People's Democracy

PUNJAB CPI(M) STATE CONFERENCE

Conference Of Determination And Confidence

Charan Singh Virdi

THE 18th conference of the Punjab state committee of the CPI(M) ended on January 25,2005 on the note of determination and confidence at Mansooran (Ludhinana).

It began on January 23, with an impressive open rally participated in by more than 40 thousand people who braving the biting cold wave came from all over the state. The rally looking as a see of red flags was presided over by comrade Rachhpaul Singh and Charan Singh Virdi.

Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet, general secretary of the party congratulating the Punjab comrades for their impressive mobilisation delivered a general speech full of revolutionary emotions which urged the rallists with the spirit of tenacious fight for the cause of people and sparing no sacrifice in such worthy cause. He warned the Punjab government which is denying trade union rights to the workers of cycle industry who are struggling for their demands led by CITU and CPI(M). Stating the fact that no inimical power can stand before the power of union and united struggles of the working class and other toilers, Surjeet, exhorted the workers that they should further intensify and broad base their struggle so that the rulers who are acting as paid servants of the inhuman exploitation of the owners of the cycle industry. Comrade Surjeet in his concluding remarks stressed the need for intensification of the struggle against the menace of communalism and aggressive American imperialism.

Comrade Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau member delivered a forceful speech dwelling in detail upon the challenges before the people in international and national sphere, to wit, the imperialist war and aggression posing threat to the national sovereignty of countries, the danger of communal forces – BJP-RSS combine whose latest strength cannot be underestimated, and the LPG brand discredited economic polices being pursued by UPA government as were pursued by previous communal and right wing BJP led government. Comrade Karat supported the struggles of cycle workers and the Abadkaars (occupants of evacuee lands along Sutlej river since decades who are being forcefully evicted by the Punjab forest department under the provision of Indian Forest Act).

Comrade Balwant Singh secretary Punjab state committee dwelling upon the political situation in the state observed that Amrinder Singh government has broken all pledges to the people made during the assembly election and pursuing anti-people policies, hitting hard all the sections of the people – industrial workers, agricultural workers, peasants, youth, students etc. And what is regrettable in this is that Amrinder Singh sems to be unaware of the fact that UPA government has made promise of relief to the people in its common minimum programme (CMP) and has becomes crazy for getting a certificate of appreciation from World Bank. Balwant further observed that Akali Dal led by ex-CM Parkash Singh, Badal is trying to utilise this discontentment of the people along communal lines.  In his stirring speech Balwant assured the people of Punjab that CPI(M) will spare no effort in taking up the issues of all the sections of the people, with initiative and build broad based struggles.

Comrades Raghunath Singh, Vijay Mishra, Lambhar Singh Taggar and Sukhwinder Singh also addressed the gathering.

Comrade Surjeet released the autobiography of Comrade A K Gopalan “In the cause of people” which was translated in Punjabi and published by the Punjab state committee of CPI(M) and financed by Association of Communists (UK) Marxists.

Cycle workers of Ludhiana presented a purse of Rs 1 lakh 23 thousand as Tsunami relief fund to Comrade Surjeet. Earlier too on January 15, these workers sent Tsunami relief amounting to Rs 1 lakh 94 thousand.

DELEGATE SESSION

After flag hoisting by veteran comrade Rattan Singh and paying floral tributes at the martyrs column, the delegates session began with comrade Rachhpaul Singh, Gurmeet Singh Dhadha, Inderjeet Singh Bhagassa, Gurdial Singh Dhar and Basit Singh Namol in the chair and participated by 335 delegates including five observers.

Comrade Balwant Singh proposed a condolence resolution, and revolutionary homage was paid to the departed Comrades, Yassar Arafat, E K Nayanar, Suseela Gopalan, B Narsimha Reddy, P K Tandon, Nripen Chakarbarty, Sohan Singh Bassi, Master Pahhar Singh, Master Prem Singh Pathlawa and Narain Dass.

Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Prakash Karat guided the deliberations. The state secretariat members acted as the steering committee.

INAUGURAL SPEECH

Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat inaugurated the conference, amidst long applause. Karat delineating the international task of the CPI(M) said that CPI(M) shall be mobilising the Indian people in support of all the currents of resistance against imperialism, specifically the US imperialism which is spearheading the reactionary offensive against national sovereignty of the countries. In this context he dwelt in detail upon Iraq, US invasion of it by trampling all international laws and UN charter and the resistance building up against the US occupation there. He also mentioned the resistance against imperialist globalisation and imposition of neo-liberal reforms in Venezuela and Brazil. Karat observed that with the election of President Bush the aggressive reactionary sections of the US ruling classes will continue to intervene globally to materialise their doctrine of neo-liberal imperialism using its economic strength and military power.

Talking on national situation, Karat said that the ouster of the BJP and NDA government in the 14^th Lok Sabha elections is a most significant development since the last party Congress in 2002. He noted with satisfaction that the party’s three main objectives laid down in the elections have proved successful. Karat emphasized with concern the fact that the UPA government is pursuing the same policies of liberalisation and indiscriminate privatisation and not withstanding certain policy measures in CMP, it is unwilling to change the policies being pursued by the previous regime.

