People's Democracy

PUNJAB

CPI(M) to Work for Third Platform

MEETING at its office in Chandigarh on June 29 and 30, with Major Singh Punnawal in the chair, the Punjab state committee of the CPI(M) has evolved the electoral tactical line that the party would pursue in regard to the state assembly elections in February 2012. Polit Bureau member S R Pillai and Central Secretariat member Nilotpal Basu attended the meeting on behalf of the party centre, guided the deliberations and reported the decisions of the Central Committee’s meeting at Hyderabad.

The CPI(M) is of the opinion that the discontent and anguish of the people against the UPA-2  government at the centre and the Akali-BJP coalition government in Punjab is on an increase because of sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, unemployment and corruption scams resulting from the neo-liberal economic policies pursued by both these governments. The people of Punjab desire a positive change. They desire that the Akali-BJP combine and Congress must be defeated in the assembly elections. The Punjab state committee of the CPI(M) is of the firm view that there exists the possibility of building a third, secular platform that may ensure the defeat of the Akali-BJP combine as well as the Congress. This platform would consist of the CPI(M), CPI and other non-Congress and non-BJP parties like the PPP of Manpreet Badal, Akali Dal (Longowal), Lok Bhilai Party, Akali Dal 1920 and Janata Dal (Secular).

The CPI(M) state committee also stressed that the CPI(M) and CPI must further intensify their joint initiative and efforts in contacting the leadership of the like-minded parties so that a third, secular platform is built at the earliest and the people’s earnest desire for a positive change and for defeating the Akali-BJP combine and the Congress is fulfilled.

The state committee has also decided to hold its 20th state conference at Sangrur on December 18, 19 and 20, 2011. A state level mass rally will be held on the opening day.

The state committee strongly condemned the cruel blow delivered by the Manmohan Singh government to the people by increasing the prices of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas. It demanded that these hikes must be rolled back, and urged upon all its units to continue with their protest actions.

Through another resolution, the state committee condemned the attacks on civil liberties and democratic rights in West Bengal, being perpetrated by goons aligned to the TMC-Congress combine. They have killed 19 cadre of the CPI(M) and the Left Front so far. The meeting decided to hold seminars and demonstrations from July 1 to 7 in solidarity with the West Bengal comrades and also collect relief fund to support the families of those killed, injured and displaced in these attacks.

The state committee chalked out a programme of joint campaign of the Left parties against corruption from July 15 to 21, in which picketings, rallies and demonstrations will be held in front of the central government offices. The campaign will demand the passage of an effective Lokpal legislation, constitution of a National Judicial Commission in order to curb corruption in the judiciary, implementation of electoral reforms, unearthing of the black money and repatriation of the Indian money illegally stashed abroad.

At the outset, the state committee mourned the death of Comrade Arjan Dass Anjan, a veteran and militant leader of the abadkaars.