Before anyone celebrates too much: The deadly threat now facing Mumia

Posted by Mike E on December 9, 2011

Philadelphia's police and this system's authorities have never, ever, given up on killing Mumia Abu Jamal. (Here being arrested thirty years ago.)

MOVE writes

“Officials killed George Jackson in prison, they tried to get several different people to kill Leonard Peltier in prison and MOVE sees the same plan being laid for Mumia.”

The authorities in Pennsylvania have formally dropped their efforts to carry out the official execution of Mumia Abu Jamal — revolutionary journalist, supporter of the radical Move family, and former member of the Black Panther Party. Everyone has been asking what this means.

However, then, the Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams and anti-Mumia crusader Maureen Faulkner held a joint press conference to discuss the dropping of the death penalty for Mumia Abu Jamal. Faulkner is the widow of police officer Daniel Faulkner who Mumia was accused of killing thirty years ago. In a now notoriously racist trial  Mumia was then  railroaded to a conviction. (For the history of this, please see and circulate our essay “Mumia Abu Jamal: Enemy of the State.”)

Here is what matters now: There was a specific and threatening tone to the way Maureen Faulkner announced that this decision would removed Mumia from his isolation on Death Row. This would, she declared, place him into the general population. She then raved about the dangerous nature of the prisoners who would now surround Mumia. And finally she specifically threatened to denounce any official who made any moves to provide Mumia special treatment.

Communism today: Humble, even patient, but driven by audacious visions

Posted by kasama on December 6, 2011

We have excerpted the following from a longer piece received by Kasama.

“The inherited practice of communism can not adequately speak to the present moment. The strategies and organizational forms of the past need to be reassessed. In some ways, our work is still beginning. How can we contribute to building a movement that can speak to the hope of millions?”

Loyal Heirs and Audacious Visionaries

by Tobias Reed

Communists must be more than loyal heirs. We must be audacious visionaries.

We have inherited a frame of reference for understanding the development of class society and social relations of all kinds. This frame of reference naturally has been reassessed and expanded over the years by countless writers, both inside and out of the communist “canon”, and it requires further elaboration still.

On the basis of what we know, we reaffirm the communist hypothesis: the idea that all oppressive social relations can and must be uprooted and transformed. We declare fidelity to communist theory and to the project of global emancipation. But this loyalty is not enough.

The inherited practice of communism can not adequately speak to the present moment. The strategies and organizational forms of the past need to be reassessed. In some ways, our work is still beginning. How can we contribute to building a movement that can speak to the hope of millions?

What is the role of communist leadership in a political climate where masses of people express anti-capitalist tendencies, yet communism (as such) is reviled? What will be our legacy for the next generation of communist revolutionaries?

Mumia Abu-Jamal no longer facing execution

Posted by onehundredflowers on December 7, 2011

This was originally posted on NewsOne.

MUMIA SPARED! No Death Penalty For Mumia Abu-Jamal

Written by Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Prosecutors have called off their 30-year battle to put former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal to death in the killing of a white police officer, putting to an end the racially charged case that became a major battleground in the fight over the death penalty.

Flanked by the police Officer Daniel Faulkner’s widow, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced his decision Wednesday.

“There’s never been any doubt in my mind that Mumia Abu-Jamal shot and killed Officer Faulkner. I believe that the appropriate sentence was handed down by a jury of his peers in 1982,” said Williams, who is black. “While Abu-Jamal will no longer be facing the death penalty, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, and that is where he belongs.”

Abu-Jamal was convicted of fatally shooting Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981. He was sentenced to death after his trial the following year.

Abu-Jamal, who has been incarcerated in a western Pennsylvania prison, has garnered worldwide support from those who believe he was the victim of a biased justice system.

PUDR statement against the proposed formation of National Industrial Manufacturing Zones

http://sanhati.com/

December 8, 2011

National Industrial Manufacturing Zones is in defiance of the Directives Principles of State Policy and exacerbate regional imbalance and turn workers into wage slaves.

People’s Union for Democratic Rights wants to draw public attention to a new industrial policy regime being proposed by the Congress party led UPA II Government in the name of increasing GDP share of manufacturing from 16 to 25 per cent and to generate 100 million jobs over next five years. The New Manufacturing Policy aims at creating large integrated industrial townships, national investment and manufacturing zones, lower regulatory and compliance “burden”, and faster clearance with fiscal incentives. These National Industrial Manufacturing Zones or NIMZ, are positioned as “self-governing and autonomous bodies”. For this purpose Union Government intends to amend Article 243 Q-C to declare these NIMZ as “industrial townships” and arm them with municipal powers. It is not clear whether the municipality will be an elected body or nominated body. But in either case it is the industries located there who will dominate and control the municipality.

