PRAGOTI

One of the stalwarts of the Cuban Revolution and a symbol of the achievements of both the 26th of July movement as well as its successor, the Cuban Communist Party, Commandante Juan Almeida Bosque breathed his last on September 11,aged 82. Pragoti pays homage to Comrade Almeida.

In post-independence and post-partition Congress-ruled West Bengal, the echoes of famine continued to be heard in the 1950s. The collusion between rice mill-owners, jotdars and food hoarders created an artificial food crisis. These proprietor segments, who controlled rice distribution, also exercised a strangle-hold over the villages and formed the rural backbone of the Bengal Congress.

Pragoti revisits the bombing and destruction of Guernica eighty-two years ago on this day. A centre of resistance to the Falangists who were determined to overthrow the elected Republican government of Spain, the town in the Basque country was targetted for annihilation by the Nazi airforce sent by Hitler in aid of Franco.

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was the architect of India's Constitution, an erudite scholar of philosophy, economics and political science and one of India's leading crusaders for social justice. His inspirational life story has motivated millions of Indians, particularly from the dalit community to break the shackles of casteism in Indian society. His vision of a casteless society is shared by Pragoti, which publishes his important work, "Annihilation of Caste" along with this post.