Arrest the attackers of the students at the Puliparvai function! - Request to CM by Comrade P. Maniyarasan

The Tamil film ‘Puliparvai’ was made to depict the Tamil national leader Prabhakaran's son Balachandran who was aged twelve at the time of his death.

But this film portrayed like him, with the inclusion of several children wearing LTTE uniforms and taking training under the LTTE Tigers. These scenarios are unrealistic. But in the real life Balachandran Prabhakaran was an innocent boy of 12 years old and was not at all involved in the war. As per the original documentary film, which depicts the true story of the Balachandran’s life, which has been produced by Callum Macrae that the Sinhala racist government shot this twelve year old innocent boy Balachandran at an arm’s distance and the international figures confirmed this documentary as the most authentic documentary film. But “Puliparvai” depicts Balachandran as the militant boy and he takes military training along with child soldiers, which is far from the truth. The audio release functions of the film were held at the Sathyam Cinemas of Chennai on 16.08.2014. In that function, Tamil University Students were also participating in it. They were condemning against the portrayal of Balachandran as the militant boy. Then, immediately the film's production company workers started attacking these students and injured them. Mr. P. Maniyarasan Strongly condemns these violent attacks on behalf of the Tamil national great movement. Instead of calming those students, the film production company workers pulled them out attacked them and then handed them over to the police. The police arrested them and kept those students in their custody for one full day, without even giving any medical treatment for their injuries. The attitude of the police is condemnable. We have registered a case against those who involved in the violent attacks; and we request the Tamil Nadu Government to arrest them.

Why we Changed the name as “Thamizh Thesiya Periyakkam’?

Why we Changed the name as “Thamizh Thesiya Periyakkam’?

The resolution passed in the seventh special general council meeting held at Tiruchirappalli between 14 and 15 August 2014.General Secretary Comrade K.Venkatraman put forth and explained the draft resolution. After a detailed discussion it was unanimously passed in the meeting. 

With the vision of achieving sovereign Thamizh republic, Thamizh Thesa Pothuvudaimai Katchi (Thamizh National Communist Party) has been working for the past twenty five years. Over a period of time we have been sharpening the ideology of Thamizh Nationalism scientifically. From the beginning we have been insisting on our historical duty viz, to achieve the liberation of the oppressed Thamizh nation we were clear that this was the next stage of development for the Thamizh community. However, there has been a hitch over direct compatibility between the vision of the liberation of the Thamizh Nation and “Pothuvudaimai Katchi” in the nomen clature. This crisis was further accelerated in day today politics also, by the genocide on the Thamizhs launched by the Sinhala Majoritarian government with the support  of the Indian government.

            We developed as Tha.The.Po.Ka, the frontline leaders and majority of the comrades came from CPM. And so it was named according to their understanding at that particular point of time.   Now when the liberative ideology of Thamizh nationalism has gained wider acceptance, keeping  Pothuvudaimai Katchi (Communist Party) is an obstruct. And this has been pointed out by many comrades. Hence it is an imperative to solve this crisis.

Ideological crisis:

            “On 15, August 1947 Thamizh Nadu came directly under the rule of North Indian administration. Though Thamizh Nadu was liberated from the British imperialism, it fell in the yoke of Indian imperialism. This slavery (yoke)  blocks the identity of Thamizh race. This slavery is core issue and is base for varna caste domination, economic exploitation, environmental degradation and lack of democracy in Thamizh Nadu. The historical imperative that lay before the Thamizh Nation is to establish a sovereign republic of its own” (Page.1. Party Manifesto).

Proclaiming thus at the out set the Party’s Manifesto clarifies what lies ahead in front of Thamizh community and the essence of that revolution.

