We observe 5th August, the day, when Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, our beloved leader, teacher and guide, the Founder-General Secretary of the SUCI (Communist), and one of the foremost Marxist thinkers of this era, passed away in 1976 at the height of his ability, not for airing our pain and acute sense of loss that has remained undiminished all through these years, but as a day to take pledge to dedicate ourselves anew to engage wholeheartedly in the revolutionary struggle of toiling masses of this land, for emancipation of mankind. This Memorial Day comes as we are passing through the Centenary of the November Revolution, it comes in the midst of a year-long programme for celebrating and imbibing the essence of November revolution, a source of deep inspiration in building up mass and class struggles throughout our country.
It is Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, the great Marxist thinker, who brought the teachings of Marxism-Leninism, the teachings of the great November Revolution truly alive on Indian soil. Applying Marxism-Leninism, the scientific method of analysis, consciously and ceaselessly in every sphere, he concretized Marxism-Leninism on the Indian soil and applied it in the contemporary international situation, elaborating, enriching and elevating its understanding to a newer height. In the process, he himself emerged as the living symbol of the noblest heights of communist character and culture. Exhorting the working class to imbue the revolutionary struggles with higher proletarian ethics and culture without which they would never be able to attain their cherished goal, he taught that the essence of Marxism lies in its higher ethical, cultural and aesthetic standard.
While the November Revolution has stood and still stands out as a beacon of hope and deep inspiration for the downtrodden, exploited and oppressed people across the globe, for the bourgeoisie however it has been and still remains a nightmare. Even after the disintegration of the socialist states through counter-revolution plotted by the revisionists aided and abetted by world imperialism-capitalism, the capitalists never got out of their fear complex of revolution. For whether they admit it or not, with the ever ravaging insolvable crisis of capitalism wreaking havoc in people’s life, there is growing urge within the society to unshackle the strangulating noose of gruelling capitalist exploitation. If the suffering millions find the ideology with higher culture that they need for their emancipation and are gripped by that, it will spell the doom of the obsolete, rotten, ruthlessly exploitative capitalist system. That is why, even while delivering pulpit speeches exhorting good, moral conduct as a part of their deceptive overtures, the ruling bourgeoisie and its agents in governmental power are fostering all sorts of vile and base propensities and bring down countless attacks on aesthetic taste, ethics and culture in countless ways, fostering blindness, obscurantism not to speak of the corruption and crimes that their capitalist rule engenders. It is in this background that while observing Memorial Day of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, we take pledge to engage ourselves with renewed vigour and dedication in the struggle to study and imbibe the teachings of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh and to spread his thoughts among the masses while striving with all our might to build up mass movements and advance the revolutionary struggle towards it ultimate goal.
Given below is the brief coverage of the Memorial Day meetings round the country. Everywhere the meetings started with garlanding the portrait of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, rendering of the song composed on him and ended with the Internationale. In many places, the volunteers of Komsomol, the wing of young communists, offered guard of honour.
West Bengal
A state-level mass meeting was held on 5 August last at Nazrul Mancha, Kolkata. The memorial meeting was presided over by Comrade Ranjit Dhar, veteran member of Polit Bureau and addressed by Comrade Provash Ghosh, General Secretary, of the Party. The venue was selected because of persisting inclement weather and hence gathering inside the hall was restricted as per accommodation. Hundreds of activists, supporters and sympathizers who could not enter the hall listened to the speeches from outside. In his brief presidential speech, Comrade Ranjit Dhar said that menacing rise of right reactionary communal RSS-BJP has posed a grave danger to the country. Even in West Bengal, known to be the citadel of left-democratic movement, BJP has got an entry because the CPI (M) in its 34 years of misrule had pursued anti-left policies and destroyed to a great extent the pro-left pro-movement mentality. Netaji Subhaschandra once warned the country of the dangerous consequence if communal Hindu Mahasabha was allowed to infiltrate. His apprehensions proved to be correct. The RSS-BJP are descendants of Hindu Mahasabha only. Kolkata which was termed as the city of nightmare for the ruling bourgeoisie and its subservient political parties is now dispossessed of its uncompromising militant protesting character. While the CPI (M) and its associates have shunned leftism and trying to survive based on opportunistic parliamentarian politics, our Party guided by the invaluable teachings of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh are single-handedly holding aloft the noble flag of Marxism-Leninism.
