Third alternative not feasible now : Prakash Karat

Admitting that as of now “a third alternative is not feasible” at the national level, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Tuesday that it was important for all the Left parties “to develop their independent strength” across the country.

The Left “must pay emphasis to mobilise the people into wider struggle and movement,” he said, citing the success of the nationwide agitation against price rise and the recent hike in fuel prices, where the Left parties allied with non-BJP and non-Congress parties.

“The Left Front in West Bengal is the strongest base for the Left in the country,” Mr. Karat said, adding that the correct lessons must be learnt from the success of the Left Front, which was “the highest form of a united front” that the Communist movement in India had witnessed.

He, however, said that the struggle to build a Left and alternative front at the national level was much more complicated and difficult.

While alliances and electoral adjustments had been made with other political parties it would not be a united front “unless we can bring these parties into the joint action and the joint struggle.”

“Such a third alternative is not feasible. That we are going to discuss again.”

He said that other than West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala “we have not been able to form a united (Left) front.”

Electoral adjustments with other political parties were forged “mainly to fulfil immediate political tactical needs…these are temporary arrangements.”

Mr. Karat was delivering the memorial lecture titled “Communist Parties and the politics of united front” at a function to mark the birth centenary of Pramode Dasgupta, the first chairman of the Left Front in West Bengal. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, chairman of the State Committee of the Left Front, Biman Bose, and leaders of the other constituents of the Left Front were also present.

Mr. Karat said the fundamental principle of the success of the Left Front in West Bengal was that “unless you are able to develop the independent strength of the working class party, you cannot develop and widen the scope of the united front.”

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Birth Centenary of Bengal's Legandary Revolutionary

Comrade Pramod Dasgupta
1910-1982

The Birth Centenary of Comrade Pramod Das Guptha, one of the towering figures of the communist movement in India, and the leader of popular struggle in West Bengal is being celebrated on July 13th. With his untiring efforts and organizational capabilities he made CPIM the biggest revolutionary party in the state. He was the state secretary of the undivided communist party from 1961 January and after the formation of CPIM in 1964 till his death in 1982 November becoming the longest serving secretary of the party.

Comrade Pramod was born in a middle class family in Faridpur (Bangladesh) on July 13th 1910. His father Mothilal Das guptha was a government doctor. It was during his study years in Calcutta he came into contact with the revolutionary movement. In 1931 he was arrested for joining the national struggle. He was kept under the custody without any trail for 6 years. During his jail life he came into contact with the revolutionary leaders of the state and went through the Marxian literature. After his release in 1937 he came into contact with Comrade Muzaffer Ahamed, one of the founders of the communist movement in India and on May 1st 1938 he became a party member. In 1940 he became the Kolkotta district secretary of the part. In 1942 he was arrested and was released in 1942. After hat he took the responsibility of party publishing house. He played a pivotal role in bringing the cadres under the banner of CPIM during the inner party struggles of 1964 and 1968. He was one of the founding Polit Bureau members of the CPIM.
He was also considered as the architect of the Left Front movement in West Bengal. He died on 1982 November.

Red Salute to Comrade Pramod Das Guptha on his Birth Centenary.......While you sleep in the graveyard. Your words and deeds are still leading us forward..