New Delhi, May 16
In a strong appraisal of the performance of the UPA government, the CPM categorically stated that it was not content with talks and would mobilise people to force the government to implement the common minimum programme (CMP).
Clearly stating that the party would not share the dais with the UPA on the first anniversary bash on May 22, CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters that at the ground level there was hardly change in the government’s policy, but there was hope and expectation.
Declaring that his party would not compromise on the basis interest of working people, he said it would take up their issues with the government at the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting on May 18.
The message was clear that the support to the government would continue despite the differences, but the party would continue to pressurise the government to implement the CMP in letter and spirit.
“A fundamental concern of the CPM is that hardly any legislation which addresses the needs of the vast majority of the poorer sections of our country has been moved in Parliament in this one year by the UPA government,” Karat said.
He said, “The UPA government is not sufficiently concerned about the need to distance itself from the discredited policies of the past.”
Detailing out the strategy to be adopted by the party in the coming months, he said, “The party will step up mass mobilisation and movements to ensure the implementation of the pro-people measures in the CMP.”
“The CPM will firmly oppose the gamut of measures which seek to hand over key sectors of the economy to foreign capital including the financial sector,” he said.
Karat said the politburo has assessed the UPA’s functioning and claimed it had failed on various fronts, notably the social sector and agriculture.
The Left party said during the past year, no legislation or initiative had been taken to shore up the collapsing public distribution system.
The CPM also said no legislation had been proposed for unorganised workers, adding that in this way the needs of the poor of the country had not been met.
Other areas that came under criticism were the financial policies of the UPA government. The CPM said privatisation of pension funds was not acceptable.
They also rejected the increase in FDIs or foreign direct investments and they said that successive hikes in the prices of petroleum products in the last one-year had adversely affected the common people.
He condemned the BJP-led NDA for its boycott of Parliament and accused it of “unable to come to terms” with Lok Sabha poll defeat and indulging in “confrontationist tactics.”
On Centaur Hotel probe, the party demanded that the government should order a CBI probe into the disinvestment of this hotel as irregularities had been brought out by the CAG.
He said similar irregularity was evident in ITDC run hotel in Kovalam, Kerala. Karat demanded a probe by the CBI or special investigating team before lodging a case.
Karat asked the UPA government to hand over six major Gujarat riot cases, pending before the Supreme Court to the CBI.
He said according to reports, a large number of people had been displaced and nearly 61,000 people were still not able to go back home.
He called upon the UPA government to review its decision to resume arms supplies to Nepal, as democracy had not been restored in the Himalayan Kingdom.
The party also voiced opposition to India joining the joint Missile Defence System proposed by the US.
