People's Democracy

7th J&K State Conference Of The CPI(M)

O N Trisal

THE seventh J&K state conference of the CPI(M) held at Jammu on March 25-26, 2005 commenced with an open session, attended by a large gathering from different walks of life, including intellectuals, social workers and political activists of CPI(M) and other Left parties. The huge hall at the Jammu club was packed to capacity and there were many who could not find space inside. The session was presided over by veteran CPI(M) leader, Bishan Das.

In his inaugural speech, Professor Ram Nath Shastri, the celebrated literary figure of the state and chairman of the reception committee, greeted the audience with an emotional appeal invoking the great sacrifices of prominent figures of Jammu, including Baba Jatoo, Comrade Dhanwantri and others.  Stressing the imperative of unity of all working people of the diverse regions, he said, it alone could guarantee the unity of the state.

Addressing the conference, CPI(M) central committee member and deputy leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Mohammad Salim said the Congress-led coalition government at the centre and the Congress-PDP government in J&K, both running with a Common Minimum Programme, provided an opportunity to provide relief for the working people – an opportunity which needed to be grabbed by both hands by the Left.

As regards the state, he said the CPI(M), both in parliament and outside, has been laying emphasis on the political solution of the state’s problems and demanding restoration of  maximum autonomy to it. Criticising the economic policies pursued by the BJP and the Congress, which were proving harmful for the common man, he stressed that these policies could be fought only through the united actions of the working people, for which the CPI(M) has been striving hard consistently.

CPI(M) state secretary, M Y Tarigami in his speech underscored that power had never been the goal of the CPI(M) which always laid more emphasis on struggles in the interests of the common man. The aim of the Party is to bring about a shift in the correlation of forces in favour of the working people. He congratulated the people of Jammu who had maintained unity all along despite provocations by the divisive forces. He recalled the human sufferings in the state, particularly during the last 16 years of violence, and deplored the insensitivity of the centre towards this.

Tarigami welcomed the opening of the  Srinagar-Muzzafarabad road as a major confidence-building measure and referred to the demand of the people of the Jammu region for opening of the Jammu-Sialkot road. This, he explained, reflected the urge of the entire state for strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two parts of the divided state and outright rejection of the divisive forces, who came out with harmful slogans of trifurcation of the state.

The open session was also addressed by O N Trisal, M Khalil Naik (MLA), G N Malik, K K Bakhshi and others. Sham Prasad Kesar chaired the session.

DELEGATE SESSION

The delegate session commenced with the hoisting of Red flag by veteran trade union leader, K K Bakhshi. In the backdrop of a huge banner bearing the name of veteran CPI(M) leader Ghulam Mohi-Uddin of Ramgarh, Kulgam who had attained martyrdom during the violence in the state, Party state secretary Tarigami declared the session open. A total of 168 elected delegates participated in the session.

The conference elected a presidium comprising of O N Trisal, Sham Prasad Kesar and Mohammad Yaqoob. A credential committee consisting of Ramesh Kumar Bhat, Kishore Kumar and Abdul Gani Hafiz  was also elected.

The proceedings began with two condolence resolutions, first in memory of Party comrades, Mohammad Afzal Bhat, Mohammad Ibrahim Dar, Zahoor Ahmad Ganai, Abdul Rehman Dar, Ghulam Hassan Ruswa, Tahira Akhtar (daughter of Jalaluddin Bhat), Mithi Jan (daughter of Abdul Khaliq Shah), Nazir Ahmad Rather, Sabzar Ahmad Shah and Riyaz Ahmad Shah. And the second condolence resolution was in memory of innocent people who fell to the bullets of militants during the last three years. One minute’s silence, for each, was observed while passing the resolutions.

Mohammad Salim, in his inaugural address, laid stress on the inculcation of a sense of dedication and sacrifice among the cadres and equipping them for waging struggles for the common man and for maintaining the unity of the Party. He explained the role of the CPI(M) in the formation of a secular government at the centre and in the adoption of a Common Minimum Programme for that government. He also recounted how the Party was putting pressure on the government to ensure implementation of the pro-people measures in the CMP.

POLITICAL REPORT

Tarigami placed the Draft Political Report in the conference, which covered the entire political and economic situation in the state, besides the national and international situation.

