People's Democracy

CPI(M) HOLDS J&K STATE CONFERENCE

Concrete Steps Chalked out for Advance

THE Press Club at Jammu witnessed on March 24 a mass public rally organised by the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) state unit of the CPI(M) as a part of its two day long ninth  state conference. Senior party leader Sham Prasad Kesar presided over the rally where participants carrying placards and banners raised slogans against corruption, price rise and failure of the central and state governments at various fronts.

OPEN

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Addressing the well-attended rally, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat called for strengthening of the CPI(M) and building up the unity of Left and democratic forces in the country. “In the present situation in the country, the people are suffering from continuous price rise, massive corruption and shrinking job opportunities. It is therefore necessary to have a Left and democratic alternative to overcome the situation,” he said.

Karat also castigated the UPA government at the centre for pursuing such policies as are harmful for the people of the country. In the recent union budget, there is a big cut in subsidies on fuel and fertilisers. This is going to further raise prices. Farmers are already facing difficulties due to the high prices of fertilisers. Insofar as corruption is concerned, there is no difference between the Congress and the BJP. Whereas the UPA has become notorious for one corruption scam after another, the record of the BJP is no better. The corruption indulged in by its Karnataka state government is a case in point. Karat said only the CPI(M) and the Left parties have a clean record in this regard. They have also been consistently fighting against both the neo-liberal policies and the communal forces. The CPI(M) leader appealed to the people of J&K not to be divided on communal lines. Such efforts are being made by communal forces on both sides. He criticised the government of India (GoI) for its failure to initiate a political dialogue to ensure a political solution of the problems in J&K. 

Addressing the rally, CPI(M) state secretary Mohd Yousuf Tarigami urged India and Pakistan to give up the path of disastrous confrontation which has only harmed the people of both the countries, and must draw lessons as quickly as possible to live together. There are options and opportunities which, if availed, can result in a credible consensus on resolution of outstanding issues. Indo-Pak confrontation has not only threatened peace in the subcontinent but also wasted a lot of their resources and left the Kashmiri people across the LoC in a pathetic condition. These people can heave a sigh of relief and their suffering can get substantially reduced if  a process of amity takes off in the region. Thus the Kashmiri people, caught in a crossfire, do want that leaders of both the countries come out of their traditional rigidities.

Tarigami also urged the government of India to ensure that any solution of the problems would protect the unity of the state and preserve its diversities. Constitutional mechanisms need to be evolved to guarantee that a settlement is not abused in future. As it is, the people of J&K have almost lost trust in the government’s assurances, and hence it needs to be sincere regarding the recommendations of the working groups and recently submitted report of the interlocutors.

Cautioning the people of the state to be vigilant against the communal and divisive forces that are hell-bent on creating a wedge between the different regions and communities, Tarigami said such designs should be fought tooth and nail. 

Speaking on the occasion, CPI(M) Central Committee member Mohd Saleem flayed the union government for its lack of concern for the working people’s plight, their suffering due to the ongoing economic crisis and natural calamities, while constant efforts are on to bail out Kingfisher airlines from its mess.

Senior CPI(M) leader Ghulam Nabi Malik demanded immediate relief to those affected by the recent storm which has devastated public property and horticulture. He regretted the delay about it.

Trade union leaders Om Prakash and Javaed Zargar highlighted the demands of different sections of the working people in the state.

DELEGATES

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The delegates session of the conference started at Dhanvantri Hall in Jammu the same evening, with flag hoisting by senior trade union leader Ghulam Qadir Hafroo. A total of 177 delegates and 11 observers, hailing from most of the districts of J&K, attended the conference.

State committee member Ghulam Nabi Malik read out the condolence resolution, paying homage to the party leaders who passed away since the eighth state conference. Two-minute silence was observed on the occasion.

A three member presidium was elected to conduct the proceedings.

