THE CPI(M) candidate from Hisar parliamentary constituency in Haryana state, filed his nomination paper on April 19. Surender Singh, state secretary of the Party and Shakuntala Jhakhad a prominent advocate and Hisar district secretary of the CPI were also present.

Thousands of activists and supporters of CPI(M), some of whom came in motorcycle jathas, participated in the nomination rally at Government College ground, Hisar. The public meeting was addressed by Nilotpal Basu, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M). He castigated at the central government led by BJP for befooling the people of the country on the dreams of “ache din” (good days). However, the BJP brought in dark days for the people of the country, especially the poor and the marginalised. There is a general feeling amongst the people that they have been cheated by Modi government. Various sections of the people have mobilised themselves in the last 5 years to oppose Modi government’s policies. Modi government’s tom-tommed scheme of demonetisation brought in to unearth black money has proven disaster for the common people. Nilotpal said, the demonetisation decision finished off more than 50 lakh jobs in the country. Now it is all the more evident from the data that has come from various sources that demonetisation failed miserably to dig out black money. However, the BJP as a political party was a major beneficiary in this exercise. The other major beneficiary was the digital e-payment portal that gained its capital manifold.  He said the BJP tried to hide the data, but could not hide the reality. He exposed the BJP government of its failure in tackling the rise in unemployment. India is witnessing the highest (worst) number of employment in the country since it attained independence. The figures reveal that in the last 40 years, the recent 5 years stint of the BJP rule was extremely bad for the employment sector.

This has exposed the BJP and alienated it from the people, and to cover up for its misdeeds and inept governance, the BJP has raked up the issue of nationalism which is actually ‘fake nationalism’, Nilotpal said. All the claims made by Modi of a secure nation and only him being responsible for it, has been demolished by the facts. The number of terrorist attacks on both the security personnel and the common people have increased in the BJP rule in comparison to the previous years. Not just that, the numbers of infiltration into the valley and the total number of young people joining militancy in the valley of Kashmir has also increased in the BJP rule. He said that the people realise the failure of the BJP on all fronts and this reason will pave way for the formation of an alternative government in the country.

Surender Singh and Sukhbir Singh also spoke in length in the public meeting. They highlighted the plight of the kisans in the state and reminded the people that it was only the CPI(M) which has fought consistently for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission. They exhorted that it is important to realise the three slogans of the Party for the ensuing parliamentary elections, i.e., to defeat the BJP, increase the strength of Left in the parliament and to ensure that a secular government is formed. The greater presence of Left in the Lok Sabha is very much required to ensure that the new government works in a pro-people direction and major demands of the working people are accepted. These include legislation for a minimum wage of Rs 18,000, implementing the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, urban employment guarantee scheme and increasing the number of days of rural employment act etc.

The leaders also exhorted that the atmosphere of hate being spread and created in the last five years of BJP with its both active and tacit support, needs to be reversed. Perpetrators of spreading hatred have to be taken to task sternly. Only an alternative government can perform such a task and make India liveable not just in economic terms but also in the general social environment, which is so essential for a democratic polity to survive.

The meeting was also addressed by Inderjeet Singh, former secretary of the Party in Haryana. After the public meeting got concluded, a road show was organised in which thousands participated carrying the red flag.