CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury called for building up alternative policies to fight against the BJP. ‘What the country needs are policies, not leaders’, he said while addressing the memorial meeting of Comrade Sukomal Sen in Kolkata.

CPI(M) Central Control Commission chairman and Central Committee member Comrade Sukomal Sen passed away on November 22. Rich tributes were paid to him in the memorial meeting. His contribution to the trade union movement, particularly in the fight against neoliberal attacks was remembered.

Yechury was speaking just after 24 hours of Gujarat results. Referring to that, he said, there was clear discontent against the BJP. But they deflected it with polarisation overtones. Prime Minister himself brought up malicious propaganda by bringing in Pakistan’s name, by using words which are clearly anti-Muslim. Post-truth distortions replaced realities. There are lessons to be drawn from Gujarat elections. The country needs policies, not leaders. Discontent is not enough to defeat the BJP. Alternative viable policies are to be presented before the people. Modi’s policies are ruling class policies. Alternative policies must reflect the aspirations of the working people. Left can play an important role in framing such policies. Maximum possible unity of secular forces centering around alternative policies can challenge the BJP. We have to fight against ruling class policies and communalism to reach to people and gain their trust.

Yechury said, it is dangerous that the posts of constitutional authorities are now increasingly controlled by the RSS. They include president, vice president, speaker of Lok Sabha, prime minister, defence minister. As RSS-BJP gets more aggressive, constitutional institutions are coming under attack. Mobilisation of people to counter these attacks is the task of the day.

Yechury said, instead of ‘Bail Out’, the big capitalists are now being given the benefit of ‘Bail In’. Modi government is trying to loot the deposits of common man to compensate the loss due to capitalist fraud through the FRDI bill. This must be resisted.

The memorial meeting was addressed also by Surjyakanta Misra and Biman Basu who presided over.

In Solidarity with Tripura

 CPI(M) in West Bengal has started a campaign in solidarity with the struggling people of Tripura. In Tripura, RSS-BJP has embarked on divisive drives and attempts of anarchy to destabilise the state. Tens of thousands of people in Tripura have already hit the streets to defend the Left Front government and historic achievements that they have secured.

CPI(M) West Bengal state committee has called upon the Party units to explain the situation in Tripura to people of West Bengal. Mass collection of funds to support the democratic movement of Tripura has already begun. In the public meeting in Tehatta, in connection with Nadia district conference of the Party, collection for Tripura was organised. This was the first district conference in the state. The collected money was handed over to Surjyakanta Misra, who was the main speaker in the public rally.

On December 28, a public meeting in solidarity with Tripura will be held in Kolkata. The meeting will be addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and the chief minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar. It will be followed up by meetings and other forms of campaign.