On 9th October Comrade Baburam Sharma of Uttar Pradesh, perished. However his memories still shimmer like a flickering light. Till his very last breath he relentlessly rendered himself to the service of Humanity. Baburam, is a household name, in the Communist Revolutionary camp of Uttar Pradesh, being in the forefront of the exponents of the naxalbari path. Few illustrated better examples or models of grassroots workers, who battled with unflinching resilience, with no hurdle diverting their path. At the deepest core he understood the language of the masses and combated sectarianism. His departure is major loss to the Communist revolutionary ranks of India. At time of death he was a Central Committee member of the CPI(ML) Revolutionary Initiative.
Baburam Sharma earned his baptism from the days as a student, when he integrated with workers struggles. The Naxalbari struggle invoked high enthusiasm within him and he turned into an active stalwart of the movement. He invested every ounce of his energy in educating the poor and landless peasantry of Uttar Pradesh and in integrating the student community with it. With great humility and adept skill he performed role of leadership, of the naxalbari movement un Uttar Pradesh.
In his political career he overcame the steepest obstacles. to guide the workers and peasants.Baburam joined organisations like Indian Peoples Front, CPI(ML) Liberation), Progressive Democratic Front of India, CPI(ML) Red Star ,and finally CPI(ML)Revolutionary Initiative .It is hard to analyse what caused his exit from so many groups, but it reflected the scattered or disintegrated nature of the revolutionary camp.
Particularaly in days as a student and youth he shimmered the teachings of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekar Azad.
With untold mastery he invoked revolutionary orientation within the peasantry, and forged it’s unity with the workers. Baburam became the president of the All India Revolutionary peasant front, in which he played major role in shaping struggles challenging the corporates, challenging installation of 3 repressive laws. He played major role in sharpening the backbone and binding base of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. During the farmers struggle against bills, on January 27th in 2002,in Devariya Jilla Baburam fought with the spirit of a soldier to integrate the peasantry of Uttar Pradesh in solidarity .He invoke unflinching spirit within the farmers to combat neo-fascist oppression. Baburam and his companions were arrested.
Baburam also led the All India education rights front, boldly condemning monopoly of corporate class and nepotism in education structure.
Baburam’s commemorating meeting in native village of Devariya resurrected the revolutionary spirit at a superlative height, attended by many sections of the Communist Revolutionary camp and democratic peasant cadre. To the very end he held aloft the flag of Naxalbari and Mao thought. Speakers summarised how Baburam was torchbearer of revolutionary ideology and resistance, in days when the winds of counter revolution or reaction are blowing on an unprecedented scale. They narrated how he was an example in conducting painstaking work.
Baburam may have belonged to a communist revolutionary section adhering to rightist path, but still his contribution is admirable. He is an inspiration for comrades to knit the scattered bunch of revolutionary groups or fragmented or splintered party, into a cohesive unit.
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Harsh Thakor is freelance journalist
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