With the ascent to power by RSS-backed Narendra Modi, the people of the country will be subjected to a twin-pronged attack – intensified pursuit of neo-liberal reforms and heightened communalisation of society resulting in the division of the people. The task before the Left today is to rally the people against neo-liberal policies and prepare the people for struggles while safeguarding their unity.
 
This was stated by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat while delivering the P Sundarayya memorial lecture in Hyderabad on  May 19, 2014. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu, Sundarayya Vignana Kendram Managing Trustee C Sambi Reddy, Trust secretary Y Siddaiah shared the dais.
 
Karat said that social justice would also be in danger since the RSS, whose ideology is against the interests of dalits and minorities, would be the guide for the Central Government and the ruling party.  He pointed out that the BJP’s manifesto for these elections did not contain anything about the important subject of reservations. In such a scenario, there is a need to launch big struggles by the Left, democratic and secular forces in the country. The CPI(M) would do its best to organise these struggles, said Karat.
 
Big corporates systematically launched a marketing campaign to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of the country. Added to these efforts were those of VHP, RSS at the ground level and this resulted in their victory, felt Karat. He said both Congress and BJP pursue similar economic policies. During the Congress-led UPA regime many corporates benefited in a big way and this was reflected in the many unprecedented scams. The owners were facing criminal charges due to these scams and they were on the lookout for a leader who could more effectively protect their interests. They found one in Narendra Modi who as Gujarat chief minister showered most benefits on them. He provided them land free of cost, power and many other utilities at highly subsidised rates. And this was projected as Gujarat model. From Anil Ambani to Ratan Tata, everyone made a beeline to Gujarat and publicly expressed their desire two years back itself to see Modi as PM.
 
The RSS, in a planned manner created communal violence in UP, which sends the largest number of MPs, in order to polarise the voters on religious lines. It seems to have succeeded with the BJP bagging the biggest ever haul of seats in UP. The corporates who have systematically marketed Modi for the top post would now seek back their pound of flesh and that will put the workers rights under threat, said Karat.
 
Karat called for organising workers, farmers and other toiling masses to resist the impending attacks on their livelihoods. Cultural programmes preceded the public lecture.
 
May 21, 2014