Time to consolidate people toward 8th Left Front Government

People of West Bengal would definitely expose Mamata Banerjee and her dissembling arguments. People’s upsurge would establish 8^th Left Front government in the state. This is the New Year resolution. Avowing to the mass at a press conference on 31^st evening, Biman Basu calls for people’s consolidation to hit a big bash to all violent, separatist forces led by Trinamool Congress.

Reiterating sharply Basu identified TMC as a perilous force for any form of democratic structure that has been taking lives of not only CPI(M) activists but common people, completely blockading their lives from a minimal subsistence. They must be intercepted anyway by a huge consolidation of mass what Lalgarh had shown on the final day of year passed.

Basu also condemned that the ‘TMC-Maoist’ combination is the most dreaded alliance for the federal structure of our country. He averred unequivocally that, “it is just beyond imagination to note the amount of false allegations and most dangerously a series of false promise of development she utters recently have badly affected the political atmosphere of the state”. 

This is furthermore supplemented by her infamous wild comments especially regarding ‘water’ she made in Dum Dum on 30^th. She needs to be treated properly. For her everything that goes wrong, right from train late to poisoning of water, CPI(M) is responsible. This is not done. Politics is not an outcome of falsehood, double standard. We reaffirm that unleashing such a combination of dissembling of truth and outright violence has recently been producing a severe terror in the common psyche of common people.

Biman Basu reminded press and media that how TMC unleashed a severe dread of terror in minority areas just before the last KMC election. He on the other hand averred that the true understanding of democracy promotes democratic values also and that must be restored at any cost. A true democratic environment always ensures individual freedom and democratic right. Subsequently democratic right and individual freedom instill the sacred notion of participating or organizing movements, democratic movements that cover human lives, profession and class culture. But unfortunately this sacred space is largely misused by the TMC-led opposition. This is a sheer distortion of democratic space. 

Basu in this context reminded attending media persons how just to prove anarchy in the state she used a poor Truck Driver Gurjant Singh imprisoning under non-bailable offence. The MP Shubhendu Adhikari filed the false FIR against the driver and never attended Court or Police Station to at least justify his own allegation. This is just brutal. TMC even used the so-called intellectuals to disprove TMC-PCPA connection behind Jnaneswari Express massacre on that very day when hundreds of deaths and injured quavered the sky of Bengal. CBI had however established PCPA connection behind the massacre.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s Reply to Union Home Minister

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has raised a pertinent question about the silence of Union Home Minster on Trinamool-Maoist nexus in the state. In his reply to P Chidambaram’s open communication, Bhattacharjee has reiterated that the role played by TMC by joining the Maoists and their outfits and now openly organizing public meetings was a dangerous development of which serious note should be taken. He said that there was clinching evidence of the encouragement and support that the Maoists were getting from Trinamool Congress. This was the crucial point which the Home minister has chosen to avoid in his reply to Chief Minister’s earlier letter.

The strange violation of norms started on 24^th December when the media flashed a letter from Union Home Minister, purportedly addressed to Chief Minister. The letter finally reached in Chief Minister’s office three days later. The delay by the postal department was a lesser incident than the way a ‘secret’ letter was made public.

In his letter, Union Home Minister alleged that ‘armed cadres’ have taken law and order in their own hands, thereby questioning the role of security forces including Central Para Military forces. He also used the term “harmad”, indicating CPI(M) activists, a term normally used by Trinamool Congress and paranoid anti-Left media. The tone and tenor of the letter was blatantly political with distorted facts and figures about political violence in the state.

The Chief Minister was forced to publish his reply too though only after the Home Minister read it. In his reply, Bhattacharjee alleged that Chidambaram’s assessment was surprising. He outlined the Maoist activities in three districts and said that to contain it ‘administratively and politically’ is a major challenge. In this connection, Bhattacharjee drew attention to the nexus between TMC and Maoists, which has gradually become open. Chief Minister also strongly objected to use of the term”harmad” and described it as a ‘nasty’ word. 

However, Chidambaram has showed his desperation with publicizing his reply again on 30^th December. He sent two letters, both defending his earlier stand. He mentioned about ‘virtual collapse of law and order in parts of the state’ and emphasized that he did not feel the word ‘harmad’is objectionable per se. He, in a contemptuous manner, even asked Chief Minister to provide a suitable synonym for the word. But the Union Home Minister remained silent about the relationship between Maoists and an ally of UPA.

