Anti-Fascist Anniversary Observed In Bengal With Fervour

B Prasant

THE 60th anniversary of the triumph against fascism was commemorated throughout the state of Bengal with processions and mass rallies marking the important event. Two booklets on the historic significance of the anti-fascist triumph, written by Anil Biswas and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were published on the same day.

A large procession bedecked with Red flags was taken out in central Kolkata in the afternoon under the aegis of the central-east zone of the Kolkata district committee of the CPI(M).  Before the march, a rally was held at the crossing of CIT Road and Ananda Palit Road.

Addressing the rally, state secretary of the CPI(M), Anil Biswas said that in the run up to the Second World War, fascist powers had raised their ugly heads in 17 European countries and in one Asian country. Fascism posed a great peril to the world. The Soviet Red Army with assistance from the allied forces rid the world of the fascist menace. This created a new fervour in the world. Thus, the anti-fascist triumph continued to be a celebration and of joy for the poor, for the middle class, and for all the secular and democratic people of the world, asserted Biswas.

Recalling the great anti-fascist tradition of Kolkata, Anil Biswas said that the city had recorded an overwhelming number of processions, strikes, and conventions to protest against the fascist peril. Rabindranath Tagore had come boldly forward with other great men of the times to denigrate fascism whose ultimate failure he had envisaged.

Anil Biswas briefly summed up the glorious anti-fascist role of the Communist Party.  Communist leader, Abdul Halim wrote several essays to analyse the character of fascism and making people aware of the danger the phenomenon contained. Biswas said that the struggle against the fascist menace must never be let off and should be pursued as a continuous process.

Fascism has been defeated but the menace remains potent, especially in view of the setting up of neo-fascism in various countries of Europe. People of every section must be mobilised against the fascist menace. Biswas repeatedly referred to the glorious role emoted by J V Stalin in meting out a crushing defeat to fascism.

Anil Biswas, LF chairman Biman Basu, central committee member of the CPI(M), Banani Biswas, state secretariat member of the Party, Raghunath Kushari, and Ganashakti editor, Narayan Dutta among others marched in the big procession that followed.

Releasing the two booklets on the triumph against fascism, Anil Biswas stated at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan that the publications threw light on the various aspects of the menace of fascism and chronicles in brief the triumph against it. Biswas also announced a series of educational programmes on the 60th anniversary of the triumph against fascism that will be held in all the districts of Bengal. (INN)