PEOPLE'S
VOICE
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PEOPLE'S
VOICE
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Internet
Edition: November 1-15, 2001
Published by the Communist Ghadar Party of India |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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Colin Powell’s visit to the subcontinent: US imperialism’s efforts to establish its hegemony over Asia must be exposed, opposed and defeated! Statement of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, October 19, 2001 US Secretary of State, Colin Powell visited Pakistan and India between October 15-17. The aim of this visit was to make sure that the rulers of both Pakistan and India completely submit to America’s war aims in Afghanistan, further strengthen the position of the US as the arbiter in Indo-Pak relations, and clearly let the ruling clique of India know that their imperialist ambitions towards Pakistan and Central Asia must be dovetailed completely with the US strategy for Central and South Asia. The Communist Ghadar Party of India condemns Colin Powell’s visit to the subcontinent as a dangerous step in the increasing American domination of South and Central Asia. The CGPI condemns the Vajpayee government for pursuing a reactionary and unprincipled foreign policy dictated solely by imperialist considerations that has played fully into the hands of the US imperialist strategy of establishing domination over South Asia and the whole of Asia. While in Islamabad, Powell spoke about the "shared values" between Pakistan and the US and while in Delhi he again spoke about the "shared values" between India and the US. Colin Powell visited the region with a definite agenda. His agenda in Pakistan was to "convince" Pervez Musharraf that it was in his best interest to completely submit to America’s war in Afghanistan, and extend full support of its armed forces, its air force and military bases, for the conquest of Afghanistan. Musharraf was praised for crushing, through force, the widespread opposition of the people of Pakistan to America’s war. Powell secured the acceptance of Pakistan’s military leaders to America’s plan to establish a puppet regime in Kabul, under the leadership of the 87 - year old former king living in exile, Zahir Shah, which would include "moderate" elements from the Taliban. In other words, while Afghanistan would be under American domination, Pakistan as a loyal foot soldier would be allowed to ensure that the new regime would not be hostile to it. Powell’s enunciation of the contours of a post Taliban puppet government was a direct warning to Russia and India to keep their ambitions in Afghanistan and Central Asia in check. Russia and India have been pushing for a big role for the so-called "Northern Alliance" through which they have hopes of acquiring a stake in Afghanistan. US imperialism has clearly declared to both Russia and India in so many words - "thanks" for your support, but we will not share Afghanistan with you! Powell promised Pakistan that the US will stay India’s hands, the hands that have been itching for a war against Pakistan. He issued a clear warning to India that the US had a stake in Kashmir and in Pakistan’s continuing existence and would not tolerate any action of India to the contrary. The military action of India on the LOC on the eve of Powell’s visit was an expression of the frustration of India’s ruling clique at having been "short-changed" in their wheelings and dealings with the US. It was a petulant action to tell the US and the Indian people, that the ruling clique would wage its own "war against terrorism" like the US. In other words, it was a statement to the US that if "you try to gobble up the whole of the region without giving a share to me for my services, I will do something that will be at the very least of nuisance value-and may be something more". This is the essence of the "shared common values" to which the rulers of India and Colin Powell paid homage to! They share the imperialist outlook, the outlook that "might is right", that the sovereignty of peoples and countries are violable. India’s rulers dream of growing bigger by participating in the US’s imperialist strategy for conquest of Asia. There is however, one big problem for India’s ruling clique. US imperialism’s plan for the conquest of Asia includes establishing its complete domination over South Asia, including India. In other words sooner rather than later, India’s role as the pre-eminent regional imperialist power in South Asia will be threatened. Far from getting a share in Central Asia and further beyond, India’s rulers have been told in no uncertain terms by the US that their wings will be clipped even in the region. This is a major message of Powell’s visit. US imperialism has launched "Infinite Freedom" with the aim of conquest of Asia with Afghanistan as just the beginning. Great dangers confront all the peoples of the region. There are other imperialist powers in Asia who have their own imperialist agendas like Russia and India, and the US will try to ensure that these agendas are completely dovetailed with its own agenda, and do not threaten it. The re-division of Asia through armed aggression that has begun is directed against the peoples of the region, including the Indian and Pakistani peoples. The Indian rulers, bloated with imperialist ambitions, are playing into the hands of the US imperialists. They are creating fertile grounds for US military encirclement and intervention in South Asia. The CGPI calls upon all Indian communists, all progressive Indians, to expose, oppose and rally the toiling masses in defeating the US imperialist strategy. An integral part of this work is to expose, oppose and rally the Indian masses in defeating the imperialist strategy of the Vajpayee government. |
