COVER STORY

FEBRUARY 2021 CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) Rs. 25 COVER STORY Who is Nitin Raj and Why is The Yogi Government After Him?

(Excerpted and translated from sleeps, his one and only concern a report in Janchowk) is, "When will my Nitin come back from jail?" Nitin's mother is worried If you are a student and are as they are from an economically interested, along with your studies, weak section and if her son does in politics and are pained by the not get bail his future education will current situation in the country be ruined, since he may not be able and stand up to voice your protest, to take up the offer of admission in beware for you will be hunted down. JNU that he has qualified for. If, moreover, you are a dalit or are ideologically Left thinking, then Nitin is a post graduate in Mass you face even greater danger. 22 Communications from BBAU where year old Nitin Raj who showed a has has also qualified for PhD. A black flag to Chief Minister Yogi thoughtful and sensitive young man, Adityanath has been arrested for he reads widely, and responds to the fifth time and thrown into prison. every act of injustice by standing Nitin Raj is the Uttar Pradesh State up for the underdog. Nitin was Vice President of AISA. His bail attracted to AISA when he came to Lucknow University after passing application has been denied for the him when women in large numbers his Intermediate exam, and he second time by the Magistrate and stood up in protest. The next time joined AISA. the next date of 22 January has he went for the protest the police been given. It should be remembered that caught him again and this time a An FIR (FIR No. 0142/2020) the showing of black flags to Yogi group of lawyers got him released registered on 16 March 2020 at Adityanath on 6 June 2017 at on a personal surety. The third time Thakurganj Thana, Lucknow with Lucknow University was the first on 16 March the police caught him regard to the anti-CAA-NRC protest open display of protest against Yogi on the street before he reached the names 23 persons under Section 66 after he became Chief Minister. dharna spot. They beat him inside of the IT Amendment Act, Section Clearly, undemocratic-minded the police van and switched off his 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment persons like Yogi found this phone. Around midnight it became Act 1932, and Sections 505, 427, intolerable. 14 students including clear that Nitin was arrested and 353, 283, 188, 149, 147 and 145 Nitin were jailed for this 'crime' and kept in Thakurganj Thana from of the IPC. The charges against the faced all kinds of harassment and where he and two other boys were protesters in the police FIR include torture inside jail as well as after sent to jail the next day. coming out of jail. raising of inflammatory slogans, The Covid-19 pandemic spread pushing police personnel, and Lucknow University awarded around that time and Nitin was putting up posters. Nitin has been him his degree on condition that released on parole 15 days later. denied bail by the sessions and he never again seek admission into The parole period ended on 5 district courts, where judges are this University. Undaunted despite January 2021 and Nitin was re- fearful of giving an order that may all this harassment, Nitin took arrested and sent to jail. “offend” the Yogi regime. admission in the BBAU for MA in Protests to demand Nitin Raj's Mass Communications. Nitin comes from a poor dalit release are being organized at family. His family lives in Janata When the anti-CAA-NRC various places through AISA and quarters in Lucknow. His mother protests started last year Nitin Raj other organizations. JNUSU has is an Anganwadi worker and his went to Gantaghar in Lucknow to also released a poster appealing father is in the rag trade. His 80 join the women protesting there, for his immediate release. Protests year old grandfather Sundar Lal is where the police nabbed him on for his release have been held a retired defence personnel and is the street. They checked his bag at Allahabad University students' emotionally very much attached to and abused him while arresting union office, JNU campus and other Nitin; he neither eats nor drinks nor and taking him away, but released places. q EDITORIAL Republic Day 2021: Farmers Write

New Series Vol. 26 No. 10 History FEBRUARY 2021 CONTENTS

COMMENTARY Resonance of Subhas Chandra Bose in Today's India ...... 5 Vaccine Politics: Jettisoning Science for Jingoism ...... 7 Caging Women Is Violence Not “Safety” or “Protection”...... 9 Arnabgate ...... 13 COVER FEATURE Farmers Reclaim The Republic! ...... 16 INTERNATIONAL...... 30

he journey of independent India as a modern democratic republic EDITOR-IN-CHIEF began on 26 January 1950 when the Constitution of India Dipankar Bhattacharya Tcame into force, the Constitution adopted by 'we, the people of EDITOR India' resolving to constitute India into a sovereign democratic republic Arindam Sen and secure to all its citizens comprehensive justice, liberty, equality EDITORIAL BOARD and fraternity. The 71st anniversary of India's Republic Day saw India's Kavita Krishnan farmers and other common citizens rekindle that republican spirit of India's V. Shankar Sanjay Sharma Constitution in an unprecedented display of people's unity, determination and power. Editors' e-mail: [email protected] Incidentally, the current phase of the farmers' movement demanding Art: V Arun Kumar repeal of the disastrous farm laws began on 26 November, the day of adoption of India's Constitution. While the government of the day betrayed MANAGER Prabhat Kumar the spirit and vision of the Constitution to promote corporate interests Phone: 7042877713 as farm laws, the determined resistance of the farmers to this fascist Website: www.cpiml.net corporate assault has created a countrywide people's platform to defend E-mail: [email protected] the interests and rights of not just India's farmers and other sections of agricultural population but all Indians fighting for justice and democracy. 36 pages including covers Between 26 November, 2020 and 26 January, 2021 while the Modi regime, Indian state and the Sangh-BJP brigade tried every possible trick to isolate, confuse, divide and discredit the protesting farmers, the movement has gone from strength to strength, arousing tremendous hope and goodwill Annual Subscription Rates and unleashing massive energy and determination all around. India Rs. 300 Abroad US$ 60 The farmers' movement has shown enough patience, maturity and power to brave a cruel winter and deal with the multi-pronged strategy of Send M.O. or Bank Draft the government. Frustrating all attempts of the government to bring the in favour of movement to an end before the Republic Day, the protesting farmers took LIBERATION PUBLICATIONS their movement to a new high. Having failed to crush the movement by Payable at Delhi to force or outwit the farmers though deceit, the Modi government is now U-90 SHAKARPUR, DELHI 110 092 trying to delegitimise the movement by with a distorted and misleading

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 3 EDITORIAL account of Republic Day events in about a change of governments, Shaheen Bagh movement was a Delhi, accusing farmers of indulging with the AAP replacing the Congress conspiracy to carry out a communal in anarchy and insulting national government in Delhi and Modi-led riot! symbols and monuments. NDA replacing the UPA government The same pattern is at work Nothing could be a bigger and at the Centre. These struggles too following the Republic Day more brazen lie. While waiting had their shares of confrontation events in Delhi. A vicious and for more details to emerge on the between the protesters and the concerted disinformation campaign clashes between protesters and police or scenes of chaos and is underway to discredit the the police in parts of Delhi and the disorder. But these struggles were movement in popular perception. visual of some people hoisting the never sought to be dismissed as The farmers' movement which Nishan Sahib anarchist or anti-national exercises has remained remarkably focused in the Lal Qila and united till date will surely be complex, two The ongoing farmers' able to overcome this challenge. facts stand movement has emerged as The farmers' movement has every out as clear as potential to secure a complete daylight. It is one of the biggest in repeal of the disastrous farm laws. the farmers who India's history in terms All forces of anti-corporate anti- lost at least one fascist resistance must stand firm life in the course of vibrant participation, with the farmers in this great battle. of the day's More power to the fighting farmers, events and fighting spirit and more power to people's protests! q they mourned creative energies this loss without getting of the protesting provoked. It people. should also be noted that in the Lal Qila incident, the flag in question was by the media and the governments hoisted on an empty flagpole of the time. without showing any disrespect The culture of discrediting and to the tricolour. In fact, as in demonising popular democratic most recent examples of popular protests as anti-national acts of struggles since the anti-rape and anarchy is a distinct post-2014 anti-corruption struggles during the trend. We've seen the Modi last years of the second term of the government try and do that to UPA government, the tricolour has suppress the student movement been the most prominent flag of the triggered by the institutional murder ongoing farmers' movement along of Rohith Vemula. We saw it again with red and green flags of farmers' last year in the wake of the equal organisations. citizenship movement initiated The ongoing farmers' movement by the students of Jamia and the has emerged as one of the biggest protesting women of Shaheen in India's history in terms of vibrant Bagh. The attempt to intimidate participation, fighting spirit and and discredit the Shaheen Bagh creative energies of the protesting protesters even took the form of a people. In the last decade, Delhi campaign of organised anti-Muslim has witnessed several instances violence followed by persecution of of sustained popular assertion. protesters by arresting them under The anti-rape and anti-corruption draconian laws. The government struggles played a big role in bringing wants the world to believe that the

4 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COMMENTARY The Resonance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Today's India

Netaji Subash Chandrabose with Captain Laxmi Sehgal inspecting Rani of Jhansi Regiment of INA

January 2021 marks the 125th birthday Congress, who twice went on to be elected the party's of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. As we president. As the President of the 1938 Haripura 23 celebrate this historic occasion, it is time Session of the Congress, he formed the Indian we went back to the core vision and legacy of this Planning Committee and appointed Jawaharlal Nehru great hero of India's freedom movement. as its chairman. Eventually, as he had to part ways The Modi government has christened Netaji's birthday with Gandhi and quit the Congress, he formed the as Parakram Diwas or the Day of Valour. Just as Forward Bloc as an independent socialist party with Gandhi has been sought to be reduced to the idea of an uncompromising call for complete independence Swachhata or cleanliness, Bose is now being identified and clear vision of a secular socialist India. with the idea of Parakram or valour. In other words, In all his political writings and speeches, Subhas while Gandhi becomes a saint preaching cleanliness, Chandra Bose emphasised the composite culture Bose is accommodated as a military icon in the of India, identifying the Mughal period as a golden iconography of the Sangh-BJP establishment. This is period in India's history and crediting it with the rise a clever ploy to appropriate these great icons of India's of much of the cultural synthesis and civilisational anti-colonial national awakening, while keeping the mosaic inherited by modern India. He was a great people oblivious of how these leaders had fought all champion of the struggles of peasants and workers their lives against the disastrous communal politics for their basic rights and dignity and considered them that the Sangh-BJP establishment is today inflicting as important pillars of India's anti-colonial national on India from the citadels of power. awakening. At the same time, he was keenly aware The Azad Hind Fauj phase was of course the most of the divisive potential of communal politics. Even as eventful and decisive phase in Bose's political life, the Hindu Mahasabha was trying to spread its network but before that he had already emerged as one of the in undivided Bengal, Bose came down hard against tallest leaders of the Indian National Congress, widely this mixing of religion with politics and called upon recognised as the leader of the Left wing within the the people to reject it and banish these practitioners

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 5 COMMENTARY of communalism from the political Provisional Government of Free Indian Navy in Bombay, created arena. India and the building of an Indian a decisive backdrop for the end National Army (INA) by bringing of British rule in the immediate With the advent of the Second together Indian prisoners of war aftermath of the Second World World War, Bose thought the and expatriates from South East War. time was ripe for a final push Asia, with brigades named after for freedom. While the majority In 1857 India's freedom fighters, Gandhi, Nehru, Maulana Azad, of India's communists went comprising soldiers (who were Rani of Jhansi, and Bose himself, to the extreme of ignoring the peasants in uniform), peasants signified a totally new level of national context of India's freedom and citizens, had reached Delhi but determination and maturity in movement in responding to the could not hold on for long. Netaji India's battle for independence. international call for defeating tried to pick up the thread, paying The way the INA experiment drew the fascist alliance of Germany, tribute to the memories of Bahadur on the rich legacy of 1857 with Italy and Japan, Bose went to the Shah Zafar in Rangoon. ‘Delhi the motto of Ittehad, Itmad and other extreme of joining hands with Chalo’ was Netaji's final battle cry. Qurbani (unity, faith and sacrifice), the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis to Today as India remembers the including also Sikhs (who had not achieve a military ouster of India's legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra been part of the 1857 uprising) British rulers. It is an irony that Bose and braces itself for the 71st and forming a full regiment of an ardent socialist like Bose who anniversary of the foundation of the women under the leadership of had categorically denounced the Indian Republic, India's farmers Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan rise of fascism in Italy and Spain are shouting the same slogan (Sahgal) named after the Rani of and wanted to build free India as they march on the borders Jhansi, upheld the spirit and vision on a strong socialist foundation of Delhi, demanding freedom of a united India with an explicit eventually sought the help of the from Adani-Ambani-Company recognition of India's composite fascist alliance to achieve military Raj and complete repeal of the past and present. Even after victory over British colonialism. Modi government's disastrous the military defeat of the INA anti-farmer farm laws. This is the The Azad Hind Fauj experiment expedition, the call for the release living legacy of Netaji Subhas and expedition must not however of INA prisoners resonated through Chandra Bose and India's freedom be seen only as a tragic phase India and together with the revolt of movement, and it will resist of Indian history which ended the Royal today's corporate aggression and in defeat and mystery. It had communal fascist offensive its elements and moments of as uncompromisingly glory. The formation of a as Bose had fought government in exile, for freedom Arzi Hakumat- from British e-Azad Hind colonial or the rule.q

