AUGUST 2020 Rs.15
CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) The Pledge of July 28
28 July, 2020 marks the 48th anniversary of the martyrdom of Comrade Charu Mazumdar, founder General Secretary of CPI(ML). It also marks the 46th anniversary of the reorganization of the party after the initial setback suffered by our movement and the party in the early 1970s. On this historic occasion, we pay our revolutionary tribute to Comrade Charu Mazumdar and all the martyrs and departed leaders of our Party and the Indian communist movement. We resolve to carry forward their unfinished mission and fulfil their dreams of a truly free and democratic India.
In his last message to the Party, Comrade Charu Mazumdar had asked his Charu Mazumdar comrades to keep the Party alive and uphold and serve the interests of the people as the only interest of the Party. The call to serve the interests of the people is particularly relevant in today’s critical situation when the people of India are faced with the combined challenges of the Covid19 pandemic and the coercive and disastrous lockdown imposed by the Modi government. We resolve to face these challenges with all our courage and serve the people with all our might.
Taking advantage of the lockdown, the Modi government has unleashed a total war on the Indian people and the Indian Constitution and democracy. All our resources are being subjected to unbridled corporate plunder and all our rights are being snatched away one after another, thus weakening our country in every possible way. On top of it, the government is abdicating every responsibility to guarantee even essential goods and services for the people, leaving the people to fend for themselves, and calling it most hypocritically atmanirbharta or self-reliance. We resolve to defeat every fascist design to sow hatred and division among the people, weaken the country and destroy our Constitution and democracy.
Braving the life-threatening challenges of Covid19, the working people of India, especially all those working on the front of public health and other essential services, continue to discharge their duties. We salute their dedication and sacrifice. Many of our intellectuals and activists are currently languishing in jail under fabricated charges and draconian laws. We demand immediate unconditional release of all these political prisoners.
Defying the Modi government’s despotic design, more and more sections of Indian people are rallying in struggles for survival with human dignity and democratic rights. We support all these just struggles and resolve to build broader solidarities around them to raise the level of people’s unity and democratic awakening and assertion. People awakened and united will never be defeated. We resolve to march forward on the basis of the unity and assertion of the people to defeat the fascist threat and win all our rights.
At a time when many of India’s opposition parties are vacillating, capitulating and colluding with the fascist forces, CPI(ML) has been playing its role in the forefront of democratic resistance with the courage and consistency that are the hallmarks of our revolutionary legacy and identity. We are proud of this revolutionary communist legacy and resolve to strengthen it with all our energy and painstaking work and with the vibrancy and power of our organization. Strengthen the CPI(ML) to serve the people better! Strengthen the CPI(ML) to make the people’s movement stronger! editorial
The Pledge of Independence Day 2020: Freedom from Fascism
ugust is India’s month of Instead of days we are now about Aindependence. This year to complete twenty-one weeks, and New Series Vol. 26 No. 4 as India celebrates the seventy while the figures are escalating AUGUST 2020 third anniversary of the country’s exponentially, Modi’s words have CONTENTS independence, the celebrations dried up. The PM now hardly talks are however bound to be about the Covid19 epidemic; he COMMENTARY unprecedentedly muted. Not just has moved on with his new found The Vikas Dubey Phenomenon...... 5 because of the mandatory restriction formula of treating the crisis as a Saffronising CBSE Curriculum...... 6 on assemblies of people and the series of opportunities. And the Political Crisis in Rajasthan ...... 8 physical distance that citizens are ‘opportunities’ are already being COVER FEATURE expected to maintain as part of the used to the hilt, in the economy as One Year of Kashmir Caged...... 10 Covid19 preventive protocols, but well as in the political arena. FEATURE more because of the dark clouds Coal blocks are being auctioned, Delhi Riots Revisited...... 19 of gloom and uncertainty on our private trains are being introduced, ARTICLE everyday sky. True, Covid19 is a labour laws are being suspended, The Communal Is Anti-National...... 24 global pandemic, but the disaster agricultural marketing is being SPECIAL REPORT resulting from the combination of handed over to private players. Survey of Migrant Workers...... 30 Covid19 and a totally ill-planned, While the whole world is feeling the IN-DEPTH massively mismanaged and cruelly need for effective state intervention, Sanitation Workers...... 35 enforced lockdown is almost especially socialization of Three Agrarian Ordinances...... 37 exclusively India’s own. healthcare, the Modi government is Microfinance Institutions...... 39 Eight months into the Covid19 busy abdicating the responsibilities Tyranny of Rent...... 42 pandemic, much of the world has of the state and pushing through EIA Under Attack...... 46 more or less contained the spread indiscriminate privatization in every and overcome the worst phase of sector of the economy. And in a EDITOR-IN-CHIEF the shock wave. The pandemic most audacious mockery of ideas, Dipankar Bhattacharya reached India relatively late, but the Modi government is trying to EDITOR Arindam Sen little use was made of the time we sell this combination of abdication EDITORIAL BOARD got to plan and prepare for it, and of state responsibilities and Kavita Krishnan the spread of the virus has gone on corporate takeover as a campaign V. Shankar to become more exponential with for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ or self- Sanjay Sharma every passing week. Together with reliant India. Editors' e-mail: [email protected] the US and Brazil, India is now in the Alongside this aggressive Art: V Arun Kumar driving seat of this global pandemic. privatization drive we see relentless MANAGER Incidentally, these are the three weaponisation of the lockdown to Prabhat Kumar countries that currently have most persecute dissenting voices and Phone: 7042877713 rabidly rightwing authoritarian activists of people’s movements. Website: www.cpiml.net E-mail: [email protected] regimes that shun all sensible While the NPR project has had 44 pages including covers advice and follow the impulses, to be temporarily stalled because whims and hubris of their despotic of the epidemic, the government Annual Subscription Rates heads. is systematically harassing and India Rs. 150 When the Modi government arresting leading activists of Abroad US$ 30 belatedly woke up to the Covid19 the anti-CAA movement, even Send M.O. or Bank Draft challenge, PM Modi thought implicating them in a most sinister in favour of he could deal with it with a few fashion in the Delhi riots. Like the LIBERATION PUBLICATIONS theatrical speeches and events, Bhima-Koregaon attack on Dalits, Payable at Delhi to calling it a battle of Mahabharata the Delhi riots, in which innocent U-90 SHAKARPUR, DELHI 110 092 to be won in twenty-one days. Muslims bore the brunt of the
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 3 editorial carnage, too are being stood upside challenge more intractable is the destabilizing opposition-led state down to turn it into a grand witch- Modi government’s growing foreign governments and stoking Hindu hunt of students, intellectuals and policy fiasco. The government sentiment around the construction human rights activists. always goes out of its way to of Ram temple in Ayodhya. In In August last year, the Modi appease America and Israel, even the middle of the epidemic and government had unilaterally though the US policy of global lockdown restrictions banning deactivated Article 370 and robbed domination and anti-immigrant all religious assemblies, Modi is Jammu and Kashmir not just of its hostility has increasingly adverse constitutional autonomy but also implications for India’s own now reportedly going to lay the of its statehood. The coup was interests. And Modi’s biggest foreign foundation stone of the proposed enforced on the ground through a policy failure lies in India’s growing Ram temple in Ayodhya on 5 massive and blanket crackdown isolation from and antagonism with August, exactly a year since the – internet and mobile telephony the whole range of neighbouring Modi government had stripped were shut down, leaders including Kashmir of its constitutional status former chief ministers were all put The spirit of independence and statehood. The Sangh-BJP under house arrest and the people had guided India towards establishment clearly wants to were effectively all locked down as abolition of landlordism the state saw an unprecedented mark August 5 as its special day of military deployment. More legal and the princely states, victory over India’s Constitution and and policy changes have been nationalization of strategic its promise of a secular democratic introduced since then in a brazen industries and services republic. attempt to change the demography and creation of a powerful The battle between the two of India’s only Muslim-majority public sector, and the visions of India – the vision of state. quest for a foreign policy liberty, equality, fraternity and Initially the move had some justice upheld in the Preamble to support within Jammu and Ladakh, free from imperialist the Constitution and the conspiracy but over this last one year the dictates. Under the Modi- of turning India into a Hindu support has all but disappeared Shah regime, we now see Rashtra which in Dr Ambedkar’s and disillusionment, anger and an alarming reversal on all prophetic words would be the alienation are now writ large these scores. all over Jammu and Kashmir. greatest calamity for India – is Compounding India’s Kashmir now out in the open. The spirit of crisis is the growing transformation countries. India’s problems are independence had guided India no longer limited to the ‘traditional of the Ladakh LAC with China as towards abolition of landlordism and a zone of continuing tension and rivalry’ with Pakistan; India now the princely states, nationalization friction. The LOC with Pakistan and has problems with Afghanistan, of strategic industries and services the LAC with China both becoming Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and even and creation of a powerful public simultaneously tense can only be a Nepal, the only other Hindu-majority national security nightmare for New country in the world. The anti-Nepal sector, and the quest for a foreign Delhi and this is precisely what the tirade of India’s dominant electronic policy free from imperialist dictates. Modi government has landed India and print media, and the shocking Under the Modi-Shah regime, in. In the Galwan valley clash with humiliation meted out to Nepalese we now see an alarming reversal China, India has already suffered citizens in Modi’s own constituency on all these scores. In the face the worst casualties since 1967, Varanasi can only vitiate India’s ties of this grave danger, the people with Nepal. and by all accounts the mutual of India will have to return to the disengagement and pullback has Faced with growing failure trails blazed by the likes of Bhagat only pushed the LAC further quite a on economic and foreign policy Singh and Dr Ambedkar and take few kilometers into the Indian side. fronts and completely rattled The situation is certainly not going by the Covid19 epidemic, the India to the destination of a vibrant to be resolved by the stubborn Modi government now once people’s democracy marked by denial of the Modi government. again desperately seeks to divert economic independence and social What makes India’s China the attention of the people by equality.q
4 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) commentary
The Vikas Dubey Phenomenon: Criminal-Police-Politician Nexus and Encounter Raj Imperil the Rule of Law in Uttar Pradesh
Dipankar Bhattacharya
he Vikas Dubey episode likely to be a helpless innocent criminals like Vikas Dubey draw Tmarks more than yet another citizen belonging to Dalits and their strength from close links with entry in the lengthening list of other oppressed castes or the both politicians and police. In fact, ‘encounter’ killings in Uttar Pradesh. Muslim community, with cases Vikas Dubey’s political links with It illustrates key principles of the posthumously added to justify the BJP, and previously with the dominant model of statecraft in the killing, and certainly not one BSP, have been quite well known. A today’s India and explains some of those hardened ‘most wanted’ photo of Vikas Dubey with UP Law important basics of what is popularly criminals who continue to operate Minister Brajesh Pathak has now called the criminal-police-politician freely just as Vikas Dubey was gone viral on social media. Indeed, nexus. It points to a new level doing till his surrender and eventual when we talk about criminalization of criminalization of politics, and elimination in an alleged encounter. of politics or the criminal-police- crisis and collapse of constitutional The UP government is so smug politician nexus, we must never governance. about its encounter policy that it did forget the commanding role that First, we had the stunning not at all try to hide the obviously politics plays in the nexus. ambush of a police raiding team in fake nature of the encounter script In a different political milieu a Kanpur village on the intervening dished out by the police to ‘explain’ Yogi Adityanath himself might night of 2-3 July, which made Vikas Dubey’s death. The same smugness well be in jail for all the serious Dubey a household name beyond could be seen in the composition criminal cases that he as Chief the badlands of Uttar Pradesh. The of the special investigation team Minister has now exempted himself scale and manner of the ambush (SIT) set up to probe the killing. from. While his government always demolished several myths about DIG J. Ravinder Goud, part of flaunts its ‘encounter’ figures, it the Yogi Adityanath regime of Uttar the three-member SIT, is himself should also be noted that it has Pradesh. The Yogi regime of UP charged with a fake encounter of stopped almost all cases pertaining has adopted ‘encounter killings’ as a young medicine dealer Mukul to the Muzaffarnagar communal a state policy and showcases them Gupta of Bareilly in 2007. Despite carnage. Well known BJP leaders as the biggest achievement of the an order issued by the Allahabad like MPs Sanjeev Balyan and government. In 2019, soon after High Court on August 26, 2014 for Bharatendra Singh, MLAs Sangeet the Supreme Court termed the UP a CBI probe into the encounter, Som and Umesh Malik, Minister encounters a “very serious issue”, successive UP governments have Suresh Rana and Sadhvi Prachi the UP government paraded them not sanctioned the prosecution have all benefited from this official as Republic Day publicity. of the charge-sheeted policemen amnesty. We have seen the same The very fact that even and in April 2015, Mukul Gupta’s thing happen earlier in Gujarat or after more than five thousand parents who had petitioned the High happening, for that matter, right encounters including more than a Court for the CBI probe were also now in Delhi where BJP leaders hundred encounter killings under murdered. With such an approach like Kapil Mishra are being spared Adityanath’s stewardship, a criminal to investigation, no wonder all the despite the strongest of evidence. like Vikas Dubey could ambush encounter killings in UP have till If criminals prove dispensable a police team exposes the utter now been found justified. Now beyond a point, as has been hollowness of the claimed ‘efficacy’ the government has announced a demonstrated by the treatment of this Encounter Raj. In fact, apart one-man judicial probe, but with finally meted out to Vikas Dubey, from the utter illegality of the serial the ambush being clubbed with the who many believe was tricked into encounter killings, commentators encounter, the probe will obviously surrendering in Madhya Pradesh have also pointed to the skewed be more into the former than the before being eliminated in Uttar social nature of the encounters. latter. Pradesh, police officials too are A typical encounter victim is more It goes without saying that treated differently depending on
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 5 commentary their utility and loyalty to the subjected to compulsory early the real extent and nature of the political rulers. In the case of retirement. ongoing criminalization, driven Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh The BJP used to describe Bihar primarily by feudal-communal forces who was lynched in Bulandshahar, under the RJD or Uttar Pradesh blessed by the Sangh brigade and we can already see the accused are under the SP as ‘jungle raj’. For long targeted against oppressed social all out on bail and have been duly they have been using the metaphor groups and opposition political felicitated by the BJP. The system of ‘crime’ or criminalization of forces. In Uttar Pradesh, this feudal- has different standards for the politics as a defining feature to communal criminalization and the Vanzaras and the Davinder Singhs discredit the post-Mandal political state policy of encounter killings who continue to be rewarded rise of backward castes. Today, are posing a lethal challenge to the and protected even after being in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh very notion of rule of law and the caught on the wrong foot than we can see a huge escalation of edifice of justice. We have seen for the likes of Sanjiv Bhatt who crime and terror under the rule of the ominous implications of this languishes in jail or Amitabh Kumar BJP/NDA. The self-congratulatory pattern in Gujarat. If Uttar Pradesh Das (the Bihar cadre IPS who claims of ‘good governance’ stand and Bihar too follow this Gujarat exposed powerful Bihar politicians completely demolished on the model, rule of law will disintegrate for their links with Ranveer Sena ground even though the dominant into institutionalized lawlessness or with mafia dons) who has been media continues to underplay and anarchy. q Saffronised Slashing of CBSE Curriculum
Vertika Mani Tripathi
n the wake of the extraordinary democratic rights; role of diversity globalisation, and print culture in Isituation created by the ongoing in our democracy or the challenges today’s world. Literature, both Hindi pandemic, loss of teaching and to our democracy, all of these have and English have parts that have been lockdown, the Central Board of been removed. Students will, now, done away with including sections Secondary Education (CBSE) was no longer be required to learn from Amartya Sen’s Argumentative advised to revise the curriculum concepts of federalism, citizenship, Indian (English) and Vishnu Khare’s so as to reduce the course load nationalism and secularism. They all ‘Charlie Chaplin yaani hum sab’, and for the students of from class 9 to have been completely deleted from Bhishma Sahni’s ‘Gandhi, Nehru aur class 12. Though the syllabus was the curriculum. Also are excluded Yasser Arafat’ (Hindi). slightly revised in April 2020 as well, lessons on colonialism and the NCERT also dropped the portion on July 7, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal understanding of the Partition in the on separatist politics in Jammu and 'Nishank', the HRD minister, took subject of History. Other topics like Kashmir. It has instead added the to twitter to announce the decision understanding gender, religion and scrapping of Article 370, which gave to rationalize the sylla-bus by up caste, popular struggles and new the erstwhile state of Jammu and to 30%, while retaining the core social movements in the country and Kashmir special status, under the topic concepts. Consequently, the CBSE India’s relationship with its neighbours “Regional Aspirations” in the syllabus reduced the syl-labus of classes 9 including Pakistan, Bangladesh, of class 12. to 12 with the suggestions of NCERT Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar are for the same. The deleted part of the also no longer a part of the curriculum. In Furtherance of syllabus would not be considered Similarly, the deductions in other Sangh’s Ideology for Internal Assessments or for the subjects include- demonetisation, Board exams. ‘Core Concepts’, economic development in India, The fact that the idea of Secularism however, were to be retained. and the planning commis-sion; which is integral to the soul of our nation The idea of ‘core’ concepts for chapters related to forests and and its consti-tution has been omitted the present government, however, natural resources (water, mineral by the government is the part of the seems questionable. Appar-ently, and energy), deforesta-tion, climate larger picture where the Gov-ernment understanding of democracy change in the arena of Environmental is acting as a tool for the furtherance of doesn’t form a substantive part of studies and the phenomena of the ideology of its Parent Organisation, the curriculum. Whether it is our Modern world like industrialisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
6 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) commentary
RSS has always played an active role portion said “One strand of separatists poets are being put behind bars in imparting Hindu parochialist beliefs [who] want a separate Kashmiri Nation, for their work which defends Pro- to children admitted in its shakhas independent of India and Pakistan. gressive values. Removing Vishnu from a very early age. The children Besides these, there is a third strand, Khare’s ‘Charlie Chaplin Yaani Hum here are trained to hate the idea of which wants greater autonomy for the Sab’ which talks about Chaplin’s view secularism that has been enshrined people of the state within the Indian against the capitalists, selections in the Constitution. They are taught Union. However the revised portion from Amartya Sen’s Argumentative about cultural supremacy and unity says “Jammu and Kashmir had a Indian, which talks of our identity, needed to fight other religions on special status under Article 370 of the history and traditional public debates, differ-ent platforms. Any idea which Indian Constitution. However, in spite from the current syllabus can is a is not in agreement with the Sangh of it, the region witnessed violence, reflection of the mindset which tries ideology is touted to be western in its cross-border terrorism and political to curb the spirit of dissent and origin. Naturally, it is perceived as a instability with exter-nal and internal debate in every sphere. But we can threat to the cultural aspirations of ramifications. The article resulted only wonder if the present generation the Hindus. The Sangh believes in in the loss of many lives, including will ever understand the nuances Hindu militancy as opposed to the that of innocent civilians, security in the arenas such as media and idea of Indian, which has its roots personnels and militants. Besides, democracy, which could not even in multiculturalism, co-existence, there was also a large scale dis- make it to the list of core concepts. and inclusiveness. Similarly, the placement of Kashmiri pandits from The social and indigenous young minds at the shakha are also the Kashmir valley”, it read. movements like the Chipko made to believe in the idea of Hindu The revised portion replacing movement, the peasants’ movement parochialism which is diametrically the above section merely says “On and that of the Dalits and Adivasis opposed to the idea of patriotism August 5, 2019, Parliament had which were already underrepresented that our freedom fighters believed approved a resolution abrogating in the curriculum have now been in, which has its strength in its special status to J&K under Article completely removed. Altering the heterogeneity and secular principles. 370 of the constitu-tion. The state was syllabus and omitting such popular Consequently, be it the concept of bifurcated into two Union territories - strug-gles of marginalized sections democratic rights or the ideas such Ladakh with no legislative assem-bly further marginalizes them. It leads as secularism and nationalism, all and J&K with one”. This is nothing but a to loss of a nuance in the ed-ucation had to be removed from the cur-rent deliberate attempt to erase the history which is needed to look at our past syllabus. of people of Kashmir itself. as well as the present. The Government has also chosen Reflective of the All said, we can find hope in the not to teach our next generation about fact that the reduction in the Syllabus colonialism and the freedom struggle Present times is just for this aca-demic year. leading to Partition, a struggle which It is a fact now that the Indian State Recently, CBSE Secretary Anurag the RSS at that time chose not to be has been treating its minorities like Tripathi said that the deleted topic will a part of, lest the youth gets aware second-class citizens maligning the be cov-ered in ‘Alternative Academic of the hollowness of Sangh’s so- idea of plurality. Recent steps like Calendar’ which is already in force in called patriotism. In such cases, the the Citizenship Amendment Act and the schools affiliated to the board. In central board of Secondary Education the ab-rogation of Article 370 have the above context, we need to raise skipping on such chapters speaks a dealt a severe blow to the concepts our voice otherwise these changes lot about their plans for the children of secularism and federalism. The might turn out to be a permanent. I of the nation. present is also a witness to the quote a deleted passage from Amartya Erasing Facts And arrest of Indian journalists under Sen’s Argumentative Indian, “Ancient India cannot be fitted into the narrow Context About Kashmir the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), thus box where the Hindutva activists want The revision of the chapter ‘Politics threatening press freedom. This to incarcerate it.” To this I want to add in India since Independence’, the poses a challenge to the idea of that neither will modern India be fitted exclusion of the topic of ‘Separatism democracy as such. Dissent is being in this narrow box where the forces and Beyond’ is silencing the voices rampantly criminalised. Journalists, guided by Hindutva agenda want to of the people of Kashmir. The deleted students, and even octogenarian imprison it. q
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 7 commentary
Remembering Pranab Da and the Durgapur 'Steel Melting Shop'
Dipankar Bhattacharya
26 July marks the the repressive reign of SS Ray. second death anniversary What was the source of this tenacity and adaptability? To of Comrade Pranabda Comrade Pranabda and his generation, these were quintessential (Dhurjati Prasad Bakshi). communist qualies, something they picked up early on as basics The tireless revolutionary of the ML movement, core values of the Naxalbari tradition, and whose Naxalbari-inspired grew up with these qualities as part of their basic communist journey had begun education. Shedding every bit of intellectual arrogance and during his student days individualist conduct, getting integrated with the people and in Durgapur Regional practising stubborn perseverance as the key to victory - these Engineering College in were principles that they learnt to live. the late 1960s finally fell The close interaction between the Durgapur RE College student to cancer two years ago. movement and the Durgapur Steel Plant working class movement In March 2018 we had our was the crucible that churned out a large number of communist Tenth Party Congress in revolutionaries from among both engineering students and steel Mansa, Punjab. True to his plant workers. With their characteristic tenacity and discipline, and organiser instinct and training, Comrade Pranabda was the first courage and initiative, they played such a key role in rebuilding the central leader from outside Punjab to go and camp in Mansa to CPI(ML) party and movement after the severe setback of the early help Punjab comrades organise the mega event. But we could 1970s. Bhojpur and Bihar added to this the vitality and power of see his flesh had started showing signs of fatigue and after a brief the upsurge of the oppressed and helped CPI(ML) overcome the battle with cancer his long and tireless journey ended on 26 July. setback and strike deep roots in India's social soil. He was an outstanding organiser who could adapt to a whole Today on Pranabda's second death anniversary, let us salute range of difficult situations and forge intimate ties with comrades these communist architects and their tremendous contribution to from diverse backgrounds. Pranabda spent quite a few years in the growth of the CPI(ML). Tributes to four comrades emerging Assam during the turbulent Assam movement period, mastering from this Durgapur 'steel melting shop' - two from the engineering great fluency in the Assamese language and playing a key role college, Comrades Vinod Mishra and Pranabda (DP Bakshi) in the party's expansion in various parts of Assam including the and two from among the vanguard workers, Comrades Analda hill district of Karbi Anglong. In later years, we saw him in a (Sudarshan Basu) and Shantanu Bakshi, who are no more. There similar role in Odisha and Jharkhand. Tenacity and adaptability are many more from this specific background who are still around were two defining qualities of his five-decade-old communist and working with all their strength, and I salute them all without career which also included years in jail in West Bengal during naming them. q
