[Marxistindia] Polit Bureau Communique

[news from the cpi(m)]

August 1, 2019
Press Communique
 
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi
on July 31, 2019.   It has issued the following statement:
 
Devastating Economic Slowdown
 
The overall economic slowdown and the menacingly rising unemployment
accompanied by deepening agrarian distress are having a devastating impact
on the livelihood conditions of the vast majority of our people.  
 
India's industrial core sector growth has dropped to a 44 month low of 0.2
per cent in June 2019, compared to a 7.8 per cent growth in June 2018.  
 
The automobile industry that employs nearly four crore people and
contributes 7.5 per cent to the country's GDP and 49 per cent to the
manufacturing GDP is in deep crisis.  10 of the 17 car companies have posted
negative sales growth.  The consequent cut in production is laying off
workers and is likely to lead to large-scale loss of jobs in this sector.
Already it is reported that over ten lakh people are being laid off in the
auto ancillary industry. 
 
Large-Scale Privatisation: Upon being re-elected, the Modi government has
announced large-scale privatization across the board.  42 defence production
units are to be privatized.  The 42 ordinance factories, DRDO units and all
military engineering services employ more than four lakh workers currently.
With privatization, their future is at stake. Apart from six airports
privatized earlier with the contract going on to the Adanis, the government
has announced the privatization of 20-25 more airports.  Indian railways is
being privatized step by step. This government has prepared a roadmap to
lower its stake in all Central Public Sector Enterprises to 49 per cent in
three years.  
 
Data Manipulation: While the economy continues to be on a downslide, the
government is resorting to large-sale fudging of data to conceal the truth.
It has now been shown that most budget calculations are based on manipulated
data.  There is a glaring omission of at least Rs. 1.7 lakh crore in the
budget accounts.  Revenues are shown inflated when the GST collections have
registered a sharp drop from the announced targets.  According to the CAG,
the government's fiscal deficit has reached 3.42 lakh crore for the June
quarter which is 61.4 per cent of the budget estimate for 2019-20.  Three
more quarters remain in this financial year.  It is clear that the
government is unable to maintain any fiscal discipline that it boasts about.

 
Data on employment is not being collected, despite the proof that
unemployment is the highest today in the last half a century.  The data on
distress suicides by farmers is not being  collected, so the degree of
agrarian distress now goes unreported and, hence, unattended. 
 
Crony Capitalism: The loot of the country's wealth, through the loans taken
from the nationalized banks, continues unabated despite the government
claiming a decline in the level of the NPAs.  In fact, the banks' own
records show a rise of actual NPA amount by Rs. 2,30,811 crores in the
current year.  This is after Rs. 1.96 lakh crores has been written off in
2018-19.  
 
Assaults on Parliamentary Institution
 
All independent Constitutional authorities are being undermined rapidly.  
 
Parliamentary Procedures: This BJP government is pushing through important
legislations in the very first Parliament session after the elections.  Once
the Parliament constitutes its Standing and House Committees, then all
legislative business introduced in the Parliament is normally sent for
scrutiny by the concerned committees.  This practice has been done away with
by this government.  No committee has been constituted so far.  Parliament
session has been extended with the declared intention by the government of
passing at least 17 important legislations without a serious consideration
of all the law-making ramifications.  
 
The demands by the opposition parties to at least constitute select
committees to scrutinize the Bills was rejected by the government.  All
these Bills have been cleared by the Parliament through the BJP exercising
the tyranny of the majority.  
 
Undermining Federalism: An amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act (UAPA) has been passed where the Home Ministry has now legal authority
to declare any individual as a terrorist in any state and need not inform
the concerned state government.  The properties of such identified people
can be confiscated.  Individuals expressing dissent can now be declared as
terrorists arbitrarily.  The principle of jurisprudence has been turned
upside down by placing the onus on the person on whom allegations are being
made to prove his/her innocence.  Instead of being innocent till guilt is
proved, now the principle is of being guilty till you prove your innocence.
This will lead to large-scale harassment, vindictiveness and gross
injustice.  The federal principle has been given the go-by with the state
governments, under whose jurisdiction is the subject `law and order', will
be bypassed.  
 
The RTI Bill has been amended virtually nullifying the right to information.
Clearly, the government has a lot to hide and it does not want its internal
workings and the huge benefits it provides to its cronies to be exposed in
the public domain.  This is completely violative of the fundamental rights
guaranteed by the Constitution.
 
The Triple Talaq Bill has been passed which criminalises the breakdown of a
civil contract of marriage. This also has the potential for gross misuse
against the Muslim minorities.  
 
The usage of the CBI to serve the political agenda of the BJP continues.
Likewise, the Enforcement Department of the Finance Ministry is also being
grossly misused. The threats issued by these agencies are often aimed at
disarming the regional political parties, forcing them into submission and
engineering defections.
 
Likewise, the Supreme Court and the judiciary, the Election Commission, the
RBI, the CA&AG are all under similar pressure with varying degrees.  All
this is undermining the Constitutional order in the country. 
 
Authoritarian Assaults:  During these two months of this government, there
has been an unprecedented rise in the attacks on democratic rights and civil
liberties of people.  A large number of people have been arrested in Uttar
Pradesh for sharing `objectionable content' against BJP Chief Minister.
Similarly, various people have been arrested from other BJP-ruled states
like Assam, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Goa etc. This is creating a sense of fear
in the social media where authors, writers and individuals are being
targeted under the draconian Section 66A of the IT Act despite the Supreme
Court ruling against this section.  
 
