Communist Party of India (Marxist) elects M.A Baby as its new General Secretary

The 24th congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which concluded in Madurai on Sunday, elected M.A. Baby, Polit Bureau member since 2012, as its General Secretary for the next three years.

Mr. Baby, formerly the Education and Culture Minister in Kerala, is the second leader from the Kerala unit to helm the party nationally. He succeeds Sitaram Yechury who passed away on 12 September 2024.

KKE's General Secretary Koutsoumbas pays tribute to comrade Sitaram Yechury

Yechury and Koutsoumbas in 2016 in Athens

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) expressed its sadness over the death of Indian communist leader Sitaram Yechury, who passed away yesterday at the age of 72. In a letter signed by General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas, the KKE praises Yechury's contribution to the international communist movement. 

More specifically, Koutsoumbas' letter which was published on "Rizospastis", stresses out:

Sitaram Yechury, Indian communist leader, dies aged 72

Sitaram Yechury, long-time General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has died at 72 following hospitalization for acute respiratory tract infection.

In a statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) points out:

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Party on September 12, 2024. He died after battling a severe lung infection at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He was aged 72 years.

India: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, veteran Communist and former West Bengal Chief Minister, dies at 80

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, veteran Communist Party leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister, died today, 8 August, at his south Kolkata (Calcutta) residence.  

In a statement,  the Central Committee office of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) points out: 

"The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, outstanding leader of the Party and former Chief Minister of West Bengal.  He was aged 80 years and had been in ailing health for some time. 

Communist Party of India (Marxist): Election results mark a setback for BJP and Modi

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The results of the 18th Lok Sabha election are a setback for the BJP. It has lost its majority in the Lok Sabha which it had got in the past two Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019. This is a stinging blow to the image of invincibility built around Narendra Modi, who had boasted about winning 400 seats in this election.

CPI (Marxist): Arrest Killers of Subhash Munda

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the cold blooded murder of Subhash Munda, member of the Jharkhand State Committee of the Party. He was shot dead at his office at Daladli Chowk, Ranchi on July 26.

34-year old Munda was a popular leader in Nagri area in Ranchi district, who was in the forefront of struggles to protect the rights of tribals and other poor and marginalized sections. 

Communist Party of India (Marxist): Statement on the gruesome train accident in Odisha

In a statement concerning the gruesome train crash in Odisha, which claimed the lives of at least 280 people, the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) stresses out:

"The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones in this worst rail accident in recent times. The PB calls upon all concerned authorities to prevent the rise of the death toll by ensuring speedy and urgent medical attention to the injured.

Veteran Indian communist Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dies

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, an outstanding leader of the Party.  He was a member of the Polit Bureau and, until recently, the secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the Party.

Balakrishnan died on October 1, 2022 in a hospital in Chennai after a prolonged struggle against cancer. He was 68 years old. 

West Bengal: Brutal police attack against Communist Party activists

On August 31st civil disobedience movements were held at all district headquarters in Bengal, India, marking the martyrdom of over 80 people who were killed in the historic food movement in 1959. 

 

In Purba Bardhaman district headquarters, without provocation, the police unleashed first water cannons, then a brutal lathi-charge and teargas on the peaceful protestors who were marching to meet the District Magistrate at his office. 

India - Bilkis Bano case: Communists vehemently condemn the release of rapists and murderers

Bilkis Bano was five-months pregnant when she was attacked by a Hindu mob in 2002 as anti-Muslim violence gripped the western Indian state of Gujarat. Bano, then 21 years old, was gang-raped by sword-wielding men from her neighborhood. Fourteen of her family members were killed, including her 3-year-old daughter, who was snatched from her arms and bashed against a rock.

A few days ago, on the 15th of August, 11 men serving a life sentence for the crimes were released from prison on remission by the Gujarat state government, sparking widespread outrage and an emotional appeal for justice from Bano. 

