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Regular-article-logo Wednesday, 28 May 2025

WhatsUp? CPM logs in

If Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee resurrected the Left's industry chant in Singur today, his party exorcised a tech ghost in former bastion Burdwan.

Abhijeet Chatterjee Published 17.01.16, 12:00 AM
Cadres at the Durgapur tutorial. Picture by Arup Sarkar

Durgapur, Jan. 16: If Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee resurrected the Left's industry chant in Singur today, his party exorcised a tech ghost in former bastion Burdwan.

The CPM in Durgapur organised a "tutorial" for young cadres on how to use Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to campaign for the Assembly elections and "disseminate information".

The move to embrace technology marks a U-turn from the party's earlier fierce opposition to computerisation. Many in the CPM today spoke of the need to warm up to technology to stay relevant in a computer-driven world and connect with the young.

Around 200 cadres, mostly aged between 25 and 35 years, attended the tutorial, where the head of Jadavpur University's mass communication and journalism department, Sanatan Chatterjee, spoke on the "social media and its present perspective".

Two former deans of Kalyani University, Abin Mitra and Asit Kumar Das, explained through projector presentations how to open Facebook and Twitter accounts, use smartphones and create posters on laptops.

The CPM's Pandabeswar MLA, Gouranga Chatterjee, said: "In today's age, social media is a very powerful tool. We cannot ignore it. Similar sessions will soon be held in other districts."

Sources said only young people were selected for the tutorial in the hope that they would be better at using technology for campaigning.

A short film on the "need for freedom of expression in Bengal" set the tone for the tutorial.

Although the usual rhetoric was missing, the CPM's reliance on international icons was evident from the names of the WhatsApp groups created from among the participating cadres today.

Two of the groups were named after Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, and a third after Bhagat Singh.

"Updates on important current issues will be sent to these WhatsApp groups. The cadres will forward them to their friends and acquaintances. That's how the party's message will trickle down," said Pankaj Roy Sarkar, the Durgapur East zonal committee secretary who is in charge of the CPM's social media activities.

"A control room has been set up at the zonal committee office to monitor day-to-day developments and send alerts to the groups."

Another CPM source said: "We will give cadres updates on political developments and our policies and programmes. At the same time, we will seek information on micro-level problems from the WhatsApp group members. This will help our leaders pinpoint the problems affecting people and address the issues at rallies."

He added: "Many people had questioned the wisdom of our move to explain to farmers the fallout of the India-US nuclear deal instead of addressing concerns such as unavailability of food grain under the public distribution system."

A Facebook page - Nijer Vote Nije Din - was opened at the tutorial so that people can lodge "complaints" of malpractice during the Assembly polls. The complaints will be forwarded to the Election Commission.

The page will also be used to discuss newspaper articles and spread the party's message.

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