Left Leaders Condemn Israel, Observe 103rd Anniversary of Indian Communist Party Formation

Kolkata: Left leaders condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestine on the 103rd Anniversary of the formation of the Indian communist Party and the 175th Anniversary of the Communist Manifesto, the first charter or declaration of the communists. 

The event was observed in Kolkata at a public meeting organised by the Pramod Dasgupta Memorial Trust at the Pramod Dasgupta Auditorium in Kolkata.

CPI(M) Politburo member Prakash Karat was the main speaker at the event, along with Party State Secretary MD Salim. The event was presided over by veteran communist leader Biman Basu. Politburo members DR Suryakanta Mishra and DR Ramchandra Dom were also present at the programme.

In his speech, CPI(M) Politburo Member Prakash Karat stated that when the communists criticise Israeli aggression, they might be branded as terrorists in India. However, he emphasised the need to continue the fight against the "stooge of imperialism", namely Israel. He noted that opposing Israeli policies may lead to being labelled as terrorists, much like what happens to the media, opposition party leaders, or the general public in Kashmir. 

Karat said that Israel, while not an imperialist nation on its own, is armed with support from the United States of America and is responsible for the tragedy in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people.

Karat asserted that denouncing the Modi government and Israeli aggression can be done in parallel, as both governments consist of extreme far-right neo-fascist forces and are aligned with US imperialist policies. He underlined that CPI(M) will always stand for the rights of the Palestinian people.  

Furthermore, Karat alleged that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, attempts have been made to relegate Muslims to second-class citizens and infringe upon democratic norms, federalism, and constitutional rights. Similarly, he said Israel seeks to eliminate the Palestinian people's legitimate rights.

Karat also pointed out the Netanyahu government's attempts to limit the judiciary, which has drawn disapproval from the general population. He expressed sorrow over the October 7 attack in Israel by Hamas, which resulted in civilian casualties, and the continuous attacks by Israeli defence forces on Gaza. 

The Left leader noted that it's crucial not to equate the actions of Gaza residents, "imprisoned" since 2005, and the Israeli occupying forces. 

He highlighted that US President Joe Biden has not openly acknowledged the significant number of innocent Palestinian casualties caused by the Israeli defence forces this year. "CPI(M) stands for the peaceful coexistence of both countries based on UN-delineated boundaries, as established by the United Nations in 1948," Karat said.

CPI(M) State Secretary MD Salim, in his speech, emphasised that the conflict in the Middle East is not a war between Muslims and Jews, as many Jewish individuals have also condemned the war on Palestine by the Israeli regime.

Veteran communist leader Biman Basu, in his speech, traced the early history of the Indian communist movement and the achievement of the Communist Party workers during the pre-independence era.

In the programme, Prakash Karat inaugurated the digital archives of Marxbadi Path, the theoretical weekly of CPI(M), and a range of booklets from the CPI(M) Kolkata district committee, including a Bengali version of a series of essays written by NewsClick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayashtha, who is currently in judicial custody.