40th anniversary of the martyrdom of Com. Chandrasekhar Das

Forty years back, in 25 November 1969, Com. Chandrasekhar Das was brutally killed by reactionary elements. He was one of the organizers and leaders of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).

Today is the 40^th anniversary of the martyrdom of this great communist revolutionary.

Com. Chandrasekhar Das will remain forever as one of the major communist leader-teacher-organizers in the heart of all revolutionaries of India.

Politics of the Belly

Shamita Basu

  

Tribal communities in India have historically existed as parceled out sovereignties. This has strengthened ethnicity and made the tribals more self-conscious and politically competitive. State boundaries have had to be redrawn, leading to the creation of Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.  
However, what makes Lalgarh exceptional is that the local tribals have not demanded the right to self-determination. Nor for that matter have they sought a redrawn map of Bengal, like the Gorkhas in the Hills. The movement in Lalgarh began as a discourse on moral ethnicity when the tribals were attacked by the police last November. The movement has now been linked to that of the Maoists. The line that differentiates the tribal from the Maoist is getting increasingly blurred.
The present scenario in the tribal belt is somewhat reminiscent of British India. The colonial ruler in league with the upper caste landlords and zamindars would forcefully usurp the tribal land and resources and evacuate them from their hearth and home ~ the Rajmahal hills. The process, criminalised by the money-lenders and the sexual exploitation of women, eventually culminated in the Santhal rebellion.
India of the 21st century has not substantially altered the colonial policy. Indeed, the lack of development reflects the colonial mindset. Besides, tribal land and resources have been plundered. The Special Economic Zones have been planned on inalienable tribal land without the distribution of economic benefits.
Economic plight
CIVIL society has been largely indifferent to the economic plight of the tribals. It has even been argued that the governmental model of development might simply misfire, even threaten the subaltern perception of “development”. This view has provided a comfortable escape route for the government.
The question of tribal welfare now occupies the centrestage in Bengal. The gradual loosening of state power has opened up the space for democratisation in the form of discord, protest and rebellion. What used to be a shadow line of the Maoist movement has become more prominent. It is becoming progressively difficult to separate the militia from the tribal population. No wonder the state treads nervously.
The political class generally has tried to link tribal disaffection with that of the Maoist militia. The idea is to run down both in the public perception. The other method, resorted to by the administration, is to invoke such stringent legislation as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to curb what it calls the state of internal terrorism. This is a puerile perception
Maoism historically has its roots in the agrarian and tribal societies in India. Its revival need not be sought in its ideology ~ of the reluctance of the Left radical to join the political mainstream. A close look is necessary to determine what exactly sustains these movements at the popular and grassroot level and why it is able to extract support from the human rights activists and the radical section of civil society.
The obsessive concern with investments in industry is dangerous. Even the West has begun to question what the German sociologist, Ulrich Beck, has called “The Risk Society” ~ a product of the industrial society. “Just as modernisation dissolved the structure of feudal society in the 19th century, modernisation today is dissolving industrial society and a new modernity is coming into being.” By linking up the critique of industrialisation with the cause of the poor and the marginalised, the ideology of the Maoists has been significantly recast.
The contradiction of Indian politics lies in its espousal of a development model that is anachronistic in nature. The paradox of a developing society is that it borrows from a model that has outgrown itself in the West, but is parceled out to the East. Just as under-development in the Third World was once perceived to have been created. The emergence of what can be called the civil society movement in India is largely linked to this new brand of modernity that is beyond the pale of its classical industrial design.
Complex process
THE paradox of this model of development makes both the economic and political solution an extremely complex and elusive process. There may be hope yet if the State jettisons its absolutist stance. It must realise that thoughtless industrialisation can be hazardous for the climate. It can even destroy the natural habitat that had traditionally sheltered man, both physically and psychologically. In this quest for a safe society based on distributive justice and the protection of man’s basic needs, the government must function as a partner of the people. Instead of focusing on markets and breeding consumerism, the government must interact with its impoverished citizens and meet their fundamental needs ~ food, water, medicine and sanitation. Development doesn’t mean only the construction of sprawling industrial townships, multistoried apartments and luxury resorts.
Thus far, the government has not been able to delink development from industrialisation, urbanisation and market-driven resource generation, one that is based on outdated Western models. And if the question of welfare is swept under the carpet by according increased priority to security and terror, the appropriate development model will be relegated. The State can do so at its own peril.
The Maoist ideology is of lesser moment than the material structure that sustains such ideology. What Jean Francois Bayart famously described as “the politics of the belly” sustains Maoism. This happens when the state is impervious to the needs of the subaltern, most importantly his subsistence level. The government has attempted an economic overdrive long after the 19th century industrial development model outlived its utility.
Instead of silencing a people’s movement, the Government of India must be sensitive to the development paradigm. The establishment must reflect on its policies if it wants to silence the subaltern gun.