6 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COMMENTARY

to the trial. This is important so that members of the Vaccine scientific community across the globe, not just those who sit in the regulatory authority can scrutinize and Politics: study the data; after all, being evaluated by peers is one of the pillars and norms of science. Jettisoning Opaque and Exceptional Science for Process In India the whole approval process granted to the Jingoism vaccines has been shrouded in secrecy. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the DGCI gave approval to Covaxin for REU even though Phase 3 bridging trials Om Prasad are still ongoing, but at least we have data from the UK where the same vaccine has completed all trials ndia launched its vaccination program against and has been found to have 70% efficacy against the Covid-19 with much fanfare on 16 January. virus. More alarming is the case of Covaxin which I Unlike other countries which are using just one has been touted by the Modi Govt as the ‘Make vaccine for their whole population, India has opted In India’ vaccine and a flagbearer of ‘Atmanirbhar for two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin. Citizens Bharat’. Between 30th December-2nd January the as of now do not have an option to choose from SEC first didn’t give approval to Covaxin and then the two. Even though administration of vaccines to did a complete 180 degree turn to grant approval health care workers has already started there are without the vaccine even completing Phase 3 trials serious questions over the process of approving (any vaccine has to complete 3 phases of human the vaccines especially Covaxin including ethical trials before being approved for use). In fact, as this issues and questions of accountability. Till now the article is being written the Phase 3 trials for Covaxin two vaccines have been approved for ‘restricted have not yet started. emergency use’ (REU) by the Drug The SEC which comes under the ambit of the Controller General of India but the lack Ministry of Health has not yet given any reason of transparency and the jettisoning of for doing an overnight U-Turn to approve scientific parameters in the process of Covaxin. The SEC put out a statement saying approval has established a dangerous Covaxin has been approved because precedent and will further undermine it can be effective against the new public trust of science. strain of the Coronavirus recently Of the two vaccines in use in India, discovered in the UK, but rigorous Covishield was developed by a team science demands that such a of researchers in Oxford University capability be demonstrated by the and the pharmaceutical company vaccine and ensuing data be made Astrazenca. The Serum Institute available for scrutiny. Approvals of India (SII) has got the license to cannot be granted in the realm of the manufacture it in India. The other possibility for this would set the precedent for vaccine Covaxin has been developed by future vaccines to be approved on their ‘possible Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with capabilities’ and not their ‘proven capabilities’. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). For a Multiple instances of unethical practices have also vaccine to be approved it has to go through a set of been reported in the conduct of the trials by Bharat trials to establish its efficacy and safety. If the vaccine Biotech. Victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy were has been developed in another country like Covishield paid to take the shot without being informed about there has to be a ‘Bridging Trial’ to demonstrate the vaccine. Subsequently no one has monitored efficacy and safety in local conditions. The data from them to observe the effects of the vaccine, in case the trials are then submitted to the regulatory authority adverse reactions emerge they will have to look for approval, they are also made public along with after themselves. Astonishingly, the Health Ministry the consent forms and the ethics approval granted has refused to take responsibility for any adverse

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 7 COMMENTARY reactions and deaths arising out an ecosystem which has scant Jingoism not of vaccination! regard for scientific knowledge Science and has institutionalized practices Increasing which undermine science. For By hurriedly approving the Mistrust of example, it recently allowed ‘indigenous’ Covaxin the Modi Govt. Science Ayurveda practitioners to conduct is more interested in trumpeting his empty slogans of Make in India and Dr. Gagandeep Kang, one of the surgical procedures, such actions Atmanirbhar Bharat rather than world’s leading virologist who has end up undermining Ayurveda rolling out a safe and effective critical of the vaccine approval and modern medicine which are vaccine which has gone through process pointed out that it is a two completely distinct systems the rigors of trials and tests. Modi worrying sign that not enough of healing. More importantly such has an eye on 26th January to people in India were volunteering actions end up making a caricature grandstand his achievement of an to be part of vaccine trials which out of science thus reducing public Indian vaccine. Gaining political point towards a hesitancy and trust in science, which can have capital by rushing a vaccine is a doubt about the vaccines. This is disastrous consequences. Distrust dangerous game as it puts millions an important observation because of science resulting in climate change denial and anti-vaccination at risk but Modi has shown that he it is not just anti-vaxxers who and anti-evolutionism is a common and the BJP are willing to sacrifice distrust vaccines, today there thread among right wing across anything under the sun to gain are valid grounds to doubt the the globe hence state sponsored political capital, transparency and safety and efficacy of the Bharat undermining of science and safety are of little importance to Biotech Covaxin. When principles evidence-based decisions in India them. The BJP and RSS have of science like transparency and will only act as fodder to Hindutva gone on a social media overdrive to peer review are not adhered to right wing groups. portray Covaxin as the nationalist then it is only natural that citizens vaccine. Not surprisingly all those who trust science start doubting Science as a Law who have questioned the lack of the vaccines. The historian and and Order Problem transparency and the violations of philosopher of science Naomi To add a cherry to the top the established protocols have been Oreskes has argued that one of the Home Secretary has in the guise branded anti-nationals. reasons for people trusting or not of a circular issued a gag order trusting science is their knowledge If Atmanirbhar Bharat means the directing all state govts prosecute about the process of reaching a jettisoning of principles of science those questioning the lack of conclusion in science. If citizens then one can only infer that the transparency around Covaxin. know that the final product has target of the vaccine is not the If such is the case then the first gone through a rigorous process virus but to gain political capital by person to be prosecuted will the of scrutiny, trials and all the data putting millions at risk. It is clear Director Genera of the ICMR itself, is placed in the public domain that Covaxin has little credibility who is an author of a just published citizens are more likely to trust and is being forced down on paper in the journal Lancet which a vaccine. Secrecy will lead to people because India is supplying states that “results reported here do the death of trust in science. In Covishield to countries like Nepal not permit efficacy assessments. the case of Covaxin and to an and Bhutan not the homegrown The analysis of safety outcomes extent Covishield, the lack of vaccine. If Covaxin is reliable why requires more extensive phase transparency will not encourage not supply it to our neighbors also? 2 and 3 clinical trials.” Turning people to trust the vaccine. science in to a law-and-order Most importantly Narendra Modi But the Govt’s jettisoning of problem will only increase the who misses no opportunity to be scientific principles to approve doubts about the vaccine and will the center of attention has not the vaccines is not surprising. lead to an increase in vaccine taken the vaccine himself. Surely Since 2014 the Modi Govt has hesitancy. This is a dangerous it is a valid question to ask why been anti-science. It has cut situation for India where millions Modi who purports to lead from funding for research, promoted of children get vaccinated every front has stayed away from the mythology and fake news in the year for a variety of diseases. This jab. It is probably because he name of science. It has promoted is literally playing with lives. knows something which we don’t.

8 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COMMENTARY

As India’s vaccination drive expands there are daily reports of adverse reactions but the Modi Govt is more interesting in harvesting votes from the vaccine rather than provide Indian citizens a safe, effective and trustworthy vaccine against the coronavirus. Most importantly Narendra Modi who misses no opportunity to be the center of attention has not taken the vaccine himself. Surely it is a valid question to ask why Modi who purports to lead from front has stayed away from the jab. It is probably because he knows something which we do not. As India’s vaccination drive expands there are daily reports of adverse reactions but the Modi Govt is more interesting in harvesting votes from the vaccine rather than provide Indian citizens a safe, effective and trustworthy vaccine against the coronavirus. q

As an Indian woman, these developments fill me with Caging Women Is a sense of foreboding and panic. Shivraj Chouhan and Sharad Arvind Bobde are not, after all, conservative Violence Not neighbourhood uncles whom I can afford to ignore, humour, or attempt to reason with. They are men with “Safety” or immense power, who do not feel obligated to listen to the voices of women. Their whims carry the weight of “Protection” authority. I deal with my overwhelming sense of alarm in my usual way – by using words to communicate, as simply as Kavita Krishnan possible to as many people as possible, why these propositions that sound so benign, reek not of care adhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan has but of control. proposed that every woman stepping out of her home be required to register herself with We need to tell these powerful and influential M gentlemen: Women are not a “problem” for which her local police station so that the police can track her for her safety. confinement and surveillance are the “solution”. Women are not “things” owned by men, that need to A few days ago, the Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind be “protected” from theft or damage. Bobde asked why women had been “kept” in the farmers’ protests, and praised advocate AP Singh (a man with Women are people with an inalienable right to live the a record of victim-blaming ‘Nirbhaya’ and boasting for fullest of lives. Everything that prevents their life from his appetite for honour crime https://www.youtube. being lived to the fullest extent of freedom, is a form of com/watch?v=YWlw151oasE) for giving an assurance violence. that women would be sent home and henceforth Violence against autonomy kept out of the protests https://www. is, by far, the most newslaundry.com/2021/01/14/sorry- widespread and the this-isnt-a-mans-protest- least acknowledged women-farmers-on-sc- form of gender-based wanting-them-to-go- violence in India. Ask home. me, I have written a whole book (https:// thewire.in/women/interview- kavita-krishnan-fearless- freedom-women-rights) documenting and discussing this fact. National Family Health Survey data shows that just 42% of women with no schooling, and 45% of

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 9 COMMENTARY women with no schooling, have Withholding the right of a woman who justified rape of a woman on the right to go “alone to the market, to take risks (by protesting in cold the grounds that she went out of her to the health centre, and outside weather for instance) is violence home, at night with her boyfriend, the community.” The India Human against women’s autonomy. says today that women must stay Development Survey (IHDS) found home, and keep out of protests A man is not asked to explain and that even those women who could – and the Chief Justice of India answer for why he is “outside his go out alone - to workplaces, for agrees with him! What a disturbing house.” The “outside” is accepted as instance – are expected to seek and dangerous meeting of minds! his natural sphere. The very fact that permission from some authority a woman is expected to answer to The Manusmriti, which Shivraj figure in the household to do so. Both others for her presence “outside her Chouhan, Yogi Adityanath and the NFHS and IHDS surveys found house” proves that the house is in other BJP leaders revere, declares that even Dalit, OBC and adivasi fact a prison for a very large number that women never be free, and women experience restrictions on of women. As the 2011 book Why must always be in the custody mobility without permission, to more Loiter https://www.youtube.com/ of their father, husband, or son. or less the same extent as women watch?v=nlgGNv5t92A eloquently The BJP and RSS act as though from more privileged castes. asserts, women have a right to loiter it is the Manusmriti that is India’s In Fearless Freedom, I wrote: “What without purpose, and it is only by Constitution – and they boast that do these facts and figures really asserting and defending this right their views and policies are in line mean? They translate to a life lived can women truly have a claim to with those of the majority of Indians, ‘crashing against walls’, like a bird their city. while feminist ideas are confined to caught in a closed room, battered an isolated, “westernised” minority. by every attempt to escape and Confinement is violence, A BJP leader Ram Madhav boasted fly free. There’s really no way to not safety. in an op-ed in the Indian Express dress up this life and romanticize Surveillance is violence, in 2017 (https://indianexpress. it as ‘safe’. Such intense and not safety. com/article/opinion/columns/ obsessive confinement of women is independence-day-coming-full- Those who prescribe restrictions not ‘safety’. It’s time we recognized circle-at-70-atal-bihari-vajpayee- on women’s freedoms in the name it as violence in its own right.” hamid-ansari-muslims-india- of “safety” are the most likely to insecure-modi-nehru-4796919/) Rape or sexual assault is violence voice rape-culture that blames that this liberal, feminist minority against women’s autonomy – i.e her victims, not perpetrators, for sexual which had enjoyed an influence out control over her own body. violence. Advocate AP Singh is a of proportion to its size, was finally Confinement to the home, and handy example. The honourable CJI out of the driving seat, and “The surveillance inside and outside thanked AP Singh for his assurance mob, humble people of the country, the home is also violence against that women farmers would go home are behind Modi. They are finally women’s autonomy. and stay home, away from the at ease with a government that protests. (The organisation Singh Requiring women to take permission looks and sounds familiar. They are represented clarified that they had from authority figures in the family enjoying it.” In 2019, in another op- not authorised him to give any to step out of the home is violence ed in the same paper, Ram Madhav such assurance.) Surely you know against women’s autonomy. called (https://indianexpress.com/ that the same AP Singh is the article/opinion/columns/lok-sabha- Requiring women to inform the one who declared, in the context elections-result-narendra-modi-bjp- state authorities (like the police) of the Delhi 2012 gangrape and government-congress-5745313/) of their movements outside the murder, “if my daughter was having for the “pseudo-secular/liberal home is violence against women’s premarital sex and moving around cartels that held a disproportionate autonomy. at night with her boyfriend, I would sway and stranglehold over the Requiring women to seek have burnt her alive. All parents intellectual and policy establishment permission from the state to should adopt such an attitude.” of the country” to be purged from convert to another faith or marry https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ “the country’s academic, cultural someone from a different caste article/tasneemnashrulla/lawyer- and intellectual landscape” under or community is violence against for-delhis-gang-rapists-said-he- Modi’s second term as PM. Contrast women’s autonomy. would-burn-his-daught The man this triumphant majoritarianism of

