People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
No.
20
May 16, 2010
|
Vol. XXXIV
No.
20 May 16, 2010 |
CENTRAL COMMITTEE COMMUNIQUE
Anti-Price
Rise Movement to Continue
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of
On
Price
Rise
THE Central Committee reviewed the movement
against the price rise of food items and essential commodities. There
was an
impressive mobilisation for the March 12 rally by the Left parties
which gave a
call for the April 8 picketing and court arrest programme against price
rise,
for land, employment and against the attacks on the CPI(M) and the Left
in
The thirteen parties call for a countrywide
hartal against price rise was a big success with a total shut down in
many
states.
The cut motions moved in the Lok Sabha by the
opposition parties on the day of the hartal
was to protest against the budget provisions which fuel price rise. The
Central
Committee condemned the UPA government for refusing to reverse the
increase in
customs duty on crude oil and excise duty of petrol and diesel
announced in the
union budget.
The Central Committee decided that the
movement against price rise should continue. For this, the Left parties
should
meet and chalk out the next course of action.
Corruption
Scandals
The Central Committee noted that the budget
session of parliament was marked by the outbreak of large scale
corruption
cases and scandals which are the outcome of the big business-politics
nexus.
The IPL affair has led to the first resignation of a minister from the
UPA
government, accused of malpractice; the IPL involves illegal money
flowing in
through the
The 2G spectrum contracts given out in 2008
saw the involvement of the telecom minister, A Raja, in large scale
corruption.
The CBI investigation which included telephone tapping has confirmed
the wrong-doing
of the minister. The Central Committee demanded the removal of A Raja
from the
ministership and a thorough probe into the telecom scam. The illegal
mining
activities of the Reddy brothers of Bellary, such as the Obulapuram
mining
project, has had the protection of both the Congress government in
Andhra
Pradesh and the BJP government in Karnataka. Thousands of crores of
rupees are
being made though such illegal mining activities.
The arrest of the chief of the Medical
Council of India, Dr Ketan Desai, for accepting a bribe of Rs two crore
shows
the rot which exists in such regulatory bodies. Earlier, similar
corruption was
unearthed in the AICTE. The corrupt practices in the MCI have polluted
the medical,
educational and health system. Firm steps must be taken to clean up
these
institutions. There are allegations of corruption and misuse of funds
allocated
for disability sports. The Paralympics Committee has been charged with
mismanagement of funds.
The Central Committee called for firm and
sustained steps against all forms of corruption in public life and
those which
are the outcome of the big business-politics nexus.
Misuse
of
CBI
Instead of using agencies such as the CBI to
investigate economic crimes and cases of corruption, the ruling party
is
unscrupulously utilising the CBI for its narrow political purposes. The
brazen
manner in which the CBI investigations have been used to muster support
against
the cut motion is bringing the agency into disrepute. The ruling party
cannot
be allowed to bring the CBI into disrepute.
The revelation of phone tapping of four
political leaders further reinforces the charge that the Congress party
is
utilising security and intelligence agencies such as the IB for its
political
interests. Using these agencies for such purposes should be made
illegal and
liable for criminal prosecution.
Extremist
Hindutva
Exposed
The arrest of three persons in the Ajmer
Sharief Dargah blasts of 2007 have revealed the role of Hindutva
extremist
elements in this terrorist attack. One of those arrested is reported to
be a
member of the RSS. These elements are linked to the group which
conducted the
The central government should ensure a
coordinated investigation of all these terrorist attacks linked to
Hindutva
extremists.
In the Mecca Masjid bomb blast, a number of
Muslim youth were rounded up and kept in detention and tortured for
weeks; 26
of them were also chargesheeted and kept in prison for seven months.
The bias
in police investigation of terrorist incidents against Muslims in
general is
disturbing.
The government of Andhra Pradesh and the CBI
must take remedial measures. All those arrested and detained in the
Mumbai
Trial
Verdict
With regard to the biggest terrorist violence
in
Struggle
Against
Disinvestment
The Central Committee extended its full
support to the public sector employees who are struggling against
disinvestment
of shares in enterprises such as the BSNL,
Against
Retrograde
Legislations
The Central Committee reiterated its strong
opposition to the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill introduced in the Lok
Sabha
disregarding the opposition at the introductory stage. The Left parties
have
already spelt out the totally one-sided nature of the bill which
constitutes a
serious violation of India’s sovereignty and which compromises the
rights of
citizens regarding their safety and health in the eventuality of a
nuclear
accident.
The Central Committee is strongly opposed to
the Foreign Education Providers Bill introduced in parliament. The bill
does
not serve the interests of higher education in the country but will
only
facilitate commercial and private teaching shops in the name of foreign
educational
providers.
Tripura
Autonomous
District
Council Elections
The Central Committee warmly congratulated
the CPI(M) and the Left Front of Tripura for their sweeping victory in
the
Tripura Tribal Autonomous District Council elections. Of the 27 seats
which
went to the polls, the Left Front has won all the 22 seats declared so
far.
Organisational
Decisions
The Central Committee conducted a mid-term
review of the implementation of the organisational tasks decided at the
19th congress
of the party in April 2008. An indepth examination of the work for
implementing
the tasks was undertaken and the immediate tasks for the future were
worked
out.
The meeting constituted a four-member Central
Disciplinary Commission of the Central Committee. The commission will
consist
of S Ramachandran Pillai (chairman) and Madan Ghosh, V Srinivasa Rao
and U
Vasuki as members.
Extended Meeting: The extended meeting of the Central Committee
will be held from August 7 to 10, 2010 at
Political
Campaign
The Central Committee called upon the party
to undertake a political campaign on the following issues:
1) On
restructuring centre-state
relations in view of the centre’s inequitable policies and encroachment
on
state’s powers.
2) Scrapping the
present Civil
Nuclear Liability Bill and bringing in legislation which will protect
the
interests of the Indian people.
3)
Oppose the setting up
of foreign educational institutions in the country.
4)
Against high level
corruption and demanding action against those involved.
5)
Take firm action
against extremist Hindutva organisations involved in terrorist violence
and
action against those fomenting communal violence.
6)
For bringing the
women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha and its adoption.
