UTTAR PRADESH

  Eighteenth State Conference Of CPI(M)

THE eighteenth conference of the UP state committee of the CPI(M) ended on January 6 on the note of a collective rendering of Hum Honge Kamayab (We shall overcome), at Ramsumer Yadav Nagar, Allahabad. In truth, the conference which went on from January 4 to January 6, reflected the determination and confidence of Party members to develop the organisation in the state.

The conference began with the hoisting of the Party flag by senior state committee member, A N Bhatt, after which all members paid their tribute to martyrs. Three members were chosen for conducting the various proceedings: Daulat Ram, D P Singh and Zarina Khurshid.

INAUGURAL SPEECH

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Prakash Karat inaugurated the conference. In his inaugural speech Karat said that our movement faces three main enemies: Imperialism, communalism, and the ruling class with its anti-people policies. There is a need to carry forward the struggle against all these enemies.

Speaking on imperialism, Karat said that today the US was intervening in a big way in the affairs of the third world countries. Referring to Iraq specifically he said that the attack on Iraq is no ordinary invasion. Iraq is a nation with large oil resources. The US had invaded it contravening all international laws, and can do so anywhere in the world using its military might. It poses a danger to the freedom and self-reliance of all nations: Cuba, North Korea, and Iran are being continuously issued threats by the US. It has also been increasing its influence in our bordering regions, and the Vajpayee government had also been implementing policies favouring US interests. The parties that espouse Hindutva in our country are also very pro-US. Our Party has analysed and exposed these links very well. Karat summed up the situation as follows: “It is very unfortunate that apart from our Party and other Left parties no other political party is sensitive and alive to the danger of imperialism. The parties who are participants in the UPA government have nothing to say on imperialism. In fact they want to work in cooperation with the US.” In these circumstances “we will have to lead the struggle against the globalisation and the dangers of war. We should not underestimate this task.” 

Talking on the national situation, Prakash Karat explained why our Party is supporting the Congress and also why it is not a participant in it. “It is the Party’s understanding that the present government is a secular government and will not allow the BJP-led alliance to regain State power. At the same time our party has its own independent programme to pursue. Our Party will actively pursue this programme along with the struggle to get the promises of the common minimum programme implemented.”

He underlined the need for strengthening the Party in the state and asked the cadres to move forward in implementing the Party’s line through their branches. He advised that comrades must keep in mind the correlation of class forces in the state and move forward accordingly. Commenting on the growing caste factor and casteist forces in the state he argued that the Party must bring the maximum number of people in the state in the fight against ruling class economic forces. Only then can our Party have a popular base in the state and can grow. In this context he gave the example of our Party’s role in the peasant movements in Ganganagar and Bikaner and the consequent growth in the Party’s influence in Rajasthan.

With reference to the formation of a third front he clarified that a front formed merely for elections is no real alternative. For a third front to be viable it is necessary that there should be a common understanding on issues. Such a front can arise only with a growing strength of Left forces in the country. In UP, he said, the Left is still weak. Therefore there is a need for joint campaigns with the CPI and other small Left political groups. There is also a need to urgently strengthen the Party organisation and mass fronts in the state. “Circumstances are favourable. Our image among the people is very positive. If in the coming years we are able to work hard among the people, we will most likely gain a lot in terms of strengthening our Party.”

Prior to this inaugural speech D P Singh proposed the condolence resolutions. Through them the members present paid their homage to party leaders Comrades E K Nayannar, L B Gangadhar Rao, Susheela Gopalan, Nripen Chakraborty, Ram Sumer Yadav, and all other comrades who had passed away since the last state committee conference. Young martyr Comrade Radhe Shyam Yadav and leader of the Palestine Liberation Movement, Comrade Yassar Arafat were also remembered.

POL-ORG REPORT

After the inaugural speech, the secretary of the state committee, S P Kashyap, placed the political-organisational report. The report outlined the economic, social, cultural and political situation in the state, placing them in the context of the international and national situations. The report concerned itself with the gender imbalance in the population due to prejudice against girl children, the feudal attitudes in general towards women, the discrimination against them, and the growing violence against women, and the urgent need to fight on these issues and to also bring women themselves into this fight in larger numbers. There was particular stress in the report on the growing casteism in the state, and it pointed out that this is vitiating the entire political landscape in the country. Caste-based organisations are increasing in number, and the caste panchayats are growing more powerful. The worst forms of caste oppression can be seen in the terrible situation that dalits face even today. There is no end to violence against dalits, crimes against them, social discrimination and untouchability. According to the report it would be meaningless to talk about the growth of the Party without first bringing this large section of people into the Left movement in the country. Concern was also expressed with regard to the situation of tribals and minorities and the need to bring them within the fold of the Left movement.