Source: The Statesman, 16 November 2009

http://thestatesman.in/page.news.php?clid=3&theme=&usrsess=1&id=274554
 

Severe State Repression In Lalgarh

Villagers fled their homes in panic as many houses belonging to the Peoples’ Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) activists were allegedly torched, ransacked and looted by the armed CPI-M goons who followed the joint forces, alleged Mr Asit Mahato PCPA spokesman. The CPI-M mobilised a few hundred hired trained gunmen who had been lodged in their party office at Enayetpur in the vicinity from they were taking part in the operation to recover their lost bases, Mr Mahato alleged. In another development, a truck was set ablaze at Patasole forest in Goaltore area by the PCPA men last night. The driver and the cleaner of the Bankura-bound vehicle were severely beaten up.

Road blockades organised by the PCPA by dumping trees on several places in Binpur, Belpahari, Jamboni, Jhargram, Lalgarh and other parts of Jhargram subdivision continued for the second successive day today thus paralysing life and cutting off Jhargram from the rest of the state as the PCPA-called three-day bandh from Thursday was observed.

Source: The Statesman, 14 November 2009

http://thestatesman.in/page.news.php?clid=4&theme=&usrsess=1&id=274365

Normal life paralysed during PCPA's bandh in Jhargram

[People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) supporters were beaten up on 11 November in Jhargram by police and some persons without uniform, allegedly CPM goons while protesting against arrest of innocent villagers. In protest PCPA have called a 72 hours shut down in Jhargram subdivision.] 

Jhargram, Nov 13 : Normal life continued to be paralysed on the second-day of the 72-hour bandh called by the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) in Jhargram sub-division with all the markets, shops, schools and banks remaining closed today.Jhargram SDO P Ulaganathan here said attendance in government offices was very low. 

Bus services were completely stopped in the area due to the shut down (bandh), he added.

Meanwhile, a truck was put on fire in Sankargeria village under Goaltore police station area, allegedly by PCPA activists, police said.

Three of its occupants were stated to be missing.

Combined forces continued combing in Chuasole, Sarbarisole and Sirishdanga villages and the adjacent forest areas on the second-day today.

PCPA convenor Asit Mahato alleged that CPI(M) activists, moving with the combined forces, put fire on the houses of 25 PCPA supporters in these villages yesterday.

Meanwhile, three CPI(M) supporters were reportedly missing from Burhanpur village under Goaltore police station area.

Party sources alleged that PCPA activists were behind the abduction.

No police confirmation is available as yet.
--UNI

Source: newkerala.com

Union Bank’s silence over Koda deposits raises eyebrows

[Madhu Koda, former chief minister of Jharkhand, India has been accused of a scam involving Rs. 2,500 crores. This reports shows how corporate sector uses mainstream political leaders and state machinery for their interest.]

