People's Democracy

Foundation Day Of Communist Party Observed

CONVENTIONS across Bengal commemorated the foundation day of the Communist Party in India. The Communist Party in India grew up as an integral part of the workers and peasant struggles, the democratic movement, and the social movement. This was how CPI(M) Bengal unit secretary Biman Basu summed up the backdrop of the foundation of the Communist Party in India. He addressed a crowded Promode Dasgupta Bhavan in the city of Kolkata at a central programme held under the auspices of the Kolkata district unit of the CPI(M) on October 17.

Biman Basu clarified to say that the Communist Party was founded on October 17, 1920 but it had no definite Party programme. That came later in 1930. It was the communists who raised the first cry for full independence in 1921 and again in 1922. The Communist Party from its inception was engaged in the task of organising the kisans and the mazdoors and explained before the mass of the people in a scientific manner the socio-economic reality, class structure, and class struggle, outlining the basic tasks that lay ahead.

An important task before the CPI(M) was to unite all sections of the mass of the people under the Red flag. The CPI(M) has to identify the class allies and strengthen their unity. Through this effort, one would be able to change the correlation of class forces. While the strength of the CPI(M) in the wake of the Party Congress in 2005 has increased, the desired level is yet to be reached. The Party must be made bigger and more equipped politically-ideologically. The mass organisations must be further extended across the country.

Referring to the last assembly elections in Bengal, Biman Basu said that despite winning 50.18 per cent of the votes, the CPI(M) had not been in a position to bring the entire spectrum of the poor, the mazdoors, the khet mazdoors and the kisans under the Red flag. This task brooked no delay towards its fulfilment in the days ahead.

Dwelling briefly on the international scenario, Biman Basu said that despite the debacle of the Soviet Union, the pundits were proved wrong in the sense that communists have again organised themselves across the globe although there was some way to go yet. Anti-imperialism movement was becoming stronger even in the heartland of the first world nations. Protests are voiced strongly from the three continents of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Sweeping working class movements are being witnessed in Europe as well. ‘The future belongs to Socialism,’ declared Biman Basu amidst a round of applause as he concluded his address.

IN TRIPURA

“Party cadres have to enrich themselves through relentless ideological struggle and draw the newer sections of the masses into this struggle for the establishment of exploitation-free socialist society”. 

This was the clarion call given by the Party leaders in various programmes held in Tripura in connection with the observance of the 87th anniversary of the foundation day of Communist Party of India on October 17, 1920 at Taskhent (in erstwhile USSR). On the morning of October 17, all the Party units hoisted Red flags at their respective offices and paid homage to the innumerable comrades who courted supreme sacrifice for the cause of advancement of the communist movement in the country. In the afternoon, all the divisional committees, and in some places the local committees, organised hall meetings on this occasion. State secretariat members and state committee members addressed these hall meetings. 

Bijan Dhar, central committee member, Gautam Das, Badal Chowdhury and Narayan Kar were among those who addressed hall meetings at Khowai, Agartala and Belonia respectively. 

Explaining the historical background of formation of the Indian Communist Party in exile, the leaders said that the unique success of the socialist revolution in USSR in 1917 sparked indomitable inspiration to the struggling people all over the world for national liberation. It resulted in the formation of a core committee of the Indian communists to lead the communist movement in the country and to liberate the country from the shackles of imperialists. Today the CPI(M) has become a major force of the Left movement in the country, they stated. Elaborating on the national situation, Bijan Dhar said “it is time to expand the Party in all parts of the country utilising the present favourable situation, as ours is the only Party which focuses on the real problems of the masses. At the same time, CPI(M) always stands as vanguard in protecting unity, integrity and communal harmony in the country. Thus CPI(M)’s popularity is growing among the wider sections of the people. The new generation among the Party workers must be equipped with the Party’s ideological standpoint and they must render their due to draw the vast masses into the battle for socialist transformation”, he said.