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Guerrilla warfare: A method March 6, 2010

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For Che, the people are to the guerrilla fighters what water is to a fish, that is, their means of existence. On the tactical level, the “seven golden rules” remain valid, in so far as if creatively applied they would guarantee victory:

● Do not engage in a fight that cannot be won.
● Move continuously, hit and run.
● Use the enemy as the main supplier of weapons.
● Hide your movements.
● Make use of the element of surprise in military actions.
● Form new columns once some power has been won.
● In general, proceed through three phases: strategic defense,
balance between the possibilities of enemy action and guerrilla action, and finally the total annihilation of the adversary.

In short, all this is conducted using the tactics of the guerrilla: mobility, nocturnal movement, flexibility, ability to surprise, rapidity of attack, the care and rationing of supplies, and rapid alternation between concentrating efforts and decentralizing.

In the case of progressive governments that have gained office through the electoral road, taking advantage of the so called democratic opening, they have projected social programs with the aim of improving their peoples’ situation. The immediate reaction of the imperialists has been to accuse them of being terrorists, of forming part of the “axis of evil,” and so on.

This has been accompanied by different types and methods of aggression employed with the intention of blocking plans that would benefit the popular sectors. Logically, this leads to confrontation, and does not exclude the possibility that under specific conditions, after exhausting the democratic road, it will be necessary to resort to violence and return to the fundamental principles of guerrilla warfare as the only alternative to build a better world.

With the reading or rereading of Guerrilla Warfare you can reach your own conclusions, returning to José Martí’s principle of struggling to achieve as much social justice as possible, a principle for which Che fought throughout his revolutionary career.

The positive feature of guerrilla warfare is that each guerrilla fighter is ready to die not just to defend an idea but to make that idea a reality. This is the essence of the guerrilla struggle. The miracle is that a small nucleus, the armed vanguard of a great popular movement that supports them, can proceed to realize that idea, to establish a new society, to break the old patterns of the past, to achieve, ultimately, the social justice for which they fight.

—Che Guevara

Intellectuals and civil society up in arms over Green Hunt March 12, 2010

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People’s Committee against Operation Green Hunt a newly formed group comprising intelligentsia and members of the Jharkhand civil society is up in arms over the anti-Maoist offensive that has been launched in the state.

In fact, the committee members have questioned why the operation has targeted those districts that boast of huge mineral reserves. “We have been repeatedly saying that the offensive against the Maoists, no matter by what name it is referred to, aims at suppressing people’s movement in mineral-rich districts and curb voices that are being raised against displacement,” said Tridib Ghosh, convener of the committee.

Accusing the government of being a puppet in the hands of multi-national companies, Ghosh said by terrorizing innocent villagers, a free passage is being provided to the MNCs so that they can carry out their mining projects with ease.

The police operation against the Maoists began in Latehar, which is known for its bauxite reserves. On top of that, a Hindalco project is pending there. The operations began next in Giridih and Bokaro, where there are rich reserves of coal.

A joint police operation against the Maoists was launched for the first time in this part of the country in East and West Singhbhum districts bordering West Bengal. These two are known for the best quality iron ore reserves. In fact, Chiriya, Gua, Meghatuburu, Kiriburu and Ghatkuri are some of the best known iron ore mines in Asia.

Highlighting these facts, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) state general secretary Shashi Bhushan Pathak said the Maoist problem is not specific to these districts, where the operation is being carried out. “Maoism in Jharkhand has roots in the Palamu division of erstwhile Bihar, which includes Medninagar and Garhwa districts where no offensive has been launched yet,” he said.

Pathak stressed that these districts as well as the adjoining ones of neighbouring Bihar have no mineral reserves which makes them unattractive for the Centre to push in forces and crush mass movements. Joining the movement against Operation Green Hunt, other activists have started raising their voice to limit the use of firearms and initiate dialogue.

