NEW DEMOCRACY Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Economic OfOfffensive of Modi
ensiv
Govt. a
Govt. aggainst the People
People
Policies of Modi Govt. favouring foreign and domestic corporate have
played havoc with the economy of the country. Not only has the growth
rate declined to 5.7% in the quarter ending in June 2017 despite changes
in the method of computing the growth rate, the economic burden on the
people has risen considerably. The recent hike in the prices of petrol and
diesel is part of the series of attacks by Modi Govt. against the people.
The only policy Modi Govt. knows is to give more and more concessions
to foreign and domestic corporate and this is only resulting in increasing
the hardships of the people. The economy is suffering from deficit of demand
with no steps being taken to increase domestic demand and stagnation in
the demand in foreign markets. This situation has resulted in a slump in
manufacturing and slowdown in services sector. Agricultural sector in India
is any way largely dependent on the vagaries of nature. Despite being
launched with much fanfare, "Make in India" has remained a hollow slogan.
Over a quarter of already installed manufacturing capacity is lying idle
while services, in whose growth ITE outsourcing played an important role,
is witnessing stagnation and even decline in foreign orders. Modi Govt.
like its predecessor Manmohan Singh Govt. has set itself against improving
the lot of the people of the country; for them it considers that a heavy dose
of its Hindutva brand of psuedonationalism buttressed with jingoism is
enough. The export led growth and foreign capital led investment strategies
are going through deep crisis. With deepening economic crisis and resultant
rise in unemployment and deteriorating conditions of the people, people's
resentment and anger is rising.
Modi Govt. served the corporate showing its initiatives to be in the
interest of people but the results are exposing its propaganda jugglery.
Demonetization of Rs.1000 and Rs.500 notes in November, 2016 not only
caused havoc in people's lives, it dealt a crippling blow to the Unorganized
sector- medium and small industries- which is the main employer of the
industrial work force. It also dealt a big blow to Agriculture and peasantry
with peasants, particularly poor and middle peasants, forced to sell their
produce at throw away prices and unable to make timely purchase of the
inputs. But the most important part is that it failed to unearth any black
money and the Govt. has itself disowned that. For a long time, RBI did not
September, 2017 1 2
disclose the amount of money that returned in the form of demonetized
notes. According to the data later released by RBI, 98.8% of the money
had come back into banking system by January 13, 2017. Of the rest,
8000 crores are with cooperative banks which were not allowed to return
cash in demonetized currency earlier. Only a very small amount of notes
did not come back. One can only marvel at the rumours then spread by
RSS and propagated by the media that people with black money were burning
their notes or throwing them into rivers/nalas. With the failure of
demonetization in unearthing black money, which was touted to fool the
people but was truly never its aim, the Govt. started claiming that the tax
base has expanded but this too is not backed by facts. The Finance Minister
had claimed that 91 lakh new tax payers have been added post -
demonetization, the Central Board of Taxes pruned the figure to 56 lakh,
and the Economic Survey stated that only 5.4 lakh tax payers have been
added, accounting for a tax collection of Rs.10,587 crores which is only
0.3% of the direct taxes. The total fake currency captured by demonetization
is just only Rs. 40 crores contrary to the earlier claims of the Govt.
The second big attack on the people was imposition of Goods and
Services Tax (GST) to increase the tax burden on the people and curb the
fiscal rights of the states, even those given under the present Constitutional
scheme. GST, which has been a longstanding demand of the foreign and
domestic comprador corporate. has seriously affected the unorganized
sector. GST has resulted in widespread price rise of commodities of daily
use and tremendous hardships in different sectors. GST has given a big
advantage to the corporate.
While RSS-BJP's Modi Govt. proclaims itself to be a champion of growth
and development, its policies have added to the miseries of the people.
The recent increase in the prices of diesel and petrol has further increased
the burden on the people. Modi Govt. has ushered in the practice of daily
fixing of the prices of diesel and petrol in the name of daily change in the
prices of crude oil in the international market. But this is only a
smokescreen. Modi Govt. has sharply increased taxes on petroleum
products which is mainly responsible for the present increase in the prices
of diesel and petrol and has little to do with their prices in the international
market. In fact, prices of diesel and petrol in India are much higher than
our neighbouring countries- Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal,
what to talk of other countries. Modi Govt. is indulging in an unabashed
exercise of burdening the people and undermining the economy at a time
September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
when the economy is facing serious downturn.
Revenue collected by the Govt. from petroleum products has increased
three times between 2013-'14 and 2016-'17. This year Govt. has collected
RS 5.24 lakh crores from such taxes, 3.57 lakh crores being the share of
the Central Govt. In May 2014, when Modi Govt. came to power, the share
of taxes and dealer commision in prices of petrol was 33% and today it
stands at a staggering 58%. In the prices of diesel, the share of taxes and
commission was 20% in May 2014 which is nearly 50% now. The profits of
petroleum companies have also increased sharply during this period. The
profits of these companies increased by 66% in the year 2015-'16 and by
further 160% in the year 2016-'17. One can easily see that high prices of
petrol and diesel are primarily due to high taxes and secondly due to high
profits of the companies. A Minister in the Modi Govt. has sought to justify
the high taxes, saying that car owners are not 'starving'. However, the real
attack is on the people, increasing number of them are being pushed into
starvation. Diesel and petrol prices lead to a chain effect on the prices of
different commodities.
All these collections by the Govt. through such high taxes are going to
the coffers of the corporate. The only other head under which expenditure
is rising is on the organs of repression- police and paramilitary forces. This
is meant to crush the struggles of the people. There has been progressive
decline in the share of expenditure on the social sector. Not only that, the
allocations announced by the Govt. in the Budget for a number of welfare
schemes remain substantially and even wholly unspent. Higher extraction
from the people in the form of indirect taxes (which is two thirds of the total
revenue of the Govt.) and lower spending on the welfare schemes is
increasing the economic offensive of Modi Govt. against the people.
The problem of unemployment has become really serious with practically
little generation of employment. While Modi and BJP had made promises
of generating employment, there is no Govt. effort in that direction. On the
other hand, slow down in the economy is not only not generating jobs but
the wages are also declining. Educated youth are forced to do jobs which
at times pay below even the Govt. announced minimum wages. The anger
among the youth is rising and it will burst forth in a gigantic wave.
Anger and resentment is leading different sections to the path of struggle.
This is facing the organs of repression being sharpened by the Govt. and it
is overcoming the divisive agenda being set by the ruling Hindutva forces.
September, 2017 3 4
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
GM Mustar
Mustard d - Unsaf
Unsafee,
Unscientific
ic,, Unw
Unscientific Unwarar
arrranted
and Unpa triotic
Unpatriotic
Ashish Mital
NDA governments push for promoting GM seeds in food crops has come
under serious public scanner. Along with widespread opposition from agricultural
and other scientists, several peasant organizations opposed the commercial
promotion of sale of the GM Mustard seed, DMH-11, last year, along with
opposing GM seeds in general. Some RTI exposures and a petition moved
before the Supreme Court lent further weight to the anti GM forces even though
the SC did not stay the approval and only asked the Govt. for an explanation.
Ultimately the Science and Technology Minister, Harshvardhan has been
forced to state that commercial use of DMH-11 shall not be given approval by
the Ministry and the views of opponents will be heard.
The Dispute
The dispute on this issue is basically of unscrupulous promotion of untested,
unsafe and un-required foods which are possible health hazards, which will
make the environment and ecology more insecure, which will increase input
burden on peasants and further expose them to market vagaries, which will
harm safer and possibly even more productive traditional crops. For these
foods, undisclosed and non-scientific basis has been used for obtaining
approval from the GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee), in which
the approvers have a conflict of interest and which is a surrender before MNCs,
greed for higher profit and market monopoly of seeds, etc.
The proponents profess 20 to 30 % higher production. They reject the
above arguments and deny ill effects on health, environment and ecology.
Instead of providing concrete facts and scientific studies they make an
emotional appeal in the name of science and new technology, claim that this
technology is the future, a solution to food shortage poorly understood by the
opponents. They charge them with politicizing science and they try to invoke
September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
patriotism by charging opponents with giving Indian science a bad name and
targeting scientific developments in India such as the DMH-11 seed.
The Government
Even though no genetic approval body or scientific opinion had by then
given approval, the NDA govt. showed haste, allowed field trials and
aggressively pushed for commercial use of 13 GM seeds of various crops
Brinjal, Mustard, Rice, Tomato, Chicken pea, some vegetables and others.
This is despite the fact that some approvals, including that of GM Mustard,
had been rejected earlier and as per an old order of the Supreme Court the
GEAC had been constituted to evaluate these seeds. This is also when the
BJP had opposed GM seeds before elections. Its RSS outfit Swadeshi Jagran
Manch is still officially opposing GM foods. Obviously, BJP Govt. had prior
commitment to serve the interests of MNC seed giants. Now its justification
is that there will be 1.8 billion Indians by 2050 and GM seeds are the only
answer to food crises. It also incorrectly argues that Rs 50,000 cr. worth of
crops are lost to pests and drought every year and only GM seeds can withstand
pests and drought. To camouflage the promotion of MNC products, it is pushing
to develop Indian GM crops, in hidden collaboration with them.
In Sept. 2016 the GEAC announced approval for GM Mustard, DMH-11,
through a 133 page report and invited objections, while in May 2017 it
recommended commercial use without considering and answering any of the
objections. The Science and Technology Ministry was to give the final nod on
the matter.
The Scientific Community
In May this year the President of the National Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, NAAS, wrote to the Prime Minister endorsing DMH-11 seeds and
demanding that it be made available for commercial use. However in July, PC
Kesavan, also a Fellow of the NAAS, wrote that he disagreed, calling it neither
scientifically valid, nor ethical. He said the seed does not perform as well as
several traditional varieties and that the approving committee, GEAC, was
riddled with conflict of interest. He also said that the Bt Cotton experiment
has been a failure and though today 95% of the seed used is Bt, the yield is
on the decline since 2006. Led by Sudarshan Iyengar, former Vice- Chancellor
of Gujarat Vidyapith (Ahmedabad) and former President of the Indian Society
for Ecological Economics (INSEE), a group of economists also wrote to the
September, 2017 5 6
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Prime Minister seeking rejection of GM Mustards commercialization. Similar
letters to Modi were sent by scientists and the medical fraternity in July,
seeking rejection of GM Mustards commercialization.
What is a GM Seed
Genetic Modification means sending external DNA material into a parent
seed, modifying it such that it develops new genetic capacity, for e.g. with
features to fight pests, withstand drought and produce more, etc.
The Case of Bt Cotton
Bt Cotton seed was sold in India by US Seed giant Monsanto. It contains
the genetic material from a bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt, which helps
the plant to produce 200 different Bt toxins. Each toxin is harmful to different
insects including the larvae of moths, butterflies, beetles, cotton bollworms and
ghtu flies, but is harmless to other forms of life. It was claimed by Monsanto
and disputed by several studies, that Bt Cotton seed increases productivity.
However after it was aggressively promoted in 2002 during NDA rule, Cotton
output jumped making India the worlds top producer and second-largest
exporter. However there are variable reports of higher productivity.
Of late there have been several reports that the production of Bt Cotton
had started falling since 2006 itself and insects have become resistant to it.
During the past several years the peasants have been suffering from
devastating pest attacks, notably by Whitefly and several movements for
compensation took off in Punjab and other states.
Of biggest importance to us is the fact that use of Bt seeds led to extremely
high levels of peasant indebtedness due to high cost of inputs including
insecticides, spurious seeds, variable production response and unassured
market. Today Bt Cotton is the single biggest cause of peasant suicides in
India. There are reports that peasants are abandoning genetically modified
cotton, although Monsanto has already sold Bt cotton seeds to more than 7
million Indian peasants, mainly through local seed firms operating under licence.
Of greater importance to us is the fact that before this GM seed was
introduced, all the expected causes of its failure to deliver and distressing the
peasant economy were enumerated, argued and documented by both
agricultural and other scientists and peasant bodies. Yet the NDA Govt. pushed
it. It was clearly stated that the presence of toxins in different parts of the
September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
plant varies and insects feeding on lower levels of toxins will easily develop
resistance to insecticides. It was stated that killing of normally useful insects
will harm the ecology. It was proved that the productivity levels reported are
variable and tend to come down over time. It was vociferously argued that
cost factors will kill the peasantry. But RSS led NDA knew better! It neither
heard the saner voices then, nor is it ready to relent now. The reason is that it
rides a different path of 'nationalism', which it invokes through religion to attack
minorities. It aggressively opposes scientific criteria and propagates
obscurantism to keep people mentally backward as it is wedded to serve
MNCs from imperialist countries and Indian Corporates against the interest of
Indian people and peasantry.
The DMH-11 Mustard Seed
The major areas of benefit argued in support of the DMH-11 (GM Mustard)
are that these seeds are genetically modified to concentrate traits of higher
production, they have ability to resist herbicide spray and hence survive it,
have higher pest control ability, higher nutritional value and reduced cost of
production.
Resistance to chemical herbicide Basta (Glufosinate)
DMH- 11 has been genetically modified to become tolerant to the spray of
herbicide Basta. It contains 3 alien genes Bar, Barnase and Barstar. These
genes were also part of the 4 foreign genes which ProAgro (seed company)
had used while making similar claims about its GM Mustard seed 13 years
ago. Both Pro Agro and Delhi University deny that their GM Mustard will
express herbicide resistance, although both use the Bar gene known for it.
