Friday, October 30, 2009

[Marxistindia] Condolence - Com. P Mohan

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)

Condolence

Comrade P Mohan

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its
deep grief at the death of Comrade P Mohan, former MP and member of the
Tamilnadu State Committee of the Party. He died last evening at a
Chennai hospital. He was 60.


Comrade P Mohan was an activist in the student movement before he joined
the Party in 1973. He worked as the District Secretary of the Democratic
Youth Federation of India in Madurai later on. He served as the
Secretary of the Madurai Urban district of the Party for some time. He
was a member of the Tamilnadu State Committee of the CPI(M) for the past
15 years.


P Mohan conducted various big struggles in Madurai. Notable among them
was the one for improving facilities at the Madurai District Hospital
during the course of which he was brutally attacked by the police and
had to be hospitalised for a long time.


He was elected as a Member of the Lok Sabha from Madurai for two
consecutive terms in 1999 and 2004. As an MP he effectively raised
issues concerning the people of Tamilnadu in parliament.


P Mohan will be remembered as a tireless worker, who was known for his
simplicity and utmost dedication to the cause of the common people. His
death is a big loss for the Party in Tamilnadu


The Polit Bureau conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife and
children.

For Central Committee Office

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Sunday, October 25, 2009

[Marxistindia] C.C. Resolution On Climate Change

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news from the cpi(m)
Central Committee Resolution

On Climate Change

(Adopted at the Central Committee meeting held on October 23-25, 2009)

1. The problem of climate change has reached crisis proportions. The
scientific consensus as represented in the reports of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is that the
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is rapidly
approaching levels beyond which irreversible and potentially
catastrophic global warming and other changes in climate could occur.
While these changes will affect all of humanity, it is clear that the
worst effects would be felt by the poor especially in the developing
world. India is likely to be among the worst affected regions, with
erratic and unseasonal rainfall, melting of Himalayan glaciers, floods
and droughts, changes in crop behaviour including sharp drop in
production of cereals, and rising sea-levels inundating coastal areas
including major cities.


2. The forthcoming global Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 is
expected to finalize international Treaty arrangements under the
auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to
reduce global emissions and restrict atmospheric greenhouse gas
concentrations. Despite mounting evidence of the grave threats posed by
climate change, the US and other industrialized countries appear hell
bent on sabotaging these efforts. They are undermining the UNFCCC
framework of "common but differentiated responsibility" of developed and
developing countries wherein the former are required to undertake
binding emission cuts while the latter would be assisted through funds
and technology transfer to adapt to climate change and adopt low-carbon
development strategies.The advanced countries led by the US in fact seek
to shift the burden of the crisis on to the developing countries,
especially India, China and other so-called "emerging economies".


3. Climate change and the unfolding dynamics of the global climate
negotiations are clear manifestations of the predatory character of
capitalism. Climate change has been caused by the illicit appropriation
and occupation of the global atmospheric commons by the industrialized
countries. The US and its allies are now pushing hard to structurally
build these inequities into the global Climate Treaty arrangements. The
refusal of the advanced capitalist countries to provide funds as
compensation for the environmental damage caused and the imposition of
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) restrictions on transfer of
technologies are part of the overall attempt to perpetuate the
inequalities in the global order.


4. The Kyoto Protocol, in trying to redress these inequities, had set
binding emission reduction targets for the developed countries while
exempting developing countries from such obligations, instead calling
upon them to take appropriate measures commensurate with their national
capabilities. Developed countries have blatantly violated their Treaty
obligations to reduce emissions by 5 percent compared to 1990 baseline
levels by now. On the contrary, their cumulative emissions went up by 10
percent, while that of the US which refused to join the Treaty went up
by a massive 17 percent. With the dangerously advancing crisis, IPCC has
now called upon developed countries to commit to deep emission cuts of
40 percent by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050. Far from doing so, the
developed countries are continually diluting even their earlier
commitments, the EU offering a mere 20 percent and the US just 3 percent
with respect to 1990 levels. Most damagingly, in the run-up to
Copenhagen, the US and its key allies are seeking to altogether abandon
the UNFCCC framework and Kyoto principles of differential
responsibilities for developed and developing countries, instead putting
them in the same bracket.


5. The official Indian position vis-à-vis the international
negotiations, as well as its actions within the country, have been
seriously wanting. Far from seriously countering these US-led efforts,
the Indian government while formally maintaining that it is sticking to
the Kyoto principles, has been giving overt and covert support to the US
position in a number of ways. There are clear signs that India is
tacitly going along with US efforts to dilute the Copenhagen outcome by
emphasizing general goals, some unequal technology collaborations and
postponing if not abandoning the requisite stiff emission reduction
targets for developed countries. Regardless of the recent differences
within sections of the government on negotiating positions, with the
Minister of Environment and Forests Advocating a more blatantly pro-US
position, the overall trend is towards India collaborating with the US
as part of an overall Indo-US strategic partnership. These moves must be
resisted by all progressive sections in the interests of humanity,
especially the poor, and as part of the struggle against capitalist
globalization.


6. India has adopted a National Action Plan on Climate Change and has
recently announced a series of measures to conserve energy and reduce
emissions. Unilateral Indian actions alone to reduce emissions will not
reduce the impact on India, because climate change is a global
phenomenon not just a national one. On the other hand, India can and
should adopt an action plan to reduce emission growth rates, not
unilaterally but based on reciprocal actions i.e. conditional upon the
US and other developed countries adopting the deep emission cut goals
recommended by the IPCC. This would not only be an appropriate response
to the serious crisis humanity is facing but could also alter the
dynamics of the climate negotiations. Such an action plan would also
enable greater accountability towards a more responsible and socially
equitable developmental trajectory within India.


