THE 10th Andaman and Nicobar state conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)  was held on January  14, 2018 at Fidel Castro Nagar (Shaheed Bhavan, Anarkali), Port Blair.  The conference began with the hoisting of Party flag by Biman Basu, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) and chairman of the Left Front of West Bengal and delegates and leaders paying floral tributes to the martyrs at the Martyrs Memorial Column.  P Banerjee, chairman of the reception committee welcomed the leaders and delegates to the conference. The place of the programme was named as Nurul Hooda Manch.      

Inaugurating the delegate session of the conference, Biman Basu lambasted the NDA government at the centre and said that its policies are adversely affecting crores of people in the country.   He said that instead of creating more jobs, as promised during the last Lok Sabha election in 2014, the Modi government is making lakhs of people jobless every year.  He said that BJP is trying to mix religion with politics and called upon the CPI(M) workers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to expose the BJP by organising masses.  However, he emphasised the need to strengthen the Party in the islands to take on the challenges thrown by the BJP and other communal forces. Biman Bose gave a clarion call to the delegates attending the conference to make the CPI(M) an important and vital force in the political arena of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the coming years.     

Addressing the delegate session, Hannan Mollah, Polit Bureau member of the Party briefly explained the adverse impact of the anti-people economic policies being pursued by the BJP-led government at the centre and called upon the CPI(M) leaders in the islands to carry out intensive campaign among the masses against these policies.  

Addressing the delegate session, TK Rangarajan, MP and CPI(M) Central Committee member volunteered to take up any issue relating to these islands on the floor of the parliament and asked CPI(M) cadres in the islands to bring to his notice such issues and problems relating to the islanders.  He also emphasised the need to stop communal forces from spreading its tentacles.  He said that BJP is yet to make any inroad in Tamil Nadu despite their best efforts. 

D Laxman Rao, secretary, CPI(M) state organising committee presented the report on the functioning of the Party during the last three years while P Banerjee presented the  finance report. Delegates participated in the discussion on the report which was subsequently passed unanimously.   

A large number of resolutions on various issues relating to these islands were also discussed and passed in the conference.  Gautam Deb, former minister, West Bengal and Central Committee member of the Party was also present in the conference.  Tapan Bepari, CPI(M) state secretariat member proposed the vote of thanks. The conference elected a new 13-member state organising committee with KG Das as secretary.  He was also elected as the delegate for the 22nd Party Congress.   It was decided that the existing state secretariat will continue to function till a new secretariat is elected after the Party Congress. 51 delegates and observers from different parts of the union territory attended the delegate session.  

The delegate session was followed by a public meeting at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair.  Addressing the public meeting, Biman Bose dwelt at length on the anti-people policies being followed by the NDA government and expressed concern over the widening gap between the rich and poor in the country due to these neo-liberal policies. He said that the Modi government has utterly failed to arrest the prices in the country. He said that Narendra Modi is blindly supporting the American imperialism, deviating from the hitherto declared policy of India supporting the democratic movements in various parts of the world.  Country is moving towards a dangerous situation due to the autocratic and fascistic policies and outlook of the present dispensation at the centre.  All the democratic and secular forces should come together to fight these wrong policies of the BJP-led government. 

Addressing the public meeting, Hannan Mollah said that the country is witnessing increasing attack on the minorities by Sangh Parivar organisations in the guise of gau rakshaks, etc.  He said that it is the Sangh Parivar which is deciding what should be eaten by people and what should be the appearance of people. Those who do not follow their diktat are punished.  Referring to the false promises made by the BJP, Hannan Mollah said that at the time of last parliamentary election, the BJP had promised that black money stashed in the accounts of foreign banks will be brought back to India and will deposit 15 lakh rupees in the bank account of each citizen.  He said that even 15 rupees have not been deposited in the bank account of the citizens and said that BJP and Sangh Parivar are  infamous for making such  false promises every time. On the plight of the farmers, Hannan Mollah said that hundreds of farmers are committing suicide in the country every year. The much-trumpeted loan waiver scheme turned out to be a sham in many parts of the country.           

The newly elected secretary, KG Das, secretariat members B Chandrachoodan and D Laxman Rao also addressed the public meeting.  Tapan Bepari, secretariat member presided.