The real reason why Mamata sacked Trivedi

Rediff.com  »  News » Last updated on: March 15, 2012 15:48 IST

Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi

Dinesh Trivedi played a smart one, but not a very intelligent one, on Mamata Banerjee, but she is likely to have the last laugh on the issue, reports Sheela Bhatt

Dinesh Trivedi's so-called rebellion has nothing to do with the railway budget; it has nothing to do with his proposal to hike passenger fares. Mamata Banerjee has sacked Trivedi because she doesn't trust him. It is as simple as that.

This is the story of the leader losing faith in his junior. She was suspicious, always, of his closeness to the Congress and he gave ample reasons to make her go mad. Trivedi was quite bold in the assertion of his personal views abut his party, the United Progressive Alliance government and Banerjee's mercurial temper. Through some members of the Bengali media in New Delhi, she was well-informed about Trivedi's views on her.

Many reports suggests WRONGLY that 'Mamata is punishing Trivedi for raising the railway fares'. In fact, sources in the Congress told rediff.com, "We were expecting him to go much before the railway budget. It didn't happen, so we believed that he will be asked to go amicably after the budget session."

The Congress thinks that Trivedi didn't tie up his exit plans well, creating an avoidable crisis for the government in the process.

It is very significant to note that Banerjee's ire against Trivedi has been compounded because of the real political issues she is facing everyday in Kolkata.

It is a well-known fact that the Left-led government of West Bengal has handed over a bankrupt state to Mamata. She is not in a position to plan or execute any big development plans because she has to pay a hefty interest on the debt. West Bengal has over Rs 2.04 lakh crore of debt piled up, making it the state with the highest ratio of gross state domestic product to debt in India.

The state budget of 2010-11 said that Rs 15,000 crore was going towards debt servicing. Imagine Mamata's predicament at having only Rs 5000 crore in hand to invest in development activity.

She is seeking a moratorium on the payback plan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is well aware of her predicament in running the state. She is, essentially, a populist leader who needs a special budget for her populist ideas. The Centre has a problem in agreeing to Mamata because Punjab and Kerala are also in a similar financial mess, and the moratorium on huge interest will have to be given to these two states too.

Mamata has defeated the Left parties in an historic assembly election. Obviously, her next and prime target is the Congress in West Bengal.

The Congress can't, for obvious political reasons, grant such a big favour to West Bengal. Mamata, on other hand, is impatient because without some space to plan dynamic schemes to woo voters, she can't sustain the goodwill of her constituents.

Her critics are already writing that her popularity graph is on the decline due to micro-management of governance and lack of direction on macro issues.

The combination of all the above issues has convinced Mamata that Trivedi is not her best bet to pursue her plans in New Delhi, to bargain for the best possible terms by securing more funds from New Delhi, even though she will march on with her plans to hit at the Congress's turf inside West Bengal.

In this tough battle, another angle is added due to Banerjee's prime ministerial ambitions since the Congress's stock is plummeting fast. Like Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, she would prefer early polls to gain maximum advantage.

The TC has 18 members of Parliament but Mamata thinks that if elections are held now she will get many more seats in the LS and will be much a bigger force in national politics in the new set-up. In view of her own popularity facing multiple challenges, she is impatient and wants early elections.

Another minor issue in the evolving drama is that Trivedi is member of Parliament from Barrackpore where Muslim voters are the most important strategic voters.

Trivedi, who has generated goodwill among Muslim leaders in his constituency, is convinced that the Trinamool Congress now or after the Lok Sabha polls cannot side with the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party due to the sensitivity of Muslim voters of West Bengal.

This makes him suspect in the eyes of Mamata who is convinced that the UPA has lost steam and all options should be open before her.

Compared to Mamata's vision, Trivedi has diagonally opposite views on development, financial management, the future of TC, handling of the Muslim vote bank in Bengal and on having truck with the BJP. The source in Congress says, "It is very much possible that Trivedi must have thought, on the eve of the railway budget, why not to go down after earning the status of shahid?"

Trivedi is using and playing with Mamata's unpopularity among the New Delhi media smartly. The source in Congress says, "It is anybody's guess if there was 'match-fixing' between Mamata and Trivedi to allow him to present the railways budget and then leave on the issue of the hike in passenger fares." 

It seems the luxury of parting amicably is not available to Trivedi after his aggressive interviews on television on Wednesday. Trivedi has linked the fare hikes to national interest and is saying that for him the party, meaning Mamata, is less important than the nation and his family.

If at all there was some pre-decided arrangement between Mamata and Trivedi, it broke down midway on Wednesday.

Trivedi played a smart one, but not a very intelligent one, on Mamata, but she is likely to have the last laugh on the issue. That is, on the issue of taking the side of the aam aadmi in the political battlefield of West Bengal where she faces the Congress and the Left parties.

CPI(M) protest against Trinamool's ‘reign of terror'

THE HINDU, March 23, 2012 01:47 IST  

Lok Sabha adjourned on the issue; party MPs stage walkout in Rajya Sabha

Protesting against what it called a reign of terror let loose in West Bengal after the Assembly elections last year, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a demonstration inside Parliament and sat in dharna on its premises on Thursday.

