The all India general strike on 20-21 February has started
today morning , creating great impact in all fields. An estimated 120 million employees and
workers from banking, insurance, government services to transport, construction
and manufacturing sectors participating in it. Practically all trade union centers big and small, hundreds of independent unions across the country are
participating in it. Militant
demonstrations are taking place all over the country with tens of thousands
of workers and employees demanding a
reversal of the policies which have led to price rise, corruption and
impoverization of the life of the vast majority of the masses of people,
participating in them. There are reports that tens of thousands of workers from
practically all states are arrested. We congratulate the working class with the
hope that taking lessons from this great beginning they shall continue the
struggle till their demands are achieved.
At the same time from the response of the central and state
governments it is clear that even after their own trade unions participating in
this successful all India strike, the ruling class parties are not ready to
reverse the anti-working class and anti-people policies. It is reported that
the budget for 2013-14 shall continue and intensify the reactionary policies
which are making life more difficult for the working class and masses of the
people. So in order to force the reversal of the anti-people policies the
ruling system itself has to be changed. For this the working class should get
prepared to go beyond such token struggles to revolutionary upsurges, so as to
make basic changes to society. Let us hope that from their bitter experience
the working class shall get prepared for more protracted and system changing struggles in coming days, inspired by the success of this all India strike.
Once again we extend revolutionary greetings to the working class for this
successful all India strike.
K.N.Ramachandran,
General Secretary,
CPI(ML)
20th February, 2013
