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Minsk-Moscow Celebrations: Long Live Revolution
D. Raja
Visiting Comrades long for old times†was the caption on the front page of â The Moscow Times†on November 8, 2007. Besides this sarcasm, it was an emotional demonstration of thousands of people (Moscow Times put the figure to 20,000) both men and women, old and young and children waving red flags and the banners of Communist Party of Russian Federation on November 7 from Pushkin Square to Karl Marx statue. They were joined by leaders and representatives from 71 Communist and Workers’ Parties from 58 countries who earlier participated in the International meeting on the relevance of ideals of great October revolution which was held in Minsk (Belarus) on 3-5 November 2007.
November 7 is public holiday only in Belarus (part of the erstwhile Soviet Union) under President Aleksander Lukashenko who is taking very strident positions against American Imperialism.
Vladimir Putin and the Russian regime do not identify with great October and there was no official function or parade on the Red Square in front of Lenin Mausoleum. Either this or the cold winds with temperature dropping to below zero did not deter the people marching on the streets.
On the rostrum at the feet of Karl Marx statue, Gennady Zyuganov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Russian Federation declared that â€there was no greater event in the 20th century than the October Revolutionâ€. While attacking Putin frontally he roared that the power would be restored to the people.
It was significant to note the enthusiasm and the applause displayed by the people whenever the name of Stalin was mentioned. One could see the young people holding the portrait of Stalin. The Moscow celebration of October Revolution concluded with the singing of international and colourful firecrackers echoed over the city at the top of Kremlin.
The Participants of the International meeting arrived at Moscow from Minsk by train on the previous day 6th November. They were all straightaway taken to Lenin Mausoleum.
It was a moving experience for me. I had visited mausoleum several times and paid homage to Great Lenin during Soviet rule. This visit was special. Lenin continues to attract people as ever. People come here to renew their pledge and draw inspiration from their dead (nay sleeping) prophet.
In a small but a solemn get together Zyuganov interacted with the leaders and presented a token medal to mark the 90th anniversary of great October revolution.
In the evening there was a gala meeting in the House of Unions (Historic hall of columns) organised by the Communist Party of Russian Federation (CPRF) dedicated to the 90th anniversary of October revolution.
Some of the best people’s artists, singers and players presented spectacular performance.
This occasion became the launch of election campaign by the CPRF. Elections to Duma (Russian Parliament) have been scheduled to be held on December 2, 2007. According to observers, because of the big popularity of Putin, the United Russia Party is likely to win overwhelming majority in Duma. However the CPRF will be emerging a stronger force. What would be gap between United Russia Party and CPRF will have to be seen.
Zyuganov sharply criticized the so-called Putin plan for Russia. He explained the worst conditions of Russian economy and social life. He painted out that after the collapse of Soviet rule no noteworthy industry could be built in Russia. The infrastructure continues to remain the same as it was built by Soviet rule. Russian economy tries to thrive on oil and natural gas and the petro money.
Zyuganov told the well attended meeting that 2.5 million children were not going to school in present Russia; 6 million youth were unemployed; every second graduate was an unemployed; and 4 million were drug addicts. In such a situation, it was imperative that communists won the elections to Duma.
During the course of celebrations of October revolution, one could see the importance given to the building of Komsomol (youth organisation) and Young Pioneer organisation by the CPRF. All out efforts are being made not only to revive the memories of past glory but to win the popular support back to change the political course in Russia in the spirit of October Revolution.
Minsk Meeting
After the collapse of Soviet Union and setback to socialism in 1990s, the Communist Party of Greece took the initiative to convene the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ parties every year to discuss the strategy to fight against imperialism and to strive for socialism.
Seven meetings were held in Athens, the capital city of Greece. The last International Meeting was held in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal and was organized by the Communist Party of Portugal.
2007 marks the 90th anniversary of great October revolution. Communist Party of Russian Federation and the Communist Party of Belarus agreed to host the meeting in the former Soviet territory. Accordingly the International meeting was held in MINSK on the relevance and ideals of October revolution.
71 parties from 58 countries participated in Minsk meeting. The participants deliberated on the ideals of October revolution; in how to apply the universal principles of Marxism to their concrete practice of revolution and construction, independently choose their own path toward socialism and approach from their own national conditions to build socialism with different characteristics.
The meeting decided to support the following initiatives.
Organisation of activities, aimed at drawing the attention of the youth to the Karl Marx’s theoretical legacy and dedicated to his 190th birth anniversary and 160th anniversary of publishing of the Communist Manifesto;
Proactive measures against anticommunism, persecution of and banning communist parties’ and communist youth organisations’ activities. Creation of a databank of such precedents;
Struggle against the revision and rewriting of history, rehabilitation of fascism and its manifestation;
Solidarity on the issue of support of achievements in the sphere of labour-management relations. Coordination of activities on protection of foreign workers’ and immigrants’ rights;
Struggle for workers’ democratic rights and freedoms, against laws â€on terrorism†and criminal prosecution for political and professional activities.
Constantly involve the leading statesmen and public figures, scientists and intellectuals in the solidarity movement in order to counteract the persecution of communist and workers’ movement.
Joint activities during G8, WTO, EU and NATO summits. Struggle for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the territory Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries; abolition of foreign military bases on this territories and dissolution of NATO.
Such activities as: solidarity with socialist Cuba on abolition of blockade; for discharge of the 5 Cuban patriots, who are kept in prison in the USA; for EU’s renunciation of the unfriendly position on Cuba;
Solidarity with the Bolivar process in Venezuela;
Solidarity to the struggles of developing countries for independent self reliant and sustainable economic development;
Struggle against the â€Great Middle East†plan;
Support of thematic, regional and inter-regional meetings and other joint activities of communist parties;
Continuation of the European educational campaign;
Active support of initiatives of international democratic, anti-imperialistic organisations, workers’ movement, women, students and the youth, fighters for peace;
The participants of the meeting have familiarized themselves with the current social, economic and political situation in Belarus, visited industrial and agricultural enterprises. The work of the International meeting of communist and workers’ parties was broadly covered by mass media.
The meeting ended with an optimistic note that socialism alone is the future of humanity. That is the spirit of October revolution. The working group has decided to hold the next meeting in Brazil (Latin America) in 2008.
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