The 20th National Congress of Communist Party of India began on Sunday with a call for building a 'Left and democratic alternative to both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party through common struggles on people's issues and by evolving an alternative Left and democratic programme'.
Inaugurating the five-day conference in Hyderabad, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said: "There are also secular democratic parties and groups, who are also looking for an alternative. We have to interact with them and try to draw them into common struggles for forging such a Third alternative based on a Left and democratic programme."
Referring to the presence of the top leaders of the three other Left parties at the inaugural session, Bardhan admitted: 'We may sometimes have little differences. But we are together on most issues affecting our country and our people. We have to further strengthen and consolidate this Left unity, for that is the only way we can advance to build the Third alternative-the Left and democratic alternative in India."
Echoing similar feelings, Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat said: "It should be our endeavour to gather other democratic and secular forces, so that we can find a way immediately out of the ruling class consensus, which is leading the country on a highly iniquitous and socially unjust path. Left initiative is required for creating and presenting a Third alternative before the people."
"What we have achieved in these last three years is in great part due to the unity in thought and action of the Left parties. Coordination and the united approach of the CPI-M and the CPI are crucial in this respect.
"As for the Left parties, it is not abnormal to have differences on certain issues on occasions. But nothing should be done that would weaken Left unity. That is what the imperialist circles and the ruling classes want. It is on the bedrock of left unity that our future advance will take place," Karat said, assuring that on its part, the CPI-M
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