Updates from CPI (ML) Red Star to ICOR Website – June 2019
CPI (ML) Red Star Call:
Under Modi-2 India Becomes Dumping Ground of US Weapons!
Organize Protests Against US State Secretary’s Visit on 27th June!
The US State Secretary Mike Pompeo is coming to India to hold discussions with foreign minister of India from 25th to 27th June as a prelude to Trump-Modi meet on the sidelines of G-20 Summit in Japan on 28-29 June. It is taking place just after a Bill sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats seeking amendments to change the US Arms Controls Export Act to bring India on par with NATO allies, Israel, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand and for selling high-tech military weapons under the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) list is just moved in the American Senate. This Bill will give considerable executive powers to US president to export and deploy these weapons in India for real-time military operations. It is in continuation of India signing the Communication, Compatibility, and Security Agreement (COMCASA) with US and in the context of the ongoing bilateral discussion on Basic Exchange Cooperation Agreement (BECA), basic agreements to maintain India as its junior strategic partner.
While all these things are happening, Modi regime is keeping silence on the US warning with sanctions against India’s buying Russian-made S-400 Triumph missile defence system in accordance with the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Nor it has made any response to Trump administration’s unilateral termination of preferential trade treatment for India as per the GSP scheme or on its warning for halting cheap oil imports from Venezuela and Iran. Of course, to dilute India-Russia defence deals, in the meanwhile, the US has informed its interest to transfer high-end defence equipment like National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS II), the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), Patriot Advance Capability (PAC-3), and the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet, etc.
At a time when the Erdogan regime of Turkey and Latin American countries like Bolivia are daring to maintain ‘relative national independence’ by taking advantage of sharpening inter-imperialist contradictions and trade wars, Modi -2 is showing increasing American servitude.. Recently, in spite of still being a“NATO ally”, Erdogan has pushed ahead with the purchase of S-400 missile from Russia, amidst US threat of sanctions. Evo Morales of Bolivia has declared his country’s decision to cut off ties with the Bretton Woods twin, IMF and World Bank, America’s neo-colonial economic arms.
It is also a time when Trump administration is plotting aggression against Iran, and backing the Zionist rulers in Israel who are massacring even children of Palestinians. But, ‘the saffron nationalists’ who boast of nationalism to hoodwink the people, only use it as a camouflage for acting as agent of US imperialism. The Modi regime’s actions show how it is making India increasingly a junior partner of US imperialism. It is offering India as a launching pad for Pentagon’s geopolitical interests in the Indo-Pacific directed especially against imperialist China which is contending with the US for world hegemony.
In this situation, CPI(ML) Red Star calls on all party committees to hold protest actons on 27th June joining hands with all like minded forces wherever possible, with the slogans: Down, Down, US Imperialism; Mike Pompeo Go Back; Repeal all Strategic Partnership Agreements with US!
KN Ramachandran,
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
22nd June 2019
Our tasks in the new situation of intensifying fascistization under Modi-2. (Resolution adopted by the 8th to 10th June, 2019, CC Meeting of CPI (ML) Red Star):
What happened from the beginning of this year, especially after the election schedule was declared by the Election Commission, was a feverish and acrimonious election campaign for the 17th Lok Sabha, with the BJP trying to gain initiative right from the beginning utilizing the state machinery and all Constitutional institutions nakedly and based on its majoritarian Hindutua communal polarization strategy. The result of these elections, giving almost a two third majority to NDA in the new Lok Sabha, has surprised not only the mainstream opposition parties, but all the progressive, democratic, struggling people’s forces, who were leading numerous struggles against the Modi rule during last five years and campaigning vigorously against it.
If Modi led BJP had won the 2014 elections with the slogan of Sub ke Sath Sab ka Vikas, during the last five years all the major initiatives his government took including demonetization, GST, intensification of corporatization of all sectors etc had led to highest rates of unemployment during last 45 years, acute distress in farm sector leading to suicides by hundreds of farmers in many states, serious slow down of the economy and growing ecological destruction making the climate change like phenomena severe day by day, to mention a few of the serious consequences its policies. Pursuing aggressive saffronization, spreading politics of hatred, targeting the religious minorities and dalits, increasing gender inequality etc, majoritarian divide and rule politics was taken to extreme levels. In this situation the resistance against Modi rule went on increasing, first through numerous people’s struggles and then, as reflected in electoral reverses, especially in the defeat of BJP led state governments in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh six months before. All these factors had pointed towards possible defeat of Modi government in the 2019 elections.