7. More than half of Indian households, mostly the poor in rural areas,
have no access to modern energy. Energy inequality in India is a major
factor in poor human development of the majority of the Indian people.
Policies of the government, especially one that claims to work for the
aam aadmi, should be reoriented specifically to deliver more energy to
these sections and should form an integral component of all poverty
alleviation endeavours. This will inevitably result in increase of
emissions that must be compensated by energy conservation measures
related to better-off sections of society and sectors of the economy.
Corporate India must also adhere to a trajectory that does not damage
the environment, people's health and social justice. Environmentally
sustainable and socially equitable development are inextricably
intertwined. The CPI(M) demands adoption of a clear and targeted set of
policies harmonizing domestic and international concerns aimed at
promoting both climate justice and social equity.


In light of the above, the CPI(M) demands of the Government that:


* India firmly resists pressure from the US and other advanced countries
to abandon the Kyoto and UNFCCC framework and sticks to the principles
of common but differentiated responsibilities for developed and
developing countries

* India should continue to press for fund and technology transfers from
developed to developing countries as compensation for damage caused by
historical emissions, and freeing of technology transfers from IPR
restrictions

* India take up and announce measures for control and reduction of
growth rates of emissions not unilaterally but only conditional upon the
US and other Annex-1 advanced countries undertaking the deep emission
cuts as called for by the IPCC

* India work closely with the G5 group of large developing countries and
with the G77, especially the Least Developed Countries and the Small
Island Developing States, and maintain the unity of the developing
countries

* India move pro-actively on adaptation measures and to reduce energy
inequality within the country so that India's climate policies serve to
advance the interests of India's poor and protect them from the worst
effects of climate change.

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[Marxistindia] Central Committee Communique

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news from the cpi(m)
Press Communique


The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a
meeting from October 23 to 25, 2009 at New Delhi. It has issued the
following statement:


The Central Committee took stock of the international and national
situation and the developments since its last meeting held in July
2009.


Alarming Price Rise


The Central Committee expressed its serious concern at the continuing
relentless price rise of food items and of all essential commodities.
The unprecedented rise in the prices of food grains, dal, sugar, edible
oil and vegetables is causing immense hardships to the people. Inflation
measured by the Consumer Price Index (Industrial Workers) stood at 11.72
per cent in August and the Consumer Price Index (Agricultural Workers)
stood at 13.19 in September 2009. Currently India has one of the highest
consumer price inflation rates in the world.


In the face of this alarming price rise, the attitude of the
Congress-led government is shockingly callous. All that it promises is
that the prices will come down some time in the future. The demand made
by the Left parties to prohibit speculative futures trading in essential
commodities and a crackdown on hoarding have been ignored.


The inaction of the government on the price front has resulted in
increased suffering for the ordinary people.


Agrarian Scenario


The peasantry and the rural poor have been badly hit by the severe
drought which affected nearly 300 districts across the country. There
has been a shortfall in the cultivation of paddy and many other crops.
At the advent of the Rabi season many states are facing a situation of
unprecedented floods and destruction of standing crops. Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal and parts
of Kerala have witnessed loss of standing crops due to heavy rainfall
and floods. The provision of drought relief by the Centre and the
concerned state governments have been either tardy or non-existent.


The Central Committee resolved to continue with the campaign against
price rise, for drought relief and for food security. In this
connection, the Left parties have been holding conventions and state
level rallies will be held in the month of November.


UPA Government's Economic Policy


The Central Committee noted that the second UPA government is bent upon
pursuing the same neo-liberal policies. The Central Government has
embarked upon disinvestment in profitable public sector units including
navaratnas like the NTPC. The Government has taken a $ 2 billion loan
from the World Bank to recapitalise some public sector banks. Given the
World Bank conditionalities, this is a precursor for disinvestment of
shares in public sector banks.


The Direct Taxes Code Bill proposed by the government has several
regressive provisions and would led to a significant loss of revenue.
The corporate tax rate is proposed to be reduced from 30 per cent to 25
per cent and other measures such as reducing the rate of wealth tax and
capital gains and give more relief to the upper bracket of tax payers.
The UPA government wants the rich to be richer by cutting taxes. This
also exposes its lack of commitment in raising resources to fund social
welfare measures.


The UPA government is also in the process of implementing neo-liberal
reforms in several areas. The proposal to amend the FDI limit in the
insurance sector and the legislation to allow FDI in higher education
are among them.


The Central Committee strongly opposed the disinvestment of shares in
the profitable public sector units. In this connection, the Central
Committee fully supported the call of the central trade unions who are
observing a protest day on October 28 on this and other demands.


Doha Road & Climate Change:

Succumbing to Pressure


The Central Committee voiced its strong disapproval of the way the UPA
government is resiling from stated positions and giving in to pressure
of the United States and other western countries. This is evident in the
changing stance in the Doha round of the WTO negotiations and the
Climate Change talks. The End Use Monitoring Agreement with the United
States on arms purchased from it, is another instance of succumbing to
pressures.


The Central Committee decided to mobilise public opinion against the
government succumbing to such pressures and adopting positions which are
not in the interests of the country.


The Central Committee adopted a resolution on Climate Change and the
stand India should take in the Climate Change talks. (The resolution is
being released separately.)


Nuclear Liability Law


The Central Committee noted that the proposed legislation on Nuclear
Liability is being brought to favour the US companies which will supply
nuclear reactors to India. Given the bitter experience of the accident
at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal 25 years ago, any law for liability
in the case of nuclear accidents should ensure that the suppliers of the
reactors are made to pay adequate compensation and the liability cannot
rest on the operators and the Government of India.


3rd December this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas
Tragedy. The Party will observe this anniversary and highlight the
necessity to ensure the liability of multinational companies who will
supply nuclear reactors to India.


