TRIPURA

  CPI(M) To Consolidate Gains, Expand Mass Base

THOUGH the Left Front has attained a tumultuous victory in the recently held Tripura assembly elections, thwarting the deep-rooted multifarious machinations masterminded by the opposition, we must be prepared --- ideologically, politically and organisationally --- to confront the adversities in future, howsoever complex and chaotic the situation may be. This was the determined, unanimous view expressed at the extended state committee meeting of the CPI(M) in Tripura, held at the Panchayat Raj Training Institute at Arundhutinagar (Bishalgarh, West Tripura district) on May 4-5.

The meeting also resolved to expand the party’s support base by another 5 per cent of the state’s population in the next one year.

The extended state committee meeting saw the participation also of district secretariat members, certain party members working in mass organisations and representatives of the party units directly under the state committee. It was convened with a view to evolving ways to further consolidate the hard-won achievements in the recently held, toughest ever electoral battle in the state and finalise the political and organisational tasks for the next one year.

At the outset, the meeting condoled the demise of Comrade Dwijen Saha, a member of the party’s Bishalgarh district secretariat, who passed away on April 20 after a brief but fatal cerebral stroke, and observed one-minute silence in his memory. Another resolution condoled the loss of those killed by anti-national secessionists since the last state committee session.

State CPI(M) secretary Baidyanath Majumder presented a political-organisational report on behalf of the state secretariat. He said the recent, toughest ever electoral victory has entrusted us with a great responsibility for the state’s people. In the complex international and national situation with a tilt towards the right reaction, the Tripura people surprisingly found that the Congress, which claims to be the oldest political party in the country, had struck an alliance with the INPT, the overground wing of the most dreaded and banned extremist outfit called the NLFT. They were out to replicate the capture of all the 20 seats reserved for the scheduled tribes, at gunpoint, as they did in the 2000 ADC elections. Aborting all such machinations, however, the people gave a decisive mandate to the Left Front for the third time in a row and for the fifth time overall. Certainly the people would not forgive us if we fail to honour their trust, Majumder stated. He then said that to consolidate our successes in this election, to make the party stand on a stronger ideological, political and organisational footing, and to bring the misguided youth back from the futile path of extremism to the mainstream and involve them in the implementation of developmental works, the party has to chalk out a plan of action --- for the next one year to begin with.

As many as 46 delegates took part in the discussion on the report on behalf of various divisional committees, mass organisations and units. They self-critically pinpointed the drawbacks, loopholes and deviations that affect our work and suggested constructive measures to overcome them. They also outlined the prospect of expanding the party’s base in the post-election situation in the state.

In the concluding session, Polit Bureau member Manik Sarkar summed up the deliberations. He said it was really the hardest battle for us as the NLFT, a terrorist outfit, took part in the elections in favour of an alliance that has the oldest political party of the country as a partner. Secondly, due to extremist onslaughts, most of the important tribal cadres of the CPI(M) had to leave the areas that were known to be its solid bases. Yet the party overcame all these adversities and emerged victorious with a decisive mandate from the people, Sarkar said.

The victory has brought about a qualitative change in the situation. Explaining the new aspects of the situation in the state, Sarkar said that the seditious extremist forces who were dreaming of assuming state power, are gripped with utter frustration. The ceasefire and negotiations of the central government with the NSCN (Nagaland) and ULFA (Assam), both known to be the patrons of Tripura extremists, have further demoralised the latter. A good number of their cadres have laid down arms and repatriated to the mainstream. Many more are eagerly waiting to follow suit. No sensible tribal youth is now ready to join this barren path in the name of an independent Tripura, giving the NLFT and ATTF trouble in gaining new recruits. Deep demoralisation has gripped the opposition camp also.

It is in this situation that the programme for a yearlong campaign has been formulated. Asking the participants to make this drive a success, Sarkar said there is no scope to sit idle even for a moment. We must plunge into a more intensive campaign, exposing this perfidious alliance and explaining the futility of the destructive path of extremism. The way the INPT is misruling the ADC and siphoning off the funds meant for the tribal people’s well being, must also be highlighted in the campaign. Administrative measures against the extremist outfits will also continue, Sarkar said.

During the year-long campaign, the CPI(M) will forcefully raise the demand that the center extend manual, material and monetary support to the state government for effectively dealing with the extremists. It will also bring pressure on the central government to take up the matter of dismantling the extremist bases in Bangladesh territory, at the diplomatic level. (INN)