People's Democracy

KERALA

 CPI(M) Collects Solidarity Fund For West Bengal

K K Ragesh

THE people of Kerala expressed profound solidarity with the struggling people of West Bengal. They responded massively to the solidarity fund campaign of the CPI(M) Kerala state committee in support of the people facing heinous attacks of the TMC-Maoist-Congress forces. The Central Committee meeting of the CPI(M) held at Hyderabad had called for organising West Bengal solidarity campaign and the solidarity fund collection. And immediately after the decision, the Kerala state committee had contributed Rs 25 lakhs as a first installment of the fund. The Kerala state committee had decided to collect the solidarity fund on August 7-8.

In July, a huge solidarity campaign was organised in the state where thousands of people participated in every center to show their anger against the terror unleashed on the Party comrades and to express their heartfelt solidarity. The solidarity campaign programmes were accompanied by the fund collection and the Kerala state committee had called upon its units to collect the fund on August 7-8 through bucket collection. The state committee also said that the Party cadres at all levels including the leadership would directly participate in the collection. The solidarity fund call evoked inspiring response from all sections of the people. Around 50,000 Party squads visited each and every house, shops, factories and other institutions in the state for the solidarity fund. Tens of lakhs of pamphlets were also distributed during the solidarity campaign.

Along with the state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, other state secretariat and state committee members, district secretaries and elected representatives of the Party also led the solidarity fund collection in different parts of the state. After participating in the fund collection campaign at Rajaji Nagar Colony in Thiruvananthapuram city, Pinarayi Vijayan called upon the democratic sections to support the struggling people of West Bengal who are being terribly attacked by the TMC led forces. The Left activists, sympathisers and their family members in West Bengal are facing this continuous attack. Thousands of houses were burned and tens of thousands became homeless as their houses were destroyed. Many comrades were severely attacked and were seriously injured.

Pinarayi Vijayan describing the situation in West Bengal said that after the assembly elections alone, more than 30 people were brutally killed. In many areas, people were threatened with dire consequences for their political loyalty and many of them were attacked for their undeterred support to the Left. The TMC led government in the state is also aiding the criminals without taking any action against them. A large number of people have been rehabilitated who includes not just the Party activists but sympathisers of the class and mass organisations also. Many of them need a long time medical care. And thus it is extremely important for one and all to take part in the solidarity fund collection, he said. 

The people of Kerala contributed Rs 3,68,04,120 as solidarity fund. Pinarayi Vijayan handed over the solidarity fund (3,54,59,172) to Biman Basu, secretary of the West Bengal state committee of the CPI(M) on August 26 during the Parliament March organised against the TMC-Maoist terror in West Bengal. Handing over the fund, Pinarayi Vijayan said that the democratic rights in West Bengal are being slaughtered under the TMC led regime. Many comrades are killed and many are seriously injured and the Party state committee had given the fund call on August 7-8 to aid those comrades and to protect their families. Polit Bureau members and state committee members also participated in the fund collection campaign and the 50,000 squads collected the fund from 5,60,000 houses, shops and institutions in the state. The Kerala Party state committee is ready for more assistance if required, he said.