Lenin lives on in Kolkata
Kolkata Apr 22 PTI Lenin still lives on in the heart of Kolkata albeit in the northeast corner of Curzon Park overlooking the Nakhoda Masjid on its left and the Oberoi Grand Hotel one of the last bastions of the citys fading mercantile capitalism on its rightAt a time when the legacy of the Marxist idol and founder of Soviet Union Vladimir Iliyich Ulyanov Lenin is being wiped out of his motherland this corner of Kolkatas Esplanade still remains his homeA towering statue of the man who dragged Russia out of a feudal order into what he believed would be a socialist century stands in solitary loneliness hereA bunch of sexagenarian and septuagenarian leaders of Leftist parties and a handful of enthusiastic student activists led by CPIMs veteran parliamentarian and leader Mohd Salim were the only ones to lay floral wreaths at Lenins statue on Friday and to give the iconic leader the Lal salam Red Salute on his 153rd birth anniversaryLeninbadider eta ekta smaran korar din Its a remembrance day for all those who believe in Leninism Salim charged with revitalising the CPIM in West Bengal as its state secretary told PTIWe are here to preserve and protect his memory he addedLenin born in 1870 became a communist revolutionary at the early age of 17 after his brothers execution by the Tsarist regime In 1917 a successful revolution by the Bolshevik faction of Russian communists which he led saw him coming back from exile in Europe to seize power in his countryIndian communists were among the first to come under his spell Though the Communist Party of India was formed in 1925 individuals from India had already travelled to the Soviet Union to learn from the October revolution The first time communists won an election in India was in 1957 when the CPI catapulted to power in KeralaHowever the communists real coming of age was when after an aborted Naxalite insurgency by ultra-Leftists died out in the 1970s the CPIM a faction of the original CPI won elections to the West Bengal assembly in 1977A Leftist alliance led by the CPIM ruled the state for 34 long years till 2011 when the state rejecting the Left voted in favour of left of centre Trinamool CongressSince then it has been a downhill journey for the Leninists Not only had the combined Left parties drawn a blank in polls to West Bengal assembly held last year their vote share dwindled to a mere 547 per cent in 2021 down from 301 per cent in 2011 when they lost the elections for the first time to the TMCNonetheless hard work by a dedicated band of young volunteers gave the CPIM hope in the last by-elections to the prestigious Ballygunge assembly seat in the cityIts candidate poetess Saira Shah Halim managed to ratchet up the vote percentage for the CPIM from 56 per cent to over 30 per cent while halving BJPs vote share in the posh constituencyPeople are realising that BJP and TMC are not alternatives to each other CPIMs politburo member Nilotpal Basu told PTI adding that our approach aims to get as many political forces who wish to join hands move together but we will not wait for anyone our work will continueThe CPIMs Red volunteers a band of a young students and professionals who got together to help COVID-affected patients and their families during the height of the pandemic which came just after last years assembly elections is one of the works which the Leninists have managed to showcase while seeking votes in Bengal this time roundThe party hopes disillusion with the communal politics of the BJP and lack of progress under the TMC as well as hard work by its young adherents will bring back its lost glory He Lenin created history all those who wish to learn from history need to study him added Salim PTI JRC RMS RMS
Kolkata Apr 22 PTI Lenin still lives on in the heart of Kolkata albeit in the northeast corner of Curzon Park overlooking the Nakhoda Masjid on its left and the Oberoi Grand Hotel one of the last bastions of the citys fading mercantile capitalism on its rightAt a time when the legacy of the Marxist idol and founder of Soviet Union Vladimir Iliyich Ulyanov Lenin is being wiped out of his motherland this corner of Kolkatas Esplanade still remains his homeA towering statue of the man who dragged Russia out of a feudal order into what he believed would be a socialist century stands in solitary loneliness hereA bunch of sexagenarian and septuagenarian leaders of Leftist parties and a handful of enthusiastic student activists led by CPIMs veteran parliamentarian and leader Mohd Salim were the only ones to lay floral wreaths at Lenins statue on Friday and to give the iconic leader the Lal salam Red Salute on his 153rd birth anniversaryLeninbadider eta ekta smaran korar din Its a remembrance day for all those who believe in Leninism Salim charged with revitalising the CPIM in West Bengal as its state secretary told PTIWe are here to preserve and protect his memory he addedLenin born in 1870 became a communist revolutionary at the early age of 17 after his brothers execution by the Tsarist regime In 1917 a successful revolution by the Bolshevik faction of Russian communists which he led saw him coming back from exile in Europe to seize power in his countryIndian communists were among the first to come under his spell Though the Communist Party of India was formed in 1925 individuals from India had already travelled to the Soviet Union to learn from the October revolution The first time communists won an election in India was in 1957 when the CPI catapulted to power in KeralaHowever the communists real coming of age was when after an aborted Naxalite insurgency by ultra-Leftists died out in the 1970s the CPIM a faction of the original CPI won elections to the West Bengal assembly in 1977A Leftist alliance led by the CPIM ruled the state for 34 long years till 2011 when the state rejecting the Left voted in favour of left of centre Trinamool CongressSince then it has been a downhill journey for the Leninists Not only had the combined Left parties drawn a blank in polls to West Bengal assembly held last year their vote share dwindled to a mere 547 per cent in 2021 down from 301 per cent in 2011 when they lost the elections for the first time to the TMCNonetheless hard work by a dedicated band of young volunteers gave the CPIM hope in the last by-elections to the prestigious Ballygunge assembly seat in the cityIts candidate poetess Saira Shah Halim managed to ratchet up the vote percentage for the CPIM from 56 per cent to over 30 per cent while halving BJPs vote share in the posh constituencyPeople are realising that BJP and TMC are not alternatives to each other CPIMs politburo member Nilotpal Basu told PTI adding that our approach aims to get as many political forces who wish to join hands move together but we will not wait for anyone our work will continueThe CPIMs Red volunteers a band of a young students and professionals who got together to help COVID-affected patients and their families during the height of the pandemic which came just after last years assembly elections is one of the works which the Leninists have managed to showcase while seeking votes in Bengal this time roundThe party hopes disillusion with the communal politics of the BJP and lack of progress under the TMC as well as hard work by its young adherents will bring back its lost glory He Lenin created history all those who wish to learn from history need to study him added Salim PTI JRC RMS RMS