In a strong rebuff, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee pointed out that the deaths resulting from political clashes clearly showed that CPI(M) workers were killed in far greater numbers than TMC supporters. However, he deeply deplored all deaths in such clashes irrespective of their political affiliations. ‘In no way the violence is justified’, said Bhattacharjee while assuring that he was trying his best to put a stop to such violence. Chief Minister categorically alleged that TMC was not cooperating with the administration in this effort and the Union Home minister was fully aware of this.

Bhattacharjee deplored the attitude of Chidambaram and said, “I objected to the use of the ward “harmad” for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, you have proposed to replace it with any better word that I may suggest. I am sorry I cannot offer you any such word since I am unable to accept with your attitude towards Left Front workers in our State and also your observation regarding failure of law and order in certain areas.”

Following is the full text of Chief Minister’s letter on 30^th December,2010.

Dear Shri Chidambaram,

I wanted not to open all our correspondences before media but to discuss with you the problems when I meet you in Delhi. Bust as you have already released the correspondence between us to media. I feel compelled to write further on the issues raised by you.

I have noted the reasons behind late arrival of your letter in my office but I cannot accept the deliberate leakage of letters to the Press. I objected to the use of the ward “harmad” for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, you have proposed to replace it with any better word that I may suggest. I am sorry I cannot offer you any such word since I am unable to accept with your attitude towards Left Front workers in our State and also your observation regarding failure of law and order in certain areas.

While I share your anxiety on the found situation in Maoist affected areas, I again assure you that our policy is to take appropriate administrative steps against all armed groups who may try to disturb law and order.

The role being played by TMC by joining the Maoists and their outfits and now openly organizing public meetings is a dangerous development of which serious note should be taken by your Ministry. You are aware that there are clinching evidence of the encouragement and support that the Maoists are getting from Trinamool Congress. Unfortunately you have chosen not to mention this problem in your letter.

The deaths resulting from political clashes clearly show that CPI(M) workers were killed in far greater numbers than TMC supporters. I deeply deplore all deaths in such clashes irrespective of their political affiliations. In no way the violence is justified. I am trying my best to put a stop to such violence. Unfortunately, TMC is not cooperating with the administration in this effort and you are fully aware of this.

I conclude here by saying once again that I will try to go to Delhi as early as possible to meet you and discuss all the related issues.

With regards,

Yours sincerely

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee       

11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam from January 12

The 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) will open at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on January 12, 2011 and is expected to last for nine days. (January 12-19)

This is an important political event of the Vietnamese Party, State and people. It is expected to draw the participation of nearly 1,400 delegates who represent more than 3.6 million Party members in 54,000 grassroots Party organisations.Besides a strong contingent of local journalists, more than 150 foreign reporters from international news agencies will cover the event.

The congress will discuss and approve a political report by the CPV Central Committee (tenth tenure), a report reviewing the 20-year implementation of the platform on national construction in the transition to socialism, and a detailed draft report that sums up the implementation of the 2011-2010 national socio-economic development strategy.

It is also expected to give approval to the platform on national construction in the transition to socialism (revised and supplemented in 2011), the 2011-2020 national socio-economic development strategy as well as the amended Party Statute.

The congress will elect a new CPVCC for the 11th tenure of 2011-2015, the highest body of the CPV leadership between the two congresses.

The entire Party members and Vietnamese people of all strata, including those living abroad – actively contributed comments to draft documents for submission to the 11th National Party Congress.

On the basis of the high consensus and determination of the whole Party, people and army during the discussion and formulation of the Congress’s documents, the CPV defined the theme of the 11th National Party Congress as follows: “Continuing to strengthen the Party’s leadership and combative capacity, promoting the aggregate strength of the entire nation, stepping up the renewal comprehensively and creating a foundation for Vietnam to become a modern industrialised country by 2020”.

In the next five years, Vietnam strives to attain a GDP growth rate of 7-8 percent per year with a per-capita income reaching US$2,100 in 2015, 1.7 times higher than that of 2010. CPV affirms its intention to continue using Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thoughts as its ideological foundation.

