People's Democracy

Cuban, Venezuelan TU Leaders Felicitated

A WARM welcome was extended to the two visiting TU leaders from Latin America and Central America when they came to Kolkata and Haldia in the wake of the all-India CITU conference in Bangalore. The leaders were Raymundo Fernandez, member of the national executive of the CTC of Cuba, and Pedro Eusse, MP, and a top-ranking CUTV leader from Venezuela.

On the first day of their visit, the two TU leaders were felicitated at Mahajati Sadan in Kolkata, at the Nazrul manch at Kamarhati, at the electronics complex at Salt Lake, and at the industrial complex at Haldia. The two TU leaders thanked the CITU for the warmth of the welcome extended to them. They said that they could feel the surge of anti-imperialist feelings in Kolkata and Bengal, a feeling that was now more than ever, sweeping what the Cuban poet, Jose Marti called ‘mi America’ or ‘our America.’ Fernandez and Eusse pointed out that the road to victory was the road to socialism, all the way.

Raymundo Fernandez noted that Cuba stood for an international unity of the exploited classes, and said that in carrying forth the anti-imperialist struggle in Cuba and Latin American countries, the solidarity of the people of India and Bengal would be recalled with enthusiasm. Eusse pointed out that the people of Venezuela struggling against the forces of US imperialism and its lackeys were united under the leadership of president Chavez. The aim is to set the nation on a strong footing of national economic rejuvenation and political unity. To do this there was no alternative to socialism.

Bengal CITU leaders who were present during the felicitation ceremonies were Kali Ghosh, Dipak Dasgupta, Rajdeo Goala, Asim Banerjee, Amitava Nandi, Laxman Seth, Nirmal Jana, Pranab Das, Somnath Bhattacharya, and Prasanta Nandi Chaudhuri. Fernandez and Eusse also paid a visit to the ailing CITU leader Shyamal Chakraborty, convalescing in a medical institution and had an hour-long discussion with him. (B P)