Category Archives: Obituary, Tributes

Obituary

Dr. B.R.Ambedkar- Chief Architect of Indian Constitution

14 Thursday Apr 2011

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The entire country will be celebrating the 120th Birth Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar today, 14th April 2011. Dr. Ambedkar was the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution.

But Dr. Ambedkar was much more than that. He was a valiant fighter for the cause of social justice and social equality. He fought his entire life for the upliftment of the depressed classes. In the words of Ram Manohar Lohia: ” A valiant person who fought against the evil of exploitation in all its horrid aspects; one who was convinced that caste was the only obstacle to the nation’s progress; one who openly stated that the parliamentary form of democracy would not be successful, unless the epidemic of casteism was eradicated.”
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, first Prime Minister praised him: ” Dr. Ambedkar would be remembered mostly as the symbol of revolt against all the oppressing features of Hindu society. His virulent opposition to these oppressive features had kept people’s mind awake. … He revolted against something which every body should revolt against”.

Dr. Ambedkar was a leader who inculcated self-respect and the potential to fight for justice among the depressed classes.

Despite all these brave words, it is saddening that even in the 21st century, the oppressive system of untouchability and casteism still remain. In Tamil Nadu, under the leadership of the CPI(M), a strong movement against untouchability has started. Many walls constructed to separate the so-called high and low castes in certain villages have been demolished, but still many remain. Lands allotted to SC/ST are snatched away by the powerful people. No serious effort is being made by the government to ensure education to the depressed classes. Reservation is not fully implemented. Even after 60 years of Independence, these discrimination continues.

On this 120th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, let us take solemn pledge that each one of us will make all out efforts to remove the scourge of untouchability from the country and to ensure that all men/women are equal and have equal rights This will be our dedication to the memory of this great revolutionary.

Remember Mangal Pande?

07 Thursday Apr 2011

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Mangal Pandey was hanged on 8th April 1857 by the British.

Who was Mangal Pandey? Mangal Pandey was the person who fired the first shot against the British on 29th March 1857 which started the First War of Independence, “sepoy Mutiny” according to British rulers. Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Infantry stationed at Barrackpore near Dum Dum. The British officers wanted the Indian sepoys to use cartridges greased by animal fat which was not acceptable to the sepoys. Protesting the insistence of British Officers compelling to use the greased cartridges , Mangal Pandey shot a British Sergeant and inflicted a wound on the Adjutant by sword in the parade ground at Barrackpore.

This was a starting point for the mutiny. Regiments after regiments revolted and the first war of Independence started.

Mangal Pandey was courtmarshalled and hanged on 8th April 1857.

I pay my respectful homage to this great hero who took the first herioic step for India’s freedom and became Martyr.

Homage to Com. B.T.Ranadive

06 Wednesday Apr 2011

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I pay my respectful homage to the memory of the great militant working class leader Comrade B.T.Ranadive, founder President of CITU, on his 21st death anniversary. Com. BTR was one of the brilliant theoretician as well as a mass leader of the toiling masses who analysed each and every situation critically and stood like a rock against all attacks from the ruling classes. He was a member of the Politburo of the CPI(M) since its formation in 1964. He died on 6th April 1990.

We will always get inspiration from the memory of Comrade BTR to continue our work and march forward to protect the interests of the working class.

Homage to Martin Luther King Jr- The great civil activist leader

04 Monday Apr 2011

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Martin Luther King Jr., the great civil activist, was murdered on this day, 4th April, in 1968. He fought for the rights of the downtrodden and the poor which those in power could not tolerate. He has to sacrifice a lot and at last was murdered in Memphis in 1968 by the vested interests.

I pay my respectful homage to this great martyr.

Homage to Martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru

23 Wednesday Mar 2011

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70 years back on this day, 23rd March, the great young revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged by the British imperialists. They were young in age, but they had the courage to face the mighty British Empire in its den.