Vietnam is consistent in the path of national development towards socialism and implementing a foreign policy of independence, self-control, peace, cooperation and development; multilateralisation and diversification of relations; taking the initiative in international integration; and becoming a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community for the interests of the nation and for a rich and powerful Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Joint Statement of 40 Communist and Workers’ Parties of Europe

Anti-communism in Europe will not succeed!

The Communist and Workers’ Parties of Europe condemn the provocative and outrageous initiative of the Foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic to demand that the European Union instigate the legal persecution of all those within the EU who do not accept the so-called reactionary campaigns of rewriting of History and criminalization of communists and communism.

This is a dangerous attempt to generalize the legal persecution and other related measures which are in force in several EU countries against all those who reject the slanders against the historical experiences of socialist construction and against all those who combat the attempts to erase the decisive contribution that the communists gave in struggle for social and labour rights and for democracy in Europe and reject the distortion of the history of the 2nd World War and the unacceptable equation of communism with fascism.

It is not by chance that this initiative is being carried out in a period when working class and popular struggles are strengthening. The expansion of the anti-worker assault goes hand in hand with the expansion of anti-communist measures. The communists are the target of these attacks because they are in the front line of the struggles not only so that the workers do not bear the burden of the capitalist crisis and also because they are the only ones who hold the real solution to capitalist barbarity. The dominant class, understanding full well the impasses of the capitalist system and its irreconcilable contradictions, intensifies its persecutions, threats and crimes. However whatever measures it takes it cannot prevent the inexorable laws of social development, and the necessity of the overthrow of capital’s power. It cannot prevent the strengthening of the organization of the working class and the development of the mass struggle for socialism and communism.

We firmly declare that the anti-communist plans of the bourgeoisie will fail. The superiority of our ideology, the just cause of the working class can break even their harshest measures. We will continue in an even more determined and uncompromising manner in order to defeat the anti-people power of big capital. Anti-communist hysteria will not deceive the working class and popular forces which experience the problems of unemployment, the overturning of social, social-security and labour rights, and capitalist barbarity itself.

We appeal to all democratic, progressive and anti imperialist forces to join us in the struggle against anti-communism, a struggle which is directly connected to the fight for labour and popular rights as well as for social justice, for a world without the exploitation of man by man.

Communist Party of Armenia
Communist Party of Azerbaijan
Communist Party of Belarus
Workers' Party of Belgium
Communist Party of Britain
New Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party of Bulgaria
Party of the Bulgarian Communists
Socialist Workers' Party of Croatia AKEL, Cyprus
Communist Party of Denmark
Communist Party of Estonia
Communist Party of Finland
Communist Party of Macedonia
German Communist Party (DKP)
Communist Party of Greece
Hungarian Communist Workers' Party
Communist Party of Ireland
Workers’ Party of Ireland
Party of the Italian Communists
Communist Party of Kazakhstan
Socialist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Luxembourg
Communist Party of Malta
Communist Party of Norway
New Communist Party of the Netherlands
Communist Party of Poland
Portuguese Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
Communist Party of Russian Federation
Communist Party of Soviet Union
Communist Workers' Party of Russia - Party of the Communists of Russia
Union of CPs-CPSU
Party of Communists, Serbia
Communist Party of Slovakia
Communist Party of Peoples of Spain
Communist Party of Sweden
Communist Party of Turkey
Communist Party of Ukraine
Union of Communists of Ukraine

Unleash More, Mightier Struggles in 2011!

EDITORIAL OF PEOPLES DEMOCRACY

PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY wishes its readers a very Happy New Year.

Unfortunately, these greetings come with our deep sympathies with the people who are groaning under the relentless economic burdens being mounted on them. The continuous rise in the prices of all essential commodities since the return to government of the UPA has grievously eroded the living standards of the vast mass of our people. In a situation where 77 per cent of our population barely survives at subsistence levels, on Rs 20 or less in a day, this wave of cruel rises in the prices is clearly pushing many more into the conditions of dire poverty.

