FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION

Prepare for the Coming Revolutionary Storms

People's Voice
Organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Ghadar Party of India

Volume 29 – Issue 21 Contribution – Rs. 5/- November 1-15, 2007

Lesson from the Great October Socialist Revolution:

The Working Class must prepare to become the Ruling Class in

order to ensure peace, prosperity and progress!

N inety years ago, the

workers and peasants of
Russia became the masters
of their country by carrying
out a revolution which became
known throughout the world
as the Great October Socialist
Revolution. This world historic
act heralded sweeping changes
in Russia and the whole world.
The imperialist powers of the
world – US, Britain, France,
Germany, Japan, Russia and
others – were at that time
embroiled in the First World
War for the redivision of
the world. The treacherous leaders
of workers in different imperialist
Ghadari Mela 2007 held in Toronto, Canada
countries justified the imperialist war.
They asked the workers to line up behind
the bourgeoisie of their own
countries, against the workers
of other lands. The working
class and the people of the
imperialist countries and their
colonies were made to pay with
their blood for this war.
With the slogan “bread, land and
peace”, Russia’s workers and
peasants overthrew the Tsar,
the rule of the capitalists and
landowners, and established
their own rule. The Bolshevik
Party led by Lenin gave the call
"war against war". It led the
workers, peasants and soldiers
in converting the imperialist war into
a revolutionary civil war ending with
Continued on page 2

150th Anniversary of the Great Ghadar of 1857 and the Birth

Centenary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh commemorated

O ctober 21, 2007 was a memorable

day in the life of the patriotic
Indian community in Toronto, Canada.
On this day, the Ghadr Heritage
Foundation organised the Ghadari Mela
2007. Over 500 people participated
in a revolutionary socio-political event
dedicated to the 100th birth anniversary
of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the 150th
anniversary of the great Ghadar of
1857.
The hall was beautifully decorated with
the red and gold banners of Ghadr
Heritage Organisation and pictures
of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his
comrades Raj Guru and Sukhdev and
flags of Ghadar Party. Select quotations
of Bhagat Singh on big cloth banners
were also displayed in the hall. A
the situation in Pakistan, showing
who was responsible for the misery of
pictorial exhibit depicting the activities
of Ghadr Heritage was on display
outside the hall.
Patriotic songs and poems paying
tribute to the martyrs of the Ghadar of
1857, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh and
his comrades, were sung by prominent
singers from the community. Children
from the Gurukul Academy acted out
a choreographed drama showing how
Mother India is crying in the hands of
the thieves — the present day rulers.
A play called “Hum Dekhenge” depicted
Continued on page 9
In this Issue
Voice of Party 2-4
 Bomb blasts in Karachi
 4th Convention of Lok Raj Sangathan
Letters to the Editor 6
Voice of Toilers & Tillers 5,7-9
 A.P. Minorities Commission Report
 Killing of youth by Army in Manipur
 Condition of sewage workers
 Firing on dalits and adivasis in UP
 Jaswant Singh Khalra case
 Connaught Place "encounter"
Voice of Party