The issue led to a heated discussion in the Lok Sabha with the Trinamool Congress opposing it — leading to adjournment of the House. The CPI(M) MPs staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha for not being allowed to raise the issue.

In the Lok Sabha, CPI(M)'s Basudeb Acharia alleged that in West Bengal women were being harassed, raped and molested in broad daylight; personal liberty and human rights were being violated.

He also charged the State government with depriving citizens of the right to life — pointing to the murder of an ex-legislator. Even farmers with title deeds were being evicted from their land, he claimed.

Trade union and party offices were being ransacked and destroyed, Mr. Acharia alleged, adding that thousands of workers had fled their villages. Thousands of people had been assaulted and several had been fined, he added.

He asserted that democracy was not safe in the hands of the State government. But as the Trinamool members continued to interrupt him, the Chair adjourned the House for an hour.

In the Rajya Sabha, CPI(M)'s Prashant Chatterjee alleged that 60 party workers had been killed but the Chair insisted on a notice for a discussion on the issue. When MP Sitaram Yechury, too, failed to secure an immediate discussion, the CPI(M) members staged a walkout.

At the dharna, the MPs raised slogans against the Trinamool and charged that false cases were being filed against Left leaders and former legislators.

Massive Historic Rally at Brigade Parade Ground

KOLKATA: 19th February 2012, witnessed a historic massive rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata marking the conclusion of the 23rd State Conference of CPI(M), West Bengal State Committee. This was the first conference after 34 years, when the Left Front government is not in power. However, the participation of lakhs of people in the rally showed that the CPI(M) and the left cannot be wiped off from West Bengal, even after unleashing massive terror and intimidation tactics. In the rally, the leadership of the CPI(M) explained the current political situation and the future tasks before the party, as discussed in the conference. We are presenting below, the salient points of the speeches delivered by the leadership in the rally.

Biman Basu

Biman Basu, Secretary of West Bengal CPI(M), started his speech by congratulating all the people for making the rally a huge success. He saluted and remembered the 577 comrades who laid down their lives in the struggle to safeguard democratic rights and hold high the red flag of the party. The success of today’s rally showed that struggle cannot be thwarted with terror and the CPI(M) in West Bengal will carry out the struggle for the people in unison with the broader democratic movement in the rest of India.

Pointing out the main discussion in the conference, he said that the conference mainly discussed how to come out of the weaknesses and shortcomings of the party. In this regard, the conference pointed out that the way forward is to go to the people, speak to them, make them conscious about the false propaganda of the media and develop lively mass contact with the people. He pointed out that the capitalists and the imperialists do not want to protect the rights of the people. It is therefore the job of the left and the CPI(M) to struggle to protect the interests of the people.

Biman Basu mentioned that 25 resolutions have been adopted in the conference, the first one being against imperialism. Explaining the resolution against imperialism, he pointed out that imperialism is against people’s development and movement. However, there is a change in the nature of imperialism compared to the past. We have to consciously engage with the worldwide movements and learn from them. Particularly, Latin America has registered an advancement of the left and democratic forces. Even in Europe, common people are on the streets protesting against the neo-liberal policies. In India too, neo-liberal policies are being pursued. It is the responsibility of the party and the left forces to build up mass movements against these policies.

In West Bengal, the party should be strengthened based on inner unity as well as unity with Left Front partners. There is however no place of complacency with the fact that there has been a huge rally. Rather, we have to remain vigilant and work hard to build up a strong movement. The experience of the world has shown that anarchy and destruction of democracy cannot be the way to safeguard people’s interests. This is precisely what the current government is indulging in. On the other hand, divisive forces like fundamentalism, terrorism, and communalism are trying to destroy the unity of the people. The conference has passed a resolution against these forces and pledged to carry forward the struggle against them. The conference also passed a resolution on the neo-liberal policies, pointing out that the policies adopted by both the central as well as the state government are usurping the rights of the workers. In West Bengal, salaries and pensions of state government transport workers have been stopped. Movements would be organized against these policies.

The conference also adopted resolutions against farmers’ suicides in the state demanding remunerative prices for their products and build up struggles to safeguard the interests of the farmers. Resolutions were also adopted on unorganized sector workers, for employment, minority development, against FDI in retail trade and to protect women’s rights. With regard to women’s issues, Biman Basu, pointed out that a heinous crime of rape was committed against a lady at Park Street. But the government said that the allegation was false, without knowing the facts and doing a thorough enquiry. Now, it has been proved that indeed such an incident took place. Even though the Chief Minister of the state is a woman, she has no vision to safeguard women’s interests.

Biman Basu also opined that students’ unions and educational institutions are under attack in the state. He complemented the students for carrying on the fight on the face of such heinous attacks. He appealed to the students to unite and continue the fight against hooliganism and anarchy in educational institutions. He also pointed out that the gains and successes of the Left Front government need to be protected.

