Left Front in 72 Hour Sit-in Demonstration

Left Front’s 72 hour sit-in demonstration started on Wednesday afternoon in Kolkata protesting against the ruthless attack on democratic rights in the state. Thousands of people gathered braving rains. The sit-in continued uninterrupted through the night with leaders of Left Front including Biman Basu staying in the road.

The state has witnessed unabated political terror against opposition activists and supporters. 157 activists of the Left Front have been murdered under the TMC regime. Thousands have been rendered homeless, their houses destroyed in many cases. More than 5 thousand Left activists are facing false cases. But the attack has not spared others, spreading in educational institutions, workplaces and localities where anti-social elements are the real rulers now. As part of the wider mobilization to resist this onslaught on the people Left Front has decided to stage this sit-in at the heart of state capital. It was on 25th June, 1975 that the internal emergency was declared and massive attack on democracy was launched throughout the country.

The families of the martyrs were present in the sit-in. Some of them narrated their horrible experiences in the gathering.

Inaugurating the programme, Biman Basu detailed the nature of terror in the state and said that Left Front met the Chief Minister to ask her to take measures to maintain law and order. But there was no sign of serious action on behalf of the state administration. Basu also mentioned about the attacks on livelihood of the people and said the new government at the centre has also started launching fresh attack on the common people.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Surjyakanta Mishra said the time to resist the anarchy has arrived. Along with that the unity of the people has to defended, secularism has to be guarded. Wherever there will be attacks on people, the Left will reach and stay on the roads.

RSP leader Kshiti Goswami, CPI leader Swapan Banerjee, Forward Block leader Jayanta Roy also addressed the protesters.

Left Front leaders including Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were present in the sit in. People from districts will participate in the demonstration and it will conclude through a rally which will be addressed by Left leaders. 

Emergency and today’s West Bengal

By Biman Basu

Thirty nine years back in the midnight of 25^th June in 1975 internal emergency was imposed on our country. This declaration of internal emergency was totally uncalled for because there was no invasion of foreign enemies, nor there was such situation which could not be solved through constitutionally approved democratic system.

The look back through pages of history will reveal that the livelihood of the common people became tough from the early seventies. The economic development became stagnant and the Government could not find it possible to create employment for the lakhs of aspirant youth. The gap between rich and poor was on the rise. ‘Garibi hatao’ (elimination of poverty) was the slogan of Mrs. Indira Gandhi during the 5^th Lok Sabha elections in 1971 and she promised development, increase in employment and price control of the essential commodities. Congress won 352 seats out of total 518 in that election to get clear majority. Mrs. Gandhi travelled entire country in the election campaign to win the confidence of the people and to create record for her party. But people became disillusioned within only three to four years. This loss of people’s confidence brought out the autocratic nature of Mrs. Gandhi. Like other dictatorial rulers she imposed emergency without considering democratic practices just to establish absolute control of power. The arrest of the opposition political leaders started from the midnight of 25^th June in 1975 but no minister of the Central cabinet utter single word on that. Gradually more than one lakh opposition political leaders and activists were sent behind the bars.

In a democratic country like India it was not at all necessary to arrest the opposition political leaders to teach them a lesson. Recalling of the speech of veteran CPI (M) leader A.K. Gopalan which he delivered in the Lok Sabha on 21^st July of 1975 will reflect the situation very well. He said – ''I am speaking in an unnatural and severe situation when 34 members of Parliament are not here. They are not absent because they wanted to but they are not here because they are behind the bars without trial. Mrs. Gandhi and her party have made the house a matter of farce and contempt. I too was in the jail and got release only a week back. Jyotirmoy Basu is known to you all. Nurul Huda is another member of our party. I am an old man and cannot shout much. I have been released but those two still are in jail. The motive is very clear. I am not scared of jail because I was behind the bars for 17 years of last 45 years. But I cannot forget the inhuman treatment on me for two days. I had to declare hunger strike. Finally I send telegram to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and that might have changed the situation … 

''The internal emergency was imposed not due to any external threat but the real causes were ruling of the Allahabad high court, verdict against Congress in the Gujarat Assembly elections, Indira Gandhi’s denial of stepping down from the Prime Ministership before the final ruling of the Supreme Court and mass discontent against Congress Government. The mass discontent took shape because of deep crisis of Indian economy and adoption of Capitalist mode of development which made the rich richer and the poor became poorer...

''The imposition of emergency clearly showed that the Government initiated anti-people measures. All the democratic practices were abolished. Fundamental rights conferred through the Indian Constitution became paralyzed. Constitutional provisions given through article 14 and 22 were kept on halt. Bills were moved for further curtailment of Constitutional rights. All the power was centralized by the Prime Ministers without even taking into account the Constitutional provisions.  Amendment of the Constitution became frequent affair. And the same status of every citizen in front of law also became not mandatory. Government administration started all sorts of discrimination. The administration did not find necessary to produce several of the arrested persons to the court, they suppressed whom they actually have arrested and where they have kept them..."

The BJP Government under the leadership of Narendra Modi has been formed in the center with clear majority due to illusion among several poor people especially the young generation.  RSS is the life blood of BJP and that fanatic Hindu fundamentalist force is playing the key role in Modi’s Government. They have come to power by promising good days but we have to wait to see how they react to people’s wrath after failing to minimize the discontent among common people and failure to create scopes for employment. The communal threat has been increased in the country with their entry in the helm of affairs. We have to be cautious enough so that they cannot divert people’s attention after failing to bring any paradigmatic shift. We should also not forget that it was none other than Trinamool Congress who brought them in West Bengal.

Since the Assembly elections in West Bengal attacks have been unleashed on the leaders and activists of the democratic movements by the police administration and hoodlums backed by the ruling party to prohibit movements based on people’s demands. False and fabricated cases are being initiated against the leaders and activists of the democratic movements. Arrest warrants are being issued against them who could not be arrested. Attacks on the houses of Left Front activists, looting, arson, terrorization and attacks on livelihood have been taking place extensively. Cattle, poultry, fishes in ponds, agricultural produce and seeds also have been looted. About 27300 farmers, agricultural laborers and share croppers have been ejected and deprived of their right of land. Near about 50000 persons have been evicted from their own houses. 157 Left leaders, activists and supporters have lost their lives in attacks by hoodlums nakedly backed by the ruling party. Thousands of Left activists have been forced to live with injury. All these have been happening in a state where emergency has not been imposed but still the ruling party is trying to trample the voice of the opposition. But it is impossible to terrorize the people for a long time. Movements have to be launched by all of us for resurrection of democracy and democratic right in the state and for that close connection with common people has to be reinforced by taking lessons from history. We must overcome this suffocating atmosphere of terror with confident note of people’s movement. We don’t have any other alternative.

Communists and Leftists never surrender. The hoodlums of the ruling party will try to sustain terror-driven atmosphere but isolate them from people and reduce their strength is not at all impossible. The united strength of working class and all other poor sections of the society is quite capable of dislodging them. The call of the hour is to mark protest against all single attacks in every localities and launch movements. Communists and Leftists may take attack or lose lives but ultimately victory awaits them. We shall not forget that the devils could never make history; in the contrary it is always made by the invincible people.