Left parties to contest in 48 seats in Assam

The Left parties comprising of CPI(M), CPI, CPI-ML and Forward Bloc will unitedly fight in 48 constituencies in the upcoming Assam assembly elections next month. The CPI(M)  will contest in 17 constituencies, CPI in 22 and CPI-ML in eight and Forward Bloc in one. CPIM has already named the candidates for the 17 constituencies.

 

The Left parties in Assam are strong in the Bengali dominated Barak valley area in southern Assam consisting mainly of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts. The Alliance's candidates will contest in four constituencies in Barak Valley's Cachar district with CPI-M's Parimal Paul in Silchar, CPI's Brajendra Das in Dholai and CPI-ML candidate Haidar Hussain in Udharbond.

The lone Forward Block candidate for the Sonai seat would be finalized later, Acharjee added. The left parties has formed the alliance "to save the people of Assam from the common enemy - Congress and BJP - by raising issues like price rise, rampant corruption by Congress, failure to bring about development, etc." 

CPIM kickstarts election campaign in Tamilnadu

CPIM General Secretary Com. Prakash Karat started the election campaign of the party to the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. CPIM and CPI are alliance partners with AIDMK. The campaign started with a largely attended public meeting in Dindugal. State level leaders of the Party were present in the function.

The People of Tamil Nadu should put an end to the rule of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that had “institutionalised corruption”, Prakash Karat said . All resources and benefits of Tamil Nadu, one of the fastest growing States in the country, should not go to a single family, he said.

He said Tamil Nadu needed a strong government that would generate suitable employment opportunities to youth, frame policies for development of agriculture, offer remunerative prices to farmers, ensure livelihood of workers and provide basic services to all. But a corrupt regime presided over by a single family ruling the State was a misfortune for the people of Tamil Nadu, he said.

“Do you think that the drama of withdrawing support by the DMK was due to a bargain in offering three seats to Congress? The actual negotiation was how to cover up the 2G spectrum corruption,” he charged. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the CPI (M) had warned about corruption in spectrum allocation. Though the people did not believe it then, they had realised this now. The government must cancel 2G spectrum allocation and go for re-auction to offset the loss which was eight times of health budget and three times of total education budget. But the Congress would not do it because the companies which enjoyed the benefits would expose the party, he said.

The country had been facing two major crises — corruption and price increase — created by the DMK and Congress. Price rise was not due to increase in prices of commodities in global market as put forth by the Prime Minister but because of the Centre's wrong policies like de-controlling petrol price, he said. “The CPI (M) has been ruling in three States and you will not find a single corruption charge against the Chief Ministers or other Ministers,” Mr. Karat said.

On the ocassion Com Prakash Karat also received the election fund of Rs. 5 Lakh collected by the Party District Committee. He later attended a public meeting in Madurai - IsmailPuram 2nd street . He will also attend a meeting on Friday in Nagapattinam.

LDF Kerala website inaugurated

The website of Left Democratic Front, Kerala was inaugurated by Com. V S Achuthanandan at AKG centre, Trivandrum. The website named www.ldfkeralam.org will give details about the LDF manifesto for the assembly elections, the website also showcases the achievements of the LDF Government. Various LDF leaders including Com. Pinarayi Vijayan (CPIM State Secretary), Com. C K Chandrappan(CPI State Secretary), LDF Convenor Com. Vaikom Viswan was present during the function. Leaders said that in the coming days the biodata of candidates for each consitituency will also be displayed in the website.

For a Better India, Ensure Success of the Left

Editorial - Peoples Democracy

In West Bengal, the principal opponent seeking to defeat the seven term in office Left Front is the Trinamul Congress-Congress alliance. The Trinamul Congress, as repeatedly pointed out in these columns, is openly collaborating with the 'Maoists' in fomenting terror and violence as the means to achieve the objective of defeating the Left Front. As we go to press, this Trinamul-'Maoist' nexus has claimed the lives of nearly 400 Left Front workers since the 2009 May general elections. It is worse than being ironical that the Congress party which heads the government at the centre and the Trinamul which is a constituent of the ruling UPA should align with the 'Maoists' who openly declare war against the system of parliamentary democracy in India.

