Resist Pro-Corporate Anti-Poor Union Budget The 21st Congress of the CPI(M) points out that the Union Budget of 2015-16 reveals the ruthless manner in which the Modi Government is implementing its neoliberal agenda. The Budget is an exercise in the transfer of resources to big corporations and the rich. In a period of industrial and agricultural stagnation, the Modi regime has chosen to cut the government spending in order to conform to the policy of fiscal deficit reduction imposed by international agencies. The ratio of central budget expenditure to GDP, which was 15.9 per cent in 2007-08, declined to 13.7 per cent in 2013-14, an, according to budget estimates, would be only 12.6 per cent in 2015-16. The main cuts are on social expenditure. The Modi government has practically put an end to the planning process by abolishing the Planning Commission and centralising the right to fix the plan size and inter-sectoral allocation in the Union Finance Ministry. Arun Jaitley, who had drastically cut the plan amount for 2014-15, has chosen to keep the current year’s allocation below the level of last year. The axe has fallen heavily on social and welfare expenditure: the outlays on women and children was reduced by around Rs. 12,000 crores, rural development by Rs. 17,000 crores, urban development by Rs. 400 crores, SC-ST development allocation, which was only around half the norm, by Rs. 17,000 crores, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan by Rs. 8,500 crores, and even Swachha Bharat by Rs. 6,000 crores. The allocation for ICDS has been halved, from Rs. 16,000 crores to Rs. 8,000 crores. At the same time, the revenues foregone through various concessions amount to Rs. 5.89 lakh crores. Corporate tax is proposed to be reduced to 25 per cent from 30 per cent and wealth tax abolished. Implementation of the General Anti-Tax Avoidance Rules, which could have had the effect of curbing tax dodging by corporates, has been deferred. Corporate tax revenue, which was 3.9 per cent of the GDP in 2007-08, has been reduced to 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2014-15. In the budget of 2015-16, while direct taxes have been cut by 8315 crores, indirect taxes, whose burden falls more on the people, have been increased by Rs 23,383 crores. Instead of taxing the rich, the BJP has declared its intention to conduct the biggest flash sale of Indian public sector shares ever, of the value of Rs. 69,500 crores. It has refused to transfer the benefit of falling international prices of crude oil by hiking the excise rate on petrol, which is expected to give an unexpected windfall of Rs. 58,000 crores in 2015-16, besides a sharp fall in petroleum subsidy. In spite of the appeasement of corporates, investments sufficient to realise the “Make in India” slogan have not been forthcoming. The Modi Government has thus been forced to increase public investment in infrastructure other than power. The cut in social expenditure is explained away as the cost of more urgent investment in infrastructure. In order to appease the foreign market, the Modi Government is entering into more and more bilateral agreements at the expense of agriculture and small producers in order to strengthen the strategic alliance with the United States. Despite all its talk about cooperative federalism, the overall transfer to the States from the Centre has declined from 6.2 per cent in 2014-15 to 5.9 per cent in the new budget. Plan assistance has been slashed from Rs. 3.3 lakh crores to Rs. 1.9 lakh crores. The additional resources that have been given by the 14th Finance Commission to the States have been more than offset by cuts in centrally-sponsored flagship schemes and other projects. The Modi government is clearly against any genuine restructuring of Centre-State financial relations. The 21st Congress of CPI(M) calls upon all units of the Party to resist and expose these anti-people policies of the Modi government . On massive crop losses due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms The 21st congress of the CPI(M) expresses serious concerns at the massive crop losses sustained by millions of peasants all over India due to the unseasonal rains and hailstorms during the last few weeks. According to official figures, over 106 lakh hectares of cultivable land has been seriously affected and the crop loss is worth thousands of crores of rupees. Rabi crops like wheat, fruits and vegetables have been destroyed in at least fourteen states due to this natural calamity. Some of the major affected states include Jammu & Kashmir, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Coming on top of drought in some of these states that has adversely affected the kharif crop, the destruction of the rabi crop due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms has broken the back of the peasantry and has driven innumerable peasants to suicide. The response of the BJP-led Central Government and that of most state governments to this national tragedy has been condemnable to say the least. No immediate help to the peasantry in distress is forthcoming in the form of compensation. Hardly any succour can be expected from the notoriously inadequate crop insurance scheme either. Coming on top of the chronic agrarian crises which is a result of the neo-liberal policies pursued by the Congress and BJP-led Central Governments over the last two decades which has led to peasant suicides to the tune of over 3 lakhs during this period, this latest tragedy has brought the peasantry to the brink of an abyss. Many more suicides have been reported due to the current losses. The 21st Congress of the CPI(M) demands that the Central Government immediately sanction and provide full compensation to all peasants in the country and agricultural workers and artisans who are affected by this calamity; compensation for loss of human lives and livelihood; compensation must be assessed on a scientific and democratic basis; radical expansion of the MGNREGA is essential. It also demands that the state governments redouble their efforts for providing relief to the affected people. The 21st Congress of the CPI(M) stands in solidarity with India’s farmers and the demand for relief. On the Custodial Killings of Under-Trial Prisoners in Telangana The 