Lesson from the Great October... must ensure that when the working class
Today, Russia is an imperialist comes to power in India, we remember
Continued from page 1
country, where workers each and every one of the lessons learnt
and peasants are savagely from this study of the successes and
the victorious socialist revolution. The
exploited, and unemployment, subsequent downfall of the Soviet Union.
Russia ruled by workers and peasants
prostitution, drugs and The class struggle must continue, and
withdrew from the imperialist war.
other evils of capitalism are mechanisms put in place to ensure that
flourishing. political power remains in the hands of
Capitalists and imperialists worldwide
workers and peasants.
spewed venom at Russia’s workers
and at the communists who organized
The State took on the responsibility of The degeneration of socialism in the
and guided them in the struggle. They
bringing up children, including providing Soviet Union began in the fifties of
hurled all their forces to try to defeat
them education, as well as care for the the twentieth century, with Nikita
the revolution and overthrow socialism.
aged and the infirm. Free education Khrushchev coming to the head of
The workers and oppressed of the whole
and health care were provided to all. the Bolshevik Party after the death
world applauded the victory of the
All the languages of the peoples were of JV Stalin. Khrushchev refused to
workers and peasants of Russia. They
encouraged to be developed. address a number of problems in the
intensified the struggle against “their
fields of political theory, philosophy and
own bourgeoisie” for the victory of the
The Soviet Union became a beacon political economy, which emerged at
revolution in their own countries, and
of peace, progress, prosperity, and that time. Instead he supervised the
supported this same struggle all over
enlightenment, for people the world transformation of the socialist Soviet
the world.
over. The 1936 Constitution of the Union into a social imperialist country
Soviet Union remains todate the most – a country that was socialist in words,
The workers and peasants rule in Russia
advanced constitution world over in but capitalist and imperialist in deeds.
began to reorient the economy from the
old one geared to fattening the pockets terms of affirming human, democratic
and national rights. I t a t t a c ke d C z e c h o s l o v a k i a a n d
of capitalists and imperialists, to the
Afghanistan, and contended and colluded
new one geared to fulfilling the needs of
The strength and superiority of socialism, with the US for world domination. The
the producers of wealth, the workers
of the rule of workers and peasants, Soviet Union, increasingly, was no
and peasants. The colonies groaning in
was revealed before the people of the longer the source of inspiration it
the prison house called Russia were
whole world during the Second World had once been to the workers and
granted full freedom and a voluntary
War. When Hitler’s hordes invaded oppressed of the world. The economy
union of consenting nations and peoples
the Soviet Union, the people united was reoriented towards militarization
was created, called the Union of Soviet
as one to resist and eventually defeat and achieving global imperialist aims of
Socialist Republics (USSR). All the
this onslaught. Despite suffering the a new emerging bourgeoisie. Within the
constituent nations and peoples of the
greatest human and material losses Soviet Union, Great Russian chauvinism
USSR enjoyed the full right to self-
of the War, the Soviet Union made a was encouraged and national oppression
determination.
decisive contribution to the liberation of various nations and peoples was
of Europe, and the world, from Nazi restored.
Within a relatively short time the Soviet
Union took giant strides in all fields fascism.
All this was carried out in the name of
of social endeavor. The incomparable
The world's first socialist state is no communism and the working class, which
superiority of the socialist system over
more. Sixteen years ago, the open rule was systematically marginalized from
the capitalist system was brought forth
of capital was formally reestablished the political system and process. The
in stark relief before the whole world.
in Russia and other republics of the militarized and crisis-ridden economy
former Soviet Union. The capitalists and could not satisfy the needs of the
Poverty, unemployment, ill health, and
imperialists of the whole world rejoiced populace. At the same time, the new
illiteracy were eradicated in a very
at the downfall of socialism in the Soviet bourgeoisie which had emerged over the
short period of time. The workers
Union. Today, Russia is an imperialist years was impatient to get rid of the
and peasants’ state ensured the
country, where workers and peasants are shell of socialism which was hampering
emancipation of women, by enabling
savagely exploited, and unemployment, its growth. In these conditions, the
them to work and participate as equals
prostitution, drugs and other evils of bourgeoisie rode on the discontent of
with men in political and social life. The
capitalism are flourishing. the working masses to dismantle this
Soviet Union became the first country
shell, and restore capitalism.
in the world that granted women the
right to vote. Maternity leave was We communists have been studying
why and how capitalism returned to the Ever since the victory of the workers
made a right – again for the first time
Soviet Union and other countries. We of Russia 90 years ago, the principal
in the world.

