CODEMN THE ATTACK ON MR 2004 PROGRAMME IN HALDIA, EAST MIDNAPORE, WEST BENGAL
Mumbai Resistance 2004 (MR2004) is a front of 286 All India and International people`s organisations which is to hold a 4-day programme in Mumbai on 17th to 20th January 2004 against imperialist globalisation and war. All over the country MR 2004 is carrying out a propaganda campaign, which is leading up to this programme.
On 28/12/03 at about 8.30 A.M., 41 activists of MR 2004 assembled at Haldia town which is in East Midnapore, West Bengal, to carry out this propaganda. They had already taken prior permission of the police to hold this programme. Suddenly about 100 hooligans who are cadre of the CPM, armed with lathis, stones and knives surrounded the gathering. They told the MR 2004 activists that in that area only CPM was allowed to take meetings and no one else. On the MR activists` argument that it was their democratic right to propagate anywhere in the country against imperialist globalisation and war, the goons set upon them with the weapons they had in their hands.
Three MR activists sustained severe injuries on head and faces and one on the eye. 15 others including the convenor of West Bengal MR, Raja Sarkhel, were injured and even a pregnant woman as well as another of 51 years was not spared. Houses of the local participants were attacked and these activists were severely beaten and threatened. All were then forcibly locked up in the local CPM office. One hour later, the police arrived and instead of arresting the attackers, took the 41 MR activists into the custody of the local Thana. At the police station they were interrogated by the D.I.B., while all the actual culprits stood outside the police station. Finally at 4 P.M. the MR activists were informed that they were being released on personal bonds. Only on the insistence of the MR activists, were the police forced to file an FIR against the actual culprits who had attacked them. However no further action has been taken by the police.
The CPM is one of the main organisers of the World Social Forum annual conference which is being held in the third week of January at Mumbai. MR 2004 is also going to hold a parallel in Mumbai to highlight a parallel political strategy to confront imperialist globalisation and war. WSF and MR 2004 are locked in an intense battle of ideas with each other throughout India and also internationally. With the Midnapore incident the battle of ideas has encountered a nasty obstruction which is not unexpected for MR activists. For them the strategy of WSF is only to distract the worldwide anti-globalisation movement into a spineless struggle that will ultimately end in helping the imperialists and multinational companies to control the movement against themselves. The WSF has been receiving funds from imperialist agencies like Ford Foundation, the French and other governments through NGO`s and other channels.
The CPM government in West Bengal is itself welcoming the MNC`s and imperialist finance and promising to provide a conducive labour environment to imperialist capital. Thus, it is not surprising that its followers should brand the anti-imperialist and anti-globalisation activists as robbers and murderers in its attempt to create the said environment for the forces of globalisation. It is though a strange twist to the logic of “reforming” globalisation and collaboration with imperialist capital
MR 2004 Mumbai condemns the CPM`s hooliganism in Midnapore and appeals to the democratic community of the country to take notice of CPM`s undemocratic tactics and force it to abide by the rules in the battle of ideas instead of going in for physical attacks on political opponents.
MR-2004 AGAINST IMPERIALIST GLOBALISATION AND WAR
DATE OF PROGRAMME 17-20TH JANUARY 2004
CONTACT : 1163, 6TH FLOOR, “EKTA”, VANRAI MHADA COLONY
WESTERN EXPRESS HIGHWAY, GOREGAON(EAST)
MUMBAI, INDIA
TELEPHONE: 022-26857083,9892370462
mumbai_resistance@indiatimes.com
www.mumbairesistance.org