The injustices meted out to the Indian people by the British, the atrocities and mass killings of innocent people at Jhalianwallabagh, the exploitation of this great country – all enraged these youngsters in to resorting to revolutionary tactics against the British including armed resistance.

After arrest, they were kept in jail, hands and legs chained just like criminals. In the jail, Bhagat Singh read a lot of books, especially on Marxism, books by Marx, Lenin etc. All these comrades faced the gallows calmly with the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” (Victory to Revolution). They became the ever remembered martyrs of this great Nation.

I pay my respectful homage to these revolutionaries who sacrificed themselves at the altar of Independance of the country.

Com.AKG remembered

22 Tuesday Mar 2011

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Today, 22nd March 2011, is the 31st death anniversary of Comrade A.K.Gopalan, working class leader and the first opposition group leader in the Indian Parliament. He died on 22nd March 1977 after a long illness.

Com. AKG, as he is popularly called was an indomitable fighter of the working class and toiling masses. His entire life was full of struggles for the downtrodden people. He was arrested and put in jail many times both by the British as well as the Indian rulers. Com.AKG who was in the forefront of the Independence struggle was in jail even on 15th August 1947, on the day India got Independence, even though almost all the freedom fighters who were in jail were released.

Comrade AKG could not tolerate injustice. Wherever injustice was being done he jumped in to the struggle against the same. There are any number of such struggles which AKG led and succeeded. It was the three great leaders, Coms. P.Krishna Pillai, E.M.S.Namboodiripad and AKG who built and strengthened the Communist Party in Kerala.

I had the opportunity to meet Comrade AKG several times and seek his guidance. During many of his visits to Calicut along with his wife, Com. Susheela Gopalan, who herself was a senior leader, Member of Parliament and later Minister in Kerala, I had the fortune to receive them at the Railway Station and to bring them to the house where they were to stay. One such time, AKG was ill and for many weeks he was not able to speak due to illness. After reaching Calicut, two senior doctors, Dr.CBC Warrier and Dr. Venugopal checked him and stated that he was better. In fact AKG was able to speak bit by bit. That day the Confederation of Central Government Employees, of which I was the convener, had arranged a meeting in the Mananchira maidan in connection with an All India strike next day. I very meekly asked the doctors whether I can request AKG to address the strike meeting. AKG immediately agreed and the doctors consented provided he would not speak more than five minutes. AKG agreed to the condition and it was decided that he will address the meeting.

The news that Com.AKG will address the meeting in the evening of the day spread like wildfire. Irrespective of party connection, people in thousands gathered at the maidan to hear Com.AKG, his first speech after several weeks. The meeting started in time and after welcome etc. Com.AKG was requested to address. He started speaking and the audience sat in pin-drop silence to hear their beloved leader. The stipulated period of five minutes were over, but he continued speaking. Then Com.Suseela Gopalan, who was also in the stage, reminded him the doctors’ advice. He laughed away the request, openly telling the public that he knew when to stop. All were very much worried. Then Com. M.K.Kelu (Keluettan), one of the senior most leader of the CPI(M) who was also present, openly requested him to stop his speech considering his health. The audience also in one voice supported the request. Then and then only, AKG stopped his speech, thanked all and sat down. Such was his love for the people who even in the face of severe illness could not stop interacting with them.

Each comrade who has come in touch with AKG will have many such incidents to remember. He was very close to all and was loved by all.

It was his forceful speech along with that of Comrade Nath Pai and other opposition leaders in the Parliament against the victimisation of Central Government employees who participated in the historic July 1960 strike that compelled the Jawaharlal Nehru government to take back the thousands of workers who were dismissed or suspended.

I pay my respectful homage to the memory of this great revolutionary and working class leader on his 34th death anniversary!

Com. EMS remembered on his 13th death anniversay

19 Saturday Mar 2011

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Today, 19th March 2011, is the 13th death anniversary of Com. E.M.S.Namboodiripad, the former Chief Minister of Kerala, General Secretary of the CPI(M) for a long period and communist ideologue of International fame, who passed away on 19th March 1998.

