THE Seventh Congress of the Communist Party was held from October 31 to November 7, in Calcutta. This Congress marked the culmination of the struggle against revisionism within the united Party. It marked a programmatic, organisational and ideological break with revisionism. This also meant a complete demarcation on the tactics to be pursued by the Party. The Seventh Congress was a turning point in the history of the communist movement in the country.

IN order to fight the third general elections in 1962, inner Party differences were pushed to the background. The crux of the election tactics decided was to break the monopoly of power of the Congress as it was proving to be a hindrance to the development of democracy and the ‘advancement of people’s cause’. Call was given to increase the representation of communists in the parliament and also in various state legislatures.These elections were held in the background of mounting numbers of unemployed and the failure of the Indian economy to register the promised growth.

Excerpts from the resolution Tasks Among the Peasant Masses’, adopted by the Central Committee of the Communist Party in its meeting in April 1954“ONE of the important tasks of the Kisan movement is to demand the government to take measures to free the peasants from the machinations of the foreign and Indian monopolists and give protection to the peasant producers by guaranteeing economic prices for his product.“We must demand of the government guaranteed economic prices for the peasants’ produce and if the market prices fall below the minimum, the government must

After the Communist Party was allowed to function legally, for the first time since its formation, it organised a Convention of Party cadre working in the Trade Union front (AITUC in the main, but also other trade unions). Around 300 comrades attended this two-day convention held in Calcutta, in 1952, where the Party’s approach to the workers’ issues and methods to be adopted while working in the TU front were discussed, decided and certain directions were given.

THE struggle for food, waged by the people of West Bengal is an immortal saga, written in the blood and suffering of people roused to action in defence of their right to live. The struggle for food started on July 13, 1959 and continued till September, in which dozens of people died due to the then Congress government’s brutal repression – hundreds more were injured and thousands incarcerated. The struggle assumed the form of a huge upsurge of the entire people of Bengal.