Kolkata, Aug 15 (IANS) Taking an oath to preserve the country's unity, secularism and democratic rights, West Bengal Left Front leaders and activists on Tuesday formed a four kilometer-long human chain here on the occasion of the country's 71st Independence Day.
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury participated in the programme, along with Left Front Chairman Biman Bose, CPI-M state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, his CPI counterpart Probodh Panda, top leaders of the RSP and the Forward Bloc and thousands of other Left activists.
The human chain stretched from central Kolkata's Raja Subodh Mullick Square to Park Circus Seven Point crossing in the south.
The participants read out an oath pledging to protect the country from the forces of communalism and divisive forces as also "US imperialism".
Claiming that the foundational pillars of the Indian Constitution had come under "severe strain" since the BJP-led NDA government's ascendancy to power in 2014, Yechury said the nation should focus on eradicating the threats to its democracy.
"The four pillars upon which this Constitution rests are secular democracy, federalism, social justice and economic self-reliance. Each one of these has come under severe strain since the 2014 general elections and the ushering in of the present BJP-led NDA government," Yechury said.
"We focus here on the threats to our secular democracy," he added.
The Left Front organised similar human chains in the districts as well.
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