Resolution
(Adopted at the 20th Congress of the CPI(M),
On the Establishment of
Legislative Assembly for Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) notes that India being the largest democratic country should provide it’s people in its various parts with structures of elected governance to address their concerns. But even after the passage of over six decades after independence, the government of India has failed to provide a democratic set-up with a legislature for the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The Congress notes with concern that bureaucrats reign supreme in the Island territory on the basis of their own subjective whims and fancies. The people have no say at all in the governance of the Union Territory. The budget allotted by the Union Government are also not being properly used in the benefit of the people. This came under sharp focus in the aftermath of Tsunami and consequently the relief and rehabilitation suffered severely.
The Party Congress feels that people of the Islands in general and the working people and the poor in particular are deprived of their legitimate demands and democratic rights. Democratic public opinion in the Islands have been time and again, demanding the establishment of a legislative assembly for many years. Attempts have been made by CPI(M) MPs in the Parliament for accepting this demand. But these have not yielded any fruitful result because of the lack of positive response from successive governments at the Centre.
The Party Congress believes that unless a legislative assembly on the lines of Puducherry is provided for the A & N Islands, the problems of islanders cannot be redressed in a democratic manner. Significantly, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to the Islands had assured an all-party meeting that this demand would be given a due consideration.
Therefore, the Congress urges upon the Government of India to take immediate measures to provide legislative assembly for the Island territory on the Puducherry model thereby fulfilling aspirations of the island’s citizens.