta and Brij Mohan — ended third in the triangular contest.

For the post of President, Rahul Chauhan of SFI defeated ABVP candidate Dinesh Kumar by a margin of 713 votes. For Vice President post Priyanka Chauhan of SFI defeated ABVP candidate Parul Shukla by a margin of 570 votes. For General Secretary post Vikram Kainth of SFI defeated ABVP candidate Tarun Thakur by a margin of 796 votes.For Joint Secretary post, Amit Kumar of SFI defeated ABVP candidate Naresh Kumar Dasta by a margin of 751 votes.

The SFI also swept the poll at three colleges of Shimla. These are Rajiv Gandhi College, Kotshera, Centre of Excellence, Sanjauli and Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidalaya (RKMV).

Strong Warning to Congress Government against Price Rise









As per the initial calculation around 15 lakh CPI(M) workers in Kerala on Wednesday laid siege to the government secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and 13 district collectorates across the state against the Centre's 'failure' to check price rise and ensure food security. The state government machinary came to a grinding halt due the dharna. As  the volunteers and protestors were gathered on the spot from early morning 6 am itself, it was very difficult for the employees to reach the office. Office work was being held up.Food Security Scheme has to be guaranteed, price hike has to be reduced, these were few of the demands put forth  by the protestors.

The workers squatted near all the four gates and the roads leading to the Secretariat, making it difficult for the office staff to enter the compound.

Addressing the protestors before the Secretariat, CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the skyrocketing prices and corruption were the fallout of the liberalisation and globalisation policies vigorously pursued by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. Referring to the coal block allocation scam, he alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was "prima facie guilty" in the matter. While the UPA government had been providing largess to corporates, it was cutting down subsidies on food items and fertilisers citing financial crunch, he said. He also criticised the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala for failing to effectively intervene in the market and strengthen the public distribution system.

In Kannur the dharna was inaugurated  by  CPIM PB Member Com. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Another P B Member Com. M A Baby inaugurated the dharna in front of Alappuzha district collectorae. In Kollam by opposition leader and CPIM CC Member Com. V S Achuthanandan inaugurated the meeting. CPIM Central Committee member Com. E P Jayarajan,Com. Paloly Mohammed Kuttya Com. A Vijayaraghavan and Com. Vaikom Viswan inaugurated the Dharna in Trissur, Malappuram, Palakkad and Kottayam respectively. CPIM State Secretariat Members Com. M V Govindan Master, Com. Elamaram Kareem, Com. A K Balan, Com. Baby John, Com. V V Dakshina Moorthi inaugurated the dharnas in Ernakulam, Idukki, Waynad, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode. The protest held in front of the Kasargod DC office was inaugurated by MP and CPIM CC Member Com.P Karunakaran.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Kerala Stage Governement Employees’s strike a grand success

Giving a sturdy warning to the United Democratic Front Government, on its plan to implement contributory pension scheme, the government employees and teachers in Kerala have observed a one day strike on Tuesday. Most of the government offices and schools were remain closed today. The service and education sector were totally paralyzed today. State Transport bus services were off the road as the KSRTC workers also joined the strike. More than 80 percent of the total strength of the government employees has participated in the strike. The employees in the state public sector units were also participated. Employees all over the state have participated in rallies in the premises of offices. From Village office to secretariat functioned with skeleton staff. University employees were also participated in the strike. All Municipal and Corporation offices were also seen vacant.

The government has done everything to pull the employees back from the strike. The wage of the day will be cut from the salary of the employees. The campaign unleashed by the government has argued that the employees will be benefited by the participatory pension scheme. Media were also used by the government to withdraw the employees from the strike.
A Sreekumar, Convener of the Federation of State government Employees and teacher organization and leaders of joint action committee have greeted the employees and teachers for participating in the strike and daring the actions of the government.

SFI Victory in Rajastan University Elections



The elections to the students unions of 150 Colleges and 9 Universities were held on 19th August. SFI had contested in 84 colleges and 2 Universities (Rajasthan University, Jaipur and Jainarayan Vyas University, Jodhpur.)SFI registered its victory in the Union of 44 colleges and 1 university. These 44 colleges are in 11 districts of Rajasthan.
 
