Fidel Castro’s tireless resistance to imperialism for over half-a-century are a lesson to follow for the countries which are losing their identities to the forces of globalisation, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking at an event organised here on Tuesday in memory of the Cuban revolutionary leader who passed away two days back.
“Neither Castro nor Cuba had any weapon which could instil fear in the minds of the imperial forces. Yet, the country managed to survive these battles through the strength of a political ideology, which provided them the determination and will to fight it out. The entire populace stood united behind Castro, who was able to win the trust of his people,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that Castro put forward a viable alternative in the 1990s, when the world was swept up by the forces of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation.
“We have before us a practical alternative, right from the alternative to the World Bank formed by the co-operation of Latin American countries to the Telesur media group, which breaks the monopoly of the news agencies which are under the control of the imperialists. His untiring fight, in later years, became an inspiration for several other Latin American countries to follow the socialist path,” said Mr. Vijayan.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that Castro is a model for the struggling masses of the world.
“If we look closely at his life, we can see four phases, of the early days of the revolutionary, that of a freedom fighter for his country, that of a visionary statesman and finally, a tireless fighter against imperial forces. Eleven Presidents of the United States of America could not step on Cuban soil, despite it being situated at its doorstep,” he said.
Mr.Chennithala also strongly condemned the comments made by US President-elect Donald Trump following Castro’s passing away. He also criticised the U.S. media for their graceless comments on Castro.
BJP leader O.Rajagopal compared Castro to Chhatrapati Shivaji, for being a fighter against big empires.
“People loved him not because he was part of any ‘ism’, but because he had worked among them with love and sincerity. It was not just the struggling masses on whom he showered his love and care, but also on animals, as is evident from how much he loved the cow at his house. When it died, he gave it a guard of honour,” said Mr.Rajagopal.