Maoist Attacks


The Central Committee strongly condemned the vicious violence unleashed
by the Maoist squads in various parts of the country. In West Bengal,
the Maoists have targetted the CPI(M) and have killed more than 60
members and supporters of the Party in the past few months. They have
killed a CPI(M) cadre in Chattisgarh recently. The Central Committee
decided to conduct a campaign against the disruptive activities and
politics of the Maoists and to mobilise the people against such forces.


West Bengal


Since the Lok Sabha elections, in West Bengal there have been continuing
attacks on the CPI(M) and the Left Front. In a number of places the
Trinamul-Congress combine have unleashed violence directed at the
CPI(M), its offices and houses of its supporters. Many families have
been displaced from their homes. Such attacks are taking place in
conjunction with the Maoist attacks in the border districts.


The CPI(M) will continue to organise the people for their legitimate
demands and rights. At the same time, the Party will mobilise the people
to resist such attacks. The Party units all over the country will step
up their campaign in solidarity with the Party and the Left in West
Bengal and to expose the sinister nature of these attacks.


Asean FTA


The Central Committee reiterated the Party's opposition to the terms and
conditions of the Free Trade Agreement with the Asean countries which
will prove detrimental to agriculture, fisheries and certain sectors of
industry.


In this connection, the Central Committee congratulated the Kerala State
Committee of the CPI(M) for organising a human chain across the state on
October 2 which saw the participation of 20 lakh people.


Hindutva Terrorist Groups


The recent death of two persons carrying explosives in Goa, highlights
the threat from certain extremist Hindutva groups in the country. The
Sanathan Sanstha which is responsible for collecting such explosives is
part of the network which was uncovered after the Malegaon blast last
year. Firm action should be taken against such groups to suppress such
illegal activities.


Sri Lanka


In the situation obtaining after the crushing of the LTTE, two and a
half lakh people of Tamil origin have been living in refugee camps in
the Northern region. The Sri Lankan government had committed to
rehabilitate and return people to their homes within six months. Yet,
this process has not taken place as planned. The Government of India
must exert all efforts to ensure the speedy return of all displaced
people and their full rehabilitation. There are concerns about human
rights violations which needs to be investigated and addressed by the
Sri Lankan government.


The Sri Lankan Government has not yet taken any effective steps for a
political solution to the Tamil problem by providing full autonomy in
the Tamil-speaking areas. The Central Committee urged the Sri Lankan
government to take meaningful steps in this direction. The Government of
India should take political and diplomatic measures in this regard.


Rectification Campaign


The Central Committee discussed and adopted a document for initiating a
rectification campaign in the Party. The process of the rectification
campaign at the political, ideological and organisational level is to
remove the wrong trends and shortcomings so that the Party emerges more
unified and strengthened. The recent document has updated the 1996
rectification campaign report and is based on the experience of the
Party in the last twelve years.


The document has prepared guidelines for strengthening democratic
centralism as the organisational principle of the Party, ensuring proper
integration of parliamentary and extra-parliamentary work, maintenance
of communist norms and values and remoulding the outlook of the Party
members towards upholding progressive values. Guidelines for conducting
the rectification campaign have been set out. The rectification campaign
based on this document, will be initiated at all levels of the Party.

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Friday, October 23, 2009

[Marxistindia] Resolution on West Bengal Martyrs

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news from the cpi(m)

Press Release


The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) now in
session in New Delhi adopted the following resolution:


West Bengal Martyrs

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) salutes
the 124 martyrs who have been killed in the pre and post poll violence
unleashed by the anti-Left forces in various parts of West Bengal
between March 3 and October 22, 2009. More than half of them were killed
by Maoist gangs. 120 of them belonged to the CPI(M) while four belonged
to other Left Front partners. Two of them were children from families of
CPI(M) members.


The Central Committee salutes the memory of these comrades who have
become victims of the depredations of extremist Maoist gangs and the
Trinamul Congress party combine. These brave martyrs laid down their
lives holding high the red banner of the Party and its cause.


The Central Committee is confident that the ultimate sacrifice of these
comrades will not go in vain.


The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) dips its
red banner in salute to these martyrs.


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[Marxistindia] Telecom Minister Should Quit

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
October 23, 2009


Press Release

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) now in
session in New Delhi has issued the following statement:

Telecom Probe: Minister Should Step Down

The CBI investigation into the allotment of 2G spectrum licences to some
private companies by the Department of Telecommunications is a long
overdue step. The Central Vigilance Commission had directed the CBI to
conduct the enquiry into the scam which involves a loss of Rs. 60,000
crore to the public exchequer. The CBI is questioning certain officials
and has searched the premises of the department.


It is shocking that the Communications Minister, Shri A Raja, has
reiterated that he will continue in office despite the investigation.
The Minister cannot evade his responsibility and involvement in the
matter when all his explanations for adopting the first come first serve
policy have proved baseless. In the interests of having a fair probe, it
is essential that the Minister not continue in office.

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Monday, October 19, 2009

[Marxistindia] Climate Change: No Moving Away from Basic Position

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
October 20, 2009


Press Statement


The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued
the following statement:


Climate Change: No Moving Away From Basic Position


The press reports and the publication of the Minister for Environment
and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh's letter to the Prime Minister, calling
for an about turn on India's long held climate change negotiating
position are deeply disturbing.


There has been a national consensus on the major elements of India's
climate change policy. These include convergence of per capita emissions
by developed and developing nations, the principle of common but
differentiated responsibility in tackling global warming, immediate and
sharp cuts in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions to be undertaken by the
rich industrialised countries that today have contributed to the bulk of
GHG stock in the atmosphere and the provision, by the developed
countries, of technology and adaptation financing for the developing
countries as a small measure for repayment of this carbon debt.