Comrade Raveender Singh Ranawat
For the first time SFI registered its victory in any university of Rajasthan. In Jainarayan Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan’s second largest University SFI Presidential candidate Comrade Raveender Singh Ranawat won by a majority of 557 votes. In the Joint Secretary post SFI candidate Comrade Bhawna Solanki defeated her nearest ABVP candidate by a thumping majority of 2180 votes.
 
In Sikar Sri Kalyan College, the biggest one in the state (12000 students) SFI candidates won all the central posts with a huge majority. SFI Presidential candidate Comrade Subhash Jakhar won by a margin of 951 votes. Comrade Sunita won the Vice President post by a margin of 797 votes. The General Secretary and Joint Secretary posts were won by Comrade Rakesh Verma and Comrade Anwar Khan respectively. The margins of victory were 823 and 904 votes.
 
In the districts of Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar and Sikar SFI won in more than 70 % of the colleges.
 
It is to be noted that SFI had been in the forefront of struggles for restoration of Students union elections during the BJP rule in the state. Basundhara Raje government had banned the student’s union elections after coming to power. The struggle had to be continued in the Congress period also. Though Ashoke Gehlot, the Congress Chief Ministerial candidate had promised to restore student union elections in reality it did not happen. The Congress government was in a denial mode and not ready to restore the union elections after coming to power in the last assembly elections. SFI spearheaded a militant struggle against the Congress government for restoration of democratic rights of the student community throughout the state. Ultimately the union elections were restored two years ago. It is significant that SFI had won in the Jodhpur University where Ashoke Gehlot was once a student leader. He also represents the Jodhpur assembly constituency.
 
The Central Executive Committee of the Students’ Federation of India congratulates the common students of Rajasthan and also the SFI Unit there for its impressive performance in the students union elections held recently.  The victory in Rajasthan is an inspiration for the entire rank and file of SFI and will strengthen the country wide struggle of the student community for democratic rights.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

On CAG Reports on UMPP & PPP for IGIA

The three final reports of the CAG on allocation of coal blocks, Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) under Special Purpose Vehicles and on implementation of public-private-partnership for Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi have shocked the nation.

The report on implementation of airport brings out two major areas of wrong doing which was facilitated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airport Authority of India (AAI). For an equity contribution of Rs. 2,450 crores, the private entity was allowed rights of commercial exploitation of 240 acres of land. The potential revenue from this land as licence fee for 58 years was projected by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) itself at Rs. 1,63,557 of which DIAL share would be Rs. 88,337 crores. An additional land of 190.19 acres was leased out for a paltry one time payment of Rs. 6.19 crores. This is far less than even what has been charged from government institutions like Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Apart from this, post-bid, post-contractual benefits to the private JV partner is clearly an instance of violation of the tendering process and complicity.

Further, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and later Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) allowed DIAL to collect development fees of Rs. 3,415.35 crores. The February 2009 order of the Civil Aviation Ministry is clearly a contravention of the Operation Management and Development Agreement (OMDA), AAI Act and the AERA Act. CPI(M) members in the Parliament had raised all these issues and brought it to the notice of the Prime Minister that these are grave violations of the statutory provisions almost a year back. But no attempt was made by the government to reverse this blatant act of wrong doing.

On the UMPP, the CAG has found major post-bid violation by allowing Reliance Powers Ltd. (RPL) to use excess coal from the three coal blocks allocated to the Sasan UMPP which not only vitiated the bidding process but also resulted in undue benefit to RPL. The CAG report clearly pinpoints that the overall financial largesse to RPL due to this act of commission amounts to Rs. 29,000 crores.

It is shocking that how the government nonchalantly has responded to the reports by a Constitutional Authority questioning them on grounds of Constitutional mandate. The sordid story of crony capitalism has become a hallmark of the UPA-II government. The government which comes out with tight fists over spending on food and nutrition security of the people take such a `couldn’t care less’ attitude over such huge losses to the public exchequer while benefiting corporates.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) condemns such complicit approach of the government and demands that all those responsible for this fleecing of public funds over the handing over of natural resources be brought to book and accountability fixed. The Polit Bureau also demands that all measures are initiated to retrieve the losses in violation of statutory and other agreed provisions as was ordained by the Supreme Court in the 2G spectrum case.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Farmers protest for release of Cauvery water


Over 3,500 members of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Thozhilalar Sangam affiliated to the two Communist parties were taken into custody from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts when they tried to block roads and trains demanding release of water in the Cauvery for samba cultivation and compensation for the loss of the ‘kuruvai’ paddy crop on Thursday 16th August

The organisations resorted to the stir at 28 places across Thanjavur district leading  to the arrest of 839 members. At the Thanjavur railway station, Sami Nadarajan, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam led to agitation to stop the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruchi Passenger. They were arrested by the police. At Thanjavur old bus stand, cadres led by Shanmugham, state general secretary of the TN Vivasayigal Sangam resorted to a road blockade and courted arrest.

