The 24th party congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), underway in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai, has called for the unification of “all Left, democratic and secular forces” to push back reactionary forces. “Let this call go out loud and clear: let us work together to build a New India – on secular, democratic and progressive lines. Towards people’s democracy and socialism…,” said CPI(M) coordinator Prakash Karat while addressing the inaugural session.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government represent the Hindutva-corporate nexus that is closely allied to US imperialism. It is the BJP-RSS and the Hindutva-corporate nexus underpinning it that needs to be fought and defeated,” he said, adding that PM Modi, who claims to be a friend of US President Donald Trump, industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, and has total loyalty towards the RSS, should be opposed.
“What is called for is the integration of the struggle against Hindutva communalism and the struggle against neo-liberal policies. At this juncture, when we strive for the broadest mobilisation of all secular forces against the BJP,” Karat said. “The Left alone can firmly and uncompromisingly fight all manifestations of Hindutva and majoritarian communalism precisely because of our uncompromising stand on neo-liberal policies.”
This is the second time that the party congress, the CPI(M)’s supreme decision-making forum, is being held in Madurai. In 1972, the ninth party congress was held in the town.
The party congress noted that the BJP being reduced to short of a majority has not weakened the party. “The fact that the BJP lost its majority in the Lok Sabha and that the NDA does not command a two-thirds majority in either House of Parliament has not stopped the Modi government’s authoritarian efforts to re-shape the Indian State and Constitution,” Karat said.
The party congress will discuss the constitutional amendment bill to bring about simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly. “This is a direct assault on federalism and states’ rights; the steps to curtail Parliament, weaken the higher judiciary and erode the independent status of the Election Commission are still ongoing. Draconian laws like the UAPA and PMLA are used against opposition leaders. For the first time in independent India, two elected chief ministers were put in jail on so-called corruption charges. The authoritarian centralisation drive is trampling upon the federal principle and the rights of states. There is blatant discrimination in the allocation of funds to the non-BJP state governments,” Karat said.
The NDA government, in its third term, is going ahead with the RSS-driven Hindutva agenda, aggressive neo-liberal policies, and reinforcing authoritarianism, Karat said. “In this process, it is displaying neo-fascist characteristics. Implementing the fascistic agenda of the RSS entails the constant targeting of the Muslim minority. They are marked for persecution through communal violence perpetrated by the Hindutva outfits, aided and abetted by the State machinery in BJP-ruled states. The state of perennial violence and intimidation directed against the Muslim community is part of the drive to create a permanent communal divide and to effect a ‘pan-Hindutva’ consolidation.”
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In attendance were leaders of other communist parties, including the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB).
Speaking at the meeting, D Raja, general secretary of the CPI, said, “The task before communists is that we communists should rise to the occasion. All communist and left forces should mount resistance against corporate-communal forces… Jai Bhim, Lal Salam and Inqilab Zindabad should not just be words but rallying cries for transformation.”
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