IN the coronavirus lockdown period, the CPI(M) Telangana committee had conducted online political classes for its cadre and called upon its members to actively participate in social service programmes to reach out to the needy during this crisis time.

Party members in the state have been actively taking part in the awareness programmes, service programmes and the government initiated service programmes over the past 38 days since the lockdown has begun in the country. About 1,256 quintals of rice was distributed to 65,000 families and about 1,270 quintals of vegetables were given to 87 families across the state through the Party so far. Pulses and oil were also distributed. Apart from that, 80,000 thousand masks were distributed among the public and food was supplied in food centres in 18 districts wherein upto 300 meals were served weeklong.

The members wrote letters and sent representations to the government on various problems that people faced during the lockdown. They helped migrant workers by providing essential goods and conducted camps for them. A medical helpline was opened to provide help to the people of the state. The members also collected rice, pulses, vegetables, oil and other goods from donors and distributed them to the poor. Masks, sanitizers and soaps were also given to the needy.

In view of hiked vegetable prices in a few areas like Pragatinagar in Hyderabad, Party members sold vegetables worth Rs One lakh at fair prices by purchasing them directly from farmers of eight villages. In Khammam and Kothagudem districts, Party has conducted service programmes spanning across 80 per cent of the mandals. In Hyderabad central, south, and in Medchal districts, our unions have been arranging meals daily for 300 people. In Sangareddy district, Rs 8 lakh was spent on the service activities. In Wanaparthy district, Amarachinta, the vice chairman elected from the Party headed the service programmes conducted by the municipality. In Mahbubnagar district, a Party member and a doctor had donated Rs One lakh worth goods to 500 people.

Thalassemia patients and other critically ill patients have been facing shortage of blood supply during the lockdown and in response the CPI(M) has conducted blood donation camp at Party state headquarters, M B Bhavan in Hyderabad on April 15 and 20 members of the Party donated blood. Similar camp was held in Khammam district as well.

The Party has also reached out to the sanitation workers and they were given tiffin and meals during the last 15 days. Under the teachers organisation and Telangana Journalists Federation, essential goods were distributed in M H Bhavan.

ONLINE CLASSES
Not bowing to the extraordinary circumstances, a video conference with the secretariat members and district secretaries was successfully organised online with the technical support extended by comrades working in the social media network and IT sectors. Party state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram, addressed the members on the hardships faced by people during the lockdown and urged the cadre to take part in the social service activities initiated by the Party.

Cadre’s participation in the online classes was encouraging. They began with an attendance of 500 students initially and have picked up to 3,000.  As many as nine online classes were conducted over the past month covering various theoretical and contemporary topics. B V Raghavulu, Polit Bureau member, gave a lecture on the present political situation, ways to face the danger of sangh parivar and the relevance of Lenin during the contemporary times. R Arun Kumar, Central Committee member, gave a lecture on the current international developments with special reference to the socialist countries. Veerabhadram taught theory classes on the topics of capitalism and imperialism.

Professor K Nageswar gave a lecture on ‘The crisis of Corona, experience of Kerala and the future’. He also spoke about the role of digital media during the crisis. Central Committee member V Srinivasa Rao’s class focussed on the efforts made by socialist countries to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Apart from these sessions, online classes were conducted for 60 student cadres in Medchal, Nizamabad and Jagityal districts for 19 days. State-level student classes were organised for nine days in which 120 students participated. In the state trade union classes which were attended by 315 people, all India CITU President Hemalata delivered a lecture. Party district level meetings and mass organisations meetings were also conducted through video conferencing. Sundarayya Vignana Kendram organised online spoken English classes for 70 students.