In Tiruvarur district, as many as 1796 members of the farmers’ organisations were arrested. At Tiruvarur junction, cadres led by K.Balakrishnan, state president of the TN Vivasayigal sangam were arrested by the police when they tried to stop Ernakulam-Karaikal Express. At Thiruthuraipoondi CPI(M) Tiruvarur district secretary I.V.Nagarajan led the agitation. They tried to stop Thiruthuraipoondi-Pattukottai passenger. At Needamangalam cadres who tried to stop Nagore-Tiruchi Passenger were arrested by the police. Road blockades were also held at Mannargudi, Kottur, Muthupettai and Peralam.

Rail rokos were organized at Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai too. At Nagapattinam, the Tiruchi bound Karaikal-Tiruchi passenger was blockaded at around 11 a.m, while the Chennai-bound Cholan Express was blockaded at the Mayiladuthurai station. Over 502 people were secured for rail blockade at Nagapattinam, while 60 cadres were secured at Mayiladuthurai.

The  farmers associations pitched their demand for Centre’s intervention in securing early release of Cauvery water. The demonstrators demanded that the government announce a compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre for farmers, and Rs.10,000 per family for farm labourers to compensate for the kuruvai loss. Farm labourers have lost out on wages since June, due to lack of Kuruvai-based agricultural activity, they said.

Road rokos held at Keezhvelur, Keezhayur, Tharangambadi, Sirkazhi, Vedaranyam, Thalainayar, and Thirumarugal witnessed arrests of over 931 cadres, including 332 women across the district.
Source : The Hindu

The Coal Scam

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on allocation of coal blocks and augmentation of coal production for the year ending March 2012 has come out with startling revelations.
The report has estimated that the allocation of coal blocks was not done in a transparent manner and since July 2004, 142 blocks were allocated to various governments and private parties. According to the CAG, these allocations lacked transparency and objectivity.
As a result, the CAG estimates that the private coal block allottees have made a whopping financial gain to the tune of Rs. 1.86 lakh crores. A substantial part of this could have accrued to the national exchequer if the decision taken way back in June 2004 to introduce competitive bidding for such allocations was implemented. The report notes that till date, the government of India has not finalized the modus operendi of competitive bidding.
Coal, like all other natural resources, is a national reserve. Given the fact that many public sector undertakings and state government undertakings and electricity boards require coal for generating power for the people and the economy, the allocation of coal reserves must be done in such a manner as to meet both the need of the governmental agencies and through a transparent and an objective competitive bidding. The CPI(M) had suggested that the reserves should be so proportioned as to meet both these objectives.
Unfortunately, the refusal by the government of the day to heed this suggestion has led to arbitrariness in coal allocations, paving the way for large-scale corruption through `sweet heart’ deals. The loss to the national exchequer is, thus, larger than the presumptive loss estimated by the CAG in the 2G spectrum scam.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the Prime Minister who held the charge of the Coal Ministry for some time when such allocations were made must answer to the Parliament and the nation why the modus operendi for transparent allocations was not worked out. All those guilty of siphoning off huge resources must be identified and brought to book. Strict monitoring and guidelines for the future must be announced with Parliament’s approval.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Maintain Amity and Peace

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses concern at reports of people of North Eastern origin leaving from certain places where they are working or studying and returning to their home states. Such movement has taken place from Bangalore and certain other places sparked off by rumours or alleged threats.

Immediate steps should be taken to assure the people of North Eastern origin of their safety and security wherever they are residing. The state governments and administration should take prompt measures for this. The recent violence in the Bodoland territorial region in Assam has localized reasons and any attempts to rouse feelings in other parts of the country should be firmly curbed. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) appeals to all sections of the people to foil any moves to disturb amity amongst the people and maintain unity and peace.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Left MPs dharna in the parliament


Left MPs   belong to  CPI(M) ,RSP, CPI, Forward Bloc. of both houses today  held a  dharna in the parliament house gate number one in the morning  demanding universal public  distributuon system,  providing of 35 kg of rice at  2 rupees, and right to food secuirty etc. During the dharna   Samjadi Party  leader Mulyam Singh  joined  them. 
 