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Rising anger of the people against the War on Afghanistan A grand rally was organised by a broad coalition of workers, toilers, intellectuals, students and women in New Delhi on October 30 to protest against the US attack on Afghanistan and the supporting role of the Indian government in these attacks. Thousands of people participated in this action with enthusiasm. The rally started behind the Red Fort and culminated at Pherozshah Kotla. The whole area was reverberating with militant slogans of the participants. In various places in India people are coming out and showing their opposition and anger against the unjust imperialist intervention. Amongst the various organisations that participated in this action are Lok Raj Sangathan, Communist Ghadar Party of India, Action India, S.F.I., I.S.A., I.F.TU., Jang Roko Abhiyan, Muslim Women’s Forum, Saheli and others. Many leaflets were distributed by the protesters and a street play was also presented. |
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Removal of tax concessions for small scale savings schemes Stop robbing the poor to pay the rich Small investors in India are extremely worried about their future in today’s depressing economic scenario. Thousands of small investors lost their investments in the stock market crisis that has been continuing for more than a year now. Next came the collapse of the Unit Trust US - 64 Scheme, which pauperised thousands of widows, pensioners and senior citizens whose entire income was from the dividends paid by the Scheme. Periodic cuts in the minimum interest rate fixed by the Reserve Bank of India, has gradually eroded the interest income that the small depositor used to get from his fixed deposits in the Indian banks. And, now, on top of all these have come the recommendations of the Y.V.Reddy Committee, which will more speedily lead to the bankruptcy of the small investors. The Reddy Committee has recommended that, in general, the guaranteed fixed rates of interest that the small investor has relied on for eking out a living should be withdrawn and that the rate should now be tied to the market rates of interest. In short, this means that the small investor will be fully exposed to the vagaries of the capitalist market and be the first victims when there is a crisis. The rate of interest for post office savings will have the rate fixed by the RBI for commercial banks as the reference point. The interest rates for all other schemes such as the NSC, Kisan Vikas Patra, etc. will be tied to the financial market rate. Until now, India’s ruling class has used the small scale savings schemes to mop up the savings of the working people, pensioners and other small producers to finance the unproductive expenses of the state and through that the filling of the capitalists’ coffers. These schemes pulled the ordinary man into the orbit of the capitalist financial market as a lender, but on extremely adverse terms. Since the small investors were individuals without any common forum for voicing their interests and bargaining for better terms, the ruling class and their government benefited extremely from the arrangement. In fact, the small scale savings schemes and the small investor played a crucial role in developing the capitalist base in India and in the growth of business empires. The finance mopped up through these schemes was a key factor in the annual budgets of the central and state governments of the bourgeoisie. The small savings schemes are administered by the post offices in the country with the exception of the public provident fund (PPF) where commercial banks maintain the accounts. The gross collections from these schemes in a year are first used to pay the principal and interest on past borrowing by the government, and eighty per cent of the balance is passed on to the states in proportion to collections. State governments receive the money as twenty-five year non-plan loans at rates of interest which are set annually by the central government. These savings have been used continually by the Indian ruling class to finance their central and state deficits that are created due to huge unproductive expenses in paying interest to foreign moneylenders and militarisation. For example, during the year 2000-2001 the net small savings representing the Centre’s share was Rs.. 7950 crore, or 7.1 per cent of the gross fiscal deficit, while in the case of states it was Rs 31799 crore or 33.5 per cent of their deficits. The Reddy committee has recommended another drastic step against the small investor. It has proposed that all tax incentives on short and medium term financial assets under section 80L, 88 and 10 of the Income Tax Act be withdrawn. This is expected to have a ripple effect on other small savings schemes also. The interest yield from mutual funds and insurance schemes is expected to fall once the tax incentives on post office savings are withdrawn. In the years since the Indian bourgeoisie launched the liberalisation measures, there has been a constant drive to lower the interest rates —whether it be in savings in commercial banks, small savings instruments, mutual funds or insurance schemes — for three reasons. The lowering of interest rates reduces the tax burden on the capitalist and directly contributes to his profit kitty. Secondly, it helps the Indian capitalist to lower his cost of production so that he can compete with other 'more efficient' capitalist enterprises of the industrially advanced countries. Thirdly, it reduces the interest expense of the central and state governments on their past borrowings, thus lowering their deficits. In all cases, the money which the small investor is deprived of, in terms of reduced interest income and increased tax rates, is siphoned off directly or indirectly to the capitalists and monopolies. This step of doing away with the stable rate of return for small savings schemes and leaving the small investor to the mercy of the capitalist market is a further step in strengthening the domination of the financial oligarchy. The proposed tax on all small savings income is again a tribute that is being levied on millions of small investors in the interest of the monopolies. Peoples' Voice calls upon all to vigorously oppose these steps to rob the toiling people and benefit the richest of the land. |
