It is necessary to strengthen the Communist Party of India-Marxist and build it up as a powerful force to end the miseries caused by wrong policies pursued by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and combat massive corruption, CPI (M) national secretary Prakash Karat said on Wednesday.
Only the Left parties, which have been consistently fighting the neo-liberal policies of the UPA government, can present alternative policies before people, Mr. Karat said.
He was delivering the inaugural address at the four-day 20th Tamil Nadu State committee conference of the CPI (M) that commenced here. The last three years of the UPA government were marked by unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities, corruption in all spheres of public life and farmers' suicides, Mr. Karat said. It was hit by one scandal after the other.
The Centre was continuing its pro-United States foreign policy and strategic alliance with that country.
Both the Congress and the BJP advocated the same neo-liberal policies, which facilitated the loot of natural resources by big corporates, Mr. Karat said.
There was no difference between the Congress, BJP and the bourgeois parties as far as corruption was concerned.
“If we have to put an end to the miseries and corruption caused by the policies pursued by the UPA government, prevent further surrender to the U.S. imperialism and fight communal forces, it is necessary to strengthen the CPI (M) and build it as a powerful force in the country.”
The nation-wide strike called on February 28 by all trade unions unitedly should be a precursor to other united struggles of the working people, he said.
Dismissing claims that the electoral reverses in West Bengal had shattered the CPI (M) and the Left, Mr. Karat said that those coming to such conclusions were mistaken. The party and the Left Front were on the way to recovery and forging ahead by taking up the demands of the working classes.
The last four years were witness to global capitalist crisis that had affected people in the developed countries. There was world-wide resistance to neo-liberal policies. Though the U.S. imperialism was trying to retain its hegemony, there was the growth of multi-polarity with China emerging as the second major economic power. The fight against imperialism would continue and grow in the coming days.
CPI state secretary D. Pandian said that the goal of the Left parties should be to prevent the UPA from coming back to power. This was essential to save the economy. The cooperation between the CPI and CPI (M) should be further strengthened.
Earlier, veteran CPI (M) leader R. Umanath hoisted the flag to mark the beginning of the conference and paid floral tributes to martyrs.
Party MLA K. Balakrishnan read out a resolution to pay respects to the veteran Communist leaders.
Politburo members K. Varadharajan, Brinda Karat, S. Ramachandran Pillai and P.V. Raghavulu, State secretary G. Ramakrishnan and delegates from various parts of the State are participating in the conference, which will conclude on February 25 with a rally and public meeting.
