Even in Covid era, the well-offs got wealthier: CPI-M Sitaram Yechury

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury that even during the pandemic, some companies have earned billions of dollars through vaccines.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday that even during the pandemic, some companies have earned billions of dollars through vaccines.

Inaugurating the 16th state convention of the CPI-M here, Yechury said: "The rich countries of the world are endangering humanity for the sake of their own, and their companies' profits. Even in the times of Covid pandemic, instead of reducing the patent royalties from the vaccine, they are making it so expensive that many poor countries are unable to buy it. As a result, during this pandemic, poverty and unemployment have increased.

"Including in India, there has been a massive increase in the wealth of some of the world's richest individuals."

 

He said that the relief package -- stimulus package -- which the governments are announcing to come out of such a situation, is "also going directly into the vault of these trillionaires".

Due to this, hunger and deaths are increasing on one hand, while on the other, the betting market is flourishing, he said.

He said that the "imperialist" countries led by the US are making conspiracies to take over the post-Covid world.

"Efforts are being made to lay siege to the socialist countries which have protected their people by overcoming this disaster and kept the economy under control. The Indian government led by Narendra Modi has come to be known all over the world as a puppet of the US," the CPI-M leader said.

Referring to the situation in the country, Yechury said since coming back to power again after 2019, the Modi government has attacked and weakened the four identities of the core concept of India -- secular democracy, economic sovereignty, social justice and federal structure linked to center-state relations.

"Illegal arrests and restrictions have increased. Journalists are also being charged with treason. Atrocities on women, Dalits have intensified... tribals are being driven out of their settlements by handing over the land to the corporates... privatisation is being done rapidly. The work of the state government is being interfered with by sending people related to the RSS in the Raj Bhavans," the Left leader said.

Speaking on the almost year-long agitation by the farmers, he said: "The farmers have won by staging a historical agitation for a year."

"Our party will take forward these struggles to save the country and its people, by increasing the participation of more people and sections in them. Small industries and businesses are also in trouble, and demands will be raised for them too," Yechury said.

He said that in the coming days, his party will form a front which will have a common opinion in all these matters and "will liberate the people of the country from the corporate Hindutva rule of Modi".

--IANS

snp/sgk/pgh/