“Comrade Gare tolo barricade” (Comrades build up barricades) — the slogan that resounded in the CPM quarters in the 1970s, when its cadres faced alleged attacks by Naxal youths and Congress goons, was invoked again on the last day of the three-day state committee meet held on Sunday.

Faced with a 1970s-like threat to its workers, particularly in Jangalmahal, the CPM asked its cadres to mount mass resistance.

Do not get provoked by the reign of terror unleashed by the opposition, especially Maoists, but revert to mass movements and mass contacts to combat the menace, the party told its cadres.

“We will have to mobilise people to take on the opposition,” said Biman Bose, party state committee secretary.

The CPM has suffered a number of casualties in the Maoist-infested districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.

“We are not satisfied with our work. We need to mobilise people and earn their trust,” said Bose.

Interestingly, it was only on Saturday that the CPM issued a statement calling for mass resistance against the terror unleashed by Maoists and attempts to create anarchy by other opposition parties (read Trinamool Congress) by taking people on their side.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also asked party leaders to mobilise public opinion to combat attacks on its activists.

On the demand for a separate Gorkhaland, Bhattacharjee said his government was ready to give more autonomy to Gorkhas, but would never accept their demand for separate statehood.

Bose, meanwhile, announced that the CPM will hold a gathering in Delhi on March 12 to highlight the failures of the UPA government to check price rise.

He, however, refused to comment on Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s decision to hold a meeting with the chief ministers of four eastern India states — West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa, in Kolkata on February 9.

“This is an administrative issue and I have nothing to say on this. It is also the routine work of the Union government to hold meetings with different chief ministers,” he added.

The CPM, however, welcomed the Ranganath Mishra Commission report for betterment of the minority community and backward class.