Sitaram: Time to Move Forward in Bengal

Erosion of Left Votes arrested; now time to move forward;
Party has to lead people's struggle: Sitaram Yechury

 
The 21st Party Congress has called for first arresting the decline of influence of Left forces over people and then restore and expanding it further. So, to achieve that in the country, firstly, the independent strength of the party should be built, secondly, Left unity has to be strengthened and thirdly, Left participation in people's struggle has to be increased. This was stated by CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury while addressing the West Bengal State Committee on the second day of its two-day session at Kolkata.

West Bengal is the backbone for accomplishing the agenda of this struggle and the Left Front has to take the prime responsibility, despite the adverse political situation in the state, Yechury said.
 
Yechury also stated that erosion of Left vote was evident in every election since the 2009 General Election. But this time, despite severe Trinamool terror in the recent municipal elections, the erosion has been restricted. Experience shows that Left votes increased wherever some resistance has been there. But the overall political balance in West Bengal has not changed substantially.
 
Sitaram Yechury added that “the Modi government, in its one year in power, has unleashed triple edged attack on common people. First, increasing economic and financial burden on common people; second, spreading communal agenda; third, increasing autocratic attitude. BJP is now trying to influence all regional parties owing to its being in power at the Centre. This is also revealed by the Trinamool-BJP equation in West Bengal. While the BJP needs the Trinamool’s support to smoothen the passage of Bills and Parliamentary proceedings, the Trinamool needs the BJP to suppress Saradha and other financial scams.

The common people of West Bengal are facing a crisis. Agriculture and employment situation has worsened. The struggle of the peasants and agricultural workers will sharpen in the days ahead and the Left will have to take the leadership in that, said Yechury.
 
Later, talking to newspersons in Kolkata, Sitaram Yechury also accused the ruling party in West Bengal of institutionalizing the politics of terror. He added that “the people of Bengal know everything. There is considerable resentment amongst people about it. Our party is fighting against it. Many comrades have been martyred, others are fighting it out. In the municipal elections, wherever there has been enough resistance there the TMC has lost. The classic example of this is the Siliguri Municipal elections. We are building up resistance. When the people themselves come forward to resist then there will be positive change in Bengal. Resistance is needed immediately in Bengal”.
 
 
Summing up the discussion in the State Committee, Surya Kanta Misra stated that “the Party will initiate a series of movements. Mass organizations have to initiate independent movements. People want us to lead the movement. So we have to organize movements from the booth level i.e. every corner of the state.”

May 22, 2015