The unification of Jharkhand’s two leading Left forces, CPI(ML) Liberation and Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC), was announced on 10 August 2024 in a press conference at Ranchi by CPIML Politburo member and MP Raja Ram Singh and MCC Executive President and Ex-MLA Arup Chatterjee. This will begin a new chapter in the anti-fascist resistance and struggles against crony capitalism in Jharkhand and will also be a decisive factor in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.
This announcement was made after the conclusion of the final round of unification meeting held in Ranchi. The meeting was attended by MCC central leadership including General Secretary Haldhar Mahto, central secretary Mithilesh Singh, Bablu Mahto, Nitai Mahto, Dilip Tiwari and Vasant and CPIML State Secretary Manoj Bhakt, Politburo member Janardan Prasad, MLA and PBM Vinod Singh, CC member Subhendu Sen, ex-MLA Raj Kumar Yadav, Devdip Singh Diwakar, Kartik Hadi and all state committee members of CPIML and MCC. The meeting was presided over by Janardan Prasad, Mithilesh Mahto, Nitai Mahto, Devdip Singh Diwakar and Kaushalya Das. There will be a 'Oust BJP, Stop Plunder' (Bhajapa Hatao, Loot Mitaao) rally in Dhanbad on 9 September followed by a meeting of the Central Committee of CPIML Liberation. The rally will be attended by all central leaders of the unified party.
The meeting announced the formation of a new unified 85-member Jharkhand State Committee of the CPIML. The unification process up to the grassroots level has started and will be accomplished within a month. A primary list of prospective Assembly constituencies has also been prepared where the party will contest in the forthcoming elections. The party has called upon unified ranks to start preparations for the Assembly elections.
Earlier the CPI(ML) Polit Bureau in its meeting held on July 31- August 1, 2024 at New Delhi adopted following resolution welcoming the unification: “The Polit Bureau of the Central Committee of CPI(ML) heartily welcomes the decision adopted by the Central Committee of Marxist Coordination of Jharkhand, founded by Comrade AK Roy and other leaders in 1972, to merge with the CPI(ML). Under the inspiring and iconic leadership of Comrade AK Roy, MCC played a key role in the Jharkhand movement and also in the struggle for nationalisation of India's coal industry. The unification of this significant trend of the Communist movement of Jharkhand with its glorious legacy of struggles against injustice and oppression with the CPI(ML) at today's critical juncture will energise the fighting forces of Jharkhand in intensifying the ongoing struggles against the fascist onslaught of the Modi government and the Sangh brigade and defending the rights and unity of the working class, Dalits and other indigenous communities and deprived people of Jharkhand. The Polit Bureau calls upon the Jharkhand State Committee of the party to initiate necessary measures and steps to accomplish the process of unification with respectful accommodation of the entire membership of the Marxist Coordination Committee.”
CPIML Politburo member and MLA Vinod Singh said this merger will have a great impact on the political scene of Jharkhand as well as Bihar. When CPIML was founded under the leadership of Charu Mazumdar after the historic Naxalbari uprising, almost in the same decade AK Roy organised coal workers in the Dhanbad region and founded MCC. Both parties have been leading struggles of workers, Adivasis and downtrodden in Jharkhand on the issues pertaining to Jal-Jangal-Jamin and workers' rights. Both were leading forces during the Jharkhand movement and thereafter and have valiantly struggled for the people's rights where dozens of comrades like Gurudas Chatterjee and Mahendra Singh were martyred and hundreds were incarcerated in jails. This unification will strengthen the struggles of peasants, adivasis and workers in Jharkhand, especially in the North Chhotanagpur region. BJP's attempts to divide the society with its communal designs will be foiled. A great number of people have faced displacements and evictions in the state due to the pro-corporate policies, and we will resolutely voice their concerns also in the coming elections, he said.