The mainstream opposition parties, though none of them had led any major campaigns or struggles against the Modi rule during the last five years, were expected to pick up these issues and the failure of Modi rule in implementing any of its major promises of 2014 for defeating Modi, by forging unity among themselves in the elections, and replacing it with their alliance after the elections.
But as the campaign was starting the BJP leadership, utilizing the terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy at Pulwama and the Balakot air strike inside Pakistan turned the possible anti-incumbency against it by projecting the national security matters and mascular nationalism targeting Pakistan, the Muslim minorities through a protracted, colourful and extremely expensive sectarian political campaign, with the slogan: We will enter your house and kill you, This is New India. Modi, Amit Shaw and other leaders, blatantly violating the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission, were openly asking the people to vote for BJP in the name of the Pulwama martyrs, for the Balakot ‘surgical’ strike, for Modi’s army! The first accused in Malegaon terrorist attack, Pragya Thakur was fielded as candidate, further intensifying the saffron campaign. In this process, the identity politics of the caste based parties were, in the main, submerged by the frenzied majoritarian saffronization campaign of the RSS parivar.
Surprising its opponents, the BJP and its NDA allies led a presidential style campaign, appealing for each vote to their candidates as a vote for Modi, projecting the election as a referendum for him. It was turned in to a jingoistic campaign with an anti-Muslim political narrative. The opposition parties, especially, the Congress, could not or failed to expose this sinister BJP campaign organized with the connivance of a majority in the EC. Besides, while the BJP even made concessions to forge unity of the NDA parties, the opposition, mainly Congress, failed to forge unity among the main opposition parties, or to put forward a unified minimum programmatic approach. Legalizing corporate funding of election, BJP amassed and utilized huge corporate funds, reportedly Rs 27,000 crores. The corporate forces and the mainstream media once again campaigned for it extensively. Compared to other parties, its planned use of social media was far superior, resorting to spreading of communally loaded false news It blatantly utilized the EC, which went to the extent of planning the seven phase elections to suit Modi’s public meetings and road shows, refusing to take any action against Modi and Shaw who nakedly violated the MCC, and to allowing him to stage a sort of ‘road show’ at Kedarnth and Badrinath on 18th and 19th May, on the day of silent campaign and the last polling day. Along with the state machinery, it used the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to intimidate the opposition. In short, it was a no holds barred campaign by the Modi gang, further communalizing, criminalizing and corrupting the election process. And, with the connivance of the EC and utilizing loop holes in the present electoral system, including the use of EVMs against which criticism are increasing day by day and for replacing it with the ballot system the demand was raised by the opposition parties though belatedly, Modi could outsmart and defeat the divided opposition easily.
The disunited opposition parties who have no alternate vision about the corporatization speeded by Modi, who pursue caste based politics compromising with Hindutva ideology, easily crumbled before the Modi-Shaw juggernaut, helping BJP led NDA to a massive victory, polling more than 50% of votes in 17 states and spreading menacingly to W. Bengal, Odisha, Telengana like states also. As far as the traditional left, the ‘Left Front’ parties, are concerned, they had refused to take lessons from their hitherto debacle due to pursuing neoliberal policies. So, even after getting unseated in W. Bengal and Tripura, they repeat same mistakes in their last resort, Kerala. In front of Modi- Shaw offensive, their ideological-political bankruptcy got further exposed with large sections who were voting for them in Bengal and Tripura shifting their loyalty to BJP and they were swept away in Bengal and Tripura, and severely mauled in Kerala.
