The CPI(ML) organized a people’s convention in Ranchi as part of the countrywide protests against the killer demonetization which has wreaked havoc on the daily lives and economy of the common people.
The convention started with a silent tribute to the champion of the deprived, Fidel Castro. Addressing the convention as the main speaker, Party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that it is necessary to understand the politics of demonetization. This demonetization slapped on the people of India by Modi has become an economic emergency for the poor and the common people. The actual hoarders of black money are enjoying the luxury of Five Star hotels while those who have earned money through hard work are standing in queues. The people in Modi’s party were aware of this move in advance, enabling them to buy land worth crores in Bihar and deposit billions of rupees in banks in Bengal just a few hours before the demonetization announcement. Now, a new black market trade has started in the form of changing old currency. The beleaguered people are sarcastically saying, “Jio Paytm se, aur Maro ATM pe” (Live by Paytm and Die at the ATM). Exposing the autocratic ways and the cruel joke played on the poor by the Modi government Com. Dipankar called for accelerating the protests and said that the time has come to press hard for the campaign of “Note Nahi Sarkar Badlo” (Change the government, not the currency).
Speaking in the context of Jharkhand, Com. Dipankar said that the amendments to the hard-won CNT-SPT Act are for the destruction of adivasis and for the prosperity of the Adanis and Ambanis. This Modi-Raghuvar conspiracy must be fought through spirited and dedicated people’s struggles.
Opposing the demonetization, noted economist Jean Dreze said that tyres of the development vehicle the country was riding have been punctured by the very government who is in charge of steering the vehicle. The worst and most long-time effect of this will be felt by the poor and the rural population. The economic development of the country will be set back hugely. He called the government’s pro-demonetization arguments ridiculous and said that deceiving the people is a specialty of the Modi government. The real black money is with all ruling-class parties including Modi’s BJP; this fact is being hidden and the common people are being held guilty. We must make the people aware of this truth.
Senior human rights activist Fr Stan Swamy said that the names of the real black money hoarders have already been listed by the people of the country; the Modi government should nab them first. But instead of catching them, the government has waived their loans to the tune of thousands of crores, and the common people are being forced to stand in queues. We must oppose this oppression.
CPI(ML) Jharkhand Secretary Janardan Prasad said that corporate companies and capitalists—the breeders and carriers of black money and corruption—are merrily prospering; it is for their benefit that the havoc of demonetization is being wreaked on the common people and also Modi-bhakts. He stressed that we must expose this conspiracy and accelerate the campaign to convert Demonetization into DeModi-tization.
Social activist Hussain Kachchi said that the common people are not standing in line of their own volition; they have been forced to line up. Advocate Ajablal and Josephina Panna presented government statistics to expose Modi’s falsehoods. Several other speakers spoke of the distress faced by common people and exposed the government. Hundreds of activists from different districts participated in the convention.
