CPI-M National Meet From Tomorrow In Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is all set to begin here tomorrow its 5-day-long crucial 22nd congress aimed at deliberating upon and charting out its road map, determining its political course for the next three years.

With all the major roads and streets leading to the party's crucial brain-storming session venue, decorated with thousands of party's flags and scores of huge cutouts of party's prominent leaders, the capital of India's newest state Telangana, looked like an overawing red bastion. It's for the second time that Hyderabad is hosting the CPI-M's crucial triennial meet. Earlier it was held here in 2002 under the era of Harkishan Singhj Surjeet.

The venue Mohd Amin Nagar, named after party's yesteryear leader and former minister in CPI-M's West Bengal government, has its podium, Khagendas-Sukomal Sen Munch named, as per the CPI-M's tradition, after two other prominent leaders. It's here that the party would inaugurate its session tomorrow morning with a flag hoisting ceremony by CPI(M) Central Committee member and freedom fighter Mallu Swarajyam, to be followed by the inaugural address by Sitaram Yechury and subsequent brain storming sessions on how to check the BJP's country-wide surge.

Leaders from other Left parties including CPI general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, CPI(ML) general secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya, Forward Block leader GR Siva Sankaran, RSP secretary Manoj Bhattacharya and Ashish Bhattacharya of SUCI would also attend the inaugural session. According to CPI-M politburo member BV Raghavulu, doubling up as chairperson of the reception committee of the party congress here, many other activities around the party meet too has been planned in the city.

"The events includes a 10-day Hyderabad Fest in NTR Stadium (Telangana Kala Pranganam) which began on April 13 would end on April 22. The space here has been provided to various budding and emerging talents in the fields of performing arts and other disciplines," he said. "Various cultural troupes, including folk artists from different districts have already registered to perform in the cultural arena. A separate stage is being erected for performing street plays and dramas. Space is provided to screen short-films too," he added.

"Eminent film and theatre personalities too have agreed to participate in this 'Fest'. Earlier a state-wide photography competition was conducted and the best photos selected in the competition would be displayed here in a separate space," he said. "Another programme Balotsav, aimed at bringing out the talents of children would be conducted under the roof," Raghavulu added.

Apart from these cultural programmes, a special exhibition to inculcate scientific and rational thinking among the people is also being organised, he said, adding science exhibits from various parts of the state too are being collected for presentation.

The party has also planned to hold a special "Red Shirt volunteer" march on April 22, the last day of the Congress, to the venue of CPI-M's public meeting, which was earlier slated to be held at the Hyderabad Parade Ground, but the venue has since been shifted to outskirts of the city. "The parade ground comes under the Army. Even though the other political parties are allowed to hold their programmes out their, the Central government did not give us the permission. So we had to shift the venue," Raghavulu told PTI. (PTI)