Since our Fifth All-India Party Congress held in Calcutta in December 1992, numerous Party leaders, cadres, activists and sympathisers have been killed by police, private armies and goons of landlords, as well as by mafia gangsters and criminalised anarchist gangs. All of us assembled here in this congress pay our homage to these heroic martyrs who laid down their invaluable lives for the cause of people and the Party. Their noble martyrdom shall for ever inspire us to forge ahead along the path rendered crimson with their precious blood and accomplish the tasks left unfinished by them.

In Bihar, soon after our Fifth Congress, Comrade Virendra Vidrohi, a vibrant cultural activist and an IPF leader in Jehanabad, was killed by MCC goons at the behest of JD on 31.1.1993.

Comrade Ravindra Sharma, a prominent peasant leader in Patna rural district was killed on 25.4.1993.

Vyas Prataph Singh, a senior leader of Siwan district was killed by Shahbuddin’s gang on 10.10.1994.

Kedar Shah, District Committee Member in Siwan, was shot dead on 18.10.1996. Chandrashekhar, a beloved leader of the student community and President of JNUSU for two terms and a promising young CPI(ML) leader in Siwan was shot dead by Shahbuddin’s goons on 31.3.1997. His killing evoked nationwide protests by progressive intelligentsia. Also killed along with Chandrashekar was Shyam Narain Yadav, another young Party leader in Siwan town who was a leader of SFI before joining our Party.

Surendra Yadav, a good, energetic and young organiser who was incharge of Jeeradei block in Siwan, the stronghold of Shahbuddin’s mafia gang, was also killed by the gangsters.

Mani Singh of Karakat in Rohtas district of Bihar, a popular leader and powerful orator and Party candidate in the assembly elections was killed during the election campaign on 12.3.1995. Mani Singh was a noted youth leader in the JP-led 1974 movement before joining our Party.

Surendra Prasad Kushwaha, who had been elected a delegate to this congress and who was a popular TU leader in Rohtas district was killed by management’s goons while addressing a workers meeting on 21.9.1997. That 10000 people mobilised in a sharp retaliatory protest on the spot was a measure of his popularity.

Rameshwar Muni, popular poet in Aurangabad was killed by MCC criminals and JD goons at Bazar Barma, Goh block on 14.10.1993. In the same district, Comrade Jugal was killed by Party Unity recently on 11 August.

Kameshwar Chowdhury and 4 others were killed in a land struggle in Dadar, Mohania in Bhabua on 9.8.1993.

In Bhojpur district, the following fighters laid down their lives while organising resistance against Ranbir Sena: Comrades Bak Bind, Ram Lagan Paswan, Lakhan Mahato, Surendra Prasad, Surendra Das, Congress Manjhi, Shravan Kumar, Bal Mogeshwar Manjhi, Chandrika Bind, Amrik Paswan, Vijay Singh, Vinod Ram, Buddhan Ram, Naval Pandey, Ajay Mahato, Kau Manjhi, Ram Das, Krishna Das, Chandan, Vijay Sharma, Satyendra Paswan and Siddehshwar Das.

In Ranchi district, Parmeshwar Singh Munda, who came from CPI(M) and Gandhar Singh Munda were killed by CPI(M) goons. Gandharva Singh Munda, a JHAMKIS activist, was killed by the local CPI(M) MLA at Suarmara Gaon, Angara block, on 23.4.1993. CPI(M), desperate to arrest the exodus of their ranks to our Party in this district, resorted to these heinous killings. Nevertheless they today stand marginalised there.

In Chatra district of South Bihar, in a barbaric massacre by MCC on 6.9.1997, Jhaman Singh Bhokta and Laxmi Dangi, both District Committee members were killed along with eight others.

In Hazaribagh, an armed squad of MCC killed 3 of our Party cadres, Sukhdev Mahato, Indu Mahato and Chaitu Tari at Gondlitand on 8.10.1995.

In West Bengal, Comrade Nurul Haq, a rising peasant leader and a member of the Murshidabad District Committee was killed while asleep in a cowardly manner by Congress(I) goons on 3, November 1994. Comrade Haq had made a signal contribution to the development of our Party in that district and had been active in the Party since early 1980s.

Comrade Brindavan Mondal, a member of the Murshidabad District Committee of the Party was brutally murdered by Congress(I) goons on February 8, 1996, due to his resolute and sustained resistance against their attempts to occupy the local Party office.

Abdul Halim, Secretary of Kalna district committee, was killed in a Kalna hospital by CPI(M) goons on 27 March 1994 along with 6 other members who were agricultural labourers.

Comrade Lachit Roy, an ideal leader of Assamese youth and secretary of the District Organising Committee of Party in Barpeta, Assam, was shot dead by an ULFA gunman on 10.1.1995. Comrade Roy himself was earlier the Organising Secretary of ULFA and realising the limitations of ULFA he joined the Party in 1992.

Subbu, a popular mass leader and member of the Pasumpon District Committee of the Party in Tamil Nadu was killed by a professional killer hired by landlords and the local Congress MLA on 25.6.1994. Comrade Subbu had for long championed the cause of dalits’ social dignity and equality. Apart from these martyrs, scores of other comrades have also been killed by the class enemies in different areas. Our red salutes to all these valiant fighters.

We have also lost 115 Party members, followers and even innocent people among the masses in our areas of work, including many women and children, in 18 massacres, 17 in Bihar and one in West Bengal.

Jayant Ganguli, Central Committee Member and Secretary of the Jharkhand Regional Committee passed away on 24.9.1995 after a sudden and serious illness. Comrade Ganguli was earlier Party organiser in Chattisgarh region of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and State Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. Maheshwar, one of the pioneers of revolutionary trend in Hindi literature, the leader of Jan Sanskriti Manch and the Chief Editor of Samkaleen Janmat, passed away after a prolonged illness in July 1994.

SN Lal, a noted trade union leader in Railways in Dibrugarh division in Assam and a Party cadre of long standing passed away on 10.5.1996.

Surdas Kishan of Phansideva block of Naxalbari area, passed away. Despite being blind, he was a dedicated Party worker and was quite active, especially during the difficult days of 1977-79 period.

Sibu Banerjee, LCM, Krishnanagar, too had passed away during the period after our Fifth Congress.

This Congress pays its heartfelt condolences to these and other comrades who passed away in this period and cherishes their memory. The commitment of these comrades who had dedicated their lives to the cause of Party and revolution would continue to inspire us in our onward march.

This congress also pays its homage to Datta Samant, the fearless leader of the working class in Bombay who was killed by the hired assassins of big capitalists. Samant had expressed his eagerness to work with us in a national-level united front, participated in AICCTU All-India Conference in Patna and was quite keen on extending cooperation with us, especially in leading the struggles of textile workers. In his death we have lost a true friend who, because of his fighting tradition, was gravitating towards closer friendly cooperation with us.

This Congress also pays its homage to Chris Hani, the leader of the South African Communist Party and a firebrand leader of the armed wing of ANC who was killed by the rump of the racist and reactionary forces who feared his potential to steer the victory against apartheid further in the direction of revolutionary democray and socialism.

Finally, we cannot but recall with a heavy heart the sad demise of Comrade Madan Bhandari, the General Secretary of CPN(UML) who was in our midst in our Fifth Congress sharing with us his vision for revolutionary transformation in Nepal. The historically close relations between our parties further deepened during his period. He was a popular national leader of Nepal and instrumental in the rise of the communist party in the national politics of Nepal. The Sixth Congress of CPI(ML) pays its homage to Comrade Bhandari and Comrade Jeevraj Ashrit who was also killed along with him in that tragic accident.