The year 2010 began with abnormally high prices of sugar at over Rs 50 a kg and tur dal at nearly Rs 100 a kg, apart from all other items of daily consumption becoming costlier. Now the year ends with the prices of onions shooting up to over Rs 70 a kg in almost all metros. This has had a cascading effect on the prices of other vegetables and edibles. The government’s argument that this is due to a mismatch between supply and demand is, to say the least, far from being convincing. In Delhi, the onion supply increased by over 60 per cent since 2008, yet the wholesale prices have jumped by over 300 per cent. As with sugar last year, the export of onions was liberalised this year despite indications that this could create shortages and consequently price escalations. In fact, incentives were provided to such exports. India’s onion exports have increased from 7.8 lakh metric tonnes in 2005-06 to nearly 19 lakh metric tonnes in 2009-10. The government has now banned these exports following the public uproar over this price rise. It has now allowed onion imports without any duties, i.e., it is subsidising these imports, to control their prices. Incentives for exports and subsidies for imports clearly provide a bonanza of profits for the same trading companies. As noted in these columns last week, the cumulative value of trade in agricultural commodities from April 1 to November 30 this year was Rs 8,36,605.53 crore. In the corresponding period last year, this was Rs 7,66,133.46 crore. Such a sharp rise clearly indicates that there are super profits to be made through speculative trading. Yet, the government refuses to ban or suspend such speculative trading in essential commodities. Does this not suggest yet another scam at the expense of the people’s livelihood?

Speaking about scams, 2010 has been a landmark year in independent India’s history. The mother of all scams – the 2G spectrum scam – came along with scams connected with illegal mining, land allocations, IPL cricket tournament, the Commonwealth Games, Adarsh housing society scam, etc, etc. The 2G spectrum scam alone was estimated by the CAG to have cost the exchequer more than Rs 1.76 lakh crore. These lakhs of crores of rupees, that are being looted through such large-scale corruption, are depriving our people of a better livelihood standard. If the government could collect these legitimate revenues rather than allowing them to be siphoned off, and spend them on social sector schemes, that would have positively contributed to enhancing the livelihood levels of our people – the aam admi.

This UPA-II government is, however, displaying a callous lack of concern on this score, raising strong and legitimate suspicions of its complicity in permitting such a massive loot of our resources. Its obdurate refusal to accept the demand of the entire opposition in parliament to constitute a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) into the 2G spectrum scam has led to the unprecedented ‘wasted’ winter session of parliament. After the session ended sine die, the prime minister announced that he had nothing to hide and that he was willing to face the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). If this very same statement was made in parliament at the very outset of the winter session, may be things would have been different. Further, if the prime minister is willing to appear before the PAC, then why not before a JPC? Both the PAC and the JPC are, after all, joint parliamentary committees. The former, however, is confined to examine, by definition, the accounts only.

What is required in the present instance, however, is to evolve a set of new regulations, and if necessary laws, to ensure that such massive manipulations of our system permitting colossal loots are prevented in the future. This would be the central agenda of the JPC. Recollect that it was only after the JPC recommendations on the Harshad Mehta stock market scam that regulations strengthening our financial sector operations were brought into effect.

All these apart, this year also stands out as one which saw a serious attack on the parliament and the institutions of parliamentary democracy. Apart from the virtual annulling of the winter session of parliament, the functioning of central government agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Central Vigilance Commission etc have also come under clout. As we go to press, there are reports that raids have been conducted by some of these agencies on the prime suspects in the 2G and CWG scams. Raids after the lapse of such a long time are bound to yield very little other than to serve as a public relations exercise for the government.

All these developments have only strengthened the direction of drift of this UPA-II government further. This, in turn, is feeding speculation of political uncertainties in the year to come. Our experience this year shows that if a government has to function effectively, it is not only a question of numbers for a majority in Lok Sabha; to a far greater extent it is the question of a clear agenda based on a vision of improving the quality of life of our people and, thus, creating a better India. On this score, this government is found to be singularly wanting despite the fact that it has been rubbing shoulders at the ‘high table’ with the G-20, or despite the propaganda associated with having the leaders of all P-5 countries paying state visits to India.

These developments define the agenda for our people in the year to come. Unless strong popular pressure is mounted on the government through popular struggles, the desire of building a better India cannot be achieved. We, as a people and as a country, have, in us, the potential to scale greater heights --- both in economic development and social equity. This, however, can be only achieved if the government policies are based on a vision of creating a better India for our people and in preventing the loot of our country’s resources. The government must be made to do so.

