The first Maharashtra state conference of the CPIML was held on 20th and 21st December at Kolhapur. Organised 6 months after the historic unity conference of two communist streams with the legacy of anti-impearalist struggles and close ties with the social justice movements, the conference gave a call of struggles against challenges eminating from the fascist onslaught in India. It stressed on efforts to unite the left assertion and a genuine left, democratic political united front in the state.
On the eve of the coference, an open discussion of 80 intellectuals, social, professional and cultural activists was organised with Com. Dipankar. The meet was a frank, cordial exchange of the anxious concerned activists and citizens. The meeting concluded with a resolve to a social action forum in the near future.
On the 20th afternoon as the delegates arrived from 17 districts, a rally of red flags with the participation of activists and members from Kolhapur and nearby areas started from Dasara Chowk after offering salutations to statues of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Shivaji Maharaj and Shahuji Maharaj. It concluded at the venue of the open session. After hoisting the party flag and offering salute to the martyrs the session was inaugurated by Comrade Dipankar. It was addressed by Subhash Lande, State Secretary of CPI, Uday Narkar, the former State Secretary of CPI(M), Bhai Bhausaheb Devkar of PWP, Kishore Dhamale of Satyashodhak Communist Party, Sampat Desai and Dhanaji Gurav of Shramik Mukti Dal (Democratic). CPIML PBM and MP Rajaram Singh also attended the conference. All the leaders while extending their best wishes to the first conference expressed the need to unite in struggle and a desire for communist unity in times of fascism while appreciating our party’s efforts and contributions in the contemporary political arena.
After the conclusion of the open session, the delegates arrived in the Com. Santaram Patil hall. A presidium of Comrades Mukta Manohar, Uddhav Shinde, Vandana Meshram, Vijay Kulkarni and Balasaheb Surude conducted the proceedings from the D S Kulkarni- Ashok Manohar manch. After paying homage to the martyrs and tributes to Com. VM, Uday Bhat presented the report of the state party before the delegates. 25 Delegates from various districts participated in the ensuing discussions and offered various suggestions, areas of concern and additions to the report. The report was accepted by the delegates unanimously. A new State Committee of 47 members and 7 invitees was elected unanimously. The committee then elected Comrade Uday Bhat as the State Secretary.
Com. Dipankar in his inspiring speech to the delegates took a historical review of the two important streams of the communist movement, elaborated on the contemporary political situation and expressed satisfaction on the progress made by the state unit. He alerted the delegates to the challenges on all fronts in the view of the renewed concerted attacks by fascist corporate hindutva combine post Bihar elections. He expressed confidence that the party in the state will make all efforts to build itself, the united left and an anti-fascist political alliance.
Com. Prabhat Kumar, central observer for the conference, while concluding the conference thanked the activists who made the conference a success taking forward the legacy of the working class movement in the state. Com. Rajaram Singh noted the progressive social, political legacy of the place and the state. He alerted the delegates of ever growing challenges on all fronts which will need a relentless, consistent and untiring efforts of the enire party to meet those challenges. The conference concluded with the singing of Internationale.
