People's Democracy

CPI(M) LAUNCHES ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN PUNJAB

Ensure Defeat Of BJP   And Congress: Karat

Asha Nand

THE CPI(M) will go to the people with the slogan �Defeat both BJP and  Congress and Ensure Victory of Third Front�. The third front would comprise Left, democratic and secular parties.

This was the message delivered by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat while addressing a mass rally on March 1, 2009 in Balachur, organised on the occasion of launching of the election campaign of Party candidate Mahan Singh Rauri from Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab.

Karat attacked both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UPA for implementing anti-people and  anti-national policies of liberalisation, privatisation and pro-imperialist globalisation. He said that lakhs of small industries are ruined, with millions of workers losing their livelihood. On the one hand employees are being retrenched in large numbers on various grounds and on the other recruitments in public sector have been banned. On top of this now with the impact of the global economic meltdown, crores of people are losing their jobs. Expressing serious concern over the agrarian crisis, Karat said it has intensified to such an extent that around two lakh peasants have committed suicide in the country due to this crisis. The situation of agricultural labourers has also worsened.

Karat asserted that it was only the intervention and pressure from the Left parties, which were extending support from outside, that prevented the UPA government from privatising the public sector undertakings to the extent it wanted. He said that Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Right to Information Act and Tribal Forest Rights Act etc were passed only due to the sustained pressure mounted by the Left. He lambasted the UPA government for going ahead with the India-US nuclear deal which makes India a junior strategic partner of US imperialism and bends the independent foreign policy of the country before American imperialism. The activities of the previous NDA government and the present UPA government clearly showed how they have surrendered before the American imperialism.

Karat said that BJP is a party which is functioning on the directions of the fascist RSS and is trying to create ground for communal riots in the country against minority communities by instigating the sentiments of hatred among the majority Hindu community against the minorities. He also said that the involvement of the sangh parivar in the terrorist activities is now well exposed. He called for defeating such a rabid communal party and its allies and all the parties providing grounds for the advance of these forces in the coming general election so that the unity, integrity and peace of the country is maintained.

Karat expressed confidence that the third front would emerge after the Lok Sabha polls as there would be polarisation of political forces to keep both the combinations led by the Congress and the BJP at bay. The third front would occupy the centre stage with crucial role of the Left parties. He hoped that the party in Punjab and general public will fully contribute to strengthen the emerging third front based on Left, democratic and secular forces in the country so that the struggle for the interest of the masses could be advanced. He concluded by calling upon the people to ensure the victory of Mahan Singh Rauri from Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

Addressing the rally, CPI(M) central secretariat member Nilotpal Basu said that the people of the country are ready to teach a lesson to both the Congress and the BJP.   

Charan Singh Virdi, acting state secretary of the CPI(M) criticised the Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal for not doing anything concrete for Punjab during the regime of NDA, of which his party was part of, but now raising these issues in order to mislead the masses. He termed as dangerous Akali Dal�s move to raise the issue of Anandpur Sahib Resolution now as it would pave the way for strengthening of separatist forces. This was deliberate in order to divert the anger of the people, he said.

The rally was also addressed by CPI(M) state secretariat members Lehambar Singh Taggar, Raghunath Singh, CPI(M) candidate Mahan Singh Rauri and Ram Singh Noorpuri. The rally was presided over by CPI(M) state secretariat member Rachhpal Singh.