“Here to unseat Mamata and Modi”: CPIM’s 'Insaaf Brigade' hopes to pave way for 2024 elections, rejects alliance with TMC

The “Insaaf Brigade”, a mass public rally called by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPIM on Sunday saw the Brigade parade ground in Kolkata, teeming with thousands of people who had hit the streets in protest against a “corrupt TMC” and a “communal BJP.” “This is the power of the youth, they want the resurgence of left in Bengal, and this is just the beginning,” said CPIM State Secretary Mohammed Salim. Kolkata’s largest urban park, like previous occasions, looked no different with thousands donning hues of red, with flags of the party descended there.

CPIM and its youth wing DYFI are hopeful that the “Insaaf Yatra” (March for justice) that culminated into the “Insaaf Brigade” will play an instrumental role in resurgence of the Left in a state where they had been in power for 34 years, but now have no representation in the state assembly. While Left has attended the INDIA bloc alliance meetings, but have stayed averse to idea of any coalition with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in Bengal.

“Ask Mamata (Banerjee), she is always after seats. We are not here for seat sharing. People gathered here have come to unseat Mamata and Modi,” said Mohammed Salim stating that the “Insaaf Brigade” is a “fight” between the “communists and the communals”, devoid of any “mercy for corruption”.

Hundreds of students from colleges and universities across West Bengal joined the massive rallies leading up to the brigade ground. Demands such as jobs for the unemployed youth, better infrastructure, and reduction of course fees in government institutions came to the fore. “We are here to old the government accountable. So many educated, qualified students are languishing day in and day out. The state government, neck deep in corruption, does not do anything to improve the conditions of the youth. This is a sorry state of affairs, and this is why we have hit the streets to demand answers from Mamata Banerjee’s government,” asserted Nilanjan Pramanik, a student of Presidency University.

The highly anticipated grand consecration ceremony of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir and the highly debated role played by the Prime Minister in its proceedings was raked up by CPIM leaders at the rally. “Our country is a secular one, in our constitution it is clearly noted that the State has no relation with any religion, so our question is how the Prime Minister is carrying the idol of Rama to the ceremony slated to take place on January 22. Is this the task of the Prime Minister?” asked senior CPIM leader Tanmoy Bhattacharya.

Left lost it’s citadel in 2011 elections and since then in subsequent elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2021 state elections, the Red parties saw their political presence dwindle further. This time around, the leaders are hopeful that they will be able to resuscitate CPIM’s political presence in West Bengal and in what could be seen as a departure from the past, CPIM has decided to let more young leaders come in the forefront.