The 21st Punjab State Conference of CPI(M) ended on 18 January in the Sarwan Singh Cheema Hall at Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet Nagar, Jandiala Manjki (Jalandhar). It had started on 15th January with the Party flag being unfurled by Comrade Bhagat Singh, the oldest delegate at the conference. A Presidium consisting of Comrades Vijay Misra, Gurchetan Singh Bassi, Bhoop Chand Channo, Gurmesh Singh and Rajinder Kaur Chohka conducted the proceedings.
Com. Ram Singh Noorpuri placed a resolution paying homage to martyrs. The delegates observed two minutes silence to pay tributes to the departed leaders
As reported earlier, Com. Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPI(M) inaugurated the three day 21st State Conference of CPI(M), Punjab.
Com. Charan Singh Virdi, State Secretary presented the report of activities of the party for the last three years, since the last conference. Analysing the situation in the state, he said that the Punjab government is in serious economic crisis with a debt of more than Rs 1,33,00 crores. He said that employees are not getting their salaries on time. Describing the agriculture sector position, he said that 63% people in Punjab live in the villages but agriculture in Punjab is in serious crisis. The share of agriculture sector is declining in the state GDP. Unemployment is increasing and in 2011 it was estimate that 4.5 lakh educated youth were unemployed which included doctors, engineers, and persons with B.Ed, M.Ed, MCA and even Ph.D qualifications. He explained that transport, sand & gravel and cable TV are under the control of mafias patronised by the ruling alliance. The drug mafia is operating with connivance of ruling party politicians, police and civil administration. Drug addiction has acquired gigantic proportions. Commenting on the industrial sector, Com. Virdi said that during 2011-12, the development rate was 2.38% while at the national level it was 8.49%. Regarding service sector, he said that it has expanded during the last few years. He stressed that attacks on dalits and women are on the rise.
Explaining about the organisation, Com. Virdi said that there is virtual stagnation in the party. The membership of youth and women is very low. Though we have very good percentage of dalit members but it is not reflected in the leadership. He self critically admitted in the report that the tasks chalked out in the 20th conference could not be satisfactorily implemented .
On 16th January, 2015 the delegates discussed the report presented by the State Secretary. 54 delegates participated in the discussion which continued till 20.30 hours. The delegates appreciated the self criticism by the leadership in the report on some issues. They criticised the slow progress on the tasks set out in the 20th State conference held at Sangrur. Delegates wanted special attention on enrolling youth and women into the party and stressed the need for struggles on local issues to expand the mass base. Many delegates emphasised the need for political education. Some delegates complained the lack of coordination among the leadership. The delegates criticised the seat adjustment during assembly elections. Many delegates appreciated the coming together of 4 Left Parties in Punjab and the joint campaigns conducted which culminated in the historic 28th November, 2014 rally at Ludhiana.
Com Nilotpal Basu, Central Secretariat Member & Co-Incharge Punjab intervened during the debate on the report. He explained the danger of communalism unleashed by RSS and its affiliates and its impact on the unity of the society. He cautioned the delegates to be vigilant of the danger and be prepared to fight it out to maintain the unity of the working class. Com Basu told the house that in Punjab the component of young people in the Party is very low and the number of women party members is negligible. He called upon the delegates to bring more and more youth and women to the party.
On 17th January, 2015 Com. Virdi replied to the debate on the report, accepting many suggestions given by the delegates.The report was unanimously adopted the by the house.
The conference unanimously adopted resolutions on: 1)Current Political Situation In Punjab 2) Agricultural Workers 3) Industrial workers, and 4)the Crisis in Agriculture &Condition of Peasantry in Punjab.
Comrade R. L. Moudgil presented the credential report to the house. A total of 173 delegates including 2 foreign fraternal delegates, 33 state committee members and 20 observers participated in the conference.Thus the total strength was 226. The senior most delegate was Comrade Bhagat Singh, aged 86 years from Hoshiarpur district. He joined the party in 1948. The youngest delegate was Comrade Harinder Singh Bajwa aged 22 years from Sangrur District. Among the delegates 12 were women.
The house unanimously elected a 37-member state committee for the next term and 12 delegates for the 21st Party Congress scheduled to be held at Visakhapatnam from April 14-19, 2015. The State Committee members in their meeting unanimously re-elected Comrade Charan Singh Virdi as State Secretary.
Comrade S. R. Pillai, Polit Bureau Member and incharge of Punjab state committee delivered a very impressive, motivational and educative concluding speech. He congratulated the delegates for unanimously electing the state committee and delegates for 21st Party Congress. He said that having listened to the discussion on the report, the Central Committee will help the state in overcoming the organisational problems. He explained that the holding of the Party Congress is a most democratic process in our party. Each and every party member will be asked to give his/her views on the Draft Political Resolution and Political-Tactical Line to be presented in the Party Congress. He informed that an Organisational Plenum, like the Salkia Plenum, will be held shortly after the Party Congress. He also informed that the Political-Tactical Line adopted at the 1978 Jalandhar Congress will be reviewed and finalised in the Party Congress. He called upon the delegates to study the changes that have taken place in Punjab in different spheres whether it is agriculture sector, urban sector, dalit, women, agricultural worker and industrial sector. He asked the Punjab party to prepare their strategy and plan of action and struggles according to the new situation. He expressed the hope that the Punjab Party will march forward unitedly and will come good on the expectations of working people.
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