People's Democracy

CC CONDUCTS ORGANISATIONAL REVIEW 

A Big Opportunity For Party Expansion

THE central committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has stated that the present political situation in the country offers a big opportunity for the expansion of the Party and underlined the need for the Party organisation to be geared up to go amongst the people and draw them to the Party. 

This was stated by Party general secretary Prakash Karat at a press conference at AKG Bhavan on September 26, 2006. He briefed the media on the deliberations of the central committee, which met in New Delhi over September 24 to 26, 2006 on the main agenda of reviewing organisational work since the 18th Party congress held in April 2005. Karat said a detailed review took place after discussion on the report placed. After evaluating the work done, the central committee noted that the Party had made progress in implementing the tasks set out by the 18th congress. This was reflected in the increase of membership of the Party by 80,000 or 9 per cent since 2004; the increase in circulation of People’s Democracy to the highest ever level since 1964 as also the increase in circulation of Party dailies; the improvement of Party work on the tribal front etc. The CC also noted the weaknesses in the organisational front and stressed the importance of taking up the tasks which had not been implemented. 

On SEZs, Prakash Karat said the CC has finalised the stand on the need for changes and amendments to the SEZ Act and its Rules. He said a note to the UPA government would be finalised after discussions among the Left parties and submitted shortly. He elaborated the objections and lacunae highlighted by the CC in the Act and said the changes being suggested were along the lines of Bengal model. Referring to the tax bonanza being offered to the industry, he said the strong case made out against this by the finance ministry must be taken note of by the government.

He blasted the RSS-BJP combine for trying to raise communal tensions in the country, particularly in Karnataka where the Bababudangiri shrine issue is being flogged again. He also criticised the BJP state governments for bringing in legislation banning religious conversion.

Regarding the central government’s last minute raising of objections to Vizhinjam port in Kerala citing security threat from Chinese companies which bid for its construction, Karat demanded from the government to come clean on the issue. “We would like to know why this old mindset? George Fernandes said China was India’s enemy number one. We don’t think Congress agrees with this. Why are Chinese firms being blacklisted by the government?” questioned Karat. He said a consortium of Chinese firms had bid for the building of the port through a global tender and the prime minister was to lay the foundation stone. Now they have conveyed that security concerns are involved. He asked the government to spell out what these were. He also questioned how this was different from Andhra Pradesh where a port is being built by a Dubai firm. 

Karat said even earlier when Airports Authority of India (AAI) tried to enter into agreement with Chinese firms for building aero-bridges, the government blocked the move citing security concerns. Since more Indian companies were doing business in China than Chinese firms in India, he wanted the center to clarify on this aspect.

On the UP elections, Karat said that the Party state committee would be meeting next month to discuss the political situation and finalise the line to be pursued for the coming assembly polls. In Punjab and Uttaranchal the Party will fight along with the CPI while in Manipur it will fight only in a limited number of seats.