People's Democracy

MAHARASHTRA 19TH STATE CONFERENCE RALLY

For A Third Alternative

Based On Policies

“The toiling people of the country are demanding a third alternative based on anti neo-liberal policies and opposition to the politics of communal hatred. CPI(M) is committed to building the alternative based on policies rather than an opportunist political combine” said Sitaram Yechury, member, Polit Bureau CPI(M) while addressing a public meeting on the eve of the 19th state conference of the CPI(M) Maharashtra, on January 29 at Nandurbar, a district in northern Maharashtra.

Present on the dais were state secretary of the Party and central committee member Ashok Dhawale, Polit Bureau members M K Pandhe, K Varadharajan, central committee member Kumar Shiralkar, and all the members of state secretariat of the Maharashtra Party state committee. The meeting was presided over by Jaisingh Mali, secretary of the Party unit of Nandurbar, and state committee member. The meeting was preceded by a colourful rally by the kisans and mazdoors.

The meeting was largely attended by the adivasi agricultural workers, as well as the poor peasants, unorganised workers from all sections of the working class and the common citizens in the area.

Yechury in his speech said “While supporting the UPA government in the centre we are monitoring all its policies on the basis of Common Minimum Programme. Also we have been giving the policy alternative every time we oppose any policy of the government. This process is necessary to prevent the Congress from going ahead with LPG policies, which is its class bias. It is because of this process that the prime minister Manmohan Singh had to announce in his speech that there will be no privatisation till UPA is in power.”

He further clarified that the dream of communal BJP to stage a comeback before or after the forthcoming elections, shall surely be shattered. He lamented the flaring up of the communal atmosphere on the issue of Ramsethu by BJP. “Ramsethu is a classic example of its double talk. The Ramsethu project had been given clearance by BJP government with Umabharati in charge of the ministry. Now BJP is opposing the project which they themselves decided to go ahead with. This nefarious game will never succeed in the country” he said.

While addressing the meeting Polit Bureau member M K Pandhe, said “The policies of pro imperialist globalisation are really impoverishing the people. The old Congress slogan of garibi hatao has disappeared. It will be a hoax unless there is a genuine transfer of power over the means of production, in favour of the toiling people.”

Polit Bureau member Varadharajan said “Maharashtra is having the highest number of the farmers suicides. But the state government is not bothered about the same. The UPA government is caring more about the foreign farmers, as it is paying double the price for their wheat than what was paid to the Indian farmers. The same is likely to be repeated in case of rice also this year.”

He opposed any hike in petrol and diesel price because the government is gaining Rs 40,000 crore by way of increased taxes on account of increase in the prices of the imported crude oil.

State secretary of the Party Ashok Dhawale lambasted the state government over the issue of increasing social atrocities against dalits, adivasis and women in the state. He said, ”The government has been insensitive to all the social and economic hardships of the people. The CPI(M) is committed to forging a broader class based unity of the people to fight these policies of the ruling Congress-NCP combine in the state.” He also attacked the state government for not being serious about implementing the recommendations of Srikrishna Commission.

Narsayya Adam MLA , Mariam Dhawale, Vithhal More, state committee members, D L Karad and Kumar Shiralkar, state secretariat members also addressed the rally.