As far as the communist revolutionary forces who uphold the Naxalbari Uprising are concerned, while some of these organizations deviated to the side of CPI(M) led Left Front, the CPI(Maoist) is alienating itself from the masses due to its sectarian actions. Since uniting the struggling left and democratic forces who uncompromisingly oppose the neoliberal/corporate- neo-fascist policies of Modi rule is still in the formative stage, their electoral gains, including our party’s was nominal, even after we waged an intensive campaign with the slogan: Defeat BJP, Build people’s Alternative, fielding 29 candidates.
The coming to power of Modi for another five years with added strength poses a serious challenge before the toiling and oppressed masses. Already, reports are coming out every day about how the serious economic slow-down is taking place in all fields. The details of these were concealed from the people. Besides, Modi’s surrender before Trump’s sanctions against purchasing the cheap petroleum from Venezuela and Iran, its order blocking purchase of weapons and missiles from Russia, its efforts to make India subservient to its trade war with China etc, even while it boasts about its nationalist credentials, are aggravating this economic slow-down. Instead of addressing these, Modi-2 is trying to intensify the economic reforms further as demanded by US and its allies. Remaining public sector units are threatened with privatization soon. It is planning informalization of education, healthcare like sectors. All labour laws are going to be changed to please the corporates. It has no answers to increasing rate of unemployment or farmers’ distress. It is totally neglecting the increasing ‘climate change and its consequences. Modi-2 is going to further speed up all neo-liberal/corporatization policies.
Soon after Modi-2 took over, there are reports of spurt in mob lynchings, attacks on Muslims and dalits, on journalists. Fascistization of all fields are taking place more aggressively. The RSS parivar is on the offensive to transform India in to a Hindurashtra by 2024.
As far as the opposition parties are concerned, the Congress is total disarray. So is the condition of other mainstream parties even when BJP is on the offensive in W. Bengal and elsewhere to de-stabilize the existing non-BJP state governments. But like what happened during 2014-19, once again sporadic resistance against the corporate-fascist offensive of Modi-2 is visible. Along with all secular democratic forces we should join them, strengthen them and try to provide correct orientation to them.
To combat this all round intensification of neoliberal/corporatization policies and fascistization of all fields, the Central Committee calls for: Firstly, take up the party building as the first and foremost task, trying to merge all genuine communists and streamlining the party committees at all levels; strengthen class/mass organizations, and develop people’s movements in all fields and at all levels according to the concrete situation;
Secondly, draft common minimum program at state level focussing on present demands and try to launch mass political forums based on it uniting the struggling left and democratic forces to wage people’s struggles and parliamentary struggles;
Thirdly, at central level, start discussions with struggling left and democratic forces with the aim of launching a nationwide mass political platform. In order to facilitate this, focussing on the present grave situation and urgent democratic tasks, organize open dialogue among the left forces as early as possible leading to drafting a people’s manifesto as the basis of this initiative.
India's Impending Crisis
PJ James
As Modi led corporate-saffron regime had reached the fag end of its first term, spokespersons of the regime have started repeatedly emphasising on India’s fastest growth during the last five years. They argue, for instance, that India under Modi is not only the fastest growing one in the world with a growth rate of around 7 percent but also has become the sixth largest economy ahead of France and will soon become larger than even Great Britain. Modi continues in power, according to them, within a decade India will be the third largest economy below that of US and China respectively.
Of course, the basic orientation of Modi since the very beginning has been to pursue an ultra-rightist growth path led by private corporate capital in conformity with market fundamentalist Washington Consensus according to which benefits from wealth concentration and fast growth shall slowly trickle-down to the bottom. With this perspective, he dismantled the Planning Commission and dissociated from what is called state-led planning, the last relics of the Nehruvian model so as to transform the state as a mere facilitator of corporate capital. Modi took necessary steps towards complete demolition of the administrative price mechanism in fuel pricing and giving full freedom to corporate oil giants in price-determination, raising the FDI cap in defence and insurance sectors to 49 percent at one stretch and similar other pro-corporate and business-friendly steps, prompting the World Bank to praise the Modi regime in its 2018 Doing Business Report for adopting almost half of the total 37 requirements essential to achieve a high ranking in Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. The most crucial initiative among them has been the implementation of the GST, the biggest post-war neoliberal, pro-corporate tax reform at the behest of imperialist centres for placing the country on a high growth trajectory.
