CPM central committee ends its three-day session in Kolkata

KOLKATA: CPIM said on Saturday that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress were encouraging attacks on their supporters and activists keeping in view the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state.

The three-day central committee of the party concluded here on Saturday and after the meeting, the Marxists have issued a statement in which they have demanded an end to violence and intimidation to their workers.

"The central committee condemned the continuing attacks and violence against the CPIM and the Left Front cadres. Since the Assembly elections in May 2011, 85 members and supporters of the CPIM have been killed.

The latest illustration is the assault on Abdur Rezzak Mollah, former minister and senior leader of the party. Following this assault, people going to a protest rally were also attacked with three people suffering bullet injuries and many vehicles set ablaze," the CPIM said in its statement on Saturday.

The Marxists have also expressed concern at the deteriorating economic and living conditions of the people in West Bengal. "The non-payment of salaries and pensions to the state transport employees is causing distress and has led to the suicide of five employees and pensioners. Nine workers of closed tea gardens have died due to malnutrition.

The strong-arm tactics and intimidation by Trinamool Congress men have led to companies being forced to leave West Bengal as in the Haldia port. Crimes against women and extortion are growing. The politics of ruling Trinamool Congress and the approach of the state government are giving a fillip to the communal forces," the CPIM has said.

The party also finalised the programmes of the all India jathas to be conducted by the organisation. The four jathas will be from Kanyakumari to Delhi led by Ramchandran Pillai, Kolkate to Delhi led by Prakash Karat, Mumbai to Delhi led by Sitaram Yechuri and Amritsar to Delhi led by Brinda Karat. All these jathas will begin from February 25 and the first week of March will culminate in a mass rally in Delhi on March 19.

Even though the CPIM has condemned attacks on its activists, the party did not utter a single word at the arrest of former Trinamool Congress MLA Arabul Islam who had attacked the CPIM MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah at Bhangar on January 6. Islam was arrested by the police and now in police custody even though senior Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers like Partha Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee and Madan Mitra had announced that the entire party will stand beside islam. The CPIM is silent on the arrest of Islam.