2011 – This is the first year of the 2nd decade in the 21st Century. This New Year reminds us of the great celebrations and declarations when the new Millennium began. Leave alone the commercial part of the celebrations. Comrade Fidel Castro at that time had said that the celebrations began in 2000 itself because these celebrations are big business!
On the political side there were pious declarations in International Conferences and seminars. Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were declared, approved by all the economic power houses. Targets were fixed for eradication of Poverty, Hunger and also improvements in Education, and Health parameters.
And, what has happened now? Every country now agrees that those targets will not be achieved. We have not reached any way near to the yearly improvements expected so as reach the target by 2020.
This first decade saw the worst economic crisis, encompassing all the countries in the world. What began in the USA as a crisis in financial Institutions, had grown into a crisis of the Capitalist system itself, though this was not accepted by those who were responsible. They could at the most accuse the greed of those in leading the Institutions which crashed. But we have seen the impact of those crashes, which are reflected in every country. The so-called developed world is still reeling under its impact, with all the hopes of expected recovery being belied.
Now, the crisis has grown into a sovereign debt crisis in Greece and Ireland and is also spreading to other European countries. Those champions of capitalism, who had celebrated the fall of the Soviet Union and declared the end of history, are now searching for reasons for the crisis. Those who ordered the withdrawal of Governments from spending on the welfare of poor and ordinary people declared bonanzas to those fallen institutions and corporations – ‘all in the interest of society’. Billions of dollars, handed over to those corporations as bailouts, have resulted only in bringing them out of the red and millions and millions of workers who have lost their livelihood, continue to be on the streets. Among the millions of workers who have lost their jobs or have been forced into casual or part time employment, the worst affected are the women workers, who have also been retrenched in huge numbers or forced into employment in the unorganized sector, with no social security benefits or protection.
Now, it is the time for austerity measures! Huge deficits for the Governments which had emptied their coffers for the corporates, compelling them to cut public expenditure through reduction in wages, denial of social security, loss of jobs etc.
Every country in Europe and also US has announced austerity measures and millions are on streets for the last few months - in strikes, rallies and demonstrations. Workers are joined by lakhs and lakhs of students in these demonstrations and struggles as the fees and other educational expenses have gone up. France, England, Greece, and Spain have reported huge student participation in these struggles. The ruling classes are worried about this as they are reminded about the earlier experiences when students and workers had come onto the streets and even forced Governments out!
India, now being decorated by the Presidents of the USA and France, not only as an emerging economy but an already emerged one, is facing one crisis after another.
The impact of price rise and unemployment on the working class and poor in this country needs no elaboration. With the UPA II going ahead with its neo-liberal polices, the working people have taken up cudgels to fight these polices and 2010 has been a year of historic, massive actions.
Corruption at the highest level have reached monstrous proportions. All the pillars of our democratic system have been deeply corroded. The money grabbed through corruption is being utilized to subvert the democratic system itself during the election period. Crorepatis represent the suffering poor in Parliament. The nexus of Politicians-Bureaucrats-Corporates has grown and they are able to mobilise all other sections to serve them.
The 7th September strike and the five point charter of demands unanimously agreed upon by all the central TUs and National Federations have opened up a new chapter of united trade union actions. More and more actions at work places are required now, as there are concerted attacks on TU rights and collective bargaining etc, which are enshrined in our constitution and other statutes. Expanding these united platforms to various policy issues will surely help the workers, rural masses and other affected sections to force the Government to act with at least some emergency relief.
The Government of India is succumbing more and more to the pressure of imperialist countries and so the poor will continue to suffer. More struggles with a common understanding on immediate demands have to be conducted by the trade unions in India.
Another important development is the systematic, concerted attack on the Left in the country. It is not only political and ideological but also physical which amount to mass murders of local activists and leaders of trade unions and other mass organizations. Even women and children are facing murderous attacks. The cruelty being perpetrated by a combination of Maoists and all others opposed to the Left, especially in West Bengal, is being resisted by the people now, through massive mobilizations of the people.
This year, 2011, will see elections to West Bengal and Kerala state legislatures along with those of Tamil Nadu and Assam.
The working class has a major role to play in these, a duty to be taken up, a task to be carried out.
The Left led Governments in this country have shown that even with the limited power available to the State Governments, with neo-liberalism further eroding the federal structure of the system, these Governments can play a role in defending the interests of the common masses – workers, peasants, agricultural workers, petty traders and others. There is no need to enumerate in detail the achievements of these Governments.
With the Central Government following neo-liberal policies, these Left led Governments stood with the struggles of the working people. They also ensured the democratic rights of the people.
All the political and administrative forums like the National Development Council, National Integration Council, Conference of Chief Ministers were utilized by the Chief Ministers of Left led Governments to articulate the alternate polices that the Left has been putting forward.
When the whole country was engulfed in communal clashes on various occasions, the Left led governments took up the challenge and ensured the safety of the people. These Governments have faced all these challenges very effectively.
On the whole, the contributions of Left led Governments have been of great importance in the struggles for alternative economic policies.
When all the vested interests, spanning from right to extreme left are coming together to weaken these Governments, it is the responsibility of the working class of India to take up the defence of these Governments. The coming elections should be seen as an opportunity to go to the masses to explain the importance of these Left-led Governments. Our people should be reminded that it is only the organized Left, which has not consented to the mad pursuit of neo-liberal policies. The apostles of neo-liberalism, being aware of this, are fighting the Left at various levels.
In addition to the tasks taken up by CITU unions at the Chandigarh Conference, this political responsibility and its importance have to be understood and carried out. Let this be our New Year pledge for 2011!
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