On 28th February there is a call for country wide strike by the trade unions. Biman Basu appealed to the gathering to ensure that the strike is a grand success. He concluded his speech by reiterating that there is no place for complacency and appealed to the gathering to carry forward the struggle even on the face of all oppression and terror by strengthening the CPI(M) and unifying all left forces.

Prakash Karat

Prakash Karat, General Secretary of CPI(M), began his speech by saluting the 577 comrades who laid down their lives for the party, since the last conference. He said that the 23rd State Conference is the first conference where Com. Jyoti Basu is not present to give direction to us. We remember him for his visionary leadership of the CPI(M) and the Left Front government. Karat said that the sea of humanity present in the rally has given a message to the entire world that in West Bengal the red flag flies high and cannot be erased from the state.

Analyzing the current political situation of the country, Prakash Karat, opined that the UPA-II government has been a totally anti-people government. The government has the dubious record of presiding over the highest inflation of essential products since independence, one of the worst agrarian crisis in the country whereby lakhs of farmers have committed suicide and it has set a new record on corruption. He pointed out that the food prices have touched the roof in an unprecedented manner. It has become difficult for poor people even to buy rice, vegetable and other essentials. This high inflation is a direct result of the policies pursued by the UPA government. The government decided to deregulate the price of oil and increased its price on 15 occasions over the last three years. For the last 2 months, they have not increased the price because of the impending Assembly Elections in many states. Once the elections are over, the price will again be raised.

With the adoption of the policies of liberalization 256000 farmers have committed suicide in the country. Everyday farmers are committing suicide which is very shameful for the government. In West Bengal for the last 34 years, when the Left Front was in power, no such incident of farmer suicide took place. But with the new government coming to power, in the last 9 months, 33 farmers have committed suicide. The misery of the farmers has increased with mounting debt and non-remunerative prices for the crop. The main reason for the shameful incidents of farmer suicides in the state is that the government has not procured from the farmers. In Kerala too, with the Congress coming to power many farmers have committed suicide. For last 5 years, when the Left was in power no such incident took place. Whether it is West Bengal or Kerala, Left governments protect the interests of farmers and ensure that no such suicide takes place. But in West Bengal, the government is in a complete denial mode. The CPI(M) has demanded that immediate steps be taken to procure from the farmers and provide debt relief to them.

Prakash Karat mentioned that the Trinamool Congress indulges in double speak. The TMC is a part of the UPA government in the centre. When the price of oil was raised on 15 occasions, the TMC was party to the decision. But in Kolkata they say that they protest against price rise and they were not aware of the decision of price rise. He pointed out that the government is planning to pass a Food Security Act. But this Act maintains the distinction between BPL and APL categories and therefore will end up far from providing food security to the population. In West Bengal the Left Front government tried to increase the number of people under the Public Distribution System by going beyond the BPL category and give them cheap ration. The CPI(M) does not believe in maintaining the distinction between BPL and APL for food security and wants a universal Public Distribution System. Why is the TMC silent about universal PDS?

Coming to the issue of corruption, Prakash Karat pointed out that the biggest scam in independent India has been the 2G scam. The Supreme Court has cancelled all the 122 2G licenses, which were given illegally. But the shameless UPA government still says that there was no scam and no loss to the government exchequer. TMC is a part of this kind of a shameless government. The CPI(M) and the Left parties clearly say that the big capitalists are primarily responsible for the blatant corruption in the country, who have been given the license to loot by the central government. The party is committed to struggle against these policies. He also pointed out that only the Chief Ministers and Ministers of Left-led governments have no allegation of corruption against them. All other bourgeois parties who are in the government are tainted with corruption.

Karat said that in the coming days to save agriculture, farmers, workers rights, against inflation and unemployment, the CPI(M) and Left parties will continue their nationwide struggle. He pointed out that only the Left has an alternative vision and agenda. Efforts will be made in the coming days to build up a Left Democratic Front against the policies pursued by Congress and BJP.

He said that the attack on the West Bengal party cannot thwart the advance of the party in the state. The conference has resolved to carry forward the struggle even on the face of such attacks. He also said that a countrywide movement will be build up against the attack on left in West Bengal. He pointed out that the state conference has resolved to move ahead by struggling on the demands of the people. Those who think that the party can be stopped by terror should know the history of the communist movement in West Bengal, which has emerged fighting against all kind of terror. The conference has resolved to rectify the mistakes and strengthen the party to carry forward the movement. The large rally today has shown that large section of the people are with the CPI(M). No force can wipe off the CPI(M) from West Bengal.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Politburo Member of CPI(M), began his speech by congratulating the huge rally. He said that this historic rally proves that the party is on firm ground. However, there is a difference between this rally and others in the past, the difference being that the Left Front government is not there. People supported the call for a change, and the government changed. But what kind of change are we witnessing? In the rural areas, the change has been very dangerous. Farmers are not sure where to sell the paddy crop. If they are able to sell, they are not getting a fair price. With debt and non-remunerative prices, they are forced to commit suicide. This never happened in West Bengal. Earlier, during the Left Front Government, the farmers could sell their crops and got remunerative price. Shamefully, this government is even denying the issue of farmers’ suicides. The government is saying that those who committed suicide took crores of rupees as loans from the banks. Can farmers get such huge loans? This is completely false. Buddhadeb said that there is a possibility of rice and wheat cultivation falling in the state, because of the apathy of the government. He raised the question as to whether the state is again moving towards food scarcity.