PUDR statement against state suppression of democratic organizations in the name of Maoism

http://sanhati.com/

December 8, 2011

PUDR denounces the statement given by state home minister Jitendra Singh in Rajya Sabha on 7 December 2011 in which he asserted that the CPI (Maoist) is active in Delhi and named several groups as being the Party’s front organizations.

Answering question no. 1637 raised by BJP MP Kusum Rai, Jitendra Singh stated that in Delhi, the CPI (Maoist) is operating through the Delhi City Committee. Apart from the Party itself, Singh went on to say, left-wing extremist organizations like CPML-New Democracy and CPML-Liberation have an active presence in Delhi. Besides, Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), People’s Democratic Front of India (PDF), Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) and Democratic Students Union (DSU) were also named as front organizations by Singh, who also admitted that no inputs have yet been received to indicate that ‘sleeper cells, of Naxalites are functional in the capital.

The organizations named have not played a part in armed resistance or violent struggle but have consistently raised their voice against state suppression. It is clear that by labelling such groups as Maoist, the state is trying to curb their dissent.

The minister of state also named some separatist groups active in the county’s north-east as having close ties with the CPI (Maoist). By taking such a stand, the state wants to obliterate all difference between terrorism and Maoism. The minister added that a Maoist sympathizer was arrested in Delhi with regard to the issue of monetary transactions between the Essar group and Maoists. This case is a sub judice matter in the court and no charges levelled against the accused have been proved. At this stage, it is erroneous to brand the accused as a Maoist sympathizer.

When the entire country is openly criticizing the state’s policies today, the state is still engaged in suppressing such voices, rather than cleaning up its own act. The branding of civil liberties and democratic rights groups as Maoists is an extension of the state’s policy of throttling opposition through draconian laws like the UAPA, which it has been pursuing with dogged determination. In the light of this situation, PUDR strongly condemns the minister’s statement and sees the targeting of such groups as a frontal attack on democracy.

Harish Dhawan, Paramjeet Singh (Secretaries, Peoples Union for Democratic Rights)

The Road to Political Dictatorship

All Take No Give: UK/US post 9-11 extradition injustice

Culture of Struggle

Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh (lyrics)


Who are these men?
What are they to me,
These dead men From a land across the sea?
They dared against the British Raj
To raise their hand.
If my own countrymen decreed their death
Why should I take a stand?

Nepal: A Poem by Mani Thapa – Gamaliharu

Posted by hetty7 on December 6, 2011

View from a village in Western Nepal

This is a poem  by Mani Thapa which appeared in the recent English version of The Red Starhttp://redstarnepal.com – a voice of the Revolutionary forces within the UCPN (M).

This is one of the many poems by revolutionary poets in Nepal on the subject of The People’s War.  This poem is from an anthology: Poems of the People’s War, published by Ichchhuk Cultural Academy.

Gamaliharu – Mani Thapa

Gamaliharu1

Mixing the smell of life

With the smell of sweat

Bartering life’s vicissitudes

With timmur2 seeds

Breaking head inside the quarries

For roofing other’s houses

Swallowing salt-mixed porridge barely for the self

While cooking potatoes for the world:

Statements on the killing of CPI(Maoist) Politbureau member Kishenji

December 3, 2011

Fact Finding Report by Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation

Twenty two member team of four constituents of Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation namely Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, Bandi Mukti Committee and Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (Delhi) undertook a fact finding into the alleged encounter killing of Mallojula Koteswar Rao (aka Kishanji) on 1st December, 2011. The team visited Sorakatta hamlet of Burisole and Gosaibandh village of Paschim Mednipur. The team spoke to the residents of the two villages, the Sub Inspector and ASI of Jamboni Police Station, and visited the spot where the alleged encounter took place on 24th November.

Let us Intensify People's War with the aim of defeating Operation Green Hunt - War on the People

Let us intensify People's War with the aim of

defeating "Operation GreenHunt" – War on People 

Call of Central Military Commission, CPI (Maoist) on the occasion of PLGA 11th anniversary

Beloved people!

By December 2, People's Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) would complete eleven years. On this occasion Central Military Commission (CMC) is giving a call to celebrate the 11th anniversary in all our guerilla zones and red resistance areas with the determination to defeat Operation Green Hunt (OGH) of the exploiting ruling classes. In the People's War ongoing for the liberation of toiling masses in India nearly 150 best daughters and sons of the soil and ordinary people have laid down their precious lives since December 2010 to September 2011. Let us pay revolutionary homage to all the brave fighters. Let us vow to fulfill their aims.

