Red flag at half mast in Castro's honour in Bengal

AThe Left parties in West Bengal on Saturday decided to fly the red flag at half mast for three days at their respective offices across the state as a mark of respect for Cuba's Fidel Castro who passed away in Havana aged 90.

Eighteen Left parties, including the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Communist Party of India- Marxist Leninist (Liberation) also took out a rally from Lenin's statue in the Esplanade area to the Ram Lila Maidan at Entally in central Kolkata to mourn the death of the legendary revolutionary leader.

Walking behind a big banner reading "comrade Fidel Castro Red salute" were the state's Left stalwarts. Many of them had Castro's small photo pinned to their dress, while activists held aloft big pictures of the Cuban leader.

Among those in the forefront of the rally were Left Front chairman Biman Bose, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, his CPI counterpart Prabodh Panda, and other top leaders of the participating outfits.

Condoling the legendary Cuban communist leader's death on Friday, Mishra said Castro will continue to inspire all struggles for social transformation through revolution.

"Salute the relentless fighter...," Mishra tweeted.

CPI-M state secretariat member and Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said Castro's death had ended a glorious era of relentless struggle.

"Fidel represents the eternal struggle for human emancipation. End of a glorious era of relentless struggles. Salute to the revolutionary legend", he tweeted.

--IANS

ssp/vd

A