CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya called for a united and determined resistance against the growing fascist offensive in India, warning that Kerala must remain vigilant against the BJP-RSS's attempts to expand its political influence and undermine the state's democratic and secular traditions.
He was delivering the keynote address at the Vijayan Maash Memorial Seminar organised by the M. N. Vijayan Cultural Centre in Kozhikode, Kerala, on 31 October. The seminar, held in memory of Professor M. N. Vijayan, a prominent intellectual and cultural critic from Kerala, focused on the theme “The Rise of Indian Fascism and the Challenges Facing India and Kerala.”
Addressing the gathering, Bhattacharya drew attention to the repressive policies of the Modi government, its attacks on democratic institutions and civil liberties, and the growing resistance against the regime, including the recent mobilisation of Gen Z youth.
He warned that the political developments in West Bengal, particularly the loss of power by the CPI(M) and the subsequent expansion of the BJP's influence in the state, offered important lessons for the Left and democratic forces in Kerala. He emphasised that these developments should not be forgotten and cautioned against allowing fascist forces to gain ground in Kerala.
Comrade Dipankar stressed that the immediate political task was not merely to defeat the present government but to prevent fascism from further eroding the democratic and secular foundations of Indian society.
“Our job is to stop fascism here and now. Not let it grow any further, not let it undo whatever democracy we still have, not let it destroy whatever civilisation, harmony, diversity, federalism and communal harmony we still have, whatever sense of democracy and freedom we have,” he said.
Calling for the defence and strengthening of democratic values and institutions, he added, “Let us protect it, save it, rescue it, and make it strong, make it more robust, so that we can make fascism unsustainable, so that we are able not only to defeat Modi but also to stop every future one, all those who want to be like Hitler, who want to be like Modi, who want to destroy India.”
Referring to the intellectual and political legacy of Professor M. N. Vijayan, Comrade Dipankar said that the struggle against fascism required a commitment to democratic freedoms, social harmony and the defence of India's pluralistic character. He reflected that, had Professor Vijayan been alive, he would likely have called upon the people to confront the present fascist offensive with the same critical consciousness and moral conviction that shaped his intellectual life.
The seminar also featured addresses by K. Prakash Babu, C. L. Santhosh, President of the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), P. K. Somanathan, K. P. Umesh Babu and N. P. Peethambaran.
The programme highlighted the urgent need for the Left and democratic forces to strengthen their unity and resistance against fascism, defend the constitutional and secular foundations of the country, and prevent the further advance of the BJP-RSS in Kerala and across India.
