Bangalore:
Even as the Indian Marxist (CPM) party is losing its militancy, revolutionary fervour and becoming reformist, CPM is turning against Dalits, tribals and other persecuted minorities.
The CPM attack on the Kashtakari Sanghatna, a militant organisation of Maharashtra tribals, was reported in this column. The latest is the CPM-led West Bengal government action against Christians making many feel that there is hardly any difference between Marxists and RSS when it comes to the question of Dalits and persecuted minorities. Durgapur Bishop Rev. S. K. Kisku has issued a pamphlet about the CPM assault on the principal of the Bankura Christian College, Prof. A. K. Kisku, a noted tribal leader and former Dy. Union Education Minister in Janata government, twice during the day on Sept. 20 in the college premises. The assault was led by Partha De, a former Education Minister in the CPM government The Bishop described it as “assault on the fundamental rights of religious minorities”. Kisku was appointed fully in conformity with the State government regulations. The assault sparked off public anger and the people of Bankura organised a protest fast on Sept. 22 and 24 But the State government gave a distorted statement in the legislature forcing the Church to go to court. CPM did not condemn the assault in which Kisku was injured. Bishop says the CPM has engineered similar trouble in the Sarenga Hospital. The Statesman (Sept. 29) reporting the above incident said the West Bengal Principals Association, in a statement said Kisku was assaulted in the presence of Partha De. The Church was within its right to appoint the principal, the government admitted in the legislature. Meanwhile, we have received complaints from Bengal scheduled caste and tribes representatives that the CPM government is not implementing the constitutional reservations in jobs, education, etc. In the Jyoti Basu Cabinet there are only two Ministers from SC/STs, although their percentage is over 30. The Telegraph (Nov. 4) published a picture of several thousand tribals taking out a procession in Calcutta shouting slogans against the CPM policies.