10 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COMMENTARY the BJP with the “Constitutional confident that the outcome would morality, and not by his own morality” that Ambedkar expected uphold Constitutional morality patriarchal common sense. That is the arms of the State to be guided above social majoritarian morality. a grim thought. by, even as he recognised that Today, we have no basis for such It is women’s movements, and “Constitutional morality is not complacence. the extraordinary courage of a natural sentiment… We must With the BJP and RSS controlling ordinary women in the face of realise that our people have yet to Government and influencing fascist assaults, that supply the learn it. Democracy in India is only every institution, women’s legally confidence that the Courts do not. a top dressing on an Indian soil recognised liberties in India hang We draw courage from the young which is essentially undemocratic.” by a mere thread. All that stands women like Muskan (https://thewire. Unlike the RSS and BJP, Ambedkar between women, and regressive in/communalism/up-moradabad- did not celebrate the fact that laws legalising the shackles on interfaith-couple-miscarriage- democracy sometimes seemed their autonomy, are the courts. bajrang-dal) who tell violent mobs “foreign” to an Indian society riddled And the sheer number of judges in that she is an adult and has a with caste-patriarchy; he aimed to Indian courts who seem to have no right to marry whom she pleases. challenge and change it. People’s understanding or respect for the We draw courage from the young movements in India (trade union, women out to loiter and break the students’, feminist, anti-caste, very concept of women’s autonomy and constitutional morality, does cages of hostels and homes even civil liberties and environmental as leaders of these movements are not inspire confidence. It is no movements) aim, like Ambedkar, thrown in prison. We draw courage coincidence, after all, that some to democratise Indian society – and from the elderly, grey-haired women of the inspiring Indian feminist these movements have been led by who lead movements asserting figures of our times (to name a masses of ordinary Indian men and equal citizenship and farmers’ few - advocate Sudha Bharadwaj women, not by liberal intellectuals. rights, and refuse to be treated and teacher Shoma Sen, student From educators Savitribai Phule like schoolkids and “sent home” by activists Natasha Narwal and and Fatima Sheikh, to anti-dowry paternalistic judges. campaigners Shahjahan Apa Devangana Kalita of Pinjra Tod, and Satyarani Chaddha, feminist Ishrat Jahan and Gulfisha who walk The fact is that the followers of the organisers are the products of in Savitri and Fatima’s footsteps) Manusmriti are afraid of the change Indian soil, fighting for a more are in prison today under draconian that women’s movements can bring. democratic India! laws, with no judge who seems to And we can smell their fear. And be able to see and end the appalling their fear dispels ours. As we have seen, NFHS data injustice of their incarceration. does show that regressive anti- So Messrs Chouhan, Adityanath feminist ideas and practices are still Our rights rest on the chance that and company, the honourable CJI widespread in India. But till six years the judge who gets to weigh in on and other honourable judges - back, women could still appeal to such regressive policies and laws We are not going to be boxed up the Courts, at least, and be fairly will be guided by Constitutional by you.

Lucknow Police Is Stalking Women

In yet another nightmare scenario for women in a BJP-ruled state, police in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow is deploying facial recognition technology backed by security cameras that will “read expressions of women in distress” and alert their nearest police station. This new project is part of the Uttar Pradesh government's Mission Shakti programme that was launched in October 2020.

This is yet another excuse for Lucknow police to disbelieve women’s own testimonies in the name of “reading expressions”. If a woman says she is with a man in a public space of her own will, the Lucknow police can claim otherwise, based on machines that can supposedly read “facial expressions”!

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 11 COMMENTARYCOVER STORY We refuse to show you papers to prove our citizenship. Constitutional We refuse to register ourselves with the police.

We refuse to allow courts to decide if obnoxious, Vs Majoritarian regressive “laws” and policies are legitimate or not – we will defy them and refuse to obey them no matter Morality what the judges think. Kavita Krishnan We are going to wash the dirty linen in public – and expose the violence inside our homes. ndia Today has published a survey which claims to reflect the “Mood of the Nation”. This survey was We need no one’s permission to break our cages. Iconducted by a market research agency Karvy Insights between January 3-13, 2021. A total of 12,232 We are here on the streets – and here we are going interviews were conducted - 67 % in rural and 33 % in to stay. urban areas - across 97 Lok Sabha and 194 Assembly constituencies in 19 states. Get used to it. q To the question “Is there ‘love jihad’ conspiracy to Landmark Judgement by convert Hindu women?”, 54% of respondents said Allahabad High Court yes, 36 % no. To the question “Do you support inter- May Help Intercaste and faith marriage?” 54% said No, and 41% said it is a personal choice. To the question “Should a law be Interfaith Couples passed against inter faith marriage?” 58% said yes In a landmark verdict, the Allahabad High Court and 35% said No. has ruled that couples seeking to solemnise their What needs to be said, and repeated, is that marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 constitutional rights and liberties cannot be left to the can choose not to publish the mandatory 30-day mercy of majoritarian opinion. Laws seeking to outlaw notice of their intention to marry. This 30-day interfaith marriage based on “love jihad” myths are notice period was exploited by violent groups like unconstitutional. Such regressive (albeit majoritarian) Bajrang Dal, who were alerted by people within views are “anti-constitutional” and should not be registration offices, and who would then mobilise declared as the “mood of the nation”? violence against such couples. The India Today survey finds Yogi Adityanath (who The verdict held that the mandatory 30-day passed the laws outlawing interfaith marriage, and notice period “would invade in the fundamental who threatened Muslim men such relationships with rights of liberty and privacy, including within its death) to be “Numero Uno” among Chief Ministers in sphere freedom to choose for marriage without popularity. The choice by the India Today group of interference from state and non-state actors, of the term “Numero Uno” makes leadership a popularity the persons concerned.” context – where appealing to the most regressive instincts of people in a bid for “popularity” is legitimate. Surveys by the Social Attitudes Research for India (SARI) have found that most Indians across caste lines want intercaste and interfaith marriage outlawed. They also found that two-thirds of their respondents practice untouchability. If indeed the majority of Indians embrace such views, should such views prevail in law- making and governance? On Independence Day 2017, an op-ed by BJP and RSS leader Ram Madhav in the Indian Express claimed that the Modi government was the first in Independent India to be “rooted in India’s genius,” that is, “rooted in

12 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COMMENTARY its religio-social institutions like state, family, caste, guru and festival.” Ambedkar called caste “anti-national”, the BJP celebrates it as the genius of India, as its “core” ideology. Madhav declared in the same article that while only “westernised” liberals who are not rooted in India’s genius are unhappy with the majoritarian politics Modi represents, “The mob, humble people of the country, are behind Modi. They are finally at ease with a government that looks and sounds familiar. They are enjoying it.” So Madhav suggests that majoritarian support for Islamophobic, patriarchal and casteist ideologies and politics is “the mood of the nation”, and implies then that opposition to these policies is “anti-Indian.” How would Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, have seen the findings of such surveys? While moving the Draft Constitution in the Assembly on November 4, 1948, Ambedkar said: “Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment … We must realise that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a top dressing on an Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic.” What is “constitutional morality”? It is a morality based on the idea that the rights of individuals and minorities are not left at the mercy of the opinion of the majority. Those who defend these rights – even when, especially when such rights are unpopular – and those who seek to popularise these rights, are the leaders that India needs. q

Arnabgate and India’s Battle against the Goebbelsian Godi Media Propaganda

rnab Goswami, the vitriolic face of India’s notorious ‘Godi Media’ – a school of media that operates not just on behalf of the state against the interests of democracy but acts as the stormtroopers of a propaganda Awar, colluding round the clock with fascist forces to spread hate and lies, distort facts and demonise dissent – has finally got a debilitating dose of his own medicine. For too long he has been holding media trials on behalf of the Modi-Shah establishment and the Sangh brigade using select leaks from mails and chats. He would not have perhaps bargained for the moment when WhatsApp chats would prove such a leveller for him and expose his identity as a thoroughly unscrupulous power broker in the garb of a self-righteous journalist. The law has of course begun to catch up with Arnab Goswami in recent times. He was arrested by Maharashtra police in November 2020 as a key accused in a 2018 suicide abetment case. Interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother who had committed suicide in May 2018 had accused Arnab Goswami and Republic TV of driving them to commit suicide by not paying Naik his dues worth Rs 5.40 crore. The Supreme Court of India which has of late been denying bail petitions filed by journalists, writers, lawyers and human rights activists, all victims of trumped up charges and draconian laws, by contrast rushed to the rescue of Arnab Goswami to grant him bail. While Republic TV gets away with its routine peddling of hate and lies in India, its Hindi channel Republic Bharat was fined last December by Ofcom, the British TV regulatory authority, for “hate speech against Pakistani people, and derogatory and abusive treatment of Pakistani people”. But here in India, we now know how Arnab’s Republic TV has been the beneficiary of systematic collusion with India’s TV rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). Former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta is already in jail in connection with what has now come to be known as