Political Crisis in Rajasthan: Alarming Signals for Indian Democracy
Dipankar Bhattacharya
olatility continues in Rajasthan should really be a matter of greater phase, the Rajasthan toppling game Vabout the future of the state concern is that such a destabilization is being played out at a much more government. We will have to keep bid is going on in the middle of a critical stage when the Covid19 figures watching the developments in raging epidemic when the entire focus are rapidly escalating in India and Rajasthan High Court and State should be on saving the state and the Rajasthan remains one of the worst Assembly to know whether the people from the scourge of the novel affected states. government is able to weather the coronavirus. If the regime-change What happened earlier in Madhya storm. Regardless of the eventual in Madhya Pradesh badly affected Pradesh and is happening now in outcome of the present crisis, what India’s Covid19 response in the initial Rajasthan is part of an ominous trend
8 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) commentary that is threatening to become axiomatic With the rise of Narendra Modi are all products of dynasties. It has in the Modi era. The BJP-ruled Centre at the Centre, the use of big money even inducted part of the Gandhi- has made a habit of toppling opposition- in politics has reached an altogether Nehru family by accommodating the ruled governments in state after state new high in India. The public display Sanjay Gandhi legacy. The self-styled and it has acquired mastery in this of the intimacy of big corporate houses ‘party with a difference’ has made itself game. It is being done so routinely as with the Modi dispensation also beats all too hospitable for turncoats from the to send out a message to the electorate all previous records. Yet the flow Congress or other opposition parties. that there is no point in electing a non- of big money into politics has been Indeed, we should acknowledge the BJP non-NDA government. After trying rendered totally opaque, anonymous fact that much of the political barriers it out in small northeastern states and and unaccountable. Even the Election that existed historically between in states like Goa, the BJP has gone Commission of India expressed serious the Congress and the BJP have on to overturn or capture governments concerns about the implications of become rather porous and ineffective, in big states like Bihar, Karnataka and the Electoral Bonds and subsequent if not redundant, with the rise of the Madhya Pradesh. There are reports changes in the Finance Act, Income BJP as the dominant political force of destabilization attempts going on in Tax Act and Representation of People and the growing rightward shift Jharkhand too. In Bihar the BJP colluded Act whereby donations from even and ‘normalization’ of the Sangh- with incumbent CM Nitish Kumar to foreign sources would be untraceable hijack an emphatic anti-BJP mandate as parties do not have to report about BJP version of Hindutva or Hindu of the people, in Madhya Pradesh it donations received via these bonds. supremacist nationalism. trapped Jyotiraditya Scindia, and in It should be noted that 95% of the Regardless of the denouement of Rajasthan, it is banking on Sachin Pilot, payments through electoral bonds till the Rajasthan crisis, two conclusions former Deputy CM and PCC chief. date have accrued to the BJP. With are quite evident. The Tenth Schedule The BJP has normalised horse- the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic anti-defection law has proved to be trading to such an extent that no the Modi government immediately fairly ineffective in checking defection. questions are being asked about its launched the PM-Cares fund and We have seen numerous ways in which periodic raids on elected opposition placed it beyond the ambit of public MLAs and MPs have played around the governments, engineering of wholesale audit and accountability. It will be no provisions of the anti-defection law. defections and acquisition of opposition surprise if it turns out that the money The law basically treats defection only MLAs at exorbitant rates. These are accumulated in the name of Covid relief as a violation of party loyalty. Defection just considered routine expeditions of ended up being diverted to fund the must primarily be seen as a violation the emperor and continuing expansion purchase of MLAs and destabilisation of an elected representative’s contract of the BJP empire that we must marvel of the Rajasthan government. with the electorate. Hence the law at. Look at the whole discussion over The other question that needs to must provide not only for mandatory Rajasthan. It is being seen as a just be discussed is how come Congress resignation of all defectors but also revolt by Sachin Pilot, and as a failure leaders and MLAs are finding it so disqualification from holding public of the Congress to retain its MLAs or easy and comfortable to migrate to offices or contesting elections for a even a ploy of the Congress to purge the BJP. The discussion in the media period of at least six years. The other the party of potential challengers to revolves around the lack of internal important conclusion is ideological. the Gandhi-Nehru family leadership. democracy in the Congress, the control If Indian democracy has to be saved From the purported audio tapes of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty and from becoming a predominantly one- and confessions of MLAs to the the lack of reward for performance party system, ideological-political deployment of top pro-BJP lawyers of young leaders. The BJP with the to fight the legal battle for Pilot, the tight and shadowy control of the RSS contestation must be strengthened and involvement of the BJP is all too and the ever growing domination of the effective ideological counter to the palpable. And if Pilot’s toppling bid is the Modi-Shah duo and complete growing rightward drift and domination successful, the alternative government marginalization of the rest of the can only come from a powerful Left is anyway going to be effectively a BJP leadership is certainly no better option resurgence. The growing assault on government, BJP-backed if not BJP- than the Congress on these scores. the lives and liberties of large sections led. Yet there is hardly any discussion The BJP still grills the Congress in the of the Indian people is surely creating in the dominant media about the name of the dynasty. But the leaders it new potential for a renewed rise of the obscenity of the BJP’s power game at is increasingly promoting within its own Left as a bulwark of democracy. The this hour of grave national crisis. ranks or borrowing from the Congress Left must rise to the occasion.q
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 9 cover feature One Year Of Kashmir Caged
On August 5 in 2019, the Modi regime abrogated Article 370 and stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood, placing the Kashmir valley under a cruel lockdown. Liberation has invited intellectuals and activists of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh to look back at the past year and tell our readers about what the people there are facing.
One year of Kashmir's buried special status: Lost maps and chained memories
Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
ational Council of Educational its own democratic commitments sense of unique identity, forbidding NResearch and Training by chaining the very people Indians from outside the state to (NCERT) has just deleted a section who should have participated settle and get government jobs. of chapter on ‘Regional Aspirations’ in the decision of their future, That was until last year. in Class 12th Political Science text- for the inhabitants the journey The most visible fallout of the book. The deleted portions tracing of an exponential loss began, diluted and degraded status of Kashmir’s separatist politics, briefly their identity diluted and the Kashmir is that while its hereditary sketching the complex dynamics of road paved for their consistent residents will lose their exclusive separatism, intra-state politics and disempowerment – politically, rights over jobs and ownership of urges for peace, is now gone. This economically and socially. The land, its degradation from a state will be replaced by a chapter on the flaunted benefit is the equal status of India to a Union Territory, which voiding of Article 370 and the re- that Indian citizens will get in brings it under the direct control organisation of the state describing the region after integrating ‘J&K’ of the union government, forbids it as a step towards inclusion of fully into the Indian Union while the local political leadership Indian citizens in stakes in Jammu its people are reduced to lesser from exercising its agency. This and Kashmir (J&K). On August 5, citizens as part of the new rules of empowers the Indian government 2019, the Indian government de- engagement. to legislate, amend, scrap any operationalised Article 370, which Until 2019, Jammu & Kashmir law without consulting the constitutionally linked Kashmir was governed by both the Indian representatives of the people to India and also guaranteed its constitution and its own state and alter the life of the people in autonomy, and bifurcated the state constitution, giving the region many ways. In less than a year, into two union territories, robbing the powers to decide its own the government has already it both of its special status and its matters, barring on three subjects made more than 100 central statehood. – communication, foreign affairs laws applicable to the region and One year on, the project of and defence. From 1950s onwards revoked or tweaked 100 other J&K systemic erasure of J&K in multiple the Indian government began to laws that are aimed to encourage ways, including the eclipse of its water down Article 370 from 1953 a demographic influx aimed at not map, politics, economy, society through a slew of amendments with only altering the Muslim majority and even the memory of as it the concurrence of its own backed status of the erstwhile state existed, is still on. puppet regimes in the state and but also depriving its previous What democratic purpose did through excessive manipulation permanent residents of jobs, with the political and legal alterations, of the state’s politics including the relaxed nature of domicile law, effected by stealth and in defiance deposing governments and even and ending their privileges to own of constitutional requirements, jailing the local popular rulers. land and invest in business. while integrating the disputed By 1970s, Article 370 remained Already, all the stone quarrying region into the largest liberal a hollow shell as a symbol of and sand mining contracts have democracy of the world achieve? pretense of democracy, while it gone mostly to outsiders and it As the Indian state hollowed out also bestowed to Kashmiris a is feared that Kashmir’s natural
10 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) cover feature resources may be lost to similarly the increasing number of petitions by the ideology of transforming skewed bidding processes, as for bail and habeas corpus pleas. a secular, socialist republic traditional local bidders neither had Not to be missed is the into a Hindu nation embarks the money-power, technological psychological impact of Article 370 on a hasty project to bring in superiority nor the internet access abrogation. The collective sense nation-wide laws like Citizenship to compete. The almost nine times of injury, loss, trauma, humiliation Amendment Act and National increase in the bids and investment and impotency has pushed the Register of Citizens that reduce of machinery will increase the people of the region, already India’s minorities, particularly costs for local consumers, shrink carrying the weight of 73 years Muslims, to secondary citizens. jobs and denude the ecology of armed conflict, to the brink, The Kashmir project that appealed owing to business models based engendering not only despair but to the majoritarian sensibilities on crass greed. also rage which could find violent of Indians has emboldened the The Indian government expression. Coupled with India’s desire for that project, the brutal continues to maintain its firm grip increasingly hostile relations with on the region through exercise of its neighbours – Pakistan and methods employed to scuttle the brute military power and imposition China – which are inadvertent campaigns by criminalizing CAA of restrictions, torpedoing the party to the historic dispute, this opponents while treating the hate fundamental rights of the Kashmiris could have dangerous geopolitical speeches of the Hindu right-wing in the name of ‘integration’ and repercussions. with kids gloves are also inspired ‘national interest’. While media The biggest casualty, however, by Kashmir’s dismal human rights remains gagged and a method has been the weakening and track record. of censorship set in place in the destruction of Indian democracy By integrating a land, and not form of Media Policy 2020 that and its liberal asymmetric its people, India has made a tryst empowers bureaucrats to judge federalism with fears that Kashmir with a destiny that is poised to take any word as ‘anti-national’ or fake could become a testing laboratory a dangerous turn. q and press criminal charges, the for rest of the country, as the right- (Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal is a judiciary feels compelled to ignore wing Indian government inspired senior Jammu-based journalist.) Kashmir Domicile Law: Incremental Dispossession, Statelessness and Displacement
Mirza Saaib Bég
n absence of any representative Certificate (procedure) rules, 2020. of citizens who are now eligible Igovernment in Jammu and These rules provide a fast-track for domicile certificates which are Kashmir, the Indian government procedure for issuance of Kashmiri mandatory for admission in schools has exercised undiluted and direct domicile certificates, within 15 days, and employment opportunities control in the region through a to Indian citizens. The sense of in Jammu and Kashmir: Indian bureaucratic administration since urgency to legalise the occupation citizens who 2018. One year ago, the Indian of land is further underscored in the (a) have resided in Jammu and government unilaterally abrogated new rules since non-compliance Kashmir for a period of 15 Article 370 and scrapped the with the time frame attracts a years, or b statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, penalty of Rs. 50,000 from the (b) have studied in Jammu and salary of an errant officer. ending the autonomous status of Kashmir for a period of 7 years, These rules create new classes the region. In May this year this or administration notifieda the Jammu [b] The Kashmir Wala Staff, “Centre’s J-K (c) have parents who have served domicile law: Fast track process, fine and Kashmir Grant of Domicile for delays, non-locals eligible”, https:// in Jammu and Kashmir for 10 [a] Peerzada Ashiq,“J&K notifies amended thekashmirwalla.com/2020/05/centres-j- years domicile certificate rules,” The Hindu, k-domicile-law-fast-track-process-fine-for- The domicile certificate https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jk- delays-non-locals-eligible/?fbclid=IwAR1hHU notifies-amended-domicile-certificate-rules/ 35FiloNYdxEzMQ_QAeu_BtQByagxgc9AIH_ has been made mandatory for article31617453.ece ulz7ILljEBC-eTOuVs employment in Kashmir following
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 11 cover feature amendmentsc in the Jammu and has never lived in Kashmir, but the residency revocation as a punitive Kashmir Civil Services rules. child of a diasporic Kashmiri may measure against Palestinians. The Eligible Indian citizens will also not be eligible if the parent does revocation of residency forms part be granted the right to purchase not possess an existing certificate of a widespread and systematic immovable property in Kashmir. of residence. policy to transfer the protected The Domicile Law project drives Palestinian population. Departure from home the message to the people Established Law of Kashmir that nothing, not even Domicile Law and economic collapse, a migrant NRC/CAA The new rules are a major labour crisis and a pandemic, can departure from an established body The designation of “domicile” is prevent the Indian state from doing of historical precedent, law and recognition of being a permanent jurisprudence which recognised what it wants to do in Kashmir. resident in that jurisdiction. the right of Jammu and Kashmir Violation of Geneva Jammu and Kashmir’s Permanent to define its citizens, known as Resident Certificate already “permanent residents”. Through Convention establishes this statutory test for the new rules, with retrospective The rules do not merely grant residence. Therefore, it makes effect, a “permanent resident” has Indians a right of residence in no sense to ask people who are now been replaced with “domicile” Kashmir. They also engineer a already recognised as permanent even though no instrument has situation where Kashmiris must residents to now obtain a certificate ever granted such power to the submit certificate of permanent of domicile. This appears to be a Indian government. The rules residence for verification of circular exercise of re-verification of grant eligibility of domicile to domicile if Kashmiris want the jobs permanent residents in many ways new classesd of Indians including where domicile certificate is similar to the controversial NRC/ migrants, central government now required. The certificate CAA exercise which has already employees, Indian armed forces of permanent residence was a seen hundreds of thousands of e personnel and their children constitutionally valid document people being rendered stateless who meet the eligibility criteria. and has been held by numerous after failing to satisfy the criteria Significantly, there is now no space judgments to be a “conclusive for documentation. for a diaspora Kashmiri, whose proof of residence”. Under the Legislative History parents do not have an existing new rules it merely carries certificate of permanent residence, evidentiary value for residence. It is ironic how some to obtain domicile without living in Therefore, if a Kashmiri fails to sections of Kashmiri Pandits the region for 15 years or serving meet the new criteria, whether by have welcomedfthis legislative the Indian government for 10 years. malice/manipulation or by design development when the existing Effectively the child of an Indian of the new rules, the revocation arrangement of “permanent citizen is eligible, even if the child of residency rights will inevitably residents” was initially made [c] AzaanJ avaid,“Modi govt lead to forcible transfer out of because of their agitation and redefines J&K domicile rule, extends it Kashmir in search of shelter and specifically for the protection to those who have lived in UT for 15 years,” employment. All these initiatives of their interests. The historical The Print, https://theprint.in/india/modi-govt- redefines-jk-domicile-rule-extends-it-to-those- have sparked fears of demographic background to the need to who-have-lived-in-ut-for-15-yrs/392596/ change, militarised settlements, make a distinction between [d] Live Mint Staff, “People from West Pakistan, dispossession and alienation permanent and non-permanent Valmikis to get domicile under new rules by of land in Kashmir. The forcible residents can be traced back J-K admin” Live Mint https://www.livemint. transfers of population may qualify to decades long agitation by com/politics/policy/people-from-west- Kashmiri Pandits against the pakistan-valmikis-to-get-domicile-under-new- as a war crime under the Rome rules-by-j-k-admin-11589851163094.html Statute of the International Criminal hiring of Punjabis in the state [e] Azaan Javaid, “What new J&K domicile Court as well as a grave breach of administration, which eventually rule is and how it impacts residents of the the Fourth Geneva Convention. [f] Peerzada Ashiq, “Kashmiri Pandits welcome union territory”, https://theprint.in/theprint- There are unavoidable parallels amended domicile laws” The Hindu, https:// essential/what-new-jk-domicile-rule-is- www.thehindu.com/news/national/kashmiri- and-how-it-impacts-residents-of-the-union- with Israel which since 1995, pandits-welcome-amended-domicile-laws/ territory/394038/ has been escalating the use of article31645649.ece
12 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) cover feature led to a 1927 law promulgated by Section 6 of the already covered in Section 6 of Maharaja Hari Singh. The 1927 Constitution of J&K the Constitution of Jammu and notificationgsought to provide Kashmir? The answer is that When the Constitution of certain privileges to permanent Article 35A was meant to guard Jammu and Kashmir was against a challenge in an Indian residents, especially in the passed,Part III Section 6i of this court against the protections under purchase of land and employment Constitution retained the power to the Constitution of Jammu and in Jammu and Kashmir. Since define ‘permanent residents’ with Kashmir. In that sense, Article the Dogras had essentially built the state. It is important to note 35A was meant to bind India’s a Hindu state where the nature that the Constituent Assembly of legal machinery from interference of governance and reform were Jammu and Kashmir was not set up by a sanction of the Indian in a right that the Constitution of predominantly Brahmanical, the Constitutionj or of the Government Kashmir has retained for the state protection of the law was mostly of India. It was set up by the State itself. intended for non-Muslims of the itself acting independently of both, region. Muslims were not part of under the Maharaja’s Proclamation A reminder of deceit the popular imagination of reform of May 1, 1951, on the advice For Kashmir, this is just at the time. of Sheikh Abdullah. There is no another reminder that the Indian provision in the Indian Constitution government can alter its position at Article 35A and 1954 under which the Constitution of any point to suit the circumstances. Jammu and Kashmir can cease to Presidential Order Prime Minister Modi had given exist except with the consent and an assurance tol a delegation of In 1954, through a Presidential concurrence of the Constituent members of a pro-India political Order, Article 35Ahof the Assembly of the state. group that interests of J&K Indian Constitution allowed the Therefore, legally speaking, residents would be protected in legislature of the State of Jammu Section 6 will still apply even if Article 35A ceases to exist government jobs and land laws. and Kashmir to define the state’s because Section 6 does not derive However, by these changes, all “permanent residents” and what its validity from Article 35A. Also, eligible Indians can compete distinguishes them. All identified Article 35A, like Article 370, is the against J&K residents for jobs residents are issued a permanent representative of an agreement and benefits indicating how much resident certificate, which entitles between the governments of respect the Indian Prime Minister them to special benefits related Kashmir and India. Article 370 has for pro-India politicians, as to employment, scholarships was the result of the Instrument well as how much he values his and other privileges. But the of Accession and Article 35A own words. represents the Delhi Agreementk biggest advantage for permanent of 1952 between the leaders of Effects of the New residents is that only they have the Kashmir and the Prime Minister of Domicile Law right to own and, therefore, buy, India. property in the state. All those who What purpose does Article 35A 1. While earlier a total of were living in the state as of 14 then serve in the Constitution 480,000 government jobs were only May 1954, when the law came into of India when this position is for permanent residents, the new effect; and had lived in the state for [i] The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, law opens the field for any Indian 1956 http://jklaw.nic.in/the_constitution_of_ citizen who has been living in the 10 years preceding that date, were jammu_and_kashmir_1956.pdf state for a certain period. This is counted as permanent residents. [j] A. G. Noorani, “Threat to Kashmir’s [g] State Subject Definition Notification date Existence,” Greater Kashmir, https://www. especially disconcerting at a time the 20th April, 1927 Legal Document greaterkashmir.com/news/opinion/gk- when the 2016 Economic Survey No. 44 https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/ exclusive-threat-to-kashmirs-existence/ [l] Fayaz Bukhari, “PM assures restoration of countries/india/states/J&K/documents/ [k] The Delhi Agreement, 1952 https://www.satp. Statehood, domicile status to J&K” Daily actsandordinances/State_Subject_Rules.htm org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/J&K/ Excelsior https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/pm- [h] Article 35(a) in The Constitution Of India documents/papers/delhi_agreement_1952. assures-restoration-of-statehood-domicile- 1949 htm status-to-jk/
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 13 cover feature
Reportm had pegged a quarter of The diminution of our rights territory, without our consent. J&K’s population between 18 and is set to increase the levels Given the developments taking 29 as unemployed. of unemploymentn as well as place it is quite likely that the 2. According to a reply by hasten the disenfranchisement Kashmiri landscape will be seeded India’s Ministry of Home Affairs to of Kashmiris while engineering with militarised settlements in a parliamentary panel on February demographic changes. Without a hegemonic fashion, similar 18, 2020, there are over 84,000 domicile status, Kashmiris cannot to Palestine. The implications vacancies in J&K of which 7,552 obtain work in most sectors of can only be calamitous. The vacancies are at the gazetted employment. There are also threat of demographic change, level. So effectively there are only fears that through incremental loss of livelihood and increased 7500 gazetted jobs for a population displacement of rights, Kashmiris competition for scarce resources with 25% unemployment among could also lose benefits of welfare is bound to electrify an already youth and now they are adding schemes for food, health care, incensed population. In any at least 1.5 million people to the children, the elderly and people sensible democracy this situation competition. with disabilities. would be alarming but authoritarian 3. Further, only 30% of land and xenophobic actions seen over in Kashmir is habitable and fit for An Erasure of the last year suggest that Modi’s cultivation. Already as admitted by Kashmir’s History dispensation is neither sensible nor democratic. Kashmiris have the Mehbooba Mufti government, These changes are an erasure long realised that we cannot 20,000 hectares of land are under of Kashmir’s history, and a indulge in the luxury of despair control of the Indian army. So there project in creating homogeneity. and despondency. We need to, is very little habitable land to go Kashmiris were once the State- and will continue to, engage in the around for the new domiciles Subjects of a Princely State. Under persistent labour of resistance and without deforestation in Kashmir. questionable circumstances, hope. q The unplanned influx of Indians we were then made Permanent from outside Kashmir can cause an (Mirza Saaib Bég is a Kashmiri Residents of an autonomous state, lawyer and an alumnus of NALSAR irreparable impact on the ecology pending a plebiscite. Today we are University of Law. He is currently in and livelihood of the people of being made domiciles of a Union the UK to pursue a Master’s in Public Kashmir. [n] Umer Beigh,“Will New Delhi revisit its Policy at the Blavatnik School of [m] Government of J and K, Directorate Of decision of domicile change in J&K?” https:// Government, University of Oxford as Economics and Statistics, “Economic Survey, www.moneycontrol.com/news/kashmir/ a Weidenfeld- Hoffman scholar. Parts 2016” http://ecostatjk.nic.in/ecosurvey/ politics-will-new-delhi-revisit-its-decision-of- of this article have first appeared in Economic%20Survey%202016%20PDF.pdf domicile-change-in-jk-5120591.html the Wire and the Polis Project.) Ladakh: One year after UT Status
Sajjad Hussain Kargili
adakh is strategically very 210 Kms away from Srinagar and opposed any kind of further division Limportant for India because 230 Kms from Leh. on the basis of region, religion and it connects India to Central Asia, For decades Union Territory language. South Asia, China and Pakistan. status for Ladakh was the popular Kargil’s opposition to UT status Historically it was also the centre of demand of Leh district and they for Ladakh was not only because of trade along the Silk Route and also wanted to get separated from its Muslim-majority composition. The known as the gateway from India to Jammu and Kashmir. But the people fact is Kargil is physically dependent Tibet and Central Asia. of Kargil were always opposed on Kashmir. Kargil remains cut off In 1979 Ladakh was divided to the UT idea and the leaders of with the world for six months and into two districts known as Leh and Kargil have always opposed the there is no air connectivity from Kargil. Leh is a Buddhist majority bifurcation or trifurcation of Jammu Kargil to connect with the world district while Kargil is Muslim and Kashmir. The leaders in Kargil during winter. Although there is an majority. Kargil is geographically were demanding greater Ladakh airport in Leh but for many people located between Srinagar and Leh, including Gilgit and Baltistan and air travel is still unaffordable.
