A two-day event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of India (CPI) concluded in Mandi on Thursday with the honoring of veteran party leaders.
The centenary celebrations began with a seminar on “Challenges of Contemporary India,” where the keynote address was delivered by Shailender Kumar, General Secretary of the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA).
In his address, Shailender Kumar highlighted “the growing threat of communalism, the centralization of power in the hands of a few within the ruling party, and the alleged threat to the basic structure of the Constitution.” He also emphasized the struggles of the downtrodden and the ongoing challenges to the rights of common people and marginalized castes.
The seminar also featured speeches from Dr. Kamaljeet Kaur, National Secretary of the Bhartiya Nari Sabha, and former MLA BD Lakhanpal, among others.
The second day began with a cultural festival at Seri Manch, where folk dancers from the Tungal area performed traditional dances.
Desh Raj Sharma, Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the centenary celebrations, honored veteran CPI leaders. Among those recognized were former State Secretary of CPI, the late Kameshwar Pandit, Shankar Singh Chandel, Advocate Bhagat Ram, and Himal Chand.
A meeting held at Vipasha Sadan was addressed by the Chairman of the Celebration Committee, Dinu Kashyap, along with CPI Secretary Bhag Singh, Trade Union leader Basu Dev Basu, CPM leaders Kushal Bhardwaj and Bhupender Singh, among others.
