GUNTUR: MASSIVE FARMERS RALLY ADOPTS GUNTUR DECLARATION - N S Arjun from Guntur

'IMPLEMENT SWAMINATHAN

COMMITTEE REPORT IMMEDIATELY'

A MASSIVE rally of farmers in Guntur resolved to carry out an all India struggle of the peasantry and other toiling sections until the anti-farmer and anti-people policies of the Congress-led UPA-II government are reversed. The rally adopted a 'Guntur Declaration' which demanded immediate implementation of the M S Swaminathan Committee Report that had recommended liberal credit to farmers at 4 per cent interest. A new organisation will be formed at the national level shortly to coordinate this struggle.

The public meeting titled Rytu Kosam (for farmer) was held on December 30, 2010 in the backdrop of the struggle launched by TDP and Left parties in Andhra Pradesh for providing relief to farmers who were devastated by the recent unseasonal rains damaging much of the kharif crop. National leaders of non-Congress, non-BJP parties attended the meeting. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, former prime minister and JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI deputy general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, INLD president Om Prakash Chautala, RLD president Ajit Singh, former chief minister of Jharkhand and JVP president, Babulal Marandi, RSP leader Abani Roy, Forward Bloc leader Devarajan, MDMK leader Ganesh Murty addressed the gathering. State leaders of TDP, CPI (M), CPI, CPI-ML New Democracy, Lok Satta party were also present.

Proclaiming the massive rally of farmers today in Guntur as a harbinger of a countrywide struggle to save the peasantry from the ruinous policies of central and other state governments, the top leaders lambasted the Congress party for totally neglecting the agriculture sector. Deve Gowda warned that no ruling dispensation has survived the wrath of farmers who have been a neglected lot. He said the latest mid term appraisal report showed that agriculture was growing at a mere 2.6 per cent while the target was 4.8 per cent. This highlights the total neglect of this all important sector that is the mainstay of livelihood for over 70 per cent of our population. Both the NDA and UPA regimes neglect of this crucial sector has resulted in the shameful tragedy of nearly 2.16 lakh farmers committing suicide in the country. He called upon the farmers to rise up in revolt against these governments instead of resorting to the extreme step of committing suicides.

Prakash Karat in his speech called for building up a united struggle by rallying the peasantry against the ruinous anti-people policies of the central and Andhra Pradesh state government in order to save the farmers and agriculture. He noted the distressing spectacle of scores of farmers committing suicides in AP due to the recent crop losses and criticised the state government for not doing anything worthwhile for the relief of affected farmers. With 2414 suicides in 2009, AP stands third in position out of the total 17,800 in the country during the year as per government of India figures itself. The wrong policies of the state and central governments have created a situation today where every section of peasantry, the landowners, the tenants, the agricultural workers etc are in losses. He criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's response of citing lack of funds when they met him on this issue during the fast undertaken by Chandrababu Naidu. “ If the Rs 1.72 lakh crore of money lost in 2G scam had gone into government coffers, every farmer could have been provided Rs 10,000 input subsidy per acre”, he said. Karat asserted that the struggle against these ruinous policies will be continued along with like-minded parties in the coming days.

CPI deputy general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy punched holes in the government's argument of not having enough money to give to the distressed farmers by citing how each year around 2.5 lakh crores of rupees are given away as tax concessions to the corporate sector and how lakhs of crores of rupees black money is lying stashed away in Swiss banks. He termed the central government 'corrupt' and the state government 'inefficient' and called upon people to rally against these policies.

Chandrababu Naidu in his long speech lambasted the state government for utter disregard to the grave suffering of farmers in the state. Hundreds of deaths, in suicides and heart attacks, following the crop damages have not moved the government, whose leaders are still busy in looting public money. He said this meeting sends out the message to farmers not only in AP but across the country that they are not alone in their struggle. He read out the salient demands of the Guntur Declaration, which are as follows:

 Implement Swaminathan Committee Report immediately.

 To make agriculture viable, link the produce prices to the input prices.

 There should be separate budget for agriculture in state and central governments.

 Increase funding for agricultural infrastructure and research.

 Liberal amounts of credit to farmers at 3 per cent interest.

 Recording of tenant farmers, who belong mostly to SC, ST and BC sections.

