A Regressive turn of events in the Delhi CPI(M)
Events in the Delhi unit of the CPI(M) have taken an unfortunate and a regressive turn with the expulsion of Albeena Shakil, women activist and former student leader from JNU, from the party for alleged "anti-party activities". A short blogpost carrying information on the events.
Albeena was a popular student leader in the Jawaharlal Nehru University over the past decade and is remembered for her yeoman work in instituting the Gender Sensitive Committee against Sexual Harassment among other achievements in the progressive campus. Later, as a women activist, she was involved in the organisation of home based workers in various parts of Delhi besides working for other causes. She has also been a regular contributor to Pragoti.
The expulsion of Albeena seems to be on rather flimsy grounds and has happened a few days after the expulsion of her spouse Prasenjit Bose who had resigned from the party on the grounds of opposition to the party's support to Pranab Mukherjee's nomination. The sequence of events that led to her expulsion - letters exchanged, showcause notices etc - are now in the public domain (selective bits of which have been published elsewhere in newspapers). The full details (Showcause and Albeena's reply) are attached in this post after receipt. It is left to the reader to judge the judiciousness (or what looks like the certain lack of it) of the disciplinary action.
This blog post also carries a message from colleagues of Albeena in the student movement in JNU and former SFI activists whose unit itself was dissolved by its national leadership - also for taking a position in political dissent - and whose views (and counterviews) have also been carried by Pragoti.
Statement titled, "AGAINST KANGAROO COURTS TO SILENCE POLITICAL DISSENT" published here. And reproduced below -
We the undersigned were expelled from the primary membership of the SFI in a SFI Delhi State Committee Meeting held on 10.07.2012 for taking a dissenting political position against the CPI (M)’s decision to support Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential Elections. We have learnt that Comrade Albeena Shakil, who was anelected member of the CPI (M) Delhi State Committee has been expelled from the Primary Membership of the CPI (M) in a CPI (M) Delhi State Committee Meeting held on 11.08.2012.We are issuing a statement against this undemocratic expulsion.
———————————————————————-
12.08.2012
We the undersigned have learnt that Comrade Albeena Shakil has been expelled from the primary membership of the CPI (M) on 11.08.2012 for “indulging in anti party activities”. The decision was made in a Delhi State Committee Meeting of the CPI (M) with 17 members voting for the expulsion and 4 opposing it. Prior to this decision another CPI (M) Delhi State Committee meeting held on 20.07.2012 had decided to remove Comrade Albeena from all elected positions in the CPI (M) and Janwadi Mahila Samiti (AIDWA). This decision was in brazen violation of the norms laid down in the CPI (M) Constitution, which categorically says that all decisions regarding disciplinary action (except summary expulsion) have to be taken in the presence of the individual concerned, so that the individual gets an opportunity to offer defense in accordance with the principles of natural justice.
The Delhi CPI (M) leadership flouted the CPI (M) Constitution and initiated disciplinary action against Comrade Albeena. One Delhi State Committee Member of the CPI (M), who has also been a former secretary of the SFIUnit in JNU, had resigned from the Party after the State Committee meeting of 20.07.2012 protesting against the unconstitutional action and unjustifiable persecution. Comrade Albeena was called for the meeting on 11.08.2012 in order to sanctify the earlier unconstitutional decisions and make her listen to further malice. No concrete evidence was provided for the so-called “anti-party activities” in both these meetings except Comrade Albeena’s participation in a National Convention on Campus Democracy and Lyngdoh Recommendations organized by the JNU Students’ Union held on 21.07.2012 and an SFI-JNU Activist Meeting on the JNU student movement held on 1.08.2012. On both these occasions, no act/comment against the CPI (M) was made by her. Comrade Albeena had signed an appeal addressed to the SFI all-India President to resolve the differences with SFI-JNU in a political and democratic manner.
