PRESS RELEASE

26^th November 2011, New Delhi

The Central Secretariat of All India Forward Bloc met at New Delhi on November 25, 2011. Com. (Dr.) Barun Mukherjee, senior leader of the party presided over the meeting. The meeting took stock of the current socio-political-economic situation of the country.

AIFB Campaign Against Price Rise, Corruption and FDI in Retail.

The All India Forward Bloc will streamline its Campaign against unprecedented price rise of all essential commodities since the UPA II came into power and the manifolding gigantic corruption at all levels. The Union government has no dearth of expert advice or policy prescriptions to bring down inflation, price rise and to arrest the declining growth rate of economy as the Prime Minister himself is an economist. But the experience of the Aam Aadmi in the last several month shows that the government is lacking political will and commonsense approach to control the price rise. The continuing double digit inflation is imposing a crushing burden on households. Vegetables are costlier by 26%, pulses by 14%, eggs, fish and meat by 13% and milk by 12%.  It is strange that when the supply is plentiful, the consumer is not getting the goods at moderate price. It is because that the government has allowed the monopolists to manipulate prices in such a manner that they can reap maximum profits.

The All India Forward Bloc all along fighting against the FDI in retail trade. More than 4 crores of people are currently employs in the retail trade sector, which contributes about 11% to the GDP. The present decision of the government to allow 51% FDI in multi brand products will lead high volume of displacement and will loose employment and livelihoods of crores of people all over the country. The All India Forward Bloc urges upon the government to withdraw its decision in this regard.

The party expresses its grave concern on the sorry plight of Indian farmers. The anti farmer policies of the government are forcing the farmers to commit suicide. The costs of agricultural inputs are increasing day by. After the withdrawal of fertilizer subsidy lack of adequate Minimum Support price and soft loan for agriculture are making the life of the farmers miserable.

The government is merely speaking against corruption but no concrete action has been taken so far to curb the menace. The AIFB demands more effective Lok Pal Bill and is of the opinion that the office of Prime Minister should also be brought under such legislation.

The All India Forward Bloc will launch a nationwide people’s movement during December 2011. The party will organize people’s campaign during December. The party will organise dharna, Picketing, public meetings etc. from 1^st to 15^th January 2012. The party appeals to the people from all walks of life to extend cooperation to this movement.

Kishenji’s death must be probed.

The All India Forward Bloc condemns the brutal killing of Kishenji (Com. Koteshwar Rao), the Polit Bureau member of CPI (Maoist) by the military and state force through ‘operation Green Hunt’ action at Junglemahal region of West Bengal. The reports about his death comes from different corners are raising serious doubts on the police version about the incident. The All India Forward Bloc will not endorse such annihilation of political opponents whatever may be their political ideology. Everybody should get justice before the law of the land. There was no order of ‘Shoot at Sight’ against Kishenji. The government should bring all extremists before the court for trial instead of killing at once. The government should come clean about the circumstances which led to such murder.

The party is not in favour of the actions of the ‘Maoists’ groups in different parts of the country including West Bengal. At the same time the party has sympathy on the issues being raised by these groups. The Left Front of West Bengal repeatedly asked these groups to come forward for dialogues instead of acting as tools in the hands of the bourgeois political forces who try to dislodge the LF government of West Bengal. All such forces should learn lessons from this brutal incident.

Meria Kumar Agreed to Correct the Mistake.

Recently the Lok Sabha secretariat has published a book titled ‘Honouring National Leaders: Statues and Portraits in Parliament’, in which it was inscribed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died on 18-08-1945. Though there is no evidence about his death in the alleged plane crash. The last Commission – Justice Mukherjee Commission- emphatically proved that Netaji did not die in the plane crash. The party took up the matter with Lok Sabha secretariat to rectify the mistake. But all efforts went in vain. The AIFB organized nationwide protest against this conspiracy and met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on 25^th November 2011. The Speaker admitted that it was a gross mistake from the part of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and it will be corrected immediately as there is no evidence about the death of Netaji in the alleged plane crash in 18^th August 1945.

Declare 23^rd January as ‘Desh Prem Divas’

The All India Forward Bloc will continue its campaign to pressurize the government to declare 23^rd January, the birthday of Netaji as ‘Desh Prem Divas’ and to accept the Justice Mukherjee commission report.