But the outcome is on the contrary. According to the latest data released by the Central Statistical Organisation, India’s economic growth rate has declined to 6.6 percent, even as leading members of the Central Statistical Office including its chairman had already resigned protesting against the governmental pressure on them to manipulate data in favour of the bogus claims of the regime. As such independent observers consider even the 6.6 percent GDP growth rate released by CSO an overestimate, and according to them, the real growth rate would definitely be slower than the official rate. In the same vein, organisations like the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) do not consider this latest official growth figure as in accord with reality. And in a latest development, National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) has imparted a heavy blow to the Modi govt. by casting doubt over the reliability of the entire data base used by the government.
Historically, figures pertaining to the Indian unorganised/informal sectors where more than 90 percent of the labour force depends for sustenance are mere guestimates as reliable data on them are few and far between. However, the two unexpected attacks inflicted on the whole economy, namely, demonetisation and GST have devastated not only the informal sectors but the formal/organised sectors also. Therefore in the absence of a concrete analysis of the post-demonetisation and post-GST structure of the economy, even data relating to the formal sectors is also unreliable.
Another aspect is the inclusion of large number of ‘untraceable’ or ‘shell’ companies’, whose number is almost one-third of the actually existing companies, in the official growth data. That is, large number of registered companies are not at all found at the address and are not engaged in the work they have claimed. Though, such bogus companies that are not contributing anything to national product, they are also included in data. The main purpose of floating such companies which are only “shell” and not any way contributing to production is to divert profits and siphon out unaccounted money to tax havens within and outside the country. To include the shell companies output, which is nothing but a portion of the main companies output, in data is therefore double counting and the GDP estimation becomes highly inflated and larger.
The upshot of the argument is that in spite of a definite slowdown, spokespersons of Modi govt. are working overtime to chart out a rosy picture of the Indian economy still claiming that the GDP growth rate is still running at 6.5 percent. Ironically, the highest growth rate that the saffron regime claimed was in relation to demonetisation year when all the formal and informal sectors, especially the latter actually experienced a sharp decline. Therefore the credibility of Modi regime’s growth figures is questionable. Meanwhile, the unpublished NSSO report, the details which are available in the public domain, has estimated the unemployment rate at 6.1 percent in the preceding fiscal year (quoting a leaked report from the NSSO, the Business Standard said, “The country’s unemployment rate stood at over a four-decade high of 6.1 per cent during 2017-18, compared to 2.2 per cent in 2011-12.”) and a steep decline in labour participation rate from 47 percent in 2017 to 43 percent in 2019! It can be guessed that these sharpest decline in employment in five decades has been mainly due to the double-shock inflicted on the economy by the superimposition of demonetisation and GST.
As a manifestation of this economic down-trend, production in both the consumer and capital goods sector are facing reverses, the latter registering a contraction of 8.7 percent in March 2019!A striking trend is the setbacks faced by the firms specialised in the middle-class oriented fast-moving consumer goods sector (FMCG) due to the sudden collapse in demand and low consumer sentiment. And in spite of GST, according to the revised revenue estimates for 2018-19, there is a shortfall of Rs 1.6 lakh crore, and the central government’s revenue growth rate is as low as 6.2 percent instead of its budgeted claim of 19.5 percent. Consequently, central government’s debt under five years of Modi has shot from around 50 percent of GDP to almost 80 percent.
Another grave problem has been that of NPAs (non-performing assets) now amounting to Rs. 15 lakh crore in the public sector banks attributed to big corporate companies, as a result of which agriculture, small and medium industries, traditional and informal sectors have become the victims of the severe credit crunch in banks. Reckless loan payment to speculation by non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) such as IL&FS has also reduced the source of funds for labour-intensive, informal and small sectors. Lack of credit, indebtedness and absence of price-support programs are pushing thousands peasants to suicides every year. But since 2015, the National Crime Records Bureau as directed by the Modi govt. has stopped releasing data on peasant suicides though routine media reports of famers committing suicides in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Karnataka among others are continuing as usual. However, as per data available in the Ministry of Home Affairs, annual report titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’, on an average every day 34 farmers are committing suicides in India.