Ghosh said efforts were on broaden the base of protest so that the war against one’s own people is restrained and no harm is caused to the innocent villagers in course of the operation.

“Prevention of Terrorism Act or POTA was one such operation of the Jharkhand government which, though aimed at curbing Maoists, was actually used against people, who refused forceful evacuation from their landed property or somehow irked the police,” Ghosh said recalling that several hundred cases were later recalled because of this shortcoming.

Source: http://www.icawpi.org/en/india-news/358-intellectuals-and-civil-society-up-in-amrs-over-green-hunt

Govt quietly inks Rs 3,726cr deal for 12 VVIP helicopters March 12, 2010

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NEW DELHI 12 Mar: (Courtesy: TOI)

VVIPs sure like to travel in plush and secure comfort. After getting three desi versions of US President’s ‘Air Force One’, the Indian President and PM will now also get 12 swanky helicopters for VVIP travel on the lines of ‘Marine One’.

The defence ministry has quietly inked a Rs 3,726-crore deal to acquire 12 three-engined AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWestland, a unit of Italian major Finmeccanica, for IAF’s elite Communication Squadron, which ferries around the President, PM and other VVIPs. “All the 12 helicopters will be delivered in three years or so,” said a source.

The ministry as usual remained silent about the deal, leave alone the exact contours of it, despite repeated claims made by defence minister A K Antony of ‘total transparency’.

The Cabinet Committee on Security apparently gave the nod for the exorbitant helicopter deal, despite objections from the finance ministry, due to ’security concerns’ raised by the Special Protection Group as well as IAF.

The government’s VVIP helicopter contract comes after the Rs 727-crore deal for five mid-size Embraer 135BJ Legacy jets in September 2003 and the Rs 937-crore contract for three Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) in October 2005, with advanced self-protection suites to guard against missiles and other threats.

The new helicopters will replace ageing Russian-origin Mi-8s and Mi-17s in the Communication Squadron, just like the Legacy jets have replaced the old HS-748 Avros and the BBJs the two 737-200 aircraft bought in 1983.

While not as hi-tech as Barack Obama’s “Marine One”, the call sign of the US Marine Corps helicopter which ferries the US President, the Indian AW-101 helicopters will have self-defence systems like missile-approach warners, chaff and flare dispensers and directed infra-red electronic counter-measures to protect the VVIPs on board.

The AW-101 helicopters were pitted against the American Sikorsky’s S-92 Superhawks during extensive field trials held in 2008, which the US firm later claimed were unfairly biased against it.

Power cuts threaten port, plants in Orissa March 10, 2010

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BHUBANESWAR 10 Mar: (Courtesy: Reuters India)

A severe power shortage has forced India’s largest iron-ore producing region to cut supply to industries once a week, which will cut output and affect cargo loading at Paradip, a key port for oil imports.

Officials said they feared the power cuts could last through June in Orissa, which is home to India’s largest iron ore reserves, as well as major steelworks and the Paradip port.

The water levels in Orissa’s reservoirs have fallen sharply as last year’s monsoon rains were the worst since 1972, cutting hydropower generation to 300-400 megawatts from 2,085 megawatts, a government official said.

“If they cut power supply for a full day (once in a week) certainly it will affect port operation” Paradip Port’s deputy Chairman Biplav Kumar told Reuters.

Economists say old infrastructure and chronic power shortages are one of the biggest hindrances to economic growth.

The Paradip port, a major hub, exported 14 million tonnes of iron ore in 2008/09. The port also handles crude oil and refined petroleum products, as well as coal imports.

Orissa’s aluminium sector is unlikely to be affected as most facilities have their own power generation capacity.

The Central Electricity Supply Utility of Orissa (CESU), a leading power distribution utility, published a schedule for power cuts for various districts in local newspapers.

Officials said power cuts, which began on Tuesday, may continue until June.

“It is a temporary phenomenon. We hope the situation will improve soon. But if the crisis continues, the cuts may go on till May-June,” Orissa’s Energy Secretary P.K. Jena told Reuters.

