Intense Mass Struggles Are The Only

Option: Sudhakar Reddy

 “The international crisis of capitalism, which has hit European countries and the US badly, is having its impact on the Indian economy too. Failure of the monsoons is a big blow in the agriculture front. Inflation, unemployment and price rise are haunting the people. There is a power crisis now and people are afraid that food and water crises may erupt too,” said CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy in an exclusive interview to the journalists of the Party’s national media centre on September 2, 2012.

Question: The month-long food security campaign that culminated in a five-day dharna in front of Parliament by the left parties is the first national campaign by the CPI after its 21^st Party Congress in Patna. How do you evaluate the performance of the campaign and its success in relation to the decisions — political and organisational — of the Party Congress?

Before I answer this question, I would like to say something about the present situation. The Coalgate scam, which exposed loopholes in allotment of coal blocks to corporate houses brought huge loss to the nation. The total amount of losses in the UPA-II regime is close to Rs 5 lakh crores. This should be thoroughly probed through a judicial enquiry. The BJP’s stand of stalling Parliament is unacceptable. This is a fascist method. They should respect Parliament. At the same time the prime minister should own up moral responsibility. 

 Though the food security campaign is the maiden month-long joint national successful campaign after the 21^st Congress of the Communist Party of India and the 20^th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), our party had participated and led several statewide campaigns prior to this. Some of them were the campaigns in Maharashtra on the issue of pension, mass land occupation movement in Andhra Pradesh, large-scale rallies demanding the cancellation of mining licences to mines, against price rise in Tamil Nadu, against corruption and price rise in Kerala, for food security in Bihar and on similar issues in various other states. The month-long campaign is undoubtedly a successful one. The four parties together prepared a hand bill, a detailed booklet, issued posters, addressed press conferences, conventions, public meetings and street corner meetings, etc., and created an awareness and atmosphere that is necessary for the success of the campaign. The leaflets were published in all the regional languages and articles were written in local newspapers.

The five-day dharna before Parliament at Jantar Mantar in the national capital was a big success. Several thousands of people participated every day from Delhi and its adjoining states — Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya  Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. While the dharna was going on here in Delhi, simultaneous dharnas were staged before the state legislatures in Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and for a lesser number of days in Madhya Pradesh and other states. The day-long dharna was addressed by national leaders of the four left parties, MPs and left leaders from the states, professors and other intellectuals.

The media tried to undermine and ignore such a massive dharna on the most important issue of food security. They tried to highlight the hunger strike of Anna Hazare and his group of people. The two campaigns are neither competitive nor against each other but still the media barons did not like the left campaign. But the attention of the nation has been drawn on this important issue. On behalf of the four left parties, we met the prime minister and urged upon him to amend the pending Food Security Bill with the following changes: universal PDS, removal of BPL-APL categories, supply of 35 kg foodgrain, reasonably good quality of foodgrain, at Rs 2 a kg. We suggested edible oil, dal and other food items should also be supplied through PDS as earlier. We also demanded that the amended Food Security Bill should be introduced in the current session of Parliament itself. He replied that he has to wait for the Planning Commission’s final recommendations.                      

The left parties decided to observe an all India food security day on September 12, 2012, once again to pressurise the Union government. On the whole, the food security campaign was a great success, even though larger number of masses could have been mobilised. We have to find out ways by which much larger number of masses participated in such campaigns. Certainly sympathy, appreciation and support will enthuse the cadres but the participation and involvement of masses in millions will have a bigger impact and force the government to change its policies. We will carry on the campaign with this task in mind.

These are certain weaknesses of our party organisation, which we have to overcome by continuous unleashing of such kinds of campaigns.

2. How do you see the economic and political situation in the country today and what are the party’s plans and suggestions to alter the critical state of affairs?

The international crisis of capitalism, which has hit European countries and the US badly, is having its impact on the Indian economy too. Failure of the monsoons is a big blow in the agriculture front. Inflation, unemployment, price-rise are haunting the people. There is a power crisis now and people are afraid of food and water crises that are looming large. The world’s biggest black out has taken place in India and then Union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who has presided over this massive disaster, was promoted as the central home minister. Also Chidambaram, the man responsible for the mess in the economy by enforcing wrong policy measures was brought back to man the finance portfolio. Worse, many more scams are getting unearthed. The government is working overtime to grant benefits to the corporate houses and MNCs. Paupersiation of people is increasing while corporate houses doubled their assets in the last five-years with additional profit of Rs 5 lakh crores. Still their greed is not satisfied and they pressurise the government for more pro-corporate policies.

The political situation is reflecting the crisis in the economy. Vast masses of people are unhappy with the miserable failure of the government to tackle the basic issue.  With the government discredited, different sections of people are agitating for food, land, against acquisition of agricultural land, against stinking corruption and on various other issues on which the government is insensitive. Poor adivasis are being killed in the name of Maoists.

The courts and CAG are exposing the bankrupt policies of the government. Instead of making attempts for a consensus in the presidential election, as they did not have enough number of votes, the Congress party leadership managed majority though political manipulation, which helped their candidate enter Raisina Hills while their image suffered a set back. The Congress party is directionless, leaderless and passing through a bankrupt situation.