Kerala permeates discussions at CPI(M) party congress

Kerala CPI(M) party congress discusses challenges and achievements, emphasizing unity of Left parties and welfare over growth.

Kerala stood tall at the 24th party congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that began here on Wednesday.  

The political review and report presented by Polit Bureau coordinator Prakash Karat spoke about the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Hindutva forces and pointed to the need for the unity of the Left parties to offer resistance.

It was reckoned that it would not be easy for the party to recover at least a bit of its lost ground in States such as West Bengal and Tripura unless the BJP lost its power at the Centre. It was, therefore, utmost important to publicise the achievements of the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala in order to retain power in the State.  

Polit Bureau member Subhashini Ali was seen distributing a monograph, The Left Alternative in Kerala, which offers a historical view of the State’s governments with special focus on the State’s achievements and initiatives since 2016, soon after the inaugural session got over.

The booklet chronicles the State’s strides, “despite adverse circumstances”, in various sectors such as healthcare and general education, with a comparison drawn with other States in these fields.

It also highlights the emphasis placed on social security, eradication of extreme poverty, and measures for the protection of minorities, women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes besides the efforts to plug the infrastructural gaps for enabling progress in tourism, IT, industry, and science and technology.  

The new pathways for Nava Keralam, a document presented by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which was at the centre of discussions at the State conference of the party in Kollam, finds mention in the booklet.