- In many villages, people led by ruling party leaders resisted culling operations. Margram Panchayat, for instance, is under the control of the Congress. The CPM backed popular sentiment of the villagers hoping to cash in during the ensuing panchayat polls in May-June. Sanjiv Barman, the zonal committee secretary of Rampurhat Block II said: “If we do not come to their support at this critical juncture they will not support us in the ballot box. We are therefore raising the issue of inadequate compensation.” Result: many villagers refused to give up the birds for culling.
- Leaders complained of lack of an awareness campaign before culling operations began. Often, culling teams went to villages at odd hours without any prior information and villagers were not prepared to hand over the birds. “No one told us about the disease and one morning, they came and demanded my poultry. The birds were out. I asked them to come another day. I kept waiting with my poultry but no one turned up,” said Sheikh Amzad of Buropithtola in Margram.
- In some places like Nalhati, culling teams were beaten up. A day after culling operations began, local CPM members took out rallies in a number of villages in Margram, Nalhati and Mayureshwar areas, demanding better compensation for affected farmers.
- In Parulia village, when the team reached on January 16, about 100 people, led by Ananda Bagdi, the local CPM Panchayat Pradhan, resisted the culling. They had two demands: culling teams had to take their permission before entering the village and an upward revision of the compensation. The culling teams backed off.
- There was no effort on the part of CPM leaders to use their fabled party network to spread awareness about the dangers of the virus and co-operate with authorities.
- CPM state secretary Biman Bose issued an alert yesterday — a week after the outbreak.* As the bird flu virus spread, the Ministers were distracted by the CPM party congress in Kolkata. Both the ARD and the Health Ministries are held by the CPM. It was only on January 20, five days after official announcement of the outbreak, that Anisur Rehman, state ARD minister, visited Birbhum and Margram.
- Surya Kant Mishra, state health minister, visited Bolpur in Birbhum on January 22. No other minister visited Ground Zero.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Bird Flue Update: CPM machinery stood in the way
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Chicken Flue Situation in West Bengal Update
23/01/2008
Bird flu spread to many areas of West Bengal on Tuesday as the Centre increased the target of number of poultry to be culled to nearly 15 lakh.
Animal Husbandry Commissioner S K Bandopadhyay said
It is being controlled. It is not under control," he said while replying to a query whether the bird flu situation was under control.
News
On other side,
As concerns over bird flu mounted, delegates to the CPM's state conference had a treat at high tea on Wednesday: chicken kebabs and fish rolls.
The bird flu alarm was first confirmed on Sunday evening, coinciding with the launch of the party conference and the administration went into day-long meetings the next day. For three days, afternoon tea meant assorted snacks.
But, on Wednesday, as if to show solidarity with the thousands of small farmers who are resisting the culling, the cooks hired for the conference were asked to make chicken kebabs.
News
I guess people has taken the Ministers Message to heart
Not willing to incur any financial loss because of the outbreak of bird flu, well-networked cartels in West Bengal are smuggling out chicken and poultry products from affected areas, even sending consignments to neighbouring states to minimise the loss. This could be one of the reasons why the deadly virus has spread so fast — from one district in the beginning to almost eight districts now.
News
Bird flu spread to many areas of West Bengal on Tuesday as the Centre increased the target of number of poultry to be culled to nearly 15 lakh.
Animal Husbandry Commissioner S K Bandopadhyay said
It is being controlled. It is not under control," he said while replying to a query whether the bird flu situation was under control.
News
On other side,
As concerns over bird flu mounted, delegates to the CPM's state conference had a treat at high tea on Wednesday: chicken kebabs and fish rolls.
The bird flu alarm was first confirmed on Sunday evening, coinciding with the launch of the party conference and the administration went into day-long meetings the next day. For three days, afternoon tea meant assorted snacks.
But, on Wednesday, as if to show solidarity with the thousands of small farmers who are resisting the culling, the cooks hired for the conference were asked to make chicken kebabs.
News
I guess people has taken the Ministers Message to heart
Not willing to incur any financial loss because of the outbreak of bird flu, well-networked cartels in West Bengal are smuggling out chicken and poultry products from affected areas, even sending consignments to neighbouring states to minimise the loss. This could be one of the reasons why the deadly virus has spread so fast — from one district in the beginning to almost eight districts now.
