Left plans joint front against FDI, other reforms

The Left parties, CPM, CPI, RSP (Revolutionary Socialist Party of India) and Forward Bloc, will meet next week to discuss forming a joint front against FDI and other economic reforms.

They are also to expand the front by involving civil society organisations.

Top leaders of the CPM and CPI on Friday held a meeting to decide further course of action. The meeting attended by leaders including CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and senior CPI leader A B Bardhan discussed strategy of forming a joint front of “Left and democratic forces” against FDI in multi-brand retail, insurance and pension funds and other economic reforms initiated by the Manmohan Singh government.

 “In addition to bringing non-NDA and non-UPA political parties, the Left will involve civil society and other organisations in opposing economic reforms,” said sources.

“ We have decided to intensify our struggle, will hold state conferences,” said Bardhan after the meeting. “We will co-ordinate with those who are opposed to these policies,” he said.
 “The Left parties will meet in the next week to chalk out programme for massive resistance to these anti-people and anti-national policies,” said CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy in a statement.                                

Condemning the government’s move aimed at further liberalising the economy, Reddy said: “Though this is being done in the name of fiscal consolidation, the experience of European Union countries that implemented such measures to carry forward the process of neo-liberalism has clearly shown that it will ruin the national economy.”