CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has called for building an alternative public narrative against fascism and social exploitation.
He was speaking after inaugurating EMS Smriti, a two-day programme organised in memory of Communist ideologue E.M.S. Namboodiripad, here on Tuesday.
Speaking on ‘Contemporary reading of October Revolution,’ the main theme of the programme, Mr. Yechury said the October Revolution made an irreversible change in the course of world history.
“The farmers’ struggle, which began in various States, is a welcome move. The Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have been forced to think about loan waiver. The worker-peasant unity, which led to the success of the revolution, is strengthening in the country,” he said
However, the Centre had passed its responsibility to States and asked them to find funds for the loan waiver. Such struggles could only create an alternative public narrative against the oppressive fascist regime, he said.
The country had been witnessing a strong Right-wing shift along with postmodern constructions, which was creating a post-truth narrative. Mr. Yechury said.
“Post truth,’ according to the Oxford dictionary, is circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotions and personal feelings. This is exactly what is happening in the country,” he said.
Farmer suicides
Thousands of farmers are committing suicide. The youth had been left jobless. If the BJP promised two crore jobs every year, the industry showed the lowest number of job creation in the last eight years. Major IT companies said they would retrench 56,000 people this year. World agency McKinsey said this year 50-60% of the IT professionals would become redundant. The Skill India project had been shelved, he said.
“But nothing has been discussed. A post-truth narrative has been created. The Hindu communalism and Hindutva nationalism have been creating a public narrative, which is totally disconnected with truth,” he said.
CPI(M) State secretariat member Baby John delivered the key note address. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac spoke on ‘The 60 years of Kerala and way forward’ and economist Prabhat Patnaik spoke on ‘Contemporary Imperialism.’
