Marxist Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's "date" with Venezuela : Indira was first Indian PM to visit Venezuela in 1968 ::: One Venezuelan parent lately named his son Banaras

Between 2004 and 2009 - were one of the best periods for Indian communists. 

The Left MPs were in overwhelming numbers in Lok Sabha and they decided 'many things' about the manner Dr Manmohan Singh Govt ran. 

It was also the era when in India or in states such as West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala - and some circles in Delhi - people spoke about global Communists' network. One such bond was between Venezuela and West Bengal - till then a staunch red-bastion.

Press Trust of India (PTI) reported -- "From Latin America to West Bengal, it is Communism that binds". 

The reference was the then Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had sent a cheque for Rs 11.91 lakh to construct a new building of a school in North 24 Parganas district in CPI-M-ruled West Bengal. 

Hugo Chavez

Chavez, a man of  strong words and actions, promised during a visit to West Bengal in 2005. 

The cheque was handed over on Dec 5, 2007 by Venezuelan Ambassador to India Milena Santana Ramirez to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for the Bagu Primary School.

Last Marxist CM in Bengal - Buddhadeb 

Chavez had promised the school authorities a donation for the construction of a new building and for improvement of the mid-day meal scheme for children.

The school at Rajarhat is in the village of Nikunja Sen, a teacher who inspired freedom fighters Badal Gupta, Benoy Bose and Dinesh Gupta.

The new school building was named after Venezualan revolutionary Simon Bolivar. 

Born in 1783 Simón José Antonio Bolívar was a Venezuelan military officer and statesman who led what are currently the countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela to independence from the Spanish Empire.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also had a connection to Venezuela vis-a-vis her visit to that country.

On one occasion, speaking about the significance of establishing ties with the South (Latin) American countries, Indira Gandhi had said:

“It is to our advantage and in our national interest to forge the closest relations with the largest number of proud and resurgent nations of South America and the Caribbean.  

We hope that with the follow-up action which we have in mind, our objective of developing a close and fruitful relationship with them will be realised.”

She spent about 18 hours in Venezuela between Oct 10 and 11 in 1968.

"As the clock struck 12.45 pm on October 10, 1968, the aircraft carrying Prime Minister Indira Gandhi landed in Venezuela’s Simon Bolivar International Airport," says 'Indian Express' report.

It was the first time an Indian prime minister visited Venezuela.

Indira Gandhi was greeted by the then Venezuelan President Raúl Leoni and his cabinet ministers. 

"As soon as she stepped out of the aircraft, the military band played the Indian national anthem, followed by the Venezuelan one," it is reported.

That year Indira Gandhi had an extensive tour of Caribbean region. She had started with Colombia and sojourn also included Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. Indira Gandhi first became Prime Minister in 1966. 

Upon her return to India, Indira Gandhi had said in the Lok Sabha that during her tour she realised “we knew less about South America than South America knows about us”. 

The names of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru, she stated, were widely known and quoted in each of the countries she visited.

Indira Gandhi in Venezuela (1968-2013): 45th Anniversary of a Historic Visit, a book was published by the Indian Embassy in Caracas in 2013.

Indira Gandhi appeared beaming in a green coloured saree with black checks, shot with golden threads, a string of pearls around her neck and a watch on her wrist. 

“I come to build bridges of love between Latin America and my country,” she stated in her speech. 

Over the decades, however, the ties between India and Venezuela, rooted in anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, have been largely forgotten. 

A few years back it was reported that in Valencia, a young Venezuelan had named his son 'Banaras' after the great pilgrim city and also the political constituency of incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

ends