In the State Committee meeting of 11.08.2012 Comrade Albeena tried to persuade the Delhi State Committee members to adopt a non-confrontational approach towards the SFI-JNU and open political dialogue with them in order to resolve the differences. The fact that this has been construed as “anti-party activities” by the Delhi CPI (M) leadership exposes its undemocratic and authoritarian mindset.
Comrade Albeena has been elected to the JNU Students’ Union 5 times since 1997, first as a councilor from the School of Languages, then as JNUSU Joint Secretary; twice as the JNUSU Vice President and finally the JNUSU President in 2001. She was in the forefront of the struggle against the communal forces in JNU. She had also played an important role in the struggle for the formation of the Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment in JNU. As the JNUSU President in 2001-02, Comrade Albeena provided leadership to the struggle against the imposition of the communal Xth Plan proposals by the BJP-led NDA regime in JNU. She went on to become the Delhi State Secretary and All-India Joint Secretary of the SFI in 2005.
After completing her Ph.D in English literature from JNU, Comrade Albeena has been working as a whole timer of the CPI (M) in Delhi, with responsibilities in the Janwadi Mahila Samiti. She has been an elected member of the CPI (M) Delhi State Committee since 2007 and the AIDWA Central Executive Committee since 2010. Comrade Albeena’s work in the CPI (M) and JMS included work among poor home based women workers in Delhi, especially in the Muslim dominated areas of Old Delhi and Okhla.
The disciplinary action against Comrade Albeena has to be seen in the aftermath of the draconian and vindictive action against the 4 of us and the “dissolution” of the entire SFI Unit in JNU for a taking dissenting political position vis-à-vis CPI (M)’s decision to support Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential polls. The desperation of the CPI (M) leadership seems to have only increased after TMC’s decision to support Mr. Mukherjee rendered the so-called “tactical masterstroke” into a laughing stock. All those who have had any association with the SFI in JNU in the past are being threatened and intimidated by the CPI (M) leadership to fall in line and contribute to their disruptive and anti-democratic agenda. The CPI (M) leadership’s paranoia has reached such proportions that all norms of party organization functioning are being thrown to the dustbin to target “suspects” and silence those who have a different opinion. In Comrade Albeena’s case, the Party leadership’s actions further betray a crass patriarchal attitude where she has been victimized for the political actions of her spouse.We appeal to all progressive and democratic sections to condemn the unjust expulsion of Comrade Albeena from the CPI (M) and firmly combat the self-destructive trends within the Left movement,epitomized by the CPI (M) leadership.
Sd/-
Roshan Kishore, P K Anand, Zico Dasgupta, V Lenin Kumar
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| showcause_Albeena.pdf | 320.07 KB |
| Albeena Shakil's Reponse to Show Cause Notice.pdf | 89.44 KB |
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Comments
just to put the record straight
This is not an "intellectual discourse". This is meant only to bring to light some facts.
1. We (Sehba Farooqui and I) met Albeena the day after the much talked about Bose resignation appeared on Pragoti. Just a while before the two of us went together, I had gone
to her flat in VPH. We had gone to persuade her to change her decision.
2. Albeena said to me the following:
a) that she finds CPIM suffocating (party mein dam ghut-ta hai)
b) that resigning from the party is a joint decision of both of them (Prasenjit and
Albeena)
c) that she had not resigned with Prasenjit because they did not want this to seem
like a husband-wife issue and that she would send in her resignation in a couple days (do ek
din mein)
d) that "is party mein ab kuchch nahin ho sakta"
After all this I fail to understand what the fight is all about.
Maimoona
Dear Ms Maimoona, It is
Dear Ms Maimoona,
It is really disappointing to read your post. Hope you realize that it is damaging for you. After reading Albeena's reply we all thought that she was persuaded to stay by AIDWA comrades. Clearly you were not one of them and have been a cheer leader for the Party's vindictive action instead.
We have all read the show cause and reply and have drawn our own conclusions.
Your comment just raises more questions regarding the role of AIDWA.
An AIDWA sympathizer.
