Ranajit Singh expired on 24-1-2023 at the age of 82 in Jaipur. For 4 decades he selflessly served the Communist movement as a central Committee member of CPI (ML)
Ranajit Singh had a long history within the communist revolutionary movement. He got his baptism in his student days when entangling himself with the activities of SFI and slowly became important organiser. In 1964 left CPI (M) due to ideological differences and joined hands with newly formed committee in support of Naxalbari revolt. Subsequently he became one of the organisers.
He along with other leaders started publishing "Rahul" as their theoretical organ. They started organizing workers, peasants and students and knit a strong revolutionary movement throughout the state of Rajasthan.
In early seventies they were forced to o go underground. At the time of formation of CPI (ML) they joined the newly formed party but as soon as it tried to implement the line of annihilation programme they left the organisation, demarcating from the wrong line. At this juncture they came in contact with Asit Sen and several round of discussion and finally organise themselves into a parallel .organisation.
Marxism Leninist world view transformed his world outlook and he dedicatedly worked as a communist to solve many people's problems Within ideological differences which sprung up the communist movement, he stood with the revolutionaries.
Even during emergency days, he established direct relations with Tarimela Nagireddy and worked as a North Zone Committee member. Ranajit Singh was responsible for constructing the first unit of the Unity Centre of Communist revolutionaries of India in Rajasthan. Except for a short time before dying, for decades he served the post as secretary o the Rajasthan Unit of CP (ML), which the UCCRI (ML) merged into. At every juncture he prevented the movement from being trapped in the morass of stagnation, be it after the fall of USSR or advent of globalisation.
Comrades of Rajasthan, U P, Delhi, Panjab Himachal and Maharastra met in a conference on 1972 and adopted three documents for their organisation.Con Ranjit was elected secretary of of NZC of Revolutionary Commitee of Unity Commitee (RCUC (ML).latter on he was elected as CCM of AlPC of CUC(ML). In 1975 UCCRI(ML) was formed with com Ranjita s one of the delegates in to the conference.. Latter on after death' of Com T Nagi Reddy the UCCRI (M L)faced a split.Cn Moni Guha Has become GS but .within a year he left UCCRI,(ML) . At this point of time the Organisation faced a serious crisis and it was com Ranjita took the Iinitiative to save the UCCRI(ML).In emergency all India conference was convened .Com Ranjit was elected GS.
He was one of the organisers to work further unity as a result COI(ML) has come to existence. Again he was elected to the of CPI (ML).
Except for a short time before dying, for decades he served the post as secretary of the Rajasthan Unit of CP (ML), which the UCCRI (ML) merged into. At every juncture he prevented the movement from being trapped in the morass of stagnation, be it after the fall of USSR or advent of globalisation.
He ran a Hindi magazine named 'Bhagat Singh Ka Sapane' for many years. He was responsible for shaping several movements as the leader of Omno district.
Many of the books were self written. They have all been translated. Cooperating with Tarimela Nagireddy Memorial Trust for the past ten years, he made a major effort in publishing and translating essential Hindi literature in North India. He laboriously toiled to translate hundreds of pages of the ideological documents of the History of the Indian Communist Movement, which was released by the Trust in two parts. He spent several months in compiling translations, with his life partner in bed with cancer. Ranajit Singh also made an invaluable contribution in translating ‘India Mortgaged “into Hindi.which was classic work of T. Nagi Reddy on how Indian economy was enslaved by imperialism and feudalism. He wrote a most inspiring introduction.
Ranajit Singh inspired the democratic rights movement in Rajasthan from the 1980’s to mid 1990’s, with the work of the Jantantrik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti which was a constituent the All India Federation of Organisation for Democratic Rights, and hosted the all India Sammelan in 1990 in Udaipur. He also made a contribution in consolidating the workers front.
No communist activist will ever forget his hard work with unflinching resilience. Ranajit Singh withstood the most turbulent storms in his life to never deviate from the Communist track.,or that of Marxism-Lenism-Mao thought. He left no stone unturned in condemning the ascendancy of Hindutva fascism and the plunder of corporate, blessed by Narendra Modi led BJP party.
Ranajit Singh strived to unite the fragmented parts of the Communist party in India and build a united CPI (ML).He waged a sustained battle against revisionism, right opportunism and left adventurism. He inspired students and youth to rise up n struggle.
Till his last breadth Ranajit Singh stood for the people, serving the people till his last breath. Democrats should Expressing sympathy to his family members, friends and party colleagues in Rajasthan.
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Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who has covered mass movements around India
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