Port Blair, Jan 16: A meeting of CPI (M) Party members and active functionaries of mass organizations of Port Blair and rural South Andaman was held at Shaheed Bhavan, Anarkali, Port Blair on 12th January 2024 afternoon in which about 200 people participated.
Addressing the meeting, Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau Member of CPI (M) said that construction of Ram Mandir has been converted into a state-sponsored project even though the Supreme Court had directed to form a Trust for the purpose. He said that Shankaracharias have refused to be part of the inaugural function of the Ram Temple saying that they have nothing to do there as Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone and performed the pujas as Chief Priest and in the inauguration of the temple also Modi will be undertaking the religious rituals by himself. Prakash Karat said that as per the Constitution of India, the State should not patronize any particular religion and State should keep away from religion. However, the Ram Mandi inauguration has been converted into a state-sponsored show. He said that nearly 100 top corporate have been invited to Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony as they are all supporting the BJP.
Prakash Karat said that minority communities are targeted by the Sangh Parivar throughout the country. In Manipur, thousands of people were thrown out of their homes and hundreds were killed.
Referring to the worst condition prevailing in the country, Prakash Karat said that during the last 10 years, unemployment has been increasing rapidly, prices are increasing, attack on minorities are increasing, attack on free press are also on the rise. He said that BJP government is functioning in an autocratic manner. He said that in order to keep the unity of the country and to protect secularism, Modi government has to be ousted.
In Andaman & Nicobar Islands also, the threat from divisive forces are increasing and called upon the islanders to continue to keep the islands as Mini India. He said that it is interesting to note that the Congress MP from Andaman & Nicobar Islands have put up big hoardings endorsing and appreciating the inaugural function of Ram Temple in Ayodhya even though the Congress High Command has decided to keep away from it. He said that working class in the islands have achieved many demands due to the movements conducted by CITU and appreciated the trade union leadership. He called upon the party workers to strengthen the CPI (M) in the islands to fight against the divisive forces, corruption and on various people’s issues.
Addressing the General Body meeting, G. Ramakrishnan, Polit Bureau Member expressed satisfaction that party has been in the reviving mode in the island and asked the party workers to go to each village and take up the issues and problems faced by the people. He said that the trade unions under CITU have been active in the islands, taking up various demands of the workers. He referred to the achievement of CITU in granting the 1/30th of pay plus DA to nearly ten thousand daily rated workers in the islands. In no other State/UT, the workers got such a benefit and expressed hope that the trade union movement will get further strengthened in the coming days in the islands.
Sujan Chakraborthy, Central Committee Member and Ex-MP while addressing the participants in the meeting referred to the electoral gains CPI (M) got during 1980s and 1991 and called upon the party leaders and workers to unitedly work hard to regain the Party’s lost ground.
- Ayyappan, Secretary, A&N State Organising Committee briefly mentioned the situation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and emphasized the need to continue to take up people’s issues like (i) unemployment; (ii) power cut (iii) price rise (iv) scarcity of drinking water, (v) corruption, etc.
- Laxman Rao, State Secretariat Member presided over the meeting while B. Chandrachoodan, State Secretariat Member proposed vote of thanks.
On completion of the visit, Prakash Karat and other leaders left for mainland on 13th January, 2024.