'state of emergency' on 26 June 1975.
Contrary to the claims of Pravda and the Comminist Party of India (CPI) - who argue that by means of the emergency regulations, the progressive bourgeois regime of Indira Gandhi is seeking to carry out the national democratic stage of the revolution - the main thrust of the state of emergency is directed against the working class, the rural poor and left wing critics.
For example, in theory it is illegal to initiate strikes or lock-outs. In practice it is only the strikes which have been banned.
Exploiting the emergency regulamade to workers should be halved - from eight per cent to four per cent. While strikers and trade union 'agitators' who oppose these measures are arrested and detained without trial, the capitalists continue to sack workers and declare lock-outs.
Two militants of the Fourth International from Kanpur, Raj Narain Singh and Jabanath, were arrested on 4 October and are still being held in custody. Like most other worker militants, they are being held under Defence of India Regulation (DIR) 36/43, which means that they were 'attempting to overthrow The Government ordered a news black-out on the Bihar mining disaster, in which 372 -WHATS ONVIVA PORTUGALI Bristol Fl Soc presents 90 at Essex MRI, University Union, Queens Road.
MANCHESTER Angola Solidarity Committee cam saian. 27 Jan: 12.45. film and speaker at Saltord University Union: 7.30 nublic meetina with LabOL MP etc at W. Indian Centre, Carmoor Rd-followed by social till 1am (late bar). 29 Jan: 12.45, film and тcе reg'Angola' and speaker, Stockport UNA, Central Uni ted Reform Church, Milibrook St (behind AUEW).
ist paper produced by the League for Socialist Action with the aim of taking up issues of importance in te labour, black, stugents ana women s woere coverage or natonal Hoeraton struggios as in tre Jaded aul 1o adel leilaca de ao liM 'ÁRD01 DURI Subscription rate: 6 issues E1, 12 issues E2-con tact Dave MacLeod, 1 Pretoria Rd, London SW16.
REVOLUTIONARY Communist Group: "Troops Fri 23 January.
NAC National Planning Meeting, Sat 31 Jan, Astor University, Birmingham. Perspectives, 3 April demo and regional co-ordination to be discussed. New ALRA Bill to be oresentedi the Government. The real reason for their detention, however, was their attempts, along with other workers at the J.K. Jute Mill, to express their opposition to the arbitrary reduction of the bonus payments.
NO TRIAL Most of the right-wing activists who were arrested after the emergency have been released. Many of them were held in custody for only a few days. In contrast, the 50,000 prisoners who have been held in custody since 1966/67 are still being held without trial.
nor masses Their ranks are being constantly swollen by worker militants desperate. Even the pro-Government CPI has been forced to admit that 30,000 workers have so far been jailed under the emergency. According to the 11 January issue of its journal New Age, 16,000 were arrested on a single day, 6 January, when the trade unions organised a national hunger strike to coincide with the opening of the new parliamentary EXECUTIONS The Indira regime is also attempting to use the state of emergency to execute poor peasants and 'Untouch able' leaders like Boomiah and Gowd. The latter, although sentenced to death long ago, have escaped this fate through widespread public protest. Such executions would be welcomed by the capitalist farmers, who could step up their attempts to exploit and repress the rural poor and evict them unlawfully from their The situation is welcomed by the bourgeoisie both at home and abroad, because the implementation of anti-working class measures requires a long period of 'political stability'. Nevertheless, all is not well for the Indian ruling class. For instance the price stability they have boasted about so much is coming to an end; and the much heralded '20 point programme' has failed to alleviate the acute problems of poverty, unemployment and misery of the Above all, the failure of the Stalinist and Maoist parties to provide ted a deep re-evaluation of political strategy and tactics. Today, hun dreds of militants are beginning to accept the basic ideas of Trotskyism — of the permanent revolution.
Militants in India are compelled to struggle under very difficult circumstances. Political detainees are often held in detention without trial for months and years. In these circumstances it is essential for revolutionaries in other parts of the world to organise solidarity actions with these militants.
In Britain, it is particularly important to expose the complicity of the British Labour Party leaders, who have just given £100 million to prop up the Indira regime. Contrast this with Callaghan's statement about not giving aid to dietatorial regimes' in relation to the Goncalves Government in Portugal. Full support must be given to all actions which break the ring of silence so carefully cultivated around the facts of the situation in India today. Rana Roy DEMONSTRATE IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS Join the Campaign for the Release of Indian Political Prisoners (CRIPP) contingent in the demo on Sunday 25 Janassemble 1pm Speakers Corner -release all political prisoners -end the prison killings -halt the torture of prisoners and detainees *demo organised by Alliance Against Dictatorship in India CRIPP address: 22 Boundary Road, London NW8 (328 2332).
working class movement. To be effec-
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The Congress Government of Indira Gandhi has decreed that the general elections due to be held this year will be postponed for a further 12 months. It has also declared its intention to intro- duce a number of amendments to the Indian constitution which will further restrict opposition following the imposition of the