Friday, January 4, 2008

Maoists hit police posts on Jharkhand-Orissa border

RANCHI: Maoists struck simultaneously at two police outposts on either side of the Jharkhand-Orissa border early Wednesday killing a constable and injuring seven more cops, a day when Union home minister Shivraj Patil was visiting Orissa. Jharkhand police said about 150 Naxalites armed with sophisticated guns attacked the outpost at Bansjora in Giridih district close to the Orissa border. The Naxalites lobbed bombs and more than a thousand rounds of fire was exchanged between the Revolutionaries and reactionaries. Constable Sunil Kumar Sahi died in a hospital in Rourkela where the other six injured cops, including the outpost incharge Amar Nath Paswan are being treated. As the Union home minister visited Kandhmal district in Orissa, which was hit by communal violence last week, Maoists reacted progressively and attacked a police outpost at Baunsajhar in the state near the Jharkhand border to advance the unity of people in revolutionary struggle.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Release Govindan Kutty, the Editor of People's March Unconditionally
Withdraw False Case Fabricated on the Editor


On December 19th the Kerala Police, under the orders of Ernakulum Police Commissioner, raided the room of Govindan Kutty, 65, the editor and publisher of Peoples March which is not a banned publication and confiscated all his literature and computer hard disk. Govindan Kutty was arrested under the charges of spreading sedition and indulging in unlawful activities and was remanded in judicial custody by a lower court at Aluva in Kerala. He was implicated in a fabricated case under a number of clauses like section 134 A and 163B of Indian Penal Code and 13 of (1) b of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and sent to Aluva prison.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the State under the close instructions of UPA Government at the Centre resorted to this crackdown on the popular revolutionary magazine. Govindan Kutty, according to his lawyers, was harassed and psychologically tortured for a day in the name of interrogation before being sent to judicial custody. Ever since he was arrested he was on hunger strike protesting against the trampling down of his right to freedom of speech and Freedom of Press.

He continues his protest within the four walls of the prison demanding his unconditional release. His lawyer who met him two days ago said that his health condition was serious given his age and chronic ailments with which has been suffering. His life is in a serious threat.

The arrest of Govindan Kutty and the police crackdown on the office of the publication was an attack on the freedom of press.

As hundreds of thousands of people from all corners of the world know, the People's March supports all revolutionary movements including the Maoist movements in India, Nepal and elsewhere. It is a fully legal publication registered with Indian registrar of Newspapers of the Government of India with the RNI number KER ENG/2000/2051 and the postal registration number: KL/EKM/614/2007-09. The magazine has been coming out for over 7 years (since 1998) meeting all the legal requirements. The magazine has been freely available not only in bookstalls all over India, but also in prominent libraries in New Delhi and other major cities in India and abroad.

The People's March publishes news reports and interviews of Maoists, both from India and abroad like all other hundreds of magazines and newspapers in India. It is People's March today which is under attack, tomorrow all other media will face the same threat if we don't raise our voice against this attack on freedom of press.

A year ago the website of People's March was blocked by the Indian Government without assigning any reasons. When its editors started publishing the online magazine through a blog on googlepages, it was also blocked by Google in December 2007, under the pressure of Indian Government.

The arrest of the editor and the foisting of fake charges against him are nothing but an attempt of the Government of India to further stifle freedom of speech in the country. The so-called largest democracy in the world with a gigantic army, Paramilitary and police force feels threatened by a mere monthly magazine with a limited circulation of a few thousands in print. This action displays the fascist character of the Indian state and the cowardly action of the Kerala police.

The Revolutionary Democratic Front appeals to all democratic and revolutionary organizations and individuals to raise their voice against the arrest of the editor of People's March, a popular independent revolutionary newspaper from India.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Govindan Kutty and allow the continued publication of People's March. We hold the government entirely responsible in the face of any damage to his health or threat to his life due to hunger strike within jail.

Rajkishore

General Secretary

Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF)

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Transcript of ‘Baitullah’s phone call

Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:21 am (PST)

Transcript of € ¦’±Baitullah€ ¦’²s phone call€ ¦’²Here is the AFP's translation of the transcript of thealleged telephone conversation on Friday from seniorAl Qaeda leader Baitullah Mehsud to another militantthat the Pakistan interior ministry said had beenintercepted after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto।The ministry said it had been translated from Pashtoto Urdu। This is translation from the ministry's Urduto English।Maulvi Sahib (MS): Assalaam Aleikum.Baitullah Mehsud (BM): Waleikum Assalaam.MS: Chief, how are you?BM: I am fine.MS: Congratulations, I just got back during the night.BM: Congratulations to you, were they our men?MS: Yes they were ours. BM: Who were they?MS: There was Saeed, there was Bilal from Badar andIkramullah.BM: The three of them did it?MS: Ikramullah and Bilal did it.BM: Then congratulations.MS: Where are you? I want to meet you.BM: I am at Makeen (town in South Waziristan tribalregion), come over, I am at Anwar Shah's house.MS: OK, I'll come. BM: Don't inform their house for the time being.MS: OK.BM: It was a tremendous effort. They were really braveboys who killed her.MS: Mashallah. When I come I will give you all thedetails. BM: I will wait for you. Congratulations, once againcongratulations.MS: Congratulations to you.BM: Anything I can do for you?MS: Thank you very much.BM: Assalaam Aleikum.MS: Waaleikum Assalaam.€ ¦’·AFP

Security Forces recover huge haul of explosives in Uttar Pradesh

Security Forces recovered a huge haul of explosives acting on a specific intelligence tip off from their sleuths in Sonebhdra district of Uttar Pradesh in India.

The operation was conducted jointly by Uttar Pradesh Police, Bihar Police and Central Para military Forces.

However police has not arrested any one till now and investigations were on to catch those responsible for storing and dumping of explosives told sources.