People's Democracy

 

PUNJAB

 

Thousands Pay Homage to Comrade Surjeet

 

Asha Nand

 

THE Punjab state committee of the CPI(M) has recently brought out two new publications. While one of them is titled Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet: Ek Prernadayak Jivan Gatha, the other is Marxvad-Leninvad Da Adhyan Kiwen Karie (Why to Study Marxism-Leninism).

 

Both these publications were released on the occasion of an impressive rally that was recently organised at village Bundala, the native village of Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet, to pay him homage.

 

Thousands of peasants, industrial workers, agricultural workers, youth, students and women as well as CPI(M) activists from every corner of the state reached village Bundala to pay homage to their beloved departed leader who was one of the tallest leaders of the communist movement. The whole village was decorated with red flags and banners.

 

Led by the squad of about one hundred youth bearing red shirts, a procession marched on motorcycles and scooters on this occasion and reached the venue of the rally where Nilotpal Basu, a member of the CPI(M) Central Secretariat, also joined it. After Nilotpal Basu hoisted the party’s flag near the stage, late Comrade Surjeet’s wife Bibi Pritam Kaur came to the stage.

 

Bibi Pritam Kaur, Nilotpal Basu, Comrade Surjeet’s son Gurchetan Singh Bassi, grandson Sandip Singh Sonu and other family members were among those who paid floral tributes at the departed leader’s photograph on the day.

 

The rally was addressed by  Nilotpal Basu, Charan Singh Virdi (secretary, Punjab state committee of the CPI-M), Lehmber Singh Taggar, Raghunath Singh, Vijay Misra, Rachhpal Singh, Gurmesh Singh, Gurmit Singh Dhadda, Bhup Chand Chano (state secretariat members of the CPI-M), S Balwant Singh Ramuwalia (president, Lok Bhalai Party), S Paramjit Singh Sidhwan (advisor to Sukhbir Singh Badal, the deputy chief minister of Punjab), Bharat Inder Singh Chahal (former media advisor to Captain Amrinder Singh, ex-chief minister of Punjab), Darbara Singh (former governor of Rajasthan) and Gurchetan Singh Bassi (state committee member of the CPI-M), were among those who addressed the rally.

 

While addressing the rally, Nilotpal Basu said Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet had enjoined upon us the task of taking the revolutionary ideology and struggle forward. It was the duty of all of us to keep burning the torchlight of struggle. He said Comrade Surjeet relentlessly fought against imperialism and communalism at the national and international levels. Basu pointed out that sending a large quantity of wheat to Cuba against the blockade imposed by US imperialism was an exemplary act in itself.

 

Reacting to a statement made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his visit to West Bengal, Basu said Rahul is still in his political childhood and should remember that the difference among the poor and rich has been increasing in the country during the rule of the Congress led governments, while the party remains in the grip of his family members since independence. He said the number of capitalists has increased from 9 to 50 during this period, whereas the 83 crore people of the country are living on Rs 20 per day only. He added that Marxism is the only ideology which can show the way to abolish such differences in the world. How can one say that it is a dead ideology when a large number of people the world over still follow the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and several countries are under the rule of the communist parties. Basu said the struggle of the working people against capitalist exploitation would continue till the victory and Marxism-Leninism will forever be our guide in this struggle. While remembering Comrade Surjeet, we have to take the pledge that we would intensify this struggle and we would strengthening the organisation and the Left unity for this purpose.

 

Basu also appealed for donations to the fund for construction of Surjeet Bhawan in New Delhi.