People's Democracy

HUGE CPI(M) ELECTION RALLY IN SIKAR

BJP Politicising Fight Against Terror: Yechury

Lambasting the BJP for trying to politically use the latest terror attacks in Mumbai, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury called for greater unity among the people to fight terror effectively.

Addressing a huge CPI(M) election rally in Sikar today, Yechury described the unprecedented terrorist attacks in Mumbai as launching of a �war on our nation�. He said terror has no religion and those who try to reap political benefits out of such attacks by trying to break the unity of people are also enemies of nation. Yechury cautioned against communalizing or politicizing the fight against terror. He paid tributes to Anti Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai and recalled his tireless efforts to unravel the Sangh Parivar�s role in Malegaon terror blasts.

Referring to BJP�s charge of incapability and ineffectiveness of the UPA government in tackling terror, he said that may be true but what about the spate of terror attacks during the tenure of L K Advani as union home minister, he asked rhetorically. �Both BJP and Congress are incapable of fighting terror effectively because while one seeks to divide the people on religious lines the other does not make effort to foster unity. It is only the Left-led forces who strive to keep people united who can battle this effectively�, he said. Yechury underlined the need to relentlessly fight the divisive, fundamentalist politics of all types.

The CPI(M) is contesting 6 out of the 7 seats in Sikar district, which is often referred to as the West Bengal of Rajasthan for the strong presence of CPI(M) in the district. CPI(M) central committee member and Rajasthan state AIKS president Amra Ram who represented Dhod constituency thrice is now contesting from adjoining Datta Ramgarh constituency due to delimitation. The Party has fielded Kisan leader Pema Ram from Dhod. From Sikar constituency, the CPI(M) has fielded its young leader Abdul Qayoom Qureshi who has struck a chord with not only the significant mass of minorities (around 60,000 out of 1.8 lakh voters) but also among all those who seek a change from the cynical politics of BJP and the ineffective Congress.

Sikar town was painted red today. Thousands of farmers from adjoining villages started pouring into the district headquarters on tractors and jeeps flags right since morning to attend the CPI(M) rally. They joined the thousands more from the town in various marches to the Ramlila maidan, the venue of the public meeting. There was palpable enthusiasm among the crowds, most of who were youth. When Yechury and CPI(M) central committee member and MP Mohd Salim spoke about terror and the need to defeat it, they heard in rapt attention.

Yechury in his speech stressed why it was essential to strengthen the presence of Left parties in legislatures by drawing from the experience of the UPA government. It was only the Left pressure which resulted in the enactment of NREGA, the Forest Rights Act, the constitution of Sachhar committee etc. The same can be replicated in Rajasthan if more CPI(M) candidates are elected to the assembly.

Mohd Salim spoke about the backwardness of Muslims in the country even after 61 years of freedom. He called for voters to exercise their choice carefully and not be swayed by parivars, either Sangh parivar or Gandhi parivar. By electing CPI(M) candidate in Sikar, a positive signal will go about the people of Rajasthan yearning for a change in policies, he said.

The farmers among the crowd cheered CPI(M) state secretary Vasudev Sharma�s attack on the �devilish Vasundhara Raje government which ruled with police bullets�. Referring to the heroic struggle waged by the farmers of the state under the leadership of the CPI(M) for water and against power tariff hike, Vasudev recalled how the BJP government closed all roads into Jaipur to prevent the farmers from entering and staging protest. Well, the time has now come for the people to act through ballots to prevent such parties and its leaders from going to Jaipur!

Amra Ram, who came to the meeting at the fag end due to campaigning in his constituency drew loud cheers from the patient crowd. He made an appeal to the voters to keep the flag of communal harmony flying high by electing Qayoom Qureshi, who would jointly with Amra Ram fight for the interests of the working people.

from Sikar (Rajasthan)

November 28, 2008