COOCH BEHAR, Sept. 1: A well-attended youth convention was held at Cooch Behar Rabindra Bhavan today. Cooch Behar District Youth Congress was the organiser of the convention. 

State Youth Congress president Mr Amitava Chakraborty, AICC member Mrs Sabita Roy, lone Congress MLA of Cooch Behar district Dr Md Fazle Haque, District Congress president Mr Shyamal Choudhury, Cooch Behar Municipality chairman Mr Biren Kundu, District YC president Mr Avijit Dey Bhaumik, District Chhatra Parishad president Mr Rakesh Choudhury, state YC vice-president Mr Sailen Barma, District Seva Dal chairmen Mr Chandan Kundu and other leaders attended the convention. 

AICC member Mrs Sabita Roy recalled the glorious days of the Youth Congress led by Mr Subrata Mukherjee, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munsi and Mr Somen Mitra. She hoped that the YC may stage a come back once again under the able leadership of the present state YC president Mr Amitava Chakraborty. Referring the atrocities on the common people by the ruling CPI-M she emphasised on the need to form a non-left alliance in this state to pull down the CPI-M. Without naming the Trinamul Congress and its supremo Miss Mamata Banerjee, she stressed on a united movement. 

Mrs Roy called upon all to go on with a united effort to regain the faith of people on the Congress as their own party. She advised the YC activists to take the initiative to make the Congress a true peoples’ party. 

Sitai MLA and ex-minister Dr Md Fozle Haque came down heavily on the CPI-M run state government for its failure in combating the ongoing drought situation. He demanded that the government should adopt a clear and healthy policy to help the drought affected people. 

State YC president Mr Amitava Chakraborty criticised the state government’s policy for its failure in combating the drought situation. He blamed the government because it failed to implement the Tista irrigation project. He declared that YC would organise movement against corruption in the Tista irrigation project. 

Mr Chakraborty said that a membership drive would be initiated soon. He also said that a training programme would be organised for the YC supporters at Siliguri. Amidst cheers Mr Chakraborty announced that Mr Rahul Gandhi will attend YC programmes and he is personally taking interest in the membership drive. 

The state YC president mentioned that the Congress and Miss Mamata Bannerjee are coming closer as wished by Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Without Soniaji’s permission it is not possible for anyone in the Congress to build up relation with the Trinamul Congress leader, he clarified. “We should take up this opportunity to fight against the misrule of the CPI-M”, he said. 

Cooch Behar Municipality chairman and working president of District Congress, Mr Biren Kundu said that a strong leadership is required for the state Congress to regain the influence of the party. He opined that a strong leadership is needed to achieve success in the next panchayat elections. []

PHOTO : State Youth Congress president Mr Amitava Chakraborty addresses at the youth convention organised by Cooch Behar District Youth Congress. At Cooch Behar Rabindra Bhavan on Friday.