People's Democracy

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS

CPIM) Holds State Conference

S B Chatterjee

SHAHEED BHAWAN in Port Blair, the capital of Andaman, was the venue of Andaman & Nicobar state conference of the CPI(M) that took place on November 26. The place was especially decorated with red flags, festoons and posters on the day when the delegates, observers, volunteers and representatives of the Central Committee of the party gathered at Dr M K Pandhe Manch in the premises of the Shaheed Bhawan.

The venue of the conference was rechristened as Jyoti Basu Nagar in the memory of the departed stalwart of communist movement in the country and the world.

Representing the party’s Central Committee, Hannan Mollah hoisted the party’s flag amid loud slogans. All the comrades then paid floral tributes at the Martyrs Column.

The conference presidium consisted of D Hemlata, Sk Khalil and Tapan Bepari while Nikunja Biswas and T Sashi, state secretariat members, were entrusted with preparation of the credentials report. S B Chatterji, Vinodan and P Banerji were to write the minutes of the conference.

Tapan Bepari moved the condolence resolution when silence for one minute was observed by the gathering.

Hannan Mollah delivered the opening speech, explaining the political, social and economic situation in the present world scenario as well as the happenings in our country. He also suggested the direction in which a communist party must act in the prevailing condition.

After the fall of the USSR, many were of the opinion that the communist movement would now not survive. But the fact is that so long as the exploitation of men by men exists in human society, the struggle for emancipation shall continue and communists shall remain in the vanguard. At this juncture, unity among the poor and oppressed people is of utter importance. Mollah also dwelt on the NATO intervention in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, and the western moves to target Iran. About the “Occupy Wall Street” agitation, he said the struggling faces are shouting, “we are 99 per cent and cannot be ruled by one per cent.”

He said the Left had a substantial strength in the previous Lok Sabha and so the central government could not do much against the people’s interests. On the contrary, the rulers had to make laws to guarantee a minimum of 100 days of work for the rural people. People got the right to information which enables them to uncover many anti-social and corrupt practices by top ranking persons.

Since the inception of the UPA-2 government, however, price rise is its dubious gift to the people. The government has a free hand to make what it wishes to do in favour of the corporate houses. It is adamant to allow even foreign capital in the retail market of our country. Mollah also criticised the new pension policy of the present government.

In the context of corruption, the Congress and the BJP are like two faces of same coin. During the six years long tenure of the NDA, people experienced stinking corruption in even the highest echelons of power. And now no one is sure when a member of the council of central ministers would face corruption allegations. Some of them are in jail and some are yet to be put behind the bars.

About the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Mollah said that a mixed population of various languages and religions lives in these islands peacefully but it is to be noted that class differences are there and exploitation of the poor and oppressed is going on. He made an appeal to the party workers to forge close tie with common men people as people’s movement is the only way to fight the atrocities and exploitation. He hoped that on many issues movements will grow up and people. He suggested the organisation of party schools and classes here so as to equip the party cadre politically and ideologically.

Sixty-five delegates took part in the conference and 13 of them participated in the discussion over the report placed by the secretary. The report included financial details also. The conference adopted the report after prolonged discussion and after the answers given by the secretary.

The conference adopted a total of 27 resolutions, the most important of which stressed the demand of establishment of a democratic set-up in the form of a legislative assembly in this island territory.

Gautam Deb from West Bengal also addressed the conference. He made an appeal to the delegates to strengthen the party in the islands and to develop close relations with the general public.

A total of 19 state organising committee members were elected by majority (61-4) votes. The newly elected members of the state organising committee unanimously elected K G Das as secretary. Tapan Bepari was elected delegate for the next party congress, as a representative of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Gauranga Majhi’s name was accepted as alternative delegate.

S B Chatterji, chairman of the reception committee for the conference, proposed the vote of thanks for all those whose active participation and fraternal support made the conference to a success.

B Chandrachoodan chaired the public meeting that took place at Tiranga Park in Port Blair. Hannan Mollah and Gautam Deb from the Central Committee, Laxman Rao, D Hemlata, K G Das and Tapan Bepari addressed the audience.