RELEASE SRILANKAN TAMILS FROM THE CAMPS

National Executive :  1-2 October 2009 Resolution:

The Srilankan President declared in the month of May 2009 that Srilanka had completed its mission of military operation of eliminating the terrorist groups and their leader.  The Srilankan Government claimed that the war against terrorism has been won.

 But after the end of the war, as per the admission of the Srilankan Government, three Lakh and Fifty Thousand Tamil speaking Srilankan citizens, who have lost all their livelihoods and also their dwelling places, have been put in the so-called rehabilitation camps under army supervision.

 UN observers have spoken about the violation of human rights and the horrible conditions and ill-treatment.  The Red-Cross representatives have also come out with serious criticism against the Srilankan Government.

 The Srilankan Government is not permitting any print media and electronic media, national or international, to have access to these camps.

 There is no authoritative source of information to know the real plight of the people kept inside these camps.

 As many months have passed after the end of the war, keeping lakhs of people in cramped camps is not justifiable.

 Hence, the National Executive of the CPI, demands the release of the innocent civilians kept in the camps and allow them to return to the places of their living.

 We appeal to the Srilankan government to release the civilians from the camps and request the government of India, to impress upon the Srilankan government to respect human rights and release the Srilankan Tamils, as early as possible.

ON BOFORS CASE

The last decade and a half has shown that the Congress had no desire to go ahead with the Bofors case, when it came too uncomfortably close to higher ups within it.  It dragged  its feet, intervened frequently and brazenly in the entire process, did every thing to weaken the case so that it cannot stand the scrutiny of the courts in India and abroad, it has now shamelessly decided to drop it altogether.  This exposes the Congress government’s will to fight corruption.

 The proposal of the Union Government, to withdraw the case against Quatrochhi the key accused in the Bofors  corruption case is a shameful affair.  Every affair is made to weaken the case from the beginning. CBI has been pushed to ask for withdrawal of cases.  Earlier the Government allowed refreezing the bank accounts of Mr. Quatrochhi in London and allowed him to withdraw 21 crores of rupees next day.  No serious effort is made to bring him to India to face the court. Now the withdrawal of the case will formally liberate him once for all and the entire case of Bofors is once for all closed.  This is the biggest political scandal with allegations as very important political leaders, including the then Prime Minister.  In the case against Mr. Quatrochhi is so weak as the Law Minister is trying to paint, why Mr. Quatrochhi is not ready to face the trial.

 The fight against corruption is a difficult fight. It cannot be withdrawn on flimsy grounds.  CPI rejects the arguments in this case, and demands that Government should not withdraw the case and continue to its efforts to bring Mr. Quatrochhi before the Court.

CPI ON FTA WITH ASEAN

National Executive :  1-2 October 2009 Resolution:

The National Executive of the CPI consider that the hasty and arbitrary manner in which the government of India has signed the FTA with ASEAN, without discussing the matter in Parliament, without consultation with states and without preparing the people to face tough competition from ASEAN, is an undemocratic act, which goes against the very principles of democracy and federalism.

 Although the discussion of FTA with ASEAN started as far back, as 2003, the Government of India never had taken the states and people into confidence.

 As this agreement would adversely affect the interest of agriculture, fisheries, traditional industries, service sector etc. which are largely state subjects the Centre should have taken initiative to discuss all aspects of the proposed agreement with state governments for planning advance actions.  Even when states asked for details of the FTA, it was denied to them, until the agreement was signed.

 With the signing of this agreement, as it comes into force in 2010, India will have to face in competition in the field of agriculture, fisheries, traditional Industries, food processing and service sector including banking, insurance, I.T tourism etc.

 In the face of mounting opposition to FTA Government of India has said that a Committee has been appointed to study the problems.  It also said that in the agreement, there is provision for a “Negative list” which would take care of the interest of agriculture.  These are belated actions insufficient to meet the threat that we are facing.

 In the interest of the country and people the FTA with ASEAN should be scrapped.

 But, as the Government is going ahead the CPI demand that the following should be done immediately.

 1.          A comprehensive study on the impact of this agreement be made by an expert Committee in which representatives of the peasants and workers shall be included along with other stake-holders.

 2.          As an interim measure the Government of India should prepare an economic package for taking necessary steps to help the peasants and agriculture, so that the productivity and production be enhanced rapidly for enabling them to fce the challenge.

 3.          The state should be consulted and the negative list be made more comprehensive, so that the omission in the list such as items like pepper should be corrected.  It should also be ensured that the item included in the negative list would not be allowed to enter the Indian market in the processed form also.

 The CPI calls upon the people, especially the peasants and rural masses, to organise movements and agitations on the question of the FTA with ASEAN countrywide, to achieve the above goals.