P.B. Communique

Date: 
Friday, October 30, 2015

October 30, 2015

 

Press Communique

 

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on October 28-29, 2015. It has issued the following statement:

 

Relentless Price Rise

 

The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to follow policies that are mounting unbearable economic burdens on the vast mass of the Indian people.  The prices of dal, the staple food of most Indians, have skyrocketed.  The popular dal consumed in North India, arhar dal, is costing around Rs. 200 a kilo.  Along with the continuous rise in the prices of vegetables, fruits and other essential commodities, the daily life of the vast majority of the people has become increasingly miserable.

 

The agrarian distress continues to deepen unabatedly.  Farmers continue to commit distress suicides across the country.

 

Despite all sloganeering by PM Modi, the industrial turnaround is not yet palpable in the economy.  The stagnation of the manufacturing sector which normally sees a boom in the current festive season is resulting in growing joblessness. This BJP government led by PM Modi has ensured that the usual gaiety associated with the festive season is considerably dampened. 

 

Under these circumstances, the CPI(M) units all over the country are strengthening popular protests depending  upon the urgent issues that are agitating the people in their localities. 

 

Growing Communal Violence

 

All across North India, communal tensions are sought to be sharply escalated by the RSS/BJP outfits.  During the Dussehra, Muharram festival period, reports of such tensions leading to riots in some places were reported. 

 

Simultaneously, inflammatory campaigns such as against `beef consumption’; campaigns decrying reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs with the RSS chief asking for a review of existing reservations; murderous attacks on dalit families like in Dadri etc are intensifying.  Till date, the Union Government and Prime Minister Modi have not assured parliament or the country of any action against any member of the Union Cabinet or RSS leaders and BJP MPs who continue to make inflammatory speeches spreading hatred and communal disharmony. 

 

Given such patronage by the BJP Central and state governments and the refusal by PM Modi to take any action, various outfits of the RSS are being emboldened by the day to mount such attacks that seek to undermine the secular democratic foundations of the Indian Republic and create widespread insecurity amongst the religious minorities in the country.  They are undermining the Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right of all Indian citizens to “life and liberty” and their habits.

 

The Polit Bureau while strongly condemning such growing communal activities, has called upon all CPI(M) units and other Left, progressive and democratic forces to unitedly rise in protest against such nefarious designs of the RSS/BJP.

 

CPI(M) Hails this Protest

 

In protest against the growing intolerance and the spread of hatred across the country that has led, amongst other violent attacks, to the murders of rationalist thinkers and activists like Dhabolkar, Pansare and Kalburgi, a large number of award winning littérateurs have returned their Sahitya Academy and other recognition of excellence awards to the government in protest. 

 

They have been joined by reputed historians and film personalities who have similarly returned their national awards.  12 such prominent film makers have so far protested in this manner.  

 

Latest is the return of awards  by Indian scientists of international repute as a form of protest against the current situation of intolerance, hatred and violence.  Over 100 scientists have joined in this protest.  Internationally renowned Dr. P. M. Bhargava, founder chief of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, has announced the return of the Padma Bhushan conferred upon him as a mark of protest.  The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award of our country. 

 

The Polit Bureau salutes these eminent personalities who have shown the courage and taken this extraordinary expression of protest in the defence of the unity of the Indian people and in defence of the syncretic civilisational ethos of our country.  Such action by Indian intellectuals, scientists and creative artists strengthens the resolve of all Indians who cherish the secular democratic foundations of our Republic to defend our country and people’s unity.  The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) hails the courage and commitment of these eminent individuals.

 

The protests by such large number of eminent scientists nails the lie of the RSS spokesman and BJP’s senior Cabinet Ministers that these are ‘politically motivated’.  The Union Finance Minister appears to have gone to the extent, as reported by the media, to say that: “space of the Left has reduced”. He further claimed that “those returning awards were in a way electioneering against the BJP in Bihar polls.” Such is the contemptuous political bracketing that the RSS/BJP does in their flimsy defence. 

 

Bihar Elections

 

The BJP has unleashed a vitriolic communal campaign in the ongoing elections to the Bihar state Assembly. This is an indication of the desperation and frustration of the BJP.

 

The Left parties are contesting these elections as a  united independent bloc highlighting the alternative pro-people policies for the inclusive development in Bihar. 

 

 

K M Mani Must Resign

 

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that Kerala Finance Minister K. M. Mani must resign forthwith given the decision of the Vigilance Court which observed that “there is prima facie evidence against the Minister” for accepting bribes in 2014 for the renewal of licence to liquor bars. The judgement pronounced that the final report by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau was “not acceptable” and remitted the matter back to investigation officer for further probe. 

 

In this background, the Oommen Chandy led UDF government in the state has no moral ground to continue in office.

 

CPI(M) Plenum Organization

 

The Polit Bureau discussed the draft report to be presented to the Party Plenum on Organization.  This draft will now be subjected for discussion in the Party Central Committee meeting scheduled to meet in Delhi from November 13 to 16.  The Plenum will be held in Kolkata from December 27 to 31, 2015.