Unleash Stringent Struggles Combat Erroneous Policies - Pinarai Vijayan

In order to safeguard people's interest communist movement in our country used to bring about dual forms of interventions. Primarily such interventions are made by building people's movement and rally them in the avenues of struggles. Secondly, bringing such agitations inside the parliament and hence use parliament as means for populous struggles. While doing so, using the limited powers of Left-led state governments, wherever they exist, has to implement alternative policies to ensure some relief to the people. The CPI (M) organizes agitations and people's movement against globalization on the foundation of such a perspective. The CPI (M) in Kerala also endeavors to materialize the same precise conception.

As a result, numerous agitations were unleashed in Kerala combating the neo-liberal policies persuaded by the Central government. Simultaneously the LDF government in the state using the limited state powers cautiously endeavors to implement alternative policies. It is vivid that such interventions are termed as a model of people's alternative during the period of Globalization.

Human Chain to Combat Indo-ASEAN FTA

The Indo-ASEAN pact will sabotage agriculture and allied sectors in Kerala. The CPI (M) maintained the view that the free trade agreement results in steep down fall in the prices of agricultural crops, mainly the cash crops being produced in the state. That correct approach and caution of the Party is widely appreciated especially by the fishing workers and agricultural workers and hence people in large numbers rallied in the vibrant struggle against the dubious free trade agreement. It is to be noted that even some of the constituents of the UDF could not justify such an agreement.

The CPI (M) subsequently gave a call to rally the people in the 'Human Chain' to register stringent protest against the agreement that causes unprecedented blow to the overall economy of Kerala. On 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti, irrespective of adverse weather conditions more than twenty five lakhs of people from all walks of life rallied in the historic 'Human Chain' that commenced from Kasaragod and ended in Thiruvananthapuram and covered whole of Kerala. The momentous 'Human Chain' in effect has become an icon of unbending resistance of the progressive sections of Kerala and cautioned the central government that tries to destroy the agriculture and allied sectors and hence the overall state economy.

Price Rise and Resistance

Unprecedented price rise especially for the essential commodities including food grains resulted in deep misery in the life and livelihood of the common people in the country. Unequivocally, such a miserable situation is the direct outcome of the Neo-liberal policies. The Central government implemented those policies in agricultural sector and consequently cut down the subsidies in a phased manner. In the last Central budget itself the government had slashed 3000 crores of rupees in the fertilizer subsidy compared to last year's expenditure. The government had withdrawn from its responsibility in procurement of food grains and allied assistance in the agriculture sector resulting in accurate miseries to the farmers. Agriculture has become unviable and thus farmers' suicides have grown to be very common and consequently the growth rate in agriculture has seen a steady fall, posing threat to the food security of our country. Since 1965 FCI had monopoly in food grain procurement and didn't allow the private sector to enter. But the neo-liberal policies authorized the corporate sector with a free hold in storing food grains. Corporate intrusion in food sector aggravated the price rise and again the futures trading and speculative trade deteriorated the situation further. Corporate houses used it as a golden opportunity to accumulate food grains extensively and a bogus food shortage was created to make super profits. Hence the Corporate sector gained, farmers remained in misery and common people had to tolerate the menace of severe hike in prices!

It is widely acknowledged that price rise in petroleum products will further intensify inflation and subsequently lead to worsening of the situation. Still the UPA II did not hesitate to increase the excise duty imposed on petroleum products that added to the price hike. Increased freight charges particularly for the consumer states like Kerala, again results in deep crisis so far as price rise is concerned.

Dubious Plan to Deteriorate the Ration system

In addition to such measures to cater corporate houses, the Central government altogether presided to weaken the Public Distribution System (PDS). The government and the FCI steadily pulled out of food procurement and market intervention being made through the PDS. The Central government even restrained to intervene in the market to curb price rise when large volume of food grains perish in the FCI godowns. It is highly objectionable that the same government that makes rhetorical arguments to curb food subsidy, generously confers a huge tax exemption of 80,000 crores to satisfy the corporate houses. The capitalist class inclination of the Central government is vivid in that move.

As part of the game plan to weaken the PDS the Central government during 1990s initiated measures to feeble the statutory rationing system in Kerala. Food grains allocated through the ration shops have been cut down frequently and ultimately ration facility has restricted only for a very few BPL card holders. In Kerala cash crops shares 82% of the total agricultural production. And hence the state has to depend on the other states for food requirements. As a result of stringent struggles, during 1960s the Central government made statutory provisions to provide food grains through ration system. The FCI accordingly had provided 1, 13,000 ton of rice every month which has drastically cut down in to a mere 13,000 ton. As a result, people in general had to depend on the open market which ultimately resulted in a bogus rice shortage in the market and steep price rise.

