CPI(M) tweets resolution. But its aims haven't changed in 37 years

QUICK PILL

The event

• The CPI(M)\'s third plenum concluded in Kolkata on Thursday
• This is the first plenum since 1978. The party\'s aims haven\'t changed

The aims

• CPI(M) has reiterated its aim of mobilising farmers and workers
• There is no direct mention of alliances in the resolution

More in the story

• How is this plenum different?
• What is the CPI(M) strategy in the near future?
• Has the party learnt from its failures?

The third plenum of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) came to an end in Kolkata on Thursday. This was an extremely important event in the history of the party as it is after 37 years that the party had held a plenum.

The one issue that had dominated the media coverage surrounding the plenum was alliances. The party resolution makes no direct mention of it. But the conciliatory statements by its leaders have indicated that the CPI(M) will be open to alliances with secular parties such as the Congress.

Also read - Explained: Why the CPI (M) Plenum is crucial for the Left

Most of the commitments made by the party are nothing but a repetition of its core ideology such as the aim to "unleash people's struggles" and "waging the ideological struggle against communalism, neo-liberalism and reactionary ideologies".

However, the crucial difference is that the party has resolved to implement its tasks in a time-bound manner.

It has expressed its desire to bring people out of the influence of "bourgeois political parties". But this ignores the complete failure of the Left in achieving this aim.

CPI(M) has pledged to wage an ideological struggle against communalism and neo-liberalism

It doesn't mention how the party plans to counter identity politics - both caste and communal - which has been a far more successful mobilisation tool than class.

Of course, it must be said here that the plenum is the forum for providing a broad direction to the party and it doesn't address specific political questions such as alliances and strategies.

On a positive note, the party seems to have embraced the digital medium wholeheartedly. It was prompt in posting the resolution on its website. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted the link soon after as did the party's official twitter handle.

Here are the highlights of the CPI(M) resolution.

Aims

Photo: PTI

• Strengthen the party's organisational capacities to meet the current challenges by unleashing mightier people's struggles to develop the independent strength of our party in conformity with our adopted political-tactical line.

  This line is aimed at changing the correlation of class forces amongst the Indian people in favour of the Left and Democratic Front, the precursor to the People's Democratic Front and advance towards the successful culmination of the People's Democratic Revolution.

• To rapidly increase our independent strength by adopting a mass line and our intervention capacities, strengthen Left unity and to forge the Left and Democratic Front not only as an electoral front but as a fighting alliance of forces for an economic, social and political change by isolating the reactionary ruling classes.

• To effectively implement united front tactics to discharge the dual tasks of unity and struggle by developing joint movements, enabling us to approach sections of the exploited classes who currently are under the influence of bourgeois parties.

Methods and tactics

• To employ flexible tactics to deal with swift changes that may occur in the political situation in accordance with our Political-Tactical Line.

• To set up joint platforms with various social movements, people's mobilisations and issue based movements.

• To dovetail electoral tactics to the primacy of building the Left and Democratic Front.

• To strengthen class and mass struggles by:

  • Forging a broad front of agricultural workers, poor peasants, middle peasants, rural workers in the non-farm sections, artisans and other sections of the rural poor against the landlord-rural rich nexus.

  • Organising workers in key and strategic industries; organising contract workers in both the organised and unorganised sectors; establishing area-based organisations in coordination with between trade unions, youth, women etc.

  • Organising the urban poor in the bastis/local areas; establishing occupation based neighbourhood-mohallah-basti committees.

  • Strengthening work amongst the middle classes particularly ideological work by the establishment of various fora like citizens forums, platforms to promote cultural activities/actions; scientific temper and others related to their life and work. Strengthening work in residential associations, pensioners associations and professional bodies.

Areas of focus

• Strengthen our links with the Indian people to empower ourselves to unleash mightier mass and class struggles.

• Effectively adopt and implement the mass line of the party to ensure the establishment of such live links with the people.

• Focus on advancing the agrarian revolution, the axis of the democratic revolution, by forging unity in struggles of all rural exploited sections of people.

• Strengthen efforts to develop the worker-peasant alliance.

• Forging class and mass struggles on economic and social issues to widen the Party's influence and to rally the Left and democratic forces.

• Adopting a mass line and establish live links with the people.

• Streamlining the organisation to build a revolutionary Party with quality membership of high quality.

• Making special efforts to attract youth to the Party.

• Waging the ideological struggle against communalism, neo-liberalism and reactionary ideologies.

Pledge

• "All these tasks must be implemented in a time-bound manner beginning from the Central Committee. State committees must concretise such time-bound implementation plans and review them in a year's time".

• "No social transformation is possible, in fact, cannot be conceived without the vast mass of people belonging to all exploited classes rising in revolt against the exploiting ruling classes. In the final analysis it is the people who make history. Revolutionary history is no exception. A revolutionary party, the CPI(M), must emerge as the vanguard of this people's upsurge. This is our historic responsibility".

• "Let us redouble our resolve, at this plenum, to advance towards discharging this responsibility!

• "Forward towards a stronger CPI(M) with an all India mass base!

• "Forward towards a revolutionary Party with a mass line!"