The fourth Punjab State Conference of CPIML was held in Amritsar on 16-17 October. The conference was inaugurated by party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya in an open session on 16 October. The open session was also addressed by many eminent guests and fraternal organisations.
Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya in his address in the inaugural session warned people of Punjab of RSS-BJP’s attempts of communal polarisation and creating disharmony among communities in the state. He said that at a time when people in different countries all over the world are challenging the system of imperialist-corporate plunder, when women in Iran and elsewhere are fighting against patriarchy, and in many Latin American countries people are electing socialist governments as the only viable alternative, in our country Modi government is trying to take India into a regressive direction. We must unite and fight against such a regime. Under Modi regime India’s relations with its neighbours have deteriorated while there is a need to improve bilateral trade, which could have decreased our defence expenditure helping the country in overcoming current phase of recession. There are continuous attacks of citizens’ rights and human rights activists are being targeted. The government is misusing constitutional institutions including the Judiciary. This is a blot on our democracy that the release order by Maharashtra High Court of public intellectual and activist Prof. GN Saibaba who is 90% disabled and four others was reversed next day on a holiday by the Supreme Court on a special appeal of the government. We are witnessing such atrocities being fully aware that even after decades real perpetrators of 1984 anti-Sikh carnage, 2002 Gujarat carnage, human rights violators of Kashmir and scamsters responsible for looting crores of public money have never been punished. Moreover, there are many political prisoners languishing in jails in Punjab who have completed there full jail term but the judiciary as well as the government are letting this happen for no reason. They should have been freed.
He said that the poor are being victimised and pauperised through various government policies benefiting the rich more. The MNREGA scheme is being gradually starved of funds which is escalating economic hardships of poor women, workers and peasants. They are forced to take small loans under very humiliating and repressive conditions.
Comrade Dipankar said that many organisations affiliated to RSS are working against the minorities and dalits. The central establishment is destroying the basic foundations of our nation by attacking the Constitution, rights of the States and the federal concept of our democracy. But the Aam Aadmi Party which has come to rule the state is neither taking any stand to defend the interests of the people of the state nor it is serious in implementing its own electoral promises. The Kejriwal led AAP government installed photos of Bhagat Singh and Dr. Ambedkar in government office, but its hypocrisy is exposed when its Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam was forced to resign from minister-ship for speaking out the ideas of Dr. Ambedkar.
The conference venue Amritsar has a rich legacy of people’s unity, struggles and sacrifices against British colonial oppressors. This city is also a big center of humane and egalitarian traditions of Sikh Gurus. This city also has been a big center of the historic struggle of Gadar movement leaders like Baba Sohan Singh. The 4th CPIML State Conference was held in Amritsar to reiterate the resolve to carry forward this great legacy of martyrs.
Dr. Arit, daughter of Punjabi theater activist and great communist leader Gurusharan Singh, called for a protracted struggle against fascism. CPI leader comrade Bhupinder Singh Sambhar, RMPI state secretary comrade Pargat Singh Jamarai conveyed their greetings to the conference while emphasising on unity of all the left, democratic, secular and patriotic forces. Ramesh Yadav, Folklore Research Academy, greeted the conference and said that the people of Punjab desires trade as well as freedom to commute across the borders with Pakistan and friendship between the people of two nations.
The inaugural session was conducted by Gurmeet Singh Bakhtpur. Punjab incharge Purushottam Sharma, central observer Ravi Rai, party’s Jammu & Kashmir Secretary Nirdosh Uppal, Gurnam Singh Daud, Sukhdarshan Natt, Bhagwant Samaon, Kanwaljeet Singh, Jasveer Kaur, Gurpreet Rureke, Balbir Jhamka and Balbir Singh Muthal were also present in the open inaugural session.
On next day of the conference delegates participated in the discussion on the work report presented by State Secretary comrade Rajwinder Singh Rana on behalf of the outgoing Committee. Comrades Balkaran Moga, Vinder Alakh, Jasveer Kaur Natt, Gurjant Singh Mansa, Satnam Singh Pakkhikalan, Harbhagwan Bhikhi and Balbir Singh Muthal were among those who spoke on the work report. Central Committee members Sukhdarshan Singh Natt and Chandigarh Secretary Kanwaljeet Singh also addressed the delegates. Rajwinder Singh Rana concluded the discussion.
The conference passed many political resolutions in the concluding session that included criticism of the center for weakening federalism and infringing on the rights of the states, for building the opposition of the Modi regime for using central agencies like NIA, CBI, ED etc to suppress dissenting voices and opposition parties, against increasing attacks on minorities, and a resolution opposing hegemonic attitude of the central government with regard to sharing of river waters unjustly. Resolutions were also passed demanding scrapping of contract with private electricity companies by the AAP government, against an incident of insulting Guru Granth Sahib, for punishment to the perpetrators and conspirators of Bahibal Kalan firing, for unemployment allowance, and for putting an stop to the drug menace in the state. A resolution for ending the VIP culture, criminalisation and corruption was also passed.
Resolutions were passed demanding complete loan waiver for poor women, workers and farmers, and to increase the wages of agrarian workers. The release of prisoners who have completed their jail terms was also demanded.
The conference elected a 27-member state committee which in turn elected Comrade Gurmeet Singh Bakhtpur as state secretary. The conference ended with the presentation of revolutionary literature as gifts to all volunteers and Amritsar-Tarantaran district committee members.