He also said that the panchayats have become inactive. During the Left Front tenure, the panchayats were the hub of activities in the rural areas. The CPI(M) workers are not being allowed to work in the panchayats. Did the people want this kind of change? Even on the industry sector, the new government has not proceeded a single step towards setting new industries. On the power sector, question marks are being raised about the future of the Katwa power plant, sanctioned by the Left Front government.

The situation has become so dire that transport workers are not getting their salaries and pensions. One transport worker committed suicide. The excuse of the government is that there is no money. But the government finds enough money to hold various festivals at Digha and other places. Why so many festivals are being held when the government has no money? Why are festivals being held instead of giving salaries to the workers? Children are dying in the government hospitals. There were some problems during the Left Front government tenure too. But we tried to deal with the situation and controlled such deaths. But the present government simply does not care. On the education sector, the current university act is an insult to all the universities in the state.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya pointed out that anarchy is prevailing in the state. Murders are happening every day. Few days back a lady was raped at Park Street. The government said that the allegation was false without conducting a proper enquiry. All over the state anti-socials have become very active. They are feeling that the government belongs to them.

On other important issues too, there has been no progress. The Left Front government announced the decision to give 10% reservation to Muslim OBCs. The present government has not implemented it. The Darjeeling and Junglemahal issue is far from being solved since the TMC has compromised with the divisive elements in both the places.

He said that the conference has resolved to advance the party and the left within this overall situation. The poor people, workers, unorganized sector workers, poor farmers, agricultural labourers, slum-dwellers have to be reached first with our agenda and movements. He appealed to all democratic minded people to stand against this anarchy and the undemocratic attitude of the government. If such protests are not made, anti-socials will rule the roost. He appealed to the people to help in strengthening the Left. Today, the left is gaining strength all over the world. In West Bengal too there is no alternative but to strengthen the Left.

Md. Amin

Md. Amin, Politburo Member of CPI(M), began his speech by remembering Com. Jyoti Basu. He said that we are witness to the semi-fascist terror of 1972-77 and emerged from it victorious. This reign of terror will also not be able to keep us down. He pointed out that in 9 months 33 farmers have committed suicide in the state, while during the Left Front tenure, no such incident happened. The difference between the Left Front government and the current government is clear from this example only. He said that the conference has resolved to overcome the shortcomings and build a stronger CPI(M). He said that on 28th February the entire country will come to a halt, with the workers’ strike against the neo-liberal policies of the UPA government. He appealed to the people to make the strike a grand success. Pointing out the fact that many comrades have been attacked who were coming to the rally, he said that the people will give a fitting reply to such activities. He appealed to the gathering not to lose hope, since the future is ours, which is socialism, which alone can save humanity.

Surjya Kanta Mishra

Surjyakanta Mishra, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, said that the conference was held for the first time in 40 years when the Left Front is not in power. However, the huge rally showed that many people are there with the party and from them the party derives its strength. He appealed to the gathering to strengthen the organization and the movement. He pointed out that the government wants us to stop speaking in the Assembly as well as outside. But they cannot throttle the voice of lakhs of people.

He said that the Chief Minister might be watching the huge rally on television. He appealed to her not to switch off the TV and listen to the voice of lakhs of people. He said that 9 months have passed since the government assumed office. But it was clear from the first day that the government is a one (wo)man government. Other ministers simply have no role. Dr. Mishra said that he has written more than 50 letters to the Chief Minister, given her the name and address of 56 comrades who have been killed. But there has been no response from her. On the contrary, it seems that she has told the Director General of Police that the CPI(M) is unleashing attack on the TMC. Even the TMC supporters will not believe that. He pointed out that democratic rights in the state are under attack. Thousands of CPI(M) workers and supporters have been forced to stay away from home. Those who have come back are being forced to pay fines. More than Rs 50 crore has been collected as fines. All these have been brought to the notice of the government but nothing has been done. He pointed out that there is no democracy in and outside the Assembly. In the Assembly, even meeting the press and talking to them has been autocratically stopped. On the other hand outside the Assembly, college principals and students’ unions are being attacked.

Expressing his surprise as to how the government is running, Dr. Mishra said that the Singur Ordinance was brought when the Assembly was in session, which was an unconstitutional act. Even after the Singur Act, only 40 acres of land has been reclaimed by the farmers in Singur, showing that the demand for 400 acres of land for unwilling farmers was false, since the so-called unwilling farmers demanded only 40 acres. On the GTA Act, no consultation with the opposition was done. The party is opposed to the inclusion of Dooars under GTA. Moreover, it was suggested to the government that it be mentioned in the Act that the territorial integrity of West Bengal will be maintained. But that was also not done.

