Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 17 October 2024
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is conducting a series of Branch Conferences across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, reflecting the party’s ongoing efforts to engage with local issues. Recent conferences were held in the Garacharma, Hut Bay, and Anarkali branches on different dates.
The Branch Conferences of Garacharma and Anarkali were inaugurated by D. Ayyappan, Secretary of the A & N State Organising Committee, while Dr. Gouranga Majhi, Secretary of the South Andaman Rural Area Committee, opened the conference in Hut Bay.
In his address, D. Ayyappan expressed deep concern over the rising cost of living, stating that citizens, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, are enduring significant hardships. He criticized the Modi government for failing to address these economic challenges. He also commented on the recent Andaman Bandh, called by a local BJP MP, describing it as an “eye wash” that distracts from pressing issues faced by island residents, including unemployment, power cuts, deteriorating road conditions, escalating corruption, and the lack of a democratically elected local governing body.
D. Laxman Rao, a member of the CPI(M) State Secretariat, condemned both the BJP and Congress for the poor state of roads and the Municipal Council’s inability to provide essential civic amenities to the public. NKP Nair, a member of the Port Blair City Area Committee, also spoke at the Garacharma conference, emphasizing the need for collective action against societal injustices and exploitation.
Addressing the Hut Bay conference, Dr. Gouranga Majhi highlighted the government’s failure to offer any relief to farmers in the islands, further stressing the need for governmental accountability.
The conferences concluded with the election of new secretaries for each branch: M. Boominathan for Garacharma, R. Ranganathan for Hut Bay, and Lakshman for Anarkali. Resolutions addressing various local issues were also adopted during the meetings, underscoring the party’s commitment to addressing the concerns of island residents.