MINDLESS violence unleashed on the cadres and the offices of CPI(M) in Tripura on September 8 was condemned by the people of Tamil Nadu in various ways. Many demonstrations were held across the state since September 10 condemning the BJP for unleashing the reign of terror. Barring BJP, all political parties and democratic organisations came forward to participate in the protest demonstration held at ValluvarKottam, Chennai on September 24.

Presiding over the protest meeting, K Balakrishnan, secretary, TN state committee of CPI(M) said that BJP is using Tripura as a testing lab for its fascistic activities. By unleashing such widespread violence on CPI(M) in Tripura, the BJP got itself exposed among the people that all their promises and sweet talks are nothing but a mirage. He also expressed the solidarity of the people of Tamil Nadu with the people of Tripura in this testing time.

Mutharasan, secretary, CPI, Tamil Nadu said that BJP as the political wing of RSS is implementing its agenda one by one to the detriment of the Indian people. He also said that the all India strike called on by the farmers collective will herald the death knell of RSS and its Parivar.

May 17 movement leader, Thirumurugan Gandhi said that BJP which came to power in 2018 with false promises got exposed during these three years. The people of Tripura had realised their folly and started gravitating towards CPI(M) in recent times. Seeing defeat on their faces, the fascistic BJP started violence on CPI(M) to terrorise the people. But BJP’s violence will boomerang on it through the collective strength of the people of Tripura.

CPI(M) secretary M K Natarajan said that this violence is the result of the utter failure of the BJP in Tripura. As part of the anger rising across the country against BJP for its anti-people policies and activities, the people of Tripura will also rise in unison to defeat the nefarious designs of BJP.

Professor M H Jawahirulla, president, MMK recalled the insidious design of RSS and BJP to dislodge the honest and people-friendly Left Front government of Manik Sarkar. As its false promises given at the time of assembly elections got exposed, the BJP started its violent activities upon the CPI(M) which is leading the people of Tripura. The 2023 assembly election in Tripura and the 2024 parliament election will ensure the defeat of the BJP and its Hindutva ideology.

Professor A Marx who spoke on behalf of the State Human Rights Federation said that RSS and BJP are always in the habit of dividing people, pitting one against another through violence. RSS which has opposed the demand for the formation of linguistic states is hell-bent to destroy the fruits earned through such linguistic states. During the past 70-80 years, following the footsteps of the Italian dictator, Mussolini, the RSS was running an armed training school. After 2019, they have started another school recently and have plans to start five more armed training schools in the country. He exhorted that the democratically-minded people shall consider all this while fighting against their divisive ideology.

DravidarKazhagam president K Veeramani castigated these religious fanatics much worse than the Coronavirus. Though the BJP dislodged the 25 years rule of the Left Front government in Tripura through elaborate planning and falsehood, the people of Tripura realised their mistakes and started rallying behind CPI(M) in the recent time. He also recalled what Savarkar once said: “ Hinduise military and militarise the Hindus”, BJP, RSS and its Parivar are implementing this dictum of Savarkar. As democrats, we must defeat this fascistic rule to re-establish democracy in the country, he exhorted.

M Veerapandian, deputy secretary, CPI, Tamil Nadu reminded the audience that arson and extreme violence are the hallmarks of Hitler. He also burnt the dreams of the communists, trade unions and Jews one by one through decrees. The attacks on CPI(M) in Tripura is done upon the will of the people and their unity. It is also an attack on their freedom of thought, which cannot be tolerated at any cost.

V C K leader Thol Thirumavalavan cautioned the audience that there is a danger of BJP extending its murder of democracy all over the country. They are treating communists as their prime enemy and planning their actions accordingly. Despite the Left got weakened in recent times, the fear they created among these fascist forces can be gleaned from the brutal killings of Left intellectuals like Kalburgi, Dabolkar and Gauri Lankesh. Only such fear made them arrest other Left activists in the Bhima Koregaon case.

IUML leader Abubaker pointed out that the BJP had destabilised the peace in all the border states of our country and it has no cordial relations with our neighbours too. A party to which harmony is a bad word is suppressing the people in the name of religion, food and various other divisions. Only through the unity of all democratic forces, BJP can be defeated convincingly.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, G Ramakrishnan while speaking during the demonstration pointed out that the people of Tripura rallied behind CPI(M) as the BJP state government has failed to implement its poll promises. On September 6, when a mass deputation programme was launched in the state to highlight the plight of the people, Manik Sarkar travelled to his assembly constituency to participate in the programme. However, he was blocked on the way by police and BJP hooligans. Brushing aside their threats, Manik Sarkar walked seven kilometres to reach the venue and participated in the programme as a representative of the people. Unable to digest this show of unity between CPI(M) and the people, the ruling BJP unleashed this terror of violence on September 8.

BJP is hell-bent to thwart the democratic functioning of governments of opposition parties. This can be seen in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Puducherry. There is no doubt that these fascist forces will share the same fate Hitler encountered in Germany.

MDMK representative Subramaniam assured the audience that MDMK will stand together with all democratic forces in the fight against this authoritarian attitude of BJP.

Congress representative and the leader of legislative party Selva Perunthagai pointed out that the violence unleashed by BJP is only to thwart CPI(M)’s comeback to power in the state. There are enough instances in history that no power on earth succeeded in crushing the communists. Modi is making havoc upon the country and its people more than Tsar has done in Russia. Their destiny will also be the same.

DMK organisation secretary, T K S Elangovan reminded the audience that by projecting the Gujarat development model, BJP got into power in 2014. Immediately after this victory, BJP lost its rule in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. But they wrested back to power in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh by purchasing MLAs. They also assured the recommendation of M S Swaminathan Commission will be implemented and farmers income will be doubled. Instead after getting a brute majority in the 2019 parliament elections, the BJP showed its true colours by throwing aside the report of the Swaminathan Commission and enacted three new farm Acts which will make agriculture in the country to the best interests of their business masters. The BJP government at the centre is putting up hundreds of PSUs on sale. But their schemes will have no takers beyond Vindhya Hills. BJP in Tripura got jittery of their defeat in the 2023 assembly elections. That was the real reason for this violence and the people of Tripura will give a befitting reply to them by erasing them from the political scene of the state.

A small exhibition was also on display at the venue of this demonstration which depicted the recent attacks and the achievements of the Left Front government in Tripura during its 25 years of rule.