MUMBAI, 12 NOV: Banking industry is intrigued by Union Bank of India’s silence over Rs 640 crore deposited by former Jharkhand chief minister Mr Madhu Koda’s frontman Mr Manoj Punamia in the bank’s Zaveri Bazaar branch between November 2006 and December 2008 when Mr Koda was CM.
The transactions, according to papers seized by It and Enforcement Directorate revealed the transactions were carried out by Balaji Universal Trade a subsidiary of Balaji Group which the ED is investigating for hawala transfer ~ allegedly in Mr Koda’s name ~ of $110 million abroad probably into a Swiss bank.
Why the bank did not alert Financial Intelligence Unit in Union finance ministry or RBI or any Central agency about such massive turnover in a single account is a mystery.
Under RBI guidelines, banks have a principal officer at their head office who is expected to monitor such transactions and convey them to proper authorities. SNS

Source: The Statesman 13 November, 2009

http://thestatesman.in/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=274240

Police Lathicharged Peaceful Demonstration In Jhargram

Six thousand armed members of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) have reached Jhargram for a demonstration.

Police have also reached the spot in order to stop the demonstration. They have reportedly conducted a lathi charge, following which they used tear gas and finally shot fires in the air.

The incident has created an atmosphere of confusion and unrest in the area. Several people are reported to be wounded. Further details are awaited.

Source: Tara TV 

http://www.taratv.com/west_bengal.php?task=full&newsid=2924

Statement against Government of India’s planned military offensive in adivasi-populated regions: National and international signatories

October 12, 2009

Sanhati (www.sanhati.com), a collective of activists/academics who have been working in solidarity with peoples’ movements in India by providing information and analysis, took the initiative to bring together voices from around the world against the Government of India’s planned military offensive in Central India. A statement (Hindi version here, Bengali version here, Telugu version here, Italian version of Letter here, Italian version of Background Note here) and a background note were drafted in consultation with Indian activists, and duly circulated for endorsement. Readers are encouraged to endorse by mailing sanhatiindia [at] sanhati [dot] com with full name and affiliation.

To

Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister,
Government of India,
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi,
India-110 011.

We are deeply concerned by the Indian government’s plans for launching an unprecedented military offensive by army and paramilitary forces in the adivasi (indigeneous people)-populated regions of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal states. The stated objective of the offensive is to “liberate” these areas from the influence of Maoist rebels. Such a military campaign will endanger the lives and livelihoods of millions of the poorest people living in those areas, resulting in massive displacement, destitution and human rights violation of ordinary citizens. To hunt down the poorest of Indian citizens in the name of trying to curb the shadow of an insurgency is both counter-productive and vicious. The ongoing campaigns by paramilitary forces, buttressed by anti-rebel militias, organised and funded by government agencies, have already created a civil war like situation in some parts of Chattisgarh and West Bengal, with hundreds killed and thousands displaced. The proposed armed offensive will not only aggravate the poverty, hunger, humiliation and insecurity of the adivasi people, but also spread it over a larger region.

Grinding poverty and abysmal living conditions that has been the lot of India’s adivasi population has been complemented by increasing state violence since the neoliberal turn in the policy framework of the Indian state in the early 1990s. Whatever little access the poor had to forests, land, rivers, common pastures, village tanks and other common property resources has come under increasing attack by the Indian state in the guise of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and other “development” projects related to mining, industrial development, Information Technology parks, etc. The geographical terrain, where the government’s military offensive is planned to be carried out, is very rich in natural resources like minerals, forest wealth and water, and has been the target of large scale appropriation by several corporations. The desperate resistance of the local indigenous people against their displacement and dispossession has in many cases prevented the government-backed corporations from making inroads into these areas. We fear that the government’s offensive is also an attempt to crush such popular resistances in order to facilitate the entry and operation of these corporations and to pave the way for unbridled exploitation of the natural resources and the people of these regions. It is the widening levels of disparity and the continuing problems of social deprivation and structural violence, and the state repression on the non-violent resistance of the poor and marginalized against their dispossession, which gives rise to social anger and unrest and takes the form of political violence by the poor. Instead of addressing the source of the problem, the Indian state has decided to launch a military offensive to deal with this problem: kill the poor and not the poverty, seems to be the implicit slogan of the Indian government.

