In Memory

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On 8 January, 2003, Ganesh Pal, a working class leader of the Eastern Coalfield region and a member of the CPI(M-L) PCC, was murdered by hooligans allegedly backed by the CPI(M) and the police. Every year, his death anniversary is commemorated there. This year, due to the industrial strike of 8 January, the commemoration ceremony was held on 24 January. The mass meeting held on the occasion was addressed by Sushanta Jha of CPI (M-L) New Democracy, Pradip Singh Thakur, CPI(M-L) Red Star, Surinder Singh, CPI(M-L)Liberation and Sailen Bhattacharya, CPI(M-L) PCC. The speakers highlighted the issues of the economic crisis, sell-out of the country to foreign capital and the domestic big corporate houses, and the frantic, naked attempts to divide the country on communal lines by means of NPR, NRC and CAA, and called upon the people to resist these evils. Sailen Bhattachrya, in his speech, highlighted the problems of the coal belt and condemned the plan to hand over the coal mines to the corporate sector. He also referred to the Amendment Act of 2003 and elaborated on its role in leading to the present situation. He condemned the present opposition parties including the TMC and the CPI(M) for allowing the amendment to be passed in 2003 without protest.

Two points about the event, apparently a small one, are noteworthy. One is the large number of women participants among the audience. Besides, in the procession that preceded the mass meeting, their participation was noticeable. The second is that representatives of four separate CPI (M-L) organisations addressed the gathering. It was told by some that the more these organisations shelved their differences and worked together, the greater would be the chance of a genuine left unity that will serve as the bulwark against Indian fascism.

25-01-2020

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Frontier
Vol. 52, No. 32, Feb 9 - 15, 2020