Panchayat workers of Andhra Pradesh protest at Dharna Chowk, demanding govt pay their unpaid wages & contract workers to be regularised.

ANDHRA PRADESH CPI (M) - A UNIQUE EFFORT IN PARTY EDUCATION

RECENTLY in August month a unique landmark was reached when a district level study circle being run by Bodepudi Vignana Kendram (BVK) under the aegis of Khammam district committee of the CPI(M) completed an uninterrupted 200 weeks of imparting political education. The slogan “Sunday for Study; Study for Struggle and Struggle for a Better Society” was followed scrupulously with every of the last 200 Sundays devoted to study without a break. This must be a unique record in the party as far as structured political education in concerned.

The study circle began four years ago in 2007 with six members and today it is enlarged to 60 members, including the district level leadership of Party and mass organisations. The timings of the study circle is from 6:30 in the morning to 1:00 pm in the afternoon. The format was that a subject would be selected in advance and everyone would be asked to come after reading about it. One of the leaders, either of district level or state level, would introduce the subject for about an hour and there would be discussion. Once CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury also spoke in the study circle. The subjects covered included dialectics, political economy, history, politics, philosophy, science, social aspects etc. Discussion on the three volumes of Capital was completed in the study circle. CPI(M) Central Committee member Thammineni Veerabadhram is acting as the coordinator for this study circle.

CPI (M) central secretariat member V Srinivasa Rao attended a special meeting of the study circle organised on the occasion of completing 200 weeks of uninterrupted study. Speaking on this occasion, he said that the Central Committee has decided to expand this unique experience of the study circle across the country and strengthen the ideological study within the Party.

The BVK study circle began in Khammam at a time when there were concerted efforts to disrupt the organisational unity of the Party in the district, aided by the then chief minister late Y S Rajashekar Reddy. A few district level leaders left the Party and joined the forces working to weaken the Party. The study circle helped in withstanding these attacks and rallying the cadre on ideological basis.

Among the many notions that are usually cited in not being able to conduct systematic study programs is the pressure of Party activity. The experience of this study circle proves that it is just a notion. Despite conducting many mass activity programmes during this period, including the two month long cycle yatra covering over thousand kilometres within the district on dalit issues, the study circle remained uninterrupted. The programmes were planned in a way that would leave out these seven hours of the Sunday or the study circle was either preponed in the week or postponed by a few days. Even holding of the state conference of AIDWA in Khammam town did not come in the way of conducting the study circle.

As for benefits of such continuous study, it has resulted in greater ideological confidence among the cadre; their ability to convince others on political issues improved; there was visible improvement in their work methods and overall work. On an average, around 40 members attended this study circle constantly. Parallel to this study circle, and buoyed by its success, another programme of “Sunday for You” is being organised every Sunday evening in which topical aspects are dealt by a speaker. This is for a wider audience of around 400 people, most of whom are middle class employees. In ten assembly constituencies of the district, weekly study circles are being conducted while in 46 mandal headquarters it is being done every fortnight.

The success of this study circle encouraged starting of around 150 study circles across the state. The state committee is having a study circle every month apart from regional and district level study circles. This intensive campaign of political education within the Party is helping in strengthening and renewal of Party in the state after the electoral setback of 2009 and the agitation launched for separate Telangana. The circulation of state Party's ideological monthly, Marxistu has jumped from 5000 to over 30,000 during this period. Overall, the drive for ideological strengthening is having a positive impact on the Party in the state.

(INN)

Courtesy: People's Democracy

CPI (M) OPPOSES SECOND SRC ON TELANGANA

THE CPI (M) Andhra Pradesh state committee has strongly opposed the reported attempts of the central government to form a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to consider Telangana statehood and other such demands. Terming this move as deceiving the people of the state and enlarging the separatist issues elsewhere in the country, the CPI (M) has counselled the state and central governments to instead take action on the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna Committee and put a full stop to the issue once for all.

CPI (M) state secretary and Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu, briefing the reporters about the deliberations of the one day state committee meeting held on May 23, said that the uncertain political situation in Andhra Pradesh is continuing even after the bye elections to Kadapa Lok Sabha and Assembly seat. The total lack of governance, the internal bickering in the ruling party, the neglect of people's issues etc were continuing. The recent visit of Congress general secretary in charge of the state, Ghulam Nabi Azad, to the state has not resulted in any change in the situation as he only concentrated on the internal bickering within the party.

The state committee passed a resolution demanding from the government urgent measures to provide subsidised seeds, fertiliser and loans to the farmers for the kharif season as also identity cards for tenant farmers. It also expressed full support to the ongoing struggle launched by farmers organisations seeking hike in MSP for paddy. He reminded that the FCI was purchasing the grain directly from the farmers in the state of Punjab. Because of the absence of such a scenario in AP, the farmers are falling prey to the millers and the middlemen. Even the neighbouring states of AP were providing a bonus of Rs 200 to Rs 300 per quintal of paddy. Raghavulu demanded that the state government must also follow that precedent and allocate Rs 200 as bonus per quintal of paddy for the farmers of the state, thus alleviating their plight. He criticised the state government's apathy in dealing with farmers problems as was evident in it not even having a full time agriculture minister ever since Y S Vivekananda Reddy resigned to contest in Kadapa assembly bye-election.

About the controversy regarding limiting reservation to backward classes in the local body elections in view of Supreme Court's stipulation of limiting all reservations to 50 per cent, Raghavulu said that if need the Act must be amended to continue the 61 per cent existing reservations to overcome the SC stipulation. He reminded that the CPI (M) had advocated the same during Mandal commission report for states like Tamilnadu and AP which had higher quotas already in implementation. Raghavulu said the SC stipulation can be followed by states that didnt already have such high quotas.

The state committee also criticised the state government for granting permission to mine china clay, bauxite and other mineral resources in the state when the central government is coming up with an all India policy. It demanded that all such licences be reviewed.

(INN)

Courtesy: People’s Democracy