This collapse in the domestic economy has it’s manifestation in the foreign trade sector too. It is an acknowledged fact that around half of India’s exports originate mainly from the labour-intensive traditional, small-scale and medium industries. However, both demonetisation and GST by denying cash and imposing higher tax-burden respectively have made most of them economically unviable. Coupled with this adverse domestic factor including the overreliance on contract labour (along with lack of healthcare, education and skill-training) that declined labour productivity, competition from labour intensive exports of other cheap labour economies, especially South-Asian countries has resulted in a steep reduction in exports leading to a trade deficit of $ 176 billion(approximately more than Rs. 12 lakh crore). Regarding capital-intensive exports, India is facing the biggest threat from protectionist policies in the US and elsewhere. All these have their domestic linkage effects adversely affecting production and employment. Over the next 30 years, around 75 lakh young job seekers are expected to join the working age population each year. Around 16 percent of the educated youth is estimated as unemployed in India. On the other hand, Modi’s ultra-rightist policies have destroyed more than 100 lakh jobs in the preceding year alone. One can imagine the extent of social and political tensions in store for the future.
However, the immediate threat that Indian people are going to confront is the prospect of rise in oil prices. In view of the election, oil companies under instructions from the Modi regime has been keeping domestic petroleum prices flat, though crude oil prices rose from around $52.40 a barrel in January to $70.70 a barrel on 3 May. In the context of the unilateral US embargo on oil export of Venezuela and Iran, India is losing cheap sources of oil and is bound to import high-cost shale oil from USA and Canada. In view of the US threat-escalation, there is every chance of the world crude oil prices shooting up. As a pointer to the emerging trend, immediately after the polls, based on green signal from Modi regime, oil companies have already raised petrol and diesel prices.
Obviously, while the employment-oriented really producing economy is declining under the Modi-regime, the parliamentary opposition ranging from the Congress and regional parties to CPI (M) having no alternative to the neoliberal-pro-corporate policies, the exit-poll projections of a landslide victory of the BJP led NDA have given a further boost to the speculative the sphere of the economy as manifested in the Sensex gaining around 1400 points in one single day in the BSE. As a result, the shares of leading stock speculators including Ambani, HDFC, ICICI, etc. have gained around Rs. 5 crore. As these lines are being written, the election results are pouring in indicating a continuation of the Modi regime with an absolute majority in Lok Sabha. Then the outcome is an extra-ordinary galloping of financial speculation led by the most corrupt corporate class under whom the so called development itself oriented to the vast majority of toiling people is transformed in to a by-product of money-spinning businesses throughout.
Modi’s second coming implies a further opening up of the floodgates of ultra-rightist, neoliberal corporatisation subjecting the working classes and all oppressed to the domination of the most degenerated financial class in every sphere. Its outcome shall be unprecedented wealth concentration in the hands of the most corrupt tiny financial elite and intensified pauperisation and loss of purchasing power for the vast majority.
The ruling regime will try to manage the consequent political and social tensions by incessant attacks on democratic rights of workers and all oppressed including dalits, adivasis, women and minorities. It is up to the democratic and progressive forces in this country to rise up with an appropriate political intervention at this critical juncture.
Why India Becoming Increasingly Insecure for Women and Children?
Few years ago when “Nirbhaya” was gang raped there was a great revolt in Delhi. Thousands of girls and boys spearheaded it, paralyzing the city for days. Following her death, the then UPA govt took many decisions, a commission was appointed, its report was published, and the state machinery and the ruling political class assured that most prompt action shall be taken to save the country from this plague! But after so many years what is happening? Everyday newspapers come out with news of increasing number of rapes, gang rapes, rapes of even 3 year old babies and molestations even at workplaces. As happened at Alwar twice last week or at so many places, even if a rape is reported the police refuse to act; even if the case comes before the judiciary the justice is delayed or refused. People get outraged and at many places, as in Kashmir now against rape of a three year old, revolts take place in the streets. But the alertness shown by the state machinery to maintain law and order at such times is hardly shown in putting an FIR when a rape is reported. No qualitative change in the situation at all. On the contrary, these gruesome incidents are increasing manifold. Why?
