People's DemocracyTHE Association of Indian Communists in Britain held its 15th conference on February 17, 2008 at Southall in Comrade Biplab Das Gupta Hall.
The conference began by paying homage to the memories of the martyrs of the communist movement.
All the delegates contributed to enrich and strengthen the report and resolutions placed before the conference under the close guidance and direction of Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of CPI(M). This was the second occasion that Yechury had presided over the affairs of the AIC.
The key task of discussing the future role and direction of the AIC figured in all the interventions and focused the conference attention. The resolution to reaffirm the AIC’s historic relationship with the CPI(M) policy and programme was unanimously adopted. The inspirational contribution by Harkishan Singh Surjeet, for more then five decades to the development of the AIC in Britain was acknowledged.
The conference accepted the proposals to increase the levels of direct intervention in the political, economic and social structures in Britain and ramp up the solidarity work in support of Cuba and Palestine.
Sitaram Yechury, in his address to the conference praised the role of the AIC and its mass organisation the Indian Workers’ Association in supporting the freedom movement and post independence India. The political work and organisation structure has served well the interests of the first and second generation of Indians in Britain.
In elaborating upon the draft political resolution of the 19th congress, Yechury explained the unsustainable process of globalisation and the integral laws of the development of capitalism. He warned of the dangers of unrestricted inflow and outflow of capital ‘the essence of globalisation’ leading to economic re-colonisation of third world countries’ economies mortgaged to finance capital. Imperialism has exponentially increased its aggression to control the economic resources of the world.
‘The movement of capital and the aim of globalisation to maximise profits has given rise to a jobless growth economy, with a sharp decline in the economic purchasing power of the vast majority of the world’s population’ , said Yechury.
The conference agreed on the classic analysis of the new Labour Party government headed by Gordon Brown along the lines of the late Comrade Rajni Palme Dutt, the Labour Party and social democracy pretends to be a party of the working class in opposition and espouses the causes of the ruling class and the bourgeoisie state when in power.
In responding to the debate, Avtar Sadiq, secretary of the AIC, endorsed the call by Yechury to further engage the membership of the AIC (CPI(M)) with the working class movement in Britain and to strengthen the ties with trade unions and the left and democratic forces.
