THE September campaign against skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, the highest unemployment in the last 45 years, and the BJP’s unethical practice of poaching MLAs of opposition parties to subvert the democratic mandate and usurp power, culminated in a massive rally of peasants and workers in Patna on September 22. The ‘Bharat Bachao-BJP Bhagao’ (Save India – Oust BJP) rally was organised by the CPI(M) Bihar state committee. Addressing the rally, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury gave a clarion call to oust the Narendra Modi led pro-corporate, communal, authoritarian regime from power in the coming 2024 parliament elections. He called upon all the Left and secular forces to come together to save the secular democratic republic envisioned by our freedom fighters who, cutting across social, religious, ethnic, gender barriers, laid down their precious lives to free the country from the yoke of colonial rule. The present dispensation at the centre was serving the interests of the colonial powers by dividing the people on communal lines. Now they are adopting the same tactics of divide and rule as practised by the British imperialists.

He recalled the glorious role played by Bihar right from the freedom struggle and in recent history in restoring democracy under the leadership of stalwart of socialist movement J P Narayan during the dark period of Emergency rule under the Congress regime. He welcomed the recent political developments in Bihar which thwarted the much-touted ‘operation lotus’ and gave a bloody blow to the BJP and their strategists and stopped their nefarious agenda of usurping power through any means. Lambasting the government for its economic policies, he cited a recent example of subsidising Rs 80,000 crore to the Medanta Company on the one hand and the allocation of only Rs 72,000 crore for the nationwide MNREGS programme which provides 100 days of work to the rural workers on the other. It is shamelessly serving the crony capitalists by writing off Rs 11 lakh crore owed to the nation.

Modi government is transferring national assets to a chosen few on a platter. The obscene inequality on the one hand and the pauperisation of the teeming millions of the country due to back-breaking prices and ever-increasing unemployment has made our country the worst performer on all social and economic indices. He reminded the role of the Left parties during the UPA regime particularly when landmark laws were passed favouring the rights of tribals to forest land, MNREGS, right to information, right to food security, etc.

He said when Hindus and Muslims live in peace and work in tandem, they make a beautiful Hindustan but the RSS and the BJP are engaged in breaking this syncretic unity and are trying to impose their fascistic agenda by subverting all the constitutional institutions from within. Raising the slogan of ‘BJP Bhagao, Bharat Bachao’ he said let us take a pledge to throw this regime out.

In his address, Polit Bureau member Ashok Dhawale focused on the plight of peasants and agricultural workers under the Modi regime and called upon the peasants and agricultural workers of Bihar to unleash class and mass struggles to dethrone the present regime which is bent upon destroying the country economically and politically by putting everything in the hands of corporates and subverting all the constitutional institutions.  Bihar has become the epicenter of opposition unity which will galvanise the whole country and we shall succeed in rescuing the country from the fascistic onslaught, he said. 

Addressing the rally, CPI(M) state secretary Lalan Choudhary elaborately spoke about the numerous movements launched by the Party in the last two-three months on people’s issues. The political development that left BJP isolated in Bihar politics is the culmination of joint movements of Left parties and constituents of the Mahagathbandhan which paved the way for the realignment of political forces in Bihar and forced the BJP to lick its wounds. He exhorted the assembled masses to build a strong CPI(M) in Bihar so that it can play its role in uniting the Left and secular forces to realise the immediate goal of unseating the present regime and embark on the path of organising Left Democratic Front to bring about a change in co-relation of class forces in Bihar in favour of the working class.

CPI(M) Central Committee member Awadhesh Kumar cautioned the audience to remain vigilant against the machinations of the wounded BJP, which is trying to create communal division on one hand and trigger law and order situation by unleashing terrorist goons under their protection to prove their oft-repeated claim that the recent political development in Bihar has led to the return of Jungle-raj. He specifically mentioned the much-advertised visit of Amit Shah in bordering districts of Kishanganj and Katihar which are minority-dominated districts. The choice of places for organising mass meetings in the above mentioned two districts have ominous implications for the state, which must be watched and acted upon by the administration on the one hand and the Left and secular forces on the other.

CPI(M) state secretariat members Arun Kumar Mishra, Sarvodaya Sharma, Rajendra Singh, Ahmad Ali, Rampari, Sanjay Kumar, Shyam Bharti and Bhola Diwakar also addressed the gathering and spoke on various issues concerning the peasants, workers and other sections of toiling masses of Bihar. They also raised their voice against the eviction of the people who have been living for decades on government, bhoodan and ceiling surplus lands. The present government must provide five decimal homestead land to all the homeless people of Bihar as promised earlier. The meeting was presided over by Ajay Kumar, secretariat member and Party leader of the Assembly group in Bihar. The rally was successful in putting across the message of unity among all the Left, democratic and secular forces and stretched its hand towards all those who want to join the battle for restoration of democratic and secular character of our constitution and its various bodies.

Before the rally, Sitaram Yechury met RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at their respective residences. While briefing the press, he said that they had discussed the political situation and the need for opposition unity. He brushed aside repeated questions on who would be the prime ministerial face in the opposition camp. Citing various examples, he said after the defeat of the BJP, the victorious parties will choose the prime minister.