Report On Political And Current Issues
(Adopted By The Central Committee At Its October 29-31, 2004 Meeting)
INTERNATIONAL
Iraq
In the three months since the last Central Committee meeting held in end July,
the American occupation of Iraq has run into further difficulties with the
guerilla resistance intensifying in various parts of Iraq. The US armed forces
found itself no more in control in some of the towns like Falluja, Samarra,
Ramadi and the Sadr City, a suburb of Baghdad. It is estimated that there are
atleast twenty towns where the US has no control. Realising that such a
situation would make elections in January untenable, the US armed forces have
now embarked on a policy of attacking these towns through relentless
bombings and sending in armoured troops. Such an attack on Samarra and its
occupation led to the killing of 125 people, mostly civilians, including women
and children. Falluja is being bombed from the air continuously leading to
heavy loss of life. The American policy is to raze to the ground towns in the
name of pacifying the resistance.
The tenuous grip of the interim government set-up by the Americans is being
exposed. The US commander of Iraq has already said that more troops would
be required for holding the elections in January.
Israeli Tactics
The Israeli armed forces launched a major military operation in Gaza from end-
September which has left over 100 Palestinians dead. The armed forces are
shooting down Palestinian children deliberately. This attempt to suppress the
Palestinian resistance preceded the Sharon government’s decision to put to vote
in Parliament, a planned pull out from Gaza. The Sharon government wants to
evacuate 8000 settlers from the 21 settlements in the Gaza strip while
consolidating its hold over the West Bank. The decision to evacuate Gaza has
met with fierce opposition from the settlers, the ultra rightwing parties and the
orthodox clergy. The United States is backing Sharon’s plan to annex the bulk
of the West Bank by withdrawing from Gaza. The efforts of Israel backed by
the US to isolate Yaser Arafat in the Palestinian Authority and movement have
failed so far. With the serious illness of Arafat, they will be hoping to utilise
his absence to disrupt the Palestinian movement. As noted in the previous
reports, both the resistance in Iraq and the Palestinian struggle, are in the
forefront of the fight against imperialist aggression and in defence of national
sovereignty and self-determination.
Continuing US Intervention
The US-led intervention on various issues in different parts of the world
continues with the aim of extending and consolidating the imperialist
hegemony. The United States is bent upon sanctions against Iran for pursuing
its uranium enrichment programme. The European countries favour a
negotiated approach. The Bush administration, alongwith Israel, is for
aggressive action on the ground that Iran’s nuclear potential is dangerous.
On Sudan, the Security Council adopted a resolution pushed by the United
States and Britain which threatened sanctions against Sudan on its handling of
the rebellion in the western region. Instead of allowing the Organisation of
African Union to tackle the problem, the US is pushing for sanctions and
intervention. In contrast to this interventionist approach, the United States
vetoed a resolution adopted by the Security Council calling upon Israel to halt
the attacks on civilian population in Gaza.
Venezuela Referendum: Chavez Triumphs
The referendum calling for the removal of President Chavez in Venezuela was
held on August 15 at the initiative of the rightwing opposition which had
collected the necessary number of signatures for holding the poll. The
referendum has resulted in a 60 per cent vote in favour of Chavez, rejecting
the call for his removal. This step of the rightwing opposition has
boomeranged on them with Chavez acquiring greater democratic legitimacy.
This is the third attempt to dislodge Chavez which has failed following the
abortive coup and the oil strike meant to paralyse the economy. This victory
of Chavez has galvanised the forces fighting in defence of national sovereignty
and against the imperialist-dictated neo-liberal reforms in South America.
World Economy
The IMF, in its world economic outlook, has forecast a 5 per cent growth in
world output for the year 2004. China’s phenomenal growth which averages
9.5 per cent increase in real GDP annually has made a major contribution to the
global growth rate. The global economy is growing after the recessionary spell
which lasted until 2002. But this growth is halting and uneven with the United
States registering growth without any increase in jobs. The world oil prices
which have shot up is casting a cloud on the growth prospects for the next year.
The G-7 and the rich countries failed to come up with any substantial relief for
the poorest countries despite promises. At the G-7 summit in June, no
substantial proposals were adopted. On the other hand, in the WTO talks for
the framework agreement, the rich advanced capitalist countries have
succeeded in pushing through the agenda of protecting their interests while
conceding very little to the developed countries.
