People's Democracy

CENTENARY OF PRAVDA

CPI(M) Greets Pravda & CPRF

The following is the text of the greetings sent by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Russian Federation and to the Editorial Board of the Pravda on May 2, 2012. CC member, Associate editor, Loklehar, Rajendra Sharma is representing CPI(M) in these celebrations.

DEAR Comrades,

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) greets the Editorial Board of the Pravda and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Russian Federation (CPRF) on the centenary of the Pravda.

As Lenin had defined, a communist newspaper along with its 'exposure' of the ills and limitations of the present social system, should be a collective agitator, collective propagandist and a collective organiser. Pravda, a newspaper started by the outstanding communist leader Lenin, was run by him on these lines and became a model for all the other newspapers started for the socialist cause.

Indian Communists too, learning from the Russian experience, had started and ran many newspapers in the vernacular languages to expose the British rule, rouse the people into popular movements and also propagate the ideals of social justice.

Apart from the many vernacular dailies, that are continuing in the post-independent era, the CPI (M) is bringing out the weekly People’s Democracy, the official organ of the Party and Loklehar in Hindi, since the last 40 years. These organs are helping the Party to resist the ideological offensive of the ruling classes and to strengthen the Party.

In the background of the global economic crisis, the most severest since the Great Depression of the 1930s, there is all the more a necessity for the newspapers of the type envisioned by Lenin. The increasing struggles worldwide show the  growing discontent among the people. They are searching for alternatives. It is thus imperative upon us, the Communists and the media run by us to place before the people the correct path for bringing an end to their travails and exploitation. The newspapers help us in strengthening the 'subjective factor', as Lenin called it, to utilise the condusive objective factors for transforming the society – establishing a socialist system.

Once again, we extend our warm greetings to all of you, and also thank you for inviting our representative to be present with you and share thoughts on this august occasion.