@maimoona
i do not know you personally, but did you have a tape recorder with you when you met albeena on the day that you mention? why should anybody believe in what you are claiming? it can all be a figment of you imagination. you may be having personal scores to settle with albeena. you may be wanting to please the party leadership by saying all this in order to get promotion in the party. who knows? please desist from participating in the CPIM sponsored mudslinging that is going on against albeena. it is very sickening. shows the CPIM and its members in poor light.
@@maimoona
This is definitely in bad taste. Have you even forgotten what decorum means. Of course Pragoti is not worth posting comments to with this kind of reaction and language. What makes you think that I have an axe to grind? Why would any of us "settle scores". Do you know me to pass such comments? We had gone to dissuade her from resigning, mind you. Of course the proclivity you have for such caustic comments sans any decorum and politics shows how desperate you are. Discuss politics comrade and do not exchange abuses.
@@@maimoona
your initial comment was also in very bad taste. why are you spreading rumours about albeena without any shred of evidence? it is clear that you have axes to grind. that is why you are taking up cudgels to justify her expulsion. decorum cannot be a one way street. rumour mongering in public forums is quite indecorous. there is nothing political in anything that you have posted. if you want to discuss politics, please explain your stand on JNU-SFI and the role played by the Delhi state secretary of the CPM pms grewal in the dissolution in the JNU SFI unit. that is at the heart of the matter. party state committee has expelled albeena while endorsing all the misdeeds of grewal. what is your stand on that? why has no action been taken against grewal for violating the CPM constitution, indulging in brazen factionalism and alienating the party comrades from JNU? where do you stand on these issues? what albeena said to you and you said to albeena are unverifiable claims. that is not politics but gossip. your proclivities become clear from them...
AIDWA comrades certainly
AIDWA comrades certainly succeeded in dissuading Albeena from resigning. She DID NOT resign. In fact she gave in writing that she wants to continue in the AIDWA and the Party.
But clearly you believe that she deserves to be expelled on the basis of a conversation with you. Speaks volumes about democratic space in the Party and the sheer vindictiveness of all those involved.
@Maimoona
Comrade,
Your failure to understand "what the fight is all about" is very unfortunate....let me say what the "fight" is all about....
it is anybody's political right within the party to convey to other party members that "party me dam ghut-ta hai"....that does not call for any expulsion, because this was not argued outside....it is also a political opinion to believe that "party me ab kuchh nahi ho sakta"....
you cannot expel people for holding this kind of opinion....the leadership should have talked with her, tried to win her over by political arguments...should have tried to ensure that she stays in the party.....that is the approach towards party building that we have been taught....but NO....the Delhi leadership went on a purging spree....what is the ultimate approach towards deciding these matters? should we throw people out....or should we try and politically win over the comrades...it is always easier for a party to throw people out and very difficult to politically convince the dissenters and keep them in the party to the maximum possible extent....the leadership chose the short cut and easy way out which has already proved to be a disaster with the teachers faction in-charge resigning and three other comrades of the Delhi State Committee expressing their dissent to the decision of expelling albeena.....
let me however tell you who all have continued in the party in spite of expressing their "dissent"....Buddhadeb Bhattacharya too had resigned from the party and conveyed it to the media....it is a tribute to the leadership of Jyoti Basu and others that they did not kick him out for that but ensured that he continued in the party.....Brinda Karat had resigned from the CC on the issue of greater women representation......again, the leadership of HKS, JB and others ensured that she is not thrown out of the party and she turned out to be the first woman PB member of the party.....we still have a great deal to learn from our founders....the Delhi leadership has shown that they have learnt nothing by expelling albeena.....
Debajyoti
Bardhaman District, West Bengal
language unbecoming of Pragoti's professed edit policy
Pragoti claims to adhere to certain editorial norms. "All comments and posts will be carried except those that are abusive, indecorous and/or disruptive." But going through the posts,
1. it seems like it is a blog post for a few individuals who have taken up cudgels against the CPIM. Hope you would give all points of view a fair representation.
