A state-level cadre meet of CPI(ML) was held in Lucknow on 25-26 June 1996, in which members of Party district committees and leading teams, totaling 90, took part. The meeting had been called to have a direct discussion with cadres to evaluate Party's performance in the last parliamentary elections, on preparations for the coming legislative assembly elections and on various political-organisational questions of the state.

Although the cadres did not consider Party's performance up to the mark, they did not harbour pessimistic views either. Our independent propaganda was considered better than that undertaken by CPI and CPI(M). There was a consensus around the understanding that general political tactics of the Party is correct, the main factor behind our unsatisfactory performance was organisational weakness. It was also mentioned that among us there remains a formalist outlook towards elections. Concern was expressed for expanding our social base, particularly winning over dalits facing the challenge posed by BSP. We could not check BSP from penetrating into a part of our own dalit base.

During the discussion, comrades tried to find out the basic reason why we could not transform our dalit base, i.e. people who take part in movements on land and wages under our leadership, fully into votes. For one, there is a trend to view the question of land and wages from the angle of economism, and secondly, we could not sufficiently link ourselves with the socio-cultural questions of dalits. All this portrays a distorted picture of our Party before dalits. In order to set it right and to present a fullfledged image of the Party it is necessary that issues of land, wages, social dignity etc. of basic classes should be firmly taken up in the political perspective. That is, we should link ourselves with their political, economic and socio-cultural issues at all levels and do away with all sorts of isolation between Party and them. It was stressed that to project basic classes as an independent class conscious political force while isolating the power-brokers among them is a natural task of the communist party and we must employ our full strength to it.

BSP's bahujan theory has suffered a defeat and consequently it has fallen in the pit of opportunism. Sooner or later dalits will definitely get disillusioned with this party. There was no surprise in BSP's alliance with Congress as the ruling classes have projected political parties like BSP to corrupt the democratic consciousness of dalits and keep them confined within status-quo. Also it was stressed that no slackening should be there in our struggle against BJP.

Regarding the peasant movement it was mentioned that the Eastern Zone Kisan Sabha in its Benaras Conference had correctly pointed to the rightist trend that had cropped up in the organisation. It had manifested in the view propounded by some comrades that in view of growing aspirations of acquiring their share in power, questions of land and wages are no more basic questions for kisan sabha. Secondly, middle peasants are establishing their hegemony, and they are interested in questions other than wages. Thirdly, it was observed that comrades working in rural areas were mostly staying with middle peasants in place of depending on basic classes for food and shelter. Though these deviations were identified and the basic debate on the question of peasant movement was resolved, the meeting opined that the task of formulating appropriate policies and developing a new style of work so as to do away with remaining deviations is still there and full energy has to be devoted to this. The meeting also decided to conduct a campaign among agrarian workers and poor peasants for the next two months.

On the question of party building it was opined that liberalism, movementalist trend and federalist thinking are the main hurdles. Leaders are isolated from cadres and the latter are isolated from masses. Bureaucracy, individualistic and anarchist style of work must be resolutely fought against. Democratic atmosphere and functioning must be guaranteed to the lowest level units so as to build a unified Party in the state. We must repudiate pragmatic parliamentarist angle in party building and adopt an objective outlook regarding the development of our Party. Left ranks are joining it, worth mentioning here is the case of CPI and CPI(M) ranks who joined us in Bijnaur district of western UP.

The meeting called for making all practical preparations for ensuring our effective intervention in the coming legislative assembly elections. It is worth noting here that the State Committee has decided to put up maximum number of candidates from all areas of our work in the legislative assembly elections scheduled to be held in the coming September or October.

-Arun