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Home , Evo Morales, Markandey Katju, Sonal Shah (economist)

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Vol. 74 No. 44 Evo Morales Overthrown, But Bolivian November 24, 2019 Will Be Victorious! The Ayodhya Verdict is Based Andre Vltchek on a Strange Feat of Logic Markandey Katju They pledged to do it, and , until recently a place Has Supreme Court Caved in they did—Bolivian feudal lords, of hope, with its playgrounds for to Hindutva? mass media magnates and other children and elegant cable cars Ajaz Ashraf treasonous “elites”—they overthrew connecting the once dirt-poor Restoration Of : the government, broke hope and communities, is now beginning to March From Jammu To Srinagar interrupted an extremely successful lose its native sons and daughters. The Nehru That Cannot Battles are raging. People are Forget socialist process in what was once Sushil Aaron one of the poorest countries in South charging against the oppressors, Bhopal Gas Tragedy: America. carrying flags, dying. Erased from Memory? One day, they will be cursed by A civil war, or more precisely, a Sabrangindia their own nation. One day they will war for the survival of socialism, a Police Brutally Attack stand trial for . One day, they war against imperialism, for social JNU Students will have to reveal who trained them, justice, for indigenous people. A war The Coup in and Your who employed them, who turned against racism. A war for Bolivia, for Computer / TV Screen them into spineless beasts. One day! its tremendous pre-colonial culture, Hopefully soon. for life; life as it is being perceived The Media’s Anti-Bernie Bias But now, Evo Morales, legitimate in the Andes, or deep in the South Alan MacLeod , elected American rainforest, not as it is seen Editor : G. G. Parikh again and again by his people, is in Paris, Washington or Madrid. leaving his beloved country. He is Associate Editor : Neeraj Jain * * * crossing the Andes, flying far, to The legacy of Evo Morales is Managing Editor : Guddi fraternal Mexico, which extended tangible, and simple to understand. Editorial Board : her beautiful hand, and offered him During almost 14 years in power, political asylum. B. Vivekanandan, Qurban Ali all the social indicators of Bolivia This is now. The striking streets Anil Nauriya, Sonal Shah went sky-high. Millions were pulled of are covered by smoke, Amarendra Dhaneshwar, out of . Millions have been full of soldiers, stained with blood. benefiting from free medical care, Sandeep Pandey People are disappearing. They free education, subsidised housing, D-15, Ganesh Prasad, are being detained, beaten, and improved infrastructure, a relatively Naushir Bharucha Marg, tortured. Photos of indigenous men high minimum wage, but also, - 400 007. and women, kneeling, facing walls, from pride that was given back to hands tied behind their backs, are Email : [email protected] the indigenous population, which beginning to circulate on social forms the majority in this historically Website:www.janataweekly.org media. feudal country governed by corrupt, 2 JANATA, November 24, 2019 ruthless ‘elites’—descendants of But the Bolivian business by some miracle, they join the Left, Spanish conquistadors and European community, as in so many other Latin it is the Western, anarcho-syndicalist ‘gold-diggers’. American countries, is obsessed with Left of North America and Europe, Evo Morales made the Aymara the one and only ‘indicator’: “how never the real, anti-imperialist, and Quechua languages official, much higher, how much above the revolutionary Left of non-European on par with Spanish. He made average citizens it can get”. This is countries. people who communicate in these the old mentality of the colonialists; They don’t need the success of languages, equal to those who use a feudal, fascist mentality. the nation. They don’t want a great, the tongue of the conquerors. He Years ago, I was invited, in La prosperous Bolivia; Bolivia for all elevated the great indigenous culture Paz, for dinner by an old family of of its citizens. high, to where it belongs—making senators and mass media owners. They only want prosperous it the symbol of Bolivia, and of the With no shame, no fear, openly, they corporations. They want money, entire region. spoke, despite knowing who I was: profit; for themselves, for their Gone was the Christian “We will get rid of this families and clans, for their bandit cross-kissing (look at the crosses Indigenous bastard. Who does he group of people. They want to be reappearing again, all around the think he is? If we lose millions of revered, considered ‘exceptional’, oh so European-looking Jeanine dollars in the process, as we did in superior. They cannot live without Añez who has grabbed power, 1973 Chile and now in , that gap—the great gap between ‘temporarily’ but still thoroughly we will still do it. Restoring our them and those ‘dirty Indians’, as illegally). Instead, Evo used to travel, order is the priority.” they call the indigenous people, at least once a year, to , There is absolutely no way to when no one hears them! reason with these people. They “the capital of the powerful pre- * * * cannot be appeased, only crushed; Hispanic empire that dominated a And that is why, Bolivia should defeated. In Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, large area of the southern Andes and fight, defend itself,as it is beginning Ecuador or in Bolivia. They are like beyond, reached its apogee between to do so right now. rats, like disease, proverbial symbols 500 and 900 AD”, according to If this, what is happening to of fascism as in the novel The UNESCO. That is where he used Evo and his government, is “the Plague, written by Albert Camus. to search for spiritual peace. That is end”, then Bolivia will be set back They can hide, but they never fully where his identity came from. by decades. Entire generations will disappear. They are always ready Gone was the veneration of the again rot alive, in desperation, in to invade, with zero notice, some Western colonialist and imperialist rural shacks made of clay, without happy city. culture, of savage capitalism. water and electricity, and without They are always ready to join This was a new world, with hope. forces with the West, because ancient, deep roots. This is where The ‘elites’ are now talking their roots are in the West. They has been regrouping. about ‘peace’. Peace for whom? For think precisely like the European Here, and in Correa’s Ecuador, them! Peace, as it was before Evo; conquerors, like North American before Correa and his beliefs were ‘peace’ so the rich can play golf and imperialists. They have double purged and ousted by the treacherous fly for shopping to their beloved nationalities and homes scattered Moreno. and Madrid, while 90% of all over the world. And what is more: before the the population was getting kicked, for them is just a place to live, coup, Bolivia was not suffering humiliated, insulted. I remember and to plunder natural resources, from economic downfall; it was that ‘peace’. The Bolivian people exploit labor. They rob here, and doing well, extremely well. It was remember it even better. spend money elsewhere; educate growing, stable, reliable, confident. I covered the civil war in their children elsewhere, get their Even the owners of big Bolivian neighboring , for several years, surgeries done (plastic and real) companies, if they were to care one in the 90’s, and I often crossed over elsewhere. They go to opera houses bit for Bolivia and its people, had into Bolivia. I wrote an entire novel in Paris but never mingle with countless reasons to rejoice. about it—“Point of No Return”. It indigenous people at home. Even if, * * * was an absolute horror. I could not JANATA, November 24, 2019 3 even take my local photographers Each time, and I repeat each again being used. It may be out of to a concert or for a cup of coffee in time, a decent, honest government fashion in Paris or London, but not a decent place, because they were is voted in, democratically, by the in South America. And that is what cholos, indigenous. Nobodies in people, each time there is someone matters—here! their own countries. It was . who has invented a brilliant solution Evo did not lose. He won. And if socialism does not return, it and solid plan to improve this dire His country has won. Under his will be apartheid once again. situation, the clock begins ticking. leadership, it became a wonderful Last time I went to Bolivia, few The years (sometimes even months) country; a country full of hope, a months ago, it was totally different of the leader are numbered. He or she country that offered great prospects country. Free, confident. Stunning. will either be killed, or ousted, or to hundreds of millions all over La Remembering what I saw in humiliated and forced out of power. Patria Grande. Everyone south of Bolivia and Peru, quarter of a century The country then goes back to, the Rio Grande knows it. Marvelous ago, I declare, clearly and decisively: literally, shit, as has happened just Mexico, which has given him “To hell with such ‘peace’, proposed recently to Ecuador (under Moreno), asylum, knows it, too. by elites’”! (under Macri) and Brazil Evo has won. And then, he (under Bolsonaro). The brutal status was forced out by the treasonous * * * quo is preserved. The lives of tens military, by treasonous business In Paris, on the 10th November, of millions are ruined. “Peace” thugs, feudal land owners, and by in the middle of the Place de la returns. For the Western regime and Washington. Evo and his family and Republique, a huge crowd of its lackeys. comrades have been brutalised by treasonous Bolivians gathered, Then, as a raped country screams that extreme right-wing paramilitary demanding the resignation of Evo. in pain, countless international leader—— I filmed and photographed these NGOs, UN agencies and funding who is calling himself a Christian; people. I wanted to have this footage organisations, descend upon it, brutalised by him and by his men in my possession, for posterity. suddenly determined to ‘help and women. They live in , and their refugees’, to keep children in Bolivia will fight. It will bring allegiances are towards the West. classrooms, to ‘empower women’, back its legitimate President where Some are even of European stock, or to fight malnutrition and hunger. he belongs; to the Presidential although others are indigenous. Palace. None of this would be needed, if There are millions of Cubans, The plane which is taking Evo to the elected governments which are Venezuelans, Brazilians, living Mexico, north, is actually taking him serving their people were to be left in the US and Europe, working home, back to Bolivia. It is a big, big alone; left in real peace! tirelessly for the destruction of their detour. Thousands of kilometers, and former motherlands. They do it in months, perhaps even years… But Enough is enough! order to please their new masters, from the moment the airplane took Latin America is, once again, to make profit, as well as various off, the tremendous, epic journey waking up. The people are outraged. other reasons. back to La Paz began. The coup in Bolivia will be resisted. It is not peace. This is terrible, The people of Bolivia will never Macri’s regime has fallen. Mexico brutal war, which has already taken abandon their President. is marching in a cautiously socialist millions of lives, in Latin America And Evo is, forever, tied to his direction. Chile wants its socialist alone. People. country back; a country which was This continent has the most And Long Live Bolivia, Damn crushed by military boots in 1973. unequally distributed wealth on It! In the name of the people, in earth. Hundreds of millions are the name of the great indigenous living in misery. While others, sons (Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, culture, and in the name of the entire and daughters or Bolivian feudal novelist, filmmaker and investigative continent, Bolivian citizens are now scum, are attending Sorbonne and journalist. He has covered wars and resisting, struggling, confronting the Cambridge, to get intellectually conflicts in dozens of countries. He fascist, pro-Western forces. conditioned, in order to serve the presently resides in East Asia and Revolutionary language is once West. the Middle East.) 4 JANATA, November 24, 2019 The Ayodhya Verdict is Based on a Strange Feat of Logic

