CPI-M breakaway groups come on common platform

New Delhi: Half a dozen breakaway groups of CPI-M have joined hands to launch political movements on people`s issues and work against both Congress and BJP, and appealed to all Left parties and organisations to join them.

"What we need today is not just a change of government. A mere change in the face of those who rule and deceive us will not do. If the corrupt and anti-people Congress regime is replaced by the BJP at the Centre, it will only mean adding more communal venom to the already vitiated political environment," the six groups said in a joint statement on Tuesday. Terming parties like SP, BSP and some other regional parties as "opportunist forces", they said there was "need for revival and renewal of a progressive transformative agenda" through waging of struggles and movements on people`s issues. At a meeting here on Sunday, they also extended support to the nationwide strike called by all central trade unions on February 20-21. Regarding their political objective, they said they would initiate discussion among various political parties and organisations who were "fighting on the ground to break the status quo and usher in progressive and democratic changes". They outlined a five-point charter which focused on restructuring the political system, replacing the `neo- liberal` economic regime, ending social oppression based on gender, caste, religion, language and ethnicity and safeguarding the secular character of the Indian state. The signatories to the statement were Mangatram Pasla (CPM Punjab), Prasenjit Bose (Left Collective), K S Hariharan (Left Coordination Committee Kerala), K Gangadharan (Marxist Party Tamil Nadu), Rajendra Paranjape (Marxvadi Vichar Manch Maharashtra) and V Lenin Kumar (SFI-JNU). They appealed to progressive, democratic, and Left political parties, social and mass organisations, unions, groups and individuals across the country "who broadly agree with the political objectives and were willing to struggle unitedly for their realisation to come together as partners in building a common platform". PTI