Last Russian Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate on March 15, 1917 after the revolution. He was killed On July 16, 1918 in Yekatarinburg. He was alive after the revolution for more than one year. He did not accept the revolution or tried to reconciliate with the changed circumstances. He used to wear the dress and all the signs of symbols of his Tsar era, wanted a life style that he had enjoyed once and kept some servants with him. He tried to plot to overthrow the new communist regime and hoped in vain that Britian, the US or some of his old royal pals would come to rescue him. Had Lenin or any of of his comrades wanted to kill him, they could do so immediately after overthrowing him. Actually, he was given time to change himself with the time, but he did not. Even when his daughters Olga and Maria were killed, they were wearing a cloth containing 1.5 kilograms of gold that was embroidered on it.

And what about lakhs of the Russians that were killed in the bloody war and the revolution. Nicholas was so cruel that the historians nicknamed him "Nicholas the Bloody". He is still remembered for the infamous the Khodynka Tragedy, Bloody Sunday, and the anti-Semitic pogroms that occurred during his reign.

As for Lenin's letter is concerned, I would request you to come out with the letter. But I would request you also to understand the time that was. The Tsar regime had destroyed the entire economy of the country, that was already in tatters due to the wars that the foolish king had waged. After the revolution there were feudal elements that wanted to overthrow the new regime and bring back their own old king, with Nicholus the second still alive. They did whatever they could to create problems and destroy the revolution. Hoarding was the easiest way. I do not know whether Lenin had written to kill them, but any ruler in that situations should have done it. Remember, our own leader in India saying that those who hoard should be killed by hanging them on the lamp post.

And my dear sir, Rajdhani Express was not hijacked. It was not taken away anywhere. It was stopped for hours and the drivers were asked to come out of the engine. They did so.

What is new in this? Those who live in the state of West Bengal or are acquainted with it will tell you what the politics of bundh is. West Bengal has witnessed umpteen number of bundhs by all parties-Trinamool, Congress and the CPIM. Of course the CPIM has been far ahead of these two parties. The bundhs in the state is so severe that no tram, bus, or train is allowed to run, airports are closed. Except chief minister and some of his colleagues, no one comes to Writers Buildings that day. You will find children playing cricket on roads. No shop, no office will remain. You will not find a small tea stall opened there. I have worked as a journalist in a Hindi national daily of repute. Our office used to arrange food and tea on the day in advance so that no one have to remain without food or tea that day.

All the trains including Rajdhani Express have been stopped on most of the bundhs, and that too for ours, some times for 10 hours.

The only difference is that this time, the organisers of the bundh were PCPA, perhaps associated with the Naxals. Naxals only wanted to push their point and make their presence felt, Violence was not their motive, otherwise they could have removed the fish-plates or sprayed bullets on the hapless passengers. They could have killed people, they did not.

Development. Yes, when we talk of development, it is 'our' development, roads, bridges, factories, power houses and new jobs. And most important of all these, commissions for our leaders, buraucrats, contractors. New companies will also bring advertisements to newspapers and news channels and we would get fat pay packets, lakhs of rupees in our salaries. But what about those who are forced to give the land for the project? They are thrown out of the areas, where their ancestors and they have been living from the time immemorial. They are paid a very little amount of money with no alternative livelihood. Even if they are given good compensation, they have every right to say no. Wlll you vacate your flat if you do not want to? Multinational companies and their agents in the country are getting the rights to exploit minerals at a throw away price for they pay money to the political parties and leaders and they use it to strengthen their base and increase personal gain. Should not the tribal or any one who does not want to give the land, protest against this nefarious design?

When you talk of development, perhaps you are inspired by the development carried out by the people like Madhu Koda.


The present system is exploitative and the political system is a tool. Bourgeoisie democracy is no solution to any problem. Ask US Federal Reserve head Ben Barnanke and George Bush. They used to say that market would correct itself and failed miserably. And there are more than 20% people below the poverty line in the US, 40% people have no health insurance cover, about 40% have no home of their own. Charitable houses run free eating centres in places like Manhattan, the richest piece of land on the earth. Prostitution is rampant there and the night life is notorious.

Naxals should join the mainstream! Why? Are not CPIM, the CPI and the other like-minded people are sufficient enough to cheat the people and work for the bourgeoisie class? There is no difference between them on one hand and Congress and the BJP on the other.

Maoists

Maoists in India including those working in West Bengal have stories to tell. They are being marked as terrorists. They are painted as a gang of criminals, on a killing spree. But Maoists are not a gang of criminals and they are not on a killing spree. They are not killing anyone going on the roads and robbing a man of his possession. The rebels are fighting for a cause and you have every right to disagree with them, but opposing State terrorism in not the act of a criminal. So, you can not call them a band of thugs. Nepalese Maoists were also called criminals and history had proved who were the real criminals-those who had hatched the conspiracy and killed their own relatives or those who were fighting for the people. I too do not support every act of the Maoists, but salute them for standing against the State oppression. And the Maoists have no support base? The Red Corridor has not been created in a day and believe me, it has not come down form the Mars.

I remember the days when the CPIM used to rally behind Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. It is a15-20-year old story. They have also praised the Shining Path and the FARC. Many of them, including those studying in the red bastion of the JNU, might have dreamt to follow the path of Che Guevara. There are reasons for this shift and we may discuss on this sometimes else. But let us go back comrades! It is still not too late.