Annihilate Whatsoever Indiginous happens to be the Latest Marxist Corporate Agenda for Capitalist Development, Agressive Industrialisation

Annihilate Whatsoever Indiginous happens to be the Latest Marxist Corporate Agenda for Capitalist Development, Agressive Industrialisation

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - FIFTEEN

Palash Biswas

Annihilate Whatsoever Indiginous happens to be the Latest Marxist Corporate Agenda for Capitalist Development, Agressive Industrialisation!

Neither BJP nor Congress, It`s CPIM, the party boasting to fight for refugees, launched the Nationwide Partition Victims deportation Drive!

Gestapo head Buddha was Behind Adwani and Pranab, Gestapo Head Buddha, the worthiest ally of Salem, DOWS,Kissinger, Bush and MNCs, builders, promoters in general, has been the Mastermind behind all anti People Enactment including the notorious Citizenship amendment act.

With Communism losing its appeal worldwide, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) is worried over its growing failure to attract younger men and women into its ranks. In a self-critical organisational report, the country's dominant Communist party is urging its activists to focus on inducting more youngsters, women, Dalits, tribals and also Muslims. At the 19th Left, BJP target govt. on price rice, line up protests
Hindu, India - 1 Apr 2008
The saffron party announced nationwide protests next week against an issue which is turning out to be a hot potato for the government while the CPI(M) said ...

Hindu Centre’s report card not satisfactory: Karat
Hindu, India - 29 Mar 2008
If the 18th party Congress held in April 2005 in Delhi explained the rationale behind the party supporting the UPA government, this one saw the CPI(M) ...
Build a society free from exploitation: Basu to CPI(M)
Hindu, India - 29 Mar 2008
CPI(M) delegates viewed a video-recorded message from 94-year-old Basu to the 19th Party Congress during the inaugural session in rapt attention and ...
Communism & Advani
The Statesman, India - 31 Mar 2008
In an obvious response to tackle Congress scion Rahul Gandhi's growing popularity among the youth of the country, Advani called out to his party workers to ...
CPI(M) welcomes FB stand not to fight panchayat poll alone
Hindu, India - 30 Mar 2008
Party sources said CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, who is away at Coimbatore to attend the party congress, was "happy" that the Bloc had changed its mind ...
Karat talks tough on N- deal
The Statesman, India - 26 Mar 2008
The CPI (M) congress will provide the direction for this vital task, he said. Accepting the need for a “third alternative,” Mr Karat said the party congress ...

Newstrack India CPI (M) to encircle Congress on Price rise
Newstrack India, India - 31 Mar 2008
At the 19th party CPI (M) congress conclave held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, the party unanimously adopted a resolution to wage a nationwide agitation by ...
Karat: we won’t allow Forward Contract Bill to be passed
Hindu, India - 31 Mar 2008
In a resolution on strengthening the public distribution system, the CPI (M) Congress alleged gross mismanagement of the food economy. ...

Thaindian.com CPI-M wants more powers to states, review of federalism
Thaindian.com, Thailand - 30 Mar 2008
On Sunday, the first day of deliberations, the party congress passed a resolution - introduced by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and ...
CPI(M) proud of opposing Indo-US strategic alliance: Karat
Hindu, India - 29 Mar 2008
Coimbatore (PTI): Under attack from various quarters for blocking the Indo-US nuclear deal, the CPI(M) on Saturday said it was proud of opposing India's ...

party congress under way in Coimbatore, the report has expressed grave concern over dipping membership. But what is bothering it more is its inability to attract more youngsters into its fold.

CPIM had been very cleverly playing the political game of Scientific demographic vote bank readjustment. it first claimed to lead the partition victim East Bengal refugees in forties and fifties in their demand to get rehabilitation in west Bengal. Jyoti Basu and Samar Mukherjee everytime suggested to rehabilitate the refugees in Sundarvan. The violently opposed Dr Bidhan Roy for sending the Bengali refugees to Dandakarany, Andaman and Elsewhere. When CPIM won the 1977 elections and Jyoti basu became the Chief Minister, he sent out Ministers Ram Chatterjee and Kiranmoy Nanda countrywide with other prominent party leaders to mobilise the resettled partition victim. Earlier basu himself visitin Bhilai met all the Refugee leaders including Satish mandal and asked them to come over to West Bengal.

Invited by Basu, the Marxist chief Minister Bengali dalit refugees from all four states of Dandakaranya landed in the Marich Jhanpi Island of Sundervana. contrary to CPIM plan, the refugees allied with RSP and Jantadal. They refused to join CPIM. CPIM had to liberate Marichjhanpi. The first Genocide was enacted in Left Regime right in January, 1979. Then, present Gestapo Head Buddhadeb was the minister of Culture and Information. He declared marichjhanpi liberated as he declared Sunrise after Nandigram Recapture . It is quite an amusing why the minister of culture is promoted as Chief Minister though he held the ministry of home and Police at that time. We have to research th e corelation of cultuer and police as well. It reminds us the gestapo setup og Hitler , well represented by present day Marxists.

Marxist never tried for an initiative to stop minority persecution in East Bengal causing continuous Refugee Influx. contrarily the CPIM regime persecuted taslima nasrin , the writer of Lajja. Marxists used Hindu as well as Muslim Refugees as their Vote bank. Virtually they never need any other community voting them as long as their Muslim and Refugee vote bank remain intact.

The latest dalit Agenda aims to escalate the All India Party Base in paper. But, in fact, the Bengali nad Karala Brahmins never allowed to frame any party base in North India as they always were busy to rule the Party in the best interst of the ruling Class. CPIM was never interested to escalate or hold bases in North India. Rather, CPIM led by Basu and surjeet played the alliance game with Pro US lobbies countrywide lebeled with colorful diffeent ideologies and parties. Reality is this that CPIM is much more interested to justify its global agenda of Annihlate whatsoever Indigenous in the best interset of corporate Imperialism. AS it poses secular and progressive and opposses War against terrorism while allying with Bush and kissinger, USA and Israel, the Marxists are masters of subversion. The dalit agenda is aimed at reorganise the SC ST OBC Vote bank in wset Bengal and Kerala threatened by Nandigram and singur Insurrection!

"The party should recruit young cadre from States and districts and deploy them in areas where it is weak," the report says.