 Special policy and funds to artisans whose livelihood has been shattered due to globalisation policies.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org/

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA: FROM FRATERNAL PRESS

‘BRINGING ABOUT DECISIVE TURN IN PEOPLE’S LIFE, BUILDING DPRK AS A PROSPEROUS COUNTRY’

Below we publish excerpts from the joint editorial of DPRK papers Rodong Sinmun, Joson Inmingun and Chongnyon Jonwi on the New Year 2011.

TODAY we are greeting the year 2011, a year filled with hope, a year of new prosperity, after glorifying the stirring first decade of the 21st century as a decade full of great victories.

The last year, 2010, was a year of great changes, when miraculous events that provided a picture of a prosperous tomorrow took place one after another.

The conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which was convened amidst the mounting political enthusiasm of our people and the great interest of the world, proved to be a major milestone in the development of our party eternally into the party of President Kim II Sung and in the enhancing of its leadership authority to the maximum.

The celebrations, held at the highest standard and in a characteristic way greeting the 65th anniversary of the founding of the party, vividly demonstrated before the eyes of the world the might of the single-hearted unity and invincible military strength that reached a new high.

New Year 2011 is a year of general offensive, which a radical turn should be brought about in the building of a thriving nation by kindling more fiercely the flames of great upsurge in improving the people’s standard of living.

General Kim Jong Il said:

“We should bring earlier the bright future of a thriving nation by making continuous innovations and advance, full of confidence in victory.”

Next year we will be greeting the centenary of the birth of President Kim II Sung. President Kim II Sung is the founding father of socialist Korea and pioneer of the cause of building a Juche oriented powerful nation. We should launch an all-out, vigorous offensive for a breakthrough to realise the wish of the president to build a prosperous country, and thus greet the centenary of his birth as the greatest holiday of Kim II Sung’s nation and a great even of humankind.

“Bring about a decisive turn in the improvement of the people’s standard of living and the building of a great, prosperous and powerful country by accelerating the development of light industry once again this year!” This is the militant slogan we should uphold in speeding up the onward march for a great upsurge in the New Year.

Light industry is the major front in the general offensive of this year.

Continuous efforts should be directed to putting the production of consumer goods on a modern, scientific basis. Public and nationwide concern for light industry should be heightened. A great effort should be channelled into putting the production of raw and other materials on a Juche oriented, domestic basis.

The vanguard sectors of the national economy and the sectors of basic industry should be developed further this year.

A revolution in light industry is just a revolution in chemical industry.

The agricultural front is the lifeline for solving the problem of people’s living. We should try to bring about an innovation in agricultural production as the key to giving full play to the advantages of our style of socialism and opening the gates of a thriving country.

Monumental structures for people’s happiness, the construction of the Huichon power station, the coal gasification project in Hungnam, the construction of 100,000 flats in Pyongyang and other major construction projects should be accelerated to the maximum for their completion at the earliest date possible.

An important way to accelerate the speed of the onward march for a great upsurge in the whole of economic construction is to continue to intensify the drive of breaking through the cutting edge.

Greater efforts should be made to spruce up the overall looks of the country as appropriate to a thriving nation.

A decisive guarantee for this year’s successful general onward march is in raising the party’s leadership role in every way.

The party’s leadership system should be established more thoroughly in politics, the military, the economy and all other sectors.

We should further strengthen the militant might of the People’s Army as we hold fast to our Party’s line of the Songun revolution.

The People’s Army should firmly carry forward the precious tradition of absolutely trusting and following the party and the leader and defending them unto death.

The defence industry is a source of the mightiness of Songun Korea and a reliable guarantee for the improvement of the people’s standard of living.

Last year our nation’s movement for the country’s reunification made dynamic progress even in the face of the vicious challenges of the separatist forces inside and outside.

The new decade of the 21st century is the years of hope, years of reunification and prosperity, when the tragedy of national division must be brought to an end.

This year we should launch a more determined campaign to improve inter-Korean relations and reunify the country under the slogan, “Let all Korean in the north, south and abroad join efforts and bring a new phase of independent reunification!”

Confrontation between north and south should be defused as early as possible.

The danger of war should be removed and peace safeguarded in the Korean peninsula.

Dialogue and cooperation should be promoted proactively.

The North-South Joint Declaration is a banner of independent reunification which all the fellow countrymen should invariably hold high and a milestone of national prosperity.

