People's Democracy

MANIK SARKAR ADDRESSES HUGE PUBLIC MEETING IN TRICHY

 

'UPA-II Govt is

Enemy of the Poor'

 

N S Arjun from

Tiruchirapalli

 

“The Congress-led UPA-II government is the enemy of the poor, the working class, the agricultural workers, SCs, STs and minorities. After getting elected in the name of aam admi, it is blatantly working for the interests of the big corporates, landlords, blackmarketeers and speculators”, thundered Manik Sarkar, chief minister of Tripura.

 

Sarkar was addressing a massive rally of agricultural workers in Tiruchirapalli on July 19, on the concluding day of the 7th all India conference of AIAWU. The newly elected office bearers of the AIAWU, AIKS general secretary K Varadharajan, CPI(M) veteran leaders R Umanath and K Veerayan were among those who were present on the dais.

 

Manik Sarkar in his hour long speech dealt on various aspects related to the plight of agricultural workers and connected them to the pernicious anti-people policies of the UPA government. Pointing out how in the last budget the UPA government has raised Rs 60,000 crore rupees as indirect taxes while doling out Rs 25,000 crore to big corporates in the form of tax relief, he said this amounts to nothing but robbing the poor and middle classes and handing it over to the corporates. The UPA government's proposed 'Food Security Act' would actually rob whatever security the people have at present. It is pursuing the dangerous policy of disinvestment by which it is going to further accentuate the prevailing serious situation of unemployment in the country. It is also handing over the crucial sector of education – one that builds the nation – to private sector, including the foreign capital. The proposed FDI in higher education is part of this effort. The harmful changes to education system have to be resisted if the future of the children of our country has to be protected, he underlined.

 

Sarkar said that all anti-people measures that the Congress could not push through in the first edition of the UPA government – mainly due to the relentless pressure of the Left – are being vigorously pursued in this current regime, where the Left support is not needed for the survival of the government. The proposed privatisation of banking, insurance, health, railways etc are part of this drive to throw open our market to private capital in the name of liberalisation. He called on the people, particularly the poor, to understand that the Congress-led UPA with the support of parties like DMK is pursuing such a ruinous path only because of its class interests. It is a party of monopoly capital, big bourgeoisie and protects the landlords. It is a mutual affinity as was seen during last Loksabha elections when private corporates poured money into the elections for these parties.

 

The CPI(M), along with the Left, is fighting tooth and nail both inside and outside the parliament against the anti-people policies of the government and against its surrendering to US imperialism. Therefore all reactionary forces, including imperialism, are conspiring and combining overtly and covertly to weaken the Left. The attacks in West Bengal, by a range of forces from extreme Left to extreme Right, are a part of this conspiracy, said Sarkar. More than 200 comrades have been killed since the Lok Sabha elections. “We have full confidence in the people of Bengal. They have a glorious past of facing unprecedented repression. They are shedding blood even now and have still not bowed down the Red flag.” Sarkar called for strengthening of struggles in various parts of the country to isolate the reactionary forces and protect the Left in Bengal. If the Left is weakened, then there would be no force to fight for the interests of the poor, downtrodden, minorities etc, he asserted.

 

Sarkar emphasised the link between the improvement of the lives of agricultural workers and the overcoming of the agrarian crisis. He said the crisis can be overcome only through effective land reforms, increasing the irrigation facilities, provision of cheap credit and ensuring remunerative prices for produce. All these measures will not only bring agricultural sector out of the crisis but also stimulate the economy and strengthen industrialisation thus providing more employment to the youth. He called for widespread struggles – nationwide, statewide and local – on these issues to resist the UPA-II government's pernicious anti-people policies and for implementation of alternative policies.

 

AIAWU general secretary A Vijayaraghavan in his speech urged upon the Tamilnadu government to learn from Kerala about implementing pro-poor policies. He challenged the Tamilnadu chief minister M Karunanidhi whether he is ready to implement Rs 250 wage per day for agricultural workers in Tamilnadu on the lines of Kerala LDF government. He stressed that this daily wage of Rs 250 is being paid for migrant workers from Tamilnadu too. He strongly criticised the Tamilnadu chief minister for running the government for his and his family's – Stalin, Alazhiri and Kanimozhi – benefit alone. He charged that it is with the support of this type of DMK only, the UPA-II government is implementing policies destroying the livelihood of the rural poor and the downtrodden mass. The poor will regain their right to livelihood through massive struggles, he asserted.

 

AIKS general secretary K Varadharajan also criticised the Tamilnadu government for its arrogant approach on almost all issues of the working class people, including on the Uthapuram Dalit struggle. He warned that wherever the arrogance of ruling classes showed, the Red flag will be there to protect the people. He called on the masses to intensify their struggle against the anti-policies of the UPA government.  

 

Reception Committee chairman and MP, T K Rengarajan, faulted the state government for its handling of the Uthapuram Dalit issue, observing that its policies were biased against dalits. He also criticised the Tamilnadu chief minister that he is always pinpoint about the events in Kerala and West Bengal, but not learning from the wonderful policies implemented in those states. He also criticised the so called 'Tamil organisations' which  claim that they are fighting for the welfare of world Tamils; but these forces are not ready to raise the real and livelihood issues like minimum wages, proper implementation of the NREGA etc of the Tamil people living in the state.

 

Among those who participated in the public meeting included veteran CPI(M) leader R Umanath and G Veeriahian, CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan, and AIAWU state unit president A Lazer, who presided over the meeting.