It also asks its cadres to induct more women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities but sounds a caution: "The selection and promotion of cadres should be strictly on the basis of his or her political organisational capacity and performance."

In the report, yet to be made public, the CPM has done a detailed self-assessment.

It says the percentage of party members nationally up to the age of 30 years is 16.77 per cent, between 31 and 40 years 29.31, between 41 and 50 years 31.77, between 51 and 60 years 13.79 and between 61 to 70 years is 6.82 per cent.

This is despite the fact that 35 per cent of members were recruited after 2002. "More efforts should be made to recruit youths," it says.

Although the CPI-M claims to be champion of the weaker and the downtrodden, only 19.93 per cent of party members were Dalits and tribals constitute only 6.43 per cent.

In States like Kerala, one of the three strongholds of the CPM, the percentage of Dalit members actually came down from 15.86 per cent in 2004 to 14.97 per cent last year.

Members belonging to the working class constitute 32.36 per cent, followed by farm workers (23.76), poor peasants (18.93), middle peasants (10.5), rich peasants (0.59), middle class (11.46) and landlords constituted 0.08 per cent.

The CPM is also concerned about the low number of Muslims joining the party.

Although Muslims vote for the party in Kerala and West Bengal in large numbers, the support is not translating into party members, the report says.

Muslims constitute 10.22 per cent of party members.

While Kerala showed a marginal increase in Muslim membership (9.44 per cent in 2004 to 10.35 in 2007), in West Bengal it fell to 14.67 per cent from 14.9 in 2004.

Women constitute 11.93 per cent of members. The report says that 2.69 per cent of party members are postgraduates and 10.06 per cent graduates.

The report also criticises local units for failing to collect the customary levy from its members.

"Some committees failed to collect levy from members as fixed by the central committee. There are also reports that a section of party members are giving false information about their income to give less levy than is due," it says.

"The payment of levy is a matter related to the political-organisational consciousness of the party member. The State committees should take appropriate steps to collect levy from members."

The oppression of Dalits has been going on for over 3000 years. They are segregated in all spheres of social life. But now CPI (M) has extended their helping hand and the dalits in Andhra Pradesh have stood up against social injustice.

The report of the movement and its effect has been tabled in the party congress, held at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. John Wesley, a party organiser and leader of ‘Pairatya Sangham’ said that the movement for social justice is a follow up action of the decision taken in the last 18th party congress. The movement has got a momentum, not only in Andhra Pradesh, in other states like Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana as well. The movement had its spontaneity but simultaneously, the party had to provide its expertise in monitoring and controlling a democratic movement. John disclosed that in one incident, poison has been mixed in the water of the well so that the dalits cannot use the same any more.

The report placed in the party congress says that the CPI (M) has been accumulating different mass organisations and social forces now. A few intellectuals have also come forward to stand behind the movement. John Wesley informed that the intellectuals have supported the cause and admitted that in an open world the discrimination on castes should not be given upper hand. Those who favour this, should go for hibernation.

The party leaders confirmed that the movement for social justice would not stop until a favourable situation is created.

THEY DID not have the right to drink tea in the glasses being used by the upper caste. They could walk the road usually used by the upper caste, but without having shoes. They had to come down the cycle and bow before the people belonging to upper caste. The washer men and the barbers were cautioned, not to provide any service to them. And most amazingly, they were not allowed to enter the temples, builtby them only. They are Dalits of Andhra Pradesh under Congress rule.

The situation however, is fast changing under the pressure of democratic movement launched by Communist Party of India (CPI(M).

The party is not strong in Andhra Pradesh and in fact the CPI(M) has failed to extend its wings in any other states, other than its strongholds like West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala. But the developments evidenced in Andhra Pradesh, recently prove that the party is initiating its support base in the state.

Very recently, a rally of the dalits under the leadership of CPI(M) entered a local temple made by them. The same movement was organised in Anantapur but the temple authority had closed the temple in protest of the dalits’ entrance over there.

In several places, dalits were barred to use the drinking water of the village wells. The CPI(M) leaders stood by them and launched movement. In the tea stalls they stood guard to the dalits so that the discrimination in using glasses can be wiped out.

The party leaders and workers are roaming around the villages. They are even conducting meetings and standing in favour of social justice. They are preaching against the inhuman traditions, being followed for years.

On the third day of its 19th Congress here on Monday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expressed resentment over the inability of the United Progressive Alliance government to confront Hindutva forces. It demanded legislation to deal with communal violence and to provide compensation to the victims and rehabilitate them.
A resolution adopted at the Congress observed: “It is most unfortunate, therefore, that the UPA government, whose formation was welcomed and made possible by secular forces, has been unable to confront the Hindutva forces and, on the contrary, has adopted a vacillating position.”

In 2002, West Bengal regemented ruling Brahminical Hegemony gestapo Head met the Fascist Pro American Zionist then Union Home Minister lal Krishna Adwani in his office and complained why he never mentioned the situation of West Bengal in reference to ISI activities.The Marxist Capitalist Chief Minister raised the issue of Madrsas in the border areas of west Bengal allegedly involved in anti national activities. Bhattacharya then pointed out the continuous flow of uncontrolled Refugee Influx accross the border and demographic changes in North East and West Bengal. The notorious duo made the plan to eject out the dalit Partion Victim Bengali refugeesscattered and resettled as rehabilitated nationwide out of Indian Geopolitics. Buddha was quite a prompt to deny his stance on Madrasa Issues as the sensitive Muslim Vote Bank in West Bengal threatened to distance itself from the Psedo Secular Left Front. Immidiately the marxists launched a damage control campaign attacking the sangh Parivar to appease the Muslims who vote En Block in west Bengal infavour of the Left Front.
But Buddha kept quiet in reference to Dual Citizenship Act. Media was unaware and even the MPs, Ministers and MLAs were ignorant as the Standing committee Chairman Pranab Mukherjee posted the proposed Dual Citizenship Amendment Bill on Net. Pranab did not call any refugee orgs or individual contesting and passed on the Bill. In Parliament, BJP plus Congress as well as CPIM passed the Bill without any significant discussion. The Act signed by the President cancelled the provision of citizenship by Birth. It on the other hand offered citizenship to NRIs of Indian roots. A NRI contested last Gujrat Assembelly Elections. But with a single stroke all partition victim Bengli refugee rehabiliated and resettled countrywide were deprived of Citizenship.