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Foreign Powers are hatching plots to install their own puppet governments in Afghanistan The imperialist and media is full of reports on the kind of government to be installed in Afghanistan after the "imminent" fall of the Taliban regime. It is becoming clear that there is no consensus amongst the foreign powers as to what kind of government should be setup in the future in Afghanistan. Each is desperately trying to push the groups of their choice to the fore. (See statement of the CGPI of Oct. 19, '01, printed on page 1.) The Bush administration is afraid that if the Northern Alliance were to form a government, it would be closer to Moscow, New Delhi and Teheran than to Washington or its allies in Islamabad. The Northern Alliance has at least three factions - Jamait-e-Islami of Rabbani and the late Masood, Uzbek Force of General Rashid Dostam and Ismail Khan and the Hisb-e-Vahadat force. American military advisors have been working with General Dostam for some time and Washington wants Dostam to capture Mazar-e-Sharif first in order to weaken the opposition. The US imperialists however do not want to give much support to Rabbani. India and Russia are reported to be assisting Fahim while US is bombing the enemies of Dostam. Fahim’s group is considered to be inimical to Washington since it had declared that after Taliban is ousted, it will oppose the American dictate. The issue of what kind of state power and government should be there in Afghanistan is a matter for the Afghan people to decide. What business is it of Tony Blair, George Bush, Putin, Musharraf and Vajpayee or of any other outside power? All progressive and peace-loving parties and political forces in South Asia must adopt this principled standpoint. |
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US mass media made to toe administration line The US imperialists have for long touted their press and mass media as "free", that is, free of government control, free to air different points of view, etc. Recent events leading up to the brutal aggression on Afghanistan have shown far from being free, even minor dissent with the official Bush administration line is being put down heavily. The US imperialist chieftains would have the world believe that terrorism is the creation of one organisation, whose leader is said to be sheltered in Afghanistan. It does not want people to realise that it is imperialism which gives rise to terrorism on the world scale. It does not want people to realise that even the organisation which it claims to be responsible for the horrendous terrorist attacks on the American people on September 11, ’01 was in fact aided and abetted by the U S administration itself, not so many years ago. Various steps, including summary dismissal, have been taken to ensure that the mass media toes the official line. Two prominent columnists lost their jobs for daring to question the response of President Bush to the September 11 attacks. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice has openly "requested" all five US major television networks – CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox - not to air statements of the persons and organisations whom the Bush Administration says is "behind terrorism". Controlled as it is by the biggest business houses, the mass media in the US has only been too eager to accede to this "request". In fact, all foreign networks which air such statements who have been accused of "bias" and their telecasts banned in the USA. There have been widespread protests in various cities of USA, including New York and Washington, against the US imperialist aggression on Afghanistan. The US imperialist chieftains want the American people, as all peoples of the world, to accept their dastardly lies about the source of terrorism and the aggression which they claim will rid the world of the scourge of terrorism. They want the mass media to unhesitatingly brainwash the people in the manner of the Nazis to line them up as their reserves. Hence even minor dissent, and indeed even jokes about imperialist chieftain Bush have been put down with an iron hand. In a positive development, the president of the Inter- American Press Association, Danilo Arbilla, has criticised US media coverage of September 11 and its’ aftermath, warning that its’ credibility was at stake. In a speech delivered at the annual association assembly recently, he said, "I do not like it that the government of the United States, or any other government, makes requests or veiled recommendations to the media, their owners, or to journalists". Calling upon fellow journalists to put aside double standards, he said, "We must seek the most information available, even that which could be considered dangerous". |
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An Appeal to All Women and Men of Conscience Raise
your voice against the unjust imperialist war being waged by the USA against the
