C.C. Communiqué

November 17, 2015

November 17, 2015

 

Press Communiqué

 

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi from November 13 to 16, 2015. It has issued the following statement:

 

Bihar Elections

 

The people of Bihar have given a resounding defeat to the BJP alliance in the assembly elections. They have rejected the rank communal campaign conducted by the BJP, led by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo with divisive issues including prescribing eating habits of the people and the bogey of reservations for minorities etc.

 

This Bihar verdict should strengthen the fight against the rightwing communal forces all over the country.

 

The campaign by the United Left bloc including the CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation was well received by the people of Bihar.  The CPI(ML) won three seats.

 

Kerala Panchayat Elections

 

The verdict of the people in the elections to the local bodies in Kerala is a rejection of the UDF government’s anti-people record and corruption. The people have also rebuffed the communal politics of the BJP and its efforts to rally leaders of caste-based organisations.

 

The Central Committee congratulated the people of Kerala for reposing such faith in the LDF. The LDF campaigned unitedly and directly took up issues with the people.

 

Punjab Developments

 

The Central Committee expressed serious concern over the ominous political developments taking place in Punjab, which are gravely disrupting peace and communal harmony in the state. The failure of Badal Government in capturing the culprits responsible for the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and its inept handling of mass protests leading to the death of two Sikh youth in police firing, is providing ammunition to Sikh fundamentalists and pro-Khalisthani elements.

 

Economic Situation

 

PM Modi has unilaterally announced measures to further facilitate the loot of Indian resources and markets by vastly enhancing the access of foreign capital into India. All these decisions have been taken on the eve of the winter session of the Parliament.  Worse they have been taken even without the Cabinet approval.  This is a complete travesty of our system of parliamentary democracy. PM Modi made these announcements with an aim to appease foreign capital prior to his foreign visits.

 

Further Economic Burdens on the People

 

This license to loot for foreign capital comes at a time when the majority of the Indian people continue to groan under newer economic burdens. Price rise of essential commodities continues unabated. The prices of ‘dal’, an essential source of protein nutrition for the vast majority of the Indian people, have risen beyond their reach. The prices of all other essential commodities continue to rise.

 

The agrarian distress is deepening. The announced MSP increases are so meagre that they do not even cover the production costs. This is accelerating the distress suicides of our farmers.

 

The latest data shows that compared to a 6.4 per cent growth rate last month the index of industrial production has now fallen to 3.6 per cent. Consequently, the growth rate of the manufacturing sector, the main generator of jobs, has fallen from 6.9 per cent to 2.6 per cent. Appeasing foreign capital under these conditions cannot translate automatically into GDP growth. This is because the purchasing power in the hands of the Indian people is sharply declining, leading to the contraction of domestic demand.

 

The staple daal roti has gone beyond the reach of the common people. On top of this, petrol and diesel prices have been hiked once again.  Various railway charges are increased.  A cess for `Swach Bharat’  has been imposed. 

 

In this background whatever little relief that was being provided to the Indian people through schemes like the Rural Employment Guarantee are also being drastically cut.

 

Growing Communalisation

And Intellectuals’ Protest

 

All across India, communal tensions are being sharply escalated by the RSS/BJP outfits.  Particularly in the run up to the Bihar elections, such tensions were intensified.

 

Given the 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 our country and create widespread insecurity amongst the religious minorities. 

 

Protests by Intellectuals

 

The growing intolerance and the spread of hatred across the country has led, amongst other violent attacks, to the murders of rationalist thinkers. 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 internationally reputed historians, film and theatre personalities. Hundreds of Indian scientists of international repute have joined this form of protest. 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. 

 

Left Parties Call

 

The six Left parties, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML)-Liberation, AIFB, RSP & SUCI (C) have given a call to launch a nationwide campaign against the communal hate offensive spearheaded by the RSS and patronized by this BJP led government, from 1st to 6th December, 2015.

 

The Central Committee called upon all Party units to organise protests all over the country.

 

Paris Attacks

 

The Central Committee of the CPI(M) strongly condemned the terror attacks  in Paris.  These recent spate of terror attacks in Baghdad, Beirut and now Paris clearly indicate the mushrooming of such terrorist groups as a counter to US/NATO military operations in Syria and military interventions elsewhere in West Asia.

 

The Central Committee of the CPI(M) deeply mourns the death of innocent people in these terror attacks and condemns such barbaric terror.

 

Myanmar

 

The Central Committee congratulated the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Su Kyi for winning a record three-fourths of the seats in the elections in Myanmar. This emphatic expression for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar is indeed historic for the people of that country and will have an impact in the region.

 

Nepal

 

The Central Committee congratulated the people of Nepal for the adoption of the secular Republican constitution. K.P Oli of the CPN(UML) was elected Prime Minister and  Bidhya Devi Bhandari also of the CPN(UML) elected President.

 

The opposition to this Constitution by certain Madhesi groups, supported by Indian Hindutva organisations is resulting in violent protests in some parts of this area. The virtual blockading of the border between India and Nepal in many border points by the BJP central government is having a crippling effect on Nepal. Consequently, anti-India sentiments have sharply escalated in Nepal.  The Central Committee demands that the Indian Government must immediately restore the movement of goods and supplies to Nepal.

