Lead fight against Centre, Yechury tells Keralites

Says task of defeating RSS/BJP should be done without any understandings or ties with Congress

February 26, 2018 12:38 am | Updated February 27, 2018 02:12 pm IST - Thrissur

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has called upon the people in the State to take the lead in fighting the anti-people policies of the Modi government and defeat his fascist regime.

Addressing a public meeting here on Sunday at the valedictory function of the four-day State conference of the party, he said when on one side the neo-liberal policies of the regime were creating economic misery for the common man, growing Hindutva communalism was dividing people.

Kerala had an important role in transforming the country into a socialist, non-exploitative society. Saving India and changing it for the better were the basic principles on which the CPI(M) was functioning, said Mr. Yechury.

“Neoliberal policies have created two Indias. If 1% rich people used to keep 49% of India’s wealth in 2014, 73% of the country’s wealth is in their hands now. The rich are becoming richer and the poor, poorer. The neo-liberal policies started by the Congress have been implemented aggressively by the Modi government,” he said.

Where are the jobs?

The BJP promised two crore jobs a year for the youth. According Labour Bureau statistics, 87,000 job opportunities in eight sectors had been lost in the past year alone. Agrarian crisis was deepening.

The government, which did not have ₹80,000 crore for writing off farmers’ debt, was waiving ₹2,40,000 crore debt of big companies. Living conditions of the common man was becoming worse.

Big corporates [businessmen] were taking loans and leaving the country. The government helped them escape. This was the highest level of crony capitalism and height of corruption. This had to be defeated, he said.

Farmers in distress

“The Prime Minister says there is no middlemen in their party. But he himself is acting as a middleman creating profit by helping the big businessmen. Looting of resources, impoverishing the people, and pushing farmers to distress suicide are the order of the day,” he said.

The growing communal polarisation and projection of Hindutva nationalism were disrupting the very foundations of India as a socio-democratic republic.

“Private armies are growing in the country in the name of cow protection and moral policing, attacking Dalits, minorities, and women. We witness undermining of all parliamentary institutions, including the Election Commission. Even judiciary is not spared. This a fascist tendency.”

Mr. Yechury reiterated that political violence was not the culture of the CPI(M).

“If our cadres were attacked we would defend ourselves and would continue to mobilise cadre for a radical change. If there were aberrations they would be corrected. Torchlights brought from 577 martyrs’ memorials were evidence for the violence by class enemies. It was on their memorials that the organisations had been built. As long as blood that flows in our body is red, nobody can lower our red flag. We want to tell our attackers that this is not an organisation that they can stop with physical violence.”

“There were speculations that there were differences of opinion between us. Vibrant inner party democracy was the strength of the CPI(M).”

Poll strategy

Repeating the stand of the party, the general secretary said task of defeating RSS/BJP should be done without entering into any understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress. Appropriate electoral tactics would be worked out for maximum pooling of anti-BJP votes at the time of the election.

Party State unit secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan presided. Leaders, including V.S. Achuthanandan, Prakash Karat, and Pinarayi Vijayan, participated.

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