14 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) cover feature
For decades, people of Kargil territories. primary membership of BJP “in demanded the construction of People of Leh initially welcomed protest against utter failure of UT Zojilla Tunnel to connect Ladakh the decision and celebrated by administration Ladakh in evacuating with the rest of India. But despite saying that they have achieved passengers, patients, pilgrims, multiple inaugurations and biddings freedom from Kashmir while in and students stranded at different the work has not been started yet. Kargil people observed black day places throughout India.”But this Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and staged a protest. All leaders resignation ‘in protest against utter also inaugurated the Zojila Tunnel of regional parties were detained, failure in evacuation’ was just a project on May 19,2018. If the even former Chief Ministers of the plea. Actually, Ladakhis by and tunnel is constructed It will provide state of Jammu and Kashmir were large are feeling that their future all-weather connectivity between booked under Public Safety Act. is unsafe and people have deep Srinagar, Kargil and Leh and, at Dissenting voices were curbed resentment about growing land and 14.2 km, will also be the country’s and Internet snapped. The entire job insecurity. longest road tunnel. The tunnel will valley was under strict lockdown On May 4, 2020, the Chief cut down the time taken to cross and in Kargil too the space for Executive Councillor of the BJP- the Zojila pass from 3.5 hours at political and social activities shrank led Ladakh Autonomous Hill present to 15 minutes. considerably. Development Council (LAHDC), During the inauguration of the On 31 October 2019, soon after Gyal P Wanyal, along with Zojila Tunnel project, Modi had the government’s announcement, his Deputy Tsering Sandup, said, “The Centre and the state images and videos were beamed executive councillors, and other government are working together on televisions and phones in India councillors held a dharna outside to take the development work of citizens celebrating in Leh, where the residence of Lt Governor R K forward. Today alone there will be a demand for a separate Union Mathur protesting over the delay either inauguration or foundation Territory of Ladakh has existed in evacuation of locals stranded stone laying for projects worth for years. There were barely any elsewhere in the country amid the ₹25,000 crore. This is a testimony images from Kargil town. The two coronavirus lockdown. This was to the Centre’s commitment to the towns are largely divided in their the first protest against the LG development of the state.” But response but what unites them is administration in the UT Ladakh. things have hardly moved in this the shared anxiety about the future Most people are currently in direction. Instead, what followed of the Himalayan region. a state of confusion because was the sudden and unilateral On May 2020, President of Ladakhis have been deprived of announcement on 5 August 2019 by Bharatiya Janata Party, Union political representation. Earlier the Modi government of abrogation Territory of Ladakh, Cherring there were 4 legislative members of Article 370 and division of Dorjay Lakruk resigned from (2 from each district) in the J&K Jammu and Kashmir into two union his political position and from state assembly and two legislative council members. People now do not know how their rights will be protected. And what would be the status of the people of Ladakh under the government’s new policies? Because the financial powers from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill councils have been taken away. Kargil Interestingly, people who were dancing and celebrating Union territory are now demanding the tribal rights for Ladakh and they want Ladakh to be designated as a tribal area under Sixth Schedule. The governement earlier assured people of Leh & Kargil Kargil to have equal share and political
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 15 cover feature representation but now the declared a scheduled area and and Chinese troops have further Government is systematically there were job reservations and complicated the Ladakh situation. depriving the Muslim majority land protection. Now, the UT model The agenda of development and district of equal share in the newly has failed to address the plight of democratic representation and imposed Union Territory (UT). the people and to secure land and rights of the people of Ladakh has Earlier Ladakh had reserved jobs for of the people of Ladakh. been overshadowed by the LAC seats in various professional and Recent incursion by China into standoff and military build-up. q academic institutions in Jammu the Indian side of the LAC and the (Sajjad Hussain Kargili is an and Kashmir. Entire area was subsequent face-off between Indian activist based in Kargil). Kashmir Since August 5, 2019
M. A. Sofi
ollowing the abrogation of article that they merely wish the Indian the other, are going to be felt and F370 on August 5th, 2019, it has state to address those issues is experienced over a long period of been a long regime of deceit and certainly no reason for the state time to come: deception marked by extremely to take a maximalist position while devious and sinister plans being dealing with these ‘angry’ young Censorship and Mass pushed in Kashmir, mostly by men, a position which is invariably Arrests stealth and insinuation. All these in the shape of bringing maximum In the run up to August 5th, plans and policies are aimed at the force to bear upon them and 2019, the total censorship on media disempowerment and complete eliminating them in one fell swoop. was accompanied by mass arrests immiseration of the local population In such a situation, a much needed of thousands of Kashmiris who which is sought to be subjugated and recourse to a dialogue between were picked up and sent to jails to be brought to its knees. all the contending parties would both in Jammu and Kashmir and The long reign of brutal have saved not only the precious repression that has followed human lives on both sides of the other states where many of them the monumental betrayal on fence, but would have also saved continue to remain incarcerated August 5th has manifested itself the vast resources being frittered even one year since they were in many ways, ranging from the away in the pursuit of a goal that is arrested. Though no reasons were complete cessation of business otherwise unachievable. given for their incarceration, it soon activity, including especially the What has been said above is came to light that some of them tourist industry and the Kashmir only the tip of the iceberg, involving happened to possess the otherwise handicrafts, the colossal loss of one what has been on display in Kashmir good qualities of rallying people full academic year of the students since August 5th, 2020. Apart from around for a cause which should of all levels and the irreparable loss its impact at several levels on the instead have won them accolades of revenue in the horticulture and domestic front which is going to be from the government. The Bar agriculture sectors. ‘The icing on discussed below, an unintended but Association President of the J&K the(ir) cake’, as it were, has been an inevitable fallout of the August High Court was surely one of them. the killings of young Kashmiris by 5th political putsch has been the We should note that in his reaction the Indian security forces, some of Chinese ingress into Ladakh, a to the Hurriyat call for boycott of them reportedly in fake encounters, development that has added a new the elections to the state assembly and the others during the so-called dimension to the Kashmir conflict which were scheduled then, he had cordon and search operations. by highlighting it as a trilateral issue chosen to take it upon himself to The young people who are between India, Pakistan and now motivate and reach out to the people taken on and eliminated in such China. In the lines that follow, an and exhort them to participate in operations are hardly in a position attempt has been made to provide a these elections which they had to pose a serious threat to the bird’s eye view of the many more of previously decided to boycott. The authority of the state. The mere fact such mischievous and dangerous spree of arrests, custodial deaths that they nurse certain grievances machinations whose redundancy and killings of innocents continues - and genuine ones at that - and on one hand and baneful effects on to this day, regardless.
16 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) cover feature
Internet Clampdown Mr. S. S. Venugopal had told the demographic imbalance in the apex court that “the orders that erstwhile state. Just a day before the abrogation have been passed had specifically of article 370, a complete stated that restrictions on internet Control of Buildings suspension of the high speed 4G speed were required for national Operations Act internet was accompanied by the security”. Such is the hypocrisy, withdrawal of all other modes of On 17th of July, 2020, the including of those who should communication including the cell- J&K administration approved have known and interpreted the phone services from the entire an amendment to the Control of law better. state. While the broadband service Building Operations Act, 1988 and was resumed after a couple of New State Domicile the J&K Development Act, 1970 to allow notifying any areas in J&K months following August 5th, Law the internet service was partially as “strategic areas” where the restored in December 2019, but Over seven months after the Indian armed forces can carry out only in the low speed 2G mode abrogation of Article 370 and unhindered constructions and other which has not been revived to the 35A, the Jammu and Kashmir related activities in terms of the 4G category even after close to administration has repealed the 93 requirement of the armed forces one year since it was withdrawn. year old state subject law which through a special dispensation. It The impact of this limited access barred non-permanent residents envisages that in addition to the to the internet has been severe on from owning land and immovable land on which existing camps/ the business activity, but more so property in the erstwhile state and cantonments of the Indian armed on education, with the educational ensured employment protection forces located in various areas are institutions having functioned for permanent residents of the notified as ‘strategic areas’, similar barely for 100 days since August former state. With the approval areas could be identified elsewhere 5th, 2019. Now with the online by the J&K administration of the in the valley for the construction classes being the only available new domicile law, the process of new camps/cantonments mode of teaching in the middle has started of issuing domicile which would be permanent as of the pandemic, the blocking of certificates to permanent and those opposed to many camps which the 4G high speed internet has non-permanent residents who have are currently based in private further complicated matters for the lived in J&K for at least 15 years or properties like orchards, houses, students who are made to suffer on worked for the J&K government for state government properties account of an inadequate access ten years or studied in the state at and which are thus temporary in to online classes. In the much least for seven years and appeared nature. The amendment would awaited verdict by the SC on the for board examinations here. also facilitate the construction of petition challenging the denial of Moreover, in an effort to fast track residential blocks for the troops this fundamental right to the people the issuance of domicile certificates and their families. The high point of of Kashmir for the 10th month to the no-resident Kashmiris, online this exercise is that an entire area running, the apex court on May application facility has been made could be designated as a ‘strategic 10th, 2020 had refused to pass a available for the purpose. In the area’ which could be taken over directive for immediate restoration same vein, it has been stipulated and developed for the use of armed of 4G speed internet service in that the tehsildar-in-charge shall forces and their families. Jammu and Kashmir which had, face a fine of up to Rs. 50,000/- if New Housing Policy instead, chosen to direct the he/she fails to issue the certificate centre to constitute a ‘special within 15 days of receiving the Of a piece with this gigantic sleight committee’ to examine whether application. The first to get the of hand, the J&K administration 4G internet could be restored in domicile certificate was Navin has also accorded sanction to the the UT. That’s an appalling error of Kumar Choudhary, a senior J&K proposal of “Housing and Urban judgement by the apex court which cadre IAS officer from Bihar for Development Department” for has, inexplicably, referred the case having served here over a period of adoption and notification of “J&K back to the government as the ten years. It is no brainer to assert Housing, Affordable Housing, Slum judge, jury and the executioner, all that all this has been designed Redevelopment and Rehabilitation wrapped in one. Earlier, the A.G. and contemplated to engineer a and Township Policy, 2020”. This
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 17 cover feature new policy seeks to come up with locals told KNT.” reply that they were coming here models of housing involving slum At a time when the Administration to pursue a computer course was redevelopment and integrated is telling locals of the Kashmir Valley shared on the Twitter handle @ township. There will also be a to keep indoors to avoid spreading FayazPeer. scheme for rental housing “in the virus, why are thousands of non- The claim that students are which EWS (Economically weaker locals being brought in from other coming to Kashmir for computer sections) of families from other states, without due precautions, in courses is laughable, and plainly states will be provided dwelling a manner that is bound to spread ludicrous, given that no institute units on license basis for occupation the pandemic? According to a of education, whether private or and use for a particular period on July 20 report in the FPK, “The public, has been allowed to open making initial deposit and monthly administration has said that it is in Kashmir ever since the first charges”. trying its best to keep the local lockdown was announced way populace off the roads to contain the back in the third week of March. Why the Influx of spread of the Coronavirus disease. Still funnier is the ‘plea’ of pursuing Non-Locals during As concerned as the administration a computer course in a place which Pandemic? might sound in its public advisories, does not boast of the internet on the contrary, there has been service beyond the 2G speed, and Free Press Kashmir (FPK) an enhanced influx of non-locals that too in fits and starts. reported on July 22, 2020 that into, and across, Kashmir in recent Apart from workers and 113 out of 14,937 non-locals weeks. A wave of apprehension and students, there is also a visibly who were brought into the valley suspicion was triggered yesterday large number of non-local persons in buses last week were found after social media were flooded with seen everywhere in the valley to be COVID positive. The eye witnesses sharing information begging for alms. How have they Administration subsequently about buses loaded with non-locals been able to enter the Valley claimed that they would test the being ferried on different routes. without any testing for Covid-19, migrant workers for the virus. Earlier on Sunday, a video of a bus is a question that baffles one and According to a spokesperson for packed with non-locals surfaced on all? Could they have entered the the administration, “The scheme social media. In the video, a man Valley without the Administration (to bring in migrant labour) has is heard questioning the non-locals facilitating their entry? If the been notified keeping in view the about COVID tests, to which the Administration is enabling a large large workforce of brick kilns. answer was either non-committal influx of non-locals into the Valley, There are no brick kilns operating or in the negative. Women and is it a case of criminal negligence in District Srinagar; however labour children can also be seen in the during the pandemic? Or is there a for construction activities and buses.” The video was shared on method in the seeming madness? infrastructure projects has been the Twitter handle @haziq_qadri As the FPK report of July 20, reported to be arriving in some with the caption “See how non-local 2020 observes, “Many in Kashmir cases.” labourers are let inside #Kashmir say that the influx, in the backdrop The same report stated that “a without the mandatory COVID test. of changing laws regarding land local news agency, KNT reported On the other hand, small scale ownership and citizenship, have that locals in Arizal area of Central shopkeepers are being thrashed fanned the fears of a demographic Kashmir’s Budgam district were by local police for opening their change.” In the event of such a up in arms against the district shops.” devious strategy actually coming administration for admitting over 30 The July 20 story in FPK adds about, it would be a ‘befitting’ COVID infected non-local labourers this intriguing report: “On July climax of a thoroughly destructive at a government school in the area. 17, a local Kashmiri, Fayaz Peer, game-plan that was set in motion The locals demanded immediate who identifies himself as a travel on August 5th, 2019, but that would shifting of these labourers from blogger shared that while flying only cause a massive devastation the area. ‘The school building back to Kashmir and finding himself all around and engender a million is surrounded by the village surrounded by the non-Kashmiris, more mutinies that would be population and there are chances he asked his co-passengers why impossible to contain. q that infection may spread in the were they heading to Kashmir (Prof. M. A. Sofi teaches at Central area and we may get infected too,’ amidst the pandemic. The funny University of Kashmir, Srinagar).