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 13 COMMENTARY the TRP (Television Rating Points) the trauma of a second term of Arnab-BARC Chief scam, and with the submission of Trump’s tyranny. The Arnab chats Chats Expose the supplementary chargesheet by tell us how India fares in contrast, Corrupt Modi- the Mumbai Police containing 500 how the Pulwamas and Balakots pages of Whatsapp conversation are unscrupulously used by the Media Nexus between Arnab Goswami and combination of the Goebbelsian Here are the highlights of the chats Partho Dasgupta between 2017 Godi Media and the Hitlerite between Arnab and BARC Chief and 2019, we now have explosive Modi Regime to manufacture Partho Dasgupta. details about the functioning of and manipulate public opinion. Republic TV. At the same moment Modi was BARC Chief Partho Dasgupta The Arnab chats tell us not only shamelessly asking for votes in the speaks of “unofficial collaboration” about the collusive nexus between name of Pulwama martyrs, Arnab between the ratings agency and Republic TV and the BARC and the was unscrupulously using their Republic TV, advises Arnab on tampering with India’s TRP data to deaths to increase viewership and how to boost ratings. the business advantage of Republic further consolidate his channel as TV, they give us an anatomical BARC Chief warns Arnab a Sanghi propaganda machine. The picture of the propaganda war that that some decisions are being battle for democracy in India will the Modi-Shah establishment has taken which will “hurt” Republic, have to be advanced by challenging been waging with Arnab Goswami and discuss how to prevent such this collusion between the dominant as a key manager of this war. sections of the media, especially decisions from being taken. Viewed only economically, the TRP television, and the ruling political scam may look like nothing more They discuss how to harm than a media equivalent of India’s establishment. other channels. notorious share market scams or The Arnab chats are way more BARC internal documents, banking frauds based on systematic explosive and ominous than the email evidence shows rigging manipulation of ‘insider information’. infamous Radia tapes of the UPA of ratings. Two BARC officials But it assumes a totally different era. The Radia tape were about exchange mails saying that a dimension when we realise that journalists and corporate lobbyists particular set of data “can’t go out” this ‘insider information’ pertains to trying to influence ministerial military and political planning at the because it would expose “which appointments and policies, highest level of the executive, when the Arnab chats are about the channels we are controlling and we hear Arnab Goswami mention transformation of the media into which we are not”. the Pulwama tragedy as a ‘war we a tool of corporate aggression have won like crazy’ or when we BARC Chief asks Arnab to and fascist propaganda war. It realise that Arnab Goswami has “get him a media advisor kind of prior intimation of official secrets is reassuring that the ongoing position with the PMO”, and Arnab like the Balakot air strike or the farmers’ movement against the boasts of his influence within I&B abrogation of Article 370! It is all the Modi government’s disastrous farm Minister Venkaiah Naidu, saying laws has identified the Godi media more disturbing to realise that the Naidu will meet the BARC chief as a key adversary along with the National Investigative Agency (NIA) “one on one” so that he can make is currently busy targeting leaders Adani-Ambani company raj and of the farmers’ struggle – while the dictatorial Modi government. a personal presentation, and also ignoring the evidence in Arnab’s Regardless of the legal trajectory says that Minister of State for I&B, chats of what is clearly a breach of of the TRP scam, the Arnab chats Rajyavardhan Rathore, has “set national security. must be used as key ammunition aside” a complaint about Republic. The world has just heaved in advancing this battle for truth, BARC Chief tells Arnab how to a collective sigh of relief over justice and democracy against brief I&B Minister Smriti Irani, and the combined assault of corporate the failure of the Trump coup tell her to “whack” rival networks to in America. Major parts of the power, dictatorial government and warn them not to trouble Republic. American media played a key role an aggressively partisan media in securing America’s escape from establishment. Arnab boasts of setting up a

14 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COMMENTARY meeting with the PM Modi. The BARC Chief reminds Arnab that he has supported Republic and “jammed” other channels, and in return asks Arnab to “help him through the PMO”, and Arnab promises to take up the BARC Chief’s concerns during a meeting with PM Modi. BARC Chief and Arnab discuss how “AS” will rein in the TRAI and make sure that TRAI does not pursue its investigations of various illegalities by BARC. BARC Chief asks Arnab, “Can you help me by telling AS to tell TRAI to pipe down on BARC?”, to which Arnab replies “I can.” The BARC Chief continues, “Can you text AS and get TRAI rapped?”, to which Arnab replies “Can you give me three points why TRAI action is working against AS interest?” Arnab also hints at prior knowledge of the Balakot strike – information that is supposed to be only with top political and military leadership alone - and the abrogation of Article 370. So – what picture emerges from these chats? Arnab gets “inside” help from the ratings agency to rig ratings, harm rival channels, and gets advance tip-offs about policy changes that may hit Republic’s interests. In exchange, he peddles his influence with the Prime Minister, the PMO, various I&B Ministers, and “AS” (the identity of whom is not difficult to guess). Why does he have such influence with the PM, “AS” and the Modi Cabinet? Clearly, because he helps them construct a political narrative favourable to them. That is why they give him advance knowledge of political and even military decisions – because these decisions are being taken to help the PM’s political image, which Arnab and the Republic will help shape. The Republic is no news channel which will take an impartial look at policies and decisions – it is a propaganda tool, literally embedded in the Modi PMO. Such corruption is dangerous for democracy and national security alike. q

Screenshots of BARC Chief's Chats with Arnab which are part of supplementary chargesheet by the Mumbai Police

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Farmers Reclaim The Republic!

Farmers’ Tractor Parade Reconnected Republic Day To The Spirit Of Democracy

n Republic Day, the official parade had the usual display of military hardware, while the floats had an ominous tinge of Hindu supremacy. The Uttar Pradesh Government float displaying a model of the Oprospective Ram Temple at Ayodhya – which will take the place of the historic Babri Masjid, demolished by Hindu supremacists in the presence of the topmost BJP leaders who went on to profit politically for decades to come from this act of violence against Muslim minorities and the Constitution of India. In contrast to this disquieting official spectacle, the people of Delhi had the historic opportunity to witness and participate what Republic Day is really about: the spirit of democracy in which We The People of India speak truth to power, rather than celebrate the state’s power over people. All along Delhi’s Outer Ring Road, for kilometres at a stretch as far as the eye could see, farmers from all over India were on the streets on tractors and trolleys that had been decorated as floats with sugarcane shoots and leaves, flowers, and flags. The Tractor Parade in fact continued all night right up to the morning of 27 January, when the huge number of tractors could finally make their way back to the protest sites at the borders of Delhi. The electronic media, which spent the whole morning focusing its cameras on the official parade, failing to show any meaningful coverage of the thousands of tractors and lakhs of farmers in a peaceful parade, chose to blow one small chapter of the 26 January farmers’ actions out of proportion. This was a chapter where some small contingents of farmers (from the processions that left the Gazipur, Tikri and Singhu borders) chose to follow the parade route along the inner ring road, which the joint platform of farmers’ unions had changed to minimise clashes with the police. In the first place, the Delhi Police (answerable directly to Home Minister Amit Shah) had no right to “deny permission” to the original route proposed by the farmers. In the second place, in a huge movement, not all farmers are bound by the decisions of the farm unions’ joint platform. Choosing an alternate route is not a crime,

16 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER FEATURE since the streets do not belong to the chaos at ITO, moved ahead to no intention to either “raid” Delhi or the government but to the people, the Red Fort, where some of them “capture” any monument. and protest by its very definition scaled it and hung some of their We can clearly recall the 2012 is not held at the mercy of “police flags (including a flag with a Sikh anti-rape protests, when sections permission”. It was obvious to all religious symbol on it) on some of young protestors had made their observers from the night before that empty flagpoles, below the national way into the Rashtrapati Bhawan some farmers were planning to take tricolour. The media promptly began and Parliament, and other areas the original route, and the police misreporting the parade, claiming “forbidden” by the police, and had had ample time to be prepared and that it had “gone out of control”, had faced repression by the police. The should have simply made plans to “desecrated the national flag and a difference is that then, the UPA cooperate with those farmers. The national monument”, and even that Government was in power, and the police, instead, unleashed brutal farmers had “raided” the national media, instead of being servile to repression, beating up farmers with capital and “captured the Red Fort.” the government and vilifying the batons and using tear gas at various In fact, the incident at the Red Fort movement, had rightly shown the places including Akshardham and was at best a very understandable perspective of the protestors. ITO. At ITO, this repression and restlessness among the younger the resulting chaos cost the life of a farmers following two months of Mirroring the Farmers’ Parade young farmer. In the confusion and patient protests in deadly cold, more in Delhi, farmers and workers panic that inevitably follows tear- than 150 deaths, and an adamant together held parades (including gassing, a tractor lost control and and arrogant government; and at motorbike and tractor parades) in turned turtle, and young Navreet worst, it was perhaps instigated support of the farmers’ movement, Singh Hundal, a farmer from the by some agent provocateurs. at many cities and towns all over Uttarakhand contingent which had But two fact shine out even in India including at Patna, Ranchi, been camped at Gazipur, lost his this episode. First, it is crystal Bagodar, Bangalore, Kolkata, and life on the spot. Navreet, whose clear that had the Delhi Police Bangalore. village falls on the border between not opposed the original route Republic Day marks the occasion Uttarakhand and UP, had taken up proposed by the farmers unions’ when “We The People of India” farming after being deported from platform, the Tractors’ Parade gave to ourselves a Constitution Australia for taking up a job while would have passed without the and set for ourselves a goal of on a study visa. Hardeep who had Red Fort incident and without any democratic values to aim for as a been in the same truck as Navreet, loss of life. Even if the Delhi Police society – goals we knew we fell alleges that the police had fired had simply allowed the contingent short of, but goals for which we felt at them. Even if this is not true, it that followed the original route, to we had a potential. The farmers is likely that the farmers mistook do so without repression, these on the streets reminded the whole the sound of tear gas shelling for incidents would almost certainly country that Republic Day is not gunfire. Defying attempts by the not have taken place. Secondly, a day for citizens to be mere police to take Navdeep’s body all the participants of the Tractor spectators (watching a military into their custody, the farmers sat Parade, including at ITO and Red parade on TV) but to be active down at ITO to mourn Navdeep, Fort, returned peacefully to their participants. People are the heroes draping his body of this martyred protest sites as had been previously of the Republic, not mere “extras” young farmer with the national decided. As several Delhi residents in a televised script where the PM tricolour, and several of them we spoke to in the course of the is the hero. q chanted prayers for him. day said, the farmers, even after the death of one of their own and The Ambani-controlled and Modi- in the face of dire provocation by serving media, chose not to focus the police, had not raised a finger on this tragedy caused by the police against any Delhi resident’s home repression, and the incredible or property. Even the “attacks on restraint shown by the farmers buses” that the media showed were in the face of the death of their merely the result of the fact that the brother. Instead it chose to focus Delhi Police had used the buses as its gaze exclusively on some barricades! Clearly the farmers had younger protestors who, following

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tractors and trolleys. Banners Notes From The Delhi featuring a cartoon depicting Modi as a puppet controlled by Farmers’ Parade Adani and Ambani by an AISA activist Neha Tiwari were much AISA and RYA had organised in demand – with farmers coming Kavita Krishnan welcome gatherings, with banners up asking to display it on their and slogans and refreshments. trolleys. Our comrades decorated The Tikri farmers’ procession were Throughout the extraordinarily cold one AIKM trolley as a float featuring greeted and felicitated by the night of 25 January, farmers at the large cut-outs of Bhagat Singh, protest sites at the Singhu, Tikri, and AICCTU-AISA-RYA delegations in this manner at Najafgarh. Similar Ashfaqullah, Chandrashekhar Gazipur borders remained awake till Azad, Dr Ambedkar, Che Guevara, late in the night decorating their demonstrations of solidarity were organised at Swaroop Nagar and Shaheed Udham Singh and Kartar tractors and trolleys and planning Singh Sarabha – and this float and preparing for the parade. Singhaula for the procession that began at Singhu, and at Apsara became a centre of much attraction At Tikri on 26 January, All India Chowk for the procession that at the Singhu site and throughout Kisan Mahasabha National began at Gazipur. Apart from the parade. President Comrade Ruldu Singh, this, comrades told us that people Comrade Sanjay and I, along with as well as comrades Gurnam gathered on their roofs and a young Chandigarh comrade Singh and Jasbir Kaur Nat of AIKM balconies to shower flowers and Soumya, walked a couple of the were at the very forefront of petals on the farmers’ parade as it kilometres from the library to the the tractor parade. At Gazipur, passed through residential areas. tent where our Gurdaspur AIKM AIKM General Secretary Comrade Comrade Sanjay Sharma, V Arun comrades were camped. There, Rajaram Singh, along with AIKM we met a family of four – father leaders Comrade Purushottam Kumar and I had spent the night of the 25th January at Singhu, and mother, and two daughters, Sharma from Uttarakhand and one about 13 and the other about Comrade Ishwari Prasad Kushwaha preparing to cover the parade for Liberation and for the CPIML’s 9, who had made a two-day from UP were at the forefront of the journey from Gurdaspur to Singhu parade. social media pages. I will share some of my impressions of this on a motorbike, just to join the All three processions were greeted unparalleled experience. farmers’ protest. The two young with enthusiastic welcome and girls were besides themselves hospitality by Delhi residents We spent the night at Singhu with anticipation for the next day’s throughout their route. At various in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh parade, pleading and persuading points along the routes, the Delhi library tent, where AICCTU and Soumya as well as the Gurdaspur units of the AICCTU trade unions AISA comrades were up all night comrades to somehow ensure a and student-youth organisations preparing decorations for the spot for them on one of the tractors.

