It is my privilege and pleasure to write a few words about the Communist Party of China (CPC) and our India China Friendship Association. This year is the Centenary year of the Communist Party of China. It is a great occasion for celebration by the oppressed people all over the world under the able leadership of Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have achieved tremendous progress and all-round progress and are advancing to become number one economy in the world.
Before going to the achievements in China under the leadership of the CPC, I wish to say a few things about our India China Friendship Association , Karnataka in particular.
I recall the fact that in respect of our relation way back from the year 1857, i.e. at the time of India’s First War of Independence led by Mr. Azimullah Khan those days both the Chinese people and Indian people were waging war against British Colonialism and were sympathetic to each other in their struggle., and establish a very strong friendship and cooperation.
Leading the liberation struggle we both established our friendship relation and bonding till the Independence of India in 1947 and establishment of People’s Republic of China under the leadership of CPC.
During the dark night of Colonialism India and China were separated from each other. But the leaders of India’s freedom movement and China’s liberation struggle reached out each other across the colonial barriers. The first contact between the representatives of Indian and Chinese movement was established when Jawaharlal Nehru met the members of Chinese delegation from the CPC at the Congress of League against Imperialism in Brussels in 1927. That day onwards both leaders of India and China were having regular exchange of views and both were supported for their mutual struggle for freedom and liberation.
Buddhism came to China from India around 2000 years ago and eminent scholars of Buddhism visited India spreading the message of goodwill from China. To name a few, Fahaian and Hun-Tse-Sung were the two Buddhists scholars who visited India. During the colonial period Chiang-kai-shake visited India.
During the liberation war against Japanese and also against the reactionary regime of Chiang-kai-shak the Indian National Congress sent a medical team to treat the wounded soldiers. Five doctors namely, Dr. Atal from Ahmedabad, Dr. Solkar from Nagpur, Dr. Dwarkanath Santharam Kotnis from Solapur, Dr. D.K. Basu and Dr. Debesh both from Kolkata, which arrived at the Port of Hankou Wuhan Province in China. The doctors were sent to Yunnan Province, the revolutionary base of the Chinese People. These doctors were welcomed by Mao-Zed-Dong and Zu-de and other top leaders of the CPC.
This is the first medical team arrived in China to help and treat the soldiers. Dr.Kotnis became a martyr on December 9th, 1942, while treating the soldiers. He was killed by Kuo-Min-Tang regime, then the rulers of China. In the death of Dr.Kotnis proletarian internationalism was more visible.
I wish to say that in memory of late Dr.Kotnis the Chinese Government has built up huge hospitals in China and introduced many awards in the name of Dr.Kotnis. We in India and in China are holding joint medical camps in his memory. One year in China and Next year in
India, Medical camps have been held in New Delhi, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. We both ,India and China constituted a J . M.M and signed M O U .between China and India under the Prime Minister ship of Dr. Manmohan Singh and Wen-Jia-Bao the Chinese Prime Minister in January 2008 in Beijing.
After a long and sustained struggle the Chinese people were able to overthrow the reactionary regime headed by Chiang-Kai-Shak on 1st October 1949 under the leadership of Mao-Ze-Dong and proclaimed formation of People’s Republic of China. Many Chinese celebrities Zhou-Enali, Lui-sha-chi, Zhu-de and many leaders witnessed this great declaration. Chiang-Kai-Shak escaped to Formoza Island (Taiwan). During this time, we both Indian and Chinese people had very good friendship relations.