Greetings for mightier struggles in 2011 to create a better India for our people!

CPIM protest against the enforcement of Private Forest Conservation Act.

The police arrested 750 activists of Communist Party of India (Marxists) including State secretary G.Ramakrishnan, MLAs R.Leema Rose of Thiruvattar Assembly segment,. G.John Joseph of Vilavancode Assembly segment, state executive member S.Noor Mohammed while they staged road roko in front of Nagercoil collectorate on Friday to protest against the enforcement of Private Forest Conservation Act.

Speaking to The Hindu over telephone, the State secretary of CPI (M) said that this act would adversely affect small and marginal farmers and hence the Government should withdraw the Act immediately. If not the CPI (M) would conduct a series of agitations in the district with the co-operation of like-minded parties including All India Anna Dravida Munnetta Kazagham, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetta Kazagham and Community Party of India.

When the Government least bothered about deforestation and illegal quarrying in different parts of the district, they implemented the Private Forest Conservation Act by giving hardship to small and marginal farmers. Moreover as told by M.S.Swaminathan, chairman of National Commission for Farmers, 45 percent of farmers wanted to quit farming in the country owing to price raise in agriculture inputs, Mr.Ramakrishnan urged the Government to ensure the welfare of farmers by withdrawing the implementation of such act.

The CPI (M) wanted to ensure the rights and welfare of farming community, he said.

(Courtesy : the Hindu)

Left Front holds rally at Lalgarh

The alleged links between the Trinamool Congress and the Maoists were reiterated at a Left Front rally in Lalgarh in Paschim Medinipur district on Friday.

This is significant, as it is the first public meeting held by the Left there since the area became an epicentre of Maoist activities and the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC) two years ago. “Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee was unsuccessful in ousting the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from this region so she asked Maoist leader Kishenji to do this task for them,” said Sushanta Ghosh, the State's Minister for Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs.

Kishenji is now repeatedly saying that he wants to see Ms. Banerjee as the next Chief Minister, he added. Ghosh said "she is a dictator who demands withdrawal of joint forces to give Maoists a free run in the West Midnapore district to create lawlessness."

"But, people will resist with all their might," he said.

Claiming that peace had returned to Lalgarh with the return of CPI(M) after driving away Maoists, Ghosh said "but Mamata won't allow peace to return. She is also intentionally not allowing the Jindal group to set up industry here."

He said that Mamata wanted to dislodge the Left Front government, which represented the poor and the landless.

Dipak Sarkar, secretary, District Committee of the CPI(M), attended the rally.

The rally was held less than two months after a large number of CPI (M) supporters, evicted from their homes in the face of Maoist onslaught, returned. Bearing the party flag, an estimated 12,000 people marched from Dharampur to Lalgarh and reopened the CPI (M) local committee office there, closed since June 16, 2009.

Commenting on the rally, Biman Bose, Chairman of the State Left Front Committee, told journalists that it is not fair to compare it with Trinamool's August 9 rally addressed by Ms. Banerjee.

“Supporters of the Trinamool from other districts had also gone to the rally in August, but this rally was only limited to one block of the district.”

Asked to comment on the ongoing controversy over the exchange of letters between Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Mr. Bose said the language of Mr. Chidambaram's letter resembled that of the deputation submitted to him by the Trinamool.

“We are only asking Mr. Chidambaram not to act in a partisan manner,” he said.

(Source : The Hindu)

Fight wrong policies of Congress governments: Prakash Karat

 

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday underlined the need for building a “powerful national movement against the wrong policies” of the Congress governments at the Centre and States.

Addressing a public meeting convened by the Telugu Desam Party and its friendly parties at Gundur in support of their charter of demands for farmers' welfare, Mr. Karat said the movement should involve farmers, agricultural labour, workers and other toiling sections and it should ensure that the wrong policies were fought back. The CPI(M) was committed to fighting unitedly with the TDP and other like-minded parties the governments' “wrong” policies.

Leaders of national parties converged here to express their solidarity with the struggle launched by the TDP.

The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda; Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh; Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala; the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Babulal Marandi; CPI deputy general secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy; MDMK representative Ganesh Murthy; RSP leader Abani Roy and others attended the meeting.

