APRIL 10, at 2 in the afternoon the delegates assembled outside the venue of the Party Congress, E K Nayanar Academy, to participate in a march to the venue of the public meeting in Kannur.

People’s Congress would be the acronym for this Party Congress. Unprecedented in many ways, the core element of this Congress was its people. Not just the delegates who attended it, but the people who surrounded it. Surrounded, yes, there were thousands of homes in the Kannur town and the district that became part and parcel of this Congress. Every Party branch had a role to perform which was done not through a diktat or in a mechanical order but was creatively done.

This was evident from the participation of the people on the last day of Congress. And not just on the last day, but even during the course of the Congress as we, delegates, used to enter the venue there always were eager eyes waiting to have a glimpse of participants from different parts of the country. Some would greet by raising slogans, others would take selfies on their phones, and a few, especially the young would even interact and share contact details. It happened all through the period, be it during the morning hours as the delegates were visiting the venue or in the evening as they were leaving to their places of stay. And the number of people would always swell.

Their eyes could foretell what they want from the delegates- it was love, affection and strong fraternity with their comrades. This was astounding, hardly seen in conferences.

LONG PROCESSION DRAWS THOUSANDS TO THE STREETS

In the afternoon, the march was led by three open jeeps with Sitaram Yechury and Pinarayi Vijayan on the first; Prakash Karat and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on the second, and Brinda Karat and Subhashini Ali on the third jeep were greeted by people all along the streets leading towards the public meeting. These three jeeps were then followed by two contingents of redshirt volunteers of women and men, a thousand in every contingent. 

In the red shirt volunteers march, there were band troupes after a gap of a few metres ensuring a smooth drill during the march. The venue of the public meeting was nearly three kilometres from the start. This was then followed by the delegates joining the march.

As the delegates marched through the cantonment area of Kannur towards the public meeting, the two sides of the road were flooded with people all through the three kilometres long procession.

Some of those who were seen along the road were even carrying their very young children on their shoulders, few others old, but not fragile, were equally determined to show their mark of solidarity with the Party Congress and its delegates. Slogan shouting was continuous from both the delegates and the people across the street ensuring a symphony between the two. The native people were raising slogans in Malayalam, and the delegates in their respective languages, the states that they were representing, but both acknowledging the depth and future goals for human emancipation.

Another important feature during the march was the decoration of the streets and the Kannur town. Glossy hoardings were not there but popular forms were rampant. Beautiful wall writing in English, Malayalam and in Hindi could be seen all across the streets. Another decoration material was in the form of hedges made of small flags at various standpoints. There was no plastic material used in the decoration and even the small strips of red colour flags were made of paper.

Sculptures and paintings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, E K Nayanar, E M S Namboodiripad, were widely seen. Then there were sculptures creatively designed depicting various forms of struggles of working people, peasants and the freedom movement. Martyrs of different generations were also shown at various places in the town.

As the procession entered the stadium where the public meeting was taking place the numbers across the road swelled in geometric progression. There were people all around but very well managed and not a single case of a stampede was reported during this long procession or at the venue of the public meeting.

PUBLIC MEETING

The public meeting began in the evening. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan initiated the proceedings of the public meeting. Kodiyeri in his speech welcomed the delegates. He narrated how the entire Party was involved in the making of this Party Congress. Every member of the Party has played a role in the successful holding of this Congress. He said this is the land of Kayyur martyrs and also the beginning of the Communist Party in Kerala. He said we draw inspiration from them.

Sitaram Yechury spoke in detail about the deliberations of the Party Congress. He introduced the Polit Bureau members of the Party and informed them that three new members were elected to the Polit Bureau. Setting out the tasks of the Party Congress, he said, “ This is a Congress of unity, resolve and determination. The Party has resolved that it will be at the forefront in defending the basic tenets of our constitution that ensures freedom of civil liberties which are under great threat under the BJP rule. The CPI(M) will also try to build the broadest possible mobilisation of forces who are ready to defend the spirit of India.”

Pinarayi Vijayan spoke in a gentle tone about the alternate policies that the Left Democratic government is adopting in the state of Kerala. It is because of these policies that on many human development indices Kerala stands quite high. He also spoke out briefly the achievements of the LDF government in Kerala.  He said the development strategy is to ensure people’s benefit.

Brinda Karat also spoke in the public meeting and informed about the tragic death of one of her colleagues in the Central Committee, Comrade Josephine M C. She said that the Party Congress has given a befitting reply to those forces who want to spread the cannon that the Left is completely weakened. The discussion in the Party Congress exhibited the massive struggles of the kisans, workers and other sections of the people of which the Left forces were an important constituent.

Manik Sarkar conveyed his heartfelt greetings to the people of Kerala.  He gave a narration of the events in Tripura. He said the BJP has to be isolated and defeated because they are destroying everything. Under BJP rule in Tripura, the Constitution of India does not work. In the last four years, in panchayat elections, tribal autonomous bodies elections and parliament elections, voters largely, were not allowed to exercise their franchise freely. All these elections were rigged. They are trying the ethos of democratic rights-this is what is BJP that has no respect or belief in the Indian Constitution.

Mohammad Salim was the last speaker in the public meeting. Salim said that we have a great challenge ahead. On the 75th anniversary of our independence, we are witnessing that the legacy of the freedom struggle, parliamentary democracy, federal structure, basic human rights, and secularism all are under attack. The Party has decided to take up this challenge second to none. In the Modi 2.0 government, the BJP is implementing the RSS agenda with greater vigour. The agenda is to spread venom in society on the basis of food, clothing, worship etc. Hijab, issue was raked up in Karnataka before the UP elections to communally polarise the atmosphere. When they started mob lynching of Iklakh, Junaid, beef-eating was supposed to be the reason created for such lynching. But now during current navratras, Salim pointed out, they are forcing people to close the fish market, and meat shops; these are attacks on individual rights. He said when the Left wants to build struggles on the issues of food, they want to divide us on the basis of the food we eat. This is politics of the worst form and must be defeated, he emphasised.