people of Afghanistan! Call of the Lok Raj Sangathan, September 20, 2001 Lok Raj Sangathan condemns unequivocally the savage war of aggression launched by the USA and its allies on the people of Afghanistan. No excuse, no justification, advanced by George Bush or Tony Blair or other members of the "global alliance" cobbled up by the US can justify this utterly unjustifiable act. This is the time for all Indian people to unite and oppose the unjust, imperialist war against Afghanistan and to demand its immediate stoppage. Lok Raj Sangathan considers the ongoing war against Afghanistan as a continuation of the US strategy to establish its unrivalled domination in the economic, political and military spheres over the whole world. The United States, it would seem, is striving to establish its unrivalled domination over Asia as a prelude to the domination of the whole world. What is going on today is nothing other than the war for the re-division of the Asian continent by various imperialist powers, with the US in the lead. What has begun will result in enormous tragedies not only for the people of Afghanistan, but for the Indian and Pakistani people and all other peoples of Asia. Lok Raj Sangathan calls on the Indian people to come out in complete opposition to this war for the re-division of Asia, which is being carried out under the slogan of "war against terrorism". LRS calls on the Indian people to condemn and protest strongly against the action of the Indian Government in promising all military facilities to the US armed forces in its ongoing war against the peoples of Asia, thus providing them a foothold in this region. This action of the Indian state, of joining the US-led war coalition, has been done behind the backs of the Indian people; it has been done behind the backs of parliament as well. Prime Minister Vajpayee’s government has connived and conspired to ensure that for the first time for over 5 decades, American troops have been allowed to land in the sub continent. The Indian people are sickened and angered by the stand and attitude of the Government of India in the matter, guided overwhelmingly by the desire to be accepted as America’s Junior Partner in this part of the world, and driven by greed to get a share of the crumbs that the US might offer for collaborating in establishing its domination over the subcontinent and Asia. We demand, unequivocally, that the Indian Government withdraw at once from this imperialist coalition led by the USA. Lok Raj Sangathan unequivocally condemns the attempts and plans of US, Britain, Pakistan, India and others to decide as to the form and content of the government in Afghanistan. At a time when the peoples all over the world, from all continents and regions, are expressly rejecting the existing political system and political process that marginalise them in their own countries and are fighting for people’s empowerment, it is extremely revealing that the rulers of the US led coalition are wanting to impose their prescriptions on the Afghan people! This confirms that the US led coalition is a retrogressive force which, far from fighting for "enduring freedom", is actually trying to take the world back to those times when a handful of predator nations openly and cynically carved up the rest of the world, justifying this under various notions, including the infamous "white man’s burden". We uphold the sovereignty of the people of Afghanistan and their inalienable right of self-determination to decide what their future should be. We particularly condemn the active participation of Indian government in this nefarious exercise, motivated wholly by its own imperialist design. The Vajpayee government is using the present situation to suppress all dissent to its economic and political course under the signboard of fighting "terrorism". It has decided to promulgate a completely anti-democratic ordinance called "Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance" behind the backs of parliament and behind the backs of the Indian people. It has organised a campaign of persecuting and victimising the people of the Islamic faith, as well as all those forces who are raising their voice in protest against US’s unjust war and the Indian government’s collaboration in this war. These are dangerous trends directed against the movement of the Indian people for their empowerment. Lok Raj Sangathan calls upon the Indian people to oppose and expose the designs of the government in outlawing all dissent. All over the world, people are protesting against the unjust war. It is extremely clear that it is not the peoples of the world, but definite reactionary forces that are setting the agenda of the US led coalition. The peoples want an end to unjust imperialist wars and the exploitation and subjugation of peoples. They are unable to do so because they are disempowered. Lok Raj Sangathan calls upon the people of India to fight for their empowerment as a key to resolve the problems facing human society today! The US has launched the war on Afghanistan under the cynical guise of ending terrorism. Lok Raj Sangathan firmly believes that terrorism is the weapon of the most chauvinist, militarist circles of the imperialist and reactionary forces world over to divide, disorient and crush the movement of the world’s peoples for their empowerment. Lok Raj Sangathan equally firmly believes that the peoples can put an end to terrorism only by carrying out the thoroughgoing democratic renewal of their society so that far from militarist and chauvinist forces setting the agenda for society, it will be the peoples who will set the agenda. Lok Raj Sangathan calls upon all sections of Indian people to rally against this unjust, imperialist war in Afghanistan and Indian Governments participating in it. We demand an immediate stop to this war and the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the soil and air of Afghanistan and the region. Oppose