Now I wish to say that we India China Friendship Association (ICFA) first formed in Bangalore on 01st November 1949, under the leadership of Mr.Mulka Govindareddy. He became the first President of ICFA KARNATAKA [, Mysore.] We declared that we both the Indian people and Chinese people establish a very strong people to people friendship in various level and are both joined together to establish World peace. And also we declared that this is anti-Imperialist. In character. Mr. Govinda Reddy is from Chitradurga district of Karnataka. During this period Pandit Sunder Lal visited Bangalore in connection with some work. Mr.Govinda Reddy and Pandit Sunderlal met and discussed about friendship with China. There was a preliminary talk. Later Pandit Sunderlal again visited Bangalore and met several members ICFA in Bangalore. Later both toured many cities, subsequently cities like Calcutta, Trivandrum, Madras, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Lucknow had local chapters of ICFA. An all India ICFA was formed in the year 1950 in Calcutta. These leaders invited Mr. Nehru the then Prime Minister but unfortunately, he did not attend the meeting but ensured a speech was read in his name. Pandit Sunder Lal became first President of ICFA, National. Both Mr. Mulka GovindaReddy and Pandit Sunderlal met the Prime Minister on many occasion, to recognize the New China , India was one of the few countries that recognized People’s Republic of China on 1st APRIL 1950, at the earliest period. In the Month of January 1950, Mr. Mulka Govinda Reddy took a five member delegation to China., . This is the First delegation from Karnataka [ erstwhile Mysore.] VISIT TO CHINA. Mr. Govindareddy was the Member of Parliament and also he became a member Mysore Legislative Assembly. [ Now Karnataka]
He associated and worked hard with our Friendship movement for a long time. He was also assisted by Mr. Wizister, General Secretary Mr. C R Krishna Rao, Mr.Sunderraj,.Mr. .A .N. Singh, Mr. N.L. Upadhyaya, Mr. P K Subramani, Mr. Jaseevappa from Chintamani Taluk, Mr. M S Krishnan, Mr. Suryanarayana Rao and many friends .
Further I wish to say our relations in the context of preserving the World Peace, our great poet Sri. Rabindranath Tagore, was the first important personality in India who tirelessly worked for restoration and revival of the old ties and relationship between India-China. His address delivered on the occasion of the Viswabharathi Cheena Bhavan on April 14th, 1937 remains relevant today.
Unfortunately, the incidents in the year 1962 created some problem and we were not able to function properly. But we some friends were in contact China Embassy who was in-charge that time. Even then we were trying to revive the old ties between our Government and Chinese Government. We in the ICFA played a very active role to re-establish a full-fledged diplomatic relation with China. The late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi agreed to re-establish full diplomacy. Subsequently ambassador level diplomatic missions were established in both the countries. Mr. K R Narayanan took over as the Indian Ambassador to China in May 1976. From this day onwards our relations slowly developed at various levels. Further in the year 1988, late Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi visited China. During His visit he made very important agreements on various level friendship and to strengthen our friendship and he created yet another history in our friendship relations. There was also a reciprocal visit from Chinese Prime Minister Li-Peng. This created a history of revival of our friendship with China. Later Mr. LI Peng visited as Chairman of the People’s congress and also Mr. Li Peng visited Bangalore. We in the ICFA reorganized ourselves and in Bangalore Mr. V T Rajashekar Shetty of Indian Express, Mr. S Gunaseelan, Mr. A N Singh, Mr. V Bhaskaran, Mr. N L Upadhyaya, Dr.Narendra Singh among others formed the committee. Dr.Singh was bringing a magazine in the name of India-China friendship to be circulated among its members. At the all India level also a re-organization conference took place in Calcutta, Dr. B K Basu, who was one of the leading Doctor in the five member medical team sent to China during liberation time, took active interest in re-organizing the ICFA at the National level. In this conference Mr.Bakti bhushan Mondal was elected as President of ICFA National. Mr.Gunaseelan was the Secretary from Karnataka, Mr.B N Kuttappa of the left movement was also actively involved in the Conference. In the year 1978 we received a high level delegation from China. The delegation was led by Mr.Wang-Pin-Wam a veteran of the long march. But Mr.Wang could not reach Bangalore due to logistic problem, he was held up in Chennai. A big reception was hosted to the Chinese delegation. Mr Basava lingappa, hon’ble Minister of Karnataka , participated in this reception to the delegation.
Further in the year 1978 we the ICFA held a protest in Public and had a protest march against India signing the MOU with erstwhile USSR. Calling this treaty for the war. We the ICFA Very Vehemently opposed any type of war , Our Aim and Objective is to create a Healthy Friendship and establish world Peace.. We believe world peace is in the hands of People of China and India. No force can destroy us and we can surely contribute for world peace.