2 November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21

Voice of Party
Condemn the bomb blasts in Karachi!
T he twin bomb blasts in Karachi on
the midnight of October 18-19,
which killed 139 persons and wounded
hundreds of others, represent a
criminal act of terror against the people
of Pakistan.
The bomb blasts were designed to
produce maximum casualties, in the
midst of a crowded procession of tens
of thousands of people accompanying
PPP leader Benazir Bhutto after her
return to Pakistan just a few hours
earlier. They were also designed to
create maximum sensation, since the
whole procession was being filmed
continuously by television channels in
Pakistan and from around the world. This
makes it clear that the intention behind
the blasts was not just to assassinate
Benazir Bhutto, as is being made out.
It was intended to create panic and
consternation among the population as
a whole. It was an attempt to forcefully
change the political scene in Pakistan,
aim of capitalists and imperialists
around the world has been to destroy
socialism and to prevent the triumph
of proletarian revolutions. With the
destruction of socialism in the Soviet
Union and some other countries, world
imperialism regained the initiative.
Revolution went into retreat.
However, the fundamental contradiction
of the epoch remains between capitalism,
the old system, and socialism the new.
The contradictions between capital and
labour, between imperialism and the
peoples, as well as the inter-imperialist
contradictions are all sharpening.
The workers and oppressed peoples
and nations of the world are waging
fierce struggles against globalization,
liberalization and privatization, against
imperialism, fascism and imperialist
war. It is a matter of time before the
tide of revolution changes from ebb into
flow. Communists must prepare the
conditions so that when the tide turns
in favour of revolution, the working class
comes to power.
by diverting attention from the real
troubles facing the people, for which
they are struggling to find a solution,
and focusing public attention instead on
speculation about alleged plots against
various political figures.
The Karachi bomb blasts must not be
viewed in isolation but must be seen
against the background of, first, the
sharply escalating political crisis in
Pakistan, and secondly, the increasing
occurrence of such bomb blasts not
just in Pakistan, but in South Asia
and other regions of the world. Bomb
blasts and other such vile acts of
mass terror are used to disrupt mass
movements, and to disorientate and
render people politically passive. Such
acts invariably strengthen the hands of
those in power, by providing justification
for measures to strengthen “law and
order” that trample on the human
and democratic rights of the people.
The threads that connect those who
In the period since the end of the
Cold War, the question of democratic
renewal has come to the fore in India
as well as in other capitalist countries.
It has become clear that the system of
rule in a majority of countries including
India, the parliamentary system of
representative democracy, keeps the
working class and broad masses of
people out of power. The working class
and people are showing everywhere that
they are not satisfied with a political
system that marginalizes them.
Replacing this representative democracy
by direct democracy, in tune with the
conditions of India is the challenge
facing the workers and peasants of
India. Blocking this transition are the
bourgeoisie and imperialism, as well as
political parties that represent their
interests. Building the alternative,
direct democracy, is the task that
communists and workers and peasants
of India have taken up. This struggle
for democratic renewal, for replacing
representative democracy with direct
democracy, is the form in which the
November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21
carry out such heinous acts lead back
in countless cases to intelligence
agencies, “counter-terror networks”
and other agencies of various states.
The past masters at organising such
“dirty tricks” are the American and
other imperialists, as well as the Indian
and other reactionary ruling classes of
our region. As is well known, the US
imperialists are deeply involved in the
present situation in Pakistan, and are
feverishly intriguing behind the scenes
to ensure that the deepening crisis
there does not affect their interests
in the region.
People's Voice expresses its deepest
condolences to the thousands of people
in Pakistan bereaved on account of the
bomb blasts. The people of Pakistan
need to persist in their struggles for
their rights and heighten their vigilance
against those who have no qualms
about butchering them in pursuit of
their own interests. 
Replacing this representative
democracy by direct
democracy, in tune with the
conditions of India is the
challenge facing the workers
and peasants of India.
contradiction between capitalism and
socialism is being played out at this
time.
As we mark the 90th anniversary of the
Great October Socialist Revolution, the
challenge facing India's working class
and communists is clear. The rule of the
bourgeoisie needs to be replaced by the
rule of workers and peasants. Only then
will India march on the road of peace,
prosperity and progress for her people!
The struggle for democratic renewal
— the struggle of the working class
led by the Communist party to replace
representative democracy with direct
democracy — is opening the way to the
establishment of the rule of workers
and peasants on Indian soil. 
3
Voice of Party

Success to the Fourth All India Convention of Lok Raj Sangathan!

P eople's Voice has received the call

of the Lok Raj Sangathan for its
4 th All India Convention. The theme
of this Convention is “Building the
Future - Organising for People's Power!"
According to the call, the Convention
will discuss crucial concerns that face
the people of India today. It will focus
attention on what needs to be done
today in order to ensure that these
concerns are addressed. It will chart
the course towards achieving its aim,
people’s power.
At this time, the onslaught on
people's basic rights is intensifying
.The resistance of different sections
of the people to these attacks is
growing all across the country. The
UPA government has entered into a
dangerous strategic alliance with the
most virulent imperialist power, the
United States, utterly disregarding the
widespread popular opposition to this
imperialist alliance. Simultaneously, it is
relentlessly pursuing the liberalization
of the economy and opening up every
sector to the biggest Indian and foreign
capitalist predators.
The political system and process which
is dominated by the Congress, BJP
and other bourgeois parties is crisis
ridden and very discredited. . Alongside
the contradiction between the ruling
class and the people, there is intense
contention for the seats of power,
within the ruling class and amongst the
different political parties serving it. Life
experience shows that such parties are
united in defending this system which
ensures that the people have no role in
it except to vote for one or another of
them at every election.
On the economic front, the system
is not providing for even the most
basic wants of the people. Foreign
and Indian monopoly finance capital is
steadily expanding its domination over
the Indian economy, with the single
objective of maximizing profits from
capital investment and speculation.
The slogan of “reform with a human
face”, with which the UPA government
came to power, has become extremely
discredited.
People are seeing clearly that the
entire economy and society is oriented
to serve the interests of the big
monopoly capitalists. Sixty years
of independence and the course of
development pursued has not ensured
prosperity or protection for the vast
majority. People are refusing to accept
these conditions any longer and are
seeking an alternative.
The source of the manifold problems
in Indian society today is the fact that
working people do not have the political
power to shape their own future,
nor the right to take and implement
decisions that affect our lives.
The call of Lok Raj Sangathan for its 4th All
India Convention states that “LRS works
with the firm belief that the only way to
guarantee rights is for the people to
become the decision makers and rulers
of the country. To achieve this we have to
arouse more and more people to agitate
for a new system and struggle against
any violation of rights.” Towards this end,
Lok Raj Sangathan has been working
to build political organs of struggle at
the base, where people live and work,
It is challenging the stranglehold of the
established bourgeois political parties
on the system by increasing the space
for people to participate in politics. It
has boldly participated in the electoral
process, bringing forward candidates
selected by the people and uniting the
people of the constituency around their
concerns.
People's Voice is of the view that the
central issue being addressed by the
work of Lok Raj Sangathan, that of
organizing for people’s power, provides
the cutting edge of the struggle of
all sections of the oppressed people
today. People's Voice congratulates Lok
Raj Sangathan for its initiatives and
wishes it all success in its 4th All India
Convention. 