But the justification given by Dr. Pental (lead developer of GM Mustard) himself,
contradicts them. He states that the Bar gene acts as a marker during GM
seed production. The Bar gene lends resistance to the chemical herbicide
Basta and is engineered into the GM along with the Barstar and Barnase
genes which lend it its high production character. During production of the GM
Mustard, all seeds do not pick up the Bar gene uniformly. After production the
seeds are sprayed with chemical Basta, killing all the seeds which do not
have the Bar gene and leaving those with the Bar gene. He says over the
years this technique has been perfected.
On the other hand, after GEAC had raised objections earlier, about 13
years ago, Proagro had argued that the herbicide resistant gene, Bar, can be
September, 2017
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
found only in the green tissue (the leaves) and not in the seeds, thereby
ensuring no gene pollution!, Which argument is to be believed remains
unanswered.
What is feared most is that the Bar gene will contaminate weeds in the
environment and this may result in greater demand for the herbicide Basta in
all crops. Commenting on this Dr. Pental stated that the argument was bizarre
as Germany used 4 times more insecticide than India. But this only proves
that this technology leads to higher use of Basta. This would negatively impact
growth of all other crops, alter the ecology and would drastically add to the
cost of agriculture.
Incidentally Basta is produced by MNC Bayer Crop Science, a Germany
based MNC, which has an obvious interest in promotion of Bar Gene
incorporated GM seeds.
Field Trials and other scientific evaluations for safe use:
The Report released lists Bio-safety Research Level 1 and Level 2 studies
being conducted at 3 centres each, BRL1 for two years 2010-12 and BRL2 for
one year only. Apparently, these are the only field trials done. The allergy and
toxicity assessments, environment safety assessment, soil micro flora
assessments, food and safety studies have all been done in a few selected
labs. Food safety has been tested only by observing short term reactions to
ingestion of the proteins by animals and humans and mainly by making chemical
analysis of the DMH-11 and comparing it to the other variety. To quote one of
the conclusion of the Report Introduction of the 3 genes into the GE Mustard
does not show any unintended effects in overall composition of the GE plants,
either in the parental lines or the hybrid DMH-11. Long term impact has not
even been addressed. This is too inadequate to report bio-safety.
Higher Production
Ordinary HYV seeds, the non-transgenic seeds, too can give higher
productivity if requisite and timely supply of quality fertilizers, irrigation,
insecticides, technical knowhow and market support is provided to the peasants
by the Govt. Though the report claims higher productivity by DMH-11 seeds,
this needs to be compared with the best average productivity that can be
achieved with non-GM seeds when all other negative factors have been
eliminated. Without conducting this study, claims are being made that the
DMH-11 seed will increase production by 20 to 25 % even though the trials
7 8 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
done on this seed have been done in highly selective conditions, in which all
other factors/ facilities have been well provided for and which are lacking in
normal production conditions when peasants grow mustard with the ordinary
HYV, non-transgenic seeds. The report released has not done such a
comparison. Not only is the higher productivity of GM Mustard not proven, it
threatens us with the prospect of losing our existing local and hybrid varieties.
Improved agri practices can give us as much and more yield, but rather than
provide that infrastructure the Govt. is promoting GM Mustard for such claimed
qualities like drought resistance and to escape responsibility to provide
infrastructure. The burden of this will fall on the peasant directly, while the
burden of infrastructure would have to be borne by the Govt.
Lower Costs
It is reported that the seed DMH-11 is Indias first biotech Mustard and
has been prepared by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants,
Delhi South Campus from 1996 to 2015 with almost Rs 70 crores funds from
the Dept. of Biotechnology, MoST and NDDB. Former Vice-Chancellor of Delhi
University and the lead developer of the new GM Mustard, Dr. Deepak Pental,
has claimed that with this higher growth of edible oil seeds will lower the
import bill which stands at Rs. 60,000 crore every year. Pro-Agro had made
the same claim 13 years back. Then also edible oil imports were around 50
per cent of the domestic requirement, costing the state exchequer Rs 12,000
crore.
In 1985 the Govt had launched the Technology Mission to promote crops
like pulses, oilseeds, etc in which we were deficient. One expected that the
Govt. will appraise the concrete steps undertaken in the implementation of
this Mission, find ways to fulfil economic factors involved before launching
the costly GM Mustard seed which has other economic negatives associated.
Economic benefits of both trials should have been compared to deduce which
was more economical, but that has just not been done.
Lower cost to the countrys exchequer in terms of saving on import bill
needs to be reviewed in the background of the extremely higher cost to
peasants. The pricing policy of inputs including the seed, agricultural
infrastructure laid out, public investments done should all be reviewed rather
than just stating that the import bill of the country will be eased with GM
Mustard and hence it should be promoted. Such superficial and flimsy basis
for pushing a potentially dangerous technology, coming from persons of high
September, 2017 9 10
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
intellectual prestige creates doubts of misplaced inspiration, or conflict of
interest, in their making such a recommendation. While it may reduce the
import bill of the Govt, it will increase peasants dependence on MNC Bayer
for seeds, fertilizers and insecticides, raise input costs and indebt them.
It should also be considered that promotion of GM Mustard will lead to
promotion of several other GM seeds and a higher stage of monopoly control
of MNCs over the seed market. Bayer, a chemical pesticide German company
has recently acquired American seed giant Monsanto and is promoting several
high cost GM seed varieties which enhance use of chemical fertilizers and
insecticides sold by it.
We have already seen Monsantos monopoly over the Bt Cotton market. It
will seriously undermine the countrys sovereignty over seed supply and permit
MNCs to control our cropping pattern, to overprice and over prescribe use of
fertilizers and insecticides. It is a very high price for a developing country like
India to pay, where more than 75% of rural households are poor and in need of
subsidized food. Certainly, this is not in the best economic interest of the
country at all.
Lastly, the main reason for shortfall in oilseeds and pulses in India is
inadequate govt. support to peasants, further reduced under WTO guidelines.
In order to become self-sufficient and not have to import oilseeds, WTO
guidelines of undermining agricultural subsidies and infrastructure have to be
challenged, not promoting of GM seeds.
Native Development or Psuedo Nationalism?
DMH 11 is being falsely promoted as a native development. It has been
prepared by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, South Campus,
Delhi University with exactly the same genetic basis and the same arguments
as were given by Pro Agro earlier, when the GEAC was set up to test its
claims. It is strongly believed that Pro Agro Seeds India, a subsidiary of agro
chemical giant Bayer, is associated with this. Thirteen years back the GEAC
had deferred commercial approval of GM Mustard promoted by Pro Agro Seeds
India. Then also their claim was that the GM variety would raise productivity
by 20 to 25 percent.
As already noted, this will give monopoly over seeds to MNCs, seriously
hamper the choice of seeds available to peasants, increase risks associated,
force compulsory use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides and raise cost
September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
of production. We run the risk of wiping out 3000 native varieties of Mustard
grown in India.
Moreover it will promote the spray of herbicide Basta, produced by German
Company Bayer which will be a death signal for honey bees, butterflies and
several microbes. Mustard is the most prevalent base for honey bees and the
entire honey industry in India. So much for NDA 'nationalism'.
Health Hazards
Genetically modified seeds can pose severe health hazards like male
sterility, growth of weeds that cause asthma and other allergies. Excessive
use of pesticides/ herbicide chemicals causing toxicity, alteration of human
immune response to diseases, can increase drug resistant bacteria and create
other environmental problems.
The Ministry has not given the full bio-safety data on which it has based
its approval. The Ministrys website states that the assessment published is
an abridged version and the entire bio-safety data will be available only at the
MoEF office. However there are several reports that those who have asked
for it have been refused the data.
Scientific Blunders
a. Trials Several other scientific errors have been pointed out
in the trials conducted, which remain unanswered. These relate to
cost comparison, long term trial of interaction of the artificially
introduced genetic material with nature, herbicide resistance to Basta
in weeds, increased requirement of Basta spray, health safety studies.
Of others the most glaring one is that some of these trials had to
be abandoned mid way in Rajasthan due to problems, trial crops were
ordered to be destroyed in MP and Haryana as permission for these
trials was not there and in Sri Ganganagar the trial was abandoned 10
days before harvest, without giving reasons. But till date no reason
has been ascribed for dropping those studies.
Of importance here is an apprehensions expressed by GAEC itself
earlier that GM mustard is being seen as a more complex issue than
Bt cotton, given the biology of the mustard plant and the larger number
of species in the mustard family. The pollination impacts of GM
September, 2017 11
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
mustard on the related and unrelated plant species have to be looked
into rigorously.
b. Alien genes in the natural biodiversity can significantly alter
the biodiversity, ecology and environment. This is a biological process
and cannot be assessed without repeated and long term field trials
over several generations with regular genetic and phenotypic
examination of several plant and insect species in the environment.
The resulting genetic damage can be devastating, irreversible and
can appear late, as a synergistic response, along with other genetic
changes being pushed for other crops. These changes could also be
in the form of emerging varieties having hazardous effect on human
consumption. That is a major reason why the scientific world argues
against the use of GM Seeds while companies promoting immediate
profits try to push these arguments about the long term impact under
the carpet.
c. Conflict of Interest: There are other conflicts of interests
also in the approval structure. It is documented that some members
of the GEAC granting approval, are associated with companies
promoting sale of GM Mustard seeds and with global organizations
that lobby for GM crops. GEAC co Chair, K Veluthambi, a nutritional
scientist, B Sesikeran and crop scientist SR Rao are on GEAC. Rao
is on the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board funded by an agri business
MNC. Sesikeran is member of International Life Sciences Institute, a
global body funded by firms to promote science, including GM
technologies in agriculture. Some scientists in GEAC are themselves
developing GM seeds. Co- developer of GM Mustard, Akshay Pradhan,
is also on GEAC.
Not just this, the Report was not shown to all members of the
GEAC. Renowned molecular biologist and the Supreme Court
appointed expert on the GEAC, late Sri Pushpa M. Bhargava, who
breathed his last in August 2017, was one of them. This is what he
brought on record, I am a member of GEAC and the norm is to first
discuss the findings with GEAC members. That was not done. The
GEAC appointed the sub-committee to draft the Report so the Report
should have come to us first. He further says This is not the bio-
safety study, it is only an assessment of the main study. The
information is scanty. I think the ministry is superseding the system
12 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
.. the assessment doesnt tell us on what basis the sub-committee
has arrived at their decision that the crop is safe. The decision to
allow commercial cultivation of GM Mustard was taken by the
Government and GEAC long ago because that is precisely what the
USA wants us to do he states.
d. Promotion of Basta - One report published on 27th July, 2017
said that according to information received through RTI, the GEAC
had drafted several recommendations for commercial use of the seed
and "one was that legal action be taken on farmers who use glufosinate
based herbicide, Basta, unless otherwise approved by the Central
Insecticides Board and Registration Committee." May be this
recommendation was given in order to escape responsibility of the
charge of promoting use of Basta. Apart from weeds and insects
Basta also has adverse impact on humans. If this is true then this
means that the main claimed advantage of DMH-11, that it is not
affected by Basta, comes to nought.
So while it is true that science cant be stopped, it should be advanced to
help the peasants and not be left to be used by MNCs to loot and cheat Indian
peasants.
While it is true that agriculture has to be empowered through technology to
prepare for the future, it is mandatory that first the existing technology should
be fully exploited by making proper infrastructure and provisions before galloping
on to something untested and which could cause massive devastation.
While GEAC should be empowered to make decisions on efficacy and
safety, it is its responsibility to ensure that these decisions are scientifically
sound and without conflicts of interest.
While it is true that genetically modified food has been consumed for over
two decades across the world now, its claims of no adverse health effects
due to consumption, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers should be put to strict
scientific evaluation. Though some transgenic crops are used in over 20 nations
they are banned in 17 out of 20 developed countries including European Union
and Russian Federation. In the USA it is mandatory to have warning labels,
something quite superfluous in Indian marketing conditions.
While we have a high import bill of edible oils, Indias productivity of mustard
September, 2017 13
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
seeds is on an average 941 kg/hectare against an international average of
double this amount, both with non-GM Mustard seeds.
While it was claimed by proponents that DMH-11 will ensure a minimum
agricultural income, such claims had been made arbitrarily. Oilseed production
is not profitable for the peasants, hence production does not increase. Govt.
procurement and profitable pricing should ensure that. World over crop
profitability depends mainly on Govt. support to the crops.
Central Executive Committee of AIKMS had filed objections with the GEAC
on Sept 16, 2017 on behalf of Indian peasants against the Central Govt.s
plan to release GM Mustard Seed, DMH 11, for commercial use.
Unfortunately, like with others, there has been no response from the Govt.
However, the government has told the Supreme Court on affidavit
that genetically modified mustard crop is not herbicide tolerant. The petitioners
are repeatedly making misleading claims that GM mustard is a herbicide tolerant
crop; that the GEAC followed all norms and the risk assessment studies
showed no harmful effect to humans or animals, rapeseed /canola (sister
crop of mustard) hybrids based on same technology have been a major success
in Canada, USA and Australia the technology has a proven history of safe
use for more than 20 years; that mustard production in India has been stagnant
at around 7-8 MT (million tonnes) per year for the last 20 years and with
hybrids like GM mustard, production would be substantially enhanced, that
no multinationals or private Indian company is involved in the development
of GM mustard.
