Wed Feb 26 04:50:17 UTC 2025: ## CPI(M) Defends Use of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Image at Party Conference

**Kolkata, February 26, 2025** – The West Bengal State Committee secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Mohammad Salim, clarified the party’s use of a photograph of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at its recent state conference. The image’s appearance at the February 22-25 event in Dankuni, Hooghly district, sparked reports in local media.

Historically maintaining distance from religious figures, the CPI(M) explained the inclusion of the 19th-century saint’s photograph alongside other icons like Ram Mohan Roy. Salim stated that the display aimed to highlight the party’s appreciation for diversity, referencing Paramahamsa’s quote, “Joto Mot Toto Poth” (as many faiths, so many paths), as a representation of democracy and pluralism. He further clarified that this was in response to the current “one nation, one vote” discourse.

Salim, re-elected as State Secretary at the conference, directed his explanation towards what he termed “illiterate journalists.” The CPI(M)’s move marks a departure from its past practice of avoiding religious events, even during its period of governance (1977-2011).

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