“There is no alternative to socialism” (for redressing the grievances of a major portion of Indian population), veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader N. Sankariah asserted here on Friday.
Releasing ‘Athipazhangal ippothum sivappaithan irukkindrana,' a book authored by R. Vijayashankar, News Editor, Frontline, Mr. Sankariah said that socialism was the only way to protect “secularism, democracy and also the sovereignty” of the country.
In such a nation, all should be treated as equal, women's rights should be protected and there would be no space for untouchability.
As the opening essay in the book refers to the first meeting of the author with his father P. Ramachandran, former Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M), in Cuddalore jail, Mr. Sankariah recalled how he was imprisoned for almost 21 months along with Ramachandran in a major drive in 1964 against the Communist leaders by the then Congress government in Tamil Nadu.
More than 200 Communist leaders, including P. Ramamurthi and M.R. Venkataraman, were put behind bars then. “But, our spirit was not suppressed and Ramachandran was one of those who took classes on Marxism in the jail itself.”
Multi-polar world
The CPI (M) leader urged all progressive forces to prevent the Central government from tilting towards the United States. India should maintain its sovereignty and strive for a multi-polar world as against the vision of the U.S. for a unipolar world.
He described Mr. Vijayashankar's work as “concrete analysis of a concrete situation.”
Sashi Kumar, chairman, Asian School of Journalism, commended the metaphoric evocativeness of the book, which begins with the prison walls and then opens out about the spirit of liberation and freedom involving even Nelson Mandela.
The author had written about those who fought the forces of oppression and were in jail so that others could live free, he observed.
“Marxism equals freedom of expression,” he said and explained in detail how Karl Marx was a strong champion of the freedom of expression. It was Marx who had said that “censorship can never be morally right even if it were to be legal as much as slavery can never be morally right.”
S. Viswanathan, Readers' Editor, The Hindu , presided.
