The District Committee of Kolkata CPIML observed Naxalbari Day and the 49th Anniversary of Naxalbari on 25th May. The event was held at College Street, adjacent to Presidency College which became the symbol and centre of revolutionary students’ movement during the stormy decades of 70s. In spite of bad weather, veteran communist revolutionaries and party comrades along with students participated in the programme. Comrade Partha Ghosh, Secretary of West Bengal State Committee, and Jayatu Deshmukh, member of State Standing committee addressed the gathering, talking of the crucial role of the Naxalbari peasant uprising as a watershed in the Indian Left movement. The Naxalbari uprising took forward the heroic traditions of the revolutionary peasant movements of pre-independence India, and was also a decisive shift from the revisionist and opportunist currents in the Indian Left movement, giving birth to the CPI(ML).
Comrade Nimai Ghosh, a very close associate of Com. Saroj Dutta and first publisher of Liberation was also present and addressed the meeting. Comrade Krishna Banerjee, a veteran comrade who faced brutal police torture during that period, and Madhumoy Pal, a renowned intellectual also addressed the meeting. Comrade Nitish Roy sang revolutionary songs and Comrade Dibakar Bhattacharya presided over the meeting.
Naxalbari Day was also observed at Jagampeta town of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Hundreds of people gathered at Travellers Building on the hot summer day, and marched towards Srinivas Hall where the meeting was held. Comrade Yenugupati Arjunarao, District President of AIARLA, presided over the public meeting. Comrade N Murthy, State Secretary of CPI(ML) gave the key note address, discussing the importance of the Naxalabari peasant uprising in Indian history. Comrade Bangar Raju, Central Committee member also spoken about the land struggles in and around the district of East Godavari. Comrade Harinad, District Party Secretary and Comrade R. Simhachalam, President of Andhra Pradesh Girijana Sangam participated in the rally and public meeting.