Dr. Mishra pointed out that there is an all round attack in all sectors. Elected panchayat representatives are not being allowed to carry on their work. The government has failed to present a budget. It is inconceivable how a government can run without a proper budget. He appealed to all sections of the people to protest against the attack on the red flag since any such attack on the left ultimately translates into an attack on the people at large. He reiterated the call of the conference to strengthen the struggle both in and outside the Assembly.

 http://www.cpimwb.org.in/current_topic_details.php?topic_id=124

A POEM ON BRIGADE-FROM AN UNKNOWN POET

SEA OF HUMANITY IN BRIGADE PARADE GROUND, 19th February, 2012

 

200 Days of ‘Change’:Promises are Always to be Broken

Why Target?

200 days are not sufficient time to evaluate the work of any State Government. The target-based campaign was first started by the bourgeoisie political parties of United Sates of America and Eastern Europe as a part of their election campaign. Though the targets are often forgotten after the election and those parties are least interested to fulfill the targets once the election is won. This electoral tactics has been blindly copied by TMC before the 15th Assembly Election of West Bengal. In reality TMC has even plagiarised the slogan "Change We can believe in" from American President Barrack Obama.

Target of 200 Days

Prior to the last Assembly Election of the State TMC could not publish any English translation of their Election Manifesto. Instead of doing so they have created another separate document called as 'VISION DOCUMENT'. The documents set the target of the work to be completed within 200 days of the new Government. That document contained mainly a little section of the Election Manifesto and the list of the works, which shall be done within first 200 days from the formation of TMC led Government in West Bengal. A Careful reading of two documents brings out the dissimilarity and contradiction.

In some aspect by using the jugglery of words against the Left Front, TMC has informed that they will continue with the work done by the former Left Front Government. In many aspects they could not dare to reject the truth. We shall look into few declaration made by TMC and try to see how far they have been fulfilled.

False Claim on Investment

TMC led Government has maintained its heritage of False claim of success in Industrial Development in the state. In reality the Government has failed to draw any new flow of investment in the State. The new Government has failed to bring out its new land policy yet. This failure has resulted in massive set back of the Government to bring any new investment in any of the major sectors. Above all the CM has clearly declared that the Government will place all seek industries in auction for sell whereas it was promised in TMC's election manifesto that it will resurge seek industries and save them.

Farmers Suicide: Bengal Enrolls Itself in the List

West Bengal has not witnessed with the instance of farmer's suicide where other states in India had laths of incidents of such kind. The farmer policy of the earlier Left Front Government could successfully tackle the situation by providing adequate support to ensure the price of the crop by way of continuous land reforms. The Government changed; TMC came to power and brought a shift in the policy towards farmers, which has forced the farmers to get into the crisis, and made suicide as the only resort to the marginalised farmers. Till the date under the new regime 6 farmers and field workers have committed suicide with the burden of huge loan. Compared to the last year the farmers have suffered a huge crisis. They have been even forced to distress sale the crops. Since the Panchayat have been paralysed by the new Government, the job under NREGA has been stopped. The so-called Government of maa-mati-manush has reversed the success of land reforms of earlier Left Front Government by issuing directive (memo no. IRC/624/11).

The Neoliberal Solution in Transport

The TMC led State Government has started to enforce the neo liberal economic policies in State owned transport system. It has already stopped the payment of pension to the retired workers of the state transport corporations. Even the current workers are not receiving the regular salary in those corporations. In August a CESTC pension holder lady has committed suicide after the non-payment of pension. More serious situation aroused when the almost 18,000 current workers received their salary for the month of October, not before 30th November. The Transport Minister Subrata Bakshi has told that the Government shall offer the VRS package to the transport workers to resurge the sickness and also it will stop the bus service from all non-profit making roots.

The Poor Financial Situation

Before the Assembly election the TMC used to complain against the earlier Left Front Government that it is responsible for the huge debt of the State, after the election the same has been boomeranged against them. Even the situation is so grave that West Bengal has been elevated at the top among the states in the amount of debt. In last six months the new Government has taken a loan f Rupees 10,000/- from the market, which is almost double of the loan amount taken from the market in last year (Left Front Government). The Finance Minister of the State Dr. Amit Mitra has promised that the Government will increase 30% at the average earning of the state, but in reality the growth rate is only 15%. It is quite impossible to reach the target level before this year ending.

The Action for Seek Industries: CM

TMC had declared in their Election Manifesto that 'All Seek Industries will be resurged' but on contrary to that declaration On 4th November the Chief Minister has declared the declared that the seek industries of the state shall be sold in auction. It shows the dual policies of TMC before and after the election.

Land Reforms Stopped

The new Government by issuing a direction (memo no. IRC/624/11) has declared that the Government will come out from the path of Land Reforms and the distribution of lands to the landless people. The memo has been issued on 18th October. The Policy determination Committee, appointed by the new Government has termed the policy of land reforms followed by Left Front Government as 'Robbery of Land'. The Committee has also stated in their draft recommendation that the Government will take punitive measure against such robbery of land.