Markandey Katju

The recent Ayodhya verdict structure to its Hindu original? This of 1938, only whets the appetite of of the Supreme Court will go kind of revanchism, which is what the aggressor. Cries of “Abhi to yeh down in the annals of Indian legal the Vishwa Hindu Parishad sought, jhaanki hai, Kashi Mathura baaqi history in the same category as its will be stupid, and can only polarise hai” were heard soon after the 1975 decision in ADM Jabalpur society, serving the political agenda demolition of the Babri Masjid on vs Shivakant Shukla—except that of some people who wish to keep the 6th December 1992, threatening a unlike the latter, in this one there is communal fires burning for getting move on Muslim sites in Varanasi not a single courageous dissent votes. and Mathura, and are bound to In substance, the court has said In paragraphs 786 and 798 of be repeated soon. BJP MP Sakshi that might is right, and has laid down its judgment, the court has observed Maharaj has said that the Jama a dangerous precedent sanctifying that the Muslim side adduced no Masjid in Delhi was built on a Hindu aggression. evidence to show that from 1528, temple, which should be restored. A As Pratik Sinha noted on , when the mosque was constructed, similar claim has been made about it is like a bully snatching a child’s to 1857, it was in possession of the Taj Mahal by BJP hot heads. sandwich in school, and the teacher Muslims who offered namaz there. Where will all this end? giving a ‘balanced judgment’ by But what evidence could possibly To say that Ram was born at a allowing the bully to keep the be adduced? There cannot be any particular spot is ridiculous. Even sandwich, and giving the child a eyewitnesses alive belonging to that if he was a historical, not mythical, slice of dry bread as ‘restitution’. period, and it is well known that figure, how can anyone say where a One need not go into the in the 1857 war of independence, person was born thousands of years correctness or otherwise of the almost all records in Avadh were ago? court’s suggestion that the Babri destroyed. In any case, it is common India is passing through Masjid was built by one of Babur’s sense that when a house of worship, a terrible economic crisis, generals on a site where a non- whether a temple, mosque, church or with GDP growth languishing, Islamic structure pre-existed and gurdwara is built, it is built for use, manufacturing and business in may have been destroyed. It is true and not just for decoration. steep decline, unemployment at a that many Hindu temples were In para 798 of the judgment it is record height (even according to destroyed by Muslim invaders, stated, “The exclusion of Muslims the government’s own National and mosques built on their sites, from worship and possession took Sample Survey), an appalling level sometimes even using the material place on the intervening night of child malnourishment (every of the temple. For example, the between 22/23.12.1949 when second Indian child is malnourished Quwwat ul Islam mosque near the mosque was desecrated by according to the Global Hunger the Qutub Minar in Delhi has installation of Hindu idols. Ouster Index), 50% of Indian women pillars with Hindu carvings, or of Muslims was not through lawful anaemic, farmers suicides continuing the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi authority, and Muslims have been unabated, healthcare and good whose rear wall has Hindu carvings, wrongly deprived of a mosque that education for the masses in a pitiable or the Atala Devi Masjid in Jaunpur. had been constructed well over 450 state, etc. But is India to move , or years ago.” Evidently our leaders have backward? Despite this clear finding, the no clue how to solve these huge It would be a different matter if a court has handed over the site to problems, so to divert attention from Hindu temple is illegally demolished Hindus by a strange feat of logic! them they must resort to gimmicks today and converted into a mosque. In this vein, it is foolish to like Yoga Day, cow protection, But where this was done allegedly think that the Ayodhya verdict Swacchata Abhiyan, abrogation 500 years ago, does it carry any will bring about communal peace. of Article 370, etc. It should be sense to go about restoring the Appeasement, like the Munich pact obvious that building a Ram Mandir JANATA, November 24, 2019 5 in Ayodhya is in the same category. Has Supreme Court Caved in to Hindutva? After the partition of 1947, the demolition of the Babri Masjid by Ajaz Ashraf political vandals was India’s greatest tragedy. The Ayodhya verdict says The Supreme Court’s majority This line of argument surfaced this demolition was illegal, but in decision to club the issue of women’s during the ferocious debate over the the same breath sanctifies it. Well entry into the Sabarimala temple with Hindu Code Bill in the 1940s, and done, My Lords! pending matters of similar nature then after India’s Independence. It (Markandey Katju is a former and refer all these to a larger, seven- became an article of faith for the judge of the Supreme Court of member bench for consideration Hindu Right when the Congress India.) echoes, even though subliminally, government, in 1985–86, overturned the Hindu Right’s arguments and the Supreme Court judgement cribs against religious reforms. ordering that Shah Bano, a Muslim, meceepeJeeoer efJe®eej These pending matters include was entitled to maintenance mebkeÀuHe yeoueeJe keÀe whether Muslim women can enter allowance from her husband who a mosque/dargah (mausoleum), had divorced her. meceepeJeeoer meceeiece whether Parsi women married to As recently as last year, Rashtriya 12-13 pegueeF&, 2019, efouueer non-Parsis are allowed to go into a Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan kesÀ DeJemej Hej ÒekeÀeefMele fire temple, and whether the practice Bhagwat referred to the ‘duality’ of mebHeeokeÀ ë kegÀjyeeve Deueer of female genital mutilation in the approach to reform in his customary ÒekeÀeMekeÀ ë jceeMebkeÀj efmebn Dawoodi Bohra community should Vijaya Dashami speech. ueeiele cetu³e ë 200 ªHe³es ceW GHeueyOe~ be banned. Referring to the unrest triggered Justice RF Nariman and Justice by the Supreme Court’s judgement mebHeke&À ë pevelee ì^mì - 7738082170 DY Chandrachud dissented with the allowing women of all ages to enter (Heesmì keÀe Ke®e& Deueie) majority opinion. Their argument the Sabarimala temple, Bhagwat Articles Put on Janata Blog was that the pending matters were said, “The questions such as why Last Week (Nov. 17, 2019) not raised in over 50 petitions only the Hindu society experiences requesting the Supreme Court to such repeated and brazen onslaughts 1. Bharat Dogra, “A Blueprint review its 2018 judgement on the on its faith, obviously rise in the for Protecting and Improving Sabarimala temple, which allowed public mind and lead to unrest. The Health in Critical Times” entry to women of all ages. situation is not at all conducive for 2. Sandeep Pandey, Yugal Kishore The Supreme Court’s decision the peace and healthiness of the Shashtri and Lubna Sarwath, “Does the Appeal for Peace & to group together myriad matters society.” Harmony Apply to Hindutva pertaining to religious reforms By clubbing the issue of gender- Brigade as Well for Future?” addresses the fundamental crib of based exclusion of Hindu, Muslim 3. Akash Bhattacharya, Debaditya orthodox Hindu leaders—that the and Parsi women from their places Bhattacharya and Swati Moitra, Indian state’s zeal to reform their of worship, the Supreme Court “Draft National Education religious customs and practices seems to have heeded Bhagwat’s Policy 2019 – Critique” does not extend to those of religious criticism. The future ruling of the 4. B. Arjun, “Modi’s Misplaced minorities. seven-member bench could always Priorities: Auctioning Assets The duality of approach to have a different bearing on each of to Meet Defence Needs” reform, according to orthodox the three religious groups. 5. Tricontinental: Institute for Hindu leaders, is because of the Yet the Supreme Court will Social Research, “Resource Sovereignty: The Agenda for Westernised elite’s grip over the be simultaneously examining the Africa’s Exit from the State of Indian state. Neither steeped in the tenets of Hinduism, Islam and Plunder” Hindu tradition nor religious, they Zoroastrianism. This is a significant 6. Fred Magdoff, “Twenty- seek to reform Hindus regardless victory for the Hindu Right. Its First-Century Land Grabs: of their sentiments. In contrast, ideology now frames the dispensing Accumulation by Agricultural religious minorities are not subjected of justice and conduct of politics. Dispossession” to the elite’s modernising project. The grievance of orthodox 6 JANATA, November 24, 2019

