THE CPI(M) and the Left Front will go for relentless movements on burning issues of the people in West Bengal. Party state committee and Left Front committee have decided to launch sustained struggles, beginning from last week of June.

One of the major issues is the spate of false police cases against Left activists and common people. In the four years of TMC rule, false cases against opposition activists and any kind of dissenters have become a rule in West Bengal. Left Front leaders and activists have been jailed or framed in hundreds of such cases. Nearly 75 thousand people have been framed in such cases. Victims of ruling party terror are framed in such false cases. The Left Front has decided to take up this issue in a vigorous way. There will be sit-ins and gherao of police stations.

Four Left peasant organisations have already started a campaign demanding sale of agricultural produces at support prices, work for rural poor and demanding scrapping of the Land Acquisition Ordinance of the central government. Signature collection, campaign meetings in villages are being conducted. In August, there will be a central rally of peasants and march towards the state secretariat in Kolkata.

Joint protest meetings by teachers, students and employees organisations have started demanding an end to utter anarchy in educational institutions. They have also raised the demand for fair examination to teacher recruitment, which has been marred by large scale corruption. This movement will be intensified.

Left women’s organisations have decided to launch public hearing and demonstrations on the issue of unremitting atrocities on women in the state.

CPI(M) Central Committee has already announced campaign fortnight on peoples issues in August. In West Bengal, the programme will continue throughout the month.

Left Front will raise the issue of increasing attacks on working class, both in terms of livelihood and their rights. One after another, factories are being closed in the state. Thousands of jute mill workers have been rendered jobless as nearly 15 mills have been closed within a short span. Contractual, casual workers are facing retrenchment. Trade union rights are under attack and ruling party hoodlums have taken control in large parts of the state. Trade unions have already joined hands and declared their programme of united struggle against anti-worker policies of both the central and state government. The culmination of July-August movement will be the all India general strike on September 2.

CPI(M) has also decided to build up movements on specific issues like abnormal hike in power tariff. In Kolkata, the movement will be developed step by step towards a strike. Local and district level issues will be taken up during this period.

CPI(M) state secretary Suryakanta Misra said, efforts are being taken to organise these movements in co-ordination with other Left parties.

BOOTH

TEAMS

The CPI(M) has decided to form booth teams in all 77 thousand booth areas of the state. These teams will be permanent in nature. The decision was taken in the Party state conference itself. Explaining the reason, CPI(M) state committee said that these teams would be formed to intensify local level struggles, political campaign, mass contact, keeping correct electoral rolls etc. Apart from Party members, active workers of mass organisations, younger sections of working people, women will be inducted in these teams. Along with this, booth level struggle committees will be formed by September to launch local, immediate and achievable demands. These committees will be formed with wider participation from all sections of people.   

No Question of Alliance with Congress: Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has scotched any speculation of an electoral alliance with the Congress party in West Bengal. “There is no possibility of any alliance or front with Congres”, Yechury told media persons in Kolkata while attending Party’s state committee meeting on June 22.

Yechury said, CPI(M) has made its stand clear in the 21st Congress itself where we have said that both the Congress and the BJP are pursuing neo-liberal policies. The Party will not join any political alliance with the Congress while fighting the BJP.

He said, CPI(M) is also fighting against the policies of Modi government in the parliament. Other opposition parties, including Congress, are also opposing centre’s policies. For example, Congress has also opposed Land ordinance in parliament. Left Parties, Congress and other parties have met president of India on this issue in unison. That kind of floor co-ordination takes place sometimes. Trade unions of all shades have come together to unitedly fight the policies of the centre. But this does not entail any alliance with the Congress.

Replying to questions on CPI(M) leader Gautam Deb’s purported comment on the issue, Yechury said, Deb has written to Party state committee explaining what he has said. He has also listed what he has not said at all but attributed to him in the media. Deb has no intention of violating the political line adopted in the Party Congress.

On another question whether CPI(M) will fight the next assembly election in the state ‘on its own’, Yechury said that the Party has not been fighting elections ‘on its own’ for long in West Bengal. We are fighting as part of the Left Front, he said.