People's Democracy

August Campaign Launched  

Prakash Karat inaugurating the campaign on August 1 in Salem, Tamilnadu

THE national political campaign of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was launched across the country on August 1 through holding of various programmes. As per the decision taken in the June meeting of CPI(M) central committee, Party units throughout the country have geared up for the August campaign of the Party. During this campaign the Party will highlight the political platform of the CPI(M) against communalism, for alternative economic policies, for addressing the immediate problems of the farmers and other sections of the working people, for strengthening the public distribution system and for an independent foreign policy.  

More than a hundred meetings have been finalised as on July 31, 2006 to be addressed by various all-India leaders of the Party (see page 4 for details). The state committees of West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh will be organising meetings in all the district headquarters. State leaders will be addressing these meetings.  

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat inaugurated the campaign at a well attended meeting in Salem, Tamilnadu on August 1, 2006. Addressing the meeting Prakash Karat asserted the CPI(M) would not allow the UPA government to go against the people and compromise on the independent foreign policy of the nation. “We want the UPA government to implement all pro-people measures, adopt an independent foreign policy and fulfill the commitments it made in the common minimum programme”, he said.  

Karat criticised the government for not implementing many of the pro-people measures promised in the CMP despite two years of governance. “Reservation for women was also not taken up. The Party had given enough time to the UPA. It had sent a written note to the government on its performance in the last two years. We are waiting for government’s reply”, he said. 

Demanding the centre to abide by the CMP, Karat said, “Our Party will support the government only when it takes pro-people measures and adopts an independent foreign policy.   
On the disinvestments moves of the government, he said it was the stiff resistance put up by the Left parties and employees which resulted in the failure of the government’s efforts to sell the shares of profit making PSUs, which were the nation’s assets.  

Karat asked the government to introduce capital gains tax, which was abolished two years ago instead of trying to sell the shares of PSUs. Expressing serious concern at the looming threat for the food security of the nation, he demanded the government to stop its wrong policies in agriculture. He criticised the centre for reducing procurement of wheat and rice every year.  

The meeting was presided by M Rajagopalan, Party Salem district secretary. A K Padmanabhan, Party central committee member and A Soundararajan, state secretariat member also participated in the meeting. (INN)