Quite obviously the Govt. is willing to tell naked lies to push its agenda.
For such lies even courts of law are not sacrosanct. This is a pattern. It goes
overboard in propagating its position as correct and with the crawling media
willing to oblige it, the saner voices of dissent, steadfastly supporting scientific
positions, get drowned. This fascist method of governance poses an obstacle
in putting up a fight. But wide spread propaganda, explaining the real facts
and the real risks, propagating the past ills and experiences especially amongst
the more educated and conscious elements in rural society and drawing them
into protest, is the best option available to patriots.
14 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Women and Socialism in
the USSR
(On the Centenay of Great October Socialist Revolution, we are
publishing an article by Com. Aparna on experiences of women during
period of socialism in USSR)
7 th November 2017 will mark a hundred years since the October
Revolution led by the working class which lead to forming of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in earlier Tzarist Russia. What followed
were the exciting and tumultuous years of building the first socialist system
under the leadership of the proletarian party headed first by Lenin and later
by Stalin. In fact, the worlds first socialist society was constructed mainly
under the guidance of the working class party led by Stalin for 30 years
and also defended against fascism under his leadership. Following his death
in 1953, the leadership of the working class party, the CPSU (B), passed
into the hands of modern revisionists - capitalist elements inside the working
class party, who continued lip service to the ideology of the working class
while actually disarming the working class ideologically. This allowed
reversal of the direction of society building. Changes in concrete policy
were introduced which would change the direction away from socialism,
unravel the socialist system established till then and move society in the
direction of a bourgeois society. In the 1980s, when the working class was
sufficiently ideologically disarmed, the CPSU under Gorbachov, in the name
of the policies of Glasnost and Perestroika, ascribed all the problems of
social imperialist USSR to the Stalin years of socialist construction.
Reiterating the revisionist positions of Kruschev onwards as socialism, communists, both men and women, already had the understanding that the
Gorbachov called for and took new major steps for advancing the reversal
of socialist construction, of course in the name of improving socialism. private property, i.e. under communism. However, in order to get to that
What he advanced was market capitalism. In todays Russia, the reality is
crystal clear that the restoration of capitalism is complete in all aspects.
Did Socialism have any Impact on the Status of Women in Soviet
Union?
Was the situation of the common people, the workers, the peasants,
September, 2017 15
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
vulnerable sections like minorities and women any different under socialism?
The common women of Tzarist Russia participated with vigour and shoulder
to shoulder with men in the struggle for revolution because they wanted to
build a new society which would be free and equal for them in the context
of the oppressions they faced. The old system was the existing condition
in the context of which they set out to create history. This is documented
vividly not only by historians but even in the literature of that period, including
Maxim Gorkys Mother. Oppressed and poor, she begins to participate in
the struggle unfolding before her eyes in the hope of building a new world.
What would be the newness in the world as visualized by women workers
and peasants? They, like the men, would have dreamt of a society freed
from class oppression. But the issue of gender equality is much larger
than class oppression and concrete demands have necessarily varied in
different societies. Women have been part of the actual work of production
on the family plot of land in all feudal societies, but their labour was part of
their natural domestic work. In society, they were a second(ary) sex.
Capitalism brought common women into social production as separate
entities. Women earned a separate identifiable wage and became countable
members in social production. But women joined the workforce not out of
this consciousness but mainly because of economic necessity so that the
family could try to make two ends meet. They continued to be responsible
for all the domestic chores including the bringing up of the children and
theoretically still the secondary sex. Capitalism preferred the women workers
because they worked for lower wages, there was less likelihood of
unionization and they also brought down the general wage and thereby the
cost of production.
In this background was the construction of the first socialist state. The
real emancipation of women would actually be possible in a society without
stage socialization of the means of production would be the initial step.
Along with, as Engels had outlined, society must make domestic chores
into a public industry, so that in practice what was considered womens
domain and not labour at all must be brought in the social domain. Attendant,
of course were the changes in the social consciousness of both women
and men to change the patriarchal ways of thinking inherited from capitalist
society. Thus there was a considered plan with the communists on what
16 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
should be built in the new society in order to create the infrastructure to
support the proletarian womens move in the direction of building a new
society which would meet their expanding aspirations of real equality. The
idea of what is equality of gender also evolves among women too, with the
development of consciousness and with the concrete changes in society
which upgrades their status.
Did the reversion of the direction of society have any negative effects
on the status of such sections? Gorbachov, for instance, had very specific
prescriptions for women in his Perestroika, which were exactly opposite to
all that socialism upholds for women whereas it is similar to patriarchal
prescriptions for women. Equally importantly, it is opposite to the current
understanding of progressive women activists and democrats of what would
constitute freedom and equality for women.
The advent of Gorbachov and his prescriptions for women in his book
Perestroika gave an opportunity to study what had actually happened to
women in the years of building socialism. In 1989, a paper titled Women
Glasnost and Perestroika was prepared and presented in a seminar on
Stalin in Delhi. For this, material was gathered to assess what changes
socialism brought in the status of ordinary women in the Soviet Union,
whether the changes were mere propaganda by the communists or could
they be documented from other sources too including the documents of
the capitalist restorers, and could any negative effects be documented on
the status of women when socialism as reversed. Material was also
gathered to study the status of women under socialism for participating in
an International seminar of Marxist Leninist Women held in 1996.
On the occasion of 100 years of the October Revolution, this article
tries to study what changes the years of socialism in Soviet Union from
1917 to 1953 brought to the status of its women and why it did so. It also
tries to document what was the effect of the theoretical reversal away from
socialism with the practical steps in its tow, on their status. To do so, the
article has largely relied on the facts collected for the papers mentioned
earlier, as what has followed is only further movement in the same bourgeois
direction.
The Great October Socialist Revolution was led by the party of the
proletariat. It was given effect by the thousands and thousands of working
people, both men and women, who fought for the right to build their own
September, 2017 17
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
future. The participation of women, including in the leadership of that
revolution, was significant. This was recorded not only by historians but is
reflected in the literary works of that period too. For instance, in Mother
(Maxim Gorky) the mother herself, oppressed by the system though she
is, participates in struggle unfolding before her eyes. Well known also is
the strike by women since 8th March( new calendar) 1917 against the war
and for bread and rights. It was part of the rising general struggle and the
Tzar resigned on its 4 th day. Thus since 1917 itself, the Soviet proletarian
dictatorship visualized a society in which the equal role of women would be
facilitated in all aspects. Propelled by the working women, it set about
implementing the scientific blueprint based on historical materialism for
the emancipation of women. It had been delineated in some detail by Fredrich
Engels. Tracing the advent of patriarchy in his work Origin of Family, Private
Property and the State, he wrote, The same cause which has ensured to
the women her previous supremacy in the house that her activity was
confined to domestic labour- the same cause now ensured the mans
supremacy in the house. And then on, we can already see from this that
to emancipate woman and make her the equal of man remains an
impossibility as long as woman is shut out from social productive labour
and restricted to private domestic labour. The emancipation of women will
only be possible when women can take part in production on a large social
scale and domestic work no longer claims anything but an insignificant
amount of her time.
BUT, he wrote, if she wants to take part in public production and earn
independently, she cannot carry out her family duties. And the wifes position
in the factory is the position of women in all branches of industry and
business, right upto medicine and law. The way out he emphasized, was
again through modern large scale industry which tends towards ending
domestic labour by changing it more and more into public industry.
As the capitalist world sent arms, armies and money to strangle and
crush the first working class state, Lenin extorted the Soviet people public
dining rooms, crches, kindergartens, these are examples of the shoots
which can in fact emancipate women (1919). Soviet women took part in
building a society where they had voting rights and equal pay with men,
civil registration for marriages, paid maternity leave, right to abortion, right
to divorce with state protection of interests of mother and child as far back
as 1917, after the proletarian dictatorship took power. The suffragette
18 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
movement fought for centuries in England and working women fought for
universal vote in western countries. Finland gave a universal vote in 1907,
Norway in 1913, Soviet Union in 1917 but the US in 1920, Britain in 1918
and France in 1944. In fact immediately after the downfall of the Tzar in
1917, the provisional Govt., having preponderance of communist forces,
announced voting rights to women. Despite all this, Lenin correctly pointed
out the far cry from equality in law to equality in life and extorted women
workers to bring about their own emancipation.
The response of Soviet women has been widely documented and
affirmed by Russia watchers of all shades. Freed of the exploitative social
order, the stranglehold of landlords and factory owners, in a mileu which
assisted and solicited their creativity, Soviet women plunged into the
creation of a new society. The building of socialism took place under the
leadership of CPSU led by Stalin. Anna Louis Strong, a western journalist
who was strongly critical of Stalin in the later years, recorded how in the
villages women began to fight the traditions of centuries. In a Siberian
village, after the collective farms gave women their own independent
incomes, the wives called a strike against wife beating. They smashed
the time honoured custom within a week. Victory however was not always
so easy. In a Tashkent village, in 1928, a woman refused the attentions of
a landlord and married a communist peasant. A gang of 18 men stirred up
by the landlord violated her in the 8 th month of pregnancy and threw her
baby into the river. Ms. Strong recorded that the toughest fight was in
Central Asia where women were chattels and were killed for unveiling. The
communists began discussions among the women, brought pressure on
their own members to permit their wives to unveil and women leaders
organized mass unveilings.
During the collectivization of agriculture, priests and Kulaks joined
hands, and the fight for modern farming was sought to be shown as a fight
against religion and against the interests of women. In fact the propaganda
was explicitly sexual; many commentators recorded that rumours were
spread of the one great blanket under which all men and women of the
collective farm would sleep and of socialization of babies. Women were
also the targets of specific propaganda that their domestic cows would be
confiscated and all their poultry would be consigned to a common kitty,
thus preying on common jealousies. Yet women participated in the
collectivization of agriculture with zest and creativity as the examples given
September, 2017 19
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
below show. They were continually extorted to do so. Not a single great
movement of the oppressed in the history of mankind has been able to do
so without the participation of working women said Stalin in 1925. And
this was a movement to smash the rule of the oppressor classes and build
a society of the proletariat.
What changed for women under the socialist system? For a start they
became masters of their own labour; it was so in the public sphere and
there was tremendous practical back up along with propaganda to make
this a reality for the domestic sphere. This helped towards challenging the
gender based exploitation of womens labour both by men and by society.
From women world over, constituting slightly less than half the population,
society extracts unpaid, socially unrecognized, economically unremunerated
domestic labour. This labour has been labeled a private service for men
but in reality it is hardly ever recognized as anything other than the natural
work of women by both men and women too. In this manner ruling classes
extract a fat profit from this huge unrecognized labour of women, which
they would otherwise have to substitute by creating infrastructure. By
ruthlessly attacking this concept, the socialist society liberated the
common women more decisively than the liberation offered to elite women
under capitalism. Lactating women were given work points and wages of 8
hours for less hours of work in a positive discrimination to help them look
after small children. Socialist society did not impose sham equality over
unequal responsibilities.
Secondly, women were given real opportunity to work according to their
choice, breaking the mode of prescribed roles. For instance, women became
tractor drivers, managers and account keepers in collective farms. Also,
politics and participation in political decision making was accessible to
every toiling woman. This was by way of taking politics and the task of
running the socialist system down to the level of every factory committee
and village committee. Every production unit became part of decision
making. Journalist Anna Louis Strong has recorded the forming of the first
Five Year plan of the Soviet Union using this method- first the Plan went
down till the lowest committees for comments and suggestions; these then
went up and were used to strengthen the document. The Soviet society
also equipped the women to take their place in the management of socialist
enterprises as leaders of communes, of tractor teams, of Red Army units
and of committees of the party.
20 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
The socialist state enforced complete legal equality of gender with
marriage registration and right to divorce as components. At the same
time it took seriously the task of educating, propagating and drilling into
women themselves a change in attitude so that they would internalize
their changed status. Enlightenment, culture, education, liberty- in all
capitalist, bourgeois republics of the world, all these fine words are combined
with extremely infamous, disgustingly filthy and brutally coarse laws dealing
with marriage rights and divorce, with the inferior status of a child born out
of wedlock..laws granting privileges to men, laws that are humiliating
and insulting to women(Lenin-1919) And so, by becoming part of social
labour women were freed of the pressures of remaining in empty marriages
out of economic necessity or to save children from social stigma. Children
were educated by the state. The holy cow of family values which co
exists with complete breakdown in relationships in bourgeois society was
attacked and also women were materially and socially enabled to be free
of oppressive relationships. However, along with free right of divorce, the
Soviet society made effort to preserve marriages where the ties were genuine
and also did propaganda to create a sense of answerability in the production
of children even while it gave equal status to all children.
By continually calling on women to participate in the building of the
new society, by involving their labour in it by freeing them of the yoke-
both mental and real- of domestic chores, by helping women liberate their
minds, a radical remaking both of social technique and of customs as
Lenin stated, the socialist state struggled to ensure both womens
development as well as the development of gender equal attitude in the
entire society. Thus it did not only lay material basis, but entered the
realm of ideas in attempting to develop a new people, a socialist people.
The socialist state played a proactive role by promoting proletarian outlook
and culture and siding with women in their battle against outmoded ideas
and attitudes towards them.
