22 hours Ago By Prabhakar Tamilarasu
Madurai: Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo coordinator Prakash Karat Wednesday called for the party to adopt a political-tactical line against the BJP-RSS and the Hindutva forces that takes into account its multifaceted struggle. Addressing the 24th congress in Madurai, he also assured members that the party will address the prime issue of increasing the strength of CPI(M), independent from its collaboration with Left forces, in an effort to build a Left and democratic alternative. “Taken the country as a whole, there has to be a planned effort to launch local struggles on class and mass issues, build the Party at grass-roots and streamline the functioning of the party organisation,” he said.
A host of issues, including the party’s political-tactical line for the future, are on the agenda at the national conference which began on 2 April. With the sudden demise last year of the party’s general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, the congress will also select a new leader for the post. All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale from Maharashtra, CPI(M)’s international wing in-charge M.
A. Baby from Kerala, and B.V.
Raghavulu, former state secretary of unified Andhra Pradesh are among the top contenders. The 24th congress of the CPI(M) in Madurai. | By special arrangement CPI(M)’s politburo is also set for a major transformation with six members, including the veteran leaders Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Manik Sarkar, Suryakant Mishra, Subhashini Ali, and Pinarayi Vijayan likely to step down due to the strict age restrictions at 75.
The CPI(M) congress will also have a session on state rights Thursday, where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Kerala CM Pinarayi and Karnataka Higher Education Minister M.
C. Sudhakar are likely to participate. The draft resolution for the 24th congress, adopted in February, had come under criticism from the Kerala Congress and a section of the Left for allegedly watering down its stance against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre after it said stopped short of calling it a “fascist or neo-fascist government”, instead describing it as having “neo-fascist characteristics”.
The party congress is taking place at a time when Kerala, the only Left-ruled state, is scheduled to head for elections in 2026, along with the Opposition-led states of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Also Read: Ahead of Kerala polls, CPI(M) on mission to ramp up outreach to Malayalee diaspora in Britain, Ireland Karat further expressed concerns over the CPI(M) not being able to mobilise the masses to participate in political protests in its support. “The party and Left have been conducting many struggles in defence of the people’s livelihood and against the onslaughts of the neo-liberal politics.
But the masses, who have mobilised in these struggles, will be politicised only if there is a vigorous campaign amongst them against the reactionary and divisive Hindutva communalism,” he said. Although the party strives for the broadest mobilisation of all secular forces against the BJP, he said that it is the Left that can firmly and uncompromisingly fight all manifestations of Hindutva and majoritarian communalism, precisely because of the party’s uncompromising stand on neo-liberal policies. “The Left is the only consistent force against neo-liberal capitalism and who firmly defend the interests of the working people.
It is the Left, which has the ideological wherewithal and convictions to fight and counter Hindutva neo-fascism,” he said, Adding that the CPI(M) will fork with all Left forces towards building a Left and democratic alternative, he added, “It is only the Left, which can lead the fight against imperialist designs in our country.” The 24th congress of the CPI(M) in Madurai. | By special arrangement Karat also slammed the Modi government for displaying “neo-fascist characteristics”.
He also appealed to strengthen the Left unity and expand Left political intervention. In his speech, president of inaugural session of 24th congress, Manik Sarkar, said that the conference will discuss and show the way for uniting all secular and democratic forces to take on to fight, isolate, and defeat the BJP-RSS. Apart from enhancing the independent strength of the party by expanding the political, ideological, and organisational activities, he also said that the party congress will discuss to widen and intensify the struggles of the working class, pleasantry, urban and rural poor and champion the rights of the Dalits, Adivasis, women and minorities.
Sarkar also mentioned the CPI(M)-affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)’s protests against the Samsung manufacturing unit in Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram, in Tamil Nadu. “Every section of the working people are coming out to defend their rights. In this connection, I salute the workers of the Samsung India factory, who conducted a successful 38-day strike in Kancheepuram braving all sorts of repression,” Sarkar said.
In his inaugural address, former Tamil Nadu State secretary and party congress reception committee chairman K. Balakrishnan took a dig at BJP for its attempt to forge an alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Saying that Tamil Nadu was the only state to completely defeat the BJP, Balakrishnan added that its attempts to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu will not fructify even if it manages to forge an alliance with the AIADMK.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Bollywood lines, AI anchor & young faces — how CPI(M) is trying to rebuild itself in West Bengal var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.
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