CPI(M) West Bengal state committee has organised a year long programme to celebrate the centenary of the October Revolution. It concluded with a massive public meeting in Kolkata. The meeting was attended by two thousand people despite inclement weather.

Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury explained the significance of the October Revolution even after 100 years. He said that the revolution proved that through it the exploitation of the working people can be brought to an end. It also proved that what Marx had said held true even 50 years later. And even after 100 years the relevance of the revolution has not diminished. It is as much pertinent today as it was 100 years ago. To achieve a revolutionary transition people have to be mobilised ideologically, politically and organisationally.

Yechury reiterated that the October Revolution triggered many similar revolutions across the world like in Vietnam, China, and Korea etc. It also led to the Communist Party being formed in many countries across the world like in India, where it was formed in 1920. The CPI played a very significant role in India’s independence struggle. Addressing the just concluded Party Congress general secretary of CPC Xi Jinping, reminded his comrades that the CPC was the child of the Russian Revolution.

Yechury said, we will have to remember that concrete analysis of the concrete situation is the core of the Marxist theory, according to Lenin. We should base our endeavor on the mass line. Each country and situation demands special endeavor. What is relevant for one situation may not be suitable for another.

Talking about the situation in the country, Yechury said that Modi government was out to undermine parliament and parliamentary democracy. Addressing a public meeting in Kolkata on the occasion of concluding programme of centenary of October Revolution, Yechury said, they are not convening parliament session so as to avoid questions about the business transactions of sons of Amit Shah and Ajit Doval. Yechury castigated this as Gujarat model of running government where not even 30 days of assembly session per annum was there when Modi was the chief minister of the state. Parliament is the forum where governments are liable to answer. The attack on parliament is a reflection of growing attack on democracy.

He said, recently India’s rating has been improved by Moody’s. This has been cheered by the prime minister and others as a sign of the development of our economy. In reality, this hike in ratings will only enable international finance capital to maximise their profit. While in all other indices like hunger, gender inequality and malnutrition we are lagging far behind than other countries. As far as gender inequality is concerned we are way behind even Bangladesh. The Modi government appears little concerned about that while they are celebrating Moody’s improved ratings.

Yechury said, in India the communists will have to strengthen their fight against imperialism and will have to bring working class under one umbrella to consolidate the fight against the right-wing forces. We cannot afford to make the mistake committed during the Paris Commune where farmers and other working class were not included with the industrial workers. Therefore all the big farmer agitations that are being organised in different parts of the country will have to be integrated with the trade union activities.

Yechury said, BJP has rightly identified the CPI(M) and the Left as their main enemies. The Left is the only force which can challenge them ideologically. That is why the communists are being attacked in West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala. While the TMC and the BJP are engaged in a mock fight, their brand of communalism is in reality feeding on each other.

Yechury said, while Hitler and Mussolini had their black shirts here in India, we have the gau rakshas and other moral police who tell us what to eat, what to wear, who to make friends with etc.

Yechury said, we will have to remember the rich heritage of Bengal. We must remember that on August 15, 1947 instead of being at the Red Fort Gandhiji had chosen to stay in Kolkata to bring an end to the relentless communal riots. We should show similar resilience to fight the divisive forces and forge unity amongst all sections of the people.

Yechury while referring to his recent Moscow tour where leaders of communist parties from 130 countries had assembled to celebrate the centenary of the October Revolution said that all these countries enquired about the communist movement in West Bengal. Yechury assured them that the red flag shall always fly high in this state.

Polit Bureau members Biman Basu and Surjyakanta Misra also addressed the meeting.