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We also met contingents of farmers us he was from Gurdaspur and appeared to have been deliberately from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, had been at Singhu for 25 days – slowed down, to make it difficult for eager to find a place right at the “We’ve made our bungalow (kothi) us to report on the parade live on front of the parade. here,” he joked. He showed me social media. the flag of his Kisan Union which The next morning, as I waited Throughout the route, wherever he had proudly displayed on his sleepily in the queue at a petrol there were residential areas, the wheelchair. He added, “The line of pump bathroom, I noticed one man locals came out to clap and cheer tractors goes back all the way to nudging a young girl and looking for the farmers. I spoke to one Sonipat and beyond, there are so my way. A short while later, he set of young workers. One of many thousands of them. You can came up and said, “This is the them told me, his face beaming, only see 2 percent of them here. If person whose book I gave you - “Everyone must admire the farmers these laws are implemented, it will Fearless Freedom!” Immediately, – their spirit (jazba) and courage badly affect everyone. People will several other young women there (himmat) both! We are besides go hungry, there will be an end to greeted me with great enthusiasm, ourselves with joy to see them and rations. Modi will have to agree to recognising the book. I was gratified our demands.” we wholeheartedly support their to find young women readers of my demands. We workers are farmers book on women’s autonomy in the As the seemingly endless parade of too – all of us come from farming middle of this historic protest. They tractors began, Sanjay and I joined communities in villages.” told me they had come, variously, an almost equally large number from Patiala, Gurdaspur and of farmers and their supporters We met a tractor full of women, Chandigarh to join the movement marching on foot alongside the being driven by a young woman. and were especially looking forward tractors. This was no militarised Along with trolleys and tractors full to the Republic Day parade. “march past” – it was exuberant, of women, we met innumerable with slogans being raised, a whole women walking alongside the Gulping down a quick cup of tea and range of songs including patriotic parade, waving flags and raising a snack at one of the many langars and revolutionary songs, as well slogans. briskly distributing food, Comrade as songs composed specially for Sanjay and I began making our At Khampur (a village in Delhi), the farmers’ movement and parade way to the border where the parade we saw an entire community of being played, while youngsters and would begin. Arun had already made residents – men, women, children quite a few old men and women his way, with his camera, to the very – busy filling buckets full of water, also, danced to the tunes. front. Waiting at a tea shop at the and briskly distributing glasses of Singhu border, we met Jasbir Singh Sanjay and I walked alongside the it to the thirsty and tired farmers (who seemed to have phocomelia, parade for more than 10 kilometres. on the tractors and on foot. Two congenital condition in which the We were struck by the total absence of them told us, “We fully support legs are extremely shortened and of any cameras of the major TV the farmers, what they are doing traveled in a wheelchair). He told stations. The internet connection is excellent.

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One man who keeps a small shop its route forward. Realising this, that the government should be at Khampur offered us water and we hopped off the truck and found making enemies of its citizens? was eager to comment. “I educated that we were on the Sanjay Gandhi Last winter, there was the agitation my son with so much effort and at Transport Nagar flyover, and below against CAA, this winter farmers so much expense, all in vain. There us was Libaspur village. We had no are protesting for the past two are no jobs for him. He is a property choice but to make our way down months. If so many people are dealer and the property market is the embankment, using bushes and opposed to some law, surely any in a crisis. This Modi speaks of trees for support, to the road below. government with sense would good days, but we got nothing. There, we made our way back to gracefully withdraw it? The problem Only Adani and Ambani seem to be our office in Shakarpur in fits and with Modi is, he is too arrogant. He getting everything. This is why the starts, with several missteps along thinks he is a king who will lose face farmers are fighting.” the way, because the Government if he bends. Look at these farmers, had shut down most metro routes as they have not harmed a hair on At Khampur, Sanjay and I hitched well as the internet, and the traffic the head of even a single resident a ride with a trolley that was part of jam caused by the police bringing in Delhi, even though they are so the parade. A young man walking the farmers’ parade to a standstill, many in number.” alongside the trolley saw me meant that travel in Delhi had struggle to get up into it, and lifted An auto driver said, “Farmers become exceedingly complicated. me up by my armpits into the trolley! already earn so little and have to Inside, we met an entire family The good part was that throughout worry every season about their including several women, that runs our return journey, every Delhi survival. Now the government is a cosmetics shop in Chandigarh, resident we met – mostly auto and trying to take away even what little that had come down to Singhu for e-rickshaw drivers and passengers they earn. You know the problem the movement and the parade. from various classes and sections with this government? It brands The view from the trolley was of society – was sympathetic to the every critic ‘anti-national’. How can breathtaking – an ocean of tractors, farmers and highly critical of the it be that the government is always in orderly lines, for as far as the eye Modi Government and the police. right, and everyone who questions it is a traitor to be arrested and could see. There seemed to be no One gentleman in an auto criticised jailed?” end to the procession. the Government at length, “How is Finally, as we began to get it that this government, which was One girl in an e-rickshaw at Libaspur reports from Arun about the police elected with so much goodwill six said, “I heard that the farmers beat repression at ITO and other places, years ago, seems to manage to up a police officer.” When we told we realised that the whole parade create a major upheaval and chaos her that in fact, a farmer had died had come to a halt – clearly because every year, with demonetisation, in the midst of police repression, the police, using the ITO incident lockdown, CAA and now the farm she looked up at the long line of as a pretext, had stopped it from laws? Don’t we have enough tractors on the flyover and replied, moving past Mukarba Chowk on trouble with China at our borders, “Well, they look peaceful here. If the

20 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER FEATURE police beat them up and kill them, is it any surprise that Government’s motive behind the farm laws. some of them will hit back?” Gadkari made it clear that the new laws have been Not a single person we met complained of the introduced to correct what he described as the “root inconvenience they were facing as a result of causes” of India’s agriculture problems: “surplus the farmers’ parade – instead all of them looked foodgrains”; and the fact that the MSP offered by the sympathetically at the stranded farmers and expressed government for foodgrains is higher than the domestic concern for them. and international market price. Gadkari actual words With Republic Day, the farmers have crossed another were, “Our MSP is more than the international and milestone in their courageous and historic movement. market prices, and that is the problem. I have been We must stand with their struggle which will end only talking about ethanol for the last 12 years. But the when the three farm laws are repealed. q permission to convert foodgrains (to fuel) was not granted. The root cause of the problem is surplus foodgrains and higher MSP than the market price.” Gadkari Reveals It is clear from Gadkari’s interview that the Government’s claims that the new laws will not only protect MSP, but Modi Regime’s in fact allow farmers the “freedom” to sell crops in the open market to companies at prices that are even Anti-Farmer, higher than MSP, is a lie. Farmers obviously demand MSP because they know that market prices tend to be Anti-Poor Mann much lower; and also without MSP they will be forced to sell at distress prices. But the Government sees MSP Ki Baat as a problem, and has introduced the new laws to make sure that farmers have no option but to sell at much lower prices in the domestic and international market. Kavita Krishnan Also, it is clear from Gadkari’s interview that the The Modi regime which said it would never blink on the Government has brought in the new farm laws to farm laws, has not only blinked, but bent, offering first facilitate diversion of so-called “surplus” foodgrains to amend and then to “suspend” the laws, in desperate away from the Public Distribution System and attempts to save the laws from outright repeal. But the rations for the poor. The truth is that India’s “surplus” farmers, who continue to camp at Delhi’s borders in foodgrains rot in godowns while India ranks 94th among the bitter winter cold, braving thunderstorms and rain 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index, much behind showers, have told the Government that nothing short its neighbours Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. There of an outright repeal of the Three Anti-Farmer Laws is is a “surplus” precisely because the Government has acceptable to them. introduced a “targeted” Public Distribution System The Government is finding it increasingly difficult to (PDS) instead of universal PDS, leaving a vast section maintain the fiction that it is only rich farmers, and that of India’s needy people deprived and hungry. Now, too only farmers from Punjab who are protesting under instead of focusing on hunger as the key problem, the instigation from the Opposition. At Delhi’s borders, Modi regime is claiming that the “surplus” in overflowing farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been joined godowns is the problem, and is prescribing a shift by farmers from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya from foodgrains to biofuel. The contract farming being Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. In Bihar, sought to be universalised through the new laws will, tens of thousands of small and medium farmers and among other things, engineer this shift and push us farm workers marched to the Governor’s headquarters into a state of external dependence for foodgrains and to demand repeal of the farm laws. It is clear, moreover, hence greater food insecurity for the poor. that the farmers enjoy the support and solidarity of What Gadkari does not spell out is that the Modi regime ordinary Indians. is seeking to get rid of MSP, force farmers to sell at Meanwhile, in an interview with a leading newspaper, rates fixed by domestic and international markets, and the Indian Express, senior member of the Modi cabinet dismantle procurement and PDS, because it is seeking and the BJP, Nitin Gadkari, made several remarks to obey the WTO diktats to cut down government that confirm the farmers’ apprehensions about the support for India’s farmers.

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India’s farmers see through the Government’s lies very Monetary Fund (IMF) has come out openly in support clearly, and they stand firm in their demands to repeal of the three farm laws. Ironically the Modi regime which the three new laws, lock, stock, and barrel. Farmers at yelled “foreign interference” when the Canadian PM the frontlines of the struggle to save India’s Republic, Trudeau expressed concern about the Government’s asserting not only the farmers’ rights, but also the right repression of farmers at Delhi’s borders, is perfectly of all citizens to protest, the right to food security and happy with the “foreign interference” of the IMF! food rations, and the country’s freedom from Company History of World Bank-IMF Raj. India’s people stand with the farmers in this crucial fight.q Interference The World Bank submitted a long memorandum to India in 1991 demanding immediate restructuring of Three Farm the economy and warning that without such measures India would be deprived of international financial Laws: assistance - mainly IMF loans. The major part of that structural readjustment programme proposed through Aimed to Meet that memorandum has already been implemented in bits and pieces by different governments, and what Demands of Rich remains would now be completed if the three farm laws are implemented. Countries Not The World Bank recommended that: i) heavy fiscal subsidies to agriculture are not Indian Farmers sustainable and are ineffective in sustaining growth, so subsidies on irrigation, electricity, fertilizer and credit Sanjay Sharma be removed ii) export/import restrictions on agri-produce be How is it possible that after the world attained an overall removed. surplus in food production in most of the food-producing countries, worldwide hunger and malnutrition have also ii) universal PDS is not required hence a targetted PDS increased to a much greater extent? The answer lies be initiated and the role of FCI be curtailed. in the logic of capitalism, which is the logic of greed iv) governmental protection be removed, agricultural and profit. trade be liberalised. The farmers’ movement going on in India is a v) private investment in agriculture sector be increased. revolt against the Modi government’s deceitful, greedy and profiteering designs of surrendering country’s food sovereignty into the hands of few big capitalists (symbolised here in India’s leading capitalists Adani and Ambani) under the imperialist diktats of the WTO. The implementation of these three farm laws will be the last nail in the coffin of public welfare policies, completing a process that began in late 1980s in USA under the garb of Uruguay round of GATT negotiations and in India in 1991 with the diktats of IMF and World Bank given to the Narasimha Rao Government. It is no surprise that the International

22 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER FEATURE vi) bank credit system be WTO Agreement on the purpose of ensuring food rationalised and private investment Agriculture security to the deprived citizens be promoted. and communities. This agreement The WTO Agreement on Agriculture imposed a system of crop insurance vii) technology imports and signed in 1995 echoed the to be run by private companies privatised (corporate-funded) same World Bank package in a instead of measures to develop research be encouraged more binding form for nations. and improve basic agriculture viii) regime for intellectual property Now it became mandatory for infrastructure. The three farm laws rights protection be introduced the developing countries to be now fulfil the commitments made by “committed to achieving specific India to WTO under the AoA. ix) government's extensive role binding commitments” to “establish a There was a time when scarce food in agri input production and fair and market-oriented agricultural marketing, including fertilizer and production was a primary concern trading system” by “regressive particularly during the first half of seed production, be considerably reductions in agricultural support the twentieth century. That was also reduced, and private sector and protection”. This was done in the a period of imperialist aggression involvement in research and name of “correcting and preventing and realignment surrounding marketing be encouraged. restrictions and distortions in world two world wars. Food production x) involvement of state seed agricultural markets” which is worldwide increased considerably companies in commercial seed nothing but another name for lifting with technological advancements production be ended the system of subsidies and support in latter half of the century. A to the peasants of poor nations to system of subsidies and support to xi) private sector be introduced in give a free hand to the rich countries farmers and to develop agricultural irrigation sector, water rates be to dump their agricultural surplus in infrastructure was also evolved by increased the markets of developing countries. the nations as a natural corollary to The World Bank recommendations A new form of colonialism. ensure sufficient food supply. were immediately accepted by The AoA restricts member India strived for its own food security the Government of India in spite nations from providing support to after Independence, adopting of wide opposition by left parties domestic agricultural producers; land reforms and developing and many farmers’ organisations. restricts export subsidies; reduces agriculture infrastructure to do so. In the budget of the same year, import tariffs; and restricts public The agenda for land reforms was 1991-92, fertilizer costs were raised stockholding for food security which never completed, which remain by 30%, export subsidies were in the case of India amounts to doing till today the biggest blockade abolished and subsidy on sugar away with the Food Corporation of towards rural development. The was also eliminated. During the India (FCI) and the government’s productive forces could not be course of three decades most of procurement of food grains for unleashed keeping agriculture those WB diktats have been fulfilled by the successive UPA and NDA governments. The three farm laws forced through without a proper vote division in the upper house of Parliament are meant to accomplish what few of the WB diktats remain. The current farmers’ movement has now posed the most formidable resistance yet against the virtual parliamentary consensus in support of the imperialist package. This is why the farm law proponents complain of “too much democracy.”

