12/5/2016

Castrotoremainasymbolofrevolutionarydefiance

Castro to remain a symbol

of revolutionary defiance
Published: 23:05, Nov 28,2016 | Updated: 23:13, Nov 27,2016

FIDEL Castro, the iconic Cuban revolutionary who had worked his whole life for
the emancipation of the people of Cuba, and beyond, died aged 90 on Saturday.
For Castro, staying alive for 90 years, particularly long 57 years since the Cuban
socialist revolution in 1959, was itself a revolutionary achievement, for he had
reportedly survived a few hundred attempts on his life, overt and covert, by
none other than the most powerful state on earth the United States of
America. Besides, his was a pivotal role for the socialist Cuba in surviving till
now, even after the collapse of its once powerful friendly socialist republic, the
Soviet Union, in defiance of perpetual enmity of the capitalist west. Castro
believed that a revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the
past, and he did fight, first to have the revolution and then to defend it until
his death. In the process, Castro and his Cuba substantially influenced, politically
and ideologically, the social and political orders of many a South American
country, contributing to the moral defeat of the United States in the region.
Hence, Castro remains a symbol of revolutionary defiance against capitalism,
which he used to find filthy, gross and alienating system that causes war and
hypocrisy.
However, while defending socialist political and economic order, Castro had to
perpetually face an apparently pertinent question by the capitalist west the
question of the socialist failure of eradicating poverty. Egalitarian distribution
of wealth for the common welfare of citizens, along with fulfilling the basic
needs of every member of society, such as food, clothing, shelter, education and
healthcare by the state, remained his strong point. He, however, never failed to
pose a counter-question with regard to capitalisms failure, particularly in Africa,
Asia and Latin America. While any thinking individual understands that the
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12/5/2016

Castrotoremainasymbolofrevolutionarydefiance

human civilisation is yet to develop an ideal system for resolving all the
problems it is confronted with, one has to admit that capitalism of the day
cannot survive without nurturing discrimination, exploitation and confrontation
across the world a proposition that Fidel Castro has duly rejected throughout
his life. Understandably, Castro would continue to remain a source of inspiration
for those committed to fight against discriminations and exploitations.
Castro left behind him millions of admirers across the world, including
Bangladesh, where there is now hardly any political movement even for nominal
democratic rights of the citizens, let alone any meaningful struggle for
revolutionary changes. Hundreds of people, particularly the youths, have visibly
been shocked at Castros demise, which is manifested in media reports, Facebook
comments and condolence messages. While admiring a revolutionary of Castros
stature for his lifelong contributions to the process of human emancipation is
important, it is equally important to note that working towards establishing an
egalitarian socio-economic and cultural order in the country is the only way to
pay genuine homage to the great man.

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