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Common man has not gained: Basu

K.V. Prasad and Vinay Kumar

COIMBATORE: Veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu has regretted that not many benefits have come for the people from the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

The 93-year-old former Chief Minister of West Bengal and one of the nine members of the first Polit Bureau of the party is not attending the 19th Congress of the CPI(M) on health grounds.

Addressing the inaugural session through a recorded video message which was played at the Congress venue, Mr. Basu expressed resentment over the policies not translating into benefits for the common man.

“Our support to the UPA was governed by this imperative: protect secularism. We were able to get some good legislations passed. Yet, the UPA government provided very few benefits for the people,” he said.

Land reforms

Since Independence, the Communist parties had stood for a self-reliant path of development and worked for the benefit of all sections. The land reforms had been essential to create a just society, free of exploitation and caste and religious discrimination. “That is why we have fought communalism in all its forms.”

“I attended every Congress of the party from 1964 and I regret my inability to attend this one owing to ill-health. This Congress is significant for the Left,” he said wishing it all success.

Karunanidhi’s message

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi extended his greetings to the CPI(M) on the Congress.

Mr. Karunanidhi, in his message read out by CPI(M) State secretary N. Varadarajan, expressed the hope that the Congress would come out with significant resolutions.

This is the third CPI(M) Congress in Tamil Nadu and the first one in Coimbatore.

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