Communist Party of India (Marxist): Growing assaults on people’s livelihood by Modi government

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on July 16. It has issued the following statement:

Growing assaults on people’s livelihood

World Bank data shows that the annual growth of the Indian economy over 2020-22 was a mere 0.8 per cent.

KKE condemns the bomb attack at CPI(M) headquarters

On June 1st, unidentified cowards attacked the Kerala state committee headquarters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Thiruvananthapuram. Police said the explosive substance was hurled at the AKG Centre, situated in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, by a motorbike-borne man at around 11.30 pm.

In a statement the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemned the bomb attack and expressed confidence that “the state government will investigate thoroughly and punish the culprits. 

Sitaram Yechury re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The 85-member new Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that was elected at the 23rd Party Congress held in Kannur has chosen Sitaram Yechury as General Secretary. 

Yechury, 69, is taking over the leadership of the party for a third consecutive term. 

He succeeded Prakash Karat who has held the top post in India's largest left party from 2005 to 2015. 

The 23rd Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) kicks off in Kannur

The 23rd Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) kicked off yesterday in the city of Kannur, in Kerala.  

The Draft Political Resolution (abstract here) was introduced to the Party Congress by the General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury

As is the tradition of vigorous inner-Party democracy practised by the CPI(M), this Draft Resolution was released two months in advance and all Party members have the right to send amendments directly to the Central Committee. 4,001 amendments were received by the Central Committee, in the stipulated time. 

India: Millions of working people participated in 48-hour general strike

Another massive general strike took place in India on 28-29th March 2022, with millions of working men and women responding to the call by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, Independent Sectoral Federations/ Associations.

"This historic strike call was given not merely on immediate demands of the workers but against the anti-national destructive policies of Central government", reads a statement by Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

23rd Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist): Extracts from the Draft Political Resolution

Following a decision by the Central Committee, the 23rd Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will take place in Kannur, Kerala, between 6 and 10 April 2022. 

 

The Party has published the Draft Political Resolution (click here for the full text) for the upcoming Congress, extracts of which you can read below:

Stop violence against communists in India!

In a statement the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the recent violent incidents unleashed against the Party premises in the state of Tripura by right-wing mobs:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the violence unleashed in Tripura by the ruling party, the BJP, against the CPI(M) and the Left Front. 

In a pre-planned fashion, the offices of the CPI(M), including the state headquarters, were attacked by mobs of BJP men.  Among the offices which were damaged or burnt down are the Udaipur sub-divisional office, Gomati district committee office, Sepahijala district committee office, Bishalgarh sub-divisional committee office, West Tripura district committee office and the Sadar sub-divisional committee office. 

Communist Parties of India: Joint statement on the situation in Afghanistan

In face of the situation in Afghanistan, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have issued the following joint statement: 

On Afghanistan Situation 

The United States has suffered a humiliating defeat in Afghanistan. Twenty years after the toppling of the then Taliban regime, the Taliban are back in power. The collapse of the Ashraf Ghani led government and the National Army shows the hollowness of the nature of the State set up by the US and it's NATO allies. 

India's 75th Independence Day: Article by D Raja

Our Independence and India Today

By D. Raja.

On this day of August 15, more than seven decades back, in 1947, our nation began her tryst with destiny. The political independence achieved by us is the result of decades of struggles by the people of our country. Recognising the exploitative nature of the British rule, people in various parts of our country started resisting the exploitation by colonial masters themselves much before organised platforms or political parties to lead them came into existence. People fought against British forces along with their native collaborators simultaneously at times. These spontaneous uprisings were ruthlessly suppressed leaving an indelible print on the collective memory of the people.

Socialism is getting married and Communism, Leninism, and Marxism are special guests!

Image by Edward Chhangte

A quite interesting story comes from the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is not uncommon for people of communist ideology throughout the world to name their children after important figures of the international communist movement, such as Lenin, Karl, Rosa, Ernesto, Fidel, etc.

However, the Salem District Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) A. Mohan has taken things to an all-new level.  According local news sites, his three sons born after the 1990s have been named Communism, Leninism and Socialism, as a tribute to the erstwhile Soviet Union.