Tel. 23344918,23747435 23363692, 23747436 Fax: 23747483 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MARXIST) Central Committee A.K. Gopalan Bhawan, 27-29, Bhai Vir Singh Marg New Delhi 110 001 Website: http://www.cpim.org email: [email protected] Report on Organization (Adopted by the Plenum on Organization Kolkata, December 27-31, 2015 Introduction 1.1 The 21st Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) decided to hold a Plenum on Organisation by the end of 2015. The political situation in the country with the offensive of the rightwing communal forces makes it all the more incumbent to strengthen every level of the Party organisation so as to make the Party an instrument to build, unleash and advance class and mass struggles so as to change the present correlation of forces in the country in favour of the Left and democratic forces. The Plenum is also required to address the decline in the mass base of the Party and to overcome the failure to expand the Party’s influence and mass strength. The Plenum should assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Party organisation and decide the focus for the organisation in the coming days. 1.2 The review of the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 conducted by the Central Committee decided that four steps had to be taken. The first was to re-examine the political-tactical line. This was done at the Party Congress. The second was to review Party organisation and the orientation of work among the people. The third was to review the mass organisations and their orientation. These two tasks were to be undertaken at this Plenum. Fourthly, studies were to be undertaken on changes in socio-economic conditions after liberalisation and the impact of these changes on various classes. Concrete slogans were to be formulated on the basis of these studies. Certain issues in this regard were taken up and approved at the Party Congress; the remaining issues are to be taken up and concrete slogans to be formulated at this Plenum. 1.3 After the formation of the CPI(M) in 1964, the Party took up the question of organisation in the resolution titled “Tasks on Party Organisation” approved by the Central Committee in November 1967. This resolution marked a break with revisionist ideas of Party organisation and provided a correct orientation to the task of building a revolutionary 1 organisation. The Salkia Plenum on Party organisation was held in December 1978 after the 10th Congress of the Party approved the new political-tactical line. The Salkia report and resolution gave a thrust to the task of creating an all-India mass revolutionary Party and expanding the Party at the all- India level. 1.4 Thirteen years later, the 14th Congress reviewed the implementation of the Salkia Plenum in the “Report on Organisation and Tasks” and set out the organisational tasks for the forthcoming period. Since then, successive Party Congresses have reviewed the work on the organisational front, each setting out immediate tasks. The Central Committee approved, in 1996 and 2009, two resolutions on Rectification. The Central Committee also approved, in 1981 and 2004, two resolutions on the Party’s approach to mass organisations; these attempted to provide a correct understanding of and orientation for the work of the mass organisations. 1.5 The Salkia Plenum on Organisation was held in 1978, when the Party’s image and influence was on the ascendant in the post-Emergency period. The present Plenum is being held when the Party is facing a decline in its mass base. The main purpose of the Plenum is thus to decide how to strengthen the Party organisation in order to reverse that decline and to ensure the expansion of the Party and of mass movements. 1.6 The atmosphere created by the dismantling of the Soviet Union and the setbacks to socialism had their impact on Party organisation. Further, globalisation and neo-liberalism and the rise of communalism have also had a direct bearing on the working of the organisation. Party organisation must be streamlined keeping in mind the need to fight against the effects of these developments. 1.7 The CPI(M) as a Party of the working class is committed to the strategic goal of the People’s Democratic Revolution. This requires the mobilisation of the basic classes – the working class, and poor peasants and agricultural workers as the core of the revolutionary alliance, the people’s democratic front, under the leadership of the working class. The forging of a Left and democratic front is a step towards this goal. 1.8 The political tactical line adopted at the 21st Congress has restored the primacy of building the Left and democratic front. This requires an enormous increase in the independent strength of the Party. The way to fulfill this in the organisational sphere is to forge live links with the masses. The mass line on organisation means to be integrated with the people and to pick up their issues to advance class and mass struggles. It is through this process that we can advance towards the Left and democratic alliance. 2 1.9 The political-tactical line of the 21st Congress has called for fighting back against the right-wing offensive represented by the forces of neo-liberalism, communalism, and authoritarianism. This ruling class offensive is backed by imperialism. Party organisation has to be equipped to fight these forces. The focus has to be on how to build a strong all India Communist Party with a mass base. 1.10 The Party has faced innumerable attacks from the ruling classes and its agents. Hundreds of Party members and sympathisers have sacrificed their lives in the last two and a half decades in various parts of the country. In the strong states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, there have been concentrated attacks at various juncture. The latest instance of attack is the terror and violence directed against the Party in West Bengal by the Trinamul Congress and its government. The selfless dedication of the Party cadres has helped the Party to grow in these three Left bases. The Party organization must be capable of facing and overcoming such difficult situations. 1.11 This Draft Report has been prepared after considering the replies sent by the State Committees to a comprehensive questionnaire prepared by the Polit Bureau. 1.12 The report is divided into four parts: 1.13 Part One deals with Party Organisation as a whole. It has four sections: I: Streamlining the Organisational Structure; II: Quality Membership for a Revolutionary Party; III: A Party Based on Democratic Centralism IV: Wage the Ideological Struggle. 1.14 Part Two deals with the independent and democratic functioning of mass organisations. 1.15 Part Three is about new directions for class and mass struggles. 1.16 Part Four concerns how to build the organization and movements in each State. 3 Part One Streamlining the Organisational Structure I Style of Functioning – For a Mass Line 1.17 There has to be a major reorientation in the style of functioning of the leadership at all levels. A certain degree of routinism and stereotyped functioning has crept into the organisation at all levels. This is due to the loss of living links with the people. The mass line and mass orientation should be inculcated in all the cadres. Learning from the masses and then going to the masses should be the approach. We have to break the pattern whereby leaders addressing public meetings and rallies become the only formal connection with the masses. Leading cadres at all levels have to participate in door to door campaigns, mass fund collection, attending neighbourhood meetings, sympathisers meetings and Party meetings to hear the views of cadres and sympathisers. The practice of leading cadres, particularly from the district committee downwards including leaders of mass organisations spending time with various sections of the people by staying overnight in villages and working class localities and interacting with the people should be inculcated. It is by this experience that we can initiate class and mass struggles. Leaders at all levels including the PB/CC should directly participate in the mass campaigns and struggles. They should spend time in the area where the movements are taking place to guide and assist them. Failure in Implementation of Organisational Tasks 1.18 Though many correct decisions were taken consequent to the Review of the Implementation of the Salkia Plenum decisions in the 14th Congress and in successive Party Congresses, we have failed to either implement them adequately or pursue them. Why we were unable to do so must be grasped and pinpointed. Some of the reasons are: (1) Inability of the Polit Bureau and the Central leadership to execute the decisions on organisation properly due to either pre-occupation with day to day political tactics or, due to trends of federalism and liberalism. (2) Growing parliamentarism which undermined the focus on building a revolutionary party organisation and development of mass organisations. 4 (3) Erosion of ideological conviction and consequent loss of impetus for politics distinct from bourgeois parties. (4) Falling quality of Party membership which militated against the practice of democratic centralism from top to bottom. 1.19 The structure of the Party organisation has to be streamlined so that it is capable of implementing the mass line and initiating and leading the class and mass struggles. At every level, the organisation should be equipped to conduct the political and ideological work to consolidate and expand the mass base. Party Centre 1.20 A central place is occupied by the Party Centre in the organisational structure.