Lok Raj Sangathan

All India Convention on
Building the Future – Organising for People's Power
Nov 17, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. & Nov 18, 12 noon - 6:30 p.m.
Venue - Rajendra Bhawan, Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg, Near ITO
Contact: 9818575435 email: lokrajsangathan@yahoo.com
http://www.lokrajsangathan.org

4 November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21

Voice of Toilers & Tillers
A.P. State Minorities Commission Report:
Harassment and torture of Muslim community in the name of
‘countering terrorism’
A n interim report of the Andhra Pradesh
State Minorities Commission,
investigating into allegations of police
abuse on minority communities in
that state, reveals how the Muslim
community is being specifically targeted
in the name of ‘countering terrorism’.
The report notes that Muslims are
being picked up without being given any
reason, kept illegally in police detention
for long periods before being produced
before a magistrate, physically and
mentally tortured and insulted on
account of their faith.
Some of the features noted by the
advocate Commissioner and the medical
forensic expert who had gone with him
as part of his investigation team include
observations such as: (excerpts from
the report)
 That most detainees carry some tell-
tale signs of bodily abuse obviously
not self inflicted
 The fact that none were noticed when
they went for judicial remand shows
how they were even unable to make
those injuries recorded when they
were produced before Magistrates
 That there were allegations of
beating on soles of feet by leather
or rubber objects
 That there are noticeable 1 mm to
2 mm scars noted around nipples
indicative of electricity or needle
entry
 That all detainees voice the
perception that they have been
persecuted for the faith the have
and subscribe to, Islam
 That these persons all have the
feeling they are being picked up and
ill-treated just because they belong
to a particular community
As part of the discrimination of the
Muslim community, the Commission
notes that the investigations into
the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid, in
which most of the casualities were
Muslims, was carried out with much
less rigour and seriousness than the
investigations into the twin blasts
at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park. The
fact that following the blast at Mecca
Masjid, the police fired on the angry
people, killing several more, is yet
another instance of the attitude of the
state towards the community.
The report notes the fact that after
any and every incident of a bomb blast,
people of the Muslim community are
specifically targeted by the police.
Simultaneously, public pronouncements
are made by the state agencies and the
media, linking it to names associated
with alleged ‘terrorist Muslim groups’
in India and abroad, even before any
evidence can be accessed. It also notes
the extremely offensive, high-handed
Protest against killing of youth by Army in
Manipur
R esidents of Irong Chesaba in Imphal
West district, Manipur came out in
large numbers protesting against the
killing of a local youth by the Assam Rifles
on October 15.
According to the residents, the youth,
a Class XI student of a local high school,
had gone for a walk with his aunt in the
evening, when they were intercepted
by the Assam Rifles personnel. The boy
was picked up by the army, beaten and
then shot dead.
This is yet another of the countless
incidents that occur almost every day
in Manipur, where the armed forces
regularly pick up, torture and kill
innocent youth and people, branding
November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21
and communally biased manner in
which the police personnel have been
dealing with persons of the Muslim
community, accusing them of being
‘jehadis’, questioning their patriotic
credentials, etc., all of which has led
to a great sense of insecurity and
outrage within the community. People
of other communities too have severely
condemned these atrocities against
the Muslim community.
Organising terrorist activities, in which
ordinary people are killed and wounded
is the preferred weapon used by the
reactionary ruling circles in India and
the world over, to divide the unity of the
people and divert their struggles. The
state must be roundly condemned for
these terrorist attacks and its inability
to protect the lives of people. The efforts
of the state and its agencies to target
one specific community and thus break
the unity of the people and hide the real
hand behind these dastardly activities
must also be roundly condemned. 
them as ‘suspected terrorists’. The
draconian Armed Forces Special Powers
Act, which allows the army a free hand
to commit such atrocities and get away
scot-free, continues to remain in force
in Manipur despite repeated protests
voicing the popular demand that this
Act should be revoked and the army
removed from all civilian areas of the
state.
People's Voice condemns the atrocities
on people by the armed forces in
Manipur and calls on people all over the
country to join in demanding that the
AFSPA should immediately be revoked
and the killing of innocent people in
the name of ‘curbing terrorism’ be
stopped. 
5
Letters to Editor

