Price Rise

It is not excessive demand that is fuelling inflation, as claimed by the Government, but the hike in prices of a range of goods and services such as petrol and diesel prices, fertilizers, other agricultural inputs, power tariffs, transport charges etc. Cuts in subsidies have resulted in cost push inflation and is having a cascading impact on food prices.

The decision to cut petrol price by two rupees, on the eve of the parliament session is nothing but a poorly concealed ploy to deflect the widespread criticism of the failure of the Government to check inflation.

The Central Committee discussed a draft of the ideological resolution presented by the Polit Bureau. On the basis of this discussion, the next meeting of the Central Committee will finalise and adopt the draft ideological resolution which will then be circulated in the Party for discussions before placing it in the Party Congress.

The big increase in food prices, with the food inflation rate crossing 11 per cent once again underlines the totally callous approach of this Government whose policies are directly responsible for the current situation. Today even vegetables, the cost of which are up by 25 per cent, are a luxury item under the regime of the Congress-led Government.

The Polit Bureau renewed its call to the Party units to conduct a week-long campaign from November 1-7 on the following five demands: (i) Curb price rise and ensure universal right to food (ii) Take firm action on all corruption cases and adopt an effective Lokpal Act (iii) Ensure supply of fertilizer at subsidised prices to farmers and stop black marketing of urea (iv) Steps to curb unemployment and fill up all vacancies in government posts (v) Stop FDI in the retail sector; protect the interests of small shopkeepers and traders.<!--break---->

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on October 17-18, 2011. It has issued the following statement:

Anti-Corporate Movement

The `Occupy Wall Street’ movement in the United States and the various protest actions in Europe and other parts of the world are 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 burdens of the crisis.

The explanation that it is an inter-ministerial note prepared with inputs from various ministries only underlines the authoritative nature of the conclusions...  P Chidambaram has to take responsibility for his action and resign...

The people of the country can see that the Congress-led government is itself responsible for stoking price rise and inflation by such measures. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands cancellation of this price rise and restoring the administrative regulation of pricing of petrol.

The Left parties strongly condemn these price increases and demand that they be withdrawn. The Left parties call upon all its units to immediately conduct hartals, demonstrations and other protest actions.

The Left parties decided to conduct a countrywide movement against corruption and to demand immediate measures to curb corruption in all spheres of public life.

The Central Committee called upon the people of West Bengal and Kerala to ensure the victory of the Left Front and the Left Democratic Front. The Congress and its TMC and UDF allies should be defeated as they are responsible for the acute price rise, massive corruption and attacks on the livelihood of the people. The Left Front of West Bengal and the LDF government of Kerala have stood out for the implementation of pro-people policies and safeguarding the interests of the working people.

Conduct a week-long agitation against price rise from February 3rd to 9th. During this week, there will be picketing of central government offices, protest demonstrations, dharnas and rallies. On 9th February, on the last day of the week, there will be a mass dharna which will be attended by thousands of people at New Delhi in which the main leaders of all the parties will participate.

The Polit Bureau strongly criticised the UPA government for its refusal to accept a JPC enquiry into the 2G Spectrum affair. Though the minister, A Raja, was forced to resign after the CAG report on the scam, the UPA government continues to adopt a position which will hamper the investigation and bringing of the guilty to book.

This cruel blow makes a mockery of all the assurances of the government to take steps to curb price rise. The people of this country will not take such burdens on them quietly.

The UPA-2 regime has been marked by its utter failure to control price rise of essential commodities from foodgrains to sugar and now to onions and other vegetables. There are contradictory statements of different ministries regarding the steps required to control the price of onions, as for example whether official agencies should import onions or not. It is precisely such policies to benefit big market players, being followed by the Central Government which have led to the record food inflation which has marked its rule.

The Left parties congratulate the people and the tens of thousands of activists who have made the hartal a complete success. By this action the people have expressed their anger and strong opposition to the anti-people policies of inflicting successive burdens on the people through price hikes of petroleum products.

The Polit Bureau appealed to all sections of the people to join the all India hartal on July 5 and make it a big success. This powerful all India protest action should serve as a warning to the government not to heap burdens on the people and to withdraw the price hike measures.

Along with the Left parties, the AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party, Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (S) and Indian National Lok Dal have decided to call for a countrywide hartal on July 5. Discussions with some other secular opposition parties to join the hartal is also on.

The government decision seems motivated to ensure the market for RIL’s gas since the lower priced gas of the public sector enterprises would have been more attractive for the power and fertilizer producers.

The Left parties took stock of the ongoing movement against price rise and related issues. It decided to hold a national convention on price rise, food security and connected issues in the beginning of July, from where the future course of action will be announced.