The Minister's letter is a complete move away from these basic positions
and seems only to focus on strategically aligning India with the US on
climate policy and breaking ranks with the entire bloc of developing
countries.


The Climate Change negotiations once again show that measures critical
to the country are being negotiated away without any discussion within
the country or in parliament. The CPI(M) demands that Parliament lay
down the basic principles of the climate change negotiating positions
and any change of these positions should be done only by parliament.


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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

[Marxistindia] resending Letter addressed by Brinda Karat, MP to the Health Minister on shortage of vaccines

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
October 12, 2009

Dear Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad ji,


I write to draw your attention to an impending shortage of vaccines
required for the universal immunization programme. It is ironic that
while national attention has been on the production of new vaccines for
swine flu with the private sector competing to capture the market, the
more basic needs of crores of our children for protection against
diseases some of which are life threatening are neglected.


According to information provided by the Ministry of Health in response
to an RTI application the extent of shortages are as follows:


REQUIREMENT
(IN CRORES)


2008-09
PROCUREMENT


2009-10
PROCUREMENT


SHORTAGE


BCG


10.25


8.89


10.11



DPT


18.19


14.10


14.31


9 Crores


DT


4.79


4.47


0



OPV


19.79


17.88


16.63


3 Crores


TT


17.83


13.78


13.69


3.14 Crores


MEASLES


4.78


4.98


3.88


90 Lakh


TOTAL


75.63


64.10


58.32



SHORTAGE



11.22


17



% OF SHORTAGE



14.50 %


22 %



Thus the crucial protection essential against diseases like diptheria,
measles and even against tetanus is gravely undermined by shortages to
the extent of 17 crores doses. Shockingly the situation which was bad
enough in 2008-2009 with an overall shortfall of around 14.5 per cent,
further deteriorated in 2009-2010 to a shortfall between requirement and
procurement of 22 per cent.


According to Government statistics the percentage of children covered
through the universal immunization programme has shown a steady
increase. If the figures are correct and the projected requirements are
also accurate then the failure of the Ministry to procure adequate
number of vaccines has to be explained and accountability fixed. If on
the other hand there are adequate stocks with the Centre and State
Governments the implications are that the figures of immunization are
false and exaggerated and that since a fewer number of children are
getting immunized the requirement is less. In either case the central
issue is the undermining of the universal immunization programme and the
serious consequences it has for crores of our children, infants and new
born babies.


Contd. … 2 …


: 2 :


Another aspect of the shortages is related to the shortsighted policy of
closing down the vaccine producing PSUs by the previous UPA Government.
After your assumption as Union Health Minister you had given a
categorical statement in Parliament which was appreciated across party
lines, that the units will be reopened for production of vaccines.
Regrettably this has not happened and dependence on private sector has
grown.


I request you to kindly look into the issue of shortages of vaccines and
take urgent steps to procure vaccines in adequate quantities to avert a
health disaster. I also request you to ensure that the authorities
concerned take urgent and adequate steps to restart full production of
vaccines in the PSU units which had been closed down.


Thanking you,


Yours sincerely,


BRINDA KARAT

Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad

Hon'ble Minister for Health and

Family Welfare

G.O.I. New Delhi


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[Marxistindia] Letter from Brinda Karat to Health Minister Regarding shortage of vaccines

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)


October 12, 2009


Dear Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad ji,


I write to draw your attention to an impending shortage of vaccines
required for the universal immunization programme. It is ironic that
while national attention has been on the production of new vaccines for
swine flu with the private sector competing to capture the market, the
more basic needs of crores of our children for protection against
diseases some of which are life threatening are neglected.


According to information provided by the Ministry of Health in response
to an RTI application the extent of shortages are as follows:


REQUIREMENT
(IN CRORES)


2008-09
PROCUREMENT


2009-10
PROCUREMENT


SHORTAGE


BCG


10.25


8.89


10.11



DPT


18.19


14.10


14.31


9 Crores


DT


4.79


4.47


0



OPV


19.79


17.88


16.63


3 Crores


TT


17.83


13.78


13.69


3.14 Crores


MEASLES


4.78


4.98


3.88


90 Lakh


TOTAL


75.63


64.10


58.32



SHORTAGE



11.22


17



% OF SHORTAGE



14.50 %


22 %



Thus the crucial protection essential against diseases like diptheria,
measles and even against tetanus is gravely undermined by shortages to
the extent of 17 crores doses. Shockingly the situation which was bad
enough in 2008-2009 with an overall shortfall of around 14.5 per cent,
further deteriorated in 2009-2010 to a shortfall between requirement and
procurement of 22 per cent.


According to Government statistics the percentage of children covered
through the universal immunization programme has shown a steady
increase. If the figures are correct and the projected requirements are
also accurate then the failure of the Ministry to procure adequate
number of vaccines has to be explained and accountability fixed. If on
the other hand there are adequate stocks with the Centre and State
Governments the implications are that the figures of immunization are
false and exaggerated and that since a fewer number of children are
getting immunized the requirement is less. In either case the central
issue is the undermining of the universal immunization programme and the
serious consequences it has for crores of our children, infants and new
born babies.


Another aspect of the shortages is related to the shortsighted policy of
closing down the vaccine producing PSUs by the previous UPA Government.
After your assumption as Union Health Minister you had given a
categorical statement in Parliament which was appreciated across party
lines, that the units will be reopened for production of vaccines.
Regrettably this has not happened and dependence on private sector has
grown.


I request you to kindly look into the issue of shortages of vaccines and
take urgent steps to procure vaccines in adequate quantities to avert a
health disaster. I also request you to ensure that the authorities
concerned take urgent and adequate steps to restart full production of
vaccines in the PSU units which had been closed down.


