‘Cuba remembers Vizag connection with fondness’

In 1992, 10,000 tonnes of wheat was shipped from VPT

: It is difficult to believe that Visakhapatnam has a Cuba connection that still evokes a warm response in that country.

In 1992 when Cuba was passing through a crisis after the collapse of the Soviet Union, India had sent 10,000 tonnes of wheat. The wheat was shipped from the Visakhapatnam Port Trust.

Cuban President Fidel Castro, who received the shipment at Havana, acknowledged the gesture saying that considering the cost involved (for shipping) the quantity was not much but it gave 10,000 tonnes of moral courage to Cuba, according to CITU leader Ch. Narsinga Rao.

He was among the 20 trade union leaders that addressed the World Trade Union solidarity conference on May 2 in Havana after participating in the May Day celebrations. Over 1,700 delegates from 68 countries representing 269 trade unions participated in the conference.

All-round applause

“When I recalled the incident during my speech there was all-round applause,” he said after his return to Visakhapatnam. AITUC Goa general secretary Christopher Fonseca was the leader that attended the conference from India.

Narrating the May Day celebrations in Havana, he said though President Raul Castro and other leaders were present, the privilege of addressing the rally attended by lakhs of workers belonged to only Secretary General of Cuban Workers’ Trade Union Council Nacimiento.“Unlike in our country, the May Day celebrations are not sponsored by the government and workers totally own it up and organise them,” Mr. Narsinga Rao said.