The Home Loan Crisis

Dear Editor,
I thank you for the insightful article
in the September 16-30, 2007 issue
of PV on the Home Loan Crisis in
the United States. Articles of this
kind serve to illustrate some of the
important features of the present era.
It illustrates that there is simply no
escape from the iron laws of capitalism.
Furthermore, I congratulate you on
the simplicity of the presentation and
simultaneously retaining the depth of
content of the article. I look forward
to reading more such articles.
Also of related interest is the issue
of housing in our country, which is an
arena of intense speculation. It also
ties into many of the features of the
macroeconomy and the orientation of
the economy itself. It is well known
that in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi,
Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad
that housing is increasingly becoming
unaffordable for ever increasing
s e c t i o n s o f t h e e c o n o m y. T h e
availability of credit is generally at
the high end, the takes of which are
in lucrative sectors of the economy
such as IT, Marketing, Sales and that
of the Corporate world. One hears
figures in Bangalore of private housing
going for Rs. 4,000/- per square
foot in apartment complexes, which
is beyond the reach of any salaried
employee. By signing into housing
loans which demand massive monthly
payments, sections of even those
working in the lucrative sectors are
signing themselves into bondage and
insecurity. It is a matter of great
uncertainty as to how long this can be
sustained. The recent `strengthening’
of the rupee against the dollar is
already exerting tremendous forces
on the traditional lucrative sectors
and no one knows how much further
the dollar will slip. By allowing all kinds
of financial institutions to speculate
in the Indian market, the Government
has let loose several genies out of
the bottle.
I look forward to an elaboration of
questions relating to such and related
issues in the columns of People's
Voice and on how the working class is
to orient its work in this uncertain
economic climate.
Sincerely,
G. Rajan, Chennai

Punish the Guilty

Sir,
I join you in your sorrow and sympathies
for those killed in the atrocity that took
place at Ajmer Sharif, and in your anger
against the perpetrators. There is no
point in calling for the arrest of the latter,
as they are undoubtedly agents of the
ruling circles who wish to cause great
divisions in the Indian people. Rather than
punishing the guilty, the Government has
sought refuge in immediately assigning
blame to various groups with no evidence.
They are continuing to create and foster
an atmosphere of insecurity and terror,
which is in service of none but the
parasitic classes.
This atrocity was closely followed by one
at Ludhiana where labourers from Bihar
were killed while watching a film. It is
worth taking note of the statement of
the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) on the
Ludhiana blast. In addition to conveying
sympathies, the PB observes in its
statement posted on their web-site,
as under:
“This terrorist attack coming within a
few days of the blast in the Ajmer Sharif
Dargah shows that there is a concerted
bid by the terrorist network to wreak confusion amongst the masses and to
violence and havoc around the country. terrorize them and disempower them
It is not sufficient to try and track totally.
down the culprits after such attacks
are mounted. It is more important In my opinion, all the observations that
to identify and uncover the terrorist the CC of the CGPI has made about the
groups and networks operating within Ajmer blast hold good for the Ludhiana
the country and their links abroad. The blast as well. I would also like to express
intelligence and security agencies will my great anger and sorrow at this
have to be geared up for this task.’’ event. It is very important that the
revolutionary masses be ever watchful
In other words, the CPI(M) calls for of all these diversionary tactics at the
further strengthening of the state hands of the ruling circles, and even
and toes the line of blaming outsiders more of the propaganda of the type put
and mischief-makers. It is well-known out by the PB of the CPI(M).
that terror has been used ever since
the deepening of the crisis of the ruling Sincerely,
circles in India, and especially in Punjab A. Narayan, Bangalore
by the ruling circles to spread deep
Request to Readers
We request our readers to send in reports/articles on the
life and struggles of workers, peasants, women, youth and
every section of the working people. This will contribute to
strengthening the political unity and struggles of workers and
peasants for the renewal of Indian society.
send your mail to mail@cgpi.org

6 November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21

Voice of Toilers & Tillers

Deplorable condition of Pune sewage workers

A recent exposure in a leading daily

has highlighted the deplorable
condition of sewage workers of the Pune
forced to breathe all the time. Further,
chemical and biological agents present
in the sewage can cause serious
exhausting the air and causing release
of toxic gases.