Thanking you,


Yours sincerely,


BRINDA KARAT

Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad

Hon'ble Minister for Health and

Family Welfare

G.O.I. New Delhi


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Monday, October 12, 2009

[Marxistindia] On taking bribes from US firms

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
October 13, 2009

Press Statement


The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued
the following statement:


CPI(M) Demands Strong Action against

Persons taking Bribes from US Firms


The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its grave concern at the report
of the Indian officials accepting bribes from US companies for showing
special favours to them and awarding them major facilities and
contracts.


In case of Dow Chemicals, the matter is extremely serious since the
bribes were taken by Indian officials to register and allow sale of
pesticide banned in USA as they were harmful to children. The US
government imposed heavy penalty against the company for its criminal
behaviour. Despite promise of enquiry by CBI two years ago, the matter
has not been brought to light so far.


The CPI(M) demands that all US firms involved in giving bribes should be
blacklisted forthwith and the persons who received the bribes should be
identified and be given stringent punishment.


The CPI(M) demands that the government of India should investigate and
take firm action against involvement of all other officials taking
kickbacks from foreign companies for showing special favours to them
against India's national interests.


eom


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Sunday, October 11, 2009

[Marxistindia] polit bureau communique

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)

October 12, 2009

Press Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New
Delhi on October 11, 2009. It has issued the following statement:


Floods

In Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka


The Polit Bureau expressed its deep concern at the devastation caused by
the floods in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in which more than 200 people
have lost their lives. There has been immense damage to houses and
properties. The floods have destroyed crops and cattle.


It should be declared a national calamity and a massive effort has to be
undertaken for relief and rehabilitation.


Movement Against

Price Rise And For Food Security


The Polit Bureau sharply criticised the failure of the Central
Government to take effective measures to check the continuous price rise
of food items and essential commodities. The Polit Bureau heard reports
about the holding of state conventions organised by the Left parties
against price rise, drought and for food security. The Polit Bureau
directed that necessary preparationsbe made for the holding of the state
level rallies on these issues in the month of November.


MPs Delegation to Sri Lanka


A delegation of MPs from Tamilnadu is visiting Sri Lanka to enquire into
the situation about the displaced Tamil people in the refugee camps. The
Polit Bureau criticised the decision to send a delegation of only MPs
from the ruling alliance without taking MPs from the opposition parties
in Tamilnadu. On such an issue as the welfare of the Tamil minority
people in Sri Lanka, there should be no partisan approach.


International Meeting of

Communist & Workers Parties


The Polit Bureau heard reports on the preparations for the
11thInternational meeting of the communist and workers' parties that is
being held from 20-22 November 2009 in New Delhi. This meeting is
co-hosted by Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of
India. The theme of the meeting is "The international capitalist crisis,
the workers' and peoples' struggle, the alternatives and the role of the
communist and working class movement".


The meeting is taking place at a time when the working people the world
over have been severely affected by the global financial crisis. Bail
out packages proposed by governments in developed countries including in
the recently concluded G-20 meeting have utterly failed to mitigate the
sufferings of the masses. This is substantiated by the statistics
recently released by the US Census Bureau showing that the poverty index
had increased in the US. This represents over 40 million people, the
highest number of people in the last ten years under poverty. It is in
this background that the meeting of the communist and workers' parties
is taking place and it would focus on the measures that needs to be
taken to alleviate peoples' sufferings and offer alternatives for the
way out of this capitalist crisis.


Invitations have been extended to 111 communist and workers' parties
from 87 countries. The working group of the international communist and
workers' parties decides on the criteria for inviting the parties, the
theme and the venue of the meeting. 24 delegates from 19 parties and 18
countries have already confirmed their participation.


Preparations For

Central Committee Meeting


The Polit Bureau finalised the political report and the Draft
Rectification Campaign document for the consideration of the Central
Committee which will be meeting from October 23 to 25, 2009.


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Saturday, October 10, 2009

[Marxistindia] Reflections by Fidel Castro

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news from the cpi(m)
Reflections by comrade Fidel

BELLS ARE TOLLING FOR THE DOLLAR

Empire has ruled the world through economy and deceit rather than
force. At the end of WWII, it had attained the privilege of minting the
convertible hard currency, the monopoly over the nuclear weapon and the
possession of most of the gold in the world while it was the only
large-scale producer of manufactured equipment, consumer goods, food and
services worldwide. However, there was a limit to the printing of paper
money: the gold standard at a regular price of 35 dollars a troy ounce.
This was the situation for over 25 years, until August 15, 1971, when an
executive order issued by President Richard Nixon led the United States
to unilaterally call off that international arrangement thus defrauding
the world. I'll never tire out of repeating it. That was how it threw on
the world economy its military buildup and war adventure expenses,
especially the Vietnam War, which according to conservative estimates
cost no less than 200 billion dollars and the lives of over 45 thousand
American youths.

More bombs were dropped on that small Third World nation than were used
in the latest world war. Millions of people were killed or maimed. The
suspension of the gold standard turned the US dollar into a hard
currency that could be printed at will by the US government without the
backing of a regular value.

The Treasury bonds and bills continued to circulate as convertible hard
currencies. The states' reserves continued feeding on that paper money
that, on the one hand, could be used to buy raw material, properties,
goods and services anywhere in the world while on the other favored
American exports with respect to the rest of the economies of the world.
Both, politicians and academics repeatedly mention the true cost of that
genocidal war admirably portrayed in Oliver Stone's film. Sometimes in
their calculations people tend to overlook the fact that the millions of
dollars of 1971 are not the same as the millions of dollars of 2009.

One million of dollars today, when the price of gold –a metal whose
value has been the most stable through centuries-- exceeds one thousand
dollars a troy ounce, is worth about 30 times its value when Nixon
suspended the convertibility. Therefore, 200 billion dollars of 1971
amount to 6 trillion dollars of 2009. If this is not taken into account
the new generations will not have an idea of the imperialist barbarity.

