THE NAHRAVAN TRIBUNE, HADRAM — If you were a tourist who found yourself walking through even the most populated cities in Nahrava on September 24th, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a ghost town. A stroll through the main streets of any town or city would reveal nothing other than shuttered storefronts, most proudly adorned with a red flag and displaying signs reading “المجد للثورة وكل قواها!” (“Glory to the revolution and all its forces!”) over their shutters.
That’s because September 24th commemorates the Great Socialist Revolution of 1948, marking the day when communist revolutionaries officially declared the creation of the Provisional People’s Republic and took up arms in civil war against the existing quasi-feudal Wāli system.
This is no ordinary public holiday. It is the most important day on the national calendar, eclipsing even the major Islamic religious celebrations in both size and significance. The entire country shuts down economically in reverence of the revolution, with shops, services, airlines and all but the most essential public sectors closed for the day. It is tradition for citizens to attend midday parades held by local political leaders, before enjoying all sorts of performances and food stalls in public parks and finally, finishing the night off with a feast shared with family and friends.
Although celebrations and parades are held in cities, towns and villages of all sizes, the highlight of the day was undoubtedly the central government’s festivities in Hadram, hosted by General Secretary Ibrahim Al-Faruq. The military was front and centre as they paraded past the People’s Victory Palace, with tanks and missile launchers rumbling through the streets while fighter jets flew overhead in formation. This follows the consistent trend of increased militarisation under Al-Faruq’s time in office, with the hardline communist seeing the military as essential to protecting the revolution after its role in defeating a reformist coup attempt back in 2017.
Delivering a national address from the steps of the People’s Victory Palace in full military attire, Al-Faruq used his speech to remind the country that “the Great Socialist Revolution is not merely a historical event, but […] an ongoing process that lives through every Nahravan and looks to us for guidance”. He spoke highly of workplace and local district councils, dubbing them the “backbone of the revolution”.
He also spoke of “the inevitable victory of socialism globally” in the future, praising Milintican President-Elect Neina Arana and the people of Milintica for taking steps to restore the Milintican Revolution that has been “dismantled by years of counter-revolutionary rule”. Later in his speech he lauded the resistance efforts of Chaghagan Khoga in Taragai, before returning to domestic matters and closing his remarks to great fanfare with a pledge to double the coverage of the existing high-speed rail network by the end of the decade.
Later in the day, Al-Faruq joined thousands of citizens in a candlelit vigil that marched towards the Eternal Flame of the Revolution in central Hadram. This year’s procession was led by two veterans of the Great Socialist Revolution, aged 95 and 98 respectively.
Editor’s Note: This article was composed and published on September 25th as the Nahravan Tribune closed its offices yesterday to mark the Great Socialist Revolution. Glory to the revolution and all its forces!
