Representatives of 17 district committees had taken part in the discussions till the first session on March 10th of the 24th State Conference of the CPI(M), West Bengal. Briefing reporters on the proceedings of the conference, Md Salim, Central Committee Member of the Party, said the delegate session of the conference started on 9th March had been inaugurated by Prakash Karat, General Secretary.
Placing the political organizational draft report, Biman Basu said party activists are fighting for protecting peoples right under tremendous attack. Due to continuous campaign and agitation programmes, the degree of terror in the state could be reduced a bit, he added. Anger among people is on the increase and a large section of the people of the state are looking forward to being rescued from TMC misrule, Com. Basu said. Sustained agitations have been undertaken, but effective resistance and launching of an all-pervasive mass movement by consolidating more people has not yet been possible, he conceded. At the same time, communal forces are playing their usual divisionist role. In this context, the inactive mentality among the party members has to be eradicated, committee functioning has to be improved, and the number of whole timers and circulation of party literature has to be increased, Com Basu emphasized. The final aim is to develop a organization geared for launching movements.
Com. Salim revealed that the delegates emphasized the problems of peasants, working people and also people from other sections. How the democratic process has been derailed during the TMC’s tenure was also discussed. Delegates also emphasised the need to launch movements by prioritizing the immediate problems and priorities of common people. Whenever such a movement has been launched, it has met with success, they pointed out. The Krishak Jatha, the struggle in the Durgapur industrial belt and jute mills and the unified movement of tea workers have assumed new dimensions, they noted. The view that unorganized sector workers’ demands must be more forcefully raised was also expressed. Delegates spoke of the need to ideologically enrich the party organisation, and to induct more of the younger generation and of women in the party. Md Salim said further that Com. Basu raised a proposal demanding thorough investigation of the chit fund scam and TMC’s financial involvement in it. The proposal was accepted. Md. Salim pointed out that the CPI(M) had earlier expressed its suspicion that the huge expenditure by TMC in the 2011 assembly election had been sponsored by some unholy forces. The truth is now coming out. A thorough investigation has to be conducted to find out who the beneficiaries are and what the character of expenditure was, he said while announcing that a rally on this demand would be organized that evening.
He also informed the reporters that 787 delegates, observers and special admits are taking part in the conference. Four other proposals have been placed. Those are against imperialist aggression, against communal forces, against neoliberal policies, in favour of the demand for social security, and against anti-democratic activities of the TMC government.