Alternative Policy Results Relief

While organizing such struggles the Party successfully intervenes to protect people's interest using limited powers of the state government. Such a concern is vivid while analyzing the policies of both the state and central governments. While the Central government dismantles the Public Sector Units, the state government intervenes to make the PSUs profitable and allocates funds to set up new PSUs in the state. When growth rate in agricultural sector shows a steady decline in the country, Kerala has shown a different picture and it had registered a 2.8 % growth. While the UPA consciously weaken the PDS for the corporate houses, the state government ardently initiates to strengthen the PDS. The central government dubiously restricted 11 lakhs of families under the BPL list. At the same time, the state government expanded it as 25 lakhs of families and distributed rice through ration shops for 2 rupees per kilo. And in the present budget it has been increased as 35 lakhs and hence ensured that all workers in unorganized sector and NREG workers to get its advantage. Government intervention through numerous stores of the Civil Supplies Corporation and Consumer Fed, Maveli hotels and Cooperative stores, in fact facilitated to curb the rate of price rise. And hence price for numerous food grains, vegetables etc. has become lesser than the producing states! When the UPA II curbs food subsidy, state government spent 400 crores through the PDS which is the ever highest amount in this regard.

However the Central government policies further intervenes to shut down even the very limited scope of such alternatives. Kerala's financial share in the recommendations of the Finance Commission is getting declined day by day. National Commission on Higher Education also does the same thing. Unless and until such an approach that sabotages the federal structure, is resisted, we cannot even ensure the potential of those limited alternatives. There is no other way out rather than protest and struggles.

Campaigns and Agitation

Combating such anti-people policies the CPI (M) decided to organize country wide massive protests and accordingly Kerala also reverberated with such huge protest programmes. The Party had decided to picket selected Central government offices continuously for 5 days from 8th to 12th of March from 6 am to 5 pm. The picketing was organized with certain specific demands including the roll back of petrol diesel prices, restoration of statutory rationing in Kerala, providing rice for the APL card holders for 8.90 rupees itself, withdrawing the draft Food Security Bill that denies ration to the APL card holders, ban futures trading on food grains, announce a package to save the cash crops that faces severe cost collapse due to the Indo-ASEAN pact, distribute food grains etc. for reasonable price through ration shops and so on. A month long massive campaign and organizational preparations were made to make the struggle successful. Numerous district level Jathas were organized in which the demands of the agitation and the notorious policies of the UPA government were widely debated.

Irrespective of the severe hot weather a massive upsurge transpired in front of the selected Central government offices, where 9 lakhs of activists participated all through the day. People in large numbers including women and children gathered at various centers and hence all such Central government offices remained closed during the struggle. Minorities and backward sections had rallied in big numbers in the agitation with the right conviction that agitation is the only way to save themselves from the miseries posed by anti-people policies. It is to be noted that the activists stood zealously with self-trained discipline in the struggle with a sense of sacrifice for the right cause.

Malicious Media Mockery

Annoyed by the massive participation and wide acceptance of the agitation the anti left forces and the rightwing media unleashed a scathing campaign to malign the movement. Instead of bringing the real issues to the people, such media had made a malicious humbug citing petty things saying that people suffered as roads were blocked since protesters in large numbers rallied towards the picketing point and postal delivery delayed! And unfortunately those masses, rallied in the struggle with vigor and conviction did not come under their definition of people! Such bogus fictions were ridiculously rejected by the general public and the five days long massive picketing created another chapter in the history of people's movement.

During the same period, whole country had witnessed similar agitations and movements. Culminating those movements a huge rally was organized by the left parties in Delhi on 12th of March. To bring a significant policy shift from the government, these kinds of movements should be intensified. Thus the movement has to be built more strongly. Such a movement has to be consistently built to force the ruling classes to open their closed eyes. And hence, the whole country is going to witness another step of intensified agitation on the question of price rise and food security in the future days. As part of it all sections of the society have to necessarily rally in the Jail Bharao struggle being organized on 8th April where lakhs of people are participating. It is to be affirmed that whatever advantages that the toiling masses have gained today, are the result of such struggles.