The DPRK is consistent in its stand and will to achieve peace in Northeast Asia and denuclearisation of the whole of the Korean Peninsula. We will, in the future, too strive to develop relations of friendship and cooperation with countries that are friendly towards us and achieve global independence under the ideals of independence peace and friendship.

Let us all bring about a decisive turn in the building of a great prosperous and powerful country in high spirits, firmly rallied around the party central committee.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org/

ANDHRA PRADESH: SPURT IN FARMER SUICIDES; WHAT IT PORTENDS? - A Prasad Rao

THERE is a sudden spurt of farmers’ suicides in Andhra Pradesh after the categorical announcement of state chief minister in the state assembly on December 16 that whatever relief package that has been announced by the government is, by far, the best in the country and that the same will not be improved. The package involved payment of input subsidy at Rs 2400 per acre of paddy besides interest waiver on kharif loans.

As has been reported in these columns, farmers in many districts of the state lost their ready-to-be-harvested crops due to unseasonal rainfall. Paddy has been affected in about 20 lakh hectares. Cotton, vegetables, orchards and few other crops have also been damaged in quite a few lakhs of hectares but the plight of paddy farmers, especially of tenant farmers (mostly belonging to BC and SC community), is the worst. They do not get any benefit from interest waiver and reschedule of loans as they have not been sanctioned any loan.

The number of farmer deaths, according to information of AP Rythu Sangham, has spurted to 275 between December 16, 2010 (the date on which the chief minister made the announcement) and January 1, 2011, at a daily average of over 16 farmers either committing suicide or dying of heart attack. The spate of suicides is continuing unabated. This spurt in suicides is a manifestation of only the tip of the severe problems facing the peasantry. The rot in the economy of farm dependent population is much wider and deeper.

Successive heavy rains and floods during the season, specially during the first week of December, when the paddy crop is either in the midst of harvest or about to be harvested, has caused enormous loss. Input subsidy announced by the government is too meagre, with all cultivation expenses going up. Farmers have been demanding payment of input subsidy at Rs 10,000 per acre. The harvested paddy is discoloured and is of poor quality. Farmers were not getting the Minimum Support Price (MSP) even for normal crop, and therefore it is not surprising that rain/flood damaged paddy is being purchased by the traders at a heavy discount. Though the chief minister in his relief package announced that damaged paddy (up to 20 per cent damage) will be purchased at MSP and that many purchase centres will be opened for this purpose, the reality is that the actual purchase by these centres from the farmers has been very nominal. Most of these affected farmers have raised their crops with heavy borrowing, mostly from private lenders with usury interest. Tenants had to bear land rent additionally, ranging from Rs 8000 to Rs 20,000 per acre depending upon crop and region. Now, the point to be considered is why there is such a sudden spurt of suicides and what does it portend?

OUTCOME OF LPG POLICIES

The implementation of liberalisation-privatisation-globalisation (LPG) policies in manifest form during the last two decades has debilitated the farmers and made them totally debt-dependent for cultivation and even maintenance of family. Debt relief measures announced by the central and state governments in this period have not provided relief because loan waivers covered only debts of public finance institutions, which is only 20-32 per cent of the accumulated debt. The rest is from private sources at usury interest. With no alternative livelihood, such farmers are forced to continue in subsistence farming despite the fact of farming becoming increasingly unviable (slave production). While the richer sections of the farmers left farming due to its uneconomic farming, it is the weaker sections belonging to BCs and SCs who are continuing in farming, by taking such farmers lands on informal lease. With no access to institutional finance, these tenant farmers are forced to resort to private borrowing. This is also manifesting in the fast expansion of tenant farming in the state, and more so in the coastal delta region. Such farmers are not even able to recover the full costs in spite of themselves participating in farm operations.

The tenant farmers have not been receiving any help from the government as their tenancy is not on record. They also do not receive any input subsidy in case of natural calamity losses. It is becoming clear that such farmers have not believed the chief minister, from their past experience, even when he announced that tenants will also be paid input subsidy. It is these and other landowning small farmers, who are facing unbearable distress, who are now resorting to suicides.

