People's Democracy

ANDHRA PRADESH NEWSLETTER

Left Parties Call for

Statewide Bandh on Feb 28

THE Left parties in Andhra Pradesh have given a call to the people of the state to observe a complete bandh on February 28, the day on which several trade unions and other mass organizations have called for a nationwide general strike.

A meeting of the 11 Left parties in the state was held at Sundarayya Vignan Kendram, Hyderabad, on February 16 to express solidarity with the general strike and plan for its success in the state. At the meeting nine Left parties supported the resolution to hold the bandh on the day of the general strike. The CPI(ML) and CPI-ML(New Democracy) stated that they would decide on the matter after discussing within their parties.

The Left parties underlined that the general strike is not undertaken only on the issues of the employees and the workers; but on the issues concerning all sections of the people in the society. This bandh is meant to oppose the neo-liberal policies of the central and the state governments and as well the World Bank-dictated reforms, the resolution emphasised.

This meeting held under the chairmanship of the CPI-ML (Liberation) state secretary, N Murthy was attended by the state secretaries of the CPI(M), B V Raghavulu and CPI K Narayana. The state committee members of the CPI ML (New Democracy), CPI (ML), SUCI (C), RSP, CPI (ML), MCPI (U) and ML Committee were also present. The Forward Block leadership informed that the decisions of the state meeting of the Left parties would be fully supported. K Narayana, state secretary of CPI, explained the need for the general strike and introduced the resolution on the support to the general strike and the organising of the state bandh. The resolution was supported by B V Raghavulu and other leaders of the Left parties.

Speaking on the occasion, Raghavulu said that when the working class is on the path of struggle, the political parties should stand by them. The situation of the working class in AP is pitiable. In the name of providing new jobs, the state government is trying to remove the long serving contract workers in order to provide those jobs to new people. All sections of the people, including the employees of the 104, 108 ambulance and health services and the junior doctors are under a spell of insecurity. The politicians and the bureaucrats are indulging in the loot of mineral resources while the government is surviving on the liquor money. He condemned the diversion of  the SC, ST Sub Plan funds. When the struggles are being held isolatedly, this government is indulging in oppression as seen in police firing on farmers agitating against takeover of their lands. Therefore united struggles are a necessity, he explained. He requested the organisations of the students, women, youth, artisans, dalits and the backward class people to come together into the struggles on their issues.

CPI state secretary K Narayana said that the state government is trying to raise the electricity charges in the guise of the regulatory authority.  It is also mulling hike in water charges too, which is a social responsibility of the government to provide. He charged that the state is being run by the land and liquor mafias and the government is taking all pains to save those mafias. The bandh call is required to force this government to act in the interests of people, he said. All the speakers, who spoke at the meeting explained the need for the unity of the working class and appealed for making the general strike a grand success.CPI(M) state secretariat member Y Venkateswara Raoinvited the speakers on to the dais while CPI Hyderabad district secretary V S Bosedelivered the vote of thanks.

Meanwhile, a round table meeting of agricultural workers unions also supported the bandh call and called upon the peasantry to raise their demands by participating in the strike. The unions demanded that the employment guarantee wage should be increased to Rs 200; supply of 35 kg of rice per month to every poor family in the state along with the distribution of 14 kinds of daily necessities through the PDS; the amount in all kinds of pensions provided to the poor people must be raised to Rs 2000 etc.

CPI(M) FIELDS THREE

CANDIDATES IN BYPOLLS

The CPI(M) has decided to contest three assembly seats out of the seven that are going for bye-elections on March 18. Six out of the seven seats are in Telangana and the election has been necessitated due to the resignations of sitting MLAs citing Telangana statehood cause. One seat, Kovur, is in coastal Andhra.

The CPI(M) has fielded candidates in Daida Elishan in Station Ghanpur, Lanka Raghavulu in Adilabad constituencies in Telangana region and J Venkama Raju in Kovur constituency. The Party is fighting the polls independently and without any understanding with any of the bourgeois parties. It has appealed for support from other Left parties.

