CPI(M) hoists the national flag for the first time in 75 years of Independence
CPI(M) central committee passed the resolution to hoist the national flag on Independence Day across India on the first week in August.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) has hoisted the national flag across its offices in India for the first time in the 75 years of independence. The central committee took the decision based on a proposal by the West Bengal unit.
It took more than seven decades for CPI (M) to join other political parties in freedom day celebrations after the undivided Communist Party of India or CPI had commented, “Yeh Azadi Jhuti hain” (It is false freedom).
CPI(M) lead the communist party after the division of CPI. The tricolor was hoisted in party offices across the country by the respective state heads. The Kerala division even promised to celebrate Independence Day with performances and other activities throughout the year.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose hoists the national flag
In Bengal, Left Front chairman Biman Bose hoisted the tricolor in the presence of other polit bureau member Md. Salim at the party headquarters in Alimuddin Street in Kolkata. Biman Bose was flanked by central committee member Sujan Chakraborty when he was hoisting the flag. Sujan lost the 2021 state assembly elections from the Jadavpur constituency.
Other senior leaders were also present at the function. Grand celebrations also took place at the regional or district party offices in the presence of the district leaders, reported the Indian Express.
The flag unfurled upside down as Bose pulled the wrong strings, but it was soon rectified. Chakraborty has said that the central committee passed the resolution for the grand Independence Day celebration during the first week of August. “Earlier, smaller units used to hoist flags on their own. On 75th Independence Day, the country faces even more danger with fascism and communalism spreading at large, so this decision was taken to emphasize on the role of communists in the freedom struggle.”
In the yesteryears, CPI (M) used to mainly organize human chain to foster national integration on 15 August.
Acting state secretary A Vijayaraghavan Hoists Flag in Kerala
Acting state secretary A Vijayaraghavan hoisted the tricolor close to the party flag in the AKG center, the party headquarter in Thiruvananthapuram. Senior party leaders like M Vijayakumar, PK Sreemathy, MC Josephine were also present during the ceremony.
Vijayaraghavan has said to the media after hoisting the flag that commemoration of the 75th Independence Day will be a year-long event. The tricolor was also hoisted in other district committee offices.
Meanwhile, KPCC president K Sudhakaran has said that he was happy to note the change of CPM mindset. He also added that they have finally recognized the role of Congress in the freedom struggle, on which Vijayaraghavan stemmed out former’s ignorance on the communists’ involvement in the freedom movement.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that it was time to reclaim nationalism from communalism and fascism.
State BJP president has also said that they were happy to note the change in the communist ideologies during BJP rule. However, he was lucky to avoid humiliation by a whisker for unfolding the national flag upside down with the last-minute rectification. He pulled the wrong rope and later corrected it when he saw the bottom-up flag was unfurling.
The sudden change of ideology
The Communist party was always accused of being close to China and other communist countries than Indian national sentiment by other mainstream parties. During the Indo-China war, then CPI was allegedly closer to China.
Left Front displayed an abysmal performance in the 2019 national election followed by the 2021 Bengal election. With time, the touch of their communalist ideas faded, and the votes dried up. Many say that the sudden resolution to celebrate Independence day was an effort to bring back those lost votes. Some analysts also said that it represents the drought of ideas in the CPI-M chamber.