21st Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) denounces the cold-blooded custodial killing of the five under trial-Muslim prisoners while being taken to court from Warangal jail to Hyderabad by the police in Telangana. The handcuffed prisoners were shot dead inside the police van midway, apparently as an act of revenge for the death of two police personnel earlier by SIMI activists. The State Government has appointed an SIT enquiry, which is nothing but a brazen attempt to mislead the people and protect the police involved in these murders. The 21st Congress of CPI (M) demands a judicial enquiry into this heinous custodial killing and the immediate arrest of the guilty police personnel and full compensation to the families of those killed. On the Killing Of Migrant Workers by Andhra Pradesh Government The 21st Congress of Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the cold-blooded killing of 20 migrant workers, including 13 tribal people, from Tamil Nadu by the Andhra Pradesh police in the Seshachalam forest in Andhra Pradesh. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh, which has failed to check smuggling and illegal trade in red sanders in the Seshachalam forest by taking firm action against smugglers and illegal traders, most of whom have close links with top political leaders of the State, has resorted to brutal killing of the workers. The 21st Congress of the CPI (M) demands that a CBI enquiry be instituted into the incident and that the Andhra Pradesh Government provide full compensation to the families of those killed. The police who have resorted to these inhuman killings should be stringently punished. On Culture And A Scientific Outlook The 21st Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) resolves to protect, nurture and promote the arts and cultures of India in all their plurality and syncreticism. There has never been a monolithic “Indian” culture, much less a culture defined by only one religion. The plurality of cultures and their interface is what makes it “Indian.” This plurality is under a concerted and vicious attack today, mainly from the Hindutva brigade. Hindutva now manifests itself in myriad forms. Hindutva forces peddle all sorts of anti-scientific ideas such as that of India having invented plastic surgery or even interplanetary travel in ancient times. They attempt to impose Taliban-like dress codes on women and indulge in vigilantism against various forms of sexual expression. They conduct aggressive moral policing against the simple expression of love by young people with an abusive campaign against “love jihad”. They violently oppose inter-religious and inter-caste marriage. They want to declare the Gita India’s “national book.” The recent ban on beef and campaigns against meat-eating are actually attacks on the lifestyles and culinary cultures of a large number of Indians, including Dalits, Tribals, Christians and Muslims. They force, through harassment and attacks, artists like M. F. Husain and Perumal Murugan into exile or silence. They vandalise auditoria for screening films that are even mildly critical of godmen. The campaign of “Ghar Vapsi” is a particularly vicious attempt to terrorise minorities. The killing of Narendra Dabholkar, a rationalist and progressive intellectual, and Govind Pansare, a veteran Communist and Left intellectual, show that the forces of unreason are willing to go to any length to silence voices of reason. It is a shame that there has not been any progress at all in either murder investigation. In Pakistan and Bangladesh as well, fundamentalists have been brutal in their suppression of difference, dissent, and free thought. The brutal murders of Avijit Roy and Washiqur Rahman in Bangladesh are recent instances in point. Such retrograde fundamentalist and communal forces operating in the region mutually reinforce each other. Hindutva forces are also using their position in government to compromise cultural and academic bodies by throwing out reputed and respected professionals and replacing them with cronies and ideologically-driven yes-men. The Hindutva hold on official bodies is being used to rewrite history and peddle unreason. Their idea is to mould future generations in their own twisted image. Most recently, there have also been reports of attempts to subvert the independent functioning of museums. During the Indian Science Congress in Mumbai, a special symposium on science and technology in ancient India was converted into an unabashed propaganda session for Hindutva advocates. The proceedings showed that, far from highlighting important contributions in ancient India, Hindutva proffers absurd claims, and fails to distinguish between science and history on the one hand and mythology on the other. What is projected as cultural nationalism by the Hindutva forces is nothing but extremist cultural aggression. Unfortunately, some organisations that believe in casteist politics also sometimes mimic Hindutva forces by calling for bans on different forms of legitimate cultural expression. While condemning majoritarian vigilantism, the CPI(M) also vehemently opposes the offensive by fundamentalist forces within minority communities to impose strict codes of dress, behaviour, and cultural expression, particularly on women. Fundamentalists of all communities feed and strengthen each other and are equally opposed to the right to free cultural expression as protected by the Indian Constitution. The role of market-driven mass-produced consumerist culture — whether produced in India or abroad — should also be noted here. A large number of popular movies, songs, music videos, advertisements, etc., portray women disturbingly, as sex objects, house-bound, or vehicles to sell products. Mass produced consumerist culture also glorifies violence and vigilantism. The Party Congress resolves to assert the constitutional right to peaceful expression of dissent and will work to defend and promote secular and progressive values and scientific temper. This 21st Party Congress asserts the constitutional, democratic and secular values of scientific temper, pluralism, and religious tolerance in place of cultural imperialism, majoritarianism, and communal and fundamentalist politics, jointly promoted by the agents of