WEST BENGAL SCRUTINY REPORT

 Increase In CPI(M) Mass Base

B Prasant

IN BENGAL, there is further strengthening of the CPI(M) mass base. The Party units are in ever-closer touch with the masses.  The popular faith in and support behind the Bengal unit of the Party has increased further.  This was how state secretary of the Bengal CPI(M), Anil Biswas summed up briefly the scrutiny report that has been prepared.  The state committee of the CPI(M) meets over 20-21 September in Kolkata.

Citing figures, Biswas said that the number of Party members who have renewed their membership by March 31, 2003 stood at 2,54,611. The concurrent figure for 2002 was 2,38,877.   The other concerned figures are:

Martyrs – 29

Died – 1193

Expelled – 329

Dropped/not renewed – 6456

[Expelled and not renewed in 2001 – 6,879]

At the end of December 2002, there were 1204 members of the district committees and 1563 local committees, 317 zonal committees, and 25,238 Party branches.

Age-wise break-up of the Party members is:

Party members up to 30 years – 37,732

Between 32-45 years – 1,25,584

Between 45-60 years – 74,134

Between 60-70 years – 14,058

Above 70 years – 3,103

Whole-timers form an essential and central part of the Party organisation.  At present there are 2,824 whole-timers in the Bengal unit of the CPI(M).

The number of Party members among agricultural workers (i.e., ‘poor agriculturists’ and khet mazdoors ) has gone up by over 4,000 compared to 2001:

In 2001 – 41,301

In 2002 – 45,969

The Party, from 1943 onwards, said Anil Biswas has looked to the constant evaluation of one year’s worth of Party work of the members (PM/CM/AG) and makes no secret of the process of evaluation.

Following the resolve of the 20th state Party conference, an emphasis has been attached to equipping the Party branches politically and ideologically as a part of a continuous process.  This has been implemented and while there is not place for self-satisfaction, it does appear that the overwhelming majority, 20,000+, of the Party branches do undergo a rigorous process of political-ideological discussions and are regularly, taking up various issues and going through the Party documents.

Women’s participation in the struggles and movements has increased and this is reflected in the Party membership of women.  The call given last year about having at least one woman Party member in every branch has been more-or-less fulfilled.  This is reflected in the following figure:

Women Party members in 2001 – 17,920 (7.5 per cent)

Women Party members in 2002 – 21,730 (8.53 per cent)

Biswas added to say that looking at the membership period of the Party members, it would be found that among Party members are those who attained membership before 1942.  Such memberships number 40.  There are 122 Party members who had attained Party membership between 1942 and 1946. 

There are 37 Party members in the ranks of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M), the largest number of freedom fighters, in fact, in any party in the state.  The Party looks after the welfare of its veteran soldiers to the very best of its ability.

Responding to a question of the Kolkata media at the press conference that was held at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan in the evening of September 1, Anil Biswas said that the Bengal CPI(M) had in its ranks 5881 primary teachers, 3307 secondary teachers, and 571 college and university teachers.

Concluding, Anil Biswas said that the scrutiny report revealed how the mass base of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) “has gone on increasing with struggles and movements drawing in their ambit more-and-more people as the years have gone by.”  Biswas also said that the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) did believe that “the bridge of communication between the Party and the people has increased as well.”  There was no cause of satisfaction and the process shall relentlessly continue in the days ahead.