THE CPI(M) Shimla district conference took place on November 5-6 in the small town of Rampur, Shimla. Prior to the conference, a large public meeting was held, addressed by the Party's district secretary, Sanjay Chauhan. In his speech, Chauhan criticised the government for amending laws to favour corporate interests. He highlighted the devastating natural disasters that struck Himachal Pradesh in 2023 and 2024, which caused widespread destruction of homes and farmland. Despite this, he noted, the central government had failed to offer any relief to the state. Chauhan also mentioned that the Party had submitted a memorandum calling for amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, but the government had ignored their plea. He pointed out the ongoing displacement of farmers and orchardists, with their lands being seized. "What will the people do in such a situation?" he asked, emphasizing the urgent need for action.

Sanjay Chauhan also highlighted the alarming rise in inflation, pointing out that India now ranks 105th in the global hunger index. He emphasized that the country is in a worse situation than Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Chauhan criticised the government's ongoing privatisation of public sector enterprises and its failure to fill vacant positions, which he argued has further worsened the socio-economic conditions for ordinary people.

CPI(M) state secretariat member and former MLA from Theog, Rakesh Singha, addressing the gathering, remarked that the harsh reality today is that the suffering of the common people has deepened, with their purchasing power steadily eroding. He pointed out that there is no reliable way to measure inflation anymore. "We fought to drive the British out of this country, hoping that the light of freedom would shine in every home. But today, the situation is starkly different. The wealth of the rich continues to grow, while the poor are sinking deeper into poverty," he said. Singha also drew attention to the critical shortages in essential services, such as the absence of doctors in the Animal Husbandry Department and persistent vacancies across government departments. He stressed that these issues are direct consequences of the neoliberal policies implemented since 1990.

"Today, all policies are being shaped solely to benefit corporate magnates like Adani and wealthy landlords," said the Party leaders. The CPI(M) Shimla district conference holds special significance, serving as an inspiration for the entire state. The conference began with the ceremonial hoisting of the Party flag by senior leader Rajendra Chauhan. Following the flag hoisting, participants raised powerful slogans of "Long live socialism" and "Down with capitalism," setting the tone for the deliberations ahead.

The conference was presided by a five-member presidium, which included Jagat Ram, Ajay, Sonia Sabharwal, Sandeep Verma, and Purn Chandra. The presidium led the gathering in a condolence motion to honour Party members who had passed away over the last three years. A two-minute silence was observed in their memory.

The formal inauguration of the conference was done by Onkar Shad, a member of the Central Committee of CPI(M) and the state secretary of Himachal Pradesh. In his address, Shad posed a crucial question to the gathering: "To what extent have we implemented the tasks set at the 23rd Party Congress? Have we succeeded in establishing the Party's mass line in our district? Have we taken concrete steps to combat communalism? And how much effort have we invested in strengthening the Left Democratic Front in the state?"

Onkar Shad also expressed concern over issues related to Party membership, particularly the stagnation and decline in numbers, and stressed the need for the Party to become stronger and more effective. He urged the Party to focus on improving its working methods and to chart a clear direction for the future, ensuring sustained growth and impact.

Rakesh Singha, a member of the state secretariat, was also present at the conference. Following the inaugural speech, Party district secretary Sanjay Chauhan presented the Party's report for the past three years. In his report, he provided an in-depth analysis of key political developments at both the national and state levels, drawing the delegates' attention to these events and their impact on the Party organisation. He highlighted the weaknesses within class-based and mass organisations and discussed the progress made in expanding the Party's influence in the district over the past three years.

Sanjay Chauhan also emphasized the need to activate the Party’s mass fronts and their fraction committees. The report underlined the importance of politically and organisationally empowering Party members and called for a greater focus on addressing local issues. Deep concern was raised over the challenges faced by dalits, women, and minorities, and the report urged the Party to take a more proactive role in defending their rights and work for their welfare.

During the discussion on Party organization, 17 delegates participated, sharing their thoughts on implementing the resolutions of the Kolkata Plenum and enhancing the quality of Party membership. There was a strong emphasis on strengthening the Party’s independent activities. The delegates also recommended organising regular political schools for the Party's cadre and ensuring that branch and fraction committees are run efficiently and effectively.

The discussion also highlighted concerns about the detrimental impact of opportunism, parliamentarism, and individualism within the Party. All delegates emphasized the urgent need to fortify the Party's organizational structure while preserving unity and staying true to its core principles.

The conference adopted resolutions on a range of critical issues, including ‘One Nation, One Election’, the smart meter scheme, violence against women, escalating inflation, the national education policy, labour codes, growing unemployment, the drug crisis, and the issue of farmers' land. All resolutions were adopted unanimously by the conference.

In response to the discussions, district secretary Sanjay Chauhan emphasized the need for the strict implementation of the principle of democratic centralism. By reducing the influence of parliamentary trends, the Party should intensify struggles on local issues to advance class struggles and strengthen the Party organisation. This is the time to strengthen the Party’s roots and work more effectively among the people.

Dinesh presented the Credentials Committee report.

All resolutions and reports were adopted unanimously at the conference. Following this, a new 17-member committee was elected, with Vijendra Mehra as the district secretary.

At the conclusion of the conference, all volunteers were felicitated for their contributions.