Report of the 9th Party Congress of CPI(ML) Liberation
Venugopalan K M
Report of the 9th Party Congress of CPI(ML) Liberation
CPI(ML) leaders and delegates from twenty states, leaders of various left parties as well as foreign guests from Bangladesh, Australia and elsewhere then marched from the old Birsa Central Jail to the Birsa Samadhi and offered floral tributes. The march then proceeded to the Zila School grounds, the venue of the 9th party congress. The red flag was hoisted at the Zila School grounds by Central Committee member Comrade Khitish Biswal, and floral tributes were paid at the martyrs' memorial by the foreign guests, CPI(ML) politburo members and leaders of left parties.
Ishwar Pokhrel, general secretary of the CPN(UML), Saiful Haq, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers' Party (Bangladesh) as well as Comrade Bahnishikha from RWP Bangladesh, and Sue Bolton from Socialist Alliance party in Australia attended the inaugural session. At the inaugural session of the congress, condolence resolutions in memory of various left leaders, progressive intellectuals, cultural figures and CPI(ML) leaders who passed away or were martyred were passed. The inaugural session was addressed by B.P. Kesri, Chairperson of the Reception Committee, who welcomed all delegates and guests on behalf of the Ranchi-based reception committee. Prof. Nirmal Minz, ideologue of the Jharkhandi movement, talked of the need for a militant assertion of tribal identity and rights – and expressed hope that CPI(ML) would continue to strengthen movements for tribal rights and identity.
Apart from the CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, the inaugural session was addressed by CPI General Secretary Sudhakar Reddy, and CPI(M) central committee member comrade JS Majumdar read out a message from CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat. Comrade RB Rai (former Lok Sabha MP and CPRM leader), Forward Block General Secretary Debabrata Biswas, CPM(Punjab) General Secretary Mangat Ram Pasla, RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya, Vijay Kulkarni leader of Lal Nishan Party (Leninist), and Haladhar Mahto from Marxist Coordination Committee addressed the session. Veteran RSP leader Abani Roy was also present at the inaugural session.
Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, politburo member CPI(ML), thanked the participants and guests of the inaugural session, and especially thanked the people and citizens of Ranchi for extending their warm welcome to the CPI(ML) delegates.
International guests addressed the 9th Congress on the night of April 2nd. Solidarity messages came from the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPNM), New Democratic Party of Sri Lanka, the Communist Party of France (PCF), National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Revolutionary Organization of Labor, USA, and Socialist Alternative, Australia.
From 2 to 6 April, 1024 delegates and 163 observers deliberated on and adopted a wide range of policy resolutions. Late at night on April 6, the CPI(ML)'s Party Congress elected a new 58-member Central Committee (list attached), which in turn elected a 17-member Polit Bureau and re-elected Dipankar Bhattacharya as General Secretary. The CPI(ML)'s 9th Congress concluded on April 7, 2013 with a massive 'People's Alternative Rally' at the Vidhan Sabha Maidan at Ranchi. The rally called for a people's political alternative to the UPA-NDA model of pro-corporate and anti-democratic governance. The Rally was addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Saiful Haq; Sue Bolton of Socialist Alliance; Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary of CPM Punjab; RB Rai, President of CPRM; and Vijay Kulkarni, Central Committee member of the Lal Nishan Party (Leninist); CPI(ML)'s MLA in the Jharkhand Assembly and newly elected CC member Vinod Singh; All India Kisan Mahasabha General Secretary Raja Ram Singh; and CPI(ML) Politburo member Kavita Krishnan.