[Marxistindia] People’s Lives Cannot be Bartered for Corporate Profits

[news from the cpi(m)]

April 24, 2020

Press Statement


The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued  
the following statement:

People’s Lives Cannot be Bartered for Corporate Profits


The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly  
condemns the inhuman decision by the Government of India to convert  
accumulated rice stocks into ethanol for use as bio-fuel and for  
manufacture of sanitizers.

This decision comes as a slap on the face of the millions of migrant  
workers, other unorganized sector workers and other poor who are  
suffering untold hardships including acute shortage of food bordering  
on starvation because of the lockdown. Despite repeated urging by the  
CPI(M) to distribute the huge food stock free to all needy, the  
Central government has not expanded provisioning of foodgrains for  
universal distribution through State Governments. Foodgrains should be  
for people, not for fuel, as also advocated by FAO.

The rationale for using valuable rice for ethanol blending in petrol  
at a time when international oil prices are at a historical low, and  
when most petrol-driven vehicles are off the roads due to the  
lockdown, is beyond comprehension. Cost of oil imports have reduced  
and there is a surplus unutilised capacity, domestically, for  
production of alcohol needed for sanitizers.

People’s lives, millions who are struggling to survive facing hunger,  
lack of shelter and deprivation, cannot be bartered for corporate  
profits. This is criminal.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls for the immediate reversal of  
this atrocious decision.



For CPI(M) Central Committee Office