[Marxistindia] Polit Bureau Communique

[news from the cpi(m)]

December 28, 2022

Press Communiqué

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi
on December 27-28. It has issued the following statement:

Economy: The Polit Bureau expressed its concern at the deepening
recessionary conditions in the Indian economy. Notwithstanding all
propaganda and claims made by the government of economic recovery,
investments in augmenting India’s productive capacities are not growing.

Industrial output contracted by a sharp 4 per cent in October, the second
time in 3 months. The Year-on-Year data shows a significant 5.4 per cent
drop in manufacturing output. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) stood
at 129.6 in October, lowest since September 2021. Production of consumer
durables shrank by 15.3 per cent and consumer non-durables by 13.4 per cent.
This is an indication of continued decline in peoples purchasing power
capacities. 

Growing Unemployment: Joblessness rate continues to be elevated. Worse, this
is accompanied by the fall in the Labour Participation Rate and employment
rate. Unemployment rate rose to 8.8 per cent in December compared to 8 per
cent in November. Urban unemployment galloped to 9.6 per cent while rural
was 7.8 per cent. 

Price Rise: Inflation continues to soar. Food inflation continues to impose
more miseries on people’s livelihoods. 

Polit Bureau demands massive hikes in public investment in jobs-generating
infrastructure areas, without which neither employment generation nor a
growth in peoples purchasing power capacities can materialise. 

Merger of PMGKAY with the Food Security Act: The ‘free’ ration under the
2013 Food Security Act for nearly 2/3rds of our people for the year 2023 is
an admission that the spectre of hunger stalking the country cannot be
overcome otherwise. This is the truth despite the vociferous denial by Modi
government of the Global Hunger Index describing hunger in India as “very
serious”.

While 5 kgs of food grains would be provided free to 81.35 crore people,
they will now be denied 5kg of food grains at subsidised rate of Rs 3 / kg
for rice, 2 / kg for wheat and Rs. 1 / kg for grains that was existing under
the FSA. As a consequence, in order to make up for the 5 kgs of subsidised
food grains, so essential to maintain nutritional levels, people will have
to go to the open market where wheat is selling around Rs 30+ / kg and rice
at Rs. 40 +/ kg. this would be a cruel blow to crores of house holds
struggling to survive. 

Poilt Bureau demands that both the free 5 kg under PMGKAY and 5 kg at
subsidised rates under the FSA should continue. 

Sharpening Communal polarization: Incendiary calls for violent criminal
attacks against the Muslim minority by a ruling party MP is utterly
condemnable. Strangely, the authorities instead of taking suo moto notice
and registering criminal case have said that they will act only upon a
‘complaint’ against this speech. This is open patronisation and protection
provided to people who spread such poisonous hatred, violence and terror. 

There are growing reports of dangerously intensified hatred against the
Muslim students in educational institutions. Instances of attacks on
Christian minorities are also growing.

The scheme for scholarship and fellowships for Muslim students under the
name of Maulana Azad National Fellowships (MANF) has been scrapped.
Government informed the Parliament that the decision was taken as MANF
overlaps with various other scholarship schemes. This is blatantly
incorrect. Muslims and other religious minorities are not considered OBCs in
various states. This scholarship scheme, must be restored. 

Judiciary: The Modi government has intensified the efforts to push for a
dominant say for the government in judicial appointments and transfers
leading to a confrontation between the judiciary and executive, between the
collegium system and the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)
that was invalidated by the Supreme Court. 

The CPI(M) strongly resists and opposes all efforts by the Modi government
for Executive control over Judicial appointments. The independence of the
Judiciary must be uncompromisingly upheld. 

Release Bhima Koregaon detainees: A senior police officer investigating
caste violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018 has admitted, under
oath, that the Elgar Parishad event organised 30 kms away from Pune city had
no role in the violence. 

Given this, all UAPA detainees arrested in connection with this must
immediately be released unconditionally. 

Cooperative Bill: assault on Federalism: The CPI(M) strongly opposes the
Multi State Cooperative Societies Amendment Bill 2022 as an attack on
federalism and the rights of the states. Cooperatives are a state subject.
This proposed bill is a blatant attempt to impose Central government
decisions on cooperative societies that operate in accordance with state
laws. This is nothing but a move to control the cooperative societies. This
undermines the rights of the elected state governments and is an assault on
federalism.  

Tripura: As the elections to the state assembly draw closer in Tripura the
ruling BJP has intensified its violent attacks against the CPI(M) and other
opposition forces.

The CPI(M), the Left parties and the Congress party have jointly demanded
the restoration of democracy and the reestablishment of the rule of law that
is being destroyed by the BJP government’s tyrannical rule. 

The Election Commission must take proactive measurers to prevent the
assembly elections from being reduced as a farce. Democracy and democratic
rights must be restored in Tripura fully, if there has to be a free and fair
election.

CC meeting: The CPI(M) Central Committee will meet on January 28-30, 2022 at
Kolkata. 

 

 

 

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