People's Democracy

IN ONE VOICE THEY DEMAND …

Scrap These Policies or Quit.

CPI(M) NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

Thousands Court Arrest In

Thousands of people courted arrest on September 25 in many parts of the nation demanding Vajpayee government to either scrap it's anti people policies or quit. This was in response to the call given by the CPI(M) central committee for a nationwide campaign and struggle in the month of September against the BJP-led government and its disastrous policies in four specific areas. The entire campaign was centered around the slogan of asking the Vajpayee government to Scrap These Policies or Quit.

While CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Polit Bureau members S.Ramchandran Pillai and M.K.Pandhe courted arrest in Delhi, in Lucknow this court arrest action was led by Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat. Politbureau member Sitaram Yechuri courted arrest in Patna along with thousands of people. Reports have reached from Chennai, Pondicherry and other parts of the country about these arrests.

At the time of going to press these protest actions were continuing in many parts of the country including in Bengal and Kerala.

DELHI

" Stop Brokering for America"….. these cries rented the Parliament Street as thousands of angry men and women courted arrest in the Parliament Street police station, demanding the Vajpayee government to immediately scrap it's anti people policies or quit office.

The demonstrators, amongst whom were workers, employees, housewives, students and youth, were in particular demanding the government to stop its shameful servility to American imperialism in the context of terrorist strikes.

Earlier before courting arrest , a public meeting was held on the Parliament street. Addressing the gathering CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet warned the Vajpayee government that this is just the beginning of the struggle and it would be intensified till the government is forced to change its anti people policies or quit from office.

Referring to the looming war clouds in our neighborhood , Surjeet said the despicable terrorist attacks are being used by America to launch a war for benefiting its own long term strategic interests. And our Vajpayee government was shamelessly knocking at the doors of America offering every service even when it was not even asked for.

He said this struggle was focussed on four areas in which this government was leading the country into abyss. Corruption in this regime had reached unprecedented levels as was evident when the BJP national president himself was caught taking wads of currency notes as a bribe. Communalisation of every field was gaining pace while the inhuman anti people economic policies have resulted in a situation when the country is experiencing starvation deaths even as millions of tonnes of food grains are rotting in the godowns. Surjeet called upon the people to take a vow to continue this struggle to its logical conclusion.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member S.Ramchandran Pillai in his speech charged the government of completely giving up India's non aligned and anti-imperialist policies in order to play a surrogate role to the Americans.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member M K Pandhe in his address lambasted Vajpayee government for launching severe attacks on the lives of workers and poorer sections of the country even while selling off national assets cheaply. CPI(M) Central Committee members Brinda Karat, Joginder Sharma and K. Varadarajan also courted arrest.

PATNA

In Patna, nearly 10,000 people courted arrest. Leading them were CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury and Central Committee members Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi and Subodh Rai. The mobilisation came from 17 districts of Bihar. Addressing the huge demonstration, Sitaram Yechury cautioned the people against the US war manoeuvres. He said that the world is being asked to join the battle of ‘democracy’ against ‘terrorism’. But such a front cannot be led by the USA with its long history of patronising State terrorism in league with Pakistan which sponsors cross-border terrorism. How can democracy fight against terrorism by taking the help of a military dictatorship, he wondered. Sitaram said that terrorism can be destroyed only through political initiatives and addressing the grievances that give rise to such tendencies.

LUCKNOW

In Lucknow, more than a thousand volunteers courted arrest outside the Vidhan Sabha under the leadership of CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat and U.P. state secretary Ram Sumer Yadav.

Speaking to the demonstrators Prakash Karat highlighted the United State's unilateral declaration of war and criticised the BJP-led central government for offering unconditional support for the war. He emphasised that this was against India's interest and against the time-tested policy that the country has been pursuing for decades. Prakash Karat said that the country has been put to ridicule by offering unsolicited facilities. With the Americans opting to go with Pakistan the Indian government's position has become a subject of ridicule. Without involving ourselves in the US war efforts, the government of India should emphasise that terrorism should be fought through international forums and consultations, Prakash added.

In other district centres like Banaras, Etawah and Sultanpur, similar court arrest programmes took place. This programme would continue in the next two days in other districts.

CHENNAI

In Chennai around five thousand party volunteers, including 1000 women courted arrest after picketing in front of the Southern Railway headquarters. They were led by the state secretariat members N. Sounderarajan and P. Selvasingh. CPI(M) state secretary N. Shankariah addressing the demonstrators said that "this picketing is not the end of the struggle against the BJP-led central government, but is only the beginning."

In the Union Territory of Pondicherry more than 800 volunteers picketed central government offices at four centres. Pondicherry CPI(M) state secretary, T Murugan alongwith other district leaders led the picketing and court arrest programme.

The court arrest programme will be observed on the 26th in West Bengal and Kerala. On the 27th there will be a big rally by the Left Front in Calcutta against the US war designs.

The court arrest programme was preceded by a fortnight long campaign by the Party in state capitals and district centres, from September 7 to 21.

The four issues highlighted during the campaign were the disastrous economic policies which are affecting the working class, peasantry and all other sections of the people; the pro-imperialist policies of the BJP-led government; unprecedented corruption and the communalisation of educational system. Hundreds of public meetings at various levels were organised throughout the country.