THE 16th Party state conference of Haryana was held from October 2-4 at Barwala in Hisar district. The venue of the conference was named Shaheed Yadgaar Nagar, Comrade R C Jagga Hall and Dr Mahavir Singh Narwal Manch. 

The open session of the conference began on October 2, the Gandhi Jayanti, by garlanding the statues of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev located in the city and holding a sankalp sabha on the occasion of 75th anniversary of independence and birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.  Inderjit Singh and Shakuntala Jakhar jointly presided over the meeting.  Balbir Numberdar, a prominent kisan leader of the area, chairman of the reception committee, welcomed everyone. 

Delivering the keynote address at the sankalp sabha, Sitaram Yechury said that the BJP-RSS are bent on destroying the progressive and democratic structure of our country, which has to be fought against unitedly. Paying homage to 700 farmers who have been martyred in the farmers' movement, he said that their sacrifice will not go in vain and the people will teach this dictatorial regime a lesson. He said that a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary would be to save the values ​​developed by him in the freedom movement and the constitution based on these values. The RSS never recognised this constitution, they did not even remotely care about the idea of ​​equality. Today the BJP is in power under its leadership. That is why the laws which are being made today are anti-people and there is no debate on them in the parliament. Opposition party leaders are being implicated in false cases.  Governments are being toppled. Those opposing the wrong policies of the government are being put in jails under stringent laws like UAPA and sedition. Thousands of innocent people are in jail today.

Yechury said that Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is constantly saying that people of red flag are behind the farmers' and labour movements and threatens to eliminate them.  Even our offices in Tripura are being attacked, looted and gutted by the BJP.  But we want to warn that Hitler, the dictator in Germany, also announced the elimination of the red flag but this very red flag destroyed his fascist dictatorship and raised the red flag on the German parliament. Similar announcements were made for us in our country during the time of emergency also.  But immediately after the emergency, our governments were formed in three states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. The BJP's fears are real as they know that an alternative to the current policies, that are destroying the lives of the people, and the answer to their dictatorship can be given by red flag only, he said. 

The team of Jatan Natya Manch gave excellent performances of songs and plays in the open session and book stalls were also set up. 

The delegate session of the conference began with the unfurling of the Party flag by senior party leader S N Solanki and laying of flowers at the martyr's column.  An exhibition showcasing the outstanding contribution of communists in the freedom movement was also put up at the conference venue.

The delegate session was chaired by the presidium comprising Inderjit Singh, Shakuntala Jakhar, Jagtar Singh and Suresh. The steering committee consisted of Surender Singh, Ramesh Chandra, Premchand and Jai Bhagwan. Virendra Malik moved the condolence resolution.

Inaugurating the delegate session, Sitaram Yechury, while discussing the national and international situation in detail, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has again exposed the inhuman face of capitalist countries and brought forward the human face of socialist countries. Even at such a time, the Modi government is trying hard to become a stooge of American imperialism and strengthen Hindutva.  Therefore, the need if the hour is that the Party creates a movement on the issues of the people and fights this situation by strengthening its independent power.

Presenting the political and organisational report of the last four years, Party state secretary, Surender Singh said that the BJP government after coming to power has pushed the state to the brink of economic, social and cultural ruin. There is a growing resentment among various sections of the public. The farmers' agitation, which has been going on for the last 10 months, has further eroded the limited credibility of the BJP. The main opposition parties of Haryana do not seem to be fighting an effective struggle against the BJP government due to lack of political will and factionalism. Mass and class organisations under the influence of CPI(M) are constantly active on people's issues and, in a way, are playing the role of real opposition. That is why the BJP government has been targeting the red flag. In such a situation, our task is to increase the independent strength of the Party for developing a Left and democratic political alternative by moulding the current movements in that direction.  For this, it is very important to increase the quality of the Party cadre, change our working styles and increase the activism of the branches.

42 delegates, including nine women comrades, participated in the discussion on the draft report pointing out the problems related to improving the quality of Party members, activating branches, providing educational training, usefulness of social media, attracting youth to the party, increasing whole-timers, creating mass movement on various issues etc. They gave positive suggestions to enrich the draft report.

Replying to the debate, Surender Singh said that Party workers have worked very hard and actively despite the unusual circumstances. In the coming days, we will have to work more actively towards strengthening the organisational structure of the Party and developing agitations on the burning issues of the people by activating the branches. 

Eight resolutions were adopted by the conference in defence of civil rights; education and health for all;  on labour and employment; against regressive bills passed by Haryana assembly; compensation for crop damage and against plundering of private insurance companies; against oppression of dalits and women; for strict action against forces inciting communal hatred and violence. One resolution regarding the month long upcoming state-wide campaign from October 25 to November 25 was also adopted. The conference paid tributes to the workers of the farmers' movement who were martyred in Lakhimpur-Kheri, in Uttar Pradesh and demanded that all the culprits be arrested immediately and the union minister of state for home, Ajay Mishra be sacked.

Sukhbir Singh placed the credential report.  A total of 145 delegates participated in the conference, out of which 22 were women. 35 dalits, 27 backward classes, three Muslims and five Sikhs participated in the conference.  42 workers, 9 agricultural workers, 36 poor farmers, one rich farmer, 35 from middle classes took part in the conference. 17 delegates have been victims of political, 35 administrative and 19 of social oppression. 12 delegates were in jail for more than 90 days and five delegates were underground for more than 90 days.

The conference concluded with the election of a 30-member state committee and a nine-member secretariat, with Surender Singh as state secretary. Two seats have been kept vacant for the kamgar front. A three-member Control Commission with Balbir Dahiya as its chairman was also elected.

In the concluding session, Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu and Central Committee member K Hemalata said that the BJP government is behaving like an enemy of the toiling peasants and workers of the country by suppressing mass movements with barbarism. They said that the entire population is being pushed to ruins for the sake of domestic and foreign corporates. During the corona period of the last one and a half years, when the income of 85 per cent of the country's population decreased, the wealth of 100 big capitalists of the country doubled. The capitalists are flourishing under the BJP rule. There is a cut in the ration given to the poor families. Collection of Rs 5 lakh crores in the form of taxes by increasing prices of diesel and petrol is the loot of the common public. There is dire need to overthrow this nexus of communal-capitalist regime from the country by cementing worker-peasant unity. Only then the condition of 99 per cent of the population will improve. For this, the Party organisation needs to be prepared. 

A campaign will be launched across Haryana on the burning issues of the common people from October 25 to November 25 and protests would be organised throughout the state.