According to the new act, whoever crossed the border without valid passport Visa after 14 th July, 1948 happens to be an illegal foreign infiltrator. It is to be noted that Visa and Passport were introduced for Pakistan only in 1952. But no body asked asingle quetion.

In West Bengal, Dalit Smanyay Samiti, A CPIM open front launched for dalit Vote bank mobilisation campaigned against the Bill and CPIM leaders blamed the BJP and Congerss. Nationwide, CPIM leaders told that the BJP had done this. Since all Bengali speaking Muslims working and residing out of Bengal felt the heat of the deportation drive, specially in New Delhi where VHP claimed to deport 26 lac bangladeshies, in Mumbai where Togria challanges Bal thackray to throw out five lac bangladeshies and in Gujrat, the land of Genocide. CPIM leaders lost no time to launch a campaign to mobilise the dalit Bengali refugees and Muslims as well against this deportation drive. In 2006, CPIM organised a dalit Conference of Bengali refugees outside Bengal. They demanded SC status for Namoshudra Community. ( Ninty percent of the dalit Bengali refugee ejected out of East begal dalit Base and the most militant activists of national dalit Movement before Independence headed by Ambedkar and Jogendra Nath Mandal belong to this community. The ruling hegemony in bengal thus ensured Power for the Brhmins in Independent India with partition of India.) CPIM fought the Uttaranchal Elections wooing the namoshudra Refugees and failed badly. They lost deposit everywhere as refugees never believed them. Now, in Coimbtur, CPIM agenda targets these Namoshudras to have some seats in Chhattishgargh, Jharkhand, Orissa, MP, UP, maharashtra, Andhra and tamilnadu.

In west Bengal, CPIM tamed all namoshudra leaders who licked the Bottom of the ruling Class all these thirty years after marichjhanpi Genocide. All refugees invited, brought, massacred and ejected out of Bengal in the Sundarvana Island were bonafied Indian citizens who were rehabiliated in Dandkaranya Project spanning four states Maharashtra, United MP, Orissa and Andhra or were sheltered in Five Transit camps in Chattishgarg (MP). All of them crossed the border in 1964 or much before. As the Kendrapara bengali Refugees settled there in 1950s and they happen to be the partition victims of Noakhali.

Moreover in Nandigram, no victim happns to be any caste Hindu. All victims happen to be SC, OBC or Muslims. But CPIM succeeded to keep all SC ST OBC and Muslim leaders with it. Opposition, on the other hand never cared for them.Nor the Brahminical Intelligentsia or media. Sidikullah Chowdhury was heading the Nandigram Insurrection but he was trapped to oppose Taslima Nasrin and thus, sidelined. Now sidikullah is dismissed from his General Secretary status in jamait Ul Hind.

All SC ST Muslim leaders including ministers, MPS and MLAs supported the Notorious Citizenship amendment act. No one protested. But they claim to have protested. This is a classic example of Marxist Betrayal.

In Coimbtur, CPIM speaks the language of Ambedkar. They claim to lead anti Capitalist movement but they have always sided with Pro US lobby in Indian politics since Nehru Indira days. They allied with congress while Congress itself Americanised, Zionised after the collapse of soviet Union. They protest neoliberalism and all economic policies of the UPA government but CPIM Coimbtur congress endorsed the Buddha ways of Capitalist development and agressive Industrialisation. Buddha has become the greatest Icon of CPIM after Basu`s retirement. Buddha is the hotmost marxist Brand in Post Modern Manusmriti Hindu Zionist White apartheid Galaxy Order led by US corporate Imperialists!

Alleging that the UPA government’s minority welfare programmes are ‘far from adequate’ the CPI(M)’s nineteenth congress on Monday resolved that the Centre should take ‘concrete steps’ with adequate allocations to empower minority communities through education, employment and ‘‘wherever required land reforms and land distribution.’’ The party has also reiterated its stand that the Dalit Christians and Muslims should be granted with the SC status.

‘‘The government has failed to table the report of the Ranganath Commission on the question of granting scheduled caste to Dalit Christians and Muslims,’’ the resolution, passed by the Congress delegates here, said. It added that the Planning Commission and the Centre have not the CPI(M)’s demand for a sub plan to minorities. The allocation of Rs 500 crore in the recent budget has also been termed as ‘far from adequate’ by the party.

Another resolution condemned the Sangh Parivar for ‘polarising’ the society on communal lines. It demanded immediate passage of the proposed legislation to deal with communal violence and compensation and rehabilitation of the victims. The party criticised the UPA for its ‘failure to refer’ the Gujarat genocide cases to the CBI.

Briefing reporters here on the day’s proceedings at the Congress, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said that his party would co-ordinate with non-NDA, non-Congress parties to launch a ‘nationwide protest’ against price rise. ‘‘We will not allow the government to make the Forward Contract Regulation Ordinance an Act. We will oppose FDI or FIIs in future trading,’’ Karat added.

A day after China sought India’s support on the Tibet issue, Karat on Monday warned that those who are supporting the independent Tibet are doing a great disservice to India. ‘‘Those who want to join this chorus for an independent Tibet in India will be doing a great disservice to our own country. Are we going to support a free Nagaland? A free Jammu and Kashmir and other secessionist demands?’’ he asked.

Though maintained silence on the decision not to invite the Sri Lankan Leftist party Janata Vimukti Perumana for the Congress, he said that it is not necessary to invite all Leftist parties to the function.

Speedy delivery of compensation

This position was seen in the government’s unwillingness to punish those guilty of complicity in communal rioting and carnage and to enable access to justice, rehabilitation and compensation for the victims. The government should draft a Bill and get it passed at the earliest to deal with communalism and ensure speedy delivery of compensation to the victims, the resolution said.

One of the four major areas of focus of the political resolutions was that of sparing no effort at isolating the BJP-RSS combine, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said while briefing reporters. A total of five resolutions were adopted by the party Congress on Monday.

The failure of the Congress State governments had enabled the BJP to win the elections in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and retain power in Gujarat.

The resolution on Hindutva forces sought to draw a contrast between the approaches of the Centre and the Left front governments in West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala in handling communalism. It said the party Congress took pride in the record of these governments in maintaining communal harmony despite the fact that the communal and fundamentalist forces were actively engaged in fomenting tension and clashes.

At the same time, the BJP-ruled States witnessed attacks on religious minorities and government programmes were saffronised.

Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu held a clandestine meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani when the National Front was in power although publicly the Communists loathed the BJP, Advani says in his autobiography.

Advani has said in his ‘My Life, My Country’ that the former West Bengal chief minister sought a meeting with him and Vajpayee because he felt that the multi-party National Front government led by V P Singh was not functioning well.

But Basu laid a pre-condition: the meeting had to be under cover. "No one should know about our meeting. Especially people in my party would not like it," Advani quoted Basu as saying.

"One day Jyoti Basu sent a message to us from Calcutta through a common friend. This government is not functioning properly. I feel the three of us - Atalji, you and I - should meet to discuss the situation. Why don't we meet at Viren Shah's residence in Delhi?" Shah, a successful Mumbai-based industrialist, a friend of both Advani and Basu, played the emissary.

"Atalji and I welcomed the idea of an informal dinner meeting," Advani has written. "Nevertheless, we were a bit puzzled. We conveyed our response to the intermediary."

In their response to Shah, the BJP leaders said: "We thank Jyoti babu for his suggestion. If he is interested in meeting us, we are prepared to go to Kolkata to meet him there. Otherwise, if he wants the meeting to take place in Delhi, he is most welcome to come to either Atalji's house or my house for dinner."

The meeting finally took place at Shah's residence.

"But to me it was yet another instance of the hypocritical outlook and conduct of the Communists, especially those belonging to the CPI-M," Advani has written.

There was, however, one Communist leader who Advani says he greatly admired - Indrajit Gupta of the Communist Party of India (CPI). "The person who impressed me most was Indrajit Gupta. He was a man of impeccable integrity and great simplicity, besides being an outstanding parliamentarian," Advani has said.

The BJP veteran has only bitter words for the CPI-M. "In contrast, the CPI-M leaders were always conscious of being politically correct in their dealings with us."

V P Singh, then heading the Janata Dal, became prime minister in December 1989, with the backing of the mutually antagonistic BJP and the Left. His government collapsed less than a year later after the BJP withdrew its legislative support.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav met secretly in 1999 to prevent Congress president Sonia Gandhi from becoming prime minister, sources close to Yadav and former defence minister George Fernandes have confirmed.
Advani caused a sensation by revealing in his book, My Country, My Life, released here on Wednesday, that he and Yadav - otherwise supposedly sworn political foes - met soon after the Atal Behari Vajpayee government lost parliamentary majority and Gandhi tried to cobble a new coalition.
Advani disclosed that Fernandes organised his meeting with Yadav at the Sujan Singh Park residence of Samata Party chief Jaya Jaitley, a confidante of Fernandes, on the night of April 20-21, 1999. The BJP veteran said Jaitley drove him in her car to the venue.
One of those who knew about the meeting said: "Every bit of Advani’s description of the meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav is a faithful account of the events" that unfolded soon after the Vajpayee government collapsed.
According to another source, Samajwadi Party MP Mohan Singh did the spadework for the meeting. But Mohan Singh denied he was any way linked to the Advani-Yadav talks.
Mohan Singh, a long-time associate of Fernandes, said: "I have no idea about all this. I am not aware of any such meeting."
As a former defence minister, Yadav lived opposite Fernandes’ 3, Krishna Menon Marg bungalow.
The Advani-revealed drama took place after the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government lost parliamentary majority by a single vote after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) joined forces with the Congress and its allies.
Thereafter, all non-NDA parties got together to work out a consensus to forge a new government.
With his aversion for the Congress known, Yadav called a meeting of non-Congress and non-NDA leaders at his residence and suggested that then West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu be prime minister. But Basu and his Communist Party of India (Marxist) rejected the idea.
Gandhi went in the meantime to then president K R Narayanan and staked claim to forming a new government, assuming that all those groups that had voted against the Vajpayee government would back her.
That was when Yadav gave Narayanan a letter saying his party would not support a government led by Gandhi. Eventually, fresh elections took place and the Vajpayee-led NDA returned to power with more seats.
The sources said that before Fernandes telephoned Advani to arrange a meeting with Yadav, Fernandes himself had two or three meetings with Yadav.
One source said: "I don’t know where they met. But I know they met."
Despite repeated attempts, IANS could not reach Fernandes or Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh.
However, a Fernandes aide said that Advani’s disclosures, amid speculation that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party may be preparing to bury their long-time rivalry, would not have any impact on political developments.
The source said: "Surely Sonia Gandhi knew about the meeting all along. That was one of the reasons for the bitterness between Sonia and Mulayam. If they are coming close today, it is because of their political compulsions."
l Aiming to improve his ties with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Gandhi, Advani yesterday made an unusual gesture - he visited them at their homes on the occasion of the Holi festival and presented them with copies of his autobiography.
The visits came two days after the ruling Congress accused Advani of making no effort to reach out to the two leaders.
Sources close to the prime minister said Advani met Singh at his residence to greet him on the occasion of Holi.
Advani also went over to Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence here. Congress Party sources confirmed the meeting but refused to divulge any details.
In an interview with Times Now television channel on Thursday, Advani admitted there was no communication between him and Gandhi. He also said it was hurting his equations with Singh.
"It is unfortunate that I have no communication with Sonia Gandhi. Poor relations with her affect my equations with the prime minister," he said, hoping his ties with her would improve.
In response, the Congress said he had never made efforts to reach out to the two leaders.- IANS

Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has found a friend in the BJP. Leader of the opposition LK Advani said she was a victim of "religious persecution" in her native country and demanded that the centre extend her visa, which is expiring on February 15.

"I am shocked and outraged at media reports that the noted Bengali writer, Taslima Nasreen, has been kept in virtual house arrest at a secret place in Delhi and, worse still, that her health is affected by poor medical care.

Both the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal are responsible for her plight. They are guilty of practising the most perverse kind of politics of vote bank and appeasement of religious extremism," Advani said.

Advani said he had heard from reliable sources she was being pressurised by the UPA government to leave India. The BJP leader marshaled out figures to suggest that it was ironic that the Congress-Communist combine, which has actively colluded in the influx of 12,05,3,950 illegal Bangladeshi migrants (as on 31 December 2001) in Assam, Bengal and other parts of the country, "cannot give protection to a single hapless woman who is a victim of religious persecution in her own country.

