[Thread on Solidarity] In 1992, after the USSR folded, the Cuban Revolution was forced into its Special Period. We - in @cpimspeak - collected 10,000 tonnes of wheat & rice across India for Cuba as an act of material solidarity.
#StandWithCuba #EstamosConCuba #CubaNoEstaSola
The wheat and rice were taken to Haldia (West Bengal) and loaded onto a ship - Caribbean Princess. The ship was escorted to Cuba by our party leaders Harkrishen Singh Surjeet and MA Baby. Castro met them in Havana and took the wheat and rice for the country.
For the next period, Castro said, let all the bread baked in Cuba be known as the Bread of India, since it would be using Indian grain, grain of solidarity, grain of love for the example of the Cuban Revolution.
Castro asked how Cuba could repay the kindness. Surjeet said that India looked up to Cuba; that was enough. That is indeed enough. The great Cuban Revolution's survival and development is all that we want; and what we really want is to emulate the Cuban Revolution in our lands.
Comrade Baby said that perhaps Cuba could help India develop in sports. Castro answered: "In sports, Cuba is known for excellence in boxing. It is tricky to conduct Cuba-India matches. Will Indians feel bad if our sportsmen defeat them during the match?"
All I can think about is the book I want to write on the great Cuban hero, Teofilo Stevenson, boxer of boxers, socialist of socialists.
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