Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Great loss

In the death of Harkishan Singh Surjeet, the nation has lost a great freedom fighter and a stalwart of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was called Bhishma Pitamaha and Chanakya. He strove for the party but never aspired for any position. The void caused by his death can never be filled up.

B. Vishwanatha Rao,

Hyderabad

The left parties in India have lost a true and committed warrior. Surjeet had an eventful and turbulent political takeoff. His early association with luminaries like Bhagat Singh helped him to tune himself into a person of integrity and clear direction.

Apart from being a Communist at heart and in deeds, Surjeet had a wider understanding of the need to create a secular platform for parties to come together in the political scenario that emerged after the Indira Gandhi era. His role in the formation of the United Front government in 1996 and his timely interventions in thwarting the designs of non-secular combinations in Delhi were important political exercises.

M.D. Dinesh Nair,

Vijayawada

Harkishan Singh Surjeet was more than just a political leader. He transcended social barriers and strove for a better India, and worked towards ensuring freedom from communal forces. His daredevil act as a school student — of bringing down the British flag and hoisting the Indian Tricolour atop the Hoshiarpur district court building — bears testimony to his mettle and indomitable patriotism.

As one of the earliest Communist leaders, he played a decisive role in determining the politics of our country. He will continue to live in our hearts, as a symbol of resolution and self-sacrifice.

R.S. Sreeram,

Thiruvananthapuram

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