CPM response inadequate to counter RSS-BJP: Party report

With the BJP-RSS and Trinamool Congress increasing its footprint in its strongholds, the CPM has acknowledged that its organisational and political efforts in countering them have remained "inadequate" and the Tripura election results amplified that.

The assessment came in the Political Organisation Report presented at the five-day Hyderabad Party Congress late on Friday evening, which also talked about the attacks its cadre faced in West Bengal and Tripura.

Insisting that there is a "systematic attempt" by the BJP-RSS to suppress it, the CPM said the strong party bases are facing attacks and violence by the "class enemies".

It went on to add that the Tripura results "underline a more general lesson, that the political, ideological and organisational work we are doing is inadequate to counter the BJP-RSS combine. We have to take stock of the new situation and chalk out steps to overcome our weakness in this regard".

"We have to draw proper lessons from this experience" and take necessary organisational measures to defend the party by mobilising people to resist these attacks, the report said, adding it should take steps to recruit more party workers.

It said the attacks on its cadre in West Bengal has continued unabated since Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011 while a spate of attack has been unleashed in Tripura after BJP won last month.

The party analysis said West Bengal is to "suppress the party and immobilise the organisation. Tripura has joined West Bengal in facing terror tactics and physical attacks. The party will have to take appropriate organisational measures to face this situation".

The CPM is facing immense pressure from both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP-RSS in West Bengal. There were instances, according to the CPM, where party offices were attacked and cadres killed in the Mamata Banerjee-led state. The CPM is also facing immense pressure from BJP-RSS, too.

In Tripura, too, where the BJP usurped power after 25 years of interrupted CPM rule, the party cadre and infrastructure have suffered.

Soon after the results were announced, a statue of Lenin was dismantled in Tripura, triggering fears that the spiral of violence in West Bengal may repeat.

In its report, the CPM has said it should prepare ideological and political material in popular style for use in the campaign to expose the Hindutva forces. It also wanted the party to mobilise intellectuals, historians and cultural personalities for the ideological fight.