People's Democracy

Central Committee Communique

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in Kolkata from January 17 to 20, 2012, and issued the following statement on January 20, 2012.

LOKPAL BILL

THE Central Committee condemned the UPA government for its failure to bring an effective Lokpal Bill and get it adopted in parliament. Even the weak legislation was not adopted in the Rajya Sabha because the government feared that some amendments moved by the opposition would be carried.

The Central Committee demanded that the government bring the Lokpal legislation with suitable amendments in the next session of parliament.

FDI IN RETAIL

The Central Committee opposed the decision of the government to increase FDI in single brand retail to 100 per cent. This is a prelude to bringing in the FDI in multi-brand retail which has already met with widespread opposition.

The Central Committee decided to conduct a sustained campaign among the people to stop the entry of FDI in general retail trade.

WEST BENGAL

The Central Committee expressed its serious concern at the growing number of farmers’ suicides in West Bengal. By now there are reports of twenty four farmers having committed suicide. This reflects not only on the policies of the central government which have resulted in the agrarian crisis but also a gross failure on the part of the West Bengal government to put in place a procurement machinery to purchase crops from the farmers. The procurement machinery set up by the Left Front government has been dismantled. The TMC led government has failed to curb black-marketing of fertilisers.

People are suffering under the misrule of the TMC-led government. There have been nine starvation deaths in a closed tea garden. This is due to the callous attitude of the government which discontinued the scheme of giving Rs 1500 per month introduced by the Left Front government for workers of the closed factories and tea gardens. The performance of MNREGS has become the worst. The public distribution system, the Annapoorna and Aantayodaya schemes have become irregular. The panchayat bodies which used to implement many of these schemes have become virtually defunct. All this is causing distress and suffering for the people.

The TMC-led government is exhibiting an extremely intolerant attitude to any criticism made about its performance. The general attack on democratic rights continues. So far fifty five persons who are workers or supporters of the CPI(M) and the Left Front have been killed since the assembly election results. The CPI(M) calls for an immediate halt to such attacks and the full restoration of democratic rights.

FEBRUARY 28 STRIKE

The Central Committee extended its full support to the call of the central trade unions for a one-day general strike on February 28, 2012. This united action by all the trade unions has raised demands, which are not only in the interests of the working class but concern the people of the country as a whole. The Central Committee directed all its party units to work wholeheartedly to make the strike a total success.

DRAFT POLITICAL

RESOLUTION

The Central Committee adopted the draft political resolution to be placed before the 20th congress of the party to be held in April 2012 at Kozhikkode. The political resolution has called for fighting the neo-liberal policies of the UPA government and mobilising various sections of the working people who are affected by these policies adversely. This is a central task. The resolution calls for continuing the struggle to isolate the communal forces and to thwart the designs of the Hindutva brigade. The party will work to defeat the Congress and the BJP.

The resolution calls for paying the utmost priority to developing the independent role of the party and to strengthening the party as an all-India force. The party will work to build the Left and democratic alternative against the existing order. It will seek the cooperation of other non-Congress, secular and democratic forces to take up people’s issues, defend secularism, national sovereignty and the federal principle.   

DRAFT IDEOLOGICAL

RESOLUTION

The Central Committee discussed and adopted the draft Resolution on Some Ideological Issues. This resolution addresses the current and prolonged crisis of global capitalism and its impact on both the developed capitalist countries and the developing countries. It takes stock of the moves of imperialism and international finance capital and the ideological constructs that they use to maintain their dominance. The resolution deals with the growing resistance to imperialist globalisation and the ideological tasks to be undertaken to ensure an effective and united resistance by the working class and other allied forces worldwide. The resolution discusses the developments in the socialist countries and the necessity to build a renewed socialist alternative which is relevant to the 21st century. The resolution also pinpoints the ideological challenges faced by the communists in Indian society and puts forth an alternative ideological worldview which can counter the bourgeois, feudal and other retrograde ideologies.