A YAADGARI samagam to mark the 14th death anniversary of Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet was organised by daily Desh Sewak & Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna Bhawan Memorial Trust at Chandigarh on August 3.

Sitaram Yechury, general secretary, CPI (M ) led the participants in paying floral tributes. He also inaugurated Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet Memorial Library at the Bhakna Bhawan complex. While addressing the packed auditorium he said that nation is celebrating 75 years of  independence and in this context CPI(M) Central Committee has called upon its Party units to celebrate 75 years of independence from August 1-15, 2022. He further explained, "Communists played a historic role in the freedom struggle. All state level & national level communist leaders remained in jail for many years. Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet brought down the Union Jack and unfurled the Tricolour at the collector's office in Hoshiarpur at the tender young age of 16. Comrade A K Gopalan unfurled the Tricolour in the prison at midnight on August 14-15, 1947. We must motivate and encourage the youth to follow the courage and  patriotism of these comrades while celebrating the 75 years of independence.”

He further said, “Unfortunately, the people with a certain ideology who had no role in the independence struggle and  who killed Mahatma Gandhi and are acting like heroes of freedom struggle. While celebrating the 50 years of the 'Quit India Movement ' in Parliament the President quoted from a British intelligence report sent to the Queen that the Communists were anti-British revolutionaries and the Sanghis ( RSS) followed the role of law and did not protest. It was  Savarkar who floated the ' two nations theory ' - Hindu nation & Muslim nation in1938 at Hindu Mahasabha Conference. Jinnah later demanded a separate nation for Muslims in 1941. "

Commenting on the eight years rule of the Modi-led BJP government, Yechury said that the credibility of constitutional autonomous organisations like the election commission, CBI, ED, income tax, judiciary etc., is being deliberately eroded. He explained how the Muslims are under attack as a community in a calculated manner citing examples of CAA/NRC, abolition of Article 370, and bulldozing the properties of Muslim protesters in states like UP. He criticised the Modi government for making a mockery of parliament when 27 opposition MPs were suspended for demanding discussion on price rise and unemployment. He expressed serious concern over increasing hate speech politics which is damaging the social fabric of the country.

Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, former central minister, Bant Brar, state secretary, CPI, also addressed the function. Bhup Chand Channo, state secretariat member presided over the function. Gurdarshan Singh Khaspur thanked the participants.