[Marxistindia] P.B. Communique

[news from the cpi(m)]

September 19, 2019

P.B Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which met  
in New Delhi on September 18 & 19 has issued the following statement:

Mounting Attacks on India’s Constitutional Order

This Modi-II government has been mounting multiple attacks on the  
Constitutional order of the Indian Republic. Apart from the manner in  
which Jammu & Kashmir was deprived of its statehood, the consequent  
implications constitute a serious attack on India’s Constitutional  
guarantees. The isolation of the state, prohibition of all  
communication avenues, no public transport functioning, shops and  
schools remaining closed, is causing a great deal of hardships and  
disrupted normal life, particularly in the Kashmir valley. Despite  
declaring that there is normalcy, the ground realities are completely  
contradictory as reported by international and sections of the  
domestic media.

The Union Home Minister continues to make statements that violate the  
fundamental features of our Constitution. His comments on one nation,  
one language, has created widespread opposition, forcing him to  
retract the statement. He is now questioning the need for a  
multi-party system in India. Thus, the attacks on democracy,  
secularism, federalism, human rights and civil liberties continue to  
mount.

NRC Process

The chief ministers of various BJP ruled states have demanded a  
National Register of Citizens (NRC) in their states. The NRC was part  
of the Assam Accord and was specific to the state of Assam. It was  
under the direction of the Supreme Court that this process was  
conducted. Nearly 20 lakh people have been left out of the NRC in  
Assam. No genuine Indian citizen can be excluded. All the appeals by  
those excluded must be considered and adjugated by a judicial  
authority without any discrimination.

This government has revived the preparation of the National Population  
Register (NPR). A gazette notification has announced that a  
house-to-house enumeration will be done from April 2020 to September  
30, 2020. The NPR was initiated during the time of the Vajpayee  
government, 2003, by amending the Citizenship Act and Rules. This was  
proceeded even after a change in the government. But when the issue of  
Aadhaar came up and its implementation began, the NPR was abandoned  
since it was a duplication. Strangely, it has now been revived. This  
is being done in preparation for an all India NRC on the basis of this  
NPR.

Simultaneously, the Election Commission has announced Elector  
Verification Process (EVP) by asking voters to register online. This  
would be impossible in many parts of rural and interior India and will  
lead to a process of exclusion. There is already a photo identity  
electoral rolls along with EPIC card issues to all voters. This  
exercise of the EVP appears once again motivated for specific targeting.

Concurrently, the Home Minister announced that the Citizenship  
Amendment Bill (CAB) will be passed by the next session of parliament.  
He thus assures the non-Muslims who do not figure in the NRC list that  
they would be granted citizenship while denying the Muslims even if  
they are genuine citizens born and living in our country for  
generations.

All these four processes put together is clearly an indication that it  
is meant to sharpen polarisation by targeting certain sections of the  
people. Granting citizenship on the basis of religion violates the  
fundamental foundations of the Indian constitution which guarantees  
not only citizenship but also fundamental rights “irrespective of  
caste, creed or sex”.

All these exercises are unnecessary as the Aadhar cards have been  
universalized in the country. The EPIC with the photo identity  
electoral rolls has the list of all voters of the country, which is  
routinely revised every year. When all these already exist, the  
simultaneous talk of extending the NRC beyond Assam, enumeration of  
the NPR, duplication the electoral rolls by the EVP and the assurance  
of passing the CAB all indicate the efforts to sharpen polarization in  
the country in order to consolidate the RSS’s communal vote bank.

As the existing mechanisms of Aadhar, EPIC etc are already in place,  
these new processes initiated by this government are unnecessary  
duplication costing thousands of crores of expenditures which the  
country can ill afford at a time of economic recession. These must be  
halted.


Increase Foodgrain
Allocation at Subsidised Rates

The stock of foodgrains in government godowns, according to reports on  
August 19, 2019 stood at a record high of 713 lakh tonnes. All reports  
indicate a fall in real incomes and growing malnutrition, when India  
ranks at 103 amongst 119 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2018. It  
is clear that a large number of people are going hungry.

The Polit Bureau demands that foodgrain allocation at subsidized  
prices for at least a minimum of 35 kgs per family must be announced  
by the government.

Implement the Forest Rights Act

The threat of eviction of over 23 lakh adivasi families hangs in the  
ongoing Supreme Court proceedings. But this government has not taken  
the case of protection of these adivasis to their declared rights by  
not sending a senior representative to argue the case in the courts.

The Polit Bureau demands that the Forests Rights act must be  
implemented without any dilution.

Protecting Law Violators

In cases of lynching and murder of innocent people, this government  
and its agencies have been instrumental in getting the culprits off  
the hook. Those accused of violence against women including gang rapes  
are being protected. Atrocities against women are growing as are the  
attacks on Dalits and minorities in an unprecedented manner. Since  
2016, the government has not released any data on the crimes against  
women.

The Polit Bureau demands that the guilty must be punished in  
accordance with law. This Modi government should stop patronizing such  
criminals.

Increasing Economic Burdens on the People

The unprecedented economic slow down in the country bordering on a  
recession, the large scale loss of jobs and lakhs being retrenched,  
the continuing agrarian distress are all imposing greater misery on  
the people.

To organise an all India protests and demand relief, the Left parties  
have called an all India convention at New Delhi on September 20. The  
CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML)-Liberation, RSP and AIFB will issue a joint call  
for an                   all India joint programme at this convention.

Review of Implementation of the
Decisions of the Kolkata Plenum

As decided by the Central Committee, the Polit Bureau, on the basis of  
the reports sent by all the states has discussed a report on the  
implementation of the decisions of the organizational Plenum, Kolkata,  
December 2015. On the basis of these discussions, the Polit Bureau  
will prepare a report which will be considered and adopted by the  
Party’s Central Committee which is meeting from October 2 to 4, 2019  
at New Delhi.