Those who had claimed that CPI(M) had been cut to size in Khammam district post 2009 elections were in for a rude shock. A sea of humanity descended on the town, drenching it in red. Around 1.5 lakh people, mainly from Khammam district, marched in a massive rally marking the successful conclusion of 23rd state conference of the Party on 4th February 2012.
Tribals of the district, attired in traditional gear, displaying their bows and arrows and dancing to the drum beats, were an attractive sight. Also attracting everyone's attention were hundreds of red shirt volunteers displaying their martial arts skills. Workers, agricultural labour, women, youth, employees formed the bulk of rallyists.
Three rallies from different parts of the town converged at the public meeting venue, Sardar Patel stadium, rechristened Jyoti Basu Nagar. The rally from Naya Bazar was led by newly re-elected state secretary B V Raghavulu, Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury and Central Committee member Thammineni Veerabhadram. They traveled to the meeting venue atop an open top jeep waving to the crowds en route. Around 40 per cent of the audience had to listen to the speeches sitting on the roads as the entire stadium was filled up with crowds. The conference unanimously elected 81 members in new state committee. The new state committee re-elected B V Raghavulu as Party state secretary. A 15-member secretariat was also elected. The members of the State secretariat are comrades P. Ramaiah, T. Veerabhadram, P. Madhu, S. Punyavathi, M.A. Gafoor, V. Krishnaiah, Y. Venkateswara Rao, Ch. Narasinga Rao, S.Veeraiah, S. Malla Reddy, Ch. Sitaramulu, G. Nagaiah, Midiam Babu Rao, and C. Ramulu.
The conference also constituted a three-member State control commission headed by B. R.Tulasi Rao. Five senior leaders, including noted freedom fighter Mallu Swarajyam, were appointed special invitees.
More than 700 delegates from all over the State participated in the deliberations during the three-day conference and adopted over 40 resolutions on issues concerning farmers, labourers, women, Schedules Castes and Scheduled Tribes besides other vulnerable sections of society.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat inaugurated the public meeting and said that the Party in Andhra Pradesh has been leading many militant struggles concerning various sections of people – farmers, dalits, workers, urban poor, land struggle etc braving repression. He mentioned about the martyrs of Mudigonda in this district and said that the Party has decided to take the same path of militant struggles all over the country. “We have decided to work towards building a Left and democratic alternative to the bourgeois parties all of who pursue neo-liberal policies.” He appealed to the people of AP to participate in the struggles to be launched by CPI(M) in large numbers. He expressed confidence that CPI(M) will emerge as a key force in the state in the coming period.
So nervous was the ruling regime about the turnout and the public meeting that the police removed the mike speakers kept some distance away from the venue so that common people can hear the speeches. They also ordered the local cable televisions to stop the live coverage of the rally and public meeting. Reacting to this Raghavulu told the public that this shows how fearful the government is about the voice of CPI(M) and warned that no amount of repression will suppress the voice of the people. He said the CPI(M) struggles in the coming period will show the government the power of the people. He lambasted the Congress party for ruining the state with its internal bickerings and careless attitude to the issue of division of state.
He assured the gathering that CPI(M) will do everything to bring people's issues on to the agenda of politics in the state. Com B.V. Raghavulu said the party would undertake Jalasadhana Yatra and various other broad-based mass movements to mount pressure on the government to complete the pending irrigation projects and come to the rescue of farmers, labourers, and other poor sections of society. “We have discussed threadbare the multitude of problems confronted by a vast majority of the population under the present regime and evolved appropriate course of action to spearhead agitations for their cause,” he said, adding that the party would work towards bringing the Left, democratic, and seculars forces onto a single platform to wage relentless struggles against the proposed move of the State government to increase the power tariff. We would also undertake land struggles by drawing inspiration from the Mudigonda martyrs to ensure lands and houses for the poor, he said, and asserted that the party would make the ensuing all-India bandh called by all major trade unions on April 28 a grand success.CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury took a dig at Manmohan Singh government saying that they may in near future need to hold their cabinet meetings in Tihar jail. He said that home minister P Chidambaram had cancelled all his appointments for the day and anxiously waited to know whether Supreme Court would send him also to Tihar. Luckily for him, the court gave an order that spared him.
Thammineni Veerabhadram said that the gathering was much larger than what was expected. He asked the Congress leaders not to panic and resort to such repressive measures as to cut TV coverage.