            It is a historical obligation for the party to bring together, at the focal point of Thamizh nationalism, all who work  in different plains with the objective of liberating Thamizhs from class exploitation, casteism, women oppression etc.,

            “A nationality which does not create a nation of its own will not be able to achieve  class liberation or attain any type of freedom. If it is not connected with all other struggles the nationality struggle will be aimless. Revolutionary Thamizh Nationalism  is the integrating point of these two.” (P.29. Party Manifesto)

This is clearly articulated in our Policy document.

“This constructed myth of Aryan Indian nationalism is the base for language oppression, Varna Caste hegemony, untouchability evil, class exploitation, globalization, environmental degradation, women oppression etc, The imperialist Indian state functions as the treacherous hand of the constructed Indian nationalism. This imperialist state continues to exist with the help of all oppressive laws. Hence if the Thamizhs want to be liberated from any oppression that suppresses them we are forced to confront the Indian nationalism.

            Only way to liberate from this is Thamizh National Revolution establishment of a sovereign Thamizh Republic. That’s why all liberative ( progressive)  groups and progressive streams ought to join hands with the liberative  Thamizh nationalism.” (P.28. Party Manifesto).

It is an invitation extended to such movements.

         If it has to accommodate all progressive streams in a common thread to develop into big stream the Thamizh Nationalism should accept the plural nature within. Only the movement which accepts the pluralism will qualify to be a liberation movement.

            Our party manifesto is potential to contain this pluralistic nature and in order to grow to such a stature the phrase ‘Pothuvudaimai Katchi’ in the existing name is a delicate one. It would be appropriate to remove such delicate phrase and replace it with suitable one, which would be apt for our vision of liberation.

The name ‘Pothuvudaimai Katchi’ (Communist Party) came in to existence in our title because of the nature of the evolution of our party. This was the condition for all Community Parties all over the world.

This problem is clearly mentioned even in the Communist Manifesto. Engels mentions in the Communist Manifesto which was jointly written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels in 1847 end and published in 1848.

“When it was written, we could not have called it a socialist manifesto. By Socialists, in 1847,  were understood, on the one hand the adherents of the various Utopian systems: Owenites in  England, Fourierists in France, both of them already reduced to the position of mere sects, and  gradually dying out; on the other hand, the most multifarious social quacks who, by all manner of  tinkering, professed to redress, without any danger to capital and profit, all sorts of social grievances, in both cases men outside the working-class movement, and looking rather to the  “educated” classes for support. Whatever portion of the working class had become convinced of the insufficiency of mere political revolutions, and had proclaimed the necessity of total social change, called itself Communist.” (Frederick Engels – Forward to English Edition of Communist Manifesto, 1988).

 From this we understand that these pioneers attributed this term to themselves. They used the term Communist Party in those days to give separate identity just to differentiate from the compromising groups such as Socialists.       

Lenin gave the name ‘Russian Social Democratic Labor Party’, to a revolutionary group which was established in 1898 based on the Marxian principles. We have to remember that he named so after fifty years of the publication of Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels. The same party succeeded the Russian Revolution in the very same name in 1917.

German invasion and civil war in Russia created a big crisis in Russia, at that time. In order to handle the crisis and division within the party and to carry on the Russian Revolution Lenin changed the name into Communist Party from Social Democratic Labor Party.

            When Lenin explained the following reasons for the change of name, the august body of seventh party congress accepted that, “... the severe crisis which our Party is now experiencing, owing to the formation of a Left opposition within it, is one of the gravest crises the Russian revolution has experienced. Moreover, the congress decided to change the name of the party to Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), in order to differentiate it from the Mensheviks and other remaining factions originating from the RSDLP.” Thereafter the Russian Social Democratic Party (Bolsheviks) was changed in to Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks).

“All the recorded histories of hitherto societies are the history of class struggle” defines Marxism. Though this is partially true, racial struggle and nationality struggle contributed equally for the historical development as class struggle.

Even though there were clear understanding and pronounced theories on nationality question during the life time of Karl Marx, Marxism did not give weightage to the issue. When specific questions came up, Karl Marx and Lenin stated the solutions related to nationality question. but they under-estimated the role of social aspect of race in the development of history.