2. The abusive language that some of the posts use is not what Pragoti professes it would not allow. examples: a) fossilised state of minds b) hare-brained dinosaurs c) this character called pms grewal. d) grewalesque characterestics. Where is the politics in all these comments and language. It looks like all is fair in critising CPIM. Please take care this does not happen. Pragoti is not owned by ex-CPIM members.
This post does seem not to flout your edit policy. So please carry it through.
@Anonymous Censorer
please do not try to dictate what blogposts individual members of the pragoti team can or cannot post. you are free not to read them. if a particular blogpost carries views critical of a decision of the CPIM, it is for the readers to judge whether the criticism is fair or unfair. neither does CPIM or any of its individual members "own" pragoti, just as it is not owned by any of ex-CPIM members. please come out of the illusion that this website is a CPIM mouthpiece which can be censored by the CPIM leaders.
The "abusive" language that has been mentioned are not contained in the blogposts but in the comments. your sensitivity to such abuses are pretty one sided. "grewal" seems to be a holy cow, whereas prasenjit or albeena are villains who can be abused at will. if you hurl abuses at others, be prepared to get them back in kind.
edit policy
I am not dictating what you could post. Was only referring to your edit policy.
Do you mean to say that the "posts" only would adhere to the edit policy and the comments and replies could throw the same policy to the winds and could be abusive?
if the standards that you are
if the standards that you are suggesting are applied then pragoti should not allow any references to "bose faction", "bosism", "bosons" etc. seems pragoti has chosen to carry both "bosist" and "grewalesque" comments...fair enough..let readers judge.
Good Morning
Dear CPI(M) leadership,
I look forward to the day when you'll wake up and realize that the many hundreds of people who're writing "anonymous" comments with so much malice towards the party happen to be party members, or sympathisers. The blog Pragoti has proved to be a great venting point for many in the party. It's great on your part to call us dissenters "anti-communist" or "anti party". You can continue to live in your fossilised state of minds and take the party just there. If you're dinosaurs then good for you, you can continue to be just that. The youngsters are not. :)
We are sick of your hallowed structures of "democratic centralism" which is nothing but a convenient gagging technique whenever anyone in the party tries to point out the wrongs in the party. It's incredible how it is abused in states like Kerala. Over there, quite evidently, Com. V. S. Achuthanandan enjoys mass support and even the bulk of the support from among the ordinary party members but Pinarayi Vijayan and his men dominate the state committee taking positions that are seen to be pushing the party towards the right. Heh! If V.S does enjoy the bulk of the support then why should Pinarayi and his yesmen run the state committee?
And hence shall whither away democracy. But alas, we the lowly mortals must prove our loyalty to the party by bowing to centralism. And then there's Lakshman Seth, who lives the life of a don, and who was the main culprit in the Nandigram tragedies. He continues to be a whole timer in the party. Obviously in the eyes of our holier than thou leadership his antics don't violate party "discipline". Someone has even pointed out other such shining examples in the leadership of the party who continue to be the leaders we youngsters must look up to (this includes someone in Kolkatta running a porn racket, and a former CM who has clearly rejected socialism and says that workers shouldnt have the right to go on strike!).
But Albeena's dissent violates all forms of party discipline. Ummm... But hold on, where was the dissent? Other than the fact that she upset Com. Pushi??? Unfortunate, considering Pushpendra Grewal is actually among the honest, politically still on the left and not a fossilised mind leader of the party. That he should be so vindictive and intolerant was never expected. Also, I don't support the tone in Albeena's rejoinder. Evidently this has become an unhealthy ego battle between 2 very respected comrades. Good luck CPI(M).
Some more gems from Gautam Deb's Articles in Ganashakti
Date: June 29, 2011. 'Shilpa? Just go to hell', Industry? Just go to hell.