We feel that it would deliver a crippling blow to Indian democracy if the government tries to subjugate its own people militarily without addressing their grievances. Even as the short-term military success of such a venture is very doubtful, enormous misery for the common people is not in doubt, as has been witnessed in the case of numerous insurgent movements in the world. We urge the Indian government to immediately withdraw the armed forces and stop all plans for carrying out such military operations that has the potential for triggering a civil war which will inflict widespread misery on the poorest and most vulnerable section of the Indian population and clear the way for the plundering of their resources by corporations. We call upon all democratic-minded people to join us in this appeal.

National Signatories
Arundhati Roy, Author and Activist, India

Amit Bhaduri, Professor Emeritus, Center for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU, India

Sandeep Pandey, Social Activist, N.A.P.M., IndiaMahashweta Devi, Social Activist and Writer, India

Manoranjan Mohanty, Durgabai Deshmukh Professor of Social Development, Council for Social Development, India

Prashant Bhushan, Supreme Court Advocate, India

Nandini Sundar, Professor of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, India

Colin Gonzalves, Supreme Court Advocate, India

Arvind Kejriwal, Social Activist, India

Arundhati Dhuru, Activist, N.A.P.M., India

Swapna Banerjee-Guha, Department of Geography, University of Mumbai, India

Anand Patwardhan, Film Maker, India

Dipankar Bhattachararya, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, India

Bernard D’Mello, Associate Editor, Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), India

Sumit Sarkar, Retired Professor of History, Delhi University, India

Tanika Sarkar, Professor of History, J.N.U., India

Gautam Navlakha, Consulting Editor, Economic and Political Weekly, India

Madhu Bhaduri, Ex-ambassadorSumanta Banerjee, Writer, India

Dr. Vandana Shiva, Philosopher, Writer, Environmental Activist, India

M.V. Ramana, Visiting Research Scholar, Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy; Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University, USA

Dipanjan Rai Chaudhari, Retired Professor, Presidency College, India

G. N. Saibaba, Assistant Professor, University of Delhi

Amit Bhattacharyya, Professor, Department of History. Jadavpur University, Kolkata

D.N. Jha, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Delhi, India

Paromita Vohra, Devi Pictures

Sunil Shanbag, Theater Director

Saroj Giri, Lecturer in Political Science, Delhi University, India

Sudeshna Banerjee, Department of History, Jadavpur University, India

Achin Chakraborty, Professor of Economics, Institute of Development Studies, Calcutta University Alipore, India

Anand Chakravarty, Retired Professor, Delhi University, India

Anjan Chakrabarti, Professor of Economics, Calcutta University, India

Subha Chakraborty Dasgupta, Professor, Jadavpur University, India

Uma Chakravarty, Retired Professor, Delhi University, India

Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University, India

Amiya Dev, Emiritus Professor of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University, India

Subhash Gatade, Writer and Social Activisit, India

Abhijit Guha, Vidyasagar University, India

Kaneez Fathima, Librarian and Activist, Hyderabad

Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA, India

Gauri Lankesh, Editor, Lankesh Patrike, India

Pulin B. Nayak, Professor of Economics, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University, India

Imrana Qadeer, Retired Professor, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, J.N.U., India

Neshant Quaiser, Associate Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University, Department of Sociology, India

Ramdas Rao, President, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Bangalore Unit, India

S. Jeevan Kumar, President, Human Rights Forum, Andhra Pradesh, India

V.S.Krishna, State General Secretary, Human Rights Forum, Andhra Pradesh, India

Shereen Ratnagar, Retired Professor, Center for Historical Studies, JNU, India

Rahul Varman, Professor, Department of Industrial and Management Engineering, IIT Kanpur, India

Padma Velaskar, Professor, Center for Studies in the Sociology of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India

Hilal Ahmed, Associate Fellow, Center for the Studies of Development of Societies, India

Reetha Balsavar

Sriparna Bandopadhyay, India

Chinmoy Banerjee

Kaushik Banyopadhyay, Student, IIT KGP, India

Pranab Kanti Basu, Department of Economics and Politics, Vishwa Bharati University, India