Municipal Corporation, also known as
‘conservation staff’. The photograph in
the newspaper shows a worker having
to wade through nearly neck-deep
sewage in order to unclog a drain.
According to the data reported, in two
and a half years, 227 sewage workers
in Pune have died out of a total of 6826,
i.e. an average mortality rate of 1.3%,
which is very high for any occupation.
These deaths have been reported among
all ages of workers, indicating that it
is not age but the working conditions
that may be responsible for the deaths.
While deaths have been reported due to
jaundice, TB, cancer and heart ailments,
a whopping 70 out of 107 deaths in the
year 2006-2007 are reported to have
occurred due to ‘sickness’.
Stagnant sewage in over-filled sewers,
with little or no air, causes release of
toxic gases which these workers are
infections, leading to death over a
period of time. Given the design of the
sewers, the whole body of the workers
is exposed to the sewage and therefore
prone to get infected.
In this situation, the belated promise of
the Municipal Commissioner to provide
gumboots and gloves to the sewage
workers (which means that till now
they had been working without even
proper boots and gloves!) is unlikely
to mitigate the fatal hazards these
workers face. In fact it is shocking that
in this day and age, when our rulers
boast of providing access to advanced
technology, that a human being should
have to enter the sewer lines to clear
them. Sewer lines and manholes need
to be designed to allow cleaning from
outside with appropriate equipment,
as well as sewers which can handle
the amount of sewage disposed into
them and maintain the flow without
Although this is technically feasible,
it is currently not done because the
government and municipal authorities
are not interested in investing on
infrastructure. Most of the sewer
lines are several decades old and with
growing population concentrations
in urban centres, they are unable to
handle the amount of sewage disposed
into them, leading to sewer lines
frequently getting clogged. This is a
growing problem in almost all major
cities. But instead of tackling this
problem, human beings are being sent
down to their death in the sewers,
revealing the utter callousness and
cruelty of the system we have today.
It is essential that this system be put an
end to, so that more and more workers
are not condemned to sickness and
death; instead, the safety and well-being
of the working people becomes the prime
concern of every government. 

Firing on dalits and adivasis in Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh

D alits and adivasis all over the

country have been among the
frequent targets of state violence and
before the firing, a court order was
issued allowing J.P.Cements to operate
in the forest area.
machinery is being used once again to
terrorise the people and rob them of
their traditional homes and means of
repression. livelihood, in the interests of the profits
As elsewhere in the country, the state of the big monopoly capitalists. 
On October 10, it was reported that

Ghadar
CRPF personnel opened fire on the
dalit and adivasi residents in Pathghadi,
Roberstgunj, in Sonebharda district
of U.P. At least one dalit woman was

Jari Hai
killed and several others injured in the
firing. The CRPF firing was reportedly
ordered by the forest officials, in order
to intimidate the dalits and adivasis
who have been protesting against the A magazine dedicated to the call of the times
atrocities being committed on them by
the forest officials and the land mafia
- the Navnirman or Renewal of India
closely linked to the officials.
Available in English & Hindi
The atrocities on the adivasis and
Suggested contributions Rs. 25/-
dalits in Sonebhadra have aggravated For Copies please write to:
in recent times, as various Indian and Lok Awaz Publishers & Distributors, E-392, Sanjay Colony, Okhla, Phase-II,
foreign monopoly capitalists are trying New Delhi - 110 020
to gain control over the forest land, for
or call : 09868721375 or 09818575435
setting up their plants. Just 4 days

