Step up the struggle to end the marginalization of people in governance!

Break the domination of the big political parties of the bourgeoisie over the political process!

Beginning with elections to the Punjab Assembly in early February, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls. Elections to the Muncipal Corporations of Maharashtra and the Muncipal Corporation of Delhi are also on the anvil.

The Communist Ghadar Party calls upon all those political and social forces which are fighting against the onslaught on the livelihood and rights of workers and peasants and other working people, against the onslaught on the livelihood and rights of the tribal people, against state terrorism, against the dangerous Indo-US Strategic alliance, to unite around one platform and actively intervene in these elections.

The past two-and-a-half years of the Congress-led UPA rule at the centre and BJP-led NDA rule in many states has been a period of a continuous and unrelenting onslaught on the right of workers and peasants and working people to life, livelihood, education, health, shelter and a decent life. Undaunted by the mounting attacks, the people have fought back through strikes, roadblocks, hunger strikes, rallies, and other forms of protests. The coming elections offer one more form of struggle for the people to put forward their demands and defeat those political parties which work against the interests of the people.

All the ruling class parties are in a deep crisis. They are all united around the same anti-people program of privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation, the program of state terrorism and communal and fascist violence. The deep dissatisfaction of the people is getting mirrored in dissensions within the bourgeois parties, breaking of alliances, as well as a desperate hunt for new formulae and slogans.

The political system and process in place in India ensures the domination of the ruling class parties over decision making and governnance on the one hand, and the marginalisation of the people from decision making on the other. It is clear that as long as this system remains in place, all that will happen is the replacement of one set of parties of the ruling class by another to carry on the very same anti-people policy and program,

The challenge before us is to break this situation of sandhi, status quo. It can be done. It must be done.

There is a clash between those striving that the workers and peasants, women and youth can and must become rulers, must determine the economic and political course of India, and those who are scheming to ensure that a minority, the big bourgeoisie and political parties representing it, rule. There is a growing polarisation betwen two camps — the camp of those fighting to enable the workers and peasants to become rulers, and the camp of the status quo.

The Communist Ghadar Party of India calls upon workers and peasants and working people to actively intervene in the upcoming elections to strengthen their own unity and advance their struggle. Actively campaign for an end to party system of rule, actively campaign that people, not political parties must select candidates! Organise for the selection and election of candidates from amongst the people! Agitate amongst people to reject the candidates selected by political parties! Agitate for the right to recall of candidates who fail to fulfil the aspirations of the electorate! Agitate for the right of people to initiate legislation!

The bourgeosie seeks to legitimise its rule and its anti-worker, anti-peasant, anti-national program through elections. We must utilise these elections to intensify the crisis of the bourgeoisie, of its political parties, and of its political system of rule. .

The Communist Ghadar Party of India pledges its support to all initiatives that will lead to the genuine empowerment of the people. Let us unite political parties, organizations and individuals that reject the policies and programs of the bourgeoisie and intervene in the coming elections by selecting and electing peoples candidates!