Hindu leaders that only their religion referred to a Select Committee not convinced by the government’s is singled out for reform, dates under the chairmanship of Law explanation that a secular India, with back to 1941, when the Hindu Law Minister B.R. Ambedkar. The Select an overwhelming Hindu majority, Committee, under Justice B.N. Committee’s report was discussed will not interfere in the religious Rau, was appointed to modernise in the Constituent Assembly, where affairs of religious minorities. Hindu laws that govern marriage the Hindu Right now changed the For instance, Seth Govind Das, a and inheritance. On the basis of its tack of its attacks. From projecting Hindu Right leader in the Congress, report, a Hindu Code Bill, in two the Bill as a Muslim conspiracy, its told the Constituent Assembly, parts, was prepared and circulated leaders now taunted the government “Today when we call our country for discussion. The first part of the that its zeal for secularism was a ‘secular state’… Dr Ambedkar Bill, dealing with succession, was confined to reforming Hindu laws should have presented to this House said to have been framed by Sir and interfering in their religion. such a Bill which would have Sultan Ahmed and was introduced Their line of criticism was concerned not the Hindus alone, but in 1943 in the Central Legislative palpable from the intervention of would have been made applicable Assembly. orthodox Hindu leaders, many of to all citizens of this country. While Orthodox Hindu leaders were whom were in the Congress party. admitting this country as a ‘secular severe in their criticism of the Outside the Assembly, the attack on state’, the idea of introducing a Bill. Among those leading the the Bill was launched by the RSS, Hindu Code Bill seems to me quite charge against it was the Gita Press, which, as Ramachandra Guha writes inappropriate.” which represented the worldview in his book, India After Gandhi, The government had not brought of the Hindu Right. Journalist and “They brought batches of volunteers in a universal civil code because it independent researcher, Akshaya into New Delhi, to shout slogans did not dare to touch the Muslims, Mukul, in his book, Gita Press against the Hindu Code Bill and said Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra, and the Making of Hindu India, court arrest. Among their larger aims who had been elected from West writes, “Gita Press realised that were the dismemberment of Bengal. “But you know that Hindu its arguments against the Hindu and the unseating of Jawaharlal society today is in such a bad way Code Bill would have even greater Nehru as prime minister’—as they that you can venture to do anything resonance in the orthodox world if shouted, ‘Pakistan tod do’, ‘Nehru with it. Only a few ultra-modern they were articulated through the hukumat chhod do’ [Break Pakistan, persons, who are vocal, but have Hindu–Muslim prism...” Nehru quit ruling].” no real support in the country, are Thus, the provision in the Bill Academician Chitra Sinha in interested in this Bill,” he said. giving a daughter the right to inherit her paper, ‘Rhetoric, Reason and Maitra also thought the Bill her father’s property, was projected Representation: Four Narratives reeked of “un-Hindu ideas: a spirit as an instance of imposing Muslim in the Hindu Code Bill’, cites the of supreme contempt for anything law on the Hindus. “Since the bill is Hindu Mahasabha’s Chennai wing Hindu permeates the whole Bill from the brainwave of Sir Sultan Ahmed it describing the Hindu Code Bill as the beginning to end.” is natural such a provision has been a “suicidal folly”. Why? This was The remarks of H.V. Pataskar, made,” wrote Kalyan, a Gita Press because, the Mahasabha argued, who was awarded the Padma publication. “The battle between the new Hindu code “based on Vibhushan in 1963, sounded bhai-bhai (brothers) would now monogamy may get the credit of as paranoid as that of an RSS become a battle between bhai-behen having converted the whole of pracharak (propagandist) today. (brother and sister). Daughters India into a vast Pakistan where the A uniform code would have taken would get rights from their fathers surviving Hindus will be treated as away certain privileges that Muslims but would have to give away similar strangers in their own fatherland.” enjoy because of their personal law. right to their nanads (husband’s In the Constituent Assembly, Pataskar said, “By the present Bill sister)… The peace and tranquility the Hindu Right was not quite as also you are giving the exclusive of our homes would be gone.” illogical. Its preferred mode of attack right to a Muslim to have as many The Bill, however, lapsed and was to wonder why the Hindus wives as he likes or at any rate up to was subsequently reintroduced in were being reformed, not other four. Now what happens, if a man—a the Constituent Assembly. It was religious communities. They were very wealthy man—wants to marry JANATA, November 24, 2019 7 another wife, he can get himself Bhatt said the Bill was an to draft the Civil Code.” converted into a Muslim and he can outcome of Ambedkar’s inferiority In clubbing the religious issues have as many wives as he likes.” complex. of Hindus, Muslims and Parsis, Then there was Gokulbhai Ambedkar, however, saw the RSS leader Bhagwat cannot crib Daulatram Bhatt, awarded the Padma demand for a uniform code as a or wonder why “only the Hindu Bhushan in 1971, who said, “I must strategy to sabotage the Hindu Code society experiences such repeated say that it is the Hindu community Bill. Guha writes, “As Dr Ambedkar and brazen onslaughts on its symbols alone which would quietly take put it, ‘those who until yesterday of faith.” whatever blows you might give it. were the greatest opponents of For the public, though, the Look at the Muslim community. Did this [Hindu] Code and the greatest Supreme Court’s majority anyone have the courage to draw up champions of the archaic Hindu Law decision in the Sabarimala case a code for them? Why not unite the as it exists today’, now claimed that will seem a testament to the judges Shia and Sunni schools of thought? they were ‘prepared for an All-India succumbing to pressure from Could you just dare meddle with Civil Code.’ This was because they Hindutva forces. the law of the Christians? Or could hoped that while it had already taken you dare tackle the Parsis? This four or five years to draft the Hindu (Ajaz Ashraf is a freelance poor community alone must stand Code it will probably take ten years journalist.) everything.”

