THE three-day 17th state conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was held from January 11-13, in Kaithal.

The conference began with an open session held at the local grain market. The open session was presided over by Inderjeet Singh and conducted by Premchand. Addressing the public meeting, Party Polit Bureau member, Nilotpal Basu said that the country is going through a severe crisis. Unity in diversity has been the foundation of our country. Our Constitution is the result of the freedom movement in which equal rights have been given to every citizen without any discrimination. Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was the chairman of the Constituent Assembly. Those who opposed the Constitution at that time and burnt the effigies of Dr Ambedkar are in power in the country today.  The country's Home Minister Amit Shah is mocking Dr Ambedkar in the Parliament. The country is being handed over to the corporates. Unemployment and inflation are at peak and Haryana ranks number one in unemployment in the country. Haryana Horrific incidents of gang rape of women and minor girls are occurring continuously in the state. The BJP has left no stone unturned in ruining the public sector education system. In the last five years, under the rule of the BJP government, which gave the slogan of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, 5000 government schools, most of which were for girls, have been closed.

Addressing the public meeting, Party Central Committee member K Hemalata said that in the name of one country-one election, efforts are being made to alter the republic character of the country and impose dictatorship. BJP/RSS is creating divisions among the people. Religious frenzy is being constantly created on communal and caste basis in the country. Nefarious designs have been employed to create caste divisions in the state also. Despite the fact that 60 per cent of the voters of Haryana voted against BJP, suspiciously the BJP has come to power for the third time. There is no change in its policies, she said.

State Secretary Surender Singh said that the government is not implementing the MSP despite assuring it to the farmers. Farmers have been on agitation for a long time but the government is not ready to talk to them in spite of the deteriorating health of farmer leader Dallewal. Minimum wages for the workers has not been revised in the state for the last 10 years. There is no discussion regarding the new Pay Commission for employees. Instead of permanent recruitment, the state government has made permanent arrangements for temporary jobs in the name of Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam. CPI state secretary Dariyav Singh Kashyap said that at this time there is a need for all opposition parties to unite and fight for public issues. All the leaders called upon the people attending the rally to fight unitedly to counter these challenges.

DELEGATE SESSION

The delegate session of the conference started with the flag hoisting by veteran leader of the Party,   Rameshwar and paying of floral tributes to the martyrs. The conference venue was named as Comrade Sitaram Yechury Nagar and Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Hall. Reception Committee chairman Advocate Jeevanand Kaushik welcomed all the delegates, observers and guests to Kaithal city.

 The delegate session was presided over by a five-member presidium comprising Prem Chand, Jagmati Sangwan, Master Balbir Singh, Satvir Singh and Usha Saroha. The steering committee comprised the state secretariat of the Party. Virendra Singh Malik moved the condolence resolution.

Inaugurating the conference, Party Central Committee member A R Sindhu, said that the imperialist countries of the world, led by America, are constantly trying to establish their hegemony. Despite the opposition of the United Nations, most countries of the world and world public opinion, Israel is constantly attacking Palestine. Most victims have been the children and women. This murderous assault must be stopped immediately. She said that during the BJP rule, there are constant attacks on the secular character of the country and minorities are being targeted on religious grounds. At this time, it is our prime responsibility to remove the BJP from power, for this all progressive forces will have to be mobilised. Possibilities of establishing a Left and democratic front will have to be explored, she said.

Presenting the political organisational report of the last three years, Party state secretary, Surender Singh said that despite tall claims of development during the assembly elections, the BJP government dragged 70 per cent of the people of the state to below the poverty line category.  Whether it is a village or a city, housing is a serious problem in the state. Increasing violence against women and the increase in crime in the state is a matter of grave concern. The government has failed to curtail it. The agricultural crisis is deepening. In the last three years, CPI(M) has been on the streets continuously for the interests of workers, farmers and toiling masses of the state, as a result of which many sections of the society have been successful in getting reliefs. He said that more serious intervention is required in the coming days for the expansion of the Party.