Link: http://bangla.ganashakti.co.in/shownews.php?w=1267&h=834&year=2011&month...
2nd Paragraph, 26th Line: The land acquisition act was enacted in 1894 by the colonial British government. This act is now the enemy number one of the langolponthi, tillers. There is no doubt that this law needs many changes. To that effect a bill was also placed during UPA 1 but the process was not completed. Now, it is being said that a new version of the bill/law is being prepared on the behest of Sonia-Manmohan and is to be placed in the parliament. But the question is, which important laws are not enacted during the British period! Even the holy constitution, that we always cite from time to time as justification, has imprints of the India government act, 1935, and we will not need a microscope to find those. So, just by shouting British, British will not help us to arrive at the truth. The question is, with changing times, the laws should also change. If the constitution of the country could be amended 94 times then nobody should have any problem with the law and also the proposed changes to this law.
3rd Paragraph, 1st line: The country will become Afghanistan and the power in New Delhi has to be given to Taliban if the said law is enacted according to the wishes of Mrs. Mamata. The main points of Srimati's land policy are very clear. Truly she has not kept any gray areas in this. Firstly, land will not be taken from unwilling landowner. Secondly, fertile land will not be acquired. Thirdly, land will not be taken for businesses and industries. Fourthly, land holdings of small landowners, of scheduled castes/tribes, of minority should not be acquired as far as possible. Fifthly, in government projects, where land is acquired after fulfilling all the aforementioned policies, government job should be given to at least one person from those families from whom land has been taken. Mamata has explained this land policy to the industrialists in conference at Belevedue road. After listening this the industrialists have gone back to their homes while scratching their heads. The main architect of the land policy of the new government is Shri Debabrata Bandopadhyay. He, keeping in mind the land formula of Mamata and the slogan of the new government 'Do it Immediately', has formulated the land policy very quickly and has submitted it to the government. While highlighting the saliant features of this new policy he has told a newspaper that, “Why would the government acquire land for the industry? Would these industrialists give any share of the profits that they would earn from these to the state government? No, they would not. Then, why would the government be so concerned about the Tatas? It is good that Industrialists want to set industries. They should directly buy land from the landowners. Why would they need land within 40 kms from Kolkata? Is it because they want to play golf at Tolly club? Why would they 1000 acres? Do they want to build golf club/spa there? These things will not be allowed. Industrialists might behave like Princes, by that middle class Bengalis may be overwhelmed but the approach of the government is different. We are only saying this. If you can, buy land and set up industries or just go to hell. In this state, according to us, instead of industry we have given priority to other things.” Is there any need to go to forest to find Maoists? ….
pms grewal's show cause
pms grewal's show cause notice proves that the ghosts of the ceausescus and pol pots still reside within the souls of CPIM leaders. grewal seems to be oblivious of the fact that India is a free and democratic country and not a single party dictatorship headed by a mad man. a few frustrated characters who want to suck up to the party leaders are upset that these letters have been made public. that is the only way to fight these hare-brained dinosaurs who refuse to learn the lessons of history. expose them thoroughly...
@all
So many people are angry with Albeena and posting complete personal insinuations against a comrade who till yesterday was a part of the CPI(M) and gave all of her life for the party....i am not surprised by this....it is natural to do so since albeena has 'betrayed' the party....however, let us identify the great leaders who are the doyens of CPI(M) and have not been expelled from the party.....
1. The police has caught red-handed a son of a Local Committee Secretary of CPI(M), who is also an SFI leader for making pornographic films and running a brothel at Dum Dum near Kolkata....the brothel used to be run at the house of the Local Committee secretary....till date CPI(M) is silent about this entire issue....the father and son duo continue to be in the party....
2. The IT department raided the apartment of Sarala Maheshwari, an ex-MP of the party and recovered documents saying that the family held illegal money and land at various places in West Bengal in the name of their drivers and other servants....these people came on camera and said that they were compelled by the Maheshwari family to get involved in these frauds.....the party is yet to take action against her....
