EXPAND and strengthen the mass base of the CPI(M) in Manipur, party central committee member Gautam Das told delegates at the 18^THstate conference of the party in Imphal on November 25-26.

Inaugurating the conference attended by 47 delegates and observers, Das explained the complex international and national scenario in the backdrop of which the conference was being held. He said that BJP had made lots of lofty promises to the people before the 2014 parliamentary election and had talked of bringing ‘achhe din’ for the people. But they haven’t fulfilled a single promise and have betrayed everyone including workers, peasants, women and unemployed youth. More than one crore people have lost their jobs because of demonetisation. Narendra Modi had promised ‘na khaunga, na khane dunga’. But now we see one after another scams involving ministers and leaders of the BJP. The turnover of the company owned by the son of BJP president Amit Shah has increased by 16,000 times. There are allegations against the firm owned by the son of NSA Ajit Doval. Now allegation of attempts to bribe a judge in lieu of exonerating Amit Shah has surfaced. But the prime minister is silent. This government is implementing the policies of liberalisation as directed by international finance capital without any restriction.

Gautam Das said that because of these policies of the Modi government there is increasing anguish among the masses. They are taking to streets to protest against these policies. So, to divide the masses the RSS -BJP is using the tactics of communal polarisation. The secular legacy of the country is being attacked to further the Hindutva agenda of the RSS. There are numerous attacks on Dalits and Muslims.

There are attacks on food habits and freedom of expression. The federal structure of the country is under attack. The states are being deprived of their rights. They are being dried up financially through dismantling of the Planning Commission.

He said that the BJP is using all kinds of undemocratic measures to capture power in different states. It did not get a majority in Goa and Manipur, but came to power by purchasing MLAs. They created unrest in Manipur by orchestrating blockade for months before the elections. Das said that the CPI(M) and the Left alone are fighting these anti-people policies and communal agenda of the BJP and organising the masses against them. In November, lakhs of workers have protested in Delhi for three days. The peasants organised a mass sit-in for two days. That is why the BJP and RSS has identified the CPI(M) as its main target. They laid a siege in front of our central committee office in Delhi. They are attacking our offices and cadres in Kerala and Tripura. The BJP had promised to implement the recommendations of the 7^TH Central Pay Commission in Manipur. Now they are not implementing that promise and as the employees are agitating against this they are being sacked. He appealed to the delegates that they must thrive so that the reach of the CPI(M) is extended to all sections of the masses. To do so, the base of the party must be strengthened and expanded.

The outgoing secretary of Manipur state organising committee, Sarat Salam, presented the draft political organisational report which dealt with the present political situation in Manipur and also highlighted the weaknesses of the party organisation. It also stressed the importance of maintaining ethnic unity in Manipur. Fifteen delegates participated in the discussion on the report. The conference adopted a number of resolutions. After the discussion by the delegates, Gautam Das urged that the new state committee must strive to build a new state office of the party and develop it as a centre for communication. The committee unanimously adopted the report. The conference elected a new 13-member committee. K Santa was elected the new secretary. A four-member new state secretariat was also formed. The conference was presided over by a three-member presidium consisting of A T Luangsangbom, N Thouba and S Jugol.