In his speech, Comrade Provash Ghosh mainly stressed on some organizational problems and weaknesses which we need to overcome fast based on the teachings and guidelines provided by Comrade Shibdas Ghosh if we are to take full advantage of the extremely favourable situation for speedy organizational growth of the Party and live upto the expectation of the countrymen who are now looking forward to us for fulfilling their dream for emancipation from the yoke of capitalist rule. The text of Comrade Provash Ghosh’s speech will be published later.
Kerala
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Memorial Day was observed in Kerala with statewide propaganda culminating in a state level memorial meeting at Pampady in Kottayam district on 5 August. Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya, Member, Polit Bureau, SUCI(C) was the main speaker. Comrade C K Lukose, Central Committee member and Kerala State secretary of the Party presided over. Before the meeting there was a well decorated demonstration in the town. Hundreds of comrades participated solemnly, disdaining inclement weather. Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya started his speech referring to the historic arduous struggle Comrade Shibdas Ghosh waged in the initial days to build up the party. Usurpation of power by the Indian national bourgeoisie through compromise and formation of a Congress government after independence shattered the dreams of the valiant freedom fighters and revolutionaries who made sacrifices to bring about emancipation of the countrymen from exploitation. Based on Marxist methodology of analysis, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh pointed out that without achieving socialist revolution led by a genuine communist party, real emancipation could never come by. By his penetrating analysis based on Marxism-Leninism, Comrade Ghosh concluded that the undivided CPI and other left parties were mere petty bourgeois parties. So he took it upon himself, along with a few of his revolutionary compatriots, the uphill task of building up a genuine communist party on the soil. Now our Party has organisational activities, almost all over the country. The pseudo- communists are now so weakened that they are unable to put up any hindrance before the onward march of the SUCI(C). But we still lag behind in attaining sufficient strength to lead the exploited and oppressed people of the country to emancipation.
Now, the situation is grave. The RSS-BJP are dragging the country to the dark days of fascism. Modi government as the trusted agent of the Indian bourgeois class, is implementing all pro-capitalist policies. This is wreaking havoc in the life of the people. Simultaneously they are spreading communal, obscurantist and all sort of divisive tendencies to break the unity of the oppressed people thereby giving extra lease of life to the moribund capitalist system. To foil this conspiracy, we must strengthen class and mass struggles and step up ideological struggle. Comrade Bhattacharyya concluded his speech by urging upon all to cultivate Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought. We must fight out all our limitations and shortcomings and be equal to the task.
Also spoke were Comrades V. Venugopal, G.S. Padmakumar and Jaison Joseph, all State secretariat members.
Assam
Memorial Day meeting was organized at Library hall, Guwahati, on 8 August. Comrade Chandralekha Das, Assam State Secretary presided over while Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya, Polit Bureau member, was the main speaker. In his analytical speech, Comrade Bhattacharyya stressed on relentless meticulous cultivation of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought and build up class and mass struggles based on that. In her presidential address, Comrade Chandralekha Das said that observance of 5 August is no ritual but an occasion to renew our pledge to develop ourselves as true communists by assimilating the essence of the teachings of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh. She also touched upon how in the strangulating rule of communal BJP, life is devastated in every respect and divisiveness in the form of fomenting communalism through cow vigilantism etc. is precipitated to disrupt people’s unity. The government is criminally aloof at people’s death, either in flood or communal-casteist-parochial conflicts. Emancipation lies only in accomplishing anti-capitalist socialist revolution by intensifying people’s struggles along right track.
Another Memorial Day meeting was held in Silchar on 5 August. It was presided over by Comrade Shyamdeo Kurmi while the main speech was delivered by Comrade Suratjaman Mondal, Assam State Committee Secretariat member. In his speech, Comrade Mondal went on to explain how with the object of building up a genuine communist party on Indian soil, Comrade Ghosh had applied and in its course enriched Marxism- Leninism. Based on his thoughts today our party is building up movements in different parts of the country. Communist parties in other countries too are getting enriched by his thoughts.