Karat spelled out the attitude of CPI(M) towards the UPA government and said that the party extends support to the UPA government so that the levers of state power are not with the combination headed by the BJP. Prakash further said that in the present complicated situation the party has to act as the sentinel of the people’s interests and take appropriate measurers to launch struggles etc in this regard and meet the needs of the situation promptly. He further stressed that comrades should make the people understand that the CPI(M) and the left are not supporting the UPA government for continuing the same discredited policies of the Vajpayee’s government. Summing up the tasks in the national sphere comrade Prakash said that in the present situation, the task is not only to carry forward the struggle against the communal forces but also to intensify the struggle against the policies of liberalisation and privatisation and the dictates of imperialist finance capital. Karat appreciating the Punjab comrades for successfully combating the disruptionists and recovering from the wounds of disruptions, said that there are great possibilities and potential in Punjab for CPI(M) and party must identify with the aspirations and assertions of all the socially and economically oppressed sections, take their issues with initiative and also called upon the Punjab comrades to fight against the communalists – Akali BJP combine.

Comrade Balwant Singh state secretary presented the political-organisational report on behalf of the state committee. Apart from the self-critical review of the implementation of the directions of the 17th party congress and time to time decisions of the central committee and PC, the report gave an analysis of economic and political situation in the state. Punjab continues to be predominantly agrarian economy. Agrarian crisis is deepening which is aggravating ruination of the common peasants and agricultural labourers. Indebtedness of the peasantry is growing and suicides phenomenon is also there. Industrial sickness and closure is on the increase. Unemployment has acquired demonic proportions. Youth is becoming victims drug addiction and consumption of alcohol has increased.  Helplessness is creating fertile ground for fundamentalists and communalists. Taking stock of the political situation the report notes that the graph of Amridner government is going down because of its persistence of pursuing anti-people policies, withdrawing of free electricity provision to agricultural sector, increasing corruption in administration and growing police repression. Public education system and health care system has collapsed. Discontent in all sections of the people is piling up. Akali dal who has got no alternative economic policy being representative of bourgeois-landlord classes is trying to mis-channelise the discontentment along communal lines. Report has listed 14-point demands of charter for democratic development of Punjab and for protecting the livelihood of various sections of the people, including the demands of transferring Chandigarh to Punjab and settling river water and territorial disputes on the basis of Rajiv Longowal Accord. The Report has directed the state committee to prepare a comprehensive action plan for the realisation of this charter and launch sustained struggle stressing upon the building of party as per Marxist Leninist principles of communist party building. It has been noted with satisfaction that during the period under review party has successfully held 30th All India Kisan Conference at Jalandhar in March 2003, 7th All India Conference of DYFI at Amritsar in November 2003 and All India AILU conference in November 2000 at Jalandhar. Report has also noted with satisfaction that the party has been able to contain disruption and to make up the losses in mass mobilisation capacity. A quite good number of members who went with disruptionists became disillusioned with the disruptionist coterie and have now rejoined the party mainstream which include district secretaries of Sangrur, Ferozpur, Moga and Kapurtala districts. The report has chalked out 9 organisational tasks including improving the party education system and carrying out rectification campaign more effectively.

Forty nine delegates took part in six - hour long discussion. They were in agreement with the formation of the report. However they stressed upon local activities, party education, drawing up of cadre policy and giving more attention to the quality of whole-timers their wage and ideological level and also making the branch functioning more regular and comprehensive. The guidelines laid down in CC document on mass organisations were appreciated. The report was unanimously adopted after accepting some suggestions.

RESOLUTION AND NEW COMMITTEE

The conference adopted unanimously the following resolutions: On current political situation in Punjab and tasks; Against economic policy, Against communalism, Against imperialism, On demands of industrial workers, Agricultural workers and peasants, On support of the struggle of cycle workers, Against gender discrimination and female feticides distorting male-female ratio disturbingly.

The conference unanimously elected a 37-member state committee of which 31 from the preceding state committee and two are new induction and four will be filled later on. Comrade Balwant Singh was unanimously re-elected as state secretary. Six member state secretariat consisting of the state secretary, Charan Singh Virdi, Rachhpaul Singh, Raghunth Singh, Vijay Mishra and Lehmbar Singh Taggar was also elected unanimously.

The conference also elected unanimously 15 delegates and two alternative delegates for the 18th party congress.

The conference also elected three special invitees and one permanent invitees to the state committee. A three member state control commission with Rattan Singh as chairman was also elected.

Comrade S S Kooner presented the credential report. Out 314 delegates/observers who submitted their credential forms 297 were men and 17 women. Seventy four whole-timers and 240 part timers 13 below thirty, 41 below40, 98 below 50, 83 below 60, 60 below 70, 16 below 80 and three above 80. Seventy-eight upto middle, 98 matric, 47 10+2, 58 graduate, 31 post graduate and two doctorates. Those who joined the party before 1964 were 35, before 1980 were 156, before 1990 were 80 and after 1991 were 137. As for social class composition, six from industrial workers, 99 from agricultural workers, 172 from peasants, 9 from artisans and 28 from shopkeepers and others.

Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet in his intervention stressed upon more systematic work in the peasantry.

Two seminars were also held on this occasion: One seminar of Ludhiana Bar and PAU teachers which was addressed by Comrade Prakash Karat. The other was on globalisation and the role of intellectuals which was addressed by Balwant Singh.