By Jaspal 

December 12,2023

Farmers all across India protested at the district headquarters yesterday against the betrayal by the central of all the promises made when they ended their Morcha two years ago. They submitted a memorandum to the president of India listing all the promises made by the government and not fulfilling any of them and pointed out:

“After two years of the historic struggle, the Union Government with the aim of serving the corporate forces, has made wild allegations against the farmers struggle recently in the ‘Newsclick FIR’ painting the farmers struggle as anti-national, funded by foreign and terrorist forces. SKM strongly rebuffs such baseless allegations and considers it as an assault on the media and the right of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the constitution of India. We strongly allege high-level conspiracy, to tarnish any sort of mass resistance against the pro-corporate policies of the Union Government.” They also vowed to continue their struggle.

At a protest in Punjab a young woman farmer, leader of one of the farmers Union pointed out that, Two of the most important institutions of society have been captured by monopolies, State and Market. If one analyses the developments of last 75 years, one can see that central state has been completely captured by Adani, Ambani, Tata, Birla and other monopolies. Similarly ,market in almost all products has been captured by a handful of monopolies. Farmers have to develop their own formations that by pass them at the same time develop movement to dislodge these monopolies from state and market. Farmers have to develop Sanjhi Kheti- cooperative farming, natural farming,create cooperative storages in each village and develop distribution networks by negotiating prices with workers,teachers,office workers and consumer unions for their produce. This way farmers can ensure customers for their crops,before they even plant seeds and will be ensured of remunerative prices. We have to force the government to have crop failure insurance. Farmers will decide the prices of their produce- Faslon Ke Faisley Kisan Karega. Consumers on the other hand will get cheaper and better quality food and other produce,by eliminating monopolies. Farmers and workers can do this depending on their own forces. This way our local communities will be in control of resources and empowered. Our brothers and sisters in universities here and abroad will provide the technical and other help we need. Kisan Morcha showed us that. Its is just a beginning. This proposal was vigorously discussed by farmers.

The Eighth International Farmers Conference Bugota (Colombia) officially concluded on 07.12.201. 181 farmers organizations from 88 countries participated in the farmer's conference organized by the International Farmers' Organization La-Via Compecina. Conference discussed about generational innovation crisis in farming, climate change, agricultural ecological food sovereignty new digital entrepreneurship etc. The delegation of Bharatiya Kisan Union was led by Ch. Yuddhaveer Singh

Annual General Meeting of the Indian Community Activists Network , a non partisan collective, took place in Ranchi from December 5-7. Activists from different parts of India gathered and discussed their work,progress,difficulties and path forward for empowerment of people , community control of resources, justice,equity and a society without exploitation and oppression.

According to press reports, The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojayana, under which the Silkyara tunnel where 40 workers were trapped for 17 days was being constructed, was passed without necessary evaluation, as revealed by the Centre’s response to a parliamentary query recently. Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of road transport and highways, admitted to have bypassed the environmental impact assessment norms for the civil works comprising improvement of five existing national highways from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh section of Kailas-Mansarovar yatra stretching over a length of 825 kilometres. The project was divided into 53 independent parts, each having a length less than 100 kilometres with distinct start and end points.

Mahua Moitra , the young MP from Bengal, was expelled by the BJP majority parliament last Friday. In her unique style and flair she said, “If this Modi government thought that by shutting me up they could do away with the Adani issue, let me tell you this that this kangaroo court has only shown to all of India that the haste and the abuse of due process you have used demonstrates how important Adani is to you. And to what length you will go to harass a single woman MP into shutting her into submission..." Analysts are claiming that she will come back with a bigger majority in coming parliamentary elections. This reveals deepening of the crisis of legitimacy and credibility of the ruling elite that is criminalizing dissent from street to parliament. Several women writers have also pointed out that Mahua did not fit into the patriarchal, Brahmin supremacist image of a woman held by the men in parliament and paid the price for being independent and speaking her mind out.

Massive demonstrations against the genocide of the Palestinian people across the world took place on December 10,2023 on the occasion of 75th anniversary of International Human Rights Day. On Monday Global Strike for Palestine took place. One of the spokespersons said, “The point of the strike is to keep Gaza, particularity the calls for immediate ceasefire on top of the global agenda, while sending a message of unity that the world is united against the ongoing genocide in besieged Gaza, and the horrific war launched by Israel and illegal settlers against the rest of Occupied Palestine,”

“This solidarity is particularly meaningful to the people of Gaza, who must not be left alone no matter how long Israel decides to prolong its massacres of civilians, while depriving 2.3 million people of food, water, medicine, fuel and any sense of security.”

