Press Communique

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on July 30 & 31, 2022.  It has issued the following statement:

The last four months since the CPI(M)'s 23rd Party Congress concluded have seen a chilling confirmation of the aggressive furthering of the Hindutva agenda of the fascistic RSS combined with the rabid pursuit of neo-liberal reforms, strengthening crony capitalism and the communal-corporate nexus undermining India's economy and heaping greater unprecedented burdens on the people.

Runaway Inflation

The unprecedented price rise, with both the WPI and the CPI at record high, is destroying people's livelihood, reducing their purchasing capacity, leading to further lowering the levels of demand in the economy. The shrinkage of domestic demand is pushing down manufacturing activity leading to further slowing down of the economy and job losses.

Food and fuel prices continue to lead this inflation with the rise in prices of all essential commodities. The latest round of GST hikes, coming on top of this, further increase the prices of all essential commodities of daily use.

The Central Committee of the CPI(M) demands the rollback of GST hikes and the cess/surcharges on petroleum products.

Instead of burdening the people the Modi government must tax the super-rich to raise revenues.

Record Unemployment

In the age group of 20-24 years there is a staggering 42 per cent unemployment rate. Additionally, 61.2 per cent of our 90 crore working age population (2020) has simply stopped looking for jobs. Labour participation rate is at a record low - 38.8 per cent-women being the worst hit. During the last eight years the Modi government admitted in Parliament of having provided a miniscule 0.33 per cent of applicants with government jobs. There are over ten lakh vacancies.

Modi government must immediately fill up all the vacancies and substantially hike the allocation for MGNREGS and stop wasting our youth and demographic dividend.

Attacks on Tribal Rights

The CC demands the immediate roll-back of the amended rules under the Forest Conservation Act that eliminate the rights of the Gram Sabhas,  the tribal community and other traditional forest dwellers from their mandatory prior consent before diverting forest lands to facilitate profit maximisation for private corporates and the destruction of forests compounding the disastrous impact of climate change.

Full-fledged Authoritarianism

The ED and the CBI are increasingly functioning as a political arm of the Modi government in destabilising the democratically elected state governments and targeting opposition leaders. The recent judgment of the Supreme Court bench headed by a judge who retired shortly thereafter, upheld all the 2019 amendments to the PMLA lethally arming the ED further. This is a grievous assault on democracy.

Assault on Parliament : The Modi government is carrying out unprecedented assaults on the Parliament with its refusal to discuss any substantial motion on burning people's issues like price rise, unemployment etc. 27 members of Parliament have been suspended for this session. This is unprecedented in independent India.

The CC condemns the manner in which the noted champion of human rights and civil liberties and courageous fighter against communalism, Teesta Setalvad, was arrested. This was facilitated by a SC verdict by a bench headed, again, by the same judge.

The manner in which Zubair Ahmed was arrested on specious grounds confirms that under this Modi government those who promote and articulate hate speeches leading to violence are protected by the state, while those who expose such speeches and bring the truth before the people are arrested and put behind bars.

The Bhima Koregaon detainees continue to languish in jail for over three years. Several others including journalists and students remain in custody under draconian preventive detention acts. 

The CC demands the immediate release of Teesta Setalvad, R.B. Sreekumar, relesase of Bhima Koregaon detainees and others.

Menacing Sharpening of Communal Polarisation

CC condemns the menacing rise in the incidents of communal polarisation by the Hindutva outfits under the patronage of the ruling party, leading to incidents of violence in several states and targeting of the minority community. Large scale deployment of bulldozer politics in Delhi and other BJP ruled states further sharpened communal polarisation. The spread of a poisonous campaign of hate and terror leading to polarisation and violence is employed by the RSS/BJP to consolidate the shaping of Hindutva consciousness among the people to achieve the objective of Hindutva Rashtra on the ruins of our secular democratic republic.

The assault on the character of the Indian republic was once again seen with the Prime Minister performing a Hindu religious ritual while unveiling the national emblem on top of the new Parliament building. This is clearly the identification of the Indian State and government with Hindutva and not with the Constitution of India.

The CC appeals to all the secular minded people and forces to rally together in defence of the Indian Constitution, secular democracy, and guarantee of democratic rights and civil liberties of our people.

Kerala Developments

The CC strongly condemned the intensifying efforts for the strong misuse of central agencies to destabilise the Kerala LDF government. Congress led UDF in the state has launched a series of agitations targeting the LDF government and the CM. It is acting in tandem with the BJP against the LDF government.

The CC strongly denounces the discriminatory policies and tactics employed by the Union government in denying Kerala its legitimate share in Central pool revenues, imposing a severe resource crunch. The CC decided to conduct a nation-wide campaign in defence of the Kerala LDF government and its alternative pro-people policies, and to condemn Central interventions and discrimination aimed at destabilising the LDF government.

Tripura Developments

The CC condemned the fascistic attacks unleashed by the BJP using its state government against the people in general and the CPI(M) and its activists in particular in Tripura. The BJP has changed the Chief Minister of the state as elections to the state assembly are due in a few months and has intensified the atmosphere of terror and fear, preventing people from participating in political activities. The CPI(M) has decided to forge the largest mobilisation of secular forces against the BJP government and its politics of terror  and communal polarisation.

Bengal Developments

The arrest of TMC strong man and Minister in the state government of West Bengal, Partha Chatterjee in the teachers recruitment scam resoundingly vindicates the CPI(M)'s stand on the deep rooted corruption under the TMC government along with its politics of terror and violence. That this Minister had to be dismissed in the wake of his arrest once again proves the anti-people, anti-democratic nature of the TMC government. The earlier chit fund scams of Narada, Sarada and others continue to remain unpursued by the Central agencies under the BJP government.

The CPI(M) and the Left Front in the state organised large scale protest actions against the government which are receiving substantial people's support.

CC Calls:

1. August 1-15, Observing the 75th Anniversary of India's Independence,

culminating in the hoisting of the National Flag in all Party offices and taking a pledge on the preamble of the Constitution. Campaign will highlight the glorious role of the Communists in the Freedom Struggle, defense of democracy, democratic rights, civil liberties and India's secular, democratic, Constitutional values.

2. From September 14 to 24, to conduct a campaign on the increasing

assaults of the BJP Central government on people's livelihood. Concrete plan of action in each state shall be planned by the state committees. This campaign will culminate in a central public meeting at state capitals

3. To conduct campaigns against the efforts to destabilize the Kerala

LDF government, all across the country. The campaign will also highlight the

pro-people alternative policies pursued by the LDF government.  

Muralidharan

For CPI(M) Central Committee Office