Karnataka
The memorial meeting was held on 5 August at SCM Hall in Bangalore, Karnataka. Comrade K. Uma, Karnataka state committee member, presided over the meeting. Comrade K. Radhakrishna, Central Committee member and Karnataka State Secretary, was the main speaker. In his speech, he elaborately dwelt on how Comrade Shibdas Ghosh could locate way back in 1956 how modern revisionism was poised to weaken and ultimately endanger socialism and communist movement, explained confusion between authority concept and authoritarianism and pointed out pernicious fallout of anti-Stalin tirade by revisionist Khrushchev leadership. Comrade Radhakrishna also cautioned about the danger of fascism our country is facing. Much like Hitler, Narendra Modi and his government are resorting to the heinous policy of persuasion and suppression to tread along fascistic line. He also criticized the opportunistic compromising role of the pseudo-communist parties, whom Great leader Lenin had called the ‘labour aristocrats’. He appealed to all to grasp Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought and build up powerful anti-capitalist class and mass struggles. The meeting ended with the firm determination to apply the teachings of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh and strengthen class and mass struggles.
Tripura
Tripura State Party organized a public meeting at TB Association Hall in Agartala, on 5 August. In his presidential address, Comrade Arun Bhowmick, Tripura state Secretary, criticized the CPI(M) Government for practising opportunism and vote-bank politics which is paving way to arch communal BJP to penetrate. Comrade Gopal Kundu, Central Committee member, was the main speaker. He pointed out that Comrade Shibdas Ghosh had founded the genuine communist party on Indian soil with the object of accomplishing socialist revolution. He had urged upon all other left and democratic parties to build up united movements against ruthless capitalist exploitation as complementary to socialist revolution. While the need is to build up united left-democratic movement against thriving right reactionary forces, the parties like the CPI, CPI(M) are eager to forge unprincipled electoral alliance with the Congress and other bourgeois forces for pelf and power. Comrade Kundu called upon toiling people to develop mighty movement based on peoples’ demands under correct revolutionary leadership.
Odisha
Memorial Day meeting was held on 5 August at Shaheed Bhavan, Cuttack. Comrade Dhurjati Das, Odisha State Secretary, presided over while Comrade Uddhab Jena, Odisha state committee member delivered the introductory speech. In his main speaker’s address, Comrade Saumen Basu, member, Central Committee and West Bengal State Secretary dwelt on the present national and international situations and stressed upon strengthening SUCI(C) founded by Comrade Shibdas Ghosh. He added that only way towards emancipation from blood-sucking capitalist exploitation is to accomplish anti-capitalist socialist revolution based on Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought drawing inspiration from the Great November Revolution the centenary of which we are observing now with due solemnity and importance.
Madhya Pradesh
A state level meeting was organised on 10th of August at Gandhi Bhavan, Bhopal. Party activists and supporters in hundreds from Indore Gwalior Guna, Dewas, Bhopal, Ashoknagar and Alirajpur gathered at the venue. Addressing as the main speaker, Comrade Satyawan, Central Committee member, SUCI(C) said that by assimilating the teachings of comrade Shibdas Ghosh, we have to develop ourselves and lead the class and mass struggles in right direction. The obtaining capitalist system and its government are pursuing one after another anti-people policies wreaking havoc in people’s life. On the other hand, all attempts are made to wipe out human values and shatter the moral backbone of the country. We must fight all these and pave way to anti-capitalist socialist revolution. Comrade Pratap Samal, MP State Secretary, said that in the light of thoughts of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh we have to develop, intensify and co-ordinate the movements of the peasants, workers and other sections of the toiling masses. The meeting was presided over by Comrade J C Barai, District Secretary, Bhopal.
Haryana
On 5 August, a meeting was organized at Chhotu Ram Park in Rohtak, Haryana with Comrade Satyawan, Central Committee member and Haryana State Secretary presiding over. In his speech as the main speaker, Comrade Sankar Saha, Central Committee member, said that waves of peoples’ movements are surging forth in our country as also in different parts of the world against gruelling capitalist exploitation. What is needed is to give these growing movements a correct direction under correct revolutionary leadership. Since the most developed understanding of Marxism-Leninism is contained in Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought, the toiling people need to imbibe that and move accordingly. Whether the Congress or the BJP or any other bourgeois petty-bourgeois parties—all are out to subvert democracy and corner progressive democratic forces. It is only socialism which can bring about desired emancipation of the oppressed masses. He called upon all sections of exploited people- students, youth, women, workers and peasants to cement struggling unity and strengthen solidarity. Comrade Anoop Singh, member, Haryana State Committee of the Party, conducted the proceedings.
