Govt ought to recall 1857 as anti-communal uprising: CPI(M)

New Delhi, Jan 28 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today asked the UPA government to commemorate the 1857 uprising against the Britishers as a 'national revolt' with explicit anti-communal and anti-caste thrust for consolidating pluralism of the Indian Republic.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by the government for commemoration of event should be directed to promote secular democratic fabric of the country which is under threat from communal and divisive forces, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yachuri at a press conference here.

The GoM was set up only after they had questioned the authenticity of a Committee constituted by the government for the purpose, he added.

''There exists a vivid parallelism between two events.. that in 1987 two sons of the then Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar were slaughtered by the imperialist forces represented by the Britishers and the king died in exile as prisoner.. now the Americans ,the modern imperialist force killed two sons of Saddam Hussain and hanged him too," the CPI(M) leader said.

Taking a dig at the BJP and its allied parties, Mr Yechuri said the communal forces were gunning for 'Babar ki aulad' (muslims) when Bahadur Shah Zafar who was a true descendent of Babar was then hailed as national hero of the uprising by Hindus, Muslims and others alike.

He equated the BJP' alleged hatred campaign against the minority community with the British imperialism which implemented policy of 'Divide and Rule'after the Britishers succeeded in suppressing the uprising.

The Left leader also differed with the Congress's strategy of commemorating 100 years of 'Satyagraha' as practised by Mahatama Gandhi and said "in fact, Congress always tend to monopolise Mahatama Gandhi's satyagraha".

He,however, said his party would join the satyagraha celebrations. But these celebrations should be observed by India and South Africa together as Mahatama first used this political tool in South Africa before putting it in practice in India to overthrow the British rule.

He asked the UPA government to observe all major freedom struggle events between 1857 to 1947 which hit nail in coffin of the Empire.

On its own, the CPI(M) will commemorate in 2007 the 250th year of the battle of Plassey which saw the rooting down of the British empire on India soil, 150th year of the 1857 revolt and 60th years of India's Independence.

Today, he released special issues of its English and Hindi weeklies, People's Democracy' and 'Lok Lahar'with a write-up on the uprising, 'Remembering 1857'by eminent historian Irfan Habib.

UNI