Durga Bhat, PUCL, Mangalore, India

Suresh Bhat, PUCL, Mangalore, India

Arunkanti Biswas, Former Deputy Director, NEERI, India

Nisha Biswas, CGCRI, Kolkata, India

Harsh Bora, Student, Delhi Law Faculty, India

Kaushik Bose, Reader, Vidyasagar University, India

Shitansu Shekhar Chakraborty, Student, IIT Kharagpur, India

Rabin Chakraborty

Indira Chakravarthi, Public Health Researcher, India

Dipankar Chakrabarti, Aneek, India

Tapan Chakraborty, Indian Statistical Institute, India

Nandini Chandra, Member of Faculty, Delhi University, India

Navin Chandra, Visiting Senior Fellow, Institude of Human Development, India

Jagadish Chandra, New Socialist Alternative, CWI, India

Pratyush Chandra, Activist, Freelance Journalist, and Researcher, India

Pritha Chandra, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT-Delhi, India

Dhiman Chatterjee, IIT Chennai, India

Aziz Choudry, Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University, Canada

Jaison C Cooper, Janakeeya Manushyavakasa Prasthanam, Kerala, India

Debarshi Das, IIT Guwahati, India

Probal Dasgupta, Linguistic Research Unit, I.S.I., India

Sangeeta Dasgupta, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, India

Surya Shankar Dash, Independent Filmmaker, India

Ashokankur Datta, Graduate Student, I.S.I. (Planning Unit), India

Aniruddha Dutta, Gender Women’s and Sexuality Studies, University of Minnesota, USA

Soumik DuttaS. Dutta, Delhi Platform, India

Madhumita Dutta, Green Youth Movement, India, Chennai

Abhee Dutt-Mazumder, TASAM, India

Durga Prasad Duvvuri, Independent Management Consultant, India

Ajit Eapen, Mumbai, IndiaSampath G, Mumbai, India

Lena Ganesh

M.S. Ganesh

Anjan Ghosh, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, India

Aurnab Ghose, IISER Pune, India

Anandaroop Ghosh, India

Pothik Ghosh, Editor, Radical Notes, India

Rajeev Godara, General Secretary, Sampooran Kranti Manch, Haryana (associated with Lok Rajniti Manch), India

Siddhartha Gupta, Senior Medical Officer, Kolkata Port Trust, India

Jacob, South Asia Study Center

Manish Jain, Assistant Professor, Center for Studies of Sociology of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India

Shishir K. Jha, IIT Mumbai, India

Avinash K. Jha, Assistant Professor of Economics, Shri Ram College of Commerce, India

Partha Joarder, Scientist, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India

Bodhisattva Kar, Fellow in History, Center for Studies in Social Science, India

Harish Karnick, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur, India

Lateef Mohd Khan, General Secretary, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, India

Sumbul Jawed Khan, Biological Sciences and Bio. Eng. Department, IIT Kanpur, India

Reetika Khera, DSE, Delhi, India

Rajeesh Kollakkandi, indianvanguard.wordpress.com

Lenin Kumar, editor, Nisan, India

Ravi Kumar, Editor of Radical Notes and Assistant Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University, India

Abhijit Kundu, Faculty, Sociology, University of Delhi

P. Govindan kutty, Editor, People’s March, Ernakulam, Kerala

Shakuntala Mahanta, IIT Guwahati

Bodhisattwa Maity, India

Parthasarathi Majumdar, Senior Professor, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, India

