Media Release by Communist Party of India (Marxist) Maharashtra State Committee

CPI(M) STAND ABOUT THE NEW STATE GOVERNMENT

Nov 27, 2019

The CPI(M) welcomes the fact that the thoroughly unprincipled BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government, which never had a majority in the state assembly, was forced to resign. In view of the welcome Supreme Court judgement, we demand that the Governor of Maharashtra must be sacked for the unconstitutional, anti-democratic and partisan role he played at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

To ensure that the BJP does not return to power, the CPI(M) has decided that it will not oppose the formation of the new Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government that will be jointly formed by the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress.

However, the CPI(M) wants to categorically clarify that neither its MLA nor any of its Party leaders were present in the meeting held at Hotel Trident in Mumbai on November 26, as wrongly mentioned in a letter by the Governor of Maharashtra of the same date.

The CPI(M) expects that the new government will make a clean break from the policies of the previous BJP-led regime and will implement the following measures at the earliest:

1. Adequate compensation to farmers and fisherfolk for the massive destruction of their crops and catch due to unseasonal rains.
2. Complete loan waiver to the peasantry without any preconditions.
3. Adequate bonus above MSP to the peasantry for all their crops to adhere to the Swaminathan Commission formula of C2 plus 50 per cent.
4. Immediate and stringent implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) all over the state and stopping of all evictions.
5. Minimum wage of Rs 21,000 per month for all agricultural labourers, unorganised wokers, scheme workers, beedi, powerloom and construction workers and contract/casual workers; no change in labour laws prejudicial to workers and the right of workers to form their unions; protection of livelihood of hawkers.
6. Radical expansion of the MNREGA; special schemes to reduce urban joblessness; unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 per month.
7. Sharp increase in budget allocation for education, health and housing and a curb on their privatisation; substantial increase in government subsidy for housing schemes for the poor.
8. Revamping of the public distribution system and provision of grain and other items at low prices; provision of ration cards to all.
9. Monthly pension of Rs 3,000 per month to all the aged and the destitute.
10. Prompt and stringent action against perpetrators of atrocities on women, minorities, Dalits and Adivasis and against instigators of communal hatred; special schemes for the uplift of all weaker sections; reservation in jobs and education for Muslims; clearing the backlog in government jobs for SCs/STs.
11. Cancellation of, and stoppage of work on elitist and anti-farmer, anti-tribal projects of the Modi regime like the Mumbai-Ahmedabd Bullet Train, the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway and the Vadhwan Port.
12. Thorough and impartial re-investigation into the mysterious death of Judge Loya.
13. Immediate release of, and withdrawal of false cases against Sudha Bharadwaj and others, including hundreds of Dalits, in the Bhima Koregaon attacks, and arrest and prosecution of the ringleaders Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote.
14. Fast track and thorough investigation of the murders of Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Comrade Govind Pansare and bringing all the conspirators to book.
15. Uncompromising defence of democracy and secularism.

The CPI(M) will continue its struggle for the above legitimate rights of the people of Maharashtra.

Narasayya Adam (State Secretary)
Dr Ashok Dhawale
Mahendra Singh
J P Gavit
Mariam Dhawale
Central Committee Members