The decision to start power cuts on Tuesday prompted widespread concern among regional firms.

“Power is a basic input for every industry. It is going to adversely affect companies,” S.S. Nandurdikar, managing director of Paradeep Phosphate Limited told Reuters

The state has over a quarter of India’s iron ore reserves and half of the country’s bauxite reserves, and is home to several steel and mineral based process industries.

“It will have very severe implications” R.K Jena, Vice-Chairman of Confederation of Indian industries (CII) Orissa state council told Reuters.

“Small and medium process industries including steel, ferroalloys and (secondary) aluminium etc would be affected. There could be a monthly production loss of 15 to 20 per cent,” he said.

Naveen seeks 10 coal blocks for Orissa March 10, 2010

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Pappu, always wants MORE!

Bhubaneswar 10 Mar: (Courtesy: The Financial Express)

The Orissa government has asked the prime minister and also the Union coal ministry to allot 10 coal blocks in favour of its mining concern Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC).

The chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, has written letters to this effect to the Prime Minister and Union coal minister, sources in the government told FE.

Orissa, which has signed as many as 79 MoUs in steel, aluminium, power and cement will require about 140 million tonnes of coal per annum by 2015. Even if the Mahanadi Coalfield (MCL) meets about 40 million tonnes per annum and captive coal mining operators chip in with another 50 million tonnes, there will be a gap of another 50 million tonnes per annum. To meet the gap, the state government is proposing that OMC should enter into the coal business in a big way. OMC has already been allotted the Utkal-D coal block independently and two coal blocks namely Nuagoan-Telisahi and Mandakini-B jointly with other state corporations. Utkal-D in Angul district has a reserve of 145.648 million tonnes, while the Nuagoan-Telisahi mines in Angul district, allotted jointly to OMC and Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation, promises a reserve of 733 million tonnes. The Mandakini-B coal block which promises a reserve of 1200 million tonnes has been allotted jointly to OMC, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board(TNEB), Assam Mineral Development Corporation (AMDC) and Meghalaya Mineral Development Corproation(MMDC).

Meanwhile, the OMC has decided to float a coal subsidiary, OMC Coal Company, to handle the coal business of the corporation. The OMC Coal Company will also apply for allotment of more number of coal blocks for business purposes, government sources said.

Power crisis: State seeks Central help March 10, 2010

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BHUBANESWAR 10 Mar: (Courtesy: Express News Service)

Facing acute shortage of power, the State Government has requested the Union Ministry of Power to bail out the State by providing 500 MW of power from the unallocated share of the central generating stations.

In a letter to Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Minister of State for Energy Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said that the power requirement of the State has gone up substantially due to rapid industrialisation and massive rural electrification.

The State is experiencing shortage of power due to low generation from the hydro power stations. Water level in all the reservoirs of the State has gone down due to scanty rainfall.

There is a power deficit of about 400 MW during off-peak and 600 MW in peak hours. The situation is getting worse when any of the units of the Ib Thermal or NTPC goes out of grid, he said. In view of the power crisis, the State is experiencing load restriction as per the direction of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC).

It is pertinent to mention that the State deserves an allocation of 500 MW from NTPC’s Kaniha stage-II power plant as its entitlement, Nayak said. After repeated requests, the Centre had allocated 50 MW from its unallocated share for about two weeks last year.

Church joins villagers in opposing Rs 50,000 crore steel plant March 10, 2010

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BHUBANESWAR 10 Mar: (Courtesy: The Economic Times)

After Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Resources, now it is Korea’s Posco that is facing the heat from the Catholic Church, which has
declared to stand by the villagers opposed to the setting up of the Rs 50,000 crore mega steel venture near Paradip in Orissa.

“We oppose anything that threatens to displace thousands, destroy forests, pollute environment and deprive people of their traditional livelihood. The Church cannot accept projects that would make people refugees in their own land,” All India Christian Council secretary general, John Dayal on Tuesday told ET.