Restoration Of Democracy: March From Jammu To Srinagar

26 November To 1 December, 2019 A march (part by vehicle and before taking a decision which will We are accepting this challenge part by feet) has been planned significantly impact the lives of of BJP to finish democracy from from Jammu to Srinagar from 26 citizens of J&K adversely. The entire this country and declaring this November to 1 December, 2019 to state of J&K cannot be punished in march with the objective of bringing demand restoration of democracy the name of separatists or terrorists back democratic norms and culture in Jammu & Kashmir. We believe whose number is not more than a in this country. We request the that the decision taken by central few hundred. Worse, even political individuals and organizations that government in August regarding parties, local or national, are not stand for maintaining communal J&K is undemocratic and if the being allowed to function. It is harmony, defending government thinks what it has done ironical that the courts when allowing and preserving peace to support us is in the interest of J&K, then it must opposition political leaders’ entry in this endeavor. get it endorsed by the people of J&K. in J&K are making it a condition To participate in the march But the manner in which curbs have that they should not indulge in please contact any of the following been imposed on fundamental rights political activities when Bhartiya and reach Jammu latest by 26 of people of freedom of expression Janata Party’s act has been a part November, 2019 morning. Also, and others, it is analogous to giving of the political agenda of Rashtriya please help us raise resources for this a bitter pill to a child saying that it Swayamsewak Sangh for a long time. march by contributing or organizing is in the interest of the child while Will BJP be the only party allowed donations. We expect an expenditure not even allowing the child to cry to carry on with its political agenda of about Rs 60,000 for this endeavour after that. This is not how decisions of dividing the society on communal with Rs 40,000 for the bus alone. are taken in any democracy. While grounds, curbing civil liberties and If you wish to contribute, please the central government is engaged disrupting peace, and activities of contact us and we shall send you the in a process of dialogue with Nagas all other organizations be banned? required account number. and Bodos to resolve their political Is its narrative of one nation, one • I.D. Khajuria, J&K Forum for issues in accordance with their constitution, one language, etc. Peace and Territorial Integrity, wishes, it did not consider it worth moving towards a one party rule in 9419152093, idkhajuria@gmail. to consult even a single Kashmiri the country? com 8 JANATA, November 24, 2019

• Sheikh Abdul Rehman, • Meera Sanghamitra, National • Dr. Sunilam, Samajwadi Bangladesh Bharat Pakistan Alliance of People’s Movements, Samagam, 9425109770, People’s Forum, 9419148654 7337478993, meeraengages@ [email protected] • Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgar, gmail.com • Sandeep Pandey, Socialist 9999746196, faisalkj2002@ • Feroze Mithiborwala, Bharat Party (India), 0522 2355978, yahoo.co.in Bachao Andolan, 9029277751, [email protected] [email protected]

The Nehru That India Cannot Forget

Sushil Aaron

Narendra Modi does not agree has few parallels. Imagine if the his daunting oeuvre, given how much but the world has never hesitated in Lincoln Memorial were to suddenly he wrote and said by way of books, recognising as a sprout statues of other luminaries. articles, private correspondence historical figure who left a mark on There are several reasons why and speeches. Historian Judith M. India and the world. When Nehru Nehru has become a target. The Brown’s excellent 2003 biography, died in 1964, RSS has long despised him for Nehru: A Political Life, is very plainly referred to him as the “maker banning the organisation after helpful in that regard. Drawing on of modern India”; the Economist ’s assassination existing material and Nehru’s post- ran a cover story titled “World and it vehemently disagrees with the 1947 papers made available to her without Nehru”. It recalled his form of secularism that he instituted by Sonia Gandhi, Brown offers a “almost magical grip” on the masses as state practice. It has been easy to fascinating, even-handed assessment and regretted that the world stage rouse public sentiment against Nehru of his career. would be poorer without the “great by invoking the humiliating defeat in Born into a privileged home man”. the 1962 war against . Nehru’s with a wealthy lawyer and political There has been a considerable foreign policy of nonalignment leader for a father in Motilal Nehru, shift in opinion about Nehru in India. and his faith in state planning have Jawaharlal grew up around the time He was idolised by the public while also been questioned. Many also when colonial rule was, to paraphrase he lived but nowadays there is a resent his prominence in public Brown, challenging India’s religious tendency to try and actively forget life—for the way the Congress and social conventions while him or diminish his role. Now Prime has appropriated him politically affording material and political Minister Modi has told parliament with statues, roads and government opportunities for educated Indians. that “India did not get democracy programmes named after him, Nehru’s political opinions were due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress the numerous advertisements in shaped by his education at Harrow wants us to believe.” Nehru has been newspapers bearing his image and and Cambridge, where he developed dropped from school textbooks of so on. In some ways, his ubiquity a strong distaste for imperialism. Class VIII in the state of Rajasthan. has obscured the detail that makes After a few desultory years on He did not find a mention in a Nehru great. return, Nehru is drawn to politics, National Archives exhibition on the inspired by Gandhi and the protests Quit India movement. The Ministry Rise to greatness around 1919–20. The nationalist of Culture has decided to convert Nehru’s life is worth recalling movement then is marked by debates the Nehru Memorial Museum and to get a sense as to what he meant between moderates and radicals Library at Nehru’s official residence to India then and what he offers to over tactics and strategy, over the “into a complex showcasing [the] the country now. There are fewer use of non-cooperation, questions lives of all Indian prime ministers.” biographies of Nehru than he over pushing for full independence This is a mystifying form of equal deserves. Part of the reason may have or being content with gradualist opportunity eminence that perhaps to do with the difficulty in taking on approaches. JANATA, November 24, 2019 9

