Uttarakhand: CPI(M) Holds Third State Conference
THE Uttarakhand unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held its third state conference at Comrade Chittabrato Majumdar Nagar, in Rudraprayag, from November 30 to December 2. Inaugurating the conference, the party’s Polit Bureau member and member of parliament, Brinda Karat, said the CPI(M) has acquired a goodwill among the common, exploited and oppressed people of the country, as was visualised by the 18th congress of the party in regard to its expansion in the Hindi speaking areas. The efforts made by the party units in this regard during the last three years have given some positive results. It was only the CPI(M) and the Left that pushed for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and prevented the move to privatise such navaratna public sector companies as the BHEL.
As for Uttarakhand, the organising committee has won the status of a state committee.
The speaker underlined how the party is striving to make the people aware regarding the issues of the country’s sovereignty, independent foreign policy and self-reliance, and against the moves to make India an adjutant of the US imperialists. The people are increasingly realising that the CPI(M) would never deviate from its duty towards the country. The controversy regarding the nuclear deal has made it clear that the government won’t survive if the deal is pushed through. The party has made it very clear that it extended its support to the UPA government after its own NCMP promised that it would resist the imperialist blackmail, curb the communal forces and take steps to rush relief to and improve the life of the poor and the deprived.
Explaining the contradiction between imperialism and the third world peoples, Brinda Karat clarified how, in this age of neo-liberal globalisation, inequalities are shooting up not only between countries but also between classes in any particular country. This would devolve new responsibilities upon the communist and progressive forces, so that the common people could be saved from imperialist depredations. The solidarity of the developing countries can successfully defeat the imperialist machinations at the global level, and this is already happening.
The speaker also dwelt on the Nandigram issue. She said the ‘grand alliance’ of the Trinamul Congress and the maoists indicate how they are afraid of the growing popularity of the CPI(M) and trying to prevent the party from growing. Some parties are concerned that the strength of the Left must not go beyond 61. This is the common concern of many parties and groups --- from Mamata Bannerjee to L K Advani to George Bush. The people are, however, fed up with the loot and plunder being perpetrated in the name of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.
Vijay Rawat presented the secretary’s report after the inaugural session, outlining the party’s work and growth in the last three years. The state had an assembly poll this year in which the ruling Congress party was routed and the BJP formed a government in alliance with the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal. However, the plight of the people is the same as before. Immediately after coming to power, the BJP tried to create communal frenzy at four places in the state. There has been no let-up in the cases of theft, robbery, rape and murder, or in the incidence of corruption, while developmental works are at a standstill. The report wondered how 83 percent of the money earmarked for developmental works could be utilised in only four remaining months of the ongoing fiscal year.
In sum, the people are unable to differentiate between the Congress and the BJP. Both these parties as well as the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal have not left any stone unturned to kill the aspirations with which the people had formed the state seven years ago. Widespread disappointment and anger are a natural result of this situation.
The secretary’s report mentioned the various struggles launched during the last three years on various issues facing the people. The CPI(M)’s activities have increased in several districts. Implementation of labour laws in Ramdev’s pharma factory in Hardwar, retrieval of the land belonging to the displaced Bengalis from the clutches of the usurers in the Shakti Farm in Udhamsingh Nagar, status of the contract workers of the BSNL in Tehri district, blackmarketing of LPG and kerosene oil in state capital Dehradun and prevention of the acquisition of land for a shopping mall have been among the major issues of struggle.
The CPI(M) state secretary also presented the review report regarding the assembly polls in the state and the CPI(M)’s participation in it. He also stressed the need of participation in the forthcoming elections for village panchayats and other local bodies. It also stressed the need to strengthen the mass organisations led by the party and unleash mass struggles.
Many delegates to the state conference enriched the secretary’s report by putting forward concrete suggestions and amendments. The conference then unanimously adopted the resolution.
There were 117 men and 12 women among the delegates. Rajendra Singh Rana (22) was the youngest and Satya Prakash was the oldest among them. As many as 42 delegates were below 40. One of the delegates was illiterate while 63 were graduates and postgraduates. Those earning Rs 5,000 a month numbered 31, while 56 were poor peasants. Wholetimers numbered only 10. 41 delegates were active in the Kisan Sabha while only 6 were active among women.
The conference elected a 19 member state committee, which in turn elected a 6 member secretariat. Vijay Rawat was re-elected state secretary. The conference also elected three delegates and two observers for the 19th party congress.
Before the conference, Brinda Karat addressed a mass meeting at Rudraprayag on November 30, lambasting the central and state governments for the miserable plight of the hill people of Uttarakhand and particularly of those engaged in agriculture, their increasing emigration, lack of industrial units in the state, and widespread hunger and malnutrition, more so among the women. She warned the BJP-UKD government that communists would not remain mute spectators if it fails to create adequate employment opportunities in the state and arrange adequate and subsidised ration for the people. Failure to retrieve the poor people’s land from the usurers and he and mafia in the plains of the state, widespread neglect of the land reform programme and of developmental works, growing sense of insecurity among the minorities, dalits and women, and the progressively deteriorating law and order situation in the state are the major failures of the Khanduri government. After the mass meeting, veteran freedom fighter Satya Prakash hoisted the party’s flag at the conference venue, and Brinda Karat and the delegates paid floral tributes at the martyrs column.