Villagers are opposing government plans to lease 4,000 acres fertile land to Posco for its three iron mining projects in Kandhahar, Kujanga and Paradip.

Mr Dayal made it clear that the Church of England is against multi-national companies displacing thousands for mega industrial projects. “The Church of England withdrew all its investments from Vedanta Resources for violating human rights and causing environmental damage near its plant site at Lanjigarh. The Church must support the movement against large projects which are denuding forests, marginalizing tribal people and trivialising human dignity,” he said.

The Korean company’s Indian subsidiary, Posco India , has been facing stiff resistance from locals for the last five years and the promised land still eludes it. With protests growing loud and clear, the biggest FDI proposal may not see the light of the day. Besides, the opposition has now spread to affected villages in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts. In these villages, locals are guarding their farmlands against the entry of government and Posco officials.

Father Nicholas Barla, a tribal leader who has lent his support to Khandadahr Bachao Andolan (Save Khandadhar agitation), said over telephone that the proposed mines would displace 42,493 people in Sundargarh district alone. Of these 32,044 are tribal, dalit and poor Christians. “We have seen displacement at Rourkela, Hirakud and other places due to mega projects. People have become refugees in their own land and many still have not got compensation . We will not allow Posco to set its foot in Khandadhar,” Barla reiterated .

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5665978.cms?prtpage=1

The Keiser Report – Episode 22 March 9, 2010

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Broadcast date: 04 March, 2010 on RTTV

This week Max Keiser and co-host Stacy Herbert look at the scandals behind: “the owner of Great Britain” bouncing a $54 million check for a pile of dirt in the Persian Gulf; a currency speculator in Monaco moving currency markets with an “accidental Jim Rogers press release” while Colonel Gaddafi calls for jihad against Switzerland and receives zero market impact; and Alan Greenspan wins major award for causing global financial markets to explode. Keiser also talks to David DeGraw about his new book, “The Economic Elite versus the People of the United States of America.”

Max Keiser’s homepage: http://maxkeiser.com/

Congress demands CM’s resignation March 9, 2010

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BHUBANESWAR 9 Mar: (Courtesy: Express News Service)

Reiterating its demand for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the multi-crore mining scam, the Congress today sought the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as involvement of persons in high places in the Government has now become evident.

Alleging that the State Government has been trying to suppress and withhold facts on the mining scam from the beginning, senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra said that this proves that senior persons in the Government are guilty. Even though several questions on the scam were raised in the Assembly, the Government has not answered a single one taking the plea of collecting information, he said.

Mishra released a book, ‘Satabdira Mahadurniti-Orissa ra khani loot’ written by Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) general secretary Naba Kishore Das on the occasion. Mishra said that today’s book throws light on the loot of mineral resources going on in the State for the last several years with the connivance of the powers-that be.

It is only a beginning, he said, adding more information will be provided in books to be published in phases.

The former minister said that the Government had deliberately flouted laws to allow loot of the mineral resources of the State. But when the Supreme Court served notice on it to reply to the state of things, the State Government maintained it was not aware of the law, he said, adding that the Chief Minister has no right to continue if the Steel and Mines Department is ignorant of mining laws.

Referring to the case of Ram Bahadur Thakur Limited where the State Government allowed the company to use firearms, Mishra said that till now no case has been registered in this regard. The Congress leader said that even though the Vigilance was delegated power to register cases under Section 379 of the IPC, no case has so far been filed.

Besides, if the Chief Minister and ministers are involved, how can the Vigilance investigate? he asked.

The latest case is theft of mineral from the Banspani railway siding.

Though the Steel and Mines Department had reported to the Railway police, it did not file any FIR for one month giving time to the culprits to clear things up. This was done under the direction of the Chief Minister, he said.

Das said that he accompanied by Sanjay Bhoi and Duryodhan Gordia met party president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi recently to apprise her of the matter. Sonia said that she would look into the matter.

