The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the revolutionary movement in the Philippines extended solidarity in honoring the Indian people’s martyrs as they observed a week of remembrance for martyrs from July 28 to August 3. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) called for and launched the annual activity.

“The Filipino revolutionary forces join the Indian people in honoring the heroes and martyrs who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the fierce struggle against imperialism, feudalism, bureaucrat capitalism, and fascism in India,” party information officer Marco Valbuena stated.

“The oppressed masses of India would have no path to liberation from imperialist domination without the sacrifices of their martyrs in waging revolutionary armed struggle,” Valbuena added. He further said the heroes of the Indian people are heroes as well of the Filipino people because they gave their lives in the struggle for national and social liberation.

In Southern Tagalog, the regional unit of the New People’s Army (Melito Glor Command) held gatherings to honor the Indian martyrs. Regional political officer of the people’s army Comrade Kathryn, and NPA-Quezon (Apolonio Mendoza Command) spokesperson Ka Cleo del Mundo, led the activities.

The Red fighters painted posters and made chalk art to pay tribute to the CPI (Maoist), the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army, and their martyrs. They especially honored Comrade Basavaraju (Nambala Keshava Rao), secretary general of the CPI (Maoist), who was martyred along with 27 others on May 21 in Abhujmad in the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, India. Ka Cleo read the CPP’s statement honoring Comrade Basavaraju during their gathering.

The Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist) recorded at least 357 comrades martyred in the past year. These include four Central Committee officials, 16 state committee members, 23 district committee members, 83 AC/PPC members, 138 party members, 17 PLGA fighters, six from people’s organs, 34 from the people’s ranks, and 36 others with insufficient details.

Many of those martyred fell victim to intensified military operations called Operation Kagaar within the context of the Modi regime’s counter-insurgency campaign, Operation Samadhan-Prahar. Some cases involved live arrests followed by deliberate killings, violating international humanitarian law.

The CPI (Maoist) also honored martyrs and heroes of the global communist movement from various parts of the world. The CPI (Maoist) leadership declared, “The Central Committee pays humble homage to all the martyrs of our country and in the International Communist Movement. It conveys condolences to the family members, relatives and friends of the martyrs.”

Many other parties and organizations from various countries, including the International Campaign in Support of the People’s War in India (ICSPWI), joined in the week of remembrance for the Indian martyrs.

Valbuena concluded, “In both India and the Philippines, increasing numbers of workers, peasants and other oppressed classes will be drawn to the revolutionary path, steeled and inspired by the enduring legacy of their heroes and martyrs.”