In the past one year, hundreds of local mass organizations, revolutionary people's government activists and people were arrested, booked under black laws and put in jails. To suppress the revolutionary cultural movement, death sentences were pronounced on four cultural activists of Jharkhand Abhen including Jeeten Marandi. It is necessary to build a strong people's movement to annul these death sentences. Particularly, as part of inflicting losses on our party leadership in the dog hunt of the enemy intelligence agencies on April 29, 2011 three Central Committee members and in July comrade Bhupeshda and many other leadership comrades and activists were arrested by the enemy. The enemy is making conspiracies to incarcerate them in jails permanently. CMC is giving a call to the people to build agitations everywhere for the release of these political prisoners.

The Fascists will pay for the murder of Indian Communist Leader - Communist Party of the Philippines

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011
Communist Party of the Philippines
01 December 2011

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the brutal torture and cowardly murder of Comrade Malloujula Koteswara Rao, popularly known in India as Comrade Kishenji, spokesperson and Politburo Member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The reactionary Indian government claims that Comrade Kishenji was killed in an encounter in the Burishol Forest Area in West Midnapore District, Jangalmahal, West Bengal. According to information provided by the CPI-Maoist, Comrade Kishenji was, in fact, negotiating with officials of the West Bengal government when he was treacherously seized and arrested by the fascists.


Comrade Kishenji is a beloved comrade and servant of the Indian people. His brutal murder has unleashed a wave of sorrow and indignation among the oppressed and exploited people of India as well as among the proletariat and peoples of the world.


The imperialists and reactionaries and their fascist lapdogs in India have succeeded in satiating their bloodlust in torturing and murdering Comrade Kishenji. But they will pay for this brutal crime. The Indian people will continue to advance along the revolutionary path of armed resistance and mass struggle.


In the end, the reactionaries will be overthrown and put to justice as the oppressed and exploited stand triumphant in their struggle for national and social liberation.SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011
Communist Party of the Philippines
01 December 2011

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the brutal torture and cowardly murder of Comrade Malloujula Koteswara Rao, popularly known in India as Comrade Kishenji, spokesperson and Politburo Member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The reactionary Indian government claims that Comrade Kishenji was killed in an encounter in the Burishol Forest Area in West Midnapore District, Jangalmahal, West Bengal. According to information provided by the CPI-Maoist, Comrade Kishenji was, in fact, negotiating with officials of the West Bengal government when he was treacherously seized and arrested by the fascists.


Comrade Kishenji is a beloved comrade and servant of the Indian people. His brutal murder has unleashed a wave of sorrow and indignation among the oppressed and exploited people of India as well as among the proletariat and peoples of the world.


The imperialists and reactionaries and their fascist lapdogs in India have succeeded in satiating their bloodlust in torturing and murdering Comrade Kishenji. But they will pay for this brutal crime. The Indian people will continue to advance along the revolutionary path of armed resistance and mass struggle.


In the end, the reactionaries will be overthrown and put to justice as the oppressed and exploited stand triumphant in their struggle for national and social liberation.

Unified Communist Party of Nepal ( Maoist ) Baidhya Faction Condemns the murder of Comrade Rao

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011

Unified Communist Party (Maoist)

Baidhya Faction


Condemn the Murder of Comrade Rao

The killing of Comrade Mallojula Koteshwaor Rao ‘Kisanji’, politburo member and top leader of CPI(Maoist), on 24 November, by Indian armed forces in Burisol forest area of west Midnapur district in west Bengal, has shocked and saddened us. According to the latest information, that he was captured on November 23 and was murdered cowardly after his refusal to surrender. That’s why, we condemn this fake encounter and demand to the Central and West Bengal State government to form an independent commission to investigate the killing of comrade Kisanlji and to take the action against those criminals, who were involved in the killing.

Comrade Rao was one of the main top leaders of CPI( Maoist). He began to provide his political contributions in the Communist Movement, as a student member of ‘Radical Student Union’, from his birth place Andhra. Thereafter, he led the party in Andhra, Bihar, Maharastra, and West Bengal. He did great effort and provided a great contribution to develop the guerrilla warfare in West Bengal. He was a true leader of international proletariat.

On the killing of a top leader like him had dealt a blow to the entire communist movement of India. In this moment of deep sorrow, we express our solidarity with the Comrades of CPI (Maoists) and share our hearty condolence to the comrade Kisanji’s relatives.

December 1,2011

Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran’

(Vice Chairman)

Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal)

(General Secretary)

This is not the official press statement of UCPN(Maoist). This is the Statement by Baidhya Faction. The Next Front made it’s translation in to English and first time it was published in The Next Front.