South Asia
In Bangladesh, the assassination attempt on Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka by a bomb
blast at an Awami League rally and increasing attacks by fundamentalist forces
on secular intellectuals and the minorities shows the situation has worsened
under the right-wing Khalida Zia government. In Pakistan, the technocrat
Shaukat Hussain has become the prime minister and got elected to Parliament.
Musharaff has got Parliament to vote for his remaining the Army Chief while
being the President, going back on his earlier decision to quit the Army post by
the end of 2004. In Sri Lanka, efforts to resume the peace talks with the LTTE
have so far yielded no results though the cease-fire continues to hold.
Other Developments
The existence of terrorism in various forms is impacting on political
developments in a number of countries. Usually, terrorist attacks strengthen
rightwing and authoritarian forces who play upon the fears and insecurity of
people. In Russia, the horrific killings of school children and their guardians
at a school in Beslan in North Ossetia led to Putin strengthening his grip over
the political system and changing the way Governors are appointed. He has
now proposed Governors be appointed instead of being elected. In Indonesia,
the perception that Megawati Sukarnoputri has been ineffectual in dealing with
bomb attacks in Jakarta amongst other reasons has contributed to her defeat in
the Presidential elections and victory for the former General Yudhoyono. In
Afghanistan, under US and NATO supervision, elections have been held for
the presidency which Hamid Karzai has won with ease, as was expected.
NATIONAL SITUATION
Maharashtra Assembly Elections
The BJP suffered another setback with the defeat of the Shiv Sena-BJP
combine in the assembly elections held on October 13. The Congress-NCP
alliance won 141 seats, which enables them to form a government with the
support of its rebel candidates who have won the elections. The fact that the
BJP-Shiv Sena could not cash in on the poor record of the Congress-NCP
coalition government shows that the people of Maharashtra are not willing to
subscribe to the rabid communal platform advocated by the Shiv Sena.
For the BJP, this defeat coming in the wake of the shocking loss in the Lok
Sabha elections has further deepened the confusion and disarray within the
party. Even before the Maharashtra election results, the party was struggling to
come to terms with its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. In the Mumbai national
executive meeting of the party, under Advani’s leadership a call was given for
going back to the basics i.e. falling back on the Hindutva ideology and relying
on the RSS.
It is this approach, which led the BJP to try to whip up feelings on the Savarkar
issue and launch Uma Bharati on her tiranga yatra. Both these programmes
failed to meet with much response.
With the Maharashtra defeat, the line of going back to Hindutva and relying on
the RSS to give a new direction is going to be strengthened. The organisational
fall out of the Maharashtra defeat came swiftly with the change over in
president from Venkaiah Naidu to L.K. Advani. L.K. Advani, after assuming
presidentship, in his speech to the national council of the party declared that if
Vajpayee had come back to power, the Ram temple would have certainly been
built at Ayodhya. It is inevitable that the BJP will adopt a hardline Hindutva
communal approach under Advani’s leadership giving up the face of
moderation that it had assumed during its period in government.
Even though the Savarkar and Uma Bharati episodes failed to rouse the people,
the BJP will bide its time to pick up such issues again as its mobilisation plank
in the coming days.
Advani’s exhortation to his ranks not to be apologetic about Hindutva and his
attempts to present the Hindutva platform as “nationalism” reflects the
necessity to balance the projection of a hardcore Hindutva platform with the
compulsion to keep its NDA allies with it. As for the NDA allies, there was a
noticeable lack of support for the BJP’s stance on Savarkar and Uma Bharati’s
yatra.
As the BJP under RSS guidance steps up its Hindutva rhetoric, some of its
allies will find it uncomfortable to maintain their association. The JD(U) has
come out criticising Advani’s speech at the national council regarding the
building of the Ram temple. Other allies have also expressed their
apprehensions and maintained that their alliance with the BJP is based on the
exclusion of the hardcore Hindutva agenda. George Fernandes has been trying
to approach some of the non-Congress secular parties in the hope of setting up
a third front which would only benefit the BJP at the present juncture. The talk
of reviving some sort of a third front which can include forces like
Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP stems partially from the uneasiness which the BJP’s
allies in the NDA experience with the resurgence of the Hindutva platform.
The Maharashtra election results have provided an important space for the
UPA government to consolidate. With the BJP on the defensive, with its
confrontationist stance meeting with popular disapproval, the UPA government
has more manoeuverability and time to push through its own agenda.
UPA Government & The Left
During this period, our Party adhered to the approach, which we worked out in
the last Central Committee meeting vis-Ã -vis the UPA government. We have by
and large succeeded in keeping the focus on policy issues and debates centering
around them. This was in contrast to the BJP’s negative and confrontationist
attitude which further isolated it from the people.