As predicted, the US vetoed a resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates and backed by over 90 Member States. There were 13 votes in favour and the United Kingdom abstained.
The UN chief began this latest meeting on the crisis with a stark warning that “the conditions for the effective delivery of humanitarian aid no longer exist.” He said “the eyes of the world - and the eyes of history - are watching", demanding that the international community "do everything possible" to end the ordeal of the people of Gaza. This shows that there is urgent need to reform the UN, abolish security council and General Assembly should make all the decisions.

A young man who works at the UN asked me the other day, what do you think the UN should do about Palestine? I told him that Palestinians have been telling the UN for more than 70 years what it should do but big powers with US in the lead , do not let UN move towards a just and equitable solution. But he insisted to know my views. I told him that the international community should disarm the belligerent state of Israel, demilitarize Palestine and Israel, carry out dezionification for at least 20 years meaning no Zionist be allowed to hold any public office at any level or organize, all the enterprises,factories,farms should be owned by communities, workers and farmers, Jews, Muslims, Atheists,Christian’s etc. US and Britain should be forced to pay reparations to Palestinians for the two Naqbas, a Truth and Reconciliation commission should be formed. All those who want to return be allowed to return. After 20 years, a referendum should be held to determine their will. Is it doable? Of course it is, we have historical precedents when Germany and Japan were disarmed. All those who have committed crimes against innocent people should be tried and punished,irrespective of religion or political affiliations. The UN control commission can oversee all the arrangements. A peacekeeping force can supervise the demilitarization. I told him that I am sure wiser minds than me have proposed similar and better proposals at the UN.These are some of my ideas that have evolved over years of discussions with Palestinian and Jewish friends of various religions and political persuasions.

In spite of warnings by the secretary general of the UN, COP28 in Dubai has proven to be a circus organized by fossil fuel barons. Kevin Anderson, a leading climate scientist, professor of energy and climate change at the University of Manchester and the University of Uppsala in Sweden. He is a former director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, recently wrote on social media, “This is a Cabal of Oil Producers not a climate COP. The outcome is known: Crafted rhetoric & lacquered sincerity, Grand announcement with no teeth. And that’s why the scam and the language around COP28, to me, is deeply disturbing, when we consider what is actually happening and what we are looking in even for our own children’s future. Do we have so little concern for our own children’s future that we are prepared to scam these COPs, scam the whole climate change agenda, just to maintain our comfortable — overly comfortable — way of living, this top 1%, which will include, as I say, most of the so-called elite in our society?”

A new report by the Global Carbon Project shows carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels are set to hit a record high this year. According to Oxfam, the richest 1% generated as much planet-warming pollution as the poorest two-thirds of humanity, with private jet travel a key source of emissions.

Criminalization of dissent is taking place in the universities in the US, in the Congress and other spaces. Anti Zionism is being equated with antisemitism by the ruling elite. Harvard, UPenn, MIT and other universities are criminalizing students. Presidents of these three universities proved to be so ignorant at a house hearing that it was pathetic. Congress is punishing those legislators who are opposing the genocide in Palestine. Rashida Tlaib, the sole Palestinian American in Congress, was censured for her comments on genocide of Palestinians in the House of Representatives.Twenty two Democrats also voted for a resolution proposed by House Republicans.

But this criminalization of dissent is not working. Youth,workers,nurses, doctors,academics with their head high and raised fist are standing for the Right To Be of Palestinian people and all the oppressed and exploited people of the world.

We had a very vibrant discussion on the 31st anniversary of the demolition of the Babari mosque in our Wednesday forum. Besides discussing the role of Congress,BJP and others in organizing communal violence and terrorism of the state in service of the ruling elite, questions such as inherent human nature to dominate, exploit, might is right, all agains all, etc were interrogated. Why is that such anti people ideas that have been discredited long ago are still promoted in society? Nature of education, dominant ideas and other blindfolds of anti consciousness of the historical crib were discussed. Many people said that the ruling elite keeps promoting bankrupt ideas through media and educational institutions and appreciated spaces such as our Wednesday forum,where we discuss all kinds of ideas in a safe space.