Political Resolution of the Socialist Party (India) passed in the 4th National Convention held in Lucknow on 14-15 November 2016
Most of the established parties do all sorts of things to grab power during state and center elections. False promises, personal allegations and counter-allegations, communal tension, casteism, regionalism, lingualism, individualism, dynasty politics, money & muscle power, conspiracy and all such tactics are used shamelessly. Superficial sympathy is shown towards deprived sections of society to mislead the poor and working class in order to bring them in respective parties’ fold. The media, following the maxim of ‘people buy what they see’ serves up this anti people politics 24X7. In the midst of all this cacophony, there’s no space for meaningful debate on fundamental issues like poverty, the complexities of the chasm between the rich and the poor, unemployment, illiteracy, malnutrition, suicides by lakhs of farmers, suppression of civil rights, the increasing vulnerability of tribals, dalits, women, minorities and environmental destruction. Actually, all main stream parties are in union since the beginning of nineties on implementing the policies of liberalization, privatization, globalization, consumerism, centralism and jingoistic nationalism. These parties frame their policies for the profiteering of national and multi-national corporate, following the dictates of the World Bank, IMF, WTO and other such organizations which propagate corporate capitalism. Thus, the main stream political parties have become agents for the sell-off of natural resources – water, forest and land – to the big corporate houses on through away prices.
The neoliberal capitalist era has wreaked havoc at the global level too. The powerful and so-called civilized nations have pushed many countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Congo, Mali, Mozambique etc into long term civil war or armed conflict with the sole purpose of selling arms, gaining contracts and getting access to these countries’ oil, gas and mineral resources for their corporates. These nations ensure the supply of funds and ammunitions to terrorist organizations like the Taliban, ISIS, Al Shabab, Hizbul Mujahideen even though terror incidents are happening in European countries and America as well. Due to all this millions of men-women-children are condemned to live in refugee camps for many years. During the past years many thousands of people setting out for Europe via the Mediterranean Sea have drowned in it. The human traffic and drug mafia network throughout the world is extorting money from war ridden nations in Asia and Africa and channeling it back to Europe. It is also forcing women into prostitution and youngsters into debilitating addiction on a large scale. The black money of politicians, industrialists, bureaucrats, brokers of all countries is stored from Swiss banks to offshore tax heavens. The United Nations, UN Security Council, European Union etc. have not been able to find solutions to these human civilization threatening problems so far.
Through this national convention of Socialist Party calls upon like-minded people and organizations in India and the world to reject this capitalist-consumerist model of development based upon indiscriminate plundering of natural resources by powerful nations and corporate houses. They must think of an alternative models of development based on preserving environment, equality, simplicity, decentralization and co-operative planning to eject the inhumanity out of the vicious cycle of violence and oppression.
In our state assemblies and parliament, three-fourth of the elected members are millionaires winning elections with money-power, who have nothing to do with issues of poor and working class people. It is obvious that there is a need of fundamental reforms in the election system too. Socialist Party demands that expenses done by parties should be added to the expenses done by respective party candidates. All political parties should be brought under the ambit of the Right to Information Act (RTI) for their property and income-expenditures. Instead of declaring the candidate with highest number of votes as the winner, proportional representational system based on ratio of votes should be implemented.
Since the beginning of neo-liberal policies, anti-laborer and pro-industrialist changes have been introduced in the labor sector. Socialist Party demands that original labor laws should strictly and completely be implemented. If there is need of pro-labor change in labor laws then trade union representatives should be taken into confidence. Socialist Party supports the 12 points demand charter submitted by Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) along with other trade unions.
The present government has ignited a debate on Uniform Civil Code targetting the muslim community. The Socialist party believes that in a country like India, consisting of various minorities, a uniform civil code is neither possible nor necessary. The sensitivity of each religious group has to be respected and the majority of religious group has no right to foist its own practices on other minorities. Even amongst majority i.e. Hindus different practices prevail. Thus in North marriage between uncle (Mama) and niece is unimaginable, while in the south this practice is quite prevalent.
The question of Triple Talaq is being heard before the Supreme Court and has no relevance o the question of Uniform Civil Code, which is a separate category.
The question of discrimination against Women is the real question in this subject. The fact that many Muslim Countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh do not have instant Talaq under their law, and many Muslim Scholars in India have openly said that under Islam Triple Talaq as practised to be found in India is not sanctioned. Even Pakistan and Bangla Desh do not allow instant Triple Talaq. It may be noted that in Bangladesh Hindu Minority is still following Hindu Law of pre 1947 period and has opposed any reforms on the line of those enacted since 1956 in India.The Socialist Party condemns the mala fide intention of RSS and other communal bodies to heighten tension amongst the minorities on this subject.
The Socialist party views with great concern the continuous deterioration of Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir : Schools are closed under directive from Hurriyat, children have been arrested under Public Safety Act, the killings by the security forces even of small children and blinding by pellet guns are grave matters of daily pain and suffering. The Party demands that the children should be immediately released and all efforts should be made to reopen schools through of process peaceful dialogue.
The party calls upon the central government to immediately initiate dialogue with all parties, groups, and Hurriyat. There should be no pre-condition for talks either from the government, Hurriyat or other groups. The central government should withdraw Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which has been a long standing demand of all human right bodies. At the same time people of Kashmir should be assured by the central government that the Article 370 of the Constitution will be maintained strictly and that there will be no dilution done in it.
Ever since the BJP has come to power communal tensions have increased in society. Minority Muslims, dalits and tribals have been violently and even fatally attacked. Communal hysteria was whipped up first in the name of ‘love jihad’ and then ‘goraksha’, which has left the minorities and dalits feeling very vulnerable and insecure. The RSS and allied organizations are doing all these acts. They have an undeclared support of the BJP, government and the Prime Minister. All this is being done as a strategy to manipulate the majority Hindu vote bank. This government has not even spared the national flag and army for electoral gains. The RSS, which worked for British rule during the freedom struggle, is now self proclaiming to be nationalist and blaming other political parties and dissenting organizations and people to be anti-nationals. It does not appear that government believes in the Constitution of India to run the country. The Prime Minster and his team have brought most of the main stream media into their fold using state and corporate power.
This government has handed over the economy to corporate houses and the society to hooligans of RSS. The government, with its intentions of implementing the agenda of RSS, has not only intervened in the working of schools, higher education and research institutions, but has also harassed Dalit and weaker sections’ students. The BJP has many leaders from the Dalit, backward and Muslim background, who are not associated with RSS but are silent. Congress and other regional party leaders and governments are not working effectively to curb the activities of RSS that aim to sabotage the constitutional setup of India. In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party’s government has not taken effective actions against criminal acts sponsored by RSS. The Socialist Party through this national convention wants to alert people of India that they should seriously look into the intentions and actions of RSS/BJP of dividing the society and oppose them.
The Socialist Party inspired by the inheritance of great leaders and thinkers like Acharya Narendra Deva, Gandhi, Dr. Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, JP, Dr. Lohia, SM Joshi, Yusuf Meherally, Achyut Patwardhan, Kamladevi Chattopadhyaya, Sarojini Naidu, Karpoori Thakur, Madhu Limaye, Kishan Patnaik, reaffirms its faith in the fundamental principles of socialism and its pledge to establish a socialist order uprooting neo-liberal order in solidarity with the working class.
Thus Stands the Socialist Party
Upholding Brotherhood and Equality
