[Marxistindia] Successful Countrywide Hartal

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
April 27, 2010

Press Release

The call given by the thirteen parties for a countrywide hartal against price rise on April 27 has met with a big response in most parts of the country.

The thirteen parties call was joined by other parties in the states.

The success of the hartal shows the anger and discontent among the people at the failure of the Central Government to check price rise.

There was a complete hartal in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Kerala and Tripura. In Andhra Pradesh, there was a successful bandh all over the state with the strike being partial in Hyderabad. In Tamilnadu too there was a hartal all over the state with Chennai having a partial strike.

In West Bengal, there was a total stoppage of work and movement of traffic. In Uttar Pradesh, in all cities and towns markets were closed and rail and road traffic were affected in many places. In Bihar there was a total hartal in all the districts. Rail and road traffic was disrupted due to rail and rasta roko. Markets, commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed.

In Jharkhand, markets were closed and rail and road traffic came to a halt. Several state government offices remained closed.

In Orissa, all central government offices, central public sector undertakings, banks, railways were paralysed. State government offices in many districts were also closed. Road and railway traffic was paralysed.

In Kerala, all shops and commercial establishments remained closed. Road and rail traffic were paralysed. In major cities and towns LDF workers held demonstrations in support of the hartal.

In Tripura, there was a complete strike with all offices, markets and educational institutions being closed. All vehicular traffic also came to a halt.

In Maharashtra, all the districts observed rasta roko and rail roko for various periods. In Karnataka, more than 50,000 people protested against price rise in Bangaluru and the strike was a success in other districts. In Madhya Pradesh, there was hartal in Gwalior, Morena, Shivni, Bind, Rewa, Singroli and Indore.

In Himachal Pradesh, markets remained closed in Shimla and rasta roko was observed in various parts of the state.

In Chattisgarh, there was hartal in the state capital Raipur. Shops, commercial establishments, hotels and the main markets remained closed. In many parts of the state rasta roko and rail roko was also observed.

In Punjab, there was rasta roko in twenty places in the state. In Haryana, in all towns, there was hartal with markets remaining closed.

In Delhi, there was a strike in many industrial areas by the workers. There was rasta roko and picketing in 25 spots in the city, Ghaziabad, and Noida.

eom

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[Marxistindia] Phone Tapping: Home Minister's Reply Unconvincing

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
April 26, 2010

Press Statement

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

The statement by the Home Minister denying that any interception/tapping of phone calls of political leaders has taken place, is unconvincing. The government would find it expedient to deny the use of intelligence and security agencies for such surveillance.

The CPI(M) demands an independent probe into the matter so that the truth can be uncovered.

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[Marxistindia] On Phone Tapping

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
April 24, 2010

Press Statement

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

On Phone Tapping

The report published in the Outlook magazine about the interception of phone calls of four political leaders, including the General Secretary of the CPI(M), is a serious matter. The report shows that the government is using the intelligence and security agencies to serve its political purpose to spy upon opposition leaders and to keep track of even its own allies and party leaders.

Such acts subvert the democratic system and breeds an atmosphere of illegality in the higher echelons of the government. They cannot be tolerated.

The government must own up responsibility in the matter and take action against those who ordered the surveillance. Protecting the covert activities of the intelligence and security agencies cannot be made the pretext for a cover-up.

To ensure that such illegal acts do not recur, the government should place in Parliament a clear set of guidelines prohibiting the use of the intelligence and security agencies for any form of surveillance of political leaders and their activities. Instructions on tapping of phones and surveillance on grounds of national security or investigation of criminal activity must be codified. The intelligence and security agencies must be subject to parliamentary oversight.

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[Marxistindia] PB On Shashi Tharoor's involvement in IPL

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The involvement of Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs, in the Indian Premier League franchise for the Kochi team has raised a number of questions. It now transpires that a person associated with him has got 19 per cent free equity worth Rs. 70 crores in the company that led the consortium which got the franchise.

The IPL is not just a sporting event, but is a big business enterprise in which big money is involved. It is highly inappropriate for a minister in the Union government to be involved in such murky dealings.

It is incumbent upon Mr. Tharoor to step down from office till his name is cleared of any unethical or irregular behaviour.

The UPA government should also explain whether its ministers can be involved in business dealings in the name of IPL. The government should probe the source of certain funds flowing into the tournament and reconsider whether any tax exemptions or concessions are justified for this commercial enterprise.

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[Marxistindia] On Dantewada Massacre

marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
Press Statement

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

On Dantewada Massacre by Maoists

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the massacre of 76 CRPF and Chattisgarh policemen by the Maoists in the Dantewada district of Chattisgarh state. This brutal attack is a reminder that no state government can singly tackle the violence perpetrated by the Maoists. Given the fact that the Maoists are conducting their major armed operations in seven states, it becomes the responsibility of the Central government to ensure a coordinated response and for providing adequate assistance through the Central police forces. Regrettably, the Union Home Minister has been prone to throw the responsibility on to the state governments and to blame them for the consequences of the Maoist depredations. Such an approach should be given up and proper coordination between the Centre and the states concerned should be established.

The Maoists are resorting to killings not only of the police forces but are targeting leaders and cadres of political parties and ordinary people such as school teachers who do not agree with them. It is, therefore, equally important to expose the Maoists for their disruptive activities and their methods of terrorizing and intimidating people. The tribal people whom they claim to be fighting for are the worst victims of such tactics. The Maoists have to be fought politically by mobilizing the people against them.

The Maoists are concentrating their activities where the tribal people live in the forest and hilly areas. It is in these areas of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh inhabited by the adivasis that large tracts of land are being handed over to foreign and Indian companies for mining operations. Instead of adopting measures for the socio-economic development of such regions, the policies of the Central government are harming the interests of the tribal people. The displacement of the tribal people and the loss of their livelihood and habitats are a direct result of the policy of the Central government to indiscriminately throw open all these areas for mining operations, legal and illegal. This must be put a stop to immediately.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) reiterates its resolve to fight the Maoists politically and ideologically and the need to take effective administrative measures to curb their violent activities.

eom
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