Likewise, when reference is made to the 20 billion dollars invested in
Europe after the end of WWII --through the Marshall Plan to rebuild and
control the economies of the main European powers which had the
necessary labor force and technical culture for a fast development of
production and services—people usually do not take notice of the fact
that the real value of what the empire invested at that time amounts to
600 billion dollars at the current international value. They don't
realize that 20 billion dollars would hardly cover today the
construction of three large oil refineries with a capacity of 800
thousand barrels of gasoline a day, in addition to other oil
by-products.

The consumer societies and the absurd and whimsical waste of energy and
natural resources that today threaten the survival of the human species
could not be explained in such a short historical period without knowing
the irresponsible way in which developed capitalism, in its highest
stage, has governed the destiny of the world.

Such amazing waste explains why the debt of the two most industrialized
countries in the world, the United States of America and Japan, amounts
to approximately 20 trillion dollars.

Of course, the US economy is reaching an annual Gross Domestic Product
of 15 trillion dollars. The capitalist crises are cyclical as the
history of the system unequivocally shows but this time it is something
else: it is a structural crisis, as Professor Jorge Giordani, Venezuelan
minister of Planning and Development, explained last night to Walter
Martinez in his Telesur program.

The press dispatches released today, Friday October 9, bring some
additional irrefutable data. An AFP dispatch from Washington indicates
that the US budget deficit for fiscal year 2009 amounts to 1.4 trillion
dollars, that is, 9.9% of the GDP, "something unseen since 1945, after
World War II," it added.

In the year 2007, the deficit had already been one-third of that figure,
and high deficits are expected in 2010, 2011 and 2012. That huge deficit
has practically been mandated by the US Congress and government to
bailout that country's large banks, to prevent unemployment from rising
beyond 10% and to release the United States from the recession. It is
only natural that if they inundate the nation with dollars, the big
stores will sell more goods, the industries will increase their outputs,
less people will lose their housing, the wave of unemployment will
subside and the Wall Street stocks will see their value grow. It was the
classical way to solve the crisis. But, the world will never be the
same. Paul Krugman, a celebrated Nobel laureate in Economics, has just
said that international commerce has sustained its worst fall, worse
even than that of the Great Depression, and expressed his doubts of a
speedy recovery.

It is not possible to also inundate the world with dollars and believe
that the paper money without a gold backing can retain its value. Other
sounder economies have emerged. The US dollar is no longer the hard
currency reserve of every state; actually, those who still have it wish
to distance from it albeit trying, as much as possible, to prevent its
devaluation before they can get rid of it.

The European Union Euro, the Chinese Yuan, the Suisse Franc, the
Japanese Yen –despite this country's debt—and even the Pound Sterling
and other hard currencies have come to take the place of the US dollar
in international commerce. Once again the metal gold is becoming a
significant international reserve currency.

This is not a whimsical personal opinion, nor do I wish to slander that
currency.

Another Nobel laureate in Economics, Joseph Stiglitz, has said
--according to a press dispatch-- that it is most likely that the green
bill continues to be downcast, that politicians do not determine the
exchange rates neither do speeches. He said this on October 6, at the
IMF and World Bank Joint Annual Assembly held in Istanbul. The meeting
was received with smashed shop windows and fires caused by Molotov
cocktails.

Other news related that the European countries were afraid of the
negative effect of the dollar's weakness with respect to the Euro and
its consequences for the European exports. The US secretary of the
Treasury said that his country was interested in a strong dollar.
Stiglitz laughed at the official statement and said --according to EFE--
that in the case of the United States the money has been wasted and the
reason has been the multimillion bailout of banks and wars like that of
Afghanistan. Again according this press agency, the Nobel Laureate
insisted that instead of investing 700 billion to help the bankers, the
US could have used part of that money to help the developing countries
and this would have encouraged global demand.

The president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, had sounded an alarm a
few days before and warned that the dollar would not be able to
endlessly preserve its status as the reserve currency.

An outstanding professor of Economics at Harvard University, Kenneth
Rogoff, has said that the next big financial crisis will be that of the
public deficits.

The World Bank has stated that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had
showed that the world central banks had accumulated fewer dollars during
the second semester of 2009 than at any other time during the past ten
years while increasing the amount of Euros.

On October 6, the AFP published that gold had reached the record figure
of 1,045 dollars for one ounce due to the weakening of the dollar and
fear of inflation.

The London daily Independent reported that a group of oil-producing
countries were considering the replacement of the dollar in commercial
transactions by a pool of hard currencies including the Yen, Yuan, Euro,
gold and a future common currency.

The news, either leaked or deduced with impressive logic, was denied by
some of the countries supposedly interested in that protective measure.
They do not want it to collapse, but they neither want to continue to
accumulate a currency that has lost 30 times its value in less than
three decades.

I cannot avoid mentioning a dispatch from EFE, that cannot be accused of
being anti-imperialist press agency and that in the present
circumstances carries especially interesting opinions:

"Experts in economics and finances agreed in New York today that the
worst crisis since the Great Depression has resulted in a less
significant role for that country in world economy."

"Recession has changed the way in which the world looks at the US. Now
our country is less significant than before and this is something we
should admit, said David Rubenstein, president and founder of the
Carlyle Group, the largest risk capital firm in the world, in his
address to the World Business Forum."

"The financial world will be less focused in the US. (…) New York will
never again be the financial capital of the world, a role it will have
to share with London, Shanghai, Dubai, Sao Paulo and other cities, he
said."

"…he described the problems the US will face once it leaves behind a
major recession that will still be around for a couple of months."