Soumik Majumder

Dishery Malakar

Julie Koppel Maldonado

Udai Malhotra, Activist, India

Mallanagoudar.P.K., Journalist, Gauri Lankesh Kannada Weekly, Bangalore, India

Prabhat Mandal, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, India

Dr Nandini Manjrekar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

Soma Marik

Satyabrata Mitra

Siddhartha Mitra

Tista Mitra, Journalist, India

Najeeb Mubarki, Assistant Editor, Editorial page, Economic Times, India

Dipankar Mukherjee, PDF, Delhi, India

Subhasis Mukhopadhyay, Frontier

Soumya Mukhopadhyay, Market Researcher - Independent filmmaker, Kolkata

Sakuntala Narsimhan, Writer, India

Nalini Nayak, Reader in Economics, PGDAV College, Delhi University, India

Soheb ur Rahman Niazi, Student, Jamia Milia Islamia, India

Rahul Pandey, India

Dr. Swadhin Pattanayak, India

Jai Pushp, Activist, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, India

Divya Rajagopal

Ramendra, Delhi Shramik Sangathan, India

V. Nagendra Rao, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad, India

Sankar Ray, Columnist

Partho Sarathi Ray, IISER, Kolkata

Kirity Roy, MASUM and PACTI, India

Atanu Roy

Anindyo Roy

Dunu Roy, Social Activist, India

Anil Sadgopal, Education Activist and Former Professor of Education, Delhi University, India

Sanjoy Kumar Saha, Reader, CSE department, Jadavpur University, India

Sandeep, Freelance Journalist

Dr. K. Saradamoni, Retired Academic

Madhu Sarin, Social Activist

Saurobijay Sarkar, Indian Institute of Marxist Studies

Satyam, Rahul Foundation and Dayitvbodh, India

Samriddhi Shankar Ray, Concern, IISc Bangalore, India

Sujay Sarkar

Meera Sehgal, Department of Sociology, Carleton College, USA

Jhuma Sen, Delhi

Samita Sen, Professor, Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University, India

Santanu Sengupta, UDML College of Engineering, India

Ajay Kishor Shaw, Mumbai, India

Dr. Mira Shiva

Sheo Mangal Siddhantankar, General Secretary, CPIML-New Proleterian, India

Jagmohan Singh, Voices for Freedom Punjab, India

Sandeep Singh, Mumbai, India

Harindar Pal Singh Ishar, Advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court, India

Preeti Sinha, Editor of Philhal, Patna, India

Sirajuddeen K M, P A College of Engineering, Mangalore

Oishik Sircar, Assistant Professor, Jindal Global Law School, India

Satya Sivaraman, Journalist, New Delhi, India

Yogesh Snehi, DAV College, Amritsar, India

Srinvasashala, Human Rights Organisation, Hyderabad, India

K. Sriram

Viviek Sundara, Mumbai, India

Saswati Swetlena, Programme Officer, Governance and Advocacy Unit, National Center for Advocacy Studies, India

Damayanti Talukdar, Kolkata

Divya Trivedi, The Hindu Business Line, India

Satyam Varma, Rahul Foundation

N Venugopal, Journalist, Hyderabad, India

G. Vijay, Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Hyderabad, India

R.M. Vikas, IIT Kanpur, India

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International Signatories

Noam Chomsky, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, M.I.T., USA

David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, The C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center, USA

Michael Lebowitz, Director, Program in Transformative Practice and Human Development, Centro Internacional Mirana, Venezuela

John Bellamy Foster, Editor of Monthly Review and Professor of Sociology,University of Oregon Eugene,USA

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, University Professor and Director of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University, USA

James C. Scott, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Yale University, USA

Michael Watts, Professor of Geography and Development Studies, University of California Berkeley, USA

Mahmood Mamdani, Herbert Lehman Professor of Government, Departments of Anthropology and Political Science, Columbia University, USA

Mira Nair, Filmmaker, Mirabai Films, USA

Howard Zinn, Historian, Playwright, and Social Activisit, USA

Abha Sur, Women’s Studies, M.I.T., USA

Richard Peet, Professor of Geography, Clark University, USA

Richard Levins, John Rock Professor of Population Sciences, Harvard University, USA

Gilbert Achcar, Professor of Development Studies and International Relations, School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London, U.K

Massimo De Angelis, Professor of Political Economy, University of East London, UK

Gyanendra Pandey, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of History, Emory University, USA

Brian Stross, Professor of Anthropology, University of Texas Austin, USA

J. Mohan Rao, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA

Vinay Lal, Professor of History & Asian American Studies, University of California Los Angeles, USA

James Crotty, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Haluk Gerger, Political Scientist, Activist, Political Prisoner, Turkey

Justin Podur, Journalist, Canada

Hari Kunzru, Novelist, U.K.

