S P Rajendran
THE CPI(M) Madurai urban and rural district committees jointly organised a special conference on the ‘Protection of States’ Rights’ on July 23, at Madurai. Addressing the conference, CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury said the violence in Manipur is an attack on federalism and plurality of the country unleashed by the BJP has been trying to convert the secular democratic republic of India into a fascist Hindutva rashtra.
Yechury said the freedom struggle underlined the need to uphold diversity such as of language, culture and religion. "But the BJP wants to define the country by the religious affiliation of its people," he said. He noted that this approach directly contradicted India's constitutional framework, which defines it as a union of states, embracing its diverse nature. He asserted that an all-out attack was currently underway on the fundamental pillars of the constitution, such as secularism, economic sovereignty, social justice, and federalism. Drawing attention to the escalating situation in Manipur, which stemmed from political polarisation encouraged by the double-engine BJP government, Yechury expressed concern that the principle of unity in diversity was being sacrificed for political gains, leading to unrest and conflict within the state.
Regarding federalism, as enshrined in Article (1) of the Constitution, Yechury highlighted the importance of states and their shared responsibilities with the central government in critical matters, including judiciary and finances. However, he pointed out that this principle of federalism was now under attack, with the BJP government advocating a "one-nation, one-government" policy, exemplified by measures such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the imposition of the Hindi language.
Yechury also raised concerns about the misuse of governors in states where the BJP was not in power, who seemed to be furthering the Hindutva agenda. He criticised the centre's unilateral implementation of policies concerning education, agriculture, and cooperatives without consulting state governments, despite these matters falling under the concurrent list in the constitution. Urging the public to defeat the BJP government led by Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Yechury emphasized solidarity with other parties in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which aims to protect and uphold the constitution.
CPI (M) state secretary K Balakrishnan placed a resolution demanding the safeguarding of states rights. He criticised the state BJP leader Annamalai's padayatra, and said this would be the last yatra for the BJP led government at the centre.
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan highlighted instances of the union government acting against Tamil Nadu's interests, allocating a meagre Rs 22.31 crores for Tamil language promotion compared to Rs 643.84 crores for Sanskrit.
VCK founder Thol. Thirumavalavan emphasized the INDIA alliance's purpose to protect the rights of all states and citizens, and stated that the BJP is an enemy of the principles laid out in the Constitution of India.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, Tamil Nadu ministers Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and P Moorthy, TNCC leader E M Sudharsana Nachiyappan, IUML leader Prof. Kadhr Mohideen, AIFB state secretary PV Kathiravan, and others also addressed the gathering. Other participants at the event included R Vijayarajan and S Bala, both CPI (M) state committee members, and M Ganesan and K Rajendran, CPI (M) district secretaries, as well as the deputy mayor of Madurai Corporation, T Nagarajan, and others.
The meeting, presided over by Su. Venkatesan, Madurai MP of the CPI (M), also adopted a resolution drawing attention to the Manipur incident. It criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about the issue only after 78 days while the state was in turmoil, and the people, particularly women, were subjected to atrocities. BJP's arrogance is evident in their refusal to discuss the matter in parliament. BJP's arrogance is seen in denying discussion on the matter in parliament.