18 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) feature Delhi Riots Revisited
The targeted communal violence in North investigation taken? What action is the East Delhi took place in February. Nearly Delhi Police taking on the available six months have passed since then. evidence? What evidence is there to back What new facts have emerged since the Delhi Police theory that the violence February, about the perpetrators of the was a result of a conspiracy by those who violence, and the motives for it? were protesting against the Citizenship What course has the Delhi Police Amendment Act? Delhi Police Speaks BJP's Language, Calls Protest 'Secession'
everal petitions have been filed in the Delhi High The protests, then, were distinguished by the opening SCourt seeking action against Bharatiya Janata words of the Indian Constitution, and by the slogans of Party leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh “Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai, Ham Sab Hain Samvidhan Ke Verma and Abhay Verma for hate speeches that incited Sipahi” (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, we are all violence in the city. Responding to these petitions, the soldiers of the Constitution) and “Ham Kaagaz Nahin Delhi Police submitted an affidavit claiming that they Dikhayenge” (We won’t display papers). had yet to find any “actionable evidence” against these The Delhi Police, through their affidavit, is telling the leaders of the ruling BJP, who had given speeches and world that in their view, it is not an actionable crime, let raised slogans calling anti-CAA protestors “traitors” and alone a conspiracy to divide the nation, for BJP leaders calling for people to “shoot the traitors.” Instead, the to brand Muslims and protesting citizens as “traitors” and Delhi Police claimed that it was the anti-CAA protestors incite people to “shoot the traitors”. Instead, the Delhi who had conspired to incite violence. Police is actually speaking the language of the same In their affidavit, the Delhi Police claimed that the BJP leaders, and branding protestors as “secessionist” “motive and the idea behind this conspiracy,” was that traitors. In the view of the ruling BJP, and the Delhi Police the anti-CAA protestors wanted to “to go to any extent which is acting like the BJP’s private army, it is not a possible, be it a small scuffle with the police during crime to call for violence, but if you are publicly reading blockade or instigation of riots between two communities the Constitution of India holding the Government and or to advocate and execute a secessionist movement in Parliament accountable to the Constitution, you are a the country by propagating an armed rebellion against “secessionist”, a “traitor”. the lawfully constituted government of the day.” The Delhi Police answers directly to the Home We may recall here that the anti-CAA protests in Delhi Minister of India, PM Modi’s right-hand man Amit Shah, and all over the country, were peaceful sit-ins led by who is also President of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party. Muslim women, as well as demonstrations by students. The Delhi Police “investigation” is following the BJP The protestors had pointed out that the Citizenship and RSS script which brands the Constitution as “anti- Amendment Act, together with the all India NRC (National national”, while seeing anti-Muslim and anti-democratic Register of Citizens) and NPR (National Population violence as “nationalism”. Register), went against the founding principles of India’s Constitution, seeking to strip millions of Indians Gaping Holes In The Police Story of citizenship, and to exclude Muslims from the right to The Delhi Police, in the chargesheet related to the reclaim citizenship. The protests, thus, took the form of murder of an Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma, embracing the Constitution and asserting citizenship and claims that Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain belonging to India. Protestors read out the Preamble and student activist Umar Khalid met at Shaheen Bagh to the Constitution, declared that the Government had on January 8, where they conspired “to have a big blast no right to cherry-pick and select citizens and voters or so that the Central Govt could be shaken on the issue divide them based on religious identity, and vowed that of CAA/NRC and so as to defame the country in the they would not display documents to prove citizenship. international arena...These riots were planned to occur
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 19 feature during or prior to the visit of US President Donald Trump “conspirators” whom they claim created a false sense in the month of February, 2020.” of threat among Delhi’s Muslims to instigate them to But, as a detailed fact-finding report of the Delhi riot. These activists include lawyers DS Bindra (who Minorities Commission observes, “Almost all the North East organised a langar to help feed the protestors at Delhi violence-related cases that Police are investigating Shaheen Bagh) and Mehmood Pracha; Aam Aadmi are based on the premise that riots were planned by anti- Party councillor Tahir Hussain, former Congress CAA protesters to coincide with the US President Donald councillor Ishrat Jahan; Jamia Millia Islamia students Trump’s visit to India in the third week of February. The Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar; MBA graduate first reference to the forthcoming Trump visit was published Gulfisha Fatima; Pinjra Tod activists Devangana Kalita in India on 13 January while the alleged meeting of the and Natasha Narwal; filmmaker Rahul Roy; Khalid Saifi “conspirators” is claimed by police to have been held of United Against Hate; and AISA activist Kawalpreet on 8 January 2020.” How did Tahir Hussain and Umar Kaur. In other chargesheets, the names of other activists Khalid have knowledge on 8 January that Trump would have been included, including former IAS officer and be visiting India, when the first media reports about this activist Harsh Mander, CPIML politburo member Kavita visit appeared only on 13 January? Is it the Delhi Police’s Krishnan, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India party, and case that Trump’s White House personally informed Umar RTI activist Anjali Bharadwaj. The police chargesheets Khalid before anyone else knew? till now have not shown even an ounce of evidence to In three of the chargesheets filed by them, the Delhi back these claims of a “conspiracy”. The whole cock- Police relies on confession statements purportedly made and-bull story is just a shabbily written script, an excuse to the police by the accused. But these “confession to implicate and arrest a whole range of activists and statements” (which are not admissible as evidence dissenting voices, and jail them without a trial using because they were not recorded before a magistrate) draconian laws like UAPA. This is the same model that are word-for-word, line-for-line, identical. Likewise, was followed in the Bhima Koregaon case. seven disclosure statements in chargesheet 60/20 are A letter by former civil servants to the President of identical, ten disclosure statements in chargesheet India has raised concerns that “The Police has been 50/20 are identical, and four in chargesheet 65/20 calling several young people who were part of public are identical. How can different persons use the exact protests for interrogation. Many of them have shared same phrases and wording? Clearly, the author of the that during the interrogation there is an attempt to statements is the police itself, which has lazily copy- intimidate them and offer them “deals” in exchange for pasted the same fictitious “confession” attributed to giving statements against activists and those involved separate persons! This would be a joke – except that in the protests.” The letter has also pointed out that the people are being jailed during a pandemic, their lives police is persistently questioning people involved in placed in danger, based on such nonsense. platforms called “Hum Bharat ke Log” (We the People Two of the supposed “confession statements”, of India) and “Delhi Protests Support Group”, though it recorded in the main conspiracy case FIR 59/20, have is abundantly clear that members of these groups were been imported into another chargesheet, pertaining involved in peaceful dissent and protest, and not in any to the Constable Ratan Lal murder. This is a legally remotely illegal or even secretive activity. untenable move. One of these “confessions” is attributed to one No Action Against Crimes By Police Shadab Ahmed, a young Muslim man accused in the Personnel constable’s murder. Ahmed’s “confession” says that activists Yogendra Yadav, Kavita Krishnan, and Anjali There is ample evidence that the Delhi Police itself was Bhardwaj delivered “provocative speeches” at the an active participant in the targeted violence against the protest sites in Delhi. Muslim community in NE Delhi. The letter by former civil The other “confession” is attributed to Safoora Zargar, servants (cited above) expressed concerns that “There the Jamia Millia Islamia student activist. Beneath the are serious questions about the role played by the Delhi typed script, one can see the hand-scribbled words, Police during the violence, with allegations of the police “Refuse to sign.” Clearly, Safoora Zargar did not deliberately not preventing violence and in some places, succumb to the pressure to sign the statement scripted even being complicit in it. We highlight below some for her by the police. instances of police complicity in the violence and facts The chargesheet in the Constable Ratan Lal murder that reveal bias in the ongoing investigation by the police.” case names several well-known activists of Delhi as In a blatant expression of bias in the investigation,
20 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) feature the Special CP (Crime & Economic Offences Wing) Implicating The Victims, Protecting Praveer Ranjan gave a written order dated July 8 to Perpetrators senior officers heading probe teams, saying that arrests of “some Hindu youth” from riot-hit areas in Northeast In other cases relating to the killing of Muslims, the Delhi has led to a “degree of resentment among the Delhi Police has falsified evidence to frame other Muslim Hindu community” and “due care and precaution” must men. To do this, the Delhi Police tampered with witness be taken while making arrests. statements and added names of Muslims to statements The letter reminds of the video of “uniformed that only named Hindus. They also used photographs policemen assaulting injured youth lying on the road... of Muslim men seen trying to dispel the mobs, to claim forcing the young men to sing the national anthem these as proof that they were “instigating violence.” and repeatedly beating them with lathis and picking Meanwhile, the Delhi Police is ignoring the huge body up and hitting a young man’s head against the road.... of evidence against the real conspirators and instigators, taunting the men about the ‘Azaadi’ slogan, which who openly called for violence. These include a host of was oft-used at the protests and sit-ins against the BJP and RSS leaders. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). One of the men, 23 The Delhi Minorities Commission year-old Faizan succumbed to his injuries a few days later.” The civil servants note, “While the act itself was Fact Finding team noted that atrocious, what is even more shocking is that the Delhi “5.12. Violence started in different pockets almost Police does not appear to be assigning any urgency to immediately after the short speech of Shri Kapil Mishra identifying the policemen involved and ensuring that on 23 February 2020 at Maujpur in which he openly they are brought to book. The First Information Report called for forcefully removing the protestors at Jafrabad registered by the Bhajanpura Police station makes no in North East Delhi.99 He clearly said that he and mention of the clearly documented video footage of the his supporters will take matters into their own hands, police assaulting Faizan and the Delhi police has not alluding to extralegal vigilante tactics, in saying: “But named any policemen as accused in the case.” after that we will not listen to the Police if roads are not The letter also cites video evidence of police cleared after three days...” The open admission of “not involvement in stone pelting, violence, breaking CCTVs, listening” to the police and extralegal tactics should have and adds, “To our knowledge, no enquiry or investigation been seen by the authorities present as inciting violence. has been set up by the Delhi Police to probe the role “5.1.3. Deputy Commissioner of Police North East of the policemen, despite these videos being publicly district, Shri Ved Prakash Surya, was standing right available and also being highlighted by the media.” next to Shri Kapil Mishra when he said “after that we The civil servants cite reports that “At least one deputy will not listen to the police...”. At this point, the police commissioner, two additional commissioners and two failed to apprehend and arrest Kapil Mishra and all those station house officers of the Delhi Police participated gathered to hear and cheered his speech. This indicates in criminal intimidation, unprovoked firing, arson and that they failed to take the first and most immediate looting during the violence that swept northeast Delhi preventive step needed to avoid violence from arising in late February, according to complaints filed by and protect life and property.100 eyewitnesses.” Yet, they note, “Despite the passage of “5.1.4. Following the speech, different groups/mobs more than 4 months, no FIR has been registered. In fact quickly fanned out to the local areas, openly carrying the Delhi Police appears to have not even acted against various weapons and arms like petrol bottles/bombs, iron the DCP who mutely stood next to a BJP leader who was rods, gas cylinders, stones and even firearms. Despite instigating violence against the protestors warning them the open display of weapons and firearms, sufficient that if they did not vacate the area, he would do it himself.” actions were not taken by the district administration or The letter notes that there is no investigation into police to protect life and property.” evidence of custodial torture of activist Khalid Saifi; and that “the Delhi Police has refused to put nearly 700 Yet, Kapil Mishra is not named by the police in any FIRs registered by it in the public domain... has not of the chargesheets. even made a summary of the FIRs available to citizens. This creates an asymmetry of information and thwarts The Delhi Police has not acted on complaints by NE all attempts at public scrutiny as only the Police knows Delhi residents saying they witnessed BJP councillor which complaints and allegations are being pursued and Kanhaiya Lal in Northeast Delhi’s Bhagirathi Vihar, which continue to languish.” asking a mob to “wipe out the Muslims”.
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 21 feature
In a Facebook video, one Ragini Tiwari openly asked of a “Kattar Hindu” (fanatic Hindu) WhatsApp group. Hindus to “Die or Kill”. Her exact words: “Bahut hua The transcripts of conversations in this group, show the sanatan par vaar, ab nahi sahenge vaar. Sanataniyo members of far-right Hindutva mobs boasting that the baahar aao. Maro ya maar daalo. Baad mein dekhi police was their ally, their “fellow Hindu brothers”; that jayegi. Bahut hua. Ab jiska khoon na khaula, khoon nahi police had advised them to cover their tracks and delete wo paani hai (Enough attacks on Hinduism. We won't videos of their colleagues committing violence; boasting tolerate such attacks anymore. Hindus, come out. Die or of using guns and bullets, killing Muslims and burning kill. Rest shall be seen later. If your blood hasn't boiled down mosques; planning killings of Muslims; praising even now, it's not blood but it is water).” Why has the Modi and repeatedly mentioning the RSS and its outfits Delhi Police yet to name Ragini Tiwari in an FIR based like Bajrang Dal. One message says, “Brothers, RSS on her own video? members have come to our support in Beijpuri [Brijpuri] In the same video, Tiwari says, “Bhimti hai kya? Kaat and killed nine Muslims.” Another message shared in daalo, jo bhi hai, kaat daalo... (Is he a Bhimti – abusive the group was, “Hindus, support and join the RSS, VHP, term referring to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s supporters? Bajrang, Hindu Sena. When Hindus are in trouble, these Cut him up, whoever it is, cut him up.) will be the first people to fight for you.” There are also statements recorded in police The question is: based on these WhatsApp groups, complaints, by eyewitness who saw Ragini Tiwari why is the Delhi Police not investigating the role of the accompany and instigate gun-toting mobs: “At around RSS outfits mentioned in the group? The Delhi Police 9 PM (on 23 February) I saw Ragini Tiwari come in a is claiming that Pinjra Tod, AISA, Jamia Coordination car with some people. The people accompanying were Committee, and United Against Hate that were exhorting carrying big guns and she began giving her speech. people to embrace the Constitution, and were organising Often while making people chant slogans, she would relief for victims of the violence, are “secessionists” fire bullets in the air, after which the mob began losing determined to destroy India. Why are the RSS outfits control.” that are clearly allies of those boasting of killing Muslims, An eyewitness also claims to have seen Ragini Tiwari not seen as wanting to destroy India and India’s secular herself fire at a head of a young boy, while leading a Constitution and society? mob that was chanting the slogan popularised by Kapil The Delhi Police’s own words and actions reflect Mishra, “Desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo ko (shoot the fact that the Modi regime’s Home Ministry itself is the traitors)". out to protect the real perpetrators and instigators of The police has arrested some Hindu persons accused the violence, and punish the activists defending the of involvement in the killing of nine Muslims in Gokulpuri Constitution, and blame the Muslim victims for the in Delhi. These arrests have been made on the basis violence. Excerpts from Report of the Fact-Finding Committee on the North-East Delhi Riots of February 2020
Prepared for Delhi Minorities Commission by the Fact-Finding Committee headed by Mr. M.R. Shamshad Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India
5.2. Systematic Violence to their residential locality, they also saw that outsiders were present. They recounted that some of these persons had 5.2.1. The violence followed an organised and systematic made their way into their areas prior to the violence and even pattern. Different mobs numbering anywhere between 100- threatened them. 1000 people, chanting common slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’, 5.2.3. The perpetrators positioned themselves strategically and even “Har Har Modi”, “Modiji, kaat do in Mullon ko [Modi, in the residential areas. This points to no “spontaneity” as in cut these Muslims into pieces]”, “Aaj tumhe aAzadi denge the case of a riot. The testimonies reveal that the violence [Today, we will give you freedom]”, selectively attacked was planned and targeted. As stated above, the perpetrators Muslim individuals, houses, shops, vehicles, mosques and were armed with lathis, iron rods, tear gas bombs, cylinders, other property. and firearms. 5.2.2. The victims have repeatedly stated that though 5.2.4. The attacks were selectively targeted towards the they could recognize some of the perpetrators as belonging Muslim population of the area. In some instances, victims
22 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) feature were asked to show their ID cards and then targeted on the climate of fear and distrust prevalent after the violence. basis of their faith. 5.3.8. Muslim complainants are reluctant to visit police 5.2.5. In response to the targeted attacks, Muslim stations to pursue their complaints due to fear of being youth pelted stones on the mobs in some places to defend falsely implicated in cases. Victims who witnessed police community and family members. Barring one incident, there involvement or inaction during the violence are especially have not been reports of Muslims being armed with weapons averse to approach the police for any remedy. other than stones. 5.3.9. There are many diarised complaints which have 5.2.6. Destruction of property: In many areas of North East been tagged with registered FIRs relating to different Delhi, properties owned by Muslims were destroyed while complaints. In some instances, complaints naming the those owned by Hindus, even though standing adjacent to the accused have been tagged with FIRs of general nature in targeted properties, remained unscathed. In some instances, which the accused are not named. where the owners were Hindus but the property had been 5.3.10. The police’s failure to register FIRs pertaining to rented to Muslims, the building was not damaged but the complaints in which the accused are named raise serious moveable property was looted or burnt outside the premises. doubts regarding the credibility of the entire investigation In some instances, shops belonging to Muslims were looted process. Submission of chargesheets without proper and burnt, while adjoining shops owned by Hindus, and even investigation into complaints with named accused further adjoining ATMs, were left untouched. creates doubts about the impartiality and objectivity of the 5.2.7. Religious symbols destroyed: Mobs specifically investigation as well as the overall narrative being put forward vandalised Muslim places of worship, namely mosques and by Delhi Police. madrasas as well as religious symbols like copies of the 5.3.11. Crucial aspects of the entire chain of events are Holy Quran.105 Police officials were either mute spectators missing from most of the chargesheets that have been filed or, in some cases, even alleged participants. In most of the till date and which could be accessed by the Fact-finding cases, CCTV cameras on the premises, from which footage Committee. Almost all the North East Delhi violence-related could have been gathered to aid identification of perpetrators, cases that Police are investigating are based on the premise were destroyed. Religious places of worship of non-Muslims that riots were planned by anti-CAA protesters to coincide in Muslim-majority areas were largely left untouched, and in with the US President Donald Trump’s visit to India in the some cases were protected by the local Muslim residents. third week of February. The first reference to the forthcoming 5.3.4. Police complicity: Police were also complicit and Trump visit was published in India on 13 January while the abetted the attacks. Where police did act, victims state alleged meeting of the “conspirators” is claimed by police that police stopped their colleagues when they attempted to have been held on 8 January 2020. The speech of Kapil to disperse the crowd (“do not stop them”). In some cases, Mishra made on 23 February 2020 as well as other speeches they merely stood as onlookers while the mobs engaged in and statements inciting violence against anti-CAA protesters violence.116 In others, they explicitly gave a go-ahead to the have been ignored. perpetrators to continue with their rampage (“do what you 5.3.12. The Delhi Police’s refusal to disclose the names want”). A few accounts state how the police and paramilitary of the persons arrested/detained as stated in its status report officials even escorted the mobs safely out of the area once submitted to the High Court of Delhi in the matter of Brinda the attack was over. Karat vs. Government of NCT of Delhi and Others (dated 5.3.5. In some testimonies, clear allegations of engaging 17 June 2020) contravenes and violates Section 41C CrPC in direct violence, including physical assault and abuse, have which mandates that the names and addresses of all arrested been made against police officers. In one incident, five Muslim persons, along with the names and designations of arresting boys were surrounded by 6-7 police officers and brutally officers, are to be displayed on the notice board of every beaten up while being asked to chant “Jana gana mana”. district Police Control Room. The Control Room at Police One of them died some days later. The FIR registered does headquarters is to maintain a public database of arrested not name any accused. persons and the offences charged. 5.3.6. Implicating victims: In some cases victims ... themselves have been arrested, especially where they filed 5.5.2. While the slogans of ‘Azadi’ (a cry for freedom complaints against named individuals. from the discriminatory laws and practices) were used by 5.3.7. In some instances victims have said that they are the protesters, the police used the same chants of ‘Azadi’ to being asked to ‘compromise’ with the accused persons named sexually harass women and attack them, including at least by them in their complaints. Police have been visiting them one incident of a police officer flashing his genitals in front of for inquiries without sporting name tags, which is not only a women protestors.128 The nature of verbal abuses was also violation of criminal procedure but also adds to the general sexual and communal in nature. q
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 23 article The Communal is Anti-National
Destroy It Root And Branch
Arindam Sen
It’s really a sad irony of Port Blair) 1913, 1914, 1918 and love and respect and of mutual history. We shall be observing 1920. These authentic documents help. …I and my brother are the forthcoming Independence showcase his shameless perfectly willing to give a pledge Day - - for the seventh year in surrender blended with obnoxious of not participating in politics for a a row - - under the auspices of flattery of the British government, definite and reasonable period that those who were avowed enemies his pitiable pleading for mercy the Government would indicate. of our freedom movement and all and his readiness, once freed, … This or any pledge, e.g., of the progressive, democratic and “to serve the government in any remaining in a particular province secular values it stood for. capacity they like.” Just sample or reporting our movements to Yes, avowed enemies. Just these (emphases and comments the police … any such reasonable see how the ideological-political within square brackets ours). conditions … would be gladly forefathers of the present In the second mercy petition accepted by me and my brother. rulers – and the organisations dated 14 November 1913, he …” they represented -- conducted wrote: In the penultimate paragraph themselves during the decisive “... my conversion to the of the long letter, Savarkar depicts decades of our struggle for constitutional line would bring himself as “a sincere advocate of independence. back all those misled young men loyal co-operation in the interests [a categorical renunciation of the of both our nations,” and says, “… The ‘Veer’ Turned revolutionary path] in India and a release would be a new birth and Bhagodaa abroad who were once looking up would touch my heart, sensitive to me as their guide. I am ready and submissive, to kindness so The disproportionately to serve the Government in any deeply as to render me personally magnified ‘bravery’ of VD Savarkar capacity they like … . By keeping attached and politically useful in in London (where he was arrested me in jail nothing can be got in future.” At the end he signs out as in 1910 for his activities as an comparison to what would be “Your most obedient servant, V.D. expatriate national revolutionary) otherwise. The Mighty alone can Savarkar, Convict no. 32778.” and in Marseilles (where he afford to be merciful and therefore managed to slip out of the ship Submissiveness where else can the prodigal son S S Morea, then anchored in return but to the parental doors of Rewarded the port en route to India, and the Government?” That these were not empty got re-arrested) was but a brief In the letter dated 30th March promises were proved by prelude to a long career marked 1920 he wrote: “years before this Savarkar’s conduct. He never by cowardice, opportunism and have I informed of and written to the protested against the daily treachery to the cause he honestly Government in my petitions (1918, injustices meted out to himself and espoused in the prime of his life. 1914) about my firm intention other inmates. Even when protests Convict No. 32778, to abide by the constitution and broke out in the prison and other stand by it … I offered myself as political prisoners asked him to Cellular Jail a volunteer in 1914 to Government take the lead, he would encourage Savarkar wrote as many as when the war broke out … I them to agitate but would not five mercy petitions in 10 years: in am sincere in expressing my participate himself. Later in his 1911 (i. e., less than two months earnest intention of treading the memoirs My Transportation after arriving in the Cellular Jail, constitutional path and trying my For Life the vainglorious ex- [a] One who runs away from a fight or a difficult humble best to render the hands revolutionary explained why: situation; a deserter or a renegade. of the British dominion a bond of “If I were openly to lead them