The  Mps raised slogan like 'No priority no general we demand  universal  public distribution system", 'provides  35 KG of food grains at a maximum rate of two rupees a kilo per family per month,' 'implement the recommendations of  Swaminthan committee with  regard to minimum support rice', 'withdraw future trading in foodgrains," "Scrap the planning commissions. highly dubious povery estimates". etc 
 
This dhara was described by the leaders  of  the left members of parliament as ongoing stuggle which  the left parties is carrying out outside the parliament. After a month long  block level, district level  campaign on these issues in the month of July, as the call of the left leaders a five day dhara was held at jantar mantar in national capital from 30th july to  3rd August. On  4th August a delegation of left parties comprising of Prakah Karat, Sudhar Reedy, Debarta  biswas and Aboni Roy (RSP)  met  prime minister Manmohan Singh at his race course residence  and handed over a   memorandum listing their demands.
 
On the last day of the dhara at jantar mantaor on 3rd august the left leaders announced that the struggle will continue and  left mps will raised the issue in the parliament, and Septmber 12 will be observed all over in the country in local, block  district level as  Annasurksha Divas.
 
Today's, dhara was attended by Basudev Acharia, K Karunakaran , Tapan Sen ,Shymal Chakrboarty, Sushmita bauri Jharna Das Baidya etc  Gurudas Das gupta   of CPI, Barun Mukherjee of forward bloc ,Manohar Tirkey (RSP etc. 
 
Later on raising the issue in  zero hour  CPI(M) MP Basudev Acharia  said in  Lok Sabha that  Left Parties organized five-day dharna from 30th July, 2012 to 3rd August, 2012 demanding Food Security Bill which was introduced in this House last year. We do not want it in that form. A fresh Food Security Bill should be brought before this House because this Bill, in the present form, will not provide food security to the entire population of our country. By introducing targeted Public Distribution System, the poor people of our country have been divided into BPL and APL. Now the proposal is to change the nomenclature from BPL and APL to priority and general. This proposed Bill also wants to divide the poor people of our country. Acharia said that One-fourth of our population remain hungry and they go to bed empty stomach. We have one of the highest mal-nutritioned population in the world. The hon. Prime Minister once said that it is a national shame. We have the highest number of women who are suffering from mal-nutrition. He said that they  demanded universalisation of Public Distribution System in place of Targeted Public Distribution System. The entire population should be brought under the Public istribution System. Each family should be provided with 35 kilograms of foodgrains at Rs. 2/- per kilogram of food grains. There are some States where 30 to 35 kilograms of food grains are provided at just Rs. 1/- per kilogram of food grains. In the State of Tamil Nadu it is provided free of cost. In the proposed Food Security Bill, there is a provision of distribution of 25 kilograms of foodgrains at Rs. 3/- per kilogram has been proposed. We demand universal Public Distribution System should be introduced. Farmers also should get remunerative prices for their grains as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Now, the MSP being provided to farmers does not meet their production costs. The prices of fertilizers have been increased by 100 per cent. The prices of seeds and other agricultural inputs have been increased. When there is an increase of 40 per cent, the corresponding increase in MSP is just 13 per cent during the Kharif season. So, we demand that the right to food security of our people should be protected and the proposed Food Security Bill should be adequately amended. Universal Public Distribution System should be introduced and each family should be provided with 35 kilograms of foodgrains at Rs. 2/-. We demand that the poor people of our country should be provided with food security.,he added He was supported:  R. Thamaraiselvan (DMK) Maheswar Hazari (Janta Dal-United), Sk. Saidul Haque ,CPI(M), Shivkumar Udasi (BJP),T.K.S.Elangovan ,((DMK), Nama Nageswar Rao ,(TDP),Hukumdev Narain Yadav (BJP),P. Lingam ,(CPI),. Susmita Bauri ,(CPI-M), Nripendranath Roy ,(Forward BLOc)Bhudeo Choudhary ,(Janatadal-united),. Rama Devi ,(BJP Baidyanath Prasad Mahato (Janata Dal-United. Ashwamedh Devi (Janata dal), 
 
In rajya sabha the matter was brought ot the notice of the house by  Prasanta  Chatterjee.