CPI(ML) observed a nationwide Vigil on 21-22 July during the Parliament discussions on the Nuke Deal. This was meant to let the parliamentarians know that the nation would be closely observing their behaviour over the Nuke Deal, and to warn that the people would punish them for their moves to sell out and betray India’s sovereignty.

In Delhi, hundreds of people attended the Vigil at Parliament Street, Jantar Mantar on 22nd July which was addressed by Party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya besides many other senior leaders. The Vigil was decorated with banners and placards terming the UPA ‘Unashamed Partners of America’; and declaring ‘Buy Nuke Deal, Get Hyde Act Free’.

He called upon the entire rank and file of the Party to make the nation-wide Campaign to be launched July 23 with a National Convention “For National Resistance against the UPA’s Pro-Imperialist Betrayal” at Constitution Club in Delhi, a great success. 23 July marks the centenary of the first political strike of the Indian working class in 1908 against the arrest of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and is therefore a powerful inspiration for today’s struggles against imperialism and for democracy. The campaign would culminate with a massive Jail Bharo movement on August 20, the day of the general Strike called by the Central trade Unions.

The Vigil was also attended by CPI(ML) CC members Prabhat Kumar, Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, AISA General Secretary Ravi Rai, Delhi AIPWA leader Uma Gupta, Delhi Building Workers’ Union President Amarnath Tiwary and many other leaders.

Tamil Nadu: In Tirunelveli and Chennai in Tamilnadu demonstrations were held on July 21 demanding scrapping of nuke deal. On July 22 in Chennai Manmohan's effigy was burnt by AISA and Party comrades. The police tried to snatch away the effigy and prevent them from burning it. The participants managed to burn it and were arrested. The protest was led by Bharathi, AISA's state convenor. On July 22 a copy of the Nuke deal agreement was burnt by Party comrades. Here also the police tried to prevent them from burning it but comrades were successful and so, were arrested. Party district secretary Com. Babu led the protest.

In Coimbatore a public meeting was held on July 20 as part of the protest week demanding scrapping of nuke deal. More than 1200 Pricol workers attended the meeting. Comrade S Kumarasasami, PB member and AICCTU President, and Comrade N K Natarajan, State Committee member addressed the gathering.

In Karnataka, more than 40 Comrades, including 13 women, were arrested at Krishnagiri on 22 July for burning a copy of Nuke Deal and effigy of Bush and Manmohan Singh. Protesters were led by Babu, District Secretary and by TKS Janardan of AIALA.

Uttarakhand: Protest against Nuke Deal and mass meetings were held in Haldwani, Pithoragarh and Srinagar in Uttarakhand on 21 July. Effigies of Manmohan and Bush were burnt and a dharna and meeting was organised in front of SDM court in Haldwani. Mass meetings were also held in Srinagar and Pithoragarh. In Srinagar, the effigy wore three heads – Sonia, Bush and Manmohan.

Assam: Protest demonstrations against Nuclear Deal were held on 22 July at Tinsukia, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Silchar. In Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Silchar protest processions were held and a memorandum was sent to the President of India opposing US-India Nuclear deal. Apart from other demands memorandum included a demand for establishing gas-fired energy project in Assam, where natural gas is abundant. In Silchar, Forward Block joined us in protests. In Guwahati police disrupted our programme and had arrested some 50 protesters before the demonstration started. In spite of the disruption about 50 members took out a procession in the main roads of Panbazar and they were also arrested. No representative from the district administration came to receive the memorandum.

On 21 July, a joint protest programme by CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M) and RSP opposing Nuclear Deal and price rise was held at Guwahati, where nearly 300 protesters took part. A protest meeting led by Naren Borah, Udhav Barman, Drupad Bargohain and Abdus Salam was held and Comrade Pankaj addressed protesters on behalf of CPI(ML). Police blocked the route of the procession. All four left parties condemned this autocratic act of the Tarun Gogoi Government. On 21 July, CPI(ML), CPI and FB organized a protest demonstration at Silchar opposing Nuclear Deal.