24 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) article
… the authorities … would get the opportunity they needed to “The war shall continue. It may assume different take off all the concessions which shapes at different times. It may become now had come to me and old political open, now hidden, now purely agitational, now prisoners according to jail rules, and would put me back in solitary fierce life and death struggle. …It shall be confinement. … To risk one’s life waged ever with new vigour, greater audacity for such a petty object was to kill the national movement itself… and unflinching determination till the Socialist [Oh! The fate of the national Republic is established … movement was dependent on this great individual!]. And further : “Our humble sacrifices shall be only a link in “…I would have forfeited the chain” of numerous great martyrs …Since thereby [by joining the agitation] my right of sending a letter to “according to the verdict of your court we had India.” … And if he “were punished waged war and were therefore war prisoners … or went on strike’’, he would be We request and hope that you will very kindly deprived of that right , thereby harming the strike and forfeiting order the military department to send its “the chance of working for the detachment to perform our execution.” freedom of the political prisoners themselves.” [How magnanimous! From Bhagat Singh’s petition The ‘leader’ refuses to lead -- or even participate in the struggles The renegade was duly as it came to power in Maharashtra for justice and self-respect -- not rewarded, while hundreds of in 1937. The Government of India to save his own skin but out of political prisoners - - well-known did not object, convinced that the concern for other prisoners!] and unknown, in cellular jail and sheep in lion’s skin will never roar Over the years, by his words elsewhere -- remained incarcerated again, let alone bite, but only serve and deeds, Savarkar succeeded for full terms, suffering and fighting the British lion in its game of divide in convincing the authorities that against inhuman torture that killed and rule. he was really a changed man. many of them, but never begging He was relieved from solitary for mercy. Among them was Jatin Responsive confinement. From hard manual Das, who died in Lahore jail in Cooperation with labour like extraction of oil from 1929 on the 64th day of a hunger Colonial Masters coconuts, he was shifted to a strike for improvement in the clerical job and then to the post of status of political prisoners, and We have seen that in his mercy foreman in the oil depot. In May on whose martyrdom Savarkar petitions the ‘Swatantrata veer’ 1921 his long-standing prayer had no qualms shedding crocodile had promised loyal cooperation for transfer to an Indian jail was tears. And there were other kinds with the colonial government. For granted. And finally in January of petition also. Bhagat Singh and public consumption, however, 1924 he was released from his comrades for example filed a he presented the same offer in Yerawada jail on conditions of non- petition to the authorities, but the a more grandiose phrase that participation in political activities request was for granting them the conceals the essence: “responsive and internment in Ratnagiri district status of Prisoner of War (POW, cooperation’’. At a time when of Maharashtra. Savarkar thus since the court had convicted them the people of our country were served less than 14 years of Jail for waging war against the British vigorously protesting Viceroy term including about 10 years in Empire) and execution by firing Linlithgo’s unilateral action of tying Kalapani. Given that he had been squad (see box). up India as a belligerent in World awarded double transportation As for the restrictions on political War II, he announced the Hindu for life - - which would work out activities and movement beyond Mahasabha’s (HM) stance in the to 50 years - - he was granted a Ratnagiri, these were withdrawn following words: “So far as India’s remission of nearly 36 years! by the Congress ministry as soon defence is concerned, Hindudom
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 25 article must ally unhesitatingly, in a opportunity presented itself when student from Vidyasagar College spirit of responsive cooperation, in 1939 the Congress ministries, refused to salute the symbol of with the war effort of the Indian elected two years ago, resigned foreign rule. The VC had him government.” in protest against tagging India publicly flogged and the students This position was further with the British war chariot without of his college went on a protest elaborated in his birthday message seeking consent from the people strike. Mukherjee then rusticated of 25 May 1941, titled “Hinduise all of India. This was perfectly in two student leaders from both the politics and militarise Hindudom!” sync with the national mood. But college and university. Under the He explained, “as an immediate the HM trod the opposite path. In joint leadership of the Students step to give effect to this Hinduised a show of extreme opportunism, Federation and the Students political progress, elect only those it joined hands with parties at League (affiliated to the CPI and Hindus … in the Legislatures the opposite extreme of the the Muslim League respectively) and all other political bodies ideological spectrum, such as students of all colleges in Calcutta as Hindu representatives who the Muslim League. This, on went on a strike. Led by the pledge themselves openly and the one hand, helped the British budding student leader and future uncompromisingly to safeguard, government maintain its claim communist stalwart Biswanath to defend, and to promote that it enjoyed the support of the Mukherjee, a big students march uncompromisingly the interests of people of India and, on the other went to meet the University Hindudom as a whole. … secondly, Syndicate. Under pressure, the as the first and immediate step Apart from helping the Syndicate reversed the VC’s to militarize Hindudom, let every Britishers maintain decision. The loyal admirer of Hindu youth who is capable to their tottering rule, the Union Jack had to bow down stand the test, try his best to enter Mukherjee played a very before the militant unity of patriotic the army, the navy and the air prominent part in the Hindu and Muslim students. force or get the training and secure partition of Bengal. Mukherjee’s mental make- employment in the ammunition up landed him on the lap of factories and in all other branches the HM in 1939 and he took connected with war crafts.” If this hand, pushed the HM further charge of ‘Hinduization’ (read slogan is sincerely implemented, ahead in the good books of its royal communalization) of politics in he assured his followers, “the patron. Particularly interesting Bengal. The man who came resurrection of our Hindu Nation is in this regard is the experience out most forcefully against this bound to follow …” of Bengal, because it involved dangerous trend was Subhash Now, what sort of resurrection a small-time British loyalist who Chandra Bose. At a public meeting of “Hindu Nation” did Savarkar literally had greatness thrust upon in Jhargram, West Bengal, Bose expect by joining hands with him by the Hindutva lobby. said on 12 May 1940: the British? Surely not freedom “The Hindu Mahasabha from colonial bondage! In the Mukherjee in Bose’s has deployed sannyasis and Hindutva framework, it could only Bengal sannyasins with tridents in their mean liberation from the alleged hands to beg for votes. At the As opposed to the angry ‘1000 years of slavery under very sight of tridents and saffron youth of Bengal, Shyama Prasad Mohammedan rule’. Hence the call robes, Hindus bow their heads in Mukherjee had been a Raj-bhakt to (a) elect only Hindu hardliners reverence. By taking advantage since his youth and was duly committed to fighting ruthlessly of religion, and desecrating it, the rewarded for that. At 30, he became against the ‘other’ - - the Muslim Hindu Mahasabha has entered the the youngest-ever Vice Chancellor community; and (b) learn the art of arena of politics. It is the duty of of Calcutta University in 1934. He war, because the struggle would all Hindus to condemn it. …Banish introduced the practice of a march- have its military dimension too. these traitors from national life. past on the University Foundation The most substantive measure Don’t listen to them.” Day by the University Training in “mutual help” or “responsive According to Mukherjee’s Corps, where the cadets had to cooperation” was formation Leaves from a Diary, Bose met and salute the Union Jack. During a of coalition governments in told Shyama Prasad that if he went Sindh, NWFP and Bengal. The rehearsal of the march- past, a about building Hindu Mahasabha
26 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) article as a political body in Bengal, “He group of younger leaders from Bengal in Delhi on 27 April 1947. would see to it, by force if need both parts of Bengal, representing At the Press Conference, the then be, that it was broken before it all major communities as well Prime Minister of Bengal made was really born.” And to an extent, as political formations -- such as an impassioned plea for setting Bose did walk his talk. Subhas Bose from the Congress, aside religious differences in Shyama Prasad joined the S H Suhrawardy from the Muslim order to create an “independent, Fazlul Huq ministry in December League, Dalit leader Jogen undivided and sovereign Bengal”. 1941 as Deputy Chief Minister and Mandal, Krishak Praja Party Shyama Prasad promptly shot off worked closely with the governor of leader Fazlul Huq -- all of whom a letter to Mountbatten on 2 May, Bengal in opposing the Quit India considered themselves disciples of arguing that Bengal should be Movement (QIM). Even before the the DeshBandhu. It inherited and partitioned even if India remained movement was actually launched, carried forward the spirit of Hindu- united.b In an attempt to impress he wrote to the Governor: Muslim unity embodied in the the Congress High Command, “Let me now refer to the historic movement against partition he sent a similar letter to Sardar situation that may be created in of Bengal in 1905 and resulted in Patel on 11 May. While many in the province as a result of any the Bengal Pact of 1923. The Pact, the British establishment were widespread movement launched sympathetic to the plan and Jinnah by the Congress. Anybody, who Subhash Bose on Hindu open to it, Nehru rejected it on 27 during the war, plans to stir up Mahasabha: May saying an undivided Bengal mass feeling, resulting internal was acceptable only if it remained "By taking advantage disturbances or insecurity, must be within the Indian Union. Time of religion, and resisted by any Government that and tide were against the Plan desecrating it, the may function for the time being.” and it met its natural death. After He also offered his suggestion Hindu Mahasabha has 15 August, Mukherjee gleefully on how to dupe the people: entered the arena of remarked that if Congress divided “The question is how to combat politics. It is the duty of India, he too has partitioned this movement (Quit India) in all Hindus to condemn Bengal! Bengal? The administration of the it. …Banish these Today the BJP is fond of province should be carried on in traitors from national upholding this communally such a manner that in spite of the life. Don’t listen to divisive role of the founder of its best efforts of the Congress, this c them.” predecessor Jan Sangh as a movement will fail to take root in great service to ‘Hindu nationhood’ the province. It should be possible something like a memorandum of and projecting him as the father of for us, especially responsible understanding between the two West Bengal. A politician whose Ministers, to be able to tell the single success was to help defeat public that the freedom for which major communities on the question of how a “United Bengal” could - - temporarily, we believe - - the the Congress has started the rich legacy of composite culture movement, already belongs to the govern itself once Swaraj was and progressive nationalism of representatives of the people.” achieved, was welcomed by the Bengal as represented by Tagore Apart from helping the broad masses and endorsed by and Nazrul Islam, Deshbandhu Britishers maintain their tottering the Bengal Congress but disowned and (decades later) Bangabandhu, rule, Mukherjee played a very by the High Command. However, Bose and Haq and many others, prominent part in the partition the aspiration for a united Bengal with a Bengali adaptation of the of Bengal. As a context it should lingered on and expressed itself pointedly in course of the [b] Mansergh and Moon (ed) Transfer of be noted here that in the early Power, Vol. X, London 1981, Document 1920s a powerful campaign national debate on the Cabinet No. 281 Mission Plan. On the basis of an against soaring communal tension [c] Mukherjee ditched the HM in 1948, spent in the aftermath of the collapse understanding with Congress some time in political wilderness, and was of the united noncooperation- leaders like Sarat Bose (older roped in by Golwalkar in 1951 to become the founder president of Jan Sangh. The Khilafat movement was built up brother of Subhas Bose) and cadre base was supplied, of course, by the in Bengal, under the leadership Kiran Shankar Roy, Suhrawardy RSS and it comprised men like Upadhyay, of Deshbandhu C R Das and a announced a proposal of United Vajpayee and Advani.
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 27 article
Savarkar-Golwalkar formula of (saffron flag)”. So on that historic disciplined RSS worker should ethno-religious nationalism is still day, when the whole nation was join the Satyagraha, but at the the party’s best bet in Bengal in its celebrating the tricolour as a same time kept the door open for frantic search for an icon from the symbol of a united struggle, the the leader to join the movement dominant caste Hindu community. RSS used the occasion to push and court arrest. This again The anti-hero of Bengal is its own divisive, exclusionary, served two purposes: maintaining dead. He lives on -- among his majoritarian-communal agenda. his credentials as a congressman worthy legatees, in the politics of The double deception – the and - - as C P Bhishikar, the official the poisonous padmafool (Lotus claim that Congress borrowed biographer of Hedgewar in Hindi - flower). the goal of independence from - noted, trying to recruit activists from the dedicated Congressmen RSS: A New Avatar of RSS and the projection of the sectarian Hindutva banner (not in prison. Hindutva the tricolour -- the symbol of Bhishikar also tells us that the K B Hedgewar, like V D united national struggle) as the founder of RSS, in his speeches, Savarkar, metamorphosed from national flag - - started a tradition “used to talk only of Hindu organisation. direct comment on a freedom fighter (as a Congress of falsehood and deception that worker he courted arrest during the government used to be almost the non-cooperation movement) What this entire history nil.” And it is well known that his to a communal crusader. He demonstrates is that lathi-wielding swayamsevaks groomed himself in this new role the communal, like never participated in the frequent in course of anti-Muslim riots and caste, is anti-national, clashes between agitating Indians went on to establish the RSS - - in that it obstructs the and the police; they were trained and used only for the noble cause with Savarkar’s blessings - - in different communities of communal violence in Nagpur 1925, the year that also saw the from happily bonding and elsewhere. So when in 1928 foundation of the CPI in Kanpur. together as a nation Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally beaten (This was not a coincidence but a while continuing pointer to the differentiation and up while leading a mammoth rally to celebrate their consolidation of political forces against the Simon Commission, distinctive cultures. that was taking place -- this was and died after a few days, neither also the period that saw the HM (of which Lalaji had been a emergence of Bhagat Singh as a has continued ever since. The President in the mid 1920s, i. e., communist pioneer -- on the eve current sarsanghchalak, for during its moderate, pre-Savarkar of the most crucial quarter-century instance, has gone on record phase) nor RSS so much as in our struggle for independence.) stating categorically that it was uttered a word of condemnation. indeed the tricolour that was It was young Bhagat Singh and Riding Two Horses At hoisted in the shakhas on the his comrades who, despite having Once first independence day! However, major political differences with the he could not deny the fact that Congress and Lalaji, avenged the In its initial years the RSS Hedgewar never again sought to death of the Lion of Punjab and purposefully maintained an celebrate the Independence Day happily mounted the gallows. ambivalent attitude to the in subsequent years. freedom movement and the When Gandhi launched the Salt Golwalkar’s Theory and Congress. When the latter Practice of Patriotism called for observing 26 January Satyagraha in 1930, Hedgewar 1930 as Independence Day, sent information everywhere that Hedgewar was an actionist; it Hedgewar sent out a misleading the Sangh would not participate in was left to the second -- and the circular saying that since “the the Satyagraha. However, those longest-serving -- sarsanghchalak INC has adopted our goal of willing to participate individually to elaborate the ideological- independence”, the shakhas were not prohibited. This was political program of the RSS. The should celebrate that day. But a rather unusual position, but it most precise and clear exposition how? By worshiping “the national killed two birds with one stone. on nationalism, patriotism and flag, that is, the bhagwa dhwaj It implied that no sincere and independence movement available
28 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) article in his works goes as below: 1942 for instance, Golwalkar said missions, Savarkar famously said “The theories of territorial “It is futile to blame the strong for he had no quarrel with Jinnah nationalism and of common the injustice done to the weak… on this question, and finally the danger, which formed the basis Sangh does not want to waste country got a negotiated transfer for our concept of nation, had its invaluable time in abusing or of power only at a huge collateral deprived us of the positive and criticising others. If we know that cost of partition. inspiring content of our real Hindu large fish eat the smaller ones, it is nationhood and made many of outright madness to blame the big The Fight for a the freedom movements virtually fish. Law of nature whether good Democratic Secular anti-British movements. Being ant- or bad is true all the time. This Pluralistic India British was equated with patriotism rule does not change by terming it What this entire history and nationalism. This reactionary unjust.” demonstrates is that the communal, view has had [a] disastrous effect Nobody in the RSS, of course, like caste, is anti-national, in that it upon the entire course of the stood up and asked the leader: obstructs the different communities independence struggle, its leaders why then blame/criticise another from happily bonding together and the common people.” ‘other’ -- the Muslims -- who proved as a nation while continuing to So ‘Guruji’ (as Golwalkar was themselves strong enough to rule celebrate their distinctive cultures. and is respectfully addressed the country over the centuries? And now, perched in power and in the RSS fraternity) is in effect Why don’t we accept this as an hand-in-glove with the US-Israel asking his disciples to (a) reject eternal law of nature? axis, the forces responsible for the notion that all who live on With such ideological-political the communal sabotage of our the territory of India constitute training and military discipline, united independence movement the Indian nation and that they it was but natural and inevitable are pulling out all stops to should jointly fight the British Raj that the RSS not only stayed away complete the unfinished agenda of (b) disown the “reactionary” view from, but actually backstabbed, partition. They are out to give their that patriotism/nationalism has the independence movement by ideology of Hindu majoritarian anything to do with struggle for relentlessly punching upon its nationalism the structural shape political independence and (c) principal bulwark: militant Hindu- of a monolithic Hindu Rashtra by embrace pure Hindu nationalism, Muslim unity. With a shared reducing Muslims to the status which by definition excludes, if ideology, a more conventional not abhors, other ‘nations’ such of second-grade citizens, if not style of doing politics and a much as Muslims and Christians. In fact disqualifying them altogether from weaker organisational network, Golwalkar also said elsewhere citizenship with the help of a whole the HM also did the same, albeit that the RSS was committed to range of constitutional, legal and with less efficacy. The Britishers freedom of the country through administrative measures as well happily used the duo (and also the defending religion and culture, not as communal machinations on Muslim League) as tools in their through departure of the British. the ground. To fight this dastardly divide-and-rule gameplan and the But how did the RSS top brass design by mobilizing all Indians communalists sought to befriend restrain the cadres, many of whom in carrying to consummation the the Raj in their battle against felt an intense urge for participating unfinished tasks of our struggle for the respective arch enemy: the in the raging struggle to liberate independence - - the attainment ‘other’ community. Both groups the motherland from foreign rule? of genuine liberty from class, of communalists came up with On the one hand, there was the caste, gender and communal their own versions of two-nation organisational culture of blind domination and reconstruction theoryd to justify their political allegiance to higher-ups -- a culture of an egalitarian, democratic, nurtured through the shakhas since [d] As early as in 1937, while addressing the secular, pluralistic, upright and 19th session of HM in Ahmedabad, Savarkar the inception of RSS and viewed said, “There are two antagonistic nations prosperous India as conceived as a great legacy to which every living side by side in India … India cannot in the Constitution that we gave Sanghi, like a soldier, must submit. be assumed today to be a unitarian and ourselves on the morrow of homogenous nation. On the contrary, there On the other hand, there was no Independence – such is the pledge are two nations in the main: the Hindus and dearth of vacuous sermonizing the Muslims, in India.” we must take on the occasion of by the sarsanghchalak. In June the 74th Independence Day. q
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 29 special report A Post-Lockdown Online Survey of Migrant Workers in Bihar
82% Say They Don’t Want to Migrate Again, Jobs Should Be Given in the Home State
95% Didn’t Get Any Governmental Help During Lockdown
Average Lockdown Financial loss per worker = Rs. 30,428
Average Lockdown Unpaid Wage per workers = Rs. 18,200
Average Loan amount borrowed by each worker during Lockdown = Rs. 24,180
PIML conducted a survey of migrant workers A profile of number of dependents in family shows Cwho managed to reach their homes in Bihar after that 42.56% workers have to care for three to five months of gruelling experiences of starvation, police members in the family, while another 42.87% have six and administrative brutalities under the lockdown in 32 to eight dependents on them. states. The survey was done online, assisted at village level by party cadres, covering 29 districts of Bihar, a Age Profile state which has the distinction of sending the second highest number of migrants to other states in India. The survey aimed to assess the economic conditions of migrant workers, as well as their aspirations of work in future and their expectations from the government. The survey was conducted between the first week of June and second week of July covering 7864 workers in 29 districts. Of the total workers surveyed 4.97% were women Surprisingly 64.5 percent of the migrant workers are migrant workers. aged below 30 years. The percentage of total workers The monthly wage profile of migrants ranges from as below the age of 40 years is 85.95. This corresponds to low as Rs. 5000 to Rs 10000 per month for 47.36% of the peculiar characteristic of jobs market in India where workers, and Rs. 10,000 to 15,000 for another 40.03%. a precarious nature of work in absence of any social Almost half of the migrant workers get monthly wages security and legal benefits prevails. Such a job market less than Rs. 10000. This explains the level of their will certainly prefer to employ younger workforce to exploitation, even in normal times. extract maximum profit and will do away with senior, more experienced and older workers. A similar job market trend is also explicit if we look into the years spent as a migrant worker. There are few workers who have spent two decades or more working
30 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) special report in the cities. 85.5% of surveyed workers have been migrants for less than or up to fifteen years, while 45% have been migrants for five years or less. Precarious Jobs & Uncertain Future Only 14.81% said they have jobs of a permanent nature, while 3.01 are self-employed. The rest of the workers were either temporary/casual (52.64%) or were contract workers (29.55%).
