Still not dead and buried: A rural Punjab move to keep alive the spirit of Naxalbari

By Harsh Thakor
There was a well attended and most lively meeting in memory of Thana Singh of around 2000 persons in Thana Singh’s village of Bhallai Ana in community hall in Muktsar on September 17th, with most encouraging participation of youth. It was a testimony that the spirit of Naxalbari is still not dead and buried with the audience literally reverberating the message of Naxalbari. In spite of every effort of the state to crush the naxalbari movement, it is not dead and buried, as we witnessed here. I was privileged to participate in the event.
The meeting began with the singing of the Communist International.
Speakers represented diverse sections of the Communist revolutionary camp. The clarity and focus of the speakers was impressive.They included Jaspal Jassi of Surkh Leeh, Mukhtiar Phular of Lal Parcham , Lakhwinder of Pratibadh and Professor Parminder Singh. They all underlined how Thana Singh had planted the roots of the massline and how today’s peasant movement or mass political movement flourishing had it’s base in Comrade Thana Singh’s efforts. Strong reference was made on Thana Singh’s role in establishing the Punjab coordination Committee, to defeat left adventurist line and in combating the rightist line of JP movement.
Leaders of BKU (Ugrahan) like Jhanda Singh Jethuke, Zora Singh Nasrali of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Jagmel Singh of Lok Morcha and Ashwini Guddhaof Naujwan Bharat Sabha, Advocate N.K. Jeet of AFDR and Harjinder Singh of Moulder and Steel Workers Union,were also present. Zora Singh Nasrali, gave the introductory speech.Surkh Leek editor,Pavel Kussa,chaired the speeches.
Messages we read out from the Central Commitee of the CPRCI(ML), CPI(ML) New Democracy and Lal Pracham.
Professor Parminder Singh narrated the manner which as a schoolboy Thana Singh revolted against casteist discrimination. He recounted how he set a personal example by respecting and engaging in manual labour and never discriminating between mental and manual labour.
Muktiar Phullar spoke about how in day to day practical or ground work Thana Singh’s contribution, even surpassed that of late Harbhajan Sohi. From different angles, he viewed his work, highlighting how he struck a chord in important and diverse aspects.
Convenor Jaspal Jassi narrated from a historical perspective, how Thana Singh shaped the revolutionary movement, in every juncture. He asserted how till his last breath he defended the revolutionary massline and liberation.
Thana Singh’s daughter, Navraj, came on stage to narrate the unique aspects of her father’s life.
Resident of village, Gurbhagat Singh, thanked all the participants.
The main achievement of the conference was the unifying aspect towards New Democratic Revolution.Inspite of political differences; all speakers projected the essence of Thana Singh’s contribution.
Most impressive to witness participation of basic masses in programme of such a political nature likes poor farmers, landless labour ,women and village youth. Overall one of the most impressive Communist revolutionary gatherings, showing potential of many new roses to bloom.
What was possibly missing was representatives or messages from the Maoist trend in Punjab, which is of course divided, and activists from other parts of the Communist Revolutionary camp. Also hardly any presence of activists from other states of India.
---
Harsh Thakor is freelance journalist

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu* There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...

Search This Blog