 

Bangladesh

 

The Central Committee expressed serious concern at the growing fundamentalist attacks in Bangladesh. There are contesting reports. On the one hand the activity of the ISIS is reportedly growing and on the other the Awami League government alleges that the rival opposition BNP and its Islamic fundamentalist allies are whipping up such attacks as a part of their agenda to destablise the present government.

 

These developments however have a very strong impact on the neighbouring states in India particularly West Bengal and Assam.

 

 

The Central Committee finalized the Draft Report on Organisation to be sent to all State Committees. The Central Committee will meet on December 26 and finalise the report to be presented to the Plenum beginning December 27, 2015 at Kolkata.

 

Massive preparations through state wide jathas and mass contact programmes are underway in West Bengal to make this plenum a big success. 

C.C. Communique

August 8, 2009

Press Communiqué

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at Hyderabad between January 29 and 31, 2004.

The meeting took stock of the political situation consequent to the emergent steps taken by the BJP-led government to advance the Lok Sabha elections. The Central Committee discussed and adopted the electoral-tactical line to be adopted by the Party for the forthcoming elections.

The Context In Which Elections Are Being Held

The BJP has been in office at the Centre for a continuous stretch of six years from 1998. Since the last elections held in 1999, the policies of the Vajpayee government in the economic, political, social and foreign policy spheres illustrate how it will be harmful if their rule continues.

Under the BJP rule, the RSS has been entrenching itself in the State apparatus and systematically efforts have been made to communalise our society. The NDA coalition government is only a cover for the communal forces to work towards consolidating their hold on State power.

The Vajpayee government has implemented pro-rich and pro-imperialist economic policies which have harmed economic sovereignty and imposed heavy burdens on the ordinary people. Here is a government which betrayed the popular mandate by privatising public sector assets and handing them over to both foreign and Indian monopolies. No section of Indian society has been spared. Jobless workers in the streets, peasants committing suicides, youth and women without jobs, ordinary people deprived of cheap food under the public distribution system and starvation and misery for the tribal and dalit sections – this has been the net result of the economic policies.

The BJP government has no respect for federalism and given a chance will impose an authoritarian regime. It has been whittling away the rights of the states to determine economic policies which favour their people. Anti-democratic laws like Pota are being used to suppress dissent.

BJP rule is symbolised by the horror of the carnage in Gujarat and the constant intimidation of the minorities. What is happening in Jhabua to the Christian minorities after the ushering in of BJP rule in Madhya Pradesh is a stark reminder that the BJP is inimical to national unity and India’s pluralistic character.

There has been no other government in India which has advocated chaining this great country to the global strategy of US imperialism. The foreign policy of India is no more independent and non-aligned.

Main Tasks In the Elections

Defeating the BJP and its allies is the main task of the CPI(M) and the Left and democratic forces in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and the assembly elections which will be held in some of the states. Corresponding to this, the basic aim of the CPI(M) will be to see that a secular government is formed after the 14th Lok Sabha elections. Defeating the BJP is essential for the defence of secularism and federalism, for ensuring that India progresses on the basis of democracy, economic sovereignty and social justice.

Tactics For The Elections

The CPI(M) considers the central task to be to mobilise the people to defeat the BJP and its allies. It will work for an electoral verdict which can put in place a secular government at the Centre.

The CPI(M) will conduct an independent campaign all over the country to mobilise the people for this goal. It will also conduct a joint campaign with its other Left, democratic and secular allies for this purpose.

The CPI(M) will rally all the secular and democratic forces so that the widest forces can be mobilised to defeat the BJP alliance in the different states and nationally. While doing so, the CPI(M) will not have any alliance or front with the Congress. In the independent campaign of the CPI(M), the Party will oppose the harmful economic policies of the Congress.

All over the country, the CPI(M) will adopt tactics which would help to isolate the BJP and its allies. The Party will strive to minimise the division of the anti-BJP votes to the maximum extent possible. In states where the Left is not a major force and the main polarisation is between the BJP and the Congress, the Party will fight a limited number of seats and conduct a general campaign calling for the defeat of the BJP alliance.

The Central Committee decided to contest around seventy seats in the elections to the Lok Sabha. The Party will aim to increase the strength of the Left in parliament.

Appeal To The People

The 14th Lok Sabha elections is going to be a crucial battle. The BJP-RSS combine’s plans to advance the Hindutva agenda must be checked. The people will have to decide how to strengthen the forces of democracy and secularism. This requires the decisive defeat of the BJP-NDA alliance which is just a cover for the communal agenda. The people will have to be freed from the clutches of a regime which imposes harmful economic policies affecting their livelihood.

The Central Committee calls upon the people of this country to exercise their choice in a manner which ensures the emergence of a secular government and the strengthening of the Left of which the CPI(M) is an important component.
The Central Committee calls upon all its Party units to prepare for this important electoral battle by conducting a vigorous and extensive political campaign among all sections of the people and mobilise them to ensure the victory of the secular and democratic forces.