How important the leadership of the CPSU under Stalin regarded the
participation of peasant women in the building of socialism and how
conscious it was of the task of emancipating womens consciousness is
borne out by the specific clarifications given by Stalin himself at the Joint
All Union Conference of Collective Farm Stock Workers in 1933, Now a
few words about the women; the women collective farmers. The women
question in the collective farms is a big question, comrades. I know that
September, 2017 21
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
many of you underrate the women and even laugh at them. That is a mistake
comrades, a serious mistake. The point is not only that women comprise
half the population. Primarily the point is that the collective farm movement
has advanced a number of remarkable and capable women to leading
positions. Look as this Congress, at the delegates, and you will realize that
women have long since advanced from the ranks of the backward to the
ranks of the forward. The women in the collective farms are a great force.
To keep this force down would be criminal . Of course not so long ago
the Soviet Govt. had a misunderstanding with women collective farmers.
That was over the cow. But now this business of the cow has been settled
and the misunderstanding removed . He went on a point out the
significance of the collective farms to peasants women, They must
remember that only in the collective farms do they have the opportunity of
becoming equal with men.
Some Documentation
And that it exactly what occurred. Women had an equal and often
pioneering role to play in the building of the new society. The first need was
for it to be viable. It has already been mentioned how the collective farms
gave women strength to fight domestic violence. The depowering of the
Kulaks and the practical setback to religious oppression given by
collectivization, played a role in the freeing of women. The authority of the
priests who supported the tradition of killing wives for unveiling was
undermined also by recognizing marriages by registration as legal. Women
workers set new records; a woman rearing chickens in a collective farm
won an incubator from Moscow for her commune; a women beet grower,
Marie Demchenko, won accolades for her work on beets in a cottage
laboratory with which work she planned to help flood the land with sugar.
By 1934 these women, who had emerged from the mire of Tzarist Russia
were chairpersons of 6000 collective farms, more that 60,000 were members
of management boards of collective farms, 28,000 were group leaders; 1
lakh were branch organizers, 9000 managed collective farm dairies and
7000 were tractor drivers (Report to 17th party Congress Stalin).
At the second All Russian Congress, which was held post revolution,
Alexandra Kollontai, member of the proletarian party, became the Commissar
of Social Welfare of the Soviet Govt. In 1918 the Zhenotdel was set up-it
was the Womens Department of the Secretariat of the Central Committee
22 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
of the Communist Party. It was established with women communists
Alexandra Kollantai, Krupkskaya and Inessa Armand to take up agitation
by deed and branches were set up throughout the Soviet Union to take up
concrete issues of the women with the women communist leaders involving
themselves in the execution of its tasks. Inessa was its first Director and
Alexandra took over after her death. The decree on Divorce was also issued
in 1918. Under Inessa, the first National Conference of Working Women
was held in 1918 and it was also addressed by Lenin. The first International
conference of Communist Women was held in 1920. Women communists
led by Clara Zetkin and with the active co-operation of the CPSU leaders
organized the Working Womens Socialist International which, in 1910 in
its second meeting, also chose 8th March as International Working Womens
Day.
Alexandra Kollontais book, Communism and the Family (1920) begins
by taking up the experience of the women with the Divorce Law. It is written
simply and graphically, almost addressed to working women and lays out
the concept of a changed world. She began-Will the family continue to
exist under communism? Will the family remain in the same form?, writing
that these are the questions assailing women in Soviet Union. In the text
she wrote, Life is changing before our very eyes, old habits and customs
are dying out and the whole life of the proletarian family is developing in a
way that is new and unfamiliar and in the eyes of some, bizarre.
Commenting that in the old (Tzarist) world women were dependent on men
for survival and now the new society was giving them the right to remain in
marriage only if they so desired and was also relieving them of the
responsibility of providing for the children by giving the latter social care,
she wrote commenting on the confusion of the women, They have not yet
understood that a woman must accustom herself to seek and find support
in the collective and in society and not from the individual man. She pointed
out, It is our ignorance that leads us to think that the things we are used to
can never change, she discussed how the family had changed through
historical periods. She spoke about the marriage possible under Soviet
society-..free and honest union of men and women who are lovers and
comrades and of the new society that would evolve under communism
and how marriage relationships would also relate to general society and of
comradely social relations. The quotation makes clear that while building
the new society, the peasant and working women were also being urged to
shed old ideas and grow accustomed to freedoms.
September, 2017 23
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Soviet Year Books of the period of Krushchev and Breznev also
document this grand transformation in the priorities of society. This record
is important because, post Stalin, the CPSU leadership was out to decry
everything done during the period of socialist construction. Tzarist,
prerevolutionary Russia and the medievial status of its women is adequately
described in literary classics like Maxim Gorkys Mother. 83% women (9
49 yrs) were illiterate, 30,000 women died annually of childbirth, 5% women
has access to obstetrical aid, there were 9 mother and child care centres,
nurseries and KGs could cater to 11,500 children.
By 1935, the number of wage earning women had gone up 12 fold
(6,36,000 in 1913 as against 7881,999 in 1935). In 1928, 39.6% women
were receiving primary or secondary education; by 1936 the figure was
46.9%. By 1928, 15.6% students of workers high schools were women, in
1935 this had doubled to 36.6%. By 1940, 62% of doctors of all specialized
branches were women as against 10% in 1913.
This participation of women to the social production process was AIDED
and BACKED UP by enormous support services apart from the direction of
thinking propagated by the socialist system that women were equal and
society had to unchain them. On the eve of the first five year plan 247,000
children were accommodated in crches. By 1935 the figure jumped to
5143400. By 1935, there were 42,871 delivery beds as against 6824 in
1914; the Year Book of 1963 (i.e. post socialist) acknowledges that by
1960 the death rate due to childbirth was a mere .07% in towns and .06%
in the countryside. These figures are being quoted only to show the
infrastructure which was created for freeing women from domestic chores
and for positively providing health infrastructure for them in the socialist
years. From being the most oppressed in an oppressed society, by 1940,
34% of total workers engaged in administration were women, i.e. even
before the anti fascist war. It is necessary to state this because one of the
arguments of the deriders of socialisms role in enabling women, is that
women took an important role in all aspects of society in SU only because
the anti fascist war had killed the male population.
Thus, despite the war on the new state by capitalist countries, despite
the antifascist war and Hitler, the Soviets built up a society in which the
position of women was radically changed. Even Gorbachov in his book
Perestroika has been forced to acknowledge this history; every positive
contribution by the Soviet State to womens emancipation that he mentions
24 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
were theorized and implemented by Lenin and Stalin-the latter for 30 years.
Visiting Russia in the post fascist-war period, Christine Holland, a visiting
journalist, acknowledges that the women of Russia already had all those
rights for which she herself had fought throughout her life. Anna Louis
Strong, in her book The Stalin Years, records, Soviet power used many
weapons for the freeing of women. Education, propaganda, law, all had
their place. Big public trials were held of husbands who murdered their
wives; the pressure of new propaganda confirmed judges who gave the
death sentence for what old custom had not considered a crime. A Director
of a silk mill in Siberia told her Our mill is the consciously applied force
which broke the veiling of women; we demand that women unveil in the
mills. She concludes her chapter on women in the Stalin Era thus, In
capitalist Britain the factory appeared as a weapon of exploitation for profit.
In the USSR, it was not only a means to collective wealth, but a tool
consciously used to break past shackles.
Gorbachov reinforces and takes forward Restoration
But Gorbachov acknowledged this history only to work out how to negate
it. In the book Peresteroika a two page chapter is devoted to women. In
this he reiterated the role of women as homemaker and mother, her
indispensible role with regard to the education of children; he bemoaned
that women no longer have time to perform their everyday duties at home
house work, upbringing of children etc. Hence he outlined the task of
Perestroika, What we should do to make it possible for women to return to
their purely womanly mission. His prescription of Glasnost for women (as would the father). It must be remembered that this was only part of
was restricted to, The heated debates in the press and public organizations
on how to achieve this end (and not on whether it is desirable).
For a start, let us contrast this self styled Leninists mission with the
writing of Lenin: Petty house work crushes, strangles, stultifies and
degrades her, chains her to the kitchen and to the nursery, and wastes her
labour on barbarously unproductive, petty, nerve racking, stultifying and
crushing drudgery.
Secondly, and more dangerous, Gorbachov tried to portray that the
problems of children, youth behavior and morals and problems in production
are the paradoxical result of our sincere and politically justified desire to
make women equal with men in everything. He represented them to the
September, 2017 25
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
world as problems which arose in a socialist society and arose because
women were being brought into their own. The issue is that these problems
arose in the period when the CPSU leaders had already unraveled socialist
construction along with abandoning socialist principles. Thus the problems
were the problems of a bourgeois society. It is not to say that there were
no issues in socialist society; but they would have been tackled with the
communist perspective of women being equal inheritors of the earth and
having equal rights, the expression of which society should enable. After
thus mocking at the fundamentals of Marxism on this question, Gorbachov
tried to theorize the shutting of women within four walls as the task of
Socialism!
Gorbachovs whole attempt was a deliberate, terrible and- for the
womens movement- a dangerous fabrication. The fact is that by slowly
evolving from work points and payment for labour done to a wage slab,
Soviet society under Stalin allowed the shorter working day and extra leave
for women to actually become a protection of the needs of the mother and
child. The wage slab, meaning one wage for a range of work points, allowed
women with small children to work for less hours but without wage reduction.
Peoples own committees decided which women or sick or elderly could
avail such supports. By changing this to offering extra work points (i.e. a
higher wage) as material incentives based on the bourgeois understanding
that people labored only for material self gain, CPSU led by Krushchev
created conditions for putting women into a dilemma because to better
their wages they would infringe into the time given them for their children,
many other steps to break the collective spirit both practically and
ideologically. The fall out for the child was that Gorbachov was able to say
that a mother spent an average of 40 minutes per day with her child in
USSR; the father, less than this. He must have been correct in the fact but
not in the context- this was not the description of a socialist society but of
one where the bourgeois system had been restored though in the garb of
socialism. Gorbachov actually sought to remove even the fixed wage slab,
yet pretended concern for the mother and child. Secondly, there are so
many testaments of the high morals of the youth and workers of the USSR
in the period of Lenin and Stalin; of the confidence, labour, ideals and will
which was transforming backward Tzarist Russia into a pioneering egalitarian
society.
26 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
The 27 Congress of the CPSU under Gorbachov instituted steps in the
th
direction prescribed by Perestroika. The 12th five year plan on the one
hand extended the practice of letting women work a shorter day or week, or
even work at home. However this was in the context of their programme
that payment must be strictly in accordance with the amount of work done;
No exception was made for women. The effect of this on womens wages
is self evident
CPSU under Gorbachov openly broke up socialist infrastructure. The
crux of the agricultural policy of Perestroika was lease of land to individuals
and families, thus continuing the process of decollectivization as undertaken
by Krushchev. The decision to encourage women to work at home should
be read in this context.
A study in 1980s by Gun Kessle, an associate of Jan Myrdal, of the
effect of the then newly allowed lease system in China on Chinese women
is educative in this regard (At that time China, led by capitalist roaders,
began steps for dismantling socialism). Equality, she wrote, is not longer
viewed as profitable, day care centres are shutting down, established
collective institutions are closing down, undermined by the slogan extorting
individual households to get rich on their own. In the country side, women
are being shoved back again, reduced to mere members of a household
and the family patriarch alone makes decisions. Female infanticide rose
as land allotted was made inheritable and China had a one child policy.
She also traced the effect of the agricultural policy on the institution of
marriage, it will not be the wishes of the young people that will be decisive
in future. Instead, for the better number of households it will be factors
such as whether the properties complement each other or whether the family
needs a new tractor. In the case of the Soviet Union too, the experience of
the Soviet women had amply borne out the truth of the liberating force of
land collectivization coupled with the insistence on ensuring equal status.
It is somewhat unnecessary to continue documenting what happened to
the status of women since the 1980s as bourgeois patriarchal relations
prevailed like in other parts of the world. In 1988 (Gorbachov period), Russia
also chose its first Beauty Queen on 8 th March- this was projected as
democracy. Another kind of priority was advocated by the builders of
socialism, with Stalin saying on the same day in 1925 that the day must
become a means for turning the worker and peasant women from a reserve
of the working class into an active army in the liberation movement of the
September, 2017 27
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
proletariat.
Changes in attitudes are reflected in actual life only over a period. Yet
if statistics related to womens status are examined, they show a definite
deceleration in USSR after the fifties. They are also remarkable for the
tremendous pace of development from the backward women of Tzarist
Russia to the 1950s. For instance, according to the book Soviet Union,
Facts and Figures compiled by K.G. Saur and printed in the Federal
Republic of Germany, in 1928 151 thousand women were in higher education
and specialized secondary education. The number increased by 5.5% by
1941. This rate decelerated to increase by 3% by 1955 (Kruschev took
over in 1953), by 2% by 1965, and 1.2% by 1976. The same book records
that in 1940, women were 39% of the total workers, 47% in 1950 and
remained at 47% in 1960 (Kruschev years).
In 1913 the number of crches catered to 11,500 children, to 5143,400
in 1935. These figures are from the Year book of 1967 i.e. Kruschev period.
In absolute numbers the number of wage earning women increased 12 times
from 1913 1935 (22 years) and only 4 times from 1935 1966 (31
years) though due to the anti fascist war women had to play a much greater
role in production in the 1940s. Of course, it is not just the numbers but the
outlook which was decisive- under socialism, not only was there the
understanding that women have equal stake in society and in its building
and domestic work must come into public sphere, the understanding
included that gender equality in all walks of life was a right.