Further, the Trinamul Congress had been a member of the BJP-led NDA and its leader served as the minister of railways then as she is doing today under the UPA. Having left the NDA briefly to align with the Congress in the 2001 assembly elections, the Trinamul Congress rejoined the NDA and the BJP-led ministry soon after the communal carnage in Gujarat in 2002. Thus, it explicitly endorsed the BJP’s communal pogrom in Gujarat. The Congress party which claims to be the principal opponent of communalism has no compunctions in joining with the Trinamul whose hands are smeared, by association, with the blood of horrific communal riots.

While being a part of the NDA, the Trinamul Congress allowed the entry of the communal forces into Bengal and facilitated the victory of some BJP candidates to the parliament. Today, as part of the UPA, the Trinamul facilitates the entry and operation of the 'Maoists' in Bengal and collaborates with them in spreading terror and violence. Such is the company that the Congress party keeps. Such is the character of those who are seeking to defeat the Left Front by forging a grand alliance of all reactionary forces.

Through these issues, we seek not merely to expose the reactionary and regressive character of those who oppose us. It is not just for remaining in power or government that we are asking for ensuring the success of the Left Front in West Bengal and the LDF in Kerala. Defending the Left-led formations in West Bengal and Kerala is defending the vision that we articulated regarding the character of an independent India. The three visions of independent India that emerged during the freedom movement – the first envisioned the future of independent India as a secular democratic republic. The second, the Left vision, looked upon the future of India as not merely gaining political freedom from British colonialism, but consolidating the secular democratic republic by transforming the political independence gained by the country into the true economic independence of its entire people, that is, the establishment of socialism. The third vision in complete opposition to the above two, sought to define the character of the independent India on the basis of the religious denomination of its people. This had a twin expression – the RSS advocating its fascistic vision of a rabidly intolerant “Hindu Rashtra” and the Muslim League seeking the partition of the country to establish an Islamic republic. The ideological battle amongst these three visions, continues till date and the present-day political developments revolve around these parameters. West Bengal and Kerala are the outposts of the vision articulated by the Left and therefore, defending the governments in these states means defending the Left vision and importantly defending India, as we know of it today. This is the pre-condition to carry forward our battle for creating a better India.

The struggle for a linguistic reorganisation of the states under independent India spearheaded by the Communists – Vishalandhra followed by Aikya Kerala and Samyukta Maharashtra – laid the foundations for the political organisation of India. The militant and massive struggles of the peasantry led by the Communists brought the issue of land reforms and abolition of landlordism on to the agenda. This resulted in drawing the vast mass of rural India into India’s political democracy while economically empowering them. The decentralisation of power and deepening of democracy initiated by the Left strengthened the political institutions of democracy, thus, creating the India of today.

The governments in West Bengal and Kerala implemented a number of pro-people measures within the present system and projected an alternative trajectory to the bourgeois-landlord system in India. The radical land reforms in West Bengal resulted in the distribution of nearly 1.3 million acres of land among the landless. Even by a very modest estimation of the value of land distributed among the poor, nearly Rs 1,30,000 crores worth of wealth was transferred to the poor from the rich by the West Bengal government. The panchayati raj system in both the states has decentralised power and led to the deepening of democracy at the grassroots through the establishment and efficient functioning of democratic institutions of local self-governments. It was a full seventeen years after the establishment of a three-tier system of democratically elected bodies by the Left Front in West Bengal that the panchayati raj system was adopted for the country through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments.

The Left has been the most steadfast in defending secularism and maintaining communal harmony. Apart from safeguarding the rights of the minorities, the Left Front government in West Bengal is the first in the country to implement the Ranganath Mishra Commission’s recommendations and is granting 10 per cent reservations to the Muslim OBCs.

