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The results of the bypolls indicate "how corruption and the failure to curb price rise are causing the people to reject the Congress all over the country," the party Politburo said after a two-day meeting here. Hitting out also at the BJP, it said senior leader L K Advani`s yatra "has only succeeded in highlighting the record of corruption" and referred to the arrest of former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on graft charges.
"The record of the earlier NDA government also shows how the BJP is no different from the Congress when it comes to the question of high level corruption," the CPI(M) said. Noting that the `Occupy Wall Street` movement had spread across Europe and other parts of the world from the US, it said this was "a manifestation of the growing anger of the people at the predatory role of big banks and finance capital.
"The people have seen how the corporates and banks have been bailed out while the ordinary people are made to bear the burden of the crisis." Expressing solidarity with the global protests against the "rapacious exploitation by big capital and finance", the party said "it is necessary to step up and broaden the struggles against the neo-liberal policies in India".
Announcing a nationwide campaign on various issues, it extended support to the Maruti workers strike and the November eight `jail bharo` agitation called jointly by all trade unions. The CPI(M) also decided to carry out a week-long campaign from November one against price rise, unemployment and to demand universal Right to Food, passage of an effective Lokpal Bill, ensuring subsidised fertiliser supplies to farmers and stopping of FDI in retail. On the Maruti workers` strike, the party condemned the "repressive tactics and victimization" of workers, saying the Japanese multinational "should realize that the right to form a union of their choice is a basic right of the workers."
It extended support to the "determined struggle (of workers) to defend their rights to form a union" and blamed the management for resorting to strong-arm tactics to break the struggle. The Haryana government was "conniving" with the management in this "anti-labour action", it added. The party`s Politburo also condemned the UDF govermment in Kerala for "getting two CPI(M) MLAs suspended from the Assembly" for protesting brutal police attack on students.
"When this matter was raised in the Assembly by the opposition, it has resorted to this undemocratic step. People of Kerala can see through the political motivation behind such an action," it said. At the meeting, the CPI(M) Politburo also discussed the ideological resolution, which would be placed before the Central Committee that would meet from November 11-13. Once approved, it would then be placed before Party Congress in April next year for adoption. The exercise, being undertaken after nearly two decades, is meant to contemporise the party`s ideological approach in "changed times" following serious electoral debacle in strongholds.