America’s imperialist war against Afghanistan! Uphold the principle of sovereignty of every country and people and their right to self-determination! Signed, Justice (Retd.) V. R. Krishna Iyer |
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Down with the state organisedslaughter of people in Malegaon, Maharashtra! At least 13 people have been reported killed in police firing and state organised communal killings in Malegaon town, Maharashtra since Friday last. People’s Voice denounces the Indian state for this cold-blooded slaughter, and for the deliberate effort to incite communal violence following the killings. Five days after the first incidents, the town and the surrounding area has been turned into a communal tinder box and handed over to the army for "maintaining law and order". At least two hundred people are reported to have been arrested. The Maharashtra Home Minister has declared that he will look into who instigated the violence "after peace is restored". According to news reports, people came out of Friday prayers in the town denouncing the US aggression on Afghanistan. Youth distributed leaflets in Urdu calling on people to boycott US and British owned multinational companies like Pepsi and Coke. The State Reserve Police Personnel are reported to have torn up the leaflets and beaten up the youth. Following this, the SRP are reported to have resorted to firing and lathicharge, killing a number of protestors. In the charged atmosphere, the state is reported to have spread rumours of communal attacks and violence, including rumours that the milk had been poisoned. Armed gangs of state organised lumpens went about attacking people on the basis of their religious affiliation. Already, news reports have begun to appear pointing the accusing finger at this and that local politician as the instigator of the violence. However, distributing leaflets calling for boycott of certain foreign goods can, by no stretch of imagination, be called a "instigation to violence." The attempt is to cover up the role of the state in criminalising and communalising dissent, which is precisely what the Malegaon killings reveal. It is the SRP barbarities on protestors, (which in all probability will be covered up in subsequent enquiries), that were the immediate provocation. And it is the role of the state and its undercover agents in systematically creating a climate of communal tension in this working class textile township near Mumbai that makes it possible to organise state organised communal killings and criminalise and communalise dissent. The Malegaon killings are taking place at a time when the Indian working masses, and particularly those of the Muslim faith, are deeply angered at the Anglo-American military bombing and invasion of Afghanistan, the massacre of innocents, and the violation of sovereignty of the Afghan people. The protests of the people of Malegaon are part of the mounting protests all over the country against this unjust war, and against the Indian governments’ support to the US war aims. Instead of listening to the voice of reasoned public opinion, the Vajpayee government is bent on pursuing an adventurist imperialist course of allying with the US war aims of redividing and conquering Asia, including South Asia. Simultaneously the Vajpayee government has decided to use the "war against terrorism" to fascise Indian society, attack all dissent and criminalise and communalise the political life. This is aimed at drowning the struggle of India’s toiling masses against the anti-social offensive of globalisation through liberalisation and privatisation in a communal and fascist blood bath. It is extremely important that the working masses and all democratic and progressive forces come together and unreservedly condemn the state organised massacre in Malegaon. |
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Disgracefully hazardous activities of Hindustan Lever Ltd The Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) factory situated at Kodaikanal was recently ordered to be shut down since the hazardous waste generated by it was not being disposed off properly. Now, the employees who were working in the unit have been asking for their medical records, but the HLL management is not willing to disclose these. A former president of the employees union, Mahendra Babu, has written to the management, stating that for the eighteen years that they have been working with HLL, the company has not disclosed the results of the medical examinations which have been periodically conducted on them. These are necessary for the employees’ long term health investigations, and hence the management ought to hand these over to the employees. However, the HLL management has refused to do so. The factory manager, John Geroge, has said that HLL has made it clear that this demand of the employees would not be fulfilled. The employees have been greatly angered by this stand of the HLL management. Recent investigations into the health of the employees working in the unit have revealed several alarming facts. Doctors have found severe allergy of the gums and skin in the case of many employees , which most probably is a result of exposure to mercury, one of the best known poisonous substances. According to HLL’s own report, it was exceeding the permissible exposure limit of mercury by between 25 to 800 times! Despite this, the HLL management is refusing to disclose the medical records of its employees since it wants to cover up its despicable acts of messing around with the health of the employees in its lust for profits. This is the same HLL to which the government has given away Modern Food Industries about a year and a half ago, against which the struggle of the employees is still continuing. |
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