People's Democracy

THE autumn festival season in Bengal has long been associated with setting up of roadside stalls by the CPI (M) to sell Marxist literature. Hundreds of thousands of people move about the city’s streets and lanes from morning until very late in the night enjoying a visit to the myriad of decorated structures (or pandals) that come up all over the state on the joyful occasion. The bookstalls do brisk business during this period selling both classics of Marxist literatures and booklets published by the CPI (M) and the Left Front on various topical issues.

State secretary of the CPI (M), Anil Biswas told INN that this year no fewer than 3000 bookstalls could be organised by the various units of the CPI (M) across the state. Inaugurating the CPI (M) bookstall at the Park Circus crossing himself, Anil Biswas recalled how he had been first attracted to the Party way back in 1965 when he had pored over Marxist classics at the Park Circus stall during the autumn festival. He recalled with pleasure his association with senior CPI (M) leader Samar Mukherjee whose writings back in the 1950s and 1960s had been quite popular among the youth of the time.

The Park Circus bookstall is being organised right from 1952 and as Biswas recalled, the habit of reading of Marxist and other progressive literature had long been associated with the thinking people of the state. Biswas emphasised the importance of developing a regular reading habit as a means of enriching oneself in the most pleasant manner imaginable.

Books could be the instruments of social change if the people delve deep into them and draw the correct lessons that the books teach them.

Biswas also dwelt at length on the importance of making a regular habit of reading books at a two-day workshop organised by the National Book Agency to popularize Marxist literature and to encourage young writers to produce books and leaflets on topical issues. Other speakers at the workshop included the veteran CPI (M) leader and editor of the Bengali weekly Deshhitaishi, Sudhangsu Dasgupta, and state secretariat member of the CPI (M), Shyamal Chakravarty.