The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has intensified its efforts to unite workers, Adivasis and women around their social and economic demands through mass mobilisation in Telangana and Kerala and a new joint campaign by Left parties in Tamil Nadu.
CPI(M) steps up mobilisation for Adivasi rights, women’s equality and workers’ demands
Thousands of Adivasis rally in Hyderabad for forest and land rights
Thousands of Adivasis participated in a massive demonstration organised by the CPI(M) Telangana State Committee in Hyderabad on Monday, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates for migrant Adivasis and the protection of their forest and cultivation rights.
Marching with traditional bows and arrows, accompanied by Kommu Dolu drums and traditional dances, the demonstrators gathered at Indira Park for a public meeting. The rally highlighted the continuing struggle of Adivasi communities for recognition, land rights and protection from harassment by state authorities.
Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) Telangana State Secretary John Wesley declared that the red flag would stand firmly alongside Adivasis fighting for their rights. He warned that if the government failed to address their demands, the party would organise a siege of the State Assembly.
Wesley demanded that ST certificates be issued to all eligible Adivasis, including migrant families living in forest regions along Telangana’s borders. He questioned why people should lose their recognised rights simply because they had moved from one state to another.
Former Member of Parliament and Adivasi leader Midiyam Baburao criticised the Congress government for taking one position before the elections and another after coming to power. He demanded that the government honour its promise to issue ST certificates and uphold the rights guaranteed under the Forest Rights Act. He also called for legal titles for podu cultivation lands and an end to attacks and harassment by Forest Department officials.
The demonstration raised a broader set of demands, including the withdrawal of trenches dug to obstruct access to podu cultivation lands, protection of Adivasi farmers from harassment, and the provision of roads, electricity and drinking water to Adivasi settlements. It also demanded that all eligible Adivasi voters be included in the electoral rolls.
CPI(M) State Secretariat members S. Veeraiah and G. Nagaiah, former MLC Cherupalli Seetharamulu, Adivasi Girijana Sangham, State General Secretary Poosam Sachin and other leaders participated in the meeting.
Adivasis are the heterogeneous indigenous peoples and original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent.
Women gather in Kerala for social justice
In Kerala, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Samathwika, a gathering of women for social justice, organised by the Kasargod District Committee of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) in Cheruvathur.
The gathering brought together women activists and leaders from the organisation at national and state levels. AIDWA National Vice President P. K. Sainaba, Kerala State Treasurer E. Padmavathy and Joint Secretary M. Sumathi were among those who participated.
The initiative provided a platform for women to come together around questions of social justice and equality, reflecting the continuing role of AIDWA in organising women and advancing their rights.
Left parties in Tamil Nadu launch joint campaign for workers and marginalised communities
Meanwhile, the CPI(M), Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI(ML) Liberation launched a coordinated political campaign in Tamil Nadu with the release of a 13-page Joint Declaration at a function in Chennai on 10 November.
The document places the demands of workers and marginalised sections at the centre of the political agenda and proposes alternative policy measures to address the problems confronting the state.
It was jointly released by CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Secretary P. Shanmugam, CPI State Secretary M. Veerapandian and CPI(ML) Liberation State Secretary Pazha Aasaithambi.
The three parties announced that they would organise a series of regional meetings in districts across Tamil Nadu in the coming months to take the declaration to the people and build support at the grassroots. The campaign will culminate in a major workers' rally in Tiruchy on 23 March 2027, marking the martyrdom anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
The joint campaign will address the concerns of workers, farmers, agricultural labourers, women, students, minorities, Adivasis, fisherfolk, small and micro entrepreneurs, government employees and other marginalised sections. The parties intend to mobilise these constituencies and build pressure on the state government to respond to their demands.