August 2, 2004
The Central Committee of
the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi between July 30 and
August 01, 2004. It has issued the following statement:
The
Central Committee condemned the confrontationist stance adopted by the BJP
during the first session of parliament after the 14th Lok Sabha
elections. Right from the debate on the President’s address which was not
held, the BJP and its allies resorted to disruptionist tactics. This has
culminated in a call for a boycott of all parliamentary committees. Such a
stance is showing contempt for parliament as the Standing Committees are not
committees set up by the government but by parliament. The BJP’s refusal to
act in a democratic fashion betrays the party’s inability to come to terms
with the defeat it suffered in the elections.
The
BJP, at its national executive session in Mumbai has announced that it will fall
back on the Hindutva agenda, relying on the RSS for reviving the party. The
BJP-RSS combine will seek to take up communal issues for political mobilisation.
This will pose a threat to communal harmony and adversely affect the common
people who are more concerned about their issues of livelihood. The CPI(M) along
with other Left and democratic forces will have to counter such manoeuvres and
safeguard people’s unity.
The Central Committee
expects the UPA government to earnestly take up the implementation of the Common
Minimum Programme (CMP) especially those measures which are designed to provide
relief to the people who have suffered under six years of BJP rule. The CMP
proposals for agriculture, relief to farmers, employment generation, increased
allocations for education and health, repeal of
In
this connection, the Central Committee endorsed the idea for a coordination
committee of the UPA government and the Left to discuss policy issues which are
of common concern.
The Central Committee
expressed its deep concern at the delayed and scanty monsoon rainfall in various
parts of the country. The northwestern states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal
Pradesh, Haryana, Saurashtra & Kutch in Gujarat and western UP have been
particularly hit. In other states too parts of western Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and south Bengal have received deficient rains.
Already serious damage has been caused to the kharrif crop.
The
problems of the farmers and the rural poor of the drought-affected areas have to
be addressed immediately. Provision of fodder, drinking water, foodgrains at
antodaya rate and food-for-work programmes have to be taken up by the state and
the central governments immediately.
At
the same time, severe floods have affected Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar.
The flood situation in Assam and Bihar is unprecedented. The funds provided for
relief work so far by the Central Government is totally inadequate to deal with
the magnitude of the problem.
The
Prime Minister has announced the setting up of a task force which would
recommend to the Central Government ways to solve the recurring floods problem.
It is important to see that these recommendations are taken up seriously for
implementation in a time-bound manner.
The Central Committee
reiterated its opposition to the raising of the FDI caps in the telecom,
insurance and civil aviation sectors. The Central Committee voices its
opposition to handing over telecom companies to foreign control by allowing 74
per cent equity. The insurance sector is vital for generating resources for the
country’s development and the bulk
of it should not be handed over to foreign private companies.
The Central Committee
noted that the CMP has committed that profitable public sector units will not be
privatised. In this light the decision to privatise the Mumbai and Delhi
airports and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port are not warranted. The Central Committee
wants the UPA government to adhere to the process set out in the CMP and
reconsider the matter.
On
Diesel & Petrol Prices: The Central Committee notes with regret that the
government has so far not considered the proposal put out by the CPI(M) and the
Left parties for a review of the import duty and excise structure in the oil
sector. The import parity pricing on oil products has transferred the burden to
the consumer. The oil companies are benefiting from such an arrangement to the
detriment of the consumers and the common people. The Central Committee opposed
the current hike in diesel and petrol prices under the new arrangement of the
oil companies making fortnightly adjustments.
Hike of Rs. 1.10 for petrol and Rs. 1.42 for diesel Per litre has been
announced.
This
is the second successive hike within six weeks. The Central Committee called
upon its units to organise protests against these burdens being imposed on the
common people and the inflationary impact it will have on the economy and lives
of the people.
There has been popular
outrage at the killing of a Manipuri woman arrested by the security forces.