From this day onwards ICFA, Karnataka played a very active role to strengthen our friendship at various levels. In the year 1996. Karnataka Government is the first to sign Memorandum of Understanding with China establishing provincial relations, for eg., Jiangsu province and Karnataka are sister provinces. Bangalore and Nanjing are the sister cities. Yangshow and Mysore are the sister cities. Our ICFA played a very active role in augmenting and concluding the Memorandum of Understanding. Our ICFA has established friendships at various levels. Our culture is very famous in many provinces in China. Every year we are sending our various cultural groups to China to perform in various cities like, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangsu, Wuxi, Shanghai, Jinan, Beijing, Chonquing, etc. We also organized Film exhibition in Bangalore. We also held acupuncture Camp in Bangalore which is in addition to Joint Medical Camp which is held every year. We also continuously exchanged youth and college students.
Wuhan and Mysore University had MOU has now completed 14 years and regularly exchanged student visits on an ongoing basis. Sichuan and Karnataka are sister provinces. Changdu and Bangalore are sister cities. In this entire exercise all throughout many politicians of different political parties and bureaucrats have helped us in arranging these facilities. Besides this municipalities were also involved. We are really grateful to the spectrum of different politicians, administrators, bureaucrats, intellectuals, university professors, students and cultural troops who made this possible. Every year we will be having three functions, i.e. Chinese National Day Celebration, Chinese Photographic exhibition and the day marking the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. Apart from this we continue to get lot many delegations who will be coming to Karnataka and Bangalore. In order to attract Indians visiting China, a seminar was conducted on the possibilities of a Chinese travel itinerary. The ambitious plan of Chinese President i.e. one Belt-and-road policy linking China to the rest of the world reviving the silk road culture for the whole world, we had a seminar in the year 2017 and eminent personalities from the public attended that seminar. Most of them welcomed the initiative of Mr.Xi-Jinping on one Belt and one Road Policy. All neighbors of India joined and welcome this Belt and Road .
We also singned the M OU between the Jiangsu provincial people’s congress and our Karnataka legislature. . Further we ICFA,KARNATAKA established friendship with various provinces of China, Jiang su. Shandong , Guizhou, Guangdong, Yunan, Sichuan, and many cities also.
Since the days of 1953 Bandung (Indonesia) Conference the Pancha-sheela slogan that was given to world both India and China played a major role in defining the contours of peaceful co-existence, mutual understanding, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, working together for the establishment of a egalitarian Society and work towards the strengthening of United Nations Organization, had an effect on the post Second World War cold war positions of USA and USSR.
I am very proud to say that our ICFA, Karnataka played a major role in the formation of China South Asia Friendship Forum and also Organization for South Asian Regional Co-operation with China (OSARFCC) several sister organizations in various South Asian Countries held this possible. Mr. Abhaya Shekara, from Sri Lanka and Mr. Anup Bhattaray from Nepal played a major role. It is functioning very well now.
China also established China-Asian People to People Friendship Forum. We are actively supporting this Forum in order to spread Friendship among Asian People along with China.
In Karnataka, we are holding Chinese books exhibition. Earlier this was a very big show, but now-a-days because of advance technology few people visit exhibitions. We are bringing out a Quarterly publication, by name INDIA-CHINA PEOPLE’S VIEW, from 2006. This circulation of periodical is also helping us to further strengthen our friendship in various level and also about the China developments in various level. In the recent past we received a few delegations from China among them is His Excellency Mdm.LU LIUYANDONG and His Excellency WANG YANG, Secretary of CPC CHONGING and Chairman of CHONGOING Municipal People’s Congress. We are now given to understand that both these gentlemen have become members of Vice-Prime Ministers. India-China developments with an emphasis to further strengthen the People to People relations between India and China. We are thankful to Union Government who helped us in clearing many of our delegations, cultural exchange programs, regional exchange programs, MOUs with many provinces in China, etc. our aims and object is very clear. Friendship with China in various level and anti-imperialist in character.
LONG LIVE INDIA-CHINA FRIENDSHIP.
LONG LIVE MARXISM LENINISM AND MAO TSE TUNG THOUGHT.