Former general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) A.B. Bardhan has called for an alterative socialist model to the Union government’s policy of promoting multinationals which weakens small farmers.
Addressing a public meeting as part of the State convention of the All India Students Federation (AISF) here on Monday, Mr. Bardhan accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of surrendering the nation’s fertile land and other precious natural resources to foreign powers in the pretext of establishing special economic zones and mega industrial projects.
He said large tracts of land were being surrendered without any consideration for national interests.
Calling for strong public protests to defeat the government’s moves, the CPI leader said it would be possible to form a left alternative in time for the next parliamentary elections, though the Left was facing certain problems.
AISF State president G. Krishnaprasad presided. CPI State secretary Pannian Ravindran stressed the need to carry on the agitation against contributory pension scheme introduced by the State government for its staff and alleged no other government that had been in power in the State had been so “anti-people” as the Chandy government.
