CPM expressed deep grief at passing away of Shyamali Gupta

She fell ill at AIDWA All India Conference Bodh Gaya
Monday, November 25, 2013:The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Shyamali Gupta, member of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the All India Democratic Women’s Association till recently.  Shyamali Gupta fell ill at the AIDWA All India Conference held in Bodh Gaya and died after she returned to Kolkata. She was 68 years old.

Comrade Shyamali Gupta

Shyamali Gupta joined the Communist Party in 1963 after being active in the student movement. She played an important role in the Bengal Provincial Students Federation.

After a stint as a college teacher, Shyamali Gupta began work in the women’s movement in the 1970s.  She became the key organizer of the Ganatantrik Mahila Samiti. She was elected as its General Secretary in 1983 and served in that capacity till 1996. 
Shyamali Gupta became the All India General Secretary of the AIDWA in 1990 and played a major role in the development of the women’s movement at the national level.  She  was elected as the President of the AIDWA in 2010, a post she held till the eve of her death. 

Shyamali Gupta was a dedicated Communist leader.  She became a member of the West Bengal State Committee in 1985 and was a member of the State Secretariat from 2010. She was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI(M) in 2002. 

As a women Communist leader, Shyamali Gupta made a valuable contribution to the development of the democratic women’s movement.  She served the Communist Party with devotion and sincerity for five decades.  Her death is a big loss for the Party and the women’s movement.

The Polit Bureau conveys its heartfelt condolences to her son and other family members. 

AITUC again exposed the anti peoples policies of UPA-2

Com Gurudas Das Gupta–MP was the main speaker

Ludhiana: 22 November 2013: (Rector Kathuria//Punjab Screen): The workers in our country have to meet dual challenge of saving the social fabric of the society by fighting against the communal & divisive forces as well as to save the country from economic onslaught by the multinational corporations, this was said by Com Gurudas Das Gupta–MP and General Secretary All Indian Trade Union Congress (AITUC) while addressing a convention here at Punjabi Bhawan today. The UPA-II Govt. is increasingly working in the interest of big corporate business houses of India and the international cartels undermining the national interest. Latest decisions of the Govt. are enough indicators of the rightist shift in the policies detrimental to Indian growth and progress based on justice and equality. These are against the basic spirit of the Indian constitution which speaks of justice and equality as its mainstay.  The Govt. is more inclined to respond to the demands of the international finance capital and the MNCs while hitting the common man hard, even denying them basic amenities like food, shelter, health and education. Therefore there is an urgent need for the working people to unite in strength to lead the struggle against these policies so as to meet the goal of sustainable development in the interest of all the people of the country, he said. On that score, the job insecurity and the job losses on the one hand and increased trends of contractorization and outsourcing,  contractualisation and casualisation of labour is norm of the day. There is attack on unionization itself and pressure on existing unions to suppress and intimidate them to contain their activities. Bringing in FDI  in retail trade will be big blow to more than 4 crore small traders, shopkeepers, marginal and poor farmers, other small producers of goods in home based and small scale industries etc. The government has been responsible for unprecedented rise in corruption at higher places with loss to national revenue and denial of rightful share of common people in the wealth being produced in the country. He further deplored that accumulation of wealth in the hands of few, whereas the vast majority is suffering under acute poverty and unemployment. The latest reports have indicated that 100 top rich families own assets to the tune of 16 lakh crores of rupees whereas 70% Indians are forced to live on meager spending of Rs.16.60 paise per day. With the policies being pursued will further hasten these gaps. 

He said, the govt. continues to act in ruthless manner against the common people and the response to people’s agitations by the Prime minister and some of his ministers are arrogant to the core. Corruption at the higher places has become rampant which is obvious  from the scandal like 2-G Spectrum. The Gas price hike in connivance with the Ambanis will cost a loss of nearly 2.20 lakh crores to the exchequer, he highlighted.

Taking advantage of this situation the rabidly communal RSS and BJP have floated Modi as their Prime ministerial candidate. This is a very serious danger before the nation which the workers have to fight back tooth and nail.

In this background the Trade Unions have decided to intensify their joint agitations and march to Parliament on 12th December 2013 on the charter of demands which includes seeking check on price rise of essential commodities, end to labour law violations, for social security and pension to all workers, abolition of any ceiling on Provident Fund, gratuity and bonus, abolition of contract labour, steady regularization of them and equal pay for equal work, no disinvestment of public sector/ govt. sector enterprises and resources, national minimum wage to be raised to not less that Rs. 10,000, universal entitlement of maternity benefit to working women etc.

Addressing the gathering Com Bant Singh Brar - President  and Com Nirmal Dhaliwal - General Secretary of Punjab unit of AITUC said that the state govt. of Punjab is not following a different course as regards the economic policies in general are concerned. Rather it has been taking anti labour and anti farmer measures. They informed that several more conventions will be held in the state on these issues, where Com Gurudas Dass Gupta MP, General Secretary AITUC will address.

Today’s convention was attended by representatives of various organisations of workers and employees from Construction, Hosiery, Roadways, PRTC, Banks, Power sector, FCI Palledar, University, PSSF, Govt. Class 4 employees, Corporation, BSNL, ASHA workers  and unorganized sector.

Com Kartar Singh Bowani – Vice President Punjab Kisan Sabha also addressed the gathering.

Com O P Mehta General Secretary AITUC Ludhiana and Com D P Maur, General Secretary Joint Council of Trade Unions Ludhiana assured that they will participate in large number in the march to parliament at Delhi on 12th December 2013.

AITUC meet at Ludhiana: A grand success

Com Gurudas Das Gupta, MP Calls upon the workers

Illegal Surveillance In Gujarat

Saturday, November 16, 2013
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The release of tape recorded conversations between top Narendra Modi aide and BJP leader Amit Shah and a senior police officer who was then Superintendent of the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad regarding the illegal surveillance mounted against a young woman on the orders of “saheb” raises serious questions once again about the state of civil liberties in Gujarat.

To use the powers of the State and further to use the anti-terrorist squad to snoop on the private life of a young woman, to follow her every movement, to snoop also on her other family members and friends, shows the utterly unethical and illegal practices and degeneration of the minimum norms of democratic governance under Modi.

The Gujarat Government must take immediate action against Shah and the police officers for violating the Indian Telegraph Act. They also have to be prosecuted for the crime of stalking under the recently amended provisions of the IPC related to crimes against women.

However it is well known that for Amit Shah there is only one Saheb and that is Modi. What was Modi’s interest in the matter? In a case involving the Chief Minister it would be appropriate for a court investigation into Modi’s involvement and if found to be involved, he must be prosecuted.