Congress did nothing to protect workers: Prakash Karat

Madurai, 1st May 2009: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat addressed a massive rally at Madurai on Friday evening, in support of the CPI (M) candidate P. Mohan, attended by well over 30,000 people. Addressing the meeting Prakash Karat said as in 2004, mandate of the people of TN would be decisive in forming an alternative government at the Centre. On the occasion of May Day, Karat greeted the people and reminded them how people all over the world have intensified struggle against exploitation. While global capitalist system is facing a huge crisis, millions of workers have lost their jobs, worldwide. In India, 25 lakh people have lost jobs. These are people working in industries, services and agriculture, who have no option but to work for a livelihood. The Congress government has nothing to offer to save the jobs of working people of the country. They have remained silent about this even during this election campaign.

We have called for the defeat of this Congress and its allies, which is the DMK here. Congress led government pursed anti-people policies, one after the other. They brought in foreign investment in retail trade, wanting Walmart like companies to come in, leading to job loss of lakhs of people. We said, we will not allow this. They wanted to increase foreign capital in our banking and insurance sector. We said we will not allow this. In a time when finance firms are collapsing the world over, it is only due to our opposition that Indian banks and insurance sector are protected from the impact of the crisis, but the Congress and the DMK are still willing to sell our financial institutions to foreign companies.

This is the same government which wanted to hand over pension funds to private companies, putting hard earned pension funds to the vagaries of stock market. The Left parties firmly said no to these policies. It is the Left which warned the government that you are allowing thousands of crores of rupees to go outside India without paying taxes. A fraudulent Mauritius route was created by the rulers. We have opposed this and will close this route.

The Congress led government is trying to convert India into a junior partner of the USA. This government signed a forty year nuclear cooperation pact, which no self respecting country would have accepted. I came down personally here and told Mr. Karunanidhi that we have reservations. But, finally they endorsed the deal. But AIADMK has come out strongly against this agreement. We will review this agreement if the third alternative is voted to form a government.

Acute power shortage faced by the people of Tamil Nadu now tells how fraudulent are the claims of the Congress that nuclear deal will solve problems of power in this country. They knew this will not solve any problem. The entire track record of the government is betrayal of the people and this is why we want to defeat the Congress and its allies.

BJP has decided to carry out communal agenda. Wherever the BJP is running a state government, in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh everyday the minorities are being attacked. If we bring back the BJP it will further disrupt the life of common people. We will have to make sure that they do not come to power. Both the Congress and BJP do not even have 50 percent of popular support. Last time they both together got less than 50 percent of the votes. That is why we said all non-BJP and non-Congress political formations should come together. We have made a good beginning. Here is a five party alliance. In Andhra, we have the Maha Kutami. This has made the BJP and congress wary of the third front.

Today Both Congress and BJP are attacking third front. They are saying it is an illusion. Why are they afraid? At the national level there is no alliance for them. The congress led UPA is disintegrating. They have only few allies like DMK. BJP also knows the formation of the third front has nullified their chances. Alternative government will be formed with alternative policies which will benefit the people.

You must have heard of the telecom scandal and it is a DMK minister, who is involved in this, which has cost the government 1 lakh crores rupees. We asked the PM to investigate. They refused to investigate the matter. Only a few days ago, the only accused in Bofors cases, Quattrochi has been let off. The charges against him have been dropped, including charge of taking bribe of Rs.64 crores. Now just in one ministry, the corruption involved is a huge sume of 1 lakh crores rupees. In the Congress manifesto, of 64 pages, they have not mentioned a word about corruption. The DMK and its ministers have played a major role in fostering corruption. The people have decided to remove this government.


In Sri Lanka, tens of thousands of Tamils have lost their normal life. But this government has not done anything. Because, they are focused on making friends with the USA, and do what the USA tells them. In Tamil Nadu, we are witnessing a rising popular support to the third front. Against this popular support, the DMK has only one weapon, which is money power. The DMK is not for Dravidian advancement as its name suggests, but it is only for ‘self advancement’. I have written to the Election Commission on situation in Madurai. I hope that the politically conscious people of Madurai will take it as an insult if offered money for votes. The people of Madurai will not tolerate this. I appeal to the people of Madurai to defeat money power and goondaism and elect the CPI (M) candidate, P. Mohan on 13th May.