[Marxistindia] Jatha calls for Intense Struggles

[news from the cpi(m)]

Criticising the Budget, Sandhesh Sangharsh Jatha Calls For Intense Struggles

Travelling over 650 kilometres since its flagging off, the Sangharsh
Sandesh Jatha reached Coimbatore on 27th February. It was enthusiastically
welcomed in Coimbatore though it was two hours behind schedule due to the
unprecedented show of support and streets overflowing with people greeting
the Jatha in neighbouring Kerala.
K.Varadha Rajan, Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M) hit out against the
Congress-led UPA and the different governments in Tamilnadu which were
following anti-people policies. He contrasted the Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha
which had a positive agenda to defeat the anti-people government with
Advani’s rath yatra which had a divisive agenda and was out to destroy a
mosque.
M.A.Baby Polit Bureau member spoke of the acute problems of the textile
workers and the erratic power problem in TamilNadu that is ruining the
textile workers and industry.
Leader of the Jatha S. Ramachandran Pillai, Polit Bureau member said that
the Jatha was part of the follow-up of the decisions of the 20th Party
Congress which called for intensifying struggles against anti-people
policies and reactionary forces. “It is due to these policies that more
than 3 lakh peasants have committed suicide over the last 16 years, over
17 crore are either homeless or living in unhygienic slums, India has the
maximum number of malnourished children and hungry people and the
percentage of landless has increased from 22 percent to 41 percent over
the last two decades. On the social front there are extreme forms of caste
oppression, discrimination against minorities, harassment and denial of
equal opportunities for women. Education was becoming a privilege of a
privileged few and there are no employment opportunities for our youth”.
He called upon people to become the vehicle of change for a better
tomorrow for the younger generation, the oppressed and the toiling masses.
In Tiruppur
On 28th February accompanied by hundreds of red volunteers on motor bikes
decked with red flags the Jatha enetered Tiruppur. The district level
reception was held near Kumaran Statue opposite Tiruppur Railway Station.
Kumaran was a martyr in the struggle against imperialism who was beaten to
death for holding aloft the Indian National flag and protesting against
the British. K.Varadha Rajan Polit Bureau member said that it was
befitting that this was the venue for the reception to a Jatha which was
taking forward the message to protect our sovereignty from imperialist
forces. He pointed out in the context of the decision on allowing FDI in
retail trade and corporate loot of resources that the Jatha was taking
forward a loud and clear message that India was not for sale.
Speaking on the occasion Sudha Sundaraman Central Committee member,
expressed concern at the spate of attacks on women in all parts of the
country and said that the impunity with which it is taking place is all
the more dangerous because it has put a big question mark on the rule of
law and the ability of the Indian State to protect nearly fifty percent of
its population.
M.A.Baby said it was the CPI(M)’s commitment to the people’s welfare that
was given a positive mandate despite all efforts to disrupt peace and
create a reign of terror by the Congress using the anti-national
separatist forces.
V.Srinivasa Rao spoke on the need for a pro-people alternative and need to
channelise the people’s anger against corruption, agrarian crisis, extreme
poverty, hunger and violence against women in the direction of a movement
for a progressive politics.
S.Ramachandran Pillai said that the Economic Survey has exposed the
hollowness of the Government’s growth theory and said the Government was
squeezing the poor and showering huge concessions on the rich. Subsidy
cuts of petroleum products would lead to hike in prices and further burden
the poor he said. “The government is talking of disinvestment proposal of
Rs.40,000 crores. It will open doors to predatory finance capital and loot
of India and its people. He said the Budget proposals would lead to
further job loss and youth will see growing unemployment”. He called upon
people to rise up in protest against the neoliberal attack.