CPI(M) IN WEST BENGAL has decided to go for alternative actions, particularly in education, public health and self-help with a constructive agenda. Termed “Mission 360” these activities will help to build alternative education centres and public health centres in every district. While intensifying the struggle for livelihood, it will also strive to help people with alternative ways of income.

CPI(M) state secretary, Mohammad Salim has explained that attacks on peoples’ lives in all spheres have increased. In such a scenario, the Party has to stand by the people in all respects. That means, on the one hand strengthening peoples’ struggles and on the other helping people, particularly the poorer sections in areas such as education, health and income generation. Though the Lefts' are not in the government now, they are the forces who stood beside the people in their hour of need. It has been already exemplified by the work of Red Volunteers during the pandemic. We will extend these constructive activities.

The education sector has suffered a lot in the state. During and after the pandemic, schools and colleges are irregular with huge dropouts. During the pandemic, the Lefts' have started some ‘remedial classrooms’, which will now be continued and expanded. It has been decided that at least 10 such alternative classrooms (Vikalpa Pathshala) in each district will be formed within the next six months. It will be done by engaging people from the educational sector.

Likewise, the work in the field of public health will be strengthened. At least one public health centre will be established in each district. Polyclinics and health centres run by the Party will be strengthened. Apart from focusing on campaigns for health-related consciousness, efforts will be made for treatment at low cost, and supply of medicines. People related to the health sector will be engaged along with mass organisations.

The most serious crisis before the people, at this moment, is lack of employment and thereby loss of income. This has reached to extreme proportion in West Bengal. Party will try to help people become capable of employment in various sectors. Special emphasis will be given to forming self-help groups of the younger people and running co-operatives with a class outlook.

Another area of work will be the environment. Party will take this issue as part of the class movement. Activists of the science movement will be reinforced by other mass organisations to build up local level struggles and move forward with protecting the environment and people's livelihood.

Yechury writes to West Bengal Chief Minister

ON June 14, Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI(M) wrote a letter to the West Bengal chief minister in a response to a letter written by her asking him to join a meeting of opposition parties on June 15, 2022, at New Delhi to discuss the forthcoming election of the President of India.
We reproduce below the text of the letter:

Hon’ble Chief Minister,

I received your letter dated June 11, 2022, informing me of a meeting of opposition parties on June 15, 2022, at 3.00 pm at the Constitution Club, New Delhi to discuss the forthcoming election to elect the President of India.

Such meetings of opposition parties have always followed a procedure of prior mutual consultations to enable the maximum participation of those wishing to join. However, in this instance, we received a unilateral communication informing the date, time, venue and agenda.

Your letter mentions “a fruitful confluence of opposition voices is the need of the hour”. This could have been better achieved if there had been mutual consultation and a proper time to enable party leaders to reschedule their prior commitments to attend such a meeting.
Unfortunately, there were only three days between the receipt of your letter and the date of the meeting.
The CPI(M) has consistently championed the need to strengthen the broadest mobilisation of all secular forces to safeguard the Indian Constitution and the secular democratic character of the Indian Republic. In line with this, as the issue is to discuss the forthcoming election of the President of India and given the fact that the President is the custodian of the Indian Constitution, the CPI(M) will be represented at the meeting by the leader of our group in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Elamaram Kareem.