Under Glasnost, Soviet publications like the New Times and Soviet
Women carried articles by women protesting against their heavy workload,
which they worked out to 12 hours and 40 minutes per day. The debates
focused on whether the work load should be borne by men or women,
excluding altogether the possibility of socialization of task.
Only one small comment needs to be added to outline the status of
women in Russia today (the SU has since broken up and this is the major
country).In the last quarter of 2016, the Govt. under Putin decriminalized
certain moderate types of domestic violence and labeled them
administrative issues. For inflicting bruises and causing only bleeding
injuries on women and children but no broken bones, the penalty will be 15
days in prison or fine whereas earlier the penalty was jail for two years.
This amendment sailed through both houses of Parliament. Maria Lipman,
28 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
a political analyst, has been quoted in the online Guardian (9 Feb 2017)
th
as saying that in the Soviet period gender equality was implemented from
above so that some of the rights which women in the West had to fight for
were already granted or even imposed on the Russian women. She stated
that Russian women never had to fight for their rights implying the specific
fight for gender equality. Women communists who fought for socialism
also knew that it would give the framework for fighting for equality of gender
in social consciousness though women workers fought as a class in the
main. In the new society the framework of gender equality was ensured
and women workers were extolled to develop their consciousness.
Maria Lipman has also given a graphic description of the status of
women in Russia in current times: Now we have huge problems with
unequal pay, with no women in politics, with domestic abuse...But, she
goes on, on top there are female editors of leading media outlets, female
bankers i.e. the lot of the ordinary women leaves much to fight for. It
reflects clearly the creation of a new upper class of elite women.
Were There Only Positive Experiences for Women in the Socialist
Period?
The institution on patriarchy dates back to the years of settlement of
primitive society and changes form but continues to exist both under
feudalism and under capitalism. Communists are born into the existing
society and have to struggle against their own patriarchal understanding
and values too apart from a theoretical commitment to equality. In the
years of building of socialism, which anyway was built in the first half of
the twentieth century, there may have been some steps which could be
viewed critically today or be frowned upon as the logic may seem
retrogressive today. For instance, post 1936, the right to abortion was done
away with; in part due to the erroneous theorization that now building of
socialism had been completed. Motherhood was glorified/women who
became mothers were felicitated so that women would have many children
post the anti fascist war as the CPSU under Stalin sought to raise the
population which was substantially wiped out in that war. One can judge
the merit or otherwise of each step separately. Lenins interview with Clara
Zetkin is a detailed exposition in which he discusses many aspects of the
communist understanding on the womens question and gives his
understanding on the divergent views on several concrete issues including
September, 2017 29
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
free sex. Lenin also had earlier expressed an opinion against communist
women organizing women working as prostitutes, saying that this was an
exploitation which socialist construction would do away with anyway. Today
many feminists are very critical of this position. Women communists like
Kollantai had differences with peer communists on several issues
concerning women also. These debates and evaluations are necessary
and will continue. But overall, scarcely anyone can refute that the builders
of socialism, both the communists and the proletarian men and women,
had a conscious conviction that a socialist society must be anti patriarchal,
that they ensured positive, thought out practical steps in many spheres by
the state to enable women to break their chains and thus took practical
steps to facilitate gender equality apart from attacking the old way of thinking
by ideological propaganda and training. New unimagined vistas opened for
millions of working class and peasant women in the years of building of
socialism. This social vision was reversed by the revisionists, apart from
reversal of the practical steps subsequently.
Restoration
Another oft asked question is why women did not battle against the
reversals when these were going to snatch away hard won changes in
women status. The answer lies in ideological derailing- the long period in
which socialist concepts were derided in the name of attacking the wrongs
of the Stalin period. Equally importantly, while social transformation itself
transformed people, the changes could only be consolidated within the
framework of equality- both in ideas and in practical supports- which
socialism gave. This is especially true of an oppression so old as gender
inequality. What happened to the status of women post restoration not
only in Soviet Union but also in China and the remarkable similarities in
what restoration brought for either( these changes were also highlighted in
the bourgeois press) only prove the tremendous importance of this
framework. With restoration of a society in which the idea of individual
benefit is promoted against a collective concept, when private property
creeps in first in social production and eventually in social life, when
collective ownership is undermined whether of land or of industry and the
collective is gradually undermined in both life and thought, when an elite
class re-merges (all of which happened in Soviet Union and was documented
so by the CPC too in the course of the Great Debate) the basis is laid for
a backward count in gender equality too. Free Market can give much
30 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
space to women of elite classes, but can never give liberation for the worlds
women who live outside the purview of the market, its priorities and
freedoms. There was of course lack of consciousness in the workers, both
men and women in the theoretical realm, that their new society could be
sabotaged from within and that hostile classes continued to exist in socialist
society. It only reiterates Maos teaching that classes and class struggle
continues under socialism and it is necessary to keep up the struggle against
the old in the new society. Cultural Revolution was the form and it called
for a continual attack on old ideas, oppressions and outlook and for class
vigilance by the proletariat. The new people of socialist society are still
at the stage of each according to his work. The struggle of the womens traceable that when private property appears in social production either in
movement for equality anyway has to continue for communism and the
abolishing of private property in order to lay the basis to do away with
patriarchy.
Conclusion
De jure changes can occur overnight as it were; de facto changes take
a long time to manifest, particularly when one is dealing with whole nations,
with social classes. But it is a fact of history that only a society which
calls forth the reserve of all sections of its people including even the most
oppressed of all oppressed, into the task of society building, allows the
complete freedom and development of women as individuals on an equal
footing with men. Any changes which involve the privatization of the means
of production inevitably push back the women into the home, as private
domestic slaves.
In all great social transformations, the classes which take part
themselves undergo radical changes in attitudes, behavior, norms and
practices as transformative processes transform them too. Practical
necessity also gives women a greater social role. But the revolutionary
transformation of a society to one whose very goal was equality did more
than just free Soviet women from the economic, moral and social shackles
of the old. As builders of a new social system they participated in a
revolutionary transformation of the superstructure, not only against the old
but in a positive advocacy of what should be the form and content of the
new. Their experience and achievements in the twentieth century have left
an indelible mark on formulations and visualizations of what would be a
society where women would enjoy full liberation.
September, 2017 31
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Relevance to Women in India
Is this whole discussion just a theoretical exercise or does this
discussion have any relevance to the status of women in India and the
womens movement for gender equality here? There is enough and more
historical evidence to assert that societies and social relations have not
remained frozen over centuries; neither, accordingly, has the status of its
women. Even now, it is evident from existing societies that patriarchy is
different in form in western capitalist societies and in feudal societies in
Asia or Africa. In the course of history, to put the issue in a nutshell, it is
land or in possession of animals, this coincides with the women themselves
becoming private possessions in order to ensure purity of inheritance. Thus
while the exploitation of women in our society has to be also fought issue
to issue along with fighting the patriarchal mind set, the womens movement
must think beyond the immediate. The social basis has to change regarding
sanctity of private property along with women entering all spheres of social
life in practice and also fighting the patriarchal mindset. If we do not face
and understand this, we will forever stew in the confusion that patriarchy
has no social basis and men think like that i.e. scientifically speaking, it
is an attribute of the y chromosome. There is no genetic evidence of the
same though most of the human genome stands decoded.
Therefore, is there any concrete blueprint on how to change society? It
is communism which, by doing away with private property, can lay the
concrete basis for full liberation of women. Every society has to begin from
where it is and go by revolutions towards communism; this it can do only in
the leadership of the working class which has nothing to lose in destroying
exploitative societies. In India, our semi feudal semi colonial society is
sustained by the big capitalists and landlords backed by imperialism. By
defeating the rule of these forces, new democratic society will break the
base which sustains feudal patriarchal relations in India. It will allow the
struggle against these social norms to be carried out in the infrastructure
of a society which stands by gender equality. Thus it will provide the
infrastructure of equality within which the struggle for gender equality can
be carried forward in milieu which upholds it. Also, only the forces which
will tear down the present exploitative society by new democratic revolution
will pave the way for building of socialism in India.
32 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
The experience of women in socialism in Soviet Union only underlines
the necessity of the womens movement developing solidarity with the
revolutionary movement for new democratic revolution and the subsequent
socialist (termed lower stage of communism by Lenin in the State and
Revolution) transformation in India onward to Communism which alone
can fully lay the material basis for the full emancipation of women. It also
shows how much women can change both social attitudes and themselves
by participation in great social movements. It is to document how real this
attempt was in the Soviet Union of 1917 to 1953 that this material has
been prepared.
References :
* Perestroika by M. Gorbachov
* Soviet Year Book 1963, 1964, 1966, 1977
* Soviet Union, - Facts and Figures; K.G. Saur (Printed in the Federal
Republic of Germany)
* Socialism and family S. Wolffson
* Stalin Era Anna Louis Strong
* 17th Congress Document of CPSU (B)
* 27th Congress of CPSU
* Origin of Family, Private Property and State Fredriek Engels.
* Frontier November 1988.
* Guardian (online) 9th February, 2017
* Communism and the Family Alexandra Kollontai
September, 2017 33
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Down with Ethnic Cleansing of
Rohingyas in Myanmar!
Suu Kyi must be made to answer
for genocide by her Govt.!
Indian Govt., Deal humanely with this
humanitarian crisis in our neighbourhood!
While prosecution of Rohingyas by the Burmese State and Army has
evoked worldwide condemnation, the Indian Govt. has issued instructions
to identify and deport Rohingyas who have come to India. Nearly 40,000
Rohingyas are in India, about 16,000 of them are documented. This inhuman
and insensitive stand of the Indian Govt. has been criticized by the UN
Human Rights Commissioner.
Rohingyas are facing a genocide in Myanmar (Burma) where they live
in the south west state of Rakhine (along the sea coast and bordering
Bangladesh to the west) constituting an overwhelming majority of the
inhabitants in the northern part of the state and a majority of the people in
the state if those who are forced to flee are taken into account. Myanmar
Army and Buddhist gangs patronized by the Army are killing people, raping
women and burning whole villages. Myanmar Army is even shooting dead
the people who are crossing the border with Bangladesh and has mined the
border crossings. The unprecedented scale of violence against Rohingyas
has forced nearly one million of them out of Myanmar, nearly 370,000 since
August 25, 2017 when the current round of violence against them was
unleashed by the Army. The scale of military action against Rohingyas
clearly proves that this is aimed at ethnic cleansing. Myanmar Army is not
only carrying out massacres, it is blocking all aid to the suffering Rohingyas
including from the UN, it is blocking all investigations into its gross human
rights abuses, not permitting even journalists into the region.
This genocide aimed at ethnic cleansing is being enacted under the
Govt. whose de facto leader is Aung San Suu Kyi, who has since long
been a darling of the western powers and who was awarded Nobel Peace
34 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Prize for her struggle against the military junta ruling Myanmar since 1962.
In 2012, Suu Kyi reached a power sharing arrangement with same military
junta, abandoning her struggle and in turn being rewarded with an opportunity
to rule the country in an arrangement where the military still wields
considerable power. She is now supervising over one of the most heinous
massacres perpetrated against a helpless people. She is decrying all stories
of killings, rapes and burning of villages as fake news, fake rapes and the horse.
burning of their villages by Rohingyas themselves. Wielding power she
has revealed herself as a mongerer of hatred and ethnic cleansing. And
she is doing it through the very Army whom she used to describe as anti-
people and for struggling against which she was rewarded with the Nobel
Prize in 1991. Obviously her conscience does not prick her. She is not
thinking of returning the Nobel Prize which she must. Enjoyment has made
her immune to shame on her role, which is opposite to what she had said
about human rights when she had accepted the Nobel Prize.
Rohingya have been suffering since decades under the rule of the Army.
In 1962, the Constitution promulgated by the Army deprived them of their
citizenship, excluding them from the list of ethnic groups which were entitled
to citizenship. Before this, Rohingya were treated as citizens of Burma
(Myanmar) and many had also been part of the power structure in that
country. Rohingyas have been traditional inhabitants of the area though
Myanmar ruling classes claim that they came there from the then Bengal
along with British colonial rulers. Hence, the provision of proving residence
in the area since 1823 as British had occupied the then Burma in 1826
after defeating the King of Burma. Though some may have migrated to the
region in later times, there are enough records of Rohingya living in the
region in 15th Century and by several accounts as early as 8th Century. This
propaganda is obviously targeted at proving Rohingyas to be outsiders.
Rohingya have suffered several massacres, beginning in 1977-78 and then
in 1991-92, in 2012, in 2015 and in the current phase since 2016.
This drive to portray Rohingya as "outsiders"- Rohingya are referted to
as Bengalis in Myanmar- is aimed at ethnic cleansing. Their motto is killing
as many as possible and driving the rest out of Myanmar. Their attempt is
to block the return of Rohingya to their homes in Rakhine state.
Myanmar Govt. including Aung San Suu Kyi are repeatng lies that the
Army action is against terrorists and portraying their genocidal violence
September, 2017 35
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
as part of their struggle against terrorism. There is propaganda of their
links with Al Qaeda and even ISIS. They cite the attacks by Arakan (old
name of Rakhine region) Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) as justification
of their actions. But they do not bother to explain why attacks against
Rohingya have been going on since decades, much much prior to any
evidence of the existence of ARSA. This is in fact putting the cart before
In the attack against Rohingya, besides Burmese Army and militant
Burmese nationalists including Ang San Suu Kyi, Buddhist clergy is also
playing an important role. In the recent years, a part of the clergy have
build a movement (MaBaTha) called the Association for protection of Race
and Religion. Burmese Army, since it directly took over power, has been
targeting minority nationalities during decades of its rule. Their targeting of
Rohingya is to manufacture an enemy so as to keep their control over
Myanmar.
