Farmer plank gone, Left plans stir over inflation

NEW DELHI: Even as the UPA-Left confrontation over the Indo-US nuclear deal nears its climax, the CPM has decided to take on the Manmohan Singh government on bread and butter issues. The CPM will take to the streets against price rise and food security on March 18.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party���s central committee which ended on Sunday. Accusing the government of inaction to tackle the problem of price rise, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters that the government had ignored suggestions made by the Left for countering price rise of essential commodities.

In a six-point wish list, Left Parties had demanded ban on futures trading in grain, strengthening of PDS and cut in prices of petroleum products. Besides this, they sought increased government intervention in procurement and distribution of essential commodities, reversing dilution of the Essential Commodities Act and bringing more items under its purview.

An anti-Congress offensive on the issue of price rise was part of the Left���s strategy to put the government on the defensive. The other major issue��� agrarian crisis ��� which the Left had planned to arm itself with to attack the Congress has lost its edge with the government announcing waiver of farmers��� loans worth Rs 60,000 crore.

The Left���s campaign is now expected to focus on price rise, an issue which the comrades are of the view has been responsible for the Congress debacle in recent assembly elections. The Left has alleged that the government was trying to underplay the ���double digit inflation��� and expressed concern that prices of wheat, rice, dal, vegetables and medicines have gone up, hitting the common man.

Rejecting the Centre���s claim that inflation was under control, the Left has said that the Consumer Price Index for industrial, agricultural and rural workers ���called its bluff���. The demonstration against price rise comes close on the heels of the Left deadline of March 15 for the government to spell out its plans on the nuclear deal. With the ultimatum on the deal hanging over the UPA, the CPM will move to issues ���closer to the common man���.