             Hence anybody who discusses in primacy of nationality issue both in Thamizh Nadu and at the global level, realize the deficiency of Marxism in this aspect. We all know that class perspective and understanding alone is inadequate to understand the issues of Palestine, Thamizh Ealam, Tibet.

Both at the global level and in Thamizh Nadu the environment concerns are getting attention now. And Marxism is not able to give comprehensive  answer to such vital issues, nor can class interpretation give solutions to varna caste problems which is very peculiar to this sub-continent.

However the philosophy of Thamizhs viz “Aram”, which could challenge all these is a great opportunity for us all. This philosophical treasure viz, “Thamizhar Aram” has the capacity to absorb all schools of egalitarian thoughts including Marxism and it enriches itself. This Thamizhar Aram is the philosophy which organized historically all the Thamizhs to fight against the domination of the Aryans, evil caste system  and Varnashrama dharma. It has also potential within to enrich itself according to the changing need of the hour. Hence it is not appropriate to keep the name Pothuvudaimai Katchi which expresses only Marxism.

            The Thamizhar Aram is the foundational philosophy of Thamizh Nationalism and it contains principles of equality as its essence. Hence there should never be a doubt that we would reject/ ignore equality, the quintessence of  Communism.

Practical Difficulty:

            From the beginning we have taken efforts to avoid not to be identified with the CPI and CPM parties, particularly their flags sickle and hammer symbols created confusion of identifying ourselves with the above mentioned parties, which are traitors of Thamizhs.

            In order to get relieved of this confusion and to focus our liberative vision of the Thamizhs we changed the flag. Even then “Pothuvudaimai Katchi” (Communist party) continued to be embarrassing. After the Eelam disaster in 2008-2009 new youth forces, understanding the Indian Nationa’s Enmitity are attracted towards  Thamizh nationalism.

            At the same time both in Thamizh Nadu and at the Indian national level and at the international level the communist parties and the states which are headed by the Marxists were hand in glove with the Singhala majoritarian government and Indian government. This created ill feeling not only at the Theoretic level but also practical lines. The same stand taken by Communist Parties in the burning issues of Thamizh Nadu such as Cauvery Issue, Mullai Periyar Issue, Katcha Theevu Issue, etc.,  created a illwill among the laboring classes . Hence  we have to avoid the shadow of these parties on our party.   It is not appropriate  to continue  the name  Thamizh Thesa Pothuvudaimai Katchi. A change in the name is imperative. Moreover , though the word Katchi ( Party) is a good Thamizh term it is associated with the electoral politics. Our Party is very clear  that the electoral path will not in any way helpful  to lead the liberation of Thamizh nation nor would create Thamizh rights consciousness. And the term ‘Party’ alienates us from the people  who  are genuinely interested  in the welfare of the people. Accordingly we have to drop the term Party.

Taking all these into account this Special General Council Meeting unanimously resolves to change the name into Thamizh Desiya Periyakkam.  

Constitute Cauvery Management Board - Tamilnadu formers urge Indian government!

TRICHY: The long delay in the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board as directed by the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal brought together all farmers associations, political parties and consumer organisations in the delta region to register their protest against the central government for not obeying the tribunal's final verdict. As many as 1,500 protesters were arrested and released in the evening.

Farmers said that it was one of the massive protests by them in the past 10 years seeking to retain the rights of Tamil Nadu in Cauvery water. "As far as I am concerned, today's (Monday) protest was one of the massive protests in recent years. The protest by all kind of people on the Cauvery water issue displayed the unity of our people in the state," said P Maniarasan, president of Tamil Desa Podhuvudamai Katchi (TDPK). He also insisted major political parties like the AIADMK, the DMK and the DMDK to pressurise the central government to decide on the matter.

The farmers questioned why the central government was not interested in constituting the Cauvery management board even though the tribunal ordered to constitute it to share the Cauvery water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Normal life was affected as most of the business concerns in and around Thanjavur remained closed today in response to the dawn-to-dusk bandh call given by the Cauveri River Rights Retrieval Committee and other like minded organisations.