Many of these infiltrators have been given not only shelter but also ration cards and voting rights". "I demand that Nasreen be allowed to lead a normal life in West Bengal. It is the responsibility of the Centre and state governments to ensure her personal security," he said.

THE LEFT parties staged a Dharna on Tuesday (Mar 18), at about 11AM against rising prices at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which is a common place for protest by political parties and other organizations to air their grievances and press their demands. However, most political parties wake up to the call of the elections and the protests by the Left parties like CPM, CPI, RSP, etc, alongwith the Left affiliated ‘Akhil Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union’ against rising prices with impractical demands for increasing subsidies should also be seen in the same light.

After the budget in which the UPA government gave relief to millions of farmers condoning loans of farmers having less than two hectares of land, it appeared to almost every one that the Lok Sabha elections, which are otherwise due in 2009 are round the corner. This was evident when after the presentation of the budget the Congress dared the Left parties again over the nuclear treaty with America and it seemed that the Congress had completed its homework now and may be preparing to make brisk activities at the Congress headquarters.

The Bharatiya Janta Party on its part was ready with Advani, gearing up to try his luck to become India’s Prime Minister at a time when the most natural choice of his party, Atal Behari Vajpayee had announced his retirement. Advani wanted to put a rubber stamp of Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee’s retirement so that ways are cleared for him to try his luck. He was also well up in arms against UPA government’s failure to protect people from terrorism, as an election plank. His preparations for hectic schedule of rallies all over the country along with his Hitler friend Modi were however, shown red flag. The intelligence reports that there was danger to both the party leaders.

The Congress again flip-flopped and Defence minister Pranab Mukherji stated within 48 hours that without proper understanding with the Left Front, the government might not opt for elections. Sonia reiterated last week by saying that immediate elections are ruled out. The relief to farmers on loan did send a wave of jubilations all over the farmer communities, but not all were pleased.

For instance, it was reported in the media that farmers of some states have an average of seven acres land, which was more than the restricted two hectares (5 acres) and as such these farmers had nothing to smile at. However, Rahul Gandhi has put up a very pragmatic and intelligent point that the limit of 5 acres should not be for the whole country, but it should vary from state to state and the relevant recommendation should come from the states themselves.

He also rightly raised the question of the variety of fertilities of land pieces in various regions and also pointed out to Vidarbha, where many farmers’ suicides became a nightmare for the governments in Maharashtra and at centre. There the media raised the question of ‘where will the funds come from’ and also some public interest litigation, which the apex court simply rejected saying that the budget was yet to be passed and as such the PIL could not be entertained till proper time.

The Left Front was lucky enough in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections when it got a record 60 seats which they could never have imagined, thanks to the false ‘India Shining’ slogan of the erstwhile Vajpayee led National Democratic Alliance government and the overdose of disinvestment storm by NDA’s disinvestment minister Arun Shourie. It so happened that un-pragmatic romance with liberalisation cost SM Krishna his Karnataka government, Chandrababu Naidu his Andhra government and Digvijay Singh his MP government and all these topplings were over smarted by Vajpayee government’s fiasco in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

But perhaps nobody has forgotten an angry AB Bardhan appearing on the Television channels immediately after it became clear that the Congress led UPA government was going to form the government.

When questioned by a reporter over disinvestment, Bardhan said in his usual unpleasant and angry mannerism – "Bhaad mein jaye disinvestment aur Arun Shourie ki ministry" (to hell with disinvestment and Arun Shourie’s ministry). His single statement resulted in the bloodshed in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and trillions of rupees were drained off. Interestingly, since it had become clear by now that Manmohan Singh would be taking oath as India’s next Prime Minister, the outgoing NDA government’s Finance Minister Jaswant Singh mischievously stayed put and didn’t care to do anything thinking that the destruction of the BSE would fall as an axe upon the new UPA government’s head.

It was Manmohan Singh who rose to the occasion and knocked at the finance minister’s home and the latter now exposed, went to the Governor of Reserve Bank of India, who immediately gave the statement that the RBI has sufficient stock of foreign exchange reserved. This some how brought about some damage control. But the outspoken and untimely nature of the Communist leaders cannot go off the records, even after four years now.

If the Left Front is today crying foul over the rising prices and their workers are shouting at the top of their voices for increasing the subsidies, it is oblivious of the fact that the politically literate people of the country have well recognized the obstructive nature of the communists themselves. When Jyoti Basu, the longest serving chief minister stepped down, he was given farewell with as many flowers as the days he served in that capacity. But the media rightly put up a critique of his chief ministership of more than twenty years, as nothing more than of average standard.

In a TV show debate in the NDTV, a member of audience once put a good question to the Leftist leader Nilotpal Basu that the Communists have been talking of poverty ever since they were born in this country, but why then the West Bengal has so much poor population. This type of feeling was confirmed to me during this protest when I spoke to a labour, Dhanna Singh from Punjab who drives a wooden cart at daily wages whenever he gets a chance. I observed that all the poor people in the rally, which had mostly labourers and farmers in it, had certain formula things to say which interestingly are the things to make up the communists ideology.

Dhanna Singh simply said that the rich are enjoying and for them the hike of prices is not an issue, but where will the poor people go. The same feeling was expressed by Nand Paswan from Rajpur who also begins his day afresh to try his luck in getting some work. But when I asked Dhanna Singh whether he was sure that if the UPA government was dethroned and the Left government was formed his problems would be over. He simply gave a hollow laugh and said, "Babuji, greebi koi bhi naheen hatata, sub batein karte hain" (No body removes poverty, they simply talk).

The Left Front also seems to have been alerted by the analysis appearing in various papers that perhaps in the next Lok Sabha elections, the Leftists would be the biggest losers and it could be Mayawati who would now share power with the Congress, with Mayawati even dreaming to become PM.

The speeches delivered in this protest on a stage constructed just half a kilometer distance from the Parliament (near Patel Chowk) condemned both the Congress and the BJP, as the parties of the hoarders. The double standards of the Leftists are however clear when one draws attention to the statement by the West Bengal chief minister in 2006 that surprised not only people and members of other parties but even the CPM politburo. He said, –‘We are not implementing Socialism here in West Bengal’.

