The CPI(M) on Tuesday demanded that the Centre release the caste data from the Socioeconomic Caste Census (SECC). The party said the SECC data revealed that the trajectory of neo-liberal economic reforms has resulted in a sharp decline in the living standards of a vast majority of people.

After a two-day meeting of the Politburo, the party said in a statement that 90 per cent of the households reported an income of less than ₹10,000 by their main breadwinners.

“Over half the households are landless. Similarly, over half rely on casual manual labour as the source of main sustenance. A mere 3 per cent of rural households have just one family member who is a graduate and so on. These revelations come over and above the international surveys by UN agencies that have described India as home to the world’s largest number of hungry people,” the statement said.

“This would be for the first time since 1931 that the relative socioeconomic status of various caste groups will be shown. This should help in framing policies for affirmative action that have been promised by various central governments but not implemented till date,” it added.

The CPI(M) has announced a one-day protest demanding the removal and action against those involved in the “BJP’s patronage of corruption and nepotism”.

The party also condemned the “reversal of longstanding Indian position of support to the Palestinian cause” in the recent UN Human Rights Council vote.

“India’s decision to abstain, justified by the Ministry of External Affairs as a continuation of our previous policy, has been shown to be completely preposterous. On similar occasions, in March and June 2012, India voted for similar resolutions against Syrian government violations in its civil war,” it said.

“Such double standards clearly expose that India’s further pro-US and pro-Israeli shift is in preparation for the announced visit of PM Modi to Israel,” it added.

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