People's Democracy

CPI(M) Hails ADC Victory

THE Tripura state committee of the CPI(M) has given a fervent call to the Party and Left Front activists to make most of the landmark massive mandate to the Left Front at the just concluded fifth elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) by intensifying the ideological campaign to root out insurgency and ensuring extension of democracy to the grassroots level. It also called for expediting the implementation of developmental activities, particularly in the remote areas of the ADC –– areas which have been hit the hardest by the pro-extremist reign of corruption and chaos unleashed by the outlawed extremist organisation NLFT’s overground political wing INPT after having usurped this vital constitutional body at gunpoint in the year 2000 ADC elections.

This call emanated from the state committee meeting of the Party held on March 13 for undertaking a preliminary review of the ADC elections held on March 5.

Expressing to the electorate the Party’s robust and revolutionary greetings for the massive mandate to the Left Front and its associate, NSPT, in all the 28 ADC seats, the state committee, in a statement, underscored that the fifth ADC elections had assumed a historic dimension with an unprecedentedly peaceful poll process as well as total trouncing of the anti-Left Front political forces. It showcases the dauntless determination of the people of Tripura, especially its tribal populace, to defeat the political patrons of insurgency and extremists and entrench the forces of comprehensive peace and progress, democracy and development. The massive mandate to the Left Front in the fifth ADC elections is in fact a vigorous vindication of the Left leaning political platform ceaselessly swaying away the supporters and sympathisers from the anti-Left opposition parties by virtue of the clear and committed role of the state’s Left Front government in pressing ahead with its pro-people policies through expansion and strengthening of democracy and ethnic harmony, the statement noted. It also pointed out that during the run up to the ADC polls itself, a few thousand families had joined the Leftist camp of peace and progress through declarations in public.

PRELIMINARY REVIEW

The Party state committee’s preliminary review has also revealed that the Left Front polled 71.63 per cent of valid votes in the ADC elections, besides winning all the seats as a result of its ceaseless ideological campaign against insurgency and in favour of peace and progress. This was also a result of the people’s struggle and seasoned experience that there is no alternative of the Left Front. The people in ADC areas had after all suffered glaring deprivation because of the unbridled plunder of ADC funds and the use of the ADC funds for expansion of extremist activities after the 2000 ADC polls. 

The Party views the massive mandate to the Left Front and its associates as a tremendous enhancement of the responsibility of the Party, the Left Front and the NSPT towards speedy implementation of the pro-people programmes. It involves prioritising the provision of education, health care, self-employment, agriculture, irrigation, drinking water, electricity, transport, communication, sports and cultural facilities by means of close cooperation between the ADC and the Left Front government. It also requires active and ardent involvement of the people in the development process and extension of democratic set-up to the grassroots level, noted the state committee. Continuous and comprehensive endeavour is to be made to win over the 30 per cent of the electorate still languishing in the opposition camp, the Party exhorted.

The Party expressed grave concern that the Bangladesh security forces are standing in the way of Border Fencing and the exchange of fire between the two countries’ security forces since March 2. Viewing the scenario as the sequel to the Bangladesh government’s relentless but untenable denial of any harbouring of the trans-border terrorists and cross-border criminals in Bangladesh territory, the Party urged immediate peaceful settlement of the disputes.

The Party state committee session began with paying homage to and deeply condoling the demise of veteran freedom-fighter, Party leader and pioneer of the country’s women movement, Comrade Kanak Mukharjee, Tripura Ganamukti Parishad leader Comrade Renu Debbarma  and Comrade Mathu Mog Chowdhury, and Chilean communist party leader Comrade Gladis Mariu. The Party also paid homage to the martyrdom of the patriotic CRPF jawan Premsing Tomor, gunned down in the dastardly extremist attack on a polling party returning with ballot box from a remote polling booth following the fifth ADC election.

Incidentally, addressing two Left Front victory rallies at Champahour at Asharambari of Khowai sub-division, Khowai, west Tripura on March 15, CPI(M) central committee member and ADC member Aghore Debbarma gave a fervent call to the people across the political spectrum to actively participate in the next struggle to build a peaceful and prosperous Tripura, carrying on with combating the extremists. Aghore Debbarma who polled the highest percentage of valid votes in the fifth ADC polls is going to be the chief executive member. Besides taking this decision, the Party state committee has also decided to finalise the list of executive members after holding a discussion with the Left Front and the NSPT. (INN)