Prakash Karat

There have been certain reports of my speech at the Memorial Conference for Victor Kiernan in Cambridge that are inaccurate in parts and misleading. Some agencies have attributed to me that I stated that we committed “a historical blunder” in not recognising the role played by caste in politics and society. It is also alleged that I said that Communists are “stuck in the forties” as far as their theory and practice is concerned.

We have to understand that there can be no solution to the Kashmir problem without taking into account the feelings and aspirations of the people of Kashmir. ..The Centre should spell out that there can be a dialogue process without any side setting pre-conditions. It would be better if the Prime Minister appoints a senior political figure who can monitor this process.

Jyoti Basu was a great leader of the CPI(M), the Left movement and India. With his passing away, an era has passed.

Seventy years of public life and political activity marked him out, at the time of his death, as the most distinguished Left leader of the country. An ardent Communist, he was one of the few political leaders in independent India who actually deepened democracy, strengthened secularism and brought the working people to the centre-stage of Indian politics. As Chief Minister of West Bengal for a record 23 years, his lasting contributions were land reforms, which gave land and security of tenure to millions of peasants, the vitalization of panchayat institutions, and the creation of an enduring atmosphere of secularism in the State. He taught Communists how to work and serve the people in parliamentary forums in order to bring about changes in public policy.

He stood with the struggles of the working class and all working people. Jyoti Basu became a symbol of Left, democratic and secular forces.