His statement was however to be welcomed by the enthusiasts of globalisation but one needs to just look at the troublesome behavior of the Leftist with the UPA government by its unwanted hindrances to Manmohan Singh’s economic policies and their unnecessary ideological talk, be it the disinvestment of the BHEL or the Retail Market or the Nuclear Treaty. But Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee could not hide his own party’s hypocrisy in Singur where Mamta Bannerjea went on a record 25-day hunger strike, and who would forgive Buddha for his inhuman handling of the Nandigram episode. He allotted the duty of police to his cadres who not only killed people but also raped the hapless women.

The Left’s Dharna at Jantar Mantar should therefore be perceived like an elephant’s second type of teeth, in accordance with the saying that elephants have two types of teeth – one for eating and the other one for showing. These are certainly the tusks of the elephant and not their eating teeth, which actually wants to taste more seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Mani Rathnam's son is a CPM volunteer

Mani Rathnam's son Nandan surprised everyone by becoming a volunteer of Marxist Communist Party of India (CPI-M) and officially he made his appearance in the party activities in its 19th All India Congress held at Coimbatore today. He joined in the party because of its 'cogent, comprehensive and highly developed complex of theory and practice', says in his first ever media meet held here.

The son of star couple said that while studying in eleventh standard, his reading habit introduced him to the most respective political movement of India. Nandan is also surprised with another achievement. He is the author of the party's conference pamphlet on Leninism.

CPI(M) not to forge alliance with Cong. to isolate BJP

Coimbatore (PTI): The CPI(M), which supports the UPA government from outside, on Tuesday decided not to enter into any alliance or forge a united front with Congress in its attempt to isolate BJP.

While continuing to adopt tactics to isolate and defeat BJP, CPI(M) would "not enter into any alliance or united front with Congress," Polit Bureau member S Ramachandran Pillai told reporters here.

"The party would maintain relations with all non-Congress secular parties for developing united struggles and joint actions on common issues," he said.

The Political Resolution, which outlined these tasks, was adopted unanimously by the CPI(M) Congress, the highest body of the party, after incorporating 46 amendments.

The meet has begun discussion on Political-Organisational Report, making a "serious assessment" of CPI(M)'s performance since the last such conference three years ago, he said.

The resolution has also asked the party to develop its independent strength and expand its political base, besides projecting the Left and democratic alternative and building up mass movements on people's issues.

Pillai said the party's membership had grown by over 1.14 lakh to over almost 11 lakh since the last Congress and acknowledged the trend of "uneven growth" of the party was still continuing as it was experiencing stunted growth in the Hindi-belt.

To a question on aligning with DMK-led Front in Tamil Nadu, in which the Congress is also an ally, Pillai said the CPI(M) has relationship only with the DMK and has no truck with Congress in the state. On the Congress' reported overtures for an electoral tieup with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, with which CPI(M) also has good relations, he said there were many regional parties like the RJD of Lalu Prasad with which the CPI(M) can forge alliance.

To a question on coming assembly elections in Karnataka, he said the party has not yet discussed the issue and would take an appropriate decision at an approriate time. As far as the TDP in Andhra Pradesh was concerned, CPIM was having a discussion on common programme for the third alternative with its chief N Chandrababu Naidu, he said. Asked about the uneveness in party's growth in northern states and the growth being confined only to CPI(M)-ruled states and Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Pillai said the party was trying to identify the reasons.

However, the party has made good progress in states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Jharkhand and expanded among the newer sections of population like tribals, he claimed.

Asked whether the CPI(M) was relying on parties like SP and RJD to expand its base in UP and Bihar, he said "to build the CPI(M), we do not rely on any political party. Alliances with such parties are only to take care of electoral tasks".

The party Congress also adopted resolutions on gender equality, the rights of Dalits, Forest Rights Bill and the sixth pay commission.

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

West Bengal CM visits TNAU

Staff Reporter

http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/01/stories/2008040155000500.htm

Discussed about genetically-modified crops

Warm welcome: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (right) being received by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor C. Ramasamy on his visit to the university in Coimbatore on Monday.

COIMBATORE: The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, visited the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here on Monday and had an interaction with the Vice-Chancellor of the university, C. Ramasamy.

The latter briefed him about the university’s activities and its thrust areas in research and development.

According to a university release, the main topics of discussion were Genetically Modified crops and their status in the country and the impact created by Bt cotton and the benefits gained by the farmers.

The Chief Minister also evinced keen interest in the modern farm technologies – Precision Farming and the System of Rice Intensification technique of TNAU. The Vice-Chancellor explained to him the role of TNAU in popularizing these sets of hi-tech package of practices among farmers of Tamil Nadu and how they benefited through adopting them.

Mr. Bhattacharjee was also briefed on the various educational programmes offered by the university.

National

CPI(M) Congress pledges to resist neo-liberal policies

Vinay Kumar

http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/31/stories/2008033160181400.htm

Political resolution adopted; will spare no effort to isolate BJP-RSS combine

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To champion cause of Dalits, tribals and minorities

Democratic forces urged to rally together

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COIMBATORE: Outlining a four-pronged political approach, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said on Monday that the party would spare no effort to isolate the BJP-RSS combine which spearheads the communal forces in the country; struggle to defend national sovereignty; mobilise democratic sections to thwart the U.S. imperialist designs to convert India into its strategic ally; and continue to champion the cause of the Dalits, tribals, women and minorities.

The party’s future line was finalised when its 19th Congress adopted the political resolution with some amendments on Monday evening. Briefing newspersons here, the CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said discussions on the political resolution went on for two days and nearly seven hours were devoted to it.

“At the conclusion, the main direction given in the draft political resolution and formulations in it were adopted unanimously. Delegates gave their wide-ranging support to them. In the amendments too, submitted to the steering committee, there was no major disagreement; they only strengthened the formulations of the draft political resolution,” Mr. Karat explained.

The party Congress called upon all patriotic, democratic and progressive forces to rally together against imperialism and in defence of national sovereignty; fight against the policies of liberalisation and privatisation for a pro-people path of development; for defence of secular democracy and strengthening federalism.

It also pledged to resist the neo-liberal policies, defend the interests of the working people and work for alternative policies.

Asserting that nobody should underestimate the necessity to fight the BJP and the communal forces, Mr. Karat said thatgiven the growing discontent and the economic hardships of the people, there was a danger of the discontent being channelled into divisive communal politics.