News
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
CPI(M) attacks govt for aiding Israel for Iran!!
The CPI(M) on Monday attacked the government for ''collaborating'' with Israel and accused it of aiding Tel Aviv's military efforts by launching its spy satellite.
Reacting to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launching an Israeli spy satellite from Sriharikota on Sunday, the party said the government was maintaining a ''shameful silence on the criminal blockade'' by Israel of Gaza strip and said instead, it was ''collaborating with Israel to enhance its military capability.''
The launch of Israeli satellite TECSAR ''shows how India is aiding the military efforts of Israel. The satellite has a capability to track activities in Iran and the region.''
News
I wonder why is CPM not criticising their Mentor China for their Military support to Pakistan. A recent news:
Pak's new port has strategic implications for India: Naval Chief
The Gwadar port being built by Pakistan with Chinese assistance in its Baluchistan coast has serious strategic implications for India, according to Naval Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta.
"Being only 180 nautical miles from the exit of the Straits of Hormuz, Gwadar, being built in Baluchistan coast, would enable Pakistan to take control over the world energy jugular," he said while delivering the T S Narayanaswamy Memorial lecture in Chennai on Monday night.
News
Reacting to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launching an Israeli spy satellite from Sriharikota on Sunday, the party said the government was maintaining a ''shameful silence on the criminal blockade'' by Israel of Gaza strip and said instead, it was ''collaborating with Israel to enhance its military capability.''
The launch of Israeli satellite TECSAR ''shows how India is aiding the military efforts of Israel. The satellite has a capability to track activities in Iran and the region.''
News
I wonder why is CPM not criticising their Mentor China for their Military support to Pakistan. A recent news:
Pak's new port has strategic implications for India: Naval Chief
The Gwadar port being built by Pakistan with Chinese assistance in its Baluchistan coast has serious strategic implications for India, according to Naval Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta.
"Being only 180 nautical miles from the exit of the Straits of Hormuz, Gwadar, being built in Baluchistan coast, would enable Pakistan to take control over the world energy jugular," he said while delivering the T S Narayanaswamy Memorial lecture in Chennai on Monday night.
News
Nero fiddling while Rome burned
The Bird flu Situation in West bengal is Worsening. It is continuing to spread among the birds in West Bengal and the state capital may be the next target of the deadly virus. It has been identified in seven districts with Bankura and Malda the latest to be affected.
Chickens have also died in two other districts, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Paragnas, which are close to the state capital.
Chickens have also died in two other districts, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Paragnas, which are close to the state capital.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said the State government’s delay in taking “appropriate action” led to the rapid spread of avian influenza. Even now culling in the “unusual mortality” districts was “slow” and should be speeded up.
However, All this has not slowed down CPM in conducting State Conferences. Instead of providing leadership to solve this highly dangerous situation in West Bengal most party leaders are busy with 22nd CPM West Bengal State Conference.
In Kerala, The kerala Budget has been put off by three months due to Party Meetings!!!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Kerala CPM Internal Tussle and Naxal Shadow
Further to the recent arrest of Peoples’ War Group leader Malla Raja Reddy, Kerala Police has become Hyperactive in the hunt for "Naxal and Maoist" elements in Kerala. A great move. But one wonders why Kerala Police is not showing same enthsiasm to crush Jehadi Elements. As during the same time a suspected Hizbul Mujahideen activist Altaf Ahamad Khan who was wanted in connection with several cases relating to terrorist activities was also captured from Kerala.
The fight in the CPM between VS and Pinnarai Faction is suspected to be one of the reasons behind the police’s hyperactiveness in the name of Naxal hunt. Those who are close to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inside and outside the party are upset over the increasing isolation of their leader and his inability to oppose the forces of capitalism which control the party. There are indications that a few in the SFI and the CPM are getting closer to outfits whom the party labels as ‘left extremists’. This link may get stronger if VS is completely marginalised after the Kottayam meet of the party.