Delhi
Memorial Day meeting was held on 6 August at N D Tewari Bhawan, ITO. Comrade Pran Sharma, Delhi State Secretary presided over and Comrade Sankar Saha, member, Central Committee was the main speaker. Comrade Pran Sharma, in his presidential address referred to the deep and unending crises of the world capitalist system, which is causing misery to and destitution of the peoples all around the globe, including our country, and stressed on the need for subjective preparation of the revolutionary forces in order to become able to overthrow this decadent system and replace it with the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Comrade Sankar Saha, drew the attention of the audience to the extreme hardship faced by the people due to the savage capitalist exploitation and stated that while the enemy of the people, that is, the Indian capitalist class and its state machine is well known to us, it is equally important for us to know the enemy within the working class against which we have to conduct a relentless struggle in all the spheres of life. That enemy is ‘individualism’ which is constantly sapping the strength of the working class from within. Comrade Shibdas Ghosh pointed out that earlier the yardstick for a good communist used to be where the individual was subordinated to the social interest. But now under the moribund and decaying conditions of capitalism when individualism has become more deep-rooted and complex, the communists have to identify their individual interest with the social interest, that is, with the interest of the party and the revolution in all the spheres of life. It is only then, one can acquire the real communist character which would be in conformity with the interests of the socialist revolution. Most of the once big left parties like the RSP, RCPI, Workers’ Party, Bolshevik Party, All India Forward Bloc etc., have either vanished from the scene or are left with a sign-board. The CPI and CPI(M) which were once big parties only next to Congress, are struggling for their existence with the help of the bourgeois parties; while the SUCI(C) which came into existence after independence, is now rapidly spreading its organization in 23 states of the country. He appealed to the cadres, supporters and sympathizers of the party in Delhi to overcome all their difficulties and limitations, and strengthen the party.
Andhra Pradesh-Telangana
The 41st Memorial Day Meeting took place on 6 August at Press Club, Hyderabad. Comrade K. Radhakrishna, Member, Central Committee, SUCI(C), was the main speaker. Comrade K. Sridhar, Secretary, AP and Telengana, was the other speaker. Comrade Ch. Murahari, member, State Organizing Committee, presided over the meeting.
Comrade K. Sridhar in his address reminded that both the central government and the state governments in order to divert the attention of the people from the real issues, are encouraging blindness and unscientific thoughts, fomenting national jingoism on the one side and spreading fascist culture on the other. Along with them, are generated war psychosis and anti-Muslim hysteria. The only way out to stall the sinister ploys of the ruling capitalist class and its servitors is to build united powerful mass movements based on higher proletarian culture and to promote scientific attitude among the masses. Comrade Radhakrishna, in his speech explained why Comrade Shibdas Ghosh’s Thought is the most enriched understanding of Marxism-Leninism without assimilating which, Indian Revolution cannot be accomplished. Like the Congress, the BJP also in its earlier avatar as Jan Sangh, which was against the public sector from the beginning, is also actively pursuing the ruinous policies of globalization-privatization and has inflicted deeper wounds on the people with demonetization, GST and lifting of cooking gas subsidies etc. and inching towards fascism. Comrade Shibdas Ghosh taught us that fascism destroys human values and fosters regimentation of thought. The only remedy lies in building a mighty, democratic, mass movement across the country in order to stall fascism and preserve the unity of the people.
Jharkhand
Memorial Day meeting was held at the Study Centre of Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought in Ghatsila on 5th August 2017. Comrade Arun Kumar Singh, Bihar State Secretary, SUCI (C) was the main speaker, while Comrade Rabin Samajpati, Jharkhand State Secretary, SUCI (C) presided over. In his speech, Comrade Arun Singh elaborately discussed why Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought is to be embraced as the guiding ideology in conducting the class and mass struggles against the burning problems of life bred by the exploiting capitalist system.