The band was to urge the Union Government to establish Cauveri Management Board and Cauveri Monitoring Committee. However, public and private transport system was functioning as usual.

Meanwhile, members of Cauveri River Rights Retrieval Committee (CRRRC) and other like minded organisations led by CRRRC's Coordinator P Maniarasan laid a siege to the office of the Central Excise here.

Mr Maniarasan told newsmen that similar agitations were held at various central government offices across Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur districts and Chidambaram in Cuddalore district, to draw the Union Government's attention.

He expressed his concern over the non-cooperation among the political parties here as compared to the politicians and others in Karnataka who had been protesting against the releasing of even surplus water to Tamil Nadu from Kabini reservoir in Karnataka

Maniarasan claimed that Karnataka should have released 44 tmc of water for June and July altogether if the board had been constituted. "As the board was not constituted and the water was not released, the Tamil Nadu government should utilize the protests of the people to highlight our stand in the Cauvery water issue and take up the matter with the Prime Minister," said Maniarasan.

The planned protest in front of central government offices including head post offices, central excise offices in Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur districts was carried out by hundreds of protesters led Cauvery Retrieval Group consisting of some parties like TDPK, MDMK, traders organisation and consumer organisations. The protesters attempted to stage a picketing in front of those offices.

However, police were well prepared to stop them from picketing the central government offices. A large posse of police personnel were deployed in front of the central excise office in Trichy and Thanjavur to prevent the protesters. Police had also placed barricades in front of the offices.

(Courtesy: Times of India and UNI)

Cauvery retrieval group to protest against Government of India!

TRICHY: Feeling let down by the newly-elected government on the Cauvery water issue, various farmers associations, consumers and traders organizations under the banner 'Cauvery Rights Retrieval Group' have decided to stage massive protests in delta districts on Monday.

The group accused the Karnataka government for allegedly considering it a 'racial issue' instead of seeing it as a water dispute. The retrieval group have decided to stage picketing in front of central government offices in Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur on July 21 for not constituting Cauvery Water Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee as directed in the final verdict of the Cauversy River Water Disputes Tribunal.

"We expected that the NDA government would solve the water dispute by constituting a Cauvery management board and regulation committee, but, they failed to do so. Karnataka is seeing it as a racial issue. So, we have decided to stage protests to get back our rights," P Maniarasan, president of Tamil Desiya Podhuvudamai Katchi told reporters in Trichy on Sunday.

He expressed concern over the disunity among politicians here in protesting against the Karnataka government's initiatives taken to prevent the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. "Politicians, including the elected representatives as well as people in Karnataka vehemently oppose whenever the court rules go in favor of Tamil Nadu. Unfortunately, politicians and people in Tamil Nadu rarely register their protest. First and foremost, there must be unity in this issue even if they are divided in various other issues," Maniarasan said. The Cauvery rights retrieval group in the state demanded the government to call for an all party meeting to pressurise the prime minister Narendra Modi to put an end to the issue. "Like Karnataka, our state government should also discuss the issue with all party leaders in the state. They should meet the PM to mount pressure on him to implement the Cauvery management board," said Maniarasan.

The retrieval group urged the state government to take steps to get 30 tmc of water from Karnataka for Kuruvai cultivation. "As per the final verdict of the tribunal, Karnataka should release 10 tmc of water in June and 34 tmc in July. But, if our government takes steps to get at least 30 tmc, it will help Kuruvai cultivation," he said.

(Courtesy: Times of India)

Tamil activists headed by Comrad P.Maniarasan arrested for staging protest near education minister's house!

CHENNAI: At least 150 Tamil activists were arrested when they tried to stage a protest near state school education minister K C Veeramani's house on Greenways Road at Adyar here on Wednesday morning.

