VOTE LEFT PARTIES : CPI(M) CAMPAIGNS IN TAMILNADU

S P Rajendran

Chennai, March 2: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has urged the electors of Tamil Nadu to vote for CPI(M) and its secular allies in the forthcoming general elections to help put a pro-people and secular non-Congress/ non-BJP -led government at the Centre.

Speaking at a public meeting organized at Thiruppur, city of garments, as part of statewide campaign, Karat promised the public that the party’s struggle for economic emancipation of people would go along with the struggle for their social emancipation.

“It was only because of the pressure of Left parties that the ManMohan Singh-led government implemented the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which eventually provided a member of every family in the rural areas an assured 100 days work a year.

Similarly, it was the struggle led by Left parties for two years in Parliament that made the House pass a law to allow Adivasis, who were one of the most oppressed sections of population, to have the right to hold two-and-a-half hectares of land in the forests.

He said the party takes pride for not allowing the United Progressive Alliance government to sell the banking, insurance and other financial sectors to foreign capital, by offering stiff opposition in Parliament.

“It’s only because of such steps by Left parties that the banks in our country did not collapse even as the financial institutions in the United States crumbled,” he added.

The party also opposed foreign direct investment in retail trade sector in the country.

He accused the Central Government of not taking adequate steps to stop job losses owing to recession.

“By March, one crore of people are to lose jobs in the country,” he said adding that already 71 people in diamond and gem trade in Gujarat had committed suicide after they lost jobs.

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*Weeklong campaign*

With the alternative policies for the welfare of the people, CPI(M) TamilNadu State Committee conducted this campaign programme from 7 places.

Party state secretary N.Varadharajan from Theni, T.K.Rengarajan M.P., from Vellore, W.R.Varadharajan from Erode, G.Ramakrishnan from Cuddalore, and U.Vasuki from Tanjavur, all central committee members of the party, led the five day campaign. CPI(M) state secretariate member MNS.Venkattaraman and state committee member D.Lakshmanan led another two campaign teams respectively from Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar, both southern districts.These teams concluded their weeklong campaign respectively at Dindigul, Chennai, Coimbatore, Nagapattinam, Trichy, Marthandam and Madurai.

Hundreds of workers and farmers received these teams with red flags, traditional dance and songs throughout the way. All the teams campaigned through many villages and small towns and getting warm reception from all walks of the working class. And, number of reception meetings and public meetings were held.

As part of this huge campaign movement, massive public meetings were conducted in Thiruppur, Palani, Thoothukudi, Thirupparankunram, Nagaprttinam, Marthandam and Chennai. CPI(M) general Secretary Prakash Karat, Polite Bureau members Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat, and K Varadharajan, Kerala educational minister M A Baby, party central committee member Subhashini Ali addressed these meetings. Party state leaders including CC member A K Padmanaban attended the movement.