Net Failure in Rural Development and NREGA

During the time of Left Front Government in West Bengal the state had secured its position out of first five states in implementation of NREGAs (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). The new Government has brought down the state out of last 4 states. In the financial year 2010-11 the number of job days created under NREGAs was total 15 crore and in this year the number has reduced to only Rs.2 crore. The failure has drawn the attention of the Central Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh that he has written a letter to the Chief Minister (no. FTS-66592/2011) where he has written that the state is currently having Rs.1823 crore but out of that Rs.900 crore have been left unutilised.

Reduction in the Expenditure on Minority Welfare

In the last financial year the budget allotment in minority welfare under former Left Front Government was Rs.664.46 crore. The new Government has reduced Rs.30.66 crore the allotment in minority welfare drastically in the first budget itself. The budget maintained silence on the large section of minorities left out of the purview of the Multi sartorial Development Project of the Central Government. The budget has not spent a single word on the English Medium Madrasas of the State. The programmes taken by the earlier Left Front Government to provide the rehabilitation packages to the divorced, homeless and helpless minority women have been completely ignored in the budget. These forgetfulness shows that the so-called minority friendly attitude of TMC was just like a mask, which has been already taken off.

Fascism: The Late Realisation of Mahasweta Devi

The honeymoon period of TMC-and so called 'CIVIL SOCIETY' (Sushil Samaj) is over within first six months of the new Government. At least the statement made by Mahasweta Devi On 21st November indicates that. The conflict raised due to the refusal by the Police to grant permission for a public meeting called by APDR at Metro Channel. While condemning such action Mahasweta Devi asked whether they have knowingly invited fascism in State or not. The conflict has also attracted the statement of Kabir Suman, a TMC MP, which has reminded the CM that as an opposition leader she made a continuous 26 days dharna at that Metro Channel only. Late is better than never. Although late, but the so-called Susheel Samaj has started to realise the original face of TMC.

How Many Days Singur shall Wait to Get Back the Promised Land?

TMC had declared that their Government will return the lands belong to the UNWILLING FARMERS of Singur after the formation of the new Government. With the lapse of time those farmers are also realising that the promise was nothing but a pre election gimmick. 100 days, 200 days... no one knows how many days they wait to get back the land.

Return of Power Cut

One of the major successes of the Left Front Government was that it could reduce the power cut in the state. The change in the Government has taken back to the time of Power cut. The Government has failed to make a plan to maintain the supply of electric in the state. Over all they have indicated that it might have to increase the price for electric under the compulsion.

Syndicate, Promoters and TMC

The evil nexus between Syndicate, Promoters and TMC has been revealed after the murder of TMC worker Swapan Mandal at Keshtopur, 24 Parganas (North). The main accused Partha Sarkar and others are also the well-known TMC leader of the area. The situation indicates that the evil nexus got strengthened during the first six months of the change. Unfortunately the Government is doing nothing to break such nexus except the verbal attack and counter attack among the TMC leaders.

Curtailment of Panchayat Right

Panchayat of West Bengal was considered as a model to rest of India under Left Front Government. It was West Bengal, which was the real torchbearer of decentralisation policy and the three tiers Panchayat system to ensure peoples participation in local Governance. But the new Government has done nothing to consolidate that success. Instead of doing so they have taken initiative to curtail the rights of Panchayat by empowering the executive. In order to do so the CM met the BDOs and SDO and issued the direction to them.

The University Ordinance

The new Government has already proclaimed an Ordinance to destroy the democratic system in the Educational Institutions. They are trying to adopt the nominated managing committee system. This amounts to an attack on democracy established in the state by Left Front in last 34 years.

CM at Police Station

On 6th November the CM herself had visited Bhowanipur Police Station to resolve a criminal dispute, which is not only unprecedented but also dangerous for a democratic system.

Police Firing

On 1st December the Police of the new Government has fired on a peaceful protest at the demand of electricity at Nainan of Magrahat, 24 Parganas (South). 4 People including three women and a twelve years old girl died in that firing. In last six months police has fired several times at Asansol, Pandaveswar, Haroa and Bagula. One person died at Asansol incident and one woman died at Bagula by the bullets of the police of new Government.

Alteration of Charge Sheet to Save a Minister

The CID under the Home Minister and Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee has deleted the name of one of the ministers of her ministry, Mr. Arup Roy, from the charge sheet filed in connection to the murder of a TMC leader of Bally, Howrah. This incident is also unprecedented and dangerous for an impartial judicial system. In another incident under the direction of the law minister of the new Government police has withdrawn a murder case against the congress anti socials at Krishnanagar. The Police have also shown partiality to arrest a TMC councilor who was connected to a murder at Tarapeeth, Rampurhat.

Falsification Continues…

There are thousands incidents in last six moth duration of the new Government which revels the inefficacy of the Government to run the state. The declarations at Election manifesto remained unfulfilled and the Governments action does not indicate its willingness to fulfill them in near future. So the writing of the CM in a document to mark 100 days of the new Government that it has finished maximum work of 200 days within 90 days only tells us that Falsification continues... either in opposition or in Government, because the name of the party is TMC.

