Red Flags, Old Struggles: CPI Marks 100 Years in Mumbai

Carrying red flags proudly on their shoulders, workers and CPI activists across Mumbai celebrated the party’s centenary with a grand procession on December 26. The procession from Shramik Bhavan in Dadar to the Railway Institute, accompanied by the beats of drums and trumpets, hundreds of workers, labourers, and a large number of women dressed in red took part in the celebrations. 

December 26, 1925 marks the foundation day of the Communist Party of India, and on December 26, 2025, activists and workers commemorated 100 years of this historic journey, echoing slogans of “CPI Zindabad” across Dadar. 

The centenary rally concluded with a large public meeting. CPI leader & politburo member Bhalchandra Kango and senior labour rights leader Milind Ranade addressed the gathering, speaking on the party’s ideology, its journey of 100 years and contemporary relevance. They also spoke about challenges the party faces today and underlined current issues mainly privatisation of schools, hospitals, government lands, housing.  

Several senior leaders and activists of the CPI, including Prakash Reddy, Babli Rawat, and Charul Joshi, were present at the event. Late CPI leaders Govind Pansare and Krushna Desai were honoured posthumously with lifetime achievement awards.

Across Mumbai, cricket tournaments were organised by CPI-affiliated labour unions, with prize distribution held on December 26. The CPI headquarters in Mumbai, along with party offices in areas such as Lalbaug, Dadar, and Malad, were illuminated with decorative lights. Various cultural programmes have been organised and will be held over the coming days.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) marked its 100 years with a commemorative celebration in Mumbai, recalling a century of struggles for workers’ rights, social justice, and democratic values. The event highlighted CPI’s historic role in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, trade union mobilisations, and the fight for linguistic and regional identity. Leaders and activists reflected on the party’s contributions to labour movements, peasant struggles, and progressive politics in Maharashtra and across India. The centenary celebration also served as a moment of reaffirming CPI’s commitment to secularism, equality, and grassroots mobilisation amid contemporary political challenges.

The demand for “Mumbai along with Maharashtra” gained momentum, leading to the formation of the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti. The committee included parties such as the Communist Party of India, Peasants and Workers Party, Praja Socialist Party, and Scheduled Caste Federation.

However, the real strength of this movement came from textile workers in Mumbai’s mills and lakhs of industrial workers. Under communist leadership, these workers waged an intense struggle. The slogan ‘A Socialist Maharashtra in a Socialist India’ echoed across the movement. It was due to communist leadership, unity of mill workers, and mass movements that the creation of the state of Maharashtra became possible.

The red flag marches led by Comrade S.A. Dange, Comrade A.B. Bardhan, and Comrade Godavari Parulekar carried the Samyukta Maharashtra movement to villages across the state.

In 1955, during the agitation in Mumbai demanding “Mumbai for Maharashtra”, mill workers participated in large numbers. Police firing during the movement claimed the lives of 105 martyrs, most of them workers. Communist leadership, organisational strength, and militant struggle were gaining socio-political influence during this period. After a prolonged struggle, the state of Maharashtra came into existence on May 1, 1960, with Mumbai included.

After Maharashtra’s formation, nearly 865 Marathi-speaking villages such as Belgaum, Karwar, Nipani, Bidar and Bhalki were left in Karnataka. Communist leaders emerged at the forefront of the border movement, leading the struggle to demand that these villages be merged with Maharashtra.

CPI is engaging with the state’s contemporary politics by mobilising people over linguistic and several other issues. Saving State run marathi schools is one such pressing issue. The party leaders have mobilised people and participated in the movement of Marathi schools. On a macro level, CPI leader Prakash Reddy contributed to the formation of Maha Vikas Agahdi (MVA) in 2019 the state to fight against BJP and NDA.

With the centenary celebrations, young leaders such as Talha Shaikh from Nashik, Datta Dhage from Sangamner in Ahilya Nagar and many others are preparing to contest municipal elections. For them, centenary celebrations of the party are special and they are celebrating it with their electoral campaigns, drawing inspiration from stalwarts and promising the commitment to the betterment of the working class.