In the wake of ultra-nationalist attack on Communist leaders and activists during Indo-China border conflicts in the early 60’s and intense inner-party struggle against revisionist trends within the undivided Communist Party of India, an urgent need for publishing a weekly to uphold the tenets of Marxism-Leninism was felt. As “Swadhinata” the daily organ of the then Communist Party of India was co
ntrolled by the adherents to the principle of class-collaboration, revolutionary cadres inspired by leaders like Comrade Samar Mukherjee and Binoy Chowdhury took initiative to launch a new weekly that would expose the anti-people policies of the Congress Party at the Center and the State and would play a decisive role to combat revisionist forces inside the party. This weekly emerged in a changed form as “Deshhitaishee” to wage ideological battle against revisionism, to rouse people against misrule of Congress Party, to mobilize public opinion against detention of political prisoners and worsening food crisis in West Bengal. It started its glorious journey on 16th August, 1963. Reputed journalist Comrade Mohit Maitra became the first editor of Deshhitaishee and Comrade Sudhangsu Dasgupta was entrusted with the overall responsibility of running the weekly. After the formation of CPI(M) in 1964 in the Seventh Party Congress held in Kolkata (From 31st October to 7th November) Deshhitaishee became the weekly organ of CPI(M). During the last fifty years of its eventful journey, Deshhitaishee has played a truly significant role in the struggle against revisionism and Left-wing adventurist deviations within India’s Communist movement. Apart from this, it has waged a relentless battle against class, caste and gender oppressions in all its form in our country. During the last two decades of finance-driven globalization, Deshhitaishee has steadfastly upheld the revolutionary principles of Marxism-Leninism and raised people’s awareness about the dangers of imperialist globalization.
