CPI-M to launch six-day statewide public outreach campaign in TN

Chennai, Aug 23 (IANS) The CPI-M’s Tamil Nadu unit will launch a six-day statewide outreach campaign on Wednesday, seeking to establish direct contact with lakhs of people across the state and gather their views on the party’s work, political positions and public record.

The exercise, scheduled from August 26 to 31, will cover villages and urban wards through house visits, street-corner meetings, and public gatherings.

CPI-M state Secretary P. Shanmugam said on Sunday that the programme was approved by the party’s state Committee during its meeting in Kanyakumari on July 31 and August 1. He asked all 12,000 party branches in the state to participate fully and ensure that the campaign becomes a broad-based effort to understand public opinion at the grassroots.

In a statement, Shanmugam said the party wanted honest feedback from people about its activities in Tamil Nadu, including both appreciation and criticism.

Cadres should listen patiently even when residents disagreed with or opposed the CPM, and respond with political maturity, he said.

Invoking the Marxist principle of “going to the people and learning from them”, he said working people remained the party’s foundation and their sentiments must receive due weight.

The outreach will also document the everyday problems faced by families and the remedies they expect from the party.

Shanmugam said these interactions would help the CPI-M assess what organisational and political steps it should take in response to public concerns. The campaign is intended not merely to communicate the party’s positions but also to create a structured channel for people to question its approach and priorities.

Several lakh pamphlets will be distributed during the campaign. Prepared by district units, they will highlight questions and demands raised by the CPI-M before the Union government. The material will also address major issues confronting Tamil Nadu and invite discussion on the policies and measures the TVK government should pursue to resolve them.

According to Shanmugam, thousands of functionaries, ranging from the state Secretary and senior political leaders to branch Secretaries and grassroots members, will visit homes and hold face-to-face conversations with residents. Street-corner meetings will be held every evening, while larger public meetings will mark the conclusion of the drive. He urged members to use the six days to widen the party’s contact with society and develop an understanding of people’s expectations, grievances and political mood.

–IANS

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