People's Democracy

Issues For Campaign

IN order to take the Party’s political message and the policy issues to the people, the central committee decided to conduct a week-long political campaign from August 25 to 31.  This campaign will focus on the following issues:

1. The danger posed by the BJP-RSS combine seeking to revive the communal Hindutva agenda.  Exposure of the disruptionist attitude of the BJP in Parliament by refusing to accept the popular verdict.

2. Necessity to weed out the communal ideology and elements entrenched in the State institutions and steps taken to enforce the secular principle. 

3. Observe September 1 as “Anti-Imperialist & Anti War Day”. Project the necessity for an independent foreign policy to correct the pro-American and pro-Israeli strategic collaboration of the previous BJP-led government. 

4. Implementation of the pro-people measures in the CMP such as the National Employment Guarantee Act, central legislation for agricultural labour, one-third reservation for women in legislatures, increased public investment in agriculture, increased credit for farmers and increase public expenditure in education and health.

5. Strengthening of the public distribution system particularly in tribal and backward areas and provision of BPL cards to all poor people.

6. Danger of indiscriminate opening up and handing over control of key sectors to foreign capital such as the increase in the FDI cap in telecom, insurance and civil aviation. Stop privatisation of the profit-making Delhi and Mumbai airports. 

7. Ensure fair return for people’s savings. No reduction of interest on employees provident fund.

8. Stop eviction of tribal communities living in forest areas and provide rights to forest dwellers.

9. Stop transferring burdens on common people and consumers by periodic increases in diesel and petrol prices.  Revise import duty and excise structure to reduce tax burden on retail consumers.

10. Immediate relief and assistance to drought-affected areas by provision for `food for work’ programmes, free distribution of foodgrains where distress exists, drinking water and fodder.  In the flood-affected states, centre should provide adequate funds for relief and rehabilitation measures. Centre should take up comprehensive flood control measures within a fixed timeframe in the flood-prone areas of eastern India. 

11. Central legislation be brought to empower state governments to regulate admissions and fee structure in private institutions in higher education and to overcome the difficulties created by the supreme court judgement.