81.84% were migrants for 1-10 years and 15.44% for 11-20 years. The precarious nature of migrants’ lives and jobs was pretty evident as there were very few migrants with longer durations of stay outside Bihar. Only 2.3% of the migrant workers surveyed had worked out of Bihar for 21-30 years, and only 0.42% had worked outside Bihar for more than 30 years. Financial Loss Under Lockdown The total financial loss incurred during the lockdown by 7864 workers comes to Rs. 22,34,05,002 as described by the workers themselves. Based on this, the average financial loss per worker is Rs. 30,428. This figure, for a worker who earns Rs 5000 a month, amounts to six months’ wages. Unpaid Wages The average unpaid wage after declaration of lockdown per worker is Rs. 18,200. The majority of workers in India are migrants, with Bihar having the distinction of being the second largest source state for such workers, accounting for 14% of total migrant workforce of the country (UP tops with 25% of the country’s migrant workers). For the 7864 workers surveyed, total unpaid wages were Rs. 9,48,05,923. As per an Economic Survey estimate, the number of total migrant workers in country is around 10 crores, Major Migration States which anyway seems to be an underestimate in a Surveyed workers had returned from 32 states and country with number of working population of more Union Territories. 62.42% of them worked in four states than 50 crores. Still if we extrapolate the average (Gujarat 24.7%, Maharashtra 16.33%, Delhi 12.09% unpaid wages per worker considering 10 crores and Haryana 9.21%). migrants (this also excludes street vendors and other
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 31 special report
informal or self employed categories), the quantum of total unpaid wages of workers comes to be Rs. 1,82,004 crores. This exceeds the actual revenue/ financial component which was supposed to be months of lockdown and pandemic, if calculated disbursed by the central government through the much methodically, will be a huge sum which the government hyped Rs. 20 lakh crore ‘Lockdown Relief Package’ owes to the workers. This is why Left parties and trade that included the Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme. These unions have demanded payment of Rs. 7,500 per schemes are little more than propaganda, that only month as pandemic allowance. benefit big and small corporations, not workers. Immense economic hardships and pains were Had to Take Loans for Food, Rent inflicted by the lockdown. Non-payment of wages was and Travel one aspect, and there are other financial constraints migrants had to face. The above figures are based With no hard cash in hand, and left to fend for on the actual amount told by the workers which in themselves, stranded workers in cities had to borrow turn is according to the actual wage they are paid by money for their survival. And they also had to pay for the employers. For most of the unorganised sector, the rent of their rooms/lodging. 59.4% workers could informal and contract workers, actual in-pocket wages not pay their rent and had to face additional pressure are far less than the statutory minimum wage rate which led 19.6% of them to borrow more money only – usually they are paid less than half to two third of to pay rents. the statutory rate. If one considers the loss of unpaid 79.9% of the workers surveyed had to take loans wages during lockdown according to government (from private sources) for immediate needs after approved rate then it amounts to more than double the lockdown was declared. In our survey, the total this figure! absolute loan amount for 7864 workers (20.1% did Moreover, this is only about unpaid wages. The not take loan) comes to be Rs. 19,01,58,594. The financial losses accrued due to the loss of job during last 4-5 average loan amount borrowed by each worker, then,
32 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) special report
inaccessible to them in absence of valid identity proofs. Only 4.49 percent of surveyed workers got some kind of help from any government agency while 95% survived on their own without any support. Travel Back Home – 7.4% Walked and 3% Came on Cycles 7.3% stranded migrants had no means to get back to home except walking hundreds of kilometres. This cruelty had taken hundreds of lives on highways and railway tracks, and even inside Shramik Special Trains. 2.7% cycled from distant states to their homes. 19.6% boarded on trucks for their travel for which they had comes to be Rs. 24,180 (for a worker earning Rs 5000 to hide to avoid the predatory surveillance of police monthly, this would be around 5 months’ wages). And in various states. An almost similar number - 19.9% - for ten crore migrants this has to be Rs. 2,41,800 managed to board buses, while 50.5% got back home crores: a bigger amount than the loss incurred in unpaid on trains. The train journeys were no less tortuous, with wages. This underlines the extent of underpayment trains being diverted, delayed, and even “lost”, without existing during pre-pandemic/lockdown time, showing food and water arrangements en route. us that the workers’ wages are not enough even for In spite of loud propaganda by the governments their day to day survival and there is no scope of saving and railways, only 8.5% of workers surveyed could money for a rainy day, let alone towards their future. get home on governmental support. 2.2% said their Migrant workers had been forced to take loans, the employers managed travel expenses. 89.3% had to total sum of which is much higher than any government manage on their own; of them 54.7% had to borrow declared relief plan. This exposes the unwillingness of money for travel expenses. the Modi government to acknowledge the actual harm Among workers who either walked or came on done to the migrants and general public due to the bicycles, 69.67% were under the age group of 15-30 lockdown, and safeguard them from such harm. The years, and 25.71% under 31-45 years. But there were calamitous repercussions of this policy bankruptcy 4.53% above 45 years of age who also had to walk or being faced by people are much bigger than the cycle back home under the lockdown. damage being experienced due to the pandemic itself. Quarantine Centres in Home State No Proof of Identity There was no relief from their ordeal even after Only 0.37% workers have voter I-card in cities of returning to their villages. The workers had to be migration and 0.85% have ration cards. It is obvious quarantined in assigned places which lacked basic that any governmental support during lockdown was facilities. 30.8% surveyed said that at those centres
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 33 special report they faced overcrowding, lack of water and sanitation Do They Want to Migrate Again facilities, lack of soap, sanitiser, mosquito repellents/ No. For 72.1% choosing to go back to the city is nets, lack of facilities for testing and medical care. not a better option, out of which 26.5% are determined NOT to go back again and 45.6% say they cannot say Can They Stay Back in Villages? if they should migrate again. 82% of surveyed workers do not want to migrate to other states They want a job in their home state itself. Almost 90% of migrants who work in cities have Out of these, 18% have firmly demanded that they no means of income from land in villages. Either they should get job in their own place, their village or town. are landless or their lands are not productive owing Only 18% are willing to go outside the home state, to small land size. Only 9.7% of migrants have some but during informal discussions with surveyors most of additional income from land/agriculture. So workers these expressed a desire to work in the home state if and their households face very grim prospects if they got a decent job. they fail to get work in their home state. Only 1.5% of What do the findings of the survey workers who returned to their village could get some kind of job in the village for sustenance while 98.5% indicate for the future of this are now idle without any job or income. segment of workers? The additional allocation declared for MNREGA The survey underlines the urgent need to challenge is highly inadequate. The continuing low daily wage and change the exploitative conditions of work in India, rates (for the arduous manual labour that MNREGA where migrant workers serve as a captive, underpaid work involves) is bound to force workers back to the workforce. cities for survival in spite of their unwillingness to go What is needed, as we indicated in the “Notes back to the same place that they had to flee without on Migrant Workers: Key Issues and Urgent Tasks” any governmental support. Forced by circumstances published in the July issue of Liberation, is “revival and imposed by the government, such a “return to the reopening of sick and closed industries, formation of cities” is nothing but modern slavery. We have heard a new chain of agro-based and other labour-intensive reports of special trains being launched to “bring small and medium units and big factories or service back” workers to cities. We also saw how some state chains with better employment and income prospects” governments tried to cancel trains meant to transport in the home states, and “in the short-term, this must stranded workers back to their home states during be complemented by an improved and more effective the lockdown. Workers are aspiring for something NREGA framework (with increased duration and scope very different. for work and better wages), launching of employment Only 15.3% of them think that it is possible for them guarantee act for the urban unemployed, massive expansion in public works (with building of government to get job back at the same place which they had left. hospitals and schools and colleges as the main 20.1% are sure of not getting the same job again, while priority), provision of unemployment benefits/allowance little less than two third of them, 64.6% are not able and more effective entrepreneurial assistance to to say anything with confidence. Thus 84.7% are not promote self-employment.” q confident of getting their job back.
34 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth
Sanitation Workers' Struggle During The Pandemic
Lekha Adavi, Avani Choksi
abasaheb Ambedkar had said, overthrew the exploitative contract the precautions to be exercised B“scavengers are the lowest in system, albeit partially. While those by the workers in a decentralized a system of graded inequality. This workers who sweep roads were manner. On the other hand, the is their caste ordained occupation brought under the direct-payment Union also moved the High Court over which they have been handed system of municipal authorities, of Karnataka demanding that the the monopoly is the cleaning of several thousand workers who powrakarmikas across the State latrines and toilets and handling transport garbage in vehicles be protected against coronavirus. human excreta. This monopoly has continue to be under the oppressive The Court recognized the vital survived for centuries and persists sham contract system. role of powrakarmikas in curbing even in the so-called modern era”. As of today, over 50 workers the spread of the pandemic and Urbanisation and capitalism have contracted coronavirus and directed the State Government to have not undermined caste-based 5 of them have succumbed to provide every single worker with occupations and discriminations it. This is solely attributed to the Personal Protective Equipment but have intensified and varied criminal negligence of the State in (PPE) kits, including full-body its manifestations. We now see ensuring their occupational health PPEs in containment zones. It its COVID-19 era adaptation, with and safety. The workers are not is unfortunate that despite such ‘social distancing’ encouraging provided with PPE kits from time to orders of the court, the same untouchability in India. The continued time, neither are they provided with has not been implemented and exploitation of powrakarmikas disinfectants to clean the equipment the workers continue to work in (municipality sanitation workers) they yse. They are provided with hazardous conditions. and the criminal negligence in neither changing rooms nor washing It was when a worker died of protecting their health is living proof facilities where the workers can Tuberculosis three weeks ago, of this. clean themselves after work. This that the BBMP tested the worker The callous attitude of the State means that the workers are not for COVID-19 postmortem as a towards protecting powrakarmikas only susceptible to contracting the matter of protocol. When the worker is due to their historical double disease, but can potentially carry was found positive for COVID-19, oppression as a majority of them the virus back to their families. about 80 workers in the ward were are women and belong to the Thanks to the hazardous nature of tested, of whom 23 tested positive. Dalit community. The Manusmriti their jobs, the powrakarmikas also Many residents who had taken the preordains women and Dalits to do have comorbidities and suffer from initiative to get powrakarmikas in the job of cleaning households and diseases such as tuberculosis, their wards get tested, came out public property, and therefore we see cancer, and heart and lung related to say that several of them were that women belonging to oppressed ailments. The workers are well testing positive in their areas. castes and minority communities aware of their vulnerability to health Until such time, the BBMP had being hired for this occupation. The issues as well as of the dangers no record of how many workers replication of feudal and casteist of contracting and spreading of have symptoms, how many tested oppression is apparent in the sham the disease. However, the State positive, etc., as there was no contract system to this day. The seems to be criminally negligent protocol in place for random testing, powrakarmikas, under the aegis of in safeguarding the health of these or even basic thermal scanning the BBMP Powrakarmika Sangha workers as they continue to be or health camps organised for and the Karnataka Pragatipara exploited and oppressed. these workers. Subsequently, a Powrakarmikara Sangha (both From the time coronavirus 28 year old worker, Smt. Shilpa affiliated to AICCTU), had launched cases began to be reported in Prasad, passed away on 16 July a strong opposition questioning the Karnataka and in Bangalore city, after being turned away from all feudal and casteist contract system the Union began its struggles for hospitals she had approached. for several years in Karnataka. the protection of powrakarmikas, It emerged the next day that not As a result of which, thousands firstly in conducting awareness on only have there been at least 5 of workers across Karnataka the spread of the pandemic and known powrakarmika deaths from
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 35 in-depth
the virus, but more than 30 had provided to them whatsoever, the four months, the Union has been tested positive. The deaths of these garbage vehicle drivers and helpers demanding that fresh PPE kits are powrakarmikas was a natural and who are still under the exploitative provided to workers on a regular expected consequence of the wilful contract system, are at high risk basis, that they be provided with neglect of the Corporation. This of exposure to coronavirus, as sanitizers and disinfectant solutions sparked an outrage amongst the they are involved in door-to-door regularly, for changing and washing workers and concerned citizens of collection of garbage. Since fresh rooms to be provided, for risk Bangalore, who organised a candle- PPEs are not provided at regular allowance to be paid, and that basic light vigil, demanding that the State intervals, the wear and tear of the facilities of transport, food, and provide protective equipment to all safety equipment is putting the drinking water be provided during powrakarmikas. The subsequent workers lives at risk. While the lockdown as they had no access inaction of the State has led to the waste generated from quarantined to the same. The State has failed workers launching an indefinite households and containment zones to ensure that the workers are well struggle before and after their day’s are considered to be biomedical safeguarded against the pandemic. work, and wearing black bands waste, the powrakarmikas were The workers refused to be cowed during the course of their work, from forced to sweep roads and collect down by the negligent attitude 20th July onwards. Their struggle garbage from red zones. Without of the municipal authorities and continues today. any proper safety equipment, with have been organizing protests Despite the lockdown imposed comorbidities and high exposure in a decentralized manner every across the country, it was the to COVID-19, along with criminal day, demanding that the BBMP sanitation workers who worked negligence of the BBMP, it was put in place protocols for their tirelessly to keep our cities clean, only a matter of time before the occupational safety, including even as the number of COVID workers began to be affected by institutional quarantine, setting cases increase manifold. These the pandemic. up a helpline for their grievances, workers who are out on the roads When the biometric attendance for insurance to be provided, every day, come in contact with system was discontinued in along with essentials such as recklessly disposed used masks, government offices, Courts and PPE kits, disinfectant solutions, gloves, people’s spit and other other private institutions to curb changing rooms, toilets, etc. waste which may be infected. These the spread of the pandemic, the The powrakarmikas are fighting workers were made to work through municipal authorities continued valiantly not just for their right to the week for half day, i.e., without a to administer attendance of health, but the right to the health of day off, for the entire period of the powrakarmikas in this form. The entire communities by curbing the lockdown. Deprived of their wages Union urgently demanded that the spread of all diseases, including for several months and no PPE same be stopped. For the past coronavirus. q
36 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth
Three Agrarian Ordinances: Undermine State Autonomy and Harmful to Farmers
Sucha Singh Gill CRRID, Chandigarh
he cabinet of the Union State List of the Constitution of India husbandry. The ordinance on TGovernment approved three and greater freedom and enlarged Farmers Agreement on Price ordinances on June 03 and notified role of big private traders in trade Assurance and Farm Services in the Gazette of India on June of agriculture produce. mentions handing over agricultural 05, 2020. These ordinances are: services including veterinary (i) The Farmers’ Produce Trade Attack on State services to the private companies And Commerce (Promotion And Autonomy entering contract farming with the Facilitation) Ordinance,2020; farmers and they are exempt them Although these ordinances aim (ii) Farmers (Empowerment from application of any State Act. to protection of Indian farmers, And Protection) Agreement provide them better prices and The ordinance on The Farmers’ On Price Assurance And Farm increase their income yet the Produce Trade and Commerce Services Ordinance, 2020; and study of deep structure of these violates entry 26 of the State (iii) The Essential Commodities ordinances tell a different story. In List which reads as “Trade and (Amendment) Ordinance,2020. the first place these ordinances give commerce within the State to The first ordinance states that its a heavy shock to the autonomy of the provision of entry 33 of List purpose is to provide “the freedom the States and tilts the balance of III” or the Concurrent List. The of choice relating to sale and Center-State relations or federalism Chapter II of the ordinance in purchase of farmers’ produce which in favour of the Union Government. section 3 states that “any farmer facilitates remunerative prices In the process of issuing of these or trader or electronic trading and through competitive alternative ordinances the Union Government transaction platform shall have the trading channels”. While the second has neither consulted States nor the freedom to carry on inter-state or ordinance is intended “to provide opposition parties. An impression intra-state trade and commerce a national framework on farming goes that the Union Government is in a trade area”. Further section agreements that protects and no more interested in “cooperative 6 of the Chapter II reads as “No empowers farmers to engage with federalism”. The process of issuing market fee or cess or levy by agree-business firms, processors, these ordinances is unilateral on whatever name called under any wholesalers, exporters or large the similar lines that of abrogation State APMC (Agriculture Produce retailers for farm services and of Article 370 in case of Jammu Market Committee) Act or any sale of future farming produce at a and Kashmir. These ordinances are other State law shall be levied on mutually agreed remunerative price violative of several entries in the any farmer or trader or electronic framework.” The third ordinance List II or State List in Constitution trading and transaction platform states that it intends “for the purpose of the country. The entry 14 in the for trade and commerce” This is of increasing competitiveness in State List reads as “Agriculture violative of entry 66 of the State List agriculture sector and enhancing including agricultural education which empowers States to charge the income of the farmers, the and protection against pests and “Fees in respect of any matter in regulatory system needs to be prevention of plant diseases”. The this List”. The entry 26 of this List liberalised while protecting the following entry no. 15 is written allocates the “Trade and commerce interests of the consumer. Thus, as “Preservation and protection within the State subject to provision all the three ordinances formally and improvement of stock and of entry 33 in the Concurrent List. are aimed to protect the farmers’ prevention of animal diseases; The entries 27 and 28 of the State interests, that is why these are veterinary training and practice. list allocate “Production, supply described as measures of agrarian On the basis these entries the and distribution” and “Markets reforms. There is a common running States have developed research and fairs” in the realm of State thread in three ordinances i.e. the and extension services in public administration. This ordinance encroachment on the subjects in the sector for agriculture and animal over rides the State APMC Act and
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 37 in-depth allows private markets in the area remunerative prices and increase ranging scope of expansion of of market committee free from the their income, the autonomy of trade in agriculture produce by regulation of the committee and the States is substantially big private trading, processing disallows charging of any fee, reduced. Earlier allowing the 2% and exporting companies. More cess or levy on traders or farmers additional borrowing over and than 86% of Indian farmers are operating in the private markets. above 3% of GSDP (Gross State small and marginal, they have no With this the States will suffer Domestic Product) permitted capacity to involve themselves in considerable loss of revenue on under Fiscal Responsibility and such activities. If these ordinances this count which the Constitution Budget Management Act to fight are read along with Shanta Kumar grant as them as a right. The Punjab the situation under Covid 19, a Committee Report (GOI, 2019 Budget of 2020-21 has a provision condition was imposed to collect pp.21-22,56-57) which suggests of Rs. 1950 crore each for market electricity bills from the farmers trimming of role of FCI because of fee and Rural Development Fund for tube wells and then transfer its high cost of storage of grains Thus this State is expected to lose subsidy to them through direct bank and recommends assignment of total of Rs. 3900 crore in a single transfer (DBT). This created a lot this role to private traders. year. This revenue is used for of uncertainty among the farmers If these ordinances are converted development and maintenance of about continuity of power subsidy into Acts after getting approval of market yards and village link roads. to them. The ordinances are in the Parliament this will deepen the This ordinance will make each continuity with implementation ongoing agrarian. In the situation State to lose substantial amount of GST in the country which has of procurement crisis of wheat and of revenue and make them further taken away power of the States to paddy the State governments will financially stressed. The Essential impose taxes under value added become helpless to redress the commodities (Amendment) tax (VAT). The GST experience crisis of the farmers. The bitter Ordinance excluded the supply of is very bitter with the States as experience of farmers in dealing foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, they suffered 3-4 month delay in with sugar mills is a pointer towards potatoes, onions, edible oils from getting their share of taxes. The the shape of things in future. It is the list of essential commodities. States have a large responsibility well known that the sugar mills did Their storage and prices cannot towards citizens ranging from not pay to the farmers their dues of be regulated in normal situation. general administration, law and sugarcane sold to these mills for The government can regulate them order, judicial system, development the period ranging from 3-5 years only in the extraordinary situation activities, the provisioning of health, and the governments could not do like war, famine, extraordinary rise education and welfare measures. In anything to help in redressing the in the prices and natural calamity absence of sufficient autonomy to grievances of the farmers. This of grave nature. This ordinance raise revenue, manage funds and lesson needs to be examined by removes the stockholder limit on the the State governments and farmers’ functionaries, the status of States processors, value chain participants organisations while examining will be reduced to the level glorified of any agricultural produce if it these ordinances. Municipal Corporations and the does not exceed the overall ceiling When ordinances become States will not be able to deliver of installed capacity of processing fully operational, the area market on their responsibilities. In such or demand for export in case of committees will lose market fees a large and diverse country which an exporter. It allows big trading, and the State governments will India is ‘one fit all’ model does not processors and export companies lose rural development fund. The work. In the interest of balanced to hold stock of agricultural produce. market fee is used for development regional development the sufficient The other ordinance allows them and maintenance of market yards autonomy must be ensured for to procure from anywhere in the and facilities for farmers and sustainable development. country without paying any taxes or rural development fund is used fee or levy under any State APMC Farmers’ Interests Get for rural infrastructure especially Act. This will allow big players to Beating construction and repair of village manipulate prices of agricultural link roads. In this situation of produce. These ordinances are in revenue loss it will be difficult to Under the garb of protecting the name of promoting Indian maintain the rural infrastructure the farmers to provide them farmers’ interest provide wide and repair the rural link roads
38 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth and farmers will face big problem the agenda of corporatisation farmers are already neck deep in in bringing their produce to the of agricultural produce. Large crisis and these ordinances will market yards whether maintained companies will convert agricultural further push them to ruination. The by the Mandi Board or in the trade in monopsony market form policy making of the country has private market yards of Companies and the State governments will been transferred to the corporates envisioned in the ordinances. find difficult to handle them and and they are calling the shots in These ordinances intend to attack redress the farmers’ grievances their own self interest. They are the present agricultural marketing on this count. Under monopsony redrafting the rules of the game system dominated by market market conditions both farmers in economic affairs to suit their committees under the control of and consumers are likely to lose profitability. There is now a need the State governments. The farmers on price front. In this market form to shift the policy in favour of the need to recall the experience of a few big companies will be pitted common people. The ordinances price fluctuations before the present against 120 millions of the farmers are issued at a time when people marketing system for agricultural in this country. They will rig prices are fending for their life and health. produce was created after the mid at the time of procurement to The experience of lock down period 1960s after setting up of Agriculture the disadvantage of the farmers shows that it is largely government Price Commission in 1965 and and charge high prices from the sector which came forward while later its name was changed to consumers after the harvesting private sector did not pay wages Commission for Agriculture Costs season. to their workers who have started and Prices (CACP). The earlier It is important that the regional moving to their homes back. In this system was exploitative both for political parties and farmers’ situation bringing such legislation farmers and consumers. In the organisations understand the through the route of ordinances pre 1965 the traders dealing the underlying message of these is unfortunate. They should have agricultural commodities were ordinances. Understanding of some been thoroughly discussed with the small and local. Now the size of leaders that they will be able to states and the stakeholders before these traders and their capacity to save MSP after ordinances become their Gazette notification. q control is much larger as compared fully operational is misplaced and Note: An earlier version of this to traders in pre green revolution they don’t realise the depth of article has appeared in Punjabi era. Now the traders are going to be the agrarian crisis towards which Tribune (Chandigarh) on 9th and 10th large companies which are pushing theses ordinances will lead. Indian June 2020.