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 23 COVER FEATURE shackled by feudal remnants. Some input costs at much lower levels, had to unsuccessfully fight a long states including Punjab, Haryana it would have prevented health legal struggle to keep his job and and parts of Western UP fared consequences like the cancer designation as well as his scientific better in land reforms. These areas epidemic in Punjab that is the result accomplishments. Today we talk became the sites of the “Green of pesticides in the groundwater. of importance of organic farming and organic food, and we have a Revolution” (capitalist development Dr Richharia made a gene bank of chance to review our entire approach in agriculture) in later years. naturally occurring varieties of rice towards India’s model for scientific from Chhattisgarh (then in Madhya The “Green and technological innovations in Pradesh) which were in no way Revolution” & the agriculture and rural economy. less high-yielding than the imported Path Not Taken ones and did not require huge input Indian agriculture is facing India has an immensely rich and of fertilizers and other inputs. Let stagnation since decades. Neo- vast diversity in agriculture, in us argue what would have been liberal restructuring and WTO diktats terms of crops as well as climate. the agrarian scene today had Dr. have made the situation even worse. Agriculture here has evolved Richharia’s model of agricultural The same WB memorandum of into various different regional development been adopted at that 1991 also said that “limits to growth traditions, cultures and techniques. time in place of what we today call the from Green Revolution technologies The introduction of High Yielding “Green Revolution”? Today we are are approached, there are no new Varieties (HYVs) as the basis of experiencing huge environmental technologies on the horizon.” In Green Revolution by importing degradation, water crisis, farmers’ place of reviewing and correcting technology from the USA was not indebtedness and suicides on the the inherent weaknesses of the the sole option before scientific one hand and an overwhelming Green Revolution, now there are community during the Sixties. Our dominance of big corporations over talks of “Green Revolution II” which political establishment, bureaucracy the lives and livelihood of rural is nothing but the going further and a section of agricultural scientists population as an ultimate fall out of ahead with the same policy regime favoured imported Green Revolution the Green Revolution. to introduce bigger penetration of imperialist capital which in turn technology. This involved import and Dr. Richharia in the 1960s had makes farmers more alienated from development of HYV seeds which challenged the fundamental their own lands and from agriculture also required large quantities of approach of the Green Revolution. as a profession. This scheme is pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation and In early 1980s he described this in unacceptable to Indian farmers. other inputs because they were not his plan for increasing production of adapted to Indian environmental rice submitted to the PMO on latter's Land reforms were required most conditions as were the indigenous request saying, "The main constraint to unleash the potential of agrarian varieties. Therefore, this technology has been the hurried introduction of development. This unfinished import in turn increased input costs the undesirable new rice material, agenda is now a thing of the past in agriculture production and also the HYVs (dwarfs) on which we and whatever land reforms were paved the way for the dominance of based our strategy, replacing even achieved are now being reversed. big corporations in this sector. the reputed high yielding rices of The policy of land acquisitions, and The then Director and world the lacality, forgetting at the same policy rhetoric of land consolidation renowned rice scientist of Central time unexpected drought situation, in the name of making agriculture Rice Research Institute Dr. RH under the HYVs lowered the viable is nothing but a disguise Richharia at that time stood up in yields.... HYVs proved susceptible for alienating small and marginal opposition to the Indian scientific to diseases and pests which cannot farmers from their lands. The three establishment risking his own be controlled easily, thus against new farm laws are meant to do this career. He gave a model to identify pointing towards reduction of yield ." job more speedily. and develop high yielding seeds Dr. Richharia’s story is lost in oblivion There has always been a demand from India’s own vast diversified thanks to political establishment by farmers for increased expenditure varieties because they are resistant which apparently favoured US in agriculture infrastructure and to diseases, pests, drought and designs ignoring India’s ground development of roads, storage need less chemical fertilizers etc. realities. He was isolated and capacity, irrigation, electricity in order This would not only have kept the victimised to the extent that he to develop the rural economic base

24 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER FEATURE and the country’s food sovereignty. These are demands which were never considered by the State seriously. Now 18 January: preparations are on to hand over the whole business of agricultural infrastructure to the private sector on a platter. Women Subsidies are not doles or freebies as alleged by the ruling class parties, especially by the ideologues and Farmers’ Day apologists of the Modi regime today. On the contrary they are an essential way of allocating the state’s resources to the most deserving sector in order to The Chief Justice of India had asked why women had strengthen the country’s socio-economic development. been “kept” in the farmers’ protests at the border, Marketing with proper remuneration is common sense. and had sought reassurances from farmers’ legal Every nation has a right to evolve and develop its own representatives that women would be sent back home mechanism. We need not to go for abolishing APMCs and kept out of the protests. He had even said he would or similar mechanisms to give a free hand to monopoly personally take the “risk” of appealing to women to capitalists, instead one should go for accepting the return home. farmer organisations’ long pending demands for Well, women gave a befitting rebuff to this paternalistic improvement in those mechanisms as well as a good attempt to control them and insult their autonomy. On and viable credit system the absence of which has made 18 January 2021, they flocked to the protest sites at thousands of farmers to commit suicides. Delhi’s borders to observe Mahila Kisan Diwas (Women Indian farmers today produce more than enough food Farmers Day) and remind the CJI and everyone else to feed each and every citizen comfortably. Sadly, not that most women in India are farmers or farm workers; all Indians are well nourished and well fed because the half the farming population is female; and he major food produced by farmers is not accessible to them share of farm labourers are women. Women raised owing to rising economic inequality manifested in rising placards and slogans in various languages asserting poverty levels. This phenomenon has become more that “Women’s place is in the resistance” – a rebuff acute under Modi-rule. We need to secure our food to the patriarchal adage that “women’s place is in the sovereignty by rejecting the policy framework which will home.” further endanger our farmers, and we also need to create Thousands of women protested at the Delhi borders suitable conditions so that food reached to all as their against the Modi government and burnt effigies of fundamental right. Government’s dilution of National IMF and WTO. Women from Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Food Security Act, decreased funding of MNREGA, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar declined budgetary allocation to the FCI, etc should not Pradesh and Uttarakhand participated in the protests. be seen as unconnected events. These are part of the All over the country also, Women Farmers’ Day was same scheme which today is being opposed by massive observed by AIPWA and other women’s movement farmers’ movement. groups. Developed nations want their surplus food-grains to be The rally on Mahila Kisan Diwas at the Tikri border was dumped in Indian and other developing nations’ markets addressed by Punjab Kisan Union leader Jasbir Kaur through WTO route. In these times our government is Natt, AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, AIPWA being ‘governed’ by the WTO rules and imperialist diktats Vice President Sudha Chaudhury (Rajasthan), AISA which must be opposed by supporting the ongoing leader Geeta Kumari (Haryana), trade union leader movements of farmers, workers, and other sections of and AIPWA activist Comrade Lekha Adavi (Karnataka), toiling masses who are directly resisting WTO’s adverse renowned Punjabi theatre and film artist Anita Shabdish impacts on Indian people. These three farm laws are and Lokayat leaders from Karnataka. Several of the integral to the US designs of forcing Indian farmers to AIPWA leaders also sat on a 24-hour hunger strike at shun traditional crops, mainly food grains, in the name the Tikri dharna site. of diversifying towards more Addressing the gathering, Comrade Meena Tiwari said ‘commercial’ crops like raising corn for ethanol that when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave production. This is a direct attack on our food sovereignty well-meant advice to the Modi government to consider and independence – and we all need to support the the farmers' demands the Modi government rubbished farmers at the frontlines of resisting this attack. q the it as interference in internal policy matters but when

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IMF spokesman openly supported workers from unorganised colonies contributed a large contingent. these draconian anti-farm laws as and slums of Delhi held a march At Patna, women’s groups together very useful, the Modi government under the AIPWA banner in support held a march against the farm was delighted. Today by burning of the farmers’ movement. They laws. q the IMF-WTO effigy we the women stressed that if the farm laws are farmers of India send out a message implemented, farming will go into to IMF, WTO, World Bank and corporate control, government We Came To other such puppet organizations of procurement of grains will stop, and multinational corporates that if they that means that food rations also Join Women do not stop interfering in India's will be scrapped. To save farming internal and policy matters we can and save rations, and demand Farmers take the decision to gherao the MSP for all crops and rations for offices of these organizations just all people, workers must support as we have gheraoed the offices of farmers. At Delhi’s Ambani-Adani. The protesting women warned that Borders At the Ghazipur border, AIPWA’s if the Modi government does not UP President Krishna Adhikari shed its ego and obstinacy and fails addressed the women farmers’ to repeal these ro-corporate black (Afshan Jabeen, AIPWA activist gathering, and warned against the laws soon, there will not only be a who along with several other communal politics of the Yogi and Tractor Parade on 26 January on AIPWA comrades from Bihar Modi Governments that sought Republic Day but lakhs of women spent a week at Delhi’s borders to divide farmers and people on across the country will also launch with the farmers, writes about her Hindu-Muslim lines so that the a campaign to expose BJP-RSS in impressions of the movement.) companies like Adani and Ambani every city, town, village, mohalla Lakhs of farmers from across can rule. and house. the country are protesting on the At the Singhu border, AIPWA At Kolkata, a massive dharna borders of Delhi. The government National Secretary Kavita Krishnan of women was organised at has passed three farm laws which and AISA activist Navkiran Natt Dharamtala by the farmers’ struggle are against farmers’ and the addressed the gathering. Women platform AIKSCC, to which AIPWA country’s interests. Therefore huge