In keeping with the approach worked out by the Central Committee, our Party
supported those measures which were in keeping with the commitments made
in the CMP or the country’s interests; the CPI(M) and the Left parties
continued to oppose those measures which erode national sovereignty or give
unjustified concessions to foreign capital and continued to impress upon the
government the necessity to implement some of the pro-people measures in the
CMP on a priority basis.
Our Party welcomed and supported the repeal of Pota; the disbandment of the
enquiry commission on Tehelka and handing over the Tehelka tape exposure
related investigation to the CBI. It welcomed the setting up of an enquiry
commission on the Godhra railway arson case. The Left parties also
appreciated the decision of the government to bring a bill for enacting the
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in the next session of parliament.
At the foreign policy level, the Party welcomed the outcome of the meeting of
the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and the subsequent talks held
between the prime minister and the Pakistan president in New York.
Conflict On Policy Issues
The CPI(M) and the Left have had to criticise and oppose a number of policy
issues in this period. As far as the raising of the FDI cap in telecom and
insurance are concerned, the Left parties have taken a firm stand. It has been
raised in the Coordination Committee and taken to the people explaining why
allowing control by foreign companies in these two vital sectors will be
harmful. Our Party and the Left must continue to resist any move to raise the
FDI cap in telecom and insurance sectors.
The Left parties opposed the inclusion of representatives of the World Bank,
ADB and the McKinsey firm in the consultative groups set up by the Planning
Commission. This was done for the first time since the Commission was set up.
Our Party objected to representatives of these multilateral organisations which
are controlled by the US and G7 countries being given representation in an
institution which is part of the Indian State and who have no accountability to
the Indian people but to their employers in Washington. The CPI(M) made it
clear that it is not opposed to “foreign experts” per se but to any representative,
whether foreign or Indian, being represented in the Planning Commission’s
bodies who are in the employ of these international agencies. The stand taken
by the Party and the Left found support amongst many outside the Left circles.
The government had to respond by disbanding these bodies.
The trend dominating the UPA government as represented by the finance
minister and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission is to push for
further concessions to foreign capital and relying on foreign capital flows for
investment. After the proposal to raise FDI caps, the government contemplated
the scrapping of Press Note 18 which provides protection to domestic industry
when they enter into joint ventures with foreign companies. Our Party is
opposed to the scrapping of Press Note 18 and demanded that any modification
made should be done after consultations with domestic industry.
Another proposal mooted by the Finance Ministry is to allow foreign banks to
acquire 10 per cent equity every year in private Indian banks. By this process,
after some years, the foreign bank can convert the Indian bank into its
subsidiary. Further, the 10 per cent voting rights cap is also proposed to be
done away with. The UPA government would be facilitating the takeover of the
private Indian banks by foreign banks with this measure. This measure has to
be opposed.
The Finance Minister has also called for the merger/acquisition of banks. This
is in line with the Narasimham Committee report. Along with the entry of
foreign banks in a big way, it is said that the merged banks will be better placed
to meet the competition. Merger/acquisitions will lead to the closure of a large
number of bank branches particularly in the rural areas. Secondly, it will render
a large number of the bank staff surplus. The next step would be to allow
foreign and Indian private banks to buy stakes in the mega banks, paving the
way for privatisation of the industry. The Party cannot therefore accept this
proposal.
The government has also set up an empowered group of ministers to decide on
the price of shares to be disinvested in public sector undertakings. The finance
ministry has prepared a plan to disinvest shares in all profitable PSUs which
will result in tens of thousands of crores of rupees being realised by the
government for its budgetary requirements. It is being argued that upto 49 per
cent of the shares can be disinvested as it will not lead to privatisation, as 51
percent will remain under government ownership. The public sector units are
not having a decision of their own accord to go to the market but are being
directed by the government to sell shares in the market to provide resources for
the government. For the profit making PSUs based on its own financial and
fiscal preferences kept together, freedom to mobilise resources in the debt
market or through debentures in the capital market without tinkering with
public equity, the present move of the government is a tact to revert back to
disinvestment as part of the budgetary effort of the finance ministry.
The government is going ahead with the privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai
airports. As per the group of ministers’ recommendations, nine proposals from
private consortiums have been cleared for further processing. The government
is not taking seriously the alternative proposals including that given by the
Airport Authority employees.
