[Marxistindia] Press Communique

[news from the cpi(m)]

October 31, 2020
 
Press Communique
 
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met online
on October 30 & 31, 2020. It has issued the following statement:
 
State of the Covid-19 Pandemic
 
USA, India and Brazil in that order continue to report the highest number of
cases and deaths.  Alarming is India's rate of growth of both positive cases
and deaths.
 
The Central government and PM Modi have virtually abdicated their
responsibility towards containing the pandemic.  Worse is the fact that
crores of people have been subjected to a double whammy assault of the
pandemic and the deepening economic recession.  PM Modi refuses to announce
cash transfers and distribution of foodgrains freely as demanded by the
CPI(M) since the national lockdown was imposed on March 25.  There is
absolutely no provision of relief for growing sufferings of the people,
galloping unemployment and rising hunger.
 
Vaccine:  The Party has always stood for the universal access to vaccine for
all people free of cost.  This is the practice in independent India since
the very beginning - from the campaign for the eradication of smallpox to
latest campaigns on eliminating polio.  The Central government is primarily
responsible and has always conducted big awareness programmes urging people
to get vaccinated.
 
It should be similar with the Covid-19 vaccination, which hopefully, will be
available soon.  The Central government, however, seems to abdicate its
responsibility on this score as well by passing the buck to the state
governments saying that they shall decide on this matter.  This is
unacceptable.  The Central government must make this into a national
campaign and ensure free universal access to the vaccine for everybody.  
 
QUAD
 
The central government cemented the US imperialist led military alliance.
This is the complete negation of India's time-tested foreign policy that was
based on taking positions independently in the interests of our country
without being party to any military or strategic alliance with US
imperialism. For the first time, the Quad is going to conduct joint military
exercises, the Malabar 2020 naval exercise.
 
Economic Recession
 
The RBI has projected a (-) 9.5 per cent contraction in the financial year
2020-21.  The IMF has subsequently put this figure at (-)10.3  per cent. RBI
says that this contraction comes on the top of a steady decline in the GDP
from 8.3 per cent in 2016-17 to 7 per cent in 2017-18; 6.1 per cent in
2018-19; 4.2 per cent in 2019-20; and (-) 9.5 per cent in 2020-21.  Clearly,
for the last five years, the economy has been on the decline.  
 
Mounting Further Miseries on the People: This economic decline has impacted
on unemployment very severely. Labour participation rate has dropped
drastically and nearly 15 crore people have lost their livelihood. 
 
Growing Hunger: The Global Hunger Index has ranked India at 94 amongst 107
countries. This is the dismal performance of the policies of this BJP
government. All our neighbours - Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and
Pakistan - have performed better on this index than India. 
 
Such growing pangs of hunger amongst a large number of our people is
unacceptable. There are several crore tonnes of foodgrains rotting in the
central godowns. These must be used to provide free food. 
 
In obscene contrast to this growing hunger, India's 50 richest people grew
wealthier by 14 per cent in 2020, so far. 
 
Assaults on the 
Working Class and Working People 
 
Twenty nine existing labour laws have been repealed and replaced by four
labour codes bulldozed in the truncated monsoon session of Parliament.
Almost all beneficial provisions relating to rights and protection of the
workers and those related to regulation to control employers are either
substantially diluted or removed altogether. These codes seek to convert
workers into slaves.
 
Disastrous Farm Bills
 
The entire package of economic reforms being pursued by PM Modi in the name
of self-reliance is tantamount to self-subservience of our economy to
private profit. The Central government has enacted, in a most dubious
manner, brazenly curtailing the rights of the Indian parliament, the farm
Bills.  These new laws handover Indian agriculture, our produce and our
markets to foreign and domestic agribusiness corporations. This immensely
benefits foreign and domestic corporates to reap super-profits, imposing
misery both on the farmers and the people, threatening India's food
security.
 
Relentless Pursuit of `Hindutva' Agenda
 
The BJP Central government is utilizing the period of the pandemic and the
consequent disruption of normal life and activities due to lockdown
restrictions etc. to advance the core RSS agenda of converting India into
their conception of a rabidly intolerant fascistic `Hindutva Rashtra'.
 
This is accompanied by increasing assaults on Dalits, women, Muslim
minorities, intellectuals and opposition party leaders. 
 
Jammu & Kashmir
 
The design behind the new land law permitting outsiders to buy land and
property appears to be to change the demographic composition of the state
while looting the resources of Jammu & Kashmir and its people. 
 
Kerala
 
The Central Committee condemned the misuse of central agencies like the CBI
to target the LDF government in Kerala. The people of Kerala will give a
fitting rebuff to these machinations. 
 
Electoral Tactics for the
Forthcoming Assembly Elections
 
For the forthcoming state assembly elections in Kerala, Tamilnadu, West
Bengal and Assam, the Central Committee endorsed the proposals of the
respective Party state committees.
 
In Kerala, the Party will continue to contest elections as part of the LDF.
In Tamilnadu, the CPI(M) will contest the elections as part of the DMK led
alliance. In Assam, the CPI(M) will contest the elections in cooperation
with all secular opposition parties including the Congress to defeat the
incumbent BJP government in the state, which is sharpening communal
polarization, destabilizing social harmony and heaping miseries on the
people. In West Bengal, the CPI(M) and the Left Front will have an electoral
understanding with all secular parties, including the Congress, which seek
to defeat the BJP and the TMC. 
 
Central Committee Calls
 
The Central Committee decided on a nation-wide campaign:
 
1)      To conduct independent campaigns and protest actions against Agri
laws; labour codes; privatisation of PSUs and loot of national assets;
growing unemployment; for education and health for all and the escalating
price rise that is further ruining people's livelihood. 
2)      Extend Party's complete solidarity and support to the kisan protest
action calls of November 26-27, 2020.
3)      Extend full support and solidarity with the call of the Central
trade unions for a nationwide general strike on November 26, 2020.
4)      During the two months between November 26 and January 26, 2021, to
set up broad coalitions of secular democratic parties, people's movements,
intellectuals and other eminent personalities on issues of protection of
human rights, civil liberties and democratic rights; of workers and
peasantry; demanding the release of all political prisoners booked under
draconian laws like UAPA, NSA, Sedition Act etc; against mounting atrocities
on Dalits, adivasis and women; against the undermining of independent
constitutional authorities like parliament, judiciary, election commission
etc.; and against BJP's massive use of money power to negate people's
electoral verdicts.
 
December 10 is International Human Rights Day and December 18 is the
International Day for Minorities Rights. This week from December 10 to 18
must be observed all across the country on the issues of human and minority
rights.
 
State level coalitions on each of these issues or some of them together must
be forged, mobilizing widest possible forces, culminating with a call for
the protection of our Constitution on Republic Day, 2021.
 
 
 
 
 
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