The report took note of the economic backwardness of the state, the slow pace of growth, the attitude of the government towards these factors. Three-fourths of the population in the state is involved in agriculture, and the situation of the peasant is deteriorating at a fast pace in the last three years. There is absolute stagnation in the sector of agriculture, and the pattern of land ownership has only aggravated the agrarian crisis. Fifty-five percent of the agricultural land is owned by 10 per cent families. The wages in agriculture are shrinking, and minimum wage is not given. There is great dissatisfaction and anger in rural areas, which creates an opportunity for the Party to expand peasant movements and to increase its influence in these areas.

The situation in industry is equally bad. Factories are being closed down, village and home-based industries are also getting destroyed as a result of the World Bank-initiated policies. Capitalists are in control and government policies are clearly anti-worker in content. The measures against the working class movement, the decrease in government recruitment, and on the other hand the growing unemployment have created a critical situation. There is a need for the Party to take up the issue of unemployment very urgently.

With regard to the political situation the report pointed out that the policies of the state governments have been anti-people. Violence and corruption have increased in the last three years. Numerous scams have come to light. The governments involving the BJP have promoted communal forces. The Samajwadi Party, now in power, is secular, but it is prone to compromises with communal elements. The danger from communal organisations is growing within the state, but neither the government nor other secular parties have taken this danger seriously. It is necessary that our Party become the main adversary of the communal forces in the state.

The report also dealt with growing divisive sectarian forces at the state level and those of the naxalites, and growth of police excesses and other such problems. It pointed out that the election results in UP were a reflection of the weakness of the Party in the state. The report underlined the need to pursue the independent political activity of the Party, and also to carry forward the joint programmes with other secular parties.

The conference prioritised the issues to be taken up: elementary education, health, public distribution system, minimum wages for agricultural labourers, land distribution, against privatisation of electricity etc. It was decided to organise campaigns on these issues from the district to the state level. It was also decided to mobilise people on questions of communalism and oppression of dalits, and to campaign about the naxalite activities and their dangers. The report stressed the need for building strong mass organisations of the Party, and for political education of the Party cadre.

There was a whole day discussion on the report, in which 62 comrades participated. The discussions highlighted the concrete situation on the ground in the various districts and fronts to which the comrades belonged. It was a free and frank discussion, after which the state committee report was adopted by a majority. One delegate voted against it.

The conference elected a 35 member state committee, of which 29 are from the preceding state committee. S P Kashyap was elected as secretary of the state committee. Mukut Singh presented the report of the Credential committee. Out of 229 elected delegates, 218 members were present. Of these 14 were women, only 65 delegates were below the age of 40, while 71 were between the age of 40 and 50. Those who joined the Party before 1980 were 95 while 55 delegated have joined the Party after 1990. As for social composition, 56 of them were poor and 58 of them middle peasants; 23 were agricultural labourers; 49 from the middle class; 97 delegates were those whose income was between Rs 500 to 2000 a month; there were only 8 delegates with more than Rs 10,000 and more income; 126 delegates have had experience of being jailed for political reasons.

PUBLIC MEETING

Prior to this there was a hugely attended public meeting at the Purshottam Das park, attended by people ranging from agricultural labourers to writers, peasants and advocates in the High Court, and all sections of society. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury addressed the meeting and underlined the significance of socialism for the well being of human kind, and the necessity of the struggles to move forward towards it. He said that the BJP-led alliance had been overthrown by the secularism of the people and their anger against the anti-people policies of that government. This popular mandate is also in favour of a more welfare- oriented policy by the government, and the new government must understand this. It is the responsibility of the Left forces to agitate for the implementation of such policies.

CPI(M) central committee member and MP, Md Salim in his speech underlined that the battle for pro-people policies will be fought on the streets, by the people of this country and not merely in parliament. Substantiating the differences between a anti-people and pro-people stance, he argued that the Left Front has been continuously winning the hearts of the people because its policies have been in the interests of people. Prakash Karat said that our Party will not allow the frittering away and erosion of our self reliance or disinvestment of the public sector. The meaning of supporting this government is that the common minimum programme be implemented, he said.

Among those who addressed the public meeting were Suneet Chopra, Subhasini Ali, S P Kashyap, Dinanath Singh, Ram Swaroop Singh and Ramkripal Singh.