CPI(M) Calls For Political-Ideological-Organisational

Consolidation Of The Expanding Mass Base

B Prasant

THE massive popular base of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) would be further consolidated through a political, ideological, and organisational drive. This was resolved at the sixth session of the state committee that was held throughout the morning and afternoon of October 15 at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan.  Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), Biman Basu presided over the session.  Anil Biswas later briefed the media on the meeting.

In his address to the meeting, Anil Biswas dwelt in brief on the imperative of implementation of the political-organisational resolutions adopted at the last state conference of the Bengal CPI(M). The state committee members placed their district-wise reports in the meeting. The state committee believes firmly that the mass base of the CPI(M) has gone on expanding in an important way.

The state committee also holds that over the recent past, reactionary forces have banded together to initiate and engage themselves in acts of commission against the CPI(M) and the Bengal Left Front government.

The state committee is of the opinion that the mass base of the Bengal CPI(M) must be consolidated further politically, ideologically, and organisationally. It posits that a drive must be launched for the further augmentation of the organisation at all levels of functioning.

The rectification campaign must be carried out in a continuous manner.  The state committee has decided that if there are statements made that are not in keeping with the policy, principles, and decisions of the CPI(M), the state secretariat on behalf of the state committee would intervene to sort the matter out.

The state committee has adopted a short set of political-ideological programme.

•  The state secretariat has already held a meeting with the CPI(M) ministers.  For purposes of further acceleration of development work, the state secretariat shall meet the Zilla Parishad chairmen and concerned CPI(M) leadership on October 27, the CPI(M) chairmen of municipalities and concerned CPI(M) leadership on October 28, and the CPI(M) members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from Bengal on November 2.

• The state conference of the AIKS would be made a historic occasion as part of the Bengal CPI(M)’s political campaign programmes and of mass rallies.

• Following a period of an intense and wide political-ideological campaign, the central rally at Brigade parade Grounds in Kolkata would be held on January 8 next year.

• A programme has been adopted to carry out campaign in support of an independent foreign policy statewide with a mass convention to be held in Kolkata; a state-level broad based committee for the purpose has been set up with Jyoti Basu heading it.

• A fund of Rs 10.3 lakh has already been collected by the various units of the Bengal CPI(M) for the quake victims of J&K and more is expected by the deadline of October 24; the total amount would be sent forth to the CPI(M) central committee along with relief supplies.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee spoke on the programme of development planning adopted by the state cabinet of ministers and he stressed that development should be class-based and it should be bereft of a sectarian outlook.  ‘Development for all’ explains the general outlook.  The monitoring and initiative of the CPI(M) would further increased in the implementation of developmental work.

In the case of urban areas, importance would be attached to employment generation, education, health, slum development, and development of weaker areas, over and above providing civic services.

In the rural areas, villages marked as less developed should be picked out for rapid implementation of rural development programmes.  Potable drinking water, free from arsenic, is a priority in some areas.

The task of repairing school buildings is another area of priority.  The Left Front government will procure 18 lakh tonnes of rice in the coming months to ensure that, among others, the best quality of rice is provided to the schools for serving midday meals to students. Additional funds have been allocated for the development of north Bengal and western Bengal. 

An important issue in the industrial field is the provision of Provident Fund for the workers in the unorganised sector.  The TU movement must ensure that effect of the new legislation passed for the security of construction workers reaches the workers themselves.

As part of a political programme for north Bengal, the campaign-movement, and the mass rallies against separatism and divisiveness will be continued with.  Coordinated efforts are being initiated in the three north Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Coochbehar. 

Political campaign will be further sharpened in countering separatist ploys, and mass resistance will be built up to counter violent attacks by the separatist elements.  In December, three mass conventions will be organised in the three districts of north Bengal.  The mass initiative in the work in panchayats will be stepped up further.  The mass base and class-based movements will be strengthened in the hill areas.

The state committee has called for carrying out of the work of electoral roll revision (to be held between October 20 and November 19) with importance.  Anil Biswas added to say that the CPI(M) welcomed the move by the election commission to ensure that photo identity cards were used by the voters, and mentioned that it should be made certain that all the voters in the concerned electoral segments had such cards.

CPI(M) PRIORITISES DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS

FOLLOWING the decision arrived at during the 17th state conference, the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) has gone in for a twice-a-year review of the work of those departments of the Left Front government that are headed by CPI(M) ministers.