Despite assurance of consideration in the August 25, 2004 coordination
committee meeting, the government has not taken any step to restore the
interest rate of the Employee’s Provident Fund. Without waiting for a review of
the Electricity Act, the government has put out a national power policy draft for
discussion. Similarly, the draft national tribal policy prepared by the previous
government has been reissued by this government without making any
changes.
The WTO framework agreement arrived at in Geneva is not a step forward in
advancing India and the developing countries interests as projected by the
commerce minister. Too many concessions have been given to the rich
advanced capitalist countries in return for very limited and nebulous terms. The
whole question of subsidies given to the rich countries has been circumvented
by giving minor concessions on ending export subsidies while the developing
countries have made more far-reaching commitments to reduce tariffs for
providing access to their markets. The patents amendments bill which is due to
come up in the next session of parliament is also a legislation which concedes
too much to the multinational drug companies and doing too little to protect
domestic interests.
The UPA government is working on the basis that the core issues of
liberalisation and privatisation should be left to the government to pursue while
the Left should confine itself to its concerns to increase resources for
employment generation, food supply and health.
Our Party cannot accept such an approach. The basic content of economic
policies, nature of investment, mobilisation and allocation of resources and
fiscal policies are very much in the purview of the Left’s concerns as they have
a direct impact on the working and living conditions of the people.
Step Up Struggles
Reports from all around the country show that at the ground-level, the
problems of the rural poor in terms of lack of food and work continue.
Suicides by farmers in Andhra Pradesh and other places are going on. There is
no substantial relief available for the rural poor and the tribal people. Workers
are losing jobs due to the closure of industrial units.
In the coming days, more emphasis will have to be given to mobilisation and
struggles by the different sections of the working people in defence of their
interests and for changing the government’s policies in this regard.
Situation In The North East
In Manipur, with the killing of Manorama Devi after her arrest by the Assam
Rifles, popular anger led to big mass protests. The demand for the scrapping of
the Armed Forces Special Powers Act became the main focus of the protest
movement. The state government decided to withdraw the application of the
Act in the three police station areas of Imphal. But the agitation continues with
the demand for the withdrawal of the Act throughout the state. Our Party
supported the demand for the shifting of the Assam Rifles headquarters from
out of Kangla; strict action against those guilty for the killing of Manorama and
a review of the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Given the
complicated situation in Manipur, it was important that the situation be handled
carefully and sympathetically for the popular feelings. The excesses committed
by the security forces on the protesters and demonstrators worsened the
situation. The delay in prompt intervention by the Home Ministry and the
Centre aggravated the situation.
Some of the draconian powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act
need to be amended and the Centre should work out the legal basis for keeping
the armed forces to perform certain duties in the North East without recourse to
such draconian provisions.
The bomb blasts in Dimapur and in various parts of Assam have led to the
deaths of a large number of persons and injuries to many. Both the ULFA and
the NDFB have been responsible for these attacks. Since the uprooting of the
camps of the ULFA and the other extremist groups in Bhutan, the ULFA has
been seeking to retaliate by bomb blasts which have targeted innocent people
including school children. Such reprehensible violence has further isolated the
ULFA from the people of Assam. The Tarun Gogoi government is seen to be
soft on the ULFA and has failed to take firm measures in time to check these
violent activities. Our Party has been calling for negotiations between the
extremist organisations and the Centre and the state governments provided no
conditions are set. The ULFA’s demand that the sovereignty of Assam be
negotiated is one such condition which cannot be accepted.
The ULFA, the NDFB and the Tripura extremist outfits like the NLFT and the
ATTF are operating from camps based in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh
government has been consistently denying the existence of the camps and the
activities of the extremist leaders from the territory of Bangladesh. Such a
stance has become a serious matter in view of the escalating violence indulged
in by these groups. The Central government must take up the matter with the
Bangladesh government in a manner, which makes it clear that it cannot evade
the issue of sanctuary found by the terrorist groups any longer.
Jammu & Kashmir
While progress has been registered in the dialogue between India and Pakistan,
there is a stalemate as far as initiating a political dialogue with the forces within
Jammu & Kashmir. The ascendancy of Geelani and the announcement of the
formation of a political party by him with the endorsement of the Jamaat-e-
Islami has changed the situation which existed earlier when the moderate
faction heading the Hurriyat was prepared to hold talks.
The attacks by militant outfits against political parties continues. The CPI(M)
has been specially targetted with four Party workers being killed in the recent
period. The cadres of the PDP and the National Conference have also been
targetted with the aim of crippling the political system. The Mufti Mohd.
government has to take more effective steps to tackle the extremist influence
which is now concentrated in South Kashmir, including Anantnag district.