November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21 7

Voice of Toilers & Tillers
Jaswant Singh Khalra case:
Life term awarded to four police officers
The Indian state has used state terrorism as its preferred weapon to
crush the resistance struggles of the people. Since the eighties, it has
practiced the art of wiping out human rights activists, who investigated
and brought to light the crimes of the state.
O n October 16, 2007, the Punjab
and Haryana High Court awarded
life sentence to four police officers who
were involved in the murder of human
rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Pronouncing the order, a Division Bench
headed by Justice Mehtab Singh Gill
said “The intention of the accused
was clear. The deceased was abducted
so his life could be extinguished. The
deceased being a human rights activist
was active in bringing to light extra-
judicial killings done in the districts of
Taran Taran and Amritsar.”
However, the man directly responsible
for the murder of Khalra, is very
much free. A writ petition is pending
before the high court demanding the
prosecution of Shri KPS Gill, then
high profile police chief of Punjab, for
ordering the murder.
While investigating the disappearance
of a personal friend in 1994, Jaswant
Singh Khalra had found that his body had
been secretly cremated by the police in
a cremation ground in Amritsar District.
He launched a wider investigation into
secret cremations.
In January 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra
and his colleague Jaspal Singh Dhillon
released a report on mass illegal
cremations using cremation ground
records. KPS Gill, then Director General
of Police in Punjab and hero of the
Indian state’s “war against terrorism”,
responded to their evidence in a
press conference in Amritsar, saying
“these Human Rights Wing folks ---
are ISI agents and they are hatching
a conspiracy to discourage the police
machinery and re-incite militancy.”
Further on, Gill declared “I will tell you
where those kids are.” “These kids are
in Europe, in Canada and in America, ….
8 November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21
And these human rights organizations
are telling us that thousands of kids
have disappeared.”
Khalra challenged Gill to an open debate
on the evidence. He also disclosed
to the media and various prominent
individuals, the death threats made
to him by various police officials for
his human rights investigations. On
September 6, 1995, Khalra was
abducted from his residence by police
officers in uniform as well as civil
dress. A reporter present in the home
observed this abduction. Khalra’s wife
immediately sent telegrams to the
top officials of the state — the Chief
Minister, Chief Justice and Police Chief
amongst others. A habeas corpus
petition was filed in the Supreme Court
a few days later.
Khalra was detained and tortured for
nearly two months by the Punjab police.
According to a key witness, a Special
Police Officer, during this period, KPS
Gill himself interrogated Khalra. In late
October 1995, Khalra was killed and his
body was discarded in the Harike Canal
in Amritsar, Punjab.
The Indian state has used state
terrorism as its preferred weapon
to crush the resistance struggles of
the people. Since the eighties, it has
practiced the art of wiping out human
Internet Edition of
Mazdoor Ekta Lehar (Hindi)
& People's Voice at
www.cgpi.org,
e-mail:mail@cgpi.org
rights activists, who investigated
and brought to light the crimes of
the state. This has been the case in
Kashmir, in Punjab, in Andhra Pradesh,
in Manipur and Assam.
Jaswant Singh Khalra paid with his life,
for daring to expose the crimes of the
state.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was murdered
by the Indian state because the top
leadership of the state was afraid of
exposure of the heinous massacre of
tens of thousands of youth in Punjab.
As a result of the murder of Khalra,
the case of thousands of youth being
killed in custody and secretly cremated
by the Punjab Police came to light.
Finally, even the Supreme Court of
India had to admit, though belatedly,
that over two thousand youth were
killed and secretly cremated by the
Punjab Police in three crematoriums of
Amritsar District, in a ten year period.
However, despite the efforts of rights
activists, the cases of thousands of
others who were cremated secretly
after being murdered by the police in
other districts, or those whose bodies
were thrown into canals like Khalra’s,
have not been taken up.
Of the nine police officers who were
chargesheeted in October 1996, two
died during the course of the CBI trial.
In 2005, the CBI Court awarded seven
year terms to four police officers and
life terms to two. Following an appeal,
the terms of the four have now been
increased to life. 
Voice of Toilers & Tillers
Conviction of policemen involved in Connaught Place "encounter"
Further exposure of State Terror
T he conviction of Delhi Police encounter
specialist ACP S.S. Rathi and nine
members of his team has brought back
to public glare the cold blooded murder
of two innocent individuals. Rathi and
two constables pumped 34 bullets into
two businessmen in their car in broad
day light at a traffic intersection near
Statesman building in Connaught Place,
in the very heart of New Delhi, on March
31, 1997.
The policemen claimed that one of the
car’s occupants resembled the alleged
Uttar Pradesh gangster Mohammed
Yaseen and that when they tried to
flag the car down, they were fired
at. The police team planted a pistol
Ghadari Mela 2007 ...
Continued from page 1
the people and how the people should
organize revolution to change that
situation. Another play depicted the
struggle Shaheed Mewa Singh and earlier
generations of Indians had to wage in
North America. The performances were
well received by the audience.
Comrade Gurdev spoke about the
significance of the Ghadar of 1857
and the struggles of the Indian people
for their liberation. He pointed out
that the situation in India cannot be
changed without the forcible overthrow
of the existing conditions. The present
Indian state must be replaced with a
new state of workers and peasants
under the leadership of the working
class. He pointed out that India is ripe
for revolution and that we must come
forward to play our role to bring this
about.
Comrade Gurdev pointed out that this
month, patriotic and revolutionary
communists in Canada and India are
marking another historic milestone.
This is the thirtieth anniversary of the
decision of the Hindustani Ghadar Party
(Organisation of Indian Marxist-Leninists
and cartridges in the car after the
shooting and claimed the occupants
were gangsters and had fired first.
It may be recalled that Mohammed
Yaseen himself was later killed off in an
“encounter”.
“Encounter killings”, where the police or
armed forces or special security forces
kill in cold blood with impunity, are not
an uncommon phenomenon. Just some
months ago, a case of fake encounter
involving the DIG police of Gujarat
and two other IPS police officers was
exposed; at the same time, it came
to light that the same DIG police had
been involved in 9 other “encounters”
in which 15 people had been killed. Prior
Abroad), taken at its First Congress
held in this very city of Toronto, to re-
establish a genuine communist Party
on Indian soil. He emphasized that
revolution cannot succeed unless it is
led by a revolutionary party based on
Marxism-Leninism. Such a party, the
Communist Ghadar Party of India, is
now militating in India, and is providing
leadership to the struggles of the
working class and people. It is working
resolutely to restore the unity of
Indian communists in one single party.
He called on all revolutionary patriotic
elements in Canada and India to join in
and support this great and difficult work
taken up by the Communist Ghadar
Party of India.
C o m r a d e I q b a l s p o ke a b o u t t h e
significance of the martyrdom of
Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Prof. Wariam
Sandhu paid his tribute to Shaheed
Bhagat Singh and eloquently brought
forth the point that the ideal for which
the martyrs gave their lives remain
unfulfilled. He denounced the present
system for the problems people face
today. Prof.Sandhu concluded his
speech by saying a couplet,”Don’t pay
homage as what is there in paying
homage, Carry on the struggle for what
they stood for, realize their dreams and
November 1-15, 2007 – Volume 29 – Issue 21
to this, another "exposure" revealed
that armed forces personnel had been
regularly picking up and killing ordinary
residents by the score in Ganderbal,
Kashmir, and then passing these people
off as “terrorists”, in order to gain
awards and promotions. Again, in the
shooting of another innocent at the
Ansal Plaza about five years ago, the
"encounter specialists" claimed that the
victim had fired at them.
All this goes to show that the most
blatant acts of murder of innocent
people by the state — the police,
the army and Special Forces — are a
Continued on page 10
the martyr will come to life.”
The representative from the Desh
Bhagat Yadgar Committee, Jalandhar,
Comrade Amolak Singh, brought the
greetings from this Committee and
expressed his happiness at being
part of the celebration. To vigorous
applause, he announced that 70,000
revolutionary youth of Punjab had
gathered in the centenary celebrations
organised in Barnala on September 28,
2007. On the other hand, the official
function organised at Amritsar in
which lakhs of rupees was spent, and
the Akalis, Congress, as well as BJP
participated, could not attract more
than a few thousand people. He said
that those who first hanged Bhagat
Singh and then hanged his thinking, are
now ruling India. People cannot expect
such rulers to create the kind of society
Bhagat Singh stood for. Comrade
Amolak Singh concluded his speech by
inviting everyone to the Ghadari mela to
be held at Jalandhar from October 28
– November 1, 2007.
The programme concluded in a very
enthusiastic atmosphere, reflecting the
deep desire of the patriotic Indians in
Canada for an India without exploitation
of persons by persons. 
9
 Lok Awaz Publishers & Distributors,
Voice of Party E–392, Sanjay Colony, Okhla Phase-II, New Delhi - 110020

