[Marxistindia] convention on right to food and against price rise

[news from the cpi(m)]

26th August, 2009


 *Press Release*


 In a well attended national convention at Mavalankar hall--over 1500
delegates from across the country, the CPI(M) General Secretary, Prakash
Karat, gave a call for a nationwide struggle on the demands on three main
issues --relief measures for the drought affected, against exorbitant price
rise and for food security. While welcoming in principle the proposal of the
UPA Government for a Food Security Act, he rejected the specific suggestions
made by the Central Government as retrograde. He announced the joint Left
parties decision to hold state-level rallies and meetings during
September-October. He said other State level parties who support the demands
could also participate in the struggles.


 The *National Convention For The Right To Food And Against Price Rise *at
the Mavalankar Hall, was inaugurated by the Tripura Chief Minister and Polit
Bureau Member Manik Sarkar and the inaugural session was addressed by
eminent economists Prof. Madhura Swaminathan, and Prof. Jayati Ghosh. Polit
Bureau Member S. Ramachandran Pillai chaired the session. Member of Rajya
Sabha and Polit Bureau Member Brinda Karat placed the resolution on the
issues before the Convention. The resolution contained three sets of demands
on drought, price rise and alternative proposals for the Food Security Act.


 Inaugurating the Convention Manik Sarkar emhasised that the Food Security
Act that is being proposed by the Congress-led UPA Government in its present
form will only institutionalise food insecurity and it will further worsen
the problem of malnutrition.


 The second session chaired by Polit Bureau Member M.K.Pandhe came up with
the experiences of the CPI(M)'s intervention in Left ruled states as well as
the constructive intervention by elected representatives of the CPI(M) in
Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Speaking in this session on Left interventions,
the Finance Ministers of Bengal and Kerala Asim Dasgupta and Thomas Isaac
respectively outlined the governmental initiatives to provide relief to the
people in the wake of rising prices. Under the innovative interventions in
the two states more commodities are being distributed through the PDS and a
wider criteria is being used to identify beneficiaries. Notably Kerala
Government has doubled the numbers of families under the BPL category as
opposed to the Centrally sanctioned number. It has also been decided to
include all the SC/ST/fishing community and all in the unorganised sector
under the BPL. Kerala and Bengal also supply rice at Rs.2/kg.


 The Convention held two other sessions on (1) anamolies in the BPL and APL
categories and problems of access to the PDS; (2) Problems connected with
production and procurement. These were chaired by Polit Bureau Member, K
Varadarajan, Central Committee Members, Subhashini Ali, A Vijayaraghavan,
Suneet Chopra, Sudha Sundaraman, Kisan leader N.K. Shukla and youth leaders
Tapas Sinha and Sriramakrishan. Nineteen speakers from as many States gave
their experiences. They included delegates from tribal and scheduled caste
areas, minority dominated areas, women including a widow of a suicide farmer
and speakers from drought hit States.


 Concluding the Convention Member of Parliament and Polit Bureau Member
Sitaram Yechury said with the main opposition party the BJP in doldrums, the
Government thinks they can do what they like. The opposition is from the
people against price rise and food insecurity and the CPI(M) will intensify
its struggle for justice and against inequalities.