[Marxistindia] Press Communique

[news from the cpi(m)]

December 10, 2023

 

Press Communique

 

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi
on December 9, 2023. It has issued the following statement:

 

Recent Assembly Elections

 

The BJP registered a clear victory in the three Hindi speaking states of
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

 

Though the Congress Party could more or less retain its vote share of 2018,
it lost its governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The BJP increased its
vote share in all three states. 

 

There is a consolidation of the core Hindutva vote in all three states.
BJP's control over large sections of media, massive money power and cynical
use of caste divisions contributed to its successes. 

 

The Congress party scored a decisive victory in Telangana ousting the two
term TRS/BRS government.  The BJP, however, improved its position. 

 

These results clearly underline the need for the secular democratic forces
to redouble their efforts in defense of people's livelihood, democratic
rights and civil liberties and the secular democratic character of the
Indian Republic. 

 

Cyclone Michaung

 

The Polit Bureau expressed its deep concern over the extensive damage
wreaked by the severe cyclonic storm Michaung in Tamilnadu and Andhra
Pradesh. 24 people have lost their lives in Tamilnadu and 7 in Andhra
Pradesh. Crops on thousands of hectares of agricultural land apart from
crores of rupees worth of property have been destroyed. Water logging in
inundated areas continue to pose dangers. 

 

The Central Government has so far not provided sufficient interim funds to
Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. The Centre has to generously provide resources
for rehabilitation and technical support. 

 

Genocide of Palestinians 

 

The Israeli genocidal assaults against the Palestinians in Gaza as well as
in the West Bank have so far claimed the lives of more than 17,000
Palestinians, 70 per cent of whom are women and children. There is a
widespread global outcry for an immediate end to such ethnic cleansing of
Palestinians by Israel and demanding an immediate ceasefire. 

 

The Polit Bureau strongly condemned the December 8 US veto that obstructed a
near unanimous UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate
ceasefire and the release of all Israeli hostages. 

 

The Polit Bureau strongly reiterated that the Modi government must demand an
immediate declaration of ceasefire.  

 

Refer Bills Replacing IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act to a Joint Select
Committee of Parliament 

 

The Modi government has brought three Bills to replace the existing Indian
Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act and seeks
to push them through Parliament and enact them in undue haste. There are
serious flaws in these draft Bills which will have serious consequences for
democratic rights, civil liberties and the criminal justice system.  

 

These Bills must be referred to a Joint Select Committee of the Lok Sabha
and the Rajya Sabha for a thorough scrutiny. They may be enacted only
subsequently. 

 

Hold J&K Assembly Elections Immediately  

 

With the completion of the delimitation process; publication of the final
electoral rolls and the claims of restoring peace and order in the state,
the Polit Bureau demands the immediate holding of the Assembly elections in
J&K which are due since 2018.

 

Instead, the Lok Sabha recently passed two Bills amending the Kashmir
Reorganization Act which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The SC
bench has reserved its verdict to be delivered on 11th December. Instead of
waiting for the SC judgment, in a great haste, the Act has been amended
which is violative of both democratic and judicial practices. Further, these
amendments provide for nominations to the elected assembly by the Lt
Governor. This is highly undemocratic. Any such nominations must be made by
the elected legislature and not by an unelected representative of the
Central government. 

 

Central Committee Meeting

 

The CPI(M) Central Committee has been convened to meet from January 28-30,
2024 at Thiruvananthapuram. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Muralidharan)

For CPI(M) Central Committee Office

 

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