At the outset I would like to thank and express our gratitude to the people of Telangana who have extended their whole hearted support to organize our Party Congress in this historic city of Hyderabad.

It is the constitutional mandate of our Party that after every three years we have to organize our Party Congress. Accordingly after Visakhapatnam we are meeting here for our 22nd Congress.

What I would very humbly like to say is that, because of Party constitutional mandate, no doubt, Party Congress is very important event in our Party life. But this Party Congress is specially very important for us because country is standing at a crossroad due to the policies being pursued for last four years by the government at the Centre led by BJP and dictated rather, I should say, controlled by the RSS, a fascistic organization in its approach and activities since its inception which had no role in the freedom struggle of our country.

Politically, ideologically and on the question of economic programme and policies, this government is anti-people, out and out pro-rich and thoroughly reactionary which the country has not seen since independence. This government  has been pursuing the very obnoxious policy of divide and rule, destroying our cherished cultural ethos of secularism, attacking our democracy and acting as junior partner of US imperialism. Other than working class, working people, peasantry, agricultural workers, students, youth, women, especially Muslim minorities and dalits are under severe attack.

This situation cannot be tolerated and allowed to continue. Therefore, it is the prime and urgent task to mobilize the people of all walks of life to counter these all-out attacks and ensure crushing defeat of these forces as early as possible, for the sake and greater interest of the country and its people.

Here, at this juncture, lies the importance of our Party Congress. Why I am saying so?

Despite the fact that the Left is not so strong, considering their strength and existence in this vast country, but still the importance of the Left cannot be ignored. The role of the Left in organizing the class struggles, mass movements of our country, which certainly play a most positive role in influencing the political atmosphere of the country, is a proven fact.

Keeping this in mind, as a humble but important contingent of the Left forces in India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has to evolve a proper political tactical line to be pursued in the coming days vigorously to fulfill the desire and aspirations of the common people of our country, to isolate and ensure defeat of the BJP-RSS combine.  But, obviously, this has to be done without compromising our principled position as well as social and class outlook.

Particularly working class, working people, peasantry, and secular-minded, democratic-minded and patriotic people as a whole are anxiously waiting to see the outcome of our Party Congress.

In this backdrop, I do hope that the delegates and observers who have assembled in this Congress would certainly play their due role which certainly help further to develop class struggles and mass movements to meet the immediate political requirements. At the same time, this should help to advance the Party to develop and strengthen the Left democratic front which will be the real and popular front of the people of India in true sense.

We earnestly seek the blessings and active support of the people of India in our honest and sincere endeavor for the betterment of the people of India and real advance of our beloved country – India.