People's Democracy

Bengal Gears Up To Welcome Hugo Chavez

B Prasant

BENGAL is ready to welcome Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela when he visits the Kolkata metropolis on March 5 and 6.   In its meeting held on February 27, the Bengal Left Front declared that it would be engaged fully in the task of making President Chavez’s visit to Kolkata a grand success.

The Bengal Left Front believes that President Chavez, who heads the Latin American country of Venezuela, has rapidly become a symbol of the struggle against US imperialism.   Pointing out that several US-plotted coups have not been able to unseat the popular Venezuelan leader, the Bengal Left Front holds that the elected president has been able to renew his tryst with the people through a counter uprising of the masses.

Chavez evinced interest to visit Kolkata when delegates from India, over in Caracas, Venezuela to participate in an international seminar had met him.  The delegation included Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), Prakash Karat, among others.

Bengal Left Front chairman, Biman Basu has declared that the Left Front would spare nothing to ensure that the mass reception that the Venezuelan leader would be offered at the Rabindra Sarovar stadium on March 5 afternoon, would be a glorious event.

The Bengal Left Front has also urged upon the people to participate massively on March 20 when the LF observes the anti-imperialist day, on this day last year, the forces US imperialism aided and abetted by Britain had invaded Iraq.  In this programme the Left Front would like other Left parties outside of the Left Front to be coordinated with for the observance of the anti-imperialism day. 

Elsewhere, the CPI (M) has been engaged in the task of mobilising the masses to make the visit of President Chavez an important landmark in the anti-imperialist tradition of the city and the state.  Millions of leaflets on President Chavez and the Venezuelan reality have been circulated among the people.  The daily Ganashakti has been running everyday a series of short backgrounders on President Chavez and the struggle in Latin America against the hegemonic drive of the US imperialism and its cronies.

Wall writings have been stepped up all over the state.  Banners, festoons, and buntings, welcoming the Latin American warrior against imperialism are being set up. Kolkata and Bengal will fondly recall, as the people prepare to welcome President Chavez, the marches that had been taken out in August of 2004 when news reached about Chavez’s decisive win in the referendum that was held in Venezuela.

On March 5, according to the tentative programme drawn up, President Chavez, on landing at the Kolkata airport, would be driven in a motorcade along the Nazrul Islam Avenue (formerly VIP road), and would receive mass receptions at several points en route.  During the afternoon of March 5, President Chavez will be offered a warm mass reception in south Kolkata at the Rabindra Sarovar stadium adjoining the Nazrul manch. President Chavez is expected to greet the gathering. 

President Chavez will meet representatives of political parties in the evening.  On March 6, Bengal chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and industries minister, Nirupam Sen will meet him.  A landmark programme on the day would be the Venezuelan leader’s visit to a Panchayat to witness participatory democracy in action. (INN)

(March 1, 2005)