AN impressive rally of Red Shirt volunteers was held on April 22, signaling the culmination of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The most significant aspect of the rally was it predominantly constituted of young comrades, who are below 25 years of age. More than thousand drummers matched the marching Red Shirt volunteers with their rhythmic beats. Together, they enthralled the citizens of Hyderabad, who had never before witnessed such a spectacle of Red Shirt volunteers march. Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) flagged off the parade of Red Shirt volunteers. Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Party, along with BV Raghavulu, MA Baby, Hannan Mollah, Polit Bureau members, Tammineni Veerabhadram, secretary of the Telangana state committee, P Madhu, secretary, Andhra Pradesh state committee and other leaders of the Party led the rally of the marchers. Mallu Swarajyam, veteran fighter of the heroic Telangana Armed Peasants’ Struggle received the honouric salute from the Red Shirt volunteers at the venue of the public meeting.

The energetic cultural performances of the Praja Natyamandali artists enthused the people and made them forget the hardships they had to endure during the course of their travel from their respective villages to Hyderabad.

The venue of the public meeting, Saroornagar grounds, was teeming with people, well before the scheduled time. Thousands of people from all over the state converged in the grounds and waited in the hot summer afternoon for the marchers to enter and the leaders to make their speeches. People from the other Telugu speaking state of Andhra Pradesh too participated in good numbers. There were also people from Kerala, Tamilnadu and Maharashtra who had come to listen to the leaders of the Party.

BV Raghavulu who is also the chairperson of the reception committee presided over the meeting. He thanked the people of Telangana for their wholehearted support for the successful conduct of the Party Congress. He promised the people that the Party will certainly live up to their expectations by intensifying the struggle against neoliberal policies and communalism.

Sitaram Yechury, the re-elected general secretary of the Party came down heavily against the communal policies of the RSS controlled BJP government at the centre. He denounced the divisive policies pursued by the RSS and BJP and stated that the people of India will not let their attempts to divide people on religious lines succeed. He blamed the BJP government for the agrarian distress and the loot of public resources. Yechury compared the BJP with the Kauravas and stated that they too will meet the same fate as the Kauravas. Commenting on the impressive gathering of people for the public meeting and the Red Shirt volunteers march, he asserted that this only goes to show that the Red Flag is unconquerable. He also expressed his confidence that the Party in the state will live up to its legacy of the heroic Telangana Armed Peasants Struggle. Yechury ended his speech by stating that the Party will redouble its efforts and strengthen the struggles to ensure the defeat of BJP.

Pinarayi Vijayan, Polit Bureau member and the chief minister of Kerala lauded the people of the state who are inheriting the great legacy of legendary communist leaders P Sundarayya and M Basavapunnaiah. He called the people to carry on the fight against the RSS and BJP by exposing the neoliberal policies they are espousing. Vijayan denounced the BJP central government policies and how they are benefitting the few corporates at the cost of the majority of the common people. He also highlighted the alternative policies pursued by the CPI(M) led LDF government in Kerala.

Manik Sarkar, Polit Bureau member called upon the people to strengthen the CPI(M) by joining the class and mass struggles. The only way a peoples alternative can be forged is by waging relentless and sustained class and mass struggles on the burning issues of the people, he urged. Sarkar stated that BJP and Congress are both ruling class parties and two sides of the same coin that need to be defeated. He stated that building an alternative, Left Democratic Front is the only way forward to free the country from the hardships caused by the neoliberal policies pursued by the successive governments. He criticised the RSS-BJP machinations in the North East region and asserted that the people of Tripura will fight back the assault on them.

Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member in her scathing attack on the BJP’s manuvadi policies exposed the anti-people and anti-democratic character of the BJP government. Recalling the tragic suicide of Rohith Vemula of the Hyderabad Central University, she squarely blamed the BJP government and its ‘casteist policies’. She also stated that after the BJP government had come to power, the attacks on dalits and women had increased exponentially. She mentioned the Kathua and Unnao rape incidents and the shamelessness of certain BJP leaders who defended the accused. This only once again exposes the real character and attitude of the BJP towards women, she stated. She ended up by calling upon the people to strengthen the fight against the BJP.

Tammineni Veerabhadram, secretary of Telangana committee of the Party criticised the TRS state government and its betrayal of the people of the state. He explained the initiative taken by the Party state committee in bringing together all the parties and social movements who are against BJP, Congress and the TRS. The broad front thus formed, Bahujan Left Front, he stated has come up with an alternative agenda and will campaign among the people for this alternative. He appealed to the people to support the CPI(M) and also the alternative front, BLF.

Md Saleem, Polit Bureau member recounted the attacks on the minorities and the syncretic culture launched by the BJP. He called upon the people to rise in unison to defend the secular ethos of our country and defeat the game-plan of the RSS-BJP.

The massive public meeting ended with a determination to strengthen the class and mass struggles in the coming days and work towards the comprehensive defeat of the BJP. The people went back with a renewed resolve to strengthen the CPI(M) and the Left Democratic alternative.