43 delegates participated in the discussions on the report. They expressed serious concern over inflation, unemployment, increasing violence against women, criminalisation and communal and caste polarisation in the state. Pointing out the weaknesses of the Party, the delegates underlined the need to increase the Party's strength in the state, activate Party branches, increase Party membership, organise local movements, etc. Responding to the discussions, the state secretary said that there is a need to strengthen the resistance led by the red flag against the relentless attacks of the ruling class. Along with the fight on economic issues, it is also necessary to strengthen the social reform movement. We will have to give priority to activating Party branches, increasing the quality of members in the Party, making the organisational structures of the Party more efficient, organising movements by raising local issues. We will have to make serious efforts to maintain whole-timers, prepare Party teachers. We will have to develop interest in the dissemination of progressive literature and also self study. We will have to move forward by adopting a holistic view and being self critical simultaneously, he said.

Ten resolutions were adopted by the conference including on 75 years of the Constitution and challenges to it;  for welfare and rights of migrant workers; against communal and casteist attacks; against drug abuse and crime; demanding wage revision for workers and pay commission for employees; for permanent recruitment on vacant posts and regularisation of all contract/temporary workers; in support of the farmers' movement and against the agricultural marketing framework; demanding electoral reforms and against one country- one election;  against violence and atrocities on women and children; against privatisation of electricity and forcible installation of smart meters.

 According to the credentials report, a total of 191 delegates and observers participated in the conference but 183 comrades including 153 delegates and 30 observers submitted their credential forms to the credential committee. The delegates included 150 men and 33 women. There were 57 delegates above 60 years, 56 delegates between 51 to 60 years, 48   delegates between 41 to 50 years, 20 delegates between 31 to 40 years and 2 delegates between 20 to 30 years. The oldest delegate was 80 years old Comrade Sher Singh and Amit Punia and Jitendra Badhawad both 27 years were the youngest delegates. 43 delegates were from Scheduled Castes, 36 from Backward Classes, 15 minorities and 3 migrants. In the conference, 44 delegates were whole timers. 52 delegates were from middle class, 50 from peasant background, 47 from working class background. Inderjeet Singh was the one who had undergone the longest jail period of 12 months and Jagpal Rana was another delegate who remained in jail for eight and a half months. Master Sher Singh went on a hunger strike for 68 days and suffered multiple administrative and social harassments.

The conference unanimously elected a 30-member state committee which unanimously elected Prem Chand as its secretary. A nine member state secretariat was also elected unanimously. The state conference also elected four delegates for the Party Congress to be held in April. The conference gave a call for a week long campaign and demonstrations from January 24-31, on the issues of privatisation of electricity, national education policy, labour codes, rising inflation, minimum wages and guarantee of MSP for farmers etc. From January 26, Republic Day to March 23, Martyrdom Day, seminars, symposia and campaigns will be conducted across the state under the ‘Save Constitution’ campaign.  

State in-charge, Hemalata while addressing the delegates said that the exploitation of working class by capitalism is increasing rapidly. To intensify the struggle to change the society, we have to strengthen the Party and connect it with the people. She said that local struggles will have to be intensified while strengthening the unity of farmers and workers. Bourgeois parties are in favour of neoliberal policies. Every section will have to fight against anti-people policies, she said.

The conference was concluded by Nilotpal Basu. He said that the Party has been constantly fighting for the interests of the people.  In the coming days, movements of rural and urban poor will have to be started by forming broad unity among farmers and workers at the grassroots level to work for alternative policies. Today, capitalism is in crisis and to avert its own crisis, it is putting the burden of this crisis on poor countries and populations. Big corporates are aligning with the right wing forces in the world and the country. We have to continuously fight against communalism along with anti-people economic policies. BJP /RSS is constantly attacking the foundations and the Constitution of this country. Public opinion will have to be created among the people by running a special campaign regarding this. The delegates who came to the conference also burnt copies of the draft of Agricultural Marketing Framework. The Party wholeheartedly thanked the people and volunteers of Kaithal for making the conference a grand success.