I am reproducing a portion from an article written by Fidel Castro, the former President of Cuba on the victory of the Soviet Union against the Nazi army which invaded USSR and had to retreat to Berlin where they had to surrender to the Red Army in May 1945.

” No political event can be judged outside of the era and the circumstances in which it took place. No one even knows one percent of the fabulous history of Man; but thanks to history, we know about occurrences that go beyond the limits of the imaginable. The privilege of having known persons, even the locations where some of the events related to the historic battle took place, augmented the interest with which I awaited the anniversary this year.  The colossal deed was fruit of the heroism of a group of people that the revolution and socialism had united and intertwined to put an end to the brutal exploitation that the world had been putting up with throughout the millennia.  The Russians were always proud of having headed that revolution and of the sacrifices they were capable of in bringing it to fruition. This very important anniversary of the victory could not be understood under the colours of a flag or a name other than the one that presided over the heroism of the combatants of the Great Patriotic War.  Without a doubt, something untouchable and unforgettable remained: the anthem whose unforgettable notes accompanied millions of men and women to challenge death and to crush the invaders who wished to impose a thousand years of Nazism and holocaust on all humanity. With those ideas in mind, I enjoyed the hours I dedicated to the most organized and martial procession I could ever imagine, whose protagonists were men formed in the Russian military universities. The Yankees and the blood-thirsty NATO armies could not imagine that the crimes committed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, the attacks on Pakistan and Syria, the threats against Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, the military bases in Latin America, Africa and Asia could take place with absolute impunity, without the world becoming aware of the unusual and crazy threat.  How soon do empires forget the lessons of history! The military technology exhibited in Moscow on May 9th demonstrated the impressive capacity of the Russian Federation to provide a proper and varied response to the conventional and nuclear resources of imperialism.  It was just the ceremony we were waiting for on the glorious anniversary of the Soviet victory over fascism. ”

The Red Fort in Delhi completes 354 years. It is recorded that the Red Fort the construction of which started in 1638 by Moghul Emperor  Shajahan was completed after 10 years on 13th May 1648. Consequently, the Moghul capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. The Red Fort has changed hands from the Moghul to the British after the defeat  of  the First War of Independence (1857-58) in 1858 and then changed hands from the British to India after independence in 1947.  Even after more than three and half centuries, the structure maintains its strength and beauty.

It was on the ramparts of the Red Fort that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster of india made his historic speech on the destiny of India in the midnight of 14-15th August 1947 heralding the independence of the country. Still the Prime Minister gives his Independence Day speech in the Red Fort on 15th August.

India got Independence from the British colonialists on 15th August 1947 after decades long struggles, sacrifices and martyrdom of thousands of our countrymen.

India became a Republic on 26th January 1950 after the passing of the Constitution and declaration.

The First Parliament, after the first General election, was constituted in 1952. The Congress was the ruling party and Communist Party of India the  main opposition party. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister and A.K.Gopalan the  Opposition Leader.The Indian Parliament has come through 60 years of valuable experience. Of course National Emergency was declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, but the next general election in 1977 brought a non-congress government for the first time. The wheels of democracy are on the move. There may be many setbacks, aberrations and sudden stops, but the chariot moves on.

The Parliament will be celebrating the 60th anniversary by a special session on Sunday, 13th May which will be addressed by the Speaker and other dignitaries. For a person, 60 year means marching to senior citizenship and gradual old age. But for a country 60 years is only a small period of time. But we have to remember that the last 60 years have been a period in which changes have taken place all over the world, which the earlier thousands of years could not match.

Congratulations to all who made the Indian democracy what it is today. Further improvements are, of course, very much required.

ON this day, 9th May,  in 1945, the Second World War ended, with the surrender of Germany. Hitler had already committed suicide a few days back realising that he has already been defeated. The World War II had the maximum casualties with lakhs of people killed and towns, cities and villages all destroyed. The maimed soldiers were more than those killed. Lakhs of women became widows, and children became orphans. But the dictators and fascists were utterly defeated which saved the world.

