Tuesday, Apr 12, 2005
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2005 |
| National | ||||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | National
By Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, APRIL 11. Emphasising the need for a third political alternative in the country, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today promised to strive for it based on a common programme with democratic and secular parties. "We do not want to have either a Bharatiya Janata Party-led or Congress-led (political) formation. There is a need for a third force and we will work with other democratic and secular parties with whom we have or had relations and would come out with a common programme,'' the newly-elected party general secretary, Prakash Karat, told a public rally held here to mark the culmination of the 18th party congress. Mr. Karat said despite differences with the Congress, the party decided to support the United Progressive Alliance to prevent the BJP from regaining power. "The country needs a secular government and wanted to respect the mandate (of the 2004 general elections)."
"Promises not kept"
In spite of having asked the Government to focus and tackle issues such as unemployment, agrarian crisis, health, education, public sector undertakings, the party congress in its review found that till date the promises made in the agreed common minimum programme had not been fulfilled. The party would launch struggles on three issues, to carry forward land reforms; against dismantling the public distribution system; and growing unemployment. The new central committee would meet shortly to finalise an action programme besides carrying its broad two-pronged strategy of intensifying battle against communalism and struggle against privatisation and liberalisation policies. On international relations, the party he said, wanted India to pursue an independent policy, settle disputes between India and Pakistan through dialogue and warned that the United States was pushing the country into an arms race with its neighbour by offering F-16 fighter planes to Islamabad.
Need for struggle
The Polit Bureau member, Sitaram Yechury, impressed that the party would have to work hard to expand and gain ground in the Hindi region. This would be possible through a class struggle to counter the casteist influence. The class division would have to be challenged through a fight against economic oppression and taking on social oppression in order to counter, caste division. Predicting a bright future for the communists, he said, it was only through constant struggles that the party could be carried forward. In his brief speech, the outgoing general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, too suggested that it was only through constant struggles and that this was the way to challenge the capitalists. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, recounted the experience of running the Left Front government and the manner in which they had to fight the bias of previous Central governments that discouraged investments and industries going to the State. He said one of the reasons for success of the Left Front was its implementation of land reforms by distributing so far 11 lakh acres that benefited 27 lakh families. Of them, 56 per cent were Dalits/Scheduled Tribes. The Tripura Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar, recalled the effort of the party that saw them bridging the gap between tribals and non-tribals.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2005, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
