People's Democracy

'UPA Govt Drifting Away From The CMP'

Yechury and other leaders (inset) at the massive public meeting in Nalgonda town

SITARAM Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) and MP, stressed on the need for bringing pressure on the UPA government, both in the parliament through its members and outside through the movements of the people, to restrain it from drifting away from the common minimum programme. He was addressing a massive public meeting at NG college grounds in  Nalgonda on March 31 which was organised to mark completion of a padayatra taken up by the CPI(M) for all-round development of the district, which covered a distance of 1857 km for 58 days in the district. CPI(M) floor leader Nomula Narasimhaiah presided over the meeting.

Reminding that implementation of the CMP by the UPA government is a pre-condition for extending support to it by the Left parties, Yechury warned that its violation by the government would be resisted with people’s movements. He criticised the Congress-led government for diluting our independent foreign policy and attempting to bring about reforms in the economic sector much to the undue advantage of the private corporate houses, contrary to what has been enunciated in the CMP. He underlined the imperative need for organising popular movements across the country against communalism and neo-liberal economic policies being pursued. Yechury made it clear that a situation has arisen when the governments at the centre cannot survive without the support of the Left. As a result of the pressure and struggles of the Left, the government has introduced schemes for  ensuring employment guarantee to the poor in rural areas, he said. 

Yechury announced, amidst thunderous applause from the audience, that the strength of the Left would increase in the ensuing elections to five states and that the Left Front in West Bengal would create a world record by winning the assembly elections for the seventh consecutive term. The victory of the LF in West Bengal and that of the CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala would have its impact on the politics of the country and pressure on the central government would increase on several issues, he said.

Yechury recollected the creditable  role played by the Nalgonda district in the heroic Telangana armed struggle of the peasants which ushered in introduction of land reforms. Earlier, a massive and colourful rally was taken out to the venue of the public meeting. Several leaders of the Party, including central committee members Tammineni Veerabhadram and  Mallu Swarajyam, veteran leader of the Party Narra Raghava Reddy, district secretary of the Party Ch Sitaramulu and others participated in the meeting. On this occasion, Yechury inaugurated a memorial constructed as a mark of the padayatra.

(MVR)