June 9, 2006

Camp: Hyderabad

Press Statement

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), now in session at Hyderabad, has issued the following statement:

Solidarity With The Palestinian People

The Central Committee strongly condemned the  stand of Israel, the United States and the European Union in cutting off funds to the Palestinian Authority  after the Hamas formed the government.  Israel has stopped giving $ 50 million collected per month which is tax and customs revenue that belongs to the Palestinian Authority.  This immoral effort to starve Palestinian  people into submission is against all international and humanitarian norms.

The UPA government has not condemned this stance of Israel and the United States.  In response to the criticism of the Left Parties, the government has announced a token contribution for Palestine. 

The Central Committee wants the Manmohan Singh government to take a categorical position that the wishes of the Palestinian people have to be  respected  and all financial allocations should be restored to the Palestinian Authority.

The Central Committee authorized the Polit Bureau to finalise with the Left Parties a delegation of Members of Parliament to be sent to Palestine to study the situation and to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. 

On OBC Reservation In Educational Institutions

The Central Committee urged the UPA government to implement the understanding arrived at to introduce 27 per cent OBC reservation in educational institutions under the purview of the Central government at the UPA meeting alongwith the Left Parties held on May 22. 

The OBC reservation in Central educational institutions should be introduced from the next academic session in 2007.  There should be a   commensurate increase in the seats in educational institutions. 

The Central Committee reiterated that the benefit of reservation for the OBCs should be  go to the needy sections for which the Supreme Court guideline on excluding the “creamy layer” should be applicable.  There has to be an allocation of seats for students from poorer sections who do not belong to the reservation categories.

The Central Committee also urges the Central government to bring a Central  legislation to empower the state governments to regulate admissions and fees in all private higher educational  institutions and professional colleges. Unless this is done, a large number of students belonging to all communities will be deprived of their legitimate right to education because of the exorbitant high fees and admissions disregarding merit.