In this fractious climate, Nehru Discovery of India and the deeply Gandhi was prepared to agitate stands by Gandhi and sees him evocative letters and speeches he for it, was to vehemently oppose as being central to India’s path to wrote. Through his years in India Mountbatten’s proposal to devolve independence, even if the Mahatma’s and Britain and his travels to Europe power to the provinces before political approaches and emphasis on and interactions with leaders from transferring power—as that would moral transformation often frustrate other countries, Nehru developed amount to the Balkanisation of India. him. Nehru’s outlook is shaped by strong convictions about colonial Mountbatten recanted but Nehru and other factors as well. One, that he rule, equality within and between his colleagues were to face a range grew up in a household marked by nations, the need for and of challenges in the weeks leading to Hindu–Muslim cultural mingling; state intervention in the economy independence, including, as Brown Motilal’s early education from a and society, the place for science in writes, raging communal violence, Muslim tutor was only in Arabic a nation’s life (as opposed to faith, provincial choices about joining and Persian and being a Kashmiri which he was dismissive of), the India or Pakistan, the future of the family in Allahabad, the Nehrus need for a greater role for women in Indian princes, the division of assets could never really be considered nation-building and on India’s place of British India and so on. Nehru also locals and were not prone to narrow, in the world. had to deal with the crisis in Kashmir provincial loyalties. Nehru was This form of intellectual soon after—and the assassination in some ways always a perennial development was critical to India’s of Gandhi within six months of outsider—a fierce nationalist who future as Nehru was to attain independence. admired Britain culturally, he felt prominence in the Congress in deeply about India’s subjugation the 1930s, including as president Three important legacies under foreign rule but disapproved of the party, and as the nationalist Nehru owes much of his of its beliefs and customs. movement wound through phases of reputation to his post-1946 career. Nehru soon became preoccupied agitation, accommodation, factional He made at least three decisive with politics and Congress matters. division and stasis. Gandhi was interventions that have made India He also read voraciously. Being in ceasing to be a “serious political the republic it has become. prison a lot helped. In the 23 years leader” in the decade and was First, he ensured that his vision from 1921 to 1945 he was sent to focusing his energies on the of India was inscribed in the jail for nine terms in periods ranging condition of the “untouchables” Constitution. He drafted and moved from 12 days to 1041, a total of 3,259 instead. Around 1936, Gandhi was in the Constituent Assembly a days—which was nearly nine years “publicly proclaiming that Nehru resolution that set out its objectives, of his life. He acclimatised to prison was his heir, and felt that Nehru with which included the declaration of life and wrote of the friendships his many gifts and total commitment India as an independent republic in and hobbies he developed and to India rather than to any sectional which all power was derived from the irritations of lacking privacy. cause or personal concern was the the people. Everyone was to be “His greatest solace was reading”, one who could be relied upon” guaranteed “social, economic and Brown writes. He read on politics, to achieve unity in the Congress. political justice, equality of status economics, science, literature and Nehru was at this stage not only a and opportunity, and freedom of contemporary affairs. “Solid reading key player in party deliberations but thought, religion and association.” is a necessity in prison; without it also a mass leader attracting a good There were to be safeguards for the mind stagnates and rots,” he deal of public adulation. minorities, backward and tribal was to say. In one phase, between As is well-known, Nehru went areas. All of this was not a given. February 1934 and September 1935, on head an interim government in The 1937 provincial elections were he read 188 books, averaging 15–20 1946 and was the central figure in the limited by property ownership and volumes a month. negotiations leading up to Partition had given the vote to only about This no doubt shaped his and independence alongside Lord 30 million Indians. There were, by ownability to produce magical Mountbatten and M.A. Jinnah. contrast, 173 million eligible voters prose, as seen through his own Nehru, who insisted on full in the 1951 elections in independent writings in Autobiography and the independence for India long before India. Historian Ramachandra Guha 10 JANATA, November 24, 2019 writes in Patriots and Partisans that of developing countries. Nehru’s some part began with the arrest of “Nehru was without question the conduct of foreign affairs had, as Sheikh Abdullah for long periods. chief architect of our democracy. Brown puts it, “created for his In turn, Nehru often found himself It was he, more than any other country a distinctive, independent at odds with his countrymen: he nationalist, who promoted universal international identity.” was frustrated with administrative franchise and the multi-party Third, Nehru was also focused on incompetence, communal rhetoric, system.” domestic social change and saw state venality in the Congress, and narrow Brown writes that “at the heart planning as a driver of growth and provincial and casteist outlooks that of Nehru’s vision of India was the an agent for addressing inequality. were out of step with the spirit of conviction that it was a composite This socialist mode of governance nation-building. nation, born of a civilisation which with a measure of The scale of his achievement, over centuries had drawn from and has been discredited in recent years however, remains. Guha cites a assimilated the many religious and but such policies did not lack support telling tribute by Nirad Chaudhuri cultural traditions present on the then—Indian industrialists, for who once wrote that Nehru’s subcontinent.” Nehru also worked example, also wanted protection leadership was “the most important in a context when India as an from competition. Brown writes moral force behind the unity of independent nation emerged as a that in this, Nehru was impressed by India.” He said properly speaking political compact where units like the pace of Soviet industrialisation there could not be a successor to princely states and other communities and wanted to replicate it in India Nehru, “but only successors to the were open to alternative political without the attendant violence. different elements of his composite futures. The Indian Union could It’s worth noting where India was leadership.” In some ways that hold together based on guaranteed setting out from: it’s literacy rate at speaks of the range of his influence. fundamental rights to all, secularism independence, for instance, stood Gandhi is understood to be a sage and a state policy that addressed at 14% and poverty levels were but Nehru was no less a counsellor to social inequalities and divisions. high; state intervention was indeed India, constantly drawing attention Nehru instinctively understood the necessary in several sectors and to the principles and direction of its utility of a constitutional democracy yielded significant results in several politics and society. He inspired, he for a people with disparate identities; areas. cajoled, he rebuked. He also failed. India was also lucky to have a He worked tirelessly to the point generation of other gifted leaders Mistakes and failures too of exhaustion several times in his like B.R. Ambedkar, Vallabhbhai Of course, Nehru had many career. Guha recalls the Australian Patel, Maulana Azad and C. failures. He completely misread diplomat Walter Crocker writing that Rajagopalachari and together they China’s intentions and didn’t expect the “great bulk of the people sensed, crafted a political framework for Mao to launch an offensive in 1962. Indians to coexist and evolve a Worse, he allowed his assumption to and they never lost the sense, that shared imagination of the nation affect India’s defence preparedness. Nehru wanted only to help them and while preserving specific identities. Nehru’s failure to delegate wanted nothing for himself…” Second, Nehru’s impact on world undermined the development of His was truly a full life lived politics is widely acknowledged. He political talent and cost India dearly for India—and there is scarcely emerged as an authoritative voice in inestimable ways. Many of his any public institution or aspect and critic of racism, imperialism and aspirations on the domestic front of the republic that Nehru did not an advocate of Asian unity, Afro- like land reform were thwarted by shape or influence. There is plenty Asian solidarity and world peace. state level leaders who had ties to in his legacy to both celebrate and He presciently crafted the policy rural landed elites. As Guha has contest. Belittling his role—or of Non-Alignment to steer clear written, the Right thinks he was worse, forgetting him—only betrays of power blocs in order to benefit too statist, some on the Left think India’s degradation, even if it cannot from contacts with both sides, and he wasn’t interventionist enough. alter Nehru’s place in history. as Guha points out, it also enabled The big dams that he initiated have India to emerge as a mediator displaced indigenous communities. (Sushil Aaron is an independent between nations and as a leader Kashmir’s alienation with India in journalist.) JANATA, November 24, 2019 11 Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Erased from Memory?

