Platform Of Demands And Policies

The following is the platform of demands and policies for the August campaign called by the central committee of the Party:

1. Appeal to people to be vigilant about the activities of the communal forces which disrupt peace and communal harmony. The central government should direct the concerned state governments to check attacks on minorities wherever  it is taking place. The Modi government is not enforcing the Constitution and laws in Gujarat where the minorities are being systematically discriminated against and subjected to harassment. The centre should ensure compliance with the Constitution and law of the land. Adopt the Prevention of Communal Violence Bill in Parliament. 

2. Increase public investment in agriculture; create price stabilization fund for providing minimum support price for farmers’ produce; provide credit to farmers at 4 per cent interest; provision of special package for areas drawn to farmers’ suicides. Ensure proper implementation of Rural Employment Guarantee Act in all 200 districts and extend its purview every year to cover entire country in three years. 

3. Strengthen the public distribution system by provision of adequate supply of rice and wheat; sugar and kerosene oil should be supplied through the public distribution system; no cut in food subsidy; no increase in  price of rice and wheat in public distribution system; ensure all people in BPL category get ration cards as an interim measure towards  universalisation of PDS.

4. The UPA government  should pursue an independent foreign policy as committed in the Common Minimum Programme; stop aligning India as a strategic ally of the United States; end strategic military collaboration with the United States; promote close ties and cooperation with developing countries, Russia, China and other major countries to  promote multi-polarity in international relations.

5.   Introduce legislation for one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures in the monsoon session of Parliament; take strong measures to check female foeticide; check the alarming fall in the sex ratio vis-à-vis females.

6. Adopt legislation for protection of unorganized workers. Enact central legislation for agricultural workers; no change in labour laws which will facilitate hire and fire policy.

7. Ensure right to education for all; increase expenditure on education to 6 per cent of the GDP; Central legislation to empower state governments to regulate admissions and fees in the private  and self-financing professional institutions.

8. Adopt stringent steps to halt oppression and discrimination of  dalits; give possession of lands for which pattas have been given to dalit families. 

9. Extend 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in educational institutions which are under the purview of the  Central government; increase commensurately seats and facilities in these institutions; ensure the benefits of reservation going to the needy sections within the OBCs by adopting a  socio-economic criteria. 

10. Promote dialogue with all forces in Jammu & Kashmir to evolve a political solution to the Kashmir issue; explore settlement on the basis of maximum autonomy; firm steps to check extremist violence in Jammu & Kashmir and the North East by taking suitable political  steps to promote a peaceful and democratic  solution and undertake socio-economic measures for development and providing relief to the people.

National Political Campaign Of The CPI(M)

The following is the finalised list of meetings and the speakers therein for the August campaign of the Party.