"…the huge public debt, inflation, unemployment, the dollar's loss of
value as a reserve hard currency, the energy prices…"

"The government should reduce public expenses to cope with the debt
problem and do something it does not like much: raise taxes."

"Columbia University economist and special UN advisor Jeffrey Sachs has
agreed with Rubenstein that the US economic and financial predominance
is fading."

"We have left a system focused on the United States for one which is
multilateral…"

"…twenty years of irresponsibility, first by Bill Clinton's
administration and then by George W. Bush's, caved in to Wall Street
pressures…"

"…the banks negotiated with 'toxic assets' to obtain easy money, Sachs
explained."

"What is important now is to recognize the unprecedented challenge of
achieving a sustainable economic development that is consistent with the
basic rules of physics and biology on this planet…"

On the other hand, the reports coming directly from our delegation in
Bangkok, capital of Thailand, were absolutely not encouraging:

Our ministry of Foreign Affairs literally reported that "what was under
discussion was basically whether or not to ratify the concept of common
but differentiated responsibilities among the industrial nations and the
so-called emerging economies, essentially China, Brazil, India and South
Africa, and the underdeveloped countries.

"China, Brazil, India, South Africa, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the
ALBA countries are the most active. In general, most nations in the
Group of 77 are holding correct and firm positions.

"The figures of carbon emissions reductions under discussion do not
correspond with those scientifically calculated to keep the rise in
temperature under 2 degrees Celsius, 25-40%. At the moment, the
negotiation is moving around a reduction of 11-18%.

"The United States is not making any real effort but accepting just a 4%
reduction with respect to the year 1990."

In the morning of this Friday 9, the world woke up to the news that "the
good Obama" of the riddle –as explained by Bolivarian President Hugo
Chavez Frias at the United Nations—had been awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. I do not always agree with the positions of that institution but
I must admit that, at this moment it was, in my view, a positive action.
It compensates the setback sustained by Obama in Copenhagen when Rio de
Janeiro, and not Chicago, was chosen as the venue of the 2016 Olympics,
a choice that elicited heated attacks from his right-wing adversaries.

Many will feel that he has yet to earn the right to receive such an
award. Rather than a prize to the President of the United States, we
choose to see that decision as a criticism of the genocidal policy
pursued by more than a few presidents of that country who took that
nation to the crossroads where it is today. That is, as a call for peace
and for the pursuit of solutions conducive to the survival of the
species.

Fidel Castro Ruz

October 9, 2009

6:11 PM


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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

[Marxistindia] Castro on Chinese Revolution

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)

History Cannot be Ignored
Fidel Castro

Last October 1st commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Peoples'
Republic of China.

On that historic day in 1949, Mao Zedong presided over the first parade
of the Peoples' Army and the people of China in Tiananmen Square as
leader of the Communist Party of China. The victorious soldiers were
carrying the weapons taken in combat from the invaders, oligarchs and
traitors to their country.

At the end of WWII the United States, one of the powers that had
sustained the least amount of material losses in the war, was
monopolizing the nuclear weapon and more than 80% of the world's gold
while enjoying considerable industrial and agricultural development.

The victorious Revolution in a country as huge as China, in the year
1949, nurtured the hopes of a great number of colonized countries, many
of which would not take much longer in shaking off the imposed yoke.

Lenin had foreseen the imperialist phase of developed capitalism and the
role of the colonized countries' struggle in world history. The triumph
of the Chinese Revolution came as a confirmation of that prediction.

The Peoples' Republic of Korea was created in the year 1948. The first
commemoration of the Chinese victory was attended by representatives of
the USSR, the country that had contributed more than 20 million lives to
the war against Fascism; by those in the Peoples' Republic of Korea,
which had been occupied by Japan, and by the Vietnamese combatants who,
after fighting against the Japanese, were heroically fighting the French
attempt to once again colonize Vietnam, this time with the support of
the United States.

At that time, nobody would have thought that less than four years after
that memorable date, with no other link than their ideas, in far-off
Cuba the attack on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953 would take
place, and just nine years after the liberation of China, the Cuban
Revolution would triumph 90 miles away from the imperialist metropolis.

It is in the light of these events that I watched with particular
interest the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Chinese
Revolution. Our friendship with that centuries-old culture, the most
ancient of civilizations known to man, is well-known.

In the nineteenth century, tens of thousands of Chinese citizens were
sent to our country practically as slaves, duped by the English
merchants. Many of them joined the Liberation Army and fought for our
independence. However, our ties with China draw from from the Marxist
ideas that inspired the Cuban Revolution and passed the difficult test
of divisions between the two great Socialist states that caused such
damage to the world revolutionary movement.

In the challenging days of the Soviet demise, China, along with Vietnam,
Laos and Korea, maintained its fraternal relations and solidarity with
Cuba. They were the only four countries that, together with Cuba, held
the Socialist banners high during the dark days when the United States,
NATO, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were imposing
neoliberalism and plundering the world.

History cannot be ignored. In spite of the enormous contribution of the
people of China and the political and military strategy of Mao in the
struggle against Japanese Fascism, the United States disregarded and
isolated the government of the most densely populated country on the
planet and deprived it of its right to participate in the United Nations
Security Council; it stepped in with its troops to prevent the
liberation of Taiwan, an island belonging to China; it supported and
supplied the remains of an army whose leader had betrayed all the
agreements signed in the struggle against the Japanese invaders during
WWII. Taiwan received and still receives the most modern weaponry from
the US war industry.

The US not only deprived China of its legitimate rights but it also
intervened in the internal Korean conflict, sending its forces in at the
head of a military coalition that defiantly moved forward getting close
to the vital points of that great country, and threatened to use nuclear
weapons against China whose people had made such a contribution to the
Japanese defeat.