Sabrangindia

Do you know what happened in insensitivity and being shortchanged apparently under pressure from 1984? A Google search may help, by incoming and outgoing UCC and its lawyers. but will it really? The first page of governments. Not only has the Uninspired research from the the results will show you only the ghastly incident taken a toll on their government did not yield much. most talked about incident – the lives as well as their next of kin’s, Independent studies pointed out to assassination of and the survivors till today are paying the serious crises from birth defects to the anti-Sikh riots that followed. price of what happened that night. cancer to mental problems. What it doesn’t show you are the Over the past five years, the photos of more than 10,000 people The Victims End Up Paying the Canadian researcher Shree Mulay who died and more than 5 lakh Damages and volunteers working with afflicted in Bhopal in the country’s Sambhavana, a nonprofit clinic set worst industrial disaster. Physical Trauma up by activists, have been collecting 35 years on Bhopal seems to have Because Union Carbide used data on mortality, birth defects, been struck with two tragedies—the trade secrecy to withhold information fertility, cancer and many other one that happened immediately and with regards to the exact composition aspects of people’s health. With the other that unfolded in the years of the leaked gases, nobody knew about 5,000 families in each group, that followed. about the toxin that leaked out of the study includes 100,000 people in the factory on the ill-fated night of all. Mulay’s team is still analyzing What Happened Then December 2, 1984. Nobody knew the data, but preliminary results On the night of December 2, about the antidote either. While indicate that people exposed to the 1984, millions in Bhopal took their over 300 toxic chemicals are said to gas or the water or both have a higher last breath when the chemical methyl have been released during the leak, incidence of cancer, tuberculosis isocyanate (MIC) spilled out from research has been carried out only and paralysis than those exposed Union Carbide India Ltd’s (UCIL’s) to check the toxicity of pure MIC. to neither. They also suggest that pesticide factory turning the city into While a few weeks later, while gas-exposed people have 10 times a gas chamber. Vomiting and dying, some claimed that the worst was the rate of cancer, particularly people ran out on the streets. As the over, till date nobody knows the liver, lung, abdominal, throat and cloud of gas hit the town, people impacts of MIC or how to treat oral cancers, compared to the other woke from their sleep choking, patients exposed to it. Furthermore, groups. gasping, and vomiting. Many were it is not just the victims present at immediately affected, their skin the site who suffered. It is all those Mental Trauma burning and lungs failing.The children born after the incident who The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was the US-based multinational company, bore exposure to the deadly gas in first disaster in India to be studied Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) their mother’s wombs and people systematically for mental health which owned the plant through its living there today exposed to the effects by the Indian Council of subsidiary UCIL, did nothing to help chemical wastes dumped in and Medical Research (ICMR). Even alleviate the human tragedy. around the UCIL factory that have though the vastness of the disastrous 35 years later, the people who contaminated drinking water. emotional and mental trauma was survived the tragedy and their Treatment of patients has only established within a fortnight of innocent children are still fighting been symptomatic. Even though the incident, the involvement of for justice. And what has been the evidence of people suffering from psychiatrists / neurologists did not State’s response to their misery? cyanide poisoning came to the begin until 8 weeks after the incident Nothing but callous. fore and the injections of sodium as none of the five medical colleges Even today, the victims and thiosulphate seemed to have been in MP had a psychiatrist on the staff. survivors are battling extreme working, they were stopped, The dead may have not been 12 JANATA, November 24, 2019 so unlucky after all. Their end, The toxic waste and poisoned incident, the government has to though horrible, had been brief. water have now become a legacy for still secure Rs 61.72 crore for 3,629 The survivors though, will never get the people of Bhopal. cases which are pending approval. relief so quickly. Amid convulsions, The Centre has still not acted on screams, fainting spells and fear of The Culprits that Got Away their request. the dark—men, women and children Union Carbide, the American In the meantime, the number are left to their resources to fight the chemical company that became of eligible survivors who should be ghosts of those memories that keep infamous for the world’s worst compensated has increased—many coming back to haunt them. industrial disaster, is now a wholly of whom have moved the appellate owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical court in Bhopal to hear their Environmental Impact Company. Warren Anderson, the appeals. More than 200 new cases A 1982 safety audit by US then CEO of Union Carbide who of permanent and partial disability engineers had noted the filthy, was declared an absconder and a have been granted approval for neglected condition of the plant, fugitive lived in anonymity and compensation but are still awaiting identified 61 hazards, 30 critical, seclusion in Long Island, New York their payments. of which 11 were in the dangerous before his death on September 29, Nearly 50,000 survivors have MIC/phosgene units. The audit 2014. been compensated since the tragedy warned of the danger of a major Both Dow Chemicals and UCC in 1984, but around 48,000 claimants toxic release. washed their hands off the disaster. are yet to receive their payments— It’s not just MCI that UCIL was UCC said that it was not subject to more than three decades after the manufacturing. The factory used jurisdiction of the Indian court as it tragedy occurred. to manufacture three pesticides: wasn’t involved in the operation of In 2018, an RTI revealed that carbaryl (trade name Sevin), the plant for it was operated by the The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and aldicarb (trade name Temik) and a Indian arm of the company. Rehabilitation Minister Vishwas formulation of carbaryl and gamma Anderson kept a stoic silence on Sarang misused 60 per cent of the hexachlorocyclohexane (g-HCH) the issue for more than two decades, funds allocated by the Government sold under the trade name Sevidol. avoided social contact and hid from of India for the economical Till 15 years after the disaster, the media and activists who have fought rehabilitation and construction of factory dumped by-products, process tooth and nail to bring him to justice. 2,500 homes of the gas victims wastes, solvents and polluted water Warren Anderson did not appear living in the vicinity of the Union at dump sites outside the plant. In for any of the judicial proceedings Carbide Factory. addition to that, there is another 350 conducted by either the District Out of Rs 272.75 crore allocated tonnes of waste kept at a leaking Court, Bhopal or the Supreme Court by the Ministry of Chemicals and shed at the site. of India. Fertilizers in 2010, only Rs 129.50 In August 2009, samples of The Indian government has crore was used by the government water from handpumps in the area never been very serious about till 2018. Rs 85.87 crore was diverted were analysed by a Greenpeace pursuing the case againt Dow from the remaining Rs 143. 25 laboratory in the UK. Carbon Chemicals and UCC. Documents crore to fund different government tetrachloride was found at 4,880 available in the public domain, schemes. times the including on the internet, show how At the time of the incident, UCC Agency (EPA) limit. maintaining future FDI and Indo- settled in 1989 for $470 million in All of these chemicals take US relations took precedence over damages, with each patient getting hundreds of years to degrade and holding culprits accountable for Rs 25,000 (roughly $2,200 at the even the decontamination and their actions. time). The International Campaign cleaning of the dump site has run for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) has into legal wrangles over who should Promises – Just Promises since been fighting for a higher pay for its clearing—the State, With physical relief came the compensation and to get the site Centre, incineration companies or need of economic rehabilitation cleaned up, but to no avail. This, non-profits. and today, three decades after the even when Dow merged with DuPont JANATA, November 24, 2019 13 in 2017 on a contract of $130 Police Brutally Attack JNU Students billion. In June, at a review meeting Thousands of students from regressive restrictions on students, the Centre thought of utilizing the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) such as curfews. Some students corpus fund of around Rs 891 crores in New Delhi, India, who were belonging to extremely marginalized of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital marching to parliament to protest sections have expressed fear that Trust (BMHT). There were also talks the massive hike in hostel fees they may have to abandon their of the BMHT being merged with were detained and baton-charged, studies if the fee hike was not rolled the All India Institute of Medical leaving some of them grievously back. Following intense protests, the Sciences (AIIMS), but that too is injured yesterday. The students administration claimed it had rolled pending necessary approvals. Till continued their march but were back a portion of the hike but the then, all the payments to claimants stopped at many places. The students pointed out that it was a have been frozen. protesters said they would not relent minor step and sought the complete The government, which until the government withdrew withdrawal of the hike. alleviated some public outcry by the fee hike. Officer-bearers of Initially, the barricades outside paying an additional sum of tax- the Jawaharlal Nehru University JNU’s gates were removed and the payers’ money to victims and their Students Union (JNUSU) were students were allowed to march. families in 2010, has now filed detained and taken to an undisclosed The police later stopped the march what’s known in India as a “curative location. around 500 meters from the varsity’s petition” to the Supreme Court, There was massive police gates. urging it to reconsider its ruling deployment near the university in Former JNU Students’ Union and compel Union Carbide to pay a bid to prevent the students from (JNUSU) president N. Sai Balaji said, more. The SC earlier dismissed the marching. “Delhi Police stops JNU students curative petition by the government “Twelve of us have been put in peaceful march to parliamentarians! calling for Dow to pay $1.2 billion. a bus and been taken to unknown The MHRD is fooling students by Activists and survivors are fighting location because we were peacefully forming committee. Why didn’t for a figure of close to $8 billion marching for our right to education,” the committee suspend fee hike keeping in mind the widespread Aishe Ghosh, president of JNUSU till dialogue is happening? We are demanding a rollback of the fee health impacts on thousands in the posted on . Meanwhile, the JNU Teachers hike.” city. Association (JNUTA), in a statement, Priyanka, another student said, Activist Rachna Dhingra of expressed deep concern over the “We are being given a lollipop ICJB recalled the fine of $21 billion massive deployment of police and in terms of the partial rollback. paid by Union Carbide over the barricading of campus gates. I am the first from my family to Deepwater Horizon oil spill. She “Any such measure to thwart reach university. There are many said that the issue of race played a the exercise of constitutionally others like me. Education is not the very important role in this matter. guaranteed democratic rights and to birthright of a privileged few.” The victims of the Bhopal Gas impede the students form peacefully Students took out the march Tragedy were considered lesser taking the voice beyond the campus carrying banners which read “save human beings. would be extremely unfortunate,” it public education”, fees must fall” said in a statement. and “ensure affordable hostels for Will Bhopal Ever Get Justice? Hundreds of students from JNU all”. For pushing political agendas, have been protesting for nearly Another student, who did not for treating humans like pawns in a three weeks against the draft hostel wish to be identified, said, “We game, for usurping everything what manual, which has provisions haven’t seen our vice-chancellor the afflicted deserved and yet leaving for a hostel fee hike, dress code in a long time. It’s time that he them to suffer—will the people of and curfew timings. The manual comes out and talks to us. Instead Bhopal ever get justice? Only time increased hostel fee by nearly of appealing to us through teachers will tell. 1000%, in addition to imposing and other methods, he should initiate 14 JANATA, November 24, 2019 a dialogue with us,” the PTI report renowned universities and its also a bastion of left-wing politics. said. affordable fee has enabled thousands The assault on JNU is part of the On November 11 too, the police of students from marginalized far-right wing ’s had brutally attacked the students backgrounds to access higher government’s measures against who were protesting the fee hike and education. According to the both public education and left-wing other measures at the convocation of university’s data, 40% of the students politics in India. the university. come from economically backward JNU is one of India’s most backgrounds. The university is Courtesy: Countercurrents Collective