FIRE FIGHTING NATURE OF GOVT ACTIONS

It is not that the governments have not been doing anything during LPG period to address farmers’ distress, even if it was driven to meet electoral requirements. It has been spending thousands of crores of rupees to support farm operations, which are not keeping pace with increasing costs. Both the centre and AP state governments have spent over Rs 13,000 and Rs 5,000 crore, respectively, towards debt waiver. But these amounts have not benefited all farmers, especially the small and tenant farmers. Moreover, such ad hoc measures have not addressed the core issues confronted by the farmers. These actions of the government are only knee jerk reactions, designed more to meet electoral requirements rather than solve or address farmers' problems in their totality. The intensification of farmers’ distress, as at present, only establishes the fact that the actions so far taken by the government are only of fire fighting nature, that too without using enough water to douse the fire.

The real intention of the government agenda – of corporatising and globalising agriculture – has become clear from the refusal of the central government to implement Swaminathan’s 'National Commission on Farmers' report or from the refusal of the Andhra Pradesh state government to implement Professor Jayathi Ghosh’s 'Farmers Welfare Commission', both appointed by respective governments. Even the disastrous experience of LPG policies for well over 25 years on the livelihood of farm dependent population is not making the ruling parties to have a rethink about the farm policies being pursued. They are continuing with their agenda of corporatising and globalising Indian agriculture, unmindful of what it entails to the farm dependent population and to the nation’s fragile democracy and sovereignty. The lackadaisical response of the governments at the centre and in the state to the present spurt of suicides in Andhra Pradesh confirms the same.

WORST YET TO COME

The worst is yet to come with the impact from the legislations being enacted – Seed Bill, Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill, Protection of Public Funded Research Patents Bill etc – and various other measures being contemplated by the govvernment. The FTA agreements either already made or under negotiation, FDI in multibrand retail trade, total withdrawal of fertilizer subsidies, which is high on the agenda of economic reforms plan, privatisation of extension service etc will together complete the vicious encirclement of farmers, who are already in severe distress. These will hasten corporatisation of agriculture and take away whatever little rights and land that farmers have at present. This will be accomplished through virtualisation, eliminating tilling farmers altogether from farming, the dream of liberalisers.

Under corporate farming, with virtualised rights and real obligations, all choices of farmers simply vanish, except as those decided by corporate managements, who lack credibility. Under contract farming, debt-dependent cultivation, foisting corporate centric technology and price/ market operations are the instruments of subjugation, which make farm dependent population totally subservient to corporate needs and greed. This forces the farm dependent population to live only with obligations / duties to work to live, with only virtual rights and assets, akin to slaves. With corporate mergers and acquisitions, associated farm dependent population becomes a saleable commodity, even without their knowledge leave alone consent. This completes the definition of ‘slaves’ and slave mode of production in agriculture in the 21st century under globalisation. This should never be allowed to occur. This will also have devastating consequences to our democratic functioning and sovereignty, however imperfect they are at present. Farm dependent population, food security and nation’s democracy and sovereignty need to be saved from these disastrous consequences through mass mobilisation and pro-active action plan, lest our posterity will not forgive us.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org/

TAMLUK: PURBA MEDINIPUR ZILLA PARISHAD STANDS LAST IN RESPECT OF CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES FOR POOR PEOPLE

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NIRUPAM SEN CLAIMS THAT DESPITE DISASTEROUS AGITATION OF OPPOSITION, WEST BENGAL RECEIVED HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF INVESTMENT IN THE COUNTRY

ALL BENGAL TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION PLEDGES TO MAINTAIN ACADEMIC ATMOSPHERE IN SCHOOLS

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EDITORIAL OF GANASHAKTI DATED 03-01-2011: KABIR SUMAN EXPOSES OPEN ALLIANCE BETWEEN MAMATA AND CPI (MAOIST)

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SRIRAMPUR-HOOGHLY: MEETING HELD TO PROTEST AGAINST ANTI-PEOPLE POLICES OF MAMATA BANERJEE AND UPA GOVERNMENT

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CHAKDAHA-NADIA: DEMOCRATIC YOUTH FEDERATION OF INDIA ON THE STREETS PROTESTING AGAINST PRICE RISE AND ANTI-PEOPLE POLICES OF MAMATA LED UPA GOVERNMENT

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BANSDRONI-KOLKATA: PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES WIN AT CHAKDAH GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL

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KALYANI-NADIA: CPI (M) WORKERS COLLECT DONATIONS FOR FAMILIES OF MARTYERS

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BISHNUPUR-SOUTH 24 PARGANAS: SUJAN CHAKRABORTY AND OTHER CPI (M) LEADERS CALL UPON TO RESIST BUTCHERS/GESTAPOES OF FASCIST MAMATA BANERJEE

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BHAWANIPUR-HALDIA: NEW SUB DIVISIONAL JAIL TO BE INAUGURATED BY BISWANATH CHOUDHURY

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SINGUR, HOOGHLY: CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL MASS MEETING ON 09-01-10 TO BE ADDRESSED BY BUDDHADEB BHATTACHARJEE

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ALL INDIA INDO-KOREAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION: ‘US TROOPS MUST LEAVE SOUTH KOREA’

All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association issued the following statement, through its general secretary, Suneet Chopra, on December 28, 2010.