26 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER FEATURE numbers of farmers are sitting in protest and people MAHENDRA SINGH from across the country are joining this struggle in support of the farmers' demands. MARTYRDOM DAY Along with my comrades from AIPWA I got the opportunity to be a part of this large scale and historic 50 KM Long farmers' struggle in Delhi. This was my first experience of participating in such a huge movement and I was Human Chain In filled with happiness and pride at joining this movement. I reached Tikri border on 18 January which was Mahila Solidarity With Kisan Diwas (Women Farmers' Day) and women were at the helm of affairs and managing everything. It Farmers seemed as if the numbers of the protesters equalled their unity, especially the unity of the women. On n 16 January 2021, the martyrdom day of beloved that day, men did not get much opportunity to speak OCPIML leader and Jharkhand MLA Comrade from the dais, and this in a patriarchal society where Mahendra Singh was observed with a massive 50 men usually control everything. Women were freely kilometre-long human chain from Koderma to Gandey, expressing themselves on stage, some through in support of the farmers’ movement to repeal the Modi revolutionary and progressive songs, some through regime’s three draconian farm laws. Bagodar MLA speeches. A veritable sea of women was surging Comrade Vinod Singh, CPIML Politburo members ahead at all the borders, Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur. Swadesh Bhattacharya and Manoj Bhakt, 6 newly Even the groups who had come from far-off places to elected Bihar MLAs from CPIML - Manoj Manzil, be part of this struggle had large numbers of women. Rambali Prasad Yadav, Sudama Prasad, Virendra There was an incredible energy and enthusiasm in all Prasad Gupta, Mahanand Singh, and Arun Singh; the women and they reminded me of the nationwide former Jharkhand MLAs Arup Chatterjee from Nirsa, anti-CAA-NPR-NRC equal citizenship movement led and Bahadur Oraon from Chakradharpur participated by women. It occurred to me that maybe the women- in the human chain. led equal citizenship movement had inspired women At Mahendra Singh’s ancestral village Khambhra, his farmers also. bust was garlanded and the whole village gathered to pledge their support for the farmers’ movement. At At various places we could see women and men Bagodar, Comrade Mahendra Singh’s statue at the working shoulder to shoulder to prepare and serve CPIML office was garlanded by Bihar and Jharkhand food. Langar was being served at places just meters MLAs, and senior CPIML leaders, followed by the apart. Not only was food taken care of, all the borders human chain against the farm laws, in which women had Shaheed Bhagat Singh libraries organised by and men from Bagodar, Sariya, Birni, Rajdhanwar, Delhi students for wonderful reading material. I saw Jamua and other blocks and small towns participated the amazing sight of all sections and ages of people in large numbers, raising slogans against the Modi- immersed in reading, some in the library and some on Shah tyranny and in support of the farmers’ movement. their tractors. There are also medical camps set up at At Ranchi, a memorial meeting was held at Albert various places. As I was walking by one early morning, Ekka chowk, where the gathering pledged support for an elderly senior who was sitting on a tractor saw me the ongoing farmers’ movement. This gathering was and started raising the slogan, "Repeal the Black Farm addressed by CPIML Central Committee member Laws!" Slogans of "Modi Sarkar Murdabad!" (Down Shubhendu Sen, social activists Aloka Kujur and Raju with the Modi Government) also echoed from place to Mahto, MCC leader Sushanto Mukherjee, CPIML place with such spirit and energy that I find difficult to District Secretary Bhuneshwar Kewat, and CPI District describe in words. Secretary Ajay Singh. There is a big difference in watching something on TV CPIML paid tributes at the Patna State office and and seeing it actually unfold in front of one's own eyes. across Bihar to Comrade Mahendra Singh. Among the So much energy, and on such a large scale! The real large number of people who attended the memorial world is something to be experienced directly and seen meeting in Patna were CPIML State Secretary Kunal, through our own eyes. q AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, State

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Secretary Shashi Yadav, State criminals brutally murdered him on Kundan recited his poetry about the President Saroj Chaube, Umesh this day in 2005. His voice was the certain downfall of this tyrannical Singh, Prakash Kumar, Sangeeta fearless voice of the revolutionary government. Sinha, Rita Baranwal, Sant Lal and opposition inside the Assembly. AIPF leader Ghalib, conducting the others. He made the voice of the poor, the program, said that the campaign We oppressed and the marginalized Addressing the memorial meeting, the People of Patna with Farmers everywhere, from the Assembly to State Secretary Kunal said that will hold programs at various places the streets. He was an ideal people's Mahendra Singh was a people's till 26 January to make people representative, an inspiration for leader and the epitome of a true aware of their responsibility to stand the Communist movement, and an people's representative. Fearful intrepid warrior for the 'jal-jangal- with the farmers in this just and of his popularity, BJP-protected jameen' rights of the people. q historic struggle. The program was also addressed by AIKM leader Umesh Singh, We the People of Insaf Manch leader Asma Khan, Dr Prakash and Anuradha Singh. Patna Stand with A large number of people attended the program including leaders and Farmers activists from AUSA, Jan Sanskriti January was the 4th day of deal with those who want to steal Manch, social workers, academics 22 the 'We the People of Patna the food from the mouths of the and intellectuals. with Farmers' campaign organized people. He appealed to all people under the banner if AIPF Patna. A to stand with farmers against the Kisan Mahasabha orogram in support of the ongoing loot of Adani-Ambani Raj. Dharna at Patna farmers' struggle against the 3 Senior CPIML and AIKM leader KD Concludes black farm laws was held at the Yadav said that the martyrdom of The indefinite dharna in support Kankarbagh Sabji Mandi in Patna 147 farmers on the Delhi borders of the ongoing farmers' movement attended by a large number of will not go waste and the Modi that started on 7 January at members of civil society. government will have to repeal Gardanibagh in Patna concluded All India Kisan Mahasabha National these black laws. Vice President Shiv Sagar Sharma on 15 January with the call to make said that if farmers provide food AISA leader Priyanka Priyadarshini the human chain called by the for the 135 crore population of the recited a ghazal written by Mahagathbandhan to be organized country, they also know how to Dushyant and poet Sanjay Kumar on 30 January a resounding

28 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER FEATURE and historic success. Kisan dharnas there were going on across Bihar also concluded on 15 January with the resolve to continue the farmers' struggle. Addressing the dharna at its conclusion CPIML Bihar State Secretary Kunal said that this struggle is no longer confined to farmers but has become a second freedom struggle of the people. Enslaved agriculture equals an enslaved country. These three black laws will destroy farming as well as the country's food AIKM National Vice President Shiv Sagar Sharma security. He gave the example of Somalia and how said that the people have now understood that Adani- corporate farming destroyed that country, pointing out Ambani Raj is being imposed in the country and we that the BJP government wants to repeat that story in have to save our freedom and democracy. All the our country as well. He also gave the example of the leaders said that the struggle would continue till the Adani group cornering the apple market in Shimla, three black laws are repealed. They called upon all the buying apples cheaply and earning fat profits by selling people in the country to stand in support of farmers. at Rs 100 per apple. The Modi government wants to serve such corporate houses through these new laws. Through the dharna the call was given for saving farmers and farming, for protecting rations for the poor, AIARLA General Secretary Dhirendra Jha said that for protecting democracy and making the farmers' the protesting farmers and people of India have no parade in Delhi on 26 January and the human chain confidence in the stay order given by the Supreme across Bihar on 30 January a historic success. Court on the implementation of the three black laws which farmers are demanding should be repealed. A A large number of people attended the Mahadharna CPIML team has just returned from the Singhu-Tikri including AIPWA leader Shashi Yadav, AIKM State borders where they spoke with the agitating farmers. Joint Secretary Umesh Singh, Office Secretary Farmers believe that a misconception is being sought to Rajendra Patel, District Secretary Kripa Narayan be spread through the Supreme Court but the farmers Singh, Munna Chauhan, Mukhia Jai Prakash Paswan, will never accept this. He also said that the farmers' AICCTU leader Ranvijay Kumar and Jalla Kisan Morcha parade in Delhi on 26 January is going to be historic. leader Manohar Lal. q Solidarity Convention in Delhi For Farmers’ Movement eft parties organized a joint convention at the langars, film shows and cultural programs at the LConstitution Club in Delhi on 16 January 2020 in various borders of Delhi in solidarity with the farmers' solidarity with the ongoing farmers' movement at the movement. The powers that be may say anything, but Delhi borders. Through the Solidarity Convention the today the common citizen of Delhi is standing firmly people of Delhi conveyed the message that they are with the farmers' movement and even celebrating their with the farmers' movement and not with the power- festivals at the borders with the proresting farmers. drunk Modi government at the Centre. Lohri was celebrated on 13 January and if necessary A resolution was passed at the convention and the coming Holi and Eid will also be celebrated with submitted to the Prime Minister demanding the the farmers at the Delhi borders. immediate repeal of the three new farm bills and unconditional fulfillment by the government of all the On 17 January, Kamgar Union affiliated to AICCTU demands of the farmers. marched at the Singhu border in support of the farmers' movement, while the Bhagat Singh-Ambedkar Brigade Workers, students, youth and women of Delhi are affiliated to RYA (Revolutionary Youth Association) consistently organizing medical camps, libraries, organized a march at the Ghazipur border. q

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 29 INTERNATIONAL The Failed Trump Coup and Lessons for India

Dipankar Bhattacharya sponsored ‘export of democracy’ with the election outcome. Even have started coming home to roost. Narendra Modi, who behaved as s Americans continue to the strongest votary of Trump, going The fact that the Trump Presidency deal with the aftermath of to the extent of campaigning for a could come to power, and go on to the failed coup attempt by second term for Trump in his shared A unleash a powerful racist frenzy the Trump Presidency, warning public meetings with Trump during within America by stoking the fire bells ring loud for the whole world the ‘Howdy Modi’ and ‘Namaste of Islamophobia and the fear of as the threat to parliamentary Trump’ programmes, has tweeted immigrants, and then secure the democracy becomes a universal to express his ‘distress’. But the support of almost half of America companion of the growing crisis of strong bond between Modi bhakts even as Trump lost his comeback global capitalism, especially with and hardcore Trump supporters bid in the face of massive Covid19 the pandemic currently haunting was on display once again during casualties and utter crisis of the world for the second successive the failed insurrection, with several governance, shows that the US year. Modi supporters identified among cannot dismiss the January 6 the crowd. Ever since the counting of votes aborted coup as a nightmare. The began, Trump had been trying to rot has gone far too deep and In the history of India’s parliamentary stop the count, complaining of the there can be no quick and easy democracy, we can see stark election being stolen. But he failed overcoming of the disastrous legacy parallels with the 6 January 2021 in these attempts and the US is of the Trump Presidency. U.S. Capitol raid. On 7 November now all set to usher in Joe Biden as 1966 tens of thousands of The rise of the Trump Presidency the country’s next President. Even supporters of the Bhartiya Jan brought into the open the racism as Congress was going through Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP, and white supremacy structurally the formal process of certifying had stormed India’s parliament to embedded in American society. It the elections, Trump incited his demand a ban on cow slaughter. also brought to the fore the sharp supporters to storm the Congress Twenty-six years later, supporters conflict between the interests of building. Trump has all along been of the BJP had demolished the ever-growing corporate aggression unpredictable during the four years Babri Masjid in broad daylight in and the basic tenets of democracy, of his despotic Presidency, but the open defiance of the Supreme public accountability and rule of insurrection was clearly beyond the Court. While the 1966 coup was law. Unchecked privatisation in anticipation of the US and the world. quelled by the police, in 1992 the the economic arena is pushing us police remained mute spectators. As we make sense of the emerging towards relentless centralisation And with the BJP emerging as details of the aborted coup, it of power and privatisation of the dominant political force, now becomes increasingly clear that the governance, thereby hollowing the demolition brigade has been storming was far from sudden and out democratic institutions and acquitted and rewarded with a spontaneous, it was meticulously procedures. The Trump Presidency verdict by the Supreme Court planned and sponsored from within. not only represented the horrific ordering the construction of a For decades, the United States has spectre of a Hitler reincarnate, it temple in place of the demolished been destabilising governments also gave us a glimpse of unbridled mosque. The Sangh brigade has across the world, engineering coups corporate rule. and genocides, inflicting wars, now perfected the art of mob The aborted Trump coup has fomenting civil wars, and effecting lynching to silence and kill people attracted global outrage and regime changes by all possible while the BJP has mastered the art condemnation. Internationally, means, only to prop up dictators of buying out opposition MLAs and governments have called for a and camouflage it as democracy. MPs and bypassing and bulldozing peaceful and orderly change of In light of the January 6 coup we legislatures with ordinances and guard in the US in accordance can say that the chickens of US fraudulently passed laws.