From Feudal Mahajans To The "Bandhan" Of Micro Finance Institutions
Ajit Patil
ahajans as an institution for famines or even personal tragedies. agreements in the colonial times Mlending money at usurious So much like the modern times! in Maharashtra. The ‘Patri Sarkar’ interest rates came in to being Marathi folklore, the rebellion of 1942 was probably the first in the feudal times. They made shahiri of Comrade Annabhau armed resistance movement which women part with gold – the only Sathe whose birth centenary is carved out a ‘Free” territory in some means of savings they had. They this year, Comrade Amar Shaikh, districts of western Maharashtra were infamous for insisting on Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, all with elimination of Savkari as a payment of interest rather than exposed the ‘Savkari- Sahukari’ programmatic slogan. the principal amount so as to usury and extortion, as did many The phase of imperfect perpetuate their tyranny. The films of the 1940s-60s. There capitalist development set rolling Mahajans were like leeches for the were spontaneous resistance in independent India had realized masses. They excelled in “turning movements against the sahukari in the need to broad basing the adverse conditions for the masses rural India, including a movement to sections supporting it. The need for in to their advantage” in droughts, burn the mortgage papers and loan expanding the rural credit supply for
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 39 in-depth creating the market for the industrial 70s a new model of financing the with “social stigma” attached to products was also becoming lower strata particularly the women defaulters. This “social collateral” evident to capital. The rumblings was being developed in India’s was very cleverly used by the micro of the social reformers and various neighbor Bangladesh under the finance institutions, apex banks and anti-sahukari movements was name of Grameen Bank. In India a later the private MFIs, now given also making its impact. In the different model under the SHG- Self even banking licenses, in place overall interest of the capitalist Help Group - was being tried. The two of tangible assets as the norm in class, banks were nationalized models differ in their way of operating banking industry. and the credit lines started but are conceptually the same. In the 1990s, after India’s ruling flowing to hitherto untouched but The Micro Finance Institutions class forced the country’s economy ‘creditworthy’ sections developed were a part of the schemes in both on the neo liberal path, it is no during the process of capitalist the countries. Similar projects were coincidence that NABARD which was development. This still left the underway in Indonesia as well. very tentatively in to SHGs became multitudes in the lower strata of However the class, caste, regional, very active in promotion of SHGs. rural and urban proletariat. This cultural, social and other differences The declared objective was of giving expansion continued till 1990s were much more complex in the affordable loans to women, financial and beyond under sloganeering of Indian context. The only common empowerment and independence. Garibi Hatao and welfare state and thread was the “social commitment” Women were to be encouraged to later Reforms and Liberalization. of the women folk in particular become entrepreneurs, produce While this was happening in early to repay any loan undertaken and sell their products by organizing
SKS, BFI, Bandhan: marketers who were not direct employees of SKS, but worked on a commission basis in smaller villages Parallel Trajectories of of Andhra Pradesh. SKS used a network of loan India's Most Predatory MFIs sharks to pursue matters with defaulters. In 2003, Vikram Akula created SKS Mutual Benefit Both the notoriously predatory SKS/BFI, and Trusts (MBT) to change SKS Society into a for- Bandhan which is now growing in notoriety, have profit entity named as SKS Microfinance. The trusts raised INR 20 million through donations as it was the similar NGO origins, making a journey from “non- minimum capital required to form an NBFC entity. profit” pretensions to open profiteering. With its invested capital, the trusts held 99.5% stake SKS (now known as Bharat Financial Inclusion) in SKS Microfinance. SKS Microfinance secured a was founded in 1997 by Vikram Akula, who served Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) license in as its executive chair until November 2011. Akula 2005 by the Reserve Bank of India. recounted having worked with an NGO in India as In 2007, SKS Microfinance raised $11.5 million a loan officer on the field in 1997. The potential through equity investments led by Sequoia Capital. for impact that these loans had given him the idea In 2008, it further raised $74.5 million through of setting up SKS as a more scaled up version for equity investments led by Sandstone Capital. On micro finance. BFIL was started as a non-profit NGO 28 July 2010, SKS Microfinance debuted on the named Swaya Krishi Sangam (SKS Society) in 1997 Bombay Stock Exchange with an IPO that was by Vikram Akula. He formed it as a charity in 1998 oversubscribed 14 times. Muhammad Yunus, the in Hyderabad, India as a part of his PhD studies to Grameen Bank pioneer who won the Nobel Peace explore the then nonexistent micro finance industry Prize, expressed concern that going public would put in India. the demands of shareholders ahead of the poor. He Though claimed to be based on the Grameen bank added , "If they do it, I cannot stop them but I would model, SKS granted high interest (36%) loans of Rs. encourage genuine Microcredit programs." In 2013 10,000 to R. 2 lakh to men and women in Andhra SKS operated in 13 states. Pradesh belonging to poor families (as compared In September 2010, reports surfaced in the to Grameen bank which grants income producing media of nearly 200 suicides by defaulters of a loans at 20% APR). However, unlike Grameen bank, number of micro finance institutions, including SKS used an aggressive commission based system SKS finance. This led to an enquiry by the Andhra to encourage loans, thus forming a network of loan Pradesh government. In 2011, the micro finance
40 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth markets to sell these products. Two sometimes charging as high as to be city and metro centric with of the biggest MFIs with thousands 60 % burden on the SHGs or serving the industrial, commercial of crores transactions – Bandhan women participants. With coercive and speculative financial needs. and Bharat Financial Inclusion methods deployed they ensure The women in general and the (formerly SKS) – are both founded that most of the loans are paid on SHGs seem to be planned to be by former members of NGOs in the time. Thus the profits are high and handed over to these MFIs turned field of MF. They started as for Not the debt trap leads to increasing Banks monopolizing the credit for profit NGO. They learnt the “Art number of women are members of and dictating high interest rates of Exploitation” in NGOs, one in multiple SHGs linked to different charged. They will be ‘empowered’ Bangladesh and another in India! MFIs. Thus the horizontal spread to use any methods they like to Very revealing fact! More about this is ensured as well. These MFIs are serve the agenda of the global and later in the article. again becoming bolder and many local finance capital- maximize The MFI and SHG movement is of them have been given banking profits, expand financialization. actively encouraged by the World licenses in recent times. All this The anger against predatory Bank, one of the axis of the world points to the possibility of the public MFIs is growing, as witnessed in finance capital. Most of the MFIs sector banks wriggling themselves vigorous protests all over India even have sizable investments by foreign of providing funding to the rural during the pandemic and lockdown. venture funds and others from USA, economy and women in general and We must do all we can to hold the Singapore. These MFIs ensure linkage to the SHGs in particular. Government accountable to stop very high return on investments The private sector banks are likely this modern-day usury. q
industry (MFI) in India suffered a crisis due to the financial services, Kolkata is present in 34 out of growing news of suicides by borrowers. In 2012, an 37 states and UT, 4559 banking outlets and 2.03 independent investigation linked SKS employees crore customers with focus on Eastern and North to at least seven suicides of creditors in Andhra Eastern states. Pradesh. A second investigation said SKS may Like SKS, Bandhan started in 2001 as a not- have been involved in two other suicide cases. In for-profit enterprise providing microloans to the 2012, SKS Microfinance cut 1200 jobs and closed 78 underprivileged sections of the society. Bandhan branches in Andhra Pradesh. Interviews with family CEO C S Ghosh got a degree from Dhaka University, members of the deceased, by BBC suggested that then joined BRAC, an NGO in Bangladesh. After the reason for these suicides appeared to be large returning to India, Ghosh worked with several NGOs. sub-prime loans taken by the villagers, with the active He quit his last job at Village Welfare Society and encouragement of SKS loan agents. established Bandhan-Konnagar, a NGO in West In 2014, the investors in the SKS Microfinance, Bengal, which aimed to provide microfinance Mauritius Unitus Corporation, Sequoia Capital India services to the marginalized and drive financial Growth Investments and SKS Mutual Benefit Trust inclusion. as well as its founder Vikam Akula relinquished their In 2006, Bandhan acquired an NBFC. It turned roles as promoters. In 2016, SKS Microfinance was into an NBFC-MFI. In 2010, Bandhan was recognized renamed Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. In 2017, the as the largest MFI in the country. In June 2015 company launched a loan approval system based it was granted license for a Universal Bank. Its on Aadhaar to reduce the time and cost involved public shareholders then included International in the loan approval process. In the same year, Finance Corporation; an arm of GIC, the sovereign it also launched its Kirana store (general store) wealth fund of Singapore; and Small Industries service which allowed its customers to do financial Development Bank of India. On March 27, 2018, transactions by visiting its designated stores. Later Bandhan Bank got listed on the bourses and became in 2017, the company entered into discussions of the 8th largest bank in India by market capital, on the a possible merger with IndusInd Bank. The merger day of listing itself. GRUH Finance officially merged received approvals from Reserve Bank of India, into Bandhan Bank on October 17, 2019, and the National Stock Exchange of India and Bombay Stock combined balance sheet in the bank's Q2 results Exchange later in 2018. crossed the Rs.1 lakh crore mark. HDFC received Bandhan Bank is a subsidiary of Bandhan shares for parting with Gruh Finance. HDFC has over Financial Holdings Limited. Bandhan Banking and 30 % FI investment.q
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 41 in-depth The Tyranny of Rent
(Text of a preparatory note to launch a rent waiver/regulation campaign in the city of Bengaluru, and later in other Indian cities. Housing and rent is a huge problem for the whole of urban India, especially for big metropolises. The pandemic has made this problem worse all over the world, and there are movements demanding rent waivers in many countries. In India, this campaign note lays out the grounds and issues for such a campaign.)
hat is meant today by to shanties in slumsa. Majority of the and medium enterprises (MSMEs), “Whousing shortage is the population thus are tenants i.e. those with not more than 10 workers. That peculiar intensification of the bad who do not have any control over their is a staggering 369 million workers. housing conditions of the workers own housing and are dependent on The remaining 92 million workers are as the result of the sudden rush the vagaries of the rental market for designated as being in the formal of population to, the big towns; a a roof over their heads. Workers of all sector, but 49 million of them are colossal increase in rents...The hues including informal, migrant, etc., employed as informal workers and growth of the big modern cities students, professionals, etc. all depend called variously as contract labour gives the land in certain areas, on rental housing though the range and temporary staff, among others. If particularly in those which are depends on the class, from shanties one goes by the employment status of centrally situated, an artificial and to high-end apartments. all workers across India, close to 52% often colossally increasing value…. One analysis has estimated the are in the self-employed category, The result is that the workers are composition of the working class in which comes to 238 million, and forced out of the centre of the India.b It states that India has about those with casual labour status come towns towards the outskirts; that 461 million workers (some estimates to 24% or 112 million. Together, they workers’ dwellings, and small put it at 470 million), with 80% of them constitute 350 million workers who dwellings in general, become rare working in the informal sector, such as form the core of the national informal and expensive and often altogether in agricultural work and in micro, small, labour base. The remaining 19 million unobtainable, for under these [a] There are several distinct types of slums, workers and the abovementioned 49 circumstances the building industry, from declared and undeclared (or notified, million informal workers in the formal recognized, and unrecognized) slums on which is offered a much better field or regular economy—that is 68 million one end of the spectrum to private-land for speculation by more expensive rent slums (nele badige slums) at the other. workers—also fall under the informal houses, builds workers’ dwellings Common though are the inadequate sanitary work category, which altogether comes only by way of exception...The and drinking water facilities, and unhygienic up to 418 million workers or 89% living conditions. All these low-income building and maintenance costs settlements have poorly built tenements of all Indian workers. It is further of the house, or of the part of the with the worst-off slums having plastic sheet estimated that two thirds of all informal house in question, enters first of houses supported on poles. Usually the workers (or 60% of all Indian workers), all into the calculation; the land residents of the notified slums are Bangalore totalling 278 million workers, do not locals, and there is a rental market in these value, determined by the more or slums. The row-housing worker colonies even get the Rs. 375 daily wage (or less favourable situation of the are primarily inhabited by inter-state migrant earnings in the case of self-employed house, comes next; the state of workers, while slums faring worst, nele individuals) recommended as the the relation between supply and badige slums, house recent migrants from national minimum wage necessary North Karnataka and the adjoining states, demand existing at the moment is as also extremely poor migrants from to meet their household basic needs finally decisive.” West Bengal and other northern states. at 2017–18 prices, according to a Significantly, majority of the residents belong January 2019 report. Engels, The Housing Question to the Dalit and Muslim communities, with Thus, a majority of workers who OBCs and Christains being the second Introduction: largest groups. contribute to the national income [b] K.P. Kannan, “COVID-19 Lockdown: belong to the category of the working The masses live in rented houses Protecting the Poor Means Keeping the poor. Most of them negotiate their daily in the cities, mostly in single-bedroom Indian Economy Afloat”, accessible at needs through uncertain livelihood houses and single-room tenements in https://www.epw.in/engage/article/ opportunities that make them, in covid-19-lockdown-protecting-poor- working class colonies or in single- means-keeping-indian-economy- the words of Jan Breman “wage room row-housing on parcels of land afloat hunters and gatherers” and “footloose
42 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth labourers”. Who are these workers? house. All in all, there are no checks to 53,15,715 in 2011.c Out of the total They are the lakhs of agricultural on the unbridled powers and privileges population of Karnataka, 38.67% labourers and poor peasants, loading of the house owners, even as the people live in urban regions.d and unloading workers, rickshaw State fails to intervene in any manner The report on the Drinking Water, pullers, barbers and washer(wo)men, whatsoever, resulting in a state of Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing manual scavengers, garbage pickers, perpetual insecurity for tenants. As a Condition in India - NSS 76th Round street vendors, domestic servants, matter of fact, for the tenant the rental (July - December 2018), e which auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, brick house can only be a roof over their surveyed the distribution of households kiln workers and construction workers heads, a notional home and never a in urban areas, by tenurial status of who migrate from villages to cities home in the true sense of the word. dwelling units across the country, states and towns in search of work, workers The fundamental question that as far as Karnataka was concerned, in repair shops and small workshops , though is why are lakhs and lakhs 47% urban households had freehold roadside eatery workers and those in of people compelled to seek out dwelling units, 1.8% urban households small hotels and restaurants, security rented accommodation and live under were in leasehold dwelling units, staff who protect the middle class insecure conditions. Clearly the failure 2% urban households were housed and the rich in their gated habitats, of the State to ensure housing for in quarters provided by employers, delivery workers who deliver food and 16.4% urban households lived in hired e-commerce packages at the doorsteps all is one key factor as is the fact dwelling units with written contract while of lakhs of homes and companies, and that the financialization of land and 28.5% urban households were hired similar umpteen groups of workers housing has ensured that the majority dwelling units without written contract. bracketed under the informal sector of people will continue to rely on rented Thus, 45% of urban households, even status. This “cheap” workforce is one accommodation. In fact the rising rentals officially, live in rented accommodations that has been manufactured to cater are pushing people into increasingly whereas in reality the numbers are to global markets. Their welfare and uninhabitable housing conditions. higher. rights have been bartered for economic The increasing precariousness of It is necessary to reflect on the growth. It is this mass of people who livelihoods serves to boost the growth position that the Government of India depend on rented accommodation. of informal housing especially in cities has taken in this regard: “Incidentally Beginning with the “house advance” like Bengaluru, exemplified by the the State acknowledges that although which has to be paid at the beginning growth of the nele badige slums in the provision of affordable housing has of the tenancy, in some cases it is city. Without a doubt, growing rampant been a priority area for the Government 10-months’ rent, tenants are in a informalisation of livelihoods, job, since independence, providing housing very difficult situation having to pay wage, and social insecurity results in to all on ownership basis is difficult and annual increase in rent at 10% with a majority of the masses depending [c] “HOUSING - Statistical Year Book no security and liable to shift to other on rented accommodation especially accommodation at the dictates of India 2018” accessible at http://www. in worker colonies and slums without mospi.gov.in/statistical-year-book- the house owners and landlords. proper access to electricity, clean india/2018/197, Table-28.1 (A) titled House owners, according to their own water, and other basic necessities. For “Occupied Residential Houses And prejudices, discriminate in handing Households In The Country” those earning assured monthly wages, out tenancies, especially on the [d] “Karnataka Population 2011-2020 Census”, for instance garment workers, receive grounds of caste and religion, which available at https://www.census2011. only the notified minimum wages which co.in/census/state/karnataka. is unaddressed and exists as a matter are insufficient as rentals become more html#:~:text=Karnataka%20 of rights. Single women find it difficult Urban%20Population%20 to secure rentals from house owners expensive, these stagnated wages 2011&text=The%20total%20 harbouring prejudiced notions of family leave them vulnerable to meet these figure%20of%20population,963%20 females%20per%201000%20males. and the status of women. We all face increasing rents. Indeed, housing the practice of having a month’s rent insecurity defines their lives. [e] “NSS Report No. 584: Drinking Water, It is estimated that the number of Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing Condition deducted from the advance at the end in India” available at of the tenancy. The house owners occupied households in urban areas http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/ say this is to cover the wear and tear in Karnataka in 2001 was 33,91,662, default/files/publication_reports/ Statement of the use of the house.! The tenant, which increased to 53,04,173 in 2011 Report_584_final_0.pdf, 20.1: Percentage distribution of households thus, over and above the monthly and that there were 36,76,036 urban by tenurial status of dwelling units for each rent, pays for the maintenance of the households in 2001 which increased State/UT, page 137
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 43 in-depth or may not be feasible”.f This, after it In lay persons terms, it is the payment India, Nigeria and Brazil, the number acknowledges the following: “These for use of a house, an apartment, or of workers in the informal economy poor households live in congested a piece of land, though the actual affected by the lockdown and other conditions indicating that housing value of the land may not necessarily containment measures is substantial. is unaffordable for a large section be the determinant of the quantum of In India with a share of almost 90 per of population, be it ownership or rent. Without going into the theoretical cent of people working in the informal rental. Even after interventions such meaning of rent, suffice to say that economy, about 400 million workers in as subsidies for housing loans and in itself, an house or land does not the informal economy are at risk of falling tax concessions, this segment cannot produce rent, but private landlords are deeper into poverty during the crisis’. afford to own a house due to low not going to give up any land for free The lives of workers in the informal disposable income, irregular income, and will demand some payment for its sector have always been precarious, ever increasing real estate prices etc. use. Yet, this economic transaction with no application of labour laws, no Further, affordability gap created by is one that epitomizes the unequal medical benefits, and no job security. filtering and lack of creditworthiness balance of power between the house It is this mode of precarious livelihood of the urban poor prevents access to owner and the tenant. In reality, rent is which has been hit most seriously by the housing loan/finance.”g Thus the State’s not a mere economic transaction, but lockdown. A pan-India surveyi points to housing policy seeks to protect the constitutes a social relation between the very vulnerable condition of workers interests of the propertied class aligned the house owner and tenant, since it today: two-thirds of the respondents directly against that of those who cannot takes place within a particular economic report loss of employment and half of all own property. and social context. This payment of salaried workers reported non-payment Thus, a majority of the masses will rent comes with another price – the or reduction in salaries; 45% of the remain compelled to rely on rented forfeiture of freedoms, the ingraining of households did not have money to even accommodation. Incidentally, the dependence on the propertied class and buy a week’s worth of essentials and national average monthly rent paid in the entrenchment of class. It is a facet 74% of households were consuming less of naturalisation of wealth inequality. urban areas is Rs. 3,306/- whereas food than before. The failure of the State to regulate the average rent for houses in urban Housing came into immediate focus rent, in effect, is not merely its failure areas in Karnataka is Rs, 4,940/-. It is with shelter-in-place, self-isolation, to address the structural economic and estimated that the urban poor might be stay-at-home, and quarantine as social inequalities that mar society, but paying 30% of their monthly income primary global responses to the serves to exacerbate these inequalities; j as house rent without any incentives.h Covid-19 pandemic. it represents the interests of the Incredibly, despite various laws on rent Far from focussing on protecting propertied class. Considering that 80% and rent control, there is, in effect, no themselves from Covid-19, the masses are employed in the informal sector, regulation of rent by the Government. are forced to deal with the lack of job this directly impacts their housing rights What is this house rent that we pay? and wage security, facing harassment and quality of life. Thus, the masses from creditors, as also the housing [f] National Urban Rental Housing Policy suffer from this tyranny of rent, which (Draft), October, 2015, Ministry of Housing insecurity now, unable as they are and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government is sustained by the State. to pay rents. With a steady income of India, at para 5.1, accessible at http:// extremely unlikely in the foreseeable mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/ The current crisis: future, facing unrelenting house owners files/National_Urban_Rental_ Housing_Policy_Draft_2015.pdf The immediate context for this and a State that is refusing to step in to [g] National Urban Rental Housing Policy campaign on rent is the coronavirus protect the tenants, housing instability (Draft), October, 2015, Ministry of Housing pandemic and the unplanned lockdown, [i] “COVID-19 Livelihoods Survey and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government which are decimating the lives and Compilation of findings”, Azim Premji of India, at para 5.1, accessible at http:// livelihoods of the masses. Covid-19 has University, accessible at https://cse. mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/ azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/ files/National_Urban_Rental_ given rise to two concurrent crises – the wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ Housing_Policy_Draft_2015.pdf health crisis, and the livelihood crisis Compilation-of-findings-APU-COVID- [h] National Urban Rental Housing Policy that was a direct consequence of the 19-Livelihoods-Survey_Final.pdf (Draft), October, 2015, Ministry of Housing unplanned lockdown. In fact the lockdown [j] “Covid-19 and housing struggles: The (re) and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government has exposed the precariousness of the makings of austerity, disaster capitalism, of India, at para 5.1, accessible at http:// and the no return to normal ”, Radical existence of 80% of India’s population mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/ Housing Journal, accessible at https:// files/National_Urban_Rental_ whose livelihoods are earned in the radicalhousingjournal.org/2020/ Housing_Policy_Draft_2015.pdf informal sector. As the ILO notes, ‘In covid-19-and-housing-struggles/