Widespread protests are going on in the state. It is important that the central
government and the state administration take steps to shift the Assam Rifles
headquarters outside Kangla; review the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces Special
Powers Act so that people are not put to any hardships and create conditions for
talks with the rebel groups. The Central Committee appeals to the Central
Government to take the initiative to see that peace and normalcy is restored in
the state.
The Central Committee
heard a report on the political situation in Maharashtra which is going to the
polls by early October. The Party will adopt electoral tactics to minimise the
division of votes among the secular parties to ensure the defeat of the BJP-Shiv
Sena combination.
Consequent to the
Supreme Court judgement on the admission and fee structure in professional
private colleges, there is a chaotic scene in the higher education in many
states. Under the arrangement set out by the Court, 50 percent of the seats in
medical and engineering colleges are being filled by private managements with
exorbitant fees. In Kerala, a 22-year old engineering girl student committed
suicide because she was unable to finance her education or get a bank loan. This
has intensified the student agitation against the fee structure. In other states
too students and their parents are agitated about the unconscionable admission
and fee system. It is necessary to have a Central legislation to regulate
admission and fee structure in higher education and to establish social control over private and self financing institutions.
Review of Lok Sabha
Elections
The Central Committee
discussed and adopted a review report on the 14th Lok Sabha
elections. The report has reviewed the performance of the Party in the elections
in different states. It has proposed certain organisational measures to
strengthen the Party and to develop the mass organisations. Special attention is
to be paid to building the Party in selected tribal areas.
Party Congress
The Central Committee
decided to convene the 18th Party Congress in the beginning of April
2005. The schedule of conferences
from branch conferences onwards will begin from September.
The 18th
Congress will be held at New Delhi.
Party’s
Independent Role
The Central Committee
reiterated that the Party will play an independent role advocating alternative
policies based on the Left and democratic programme in taking up people’s
issues and demanding that the pro-people measures in the CMP be implemented.
The state committees
have been asked to identify the various issues which are directly concerned with
the people’s livelihood and democratic rights and conduct movements and launch
struggles in their interests.
Call
For National Campaign
In order to take the
Party’s political message and the policy issues to the people, the Central
Committee decided to conduct a week-long political campaign from August 25 to
31. This campaign will focus on the
following issues:
1.
The danger posed by the BJP-RSS combine seeking to revive the communal
Hindutva agenda. Exposure of the
disruptionist attitude of the BJP in Parliament by refusing to accept the
popular verdict.
2.
Necessity to weed out the communal ideology and elements entrenched in
the State institutions and steps taken to enforce the secular principle.
3.
Observe September 1 as “Anti-Imperialist & Anti War Day”. Project
the necessity for an independent foreign policy to correct the pro-American and
pro-Israeli strategic collaboration of the previous BJP-led government.
4.
Implementation of the pro-people measures in the CMP such as the National
Employment Guarantee Act, central legislation for agricultural labour, one-third
reservation for women in legislatures, increased public investment
in agriculture, increased credit for farmers and increase public
expenditure in education and health.
5.
Strengthening of the public
distribution system particularly in tribal and backward
areas and provision of BPL cards to all poor people.
6.
Danger of indiscriminate opening up and handing over control of key
sectors to foreign capital such as the increase
in the FDI cap in telecom, insurance and civil aviation. Stop privatisation of
the profit-making Delhi and Mumbai airports.
7.
Ensure fair return for people’s savings. No reduction of interest on
employees provident fund.
8.
Stop eviction of tribal communities living in forest areas and provide rights to forest dwellers.
9.
Stop transferring burdens on common people and consumers by periodic
increases in diesel and petrol hikes. Revise
import duty and excise structure to reduce tax burden on retail consumers.
10.
Immediate relief and assistance to drought-affected areas by provision
for `food for work’ programmes, free distribution of foodgrains where distress
exists, drinking water and fodder. In
the flood-affected states, Centre should provide adequate funds for relief and
rehabilitation measures. Centre should take up comprehensive flood control
measures within a fixed timeframe in the flood-prone areas of eastern India.
11. Central legislation be brought to empower state governments to regulate admissions and fee structure in private institutions in higher education and to overcome the difficulties created by the supreme court judgement.