The Left has been in the forefront of championing the rights of the people and their livelihood standards from being gravely eroded by the pursuit of neo-liberal economic policies by the central government. We consistently fought against the Indian ruling classes who are surrendering the interests of the Indian people and the country by seeking a strategic partnership with imperialism. We have also demonstrated by implementing various pro-people measures that even within the existing system, greater relief can be provided to the people and thereby exposed the exploitative character of the Indian ruling classes. Because of all these factors, the Indian ruling classes have mounted a concerted offensive against the CPI(M), in its strongest bastions, in order to weaken the resistance to their unbridled loot through the neo-liberal economic trajectory.

The Left is committed to a path of strengthening democracy and advancing development in an atmosphere of peace in West Bengal. It is precisely these objectives that the Trinamul-'Maoist' nexus is undermining in its urge to capture power at any cost. The CPI(M) led Left Front is determined to safeguard the advances made by the people of Bengal and to politically isolate and defeat this reactionary combination of anarchic forces. It is through a prolonged struggle against such very forces in the 1970s where over 1400 CPI(M) comrades were martyred and over 22,000 Party families had to be relocated that the Left Front emerged victorious in 1977 and continued to serve the people and deepen democracy while maintaining peace and advancing development.

The defence of the Left Front government in West Bengal is, therefore, an important pre-requisite in our struggle to create a better India for our people.

Despite Obstacles, We Have Marched Forward : Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Talks to Peoples’ Democracy

 

Peoples’ Democracy: The entire period of 7^th. LF Government has seen turmoil in the state. In this backdrop, what are the most important achievements of your Government?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee : It is afactthatthe Seventh Left Front Government had to work overcoming unprecedented difficulties, particularly in the form of political obstacles to development programmes. Then there was concerted effort of creating anarchy in different parts of the state. However, we achieved considerable success in both economic and social spheres in continuation of earlier records. West Bengal has now become self sufficient in rice and many other agricultural crops. Agricultural production has retained its growth trajectory despite a general crisis in the whole country. We emphasized on extension of food processing and could successfully spread food processing industries in districts.

 

Despite obstacles and patently misleading campaign against us, the industrial development of the state has marched forward. In fact, in 2009 and 2010, the amount of investment in the state was highest ever. In spite of global recession, entrepreneurs have come forward to set up new industries in the state. This is evident from the number of IEMs filed by the entrepreneurs with the Government of India for setting up of new industries in West Bengal. During the calendar year 2009, West Bengal received 206 IEMs with a proposed investment of Rs. 44,390 crore . During last few years West Bengal received 1362 IEMs involving investment proposal of Rs.2, 37,000 crore which accounted for 5.47% of the total investment for the country as a whole. The total investment during the calendar year 2009 was as high as Rs. 8493.43 crore. These facts prove that Singur or Nandigram were exceptions, not the rule.

 

In the industrial development in West Bengal, we gave a policy thrust in the development of Small Scale Industries. According to the last NSS data, there are 27.5 lakh unorganized industrial units in West Bengal generating employment for 55 lakh people which is highest in the country. During the period 2006-2010, 45,495 Micro and Small Scale Units have started operation with employment for more than 4, 65,000 persons.

Along with that, West Bengal achieved great strides in IT and all major concerns have established their centers in the state.

 

In the social development sector, we have achieved more than 99.06 per cent enrollment in primary education. The number of Self Help groups, particularly consisting rural women has crossed 14lakhs. The state government has firmly stood beside those in the unorganized sector, ranging from transport workers to Biri workers through social security schemes in large scale. For last few years, in particular, the state government has initiated a gamut of programmes for the social, educational upliftment of the minorities.

