Democratic Palestine : 16 (ص 30)
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- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 16 (ص 30)
- المحتوى
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people are achieving substantial prog-
ress under the PDPA’s leadership. The
security and military situation is improv-
ing. Daily victories are scored by the
DRA’s army, assisted by Soviet troops.
Many people who were misled to join the
terrorist gangs are returning to their
homes and changing sides.
Accomplishments on the economic,
social and political levels are also great.
In the field of education, the DRA has
repaired 50% of the 1800 schools that
had been burnt by the gangs. Thirty new
schools have been built and 20 are
under construction. Of school-age chil-
dren and youth, 80% now attend school,
compared to 30% before the revolution.
In Kabul alone, there are 30,000 stu-
dents, one-third of them women. In
a country that was 90% illiterate, the lit-
eracy campaign has great importance.
At present, 1.5 million people have
graduated from literacy programs, and
half a million are currently enrolled. Prior
to the revolution, higher education was
limited to the rich, most of whom fled to
Capitalist countries with their money. In
this context, higher education assumes
strategic importance in the DRA. There
are now 10,000 Afghanis studying in
socialist countries. All education is free
of charge.
More than 84% of Afghanistan's
settled population lives in rural areas.
Land reform was one of the most impor-
tant issues in the country. Since the
revolution, 700,000 hectares have been
distributed among 320,000 landless
peasants. There are 64,700 peasants
farming in cooperatives. More than
34,500 peasants acquired land in 1985
alone.
In the field of industry, out of 213
projects built or planned with the help of
the Soviet Union, there are more than
100 projects operating successfully; 40
of these were built after 1978. Sixty per-
cent of industrial products are from
institutions built with the assistance of
the Soviet Union. The hydroelectric sta-
tion in Najlo is one of the biggest pro-
jects, producing 100,000 kilowatt elec-
tricity. There is also a big prefab housing
factory in Kabul. Research is underway
for building the first railway network in
Afghanistan. In the north of the country,
a large fertilizer plant is functioning well,
producing enough fertilizer to cover all
the needs of the country.
Last year, agricultural products
increased by 7.7%, while industrial pro-
ducts increased by 4.5%. In the last five
years, the gross national product
increased by 11%; electricity production
28
Afghani textile worker
by 48%; and cement production by
10%. The five-year plan which starts in
March 1986 projects a 25% increase in
the GNP; 28% in industrial production;
and 15% in agricultural production.
In the social field, hundreds of
thousands of square meters of housing
space have been distributed to poor
workers since the revolution. The situa-
tion of women has improved dramati-
cally in the last eight years. The
cooperative movement is growing; there
are now 556 agricultural, consumer and
craft cooperatives and 200 cooperative
stores. There are 125,000 people
involved in the cooperative movement.
The PDPA is also growing. At the
beginning of the revolution, it had 19,000
members. There are now 140,000 mem-
bers in the party. The trade union move-
ment has 200,000 members. The Youth
Organization has 150,000 members.
The National Fatherland Front has more
than 700,000 members.
The DRA is a popular democracy.
People are encouraged to participate in
governing themselves. People’s coun-
cils, called jirgahs, have spread to all
areas of the country. The Great National
Council, which is a tradition in Afghanis-
tan, plays a big role in the government. It
is composed of members of the previous
council, tribal chiefs, representatives of
the different nationalities and respected
personalities. The majority of the council
members are not PDPA members, but
the council has supported the party's
policy and the assistance of the Soviet
troops. The Revolutionary Council
recently expanded its membership by
79, most of them non-party members.
The policy of democracy has solidified
the PDPA as the vanguard of the mas-
ses and the revolution. The army and the
popular militias are more motivated than
ever to smash the ClA-backed gangs.
Even Islamic leaders support the revolu-
tion. Mawlawi Mohammad Hashim,
head of the Association of Religious
Scholars, had this to say about the CIA
gangs: «The fact that the Afghan fugi-
tives clandestinely infiltrate into Af-
ghanistan, kill people, plunder their
goods, destroy houses and mosques,
indicates that their deeds are not for the
sake of Islam, but in the interests of the
US and its mercenary Pakistani gener-
als.»
In foreign policy, the DRA follows a
policy for peace as described by Com-
rade Babrak Karmal: «The principles of
our peaceful foreign policy are clear to
all peoples of the world. This policy is
based on the principles of peaceful
coexistence, non-alignment, patriotism
and internationalism. In international
relations, we are in support of mutual
respect, non-interference in the internal
affairs of other countries and consolida-
tion of relations with all countries of the
world. The Democratic Republic of
Afghanistan, being a peace-loving coun-
try, is actively defending peace, security
and detente in the region and the world
and is against all kinds of wars, either
nuclear or non-nuclear.»
The DRA has a clear policy of sup-
port to the Palestinian people and
revolution, and supports progressive
forces internationally. 1986 is a year of
escalating US aggression and Afghanis-
tan is one target of this aggression. A
position in support of the DRA is an
imperative for all progressive forces. No
one can be neutral. °
As we were going to press, we
received news that the Central Commit-
tee of the PDPA had elected comrade
Mohammed Najeeballah as General
Secretary, after the resignation of com-
rade Babrak Karmal, due to health
reasons. Comrade Karmal retains his
posts in the PDPA Politbureau and as
President of the Revolutionary Council. - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 16
- تاريخ
- مايو ١٩٨٦
- المنشئ
- الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
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