States must not stop with opposing Centre’s policies, must implement alternatives: Prakash Karat

CPI (M) leader spoke of steps taken by Kerala government to counter Modi’s ‘Corporate-Communal policies’

CPI (M) Politburo member Prakash Karat on Monday said State governments, run by political parties which oppose the BJP’s economic policies, should not just stop with opposing the Central government’s policies but implement alternative ones in favour of the people.

Speaking at the People’s Campaign movement against eight years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies in Vyasarpadi, Mr. Karat underlined the steps taken by the Kerala government to counter Mr. Modi’s ‘Corporate-Communal policies’.

“In the States where there are Opposition-ruled governments, we have to ensure these governments are able to implement policies in favour of the people and push through alternative policies (to that of the Central government). This is being done by the LDF government in Kerala…every effort to privatise a public sector undertaking in Kerala is being halted. A Central government public sector undertaking — National Paper Mill — was to be sold but the State government has reopened the mill as a public sector undertaking under the State government. All public sector units are being turned around and made profit-making entities instead of closing it,” he said.

Mr. Modi, he said, has been attacking social welfare policies as ‘freebies’. “In Tamil Nadu also, there are many social welfare measures — pension, grants for girl students, etc. All this is coming under attack. Narendra Modi has announced recently that Opposition parties are offering freebies to the people. What are freebies? Free public health, free education, mid-day meals, old age pension and all other social welfare measures are being attacked by the Modi government. So, our party has decided that it is not enough to oppose policies of the Modi government, but the government run by ‘secular and democratic’ Opposition parties must stand up to implement alternative policies to build widest unity in order to put up a political fight so that corporate-communal regime is defeated and rejected by the people,” he said.  

Mr. Karat also said that unemployment, along with inflation and price rise, has become a curse for the country and charged that State governments are being undermined by the use of Central agencies.