The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on September 15-16. It has issued the following statement:
Broadest mobilisation of secular forces to defeat Hindutva Communalism
The Polit Bureau decided that the Party will work to develop its independent strength, strengthen Left unity and forge unity of Left and Democratic forces. The CPI(M) shall join the efforts to bring together secular democratic parties in defence of the Indian Constitution; democracy; democratic rights and civil liberties of the people and safeguarding the secular democratic character of the Indian republic.
Economic downslide
Despite the hype of the Modi government propaganda, the Indian economy continues to be in a downslide. International rating agency Fitch slashed India’s economic growth forecast for FY-23 from 7.8 to 7 per cent. The data put out by the World Bank shows that India’s annual growth over 2020, 2021 and 2022 was a mere 0.8 per cent in real terms.
Galloping inflation led by rising food prices surged past the RBI ceiling of 6 per cent for the 8th consecutive month. Retail inflation rose to 7 per cent in August. Food price rise crossed 7.62 per cent. Situation in rural India is worse with inflation reaching 7.15 per cent.
At the same time, industrial output growth fell from 12.7 per cent in June to 2.4 per cent in July. Consumer durables production was 3 per cent lower than June.
The consequent growth in unemployment compounds the miserable job situation in the country. Already, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has shown that the highest number of suicides in 2021 were daily wage workers.
September campaign
The Central Committee call for an all India campaign from September 14-24 against the burdens being imposed on people’s livelihood and to safeguard democracy, democratic rights, secularism and the Indian Constitution will be observed through various forms all across the country and will culminate in state level public meetings and rallies.
The Polit Bureau demands that tax concessions to the rich and mega loan waivers to cronies be stopped forthwith and to deploy these resources to hike public investments in job generating works.
Violence against women
The Polit Bureau noted with concern the big rise in atrocities against women by over 15 per cent in 2021, while conviction rates are low. The recent horrific case of gang rape and murder of two dalit minors in Uttar Pradesh is a reflection of the collapse of security of women in that state.
Hyderabad – BJP yet again distorting history
On September 17, 1948 the Nizam of Hyderabad surrendered and the erstwhile State became a part of the Indian union. The BJP has declared to observe this day and the whole year following with its narrative of ‘liberation’ day. Its objective is clearly aimed to rouse communal passions by claiming ‘liberation’ from Muslim rule and in the process deliberately distorting and rewriting of history.
The Nizam’s rule became untenable after the armed struggle launched by the Communist Party of India against its brutally oppressive landlordism in 1946. This weakened the Nizam’s autocratic rule considerably and the police action launched on September 13, 1948 was the last straw that led to the surrender on September 17, 1948.
It is ridiculous for the RSS to claim any credit for this so called ‘liberation’. Following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel banned the RSS. The ban lasted from February 4, 1948 to July 11, 1949. The BJP’s claim of any role in forcing Nizam’s surrender is farcical.
The CPI(M) will observe this day recollecting the glorious history of the armed struggle, its countless martyrs and recounting the liberation of the lakhs of peasantry from feudal bondage. Along with post World War II peasant upsurge in various parts of India, this historic armed struggle brought the issue of land reforms to the central agenda in independent India.
CC meeting
The Central Committee will be convened at Delhi on October 29-31, 2022.