Let there be no more  wars and world wars.

Centenary celebrations of Pravda, first Russian working class daily, started by Lenin on this day in 1912, are more about rededication than nostalgia and celebrating. Not surprisingly two day celebrations began here in Moscow today on a distinctly solemn note with representatives from fraternal communist press visiting and paying tributes at Unknown Soldiers tomb. Here they were joined by hundred’s of Red flag carrying people, both young and old, led by Zuganov, the President of Communist party of Russian Federation (CPRF). Communist members in Duma were also present in dozens. Zuganov led paying tribute at memorial of legendry Marshal Zukanov, who is considered to be military architect of the then Soviet Union’s victory in great patriotic war. Subsequently delegations of communist press paid tribute at Unknown Soldiers tomb. These memorials are situated in heart of Moscow, very close to Red Square and Lenin’s mausoleum. Unknown Soldiers tomb salutes sacrifices of those soldiers in Great Patriotic War, whose names may remain unrecorded otherwise.

Pravda contributed much to the rise of the USSR and its propaganda. Hope it will continue to do so in future also for the cause of the working class.

Today, 5th May, is the 194th birth anniversary of  Karl Marx, the greatest philosopher the world has ever seen. He was born in 1818 on this day. He along with Frederich Engels wrote ‘The Capital’, which analysed the social relations, the role of the working class and were the founders of socialism and Communism. Their theories were put in to practice by Lenin who formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). Although USSR has collapsed later, the communist countries like China, Cuba, Vietnam and N.Korea continue as Communist countries and have charted their growth through the implementation of Marxism.

The capitalist theoreticians declared that Marxism is dead after the collapse of USSR in the 1990s. But after the 2007 recession, the world has again started reading Marx and his theories.

It is interesting to note that the French Revolution which started on 5th May, 29 years earlier in 1989, which put an end to the monarchy in France for a decade, had considerable influence on Marx in preparing his writings.

We pay respectful homage to the memory of Karl Marx!

Tipu Sultan died fighting against the British on 4th May 1799 within the ramparts of his own fort at Seringapatam. He was attacked by the combined forces of the British and the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Tipu Sultan who succeeded his father to the throne of Mysore valiantly fought against the British and won many battles in the early stages. His allying with French and contacts with foreign countries against the British could not help him finally. The British not only killed him, rampaged the fort, but also made all his sons prisoners and murdered them later. The British museum is full of the valuable things taken after he was killed. The golden throne, swords, many valuable artefacts are all show-cased there.

Though the British propagated him as a villain and against other religions, the facts contradicts these. He built a church for French in Mysore. In Seringapatnam the well-known temple even exists. He was a scholar and poet also.

The country will remember Tipu Sultan as a hero who fought the British to the last for the independence of the country.

Two historically important events on 30th April make it significant.

One is the down fall of the Fascist Hitler. He started the II World War in 1942  invading and conquering other Europen Countries. Later he attacked the Soviet Union.  But the Soviet Red Army after much casualities turned from defence to offence and kicked back the Nazi forces back to Germany. The Red Flag was hoisted in Berlin on 2nd May 1945 heralding the end of war for Germany. When Hitler understood he has lost he committeed suicide on 30th April 1945 itself. The tragic end of the Fascist who threatened the world.

The second is the liberation of Vietnam from the clutches of the US imperialist vultures. After sustained and determined guerilla warfare by the Vietnamese, the highly sophisticated and brutal army of the US was utterly defeated and Vietnam liberated on 30th April 1975, 30 years after fall of Hitler.

Both incidents are liberation for the people. Both had a significant role in history.

V.I.Lenin, the architect of the 1917 Soviet Revolution, founder of the Soviet Union and the  Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) was born on 22nd April 1870. He organised the Red army and after the success of the 1917 revolution made the USSR in to one of the mighty nations in the world. He developed Marxism to suit present day requirements which is called Leninism.

USSR has collapsed, but Marxism and Leninism are still relevant and give hope to the millions of toilers of the world. Red Salute to Com. Lenin!