CPI(M) Concludes Three-Day State Conference in Shimla
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) successfully concluded its three-day state conference at Shimla’s Kalibari Hall. Senior leaders, including Politburo members Comrade Subhashini Ali, Tapan Sen, A. Vijay Raghavan, and Central Committee member Vikram Singh, addressed the gathering.
During the conference, a 32-member state committee was formed, including two permanent invitees. Sanjay Chauhan was elected as the State Secretary. Other members of the state secretariat include Dr. Onkar Shad, Rakesh Singha, Dr. Kashmir Thakur, Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, Prem Gautam, Kushal Bhardwaj, Vijendra Mehra, and Bhupendra Singh.
State committee members also include Ravindra Kumar, Jagat Ram, Falma Chauhan, Hottam Sounkhla, Sudesh, Joginder, Devkinand, Narayan, Ashok Katoch, Rajendra, Mohit, Narendra, Satyawan Pundir, Mahendra Rana, Ram Singh, Barkat, Kuldeep Dogra, Veena Vaidya, Geeta Ram, Shokini Ram, and Chandrakanta. Permanent invitees to the committee are Suresh Sarwal and K.K. Rana. Additionally, a three-member Control Commission was established, with Jagmohan Thakur as chairperson and Rajendra Chauhan and Vijay Sharma as members.
CPI(M) to Focus on Public Movements: Sanjay Chauhan
Addressing the conference, newly elected State Secretary Sanjay Chauhan announced that the party would lead movements on key public issues and present a credible alternative to the BJP and Congress in Himachal Pradesh. He pledged that the CPI(M) would champion the rights of workers, farmers, the middle class, women, youth, students, Dalits, minorities, and all marginalized groups.
Chauhan criticized both the Modi-led central government and the Congress-led state government, accusing them of pursuing anti-people neoliberal policies. He argued that these policies are deepening inequality, with the rich growing wealthier at the expense of the poor and the middle class.
Sharp Criticism of Central Government Policies
Chauhan accused the Modi government of creating a divided India—one of wealth for the elite and suffering for the poor. He highlighted the repeal of 44 pro-worker labor laws, replaced by four anti-labor codes, and the elimination of subsidies for farmers and the underprivileged.
He pointed to rising unemployment, increased farmer suicides, and worsening agricultural distress as direct consequences of the government’s policies. Chauhan also alleged that the government’s corporate-communal alliance has intensified exploitation and atrocities against marginalized communities.
He emphasized the growing inequality under the Modi regime, noting the rapid rise in billionaires while poverty and hunger surged. India’s declining rankings in the Global Hunger Index and Human Development Index, he said, reflect the worsening conditions of the working class and ordinary citizens.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Government Also Under Fire
Chauhan also criticized the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for adopting similar anti-people policies. He expressed concerns about the financial burden on citizens due to the installation of smart meters and the delay in declaring results for youth employment exams.
He further alleged that organizations linked to the RSS and BJP were working to disrupt communal harmony in Shimla, with Congress leaders also complicit in these actions. Chauhan concluded by stating that the CPI(M) is now the only viable political alternative for the people of Himachal Pradesh.
