Com. Wilson, committed to stand shoulder to shoulder with each one of the worker, peasant and common man to fight for these basic rights of the people. He and his team explained in each of the street corner meetings, that, in order for us to get what is our basic right, it is required that all of us – workers, peasants and oppressed sections – unite on a common platform, to demand that the present capitalist system which defends all exploitation be smashed. And create a new system, which will work to defend their interests. They pointed out that today’s constitution was not created by representatives of working people, but created by an elite class, which was not even elected by the common man. Hence the today’s constitution is in real people’s sense is not legal. It has been created by the rich, to defend what is in their interest alone and that is the reason, we see so many black laws enacted on the common man and workers, who raise their voice against the corruption ridden system.
Com. Wilson raised various relevant questions on this system. Is it not the duty of the government to address all the issues of the working population, when they protest against the price rise, when they protest against the inhuman working conditions, when they protest against unavailability of medicines, doctors and affordable health care, when they protest that their salary is not sufficient to maintain human standards of living, when workers are not even respected to have their choice of union, when they are not assured of a safe life after their retirement with sufficient pensions, when they are not assured of having nutritious food for their family? He alleged, that far from the government enabling these issues is resolved in favor of the majority of working population; they are the reason to it, by defending exploitation and enabling capitalists to loot the country without any resistance.
Com. Wilson pointed out that petrol price has been raised consistently by both Congress and BJP. Actual data shows BJP increased from Rs. 22.84 a litre on March 19, 1998 to Rs. 33.71 a litre on May 22, 2004, which is 48% increase in a period of 6 years of their rule. Congress in their two terms of UPA I and UPA II, increased from 33.71 a litre on May 22, 2004 to 71.41 a litre as on date, which is an increase of 112% in a period of 10 years. Both Congress headed front and BJP headed front are fighting against each other, to show the capitalist class that, they can attack the people better than the other, while posing to be on the people’s side.
He also pointed out that the big fuss being made about people being subsided is just a farce. In reality, Indian government gives concessions more than thrice in terms of money value to a hand few of industrialists than it gives to the people at large. He said the actual revenue forgone for 2011-12 is 5.4 lakh crore and that of 2012-13 is 5.8 lakh crore, which is nothing but open favours to the industrialists. He asked the people be aware that when any of these capitalist parties take the throne now, they are hell-bent on further attacks to the people, in the name of privatization, liberalization and globalization and to move more of what is being accounted for in the head of subsidies to revenue forgone in the coming budgets.
The campaigners pointed out that more than 32% of current budget expenditure is on interest payment and for repayment of debt which is of the order of 5.4 lakh crore. That is, this government spends more than 51% of people’s money other than revenue forgone year on year, again to money lenders, who are the biggest corporations and banks. Total defence and police spending in year is around 23% of revenue receipts.
The campaigners pointed out that to provide 35 kg of food grains per family of 5 members at the rate of Rs 3 per kg would mean shelling out Rs. 1.2 lakh crore only for the whole of India, whereas the government spends around 2 lakh crore of rupees of defence of which 70% is on buying new weapons. This shows that the ruling classes are more interested in giving profits to weapon manufacturers more than taking care of the people.
Com. Wilson and the campaigners pointed out that, these atrocities of doling out all the money to the capitalist corporations which is only a hand few, while singing the song of ‘resource not available’ or ‘bitter medicine’ to the majority of the people, need not be tolerated. It is not that ‘nothing can be done about this terrible situation’. In order for us to come out of this impoverishment of powerlessness, all of us have to unite. There is a way out of this crisis. It is to take power from the capitalist class to the hands of the working people and peasants. It is to revamp the constitution so that it represents the interest of the common man and hold as inviolable the rights of all individuals and make the right to exploit as a crime.
Com. Wilson and the campaigners called for all to unite and vote for Com. Wilson in the symbol Torch Light, to represent our unity of action in this situation. And this call reverberated in places near Marthandam like Kalingarajapuram, Idaikodu, Mukootukal, Arumanai, Muzhukodu, Puthansanthai, Panachamoodu, Kaliyal, Kadayalumoodu, Siraar, Pachupparai, Kothaiyaru, Kuzhithurai. The team also went to Nagercoil and did propaganda in important places like Meenatchipuram, Vadacheri, Vepamoodu junction. It also, went around Azhakiya Pandiyapuram, Gospel Nagar, Padikara Konam, Kulasekaram. In all the junctions and street corner meetings, enthusiastic friends and supporters distributed leaflets in support of Com. Wilson and asked people to vote for Torch Light in the coming loksabha election. Other comrades sold the booklet titled “Corruption, Capitalism and the Indian State” which was recently released in Tamil, in all the meeting places. The campaign is matching the heat of the state, by raising the level of opinions and thought amongst the Kanyakumari working people. This has also brought enthusiasm at the ground level.
