Delegates and observers representing 21 units of the AIC across Britain and Ireland assembled in Comrade Gurmel Singh Nagar in Southall West London for its 17th National Conference prior to the 21st Party Congres of CPI(M).
Comrade Nazar Basran as the chairman of the reception Committee welcomed Com M.A. Baby and the delegates to the 17th Conference of the Association of Indian Communists.
The delegates elected a presidium consisting of comrades Avtar sadiq, Nazar Basran, Sandeep Panikker and Preethy EC with the secretariat members Dyal Bagri and Harsev Bains making up the steering group to conduct the Conference. A resolutions committee of Joginder Kaur, and Baiju Thittala and a credential committee of Manjit Bola and VS Shyam was agreed to assist with the proceedings.
12 delegates took part in a structured debate to amend and enrich the report presented by Harsev Bains on behalf of the Executive Committee of the AIC. Comrade Baby commended the delegates on their disciplined participation in taking the time to review and reflect, exchange views to come to a common understanding.
Com. Baby acknowledged, the self-criticism by the EC for the late distribution of the draft report, the inability to organise a Party school on Marxism –Leninism, the unfinished tasks of the 16th Conference, the engagement of youth and students and in particular the lack of participation by women. The slight increase is insufficient and meaningless said Com Baby. “The intellectual contribution even in a modern society like Britain and Ireland is not reflected in our organisation. The lack of proper participation by women in the debate and discussion is unfortunate and unacceptable”.“One of the first tasks for the new Executive Committee will be to rectify this gender imbalance” concluded Comrade Baby in stressing its vital importance.
Other issues related to advance the work of the AIC and to expand the base of the mass organisation Indian Workers’ Association, building the broad based cultural front to engage with all genders and generations was taken up by Harsev Bains in the response to the discussion on the report.
The conference concluded by passing a number of resolutions for the new EC to finalise on Women’s Rights, solidarity with Palestine and Cuba. Against the discriminatory aspects of Immigration legislation and austerity measures including the clandestine introduction of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement between EU and USA.
The 17th Conference elected the following comrades to the Executive Committee,
Avtar Sadiq, Dyal Bagri, Avtar Singh, Joginder Kaur, Rajinder Bains, Manjit Bola, Harsev Bains, Carmel Miranda, Aby Abraham, Sree Kumar S. Pillai, Balwant Herian, Tirath Ram, Paramjit Basi, Harbhajan Dulay, Vinod Kumar, Janesh Nair, Baiju Thittala, Sugathan Thekkeppurayil, Sandeep Panikkar, Santhosh Chandran, VS Shyam, Preethy EC, Santokh S Santokh, Mohinder Singh and invitee Sarwan Singh with 4 vacancies for Birmingham, Dublin, Norwich and Northampton.
The EC elected Harsev Bains to continue as the secretary for the EC of AIC.
Harsev Bains and Rajinder Bains were elected as Delegates to the 21st Congress of the Communist Party of India Marxist.
The 17th Conference of the Association of Indian Communists drew to a close with the militant sounds of – Long live the CPIM, Long Live the AIC.
Inquilab Zindabad