People's Democracy

33rd State Council Meeting Of Bengal CITU

B Prasant

THE 33rd meeting of the state council of the Bengal unit of the CITU was held on June 23–24 at Suri in Birbhum. The council meeting commenced with the raising of the Red Flag by veteran CITU leader Samar Mukherjee. The CITU leadership garlanded the martyrs’ column. 288 members were present at the council meting.

In his presidential address, Shyamal Chakraborty said that the CITU would begin a drive, with the help of the AIKS to extend its organisational base in every village of Bengal. The imperialist liberalisation’s depredations have seen the increase in the number of unorganised workers. Such workers existed in large numbers in the villages as well. The state had at present almost one crore 40 lakh unorganised workers. 

The youth of the middle class families have joined the ranks of these workers. The Bengal CITU has a membership of 13 lakh. But it has little representation in the villages. The number of persons engaged in non-agricultural pursuits is on the rise in the rural belts. The Bengal CITU would work for building up a base in the villages and organise the unorganised workers based on professions and callings.

Enumerating statistics, Shyamal Chakraborty showed how the workers had played an important role in the success of the seventh Left Front government. A majority of the electorate in 80 assembly seats were workers and workers’ families. Of these 80 seats, the Left Front could win 42 in 2001. It has won 61 this time. The voting percentage too has increased. In 2001, Left Front won 47.08 per cent votes in these 80 seats. This time, the percentage has gone up to 48.54 per cent.

In the secretary’s report, Kali Ghosh said that the working class must play an appropriate role to implement the programme of development and struggle of the Left Front government. The electoral success of the Left Front must be seen as part of the class struggle. 

Kali Ghosh said that the UPA government was bent on interfering with workers’ rights, following the dictates of the imperialist globalisation. In the circumstances, the Bengal Left Front government must be made secure through strengthening of the workers’ struggle. 

Not pleased with the way the UPA government depended on the Left, the forces of US imperialism appeared keen on mustering forces against the Left. In the circumstances, said Kali Ghosh it was imperative that the working class remained ever vigilant. 

35 council members took part in the discussions. Shyamal Chakraborty said that ideological struggle must be sharpened and the TU movement given the correct direction. Countering the lies being spread in the corporate media, Chakraborty said that the CITU was never against strike actions. However, it must be ensured as to where and how such strike actions would result in the maximum impact. If the organisation is not strengthened, and if a desperate outlook is allowed to flourish, such strike actions would do more harm than good. Chakraborty cited instances in this regard. 

The CITU said the speaker would ‘ensure that no unions affiliated to the organisation should have members who are not literate.’ The task of literacy must be seen as part of the class struggle. He also called for a rapid advancement in the membership of the CITU in the days to come.

Kali Ghosh responding to the discussions said that the road ahead is to bring in more CITU workers who possessed enhanced levels of political-organisational consciousness. The workers must fight against the policies of the UPA government, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with affected peasants. Ghosh also emphasised on struggle for the tasks that lay ahead. 

The CITU council meeting ended with big mass rally where Chakraborty and Ghosh were the main speakers. CITU leader, Braja Mukherjee presided over the rally. (INN)