Because, India has become a country which is more patriarchal, Manuvadi, where gender inequality is justified under religion and caste system. The RSS parivar and other religious fundamentalists are openly justifying women’s inferiority to men. Under their onslaught, even whatever renaissance, secular, caste annihilation, democratic, egalitarian and scientific values were existing, are fast eroded. The male chauvinistic state machinery, including judiciary up to topmost levels, as recently happened in the case of sexual harassment complaint against the chief justice of India, refuse to give justice to women. As the ruling system is corrupt from top to bottom, rapists can easily influence the police. For protecting vote banks, the political class also help the rapists and molesters. In short, basically it is a men’s world. The neo-liberal onslaughts impoverishing the toilers, depriving many a family life, and the impact of consumerist culture which reduces women to a mere commodity through films, TV serials, advertisements, social media etc also aggravate the menace.
But, while using Alwar gang rape like incidents for attacking political opponents to get few more votes, Modi like political leaders forget the blood in their hands, and do not bother to approach this question with the seriousness it demands; they forget they are also responsible for the increasing assaults on women, children. This barbarous male chauvinistic aggression can be resisted and defeated only by firmly standing for gender equality in all respects and fighting for it ideologically, politically and organizationally, creating people’s upsurges for it.
Collapse of Revisionist Left is Inevitable; But, Revolutionary Left Shall Advance!
Commenting on the decimation of the Left Front in the Lok Sabha elections reducing its strength to an all time low of 5 and drastic drop of its vote percentage in Bengal and Tripura, the editorial of The Indian Express on 27th May concludes: “The left movement has lost relevance because it is overtaken and outclassed. Its politics is based on the notion of class, whose contours have changed over time. Historically, it was also hamstrung by its decision to interpret caste through the lens of class. It doesn’t really matter any more, because Hindu pride may have, in many ways, trumped caste, too, in this election. The eclipse of the left may be a historical necessity, but which party is capable of filling the moral vacuum it will leave behind – its commitment to welfare, and to the centrality of the poorest? That question lingers on”.
Compared to the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the severe drubbing of CPI(M) and its Left Front partners in this Lok Sabha elections is a local event. Still, both the reasons for them and reaction to these have many similarities. In 1991 when the SU disintegrated, there was a propaganda blitzkrieg against communism; imperialists and their lackeys shouted 'end of history', ‘end of class struggle’ etc. They declared that communists and the communist movement finished for ever! They concealed the fact that after 1956 SU had degenerated to capitalist path under Krushchov, who in the name of rectifying the shortcomings during Stalin’s period, deviated it to capitalist path, leading it to ever intensifying crises. So, the SU which disintegrated was not a socialist one, but a degenerated capitalist state, which was contending and colluding with the US led imperialist system.
Today if the Left Front led by CPI(M) is disintegrating in India, it does not mean the degeneration of the communist movement; CPI and CPI(M) had started abandoning the path of class struggle and revolution long back under the influence of Soviet revisionism. They are social democrats holding red flag, but implementing corporate/neoliberal policies as studiously as the BJP or Congress governments. Even after the debacle in Bengal and Tripura, still in Kerala, CPI(M)’s PB member Pinarayi led LDF government is arrogantly pursuing corporate/neoliberal policies!. So what is drifting, disintegrating and getting decimated is the traditional, social democratic, mainstream communist parties, who have abandoned the path of revolution and socialism. Even though they know these facts, the corporate media is shouting that the ‘left movement has lost relevance’. But contrary to the expectations of the ruling classes and their propagandists, fighting against the deviations of the social democratic CPI(M) and its allies on the one hand, and the anarchist Maoists on the other, learning from hitherto shortcomings, the genuine communists are already advancing people’s movements, developing Marxist theory and practice according to present conditions, upholding the anti-caste, anti- communal values of the renaissance movement, mobilizing the people against the ecological catastrophe caused by the neoliberal development frenzy. Day by day it is becoming clear that socialism is the only alternative to the barbarous capitalist system. So irrespective of present setbacks the communist movement shall overcome all obstacles and lead the masses towards people’s democracy and socialism.
