Port Blair, April 6: The 23rd Party Congress of CPI (M) began at Kannur, Kerala today (6.4.2022) 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 Shri S. Ramachandran Pillai. Thereafter, leaders and delegates paid rich tributes to the martyrs at the martyrs memorial column amidst chanting of revolutionary slogans.
In his welcome speech, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala and Chairman, Reception Committee elaborately 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 liberalisation and globalisation, the ruling classes in our country have taken steps which have caused more misery to the working classes, especially in the unorganised sectors. The lack of job security, the fruits of growth going to a miniscule minority, the dismantling of the public sector, free movement of speculative capital, concessions to the corporate rich are the measures which have caused widening of economic inequality and deterioration of standards of living of the poor. The Congress and BJP governments have been following the same set of policies. Our party along with other left parties has been consistently organising mass movements against these anti-people measures, and we have taken up this campaign in right earnest in Kerala.
In his inaugural address, General Secretary of the Party Shri Sitaram Yechury said that the 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 mobilising 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 in order 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 towards the communal forces. Hindutva communalism can only be combatted by championing uncompromising secularism.
Shri D. Raja, General Secretary of CPI while addressing the Opening Session said that the BJP is using Parliamentary majority to undermine the Parliament itself.
Former Chief Minister of Tripura who was the Chairman of the Opening Session also addressed. Today (6.4.2022), General Secretary Shri Sitaram Yechury presented the Political Resolution explaining its various features in the Delegate Session. Discussion on the Political Resolution will be held tomorrow.
About 800 delegates and observers from the entire country are attending the Delegate Session of the Party Congress. Shri D. Ayyappan is attending the Party Congress from Andaman & Nicobar Islands.