People's Democracy

MUMBAI

Moncada Attack’s Anniversary Commemorated

P R Krishnan

MUMBAI, the commercial capital of India, which has been in the forefront of freedom struggles and which spearheaded many an anti-imperialist struggle and pro-peace and pro-non-alignment movement, celebrated on August 2 evening the 50th anniversary of Moncada attack that gave an irreversible boost to the revolutionary process in Cuba. The venue for this commemoration meeting was Vanmali Hall in central Mumbai. The main speaker on the occasion was Abelardo Rafael Cueto Sosa, minister counsellor of Cuban embassy in India. The programme for the commemoration of this historic event leading to the Cuban revolution was especially chalked out in Mumbai by the Left Front parties in the state comprising the CPI(M), CPI and Peasants And Workers Party (PWP).

The CPI(M) state secretary Prabhakar Sanzgiri presided over the meeting. In his speech, Abelardo Rafael Cueto Sosa, the minister counsellor of Cuban embassy, narrated several examples of the onward march of the Cuban revolution under the leadership of the legendary leader Fidel Castro. He pinpointed several instances of CIA sponsored American plans of sabotaging Cuba’s socialist system. In his 40 minute long speech, Sosa unfolded example after example of how the US espionage system staged the various schemes of physical annihilation of Fidel Castro and other leaders of Cuban revolution. But the people of Cuba have, he said, systematically foiled and heroically fought back all such conspiracies and stood firmly upholding their national pride despite the US imposed monstrous economic blockade. Sosa highly spoke of the people of India. The people of Cuba are particularly grateful to the people of India who have extended inspiring support to their cause, he said while concluding.

In his presidential speech, Prabhakar Sanzgiri referred to the various features of the pre-revolution and post-revolution Cuba, and said the Cuban revolution has given a lot of inspiration to the revolutionary movements all over the world. Professor Ramsagar Pande welcomed the gathering. CPI(M) Mumabi committee secretary Mahendra Singh, CPI Mumbai council secretary Narayan Ghagare and PWP Mumbai committee secretary Prabhakar Shanbhag were the other speakers on the occasion. Dr S K Rege translated the English speech of the Cuban representative. Earlier the CPI(M) representatives K L Bajaj and Mahendra Singh, and P R Krishnan, Maharashtra state secretary of the National Committee for Solidarity with Cuba, received the Cuban minister counsellor at the airport.