44 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth and probable homelessness is a distinct of organisation and struggle have to It is against this background that reality for the masses. be formulated in this unique battle in the masses now face the imminent Thus, even as the masses are urban India. prospect of evictions for non-payment struggling to make ends meet, they As an approach though, the defining of rent in the aftermath of the are forced into rent debt and are facing principle for any tenant related struggle pandemic. It goes without saying that eviction even as the State refuses to would be privileging the interests of step in and protect their right to shelter. those who do not have control over the pandemic and the lockdown has Ironically while the mantra to ward off their own homes against those of the not affected all sections of society Covid-19 is stay-at-home, it is this very propertied class. This is not a movement equally; on the contrary, it has only house that the masses stand to lose. to reform the landlords and house amplified the livelihood insecurity and As such, the right to secure shelter owners; it is one to alter the property housing precarity of the masses. must become the central object of any relations and fight the hegemony and Any campaign at this juncture public policy intervention and housing domination of the propertied class. could make the following demands: must be assured. Thus, the real aim should not be the regulation and reduction of rents, but the 1. Urgent housing protection Conclusion and demands: abolition of the notion of rent itself, since measures ought to be taken India has witnessed glorious it is nothing more than a plunder of the placing moratoriums on peasant struggles through history, working class. Yet the challenge remains evictions, banning cutting off especially during the freedom struggle, to frame the struggle from a long-term of basic utilities and cancelling and most notably the Tehbhaga perspective; whether it is a struggle for struggle, Telengana struggle, rent justice or against rent itself or for rental payments Naxalbari, Bhojpur, etc. Fighting non- tenant protection or for social housing. 2. Decriminalizing of all slum Struggles of urban tenants for cultivating, rent-collecting landlordism settlements and informal forms was the central slogan of the militant justice are amply evident, though not of housing, and undertaking peasant struggles, who also demanded in India. Even today, in the aftermath of land-to-the-tiller. the pandemic, rent strikes are echoing mass social housing projects Thus, a political and social struggle is across the world from tenants who 3. The approach of the State fundamental to challenge the existence cannot afford to pay rent and and who should be towards retention and distribution of rent and landlord- are thus facing a survival crisis. Calls of existing housing tenancies property-tenant relations. Unfortunately for rent strikes started in mid-March there has been no struggle of tenants and have picked up steam through and initiating social housing for against landlordism in urban areas April, particularly across Europe, those without houses. except for those intermittent struggles South America, New Zealand, North 4. Regulate rents and maintain a of slum dwellers in some parts of America, etc. Rent strike demands register of house owners. the country. Having said that it is include cancelling rent for everyone important to understand that society, unable to pay during the duration for a variety of reasons including the of the coronavirus crisis, freezing “Right to a house, right to this daily struggle to make ends meet, rental prices, suspending utility city” has become increasingly atomised. payments, housing the unhoused, Further, the category of tenants is and expropriating housing owned by “No evictions” not homogeneous and spans all age banks and vulture funds. Tenants’ “Cancel all rent payments” groups, incomes, and educational and unions have reported 16,000 renters professional backgrounds. It is also on strike across Spain since April 1st, “Social housing for social divided also along caste, religious, while a new “massive wave” of rent justice” and political lines. The identification strikes is being anticipated in New York “No more house hunting, no as a citizen, possessing of freedoms from May onwards.k more rent” and rights, is a lagging project. In [k] “Covid-19 and housing struggles: fact, building a class consciousness The (re)makings of austerity, “We need homes, not temporary would be a great challenge when faced disaster capitalism, and the Radical houses” with the internalisation (acceptance no return to normal”, Housing Journal, accessible at https:// and justification) of urban zamindari radicalhousingjournal.org/2020/ “Tenants organise, fight for your by the masses. As such new forms covid-19-and-housing-struggles/ right to a home” q
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 45 in-depth EIA Under Attack Environmentalists Branded Terrorists
he Ministry of Environment, heat, the police claimed they had High Court, responding to a TForests and Climate Change mentioned UAPA “inadvertently”. petition pointing out that affected introduced a Draft EIA Notification This was a laughable excuse of communities could not access the in March 2020 seeking to dilute course. But UAPA or not, the fact draft EIA and comment on it, that environmental protections, is that an Environment Ministry there was no need to publish the in particular the provisions for spokesperson has confirmed that draft EIA in any other language Environmental Impact Assessment the Delhi Police took action on a other than English and Hindi. processes including public hearings complaint lodged by the Minister Rejecting this submission, the Javadekar himself, after he received as a condition for giving permission Karnataka HC asked the Centre over a lakh mails on his personal to projects. to give “wide publicity” on the draft Students from Fridays for email account. So the Minister of Environmental Impact Assessment Future India (inspired by Greta Information does not want young (EIA) notification, 2020 in all the Thunberg’s Friday strikes against people of India to email him and regional languages. climate change) ran an effective communicate with him? And why Below is the text of the letter sent campaign alerting young people all is the Minister of Information and by the Communist Party of India over India about the implications of Broadcasting, who is so incensed (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation to the the dilution, and asking them to mail at emails sent to him, blocking the Environment ministry with letters websites that educated people about Ministry of Environment, Forest and against the dilution. Thousands of the EIA notification? Climate Change with responses people sent letters to the inbox of Meanwhile, the Central and objections to the Draft EIA the Union Environment Minister Government told the Karnataka Notification 2020. Prakash Javadekar. Javadekar, who is also the Minister for Information CPIML Response/Objections to Draft and Broadcasting, and the Modi EIA Notification 2020 Government’s police reacted vindictively. The Delhi Police sent a The Ministry of Environment, approval. It should be remembered notice to the managers of the Fridays Forests and Climate Change that the Covid-19 pandemic itself is a for Future India website invoking the introduced the Draft EIA Notification result, in large part, of environmental anti-terrorism law UAPA, accusing in March 2020, with a deadline of 30 devastation being witnessed globally. them of challenging the ‘sovereignty June for the public to file responses, The response to such a pandemic and integrity of India’, and disabling suggestions, or objections. should be to strengthen rather than the site. The observations and objections dilute environmental protections. The journalist who eventually of the CPI(ML) Liberation on the Draft 2) Introducing the Draft Notification broke the story of this persecution of Notification are as follows: during a pandemic and lockdown has students on Twitter, wrote “I reached 1) The Draft Notification seeks meant that the Draft has not even out to several friends in the media, to dilute the Environmental Impact reached the communities which hoping someone would take on the Assessment (EIA) process, and favour stand to be most directly affected story. It needed the immediacy of industrial projects and their “ease of by the proposed changes. They do television news and could have been doing business” on the pretext of not even know about the changes, carried in the next news bulletin but providing an economic stimulus to let alone being able to consult their since the environment minister also India’s economy after the damage communities and contribute their happens to be the Information and done by the pandemic and lockdown. objections and opinions. Therefore, Broadcasting minister, I was told no The EIA process provides local for this reason alone, the Draft should one in the news television business communities a way to participate in be immediately withdrawn pending would touch the story.” evaluating the possible environmental the pandemic period. No changes to After social media spread the impacts of a proposed project or the existing EIA rules should be made news and the Delhi Police felt the development before the latter get until and unless the marginalised,
46 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) in-depth farming, coastal and forest dwelling making it easier for ecologically this period may go under-reported or communities are able to participate harmful projects to get clearance. unreported. in the public discussion and decision- 7) The Draft now clears the way 9) According to the Draft, the making process. for many projects to get “post-facto compliance mechanism requires 3) The Draft seeks to get rid of the clearances” - i.e clearances after they the project owners/promoters to file requirement to hold public hearings/ have already wreaked destruction documents on which the environmental consultations for many projects. Small on the environment. This defeats impact is to be assessed. This means dams, industrial complexes, mining the very purpose of an EIA, which that promoters can conveniently hide projects, highway expansions, and is to ensure that development and documents and information which several hazardous industries like industrial projects are set up in a may reflect adversely on their capacity tanning, halogen, petroleum will no manner as to inflict the least possible to damage the environment. longer need public consultation. damage to the environment and 10) The Draft seeks to reduce the This means that local communities local communities. Damage to the role of experts in the assessment that stand to lose land, forests, environment is irreversible. process, and reduce the list of people/ and livelihood, or be exposed to 8) The Draft allows industries organizations who can be included in pollution as a result of the project, to “self-report” violations of committees. will have no way to make their environmental regulations. This is The proposed Draft EIA is intended concerns and objections heard and basically a license to break the laws to protect the interests of investors and addressed. This is a profoundly anti- protecting the environment. Further, corporates only, not the environment democratic change, that excludes project owners will now have to file or local communities. It will inflict local communities from any say in compliance reports only once a year, far-reaching on the environment, and decision-making about projects. instead of once every six months. So, on India’s people. Consequently, the Polluting industries and corporations, gas leaks, fires, accidents and other CPI(ML) demands that the proposed as well as other projects will be able to disasters or violations that happen in Draft EIA be withdrawn forthwith. q get clearance without consulting local communities. 4) In cases where public hearings are still required, the time period for public consultations has been reduced to a mere 20 days. This is highly inadequate, especially in rural and remote areas where travel, communication, sharing of information, and consultation take time. 5) The proposed changes seek to legitimise actions by projects that are currently listed as violations (i.e, starting construction without a valid clearance). The Draft is redefining illegalities as legal, in order to favour corporate and commercial interests, not the interests of the environment. 5) The provision for online/digital approvals is dangerous, since no one should have the power to make decisions about the environment without visiting the area that stands to be affected, and studying the ground, and the impact, closely. 6) The Draft seeks to weaken the definition of “Eco Sensitive Zone”,
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 47 report
3 Day Coal Workers' Strike Against Privatization
he 3-day strike against at Subhash Chowk. The march water, minerals, and employment Tprivatization began on was organized jointly by Left is ours; why then are we being 2 July 2020 at Kumardhuvi parties. made to suffer unemployment Coal Region under the banner Addressing the meeting in and poverty? The Central and of the countrywide joint front support of the 3-day coal workers’ State governments must take (Rashtravyapi Sanyukta Morcha). strike, the leaders said that effective steps to resolve the The strike was widespread and attempts by the Central and some growing unemployment problem successful in Dhanbad District. State governments to abrogate or and guarantee accountability of Production was at a standstill in amend labor laws and render them the owner-class and institutions all collieries including Kumardhuvi ineffective should be opposed towards the human rights of the Colliery, excepting Barmudi, tooth and nail. All attempts to working class. There should be no Rajpura Open Cast in Mugma set aside International Labor repetition of the distress recently Area (ECL). Organization recommendations meted out to migrant workers. The At Barmudi, INTUC, CMWU, should also be strongly curbed. government must slash petrol- and BCKU with flags and banners They demanded that auction diesel prices and reduce inflation. braved CISF, Jharkhand Police for privatization of coal should On 3 July, the second day of and Colliery guards to appeal for be revoked; stop selling coal the 3-day coal workers’ strike, a the success of the workers’ strike. blocks to private parties; ensure protest was organized under the Responding to the joint that loading in collieries is done banner of the Sanyukta Morcha call by Left parties for a 3 day through hand-loading by workers in front of the GM office at CCL coal workers’ strike against instead of by machines; true self- Giridih Area, and the leaders privatization of the coal sector, a reliance of the nation should be appealed to people to make march was organized at Ramgarh ensured by scrapping FDI. The the strike against privatization on 2 July 2020 from the CPIML land is ours, the minerals are of the coal sector a resounding office and culminated in a meeting ours; the right to land, forest, success.q
Coal workers on strike, Jharkhand. Flood in Hayaghat, Darbhanga, Bihar Stand with the Affected People of Assam and Bihar
ssam and large parts of The apathy of the respective state excuse for the Governments' ABihar are facing flood governments and the Central failure to take preventive devastation. Some 27 lakh Government towards this calamity, measures and also to find people are reportedly affected can be seen in the fact that long-term policy solutions to in Assam, while around 10 lakh they failed to take the measures this avoidable yearly calamity. are affected in Bihar. Homes, needed to prevent the devastation We stand with the affected people fields, forests, human lives, and protect communities. of Assam and Bihar, and demand livestock, and wildlife are all being The flooding is an annual urgent measures of relief and consumed by the flood waters. phenomenon and there is no rehabilitation for them. q
48 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) obituary
the bereaved family grief-stricken. public-spirited help and solidarity Obituary He always stood in firm support of to factory workers, sanitation the Party and played an important workers, and all sections of the Comrade Guddu role in all Party programs. He working class. was very generous and unstinting Comrade Buddha never even Paswan in financial contributions. The used a bicycle to move all around Party will always remember Comrade Congress Yadav and his commitment and dedication. Comrade Tetari Devi! Comrade Tetari Devi from Gyanpur village in Koilvar Block passed away at the age of 55 on 30 June 2020 after a long illness. She belonged to a middle class family. She always stood steadfastly with the Party and was a dedicated member of the Party. Her husband also works as a whole-timer for the Party. Tetari Guddu Paswan Maridandiah Budha Devi’s demise is an irreparable Comrade Guddu Paswan was loss for the Party and leaves a Mysore, reaching different offices a resident of Edaura village. void which can never be filled. The to help workers who had sought There was a long-standing dispute CPIML stands with the bereaved his help. Travelling in the city family in their hour of grief. regarding fazil ceiling (ceiling buses was a passion for this surplus) land between his family man with passion for service to and the family of Kamlesh Ojha. Comrade Maridandiah mankind. In the 1990s when he The dispute turned into a clash on Budha contested Loksabha elections 11 July on the question of sowing Comrade Maridandiah Budha, as an independent but with the (ropani) the land. During the clash, who played an important role in support of CPI-ML liberation, he Guddu Paswan was shot in the the CPIML in its formative stages fetched more than 5000 votes - leg. He was referred by Ara Sadar in Karnataka and built a strong this speaks of his stature amongst Hospital to PMC, but he died due Union of Coolie workers of Mysore, to excessive loss of blood. The passed away on 10th July at his the working class and common entire Party stands in support and residence in Mysore. masses. solidarity with the bereaved family Comrade Budha suffered from In him, people’s movements in this hour of grief. Lal Salam, diabetes and succumbed to a lost a committed comrade, whose Guddu Paswan! brain tumour after a prolonged commitment towards social Comrade Congress illness. He was in the midst of all upliftment of the downtrodden was progressive movements - Dalit, Yadav total and for whom communism Women, Communist, Human rights was a way of life. One week before Comrade Congress Yadav, and all social movements - in the he breathed his last, Comrade aged about 50 years, passed state, specially in Mysore for more Budha had told his mother to cover away due to a heart attack on than three decades. As a president his body with the Red Shawl. His the night of 9 July 2020. He was of Karnataka Coolie Workers wish was honoured when hundreds a resident of Dumariya village in Union he was held in high esteem Mohanpur Block. He is survived by amongst the working class and the of comrades bid him final farewell, his wife and four daughters, one civil society of Mysore. and when he was finally laid to rest son already having predeceased Leading a simple life, Comrade at Mysore, amidst slogans of Long him. His untimely death leaves Budha was always ready with live Revolution.
LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | AUGUST 2020 49 obituary
Comrade Krishna Bihari work and realize his dreams. 'Angaar' based on the lives of coal Singh mines workers. Liberation pays Comrade Shantanu respectful homage to Comrade Deputy Mukhiya of Lahathan Bakshi Shantanu Bakshi for his lifelong Panchayat in Piro, Bhojpur and contribution to the revolutionary CPIML party member Krishna Comrade Shantanu Bakshi, communist movement. Bihari Singh from Pitaro village popularly known as Bakshida, passed away on 21 July 2020. passed away in his Bardhaman Comrade Tarun home on 26 June. He was 83 Comrade Krishna was suffering Prakash Kundu from typhoid for some days and and was recently diagnosed with was having breathing problems. cancer. Comrade Bakshida was Comrade Tarun Prakash Kundu, No hospital in Ara or Patna would part of the vanguard workers popularly known as Japan da, of of Durgapur Steel Plant who admit him, and he was brought Bankura, West Bengal, breathed his had served as the bulwark of back home. On 21 July he was last on 24 July evening. He was 76. the CPI(ML) since the turbulent referred By Piro Hospital to He was a popular face of CPI(ML) years of the Naxalbari movement. Jamuhar Hospital. But even as in Bankura town. In the 1980s, he He was a pillar of support for the reference papers reached his had contested municipal polls under home, he passed away. He was the Party during the post- the banner of Indian People's Front. 49 years old. It is a matter of great setback reorganisation in 1974 He used to run a small shop and his distress that he was not admitted and the subsequent years of shop was the communication and in the hospitals at Ara and Patna. consolidation. He was popular meeting centre for the Party in the Comrade Krishna joined the among Durgapur workers and initial years before a Party office was Party in 2018-19 and remained employees for his social concerns set up, thanks again to Comrade steadfast till his last breath. He and activism. He played a key was invaluable to his family as role in arranging health care for Japanda's persistent initiative and well as to the Party, a wise and needy people under the banner of efforts. Even as ill health confined dedicated activist. He gave the 'Dr Norman Bethune Seba Samiti' him to home in his last few years, Party everything in his power. His (Dr Norman Bethune Service his mental involvement and support untimely demise is an irreparable Centre). Comrade Bakshida remain unfaded as ever. Liberation loss for the Party. We stand with was also active on the cultural pays revolutionary tribute to his his family in this hour of grief and front, he used to play a leading dedicated and tireless communist loss, and pledge to carry on his role in the 1960s in the theatre legacy.
Krishna Bihari Singh Shantanu Bakshi Tarun Prakash Kundu
50 AUGUST 2020 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) Release All Political Prisoners
The family of people’s poet and political activist Varavara Rao alerted the world to his severely deteriorating medical condition inside Mumbai’s Taloja jail. His family said that on a phone call from him, they realised that he is hallucinating, and a fellow-prisoner intimated that he was unable to walk, go to the toilet and brush his teeth on his own.
This information led to a public outcry, resulting in Varavara Rao’s eventual hospitalisation. Varavara Rao was eventually diagnosed with Covid-19 and as we go to press, is fighting for his life. The NIA, responding to his bail petition meanwhile, claimed he was trying to “take advantage of” Covid-19 and his advanced age to secure bail!
Akhil Gogoi, and Sharjeel Imam, both political prisoners under UAPA in Guwahati jail, have also been diagnosed Covid-19 positive. Likewise Kashmiri political prisoner Zahoor Bhat jailed under the draconian PSA and more than a 100 other prisoners in Anantnag jail have been diagnosed Covid-19 positive.
Most of the 11 activists imprisoned in Maharashtra in the Bhima Koregaon/Elgaar Parishad cases have underlying medical conditions that put their lives at risk during the pandemic. They have been imprisoned on the ridiculous charge of “conspiring to kill the Prime Minister.” The only evidence against them is their attempts to build an anti-fascist movement in India. Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde, Shoma Sen, Sudha Bharadwaj, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudhir Dhawale and Rona Wilson are not “conspirators”. Each of them has worn their politics on their sleeves, speaking, writing, and working for the rights and assertion of the oppressed in India. Why have they been in jail indefinitely without a trial? Why did the NIA take over the case from the Pune police as soon as BJP lost power in Maharashtra? It is clear that they are being charged under the draconian UAPA only so that they can be jailed for years without facing a trial. The UAPA is a legal (but unconstitutional) tool to punish political dissenters, where even the most absurd of accusations is immune to judicial scrutiny.
The arrest of Dr Kafeel Khan is another case in point, of the BJP’s political vendetta against public-spirited persons who do not share their ideology. Dr Kafeel Khan is a doctor known for beyond his duty, to try and save the lives of babies in the Gorakhpur public hospital. His heroic role exposed the failure of the Government to ensure a basic standard of healthcare in the Chief Minister Adityanath’s own constituency. Ever since, Adityanath’s regime has vengefully persecuted him ever since. Dr Kafeel Khan is inside jail now, during a pandemic, instead of out in the world providing the medical care that people need.
In Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, too, student activists and anti-CAA protestors have been arrested and are being jailed under the UAPA. Kashmiri political prisoners too continue to be held without trial indefinitely in jails all over India, far from their homes, where their loved ones are unable to visit them and their lives are threatened by the pandemic.
These arrests and indefinite detentions without trial of activists are a sign that under the Modi regime, India is in a permanent state of Emergency. And during the pandemic, the jailing of India’s most committed and public- spirited writers, academics, doctors and activists amounts to an attempt to kill them in custody. The Government of India is weaponising the pandemic to turn jails into death camps for political undertrials. Covid-19 is being used by the Government of India to turn false allegations under draconian laws, into veritable death sentences for political prisoners.
We call upon people all over India to continue to fight for the freedom of all political prisoners. Posting Date : 27-28 of every month R.N.I. No. 55777/93 Published onfrom 26th states of every month P. R. No. DL(E)—11/5156/2018-20 Posting at New Delhi G.P.O.
EDITORIAL OFFICE CHARU BHAWAN, U-90, SHAKARPUR, DELHI - 110 092 PH.: 91-11-22521067 email : [email protected] ; website : www.cpiml.net facebook & twitter : @cpimlliberation ; YouTube : OfficialCPIML Printed and published by Dipankar Bhattacharya for the Central Committee, CPIML from Charu Bhawan, U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi - 110 092 and Printed at Divya Offset, B-1422, New Ashok Nagar, Delhi - 110 096 EDITOR : Arindam Sen