CPI(M) Central Committee met on October 22-24, 2021 at Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan, New Delhi. It has issued the following statement on October 25:
ALL INDIA PROTEST AGAINST PRICE RISE
The Central Committee strongly condemned the daily hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel that are imposing unprecedented miseries on the people. This is accompanied by a monstrous hike in the price of cooking gas. This has triggered an overall inflationary spiral in the economy. Rising transportation costs are leading to the rise in prices of all essential items including food, vegetables, milk and other articles of daily consumption.
Central cabinet ministers are making preposterous claims that the hikes in central excise duties on petroleum products is financing free vaccinations and various social sector schemes being implemented by the Modi government. This is ridiculous. If people are paying exorbitant prices, then vaccinations are not free. People are paying for it themselves.
What has happened to the budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crores for vaccinations? The budget has already accounted for nearly Rs 4 lakh crores for various centrally-sponsored schemes and subsidies. Where has all this money gone?
Modi government is simply looting the people to generate revenues for its daily extravagant expenditures.
The Central Committee calls for powerful all India protest actions against this price rise. These actions should be conducted all over the country from the village/taluka level and in the cities.
HISTORIC KISAN STRUGGLE
REPEAL FARM LAWS
The Central Committee salutes the heroic struggle by our kisans demanding the repeal of the three farm laws and legal entitlement to MSP.
This is the longest sustained struggle that independent India has ever seen. Despite all provocations to try and disrupt the struggle, kisans under the leadership of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) are conducting this struggle peacefully in an exemplary manner.
Efforts by the BJP to disrupt this struggle by unleashing violence like in Lakhimpur Kheri, a shocking incident, have also not succeeded. On the contrary, more widespread anger of people has been aroused by this gruesome incident. the union minister of state for home affairs, whose son is the main accused, has not been removed from the union cabinet by PM Modi. Refusal to do so is tantamount to the complicity of the Modi government in this barbarity. The Supreme Court has criticised the delay in pursuing this case by the UP government against the minister’s son and other accused. Justice must be delivered speedily.
The solidarity that the kisan struggle is receiving from all quarters especially the organised trade union movement and the agricultural workers reflects the widespread support to the just demands of our kisans.
The Central Committee extends its complete solidarity and support for all calls for actions and protests by the SKM and the Central Trade Unions to mark the anniversary of this struggle on November 26. The CPI(M) calls upon all its units to extend active support to these protest actions.
LOOT OF INDIA’S NATIONAL ASSETS
Desperate exercise is going on for all-out privatisation of all national assets/PSUs. The National Monetisation Pipeline is tantamount to sale of India through transfer of vast infrastructural assets/machineries to private corporates, virtually free. The latest is the virtually free gift of Air India to Tatas. The government is already in the advanced stage of bringing amendment bills to Bank Nationalisation Act to facilitate privatisation of public sector banks.
Agitations by trade unions are going on in different sectors against these destructive measures. The Central Trade Unions/ Federations are taking initiative to embark on countrywide struggles on these issues.
The Central Committee extends its full support to these ongoing united struggles of the working class.
COVID PANDEMIC
In order to cover up its gross mishandling of the Covid pandemic and bungling in vaccinations, the Modi government sought to distract people’s attention by organising ‘celebrations’ for administering hundred crore vaccines. While reaching this landmark, though delayed, is laudable, it must be noted that only 21 per cent of our population is fully vaccinated. Clearly abandoning the assurance given by the Modi government of fully vaccinating India’s adult population by year end, the target has now been revised to 60 per cent of the population. Even this cannot be possible unless 1.5 crore vaccines are administered every day. The vaccinating rate has been declining and is currently below 40 lakhs per day.
This is alarming when fresh Covid cases are on the rise once again. Nearly 16,000 new cases are being reported daily with over 650 deaths.
The Central Committee demands that the pace of vaccinations be accelerated to prevent any further health catastrophe inflicting more miseries on the people.
JAMMU & KASHMIR
The union home minister visited Jammu & Kashmir under massive military fortification, detaining hundreds of people. He made preposterous claims that with the abrogation of Article 370 and dissolution of the erstwhile state of J&K, the situation has improved.
The recent spate of targeted killings of civilians has created a situation drawing parallels to what prevailed in the 1990s. This is alarming.
Unless people’s participation with the restoration of the democratic political process is established, it would be difficult to combat this rising extremist violence.
The Central Committee demands the immediate restoration of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, release of all political detenues, ending the curbs on media and stopping the indiscriminate arrests of people, particularly youth in J&K.
The Central Committee urges the Supreme Court to begin the consideration of the petitions before it, including those by CPI(M), challenging the constitutional validity of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution.
REGULATE PRICES OF ELECTRICITY
Private corporates-owned power generating units that rely exclusively on imported coal are passing on the burden of rise in international coal prices to the consumers by imposing higher rates per unit of electricity. There is no shortage of domestic coal. The privatisation, deregulation and the total mismanagement of the power/energy sector by the Modi government has created this crisis. This is also leading to serious power shortages. It is the responsibility of the central government to ensure that there are no power blackouts that will add more miseries on the already suffering people and, also, adversely impact economic activity.
The Central Committee demands proper regulations and urgent measures from the central government to ensure this.
CASTE CENSUS
The Central Committee reiterated the Party’s demand for conducting a caste census along with 2021 population census.
The central government must ensure that the parliament takes the required necessary steps to ensure the conduct of such a census.
CPI(M) 23RD PARTY CONGRESS
The Central Committee discussed the outline of the draft Political Resolution to be placed before the 23rd Party Congress scheduled to be held in April 2022 at Kannur, Kerala. The Polit Bureau will prepare the draft for the Central Committee’s consideration and finalisation for placing before the Party Congress.
