CPI(M) WEST Bengal state 26th conference has called upon the Party workers to be ready for militant struggles in the coming days. The Party will forge ahead with indomitable courage and highest sacrifice, deepening the link with the working people and strengthening the independent strength of the Party.

The state conference was held on March 15-17, at Kolkata’s Promode Dasgupta Bhavan (Comrade Nirupam Sen Nagar, Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty Manch). The conference venue was decorated showing the history of Communists' contribution in the freedom struggle in Bengal and posters of contemporary attacks and struggles. Polit Bureau member, Biman Basu hoisted the Red Flag.

Inaugurating the conference, CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury said “the RSS-BJP has been successful in blurring the crisis of livelihood issues by aggressive Hindutva ideology.” Referring to the state of UP, he said that the state suffered extremely during the pandemic, migrants walked for hundreds of miles, dead bodies were strewn in the Ganges. However, Hindutva triumphed over all these issues in UP.

Yechury said, “RSS-BJP is trying to replace scientific history with Hindu mythology. One cannot resist this aggression without rational, ideological resistance. Left forces, therefore, are the main enemy of the RSS.” Referring to the prime minister’s statement, he said, “the PM himself has admitted in an interview given to a television channel that despite the Left forces being pushed into a ‘corner’, that is Kerala, their ideology is ‘dangerous’.”  It is actually ‘dangerous’ for them. This ideological element is the basic reason why the Left forces are being considered the main challenger to RSS-BJP. They want to weaken Congress so that they remain the only national party. The other regional parties will be forced to depend on them. For example, TMC in West Bengal has helped BJP to grow. But Hindutva Rastra is not possible without destroying the federal structure. Attacks of federalism will grow and it will give rise to sharper contradictions with regional parties, opening up new possibilities of political understanding with them, he stated. 

Yechury observed that the aggression of Hindutva forces must be resisted through class and mass movements. He said, otherwise we will not be able to proceed towards Peoples’ Democratic Revolution or even defend the constitutional democracy. This needs the growth of independent strength of the Party, strength for political intervention. We have to present an alternative along with the other Left forces. There should be an all-out effort for the highest possible unity of the secular forces.  He said: “The Party in West Bengal, the rib of Communist movement in India, must play a frontal role in this task.”

State secretary of CPI(M), Surjya Misra presented the draft political-organisational report. While placing the report, Misra said nothing is possible without building up mass struggles. The main task is to defeat the reactionary BJP and TMC. To achieve this, first thing is to fortify Party’s independent strength. Then we have to strengthen Left Front; then the Left forces outside the Left Front, at least on issues, and the secular democratic forces to challenge both the BJP and the TMC. Misra said we have to focus on achievable demands, place alternatives before the people.

 He outlined the condition of West Bengal's economy, attack on democratic rights, police atrocities and said, without mobilising people at the grassroots the attacks on the people and Party cannot be resisted. Misra also mentioned that a large number of younger comrades are coming into the Party and they are building up movements bravely.

Despite electoral setbacks, the Party and mass fronts were in the thick of struggle during the last four years. In many cases, especially mass fronts showed exemplary steadfastness and courage braving the police and TMC attacks.  The draft report self critically examined the shortcomings in these struggles. These are lack of initiative in transforming a specific issue into peoples’ issue; lack of continuity; lack of intensity till demands are actually achieved; weakness in the campaign; lack of struggle surrounding local issues; weakness in forming booth teams and booth level struggle committees. The potentiality in the situation could not be fully realised because of organisational weakness.

The report and the delegates in the conference exhaustively discussed organisational issues to overcome the deficiencies and to build up the Party according to the needs of the time. Eight areas that need special attention have been identified. One of the major tasks of the Party members attached with mass fronts is to recruit activists in the Party along with the development of mass movements. Those coming to the forefront of the movement should be recruited in the Party through training, and development of their consciousness. But there is a serious weakness in this area.

It has been repeatedly emphasised that booth organisation must be given permanent character. Every election review has shown the weakness in booth level continues. But booth organisation cannot be treated as merely an election organisation. Its regular work must include contact with the people, membership of the mass organisation, organising unorganised workers, mobilisation on immediate achievable demands. In the adverse situation prevailing in the state for ten years, identification of priority areas, priority fronts and deployment of skilled cadres are necessary. In urban areas, industrial and workers-dominated areas and slums; in rural areas agricultural workers, poor peasant and non-agricultural labourers dominated areas should be accorded priority.  Emphasis has been given on the Communist way of work. A clear class outlook is most important for the Party members. Without a clear understanding of the capitalist, feudal exploitation in the society and without implementation of hat understanding in regular work no one can develop as a good communist worker. 