THE All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association greets Comrade Kim Jong Il on the 19th anniversary of his appointment as Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army. The special significance of this event is the planning and implementation of the army first (Songun) policy of the socialist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea which, in today’s world has a significance beyond the borders of Korea as US imperialism with little respect for the sovereign rights of states, will resort to wars of destruction against any state resisting its dictates. So a military defence against military attacks is essential to maintain the independence and democratic rights of all peoples unwilling to follow the unstable and declining journey of the USA today.

We note further that no fraud or threat is too shameful to be perpetrated by US imperialism. Just as the Bush administration used to fake ploy of “weapons of mass destruction” to destroy Iraq and kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis in a war that has ruined that once prosperous country and made it a hotbed of sectarian violence, the Obama administration attempted a trumped up shipwreck (in which some 46 sailors were killed, but no officers) earlier this year to foment tension between the DPRK and South Korea, claiming that a torpedo fired by the North had been used, without the flimsiest proof that was the cause of the shipwreck and not its having been damaged by an undersea rocky outcrop, as a number of specialists pointed out.

Failing to convince the South Korean people and the world of their charges, the US continued to prod the South’s president, Lee Myung-bak, on to provocative military manoeuvres which have raised tensions to the level of the Korean War of 1952-53, which ended with the ignominious defeat of the USA and the signing of the Armistice after nearly four hundred thousand US soldiers and their allies had either been taken prisoner or died in a war in which they spared neither Korean combatants nor women and children. The military success of the DPRK alone prevented the whole peninsula being reduced to a “protectorate” of the USA as it demanded at the Tehran conference in 1945.

The excuse given was that forty years of US control was necessary to teach the Koreans democracy. The stability of the DPRK, led by the Korean Workers Party under the guidance of its outstanding leader, Com. Kim Il Sung, and the strategy of self-reliance (Juche) stand out in stark contrast to the governments of the South, peppered with discontent, dictatorship and military rule.

Unnerved by the stability and continuity of socialist DPRK, the US imperialists feel they can no longer rely on false promises like a heavy water reactor (offered by President Clinton) in return for DPRK dismantling its nuclear reactor, which was begun but with no response from the USA, so direct military intervention has been resorted to recently.

We know that the US does not have the capacity to face the united strength of the Korean people and a DPRK steeled by its army first policy. The South Korean people too are unwilling to face a conflict that will harm them, as is evident from the desperate appeals of President Lee to the people to stand by the warlike postures USA has thrust on him. We, however, feel, the moderation shown by the DPRK in the face of gross military provocations is exemplary and the use of civilian populations to shield military outposts of the South merit international condemnation. We appeal to the peace-loving people of the world to come out in support of the DPRK’s firm but mature response and condemn not only Lee’s sabre-rattling, but also to demand the exit of thousands of US troops still in South Korea and the reunification of the Koreas as the majority of the people want. We hope that the ongoing policies of self-reliance, army first and world opinion will ensure that this will come about in the coming year.

Source: People’s Democracy

JYOTI BASU NAGAR IS RISING ITS HEAD AGAINST GESTAPOES OF MAMATA-MAOIST-SUCI-CONGRESS-MEDIA-INTELLECTUAL NEXUS

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LEFT FRONT GOVERNMENT IN WEST BENGAL TO TO BE RE-ELECTED FOR 8TH SUCCESSIVE TERM MAKING A HISTORY IN THE WORLD

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IS HOME MINISTER P. CHIDAMBRAM BEING REMOVED ?

