The CITU greets the working class and the people of the socialist countries, who keep the banner of socialism fluttering, despite setbacks in certain other parts of the world.

The CITU greets the working class of the advanced capitalist countries and those in the erstwhile `tiger economies' of South Asia, who had been on the path of struggles against the challenges unleashed in the process of neo-liberal globalisation.

The CITU pledges solidarity with the fighting brethren in the third world countries in their fight to safeguard national sovereignty, self-reliance, trade union and democratic rights, which are under constant attack under the IMF-WB-WTO dispensation.

The CITU emphasises the need for all anti-imperialist forces to unitedly raise their indignant protest against the imperialist violations of the United Nations charter, as demonstrated by the recent NATO air-strikes against Yugoslavia, and the continuing offensive against Iraq and blockade of socialist Cuba. The US administration, with the help of its allies, is trying to fully exploit the present unipolar international situation in the post-Soviet era to pursue its goal of global hegemony. The working people, all the world over must unite to give a fitting rebuff to these imperialist offensives.

This May Day is witnessing a new turn in the national political situation. The coalition Government at the Centre, led by a rank communal party, had to bow out of office after it was voted out in Parliament. The country and the people, have no doubt, got a respite from the rule by forces of fascistic `hindutva' ideology, that did everything to rip apart the secular fabric of the polity. Yet, the grave threat to the unity, integrity and pluralistic character of the country, has by no means vanished.

In the thirteen months of BJP led government, the Sangh Parivar mounted barbaric assaults against the minorities - particularly targetting christians during this spell, penetrated into all institutions - academic, social political and cultural, shattering all the past traditions of secular governance. The federal polity of India, was taken for a ride. Intrigues amongst the partners of the motley coalition pushed the government into total non-performance.

There was an all round failure which left every section of Indian society thoroughly dissatisfied. The economy was loose shunted on rails to utter ruination. The `jingoism' resorted to after the Pokhran II blasts, followed by the launching of the Agni II missile made India vulnerable to pressures on the international front, the much tom-tomned `Bus to Lahore' notwithstanding. The inevitablity of the spiralling of arms race in the region has come true with Pakistan immediately responding to it. The IMF-WB-WTO regime found a pliant and command obedient administration, which faithfully carried out its farmans on international trades opening up every sector of the economy, and what not. The new dispensation holding the reigns of power at the centre is naturally constrained by the measure of instability inherent in the current situation. While the secular minded citizens can hope that the communal and fundamentalist forces could be kept at bay, they may have nothing to cheer up on the economic front, even in the post-BJP rule.

The working people should bear in mind that the thirteen-months long BJP rule, witnessed the main opposition, egging on and colluding with the government, to push through the Patents Amendment Bill and get the stage cleared for passage of Insurance Regulatory Authority Bill, all in the interests of the MNCs out to goose up every avenue to plunder profits at the expense of our national economy and the people, and to undermine the national sovereignty.

The communal forces, furious as they are that their government at the Centre had to stage an ignominious exit just after 13 months, will be out to create communal tensions and riots, now that even the little restraint they had to exercise in the interest of keeping their government in office is off.

The working people and trade union movement in the country must continue to keep its vigil and carry forward the relentless fight against the twin damages of the Fund-Bank dictated economic policies and communalism.

Eight years of the economic liberalisation programme, implemented with steadfast devotion, by the successive governments at the centre, had done immense harm to the Indian economy, the people and the working class.

In their pursuit of mindless privatisation, the successive rulers have virtually embarked on liquidating the public sector, handing over a golden platter the profit-making ones to private hands and closing down the non-profit making ones, without even a semblance of an attempt to rehabilitate them. Several lakhs of jobs have been lost and the mechanism of National Renewal Fund has been used only to finance the so-called voluntary retirement scheme to retrench workers in thousands. In the process, one fundamental source of strength of our economy is being pulled down.

Despite talk of India being offered as a most attractive destination for investment, there is a slow-down of industrial growth. Sickness that has affiliated Indian industries is menacingly spurning closures and loss of jobs. Thus there is neither new employment generation nor protection of existing jobs.

The labour legislations are in a state of total collapse. More and more sections of labour are sought to be taken out of the purview of industrial legislations. In the name of adjusting the legislations to the era of globalisation, the labour market is totally being deregulated. Labour is reduced to just yet another commodity and not treated as a social partner.

The rural India presents a picture of abject poverty and misery. The extension of liberalisation policies to the agricultural sector, leading change in the cropping pattern in the country and failure of crops due to patented seeds, is driving the peasants to suicide in different parts of the country. The vast multitude of agricultural workers are targets of both merciless exploitation and inhuman social oppression. Attempts to rise in resistance against these are met with murderous onslaughts by the upper caste dominated rural gentry. The much awaited Agricultural Workers' Bill is yet to see the light of the day.

Our women folk, who bear the brunt of the burdens inflicted by the pursuit of the disastrous economic policies, are targets of sexual assaults as well, throughout the length and breadth of the country. Despite platitudes by everyone, the women are denied their due place in decision making bodies.

Students and youth in the country are faced with a bleak and uncertain future, thanks to commercialisation of education and dwindling job opportunities.

The poor and the commoner in the country has no relief in the face of ever-increasing prices. The Public Distribution System is a poor shadow of what it was intended to be. In the name of targeted PDS, by interpreting the poverty level definitions, even the skeleton arrangements for supply of essential commodities at affordable prices is sought to be dispensed with.

While this situation calls for united resistance and struggle by all sections of the people, their unity is sought to be fractured by communal and caste mobilisations by vested interests.