Farmers' suicides

Lamenting the “distressing spectacle” of suicides by farmers, Mr. Karat said that as many as 17,368 farmers committed suicide in 2009 alone, reflecting the failure of the government to come to their rescue.

Mr. Naidu advised Congress MPs to launch an indefinite strike in support of the demands raised by farmers who were facing the worst-ever crisis during the current year following a series of calamities.

He recalled how the Congress leaders prevented discussions on agriculture crisis in the Legislative Assembly by insisting on a solution to the cases registered against students during the pro-Telangana and Samaikhyaandhra agitations. The government, he said, scrapped all the cases within a day of the MPs launching fast.

Mr. Naidu recalled how he was prompted to launch an indefinite fast after several efforts to convince the government to concede the demands of farmers went in vain.

The TDP president demanded that the government implement the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission on farmers, who were facing steep rise in the costs of inputs while the returns on their investments remained almost the same.

“The Andhra Pradesh government's assurance to give loans at 3 per cent interest rate remained on paper as a major section of farmers are not covered under the scheme,” he said.

“Eyewash”

Mr. Deve Gowda said the Rs. 400 crore announced by the Centre to Andhra Pradesh as advance plan amount was “peanuts and eyewash,” which would not serve any purpose.

The Centre should declare therecent heavy rains as a national calamity to make good the farmers' losses.

Mr. Chautala said that though the Group of Ministers recommended payment of Rs. 10,000 an acre as compensation to farmers hit by calamities, it remained on paper.

Mr. Ajit Singh said that though the agriculture sector was witnessing rapid strides, the lot of farmers continued to remain miserable.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Shameful Surrender to US Foreign Policy Agenda

The decision of the Central government to bar Indian companies from using the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) to process payments will directly affect India’s trade with Iran and in particular will affect the import of gas and crude oil from Iran which constitutes around 16 to 17 per cent of the country’s crude oil requirements. 

The Americans have been pressurizing India as Iran’s largest trading partner in the ACU to close down this route as they consider it a barrier in the implementation of the US’s arbitrarily imposed sanctions on all companies doing trade with Iran. 

This decision of the Government of India is a shameful surrender to US foreign policy agendas and is against the national interest. This is all the more apparent since the sanctions imposed by the United Nations exclude imports in the energy sector and, therefore, it is not at all incumbent on India as a member of the UN to take such a step. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the US spokesman on the issue should praise India’s “significant action”. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) condemns this decision of the government as being against the national interests. It demands rescinding of the step. It calls on other political parties to also put pressure on the government.

CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh State Committee To Launch Agitations on People’s Issues

The extended meeting of the CPI(M) AP state committee has decided to mobilise people on a large scale and organise movements for the resolution of the problems being faced by the common people of the state. It has called upon the people to fight back the implementation of World Bank-dictated policies by the state government in the name of reforms. The extended meeting was held at Sundarayya Vignan Kendram, Hyderabad on December 19, 2010. Below we give the full text of the political resolution unanimously adopted by the meeting.

THE extended state committee meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demands from the state government to resolve the serious problems being faced by various sections of people of the state immediately.

The faction feuds within the state Congress party have reached their pinnacle. After the appointment of the new chief minister by the Congress high command, the dissatisfactions within the party have flared up. Those MLA’s who did not get a cabinet berth are angry. Even those who got a place in the cabinet are, in some cases, unhappy as to the kind of ministry they have got. Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Congress MP and son of former chief minister late Y S Rajashekar Reddy, has rebelled against the party and resigned from both party membership and Lok Sabha membership, complaining that the Congress party is insulting his supporters. He later on announced that he is going to form his own party soon. In the events that followed one another at a lightening speed, the Congress high command was forced to enter the scene and do the adjustments in its own ‘style.’ But, despite the high command's intervention, the uncertainty in the government and the dissatisfaction in the party did not subside. On each and every occasion these faction feuds in the party are resurfacing. And the party leaders are busy in dealing with them. The people of the state have given mandate to the Congress party to rule the state for five years. It is already one and a half years since this mandate was given but still these leaders are busy in faction feuds and the distribution of the fruits of power amongst themselves.

