Approximately 700 delegates and observers from across the state participated in this significant conference. Leaders of the INDIA alliance also attended the inaugural session. Bihar has long been the custodian of a rich tradition of social change, mass resistance, and democratic movements; this conference stood firmly to carry that very legacy forward.
On the first day of the conference, a massive and spirited march was organised, proceeding from Laheriasarai Chowk to the conference venue. Resounding with red flags, revolutionary songs, and slogans, the march saw the participation of a large number of people. The marchers raised slogans such as "Bulldozer Raj will not be tolerated," "Stop the attacks on democracy," and "Employment and education are our rights".
The conference began after paying tributes at the Martyrs' Memorial and observing a two-minute silence in their memory, and pledging to struggle to build Bihar as envisioned by the martyrs.
The conference venue was adorned with symbols of mass struggles and progressive cultural consciousness. The city was named after the renowned writer Phanishwarnath Renu and people's poet Baba Nagarjun. The auditorium was dedicated to the memory of Comrades Rajaram, Ramdev Verma, and Lakshmi Paswan, while the stage was named after Comrades Madhu Mishra, Dayamanti Sinha, and Shahida Khatoon. Many entrance arches were erected in Darbhanga town in memory of the party's senior and departed leaders including Visheshwar Yadav, Manoj Yadav, Emanuel Haq, and Vishnudev Yadav, among others. The entire complex is festooned with red flags, posters, banners, and photographs depicting various mass struggles. Posters conveying messages of resistance against the "Bulldozer Raj," communalism, unemployment, and attacks on democratic rights have emerged as a special highlight of the conference. Reverent tributes were also paid to the eminent historians Ram Sharan Sharma, D.N. Jha, and Radhakrishna Chaudhary - scholars who provided a new direction to the ideological struggle against hypocrisy, superstition, and communal hatred.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya addressed a seminar, held as an inaugural event, titled "The Question of Democracy and the Bulldozer Raj". He asserted that the people of the country must now wage a new battle for freedom and reclaim it once again. He remarked that people of Bihar are now living under the rule of the BJP where there is open discourse regarding the indiscriminate use of bulldozers. The recent statement by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court proves that the ruling power has established a complete stranglehold over all institutions. He noted that the foreign policy adopted by the Modi government is tarnishing India's image on the global stage. Prime Minister Modi’s call for austerity measures are merely a ploy to hide an existing crisis for which his own government is responsible. He is transferring the burden of his own failures onto the poor people of the country, even as the workers across the country are struggling to secure a minimum wage.
He said we must move forward with courage, resolving to champion truth against falsehood and to wage a struggle against oppression, to halt the BJP's "bulldozer". Citing Bhagat Singh, he asserted that the nation faces a dual task: to bring about a change within the country, and simultaneously defeat global imperialist forces along with their domestic collaborators. The various constituent parties of the INDIA alliance must collectively fulfill this singular mission while preserving their own distinct diversity.
RJD State President Mr. Mangnilal Mandal extended his best wishes to the conference, and stated that a struggle on the streets is essential to counter the situation where neither Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) nor the Election Commission can be trusted. Senior Congress leader Madan Mohan Jha while commending the role played by the CPI(ML), noted that threats to democracy, journalists, and dissenting voices have intensified. He emphasized that an organized struggle is imperative.
CPIML Politburo member Rajaram Singh observed that the elections in Bengal and Tamil Nadu have signaled growing threats to the Constitution and democracy. He called for the preservation of democracy by opposing the BJP’s intentions behind the delimitation exercise.
IIP party’s I.P. Gupta launched a scathing attack on the government, criticizing rising unemployment, inflation, and the punitive actions taken against impoverished settlements. He asserted that the bulldozer is deployed exclusively against Dalits and the poor.
Meena Tiwari, AIPWA General Secretary, said people’s resistances are gaining momentum across the country. She condemned the baton-charge on teachers, attacks on women, and the prevalence of anti-women politics. Citing the examples of Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh, she affirmed that women have secured their rights through struggle and are determined not to be deterred.
Raising critical issues concerning the escalating repression faced by working class, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and students, and the non-payment of dues and the violation of rights, MLC and AICCTU leader Shashi Yadav declared that the CPI(ML) would further strengthen these ongoing struggles.
Lalan Chaudhary reminded the Central Government’s broken promises, unemployment, the agrarian crisis, attacks on labor rights, and the propagation of hate politics. He asserted that both democracy and the Constitution are currently under grave threat.
The open session of the conference was also addressed by CPI State Secretary Ramnaresh Pandey, VIP Party leader Balgovind Bind, and Ara MP Sudama Prasad. The session was conducted by Dhirendra Jha, party’s in-charge of the Mithila Zone. The guests were welcomed by Surendra Suman, a renowned litterateur from the region.
Senior party leader Swadesh Bhattacharya, former Chairperson of the Women's Commission Manju Prakash, CC member Prabhat Kumar, conference observer V. Shankar, and VIP's Umesh Sahni, were also present on the dais. The vote of thanks was delivered by Darbhanga District Secretary Baidyanath Yadav.
During delegate sessions, delegates discussed issues like social justice, communalism, demolition of the homes of the poor, suppression of the movements of students and youth, and stifling of dissenting voices. Questions were raised regarding the electoral process where the names of lakhs of people have been excluded from the voter lists. While their names ought to be reinstated, the government is, conversely, threatening to revoke their access to various public welfare schemes. This was a matter of concern that approximately 4.5 million people now face the looming crisis of losing their ration cards and other essential benefits. The voters had to previously elect the government, but now the government, acting through the Election Commission, appears to be selecting its own voters.
The issue of land also came for discussion as farmers' lands are under threat of acquisitions to hand them over to large corporate houses by the newly installed BJP regime in the state. Concern was expressed regarding the rising incidents of violence against women, which has further escalated since the elections, and victims are failing to receive justice. The conference condemned the Modi government for the NEET paper leak, which jeopardised the futures of 2.2 million students.
The conference concluded successfully following three days of extensive debate, where delegates discussed the work report and put forward several significant suggestions regarding the state's political landscape, organizational expansion, mass movements, and upcoming struggles.
V. Shankar, Politburo member and the conference observer, remarked that Bihar has historically been a state that provides direction to the country's politics. He asserted that regardless of electoral outcomes, the people of Bihar are a resilient population, ever-ready to fight for the defense of democracy. He noted that progressive forces across the entire nation are looking toward Bihar with hopeful eyes. In his address, while referencing the DMK's defeat in Tamil Nadu, he emphasised the need for democratic and secular forces to forge an even broader unity.
On the last day of the conference, the election of the new 107-member State Committee was concluded, which unanimously elected Comrade Kunal as the State Secretary once again. This time, 27 new faces have been elected to the State Committee.
The state conference adopted a 10-point action agenda outlining upcoming struggles and campaigns, which included a call to ensure the widespread success of the rural and agrarian workers’ strike scheduled for May 20th; and to launch a public outreach campaign to reach out to 1 million families across Bihar.
The key resolutions adopted at the conference included the immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, the conduct of a caste-based census, the expansion of the Samata Movement, and to build a movement against bulldozer attacks. The conference also condemned the recent statement made by Bihar's Education Minister terming it antithetical to both education and democratic values.
The conference concluded amidst revolutionary slogans and a collective pledge to uphold and defend democracy, the Constitution, and people's rights.
