Port Blair, Apr 06: The 23rd Party Congress of CPI (M) began at Kannur, Kerala on 06th April 2022 with the hoisting of the Party flag at the venue of the Conference at EK Nayanar Academy, Kannur by the eldest Polit Bureau Member of the party Mr. S. Ramachandran Pillai.
Leaders and delegates paid tributes to the martyrs at the martyrs’ memorial column amidst chanting of revolutionary slogans.
In his welcome speech, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala and Chairman of the Reception Committee explained the origin of movements conducted by the Communist Party in Kerala, particularly in Kannur.
He said that after the disintegration of the socialist bloc, and unbridled attempts of economic liberalization and globalization, the ruling classes in our country have taken steps that have caused more misery to the working classes, especially in the unorganized sectors.
The lack of job security, the fruits of growth going to a minuscule minority, the dismantling of the public sector, free movement of speculative capital, and concessions to the corporate rich are the measures that have caused the widening of economic inequality and deterioration of standards of living of the poor.
“The Congress and BJP governments are following the same set of policies. Our party along with other left parties has been consistently organizing mass movements against these anti-people measures, and we have taken up this campaign in right earnest in Kerala”, he said.
In his inaugural address, Mr. SitaramYechury, General Secretary of the Party said that US imperialism is aggressively seeking to strengthen its global hegemony in the post-Covid world. It has targeted to ‘isolate’ China moving from its earlier efforts to ‘contain’ China. US imperialism is mobilizing all its allies in this global effort.
He further said that systematic efforts are being made to change the character of the secular democratic Indian Republic. The four fundamental pillars of the Indian Constitution secular democracy, federalism, social justice and economic sovereignty are being severely assaulted and undermined. The pursuit of the Hindutva agenda of the fascistic RSS requires a unitary state structure negating the federal character of India.
To achieve this objective all the independent institutions created by the Indian Constitution to act as checks and balances for implementing constitutional guarantees Parliament, Judiciary, Election Commission, CBI, ED, etc., are being undermined negating their independent authority.
He appealed to all Left, secular democratic forces to come together to isolate and defeat the BJP. All political parties that proclaim secularism must rise to the occasion to discharge this patriotic duty.
The Congress party along with some other regional parties must set their houses in order and decide on where they stand to safeguard the secular, democratic character of the Indian republic. Prevarications and compromising attitudes can only lead, as experience has shown, to an exodus from such parties toward the communal forces. Hindutva communalism can only be combatted by championing uncompromising secularism.
Mr. D. Raja, General Secretary of CPI while addressing the Opening Session said that the BJP is using the Parliamentary majority to undermine the Parliament itself.
The former Chief Minister of Tripura who was the Chairman of the Opening Session also addressed the gathering. Mr. SitaramYechury, General Secretary presented the Political Resolution explaining its various features in the Delegate Session.
About 800 delegates and observers from the entire country are attended the Delegate Session of the Party Congress. Mr. D. Ayyappan is attending the Party Congress from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.