Polit Bureau Statements
Condemn RSS Chief’s Atrocious Comments
THE RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s atrocious comments in an interview to RSS weeklies, constitutes an open and blatant challenge to the constitution of India, to equal rights of all citizens and to the rule of law. He has threatened the Muslim minority community that they will have to give up ideas of “supremacy” to remain safe. He justifies the aggression of “Hindu society” in the name of perceived historical wrongs, stating that Hindus are “at war.” He has virtually given a call for violence against a section of Indian citizens on the basis of religious affiliation.
In fact it is not “Hindu society” but Hindutva brigades inspired by the RSS ideology and backed by leaders like Bhagwat who have created a sense of siege in the minority community by their constant assaults on the constitutional and legal rights of minority communities at different levels. Bhagwat’s statements are an update of the hate filled communal writings of RSS icons like Hegdewar and Golwalkar that Muslims can live in India only if they accept a subordinate position.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns these utterances. It calls upon patriotic minded citizens and forces to unitedly raise their voice against this assault on basic constitutional values of secularism and democracy.
(January 11, 2023)
Tamil Nadu Governor’s Unconstitutional Actions
THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) unequivocally disapproves of the unseemly actions of the Tamil Nadu governor, RN Ravi, in skipping portions of the address to the assembly prepared by the state government.
In doing what he did, governor Ravi has brazenly violated the constitutional principle that the governor should act as the voice of the elected state government and the long-established convention that he reads out the complete text of the address prepared by the state government. It is now clear that portions of the text of the address which he preferred to skip was approved by him beforehand.
The portions he preferred to skip also reveals his antipathy for the government’s record in the sphere of law and order which is an exclusive prerogative of the elected state governments. Furthermore, he also skipped references to contributions by doyens of the social reform traditions of Tamil Nadu.
Governor Ravi’s actions also underline a growing pattern under the current BJP led government where governor’s office is used as an instrument to undermine the constitutional role of the state governments and smacks of an anti-federal tendency and penchant for centralisation of powers.
(January 10, 2023)
Rescind the Draft UGC Guidelines
THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly opposes the move of the UGC to facilitate foreign universities and educational institutions to set up campuses in India allowing them autonomy in determining fees and recruitment of teachers after a 90-day approval process. This will lead to creating enclaves of high fees, elitist institutions which will further distort the structure of higher education in the country.
The operational details of setting up such campuses provide that they can evolve their own admission process and criteria to admit domestic and foreign students. It will also have autonomy to decide its fee structure, and will face no caps that are imposed on Indian institutions.
Foreign higher education institutions will also be allowed cross-border movement of funds and maintenance of foreign currency accounts, mode of payments, remittance and repatriation.
It is crystal clear that the educational policies of the government and the higher education authorities will undermine the sovereignty of the educational process. In the past, Indian corporates have been allowed to set up shops, granting them national eminence status after which no further development has been reported in the public domain. Indian higher education sector is reeling in the aftermath of the New Education Policy and the overzealous pursuit of online education during Covid. All studies have revealed a sharp increase in the dropout rates in colleges and universities. Access, to higher education is under a grave threat for students who are at the receiving end of economic and social inequalities. The proposed move is not going to enable the country to address the current challenges that face higher education.
The Polit Bureau strongly urges that the UGC and the government rescind this draft proposal and initiate consultations with organisations of teachers, students and all those who are vitally concerned in the future of higher education. The UGC is also not statutorily entitled to unilaterally initiate moves without consulting the state governments. The Polit Bureau appeals to all democratic and patriotic forces to act to make the UGC and the government to stop this unilateralism forthwith.
(January 7, 2023)
