Their understanding of Atmanirbhar Bharat is to surrender the earth, sky and also the interest of people to satisfy the limitless greed of the super-rich. The Indian economy stooped down to ever deepen the crisis. Right from demonetization and GST, all their prescriptions were grievously affecting the living standards of the vast majority of masses. Unemployment rate has grown to 9.17percentage (CMIE, June,2021), rate of inflation has reached to 12 percentage (Whole sale price, MoSPI, July,2021). In the Global Hunger Index, Modi’s self-sufficient and prosperous India stands at the 94th place among 107 countries. All this happened not because of COVID19, as claimed by stormtroopers of the government. The crisis is systemic and manmade, even though the finance minister depicted it as an act of God.

The RSS-BJP government, instead of addressing the peoples’ grievances, attempts to impose more hardships on them. The anti-farmer farm laws, the anti-worker labor codes, the essential defense services act, the general insurance nationalization (amendment act) and the series of selling off of the public sector show the real and anti-national face of the hypocritic regime. Through fanning up communalism and social conflicts the RSS and its parivar tried to hide their treacherous pro corporate policies.

True to their fascist trait, the BJP government tried to strangle down dissent and discussions. The monsoon session of the Parliament revealed their total disregard for the Parliament and its procedures. The way in which they passed the bills shows their contempt for the basic principles of democracy. Fascists would tolerate democracy and its structures including Parliament only to the extent, those institutions play to the tunes of their class interests. Such a scenario is undoubtedly alarming to a democracy and its future.

The meeting of 19 Opposition parties held on August 20, attains significance in the above circumstances. It was the manifestation of India's developing political alertness towards the living conditions of the people. Such initiatives would be meaningful only when they pay proper attention to the concerns of the ordinary men and women, both politically and socially. The opposition meeting should be evaluated as a positive step in this regard. In a vast and varied country like India, the evolution of the political process would also be complex. Ideas and approaches of different forces and parties may not be alike.

The objective situation in the country reminds everyone that the country cannot wait indefinitely for the essential political actions that could bring confidence and hope to the people. More than 60 percent of the Indian people are opposed to the BJP government and its anti-people policies. But their voices are scattered. If those people would move to a united action plan, the country's politics can be changed. Such a change is inevitable for India, though not easy. The opposition parties from various quarters might be doing their work in their own style. But severally they could not rise to the expectations of the people who look for a reliable alternative. The CPI since 2015 was pursuing the idea of a broad platform of secular, democratic and left forces. Hence any move in that direction is a welcome step as far the party is concerned. The party participated in the meeting held on August 20 with that perspective.

The political battle in 2024 is going to be decisive as far as the country's future is concerned. Sixty percent of the masses who stood against BJP in the previous election look towards various forces with a collective will to unseat the unwanted government of the day. It is a heavy task with its own specific complexities. Any political party with a commitment to secularism and democracy cannot keep away from this task. That journey has to be accomplished in a short span of time. The 19 parties meeting assumes more significance due to this reason also. Those who attended the meeting called by the Congress President Sonia Gandhi are not expected to have unity in approach on every issue. Ideological and political differences of course exist between them. But they all came together with a common understanding to fight a common enemy.

The call from the meeting to organize joint nationwide protest actions from September 20 to 30, which is a commendable step in the country's political process. The 11-point charter of demands from the opposition parties is focused on the burning issues of the people. It noticeably includes various demands raised by the peasants and workers in their ongoing struggle. Many of the concerns of the most deprived sections of the society find their place in the charter of demands chalked out by 19 opposition parties. The left takes notice of it. This gives hope that the course of opposition parties' agitation would be mindful to the lives and struggles of the common people. We expect the left, democratic and secular forces would play their due role in making this agitation massive and purposeful. This can be the beginning of a great expedition to safeguard the people's basic interests and also to abide by country's fundamental principles. The ball has started rolling. We, the people of India, are to decide its future course. (IPA Service)