People's Democracy

FOR the nation to be saved, there is an urgent need to launch an intense all-India movement to throw out the fascist and corrupt BJP-led central government from office. And for achieving this, all secular and democratic forces must unite This was the fervent call emanating from the speakers at a public meeting organised by the Delhi state committee of the CPI(M) on August 27 at the V P House lawns.

The speakers included former prime ministers V P Singh, H D Deve Gowda, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury and CPI(M) leader in Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee. CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet presided over the meeting. CPI(M) Central Committee member Joginder Sharma welcomed the gathering.

The V P House lawns was filled with hundreds of people attending the meeting. They kept raising slogans against Vajpayee government's brazen corruption and communalism.

V P Singh, in his speech, felt that corruption poses a greater danger to the nation's existence than terrorism. "Terrorists may kill the leaders but not the nation while corruption can do so", he said. Saying that corruption in defence sector is far more dangerous, V P Singh called for throwing out the archaic Official Secrets Act and providing to the people the right to information. He attacked the BJP for its brazen corruption scandals.

CPI general secretary Bardhan ridiculed the Vajpayee government's efforts to defend itself by saying that these scams were not a new phenomenon and they were in existence for the last 50 years. After executing the worst ever carnage in Gujarat, the Vajpayee government was shamelessly carrying on as though nothing has happened. Bardhan blasted Advani's doublespeak on this issue. He stressed the need for the Left and secular forces to wage struggles on people's issues in order to save the nation from these communal, fascist and corrupt forces.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury began his speech wondering which aspect he should take up first in view of Vajpayee government's scam-a-day performance. He said the BJP, which claimed it was a party with a difference, has been thoroughly exposed by these scams. Listing all the scams of BJP-led government, Sitaram said it represented nothing but loot and plunder. He took potshots at BJP president Venkaiah Naidu's gesture of returning a part of his ill-acquired land saying it amounts to nothing but an admission of guilt.

Deve Gowda expressed his total support to the proposed agitation against the Vajpayee government.

Later in the night, opposition leaders gathered at a dinner meeting hosted by CPI(M) leader in Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee. They deliberated on the need to put up a united fight against the BJP in the coming period. Among those who attended the dinner meet included Congress president Sonia Gandhi, senior leaders Manmohan Singh, Shivraj Patil, former prime ministers V P Singh, H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujral, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav, NCP leader Pitambar. From CPI(M), Party general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Polit Bureau members Jyoti Basu, Budhadeb Bhattacharya and Sitaram Yechuri participated in this meet.