30 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) INTERNATIONAL

We in India can therefore ignore the the farmers’ demand for repeal of the pro-democracy forces within US lessons from America’s attempted these draconian and disastrous political institutions in their battle to coup only at our own peril. When laws, and when dominant sections end and overcome the disastrous farm laws are passed in India of the media dub the farmers Trump legacy, we in India must fight without any voting in Parliament, anti-national for opposing the hard to save Indian democracy from when the government’s policy- government, we know we are still a fascist corporate takeover. q making wing complains of ‘too dealing with an extremely critical much democracy’ in response to situation in India. While standing by Tamil Martyrs’ Monument In Sri Lanka Demolished By Rajapaksa Regime

Balasundaram Rajapaksa and his brother the on the whole episode, journalists notorious Mahinda Rajapaksa covering the demolition were In the first week of January 2021, were elected President and Prime assaulted by Sri Lankan police and a memorial for Tamil martyrs in Minister respectively in August plain clothes intelligence personnel. Jaffna University was demolished. 2020. Sri Lankan Special Task Force The memorial had commemorated Justifying the demolition, the troops blocked the Jaffna University the tens of thousands of Tamils University Grants Commission campus gates and conducted massacred in Mullivaikal in 2009, on (UGC) Chairperson Sampath motorbike patrols. Even in the the directions of the then President Amaratunge said it was a threat to face of this intimidation, Tamil and current Prime Minister of Sri national unity. Branding a memorial students gathered to hold a sit-in Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa, during to massacred Tamils as a threat protest against the destruction of the final stages of the struggle to “unity” in Sinhala-majority Sri the Mullivaikkal memorial, asking for Tamil self-determination in Sri Lanka, reeks of majoritarianism their Vice Chancellor to come Lanka. While the University has now and bigotry. In the same vein the out and agree to reinstate the agreed to reconstruct the memorial Public Security Minister Sarath memorial. One tweet summarised following a hunger strike by the Weerasekera said that “no one the situation in this manner, “While University students, the demolition will and should be allowed to Tamils want to remember the dead itself is symptomatic of the Sinhala commemorate dead terrorists.” the Sri Lankan government keeps majoritarian triumphalism of the Sri reminding us who the killers are.” According to the Tamil Guardian Lanka government, since Gotabaya which tweeted live video reports Eventually, on the fourth day of the hunger strike by students, the VC met them and promised to reinstate the monument, following which the strike ended. The demolition of the monument is a reminder that the Rajapaksa regime wishes to annihilate the very memories and histories of the Tamil people. Such attempts at the erasure of history are also a form of ongoing genocide. The Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed five members The structure that was erected in memory of civilians killed in the Mullivaikkal incident that happened in the last phase of the Sri Lankan civil war of his own family (including Mahinda Rajapaksa) to cabinet and

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 31 INTERNATIONAL ministerial roles, cementing a dynastic and tyrannical continue to search for their loved ones. stronghold on the country. Meanwhile, the killing of Tamil fishermen by who find Thousands of acres of land belonging to Tamils, themselves in Sri Lankan waters continues. The Sri that had been occupied by the military and that the Lankan Navy recently sank a Tamil fishermen’s boat, government was supposed to return, remained under killing four of them - A Mesiya, V Nagaraj, S Senthil military occupation. The Rajapaksa regime has ignored Kumar and N Samson Darwin. More than 800 Tamil the UN’s urging to return the land and rehabilitate the fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan navy in Tamils who had been forcibly evacuated or driven the past 35 years. A huge number of Tamil fishermen from the land. have also been arrested and imprisoned in Sri Lanka. In a constitutional coup, the Rajapaksa regime is Addressing an election rally at Ramanathapuram dismantling the North East Provincial Council (set up in April 2014, Narendra Modi had said Tamil Nadu after the Rajiv-Jayawardane Accord, that had held fishermen were harassed by the Sri Lankan Navy out some meagre powers of self-governance for the because the Congress-led UPA government was weak. Tamil regions). With Modi’s own “strong” government ruling for the past six years, why do the same killings and harassment Women relatives of thousands of Tamil people who continue? q were “disappeared” by the military during the conflict,

An Update on People’s Struggles And Victories Around the World

V Arun Kumar A Victory for Women’s Movement in Argentina n December 30, the Argentinian Senate voted forced to opt for clandestine and unsafe abortions out Oto pass a bill that will legalise abortion in the of fear of repercussions from the state authorities and country, marking a historic victory for country’s the right wing anti-abortion groups. feminist movement that has been organising for the According to reports, since the fall of dictatorship in past 15 years for the legalization of abortion. The bill, 1983, more than 3000 women have died due to unsafe known as the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy and clandestine abortions. Also, every year more than (IVE), legalises terminations in the first 14 weeks of 500,000 clandestine abortions are performed and pregnancy was passed with 38 votes in favour, 29 nearly 40,000 women are hospitalized after performing against and 1 abstention. unsafe abortions. The legalisation of right to abortion sent out a wave of joy across Argentina, with tens of thousands of The watershed movement in the campaign for right feminist activists gathering at the Argentine Congress with symbolic green bandanna/scarf. The green scarf, which became the symbol of women’s movement for liberation and rights was an allusion to the Mothers of Plaza De Mayo who wore white headscarves and fought against the disappearance of their children by the brutal dictatorship backed by the United States in Argentina in the 1980s. In Argentina, abortion was penalised based on the 1921 regulation that criminalised the right to abortion with certain exceptions. The abortion ban led to women, especially from poor and disadvantaged communities

32 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) INTERNATIONAL to abortion came in 2015 when mass protests swept groups in the country, the feminist movement constantly across Argentina against the, brutal murder of 14 year mobilised for their rights. old Chiara Paez, who was few months pregnant. The With the rejection of the Macri government in the 2019 protests mobilised with the call - #NiUnaMenos (Not elections and victory of the Frente de Todos coalition One Less) - no more women lost to gender violence. led by Alberto Fernández and Cristina Kirchner, the Demanding an end to all forms of gender violence, the movement also strengthened the fight for the right to right to abortion struggle gained further momentum and abortion, LGBTQI rights and all social struggles. ultimate victory on December 30 2020. The earlier attempt to legalise abortion was blocked This decisive victory for the feminist movement in the by far-right wing Maurico Macri led senate in 2018, long and hard fought struggle for right to abortion in which rejected a similar bill. Despite massive vilification Argentina is an inspiration for similar movements across campaign and opposition from right wing anti-abortion the world. q Venezuelan people throw US- Backed Juan Guaidó Out of Power n the Venezuelan National Assembly Elections held to carry out attacks and organise sabotages against Ion December 6, 2020, the people of Venezuela have vital infrastructures in Venezuela. In May 2020, a resolutely thrown out the puppet of US imperialism, large number of mercenaries including two American Juan Guaidó into the dustbin of history. The Grand military contractors employed by Silvercorp attempted Patriotic Pole (GPP) of the ruling United Socialist Party to infiltrate into Venezuela by sea and overthrow the of Venezuela (PSUV) and other parties upholding the Maduro government. The attack failed as Venezuelan legacy of Liberator Simon Bolivar and Commander people and the civic-military militia of the Bolivarian Hugo Chavez were elected into the National Assembly Army captured the mercenaries as they attempted to by the people, securing 257 out of 277 seats in the enter into the country. After the attack, the contract country’s parliament. document signed in October 2019 between Silvercorp Guaidó was elected to the National Assembly in 2015, and Guaidó’s Strategy Committee came into public and in 2018 he declared himself as the interim President domain. The Strategy Committee was formed by of the country, betraying the mandate of the people who Guaidó with the goal of exploring all available options elected Nicolas Maduro as the President. Guaidó was for overthrowing Maduro from power and installing propped up by the Venezuelan oligarchy and far-right himself as president. wing forces which aimed at ending the socialist policies The fall of Juan Guaidó is a victory for the people’s in the country. Backed, funded and supported (both movement and a rebuff for US led imperialism forces politically and militarily) by the United States and its which for decades has been trying to overthrow the puppet states in Latin America like Colombia, Guaidó Venezuelan government. and right wing forces clandestinely organised multiple Despite the inhuman and criminal economic blockade coup attempts, including assassination attempts imposed by the US on Venezuela, the people are against the democratically elected government of determined to continue their heroic resistance against Nicolas Maduro. all nefarious plans of US backed Venezuelan oligarchy These groups also attempted to take over military to dismantle a process of building a Venezuela of bases and infiltrate mercenary forces into the country workers and toiling masses as envisioned by Chavez. q Free Ahmad Sa’adat Campaign week long campaign was organised from 15-23 is a revolutionary-national liberation movement leader A January 2021 across the globe by Samidoun and the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and other Liberation of Palestine, He was sentenced to 30 years Palestinian organisations demanding the release of in Israeli prison on 25 December 2008 and he was kept Ahmad Sa’adat who held in Israeli jail for resisting in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison for a long Israeli brutal military occupation of Palestine. Sa’adat period. Inside the prison, Sa’adat continued to resist the

LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) | FEBRUARY 2021 | 33 INTERNATIONAL

Israeli occupation and inhuman treatment meted out Release all Palestinian to Palestinian political prisoners through hunger strike. Political Prisoners! End The International Week of Action to Free Ahmad Israeli occupation of Sa’adat also called for release of all Palestinian political Palestine! prisoners, including hundreds of children currently held in Israeli prisons. q Hands Off Our Campus! Students Protest in Philippines

assive students’ protests have erupted since Unlike many other incidents of state repression on M15 January at University of the Philippines (UP) universities across the globe, the UP administration campuses against fascist President Rodrigo Duterte stood with the students and teachers in the protest. government’s attempt of red-tagging (targeting leftist UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Louise students and teachers) and trampling student activism. Jashil R. Sonido said “To all those who continue to Carrying placards ‘Fight Back State Terror,’ hundreds doubt and underestimate our youth, enough. Because of students and faculty members protested against the kids are all right. They are here and unafraid. They the government’s decision to unilaterally terminate will stand their ground on the right side of history, the 1989 agreement with the UP that prohibited entry and they will be remembered for their strength and of police and military into UP campuses without the vigilance, for their relentless service to the people permission of university authorities. despite red-tagging, despite political persecution, The 112-year-old university has long had a long history despite big bullies in government picking on them and of being a bastion of student activism and progressive pointing their guns at them. Our weapon is our criticism, politics. Under Duterte, who had been organising terror our insolence, our daring, our defiance. History will campaigns against progressive, leftist and dissenting remember that in the line of fire, UP stood its ground voices, the UP campus had been in the forefront in and it will not back down. We will defend the University.” resisting the fascist regime. And the new move by the Duterte’s ‘War on Drugs’ and ‘War on Terror’ has government is seen as an expansion of red-tagging witnessed horrific crimes, including extrajudicial campaign by targeting UP, which played a historic killings and enforced disappearances. Since 2017, role in the fight against the United States backed many people from poor backgrounds were summarily dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s and executed as drug peddlers and state machinery was 80s. Hundreds of university students were abducted, given a free hand by Duterte to target union leaders, tortured and killed by military forces during the Marcos environmentalists, farmers, lawyers, students, dictatorship, which in 1986 was ousted by the people’s indigenous peoples and journalists. q collective action. In February 1971, the UP Diliman campus (in Quezon City, Philippines) students and teachers, along with transport workers rose in protest against oil price hikes, took over the campus and organized a “Diliman Commune” that resisted police and military attacks for eight days. The 1989 agreement was signed to prevent military brutality against students and teachers witnessed during Marcos dictatorship era. The ruling Duterte government is following in the dirty footsteps of Marcos.

34 | FEBRUARY 2021 | LIBERATION - CENTRAL ORGAN OF CPI(ML) COVER STORY Nitish Government’s Shameless Gag Order

A gag order dated 21 January 2021 issued by the Bihar government declares that any individual or organisations that post criticism or comments against the Bihar government, or its Ministers, MPs, MLAs and government officials, on social media will be punished. It is difficult to imagine a more shameless and draconian attempt to gag criticism. Recently, a video of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reacting angrily at being asked a question by a reporter, went viral. The CM’s reaction, and his subsequent gag order, reveals the fact that he knows that his government barely scraped by, through hook or crook, in the elections. But gagging social media will not make the criticism of the BJP-JDU regime go away! This gag order is reminiscent of the notorious Press Bill 1982 of the Jagannath Mishra era, against which the journalistic community along with the people of Bihar launched a historic protest and forced the government to repeal the draconian law. This new order by the Nitish government is a similar draconian law and must go. Posting Date : 27-28 of every month R.N.I. No. 55777/93 COVER STORY P. R. No. DL(E)—11/5156/2021-23 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, Instagram & YouTube: @cpimlliberation 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