Delhi
A memorial meet to pay tributes to Comrade Rajaram was organised in Delhi at HKS Surjeet Bhavan on 25 September. This was attended by a large number of activists and many old timers who had a chance to work with comrade Rajaram when he was in Delhi at Central office of Indian People's Front. Prof. Gopal Pradhan, senior journalist Urmilesh, Chandra Bhushan, former Rajya Sabha television journalist Irfan, former BBC journalist Rajesh Joshi and prof. Radhika Menon and CPIML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and Prem Singh Gehlawat recalled their to inspiring experiences with Rajaram. CPIML Delhi secretary Ravi Rai conducted the proceedings.
Chandra Bhushan said that Rajaram was gifted with an unique talent that he could communicate with a very wide range of people and social forces to bring them on a common platform. Gopal Pradhan said that he worked with immense perseverance and simplicity in the fight for a true democracy. Urmilesh recalled his association during his JNU days and said that comrade Rajaram's intellectual prowess gained through persistent activism was the force behind his simplicity, that he was able to explain very difficult arguments in very simple language. Irfan remembered his humility and firmness of character that was due his commitment to stand with the struggles of the oppressed. Radhika Menon said he was a fearless fighter in face of brutal repression.
Bihar
On 14 September, a memorial meeting remembering the revolutionary legacy of Comrade Rajaram, was held in Patna's Jagjivan Ram Institute which was also attended by all constituents of Mahagathbandhan parties in Bihar.
Comrade Rajaram was one of the prominent figures of the 1974 movement in Bihar that paved the way for countrywide people’s upsurge against the Indira government’s emergency in seventies. Many of his old time comrades in arms and those who spent time with him inside the jail also participated in this meeting and paid him tributes.
The meeting resolved to strengthen the ongoing fight against fascism to realise the dream of comrade Rajaram.
The meeting was addressed by Dipankar Bhattacharya, Rajaram’s jail time companion and RJD’s senior leader Shivanand Tiwari, RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, former speaker in Bihar Vidhan Sabha Uday Narayan Chaudhary, JDU leader Santosh Kushwaha, CPIM’s Sarvoday Sharma, Pramod Prabhakar from CPI, Kishori Das and Sarajraj from PUCL, Satyanarayan Madan of erstwhile Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Vahini, and Rajaram’s associates in the IPF comrades Rameshwar Prasad, Rajendra Patel, Prof. Bharati S Kumar, Santosh Kumar, CPIML’s veteran leader Nand Kishore Prasad and many others. AIPF leader KD Yadav presided over the meeting and the proceedings were conducted by Kamlesh Sharma.
Comrade Dipankar said that Rajaram played an important role in building the party as well as acted as a bridge between the party and various mass movements. At a time when the country is going through a tumultuous phase with assaults on the democratic framework of the nation, leaders like Rajaram are needed more than ever and we must pledge to be like him and fulfil his unaccomplished tasks. The anti-people and anti-Constitutional character of the government in the centre is now exposed to all. This government is trying to change the basic structure of the Election Commission by replacing EC’s nominee with its own minister in the selection of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. This will seriously harm the democratic character of our political system. The Modi government won 2019 elections over the frenzy created after the Pulwama and Balakot incidents, and now BJP is spreading the atmosphere of communal hatred and fear. There are lies spread with false narratives and rumours of love jihad, conversions etc. The RSS is trying to build up frenzy at the grassroots by spreading hate and lies. We as constituents of INDIA Alliance must take up people’s issues of rising unemployment, price rise, and all other important issues and build up a counter narrative by working hard at the grassroots, and transform the preparations for the next general elections into a big mass movement. The elections of 2024 will have to be a big mass movement to save the country’s integrity and its constitution.
Shivanand Tiwari said that he has been associated with comrade Rajaram since 1974 since he was lodged in the Phulwari Jail. Then, the country was facing an emergency but still there was no threat of changing the constitution or of a Hindu Rashtra. Today the situation is more dangerous and qualitatively different and we need to work for uniting all political streams against the threat posed by BJP. Sarvoday Sharma of CPIM called comrade Rajaram an ideal communist who worked with perseverance in most difficult situations.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui said we must take pledge and learn from the struggles of Rajaram, from his ideological clarity and sacrifices he made to fight for his dream of total social transformation.
Uday Narayan Chaudhary said Comrade Rajaram became an icon of people’s struggles, hard work and commitment, whose simplicity won the hearts of so many. His passing away has created a void.
Comrades Kishore Dasi, Rajendra Patel, Rameshwar Prasad and KD Yadav recalled their time spent with comrade Rajaram and introduced to the audience various facets of Rajaram’s remarkable personality.
Comrades Kunal, Swadesh Bhattacharya, Kartick Pal, Rajaram Singh, Dhirendra Jha, Shashi Yadav were also present at the memorial meeting.
AIPF’s Santosh Arya, PS Mahajan, Vishwanath Chaudhary, Lakhan Chaudhary, Ghalib, and Sanjay Kumar were also present along with hundreds of citizens and activists from various streams.
Another memorial meeting was held in Rajaram’s hometown Fatuha on 13 September 2023 which was attended by all senior leaders of the party including Kartick Pal from West Bengal, Prem Singh Gehlawat from Haryana and Sanjay Sharma. Comrade Rajaram’s family, his life partner Sangita, his son Abhishek, his daughters and other relatives and friends remembered him with all fondness, shared their emotions and pledged to tread the path shown by Comrade Rajaram. A large number of party members, supporters and common citizens attended this memorial meet which was conducted by AIKM leader Umesh Singh.
