By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday denounced the BJP’s announcement of ‘liberation’ day campaign related to erstwhile NIzam Hyderabad state. The Party said the one year campaign of the ruling party is to polarize the voters on communal lines. It reiterated that it will work to mobilize secular forces to defeat Hindutva communalism.
Briefing the media on the decisions taken at the Polit Bureau meeting held on September 15-16, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Polit Bureau decided that the Party will work to develop its independent strength, strengthen Left unity and forge unity of Left and Democratic forces. The CPI (M) shall join the efforts to bring together secular democratic parties in defence of the Indian Constitution; democracy; democratic rights and civil liberties of the people and safeguarding the secular democratic character of the Indian republic.
On Hyderabad, Yechury alleged that BJP is yet again distorting history
On September 17, 1948 the Nizam of Hyderabad surrendered and the erstwhile State became a part of the Indian union. The BJP has declared to observe this day and the whole year following with its narrative of ‘liberation’ day.
Its objective is clearly aimed to rouse communal passions by claiming ‘liberation’ from Muslim rule and in the process deliberately distorting and rewriting of history, he added.
“The Nizam’s rule became untenable after the armed struggle launched by the Communist Party of India against its brutally oppressive landlordism in 1946. This weakened the Nizam’s autocratic rule considerably and the police action launched on September 13, 1948 was the last straw that led to the surrender on September 17, 1948”.
He ridiculed the RSS for claiming credit for this so-called ‘liberation’.
“It is ridiculous for the RSS to claim any credit for this so-called ‘liberation’. Following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel banned the RSS. The ban lasted from February 4, 1948 to July 11, 1949. The BJP’s claim of any role in forcing Nizam’s surrender is farcical”, he said.
The communist leader said “the CPI (M) will observe this day recollecting the glorious history of the armed struggle, its countless martyrs and recounting the liberation of the lakhs of peasantry from feudal bondage”.
On economic downslide, he said despite the hype of the Modi government propaganda, the Indian economy continues to be in a downturn. International rating agency Fitch slashed India’s economic growth forecast for FY-23 from 7.8 to 7 per cent. The data put out by the World Bank shows that India’s annual growth over 2020, 2021 and 2022 was a mere 0.8 per cent in real terms.
He said the Polit Bureau noted with concern the big rise in atrocities against women by over 15 per cent in 2021, while conviction rates are low. The recent horrific case of gang rape and murder of two dalit minors in Uttar Pradesh is a reflection of the collapse of security of women in that state.