People's Democracy

ANDHRA PRADESH

CPI(M) Holds Extended Regional Conferences

To Conduct Jathas To Enlighten People

M Venugopala Rao

THE CPI(M) held five extended regional conferences in Andhra Pradesh and decided to conduct jathas from July 15 to August 15 to meet and interact with the people to know their problems and explain the anti-people policies being pursued by the central and state governments as a prelude to the massive agitations to be taken up later.  

The extended regional conferences were organised from July 8 - 11, 2008 covering all the districts in the state.  Inaugurating the regional conference held at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Hyderabad on July 9, S Ramachandran Pillai, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), lashed out at the UPA government for its betrayal, reneging its commitment given in the coordination committee of the UPA-Left parties and deciding to go ahead with the nuclear deal with the US. By this they have endangered national interests, sovereignty and India's independent foregin policy due to the provisions in the Hyde Act and 123 agreement.  Pillai explained the background that led to withdrawal of support of the Left parties to the UPA government in view of the latter's adament  attitude to operationalise the nuclear deal and to have strategic alliance with the US. He pointed out the unviable high cost of imported nuclear reactors, longer period of completing them and uncertainties and dangers involved in ensuring supply of imported fuel to the same and the ensuing meagre percentage of nuclear power in the total availability of power in the country vis a vis the cheaper and speedier options open to the country for generation of electricity with indigenous technology and fuels like coal and natural gas and hydel power, besides gradual development of  nuclear technology and fuels in the country.  He also found fault with the UPA government for its failure in taking necessary measures to contain galloping inflation and skyrocketing prices, and violating the common minimum programme, while exhibiting  hasty eagerness to operationalise the nuclear deal.  

Pillai asserted that the Left  parties would try to build a third alternative to both the Congress and the communal BJP with regional parties on programmatic basis and through struggles of the people, though it was a very difficult task.

V Srinivasa Rao, central secretariat member of the CPI(M),  accused the Congress government in the state of implementing the conditionalities of the  World Bank much to the detriment of the interests of the common  people. He also charged the government of rampant corruption in the implementation of its programmes and schemes.  Ridiculing the claims of the chief minister, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy about the development of the state, Srinivasa Rao pointed out that the state, which was in the eighth place in human development index in the past, had slipped further down to 9th position and that there was power cut everywhere in the state. The Congress government was trying to suppress agitations of different sections of people on their problems, including the mediapersons.

Addressing the extended regional conference held at Kurnool on July 11, Srinivasa Rao made it clear that the Left parties had withdrawn their support to the UPA government in the interests of the country only and that the recent developments had proved that the stand of the Left parties was hundred per cent correct.  He explained that there was a big conspiracy in the Manmohan Singh government taking a crucial decision, without taking even the parliament into confidence, to go ahead with the nuclear deal. He asserted that the Left parties would make all efforts to stall implementation of the deal. M A Gafoor, central committee member, and S Punyavathy, state committee member of the CPI(M), also addressed the conference.

B V Raghavulu, state secretary and Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), announced that the CPI(M) and CPI would hold a massive convention in Hyderabad on July 18 and later in the district headquarters on the India-US nuclear deal, various problems, including price rise and inflation, confronting the people and the the anti-people policies of the governments at the centre and in the state. Addressing the extended regional conference in Visakhapatnam on July 8, Raghavulu explained that the Left parties would to go the people with agitations and propaganda on these issues.

Paturu Ramayya, member of the central committee of the CPI(M), accused the UPA government of trying to mortgage the country's sovereignty through the nuclear deal with the USA, which was trying to have a foothold in the Asian countries.  Addressing the extended regional conference in Vijayawada on July 11, Ramayya appealed to the people to fight against the anti-people regime of the Congress.  

Addressing the regional conference on July 9 at Suryapet in Nalgonda district, state secretariat member of the CPI(M) and MLC, Ch Sitaramulu, said it was a testing time to the people of the state, pointing out that the policies of the Congress government were intensifying regional imbalances.   S Veeraiah, state secretariat member of the CPI(M), emphasised the need for bringing the problems of the people on to the political agenda by organising mass movements.  He appealed to the cadres of the Party to enlighten the people to defeat the efforts of the Congress government to divert their attention from the real problems. Central committee member Thammineni Veerabhadram, state secretariat members Y Venkateswara Rao, V Krishnaiah and Sarampally Mallareddy, MP Midiam Baburao, secretaries of different district committes and other leaders of the CPI(M) participated in these conferences.

Addressing the media at Suryapet, B V Raghavulu announced that people's jathas would be organised by the CPI(M) from the July 15 to August 15 with the problems of the people as the agenda. In the five extended regional conferences, three thousand delegates participated. He explained that the problems confronting the people were discussed in the conferences. Apart from conducting mass movements on these issues, the government would be arraigned in the ensuing session of the legislative assembly next month, Raghavulu said.