Such a review session was held during the morning and afternoon of September 30 at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan where the state secretariat of the CPI(M) interacted in detail with the CPI(M) ministers in the state government.  State secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) briefed the media at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan about the event. 

At the very beginning of the session, attended by almost all the ministers save those indisposed or away on emergency work, Anil Biswas spoke at length explaining the principal theme and thrust of the important document adopted at the Kamarhati state conference on Left Front government and the tasks.

Anil Biswas while placing his address, stressed on the issues raised in the document and pointed out the sectors where progress could be achieved as per the recommendations, and areas where weaknesses persisted. Biswas throughout his placement of the theme proposed that the work must be scheduled and the schedule followed rigorously based on a timetable.  In his address, Anil Biswas especially called upon the ministers, all leaders of the CPI(M), to concentrate in an organised manner on work at hand than on anything else in the days to come.

Senior leader of the CPI (M) Jyoti Basu highlighted the complex national political scenario and stressed on the need for the CPI(M) and the Left to emote a leadership role.  Basu noted that the BJP and its communal band of cohorts were keen to take advantage of the anti-people work of the UPA governance to try to advance once again their own agenda and think fondly of political revival.

Jyoti Basu explained at some detail the necessity of protesting against and resisting the anti-people moves of the Congress-led UPA government while also ensuring that discussions with the UPA government was not lost sight of.  In this connection, Basu pointed to the special importance of further developing the Left unity.  Basu also put forward his views on the implementational aspects of the decisions of the Bengal Left Front government through interaction and discussion with the Bengal CPI(M) as also with the mass of the people, the different mass organisations, and the Bengal Left Front.

All the ministers present in the session took part in the discussions in a positive manner, outlining the work of the departments they headed as well as pointing to the difficulties and weaknesses that persist. They profiled the work done since the state conference.  The finance minister placed his report on the flow of funds that are placed at the disposal of the various departments. The finance minister did mention that a big improvement could be achieved in this aspect this year over the last few years.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee placed an overall report on the work and working of the Bengal Left Front government. He identified the schedule of priorities of the various departments and called upon the ministers to mobilise more initiative in getting work done and in time. Buddhadeb called upon the ministers to be more careful and caring about completing the tasks set out by the 17th state conference within the next one or two years.

TASKS IDENTIFIED

The following tasks have been identified as priority tasks that must be performed even as the myriad other tasks of the Left Front government are adequately taken care of.

1. The percentage of the populace languishing Below the Poverty Line (BPL) must be reduced from 26 per cent to 10 per cent.

2. Each citizen must be provided with a ration card.

3. The irrigated land percentage must be raised from the current 68 per cent to stand at 75 per cent. The meeting expressed anxiety at the severe draw-down conditions prevailing in various water bodies.

4. Rural electrification must be completed by 2007.

5. The specific projects for the benefit of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes must be completed immediately.

6. Specific programmes must be undertaken in providing the loan component in the self-help projects for the minorities, especially among the unemployed youth.

7. Vacancies existing in schools must be filled up.  Efforts should be made to resolve court cases in the matter at the primary level. Where there are no cases pending, the task must be speeded up.

8. Fresh potable water supply must be ensured in areas where the ground water carries arsenic poisoning.

9. Roads must be repaired and the work of ongoing fly-overs and bridges completed in good time.

10. Developmental work of small and medium towns must be speeded up.

11. Rice must be procured from the farmers at rates decided upon.  The FCI must procure 12 lakh tonnes of rice and the Bengal Left Front government should procure six lakh tonnes. The chief minister has already written to the concerned department of the union government on this point.

12. The supervision work of the rural employment generation schemes must be increased at the district level.

13. Specific programmes must be put in place to provide pension and health insurance to the unorganised workers and agricultural labour.

14. Additional resources have already been allocated for implementation of special schemes for the development of the underdeveloped regions of the state including north Bengal, the Sunderbans, and western Bengal.  A review of how the funds are to be spent has already been discussed at a cabinet meeting of the state LF government.

15. Emphasis must be placed on small and cottage industries side-by-side of modern industries on the issue of industrialisation. 

Anil Biswas pointed out that the CPI(M) ministers of the Bengal Left Front government were asked at the meeting to place with the state secretariat work-done reports of their departments within the next one-and-a-half months.