CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat expressed concern over the great Telangana Armed Struggle being painted as a fight between Muslims and Hindus.  She called on the Party cadre to explain to the people that it was a fight for sustenance, land and for abolition of vetti (bonded labour) and a great fight against feudalism.

Speaking at an online meeting organised to mark the conclusion day of Telangana Armed Struggle week, organised by the CPI(M) Telangana state committee, on September 17, she said that the country is being divided on communal lines by the BJP-RSS duo and that it can be resisted only by organising the working class and bringing about a broad unity among them.

Brinda Karat said that the struggle for land is still going on in the country. While the land was in the hands of the feudal lords during the Telangana Armed Struggle, it is now concentrated in the hands of a few monopoly capitalists. She said that only 40 per cent of the people own any piece of land in the country and that this hegemony and exploitation should be fought.

She said that social and ideological unity is important in the struggle against exploitation and oppression and reminded that it was the communists of that time that raised their voice for gender equality, wage parity and women’s rights. She called on people to fight for the right to land, equality of gender and against social division by drawing inspiration from the Telangana struggle.

CPI(M) Central Committee member and state secretary, T Veerabhadram said that in the name of Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS), tax is being levied which will be a burden for the poor and middle class.  He assured that the Party will stand by them and demanded the withdrawal of LRS. He welcomed chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s  announcement of fight against GST and Electricity Amendment Bill. But he appealed the CM to not confine himself to only media statements and to mobilise people and include everyone to fight against the centre.

Mallu Swarajyam, veteran of the armed struggle, said that in place of Nizam, small nizams are coming, and that the rulers are giving back the land taken by the people to the landlords. She called upon people to resist and condemned the government for adjourning assembly half way when it should have been a venue for discussion of people’s problems.

S Veeraiah, Central Committee member, said that the assembly was postponed unexpectedly in the name of corona and the government successfully passed critical bills without due deliberation.  He took a dig at the government for ensuring a seamless relay of the chief minister’s speeches and ending the assembly sessions when it was time for discussions on public issues.

Cherupally Seetharamulu, Central Committee member, said that the armed struggle brought unity across castes and communities and G Nagaiah, another Central Committee member, said that with the inspiration of the armed struggle, people should fight for land and other public issues and only that will be a real tribute to the martyrs of the struggle.

The Telangana Armed Struggle week observed from September 10, the death anniversary of veteran Chakali Ailamma, and remembrance meetings were organised from September 11 to 17, in the birthplaces of the martyrs of the legendary revolutionary movement. Memorial programmes were organised in all districts and in some mandal centres, webinars, songs, poem recitals, meetings and cultural events were organised successfully.

A poster campaign and short video campaign were organised as part of the publicity for the online public meeting, which went on for three hours and it was shared online by one lakh people.

The meeting was presided over by state secretariat member T Jyothi, in which Brinda Karat, Tammineni Veerabhadram, Mallu Swarajyam, S Veeriah, G Nagaiah, Cherupally Seetharamulu spoke. Party secretariat member Julakanti Ranga Reddy made the welcome address and John Wesley proposed a vote of thanks. Prominent political analyst T Ravi translated the speech of Brinda Karat into Telugu.