CPI(M) WEST Bengal state 26th conference has called upon the Party workers to be ready for militant struggles in the coming days. The Party will forge ahead with indomitable courage and highest sacrifice, deepening the link with the working people and strengthening the independent strength of the Party.
The state conference was held on March 15-17, at Kolkata’s Promode Dasgupta Bhavan (Comrade Nirupam Sen Nagar, Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty Manch).
Inaugurating the conference, CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury said “the RSS-BJP has been successful in blurring the crisis of livelihood issues by aggressive Hindutva ideology.” Referring to the state of UP, he said that the state suffered extremely during the pandemic, migrants walked for hundreds of miles, dead bodies were strewn in the Ganges. However, Hindutva triumphed over all these issues in UP.
Yechury said, “RSS-BJP is trying to replace scientific history with Hindu mythology. One cannot resist this aggression without rational, ideological resistance. Left forces, therefore, are the main enemy of the RSS.” Referring to the prime minister’s statement, he said, “the PM himself has admitted in an interview given to a television channel that despite the Left forces being pushed into a ‘corner’, that is Kerala, their ideology is ‘dangerous’.” It is actually ‘dangerous’ for them. This ideological element is the basic reason why the Left forces are being considered the main challenger to RSS-BJP. They want to weaken Congress so that they remain the only national party. The other regional parties will be forced to depend on them. For example, TMC in West Bengal has helped BJP to grow. But Hindutva Rastra is not possible without destroying the federal structure. Attacks of federalism will grow and it will give rise to sharper contradictions with regional parties, opening up new possibilities of political understanding with them, he stated.
Yechury observed that the aggression of Hindutva forces must be resisted through class and mass movements. He said, otherwise we will not be able to proceed towards Peoples’ Democratic Revolution or even defend the constitutional democracy. This needs the growth of independent strength of the Party, strength for political intervention. We have to present an alternative along with the other Left forces. There should be an all-out effort for the highest possible unity of the secular forces. He said: “The Party in West Bengal, the rib of Communist movement in India, must play a frontal role in this task.”
Polit Bureau member, Prakash Karat, in his observation, reminded that to retrieve Party’s lost ground it is necessary to continuously fight politically and ideologically against BJP while fighting the TMC. BJP is trying to expand eastwards now. Though they were defeated in assembly elections in West Bengal, they have been able to become the main opposition and the poisonous effects of their campaign cannot be underestimated. The fight against the Modi government’s policies alone is not sufficient. The ideological struggle against Hindutva forces is absolutely necessary.
Karat said it is true that CPI(M) alone cannot thwart the RSS-BJP aggression. But without developing independent strength of the Party nothing else can help. The expansion of CPI(M) will help to build up Left unity and unity of the secular democratic forces.
Karat praised the work of Red Volunteers and said they have created an example before the whole country. He reminded that the Communists played a heroic role in relief during the 1943 Bengal famine.
Karat said, apart from the terror, TMC has gained from some projects. In other states too these kinds of so-called welfare projects had been initiated and their impact has been reflected in election results. We will study this thoroughly. We have to study the contents of identity assertions and work among them through platforms.
Karat said, there is a grave challenge to the Party and Left movement in India. Without the rejuvenated Party in West Bengal, the Left forces cannot advance in the country. The Party is directly under severe attack in West Bengal. We have to rebuild the Party and reinforce our relations with the people.
In sum up, Surjya Misra emphasised attention to social categories like SC-ST, minorities, which form the largest part of the proletariat and semi-proletariat. The class struggle and the movement on social issues should be carried forward simultaneously. He also pointed out that we have to go the individuals, comprehend their problems and aspirations and interact with them. He declared that the Party in West Bengal will not be cowed down in the face of terror and build up new waves of struggle in the coming days.
The conference was presided over by a presidium consisting of Biman Basu, Mohammad Salim, Ramchandra Dome, Ashok Bhattacharya and Deblina Hembram.
CPI(M) West Bengal state 26th conference elected an 80-member state committee unanimously. CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, Mohammad Salim has been elected as the new state secretary.
The new state committee has 23 new entrants. Most of them are young comrades, ranging from student-youth movement to peasant front. Among the state committee members, 14 are women and 12 are minorities.