People's Democracy

WEST BENGAL

 CPI(M) Adopts Programme To Consolidate Success

B Prasant

THE West Bengal state unit of the CPI(M) has resolved to undertake, and continue in a systematic manner, a political-organisational drive to consolidate and widen the not inconsiderable success it could achieve in the three-tier panchayat elections that were concluded recently.  The state unit holds that the political success has set a unique example before the country.

The rural electoral success has increased manifold the responsibility of the Left Front and the CPI(M). “The trust deposited in us by the rural people must be consolidated, lived up to, and sought to be widened and deepened further,” said state CPI(M) secretary Anil Biswas. In the running of the panchayats, noted Biswas, the programme contained in the Front’s election manifesto should be implemented in full and right from the outset.

The next two months will witness programmes being implemented to further extend the political education amongst party workers. The coming five months will be devoted to firm up organisational base of the party further across the state.  The Bengal CPI(M) has also adopted a programme on the basis of the political-organisational report of the last state conference to weed out the errors and weaknesses that yet persist in the party organisation.

Highlighting the indices of success of the CPI(M) and the Left Front in the rural polls, Anil Biswas told that one crore 36 lakh 74 thousand 128 votes  the CPI(M) could poll this year in the panchayat elections represented 49.03 per cent of the valid votes cast.  The Bengal Left Front could win 56.52 per cent of the valid ballots, i e, one crore 57 lakh 64 thousand 525 votes.  By contrast, the CPI(M) and the Left Front could win, respectively, 42.94 per cent and 49.475 of the valid votes back in 1998.  In terms of seats, too, there has been a close to 10 per cent increase, it was noted.

Biswas also stated that out of 329 block-level Panchayat Samities, the Left Front could achieve victory in 281, and was able to capture 2212 village-level Gram Panchayats out of the 3220 such bodies that were fought for.

In the state committee meeting, presided over by the CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Biman Basu, a preliminary draft review of the panchayat elections was placed and discussed. Following the booth level review, a comprehensive review report would be placed within a month.

ROLE OF THE CORPORATE MEDIA

In a statement released to the media, the state committee of the CPI(M) said  the attempts made to put up a ‘grand alliance’ or mahajot of the opposition parties created a new dimension to the polls. The opposition also tried to involve the forces of separatism and religious fundamentalism against the CPI(M) and the Left Front. 

A large section of the corporate news media shamelessly essayed to virtually lead the prospective mahajot in Bengal.  They wanted to isolate the CPI(M), to cover up the anti-CPI(M) terror tactics and murderous spree of the opposition, to seek to nullify the ongoing success and increasing popularity of the Left Front government and the LF-run panchayats, as also to gloss over the increasing alienation of the opposition parties from the masses. The state committee believes that a section of the corporate media had taken it upon themselves to try and compensate for the organisational weakness and political bankruptcy of the opposition by carefully hiding the fact that the CPI(M) itself was at the receiving end of attacks in the run-up to the rural polls and that “in large areas, the secret and isolated incidents organised with their financial clout, rather than any ‘terror,’ that caused so many lives to be lost in this year’s rural polls.”

Taking full advantage of the economic crisis pervading the country, thanks to the policies of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation (LPG) being pursued recklessly by the union government, and from which crisis scenario the Bengal Left Front government could not always keep itself free, the corporate media attempted to put the Left Front government in the dock for the ills and at the same time indulged in double standards by putting up a shield of defence in favour of the proponents of the LPG.  They also created, the state committee of the CPI(M) stressed, a vicious cycle by abetting provocation and violence, by crying themselves hoarse over the deterioration in the law and order situation and attacks on women, and then by seeking to abet a fresh wave of violence and provocation, leading to violence.

Prior to the rural polls, the Left Front brought out its election manifesto highlighting the implementation of the rural development programmes despite the financial handicaps the Left Front government was being made to suffer.  The Bengal unit of the CPI(M) published two booklets that explained the international and national political and economic situations and highlighted the rural development and extension of democracy under the Left Front government.  Apart from 2,15,000 copies of the manifesto being sold, the two CPI(M) booklets too sold well. The one on the fall-out of the union government’s economic policies sold 50,000 copies while that on empowerment of the people in the rural areas sold 1,00,000 copies. The daily Ganashakti played an important role in propagating to the people the successes of the Left Front-run panchayat bodies.

TASKS AHEAD

Anil Biswas said some other important tasks that had to be completed in time. These were: election of office-bearers (Sabhadhipati, Pradhan, Karmadhyakshya et al); forging together the unity of the Left Front on an even stronger basis than it is at present; holding of bilateral meetings with Front partners at the state and district level and downwards; organising an exercise to find out the lacunae that yet persist as a result of which seats were lost and the Left Front lost out in the Murshidabad and Malda Zilla Parishads; organising and politically educating the young men and women who had worked in the election campaign; education and re-education of existing party workers. Biswas said special emphasis would be laid on the rural poor, especially the youth, women and members of the scheduled castes and tribes. They must be brought within the party fold in a systematic and continuous process of political education.

Explaining the steps to be taken, Biswas said harm was done to the cause of the party and the Left Front where weaknesses had lingered on in building up class-based movements and in governing the panchayat bodies. In some instances, despite repeated advice to the contrary, the mass of the people was not involved in the running of the panchayats. This aspect, said Biswas, would be insisted upon and highlighted in the running of the rural bodies this time. He also said that a programme and a system of check-ups would be put in place to ensure that the panchayats are run apace on the basis of honesty, transparency and accountability.

In electing the office-bearers, Biswas said “honesty and capability of the persons concerned should be the most important criteria, besides the level of political consciousness, devotion, and a positive attitude to collective functioning.” There should be no alliance struck with the opposition while it came to the task of formation of boards, stated Biswas. District level and state level meetings would be organised to make the newly elected office-bearers of the panchayat bodies aware of their political responsibility.

Biswas also said political training of the workers, especially of those who had joined in the panchayat campaign work should be done in a systematic and continuous manner. It should be ensured that unwanted elements do not infiltrate into the party ranks.

Between June 15 and July 15, general body meetings of party workers would be held with popular lectures delivered on topics like “ABC of Marxism-Leninism,” and “What is the Communist Party.” Between July 15 and August 15, members of the party’s zonal committees and local committees as well as secretaries of the party branches would be educated on the theme of “Heritage of the Indian Civilisation.” 

The work of scrutiny of party membership plus the work of individual assessment would be completed by June 30.

In the days to come, every attempt would be made to organise political and mass movements in order to move the sections of the rural poor away from the fold of the class enemies and enemies of the Left Front. The unity of the rural poor would thus be further consolidated. The circulation of the party literature and party publications must be further increased. It is also important to educate the young and re-educate the old in the politics, principles, ideology, and organisation of the party, Biswas concluded.