Price Rise

The big increase in food prices, with the food inflation rate crossing 11 per cent once again underlines the totally callous approach of this Government whose policies are directly responsible for the current situation. Today even vegetables, the cost of which are up by 25 per cent, are a luxury item under the regime of the Congress-led Government.

The Polit Bureau renewed its call to the Party units to conduct a week-long campaign from November 1-7 on the following five demands: (i) Curb price rise and ensure universal right to food (ii) Take firm action on all corruption cases and adopt an effective Lokpal Act (iii) Ensure supply of fertilizer at subsidised prices to farmers and stop black marketing of urea (iv) Steps to curb unemployment and fill up all vacancies in government posts (v) Stop FDI in the retail sector; protect the interests of small shopkeepers and traders.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on October 17-18, 2011. It has issued the following statement:

Anti-Corporate Movement

The `Occupy Wall Street’ movement in the United States and the various protest actions in Europe and other parts of the world are a manifestation of the growing anger of the people at the predatory role of big banks and finance capital. The people have seen how the corporates and banks have been bailed out while the ordinary people are made to bear the burdens of the crisis.

The explanation that it is an inter-ministerial note prepared with inputs from various ministries only underlines the authoritative nature of the conclusions...  P Chidambaram has to take responsibility for his action and resign...

The people of the country can see that the Congress-led government is itself responsible for stoking price rise and inflation by such measures. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands cancellation of this price rise and restoring the administrative regulation of pricing of petrol.

The Left parties strongly condemn these price increases and demand that they be withdrawn. The Left parties call upon all its units to immediately conduct hartals, demonstrations and other protest actions.

The Left parties decided to conduct a countrywide movement against corruption and to demand immediate measures to curb corruption in all spheres of public life.

The Central Committee called upon the people of West Bengal and Kerala to ensure the victory of the Left Front and the Left Democratic Front. The Congress and its TMC and UDF allies should be defeated as they are responsible for the acute price rise, massive corruption and attacks on the livelihood of the people. The Left Front of West Bengal and the LDF government of Kerala have stood out for the implementation of pro-people policies and safeguarding the interests of the working people.

Conduct a week-long agitation against price rise from February 3rd to 9th. During this week, there will be picketing of central government offices, protest demonstrations, dharnas and rallies. On 9th February, on the last day of the week, there will be a mass dharna which will be attended by thousands of people at New Delhi in which the main leaders of all the parties will participate.

The Polit Bureau strongly criticised the UPA government for its refusal to accept a JPC enquiry into the 2G Spectrum affair. Though the minister, A Raja, was forced to resign after the CAG report on the scam, the UPA government continues to adopt a position which will hamper the investigation and bringing of the guilty to book.

This cruel blow makes a mockery of all the assurances of the government to take steps to curb price rise. The people of this country will not take such burdens on them quietly.