Democracy and Class Struggle

Carry Forward the Peasant Struggle by Fighting Revisionism : Charu Mazumdar

Written/Delivered: c. 1966

In the post-election period our apprehensions are being proved correct by the actions of the party (CPI-M) leadership itself. The Polit Bureau has directed us to "carry on the struggle to defend the non-Congress ministries against reaction". This suggests that the main task of Marxists is not to intensify the class struggle, but to plead on behalf of the Cabinet. So a convention of party members was convened to firmly establish economism within the working class. Immediately thereafter, an agreement for a truce in industry was signed at the Cabinet's initiative. Workers were asked not to resort to gheraos. What could be a more naked expression of class collaboration ?

Long Live the Heroic Peasants in Naxalbari! : Charu Mazumdar

Published:  Liberation, July 1971-January 1972

The social system that exists in India is semi-feudal and semi-colonial. So the democratic revolution in this country means agrarian revolution. All the problems of India are related to this one task. On this question of agrarian revolution there has been difference of opinion in Marxist circles from the beginning of this century and among Marxists the struggle between the two policies-the one revolutionary and the other counter-revolutionary-continues. The Mensheviks side-tracked the question of State power and searched for a solution in municipalization. Lenin declared a crusade against it and said that it was not possible to solve the problem by side-tracking the question of State power. He showed that however progressive the legislation framed by one might be, the present State structure could not implement it. The condition of the peasant will remain the same. That was why he said that only the democratic State of workers and peasants, led by the working class, could solve this problem. Only the other day even the Soviet Party writer, Yudin, while criticizing Nehru's Basic Approach, said that Nehru had not till then been able to solve the peasant problem. He challenged Nehru to show, in practice, how this problem could be solved in a peaceful way and added that Nehru would fail to do so. History has proved that, far from solving this problem, Nehru was not able even to bring about an iota of change.

PCm-Italy: Declaration on the murder of Comrade Kishenji

PCm-Italy: Declaration on the murder of Comrade Kishenji

People's heroes are deathless !

Comrade Kishenji lives in all proletarian struggles in the world !

Declaration by PCm Italy

Our party salutes with rage and sadness the death of a great leader of Indian revolution, Kishenji alias Mallojula Koteswara Rao, Politburo Member of CPI(Maoist), killed by Indian regime, supported by world imperialism.

Our party unites its hands with CPIm in this bad hour. Your struggle, comrades, is our struggle, your loss is our loss.

The ideological, theoretical and practical contribution of comrade Kishanji to the CPI(m), to the People’s War, to the proletarian and oppressed people’s struggle in India cannot be cancelled.

Instead, it is now more shining and its light reaches all corners in the world.

Now comrades let’s transform the pain into strength!

Now we redouble the support to war people in India; now we intensify struggle against imperialism in the world; now we work for proletarian internationalism, for a new proletarian international Marxist-Leninist-Maoist organization, now we call all the proletarians, revolutionaries, communists in our country to advance in the revolution in our country.

It is the way to honour comrade Kishenji and all martyrs of the revolution in India and in the world.

PCm Italy

Central Committee

28 November 2011

14-22 January 2012 - International week of action in support of People's War in India - dedicated to comrade Kishenji

NAPM Press Release on FDI in Retail: A Disaster for Farmers, Consumers and Communities

New Delhi, November 29 : NAPM strongly opposes the Government of India’s decision to increase the FDI limit to 51% in multi brand retail trade, and upto 100% in single brand retail trade with government approval. Even though the policy is conditional to the fact that it is applicable only in towns and cities with more than 10 lakh population as per 2011 census. 53 towns and cities fall under this category out of a total of 8000 towns and cities all over India. According to 2011 census, these 53 towns and cities cover 42% of the total urban population of India. Even though limited to 53 cities the effects of it will be felt all across since the sourcing of the commodities and provisions will be from all over the country.

Post-mortem

November 30, 2011

by Rajib Guha

Finally, after weeks of dillydallying, the interlocutors have probably decided that it is better for them to withdraw from the charade that was being played in the name of talks. In fact, it is always a charade, given the multiplicity of tongues with which the various faces of the government speak on the subject of “talks” (be it with any movement), specially the security experts, both in office and out of office. Some would say that the outcome of the process, which had been flagged off with much media hype (as is the case everywhere), was a foregone conclusion, given the history of such processes elsewhere in the country.

The end result : the loss of a leader of a people’s movement, which had dared the administration with its demands and resistance. If the Left Front government had its base shaken by Singur and Nandigram, the Lalgarh movement provided the long-lasting challenge not only to the then administrators of the government, but also to the “leftism” of the CPI(M) and its allies.

Los Angeles police clear Occupy LA camp