The members of the Joint Committee for Tamil-Based Education, led by its state coordinator Maniyarasan, were protesting against the state government's policy of encouraging English medium schools. They shouted slogans demanding the state government promote Tamil medium schools.

The Chennai police, who got a tip-off about the protest, deployed a huge posse of personnel near the minister's house. Police arrested the protesters when they tried to march towards the minister's house.

The activists were detained at a corporation community hall near Adyar and were booked under Section 151 of the CrPC.

"We would launch an agitation, if the new Indian government failed to heed to our appeal" - Comrade P.Maniarasan declares!

Farmers of the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur have appealed to the new government to be formed at the Centre to form the Cauvery Management Board and Water Regulation Committees to implement the final award of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal.

“We hope that the Narendra Modi government will do justice to Tamil Nadu,” said S. Ranganathan, secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association.

Cauvery was one of the oldest river water disputes in the country, and the unique feature was that sharing of distress as the Cauvery was a deficit river, Mr. Ranganathan said. “When there is surplus, there is no problem. Problem crops up only when there is a deficit. The Tribunal suggested ways of sharing distress,” he said.

He said formation of the Cauvery Management Board was of utmost importance. It was unfortunate that it had not been formed for the past seven years though the final award was delivered in 2007.

In the final award, the Tribunal said: “A Cauvery Management Board on the lines of the Bakra-Beas Board should be formed. In our opinion, the necessity of setting up a suitable mechanism [a management board] is of utmost importance. Furthermore, such a mechanism should be adequately empowered. This should have powers to implement the Tribunbal’s decision. Otherwise, we [the Tribunal] are afraid that our decision would remain on paper.”

“Though the Tribunal has made it clear in its final award, the Board has not yet been formed. Unlike the Congress-led government [UPA-II] which did not take steps to form the Board, we hope the Modi government will address this issue on a priority basis,” Mr. Ranganathan said.

“Formation of such a Board will be a prelude to nationalisation of rivers,” he said.

P. Maniarasan, convener of the Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu, said the Cauvery Management Board should be formed by the new government before June 7 so that water could be released from the Mettur dam on the traditional date of June 12 for the cultivation of Kuruvai crop. “If the government failed to heed to our appeal, we would launch an agitation,” Mr. Maniarasan said.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

Demand to constitute Cauvery Management Board by June 5

Plan to organise agitation in Cauvery delta districts

A conference on Cauvery organised by the Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu in Thanjavur urged the Central Government to form the Cauvery Management Board before June 5, 2014.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the conference held here on Saturday.

The resolution said that every year water will be released from Mettur dam on the traditional date of June 12 for Kuruvai cultivation. “So it will be appropriate if the Board is constituted before June 5. If the Centre delays constitution of the board, the Kuzhu will organise agitations before Central Government offices in Cauvery delta districts on June 27”, the resolution said.

It also pointed out that already a year has rolled by after the final Award of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal was gazetted on February 19, 2013. As per the recommendations made in the final Award, the board should have been constituted immediately. Water Regulation Committees should also be constituted, the resolution said.

The conference also said that a sum of Rs. 2,500 per quintal of paddy should be fixed as procurement price. For Sugarcane it should be Rs. 3,500 per tonne. The conference urged both central and state governments to drop the proposed Methane extraction project in the Cauvery delta districts. Besides threatening food security, the project when implemented will pollute environment and turn Cauvery delta into a desert, a resolution adopted in the conference said.

Speaking at the conference, P.Nedumaran, President, Ulaga Thamizhar Peramaippu, called for unity among Tamils to achieve “our rights in the Cauvery issue”. He said that politicians of Tamil Nadu should also unite cutting across party lines to fight for Cauvery water. “We could get justice only because Supreme Court intervened and gave orders seven times”, he said.

Kolathur Mani of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, P.Maniarasan, Convenor of Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu, Thanjai Ramamurthy, senior advocate, Paranthaman, former Superintending Engineer of PWD, also spoke.