The 18th party Congress held in April 2005 in Delhi had enjoined upon the party to continue the struggle without let-up against the communal forces. Discussions this time around also took into consideration the fact that the BJP in the last three years had fallen back on its Hindutva agenda and sought to push through its communal platform. “We have countered this along with other democratic and secular forces,” Mr. Karat said.

Discussions on the draft political resolution also took note of the agrarian crisis, big business-led growth regime which has diminished job opportunities for the people, food security, need to pursue an independent foreign policy which requires that India does not enter into a strategic alliance with the U.S. and opposition to the India-U.S. defence framework agreement.

‘Not just a poll alliance’

On the third alternative, Mr. Karat said that it could not be merely an “electoral alliance.” To a question on the possibility of such an alternative emerging before the next general elections, he said: “I cannot say anything about it.” To another query, he said that for the party the next general elections were only in 2009.

He reiterated that the party would maintain relations with all the non-Congress secular parties for developing united struggles and joint actions on common issues. The building of a third alternative must be undertaken and the CPI(M) should take the initiative for this and strengthen Left unity to facilitate the

emergence of such an alternative. Such a platform would be based on a consistent anti-communal outlook, advocate pro-people economic measures and work for social welfare.

CPI(M) unhappy with govt. steps to check inflation

Coimbatore (PTI): Expressing dissatisfaction with the government's measures to control spiralling prices of essential goods, its key outside supporter CPI(M) on Tuesday said it would go ahead with its proposed nationwide agitation with Left and other parties.

"These measures are half-hearted and not fruitful. They haven't taken any concrete steps to check prices. We are discussing with other parties and will organise the protest actions jointly," Polit Bureau member S Ramachandran Pillai told reporters here.

Among the urgent measures the party has demanded are a ban on futures trading in all essential commodities, withdrawal of a legislation which would allow FDI into the commodities market, universalising public distribution system, changing the petro-products taxation structure and carrying out dehoarding drives, he said.

His remarks came a day after the government announced a fresh set of measures including ban on export of non-basmati rice and slashing of import duties on edible oils and maize to check inflation.

Responding to questions on the 6th Pay Commission, he said the party Congress had adopted a resolution asking the government not to accept the recommendations to abolish the Group D posts "which means elimination of about 12 lakh posts in the central services itself".

He said the CPI(M) also wanted the government not to accept the pay panel's recommendation on corporatisation of the railways and defence establishments. Through the resolution, the party wants the Centre to bear 50 per cent of the expenditure of all states in implementing the pay hike for state government employees. This should be 90 per cent in case of the Northeastern special category states, he said.

The 19th Congress also adopted a resolution demanding immediate implementation of the Forest Rights Act and include it under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to protect tribal interests.

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CPI-M to go ahead with mass protests over price rise
Coimbatore, April 1 (IANS) Accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government of failing to take “concrete steps” to contain the price rise, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday vowed to go ahead with plans to launch a nation-wide campaign. “The measures (taken by the government) are not fruitful to contain the price rise. There was no suggestion for concrete measures,” CPI-M politburo member S. Ramachandra Pillai told reporters here on the deliberations in the 19th party congress.

The CPI-M has asked the government to strengthen the public distribution system by introducing universal PDS - without differentiating between those who live below and above the poverty level - and by distributing other essentials such as pulses and edible oil.

It has also urged the government to ban the future trading in 25 agricultural commodities, cut custom and excise duties on oil, reduce retail prices of petrol and diesel and take stringent action against hoarding of essential commodities.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat has said the CPI-M was in touch with other Left parties as well as “like-minded parties” to choke out a strategy to fighting the rising prices.

The party said a nation-wide mass movement would be mobilized after April 15. Karat has said he has already held discussions with TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on this regard.

The party congress also resolutions on gender equality, in defence of Dalits, on the forest rights bill and on the sixth Pay Commission.

CPI-M for SEZs only in limited areas

Coimbatore, April 2 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Wednesday that it favoured special economic zones (SEZs) only in limited areas. “We are of the view that SEZs should be granted only for those industries where advanced technology is required. The second category could be for the export-oriented sectors,” West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here.

Speaking on the sidelines of the CPI-M party congress, he said the area of land to be provided should depend on the industry.

“There should be restrictions… At least 50 percent of the land should be used for industrial purposes and 25 percent for infrastructure. Nobody can bypass the law of the land, so SEZs should not be exempted from labour laws.”

According to the chief minister, there should be no SEZs for real estate, recreation centers and water sports.

Bhattacharjee went on: “West Bengal has a history as a manufacturing hub since the British rule. The manufacturing sector was powerful in the state. We want to revive that glory.”

Dismissing opposition to his industrial policies from the CPI-M’s smaller allies as “small differences”, Bhattacharjee said: “They will gradually support us. We will reach a consensus.”

No truck with Cong: CPM

Statesman News Service
COIMBATORE, April 1: The CPI-M will not enter into any alliance or united front with the Congress, though it considered the latter to be a ‘secular bourgeois party’ often vacillating when the communal forces took the offensive.
A resolution to this effect was passed at the 19th congress of CPI-M here. It also said that the CPI-M would continue to adopt tactics for isolating and defeating the BJP. Vowing to build a third alternative, the resolution said it would take the initiative for this and strengthen Left unity to facilitate this work.
In the present situation the party must give priority to developing its independent strength and expanding its political base, the resolution noted and added that it should take class and mass issues to develop movements and struggles.
The resolution said that the party would maintain relations with all the non-Congress secular parties for developing united struggles and joint actions on common issues.
The CPI-M asserted that it would ceaselessly struggle to defend national sovereignty, resist the ‘neo-liberal polices’ and defend the interests of the working people. The party would mobilise all the patriotic and democratic sections to thwart the US imperialist designs to convert India into its strategic ally, it said.
The party also vowed to champion the cause of the Dalits, tribal people, women, minorities and other oppressed sections for social justice.
On the sixth pay commission recommendations, the party said some of them were detrimental to employees’ interests. It opposed the abolition of Group D posts and urged the government not to accept it. The party wanted the Centre to grant 50 per cent funds to states for wage revisions and added that the funds should be 90 per cent for states of North-East.
Pressing for the Women’s Reservation Bill, it demanded immediate steps to deal with ever-increasing violence and crimes against women. Another resolution demanded reservation for Dalits and Adivasis in the private sector and immediate filling of backlog vacancies reserved for Dalits and Adivasis in government jobs and educational institutions. The party also called for stringent implementation of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and strict action against perpetrators of atrocities against Dalits. It also urged for land reforms, with priority to Dalits, Adivasis and women in respect of distribution of agricultural and house-site land and joint pattas.
Mr S Ramachandran Pillai, who explained the resolutions and political-organisational report said the party membership had increased by 1,14,392 since the 18th congress three years ago. He added that the growth in the Hindi heartland was more than the national average and claimed that the party is growing in all the Hindi-speaking states.

