The 9th Uttar Pradesh State Conference of the CPI(ML) was held successfully on 28-30 April at Comrade Vinod Mishra Nagar (Mirzapur) focusing on the issues of price rise, unemployment, police repression, communalism and corruption in National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). The Conference concluded with the resolve to intensify struggles on these issues, advance political assertion of the poor and strengthen the Party.
Three hundred and twelve (312) delegates from 36 districts of the State were present in the Conference. Leaders present at the Conference were CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Politburo member Swadesh Bhattacharya, Politburo member and UP incharge Ramji Rai, outgoing State Secretary Akhilendra Pratap Singh, Bihar’s State Secretary and PB member Nand Kishore Prasad, CC member and central observer Kunal and editorial member of Liberation Lalbahadur Singh. The Conference venue and the main entrance was named Com. Ajanta Lohit Hall and Com. Jeeta Kaur Gate respectively. The delegates, observers and guests were received and welcomed by human rights activist and teacher Sharad Mehrotra from Mirzapur.
The 3-day State Conference was inaugurated by CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar who called upon the delegates and Party members to take propaganda, agitations and organisation as a unified task to develop CPI(ML) as the popular and strong Left Party of the Hindi belt, especially in UP. He called for taking bold and fearless political initiatives.
Outgoing State Secretary Com. Akhilendra presented the political-organisational report at the beginning of the Delegate Session, which noted the all-out assault by the Mayawati Government on the people: in the form of hunger and drought, draconian laws, state terror and communal witch-hunt, privatisation and intensified attacks on dalits. It has proved no better than the erstwhile Samajwadi Party Government on the question of law and order, pro-corporate policies and land grab. The document noted BJP’s attempts at a revival based on a communal plank, and Congress’ attempts to breathe new life in its organisation with a focus on Kisan loan waiver, NREGS and Dalit oppression; though neither party is getting much visible success. The document called for powerful initiatives on part of CPI(ML) against the anti-people policies, especially grabbing of agricultural land by Corporates and excluding the poor from benefits of NREGS and BPL.
About 80 delegates presented their views on Draft documents in the Conference. After two days of debates and deliberations the political-organisational report was passed with a few suggestions and amendments. A five member presidium comprised by Comrades Krishna Adhikari, Yashwant Singh, Ishwari Prasad, Lal Sahab and Dr. Salauddin conducted the proceedings. The Conference gave the call “Jansangharshon ki karo tayiyari, Garibon ki badhao dawedari” (prepare for the people’s struggles, advance the assertions of the poor). In the end a 33 member new State Committee was elected and Comrade Sudhakar Yadav was elected State Secretary unanimously.
