PRAKASH KARAT DELIVERS SUNDARAYYA MEMORIAL LECTURE WITH the ascent to power by RSS-backed Narendra Modi, the people of the country will be subjected to twin-pronged attack – intensified pursuit of neo-liberal reforms and heightened communalisation of society resulting in division of people. The task before the Left today is to rally the people against neo-liberal policies and prepare the people for struggles while safeguarding their unity. This was stated by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat while delivering P Sundarayya memorial lecture in Hyderabad on 19th May 2014. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu, Sundarayya Vignana Kendram managing trustee C Sambi Reddy, Trust secretary Y Siddaiah shared the dais. Sambi Reddy presided over the meeting. Karat said that social justice would also be in danger since the RSS, whose ideology is against the interests of dalits and minorities, would be the guide for the central government and the ruling party. He pointed out that the BJP's manifesto for these elections did not contain anything about the important subject of reservations. In such a scenario, there is a need to launch big struggles by the Left, democratic and secular forces in the country. The CPI(M) would do its best to organise these struggles, said Karat. Big corporates systematically launched a marketing campaign to make Narendra Modi the prime minister of the country. Added to these efforts were those of VHP, RSS at the ground level and this resulted in their victory, felt Karat. He said both Congress and BJP pursue similar economic policies. During the Congress-led UPA regime many corporates benefited in a big way and this was reflected in the many unprecedented scams. The owners were facing criminal charges due to these scams and they were on the lookout for a leader who could more effectively protect their interests. They found one in Narendra Modi who as Gujarat chief minister showered most benefits on them. He provided them land free of cost, power and many other utilities at highly subsidised rates. And this was projected as Gujarat model. From Anil Ambani to Ratan Tata, everyone made a beeline to Gujarat and publicly expressed their desire two years back itself to see Modi as PM. The RSS also in a planned manner created communal violence in UP which sends largest number of MPs in order to polarise the voters on religious lines. It seems to have succeeded given the BJP bagging the biggest ever haul of seats in UP. The corporates who have systematically marketed Modi for the top post would now seek back their pound of flesh and that is the reason why so many incentives for corporates found place in BJP’s manifesto. It has also promised liberalising labour laws. If this is done, there will be hire and fire policy and it will put the workers rights under serious threat, said Karat. The corporates also sought weakening of Left parties in order to ensure unbridled pro-corporate policies by the government. And that is the reason why most of the regional parties kept their distance from the Left in these elections. There was a conspiracy to ensure the defeat of the Left in Bengal because it stood firmly against neo-liberal economic policies and communalism. In a strategic manner they created an atmosphere of terror by violent means in order to deny the free and fair atmosphere for polling in Bengal. But this is not new to people of Bengal or the Left. In the semi-fascist terror between 1970-77, even Jyoti Basu had to withdraw from contest. The people of Bengal however reposed complete faith in the Left in the 1977 election after Emergency. Karat reminded that although BJP got own majority in Lok Sabha, it has polled only 31 per cent of total votes. Vast majority of farmers, agricultural labourers, dalits, minorities and progressive forces are against that party. It is the responsibility of the Left to organise these sections. Comrade Sundarayya has shown how to work in unfavourable situations also and the Left will march ahead on the path shown by such revolutionaries, said Prakash Karat. B V Raghavulu in his speech said that irrespective of the strength of the Left parties in legislative bodies, they will continue to fight for people’s rights. In fact, their hands are going to be full in the coming days given the fact that Modi government will unleash attacks on the working people while favouring the big corporates. He said the reduced strength of Left parties in legislative bodies is ultimately a loss to the common people, minorities, dalits and other weaker sections as their voice will become feeble inside the legislative bodies.