Communist pioneer remembered

Karat said the Communist movement in the country owed its mass base to the 8220;exceptional8221; organisational skills of Joshi.

8220;CPIM leaders had some differences with Joshi but my predecessors in the party like P Sundaraiah, E M S Namboodiripad and Harkishen Singh Surjeet always had high respect for him,8221; Karat said.

Karat noted that Joshi should not be singled out for the party8217;s mistake, which was actually a 8220;collective8221; failure.

8220;The party failed to integrate the international goal of fighting imperialism and the national task of fighting Britishers in the country.

It is not a mistake committed by Joshi alone. It has to be owned up collectively,8221; he added.

CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said Joshi took up the 8220;Herculean task8221; of building the party at the age of 22.

Tiwari said he once had a chance to travel with Joshi to Mumbai from Delhi. 8220;For about 20 hours we discussed international and national politics. I was amazed by his understanding of politics,8221; he said.