This government has declared that it will replace all the 17 existing labour
laws and, in its place, bring in 4 labour codes.  Already attacks on
democratic rights of the working class have been growing.  This proposed
codification is designed to undermine the rights of the working people that
were achieved through decades of struggles. These hard-won rights cannot be
allowed to be removed or diluted.  
 
The spread of hatred and intolerance is also targeting social activists  and
human rights activists in the name of either `urban naxals', or, `tukde
tukde gang' etc.  The objective is to silence all expression of dissent
against this government, the RSS, the BJP and their leaders.
 
Kashmir
 
The Polit Bureau demands that the elections to the state Assembly of Jammu &
Kashmir be held immediately.  Despite all political parties in the state
demanding simultaneous elections in J & K, the elections to the dissolved
Assembly were not held along with the Lok Sabha elections.  No clear
explanation is being provided. If the security concerns could permit the
Parliament elections, how come  then the Assembly elections not be held?  
 
The announcements by various BJP leaders, including the Union Home Minister,
about the Centre's intention to annul Article 35 of the Constitution that
deals with Jammu & Kashmir's autonomy will further sever the bonds of unity
between the people of J & K and the rest of India. This matter is currently
under consideration by the Supreme Court. Let the judicial process by
completed.  The BJP government continues to refuse to initiate the
long-promised political dialogue with all stakeholders.  This is essential
to restore normalcy and peace in the valley.  The additional deployment by
the government is officially stated to be a response to an increased threat
perception of terrorist attacks.  Unless the process of dialogue begins
simultaneously, the situation cannot normalized in J & K.  
 
Toppling State Governments
 
The open manner in which the BJP indulged in naked horse-trading to topple
the Congress-JD(S) state government in Karnataka is a pointer towards its
intention of creating an opposition-free India.  Whatever may have been the
problems with the coalition government in Karnataka, it is clear that the
BJP, which tried to stop this government from assuming office soon after the
Assembly elections, has continued with its efforts to destabilize the
government. It is now targeting other opposition-ruled states.  
 
NRC Process in Assam
 
The final list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is to be
published by August 31. So far, 40.7 lakh and an additional 1.02 lakh
applicants have been excluded from the NRC. There are apprehensions that
many genuine Indian citizens have been excluded from the Register.  It is
necessary to ensure that all such people are given a fair opportunity after
the final list is published for their appeals to be heard.  The Foreigners
Tribunal cannot be the forum as it is not a judicial body.  The government
must also spell out what will be the status and rights of those who will
become "non-citizens".
 
The Polit Bureau also expressed concern at the plight of those who are kept
in detention camps after their being declared foreigners. The conditions are
poor with bad food and overcrowding. It is reported that 335 of them are
those retained for more than three years. The government cannot run
detention centres with such deplorable conditions and by violating the basic
human rights of the detenu. 
 
Negating the FRA
 
Adivasis across the country have expressed their deep concern at the utter
failure of the Modi government to defend the Forest Rights Act in the
ongoing petition against the Act before the Supreme Court. The threat of
eviction hangs over 23 lakh adivasi families who have been denied pattas.
The CPI(M) demands unequivocal defence of the FRA by the Central government
and to ensure there are no evictions. At the same time, instead of scrapping
the colonial Forest Act 1927 which was an instrument to deny tribal
communities their rights over the forests and forest produce, the Modi
government has drafted amendments which make it even more draconian. CPI(M)
demands withdrawal of the amendments. The CPI(M) supports the struggles of
adivasis for justice against these assaults by the Central government.
 
BJP's Hypocrisy on `Beti Bachao'
 
The Unnao rape case of a minor and the subsequent criminal acts by the BJP
MLA the main accused, to eliminate the complainant and her family have
shocked the entire country and thoroughly exposed the BJP's utterly
hypocritical claims of "beti bachao". The criminal has only now been
expelled from the party after national outrage. The Supreme Court's welcome
order to shift the four related cases out of UP is an indictment of the UP
Government which has tried to subvert the processes of justice to defend the
rape accused. This case symbolizes the terrible plight of rape survivors who
face huge hurdles in their struggle for justice. At a time when there is a
big increase in sexual crimes against women and particularly children,  the
CPI(M) demands implementation of the Verma Committee recommendations for
preventive measures and for swift justice.
 
Grave Flood Situation
 
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep concern over the ravages
created by floods in various parts of the country.  Many rivers are in spate
leading to large-scale destruction and loss of life.  The states of Assam,
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and many others have been ravaged by severe floods.  
 
The Polit Bureau calls upon the Central government to provide all the
necessary assistance to the state governments on a war footing to contain
any further damage.
 
Centenary of the Foundation of the Communist Party of India
 
The Communist Party of India was formed on October 17, 1920 at Tashkent.
The Polit Bureau gave a call for the observance of this centenary to the
entire Party from October 17, 2019  to October 17, 2020.  The rich history
of the Communist movement in our country, its contributions to India's
struggle for freedom and the post-independence struggles for the improvement
of people's livelihood and the struggle for the rights of the working class
and peasantry will be highlighted.
 
 
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