CPI general secretary D Raja on Monday urged greater unity among Left parties to present a clear ideological banner before the country, challenge the BJP, deepen mass engagement, and connect with the younger generation using digital platforms.Addressing the 25th Congress of the CPI in Chandigarh, Raja said, “I welcome each delegate who has travelled from across the length and breadth of our country to be here. I welcome the comrades from Left parties, who stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our struggle against fascism. We meet here not as individuals but as a collective, carrying with us the hopes and struggles of millions of toiling people.”Proceedings began with the hoisting of the Tricolour by Prof Jagmohan Singh, Bhagat Singh’s nephew, followed by the hoisting of the party flag by veteran farmer leader Bhupinder Sambar.Meanwhile, Raja stressed that the party congress was taking place during the centenary of the CPI. “The party was born in the fire of the anti-colonial struggle, nourished by the sacrifices of generations, and steeled by a century of confrontation against imperialism, communalism, exploitation and oppression. To hold the party congress in the year which marks 100 years of our glorious history is not just a matter of pride but also a call for new responsibility,” he added.The CPI leader also paid tributes to party stalwarts such as former general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, Atul Kumar Anjaan, and Kanam Rajendran. “We remember Comrade Anjaan, a tireless fighter for peasants’ and workers’ rights, whose voice powerfully echoed the concerns of our country. We also remember Comrade Rajendran, a pillar of strength in Kerala and a fighter who embodied the militant and mass character of our party,” he said.Over 900 delegates from across the country assembled at the venue, named Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy Nagar, amid chants of “Lal Salaam” and as CPI songs reverberated. The entrance to the venue has been named Kanam Rajendran Dwar, while the hall where the sessions are being held has been named after Atul Anjaan.Recalling that the CPI congress had earlier been held thrice in Punjab (Amritsar – 1985, Bathinda – 1978 and Chandigarh – 2005), Raja said the state has given India some of its tallest heroes. “It was here that the Ghadar movement was born under the leadership of Sohan Singh Bhakhna. It was here that a young Kartar Singh Saraba raised the banner of revolution against the might of the British Empire. It was from this land that Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and it was here that Bhagat Singh transformed into one of the country’s greatest revolutionaries and immortalised the call of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’,” he said.Story continues below this adHe also launched a bitter attack on the BJP, saying 2014 was a watershed moment in India’s history. “The BJP coming to power with an absolute majority was not just a change of government but a qualitative change in the nature of our polity. For the first time, the RSS, which never took part in the freedom struggle, opposed the Constitution and harboured contempt for a secular democracy, took full control of the Union government through its political arm. Since then, we are witnessing a systematic assault on the very foundations of the Republic,” he said.Raja said that under the BJP, Parliament has been reduced to a “rubber stamp,” the judiciary has been pressured and weakened, and federalism is being trampled upon. “The media has been turned into a propaganda machine, while scientific institutions are being mocked. Minorities are demonised and prosecuted, while Dalits, Adivasis, women and the poor are being subjected to violence,” he added.Claiming that last year’s Lok Sabha elections showed that “resistance was possible”, the CPI general secretary said the INDIA bloc managed to deal a blow to “fascist forces” by bringing down the BJP’s tally to 240. “However, let us not be complacent. The Opposition bloc lacked cohesion, clarity of objectives and a common agenda beyond electoral arithmetic. We need more than numbers to defeat fascism. We need secularism, democracy, social justice and people’s welfare at the core,” he said.Raja said the Left has a decisive role to play in the fight against the BJP and that the unity of Left parties was not a matter of convenience but a historic necessity. “It (Left unity) alone can provide ideological clarity, moral legitimacy and organisational strength to the broader Opposition. Only the Left can provide an alternative vision rooted in equality, secularism, democracy and socialism,” he said.Story continues below this adHe emphasised the need to build a stronger CPI that is more deeply involved in the struggles of workers, peasants, women, youth, Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalised sections. “We must overcome narrowness, forge greater unity and present a clear ideological banner before the nation,” he added.Raja also called for the “broadest unity possible among secular and democratic forces”, based not on opportunistic calculations but on defending the Constitution, people’s rights and federalism. “We must deepen our engagement in mass movements for employment, education, health, gender justice, caste annihilation, environmental protection and democratic rights. We must also learn to use new forms of communication, including digital platforms, to connect with the younger generation and spread the socialist vision,” he said.Saying that the party congress must send out a clear message that the CPI will defend the Constitution, Raja added: “We will build an India of equality, secularism, democracy and socialism. We shall march forward with courage in our hearts and unity in our ranks.”Earlier, chairman of the reception committee of the party congress and former IPS officer Swarajbir Singh highlighted the role of CPI workers who fought the British. “During Partition, our comrades emerged as a bulwark amidst the communal frenzy, saving thousands of lives. Our party has waged a relentless struggle against oppressive governments and the onslaught of capital. We are meeting at a difficult time when the scourge of authoritarianism and fascism has raised its head in the party politics of India,” he said.Story continues below this adAlso in attendance were representatives from other Left parties, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) general secretary G Devrajan, and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) general secretary Manoj Bhattacharya.