CPI(ML) Red Star’s CC meeting’s Call: Join the 20th September Climate Strike.
Saffron Agenda of Deconstructing Education to make it more Commercial and Elite-oriented. (CPI(ML) Red Star’s stand On Draft New Education Policy-2019)
The recent Draft NEP put forward by Modi govt. based on the 2018 seven-member TSR Subramanian Committee Report with no known educational experts in it, replacing the existing 10+2+3 year pattern with 5+3+3+4+4 is an ingenious move to saffronise, and commercialize education, at the same time making it more elite-oriented. In the proposed scheme, while there is no formal education to children in the “pre-primary stage” up to the age of 8 and “later primary stage” during the 8-11 age, the so called secondary education that is envisaged thereafter is totally oriented to vocationalisation equipping students with certain skills and making them eligible as job-seekers in the un-organised labour market. Mixing up all subjects including arts, music, craft, community service, yoga, and making no differentiation between curricular and co-curricular areas and having no separation among, arts, humanities, science and social science, the implicit agenda in the draft NEP is to deconstruct and dis--organise the existing education to pave way for its unhindered commercialisation and saffronisation.
Under the garb of providing all opportunities for each student, the hidden tactic is to delay the process of students earning degrees and the government thus evading responsibility for providing jobs. The agenda of the apex body, RashtriyaShikshaAyog (National Education Institution or Commission) that is proposed in the draft is to end an era of ‘liberal’, secular and scientific education and propagate the saffron agenda underthe garb of Indianising education. Though the move to superimpose Hindi over non-Hindi people is temporarily frozen due to strong resistance, the focus on Prakrit, Persian, and Sanskrit should be seen as having ulterior motives of going back to the archaic, ‘the ancient’ , and ‘the orient’ with obscurantist nuances totally lacking critical thinking or role of dissent in education. The proposals to transform all higher educational institutions either to universities or degree-granting autonomous colleges on the one hand, and abolition of affiliating universities and affiliated colleges on the other, to hand over the both the content and implementation of education to private-corporate hands, the decision to share public educational resources with private institutions, and above all to form special education zones for upper-class superrich elite are all aimed at informalisation of the education for the vast majority, together with unprecedented commercialisation of higher-professional education catering to a tiny elite minority.
We appeal to all progressive, democratic and secular people together with student-teacher community to come forward with a critical evaluation of this draft NEP of the Modi regime and rise up in campaigns throughout the country with all like-minded forces to defeat the heinous saffron elitist agenda behind it.
CPI(ML) Red Star’s Statement On EVMs and Electoral Reforms
While many technical experts have proved beyond doubt that EVMs can be hacked on a massive scale as a result of which many technologically developed countries are pursuing the ballot in election, the Election Commission of India at the behest of Modi regime is still keeping silent on this serious political issue even as its own website shows grave mismatch between “votes polled” and “votes counted”. Not only malfunctioning of EVMs but tens of thousands of them found in suspicious movements even as lakhs of them are missing is also aggravating the gravity of this question. Many of the former CECs have raised apprehensions on this issue. But, especially with any convincing explanations, the EC, rather than performing its duty as an autonomous constitutional body, stubbornly continues as an extension of the saffron regime. Today many concerned sections of the people firmly believe that manipulation of EVMs has been one factor that contributed to the massive electoral victory of the Modi regime. Until 2014, as the main opposition party, the BJP had been in the forefront in vociferously condemning the use of EVMs pointing out the possibility of fraud and tampering associated with it. It is only after its ascendance to power at the Centre that it has become its ardent champion.
Together with EVM, the 17th Indian General Election has come to be the most expensive one in recorded history with an outlay of around Rs. 60000 crores. Of this, only around Rs. 10000 crores belong to the so called official expenditure. More than 50 percent of the remaining amount which is mainly ‘black’ or unaccounted money was estimated to be associated with BJP alone. Almost 90 percent of the corporate black money routed through ‘electoral bonds’ went in to BJP’s coffers.
