The 23rd state conference of the CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state committee ahead of the 20th Party Congress began on Thursday (2nd February) in Khammam, Bhakta Ramdas Kala Kshetram, rechristened Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet Nagar. The Conference began with the hoisting of Party Flag by Freedom fighter Parsa Satyanarayana. Com. Prakash Karat, CPIM General Secretary inaugurated the conference and delivered the inaugural address to a packed gathering . Over 750 delegates and observers along with scores of prominent citizens and well wishers of the Party formed the gathering.
Strengthen the Party to Fight the Onslaught of Neo-Liberalism : Prakash Karat
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat stated while inaugurating the conference that CPI(M) will devote all its efforts in the coming period to strengthen itself because the need of the hour is a stronger Left in the country to fight back the onslaught of neo-liberal policies and to prevent communal forces from gaining ground. Towards this end it will take initiative to unite all Left forces and also rally all democratic and secular forces on people's issues.
Prakash Karat began his address by paying homage to the martyrs of Telangana armed struggle, many of whom were from Khammam district also. He said unlike non-Communist parties, CPI(M) conducts its affairs most democratically. “In our Party there is no 'high command' sitting in New Delhi issuing diktats. Our conferences upto the lowest levels discuss all issues democratically and chalk out their activity”, he said.
Karat lambasted the UPA government for focussing only on growth and refusing to see the all round deprivation of the masses. He said two decades of neo-liberal policies have increased growth but the benefits of that growth went only to a miniscule section of population. A shameless record of this government has been the consistently high double digit inflation rate for 38 months. People's lives are being attacked in the form of massive price rise and massive corruption. There is increased rural distress which is reflected in growing number of farmer suicides in many states of the country. In Andhra Pradesh in the month of January this year, a total of 160 farmers committed suicide, said Karat and held the central and state governments' policies responsible for this state of affairs. In Bengal also, ever since Trinamool Congress assumed power, the procurement machinery in the state has collapsed and indebtedness increased leading to number of suicides in the state, which was unheard of during the 34 years of Left Front rule.
Karat felt that it was because the CPI(M) and the Left had been consistently fighting against the government's neo-liberal policies and colloboration with imperialism, it has been targeted in Bengal where over 450 comrades were martyred. 177 of these comrades were murdered by 'Maoists'. He said Trinamool Congress used 'Maoists' to weaken the CPI(M) and once that was achieved, it has started targeting them. “The 'Maoists' who keep claiming they were the most revolutionary force have actually played the most anti-revolutionary role in Bengal” charged Karat. He however noted that there is increased resistance in Bengal by farmers and other toiling sections against the anarchy of TMC rule. Karat concluded by saying that in the coming period the resistance against neo-liberal policies and imperialism is going to intensify.
CPI secretary K Narayana in his address said that only the Left parties had the moral right to fight against corruption because they have never been tainted by it. He said there is enough space for both the Left parties to expand instead of jostling in the same places. He expressed the willingness of his party to carry on a united fight against these anti-people policies.
CPI(M) state secretary and Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu said that the 23rd state conference of the party will discuss on how to bring back the issues of people on to the political agenda of the state, which is reeling under political crisis. The issue of Telangana is deliberately being kept burning while the Congress bigwigs in Delhi keep watching the drama. He charged the Congress of playing with the future of the state. He felt the main opposition party in the state, the Telugu Desam, has also lost credibility due to its opportunistic stance on this issue. In such a situation it is the responsibility of the Left to bring the people's issues on to the political agenda. He said the true strength of Left parties must not be weighed in terms of seats or in terms of the coverage they get in media. It must be assessed in terms of the struggles it wages.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Brinda Karat and Sitaram Yechury are attending the conference that will conclude with a massive public meeting on February 4.
Prakash Karat began his address by paying homage to the martyrs of Telangana armed struggle, many of whom were from Khammam district also. He said unlike non-Communist parties, CPI(M) conducts its affairs most democratically. “In our Party there is no 'high command' sitting in New Delhi issuing diktats. Our conferences upto the lowest levels discuss all issues democratically and chalk out their activity”, he said.
Karat lambasted the UPA government for focussing only on growth and refusing to see the all round deprivation of the masses. He said two decades of neo-liberal policies have increased growth but the benefits of that growth went only to a miniscule section of population. A shameless record of this government has been the consistently high double digit inflation rate for 38 months. People's lives are being attacked in the form of massive price rise and massive corruption. There is increased rural distress which is reflected in growing number of farmer suicides in many states of the country. In Andhra Pradesh in the month of January this year, a total of 160 farmers committed suicide, said Karat and held the central and state governments' policies responsible for this state of affairs. In Bengal also, ever since Trinamool Congress assumed power, the procurement machinery in the state has collapsed and indebtedness increased leading to number of suicides in the state, which was unheard of during the 34 years of Left Front rule.
Karat felt that it was because the CPI(M) and the Left had been consistently fighting against the government's neo-liberal policies and colloboration with imperialism, it has been targeted in Bengal where over 450 comrades were martyred. 177 of these comrades were murdered by 'Maoists'. He said Trinamool Congress used 'Maoists' to weaken the CPI(M) and once that was achieved, it has started targeting them. “The 'Maoists' who keep claiming they were the most revolutionary force have actually played the most anti-revolutionary role in Bengal” charged Karat. He however noted that there is increased resistance in Bengal by farmers and other toiling sections against the anarchy of TMC rule. Karat concluded by saying that in the coming period the resistance against neo-liberal policies and imperialism is going to intensify.
CPI secretary K Narayana in his address said that only the Left parties had the moral right to fight against corruption because they have never been tainted by it. He said there is enough space for both the Left parties to expand instead of jostling in the same places. He expressed the willingness of his party to carry on a united fight against these anti-people policies.
CPI(M) state secretary and Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu said that the 23rd state conference of the party will discuss on how to bring back the issues of people on to the political agenda of the state, which is reeling under political crisis. The issue of Telangana is deliberately being kept burning while the Congress bigwigs in Delhi keep watching the drama. He charged the Congress of playing with the future of the state. He felt the main opposition party in the state, the Telugu Desam, has also lost credibility due to its opportunistic stance on this issue. In such a situation it is the responsibility of the Left to bring the people's issues on to the political agenda. He said the true strength of Left parties must not be weighed in terms of seats or in terms of the coverage they get in media. It must be assessed in terms of the struggles it wages.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Brinda Karat and Sitaram Yechury are attending the conference that will conclude with a massive public meeting on February 4.