The Party and the heroic people of China did not hesitate in the face of
the crude threats. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese volunteer
combatants launched a vigorous counterattack and made the Yankee forces
retreat back to today's border between the two Koreas. Hundreds of
thousands of valiant internationalist Chinese and an equal number of
Korean patriots died or were wounded in that bloody war. Later on, the
Yankee Empire would kill millions of Vietnamese.

On October 1, 1949, upon its proclamation as the Peoples' Republic,
China had no nuclear weapons or any of the advanced military technology
it has today, with which it does not threaten any country.

What would the West say now? The mainstream US press was, in general,
hostile. Its major newspapers headlined their editorials with such
phrases as: "…little interest for ideology", "…a show of power",
"Communist China celebrates its 60 years with a military show."

Nevertheless, it was not possible to ignore the struggle. All the media
were reiterating the idea that it was a show of power. The news
especially focused on the pictures of the military parade.

They were not hiding their admiration for the wide broadcasting of the
parade that Chinese TV offered up for international public opinion.

It did not go unnoticed; rather, it was cause for amazement that China
would present 52 new types of weapons, among them the latest generation
of combat vehicles, amphibious vehicles, radars, reconnaissance planes
and sophisticated communications equipment.

The media highlighted the presence of the DF-31 intercontinental
missiles that can strike with nuclear warheads targets located 6,250
miles away, as well as the medium-range missiles and the anti-missile
defenses.

The 151 fighter planes, the heavy bombers, the modern means of air
surveillance and helicopters took by surprise the avid newshounds and
military technicians. "The Chinese army now has most of the
sophisticated weapons that make up the arsenals of western countries",
was a statement made by the Chinese Defense Minister and highlighted by
the western press.

The 500 armored vehicles and the 60 civilian floats that paraded in
front of the mausoleum caused a mighty impact.

The advanced technology was irrefutable proof of the developed military
capacity that had started from scratch some decades ago. What was
unbeatable was the human factor. No developed western country could
have reached the level of precision and organization shown by China that
day. With a certain scornful tone, officers and soldiers were described
as marching at a pace of 115 goose-steps per minute.

The various forces that paraded there, men and women, did so with
unparalleled distinction and elegance. Anyone would find it hard to
believe that thousands of human beings could reach such perfect
organization. Both the people on foot and those in their vehicles
marched past the stand and saluted with hard-to-achieve precision, order
and military demeanor.

If such qualities seemed to be the result of military discipline and
rigorous practice, more than 150,000 citizens of that huge hive of
civilians, mainly young men and women, were a surprise for their
capacity to reach en masse the level of organization and perfection
attained by their armed compatriots.

The beginning of the celebration and the saluting of the troops by the
Head of State and Secretary General of the Communist Party was
impressive. One could notice the deep bonds between the leadership and
the people.

Hu Jintao's speech was short and precise. In just under 10 minutes he
expressed many ideas. On that day he surpassed Barack Obama's gift for
synthesis. When he speaks, he represents almost five times more
population than the president of the United States. He doesn't have to
shut down torture centers nor is he at war with any other state; he
doesn't send his soldiers more than 6,250 miles away to intervene and
kill with sophisticated war means; he doesn't have hundreds of military
bases in other countries or powerful fleets sailing the seven seas; he
does not owe trillions of dollars or in the midst of an enormous
international financial crisis offers the world the cooperation of a
country whose economy is not in recession and keeps growing at a high
rate.

Essential ideas communicated by the president of China:

"On a day like today sixty years ago, after more than one hundred years
of bloody battles waged from the onset of modern history, the Chinese
people finally achieved the great victory of the Chinese Revolution and
President Mao Zedong proclaimed, on this very spot, the founding of the
Peoples' Republic of China thus allowing the Chinese people to stand
tall from that moment on, and the Chinese nation, with a more than
5,000-year history of civilization, to enter a new era of development
and progress."

"The development and progress achieved in the sixty years of the New
China has fully shown that only socialism can save China and that only
reform and opening can lead to the development of China, socialism and
Marxism. The Chinese people have the necessary confidence and capacity
to build their country well and to make their due contribution to the
world."

"We adhere firmly to the principles of peaceful reunification…"

"…we shall continue to work, alongside the different peoples of the
world, to promote the noble cause of peace and the development of
humankind as well as the building of a harmonious world based on lasting
peace and common prosperity."

"History has taught us that the path forward is never smooth, but that a
united people that take their future in their own hands will certainly
overcome all difficulties, continuously creating great historical
epics."

These are categorical answers to the war-mongering and threatening
policies of the empire.

Fidel Castro Ruz

October 6, 2009

5:35 PM


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Sunday, October 4, 2009

[Marxistindia] Floods in South India

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
October 4, 2009

Press Statement


The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued
the following statement:


The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses serious concern over the flash
floods and loss of life and property in Karnataka, parts of Goa, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa. Northern and Coastal Karnataka have
been the worst hit with the death toll being over 150. 37 deaths have
been reported from Andhra Pradesh so far. There have been loss of lives
in the other states too and the toll is expected to go up. Lakhs of
people have been displaced. The CPI(M) expresses solidarity with the
suffering people of these states and condoles the loss of lives.


In Karnataka 15 districts have been affected and five districts have
been affected in Andhra Pradesh. In view of the extraordinary situation
arising out of the flash floods, the CPI(M) demands an immediate
assessment of damages by a Parliamentary team and declaring a National
calamity in the worst hit areas. Relief measures on a war-footing have
to be undertaken and the State Governments must be provided with all the
required help. In the light of the threat from overflowing reservoirs,
immediate steps have to be taken to evacuate the marooned people and
animals in such places.


The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls upon all its members to cooperate
in relief efforts, involve with the relief activities and provide
voluntary service in the affected areas.

eom


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