People's Democracy

Draft Political Resolution For 19th Congress Released

DRAFT POLITICAL RESOLUTION FOR 19th PARTY CONGRESS RELEASED

Towards Third Alternative

THE Draft Political Resolution for the 19th Party Congres to be held in Coimbatore from March 29 to April 3, 2008 was released by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat along with Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury, S Ramchandran Pillai and K Varadharajan at a press conference at AKG Bhavan on January 20, 2008.

The central committee of the CPI(M) had adopted this Resolution and as per norms it was being released two months before the Party Congress so that all Party units and Party members can discuss the draft and send in their suggestions and amendments which will be considered before the Draft Resolution is adopted at the Party Congress.

Speaking to media persons on this occasion, Prakash Karat explained briefly the main points and features of the Draft Resolution, which is broadly divided into international and national sections. (The full text of the resolution is being published elsewhere in the issue)

Karat underlined the resolve of the Party to push for an alternative to the Congress and BJP-led combinations and said that to achieve this the CPI(M) and other Left parties would take the intitiative for putting in place a third alternative. He clarified that the Party does not see this as a mere electoral allilance but a more permanent and long term platform based on policies. As for parties which can be part of such an alternative, he laid down few parameters in this regard. Any party which has a soft corner for BJP cannot be part of it; the parties must advocate pro-people economic measures; they must be for strengthening social sector; and must be for safeguarding our national sovereignty and independent foreign policy. Karat said such an alternative must be a distinct platform in terms of policies and this has been conveyed to the political parties willing to join the alternative.

Karat expressed the Party's resolve to maintain and further strengthen the Left unity, which would strengthen the process of evolving such an alternative. Acknowledging that certain differences cropped up in Bengal, he said that as the biggest unit of the Left Front CPI(M) is committed to strengthening the Left unity. He however added that the other Left partners must also fulfill their part in the strengthening of this unity.

On the performance of the UPA government, Karat said the main failure of this government has been in tackling the agrarian crisis, the depth of which can be guaged by the shocking figure of 1,50,000 suicides by farmers from 1997 to 2005 according to government figures. The CPI(M) and the Left succeeded to some extent in checking some of the more retrograde policies and legislations while at the same time in getting a few pro-people measures like NREG and Forest Tribal Act.

Referring to the BJP, Karat said that it is trying to make a comeback using the discontentment among people due to the policies of the UPA government. He said the various BJP-led, participated governments in states have two hallmarks. One, continuing attacks on minorities as seen recently in Orissa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh etc and twom the promotion of interests of big capitalists. He called for holding the BJP accountable to the misrule in the coming elections to assemblies in these states.