People's Democracy

THINKING TOGETHER

People's Democracy of June 16-22, 2003 reports on a massive rally of the Left Front in Maharashtra.  Report also mentions about the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) consisting of Left and secular parties.

How far are these decisions in Maharashtra in line with our  recent CC decisions regarding the coming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Delhi, where the Party has ruled out any third front. 

-- Padmanabhan & others, Tamilnadu

AS far as the Central Committee decision regarding the coming elections in the four states that you have mentioned, it was decided that our main priority would be to defeat the BJP-led combination of communal forces.  Our Party, alongwith other Left forces, will concentrate in our strongholds, and, in the other seats, we should call for the defeat of the BJP-led combination. 

In these states, there is no sizeable presence of other secular and democratic parties and the electoral polarisation will be sharp between the Congress and the BJP-led combinations.  This is the concrete reality in these states.

However, the situation is not like this in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra etc. The Left parties in Maharashtra, for many years now, have been cooperating and conducting  joint activities and struggles in the name of Left Front.   These include the CPI(M), CPI and the Peasants and Workers Party.

In cooperation with other secular democratic forces, a front was formed way back in 1978 called the PDF.  The PDF contested elections on the basis of a common programme. The Left parties are the mainstay of this front. 

The CPI(M) is very clear at its last Party Congress that the Party shall work for the formation of a non-Congress political alternative to the communal  forces.  This alternative is not a mere electoral alternative, and will have to be built through common struggles both against communalism and the economic policies of liberalisation and globalisation.  While this process is on, in the  interim, when elections take place in some states, we shall work out our  tactics  based on the concrete realities in these states with the objective of defeating the communal forces.  It is on this basis that the CPI(M) has clearly stated that it does not subscribe to the position of equi-distance from both the  BJP and the Congress.  The CC decision regarding the forthcoming elections in these four states is based on this understanding and there is no contradiction between this and the developments in Maharashtra or elsewhere.

What is the Party's stand on the public sector undertakings/department/services which are running into losses and which cannot be revived or made profitable inspite of all possible efforts?

-- Prof. (Dr) P D Gupta, Delhi

First, it must be clear that the frenzied privatisation being undertaken by this government concerns mainly the blue chip profit-making PSUs. The CPI(M) is completely opposed to this.

Secondly, with regard to loss-making PSUs, the first priority must be the revival of the unit. It must be remembered that many of such PSUs were taken over by the state after the private sector already sucked unscrupulous profits and converted them as ‘sick’ units.  The state had to then take over these units to protect the interests of the workers and prevent the ruination of economic resources. In order to revive these units, the possibility of converting them into joint sector projects, drawing in private capital, may be explored.  There may be other means to raise resources from financial institutions etc.  For instance, many such PSUs may have real estate assets (like land) which could be sold and the money recovered could be used to modernise and revive the plant.  If, after sincere efforts exhausting all possibilities, it is found that it is not possible to revive or function these units, then only should the possibilities of sale or closure be explored.

Under such circumstances, a proper arrangement must be worked out where the interests of the workers are fully protected.  This must be worked out jointly by the government, the management and the workers representatives. Only on the basis of an agreement by all concerned parties can any such decision may taken. 

With regard to services, it must be clear that there are services  which are  loss making  but which are necessary for the social welfare of the people.  For instance, the postal services may undertake losses but these need to be subsidised because they provide the only link with the nearly six lakh villages in India.  Postal services, communications etc are to be treated as services that are essential for the unity and integrity of our country.  And, their existence and functioning cannot be determined by the profit criteria.  Likewise, many states in the North East require air services as these are the only means of connectivity with the rest of the country.  Such services, apart of course, from defence, will have to be government-run and subsidised.