Published On : Sun, Apr 19th, 2015

Sitaram Yechury elected new CPI(M) general secretary

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NewDelhi/Nagpur: Rajya Sabha member Sitaram Yechury on Sunday was elected as the next general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) at the conclusion of the week long Congress of CPI held in Vissakhapatnam from April 14 to 19th. The party’s new Central Committee has 91 members besides five special invitees and five permanent invitees. Veteran leaders V.S. Achuthanandan, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Nirupam Sen were dropped from the Central Committee.

Mr. Yechury is the fifth general secretary of the 50-year-old party.

Outlining the challenge before the party, Yechury said ” The Modi government has unleashed a new Trimurti – communalism, neoliberal economic policies and erosion of democratic practises. We must ensure that this trimurti unleashed by the Modi government doesn’t convert into a trishul that will pierce the heart of India,”

“The 21st CPI(M) Congress is to deliberate on the future of the party, India and Left unity. It is the only party that can and will genuinely fight for the rights of the labour class and the farmers” asserted Sitaram. He also said that it’s ethos is for the future of humanity world wide. “Only return to Socialism can save the world” he said.

“Return from this party congress with resolve and conviction that we shall fight, we shall win,” Mr. Yechury said.

Today, Modi and his land acquisition bill was not under fire only from Congress party. Even Yechury in recent interviews and speeches opposed it strenuously.

Reiterating that the Land Acquisition Bill was not in the interest of the farmers in the country, Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said it would pave the way for acquiring one third of the cultivable land in the country.

“As per the Bill, one kilometre of land on either side of the national highways and railway lines can be acquired. It will result in acquiring one third of the cultivable land and put greater stress on farmers and drive them to suicide,” he said, while participating in a discussion on Union Budget organised by Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT).

Recalling how the amendments and improvements to the Bill suggested by the Left parties were defeated by the BJP and the Congress in 2013, Mr. Yechury called upon the Opposition to come together to oppose the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

He said the real impetus for the growth of Indian economy could be achieved only by increasing the purchasing power of the people.

“Instead of making the investment easier for the rich and the corporate sector, the government should invest in infrastructure development and increase the buying capacity of the people,” he said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview to Hindu newspaper just before the CPI meet, Yechury had said about his party’s future plans –

“The basic issue before the CPI(M) and I think, therefore, before the Left and the progressive movement in the country is how to strengthen ourselves. This is important not only for the health of our party or for the united Left which we are trying to strengthen but there is a definite need for an effective Left intervention in the entire agenda that is unfolding under Prime Minister Modi.

In the name of development etc, the economic policies that are being followed and all his foreign visits — all the agreements — are indicative of one fact: That is India would be rendered into a country where its resources — both material and physical which is our cheap labour force — and the markets will be available in a much bigger way for the profit maximization quest of international capital.”