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LALGARH, WEST BENGAL: PEOPLE RESIST BUTCHERS AND GESTAPOES OF MAMATA-MAOIST-SUCI-CONGRESS-MEDIA-INTELLECTUAL NEXUS

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DHANBAD, JHARKHAND: COLLIERY WORKER OF TATA-SIJUA COALMINE DIES IN ACCIDENT

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S. WAJED ALI

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MAMATA BANERJEE TURNS INDIAN RAILWAYS INTO HER PERSONAL PROPERTY

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KOLKATA: GESTAPOES OF MAMATA BANERJEE ENGAGE IN HOOLIGANISM IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF KOLKATA ON NEW YEAR DAY

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PRANAB MUKHERJEE IS NOT READY TO SPEAK IN THE LANGUAGE OF P. CHIDAMBRAM

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SAFDAR HASHMI REMEMBERED

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P. CHIDAMBRAM'S LETTER TO BUDDHADEB BHATTACHARJEE IS ACTUALLY A LEAFLET OF MAMATA-MAOIST-SUCI-CONGRESS NEXUS

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ALL INDIA DEMOCRATIC WOMENS ASSOCIATION ON VARIOUS ISSUES

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P. CHIDAMBRAM MUST REPLY TO 3 QUESTIONS

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EDITORIAL OF GANASHAKTI DATED 02-01-2010 ON SILENCE OF DR. MANMOHAN SINGH ON NEXUS BETWEEN MAMATA AND CPI (MAOIST)

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ALIA UNIVERSITY: SAIYAD SHAMSUL ALAM WRITES ON ITS GLORY

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KOLKATA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION: PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES IN TOTAL MESS

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KOLKATA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION WITHHOLDS 40,000 TRADE LICENCES

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DUMDUM: MEETING IN REMEMBRANCE OF COMRADE SUNIL SEN

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PANIHATI: STUDENTS FEDERATION OF INDIA OBSERVES ITS FORTY YEARS

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DHULAGORI, HOWRAH: ALL ROADS WILL MEET AT THE VENUE OF MEETING OF CPI (M)

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MAOIST MAMATA BANERJEE GUIDES P. CHIDAMBRAM HOW TO RUN HOME MINISTERY

D.O. No. 119-CM

December 28, 2010

Dear Shri Chidambram,

Kindly refer to your secret letter dated 21/22 December, 2010 which had been published in the media before it reached my office on 27.12.2010 at 11 A.M.

Your assessment of the situation in the State of West Bengal is surprising and is far from an impartial overview of the situation. Maoists have spread from across the bordering states and with the help of small section of local people are creating problems mostly in 28 police stations in three districts of West Bengal. They are trying to create their own areas of dominance. They are indiscriminately killing political opponents and even innocent people. They are attacking police stations, police camps and looting arms. They are also engaged in large scale extortions and other unlawful activities.

You are fully aware of these activities of the Maoists. The greatest challenge is how to contain the Maoists and defeat them finally both administratively and politically.

In recent times State and Central Police through their joint efforts have achieved major successes. Peace and normalcy have been restored in vast areas. People who were evicted earlier are going back to their homes. Govt/Panchayat office are functioning normally and so are the schools, markets and shops. Life is gradually coming back to normalcy in these areas but still we have problem in the areas bordering our state. Trinamool Congress which was earlier maintaining secret contacts with Maoist leaders and outfits are now openly organising meetings with them.

CPI (M) and it allies are trying their best to resist the Maoists by mobilizing people against them and in the process have lost more than 170 of their workers and leaders. Unfortunately, you are now blaming them for the present state of affairs. I am afraid it will divert the attention of all concerned who are struggling against Maoists, the greatest threat to our internal security.

As regards political clashes mentioned in your letter I would like to correct your figures. 32 Trinamool Congress supporters have been killed and 601 have suffered injuries while CPI (M) have lost 69 of their cadres and another 723 have been injured. Indian National Congress has lost one of their supporters and 111 have been injured during the period mentioned in your letter. I, however, agree that it is not a happy situation and I am doing my best to stop these senseless killings. I have repeatedly appealed to all the opposition parties to cooperate. All the parties except Trinamool Congress have come forward to cooperate. Trinamool Congress has refused to talk to administration. I am trying to disarm and demoblise all armed groups engaged in violence in some pockets of the state.

I strongly object to your using the word “Harmad” to mean the CPI (M) party workers without knowing the actual meaning of this nasty word coined by Trinamool Congress leaders.

More when we meet.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

Sd/-

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

Shri P. Chidambram

Union Home Minister

New Delhi-110 001