 SOURCE: http://www.cpimwb.org.in/feature_details.php?features_id=13

Isolate ‘Maoists’ Politically for Enduring Peace in Jangal Mahal

By Nilotpal Basu

ULTIMATELY, the truth has come out. Not that it was not known;  but now that it has come straight from the, so to say, horse’s mouth;  the chief minister of West Bengal and the Trinamool Congress supremo has eventually lashed out at the ‘Maoists’ for their heinous crime of engineering the Ganeshwari Express tragedy  which took the toll of 148 innocent lives. Contrary to what she has been claiming all this while that the CPI(M) and the Left was responsible for the tragedy to defame her and the Railway ministry – she has ultimately conceded that it was clearly the handiwork of the ‘Maoists’. 

What is the provocation for this belated ‘discovery’? Two activists of the Trinamool Congress had been gunned down by a ‘Maoist’ squad in a hamlet on the foothills of Ajodhya in Purulia district – an integral part of the jangal mahal area in West Bengal which continues to remain infested by ‘Maoist’ activity. There is no doubt that these were murders most vile and all right thinking people would condemn these with all the strength that one can muster.  The bodies of these hapless victims were brought to Kolkata and in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi – the `apostle of peace’ – that the chief minister blurted out her ‘pearls of wisdom’.     

The travails of the TMC and its maverick supremo are not only bizarre as one would think. It is at the same time extremely sinister. The growth of the ‘Maoists’ – obviously, not in terms of popular support but its depredations and mindless violence in the districts adjoining the Jharkhand and Orissa borders – was quite strange. Any avid reading of the history of Left adventurism in the country makes one to come to an interesting conclusion. While Naxalbari was the cradle of the Left adventurist movement in the country and the CPI(M) and  the Left suffered most due to its violence in the late sixties and early seventies, the movement completely petered out, particularly after the Left Front assumed office in West Bengal in 1977.  The agrarian reforms and the protection and consolidation of the democratic rights of the working people completely isolated the Naxalites in the state.  The resumption of their activities in early parts of the first decade of the new century started as armed incursions from Jharkhand initially and later on from Orissa. The thickly forested jungles on the borders of these states provided the natural cover, as well as, the strategic base that the ‘Maoists’ needed to move on to West Bengal. 

The Left had from the very beginning, maintained that the ‘Maoist’ movement cannot be treated merely as a challenge to law and order.  Their involvement in these forest fringe areas was not because of their compassion for the poor and the tribals who suffered from locational disadvantage and consequent comparative lack of development.  Despite this, the agrarian reforms and other benefits of decentralisation had expanded social sector development.  It is because of this, the Left had always been politically strong in these areas.  Premised on these experiences, the Left, therefore, argued for facing the challenge of ‘Maoist’ violence through a three pronged response; first, on the question of targeted socio-economic development, secondly on the question of political-ideological offensive to isolate them from the people- and finally, based on these two, to initiate administrative actions of the security forces that would finally be successful in containing the violence.

As opposed to this, the central government had always pitched for all out administrative confrontation.  The home minister, P Chidambaram, the fountainhead of such an exclusively confrontationist approach even mooted the idea of deploying the military and the air force to snuff out the ‘Maoists’. 

However, the maverick TMC supremo was totally opposed to the very idea of taking on the ‘Maoists’.  Because she understood that in order to undermine and weaken the Left in these areas which have traditionally been the bastion of the Left, the ‘Maoists’ could prove to be her hatchet men.  The ‘Maoists’ – the opportunists that they are – found these to be extremely convenient.  Their complete ideological bankruptcy and penchant for military strategy created conditions for the coming together of these two forces. West Bengal’s recent history – from the ‘Maoists’ involvement in the Nandigram agitation and the present West Bengal chief minister’s open dalliance with the ‘Maoists’ in Lalgarh - the alliance was eventually made official.  The media savvy ‘Maoist’ Polit Bureau member Kishanji announced from behind his masked face that the ‘Maoists’ would love to see the TMC supremo as the next chief minister of West Bengal in an interview to Ananda Bazar Patrika before elections. 

This was music to her ears.  This made her to claim that there are no ‘Maoists’ in West Bengal.  And, she was not even acknowledging the killings of hundreds of CPI(M) and Left activists and leaders who were being snuffed out by these ‘Maoist’ marauders.  And, she did everything possible to politically delegitimise the operation of the state and central joint security forces to protect the life and livelihood of innocent citizens who were at the receiving end of the mindless ‘Maoist’ violence. 

The complicity was so complete that while the ‘Maoists’ had hijacked a train, the Rajdhani Express, the Railways under her charge did not even mention the ‘Maoist’ involvement in the complaint that the department filed.  And, finally, came the shocking allegation in the wake of the Gyaneshwari tragedy. Not only did she claim that these gruesome deaths of the Ganeshwari passengers were not the result of ‘Maoist’ depredation but actually they have been done by the CPI(M) and the Left to discredit the Railway Ministry! The intellectuals – the `civil society’ her close band of trumpeters for `political change’ in fact went a step further.  They actually called a press conference on the eve of a crucial municipal election in Kolkata and directly charged the CPI(M) of engineering the tragedy.  These intellectuals – of whom some are now even part of the cabinet of the present West Bengal government – justified their position by claiming that ‘Maoists’ did not explicitly take the responsibility for the incident. 