The report took note of the growing imperialist aggressive moves, mainly by the US, which resulted in the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. At home, it noted the triumph of secular forces in the last Lok Sabha elections, arousing hopes among the people of the state.

On the situation in the state, the report noted that the non-resolution of the Kashmir problem was making the state a breeding ground for extremism, which weakened the democratic struggles and created conditions for imperialist intervention. The delay in effecting a political solution had complicated the matters further, much so after the acquisition of nuclear weapons by both India and Pakistan, it stated. The report underlined that prompt resolution of Kashmir issue would be an effective counter-measure to terrorism in the state. And, noted that this solution can evolve only out of a process of peace and dialogue. However, it cautioned against the division of the state in any form whatsoever and rejected military solution.

The report hailed the ongoing Indo-Pak peace process and the confidence-building measures taken so far. It suggested acceptance and implementation of the legislative assembly resolution of 2000 on state autonomy and its devolution to the three regions, opening more communication links between the two parts of the state, while hailing the opening of Srinagar-Muzzafarabad road.

The report advocated a decentralised system of governance, which ensured empowerment of people at the grassroots level by devolution of financial resources and also political power from the state level to the regional, the district, the block and panchayat levels. It suggested constitution of a finance commission to lay down criteria for equitable distribution of resources on an objective basis.

The report hailed the political change in the state effected through the ballots in 2002. The formation of a new state government aroused hopes among the people. The report explained the independent tactical line adopted by the Party while supporting the coalition regime on the basis of the CMP.

While supporting some of the measures taken by the coalition regime, the Party opposed its anti-worker policies, notably the use of force against workers engaged in the construction of Baglihar power project and the railway line at Banihal. It deplored the government’s failure in taking urgent steps to provide relief and rehabilitation to the people affected by unprecedented snowfall. The government was criticised for its corruption, lack of transparency and accountability.

The report deplored the state government for faithfully carrying out the World Bank-IMF-WTO prescribed economic policies, which had resulted in pauperisation of the working people of the state. It expressed anger and grief over the falling agricultural yields, decay of fruit industry, especially the world famous Kashmiri apple, almond, walnut and Ladakhi Khobani, as a result of these harmful policies.

The report expressed serious concern over the alarming unemployment situation in the violence-hit state, which was being compounded by casualisation, contractualisation and downsizing policies of the government. It deplored the privatisation and commercialisation of education which threw bulk of children into illiteracy. It also expressed apprehension over  the grave risk to the health of common man due to non-availability of medicines in government hospitals and the flooding of spurious drugs in the market.

The report regretted that human rights were being violated by both the militants as well as security forces and criticised the ineffectiveness of the state human rights commission to provide relief. It pleaded for preserving the rights and privileges in favour of permanent residents of the state but at the same time suggested providing justice and equality to women who had been discriminated against.

The report stated that the Indus Water Treaty adversely affected the power generation, irrigation and industrialisation of the state. It pleaded for granting of powers to the state to fully utilise the waters flowing through its rivers or provide an equitable alternative to the state.

The report laid down 21 tasks for the party in the coming days.

After discussion, the report was unanimously adopted by the conference.  It also adopted 13 resolutions – on human rights, unemployment, agriculture, hydro electric project, democratic trade union rights, migrants from valley, border migrants, erratic power supply, women, civic bodies/panchayat, rehabilitation of snow victims and the state/central PSUs.

NEW COMMITTEE

At the end, the conference elected a new state committee consisting of 16 members, out of which four were reserved for co-option at a later date. The 12 elected members are:

1. M Y Tarigami

2. N Trisal

3. K K Bakhshi

4. Ghulam Nabi Malik

5. Sham Prasad Kesar

6. Mohammad Khalil Naik (MLA)

7. Abdul Hameed Wani

8. Abdul Gani Hafiz

9. Om Prakash

10. Mohammad Yaqoob

11. Bishan Das

12. Kishore Kumar

M Y Tarigami was re-elected as the state secretary of the CPI(M).  The conference also elected 5 delegates and one observer for the 18th Party congress to be held in New Delhi.

The conference concluded with a motion of thanks by newly elected state secretary and distribution of trophies to the volunteers who helped in the conduct of the conference in a wholesome manner.