People's Democracy

TRIPURA

CPI(M) Plans Convention on Price Rise & Food Security on Oct 9

Haripada Das

THE recent massive victory of the Left Front in the local bodies polls, is viewed not only as an achievement at an all India level,  but at the same time, this victory has bestowed a huge responsibility to translate into action the pledges the Left Front had made to the people and honour the verdict. The CPI(M) called upon the newly elected members and office bearers of the three-tier panchayats to conduct the functioning of the panchayat maintaining full transparency, high standard and targeting time bound completion of all works through involving the people and paying due importance to the advices coming forth from the masses. This call was made by the Tripura state committee that met on September 10-11. The Party must adopt a relentless befitting endeavor, political and organisational, to win over the people of the panchayats where CPI(M) and the Left Front had suffered defeat and thus gather new friends behind the Party, it said.

The state committee reviewed the election results of three-tier panchayats, bye-elections to 47 village committee seats under ADC, 3 seats of two nagar panchayats and single seat of Agartala municipal council held on July 20. The Left Front which fought the elections unitedly this time attained 56.89 per cent of the total polled votes. In respect of seats, Left Front  scored 81.21 per cent in gram panchayats, 87.63 per cent in panchayat samity and 90.25 per cent in zilla parishad. Women had a bigger participation in this election.  35 per cent of the total seats were won by the women against the reserved 33.33 per cent seats for them. The Left Front had to nominate 87 per cent new candidates mainly due to rotational change of reservation position, the state committee noted.

The panchayat election was held in the state in the back drop of formation of the UPA II government at the centre and serious debacle faced by the Left Front in Lok Sabha polls in Kerala and West Bengal, the two bastions of the communist movement in the country. Unlike earlier elections, Congress this time could field their candidates in nearly cent percent seats in every tier. During campaign, Congress had resorted to totally baseless lies regarding so called �corrupt practices� in Left led panchayats and the anti Left Front media had opened flood gate of scandalous campaign maligning the CPI(M) and Left parties. The Congress party tried to use huge cash for vote. However, the development work implemented by the Left led panchayats towards accomplishment of the socio-economic upliftment of the working people, the commendable performance of the Left Front  government for all round development of the state, achievement of the Left Front  government  in maintaining peace, tranquility and communal amity in the state and the ceaseless struggles that had been waged on the people�s issues � all that helped the Left Front  to garner this unique victory, the state committee observed.

However, the state committee pointed out some basic organisational lapses. In some places, there was lack of transparency in panchayat functioning, weakness in adopting democratic norms, prevalence of parliamentary vices that reflected in the results. The state committee called upon the Left supported panchayat members to play a responsible opposition in the panchayat where the opposition parties won majority and to build up popular movement if the incumbent takes any anti-people step.

The state committee has adopted a guideline for the members and office bearers functioning in three-tier panchayats and directed the members concerned to strictly adhere to the guidelines so that every gram panchayat and village committee office becomes a dynamic centre of delivering progress ensuring democratic norms and closest relation with the masses.

The state committee expressed concern over the soaring price  hike of essential commodities, making public distribution system ineffectual,  against the rampant liberalisation policies pursued by the centre, the UPA II government�s disgraceful bow-down to the US imperialism by means of nuclear treaty which bounds the country into a junior partner of US strategic design undermining the sovereignty of the country. The state committee has decided to organise of state a level convention at Agartala on October 9 on price rise and food security.

The state committee expressed its gratitude over the joint statement recently issued by the foreign ministers of India and Bangladesh in New Delhi. The issues of the mutual interests of both the countries like transportation facilities using the ports of Bangladesh, opening of Ramgarh check post, approval of irrigation schemes in Indian side using Feni river-water, rail connection between Agartala-Akhaura etc., are some of the positive steps cherished for long, the state committee said.

The state committee also decided to observe a year-long birth centenary of legendary communist leaders Comrade E M S Namboodiripad this year and Comrade Nripen Chakraborty from January next year.

At the outset, the state committee condoled the demise of West Bengal state secretariat  member of the Party and minister, Comrade Subhas Chakraborty and Comrade Charan Debbarma, Comrade Hiren Barman, Comrade Manilal Singh, Comrade Renundra Reang � all divisional committee members of Sadar(East), Bishalgarh, Kailashahar and Kanchanpur district committees respectively and ex women�s leader of the employees movement Comrade Anjali Sarkar.