 

Peoples’ Democracy: This period also witnessed erosion of support for the Left in elections. Do you think this trend can be reversed?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee : Yes, of course. In 2009 parliamentary elections and in the 2010 municipal elections, Left Front suffered setbacks. We have thoroughly analysed and identified the problems. We identified shortcomings and deficiencies in political activities, government functioning and organizational problems of our Party. We have initiated process of corrections in all these aspects. We have reinforced our dedicated interaction with the people, speeded up government’s activities in the social sector and rejuvenated Party work. We have begun to get positive results also. In last few months, massive popular mobilisation has taken place in our political programmes. Huge rallies have taken place in districts. In fact, I, myself, am witness to unprecedented gathering in many districts. The people have begun to realize the true face of the opposition. The mass base and support for the Left in West Bengal is deep and wide.

 

Peoples’ Democracy: There is a spectrum of anti-Left alliance: TMC to Maoists, along with a considerable section of media, different secessionist and communal groups, forces based on identity politics. Why the Left has become the so-called “Common Enemy” of these forces?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee: The Left Front and its government has pursued an alternative path, steadfastly and successfully defended the interests of the toiling people, and expanded democracy. Peasants, workers, different sections of toiling people have been empowered not only economically but with self respect also. West Bengal is the advanced outpost of secularism in the country. The Left in India has opposed the new liberal trajectory and growing intervention of the imperialist forces. West Bengal, as the strong base of the Left movement has helped to build up struggle against these policies. There have been continuous efforts to destabilize this government which have failed so far. Therefore these forces have come together and are trying to dislodge us by hook or crook. They have thrown away moral, political justifications just to oppose the Left. Degenerated ultra left Maoists have come together with parties like Trinamool Congress. Congress has also joined in the fray as a junior partner. Their coming together is a clear demarcation of the politics of the Left Front.

 

Peoples’ Democracy: What is your assessment about about TMC?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee : This is worst type of Right wing political force. TMC was formed and continued with one and only aim of unseating Left Front government. The only political, ideological essence of that party is Anti-Communism. They have no political agenda except for that. They have no other economic, social programme . Naturally, they do not have any political morality as well. We have seen them in company of the BJP, a partner in NDA government, and now with Congress and UPA. They are raising some slogans recently with ‘leftist’ fervor. This is a ploy to hoodwink people. Their entire politics is destructive also. They have created anarchy in the state; their activities and their alliance with Maoists are main sources of increased violence in the state.

 

Peoples’ Democracy: You have told many times in recent period that “Left path is the only way for West Bengal”. Why do you say so?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee : The world has seen the negative consequences of unbridled capitalism. International finance capital-led globalization has caused havoc in USA, Europe too. This has increased inequality in unprecedented scale. The life and livelihood of overwhelming majority of people have been negatively affected. In many parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries, peoples’ protests have taken definite left-oriented political shape too. Even the recent turmoil in Arabian world contains an element of discontent against these same policies.

In our country, neo liberal policies are badly affecting the poorer section. There are two India now, the shining and suffering. In such a situation, the only desirable way is the Left way. In West Bengal, as I have said before, the Leftist understanding is deeply rooted in society, in politics, in cultural ethos too.

 

Peoples’ Democracy: What will be the main slogans of Left Front in coming elections? What will be the main issues of campaign?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee: We will go forward with our developmental programme. That will be our major plank. We will consolidate our success in agriculture. We will accelerate industrialisation to make state economy stronger. The main thrust will be on employment. We will continue in our effort for income generation for the poorest of the poor. Land reforms will continue. Expansion and raising the quality of education is an area of priority. We will continue to expand programmes for SC-ST and minorities.

In the election campaign, we will strongly approach the people to defend democratic rights and the achievements recorded by the toiling people. One of the major planks will be to defeat the forces of anarchy.

 

Peoples’ Democracy: What will be priority areas, new areas of venture for next LF government?

 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee: Our priority is clear. Our class orientation is clear. We will definitely take more measures for the working class, particularly the workers in the unorganized sector. We will stand by the side of construction workers, handloom workers, ICDS workers, Mid-day meal helpers. We will try to put more life into self help groups. The priority of next Left Front Government will of course be the younger generation. The students and youth are very talented with great potentials. We have to fulfill their aspirations, utilize their capacities. We will strengthen our efforts in their education, their employment.