Several other Congress leaders, Santosh Singh Saluja, Subal Sahu, Nalini Kanta Mohanty, Ganeswar Behera, Matlub Ali, Surendra Singh Bhoi, Chiranjeev Biswal, Arjya Gyanendra and Ashima Mahananda were present.

Power regulation begins March 9, 2010

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BHUBANESWAR 9 Mar: (Courtesy: Express News Service)

Power regulation was enforced in the capital city from today with one hour power cut staggered from 7 am to 10 am.

While the entire State is under power regulation for nearly two months, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar were spared. However, the millennium city is under load restriction from the last week of February.

As per CESU’s power regulation schedule, areas under Unit-I, Unit-II, Unit-III, Unit-V, Unit-VI, Unit-VIII, Unit-IX, Suryanagar, Satyanagar, Sahidnagar, Acharya Vihar, Gridco Colony, New AG Colony, Ashok Nagar, Bapujinagar, Kalinga stadium, CRP square, Forest Park, Bhimtangi, Pokariput, Kapilaprasad, Goutam Nagar, Rameswarpatna and Ratha Road will be without power from 7 am to 8 am.

Chandrasekharpur, Sailashree Vihar, Niladree Vihar, Patia, Kanan Vihar, KIIT campus, Infocity, Nabard colony, Shree Vihar, Rail Vihar, Nalco Nagar, IRC Village, Jaydev Vihar, Rental Colony, Nayapalli, Saliasahi, Samanta Vihar, Rasulgarh, Palasuni, GGP Colony, Mancheswar Industrial Estate, Bomikhal, Laxmisagar, Cuttack Road, Kalpana and BJB Nagar will be under load restriction from 8 am to 9 am.

The remaining part of the city including Unit-IV, Madhusudan Nagar, MLA Colony, Sastri Nagar, Vani Vihar, VSS Nagar, Rail Vihar and East Coast Railway office, Gajapati Nagar, Sainik School, Vivekanada Marg, Nageswar Tangi, Lingaraj temple area, Garrage Chak, Luis Road, Brahmeswarpatna, part of BJB Nagar, Tankapani Road, Badgad Brit, Kalinganar, Tamando, Patrapada, Aiginia, Satyasai Vihar, Khandagiri area, Jagmohannagar, Dumduma, Bharatpur, Baramunda village, BDA colony and bus stand, Rental Colony and Paikanagar will be under load shedding from 9 am to 10 am.

There will be no power cut in the afternoon or in the evening. Many people of the city are not aware of the power cut schedule as CESU has not given wide publicity barring a small advertisement in a local daily.

Although residents of Cuttack city are under two hours of power regulation from the last week of February, most of them are not sure that they were under scheduled power cut due to similar reasons.

A senior officer of CESU told this paper that instruction had been issued to all the circle offices to decide the timing and duration of power cut in their respective areas of operation.

The utility is facing a shortfall of 300 MW against a demand of about 900 MW. The duration of power cut in different areas will be according to the availability of power, the officer said and admitted that rural areas will be under maximum load shedding due to commercial factor.

Revenue collection in rural areas is about 40 per cent while the remaining 60 per cent is commercial and transmission loss.

Congress boycotts Guv address in Orissa Assembly March 8, 2010

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Bhubaneswar 8 Mar: (Courtesy: PTI)

Opposition Congress boycotted Governor M C Bhandare’s address to the Orissa Assembly today and tore a copy of his speech terming it as a “fake story” prepared by the BJD government in the state.

The Governor, who stood to address the opening day of the third session of the 14th Assembly, was first requested by Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh not to read out the speech prepared by the government.

As the Governor went on reading the speech, Congress members shouted on top of their voice while the Leader of Opposition began a parallel speech.

“Stop it, stop it,” Bhandare’s appeal went unheeded by Congress members who walked out of the House in protest.

A Congress member was, later, seen tearing a copy of the Governor’s speech.