People's Democracy

AT the outset, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), I convey greetings to you and wish the 18th congress of the Communist Party of India all success.

We have just returned from Hyderabad after the completion of the 17th congress of the CPI(M). After making assessment of the international and national situation and reviewing the changes that have occurred since the 16th congress, we have laid down the tasks for the coming period.

Addressing our congress at Hyderabad, your general secretary, Comrade Bardhan, rightly pointed to the grave dangers that were inherent in the situation.

The international situation underwent an immense change after the September 11 attacks in the US. Using this as the pretext, President Bush declared a so-called "war against terrorism."

He sought to equate his opponents with terrorists. The US administration is now propounding the "axis of evil" theory threatening the sovereignty of countries like Iran, Iraq, North Korea, etc, that refuse to fall in line. Abrogating the Anti-Ballistic Missiles treaty, it has announced a plan to pursue the National Missile Defence (NMD) system. It is backing the Israeli administration to the hilt in its brutal attacks on Palestinians and their territories, in complete violation of the Oslo peace accord.

Simultaneously, the imperialist camp led by the USA is also trying to economically subjugate the third world using the instruments of the IMF, World Bank and WTO.

But US imperialism’s attempt to impose its hegemony worldwide is meeting with greater and greater resistance. The growing disparities, the economic subjugation and the increasing military blackmail will be increasingly fought and resisted by the people worldwide. Already such signs are visible, even within its own ranks. Its own allies have sought to demarcate from its policies. Many of them have sought the withdrawal of sanctions imposed upon Iraq and have expressed themselves against the US withdrawal from ABM Treaty and its plans to go ahead with weapons of mass destruction.

By extending unsolicited support to the Bush administration’s plan, the BJP-led government has compromised India’s position and put it to shame before the international community. Never before in independent India has there been a regime which has openly come out in support of an imperialist power and has been willing to play second fiddle to it.

Domestically, the BJP-led government has put immense burdens on the people. It has increased the tax burdens upon the people, destroyed the public distribution system, withdrawn most of the subsidies given to the people, even while extending concession after concession to the big business. The agricultural growth rate has declined sharply; there has been a surge in import of agriculture produce leading to a crash in prices of local produce. It is these policies that are resulting in a spate of suicides in several parts of the country.

The decade of the nineties has brought misery and ruin to the mass of India’s peasants and agricultural labourers as never before in the history of independent India. The union government is pursuing policies dictated by the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), representing the interests of the giant agri-business and multinational corporations (MNCs), menacing Indian agriculture as never before. The situation has turned even more serious after the WTO’s Doha conference. This has led to the unprecedented phenomenon of thousands of suicides and cases of kidney selling by peasants and agricultural workers in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and even in Kerala and Punjab.

In the name of ending subsidies, the BJP-led government’s policies are starving Indian agriculture of the state resources and public investment it badly needs. This has meant a sharp rise in electricity and water costs, as well as a steep rise in prices of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides and other inputs, which the overwhelming majority of poor and middle peasants can ill afford. The BJP-led government at the centre has launched a savage attack on the Indian peasantry in the name of the open market. The latest budget of the central government has virtually put an end to the procurement of agricultural produce at minimum support prices.

The threat to our secular values, our syncretic culture and national unity was never so grave. There has been a systematic targeting of people belonging to the minority communities. The carnage in Gujarat is sought to be presented as a backlash or a revenge for the equally condemnable Godhra killings. A systematic state-sponsored pogrom against the minority Muslim community is taking place in Gujarat. Never before had the danger become so real.

The growing aggressiveness of the voices of RSS outfits like the VHP, Bajrang Dal, etc, poses a serious threat to national unity. The Bangalore declaration of the RSS has declared that Muslims can live only at the mercy of Hindus in this country. This is a disruptive call. It is unfortunate that the NDA allies voice only occasional criticism and do not seriously take up the issue, as they are reluctant to give up power. It is the duty of the Left and democratic forces to accept the challenge and save the country from disaster.

Comrades,

It is against this background that we have to work out our tactics to meet the international challenge from the imperialist forces and, domestically, the right reactionary policies being pursued by the BJP-led government at the centre.

Both our parties have been independently and unitedly endeavouring for this. It is an arduous and enormous task that lies ahead. The formation of the People’s Front, of which both our parties are important constituents, will go a long way in consolidating and bringing together those forces that share a common vision and outlook --- atleast on some basic issues like the threat from imperialism, the danger of communalism, etc. But we will have to bear in mind that it is only by sharpening our struggles and working for the building of the political alternative that we can save the country and march ahead.

Once again I wish your congress all success.