Louis Proyect, Columbia University

Biju Mathew, Associate Professor, Rider University, USA

Balmurli Natrajan, Campaign to Stop Funding Hate and South Asia Solidarity Initiative, USA

Hari Sharma, President, South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy, Canada

Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web

Kim Berry, Professor of Women’s Studies, Humboldt State University, USA

Shefali Chandra, Professor of South Asian History, Washington University at St Louis, USA

Angana Chatterji, Professor, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, USA

Paresh Chattopadhyay, Département de Sociologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada

Stan Cox, Senior Scientist, The Land Institute, USA

Martin Doornbos, Professor Emeritus, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, Netherlands

Robert A Hueckstedt, Professor, University of Virginia, USA

Louis Kampf, Professor of Literature Emeritus, MIT, USA

Emily Kawano, Director, Center for Popular Economics, USA

Arthur MacEwan, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA

Bill Martin, Professor of Philosophy, DePaul University, USA

Ali Mir, Professor, William Paterson University, USA

Anuradha Dingwaney Needham, Longman Professor of English, Oberlin College, USA

Kavita Philip, Associate Professor, University of California, Irvine, USA

Nicholas De Genova, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Latino Studies, Columbia University, USA

Peter Custers, Academic researcher on militarisation, Netherlands

Radha D’Souza, School of Law, University of Westminster , UK

Gary Aboud, Secretary, Fisherman and Friends of the Sea, Trinidad and Tobago

Mysara Abu-Hashem, Ph.D. Student, American University, USA

Fawzia Afzal-Khan, Professor of English, Montclair University, USA

Husna Haider Ali, People’s Resistance and Labour Party, Pakistan

Nadim Asrar, Ph.D. student, University of Minnesota, USA

Margaret E Sheehan, Attorney at Law, USA

Jude Baggo, Secretary General, Cordillera Human Rights Alliance, Philippines

Arpita Banerjee, Lecturer, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire, USA

David Barsamian, Director, Alternative Radio, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Oyman Basaran, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Deepankar Basu, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Kasturi Basu, Rutgers University, USA

Sharmadip Basu, Syracuse University, USA

Joseph A Belisle

Daniela Bezzi, Journalist, Italy

Varuni Bhatia, Assistant Professor, Religous Studies Program, N.Y.U., USA

Anindya Bhattacharya, Faculty, University of York, UK

Sourav Bhattacharya, University of Pittsburgh, USA

Swati Birla, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Norma G. Biňas, Secretary-General, International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) Philippine Chapter

Peter J. Bloom, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, University of California Santa Barbara, USA

Windel Bolinget, Secretary General, Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Phillipines

Rosalind Boyd, Centre for Developing-Area Studies, McGill University, Canada

Sister Maureen Catabian, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Philippines

Dominique Caouette, Département de Science Politique, Université de Montréal, France

Joan Carling, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Thailand

Paula Chakravartty, Associate Professor, Department of Communications, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Ipsita Chatterjee, Assistant Professor, University of Texas, Austin, USA

Piya Chatterjee, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies, University of California Riverside, USA

Ruchi Chaturvedi, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Hunter College, City University of New York, USA

Chitrabhanu Chaudhuri, Ph.D. Student, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University, USA

Dan Clawson, Professor of Sociology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USALen Cooper,Victorian Branch,Communication Workers Union Australia

Priti Gulati Cox, Artist, USA

Linda Cullen, Canada

Huma Dar, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia, Canada

Koel Das, UCSB, USA

Atreyi Dasgupta, MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

Grace de Haro, APDH Human Rights Organization, Argentina

Nandini Dhar, Ph.D. student, University of Texas Austin, U.S.A.

