People's Democracy

Manik Sarkar Campaigns In Bengal

MANIK Sarkar, Tripura chief minister and a Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) has been touring along various districts of Bengal during the phase elections taking place. Addressing two big rallies at Bongaon and Basirhat in support of the Left Front-nominated candidates, Manik Sarkar said that with three phases of the elections over, the prospect for a Third Front government in Delhi was becoming brighter every day. This has made the Congress and the BJP confused, afraid, and directionless.

Manik Sarkar said that the UPA government would not react in any way to the galloping price-rise, and that it would not bother to listen to the sane advice of the Left that the public distribution system in the country should be strengthened. By brining in 14 to 18 articles of common consumption within the rationing system and ensuring their constancy of supply would have cost the central government but Rs 20,000 crore � but the anti-people Congress government was not willing to listen, lacking the proper political will.

LEFT NOT HEEDED

On the other hand, the rich had stashed away more than Rs 74 lakh crore of black money in Swiss banks. Simply by recovering that fund, the rationing system could have been refurbished and strengthened several times over. The people would not, then, have remained without the benefits of subsidies in essential commodities. The hoarders and the black marketers would have been let disappointed.

The price rise itself could well have been effectively stemmed. Both the Congress and the BJP stand by the side of the hoarders and the racketeers from a class point of view. The crocodile tears are only kept for the time when elections are announced. When the electoral process is finished, the old class values return to torment the poor. Manik Sarkar also criticised the communal brand of politics of the BJP.

(B P)