The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.44           December 9, 1996 
 
 
25 & 50 Years Ago  

December 10, 1971
NOVEMBER 30 - Indian foreign minister Jagjivan Ram, speaking to a Calcutta rally of 50,000 on November 28, made the first public announcement that official Indian policy on the Pakistan border conflict had changed. Ram said Indian generals had been instructed to "advance as many miles into Pakistani territory as the range of the Pakistani guns." The escalation of the war of words (other speakers at the rally spoke of the army's determination to "break Pakistan into pieces") followed the most intense week of fighting to date along the Indian-East Bengal border.

According to the Indian government, the major fighting was conducted by the Mukti Bahini, the national liberation forces of Bangla Desh. One Mukti Bahini commander, Maj. Jill-Ed, said November 22 that a Mukti Bahini force of between 8,000 and 12,000 was encircling the city of Jessore. He denied that Indian solders were involved.

Pakistan's assertion that India had embarked on all-out war is almost certainly false. It appears that India is successfully carrying out its semiofficially stated objective - to give military support to offensives of the Mukti Bahini while gradually capturing enough land in East Bengal to return the refugees and establish an independent East Bengal under the Indian tutelage.

The offensive that began November 21 seems to have been initiated by the Mukti Bahini, and not the Indian army.

December 7, 1946
ST. PAUL, November 29 - Now in its fifth day, the largest teachers' strike in the history of the United States has shut down all St. Paul schools. Called by the Teachers Joint Council, central board for Locals 28 and 43 of the American Federation of Teachers, 1,165 teachers are taking part in the walkout. Hundreds of school children and their parents have joined the teachers who are picketing every grade and high school in the city.

The decision to strike was made by the teachers' unions despite tremendous pressure from taxpayers associations and similar groups. Prior to the walkout, the bold and arrogant city officials had threatened the teachers with loss of their jobs, tenure and teaching certificates if they went on strike.

Aid given the striking teachers by the city's Parent- Teachers Association has been a significant factor in the situation. In a resolution adopted on the eve of the strike, the Maxfield School PTA led off with a call for active support of the teachers' picket lines. Introduced by Mrs. Dorothy Schultz, a member of the Maxfield PTA for several years, the resolution was unanimously adopted. (Dorothy Schultz was the Socialist Workers Party candidate for Congress in the recent elections.)

Publication of the Maxfield PTA resolution in the daily press stimulated other PTA groups in the city to take similar action. Despite the intense cold of the last few days, with the temperature dropping to zero, mothers and fathers with their children of all ages have appeared on the school picket lines. True to their calling, the teachers have maintained very neat and orderly picket lines!  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home