Emily Durham-Shapiro, Student, University of Minnesotta, USA

Arindam Dutta, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, MIT, USA

Anne Dwyer, University of Washington, US

AIlgin Erdem, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. USA

T. Robert Fetter, USA

James D. Findlay, California State University, Northridge, USA

Kade Finnoff, Doctoral Candidate, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Sara Flounders, Co-Director, International Action Center, New York, USA

Nora O. Gamolo, Peace and Collaborative Development Network, Philippines

Kaushik Ghosh, University of Texas, Austin, USA

Bishnupriya Ghosh, Professor of English, University of California Santa Barbara, USA

Vinay Gidwani, Professor of Geography, Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA

Wendy Glauser, MA candidate, Political Science. York University. Toronto, Canada

Ted Glick, Climate Crisis Coalition, Climate Crisis Coalition and Chesapeake Climate Action Network, USA

Ozlem Goner, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Inderpal Grewal, Yale University, USA

Shubhra Gururani, Associate Professor of Anthropology, York University, Canada

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Shalmali Guttal, Focus on the Global South

Arne Harns, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Free University of Berlin, Germany

Amrit Singh Heer, Graduate student, Social and Political Thought, York University, Canada

Azad Hoshiarpuri, Indian Worker’s Association, Great Britian

Helen Hintjens, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands

Adrienne Carey Hurley, McGill University, Canada

Zeba Imam, Ph.D. student, Texas A&M University, USA

Kajri Jain, University of Toronto, Canada

Dhruv Jain, Graduate student, York University, Canada

Mohamad Junaid, Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology, City University of New York, USA

Jyotsna Kapur, Associate Professor, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, USA

Nada Khader , Executive Director, WESPAC Foundation

Jesse Knutson, University of Chicago, USA

David Kotz, Professor of Economics, UMass, Amherst, USA

Krishna MV, NIH, USAPeter Lackowski, Writer/Activist, USA

Thomas Lamarre, William Dawson Professor, East Asian Studies, McGill University, Canada

Maire Leadbeater (human rights activist Auckland New Zealand)

Joseph Levine, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

George Levinger, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

David W. Lewit, Alliance for Democracy, USA

Jinee Lokaneeta, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Drew University, USA

Ania Loomba, Catherine Bryson Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania, USA

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Victor Menotti, Executive Director, International Forum on Globalization, USA

James Miehls, Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Stephen Miesher, Associate Professor, University of California Santa Barbara, USA

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Listed CPSEs to offload 10 pct: Chidambaram

[As part of imperialist plunder, government has decided to sale 10% shares of all public sector enterprises. However, ridiculously, finance minister said that it actually increased people's participation. We would remind finance minister that more than 70% of Indian population live a life that cannot sustain minimum calorie intake. They are not going to buy the share, even they cannot think of it.  These people, most likely  are not considered as citizen by finance minister. Red Barricade]

The government on Thursday decided that all listed central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) would increase the public holding to 10 per cent and all unlisted profitable state-owned entities should go public.

"All profitable listed CPSEs should need the mandatory listing of 10 per cent public ownership," Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the meeting of Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs here.

The government has also decided that all unlisted CPSEs which have made profit in the past 3 years and have a positive net worth should get listed on stock exchanges, he said, adding that CPSEs would enter the market at "appropriate" time.

The decision will have a bearing on mineral major NMDC and MMTC as the public shareholding in these companies is 1.62 per cent and 0.67 per cent respectively.

As per SEBI regulation, listed companies are required to divest a minimum of 10 per cent of the equity to the public.

The Minister further said the proceeds of the disinvestment would straight away go to meeting the capital expenditure of the government's social sector programmes, without being routed through National Investment Fund (NIF).

In pursuance of its disinvestment programme, the government had offloaded its stake in Oil India Ltd and NHPC in the current fiscal. It has also unveiled plans to reduce its shareholding in NTPC, Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam and Rural Electrification Corporation.

During the current fiscal, the government raised Rs 2,013 crore by offloading stake in the hydro-power major NHPC and Rs 2,247 crore from stake sale in OIL.

As per the disinvestment policy of the UPA, the government is committed to offloading equity in public sector undertakings while retaining 51 per cent stake.

"The public sector undertakings are the wealth of the nation, and part of this wealth should rest in the hands of people. While retaining at least 51 per cent government equity in our enterprises, I propose to encourage people's participation in our disinvestment programme," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said in his Budget speech in July.