The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central Committee has decided to conduct an extensive campaign against Trump’s “tariff terrorism” and discussed various issues, including economic crisis, workers’ rights, and authoritarianism.
Addressing a press conference on the decisions of the party’s Central Committee held in New Delhi between September 13 and 15, CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby highlighted the party’s concerns over various issues, including US tariffs, economic crisis, workers’ rights, GST rate revision, and authoritarianism.
The party condemned the US tariffs on India, terming it “tariff terrorism” and urging the government to stand by the interests of farmers, workers, and small entrepreneurs.
Baby said that an extensive campaign against Trump’s tariff terrorism will be organized in the last week of September, exposing the BJP-led Union government’s surrender before the US.
It also asserted that the BJP-led government’s economic policies were pushing the country into crisis, with rising prices, stagnant wages, and widening inequalities.
Free Trade Agreements/Bi-lateral Trade Agreements (FTA/BTA): The government should consult various stakeholders and carefully assess benefits to the people before embarking on a spree of FTA signings. The haste to conclude trade deals is resulting in the surrender of national interests in critical areas such as dairy, agriculture, defence, pharmaceuticals, and finance. regulatory and compliance requirements, harming workers’ rights and the environment.
While welcoming the reduction in GST rates on certain goods and services used by the poor and common people, the CPI(M) emphasized that the government must ensure benefits reach consumers.
The Left party also criticized the government’s attempts to curtail democratic rights, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the Maharashtra Public Security Bill.
The party also decided to conduct a Palestine solidarity campaign across the country, featuring large public meetings in state capitals.
The party will also take up people’s livelihood issues and conduct agitations and struggles.
As regards Jammu and Kashmir, the party demanded the immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
While strongly condemning targeted attacks on Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states, the CPI(M) urged the Assam government to stop evicting people from their rightful lands.
“Targeted attacks on Bengali-speaking people, particularly Bengali Muslims, following ‘Operation Sindoor’ are carried out in many BJP-ruled states. Bengalis are being identified and branded as Bangladeshis without proper verification of documents or adherence to due process. Many are being detained by the police and subjected to inhumane abuse and torture. There have also been instances of people, including Indian citizens, being forcibly pushed back to Bangladesh, both over land and by sea. The attacks on Bengali citizens carried out at the behest of the Union government should be immediately stopped,” the CPI(M) resolved.
On RSS Chief’s remarks the Left party said: “In a three-day address before a select audience in Delhi, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat sought to reignite the Mathura and Kashi disputes. He demanded that Muslims ‘give away’ the mosques in these two locations as a precondition for ‘brotherhood.’”
“Such demands are designed to provoke communal passions and polarise society along religious lines. Bhagwat’s remarks reflect the RSS’s disregard for the Indian Constitution and their violation of the law of the land. These remarks demonstrate the RSS’s resolve and intent to move towards the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra and its objective of dismantling the secular State,” the party alleged.
Condemning Israel’s aggression the party observed that Israel is relentlessly bombing Gaza while giving Israeli settlers a free hand to attack Palestinians in the West Bank and seize their land.
“It is blocking all forms of humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where starvation has become rampant, with daily reports of children and the elderly dying from hunger. Attacks on journalists reporting from the ground have intensified and even hospitals are being bombed. The entire Gaza City has been reduced to rubble,” the CPI(M) underlined.
“By violating international laws and diplomatic norms, Israel attacked Qatar, which is hosting ceasefire talks. This yet again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a rogue state opposed to peace in the region and unwilling to accept any ceasefire proposals. It is time for the international community to unite and take action against Israel,” the CPI(M) said.
It said that a Palestine solidarity campaign will be conducted through extensive activities across the country. Large public meetings will be organized in all state capitals, involving different political parties, organizations, artists and individuals, to expose the pro-Israel policy of the BJP government.
On the question of Free Trade Agreements and Bi-lateral Trade Agreements, the Left party asked the government to consult various stakeholders and carefully assess benefits to the people before embarking on a spree of FTA signings. “The haste to conclude trade deals is resulting in the surrender of national interests in critical areas such as dairy, agriculture, defense, pharmaceuticals, and finance,” it said.