Formula 1 car rally is slap of capitalism on face of farmers Socialist Party held one-day protest dharna at Rajghat

Press Release 

The Socialist Party held one-day protest dharna at Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat, on 30 October 2011 against the Formula 1 car rally at Greater Noida, U.P.  In party's view, this event is a slap of insult on the face of farmers who are struggling against acquisition of their lands in Noida and other parts of the country. It is a vulgar entertainment on the dead bodies of farmers who have committed suicide as a result of neo-liberal policies. Claims that the organisers and sponsors are making that this event has graduated India from a developing to the developed nation; India has come up strongly on the world map; the sin of corruption in Common Wealth Games has been washed away etc. – only indicates their insensitive and narrow mind. The idea of having Formula 1 rally in India had entered with the entry of new economic policies two decades ago. The organisers kept trying to hold this event in different cities of like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. Finally, they got permission and facility in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which has become a battle field between the land hungry corporate and the farmers. This clearly states that Mayawati, Chief Minister of U.P., who achieved her political clout in the name of dalits and their Messiah Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, is in full support of capitalism along with other mainstream parties and leaders.

The Socialist Party has no strength to stop the car rally. But the party would like to convey the message from the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi that the nexus of governments, corporate houses and so-called civil society is reinforcing capitalist-consumerist ideology and system in the name of Gandhi. This is an insult to Gandhi. The ruling elite, who has fully embraced corporate capitalism, must stop this double speak. The protest dharna was organised to make deprived sections aware against the designs of the corporate capitalism and its beneficiaries in India. Dharna was attended by SPI's General Secretary Dr. Prem Singh, Delhi unit Convener Renu Gambhir, Justice Rajinder Sachar, senior socialist leaders Dr. Raj Kumar Jain, Shyam Gambhir, Dr. Mohammad Yunus, Rakesh Kumar, Kedarnath, DUTA Vice President Dr. Harish Khanna, Supreme Court advocate Anil Nauria, senior journalist Arun Tripathi, Secretary of Samajwadi Shikshak Manch Dr. Bikram Singh and activists of Socialist Yuvjan Sabha (SYS).  

   

Dr. Prem Singh ( General Secretary)