WORKING CLASS LEADER

COMRADE V SRIHARI EXPIRES

Comrade Velagapudi Srihari, veteran trade union and CPI(M) leader passed away on February 14, 2012 at the Prime Hospitals in Hyderabad. He was aged 78 years and had suffered injuries due to a fall at home. His body was kept at the state headquarters of the CITU from 11 a.m. on February 15 to enable paying of last homage by the people. The last rites were performed on the same day at 3 p.m. at the Bansilalpet crematorium.

Comrade Srihari was born into an orthodox family at the Pellakuru village of the Prakasam district to the parents of Velagapudi Krishna Murthy and Rukminamma as the third child in the family. While studying graduation, he became active in the student federation and was attracted to the ideals of the Communist party. After the studies, he joined the state electricity department as an employee. Later on during the elections of 1962, he gave an anti-government speech in a public meeting at Pedapavani village of the Kavali rural mandal, which cost him his job. He joined the CPI(M) in 1964 and remained loyal to the ideology of the Party, even when many comrades and cadres in the Nellore district went away toward the Naxalite movement. He shifted to the district headquarters for fulfilling the Party duties.  From 1965 on till the split of the Naxalites, he worked in the Janasakthi paper as the sub-editor. When the CITU headquarters shifted to the state capital of Hyderabad, he moved along. He functioned as the state committee member of the CPI(M) and as state secretary of the CITU and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Electricity Employees Union. He led many a working class movements. He was also a good writer and orator and wrote many books. He translated the popular book ’Ten Days that Shook the World’ and many other books into Telugu. He was known for his forthrightness in speaking to others. He visited China. He is survived by two daughters, Prasuna and Kranti, with whom he was staying at Hyderabad till his last breath. His wife, Lalitamba, expired seven years ago.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu expressed his deep condolences at the demise of Comrade Srihari. Paying homage, he said that Comrade Srihari had dedicated his entire life for the sake of the welfare of the working class and the toiling masses. He contributed to the Party not only as the leader of the trade union, but also as a writer, intellectual and the literary person too.

CITU state committee also mourned the loss of Comrade Srihari.

CPI(M) LEADER P MADHU

ATTACKED IN OLD CITY

CPI(M) Central Committee member and former MP, P Madhu, was attacked by MIM party goons in the old city of Hyderabad on February 20, 2012. He suffered injuries and was taken to Osmania General hospital for treatment by the police. He was discharged the next day.

Madhu had gone to visit the bereaved family members of a person Mohd Aqeel who had committed suicide due to harassment of local police in Bhavinipuram area of the old city. The deceased was resisting the atrocities of the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) in the area. When Madhu reached the place in the morning to console the family, local Yakatpura MLA belonging to MIM, Mumtaz Khan and local MIM corporator, Wajid Ali personally led a mob of goons and attacked the CPI(M) leader and cadre. They dispersed after the delayed reaction of the police.

Speaking to mediapersons after the attack, Madhu condemned the hooliganism of MIM and warned that old city is not their fiefdom. With the ruling Congress depending on MIM support for numbers in the state assembly, their atrocities in the old city are reaching a peak, he charged. He said the police therefore did not bother to prevent the attack.

It may be recalled that with increased activity of the CPI(M) in the old city of Hyderabad during the last few years, MIM has been jittery and anxious to prevent emerging of a pole that would attract the discontentment against it. There have been many charges of corruption, extortion against the top leaders of that party. It has been trying to physically obstruct the CPI(M) from carrying out its activities. Madhu himself faced many attacks, including stone throwing during his padayatras in the area. The CPI(M) has brought the poor infrastructure in the area on to the agenda. The present mayor of Hyderabad is a MIM nominee as part of power sharing between Congress and MIM in the corporation.

CPI(M) state secretary B V Raghavulu strongly condemned the attack on P Madhu and demanded that the police arrest the MIM MLA and corporator involved in the attack. He alleged that the people of old city are reeling under the growing atrocities of MIM. Raghavulu visited Madhu in Osmania hospital.

(INN)