On the other hand, there is no time left for the Congress party to look into the problems of the state, its people and the administration. The Congress high command, which should have set right the things, has rather contributed to the degeneration in the situation and thus the worsening of the governance in the state. The sealed-cover culture in the distribution of positions of power has come back again, and has led to the gross distortion of democratic values. So, the entire responsibility for the uncertainty and confusion that has descended on the state for the last few months, rests completely on the shoulders of the Congress high command.

The Congress leadership is responsible for the building up of the animosities among the Telugu people by its ways of opportunism and casual attitude on the question of the unity of the state. The Srikrishna committee, which was constituted to dwell into the matter of integrated/divided state, announced that it will submit the report even before the deadline of December 31. There is a chance that some forces and people might try to aggravate hostilities between the people of various regions in the state and thus jeopardize peace and fraternity by using this occasion as an opportunity. The CPI(M) calls upon the people to be alert in these matters.

There is nobody in the government as of now who is caring about the problems of the people. Because of that, people are being forced to fall back upon the mercy of the administration for getting things done. But in the present situation, even the government administration has become rudderless and passive. As of now, the new chief minister and his ministerial colleagues dont look like moving in the direction of setting the things right and resolving the issues of the people. As their problems go unattended to, the people of the state got vexed up and are taking to the path of agitations. Sections of people like ITDA Gurukul school hostel staff, employees of the Indira Kranti Padham, Asha workers, RTC employees, State Electricity Board employees, Singareni contract workers etc are all on the path of struggle on their genuine demands. Many other sections of people are making plea after plea for the resolution of their problems, and are getting ready for taking part in the struggles. Police lathicharged the IKP workers recently.

A rasta roko programme was organised on December 11 under the leadership of the secular opposition parties seeking increase in the support price for farmers produce. Various sections of the people are appealing to the government on their various problems. Unorganised workers are asking for the implementation of the minimum wages; government employees and teachers are asking for their genuine rights and health facilities; anganwadis are asking for retirement benefits; poor are demanding for housing sites, ration, and the implementation of the employment guarantee scheme; girijans are asking for patta rights on the forest lands and the students are appealing for scholarships and hostel facilities.

Farmers are committing suicides because the paddy crop was damaged in 14 districts of the state. So far 40 farmers have committed suicide because of unbearable losses. The farmers are demanding compensation for the damaged crops. The CPI(M) extended meeting demands the state government to pay attention toward the immediate resolution of these problems.

The state assembly and legislative council meetings were held for six days from December 10. The government utterly failed in showing a way out of the immediate and serious problems facing the people. It wasted a lot of time in the session. It has not responded properly toward the problems of the farmers, despite the opposition raising the issue forcefully. The government announced only namesake measures. But these measures are not sufficient enough in order to rescue the farmers, that too in particular the tenant farmers who have undergone an immense loss. The CPI(M) calls upon the farmers to take to a path of agitation for making the government come down on the question of resolving the issues in a befitting manner. It is only because of people’s agitations in the past that the government has come down and started implementation of the welfare schemes. In the past, huge movements were organised for the sake of housing sites, ration cards, forest rights, resolution of the issues of hostels, for nodal agencies, for identity cards to the tenant farmers etc. The government now is trying to weaken the welfare programmes that are a result of these people’s struggles.

The poor people of the state, who are already struggling from price rise and decline in employment opportunities, will further suffer if the welfare schemes are weakened. So, the new state government instead of trying to weaken the welfare programmes should rather try to plug the loopholes in them and implement them in a much better way, demands the extended meeting of the CPI(M). It also calls upon the people to prepare themselves for the protection of these welfare programmes and their further strengthening. The meeting also calls upon the people to mobilise themselves for the sake of the struggles on the issues of protecting and further strengthening of the welfare programmes; house sites for the poor; cultivable land for the landless; and the resolution of the problems of the sections of the people like the poor, weaker sections – the dalits, minorities, tribals, artisans, and the poor farmers. The state government is implementing the conditionalities of the World Bank in a disguised way in the name of reforms. It is bringing about new legislations for the sake of doing this. Property tax is being raised in some municipalities, along with a tax on garbage in those municipalities. Water meters are also being fixed. The extended meeting of the CPI(M) state committee appeals to the people of the state to fight back these anti-people policies of the government.