p On behalf of the Communist Party of India(Marxist), I extend to you a warm welcome and convey our revolutionary greetings.

p On behalf of our entire Party I heartily thank you for accepting our invitation to participate in this seminar.

p Calcutta has been an important centre in our country’s struggle for freedom from British colonialism. This city has great traditions as a working class centre and in the fields of culture and social advance. In post-independent India, this city has been the advanced outpost of the left and democratic movement in our country. For 16 years, the Left Front, headed by the CPI(M), has been repeatedly elected to the state government by the people of West Bengal. Within the severe limitations imposed by the bourgeois-landlord system, which leaves limited power to a state government, and in the face of discriminatory policies by the central government, it has implemented major land reforms and devolved power upto the village councils. The decentralisation of power has strengthened grass-root level democracy at the city municipalities and village councils. The measures undertaken by the Left Front government have deepened the Party’s links with the mass of people in West Bengal and strengthened the ties between the workers and peasants. The city of Calcutta was and remains today an important centre of Communist and progressive activity. The late Com. Muzaffar Ahmed, one of the founders of the Communist movement in India, was based in Calcutta and this city was the centre of his activities.

p Dear Comrades,

p The cataclysmic events of the past few years had created a disarray in the international Communist movement and permitted imperialism to launch a new all out offensive against Marxism and Communism. Many parties reneging on the fundamental revolutionary tenets, changed their names and adopted social democracy. Following an intense inner party debate within the CPI(M), in the face of concerted attack by imperialism, their ideologues and internal class enemies our 14th Party Congress in January, 1992, firmly upheld Marxism-Leninism as the creative science which alone can lead humanity to its true and complete liberation. The Resolution On Certain Ideological Issues’ that was adopted there, containing our assessment and evaluation is being circulated for information.

p Applying Marxism to the concrete conditions of Indian reality, the CPI(M) has been strengthening its links with the Indian people. Recently, in the elections to the Tripura state assembly the CPI(M) led front polled 51.4% of the vote winning 49 of the 60 seats. CPI(M) alone has won 44 seats.

p It gave us immense confidence to note that many parties, across the globe, have successfully resisted the liquidationist tendencies, and upheld the cause of socialism and the revolutionary ideology and philosophy of Marxism.

p It is in this background that our Central Committee decided to convene such an international seminar, commemorating Karl Marx’s 175th birth anniversary, with the express and limited objectiveof sharing our experiences and strengthening our mutual resolve to defend the socialist cause. We, hence, do not propose to have any document from this seminar.

p An exchange of opinions, based on our experiences, we are sure, will help all of us and many of those who for a variety of technical reasons could not attend this seminar. Dear Comrades,

p India is a developing country with its own share of problems that are very specific to our history, culture and traditions. The CPI(M) is still a small force compared to India’s size and population. We have tried our best to make all possible arrangements for your comfortable stay and for a meaningful interaction of ideas. But fully realising our limitations, I would urge upon you to 20 condone any inconvenience that may have been caused. Thank you once again for accepting our invitation and being with us to share your experiences.

p If you would permit me, I would like to make some suggestions for the conduct of the seminar.

p Given the time at our disposal, we would propose that each delegation be allotted 25 minutes for its initial presentation of the paper.

p Subsequently, in the same order of the presentation, each delegation may be given 10 minutes to comment upon the papers that have been presented or to raise any other relevant issue.

p After this round, if any delegation seeks to intervene then the floor would be given for an additional five minutes.

p As regards the order of presentation, we would propose that following the presentation of the paper by the host, we begin with the socialist countries, in the English alphabetical order, followed by other esteemed guests again in the English alphabetical order.

p If you agree to these proposals then we can proceed to begin the work of the seminar.

Thank you.