Thwart attacks against party, says Karat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat Wednesday asked the party cadres to remain with the masses and adhere to basic organisational and ideological tenets to thwart the attacks against the party from its opponents in states like West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala.

Inaugurating a one-day seminar to mark the birth centenary of Communist stalwart and CPI(M)'s founder general secretary P Sundarayya here, Karat said the party's opponents have been mounting a grim attack on CPI-M in the states by levelling false charges.

Recalling the services of Sundrayya in building the Communist movement, Karat said, "Today we have grown to be a mass party and we have to be always with the people and identify with their aspirations."

He said it was important to streamline the organisation based on the Leninist principle of democratic centralism and rectify wrong trends like placing the individual interests above the party.

Sundarayya was one of the pioneers who recognised the importance of building a party based on the democratic centralism to carry forward the revolutionary movement.

He said Sundarayya made tireless efforts in building a centralised all-India party by bringing together the Communist groups in different parts of India.

Senior party leader V S Achuthanandan, CPI (M) Andhra Pradesh unit secretary B V Raghavulu, politburo members Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and M A Baby presented papers on various facets of Sundarayya's contributions, while CPI (M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan presided.