The UPA government must consider fresh initiatives to revive the political
dialogue and to announce an economic package of measures for the state which
can boost development activities and employment opportunities.
Naxalite Talks
In Andhra Pradesh, the People’s War group has begun negotiations with the
state government for which its leaders came overground. They also utilised the
period after the ceasefire and lifting of the ban to hold rallies in major cities.
The People’s War leaders made it clear that they are not giving up the armed
struggle. They will use the time to regroup their forces. The merger of the
People’s War and the MCC to form the CPI(Maoist) has been announced. With
this the attacks in states like Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and pockets of West
Bengal can be expected to be stepped up. What will be the direction of the CPI
(Maoist) remains to be seen but upto now there is no indication of their giving
up their disruptive stand of targeting the Left parties along with other political
opponents. The statement announcing the merger while talking of defeating
the “more dangerous Hindu fascist forces” also talks of “keeping the edge of
the people’s struggles directed against the new Congress rulers in Delhi
alongwith the CPI/CPI(M) and their imperialist chieftains”. Our Party must
keep up the political and ideological struggle to isolate their disruptive moves.
Declining Sex Ratio
The 2001 census figures have revealed an alarming state of affairs with regard
to the child sex ratio in the age group of zero to 6 years. If the scheduled
caste/tribe figures are taken out, the ratio of female to male children had fallen
below 900. This highlights the necessity to rouse social consciousness to fight
the evils of female foeticide, infanticide and discrimination towards the girl
child. There has to be the political will to reinforce the laws prohibiting these
social evils.
The declining sex ratio is mirrored in other ways in the violence against
women. Such violence has grown by leaps and bounds, whether it be sexual
assaults or decisions by caste panchayats reinforcing the subordination of
women.
Foreign Policy
After the secretary level talks between India and Pakistan, the foreign ministers
meeting was held in the first week of September in New Delhi. It was agreed to
continue “serious and sustained” dialogue on all bilateral matters including
Kashmir. Thirteen proposals including the series of high level meetings to push
forward the peace process were announced. President Musharaff recently
floated some proposals to deal with the Kashmir problem. All such proposals
can be taken up as part of composite dialogue to be held.
It was followed up by the meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with
President Musharaff in New York at the time of the UN General Assembly
session. Both sides have expressed their commitment to continue with the
dialogue process and for further steps to improve relations. There was a
meeting of the foreign ministers of India, Russia and China at Almati,
Kazakhstan which provided an opportunity for the three countries to exchange
views on the international situation and take steps for trilateral cooperation on
agreed issues.
The UPA government must seriously undertake a review of the ongoing
relations with Israel. The Sharon government has stepped up its military attacks
on the Palestinian people in Gaza. It has stepped up its annexation of the West
Bank territories by building the security wall. The minister of state for external
affairs visited the West Bank and met Yaser Arafat to express solidarity with
the Palestinian cause. However, the UPA is continuing with the security and
military cooperation with Israel. The recent visit of the Indian Air force chief to
Israel is part of this policy. The UPA government must disentangle India from
the security and military ties with Israel established by the Vajpayee
government as they militate against India’s interests in the Middle East and
promotes suspicion about USA-Israel-India axis.
Conclusion
In the coming days, the emphasis has to be on organising and mobilising the
different sections of the working people to come out in defence of their rights
and for changes of the policies adopted by the previous BJP-led government
which have adversely affected the livelihood and interests of the people. It is
only through the building up of such popular movements and struggles that
pressure can be built upon the government to take corrective action.
In the coming period, the Party will have to pay attention to the continuing
efforts by the US to entangle India in a host of strategic and military
relationships. A concerted effort should be made to focus on the reorientation
of foreign policy towards a more independent one.
The Party while resisting the moves for greater liberalisation and privatisation
in vital sectors should build up campaigns for popular mobilisation and
struggles. The Party should call upon the organisations of the working people
to initiate struggles to compel the government to heed the verdict of the people
and address their needs.
The Party should counter the ideological and political attacks on the Left by the
pro-imperialist and rightwing bourgeois circles, which cannot stomach the Left
influencing policy decisions. Special attention should be paid to exposing and
isolating the disruptive communal activities and Hindutva ideology of the BJP-
RSS combine.
The Party should utilise the conferences at all levels to discuss the political-
organisational issues which can help give the Party a new thrust for expansion
and strengthen it organizationally.
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