Imperialist powers particularly US and UK had supported Ang San Suu
Kyi to increase their influence in Myanmar and to counter Chinese and
Russian influence there. Betraying the revolutionary movement in the then
Burma, Chinese revisionists had built close relations with ruling military
junta. Even the growing clamour against Islamic fundamentalism and foisting
it upon the hapless Rohingya also fits into the larger western imperialist
policy framework. But western imperialist powers are also looking to counter
Chinese influence in the region. Hence the present propaganda that Suu
Kyi is merely a silent specatator to this genocide of Rohingya is aimed at
pressurizing her in the context of rising contradictions with China while the
fact is that she is the de facto leader of the Govt. executing this genocide.
Rise of militant Buddism in Myanmar is no isolated phenomenon.
Imperialists and reactionaries the world over are propping up such
organizations to pre-empt and counter the struggle of the people against
deepening economic, social and political crisis. Strengthening of white
supremacists in US, anti-immigrant racist groups in a number of European
countries and of RSS in India are all part of this international trend of which
growth of militant Buddhist forces in Myanmar are a part.
RSS-BJP Govt. has not only closed its doors to the victims of this
humanitarian crisis, it has been propagating lies against Rohingyas.
36 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Hindutva gangs, intelligence agencies and sections of electronic media
have been portraying Rohingyas as active agents of terrorist groups like
ISIL and Al Qaeda. Such a propaganda has started only after Modi Govt.
came to power in 2014 though Rohingya refugees have been in India from
an earlier period. Discussion on the issue is sought to be curbed citing
national security considerations. Violence against Rohingyas is being
engineered as was recently seen in an attack on them in Faridabad before
Eid-ul-Azha and disturbances were also attempted in Jammu where too
some Rohingyas are staying.
RSS-BJP Govt. is planning to send Rohingyas back, going back on
commitments under international law and even Indian Constitution. They
are displaying utmost callousness towards this grave situation. Both Rajnath
Singh and Kiren Rijiju have alluded to security considerations in dealing
with Rohingyas. Their main campaign plank against Rohingyas is that they
are Muslims and hence in their eyes, terrorists or at least potential terrorists.
RSS-BJP has planned a law to give refuge to victims of religious persecution
which excludes Muslims.
Equally sinister is the design of RSS in forging closer links with extremist
Buddhist organizations in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. International New York
Times (October 16, 2014) in its editorial Deadly Alliances against Muslims
had commented on such links in the emerging strategic scenario where
both Hindu and Buddhist organizations are targeting Muslims in the region.
In that there was a report of attempts at developing close links between
RSS and Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and Buddhist extremist group of Myanmar
led by Ashin Wirathu, who was dubbed as the face of Buddhist terror. He
was a guest of honour at the Convention organized by BBS.
Our neighbour, Bangladesh, is facing a large number of Rohingyas fleeing
Myanmar. Bangladesh Govt. is also appalled at the stance of the Indian
Govt. on the issue of Rohingyas. Bangladesh Govt. must realize that the
Hindu communal forces dominating the Govt. in India are no ally in the
struggle against communalism and for rights of the minorities.
Progressive, democratic and secular forces must rise to the occasion
to demand that Rohingyas who have fled in face of genocide by Myanmar
Army should be provided refugee status and should be dealt with humanely.
They must oppose the venom of communalism being injected into this
issue by RSS-BJP.
September, 2017 37
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Gauri Lankesh : Strong in
Life, Stronger in Death
The more they kill to silence, the more people raise their voices in
protest. RSS-BJPs plan to intimidate the progressive intellectuals into
silence through murderous attacks, is forcing more and more people to
come out to protest. Nearly ten thousand marched in Bengaluru on
September 12 to denounce the murder of fearless journalist Gauri Lankesh,
a strident critic of Hindutva brand of politics, its attacks on Muslims and
Dalits and a convinced supporter of the movement against oppression and
exploitation. She supported the struggle against caste oppression. She
supported the struggles waged by communist revolutionaries. She took up
the struggle against religious bigotry and persecution of minorities. All these
brought her onto the hit list of fascist Hindutva forces. She was gunned
down outside her house on September 5 th by motor cycle borne killers.
This followed the pattern of killing of Narendra Dhabolkar, Govind Pansare
and M.M. Kulburgi, all of them strong critics of Hindutva brand of politics
of RSS-BJP.
Thousands of people marched in protest in Bengaluru not only
denouncing the murder but proclaiming upholding of the ideals for which
Gauri Lankesh lived and died. The intellectuals of the country are breaking
their silence and coming out in large number in protests. The best answer
to Hindutva forces is that their murderous attacks are not intimidating
anyone, that the people of the country are ready to face these murderous
attacks, that they are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of the
people of the country. RSS-BJP goons have not succeeded nor will succeed
in cowing down the people.
Gauri Lankesh lived life by her convictions, her conviction against
exploitation and oppression in society, against attacks on Muslims and
Dalits, caste oppression and religious prosecution, her support to the left
movement particularly struggles led by communist revolutionaries. She
did not care for the threats of the reactionaries nor did she bow down before
them.
Hindutva forces led by RSS have bared their murderous fangs. They
38 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
wish to silence their opponents by physically eliminating them. BJP MLA
of Karnataka D. N. Jeevaraj made this clear when he asserted that Gauri
Lankesh would have lived had she not criticized RSS. It is a standard
tactic of fascist forces to both claim and deny their involvement in such
murderous attacks; they claim only to instil fear and deny to avoid legal
and political backlash.
Apologists of RSS are shouting themselves hoarse against criticizing
RSS and its brand of politics for these murders under the pretext that this
is yet to be proved in a court of law. But they, on a daily basis, themselves
and through electronic media talk against other forces, particularly left forces
without such requirement. It is no accident that corporate media provides
them enough space to criticize others and oppose criticism directed against
themselves.
RSS led Hindutva forces are trying to mislead public opinion by
insinuating the possible involvement of Maoists in the murder. Gauri
Lankesh was a known leftist by conviction and a supporter of peoples
struggles including those led by communist revolutionaries. She enjoyed
wide reputation among revolutionary forces and peoples movements. This
insinuation is a deliberate attempt on the part of RSS and their affiliates to
divert attention from their involvement in this heinous murder.
RSS led Hindutva forces have unleashed a murderous campaign against
Muslims and Dalits, progressive, revolutionary and rationalist intellectuals.
Through this murderous campaign they wish to silence all opposition and
impose their reactionary, decadent and retrograde vision of society. RSS
led Hindutva forces are sure to stage more such attacks to fulfil their
objective. These attacks are part of the fascist drive of RSS-BJP
dispensation ruling at the Centre and in many states. Such tactics have
been the standard ploy of fascist forces the world over.
RSS led Hindutva forces stand for unbridled exploitation of the country
by foreign and comprador corporate capitalists and unchecked oppression
by landlord and Brahmannical forces. RSS and its affiliates are like a hydra
headed monster devouring the present and future of the country and its
people.
RSS led Hindutva forces are aided by thorough and deep seated
communalism in the administrative, police and intelligence machinery of
September, 2017 39
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
the Indian state. Thus, by controlling the state machinery these forces
make a mockery of the investigations into the attacks by HIndutva forces,
lead them astray and ultimately investigations result in nothing. Ruling
class parties which claim to oppose RSS brand of Hindutva politics do not
target this aspect of the state machinery. Rather, when they are in power,
they do nothing to correct such state of affairs but choose to depend on
the same machinery for their rule. Despite nearly two years since the
gruesome murder of Prof. M.M. Kulburgi, his murderers have not been
identified leave alone arrested, though the state of Karnataka is ruled by a
Congress Govt.
CPI(ML)-New Democracy strongly condemns the murder of Gauri
Lankesh and other murderous attacks. We appeal to all progressive,
democratic and revolutionary forces to rise to demand that the culprits of
these attacks along with the political conspirators should be arrested
immediately. A broad and deep movement against RSS led Hindutva forces
should be built especially against their attacks on Muslims, Dalits and
struggling forces and intellectuals.
Building a powerful movement against the fascist drive of RSS led
Hindutva forces is the need of the hour. CPI(ML)-New Democracy is
committed to build and play a part in such a movement. Communist
revolutionary organizations should come forward and forge a common
platform to fight RSS-BJP drive toward imposing fascist dictatorship over
the country. Such a joint endeavour is essential to develop people's
consciousness of this danger and to ensure that such struggle results in
defending the democratic rights of the people particularly struggling sections
of society. Such an endeavour is going to play a very important role in the
present situation, ensuring that the struggle against Hindutva forces is
taken to its logical conclusion and the rights of the exploited and oppressed
classes and sections of society are defended.
40 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
DERA, CRIME, POLITICIANS
AND PEOPLE
S.S. Mahil
The Chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, who designated himself as Gurmit
Ram Rahim Singh pretending to be inclusive of several religions, and whose
original name is Harpal Singh, has been sentenced to twenty years of
imprisonment in two separate cases of rape filed by wo of his close followers
and has been sent to jail. In each of the two cases he has been sentenced
to ten years rigorous imprisonment and a total fine of thirty lakhs, out of
which each victim is to be paid 14 lakhs. After hearing the sentence, this
so called Baba squatted on the ground, crying and pleading for forgiveness.
He was behaving like a child saying he will not go to jail. Thus the self
created aura of divinity around him was smashed proving him to be a
coward. Even when his crimes have been proved and he is in jail, his
representatives claim that they have been denied justice. Some of his
chieftains continue to say that even Jesus Christ was crucified and Guru
Nanak was also put behind bars and all great gurus had to face such
injustice. A majority of his followers still think that their Guru is innocent,
has not committed any crime and is wrongly jailed. This blind faith in the
Dera chief has not completely ended yet. But those who had a firm belief
that their Guru has divine powers and none can harm him, are in deep
shock and some are confined to bed.
These people, deeply drowned in blind faith, were misled to throng
Panchkula where a CBI court was to pronounce judgment in the rape cases
against the Dera chief. Though the verdict was to be pronounced on 25th
August, but people started pouring in a few days earlier. They came with
bag and baggage to stay for a long period. Punjab & Haryana High Court
instructed Haryana Govt. to impose section 144 to prevent the gathering,
as this provides that any assembly of five or more persons is illegal and
liable to be dispersed. Though Haryana's BJP government formally declared
Section 144 but it did not implement it and allowed more than a lakh people
to gather in Panchkula. Not only that, Ram Bilas Sharma, Education minister
in Haryana government of BJP led by Manohar Lal Khattar, issued a
statement saying that Haryana government will provide basic amenities to
September, 2017 41
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
the Dera followers gathered at Panchkula. It clearly exhibited that Haryana
government was in active collaboration with the Dera.
This huge gathering at Panchkula was not sudden and spontaneous.
This was pre-planned by the master minds in the Dera management. As
soon as the Dera chief was pronounced guilty and this news leaked out of
the court room, people there were provoked and as planned in advance,
violence started. Media vans were specially targeted, were burned and
overturned, some media persons were attacked, vehicles were burnt and
window panes were broken. It is pertinent to note that Dera followers targeted
property but they did not attack security forces or any officials or anyone
else. But security forces, including police and military, retaliated with
vengeance, they didnt give any warning, did not use lathicharge or water
cannons, they didnt use even pellet guns so frequently used in Kashmir
Valley but directly resorted to firing. Generally if in any circumstance forces
have to resort to firing it should be either in the air and if that does not
serve the purpose then below the waist. But in Panchkula forces fired directly
at the upper parts of the body. All those killed were shot either in the chest
or in the head. Thirty eight persons, including women and children, were
shot dead and nearly three hundred were injured.
Apart from the incidents in Panchkula, efforts were made by Dera
activists to damage government property in the southwest districts of
Punjab and northern districts of Haryana. Some such incidents happened
in Delhi too. Curfew was imposed in the affected districts of Punjab and
Haryana. This brought normal life in this region to a grinding halt. It affected
peoples lives adversely. People were wondering why this is happening;
after all just one rape accused was convicted, heavens have not fallen.
Khattar Governments Connivance with the Dera
The root cause of this whole chain of events and loss of life and property
on a large scale is the connivance of Haryana government of Bharatiya
Janata Party with the Dera and its chief, Gurmit Singh. There are so many
facts to substantiate it. First, the victims, those brave girls who dared to
speak up against the Dera chief, wrote two letters, one to the Prime Minister
and another to the Punjab & Haryana High Court. NDA government led by
BJP was then in power at the Centre and Atal Behari Vajpayee was the
Prime Minister. It was the High Court which took notice of the letter and
proceeded on it, not the Prime Minister. It shows that BJP was hand in
glove with the Dera since long. The High Court ordered the CBI probe,
42 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
actively monitored it, resulting in the conviction of the Dera chief, because
of which he is behind bars today.
During Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and Haryana Legislative Assembly
elections, Dera openly supported BJP. Not only that, during Delhi Assembly
elections the Dera supported BJP, though this support could not tilt the
scale in its favour. Many ministers and MLAs had been visiting the Dera to
be in the good books of the Dera chief. A few days before the conviction of
Gurmit on 25th August, he had celebrated his birthday on August 15 and
Ram Bilas Sharma, Education Minister in Khattar government visited him,
prostrated himself before him and granted 51 lakhs to the Dera. A video of
the Minister prostrating himself before Gurmit has gone viral on the social
media. The Health Minister of Haryana, Anil Vij, had doled out a huge
amount to the Dera. Even after the whole episode, Mr. Vij justifies his act
and declares that he will continue to visit the Dera.
Ram Bilas Sharma, Education Minister of Haryana visited the gathering
of Dera followers at Panchkula before August 25 and declared that Haryana
government will arrange for basic amenities like drinking water and temporary
toilets for the Dera followers gathered there. After the whole incident, where
38 lives were lost and loss of property occurred, the same Minister says,
This was a natural burst of anger of Dera followers. Another foul mouthed
member of Parliament of BJP, Sakshi Maharaj, said in an interview to a
private news channel that one person (CBI court judge) cannot be above
the five crore Dera followers. These are not only some statements of
individual leaders of BJP but the silence of the Central government and
central leadership of BJP amounts to the approval of these statements.
Moreover a Hindi newspaper carried a news item of Amit Shah saying that
the Judge of the CBI court was responsible for the loss of life and property
at Panchkula; he should have deferred the judgment seeing the crowd there.
BJP high command has neither condemned these statements nor taken
any action against these leaders.
BJP government of Haryana had not taken any security measures on
its own; it was the High Court which directed the Haryana government to
impose prohibitory orders under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code.
But as the saying goes in Punjabi, Orders of the Panchayat will be obeyed
but the course of the water will remain unchanged. Haryana Govt. imposed
section 144 prohibiting the carrying of arms, not banning assembly of five
or more people. This was a very cunning move by Khattar government; it
September, 2017 43
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
avoided the contempt of court but at the same time helped the Dera
administration to collect a huge gathering of its followers. Despite all this,
Haryana Chief Minister, Khattar, said before TV cameras that his
government handled the situation very prudently.
All these facts of Himalayan proportion reveal the story of Haryana
governments connivance with the Dera chief in creating this situation.
What was The Conspiracy?
As we said earlier that after all a rapist was to be convicted and sent to
jail, why was this whole episode enacted resulting in a heavy loss of life
and property and disturbance in peoples lives in the whole of the region?
Why did this upheaval occur? That was the result of a very deep seated
conspiracy. What was that conspiracy?
Haryana government was aware of the fact that whole proceeding was
being monitored by Punjab & Haryana High Court and it was not in a position
to evade the issue as such and the Dera chief had to be brought to the
Court. So it assured the Dera administration that should the Dera mobilize
a huge gathering of its followers, the Court would not dare to pronounce
any adverse judgment. Even if the Court pronounced the Dera chief guilty,
this mob should not allow him to be taken to jail. In this melee he should be
snatched from the police and taken to a safe place. This was the conspiracy.
Haryana government extended its full co-operation to the first leg of the
conspiracy. It allowed a huge gathering despite the explicit orders of the
Court to prevent such assembly. It turned it into a prohibitory order only on
carrying arms. Haryana government had only this much role to play in this
conspiracy, which it played perfectly.
Dera leaders tried to implement the second leg of the conspiracy. When
Gurmit was pronounced guilty, they tried to provoke the people to overwhelm
the security forces and get the Dera chief released. But they were
outnumbered by paramilitary and police forces which was at the directive
of the Court though the Dera chief did try his best. Gurmit insisted on
travelling in his own car though travelling by air was more comfortable.
This was because he thought that while travelling in his own car, he could
escape from police custody. Security guards who were his loyal followers
and his personal commandos tried to get him released and take him away
but could not succeed because of heavy deployment of military and para-
military forces. They may have succeeded if only Haryana police was
44 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
deployed at the spot. When this failed then Dera leaders provoked their
followers to try to prevent the security forces from taking away the Dera
chief; this was an act of frustration. This was precisely the reason why the
Dera in a statement said that they have been deceived.
Manohar Lal Khattar said before TV cameras that Haryana government
had handled the situation very tactfully; the main concern was to bring the
Dera chief to the CBI court. If he had refused to come out, an operation to
bring him out of the Dera would have been more difficult resulting in bigger
loss of life and property. It means some deal was struck with the Dera
chief, some assurances were given to him, and this assurance might have
been to ensure him freedom. After the whole episode the Dera issued a
statement that We have been deceived. They may mean that the promise
to the Dera by Haryana government was not kept. What was the deception
alleged by the Dera on the part of Haryana Govt.? What assurance did
Haryana Govt. give to the Dera chief for him to agree to come to the
Panchkula court? An independent enquiry is needed to answer these
questions, solve the puzzle and expose the conspiracy, the root cause of
the whole disturbance. But the pre-condition for independent and impartial
enquiry is that Khattar government is not in the saddle.
Why are Deras Expanding?
Gurmit is not the first Dera chief to be exposed, convicted and sent to
jail. Bapu Asha Ram and his son were put behind the bars on the allegations
of rape. Asha Ram is still in the jail. Ram Pal, chief of Satlok Ashram in
Haryana was arrested by using force and is facing trial. Similarly, one
Ramnath Yadav who had a Dera on a large tract of land near Mathura was
running his own state in the Dera. Disputes in the Dera never reached the
court but were settled inside the Dera. If a police person entered the Dera,
he never came out. Para-military forces had to face a tough fight to arrest
him. There are a number of Deras which are involved in similar crimes but
are not exposed as none has yet come to speak up against them.
Some people in Punjab claim that such crimes and irregularities are a
phenomenon of non Sikh Deras and there are no such crimes in Sikh Deras.
Many people outside Punjab may be surprised to know that Sikhs too have
their Deras. But this claim is not backed by facts. Few years back a Dera
chief in a village on LudhianaSangrur road was arrested on rape charges.
Another Dera whose headquarter is in Ludhiana district but has branches
in other districts too, is involved in grabbing of land, has a secret den
September, 2017 45
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
underground and all sorts of crimes are reported in this den. Two persons
were killed in this Dera but their bodies were not found and no case was
registered against the Dera. Few years back the peasants of Mehatpur
area of Jalandhar district fought a pitched struggle against the efforts to
grab their land by a Dera. So the claim that no deras in the name of Sikhi
indulge in such criminal activities is false.
It does not mean that there is no difference between non-Sikh Deras
and Sikh Deras. There is a difference between the social base of these
Deras. Followers of non Sikh Deras are largely labourers (mostly Dalits)
whereas main following of Sikh Deras is among small and poor peasants.
But the million dollar question is why are Deras expanding fast despite
propaganda by rationalists and atheists?
For finding the answer to this question, we must understand the fact
that this Dera phenomenon is largely centered in the area of so-called
Green Revolution, especially in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
With the advent of an imperialist model of agriculture in the name of Green
Revolution, mechanization of agriculture has largely reduced the work
opportunities in agricultural sector. Because of industrial backwardness
and specially the lack of industrialization, loss of jobs in agricultural sector
was not compensated by job creation in industrial sector. There is a very
high level of joblessness in rural Punjab. MNREGS has failed to solve this
problem but on the contrary has become a fountainhead of corruption. The
record of Punjab government on this count is very dismal. Unorganized
sector has limited potential in providing jobs. This section of population is
facing serious situation of unemployment. Advent of migrant labour has
further aggravated this situation. On the other hand, with the policies of
privatization, private institutions are dominating in health and education.
This has turned Health and Education into a trade. The situation in
government hospitals and schools is very precarious. The poor cannot
afford education and health care in private sector as it is too costly. So
quality education and health care has enormously enhanced their cost of
living. Thus Dalit labourers are facing a serious crisis, forcing them to
suicides. Mostly Dalits do not identify themselves with Hindu religion. Sikhi
is dominated by Jat community in rural areas, which have different layers
of peasantry and landlords. They dont treat dalits on equal level, the dalits
are not allowed to serve the langar (common kitchen); they are even served
langar separately and not in the common line. Sikhi advocated equality
and opposed caste system. Guru Nanak Dev said that he stood with the
46 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
down trodden and had nothing to do with rich and upper castes but ideological
degeneration started after Banda Bahadur and finally culminated in the
establishment of the feudal kingdom of Ranjit Singh. Since then Sikhi is
dominated by landlords and traders and its tradition of standing with the
down trodden has been abandoned. In this situation they identify themselves
neither with Hindus nor with Sikhs. So they turn towards non Sikh Deras,
where they are treated equally, find psychological solace and are sometimes
given some economic help too. This is the basic reason for the mushrooming
of Deras and expansion of their base.
Poor and small peasants are also in serious crisis. So called Green
Revolution improved their lot to some extent and for some time, but it has
led them into a whirlwind of deep crisis. Soil health is badly damaged,
water table has gone down to a dangerous level and the danger of
desertification is looming large over Punjab. Apart from this it has resulted
in an ecological disaster leading to cancer and Hepatitis B like fatal diseases
acquiring endemic proportions. These developments have resulted in an
enormous increase in production cost in agriculture and cost of living too,
and have led this section of peasantry into serious crisis. They are heavily
indebted. According to a study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University,
89% of peasantry is under heavy debt and 22% cannot repay the debt
even if they sell their whole property. Engulfed in this crisis and indebtedness
they are committing suicides and this phenomenon has acquired serious
proportions, to the extent that they have started committing suicides at
gatherings of peasants called by peasant organizations for loan waiver,
thinking that organizations will ensure compensation for their family which
their family may not get if they commit the same act at home. Faced with
this situation they turn towards Deras for mental solace and for a better
economic future, especially the Dera being run under the cover of and in
the name of Sikhi.
Precisely speaking the agrarian distress is at the root of the proliferation
of Deras. Revolutionary movement could provide an outlet for their crisis
which it has not been able to do. So the revolutionary movement also, in
a way, shares the responsibility for mushrooming of deras.
Who are the Real Culprits
Expansion of the bases of deras and their mushrooming is the result of
the backwardness of Indian society. This is a reflection of the semi-feudal,
September, 2017 47
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
semi-colonial character of our country. Such a large scale expansion of
Deras and such a huge spread of blind faith is not possible in a developed
capitalist country. Some incidents have been there in the developed
capitalist countries too but these do not compare with the reach and influence
of Deras in India. This is such a blind faith that followers tend to obey
every order of the Deras. This converts these Deras into vote banks. In
this situation the leaders of all parliamentary parties throng to the Deras
for their support in elections. We have already dealt with the Bharatiya
Janata Partys connivance with Sirsa dera. Sukhbir Badal, President,
Shiromani Akali Dal, prevailed upon the Jathedar of Akal Takht to withdraw
an edict issued against the dera of Gurmit Singh just before elections to
Punjab Assembly to meet the condition of the Dera for its support and
started Nam Charcha of Dera followers under police protection. Leaders of
all parliamentary parties, Akali, BJP, Congress, AAP etc. went to the Dera
and prostrated before this criminal Dera chief and begged for his support in
elections. A large number of Sikh leaders from all parliamentary parties
have recently undergone a punishment of cleaning the utensils of Langar
and dusting the shoes at Gurdwaras, awarded by the Akal Takht chief for
going to Dera Sirsa. Some of them are those who had earlier undergone
the same punishment for the same crime but they continued to violate
during elections. A video clip of Narendra Modi has gone viral on social
media, profusely praising the Sirsa dera and its chief. On August 25 when
the verdict in the rape case against Sirsa dera chief was to be pronounced
by the CBI court of Panchkula, Captain Amrinder Singh, Punjab Chief
Minister distributed fruits to Punjab policemen deployed in Chandigarh. He
referred to the Dera chief with reverence, saying Babaji is coming.
When these ministers, a Chief Minister and tall leaders of political parties
visit these Deras and prostrate before the Dera chiefs, people think that
the deras must be having some divine powers and are the pious places.
This provides political and social credibility to these Deras and their chiefs.
Not only that, such closeness of the rulers to Deras binds the hands of the
administration. If they come to know that some crime or some wrong doing
is on inside a Dera, the administration doesnt dare to touch it because of
the political clout of Dera. This provides a security umbrella to the crimes
of such Godmen and their empire of crime continues to grow under the
safe cover of rulers and parliamentary politicians who knowingly close
their eyes to the growing graph of crimes in these Deras because of vote
bank considerations. These parliamentary politicians are the real culprits.
48 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Court acted as Government and Government as Onlooker
If we look closely at the proceedings from the start of investigations of
the cases of rape till Gurmit's going to jail and even afterward, the Court
has acted as a government and the Government as an onlooker. One rape
victim wrote two letters, one to the Prime Minister and another to Punjab
and Haryana High Court. The Court acted upon it and ordered a CBI prove
but Government did not. High Court monitored the CBI investigation and
took it to conclusion resulting in the conviction of the Dera chief. The Court
passed orders giving direction to the Haryana government but Khattar
government tried its level best to sabotage those orders, though formally
and seemingly implementing them. With the Court playing a pro-active role
and government in the role of onlooker, people in large numbers are praising
the Court and judiciary on social media. But these simple minded people
dont understand that this is reflection of the political crisis of this system.
This political system is just like a machine. The State machinery has
different parts, every part plays a definite role assigned to it. The parts are
military, executive, legislative, and judiciary. When one part performs the
tasks of another part, it clearly means that the part whose role is assumed
by another is not working, or not working properly. When one or more parts
of the state machinery are not working properly it reflects a political crisis.
