HYDERABAD, DECEMBER 14: Admitting considerable dilution on ideological front in the past 50 years of Communist movement in the country, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan said that the party has begun introspection on how to make socialism relevant in the coming millennium.Speaking to newsmen here on Monday, Bardhan said that an appraisal of the party's performance in the recent elections no doubt revealed the organisational weaknesses."As we observe the foundation day of the party on December 26, we will attempt to clearly define the ideological commitment and goals and remove the cobwebs," Bardhan said.According to him, the elections showed that the party needed to take up more vigorously issues concerning the masses. Following this, dharnas and demonstrations would be organised in all district headquarters throughout the country against the "imperialistic designs" to dictate terms to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and push through proposals which were against the interests of farmers and the common man.From January 19 to 25, the party would organise seminars at different places in the country on the 50 years of Indian Constitution. The CPI would strongly oppose the attempts being made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make the Constitution "more undemocratic and less answerable to the Parliament". "We are not against amending the Constitution but any change should be progressive and in tune with the aspirations of the people," Bardhan said.The CPI leader accused the NDA Government of pursuing its "right reactionary" economic policies which would only subserve the interests of big business houses, both domestic and foreign.Referring to the Insurance Regulatory Bill, Bardhan said that the foreign companies would utilise the money paid by the general public for investment in real estate and stock market and thus "tighten the grip over the overall economy." A recent study in the United States revealed that the rate of bankruptcy of private insurance companies there was very high, the CPI leader pointed out.Bardhan disclosed that the CPI would hold demonstrations in New Delhi and elsewhere on the day US President Bill Clinton arrives, sometime in March. "We will give a truly warm welcome," he remarked sarcastically.On Clinton's letter to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in which the former expressed desire to meet Naidu, Bardhan pointed out that the CPI had always been saying that the TDP leader was behaving like the "chief executive officer" of the World Bank.