CPIM Central Committee Communique

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on March 4 & 5, 2011. It has issued the following statement:

Assembly Elections

The Central Committee heard reports about the preparations being made for the elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Assam and Puducherry. The Central Committee called upon the people of West Bengal and Kerala to ensure the victory of the Left Front and the Left Democratic Front. The Congress and its TMC and UDF allies should be defeated as they are responsible for the acute price rise, massive corruption and attacks on the livelihood of the people. The Left Front of West Bengal and the LDF government of Kerala have stood out for the implementation of pro-people policies and safeguarding the interests of the working people.

The Central Committee approved the electoral tactics worked out for fighting the elections in Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Assam.

Union Budget

The Union Budget manifests all the negative features of the neo-liberal policies being pursued by the UPA government. It has totally failed to address the serious problems of high inflation and the relentless rise of food and fuel prices. The refusal to reduce excise and customs duties on petroleum products that were increased in the last budget signals the government’s intention to allow fuel prices to increase at a time when the international oil prices are going up. The budget has failed to come out with any measures to curb price rise at a time when the people are suffering from the relentless rise of food and fuel prices. The massive Rs. 20,000 crore cut in subsidies of fuel, fertiliser and food will add to the burdens on the people.

The Direct Cash Transfer programme in lieu of subsidies will only lead to further price rise. It will lead to the exclusion of large sections of the country’s poor from subsidised food and fuel. It will open the way for dismantling the public distribution system and push the people to the market and the private sector where prices will increase and the cash subsidy will remain fixed. Further, cash transfer for fertilisers to the BPL category alone will mean excluding most farmers who are landholders and do not come under the BPL category.

The budget while cutting subsidies has given further concessions to the corporate sector with the cut in surcharge. The corporate tax exemption for 2010-11 totalled over Rs. 88,000 crore. Rs. 40,000 crores is targeted for realization through disinvestment of PSU shares. The allocations for the welfare of women, minorities, dalits and tribals are thoroughly inadequate. The service tax of five percent on diagnostic tests and for hospitals will make access to health care more difficult for people.

The Central Committee opposes the retrograde provisions in the budget and calls upon the Party to mobilize people against the new burdens imposed on them.

Price Rise

The food inflation rate stood at 15.67 per cent in January 2011. This shows that the food prices index has risen by a further 15 per cent from January 2010 to January 2011. The Congress-led government stands indicted for its failure to curb food inflation. The UPA government pursuing the neo-liberal agenda, wants to allow FDI in retail trade and the replacement of the system of subsidised food through PDS with direct cash transfers. The CPI(M) opposes these steps. It demands enhancing the State support for agriculture and a universal PDS.

Fight Corruption

The Central Committee noted that the government was compelled to constitute the Joint Parliamentary Committee to enquire into the 2G Spectrum scam after a prolonged struggle by the opposition. It is also necessary that the investigative agencies take action against those companies which illegally got licences. The Government should cancel these licences and auction the spectrum so that the lost revenue can be recovered.

The Central Committee wanted an independent enquiry into the Antrix-Devas contract (which has now been annulled), which involved the launching of two satellites and allocation of 70 MHz S band spectrum.

The Supreme Court has indicted the UPA government for appointing P J Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner and set aside the appointment. The Prime Minister was directly involved in the selection process. He has yet to explain how the former telecom secretary under A Raja and who had a case pending against him earlier was made the CVC.

The way the UPA government has handled the 2G spectrum affair and the manner in which the CVC was appointed, have all raised questions about the role of the Prime Minister in this affair and the cover-up that was attempted.

Black Money

The measures announced in the Budget 2011 on tackling black money and illicit fund flows are grossly inadequate. The Government must launch a drive to unearth black money, especially those stashed in Swiss Banks and other offshore tax havens. The Mauritius route must be plugged by scrapping the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Mauritius. Participatory Notes used by the Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) must be prohibited.