The Coup in Bolivia and Your Computer / TV Screen

Vijay Prashad

When you look at your mine would produce substantial hills is known as (Rich computer screen, or the screen on amounts of silver, indium, lead, zinc, Hill), while in Spanish there is a your smartphone or the screen of copper and gallium. “The indium phrase that toys with the idea that your television set, it is a liquid and gallium,” the study noted, “are wealth is equivalent to Potosí (vale crystal display (LCD). An important regarded as strategic metals that give un Potosí). Morales’ message during component of the LCD screen is the project future upside potential.” his campaign was framed around the indium, a rare metallic element Gallium is used for thermometers concept of — that is processed out of zinc and barometers, as well as in the use our resources to better the lives concentrate. testing side of the pharmaceutical of those who live in deprivation and The two largest sources of industry. There is Fort Knox level indignity. indium can be found in eastern treasure to be made from these Morales first went after the oil (Mount Pleasant) and in minerals. and gas industry. It is important Bolivia (Malku Khota). Canada’s to recall that his opponent in this deposits have the potential to Resource Nationalism year’s election——was produce 38.5 tons of indium per Evo Morales rode to victory the president right before Morales year, while Bolivia’s considerable in 2006 with the promise of a new won the election in December mines would be able to produce 80 day for Bolivia. Key to his agenda 2005. Mesa had come to power tons per year. was to take control of the country’s when his predecessor Sánchez de Canada’s South American resources and use them to improve Lozada resigned in disgrace over Silver Corporation—now TriMetals the quality of life of Bolivia’s the mass demonstrations in 2003 Mining—had signed a concession to deprived populations. One of the when Bolivians demanded more explore and eventually mine Malku great tragedies of Bolivia has been control over their gas reserves (the Khota. Work began in 2003, two that since the mid-16th century, the state repression was severe, with years before Evo Morales and the indigenous populations have had at least 70 people killed in the Movement for Socialism (MAS) to work to remove precious wealth demonstrations). In May 2006—just won their first presidential election from underneath their lands and send over three months after being sworn in Bolivia. South American Silver that wealth to enrich the people of in as president—Morales announced conducted several studies of the Europe and later North America. that the oil and gas industry had been region, all of which found substantial They did not benefit from those nationalised. It is important to recall deposits that were poised to make riches. that his approval rating was well this Canadian firm one of the major Millions died in the mines of above 80 percent. players in the mining industry. Potosí to bring the silver, and later Nationalisation was not easy, A study done by Allan Armitage tin, out of the ground. For the since the Bolivian government could and others for South American Silver, indigenous people who live near not expropriate assets but only raise and delivered to the company in and on the hill, everything is upside taxes and renegotiate contracts. 2011, showed that the Malku Khota down—one of the most lucrative Even here, the government faced JANATA, November 24, 2019 15 problems since it lacked enough MAS government was going to undo the Bolivian government to the technical skills to understand the centuries of deprivation, it would Permanent Court of Arbitration at opaque energy sector. Furthermore, have to mine the earth to bring out The Hague. In November last year, the problem with the energy sector the wealth. A tragic choice befell the Court ordered Bolivia to pay is that even nationalised oil and gas the government—it could not both South American Silver $27.7 million must be sold to the transnational conserve nature and transform the rather than the $385.7 million that firms that then process them and wretched conditions of everyday life TriMetals (the new name for South market them; they remain in control at the same level of caution. At the American Silver) had demanded. of the value chain. What Morales’ same time, to get its minerals and government was able to do was to energy to market, it had to continue Coup ensure that the State controlled 51 to negotiate with these transnational In July 2007, US Ambassador percent of all private energy firms firms; no immediate alternative was Philip Goldberg sent a cable to that operated in Bolivia, which present. Washington in which he pointed allowed the State’s coffers to fill out that US mining firms had rapidly. It was this money that was Nationalisation approached his embassy to ask about invested to go after poverty, hunger, Despite the constraints on it, the investment climate in Bolivia. and illiteracy. the MAS government continued Goldberg felt that the situation to nationalise resources, and insist for mining firms was not good. Revenge of the Mining Companies on State firms being partners in When asked if he could organise a Canada’s Fraser Institute—a resource extraction. Transnational meeting with Vice President Álvaro libertarian that is heavily firms immediately took Bolivia García Linera, he said, “Sadly, funded by the energy and mining to the International Center for the without dynamite in the streets, it is sector—publishes an annual survey Settlement of Investment Disputes uncertain whether the Embassy or of mining companies. This survey (ICSID), a part of the the international mining companies is conducted by asking mining system. The ICSID—formed in will be able to attain even this executives their opinions on a range 1966—is based in Washington, minimal goal.” of issues. The 2007–08 survey said D.C., and shares an outlook toward “Without dynamite in the that Bolivia is the second-worst business that mirrors that of the US streets” is a phrase worth dwelling country for investment; the worst Treasury Department. upon. A year later, Morales expelled was Ecuador. In 2010, the World On April 29, 2007, the leaders of Goldberg from Bolivia, accusing Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index Bolivia (Evo Morales), (Carlos him of aiding the protests in the town rated Bolivia at 161 of 183 countries. Lage), (Daniel Ortega) of Santa Cruz. Just over a decade Heads of mining firms—from and Venezuela (Hugo Chávez) signed later, it was the “dynamite” that Barrick’s Peter Munk to Repsol’s a declaration to create an alternative removed Morales from power. Antonio Brufau—made disparaging to the investor-government system Resource nationalism is no comments about the nationalisation institutionalised in the ICSID. longer on the agenda in Bolivia. The program. “If Bolivia keeps on this Bolivia and Ecuador formally fate of Malku Khota is unknown. The path,” a Wall Street banker told me withdrew from this US-dominated fate of your screen is guaranteed—it at that time, “these companies will system, while Venezuela’s Supreme will be replaced with indium from the make sure that Bolivian natural Court declared that it did not have Potosí deposits. And the benefits of gas remains underground.” Bolivia the power to intervene in Venezuelan that sale will not go to improving the might be embargoed; Morales might sovereign affairs. well-being of Bolivia’s indigenous be assassinated. On July 10, 2012, Morales’ population; they will enrich the Pressure mounted daily on the government nationalised the Malku transnational firms and the old MAS government, which began a Khota property of South American oligarchy of Bolivia. process to write a new Constitution Silver. South American Silver’s that would both protect nature and shares dropped immediately; it had (Vijay Prashad is an Indian insist on resource wealth being been trading at $1.02 on July 6, and historian, editor and journalist, used for the people. There was an it fell to $0.37 on July 11. and the director of Tricontinental: immediate contradiction here: if the South American Silver took Institute for Social Research.) 16 JANATA, November 24, 2019 The Media’s Anti-Bernie Bias