3. MM Mani says openly that the party killed many people who were political adversaries of CPI(M)....the party does not have the guts to expel him.....
4. Anil Basu, an ex-MP of CPI(M) compares Mamata Banerjee with a prostitute....he is not expelled instantaneously....he is expelled after one year only when he challenges Biman Bose and the party gives a different issue for expelling him....
5. Gautam Deb, state secretariat and CC member of CPI(M) ridicules the Vijaywada extended CC meeting of the party openly in a TV show....he is not even questioned.....those who are talking about Bose family and friends should also know that his son has been promoted as a district secretariat member of SFI, while many comrades many years senior to him do not find a place....
6. Lakhsman Seth, ex-MP of CPI(M) runs a business empire.....he openly says that he is in favour of private universities and also says to Indian Express that he is not a saint...therefore if the Congress people are making money so will he.....he is still very much a member of district secretariat of CPI(M).....
albeena shakil is indeed a renegade...long live the revolutionary legacy of Gautam Deb, Sarala Maheshwari, Lakhsman Seth and of course Buddhadeb Bhattacharya who is a PB member of the party and says that he unfortunately belongs to a party which calls strikes....let prasenjit bose and albeena shakil pass into oblivion.....usher in the true communist in the likes of these decorated people.....long live CPI(M)! long live our great leaders!!
please carry on with bashing the left dissent of CPI(M)....you are doing great service to the cause of the doyens and the revolution.....keep up with the good work....i am sure that you will serve the doyens in the best possible manner....
congrats to pragoti for
congrats to pragoti for making public the showcause notice issued to albeena shakil by this character called pms grewal. this clearly exposes the base level to which the cpm leaders have stooped. if the party is harbouring such leaders and expelling people like shakil, its decline is inevitable.
The public appeal signed by
The public appeal signed by Albeena Shakil was signed by several Party Members including two other former JNUSU Presidents and former unit secretaries.
The activist meeting addressed by Ms Shakil was also addressed by four Party Members.
The fact that the Party has singled her out for 'removal from all party and AIDWA posts' before she signed the public appeal or addressed the activist meeting and subsequently for 'expulsion' only proves the sexism of the Party.
What does the AIDWA
What does the AIDWA leadership have to say on this?
the cpim has been displaying
the cpim has been displaying its lack of gender sensitivity for quite some time now. there is nothing better to be expected from the cpim. the day prasenjit bose resigned, the first person i thought about was of Albeena Shakil. In a few days i personally called her and asked her if she would remain with the Party. She told me that she would. But it appears that the Party was too paranoid to let her stay.
p.m.s. grewal should resign.
p.m.s. grewal should resign. he does not know how to write a proper show cause notice. it is a saga of he said-she said. where is the indiscipline? if discussing problems with party members amounts to indiscipline, as per his track record, he should be expelled first.
Very unfortunate that the
Very unfortunate that the CPI(M) violated its Party Constitution to remove Albeena Shakil from all Party and AIDWA committees without providing her the constitutionally mandated right to be present in the 20th July State Committee Meeting, despite her written request for participation.
The Party Show Cause was also issued to her only after that on 25th July.
Is the AIDWA run directly by the Party as well?
What possible defense can the CPI(M) offer for its actions?
Prasenjit Bose resigned on
Prasenjit Bose resigned on 22nd June.
By 10th July the Party dissolved the entire JNU-SFI Unit without the Delhi Party holding a single branch meeting with them.
On the same day the Delhi SFI lost its State Secretary for the incorrect decision and manner of dissolution.
On 20th July the Party lost a Delhi State Committee member for taking an unconstitutional action against Albeena Shakil.
On 11th August the Party expelled Albeena Shakil.
Seems like the Party leadership is enjoying this perverse fun and abuse of power.
How many more to come comrades?
What great names!
