People's Democracy

THE CPI(M) Tripura state committee has given a fervent call for intensifying a politico-ideological campaign all over the state against the absolutely unprincipled and unholy alliance between the Congress and the terrorist political front, INPT. It has also called upon the people of the state to intensify their agitation against imperialism and its slavish stooge rulers in the country.

The state committee met on April 26-27 and reviewed the situation at the state, national and international level. It has noted with great concern that since the release of the joint manifesto by the electoral alliance of the Congress and the outlawed extremist organisation NLFT’s political front - INPT, the extremists have stepped up their pre-planned, barbaric attacks on CPI(M) and Upajati Ganamukti Parishad leaders and activists with an intention of striking at the organisational base of the CPI(M).

A total of 23 CPI(M) activists and supporters were killed so far in the extremist attacks while 14 were injured. The extremist have also kidnapped 10 others while 6 hardcore extremists were killed in various encounters with the security forces. They have also arrested 23 extremists, in addition to the surrender of 10 extremists with arms, in the intervening period since the state committee's last meeting.

The state committee has urged all the activists and sympathisers of the CPI(M) to swing into action to make success the two months mass movement called by the state level Left Front convention held on April 26 to press for the 9 point charter of demands of the state populace. The party also urged the central government to link Tripura to the proposed tri-national highway to be constructed for the development of industrial, commercial and communication links among India, Mayanmar and Thailand.

It asked the party activists to strive for making success the state government's two newly announced schemes - Provident Fund scheme for workers of the unorganised sector and the Swabalamban project for the unemployed. The party welcomed the state government steps to extend its welfare-oriented administration to remote areas by setting up two new rural development blocks in such areas.

The committee has noted with satisfaction that during this period a number of agitational programmes on certain local demands of the people had been organised, in which at some places there was active participation of Congress and INPT activists. It felt that such agitations on local issues should be stepped up to bring such sections of the populace towards the Left Front camp.

Underscoring the urgency of rallying the working classes, the students and youth in the anti-imperialist movement programmes, the committee called upon all sections of patriotic populace to rise in protest against the aggressive actions of US imperialism. It felt the setting up of a permanent military base in Afghanistan by US posed a great threat to our sovereignty. It condemned the ongoing state terrorism let loose on the Palestinian people by the government of Israel, with active support from the US.

The committee hoped that the anti-imperialist forces will be heartened by the glorious success of the valiant people of Venezuela who beat back the imperialist sponsored coup. The massive mandate to the socialists in the general election of Hungary is also a heartening reflection of the people’s earnest will to reinstate socialism by removing the inhuman and moribund capitalist system thrust upon them a decade ago, pointed out the state committee.

Expressing grave concern over the unabated massacre of minorities by the saffron goons in Gujarat over the last two months as part of a bigger blueprint to fling open the floodgates of communal confrontation countrywide, the party has alerted the secular forces all over the state to be alert to the situation. It has also demanded prompt and effective action for safeguarding the lives and properties of the religious minorities in Gujarat and felt this is possible only with the removal of Narendra Modi government forthwith.

Heartily hailing the spontaneous and organised participation of all sections of the state’s toiling masses in the April 16 general strike against the Vajpayee government’s pro-imperialist policy of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, the committee called upon all democratic organisations to build a bigger mass movement to combat the Vajpayee government's relentless implementation of a design to mortgage the country’s economy to imperialism.