Com. E.M.S.Namboodiripad, along with Com.P.Krishna Pillai and Com. A.K.Gopalan are the three leaders along with others who took initiative in forming and strengthening the Communist Party in Kerala. Com.EMS was the first Chief Minister of Kerala and who initiated much acclaimed land reforms as also for the all round developments of Kerala. He was a political leader who did not leave any sector untouched, including literature, culture, science, history, technology etc. His articles are being published by the party in hundred volumes, which itself speaks for the articles and books he had written.

I had the fortune to meet him several times and take his guidance. When I was the Circle Secretary of the AITE Union Class III and functioning at Thiruvnanthapuram, I met him many times to seek his advice. Com.EMS inaugurated the Thiruvanathapuram All India Conference of E.III union in 1994, where I was elected as the General Secretary.

Another time we travelled together from Calicut to Managalore where he was to inaugurate a meeting of the NFPTE union. The meeting was held in the Post Office Hall. Seeing the photo of Babu Tarapada Mukherjee placed on the wall, Com. EMS asked whose photo it is. When I told him that it is the photo of Babu Tarapada, pioneer of P&T Trade union movement, he was happy and congratulated us stating that the P&T movement has a great tradition and that is why we are able to put the photo of the trade union leader in the office. He was writing through out the journey and when we reached Managalore he gave me a cover and told me to send it immediately to Chintha weekly so that the article can be published in time, a column for which he continued to contribute without any fail for decades. He was so much organised and systematic.

He was a great leader, who gave all his life, wealth and land to the party and lived as a simple party comrade serving the people. I pay my respectful homage to his memory.

A sad news. Com. Muddiah’s son died in accident.

16 Wednesday Mar 2011

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A very sad news. Shri Rupesh, son of Com. Muddiah, senior leader of BSNLEU and District Secretary of CGM Office, Bangalore met with an accident and died on 14th March night at Bangalore.He was going on in his bike when a vehicle came from behind in full speed and dashed on the bike resulting in immediate death.There was no rush of traffic and the road was free, but it seems that the driver of the vehicle was drunk. The body was cremated yesterday, in the presence of hundreds of our comrades of Bangalore, relatives and friends.

Rupesh was recently married only. It is a great loss to Com.Muddiah and family. I convey my heartfelt condolences and hope that Com. Muddiah will be able to pass over this great tragedy fallen upon him.

Today, 14th March, Death Anniversary of Karl Marx

14 Monday Mar 2011

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Today, 14th March 2011, is the 128th death anniversary of Karl Marx, the great philosopher and working class leader who explained the fundamentals of Communism and helped the heralding of a socialist society. He along with Engels wrote Capital, the Magna Carta of the working class. Marxism is the living philosophy and action plan of the working class. ” Workers of the World Unite” was his call to the proletariat.

I pay my respectful homage to the memory of the greatest Revolutionary.

14th April, Birthday of Ambedkar, should be declared as a Govt. Holiday

06 Sunday Mar 2011

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14th April is the Birth Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the architect of of the Indian Constitution.

After his death, Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal stated in Lok Sabha: ” Dr. Ambedkar will be remembered mostly as the symbol of revolt against all the oppressing features of Hindu society… He revolted against something, which everybody should revolt against..”. President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan stated: “… Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, proved, with his intellect and wisdom, that sages can take birth in any caste.” Dr. Zakir Husain said: ” He is the Bhishma among the wise; among the contemporaries few could equal him; a great person indeed.” Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer said: ” Ambedkar is a versatile genius – a ruthless rebel, a legal luminary, a profound scholar, a self-respecting person with an independent line of thinking.” Indeed Dr. Ambedkar was a great man in all ways.

It is only appropriate and justified that the birthday of this great man, 14th April, should be declared as a National Holiday. Government should declare it as such.