Kolkata event marks 100 years since first Communist conference in India

By Harsh Thakor*

A public assembly was held in Kolkata on December 24, 2025, to mark the centenary of the , originally convened in Kanpur from December 26 to 28, 1925. The programme was organised by at on Lenin Sarani. According to the organisers, around 2,000 people attended the assembly.

Participants came from various districts of West Bengal and from several other states, including Bihar, Telangana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Delhi, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Representatives from other communist revolutionary organisations were also present. Women and youth formed a visible section of the gathering. The programme began around 11:30 am and included speeches, cultural performances, and an exhibition.

The venue was decorated with party flags and photographs of communist leaders , Satya Narain Singh, and C.P. Reddy. Display boards carried photographs of martyrs and departed leaders associated with the communist movement. Another banner presented photographs and brief descriptions of several historical struggles in which communists were involved, including the Solapur events of 1930, the revolt of INA sailors, the Worli tribal movement, the , the Tebhaga movement, the Punappra–Vayalar movement, food movements in Bengal, and peasant struggles in regions such as Naxalbari, Srikakulam, Mushahari, Debra–Gopiballabhpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, and the Godavari Valley. A bookstall selling political literature and a medical camp operated by Shramjivi Swastho Udyog were also set up at the site.

The programme formally commenced with the unfurling of the red flag by Sushanta Jha, Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of CPI (ML) New Democracy. The presidium included Sushanta Jha, Central Committee member Sailen Bhattacharyya, West Bengal State Committee leader Chandan Paramanik, and Central Committee member J.V. Chalapati Rao. The proceedings were conducted by Chandan Paramanik and Sumit Sinha.

A minute’s silence was observed in memory of those who had died in the course of the communist movement. This was followed by a cultural presentation by Sphulinga, a West Bengal-based student cultural group. Speakers who addressed the gathering included V.K. Patole (Central Committee), P. Prasad (Andhra Pradesh), Bhala Chandra Shadangi (Odisha), Jogesh Bhatta (Assam), S.V. Rao (Telangana), Kulwinder Singh Warraich (Punjab), and Mrigank (Delhi).

In their addresses, speakers referred to different phases of the communist movement in India, the role of international communist organisations in its early years, and the involvement of communists in workers’, peasants’, and adivasi struggles across various regions. Several speakers spoke about historical movements such as the Telangana armed struggle, the Godavari Valley resistance, the Debra–Gopiballabhpur movement, and peasant and tenant struggles in Punjab and Assam. Contemporary political developments, state policies, and security operations were also discussed from the speakers’ respective perspectives.

Piyasa Das Gupta, associated with the Debra–Gopiballabhpur movement and editor of the women’s magazine , read out a poem during the programme. Two publications brought out by Biplabi Ganaline were released on the occasion: a special magazine issue marking 100 years of the First Communist Conference and a booklet on the early phase of the communist movement in India.

Cultural performances were interspersed with the speeches. These included songs and performances by groups and individuals from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. The programme concluded with the singing of the “”.

The event marked the first major programme organised in Kolkata following the merger of CPI (ML) New Democracy and PCC CPI (ML). The meeting concluded in the evening, with participants dispersing after the completion of the scheduled programme.

---

Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who attended the conference

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

'Policy long overdue': Coalition of 29 experts tells JP Nadda to act on SC warning label order

By A Representative In a significant development for public health, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food products. The order, passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on February 10, 2026, comes as the Court expressed dissatisfaction with the regulatory body's progress on the issue.

Unpaid overtime, broken promises: Indian Oil workers strike in Panipat

By Rosamma Thomas Thousands of workers at the Indian Oil Corporation refinery in Panipat, Haryana, went on strike beginning February 23, 2026. They faced a police lathi charge, and the Central Industrial Security Force fired into the air to control the crowd.

From non-alignment to strategic partnership: India's ideological shift toward Israel

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* India's historical foreign policy maintained a notable duality: offering sanctuary to persecuted Jewish communities dating back centuries, while simultaneously supporting Palestinian self-determination as an expression of its broader anti-colonial foreign policy commitments. The gradual shift in Indian foreign policy under Hindutva-aligned governance — moving toward a strategic partnership with Israel while reducing substantive engagement with the Palestinian cause — raises legitimate questions about ideological motivation and geopolitical consequence.

Development vs community: New coal politics and old conflicts in Madhya Pradesh

By Deepmala Patel* The Singrauli region of Madhya Pradesh, often described as “India’s energy capital,” has for decades been a hub of coal mining and thermal power generation. Today, the Dhirouli coal mine project in this district has triggered widespread protests among local communities. In recent years, the project has generated intense controversy, public opposition, and significant legal and social questions. This is not merely a dispute over one mine; it raises a larger question—who pays the price for energy development? Large corporate beneficiaries or the survival of local communities?

Search This Blog