Dear Comrades of the Presidium!
Dear Comrades who have come from far and wide to celebrate the 88th anniversary of the founding of the Ghadar Party!
The Communist Ghadar of India hails this initiative of the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee to celebrate the 88th anniversary of the founding of the Ghadar Party. This morning, we saw the beautiful and simple ceremony of the hoisting of the flag of the Ghadar Party. This hoisting of the flag of the Ghadar Party is imbued with the greatest significance, as all of you know. It is not merely acknowledging the contribution of the Ghadari babas who shed their blood and sacrificed their all for the highest ideals. More, it is a clear statement that 88 years after the founding of this party, and 53 years after the formal independence of our country from British rule, the ideals of Ghadar Party remain yet to be fulfilled. Complete emancipation of India’s and the world’s peoples were the goal of the Ghadar Party. What do we communists of today have to offer to the Indian people and the world’s peoples as a way to fulfill these aspirations? — This is the important question we are duty bound to address today.
Today, the ghost of partition still haunts our country, Pakistan, Bangladesh and all the peoples of South Asia. We have the spectacle of the leader of US imperialism and world capitalism, Bill Clinton, coming to our region to further the imperialist strategy; to exacerbate existing conflicts and foment new ones; to enslave our peoples. All this is being done under the sign-board of "peace making", of "ending terrorism", of "democracy and human rights", of "partnership" between the rulers of India and US. It is not coincidental that the bloody and bestial massacre of innocent Sikhs was organised just on the eve of the talks between Clinton and Vajpayee.
53 years ago, the British imperialists forcibly organised the partition of our country to divide two of the biggest nations on earth, the nation of Punjab and the nation of Bengal. The leaders of the Congress and Muslim League capitulated to the imperialists and accepted partition. They were more afraid of the specter of revolution that was haunting the subcontinent at that time than anything else. Bloody massacres of Punjabis, Bengalis and others were organised. The partition of Bengal, Punjab and Kashmir has been the condition for fomenting of perpetual conflicts amongst the peoples of this region. Whenever there is terrorist violence in Kashmir or other parts of India, fingers are pointed at Pakistan. Some even point fingers at the imperialists. But how come there are so few with guts to point fingers at the Indian State? Is it possible that terrorist attacks can take place in India on a daily basis without the active participation and organising by the Indian State? The point to note is that the Anglo-American imperialists, as well as the rulers of India and Pakistan are in league with each other in keeping alive the divisions, in fomenting conflicts. There is no innocent party amongst them. All of them are more afraid of the unity of the peoples of the subcontinent, of the specter of revolution, then anything else. If today, any of us is silent about the role of the Indian State and the Indian bourgeoisie in the terrorist violence and communal conflicts that are daily being organised, this means we are guilty of capitulation to the Indian State and world imperialism. This means we are guilty of treachery to the highest ideals of the ghadari babas. The Indian people will never forgive such capitulation and treachery.
Respected and Dear Comrades,
The Ghadar party was founded in the early part of the 20th century with two fold aims—the liberation of the motherland and the complete emancipation of its people; and the defence of the rights of Indians abroad from racist attacks and racial discrimination. The Ghadari babas fought for these twin aims honourably and with great success. Following the collapse of colonialism at the end of the second world war and the triumph of the worlds peoples over Hitlerite fascism, a new situation arose in the sixties of this century. Fresh waves of Indian emigration to Canada, Britain and other countries was followed by a fresh wave of racist violence. The rulers of India and Pakistan, far from raising their voices in defense of their fellow countrymen who had been forced to emigrate abroad, instead collaborated and continue to collaborate with the racist states in the capitalist countries in oppressing South Asians. In these conditions, to fulfil the twin aims of the Ghadari babas, the Hindustani Ghadar Party (Organisation of Indian Marxist-Leninists Abroad) was founded thirty years ago under the leadership of Comrade Hardial Bains. In order to accomplish the aims of the Ghadari babas in modern conditions, it was necessary to organise on the basis of the most advanced science, Marxism-Leninism—this was the basis of the work of the HPP(OIMLA).
Comrades,
The greatest roadblock to the revolution, to the complete emancipation of the Indian peoples, is the fractured state of the communist movement in India. If there is one single event that set back revolution in India for decades, that laid the basis for the disasters facing the people of the subcontinent today, it is the division of the Communist Party of India in 1964 resulting in the formation of the CPI (M). After that, there has been one division after the other. All communists, particularly the leaders of CPI (M) who championed the first split, are duty bound to answer today as what have the working class and people gained and what they have lost as a result of the split of 1964. The movement for emancipation of the Indian peoples has suffered one setback after another. All of you know that when you start falling down a steep stairway, you will inevitably end up at the bottom with broken bones, if not worse. There is no half way point. The Indian communist and revolutionary movement has similarly suffered through divisions and splits and we are so to speak at the bottom. We have to see how to climb to the top again, learning from the lessons of the past. Now we have literally hundreds of communist parties and groups all over the country! Can anyone seriously believe that emancipation of the working class and people can be achieved, or even the struggle of the working masses against the onslaught of the bourgeoisie can make any headway in these conditions? No comrades! We have to change this situation. We have to stop finding excuses and justifications for divisions.
Today, India’s workers, peasants, women, youth and the patriotic intelligentsia are fed up with the system. They are asking what is the way to a life of freedom and dignity, security and prosperity for all? We communists must provide them the answer. We must provide them the leadership and the vision. This we can do, only if all of us put restoration of unity of Indian communists most seriously on the agenda. We blame the bourgeoisie, and correctly too, for always dividing the working masses over this or that issue. But should we shut our eyes to the fact that many communists have done the same thing with the working class and peasantry? Can we honestly deny that communists have also divided the working masses like jagirdars, leaving them easy prey to the enemy? We have to stop acting as leaders with a small property outlook, and act as leaders of the entire working class. We must draw inspiration from the word and deed of the ghadari babas. This we can do, only if we recognise one cardinal truth. And we must not only accept this truth in words, but fight with a plan for its realisation. In One country, there is only one working class and the working class must have one communist party at its head.
Comrades
The Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee deserves our heartfelt congratulations for organising this important meeting on the occasion of the 88th anniversary of the founding of Ghadar Party. I think you have a very important message to all of us, in calling leaders of so many communist parties as well as other organisations on one common platform. This is the message that we get our act together and restore communist unity in one single communist party as the condition for victory for the Indian people in their long struggle for complete emancipation. This will signify our true loyalty to the ideas of the Ghadari babas. Or else, India’s working class and people, will never forgive any one of us—be it the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the CPIML (Liberation), or the Communist Ghadar Party of India or any other communist party or group.
Dear comrades,
The Communist Ghadar Party of India renews its pledge on this solemn occasion to work in close cooperation with all the Indian communists and patriots to realise the slogan "One country, One working class, One Communist party!" The glorious patriot Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who was inspired by the ideals of the Ghadari babas, has said that India’s revolutionaries must and will never rest content until the real maaliks of this land, its workers, peasants women and youth have political power in their own hands and deprive the exploiters whether, white skinned or dark skinned or both, of political power. This remains our common goal and to realise this, no sacrifice is too great.
Dear Comrades
This morning the beautiful flag of the Ghadar Party was unfurled over this historic place! This flag defines the greatest aspirations of our patriotic and revolutionary people through the ages. We pledge that that we will spare no sacrifice to bring into realisation that bright dawn over our beautiful motherland, when this flag of revolution and national liberation will fly aloft the Red Fort in Delhi, replacing the tricolour. Our Party will work might and main and pour all its energies to the realisation of this glorious aim!
Thank you comrades
Inquilab Zindabad!
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