Alan MacLeod

Bernie Sanders has certainly the rightful president-in-waiting. workforce. To be a remotely accurate ruffled many feathers during his The Washington Post, for example, factcheck, one has to believe that 8 presidential campaign run. The ran 16 anti-Bernie stories in a 16- million does not count as “millions,” Vermont Senator is very much still hour stretch in March, while major and part-time jobs are not real jobs. an outsider in Democratic politics, cable networks, including CNN, The Post also gave Bernie’s but he has managed to build a huge MSNBC and Fox News cut away statement that six people (one of groundswell of support around key from Sanders’ speech discussing whom is its owner, Jeff Bezos) ideas like Medicare for All, a Green issues affecting ordinary Americans have as much wealth as the bottom New Deal, a federal jobs guarantee to show an empty Trump podium. half of the world’s population three and free public colleges for America. But the media’s generalised Pinocchios, the classification just Sanders formally declared his hostility towards the progressive below the most blatant lie. Despite candidacy in February 2019, raising wave threatening to sweep over the finding that it was completely true, it a record $6 million in 24 hours from Democratic Party has reached new argued that most of the wealth of the nearly a quarter-million donors. heights in 2019. An unusually frank world’s richest was tied up in stocks, His supporters tend to come from example of this was when MSNBC which are likely to fluctuate. How backgrounds that do not traditionally analyst Mimi Roach declared this was meant to disprove Sanders’ involve themselves in politics; Sanders “made her skin crawl,” statement was not explained. among the most common professions claiming he is not a “pro-women It also attacked the idea that the that donated to his campaign are candidate”. This despite the fact Vermont Senator was supported teachers, nurses, drivers and servers. that Sanders draws the support of by an army of mass donations Starbucks, Amazon and Wal-Mart a higher proportion of women than from ordinary people. The title, are the most common employers any other Presidential hopeful. headline, “ Keeps of his backers, and the average Saying His Average Donation is $27, donation to his campaign is only Fact-Checking as a Weapon but His Own Numbers Contradict around $27. Media have also been more That,” calculated that the average This is in complete contrast subtle in their attacks on Sanders. donation was actually $27.89. to many other top candidates. One method has been to attempt What a contradiction! However, the Joe Biden, for instance, began to fact-check him into oblivion, majority of people do not read past his campaign with an event with constantly challenging his every the headline, meaning most of those 100 or so extremely wealthy pronouncement. However, they who saw the well-shared article donors in Manhattan claiming that have been unable to catch him out would have no idea how weak the billionaires like them were being on much, often resulting in bizarre, charge was. unfairly “demonised” and promising self-contradicting nitpicking. The CNN has also tried to use “nothing would fundamentally Washington Post insinuated that fact-checking as a weapon against change” under his presidency. “I am he was misrepresenting a booming Sanders, excoriating him for making not Bernie Sanders”, he emphasised economy claiming his comment “the same false claim about health to the elite audience, “I need you that “millions of Americans are spending for ten years.” It used very badly. forced to work two or three jobs” his quote that said that the US was “misleading” because, despite spends twice as much on healthcare Media Malpractice agreeing that 8 million Americans as any other country, noting that Even in 2016, Sanders’ campaign do work multiple jobs, some were there were a handful of European was treated by the mainstream press only “part time”—as if Sanders were states that spent (slightly) more as an unwelcome incursion into the claiming that millions of people have than half of what the US spends (it cozy world of elite politics where 120-hour workweeks—and that 8 did not note that those states have Hillary Clinton was considered million only amounts to 5% of the vastly better health outcomes). After JANATA, November 24, 2019 17 an outcry on social media, CNN deal of Sanders’ health problems, less “diverse” than, for instance, amended the story, conceding that it constantly emphasising his age and Buttigieg, was not explained. is indeed accurate to say that the US fragility. It was in that context that A woman in the lab who ran spends over twice as much as other CNN stands accused of fiddling the test received a very different economically advanced countries, with their color scale to present his answer from Binder. When she thus walking back their “factcheck” face as a ludicrously dark shade insisted Sanders was at least a top to a minor technicality. of red-purple (suggesting serious 3 candidate, he allegedly replied: Worse still, earlier this year ill-health) when he was discussing “not for long.” Thus, those in power CNN itself ran a news piece titled his surgery. This “Beetroot Bernie” have pre-emptively decided Bernie “US Spends Twice as Much on shade jars with other images and is not a serious candidate and a Healthcare as Its Peers,” which videos from the event, including Buttigieg-Pence election (following accurately described the US as an from the Associated Press. a Republican Senate impeachment of “outlier,” spending vastly more Trump) is a more likely scenario than than others due to the higher cost of From Bernie Baiting to Bernie Sanders, one of the most popular and drugs, more expensive treatment and Blackout by far the most donated-to candidate, exorbitant administration fees. Thus, In recent weeks, corporate media winning the Democratic nomination. in its attempts to go after Bernie, it seem to have moved from anger to On press bias, Bernie claimed accidentally undermined its own denial, appearing to collectively that corporate media’s billionaire reporting. decide Sanders does not exist. The owners might be swaying the Hill, for example, published the coverage of his campaign to an Visual Tricks results of an Emerson College survey overly negative tone. This assertion Meanwhile, the Democrat- with the headline “Trump beats was indignantly described as aligned network MSNBC has Warren, Biden in Iowa Matchups.” “ridiculous” by CNN’s Chris developed a bad habit of forgetting But, as many pointed out, the most Cillizza and a “conspiracy theory” how numbers work—when it comes important news from the poll (buried by Washington Post Executive to Sanders, that is. In July, its in the report) was that Sanders was Editor Marty Baron. Yet the public graphics team decided Sanders’ leading Trump in that state. There is far more skeptical. Trust in media 49% support was lower than Kamala was no mention of Bernie in a has been falling since the 1970s, and Harris and Elizabeth Warren’s 48%, recent New York Times article on the particularly in the last few years to placing him fourth in a list of frontrunners. Likewise, the coverage the point where less than one-third Presidential hopefuls. This is far of his enormous New York rally, trust the news media, even most of from an isolated incident: one week where he was formally endorsed by the time and nearly three-quarters later it did almost exactly the same rising Democratic star Alexandria of Americans agree that traditional thing. It also reported that Sanders’ Ocasio-Cortez and other members media consistently report false or support had dropped 5 points when, of “The Squad” was sparse, to say purposefully misleading stories. in fact, it had risen the same amount. the least. Therefore they are likely ready for And when polls show Sanders to A new University of North the media hysteria to be ramped up be in the lead, media has simply (UNF) poll took the Bernie to new levels the closer Sanders gets awarded extra support to others to Blackout to new levels, however. to power. overtake him, or switch Sanders’ In a poll of Democratic candidates numbers with another candidate, vs. Donald Trump and/or Mike (Alan MacLeod is a MintPress ensuring the same outcome on Pence, the UNF did not even include contributor as well as an academic screen. CNN was only slightly less Sanders, despite featuring candidates and writer for Fairness and Accuracy deceitful when it accurately showed with far less support, such as Kamala in Reporting.) Bernie leading Warren by 3 points, Harris and . When but their headline read that there was asked why this was, its Faculty “no clear leader” and Sanders and Director, Michael Binder, claimed Janata Warren were “neck and neck.” that it was for reasons of “diversity.” is available at The media has also made a great Why the Jewish socialist is any www.lohiatoday.com 18 JANATA, November 24, 2019 JANATA, November 24, 2019 19 R.N.I. NO. 1855/1957 20 JANATA, November 24, 2019 Postal Registration No. MCW/275/2018-2020. License to Post without prepayment WPP License No. MR/Tech/WPP-210/West/2019 Published on Sunday, November 24, 2019 & Posted on Wedenesday, November 27, 2019 at Mumbai Patrika Channel, Mumbai GPO-1

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