The Hindu : CPI to intensify struggle against fascism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 10, 2003

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CPI to intensify struggle against fascism

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 9. The Communist Party of India today concluded its month-long `Bharat Jan Jagran Yatra' with a pledge to intensify the struggle against communal fascism and the threat to the nation's economic sovereignty.

Addressing a gathering of party workers and supporters, the CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, said that while working for an alternative, the policy of going it alone would not get desired results.

He made it clear that even though the CPI(M) which headed the coalition in West Bengal might possess the requisite strength to be on its own, the political conditions were such that it would not be possible for it to battle it alone.

Quoting Rabindranath Tagore's poem, `Ekla Chalo Re', Mr. Bardhan said the policy could not be extended to the current trend in Indian politics which had taken a different course.

He said that when the CPI talks of ousting the BJP from power, the party was not pledging for takeover by another party that would continue to implement similar policies.

He said the political situation could not be like the United States, where the Republicans and Democrats took turns at power.

In Bihar the political situation had changed and to confront the BJP, there was a need to carry along other like-minded forces, he said.

Earlier, Mr. Bardhan received leaders of the four jathas that reached here from four corners of the country.

The national council secretaries, D. Raja (from Kanyakumari), Atul Anjaan (from Moirang in Manipur), and national executive members, Govind Pansare (Goa) and Amarjeet Kaur (Srinagar) had led one jatha each. These leaders shared their experiences during the month-long rally.

Mr. Raja said the jatha was a `learning experience' during which he was confronted with India's paradoxical development.

The journey gave him the confidence that the politics of the CPI was appreciated.

One question that was often posed to him was whether the CPI would take the lead in uniting all communist and Left democratic parties in the country.

Amarjeet Kaur was buoyed by the response she got from the people, especially in areas considered BJP strongholds, and Govind Pansare also reported a similar experience.

Atul Anjan said it was also time to have a strategy to counter casteist and communal tendencies.

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