Bihar
Memorial Day meeting was organized on 6 August at IMA Hall in Patna. Comrade Rabin Samajpati, Jharkhand State Secretary, was the main speaker and Comrade Arun Kumar Singh, Bihar State Secretary, presided over.
Comrade Samajpati dwelt on the various aspects and developments at both national and international spheres and warned against the communal politics being practised by the Sangh Parivar with a view to establishing fascism that poses a serious threat to the unity of the toiling people of all communities. The ruling BJP is trampling underfoot the secular, democratic values.
Comrade Arun Singh focussed on the life-struggle of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh which is identified with the struggle for building up the Party. He said that the call of the hour is to accelerate the process of accomplishing the anti-capitalist socialist revolution based on Marxism- Leninism Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought.
Tamil Nadu
Memorial Day meeting was held on 11 August near T’Nagar bus stand in Chennai. Comrade A. Rengasamy, Tamil Nadu State Secretary presided over while Comrade K Sridhar, AP-Telangana State Secretary, was the main speaker. Comrade A Anavarathan, member, Tamil Nadu State Organizing Committee, translated Comrade Sridhar’s speech in Tamil. Comrade V P Nandakumar, member, Tamil Nadu State Organizing Committee, handed over a copy of the 2nd edition of the Tamil version of the book “On communal Problem” by Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, to Comrade Sridhar. In his address, Comrade Sridhar said that we are observing this Memorial Day in the centenary year of great November Revolution that created the first working class state in the world and proved correctness of Marxism-Leninism. Socialism brought about great fundamental changes in the society and wiped out most of the evils of capitalism like unemployment, price rise, hunger, poverty and beggary. In our country, life is devastated by ruthless capitalist exploitation in the form of one after another anti-people policies and measures. To divert people’s attention from the real cause of their misery and dissuade them from the path of movement, the capitalist rulers are precipitating various kinds of divisiveness and moving towards fascism. Urgent need is to build up united powerful people’s movement along right track conducive to anti-capitalist socialist revolution.
Chhattisgarh
Memorial Day meeting was held at Raipur on 10 August. Comrade Dhurjati Das, Odisha State Secretary, was the main speaker. He said that even after 70 years of independence, not a single basic problem of people’s life has been solved. Rather the problems are aggravating. Based on Marxian science, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh had shown that with the Indian national bourgeoisie saddled in state power, oppression and repression on the toiling millions, the workers and peasants are intensifying with every passing day. He appealed to all to grasp the teachings of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh and discharge positive conscious role in building up people’s struggles against such gruelling capitalist exploitation. Others who spoke were Comrades Atmaram Sahoo and Vishwajit Harode and Dr. Shom Goswami.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Organising Committee of SUCI(C) organized Memorial Day meeting on 6 August 2017 at Janata Kendra Hall, Tulsiwadi, Tardeo, Mumbai Central. Comrade Anil Kumar Tyagi, Secretary, Mumbai Organising Committee. Comrade D N Rath, Gujarat State Secretary, in his speech as the main speaker said that in order to have a proper understanding of the spate of incidents taking place around, one has to view on the basis of Marxism – Leninism – Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought. BJP government wants one party rule in order to establish full fledged fascism just like by Hitler to serve the class interest of the ruling monopolists. Democracy is under severe attack. People are looking for a proper alternative political force. In this situation we have to develop and strengthen SUCI (C), party to organize people’s movements on the burning problems of life. Others who spoke were Comrades Yogendra Kulshreshtha and comrade Jayram Vishwakarma.
UP
A meeting was held in Jaunpur with party workers, supporters and common people from both Jaunpur and Sultanpur participating in great number with great enthusiasm. Before the meeting started, a rally was taken out from Badalpur (Sabji Mundi) Party Office and crossing Indira Chowk, reached the venue. At the outset Komsomol parade was held that paid guard of honour in front of the portrait of the Great Leader.
Comrade Jagannath Verma, Office Secretary, UP State Committee presided over the meeting and Comrade Mithilesh Kumar Mourya member, Jaunpur District Committee was in conduction. Comrade Swapan Chatterjee, member, UP State committee in his speech as the main speaker spoke at length on the life-struggle of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh and called upon all to reach out the teachings of Marx-Lenin and Shibdas Ghosh to the common oppressed masses. Comrade V N Singh, Secretary, UP State Committee also addressed the gathering.