To understand it in a simple form, we should understand that political parties
in government or in opposition are badly exposed and isolated among the
masses. To face this situation they use many factors including caste,
religion including Deras and regional parochialism. When people are losing
confidence in political representatives of the ruling classes, it is necessary
that people have faith in other parts of state machinery, in this case in
Judiciary. If people have lost confidence in it too, it is necessary that they
have faith in military. Those showering praises on the High Court and the
Judge of the CBI court, must understand that the Court has been pro active
in this case concerning one individual but if there is a case where people or
a section of people are facing state or government, the Court has acted as
a weapon of rulers against people, may it be a case of declaring strikes
illegal, banning gheraos, upholding anti-people and anti democratic black
laws like UAPA, ESMA, AFSPA and many more, ordering to stand up
when national anthem is played in cinemas. It serves the ruling classes
against the people.
A dangerous aspect of this judicial activism has come forth. One
September, 2017 49
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
advocate of Panchkula filed a writ that security forces used excessive and
undue force while dealing with Dera followers in Panchkula, they directly
resorted to firing without using other methods of crowd dispersal like cane
charge, use of water cannons etc. Security forces did not fire below the
waist but directly at the chest and head violating the Police Manual. But
the High Court dismissed the writ saying that it was a war like situation and
security forces were justified in their action. This is not a prudent and
responsible statement on the part of the Court. To term an unarmed and
misled crowd as a party to a war is wrong. How it can be termed as a war
like situation when the Dera followers were targeting property only, were
not attacking police or other security forces? What type of war is this where
people of only one side are killed and injured without any serious injury on
the other side? This is a clear case where the Court seems to be carried
away by its new self acquired role. This is the dangerous aspect of courts
acquiring the role of governments which leads to denial of justice.
In the end, a few words about the role of media especially electronic
media. While covering the Panchkula episode, electronic media suffered
some property loss and some media people suffered some injuries. But
electronic media is projecting itself as warriors for truth. This is nothing but
trash. For media it is very spicy material and a great means of raising their
TRPs. They blow out of proportion every bit of information, creating a
mountain out of a molehill, sensationalizing already known facts. They
continue to drag this story and will do so till they get a new sensational
story. But the media doesnt pose a question to itself, that this case came
to light in 2002, then where were they for all these 15 years? One small
town journalist was killed by Gurmit and his goons. What did the media do
for Ram Chander Chhattarpati who exposed the misdeeds and crimes in
the Dera when none from mainstream media dared to open their mouth?
We need to salute R C Chhattarpati and those two brave girls who dared to
stand up against this monster and stood till the end despite all odds.
The Akali government had passed a black law named, Prevention of
Damage to the Private and Public Property Act but it was not notified in
the gazette. Taking advantage of the High Court order to recover the loss
of property from the Dera assets, Punjab government has notified that Act
and is preparing to recover the damages. It shows two things; one, that
ruling classes use every occasion to wield the weapons of repression to
suppress people and their struggles. Two, Akali govt. passed this Act and
Congress government implemented it. These are birds of the same feather.
50 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY
Big Rall
Rall y of Constr
ally uction Wor
Construction orkker
erss
at Jalandhar (Punjab)
Nearly five thousand construction workers of Punjab marched through
the streets of Jalandhar on 18th September, 2017 to submit their Charter of
demands to the Chief Minister of Punjab through the Dist. Commissioner
Jalandhar. Earlier the workers held a big public meeting on the grounds of
Deshbhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar where construction workers drawn
from various districts of Punjab gathered under the banner of Mistri Mazdoor
Union (IFTU) to highlight their issues.
The workers were addressed by the Central leaders of IFTU, President
Com. Aparna and General Secretary Com. B. Pradeep, Punjab state leaders
of IFTU, President Com. Kulwinder Singh and General Secretary Com. Raj
Singh (Convenor All India Coordination Committee of Construction Workers
- IFTU) who also conducted the proceedings. Com. K. Suryam (Co-convenor,
All India Coordination Committee of Construction Workers) from Telengana
and Dinesh Parmar who is organizing construction workers in Gujarat also
addressed the meeting. Leaders of IFTU affiliated construction workers
unions of Andhra Pradesh (Com. U. Venkateshwarulu), Bihar (Com. Suresh
September, 2017 51
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
Kanojia, NCM of IFTU), Delhi (Com. Animesh Das, President of Delhi IFTU)
were among the speakers.
Speakers highlighted that despite the huge amount of over Rs. 7000
crores lying with various state governments as the 2% construction cess,
hardly 15% has been spent on construction workers. No state government
ensures that safety kit is mandatory at construction sites. All India
Coordination Committees Demand Charter also highlights that construction
workers should be entitled to ESI, PF with contributions being paid by the
state boards. All construction workers should receive pension at the rate
of not less than Rs.3000 per month and in proportion to the minimum wages
in the state. Compensation for death should be Rs.10 lakhs and should be
uniform throughout the country. At present some state boards pay Rs.1
lakh, others anything upto Rs.4 lakhs. Registration of construction workers
should be the responsibility of the state govts, and the process should be
easy. Unions should be represented on the Boards at all levels. Speakers
also flayed the Govts. both at the Centre and in the states for non-
implementation of the BOC Act, 1996. In fact in Punjab, where strong
construction workers movement has ensured implementation of several
entitlements, the state Govt. has closed 3 lakh of the 6 lakh workers
registrations for no reason.
Speakers also pointed to the challenge before the working class to
confront the communal conspiracies of the RSS-BJP Central Govt. which
is sponsoring anti-Muslim violence and atrocities against Dalits, and dividing
the working class. The working class must also beat back the attacks on
labour laws, the speakers stressed.
At the end of the meeting, the workers marched to the DC office where
they forced his representative to come and receive the memorandum. (The
DC was in the Court.)
This rally and gathering was held despite the fact that Punjab had seen
days of curfew and disturbance just weeks earlier due the violence post
conviction of Dera Sachcha Sauda chief, Gurmit Singh. Thousands of
workers from South Punjab as still in jail. Punjab is also seeing a strong
peasant movement for the demands of peasantry.
52 September, 2017
 NEW DEMOCRACY Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)

The pr oposed Bill on

proposed operations. So the so called Land Reform Act became a farce. The pressure
from powerful landlord lobby ensured non implementation of the law and

Shar ecr
Sharecr opping in Odisha
ecropping
landlords were allowed to escape due to the weakness of the Act.
After a gap of 14 years, the Nandini Satpathy Govt. of Odisha showed
some interest in implementing the existing Land Reform law by making
some amendments. The land ceiling was lowered from 33 standard acres
Bhalachandra Shadangi to 10 standard acres. Though these new provisions forced the landlords to
hand over some of their ceiling surplus land to the Govt., they could not
address landlessness in any meaningful way. The existence of individual
After years of struggle and a long wait, recently the Govt of Odisha has
ceiling instead of family ceiling, the legal hurdles put by the landlords and
started the process of giving some legal rights to the share-croppers of the
the selection of the most infertile land as ceiling surplus, sabotaged the
state. In the month of May this year the Govt had formed an inter-ministerial
land reform process. Though the Land Reform Act allows the distribution
committee to examine the said opinions and to come out with a draft Bill
of ceiling surplus land it could not render any justice to the lakhs of share
recognizing the rights of the share-croppers. Although the committee met
croppers of the state because tenancy was banned through the 1976
twice in the meantime but it could not take any concrete decision reportedly
amendment.
due to sharp differences amongst its members.
Sharecropping is commonly observed as a land tenure contract where
Influenced by the Telengana armed peasant struggle, peasants in many
a tenant cultivates the land for the landlord and the output that is produced
parts of the country including Odisha had organized militant land struggles
is shared on some pre-determined basis. The output share ranges variously
against the feudal landlords. The poor peasants of Odishas Ganjam district
from 25% to 50% for the landlord. Sharecropping in this sense is analogous
influenced by Telengana struggle, organized a powerful militant movement
to a distortionary tax. Sharecropping has often been referred to as a
demanding the abolition of Mustadari (intermediary) system. Though the
deplorable method of cultivation, the daughter of necessity and the mother
state Govt with the help of armed police carried out severe repression on
of misery. (Marquis de Mirabeau, as quoted in Basu, 1984) One common
the peasants and killed six of them, including women, at Takarada village
perception is that sharecropping allows the landlord and the tenant to share
on May 24, 1949 it was forced to abolish the Mustadari system and give
the production risk. This is especially true in third world countries like India
tenancy rights to the agitating peasants.
where semifeudal land relations in agriculture exist and agriculture is still
To face this challenge posed by the Indian peasantry after the Great dependent to a large extent on the vagaries of nature.
Telengana revolt, the ruling classes on the one hand fielded the Sarvodaya
According to the studies of different Govt. agencies including the
leader Vinoba Bhave to create an illusion among the peasantry in the name
National Sample Survey, nearly 20% of the total agricultural land of the
of peaceful distribution of land with the cooperation of landlords and on the
country is under share cropping or being cultivated by tenant peasants.
other hand enacted some laws in different states in the name of Land
But the percentage of share croppers or tenant farmers in states like Odisha
Reform. In the context The Estate Abolition Act -1952 and Orissa Land
and AP is much more than this national average. In Odisha though no
Reform Act 1960 were enacted. These laws abolished only some of the
survey has been conducted about the number of share croppers or the
intermediaries existing in the feudal land system and were not at all
extent of land under share cropping, but conservative estimates say that
thoroughgoing; rather, large-scale eviction of tenants took place. By banning
not less than fifty percent of the land in coastal Odisha is under share
tenancy, the laws swept the problem under the carpet. No provision was
cropping.
made to record concealed tenancies. The Orissa Survey and Settlement
Act did not care for recording the rights of tenants during Settlement Deprived of the legal right over the land they cultivate, the lakhs of

September, 2017 53 54 September, 2017

 NEW DEMOCRACY
share croppers of the state are leading a very miserable life. They are
deprived of all Govt support provided to agriculture like seed, fertilizer,
pesticides, crop insurance etc. As the Banks and Co-operative societies
provide soft interest agricultural loans only to the legal land owners, these
share croppers are forced to borrow money from non institutional sources
like the village money lenders, micro finance agencies and self help groups
with 30 to 60 percent interest. Having no legal right over the land, they are
even not allowed to sell their farm produce with the minimum support price
in Mandis (agriculture markets) and face distress sale. When natural
calamities like floods, droughts or cyclones take place, the share croppers
face the maximum loss while the land owners gets all the relief and
compensation provided by the Govt.
It has been seen that the majority of the peasants who have committed
suicide after crop loss were share croppers. Since share cropping is very
insecure and economically burdensome, peasants engaged in it are leaving
agriculture in large number. As a result thousands of acres of cultivable
land remain uncultivated affecting the food security of our country. While
share-croppers need to be given rights over the land cultivated by them,
Odisha has not even made a law ensuring their rights even as share
croppers. Successive Govts have shown their apathy towards the miseries
of share croppers as they did not want to displease the powerful land owners
in rural Odisha.
Though Odisha Govt has announced it will bring a share croppers' Rights
Act but the lack of political will is clearly visible. The ruling BJD, which
faced a big setback in the recently held rural local bodies elections, is
trying to win over the lakhs of share cropper families by bringing this Bill
but at the same time does not want to annoy the powerful land owners in
rural areas. The rights of the share croppers cannot be protected by pleasing
the land owners.
Though different peasant organizations of the state including AIKMS
have been demanding for many years that at least a law protecting the
interest of the share croppers be enacted, the state Govt has not shown
any interest in taking their opinions on this proposed Bill. Govts present
effort seems like a purely bureaucratic exercise. The biggest question is
how to identify a share cropper. Because howsoever liberal be the Act, no
land owner will voluntarily admit that his / her land is under share cropping.
September, 2017 55
Organ of the Central Committee, CPI(ML)
As discussed in the media, the Govt is considering forming committees in
every village including the local revenue inspector to find out the land under
share cropping. But if this will be the only process then landlords and land
owners who are very powerful in the villages will manipulate things in their
own favour. So there should be a provision for a share cropper to declare
himself as the tenant of a land and the land owner should prove that his/her
land is not under share cropping, i.e. the burden of proof in this matter
should be on the land owner not on the share cropper. Every share cropper
should be given an identity card for the concerned land by showing which
he will get all the benefits meant for a land owner including agricultural loan
facilities. In case of natural calamities the entire compensation will be
given to the share croppers. If the said land is acquired by the Govt for any
developmental project, then along with the land owner the share cropper
also should get a portion of the compensation. In case a land owner wants
to sell his or her land the share cropper of the land will get the first preference.
Share cropping is a form of feudal exploitation of the peasantry by the
land owning class. It is necessary to protect the rights of the lakhs of
share croppers. It will not only give major relief to them but also enhance
the agricultural production of the state. Right now both the Central and
state Govts are interested in enacting a law that will facilitate contract
farming in the future. Last year the Central Govt.'s NITI Aayog sent a letter
along with a sample Land Leasing Act to many states including Odisha.
On this, the State govt. also sprang into action. Obviously the design behind
this exercise by the Central and the state govts. is to facilitate contract
farming. We have to resist such designs and through wide mobilization of
the peasantry we have to force the Govt to enact a legislation only for the
sharecroppers.
56 September, 2017