democratic forces played a leading role in the entire protest movement .
The Congress Govt . in the State used iron fist to crush the protest movement . It freely rained lathis , tear gas and bullets on the people . It shot down 32 people in various towns of the state . Quite justifiably , this has infuriated the people much . The protest movement had taken a more serious form .
The parties of opposition had moved a no-confidence motion in the State Assembly in protest against the State Government ’ s policy of brutal repression . But the Congress Party had defeated it with its brute majority . In protest , 67 MLAs led by the Communists had submitted their resignations to the State Assembly . They included the veteran leaders like T . Nagi Reddy , P . Sundaraiah and Vavilala Gopala krishnaiah . The Communist MPs from AP too had sent their resignations to the Parliament . These actions were co-ordinated with the militant protest movement of the vast masses of people in a way to further strengthen and intensify the protest movement .
This was also a period when the contradictions among the ruling classes and the contradictions between the Centre and States also had intensified . Massive peoples ’ movements and democratic movements had erupted in various states against the autocratic and over centralization of powers in the centre and antipeople policies of the Central Govt . In the background of this situation , the Congress Governments had fallen in 9 states reflecting serious economic and political crisis in the Country . Revolutionary politics too had come on the scene pointing out the explosive nature of the agrarian crisis and the need of its revolutionary resolution .
March , April - 2021
In the course of these developments , Ms . Indira Gandhi , the then prime minister of India , laid the foundation stone for VSP on Jan 20,1971 .
Thus the VSP was a product of prolonged struggles and sacrifices of people . The struggle to win it was one part . The efforts and sacrifices made by the Vishakha people to provide the land and other requirement for the setting up of the VSP is another part . The struggle of the displaced people to get the promises made by the Central Govt . honoured ( yet to be ) was another part . All the development and results achieved by the VSP in the last four decades are nothing but the result of sweat and bloodshed by the workers and people . The workers and people had to wage a most difficult struggle on one side , to save the VSP from gross neglect and the Central govt . s ’ policy of starving the plant for raw material and financial aid and , on the other hand , from the concerted attempts on the part of the Centre to sell away the plant in parts or as a whole . Now , again , when the Central Govt . has come with a decision to sell away the VSP-lock , stock and barrel – a people ’ s wealth which had developed into a monumental wealth with the sweat and blood of workers and people , the peoples ’ struggle had entered into a most crucial phase . It is most treacherous and against the will and interests of our people to sell away the people ’ s wealth which is considered to be a big source of livelihood and hoped to ensure better wages , conditions of work , security and rights for the laboring masses of people . This act of Central govt . will throw away thousands of worker and millions of people into a most uncertain future . Tasks before the People
Here the people have two tasks before them . 1 . Struggle to protect the VSP ; 2 ) Prepare for a prolonged struggle against the policy of privatization aggressively pursued by the present BJP Govt .
The Union Finance Minister has said in her recent Budget ( 2021-22 ) speech : “ We have kept four areas that are strategic where bare minimum Central Public Sector Enterprises ( CPSEs ) will be maintained and rest privatized . In the remaining sectors , all CPSEs will be privatized .” Soon after the BJP assumed power in May2014 , the PM Narendra Modi announced that the govt . had “ no business to be in business .”
Privatizations continued unabatedly . The Air India , BPCL , Shipping Corporation of India , Container Corporation of India and Pawan Hans etc were sold away . Decks are cleared to sell away or close down 439 CPSEs along with their subsidiaries . The BSNL , Insurance , Banks , Air Ports , Railways and Transport and many other sectors were brought into the ambit of disinvestment and privatization . The prime minister has , once again , reiterated that the Govt . has no business to be in business . The essence of the policy is clear : No sector can escape the axe of privatization .
At one time , the Indian rulers were telling that basic industries are crucial for economic development . But now they are bluntly declaring that it is not part of their business to continue them in the public sector and are selling them away whole sale . They make a big hue and cry when a PSE incurs some loss . But they write off lacs of Crores of rupees of bank loans the big corporate companies fail to pay on the plea of incurring losses . Getting their debts written off has become a most easy and convenient means of robbing the public money for the big corporate houses in India . Selling the PSEs , natural contd . on page 7
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