JCP Shii talks with CPIM General Secretary Karat

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP Shii talks with CPIM General Secretary Karat

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on August 26 held talks with Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat at the JCP head office. The CPIM delegation led by Karat visited Japan at the invitation of the JCP.

Shii recalled talks with H.S. Surjeet, then general secretary of the CPIM, in his 2002 visit to India when they confirmed their common position of opposing the U.S. attack on Iraq, aiming for non-alignment, and maintaining the independence of revolutionary movements in their respective countries. He hoped that the relations between the two parties would further develop.

Karat said, “Both parties, having public support and seats in parliaments, have overcome various difficulties. The CPIM values the JCP as an independent party putting its theory of scientific socialism into practice. Exchanges between the communist parties of our two Asian countries ? highly developed capitalist Japan and newly emerging capitalist India ? are mutually beneficial.”

The CPIM general secretary explained his party’s success in poverty alleviation, development of local autonomous organizations and promotion of local industry and small- and medium-sized enterprises in the three states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura where the CPIM is the governing party. He also spoke about weakness of the party as well as about violent attacks against the party by rightist and Maoist groups.

Karat told Shii of the CPIM’s experience of non-cabinet cooperation with the central government led by the Indian National Congress for four years from 2004. During the non-cabinet tie-up, the CPIM helped put a brake on neo-liberal economic policies and strengthened employment measures in rural areas. However, protesting at the increasing military cooperation with the United States, the party discontinued its non-cabinet tie-up.

He also explained his party’s views on world economic crisis and other international matters.

JCP Shii said that he appreciated Karat’s remarks which helped him to understand CPIM’s activities in complex situations.

The meeting was attended by Ogata Yasuo, vice-chair, Morihara Kimitoshi, secretary of the International Commission, and Tagawa Minoru, member of the International Commission of the JCP, and Pushpinder Mohan Singh Grewal, member of the Central Committee of the CPIM.

- Akahata, August 27, 2010