New Delhi, March 24 CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said on Tuesday that while elections are important, the issues of the people are equally relevant, and the party will continue to address them.
He said the red flag of the Left represents the struggles of the people, and it will rise wherever people stand up for their rights.
Baby was speaking at the 'Jan Akrosh' rally organized by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Ramlila Maidan here to protest against the India-US trade deal and several government policies.
Hundreds of people attended the rally, with participants holding placards against rising prices of essential commodities, the shortage of cooking gas and fuel, and other issues.
Addressing the gathering, Baby said, "Elections are important, but the issues of ordinary people are equally important. We will continue to fight for them."
Referring to the upcoming elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, he said the party's preparations for the elections are underway, and its cadres are actively working in these regions.
Criticizing the Centre, the CPI(M) leader said there is an attempt to push real issues to the background. "The government's policies are affecting people's daily lives. Even long-standing social practices are being disrupted," he said.
On the relevance of the Left, he said, "In their speeches, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah often say that the red flag (the Left flag) has disappeared from India, and that it only survives in Kerala. They say it will soon be eliminated even from there. But I want to challenge this narrative. The red flag is not something that can be erased; it represents the struggles of the people. Wherever people stand up, the red flag will rise," Baby said.
Ashok Dhawale, national president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), highlighted farmers' distress, saying that inadequate prices and declining rural employment have worsened their condition.
"Earlier, Indian goods exported to the United States faced around 2.5 per cent duty. It has now increased to nearly 18 per cent, yet it is being projected as a major achievement," he said.
Targeting the BJP and RSS, Dhawale said that, along with economic issues, there is a need to fight communal politics.
"Ignoring social issues, such as those related to religion and caste, will weaken our movement. We must organize, coordinate, and strengthen our movement to challenge communal forces at their roots," he said.
He said the current movement should shift from 'Jan Akrosh' (public anger) to active 'Jan Sangharsh' (people's fight).
Mariam Dhawale, general secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association, said that rising inflation and unemployment are pushing people, especially women, into distress.
"People are searching for ways to survive and secure their children's future. Women are struggling to run the household kitchens as essential items and cooking gas have become increasingly expensive," she said, adding that laws offering relief are being weakened while new policies are increasing hardships.
AIKS general secretary Vijoo Krishnan cited welfare measures in Left-ruled Kerala.
"Our comrades have come from rural areas of Kerala, where around 1.4 crore people receive a monthly pension of Rs 2,000. Women who do not have employment and take care of the household receive Rs 1,000 per month. Education from nursery to degree levels is provided free of cost at strong public institutions and quality colleges. In the past 10 years, Kerala has not witnessed a single communal riot," Krishnan said.
Jammu and Kashmir MLA Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami highlighted the struggles of workers and farmers, demanding fair wages and dignity for labourers.
"We are not asking for anything other than what is rightfully ours. We demand fair payment for our labour, respect for our work, and dignity for those who produce food," he said, adding that workers must unite to improve their lives and secure their rights.
The CPI(M) demanded the withdrawal of the notification on the four labour codes and the scrapping of the newly enacted Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.
It said the Electricity Act should not be amended, and there should be no privatisation of Discoms. The Left party also opposed amending the Seed Bill.
Tuesday's rally marked the 33rd 'Jan Akrosh Jatha' conducted by the CPI(M). Between February 27 and March 20, it conducted similar rallies across multiple states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