Extremist Hindutva Terror

The confession by Aseemanand before a magistrate has confirmed the links of certain extremist Hindutva groups with the Malegaon, Ajmer Sharief, Mecca Masjid and Samjhautha Express blasts. The RSS cannot deny that some of its ranks have joined in these terrorist activities.

The investigative agencies should uncover the full network and bring all those guilty to book. At the same time innocent Muslim youth who have been falsely implicated in such cases as in the Malegaon blast should be released forthwith and they should be compensated for their illegal detention.

ULFA Talks

The Central Committee welcomed the talks being held between the ULFA and the Assam State Government. The Central Government should initiate talks with other extremist groups who are operating in Assam and Manipur.

Violence Against Women

The Central Committee expressed its concern at the increasing violence against women. It demanded that the long pending legislations on violence against women should be passed. It demanded that the Women’s Reservation Bill be passed without further delay.

Workers March To Parliament

The Central Committee congratulated the central trade unions which had organized the massive workers March to Parliament on February 23. The lakhs of men and women workers who participated in the March was a manifestation of the anger and discontent among the working class against the anti-working class policies of the UPA government. The Central Committee fully supports the five-point charter of demands set out for the March.

Middle East

The Central Committee greeted the people’s uprising in Egypt which has led to the ouster of the Mubarak regime. It extended its full support for the popular movement in Egypt for ushering in of a democratic set up.

The Central Committee expressed its opposition to the moves of the United States and Nato to militarily intervene in Libya. The people of Libya should decide how to resolve their problems and the type of political system that they should have. The Central Committee wanted the speedy evacuation of all Indian nationals from Libya and steps taken to rehabilitate the large number of returning workers who have become jobless.

Review Reports

The Central Committee reviewed the work done on the rectification campaign conducted so far. The CC also adopted a review of the work on the trade union front.

Call For Movement

The Central Committee called upon all its Party units to continue the agitation against price rise, mobilize the people against high level corruption and take up the issues of the peasantry and the rural poor. The Party should step up the struggle for a universal public distribution system and food security; for proper implementation of the MNREGA and the Forest Rights Act; against disinvestment in public sector enterprises and opposition to FDI in retail. The State Committees will take up demands related to these issues for launching movements in their respective states.

Review decision to allow power plants: CPI (M)

 The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded that the government scrap the decision to allow 7 power plants with an estimated 15,000 MW capacity in Srikakulam, including the orders issued in favour of East Coast Energy Pvt Ltd.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu said the government should review the decision to permit power plants in Srikakulam, Nellore and other districts and convene an all-party meeting to discuss the policy.

ECEPL claim far from truth

 There was no truth in the claim made by the East Coast Energy Private Limited (ECEPL) that it commenced work on its super critical thermal energy plant at Kakarapalli in Srikakulam district after receiving all clearances and according to law, the district committee of CPI(M) said here on Thursday.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests instructing ECEPL to stop construction activity saying that it violated the law showed that the claim of the company that the work was being done on the land not fit for agriculture was false, district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao said.

At Kakarapalli and at Sompeta earlier, the “tampara” or “beela” agriculture land was falsely noted as waste land by the government officials. ECEPL also made a false claim that it had taken up construction activity only on 1,317 acres, while the fact was that construction activity was going on 3,000 acres.

This would lead to submersion of 40,000 acres of agriculture fields. This was the reason why people were opposing the plant. Mr. Narasinga Rao said the Ministry of Environment and Forests should have learnt the lesson after Sompeta and stopped the ECEPL plant by examining the conditions at Kakarapalli on its own. “It is not proper to react and examine the situation after two people were killed in police firing,” Mr. Narasinga Rao said.

CPI(M) to contest 17 seats in Assam

The CPI(M) will contest 17 Assembly constituencies in Assam where polls will be held in two phases on April 4 and April 11. 

CPI(M) Assam unit secretary Uddhab Barman on Thursday told reporters here that the party has given ticket to new faces with several senior members, including himself, not contesting.

