People's Democracy

TRIPURA

CPI(M) Plans Month-Long Campaign in July

THE CPI(M) has recognised the increased trust and aspiration which the electorate of the areas falling under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) have reposed in the Left Front in the sixth general election to the ADC, held last month. The two-day meeting of the party’s state committee, held on June 2 and 3, heartily hailed the ADC electorate for their massive mandate to the Left Front candidates in all the 27 seats where elections were held. The committee said while development programme would be pressed ahead with renewed vigour through an admixture of geared-up administration and close cooperation of the people, political-organisational measures shall also be taken to consolidate the victory and a month-long massive campaign would be run statewide in July on a 12-point charter of demands pertaining to the common people of the country and the state.

Deeply condoling the deaths in the disastrous air accident in Mangalore and condemning the ghastly mass killing by the Maoists who committed a subversion of the railway track in Sardiaha in West Midnapure, the party also paid homage to Comrade Mansoor Saeed (Central Secretariat member of the Communist Party of Pakistan), Comrade Sushil Mukharjee (a frontline communist in Tripura) and Comrade Arabinda Dhar, a CPI(M) activist who was killed in the firing by a TSR jawan in West Bengal.

The party acclaimed the people’s strong rejection of the anti-people vested interests and the corrupt and divisive forces with all their moves to malign and spread misinformation against the Left Front of Tripura. This is a reflection of the high level of the state people’s political consciousness, the party said. The ADC election was held in a totally trouble-free and festive atmosphere with a turnout of about 82 percent up from 67.19 percent in the 2005 ADC polls. The party’s state committee noted with satisfaction the role of the Left Front government in improving the atmosphere of peace and harmony, implementing the massive and multifarious development programmes, and distribute forest land among over 1.29 lakh tribal families. At the same time, the Left Front and the CPI(M) constantly struggled for comprehensive development of the state including the ADC areas. All this has gone a long way in consolidating the support of the people who gave tremendous response to the Left Front’s election campaign. Hundreds of families joined the Left camp during the poll process.

The state committee recalled how the Left Front  campaign centred on exposing before the people the anti-people economic policy of the UPA government at the centre, spiralling prices of essential commodities, virtual scrapping of the public distribution system, alliance with US imperialism, anti-tribal policy of the Congress party countrywide, its anti-democratic and anti-development role in the state, and its silence over the INPT and IPFT’s provocative slogans of ‘state within state’ in an attempt to divide the state. Also, the Left vigorously put forward the massive achievements of the Left Front government and the Left Front-led ADC, the resultant socio-economic uplift of the masses, and the ceaseless political-ideological campaign of the Left Front, which went a long way in preserving the atmosphere of peace and harmony, and alienated the extremists to a large extent.

In stark contrast, the sole aim of the Congress party, the INPT and a section of the mercenary media was to mislead the people with preposterous canards against the Left Front. The Congress party especially tried various instigations and provocations to foment trouble and sought to purchase a section of the electorate with doles in cash and kind.

The CPI(M) state committee session has identified certain organisational deficiencies as well and decided to take appropriate political-organisational steps to eliminate them. The way to consolidate the victory is to strengthen the ADC administration and tighten the bonds with people, so as to advance the development programmes with renewed vigour.

The state committee deliberated in detail the problems of the people and came up with a 12 point charter of demands to build up a massive campaign through the month of July. The demands are as below:

1) Effective steps to control price rise, stop to forward trading and speculation in foodgrain trade and withdrawal of the duty imposed on petro products.

2) Supply of 35 kg of rice per family through the PDS and withdrawal of the decision to reduce the subsidy on food grains and fertilisers.

3) Increase in the number of days and wage rate in NREGA projects, and start of similar employment projects in urban areas. Immediate recruitment for the lakhs of posts lying vacant in the central sector.

4) Passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha soon.

5) Immediate withdrawal of the centre’s decision to hand over the Indian education sector and retail trade to foreign capital. Full central financing for implementation of the Right to Education Act.

6) Scrapping of the Nuclear Liabilities Bill which is in favour of US multinationals.

7) Stringent steps on the allegations of corruption against a section of the central ministers and bureaucrats, with immediate dismissal of the telecom minister.

8) Stop to the ruthless social repression on Dalits at several places in the country.

9) Stern action against the Hindutva terrorist organisations involved in communal violence. Adequate assistance to the states towards putting down all sorts of terrorist and separatist, including the ultra-leftist, activities. Concrete steps towards implementation of the Sachar committee and Ranganath Mishra commission recommendations for welfare of the Muslim minorities. Removal of legal obstacles to the OBC reservation in respect of education and employment in Tripura.

10) Central legislation for workers of the unorganised sector. No amendment of labour laws in favour of Indian and international capital. No disinvestment or privatisation of public sector units.

11) The central government must take the basic responsibility of financial rehabilitation of the recipients of land titles under the Right to Forest Act. Immediate amendment to the central laws in favour of non-tribal inhabitants of forestlands since before 1971. Arrangement of land and housing for the landless and agricultural labourers.

12) Time-bound packages for augmentation of job opportunities for the unemployed in the Northeast region. Completion of the broadgauge extension work up to Agartala and the railway up to Subroom within a specified time frame. Arrangement of new bogeys and adequate light, water and security in the ongoing train services.