marxistindia
news from the cpi(m)
Press Communiqué
The Central Committee of the CPI(M) met in Kolkata from February 4 to 6,
2010. It has issued the following statement:
Relentless Price Rise
The Central Committee strongly opposes the recommendation of the Parikh
Committee to decontrol petrol and diesel prices and link it to
international prices, as also its anti-people recommendation to increase
price of cooking gas by Rs. 100.00 per cylinder. It warns the Central
Government not to use these recommendation as an excuse to hike prices of
any of these items. Such a step will have a cascading impact on raising
prices of essential commodities which are already at an all time high and
will lead to a further burden on the people.
The CC condemns not only the utter failure of the Central Government to
control prices but reiterates that it is precisely the wrong policies of
the government which have led to this situation of high food inflation.
The redressals suggested are also misconceived. A major reason for price
rise is the severe weakening of the public distribution system by a
drastic cut in allocation for so-called above poverty line. Instead of at
least partial restoration of the cuts, given the buffer stocks available,
the government in the name of additional allocation is giving the states
10 kgs of foodgrains per family at double the price.
The CPI(M) demands restoration of the allocations at least at the APL
prices. The sugar shortage and subsequent high prices are a direct result
of the refusal of the government to maintain a buffer stock when there was
high sugarcane production and instead incentivised exports. The sugar
mills and sugar companies have made huge profits in this period while
farmers and consumers have had to suffer. The Central Government has
stubbornly refused to ban futures trading in essential commodities. In May
2009 it had lifted the earlier ban on wheat futures trade.
The CC demands that the government bring a food security legislation which
ensures a universal right to food, with a 35 kg family allocation of
foodgrains at Rs 2 a kilo. It also demands that more essential commodities
at subsidised prices should be included in the PDS through central
government subsidies.
The CC called upon its Party units to intensify the campaign against price
rise.
Disinvestment in PSUs
The Central Committee reiterated its strong opposition to the decision of
the Central Government to disinvest atleast 10 per cent of government
equity in all profitable public sector units. Already shares of NHPC, Oil
India and the NTPC have been sold. The government is planning to sell
shares in sixty central public sector undertakings that would be
short-listed in the stock market in the next two years. The deceptive
concept of "people's ownership" is being used to mislead public opinion
and conceal the true nature of disinvestment.
This aggressive disinvestment drive is being undertaken to bridge the
fiscal deficit which has reached nearly seven percent of the GDP. The
government is forgoing future income from dividends. Worse, it is
transferring State-owned assets to private hands. The NTPC shares are
being sold cheaply, showing how public assets are being plundered.
Rather than mobilizing more taxes from the private corporate sector by
doing away with tax exemptions, the Congress-led government is opting for
the irrational course of disinvestment which is only meant to benefit the
big financial players in the stock market.
The Central Committee decided to mobilize people against the
disinvestment. It will extend all support to the struggle of the trade
unions and the public sector employees against this step which is contrary
to national interests.
Andhra Pradesh Situation
The Central Committee discussed the situation which has developed in
Andhra Pradesh with the agitation for a separate Telengana state and the
counter-agitation for a united state. It is unfortunate that the Central
Government and the Congress leadership took the short-sighted step of
announcing the process of the creation of a separate state on December 9.
It is now for the Central Government to ensure that the stalemate is ended
and the solution found by taking into account the views of all political
parties and sections of the people. This process is to begin with the
setting up of the committee headed by retired Justice B N Sri Krishna.
The initial stand taken by the Central Government on Telengana gave a
fillip to demands for separate states in various other states. The Central
Committee reiterated its stand that the states which were linguistically
reorganized as part of the democratic restructuring of the State structure
should not be disturbed.
The Central Committee appealed to all sections of the people of Andhra
Pradesh to maintain peace and harmony. There are forces trying to provoke
further divisions among the people which is harmful to the overall
interests of the people.
Ranganath Mishra Commission Report
The Central Committee considered the report of the National Commission for
Religious and Linguistic Minorities headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra.
The Central Committee welcomes the recommendations for providing
reservation for the minorities in government jobs. The CC urged the
Central Government to take necessary steps to implement the
recommendations.
West Bengal
The Central Committee heard a report on the situation in
West Bengal. The TMC combine on the one hand and the Maoists on the other
are continuing their campaign of violence against the CPI(M) and the Left.
Since the Lok Sabha elections, 167 members and supporters of the CPI(M)
and the Left have been killed. Thousands have had to leave their homes due
to the attacks. The Maoist gangs have killed over seventy of our comrades
in West Medinipur district alone. There is a deliberate and planned effort
to attack the CPI(M) and the Left to prevent them working among the
people. The Central Committee condemned the dubious links between the TMC
and the Maoists. The TMJC is in the Central Government whose declared
policy is to counter the Maoist violence.
The Central Committee is confident that the CPI(M) state unit and the Left
Front will successfully mobilize the people in defence of their rights and
livelihood while countering the anti-democratic assaults and violence.
Maharashtra: No Pandering to Chauvinism
The Central Committee condemned the chauvinistic forces who are targeting
non-Marathi speaking people in Mumbai and the state. The Shiv Sena and the
MNS are indulging in this disruptive game after having failed to mobilize
support for their platform in the recent assembly elections. The attempt
to intimidate film actors like Shahrukh Khan and other personalities for
speaking out their mind is highly condemnable.
The Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra is also pandering to
chauvinistic sentiments. The recent order on taxi drivers in Mumbai having
to speak and write Marathi with the 15 year domicile is one such step. The
CPI(M) calls upon all citizens in Maharashtra and the country to rebuff
the virulent chauvinistic politics which harms national unity.
Rectification Campaign
The Polit Bureau submitted its rectification report to the Central
Committee. As per the decision of the rectification campaign document
adopted in October 2009, the rectification process is to begin from the
Polit Bureau and the Central Committee. The report of the rectification of
the Central Committee will be taken up in the next meeting of the CC.
Party Congress
The Central Committee decided to hold the 20th Congress of the Party after
the assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala due in May 2011. The
schedule of the Party conferences will begin after this.
In the meantime, the Central Committee has decided to convene an extended
meeting of the Central Committee in early August 2010 to decide on the
political line to meet the current situation.
March 12 Left Rally
The Left parties have decided to hold an all India rally in Delhi on March
12. The rally is being organized to focus on the demands to curb price
rise, protection of the lands of the peasants and land reforms, employment
for all and against the attacks on democracy and violence against the Left
in West Bengal.
The Central Committee called upon all its units to mobilize people for the
rally and make it a big success.
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