Apart from these, ‘the first pass the post system’ prevailing in India does not reflect the aspirations of the vast majority of the voters as, unlike in many countries, a party getting less than even half of the votes can ascend to power. For example, in its first innings Modi regime could impose its corporate-saffron diktats over people with gaining just 31 percent of the votes polled, and presently even when it got 302 seats out of 542, it got only 37% votes. The role communal and caste factors are coupled with this. It is high time that the FPTP system should be changed to proportional representation system based on the actual votes planned.
In this context, as already stated in the Party’s Political Resolution adopted at the 11th Congress and restated in its Election Manifesto, the Central Committee of CPI (ML) Red Star calls for a thorough democratisation of the entire election process. The Party appeals to the people to resolutely come forward demanding a return to ballot, abolition of ‘first pass the post system’ with proportional representation, introduction of people’ right to recall the elected representatives, keeping out communal and casteist forces away from election and above all to put an end to the role of corporate funding and black money in elections. The Party Committees at all levels together with all like-minded forces should take up appropriate legal and political steps to achieve this aim.
President’s Address: Laying Roadmap towards Hindu Rashtra.
The Presidential Address to the joint session of parliament led by Modi.2 is much more than a customary address. In essence, the President’s speech is the corporate-saffron agenda in a capsule form. Today, the very sustenance of the vast majority of Indian people including peasants, workers, women, dalits, adivasis, minorities and all oppressed are in unprecedented crisis. None of these grave issues confronting the country are given priority in the Address. On the other hand, the very orientation of President’ speech through his appeal for ‘one nation, one election’, implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), amendment of Citizenship Act, prioritisation of ‘national security’ and fighting terrorism and Naxalismin an out-of proportion manner, showering eulogy over jingoistic surgical strikes and airstrikes, etc. clearly pinpoints to the RSS agenda of eventually transforming India in to a Hindu Rashra.
Regarding the high sounding “the biggest challenges of the 21st century”, the speech accords top priority for treatment of cattle-related diseases for which a special scheme with an allocation of Rs. 13000 crore is announced in the Address itself, even as hundreds of children are dying due to starvation, undernourishment and diseases. Emphasis on the evil practice of ‘triple talaq’ as if this is the biggest social evil in India relegating still prevailing inhuman practices as ‘untouchability’, gender inequality based on manuvad, patriarchy etc is definitely aimed at targeting the Muslim minority community. The disregard to the fundamental issues confronting the country such as biggest unemployment that India faces today, the grave economic slow-down, increasing peasant suicides, price rise, inequality, corruption, oppression on women, caste-communal atrocities, ecological crisis, etc. in the speech is conspicuous.
In all its details, the Presidential Speech is a replication of BJP’s post-truth election campaign. It is a clear road-map for eventually transforming India to a Hindu Rashtra.
The CPI (ML) Red Star appeals to all struggling left and democratic forces to expose and oppose the heinous moves of Modi-2 exhibited through the President’s speech. We should mobilize the people and struggle against the corporate-neo-fascist Modi-2 not from a defensive stand, but with an offensive approach putting forward people’s alternative to the ruling system.
KN Ramachandran,
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
20th June 2019
Why Modi-2 is Silent on Holding J&K Elections?
The J&K assembly was dissolved and President’s rule imposed over the state one year back. When th state government in which BJP also was partner resigned, without giving opportunity for other parties to try for an alternative government, the governor’s rule which is de-facto a BJP government was imposed. During the last one year, the J&K is transformed in to a worse killing field for the armed forces, ruthlessly using the AFSPA. Though the elections to the Lok Sabha seats were held along with other states, the Election Commission was silent on holding the assembly elections. It was repeated that soon after the Lok Sabha elections it will be held. But even after Modi-2 has come to power the government and the EC are continuing their silence. It is heinous and autocratic.
We appeal to all opposition parties to raise this question as an urgent one in the parliament. We appeal to all democratic forces to raise their voice against this stifling of J&K people’s democratic right.
KN Ramachandran,
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
22nd June 2019
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