People's Democracy

LEFT PARTIES CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION

‘People’s Struggles Needed

to End Corruption'

MERE legislations will not end the rampant corruption in the country. What is needed is strong peoples' movements to root out corruption. This was the call emanating from a state level convention against corruption organised by eleven Left parties in Hyderabad on July 23. The convention also called for organising such conventions in all districts in the coming period. Among the eleven parties included CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML),  CPI(ML)-New Democracy, CPI(ML)-Liberation, Forward Bloc and RSP. CPI state secretary K Narayana presided over the convention.

The speakers in the convention noted how the nation and people have been defrauded due to the series of scandals like 2G spectrum scam, Commonwealth Games, Adarsh Housing, KG Basin Gas scam etc in which ruling coalition leaders, in connivance with corrupt officials, looted public money. And with such ill gotten wealth these leaders were trying to subvert democracy by resorting to money power in elections. In this context, in order to protect whatever rights granted under the present bourgeois democracy, people have to be mobilised to fight against corruption, the leaders felt.

CPI(M) state secretary B V Raghavulu in his speech squarely blamed the ruling classes at centre for the massive corruption plaguing the nation. He said since 1948, there have been many corruption scandals and the total amount would be in the range of around 900 lakh crore rupees. Most of this amount has been stashed away in Swiss banks thus denying usage of our resources in the country. Giving example of 2G spectrum scam, he said the scam amount of Rs 1.76 lakh crores could have been used to provide all 120 crore people in the country with Rs 2 per kg rice for an entire year. Similarly all children could have been provided clothes, text books and food for a period of five years. He expressed concern that the culture of corruption is seeping down to every level with people forced to pay bribes in hospitals, mandal offices, police stations etc to get their works done.

The CPI(M) leader said it would be wrong to believe that mere enacting of Jan Lokpal Bill would end corruption in the country. He said it would only be one means of fighting corruption. What is more important is the constant vigil of people through people's movements against corruption. He demanded that the prime minister must be brought into the ambit of the proposed legislation. He also sought electoral reforms to curb use of money power in elections.

CPI state secretary K Narayana asserted that only the Left has the moral credentials to fight against corruption. Both the ruling and opposition parties have been mired in various corruption scandals since their inception. He also felt that corruption is prevalent in the policies being enacted under the neo-liberal regimes. He contrasted the rule of UPA-II with the UPA-I in which the Left parties support ensured prevention of such policies and hence insulating of the nation due to global financial crisis.

Leaders of other Left parties also spoke. The Sundarayya Vignana Kendram auditorium was jampacked with people from various walks of life attending the convention.

(INN)