The writer of this comment appears to be under some delusion. It appears he was thinking of something like the following when he wrote it: 1) EMS Namboodiripad resigned on 22nd June. 2) By 10th July 1937, the Party dissolved the entire Pinarayi Parappuram Unit without the Politburo holding a single branch meeting with them. 3) On the same day the Politburo lost BT Ranadive for the incorrect decision and manner of dissolution. 4) On 20th July 1937, the Party lost P. Sundarayya for taking an unconstitutional action against KR Gouri. 5) On 11th August, the Party expelled KR Gouri. 6) Seems like the Party leadership is enjoying this perverse fun and abuse of power. 7) How many more to come comrades? Such a foundational comment indeed, given that on the 12th August 1938, the Communist Party of India perished!! :(
thank you for reading so much
thank you for reading so much into the recent developments.
bizarre and repulsive
It is really bizarre and repulsive that Comrade Albeena Shakil, former JNUSU President, has been expelled from Communist (!!) Party of India (Marxist-??), headed by Mr Prakash Karat, former JNUSU President, for attending a meeting called by JNUSU to protest anti-democratic Lyngdoh Committee recommendations to curb and control Students Unions across the country.
To Prakash Kumar Ray
Prakash Kumar Ray, since you are so in-confident about the communist and Marxist credentials of CPIM may I just ask you which political party you defend?
Forget about Prakash Kumar
Forget about Prakash Kumar Ray. In these circumstances, even Party members of the CPI(M) are finding it difficult to defend the CPI(M).
What is really strange is that some non-party members are suddenly discovering virtues in the CPI(M). It is they who must come out clean and explain what gives them cause to they suddenly politically agree with the CPI(M).
As far as the guess goes, nothing more than personal motivations.
so will cpim will now be
so will cpim will now be accountable only to its own party members who in any case are governed by democratic centralism?
in a parliamentary democratic system like India, the cpim will have to realize that has to answer questions posed by its own rank and file, by its sympathizers and well wishers, as well as by its opponents.
for quite some time now, the cpim has been branding all those posing uncomfortable questions to it as its enemies.
the party can choose to continue with this approach at its own peril.
Why misuse Pragoti?
This is very unfortunate that Pragoti has been reduced to a space where this kind of bogus pieces can appear. The blogpost is devoid of any political argument and is nothing short of eulogising individualism and mudslinging. I think Pragoti is being misused.
while Albeena Shakil was in
while Albeena Shakil was in the CEC of the SFI, one all-India workshop and three all-India conventions were held in her leadership of girl students and many sub-committees of girl students came up in different states in the SFI. since she is relieved in 2008, there has neither been a girls sub-committee meeting, nor any all-India convention. why did the girl-student's sub-committee of the SFI become defunct after her? the role of individuals in any organization is important. never forget that.
i don't think pragoti has
i don't think pragoti has been fair to com. albeena shakil.
of all the candidates that ever contested or won elections from the SFI in JNU on any post in history, she won by the maximum number of votes. (over 1600)
she also won elections a maximum number of five successive times, each time increasing her vote share.
wonder if those who are writing against her have ever contested elections or been accountable before the entire student community of JNU for so long...
so sad and pathetic that the cpim is victimizing some of its best assets.
Pragoti has given space to
Pragoti has given space to Albeena Shakil and her fellow travellers much more than was necessary.
It is a revelation to know that JNU SFI election analysis and the Congress (I)'s election analysis is the same - all about individual candidates. Just one more step to eulogising dynastic rule!!!
No it is the Party's
No it is the Party's understanding that is based on individuals. In denial of the Pranab Mukherjee blunder, it is the party that is refusing to see common political indignation and desperately looking to blame individuals rather than its own political mistakes for this entire pass.
RED TAPE
She won because SFI was with her...if she is so chrismatic let her fight election now on her own.
it is well known that atleast
it is well known that atleast you contested an election and lost miserably.
who lost the elections? to
who lost the elections? to whom is this comment directed? kindly clarify.
someone who contested and
someone who contested and lost a lok sabha by-election miserably and rather than introspecting is indulging in red tapism...