The party will contest two seats in Barak Valley with Kripesh Ranjan Dasgupta and Parimal Kanti Paul as candidates.The CPI(M) candidates for Bijni, Abhyapuri North and Sorbhog constituencies are Gajendra Barman, Rabin Das and Manoranjan Talukdar. 

Abdul Karim Bhuyan, Nizamuddin Khan, Biren Sarma, Rabin Sarma and Ananta Deka will contest from Jania, Sarukhetri, Nalbari and Rangia. 

The party will also contest from Dhekiajuli, Rangapara, Sootea and Hojai constituencies where it has put up Junuma Boro, Rabin Tamuli, Khemraj Chetri, and Jogneshwar Das.

The candidates for Dhakuakhana, Naharkatia and Sadiya are Gyananath Mili, Sasa Kamal Handique and Labeswar Gogoi.

LDF Vikasana Munnetta Jatha Concludes with massive mandate

Two ‘Vikasana Munnetta Jathas’ led by Kerala’s Left Democratic front flagged off on February 18, 2011 concluded on March 2nd 2011. The two zonal marches highlighted the achievements of the pro-people policies taken by the LDF government and also exposed the anti-people policies pursued by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and earlier UDF government in the state.

CPI state secretary C K Chandrappan, off in Kochi the southern region rally led by state Home Minister and CPI(M) polit bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan flagged off the northern region march at Manjeswaram (Kasargod), led by CPI legislative party leader and Food and Civil Supplies Minister C Divakaran.

The northern march from Manjeswaram (Kasargod), led by Divakaran, started its journey covered seven districts of Kasargod, Kannur, Wynad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palghat and concluded at Trichur. Similarly the other Jatha led by Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, traveled through Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alleppey, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and culminated at Trivandrum.

Both the jathas were organised as a part of the massive LDF campaign that was going on in the state explaining the need to defeat the anti-people policies of the UDF. The Jathas covered all the 140 assembly constituencies of the state and massive meetings were organized in all the constituencies.

CPIM State Secretary inaugurated the concluding function of the southern regional march in Trivandrum. He said "LDF is well prepared to face the polls and will retrun to power for the second consecutive term. He urged all LDF sympathisers to come out to work for the victory of each and every LDF candidates. Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the UDF was attacking Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan as part of a strategy to escape from the scandals involving their leaders. Pinarayi alleged that the recent bomb blast at Nadapuram was part of a conspiracy hatched by Muslim League and a terrorist organisation. The bombs had exploded when they were being made as part of a larger conspiracy for creating violence in the State to divert the attention from the ongoing controversies in which the League leaders were involved. A certain section of League leaders had a close relation with this terrorist organisation which was part of a larger national and international network, he said. CPI national executive member Panniyan Ravindran, RSP state secretary V P Ramakrishna Pillai, jatha members Transport Minister Jose Thettayil, Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran, Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran, Ports Minister V Surendran Pillai, NCP leader Mammen Iype, Congress (S) leader P M Joy and Law Minister M. Vijayakumar and Forests Minister Benoy Viswom were among those who were present. V Sivankutty MLA presided over the function. Around 25,000 peoples participated in the valedictory function.


The Northern Regional jatha concluded in Thrissur and the valeditory function was inaugurated by Com. Vaikom Viswan, Convenor of Left Democratic Front. He said that seat-sharing talks of the LDF would be held on March 10.

PM & Govt Stand Exposed in CVC appointment

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The verdict of the Supreme Court setting aside the appointment of P J Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner, is a serious indictment of the UPA government. The Supreme Court has stated that the high-powered panel headed by the Prime Minister did not consider the integrity aspect of the institution of the Central Vigilance Commission.

The manner in which the former telecom secretary was appointed as the CVC is directly related to how the UPA government handled the 2G spectrum scam. The Prime Minister has reiterated in parliament that there was nothing wrong with the telecom policy as such and only there were problems in implementation. With such a blinkered view, appointment of P J Thomas, ignoring his record, is part of the piece.

With this judgement of the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister and the government stand exposed to the charge that they are not concerned with ensuring the integrity of the CVC or fighting corruption in high places.