PRAGOTI

Pragoti commemorates Marx's birth anniversary on 5th May.

The story of Paris Commune has been told a number of times: Napoleon III’s attempt to bolster up the sagging French Empire by declaring war on Prussia in July, 1871; his debacle at Sedan, which exposed Paris to the Prussian troops; the proclamation of a bourgeois republic and a Government of National Defence; the Government’s betrayal of its mandate and revolt of the Parisian working; the proclamation of the Commune and the seize of power by the working classes on March 28. But really no account has surpassed Marx’s description in simplicity and penetration.

Pragoti commemorates the 83rd anniversary of the first All India Conference of the Communist Party of India in Kanpur. On this occassion, Pragoti presents one of the party's first documents: The Communist Party of India's Manifesto to the All India National Congress, Gauhati session, 1926. Printed in Britain and distributed at the National Congress session by Abdul Halim, it was among the first formal statements of the Communist Party laying down a radical programme for national liberation from colonialism, with an introduction by Pragoti Editorial Team.

Suranjan Basu (1957-2002) was an artist who worked primarily as a printmaker besides a few forays into water-colour and gouache on paper. He was one of the unquestioned masters of wood-cut and lithograph in India. Seagull Foundation of Arts presented Suranjan Basu’s works in an exhibition titled ‘Suranjan Basu - A Retrospective’ in Kolkata in November 2008.

Pragoti introduces Suranjan Basu to its readers. Arijit Bhattacharya reviews the exhibition for Pragoti.