THE 24th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will be held from April 2 to 6, 2025, in Madurai, a city that has a unique place in both India's freedom struggle and the history of the Left movement.
When the late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury was first elected as general secretary, he visited Madurai, where Party members gave him an enthusiastic welcome. He proudly remarked, "Madurai stands as one of India's revolutionary centres." It is historically significant that this Party Congress will take place in the venue named after him, in a city with such a rich revolutionary heritage.
In preparation for this Congress, more than two thousand male and female comrades, along with youth, eagerly participated in the reception committee formation meeting held in Madurai on October 22.
The meeting was presided over by Party state secretariat member and MP, S Venkatesan, with Madurai Suburban district secretary K Rajendran chairing the event and city district secretary M Ganesan welcoming the gathering. Polit Bureau member G Ramakrishnan, state secretary K Balakrishnan, Central Committee members P Sampath and U Vasuki, and state secretariat members Madhukkur Ramalingam, K Samuel Raj, S Kannan, along with state committee members S K Ponnuthai and S Bala, and other state and district leaders attended the meeting.
At this meeting, K Balakrishnan, was elected as chairman of the 24th Party Congress Reception Committee, and S Venkatesan elected as secretary, and state secretariat member Madhukkur Ramalingam as treasurer of the reception committee.
Senior journalist N Ram, senior leader V Meenakshisundaram, economist Venkatesh Athreya, Professor Arunan, senior advocate R Vaigai, and artist Rohini were selected as reception committee patrons. G. Ramakrishnan, along with senior leaders T K Rangarajan, A K Padmanabhan, A Soundararajan, S A Perumal, and A Lazar, were chosen as special presidents of the reception committee.
P Sampath, along with state executive committee members P Selva Singh, N Noor Mohamad, N Gunasekaran, G Sugumaran, K Balabharati, N Pandi, D Ravindran, Central Committee member R Karumalaiyan, and state committee members Nagai Mali MLA, R Vijayarajan, K Swaminathan, and writer S Tamil Selvan, were elected as vice presidents.
Assistant Secretaries include Central Committee members U Vasuki and P Shanmugam; state secretariat members K Kanagaraj, K Samuel Raj, S Kannan, and S Muthukkannan; state committee members P Jhansi Rani, M Ganesan, K Rajendran, M Chinnathurai MLA, R Sachidanandan MP, V Amirthalingam, SK Ponnuthai, A Radhika, SP Rajendran, S Bala, AV Singaravelan, S Karthik, T Chellakannu, and K Aravindsamy.
THOUSAND-MEMBER RECEPTION COMMITTEE
Along with these leaders, a grand reception committee of 1,000 members has been formed, comprising Party state committee members, invitees, Madurai city and suburban district committee members, as well as state fraction and sub-committee members. State Committee member R Vijayarajan proposed the vote of thanks.
Addressing the meeting, K Balakrishnan said, "In the Central Committee meeting held last June, our beloved leader Yechury called upon the Tamil Nadu leaders and requested them to hold the conference. We expected him to be the central figure in organising this event. But the sad news of his passing last month deeply affected us". Speaking about the current state of the nation, he remarked, "Both the Communist movement and the country are facing numerous challenges. People cannot live peacefully, as attacks are being launched against them from all sides. On one hand, the BJP government is supporting capitalists, and on the other, religious and caste forces are being instigated to divide the people." He noted that as long as RSS ideology persists, neither class unity nor people's unity can emerge. Therefore, we have the crucial task of uprooting the RSS-BJP ideology to move the country forward, he added.
K Balakrishnan discussed the political situation in Tamil Nadu in detail. He said, in Tamil Nadu, a state that has been home to many progressive thinkers, the BJP is gradually trying to establish a foothold. This is a time when we must work with secular forces to eliminate religious extremism. It is a great achievement that, through the INDIA bloc, we prevented the BJP from gaining an absolute majority. We have pushed the BJP back to the point where they cannot amend the Indian Constitution. Tamil Nadu is the only state where the INDIA bloc achieved 100 per cent success," he proudly stated.
PARTY CONGRESS HELD IN TN FOR THE FIFTH TIME
Recalling the history of CPI(M) Congreses, K Balakrishnan said, this is the third time the Party Congress is being held in Madurai. Tamil Nadu has had the honour of hosting the Party Congress five times. When then-general secretary Ajoy Kumar Ghosh came for the 1953 Party Congress in Madurai, thousands of people welcomed him along the way, delaying the train by two hours. At the Madurai railway station alone, twenty thousand people gathered to greet him.
The 24th Congress will determine our political duties and advance the Red Flag movement across the country to the next stage. Our comrades must take the message of the Party Congress to every district, village, street, and home in Tamil Nadu. The red flag should flutter proudly everywhere. Party cadre from all over India will come to Madurai, he noted.
Balakrishnan concluded by saying, “We must defeat the BJP in the political and ideological arena. We bear the great responsibility of establishing a casteless, classless society. Every comrade has a role to play in making the Party Congress a success. We will spread its message through seminars, cultural performances, and art festivals across Tamil Nadu."
Speaking at the meeting, Party Polit Bureau member G Ramakrishnan said, "The Party Congress held in Madurai in 1953 was conducted by the Party's first-generation leaders. Each Party Congress holds its own significance. The 1953 Party Congress made important decisions regarding the creation of public sector units and land distribution. After the formation of CPI(M), the 9th Party Congress was held in Madurai in 1972, led by our Navaratna leaders. Senior comrade SA Perumal, who is present at this meeting, served as the leader of the volunteer force during that Congress.
He continued, "The 9th Party Congress laid out the vision for where the country should head and how the Party should move forward. The upcoming Party Congress in Madurai will focus on strategising to prevent the exploitation of labour by corporate companies. The 24th Congress will be one where the CPI(M), operating with correct alternative policies, will formulate an action plan to strengthen itself. We must work to ensure the successful execution of this important Party Congress," he concluded.
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