Massive protests in Maharashtra against big corporates

in retail sector

M aharashtra witnessed one of the

largest mass actions of traders
on October 10, as retail traders,
wholesalers and hawkers across the
state protested against the entry of
foreign and Indian multinationals into
the retail sector.
In Mumbai more than 20,000 traders,
shopkeepers and farmers gathered at
the historic Azad Maidan on October
10, demanding that Indian and foreign
multinational companies quit the retail
sector. The protests were organised
under the banner of the Vyapaar
Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti, a joint
action committee representing over
750 trade associations in the state.
The October 10 protest action in
Mumbai was the largest such action
organized so far, against the drive
of Indian and foreign monopolies to
enter the nearly 350 million dollar
Indian retail market, expected to
double in size by 2015. It reflected
the strong opposition of small traders
and shopkeepers to their prospective
loss of livelihood and the opposition of
farmers to the take-over of their lands
by the big monopolies.
According to India FDI Watch, more
than 40 million jobs would be lost, as
against the 2 million that the retail
monopolies promise to create. Small
traders and shopkeepers would be
squeezed out and farmers would be
ruined, while people would be victims
of the qualities and prices dictated by
a handful of monopoly traders.
The Mumbai protests were targeted
mainly against Reliance Retail and Wal-
Mart, perceived as two of the biggest
monopolies poised to enter the retail
sector. Reliance Retail, a subsidiary
of India’s biggest listed company
Reliance Industries, plans to invest
more than $5.5 billion in its venture. It
may be recalled that recently, popular
protests have forced the closure of
several Reliance Retail outlets in north
and East India. US multinational giant
Wal-Mart Stores is trying to enter the
Indian retail market by the back door
after it signed a wholesale venture with
India 's Bharti Enterprises.
Fa r m e r s j o i n e d t h o u s a n d s o f
shopkeepers and workers in the protest
march, raising slogans like "It's now
or never. Wal-Mart quit India!" The
protestors also raised slogans against
the government for providing support
and protection to and facilitating the
entry of Indian and foreign monopolies
into the retail sector, thereby stabbing
the Indian people in the back. 

Conviction of policemen involved in Connaught Place "encounter" ...

Continued from page 9

regular practice in the world's "largest basis for decades on end. These People must unite and strongly protest
democracy”. In fact, these “encounter methods continue to be used all over against these murders committed by
specialists” are rewarded with prize India, both in the countryside as well the state. 
money and medals for their "bravery". as in the country’s capital itself.

For every one case which comes to

People’s Voice
light and results in arrest of the
perpetrators, it must be remembered
that there are thousands more which
do not. State terrorism is used very

(Fortnightly)
systematically to create terror among
the public as well as to eliminate people
who oppose those in power or protest
against injustices committed by the
state. It is used to divert people from Annual Contribution: Rs. 200 (within India), US $ 25
other critical concerns. It is invariably
accompanied by a barrage of propaganda
(abroad) Send Cheque/Demand Draft in the name of:
about how the state is under threat
from “terrorists” and “extremists” and
that strong-arm methods are therefore
justified. Lok Awaz Publishers and Distributors
State terrorism is not confined to
E-392, Sanjay Colony, Okhla Phase - II, New Delhi - 110 020
Kashmir and the North East, where
people have been facing it on a daily