Now that the TMC supremo has assumed the chief minister’s office, she has to reconcile with the harsh cold reality. She thought that the zeal with which the ‘Maoists’ had worked overtime to see her in the office that she holds today would continue to do so even after the objective has been secured.  But, as we know, the ‘Maoists’ show extreme opportunism in siding with this or that bourgeois political party for carrying on with violent methods to physically eliminate all political opposition.  The ‘Maoists’ clearly had an agenda that they would use the TMC to ensure the physical elimination of the CPI(M) and the Left  to facilitate their own physical stranglehold over a region which had remained a bastion of the Left.

CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST

But, now the chickens have come home to roost.  The latest dramatic turn of events saw the felling of that very ‘Maoist’ leader who once wanted to anoint the TMC supremo as the incumbent chief minister of West Bengal.  This is the real irony.  The operation of the joint security forces which was held back for almost five months had to be ultimately allowed since the ‘Maoists’ were not sparing the TMC functionaries once they had been able to regroup with the relief that the new government had provided.  The process of the so-called negotiations which was bound to fail because of the pan Indian nature of the ‘Maoist’ activity also further emboldened them. 

It is in this background that the gun battle ensured in the forests of Burisole which has by now become a household name – as the site which marked the elimination of Kishanji.  In a way, this was inevitable.  Far from being a revolutionary movement, which the ‘Maoists’ claim to lead, apparently he found himself thoroughly isolated and encircled – that is what the security forces had claimed. 

But strangely, neither the chief minister nor any of her top ranking officials from the police or the general administration had come out with any authentic version over the sequence of events which led to the elimination of Kishanji immediately after the announcement of the incident. More than anybody else, it is their supporters – particularly those sections of liberal persuasion – some of them even sympathetic to the ‘Maoist’ cause have come out quite sharply against the same government and the security forces for having done what they did. 

In doing this, they seem to have taken a leaf out of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s book of records. She did exactly this in questioning the elimination of Azad – the spokesman of the ‘Maoists’. She had actually demanded enquiry into Azad’s `murder’ not only outside but also in the parliament itself. In fact, directed by the court, an inquiry is still going on about this incident.

Now that Kishanji has been eliminated, the same charges are being leveled.  It is being alleged that the security forces had him in custody and this amounts to a `cold blooded murder of a prisoner in custody’.  It is now for the state government to clarify the real course of development transparently.  Rule of law would require that of her government.

However, in a public meeting recently, the chief minister has claimed that the security forces had encircled Kishanji for three continuous days.  The forces had also made an announcement over a public address system that he would be allowed a safe way out . But according to her, he did not respond positively and fired back.  This is what led to the armed confrontation which saw her one time `well wisher’ dead.

SINISTER RELATIONSHIP

The convergence of purpose which brought the TMC and the ‘Maoists’ together to eliminate the Left – does no longer exist.  The functional alliance appears to have come unstuck.  And, therefore, this belated admission over Gyneshwari Express tragedy and this renewed restoration of the joint security forces’ operation leading to the elimination of Kishanji. 

But the tenuous exercise to try and balance the relationship between these two sinister forces had continued for the last few months since the new government in West Bengal had assumed office, now seems to be finally over.  The group of interlocutors who had been officially appointed by the state government to carry out the discussions with the ‘Maoists’ have finally thrown up their hands. And, in the statement issued recently expressing their inability to carry on the process, they have squarely blamed the state government for having killed Kishanji `in cold blood’.

The course of the sinister alliance has really come to complete its vicious circle.  Sadly, the TMC and some of their grassroot level activists who are also poor and vulnerable have also now come to suffer from the mindless violence of the ‘Maoists’. 

But the chief minister is not prepared to accept the reality. While she has lambasted the ‘Maoists’ and their liberal sympathisers who don the mantle of  the human rights organisations for failing to condemn the death and killings of hapless victims of the mindless ‘Maoist’ violence – even going to the extent of pointing out that a large number of activists of the Left had  suffered – she failed to concede that she herself had shown similar proclivities.

To compound her almost criminal negligence in shielding the ‘Maoists’ – she is actually still maintaining that the CPI(M) and the ‘Maoists’ are in league.  This is not withstanding the fact that after the Lok Sabha elections alone almost 250 CPI(M) activists and leaders mostly poor and tribals laid down their lives in the course of taking on the political and ideological challenge of the ‘Maoists’.  But still there is time. The  threat that ‘Maoist’ violence poses to the life and livelihood of the most downtrodden sections of the society in the remotest jungles of West Bengal can only be repulsed by the joining of forces. The unity of all political parties who believe in the rule of law and securing life of the people must act together to isolate the ‘Maoists’.  It is the only enduring way to establish peace.   And, elimination of a single individual – however important he may be – cannot mark the end to the mindless violence which the ‘Maoists’ had been perpetrating.  The restoration of legitimate political activities of all political forces in the affected areas of jangal mahal area is the only rational course to achieve that objective.

People’s Democracy, December 04, 2011