globalisation, religious fundamentalism, communalism, and other forms of social reaction. The Party Congress resolves to build up intellectual and cultural resistance against these forces. On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill The 21st Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses serious concern at the inordinate delay in the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill. The Bill, which was introduced at the very end of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2013, was referred to the Standing Committee. Although more than a year has elapsed, the Government has shown no interest in bringing the Bill on its agenda. This delay takes place at a time when serious issues confronting the disabled, such as reservation for persons with disabilities in jobs, access persons to public places and public transport, the simplification of procedures for a universally valid ID card, and guaranteed allowances, remain unaddressed. The 21st Congress of the CPI(M) demands that the Government take necessary steps to ensure that the final draft of the Bill be placed before Parliament for adoption without any further delay. On Issues of Education The 21st Party Congress of the CPI (M) notes with grave concern the attacks on right to education at all levels and in different spheres. The attack has been accentuated with the advent of the Modi Government. The policy thrust of centralisation, commercialisation, and privatisation of education, however, is not party-specific, but one that is supported by the entire ruling class to serve its interests. The Modi Government’s sinister agenda of saffronisation makes this toxic combination more lethal. The Modi Government has slashed budgetary allocations for education by 16.5 per cent. It has halved the funds for ICDS, cut funds for mid-day meal schemes and for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Thus, even the limited gains of the past are being eliminated. Successive Governments have underfunded education, and public funding has stagnated at just 3 per cent of GDP. The failure to expand public investment in education has facilitated the expansion of the private sector at all levels, from nursery school to higher education. Education has been a prime victim of the neo-liberal policy of cutting back public expenditure for the people. The 21st Party Congress expresses deep concern at the undermining of the Right to Education Act. It strongly protests against the shut-down of Government schools in different parts of the country. The absence of a statutory requirement that the Central Government provide the additional resources to ensure the implementation of the Right to Education, combined with the worsening finances of the States, is leading to a catastrophe. The Government’s claim that it is transferring more funds to States in the spirit of “cooperative federalism,” while actually slashing allocations for major centrally-sponsored programmes, is characteristic of the crisis. Though literacy and school enrolment rates have improved, a large proportion of the population remains illiterate and unschooled. Drop-out rates remain high, particularly among girls and children of socially-oppressed groups. Acute infrastructural shortages, poor student-teacher ratios, cramped classrooms, insufficient hostel facilities, and inadequate laboratory and library facilities characterise all levels of education, from schools to higher educational institutions. The continuing colonial legacy of elitism has worsened disparities and accentuated inherent social inequalities in the educational system. The unregulated expansion of the private sector (sometimes in the form of PPP projects) and profiteering by means of astronomically high admission and tuition fees has led to the commodification of education, making education further a preserve for the privileged. The Rashtriya Uchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), and the Common University Act are part of the agenda of privatisation. Constrained by inadequate funds, even public institutions have had to take to “self-financing.” Further, increasing contractualisation of teaching positions is affecting both access and quality in the public sphere. In pursuit of its current policy, the Government is pushing for the centralisation of all powers with regard to policy and decision-making. This policy excludes the participation of academicians and severely undermines the autonomy of educational institutions. The democratic rights of students and teachers are being curbed. Other than in a few States, student union elections are not held and students are denied the minimum democratic right to organise. The violent attacks backed by State Governments against students, teachers and non-teaching staff and particularly the attacks in West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh, must be strongly condemned. Equally ominous is the communal offensive, with the RSS emerging as an extra-constitutional centre of power in decision-making. Science, the scientific temper, and historical studies suffer assaults not only from the Hindutva organisations and top brass, but also from Ministers, including the Prime Minister himself. Unambiguous statements by ministers that education will be saffronised underline this threat. Educational institutions and autonomous bodies, including those dedicated to research, are being packed with individuals whose main qualification is that they belong to the RSS school of thought. The CPI (M), along with Left and other democratic secular forces, will have to create the broadest possible unity in order to wage a determined struggle to face this pernicious threat. The Party Congress expresses its firm resolve to build such unity to combat neo-liberal policy and protect the right to education for the entire people of the country. It demands: • Free universal compulsory quality school education and strengthening facilities for pre-school education. • Implement RTE Act and ensure 25 per cent of all seats in private schools for free admission for weaker sections. • Regulate and control fee structures and reservation for SC/STs in private institutions. • Stop the entry of foreign universities. • Ensure a secular and scientific educational system.