Statement

AIPWA strongly condemns the attempts of the BJP Govt. in Uttarakhand to defeat pluralism through the Uniform Civil Code. On 7th Feb. 2024, the Uttarakhand State Legislative Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code, 2024, (“UCC”) becoming the first post-independence state to pass a law on UCC. The UCC has been a prominent part of the BJP’s election demands in 2014, forming a part of its 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto as well.

CPIML General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya said in a press conference on 14 February that BJP backed feudal forces have consistently been conspiring in the Bhojpur region against the rural poor’s movement. They have killed hundreds of people in massacres and filed false cases against CPIML leaders. Incidentally, so far none of the perpetrators of innumerable massacres taken place during the 1990s have been brought to justice.

CPIML in Uttarakhand has criticised state administration and police for inflicting indiscriminate violence on residents of Banbhoolpura in Haldwani. The party has asked to stop such retaliatory vengeful atrocities on people. Party’s Uttarakhand secretary Indresh Maikhuri has said Banbhoolpura violence was a result of state government’s irresponsible actions taken in haste, undermining the intelligence department’s inputs. The party has held Nainital DM and SSP directly responsible and demanded their immediate removal and a high level judicial inquiry. 

Expressing steadfast support to the February 16 industrial and sectoral strike and rural bandh (shutdown) call by the joint platform of Central Trade Unions and Farmers Unions (SKM), CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that the unity of the toiling masses must deliver a historic blow to the anti-worker and anti-farmer policies of Modi government. 

Uttarakhand State Committee of CPI(ML) Secretary Indresh Maikhuri in a statement issued on February 6 strongly condemned the divisive Uniform Civil Code (UCC) legislation introduced in Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly by BJP government. He said that the bill is a futile exercise and doesn’t bring uniformity amongst citizens in any way. Rather, the bill is aimed at furthering BJP's nefarious agenda of communal polarization. Furthermore, the bill is an attempt by the state to make intrusion in personal relations of consenting adults.

CPI(ML) Liberation has submitted a written submission to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ High Level Committee (HLC) on January 8th, 2024 in response to the public notice regarding simultaneous elections issued by the HLC. Terming the ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) / simultaneous elections proposal as undemocratic, CPIML said that this pet idea of the BJP undermines the basic spirit of democracy and federalism that constitutes the lifeblood of the Constitution.

With only a few weeks for the decisive 2024 General elections, Central Committee of CPI(ML) Liberation has launched a country-wide Jan Sankalp Abhiyan (Mass Pledge Campaign) with an appeal to ‘ We, the People of India.’ 

CPI(ML) condemns the custodial killing of three civilians belonging to the Bakarwal Gujjar community, who along with others were picked up by the Army after a militant ambush on an army convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch on December 21.  Mohammad Showkat, Safeer Hussain and Shabir Ahmad succumbed to injuries inflicted on them apparently through custodial torture. Five other detained civilians were hospitalized due to injuries. The Sarpanch of Topa Peer village and relatives have identified them in the alleged video of torture doing the rounds on social media.

As the Modi government attempts to impose the draconian new penal codes – the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, thousands of transport workers across the country have embarked on protests and strikes since January 1. The new criminal laws, which will have far reaching consequences on people’s liberty and rights were passed on December 20 by a parliament amid the large scale suspension of majority of opposition MPs.