MADURAI: The CPM's 24th party congress began at Tamukkam ground on Wednesday with a call to integrate the fight against the Hindutva agenda and neo liberal fascism.
In his inaugural address, CPM polit bureau coordinator Prakash Karat said that the Party Congress is the most important and supreme forum of a Communist Party. It is, therefore, appropriate that they are holding this Congress in Madurai, a city redolent with the ethos of ancient Tamil literature and culture, and which harmoniously combines the history of over eight decades of the working class and communist movement.
He further stated that the primary task of the party congress is to formulate political tactics that will set the direction for the party's political work. For this, it is essential to correctly understand the essence of the current political situation, the class nature of the state and the ruling party, and the prevailing balance of class forces.
"Ask three questions: 1. Who claims to be a friend of Donald Trump? 2. Who is a close friend of Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani? 3. To whom does the RSS owe complete allegiance? The answer to all three questions is the same: Narendra Modi and the BJP. Narendra Modi and his government represent a Hindutva-corporate nexus closely aligned with American imperialism. We, the people, know that the political dominance exercised by Hindutva forces today is not merely through electoral means. It is a dominance achieved through the influence exerted by Hindutva forces in the ideological, cultural, and social spheres. It is a dominance implemented through authoritarian attacks on democracy and the constitution," he added.
He also stated that the party and the Left have been conducting numerous struggles to protect the people's livelihoods and against the attacks of neo-liberal policies. There is a call to integrate the struggle against Hindutva communalism with the struggle against neo-liberal policies.
At this juncture, as we strive to broadly mobilize all secular forces against the BJP, the Left remains the only consistent force capable of firmly and uncompromisingly opposing all manifestations of Hindutva and majoritarian communalism, Karat said.
"The BJP is attempting to privatize new sectors and offer new areas for profit to large monopolies. As a result, we are witnessing unprecedented inequality, with one percent of the population holding 40 percent of the country's total wealth. There is high unemployment, especially among the youth, increased labor exploitation through contract work, and a decline in the share of wages in the net value added in the industrial sector. The situation of farmers and agricultural laborers has also worsened due to the severe agrarian crisis," he added.
CPM Polit Bureau Member Manik Sarkar, in his presidential address, said that the 24th party congress would be a landmark in the ongoing struggle to defeat the forces of reaction and to go towards building a Left and democratic alternative.
Central Committee member K Balakrishnan, in his welcome address, said that the 24th party congress will evolve the rights strategies to isolate the forces that indulge in the politics of hatred and to push back pro-corporate, neo-liberal economic policies. CPI National Secretary of the Communist Party of India D Raja, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Revolutionary Socialist Party General Secretary Manoj Bhattacharya, and All India Forward Bloc General Secretary G Devarajan in their felicitation address spoke about the need of uniting all secular and democratic forces to take on to fight, isolate and defeat the BJP-RSS.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, and delegates across the nation participated.
