Assam

n Kerala, the Party will continue to contest elections as part of the LDF. In Tamilnadu, the CPI(M) will contest the elections as part of the DMK led alliance. In Assam, the CPI(M) will contest the elections in cooperation with all secular opposition parties including the Congress to defeat the incumbent BJP government in the state, which is sharpening communal polarization, destabilizing social harmony and heaping miseries on the people. In West Bengal, the CPI(M) and the Left Front will have an electoral understanding with all secular parties, including the Congress, which seek to defeat the BJP and the TMC.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that adequate relief and rehabilitation be ensured to each family. The perennial flood problem of Assam must be recognized as a national problem and adequate funds be released in this regard.

Another NRC exercise will impose new burdens and insecurities among various sections of the people. It will only serve the BJP’s agenda of communally dividing the people.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the suspected terrorist attack at Balajan Tiniali Bazar near Kokrajhar town, headquarters of the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) administration. At least 14 innocent people were killed and 20 seriously injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire at the weekly bazar.

The CPI(M) state committees in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamilnadu and  Assam are scheduled to meet to prepare a detailed review of the CPI(M)’s performance in the elections and the post election political situation arising in these states.  On the basis of these review reports prepared by the state committees, the Central Committee will conduct its review at its forthcoming meeting from June 18-20.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the killings perpetrated by the gangs belonging to an extremist Bodo organisation. Forty eight adivasis including women and children were shot dead in five places in the jurisdiction of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) in Assam.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the savage killing of 31 people by Bodo extremist elements in Kokrajhar and adjoining districts of the Bodoland Territorial Council. This shocking attack targeting Bengali Muslims in various villages has led to the death of a large number of women and children.

The withdrawal of the TMC from the government, even the partners of the UPA government differing with the anti-people measures adopted – all go to show that the Manmohan Singh government has no mandate to push through such reforms. The September 20 all India protest and hartal showed the discontent and fighting mood of the people. The Central Committee resolved to intensify the movements and struggles in defence of people’s livelihood and to mobilize the people against high level corruption.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its grave concern at the escalating violence in Assam which is taking a communal turn and is spreading from the Bodo Territorial Administered District and Kokhrajar to neighbouring districts and areas. It is indeed deeply disturbing that over 35 people have lost their lives, several are untraced, over 50 villages have been burnt, thousands have been forced to flee from their homes. Tragically the insecurity is so high among all communities that even those in relief camps do not feel safe.

This is a monumental failure of the Congress led Government in Assam which refused to take timely action allowing the tensions to increase from the first incident on July 6th. Even earlier the warning signs of distrust and tensions among different communities was ignored. The Central Government must explain why it too delayed its response to the violence.