RED TAPE
I hane never contested lok sabha election my dear. I am former SFI leader, and i can undertsand kind of role played by Persenjit and Albeena. They will be remembered as dirty politics makers in SFI.
how can making the show cause
how can making the show cause notice and the reply public amount to mudslinging. the reader can judge for themselves.
if anybody has slung mud at the cpim, it is the party itself through such a shameless and vindictive action.
Individualism?
So, commenting on the wrongful expulsion of a committed leftist activist, is individualism and mudslinging while the expulsion isn't? The political argument is implicit. How many activists will the CPM lose on the basis of wrong political logic and vendetta?
Few questions
The right question is if CPIM loses few more activist in this unfortunate process will that make you happy? If you are able to alienate few more people from CPIM, are you going to count that as your success? Do you think that by doing all this painstaking CPIM bashing you are actually championing your cause? Don't get me wrong, but I just don't see any point in all this other than the fact that it is weakening the left movement in whatever capacity it can.
RED TAPE
You are right, if party looses its cadre it is a loss to the left movement. BUT if party disown opportunist cadre like persenjit its good for the party and its cadre.
the cpm is weakening itself
the cpm is weakening itself by committing such acts. isn't it about time that the cpm stopped blaming others for it's self-goals? this has been happening since nandigram....please learn some lessons.
Yet to hit double digit on
Yet to hit double digit on the Pranab Mukherjee issue.
So are you counting the
So are you counting the entire SFI-JNU unit as a single digit casualty?
To Roshan Kishore
Since you have appealed to all progressive and democratic sections, and now that you are free from fear of any disciplinary action, can you now make a public statement as to whether you wrote the following comment on Pragoti on behalf of SFI after consulting and passing resolutions democratically in the SFI against Aniket Alam's views on imperialism? http://www.pragoti.in/node/2047#comment-1811
always knew that some people
always knew that some people are just settling their personal grouses. please settle them somewhere else. this is totally out of context.
Nothing personal
Those who are claiming martyrdom at the altar of democracy should be able to stand up and defend their past actions. Why the silence and avoidance? This was nothing personal. One individual claimed to represent the entire SFI unit in JNU and wrote a public villification against a person who had expressed his views on imperialism. At least have the gumption to tell us what democratic process led to that public villification before accusing others of being undemocratic?
What were the great democrats of JNU SFI doing when this happened? Who will believe your claims about democracy today? Surely a debate on imperialism is a much more crying need today than bickering over Pranab Mukherjee!
Why don't you take your own
Why don't you take your own council and debate imperialism, rather than bickering over JNU-SFI! Why waste your time and energies on what is clearly in your view a petty issue?
Thank you for your advice.
Thank you for your advice. Why are you assuming that others are not debating imperialism?
It is sad to see JNU-SFI of the last decade continuing its arrogant tradition even in these responses.
Four years ago, you stifled debate on major issues. This comment by Roshan Kishore is one evidence of that culture of stifling and heckling. Obviously Roshan Kishore was allowed to use SFI as his personal property in writing that comment. Did JNU SFI call a GB on this matter before the comment was posted?
Even before, what did you say to those who told you that the position on Nestle was wrong?
What did you each of you Bosons do when Singur and Nandigram happened? Why did you remain silent when silence was a crime? In what manner did Prasenjit and Albeena read out the line to all those sympathisers who doubted the 'line'?
Clearly this arrogant undemocratic culture continues till date even when the Bose 'line' has changed. Earlier this political culture of arrogant heckling was directed to those who differed with the Bose line and Bose was with CPIM. Now also the same is directed to those who differ with the Bose line. The only difference is that Bose is not with the CPIM.
Obviously you are the ones who are stuck where you were four years ago. You actually learnt no lessons in these last four years on democracy, the only consistency is in your opportunism and so you can desert at a moment of deep crisis of the Left.