CPI(M) for more financial powers for States

K.V. Prasad

A reduction in revenue made the economy of States vulnerable, says Yechury

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The States under financial stress: Resolution

States forced to look for alternative sources

of funding

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— Photo: K. Ananthan

Congress minutes: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury briefs the media on the resolutions adopted on the second day of the 19th Congress of the party in Coimbatore on Sunday.

COIMBATORE: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) will embark on a nationwide campaign for greater devolution of financial powers for the States, Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said here on Sunday. The objective was to create self-reliant States that were now dependent on the flow of funds from the Centre, in the form of a share of the taxes.

Briefing presspersons on a resolution on Centre-State relations, passed on the second day of the six-day 19th Congress of the party, he said the States were under financial stress, with low tax revenue being a major reason.

The resolution attributed imbalance in the revenue to the important powers to raise revenue remaining with the Centre.

Mr. Yechury said the share of funds for the States from the direct taxes collected by the Centre was also getting reduced. This was because of tax concessions offered for investments.

A reduction in the quantum of revenue brought pressure on the States to look for alternative sources of funding for development schemes. The sources include lending institutions such as the World Bank. The economy of the States had become vulnerable and this restricted the scope for development.

“After the party Congress, we will consult the Chief Ministers of other States on what action can be taken,” he said. The party would first take this issue to the States ruled by the Left front. Then the others would be consulted in phases.

The party was of the view that the States must get a one-third share initially, which must be raised to 50 per cent. At the same time, it was the right of the States to raise taxes. At present, they were dependent on devolution of funds from the Centre.

The party Congress noted with concern the deterioration in the Centre-State relations in recent years in all spheres involving administrative, legislative and especially financial issues.

It was on the pressure of public opinion created by the Left and democratic forces led by the CPI (M) that the Central government constituted the Sarkaria Commission.

The United Progressive Alliance government had now constituted a new commission to go into the Centre-State relations. But, even after over two decades, practically none of its recommendations were implemented. The expectations created by the UPA on this front had been belied, the resolution noted.

On other aspects of Centre-State relations, the resolution said there was a new and alarming tendency of misinterpreting the provisions of Article 355 and sending of armed forces to the States by the Centre unilaterally. On the other hand, when the States asked for deployment of such forces, there was undue delay in meeting the request.

Congress lesser evil, but no tie-up please: CPI-M
By Liz Mathew
Coimbatore, April 1 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday called the Congress party a lesser evil than the “communal” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but said it would still not have any electoral tie up with it. In a political resolution passed unanimously at the 19th party congress here, the CPI-M said: “The party differentiates between the BJP and the Congress, considering the latter as a secular bourgeois party, though it often vacillates when the communal forces take offensive.”

It added: “The party will continue to adopt tactics for isolating and defeating the BJP.”

But the CPI-M, one of four Left parties providing key legislative support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, insisted: “It will not enter into any alliance or united front with the Congress.”

Party politburo member S. Ramachandra Pillai, who briefed the media on the third day of the party meeting, took pains to explain the CPI-M’s approach to the Congress, which heads India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

According to him, although CPI-M is a part of the fronts in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh that include the Congress, the Marxists had no direct alliance with it.

However, he later admitted that the party did not rule out entering into “seat adjustments” with the Congress to defeat “communal forces”.

In the political resolution, after 46 of the 304 amendments suggested by the 722 delegates were adopted, the CPI-M has vowed to develop its “independent strength and expand its political base.”

“This party must take class and mass issues to develop movements and struggles. This is crucial for strengthening the Left and democratic forces,” it said.

The CPI-M also pledged to maintain relations with all non-Congress secular parties for developing united struggles and joint actions on common issues. “The building of a third alternative must be undertaken.”

The congress asked the CPI-M leadership to take initiatives for this and also to strengthen Left unity to facilitate the task.

The CPI-M is also vowed to resist neo-liberal policies, oppose “US imperialistic designs” to convert India into a strategic ally.

Although party membership has increased (by 114,392), Pillai admitted that there have been dropouts due to various reasons.

“But if it is because of the shortcomings and defects, we are trying to correct them,” he said.

Party will address uneven growth: Ramachandran Pillai

Vinay Kumar

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No substantial progress made in “weak” States

Membership up by 25.7 per cent in the last three years

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COIMBATORE: After making progress in expanding its base in five States — West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura — and registering an increase by 1.14 lakh in its membership since the 18th Congress three years ago, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday decided to step up efforts for rapid expansion in northern States.

Briefing reporters on the fourth day of the ongoing 19th party Congress here, Polit Bureau member S. Ramachandran Pillai said that 46 per cent of the party membership was below 40 years of age, nearly 20 per cent belonged to the scheduled castes, and 12 per cent were women.

Mr. Pillai presented two parts of the political-organisational report to the party Congress which evaluated the implementation of the tasks of developing the organisation set out by the 18th Congress. He said the membership of the class and mass organisations increased by 25.7 per cent in the last three years — the largest increase between two Congresses. However, Mr. Pillai said, that the growth was uneven and the bulk of the membership of the mass organisations belonged to the five States. The basic membership of the CPI(M) at the end of 2007 stood at 9.82 lakh as against 9.05 lakh in 2005.

Mr. Pillai said the party increased its membership in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu but no substantial progress was made in “weak” States in the north. He said Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra were some of the States where the party would increase its presence and embark on a membership drive.

“More efforts are required to increase the representation of the women in the party as well,” he said.

Mr. Pillai said many delegates expressed concern about the party’s uneven growth and wanted more efforts to be taken in the Hindi-speaking region.

In the context of Kerala and factionalism, Mr. Pillai said the party’s efforts to sort out the problem had made “substantial progress.”

Among the mass fronts of the CPI(M), the agricultural workers’ front registered an impressive growth of 44.7 per cent in its membership since the 18th Congress while the women’s front membership rose by 36.7 per cent during the same period.

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