People's Democracy

CITU Organises Pandhe Memorial Lecture

THE first M K Pandhe memorial lecture was organised at CITU centre, New Delhi on August 18, 2012. The subject of the lecture was, ‘Imperialism, Globalisation and the Working Class Movement’ and the speaker was Professor K K Theckedath, former president of All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO).

 The CITU had decided to organise lecture on specific subject of contemporary importance for working class movement to commemorate Comrade Pandhe every year between July 11 and August 20 (date of birth and date of demise respectively).  This programme shall be carried out at all levels of the organisation – right  from CITU centre, state committee, district committees, industrial federations and so on every year.

It would be worth mentioning that befitting the everlasting memory of Comrade Pandhe, the memorial lectures have been organised in large scale throughout the country. The programme has taken off very well.

The Delhi state committee of the CITU mobilised the participants. The size was more than the capacity of the BTR Bhavan auditorium at the CITU centre. CITU all India president, A K Padmanabhan presided over the meeting and M L Malkotia, president, Delhi state committee of CITU proposed vote of thanks at the conclusion of the meeting. PMS Grewal, secretary, CPI(M) Delhi state committee; Swadesh Dev Roye and Ranjana Nirula, secretariat members of CITU were also present in the meeting.

Comrade Padmanabhan in his introductory remarks reiterated very briefly the decision of CITU in the matter and said that it was befitting to the stature of Comrade Pandhe to organise such lecture on an important subject. He also spoke about Comrade Pandhe.

Professor Theckedath spoke at length on the role of workers in production and the class exploitation of labour by capitalist class. He spoke precisely on the basics of contribution of labour in value addition, wage, profit and extraction of surplus value. He also analysed the character of current capitalist economic crisis which has been inbuilt in the policies under neo-liberalism and also drew reference from the Great Depression of 1930s.  He stressed upon the fact that only the working class has the capability to provide leadership in defeating the capitalist class, end capitalism and establishing a new socialist society, free from exploitation of man by man. In the course of his speech, Theckedath recalled his close acquaintance with Comrade Pandhe and also remembered the guidance and advice he received from Comrade Pandhe in the discharge of responsibilities as the president of AIFUCTO and in his writings of books and articles.