People's Democracy

ANDHRA PRADESH

A Unique Effort in Party Education

RECENTLY in August month a unique landmark was reached when a district level study circle being run by Bodepudi Vignana Kendram (BVK) under the aegis of Khammam district committee of the CPI(M) completed an uninterrupted 200 weeks of imparting political education. The slogan “Sunday for Study; Study for Struggle and Struggle for a Better Society” was followed scrupulously with every of the last 200 Sundays devoted to study without a break. This must be a unique record in the party as far as structured political education in concerned.

The study circle began four years ago in 2007 with six members and today it is enlarged to 60 members, including the district level leadership of Party and mass organisations. The timings of the study circle is from 6:30 in the morning to 1:00 pm in the afternoon. The format was that a subject would be selected in advance and everyone would be asked to come after reading about it. One of the leaders, either of district level or state level, would introduce the subject for about an hour and there would be discussion. Once CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury also spoke in the study circle. The subjects covered included dialectics, political economy, history, politics, philosophy, science, social aspects etc. Discussion on the three volumes of Capital was completed in the study circle. CPI(M) Central Committee member Thammineni Veerabadhram is acting as the coordinator for this study circle.

CPI(M) central secretariat member V Srinivasa Rao attended a special meeting of the study circle organised on the occasion of completing 200 weeks of uninterrupted study. Speaking on this occasion, he said that the Central Committee has decided to expand this unique experience of the study circle across the country and strengthen the ideological study within the Party.

The BVK study circle began in Khammam at a time when there were concerted efforts to disrupt the organisational unity of the Party in the district, aided by the then chief minister late Y S Rajashekar Reddy. A few district level leaders left the Party and joined the forces working to weaken the Party. The study circle helped in withstanding these attacks and rallying the cadre on ideological basis.

Among the many notions that are usually cited in not being able to conduct systematic study programs is the pressure of Party activity. The experience of this study circle proves that it is just a notion. Despite conducting many mass activity programmes during this period, including the two month long cycle yatra covering over thousand kilometres within the district on dalit issues, the study circle remained uninterrupted. The programmes were planned in a way that would leave out these seven hours of the Sunday  or the study circle was either preponed in the week or postponed by a few days. Even holding of the state conference of AIDWA in Khammam town did not come in the way of conducting the study circle.

As for benefits of such continuous study, it has resulted in greater ideological confidence among the cadre; their ability to convince others on political issues improved; there was visible improvement in their work methods and overall work. On an average, around 40 members attended this study circle constantly. Parallel to this study circle, and buoyed by its success, another programme of “Sunday for You” is being organised every Sunday evening in which topical aspects are dealt by a speaker. This is for a wider audience of around 400 people, most of whom are middle class employees. In ten assembly constituencies of the district, weekly study circles are being conducted while in 46 mandal headquarters it is being done every fortnight.

The success of this study circle encouraged starting of around 150 study circles across the state. The state committee is having a study circle every month apart from regional and district level study circles. This intensive campaign of political education within the Party is helping in strengthening and renewal of Party in the state after the electoral setback of 2009 and the agitation launched for separate Telangana. The circulation of state Party's ideological monthly, Marxistu has jumped from 5000 to over 30,000 during this period. Overall, the drive for ideological strengthening is having a positive impact on the Party in the state.

(INN)