People's Democracy

THE residents of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, will remember May 26, 2002 as a red-letter day in the history of communist movement in the state. On that day, the Garden City witnessed a huge procession and rally organised by the CPI(M)’s state committee to coincide with its Polit Bureau and Central Committee meetings.

Defeat communal forces! Defeat anti-people policies of NDA government! and Forge a people’s alternative! were the main slogans of the rally.

Thousands of people --- peasants, workers, agricultural workers, employees, youth, students and women --- arrived in Bangalore from several parts of the state to participate in the rally and listen to what the veteran leaders of India’s communist movement had to say.

The main circles of the city were decorated with buntings and party flags, to mark the first Central Committee meeting after the 17th party congress. Earlier a Central Committee meeting was held in Bangalore in 1993.

Starting from Chikka Lalbagh in the heart of the city, with people carrying flags, banners and placards, the CPI(M) procession marched through the main thoroughfares of the city, attracting the onlookers. Slogans were raised against the Sangh Parivar and against the disastrous economic policies of the BJP-led NDA government at the centre as well as to express the people’s disenchantment with the ruinous acts of the Congress-led state government. About 10,000 people took part in the procession.

The processionists converged into a public rally at Malleshwaram Grounds that wore a festive look with red flags and buntings. The rally was presided over by CPI(M) state secretary S Suryanarayana Rao.

The veterans and senior leaders who symbolise the struggle against man’s exploitation by man were greeted with loud applause and cheers by the gathering as they were introduced and received on the dais. Members of Polit Bureau and state secretariat were seated on the dais.

Speaking first, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya extended revolutionary greetings to the people of Karnataka, on behalf of the people of his state who reposed their faith for successive six times in Left Front led by the CPI(M). He dwelt at length on the achievements of the Left Front government in the last 25 years --- the distribution of land to the landless and small peasants and introduction of a path-breaking panchayati raj system, among other things. Bhattacharya said the interests of the working people have been safeguarded in Bengal, there is no interference by the police force against the democratic struggles, and the right to strike has been granted to the government employees, etc. Seventy per cent of the Bengal’s population is getting free medical facilities from government hospitals, he said.

Bhattacharya also highlighted how communal harmony has been prevailing in his state and what glorious role the Left has played in it. He hoped that people of the country would fight and defeat the divisive forces and preserve communal amity.

CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet dealt with the nefarious game plan of the communal and fascist forces who are out to destroy the secular fabric of the nation. For some years the danger to secularism and communal harmony has been growing. Surjeet explained the nature and cultural ethos of India where people of different faiths and languages live together. He also referred to the importance of forming linguistic states. This was Congress demand during the freedom struggle, which it forgot later. He accused the BJP of making attempt to destroy the linguistic states.

Surjeet reminded that it was due to its anti-people policies that the Congress was reduced to a minor force and kicked out of power. The BJP has been able to raise its head due to the failure of the Congress, he said.

The veteran Marxist leader castigated the BJP for its saffronisation spree, and for the developments in Gujarat that are a shame on the country.

In his address, Surjeet also referred to the BJP’s motive in setting up the constitution review committee, its efforts to weaken the parliamentary democratic polity of country, its moves to kill the non-aligned foreign policy of the country while dancing to the tune of American imperialists. He ridiculed the claims about a role of the Sangh Parivar in the struggle for freedom. He lambasted the BJP for not giving full autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir and for opposing article 370 of the constitution.

Another veteran leader to address the rally was Jyoti Basu who led the West Bengal government for nearly a quarter of a century --- a record in the history of parliamentary democracy. Basu came down heavily on the BJP, charging it with trying to break by its communal policies India’s unity in diversity. Contrary to what the Hindu saints taught us, the Hindutva’s proponents are advocating hatred towards other faiths, Basu said, adding that Hindutva is in fact not synonymous with Hinduism.

Basu said the people of West Bengal are fighting not for West Bengal alone but for the whole of India. He too dwelt on some of the achievements of the Left Front government and attracted the attention to the improved lot of women, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people in his state.

Admitting that the People’s Front, of which he is the chairman, is still weak, Basu said he would work to make it strong in order to provide a viable alternative to the BJP as well as the Congress.

Speaking on the occasion, AIDWA general secretary and CPI(M) Central Committee member Brinda Karat remembered Basavanna, a great social reformer of Karnataka in the 12th century, and referred to the present BJP state president of the same name, saying the two cannot be compared as the present Basavanna’s party is hell bent on destroying social amity and communal harmony.

While common people try to reach God through religion, some people try to grab power in the name of religion and God, Brinda Karat said whilw analysing the Hindutva forces. Referring to Gujarat carnage, she said time had come to rise in order to save India from the communal-fascistic forces. If India is saved, we are saved. In this Bharat Bachao (Save India) struggle, she said the Gujarat question comes first.

Referring to the spate of atrocities on women in Karnataka, she asked the state’s people to fight this menace. She said the women’s question concerns the whole society and that therefore the fight against inequality must be intensified.

Former Kerala chief minister E K Nayanar detailed the opportunistic actions of the Congress party in Kerala where it colluded with communal forces to win elections. It shows the double-speak of Congress in regard to fighting communalism.

The CPI(M)’s state secretariat member Maruti Manpade welcomed the gathering, its Bangalore district secretary K Prakash conducted the programme, while state secretariat member S Y Gurushanth delivered the vote of thanks.

The rally resolved to carry forward the fight against communal forces and anti-people economic policies of the central and state governments.

When the rally was in progress, the news came of the demise of Comrade C Nanjundappa, former state secretariat member of the party as well as former state general secretary of the CITU. S Suryanarayana Rao, who was in chair, announced the sad news, whereafter the whole rally stood in silence for two minutes to pay tribute to the departed leader.