Recently, The students union of the Guruvayurappan College here invited CPI-ML central secretary K.N. Ramachandran to inaugurate a seminar recently, shocking the SFI leadership. The VS loyalists at the Government College, Madappally, openly challenged the official faction of the SFI with the behind-the-curtain support from the Kerala Vidyarthi Sanghatana, the student wing of the CPI-ML.
The official faction of the CPM is aware of the possible danger of the disgruntled elements in the party forming a common platform, joining hands with the ‘left extremists’. There are many common areas between the pro-VS forums like the Adhinivesha Prathirodha Samithi, Padom Prathikarana Vedi andthe ‘left extremists’ who take aggressive stand on issues like ADB loan. In fact, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan himself had branded the pro-VS group as ‘left adventurists’.
It is suspected that the CPM is using the police to create a terror and to break the possibility of an alignment force against the party. Such a possibility could be nipped in the bud by branding these forces as Maoists and creating a confusion among those who are willing to co-operate with the group.
The fight in the CPM between VS and Pinnarai Faction is suspected to be one of the reasons behind the police’s hyperactiveness in the name of Naxal hunt. Those who are close to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inside and outside the party are upset over the increasing isolation of their leader and his inability to oppose the forces of capitalism which control the party. There are indications that a few in the SFI and the CPM are getting closer to outfits whom the party labels as ‘left extremists’. This link may get stronger if VS is completely marginalised after the Kottayam meet of the party.
Recently, The students union of the Guruvayurappan College here invited CPI-ML central secretary K.N. Ramachandran to inaugurate a seminar recently, shocking the SFI leadership. The VS loyalists at the Government College, Madappally, openly challenged the official faction of the SFI with the behind-the-curtain support from the Kerala Vidyarthi Sanghatana, the student wing of the CPI-ML.
The official faction of the CPM is aware of the possible danger of the disgruntled elements in the party forming a common platform, joining hands with the ‘left extremists’. There are many common areas between the pro-VS forums like the Adhinivesha Prathirodha Samithi, Padom Prathikarana Vedi andthe ‘left extremists’ who take aggressive stand on issues like ADB loan. In fact, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan himself had branded the pro-VS group as ‘left adventurists’.
It is suspected that the CPM is using the police to create a terror and to break the possibility of an alignment force against the party. Such a possibility could be nipped in the bud by branding these forces as Maoists and creating a confusion among those who are willing to co-operate with the group.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
CPM Speak and Iceberg!
Only one-seventh to one-tenth of an iceberg's mass shows above water. Similiarly, Only one-tenth of real intentions of CPM is visible from Statements of CPM.
Recent statement of CPM on "Allaince with Congress" is an Ideal Example!
CPI(M)'s draft political resolution for the ensuing 19th Party Congress makes it clear that it will not enter into any alliance or united front with the Congress. What it was left unsaid is that even for current Loksabha Election CPM didnot have Allaince with Congress. They had Electoral Understanding a suitable word to fool the cadre in Kerala and Bengal.
The draft essentially means that for 2009 Loksabha Elections also CPM will have "Electoral Understanding" i.e seat sharing etc with congress and again they will try to weild power without responsibility!
This was clear from the fact that when asked on supporting the Congress-led coalition after the next Lok Sabha elections CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat remianed Non Commital!! his answer was
Which means We will try our best to sleep with anybody and hang on to power!
News
Recent statement of CPM on "Allaince with Congress" is an Ideal Example!
CPI(M)'s draft political resolution for the ensuing 19th Party Congress makes it clear that it will not enter into any alliance or united front with the Congress. What it was left unsaid is that even for current Loksabha Election CPM didnot have Allaince with Congress. They had Electoral Understanding a suitable word to fool the cadre in Kerala and Bengal.
The draft essentially means that for 2009 Loksabha Elections also CPM will have "Electoral Understanding" i.e seat sharing etc with congress and again they will try to weild power without responsibility!
This was clear from the fact that when asked on supporting the Congress-led coalition after the next Lok Sabha elections CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat remianed Non Commital!! his answer was
"We still want a secular government at the Centre. But we also want a
government which does not follow such economic policies. How we can achieve
that, we will have to wait and see,"
Which means We will try our best to sleep with anybody and hang on to power!
News
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)