Uttar Pradesh: Hundreds of CPI(ML) activists marched towards the State Assembly in Lucknow on July 20, led by CPI(ML) Politburo member Ramji Rai and UP State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav. The impressive march, well decorated with banners and festoons, passed through many parts of the city before culminating into a mass meeting in front of the Vidhan Sabha. The marchers demanded to scrap the Nuke Deal, to complete the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and to control the prices.

The protesters also condemned the forcible land acquisition of 120 acres of farmers at Chinhat near Lucknow for a sewage treatment plant and condemned the Mayawati Govt. for bulldozing the crops of the farmers. Leading the march were AIPWA leaders Vidya Rajwar, Tahira Hasan and Shobha Singh, State Committee members Om Prakash Singh, Kranti Kumar Singh, Balmukund Dhuria, Arjunlal, Ramdaras, Madan Singh, State convenor of Kisan Sabha Ishwari Prasad Kushwaha and CPI(ML) leader Dr. Brijbihari and RYA leader Ateeq, and many of these also addressed the mass meeting.

W Bengal: Effigies of the Manmohan Government were burnt and road blockade held at Dharmatala in Kolkata.

Bihar: Manmohan Singh’s effigy was burnt and protest marches held at many places in Bihar in protest against the Nuclear Deal. In Patna dozens of CPI(ML) activists held a march from State Office at Virchand Patel Path to ITO crossing. A meeting was held there and effigy of Manmohan Singh was burnt. March organised by Patna City Committee was led by CC member KD Yadav and city committee members comrades Murtaza Ali, Tota Chaudhary-councilor in the Municipal Corporation of Patna, Pannalal, Peasant leader Rajendra Patel and AISA leader Prakash.

In Arrah street corner meetings followed intensive mass propaganda campaign in many localities of the town including Gopali Chowk, Abarpul, Milki mohalla and Dudhkatora. The campaingn and meetings were led by CPI(ML) town secretary Pappu Singh, RYA leader Dilraj Pritam and AISA leader Raju Yadav.

In Siwan street corner meetings were held in the leadership of RYA Bihar President and CPI(ML) leader Com. Amarjit Kushwaha at JP Chowk, Barharia Mor, Andar Dhala and dozens of other places.

In Jahanabad dozens of street corner meetings were held at Ratni and Makhdumpur for intensifying the struggle against the anti-national Nuclear Deal. The campaign meetings were led by CPI(ML) leaders Com. Kunti Devi and Com. Pradip Kumar of AIALA.
Similar protest programmes against the Nuclear Deal were also held at Darbhanga, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur and many other towns of Bihar.

National Convention At Delhi For National Resistance Against UPA’s pro-Imperialist Betrayal

The CPI(ML) held a National Convention “For National Resistance Against UPA’s Pro-Imperialist Betrayal” at Constitution Club in Delhi on 23 July, the date of the first political strike by the Indian working class. Held a day after the trust vote in Parliament, the Convention was attended by hundreds of activists from Punjab and Delhi. The Convention was addressed by noted journalist Praful Bidwai, Dr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Sumit Chakravarti, Editor, Mainstream, and journalist Javed Naqvi. CPI(ML)’s Punjab State Secretary Comrade Rajvinder Rana as well as CPI(ML) leader and former Punjab MLA Comrade Tarsem Jodhan addressed the Convention. Comrade D Raja of the CPI, RSP MP Abani Roy and Forward Bloc leader Comrade Devarajan also addressed the Convention. CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya was the main speaker at the Convention. The Convention adopted a resolution: “The ‘Cash flash’ episode has put Indian Parliament under a shadow of shame. This Convention demands a thorough and speedy enquiry into the entire episode so that the Indian people can exercise their right to know the facts about this sordid scene by their elected representatives. The showdown over the Nuke Deal in Parliament is over, but the real battle in the people’s court starts today. While the Government may have managed to survive, their act of pro-imperialist betrayal is bound to face defeat in the people’s court. From this Convention today, on July 23, the historic anniversary of the first political strike of the Indian working class against the colonial regime, we resolve to intensify the struggle to demand scrapping of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal and other pro-imperialist policies, and to make the General Strike called by Central Trade Unions on August 20 a mass people’s action against the pro-imperialist betrayal of the nation by the ruling parties.”

The Convention was conducted by Rajendra Pratholi, Central Committee Member of the CPI(ML).