The extent of mobilisation in rallies or meetings is not reflected in the vote. We must identify what lies behind this?  Whether we are failing to get peoples’ support or the lack of resistance when the loot of vote takes place as we are not in panchayat or municipalities. But, that does not mean we have nothing to do. To mobilise people against corruption and nepotism is important.

PARTY AND MASS FRONT

In the last four years, there is progress in the independent functioning of the mass fronts. In the face of TMC violence, membership of the mass fronts began to shrink. The situation has not reversed since. Mass fronts are still unable to mobilise a large number of people outside Party’s periphery.

Apart from traditional mass fronts, there has been some progress in a few non-traditional fronts. But in urban areas organisations for citizens have not been built up yet. It is important to strengthen the fronts that are working among social sections. It is possible to mobilise many people through the dissemination of scientific temper and literacy.  Social work, including service to people, is not given enough importance in mass fronts. In this regard, the conference noted with pride that thousands of Red Volunteers played a crucial role during the pandemic, risking their own lives to provide minimum health support, hospitalisation and providing succour to the working people.

The conference also noted changes in the socio-economic situation and the impact of neoliberal economy on classes. Accordingly, new directions of class and mass struggles have to be evolved. In rural areas, the united struggle of the rural working population is the need of the hour. The unorganised workers must be organised in their residential areas too. Contract and casual workers, along with daily wage earners and self-employed should be organised in residential areas. In urban areas, the movement of the slum dwellers and citizens’ forums in the middle-class areas must be developed.

Polit Bureau member, Prakash Karat, in his observation, reminded that to retrieve Party’s lost ground it is necessary to continuously fight politically and ideologically against BJP while fighting the TMC. BJP is trying to expand eastwards now. Though they were defeated in assembly elections in West Bengal, they have been able to become the main opposition and the poisonous effects of their campaign cannot be underestimated. The fight against the Modi government’s policies alone is not sufficient. The ideological struggle against Hindutva forces is absolutely necessary.

Karat said it is true that CPI(M) alone cannot thwart the RSS-BJP aggression. But without developing independent strength of the Party nothing else can help. The expansion of CPI(M) will help to build up Left unity and unity of the secular democratic forces.

Karat praised the work of Red Volunteers and said they have created an example before the whole country. He reminded that the Communists played a heroic role in relief during the 1943 Bengal famine.

Karat said, apart from the terror, TMC has gained from some projects. In other states too these kinds of so-called welfare projects had been initiated and their impact has been reflected in election results. We will study this thoroughly. We have to study the contents of identity assertions and work among them through platforms.

Karat said, there is a grave challenge to the Party and Left movement in India. Without the rejuvenated Party in West Bengal, the Left forces cannot advance in the country. The Party is directly under severe attack in West Bengal. We have to rebuild the Party and reinforce our relations with the people.

In sum up, Surjya Misra emphasised attention to social categories like SC-ST, minorities, which form the largest part of the proletariat and semi-proletariat. The class struggle and the movement on social issues should be carried forward simultaneously. He also pointed out that we have to go the individuals, comprehend their problems and aspirations and interact with them. He declared that the Party in West Bengal will not be cowed down in the face of terror and build up new waves of struggle in the coming days.

The conference was presided over by a presidium consisting of Biman Basu, Mohammad Salim, Ramchandra Dome, Ashok Bhattacharya and Deblina Hembram.

NEW LEADERSHIP

CPI(M) West Bengal state 26th conference elected an 80-member state committee unanimously. CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, Mohammad Salim has been elected as the new state secretary.

It was decided earlier that there would be age limits for being committee members at every stage. That was followed by the area committees and district committees. In the state committee, the age limit was 72 years. For the new entrants, the highest limit was 60 years. Accordingly, veteran and revered leader of the Party, Biman Basu got relieved from the state committee. Surjya Misra and outgoing state secretariat members Mridul De, Rabin Deb, Minati Ghosh, Ashok Bhattacharya were also relieved.

The new state committee has 23 new entrants. Most of them are young comrades, ranging from student-youth movement to peasant front.  Among the state committee members, 14 are women and 12 are minorities.  

Sitaram Yechury termed this as a ‘historic transformation in Communist tradition’.