This decision has been taken as the party congress felt that only the Left has the wherewithal and conviction to battle and defeat the Hindutva neo-fascism.

In his address to the Congress, Politburo Coordinator Prakash Karat emphasised the paramount need to make a “planned effort to launch local struggles on class and mass issues, to build the party at grassroots and streamline the functioning of the party organisation”.

He accused the BJP-RSS combine of manipulating the sub-caste identities to maintain the caste system as the basic framework of social relations in the country. The manuvadi values were being insidiously infiltrated into the social and cultural spheres, he cautioned.

Karat said it is good that the party and the Left had been conducting many struggles, But the masses, who had been mobilised in those struggles would be politicised only if there was a vigorous campaign among them against the reactionary and divisive Hindutva communalism.

In another resolution, the party appealed to all democratic sections of people to rally in defence of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in Kerala. The resolution presented by Polit Bureau member Mohammed Salim and adopted by the Party Congress has come up with an alternative to the neo-liberal policies of the Union Government. No wonder, the Union Government has imposed a fiscal blockade against the State. Unfortunately, instead of opposing the Union Government’s nefarious designs, the Opposition has also joined these destabilization manoeuvres.

The resolution further says that successive Left Governments have focussed on redistribution for inclusive growth. Kerala, the resolution added, has ensured a decent and better life for its ordinary citizens, and is all set to eradicate absolute poverty this year. The State leads in social and welfare achievements and its GDP growth in the past three years has been higher than that of the country’s. Now, the LDF Government is addressing the challenge of unemployment of educated youth b fostering a knowledge economy.

The CPI-M leaders have also rallied behind Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in solidarity, a day after the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) filed its final complaint against the CM’s daughter Veena in the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case.

Karat made it clear that the case would be fought legally and politically. Several party leaders said the case was politically motivated, while others, including Polit Bureau member M. A, Baby, saw a conspiracy behind it. What has made the SFIO’s move suspicious was its timing – immediately after the Kerala and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers sharing the stage in Madurai where the Party Congress is being held.

CPI(M) state secretary M. V. Govindan said the case was aiming to take the sheen off the party Congress. The case, which was between two companies – CMRL and the now-defunct Exalogic owned by Veena, was aimed at further in the BJP’s political agenda.

Another resolution adopted by the Party Congress said Israel should be declared an “apartheid state” and dealt with accordingly. The Union Government, it said, should stop supporting Israel and go back to its original policy of “backing Palestine.” Lasting peace in the region is possible only by the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital and with pre-1967 borders,” said the resolution. India should stand firmly with them in their just struggle for their homeland.

The Party Congress will end on Sunday, April 6 with a Red volunteers’ march and a public meeting at the end of it, which will be addressed by top CPI(M) leaders. (IPA Service)