Inaugurating the session, Prakash Karat referred to the US imperialist designs and aggressive expansionist policies in West Asian countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria and now in Iran. US designs are also evident in South Asia, in its interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The US has also been intervening in our domestic affairs and we have to organise people against the government’s move to enter a strategic alliance with the US as it could be harmful to India’s interests.  

Karat also referred to the CPI(M) resolution on Jammu & Kashmir in November 2010, in which it urged the GoI to take concrete measures for a long-lasting settlement of the Kashmir issue, which has consumed thousands of human lives and continues to threaten the peace in the subcontinent. Our party is for restoration of maximum autonomy based on the state’s special status and regional autonomies to three regions of the state.  Besides, security forces must be made accountable and AFSAPA revoked as a result of the changed security scenario in the state.

The CPI(M) leader said our main task is to expand the party’s and strengthen the Left, democratic and secular forces to evolve a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative with pro-people, anti-imperialistic and anti-corporate policies which have broken the back of the common man.

CPI(M) state secretary M Y Tarigami presented the political and organisational report that examined in detail the functioning of the party’s organisational structures at different levels from branches to the state committee. It admitted that the state committee has not paid enough attention to revamping the organisation and revitalising the entire party to discharge its responsibilities in today’s situation. In order to overcome the shortcomings, self-critical assessments have to be made by committees at every level. Concrete steps have to be taken for improving the membership recruitment and committee functioning. Concrete plans have to be prepared for activation of the party members in order to organise agitations and struggles on immediate demands of the common people. The report admitted that the state committee has lagged behind in discharging its primary duty to educate the party members and supporters in order to raise their ideological and political consciousness. Rectification must be a continuous process, with concrete mechanism evolved to carry it forward.

Though work of the mass organisations like the CITU, Kisan Tehreek and JKDYF has made some improvements, they have to pay more attention to strengthening their democratic functioning. Each party member must have specific responsibilities in a mass organisation. Any tendency to turn a mass organisation into a pocket burrow must be discouraged and democratic functioning of the committees ensured. Work on women, student and cultural fronts has to be undertaken without any further delay.

In its political report, the state committee underlined the consequences of imperialistic globalisation, the designs of imperialist forces in South Asia and its implication for Jammu and Kashmir, and the failures of the UPA government in initiating credible political initiatives to address the deep-rooted alienation of the people and evolving a purposeful dialogue process internally and externally in order to resolve this vexed Kashmir issue. The report underlined following immediate tasks to carry forward the political agenda of the party.

1) The party shall, unitedly with likeminded democratic forces, struggle against imperialist interventions in South Asia.

2) The party shall mobilise the people and launch united struggles against policies of globalisation that are negatively affecting the livelihood of the common men and reducing their earning and purchasing power.

3) It shall launch a strong campaign along with other democratic forces for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem. It shall mobilise broad sections of the people against the divisive and communal forces that are trying to divide the state and spreading hatred among different communities.

4) The party shall raise its voice for protection of human rights at all levels, safeguarding of trade union rights and implementation of labour laws.

In their enthusiastic deliberations on the reports, 30 delegates put forward various suggestions for strengthening the party in the state. they adopted the reports after the state secretary replied to their points and assured the session that all positive suggestions would be incorporated.

The conference also adopted resolutions regarding containing unemployment,  transfer of powers to panchayats, protection of human rights, universalisation of public distribution system, curbing corruption, promoting agriculture and horticulture, protection of trade union rights, removing gender discrimination, implementation of Rangarajan committee report, rehabilitation of migrants, refugees, and providing relief to the affected families of the recent windstorm in the state.

Central Committee member Mohammad Saleem greeted the delegates and assured the Central Committee’s full support to their struggle for safeguarding the people’s interests. He stressed that mass organisations must identify the common issues and be in close touch with the people to project and seek solutions.

In the concluding session, the delegates elected a 17-member state committee with Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami as its secretary. They also elected four delegates for the 20th party congress.