Eliseo Milani, a common history Eliseo Milani, a common history
As it was, the hard choices he has made, to where it was found
to perform them, for their concrete results, his life is an unknown
piece of the history of Italian Communists. Since the Communist Party Manifesto
, the path rich, tenacious and troubled one of the founders of this newspaper
. Experience, his, which also now offers a lot to learn
Eliseo Milani, A History of the Communist
Lucio Magri
Eliseo Milani has been for me, so different but no less profound
Michelangelo Notarianni, the friend and companion of a lifetime. It's up to me so
write the day of his death, the more painful and unexpected
after many years of illness so severe that we were not persuaded
would never come. The disease had to pay too much loneliness.
that generates, at least in my opinion, a heavy sense of guilt that would
still a tinge of hypocrisy in any eulogy.
I miss the rest of the pen and fine psychological acuity
to sketch a personality as sensitive under his skin so
rough. The rest are too difficult to express my feelings in
moments of deepest emotion. Not a bad thing, perhaps, because
a eulogy escape the most important thing. Namely that
Eliseo Milani, as it was for the difficult choices made, to where it was found
to perform them, for their concrete results, is a piece
unknown in the history of Italian Communists. His real life
accurately recounted the origin, would give future historians
materials perhaps richer and more impartial than the reading of many verbal
the direction of the Communist Party deliberately elusive, and many discussions of the central committees
always expressed in figures and then to decipher, and instead
give an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat the Communist Party is really the state, and also what could possibly
become. And much more image to subvert adulterated
prevailed today, that of a bureaucratic party and creed, of a history of
narrow elites, and more of a history "of the winners that are eventually recognized
defeated and repentant '. But to tell the
life would take much more than a few hours dominated by emotions, and
much more than a few folders. I shall therefore,
to justify this assertion and point out some points for a job search.
A life in the "New Party" The life of
Milani first witness in its concreteness as the new party of Togliatti
not left a brief insight
season immediately suffocated by the cold war and the
neocominternista orthodoxy, and survived only as an opening to the intellectuals and the middle classes
as prudent management of political alliances. The core of that hypothesis was
transform the proletariat in real national leadership
.
Elisha was too young to participate in the partisan war, his
is the political generation of the fifties.
He was a peasant family in a province, Bergamo,
Catholic and conservative, where the communists were and were minority.
he went to work early as 11 years and took the business courses of Dalmine
school diploma and was working as a turner and studying
the evening to become a technical expert. And 'working life of the concrete that
came to communism. Always remember, with pride, a national general strike that had
alone, notifying the company, because it seemed
occasional absence.
these witnesses were also practical, however, that the politically
helped grow a group of men began to count
the workplace, breaking the isolation of the PCI and the
overcoming sectarianism. Just to Dalmine, a few years later, he realized that the
first experience of a working conference
community built on the investigation, which focused on the analysis of innovations
in work, in Amendola, present, took the
value, so as to propose to generalize in the preparation of
national working conference, held in parallel with the great launched by the CGIL
after the defeat at Fiat. Elisha
had meanwhile been called to the role of party official, and soon, to the secretary of the Federation of
Bergamo.
Official: that dirty word today, but what was then an official,
especially in the area? He was one who, refusing to work well under certain
and agreed to live with a salary lower than
often never came and that it was the food
subscription in the sections who gathered in scattered small inns;
who slept on a cot in the corner office: that he spent his few free hours at the cafe
the Chamber of Labour, a kind of "social center
before its time." Other
that bureaucratic caste. To become a Councillor and Parliamentary
then you do not think either, that seemed almost like a
diminutio capitis, only a final approval of a life well spent.
Pending a revolution coming? You must be joking: the `48 was already behind and Bergamo
knew how long was the street. In the meantime
worked as well as struggles to build a square. And he lived as a great opportunity for the school Frattocchie.
Indoctrination? Here, too, if you please: at the time the
teachers were Frattocchie Cafagna, Caracciolo, Spinella
and so on. The Secretary of dialogue
What was then later the secretary Milani? A bureaucrat or a priest
work? The exact opposite. Besides the continued care of
collective works, when, for the first time at the end of the leafleting
we stood before the entire enterprise from which
workers came out en masse to come to the square (the leap of
July `60 ) Elisha allowed long, regular meetings of the Federal
committee to study the history of Italy, tended carefully 's intervention in
Board municipality where a party to the index, and 9 percent of the votes
repeatedly managed to drag the Socialists, but also
Social Democrats and Liberals on the major themes of the plan, the
building abuses perpetrated under the new subdivisions sponsored
Bishop Bernareggi and Carlo Pesenti. Finally, perhaps above all,
Elisha began a courageous dialogue with Catholics, not only as allies
possible, but as actors, desired and welcome. The leaders of the Catholic youth
Bergamo, thanks to that dialogue, not only
approached, but they became an integral part of the summit of
communist federation. Milani was not a case to promote the assembly
Togliatti in which pronounced the famous "discourse of Bergamo.
gave a speech that the alliance with the Catholics of strategic importance.
of dissent, balance, energy
E 'from this combination of experience, control and cultural maturation
innovative, which originated in the Communist Party - of course not only in Bergamo, but a bit
' everywhere for thousands of rivulets and with many different calls in the union and
in the party - the first embryo of a minority official
but not irrelevant, that later - when he found a reference to national, cultural and political
- was named ingraismo. A left
not dogmatic, non-sectarian, who played, even outside the Communist Party, his game
in the sixties and was later defeated and partially suppressed
XI Congress of 1965. But among intellectuals and trade unionists who left full-bodied
sedimentation, and tried to revive the challenge facing the much more mature
round of `68.
That work was recognized early by Milani and earned him entry into the
Central Committee. But it was the only secretary of federation
XI Congress lined up and was immediately ruled out. When
two decisive occasions, the first card and then Lama, came to preside over the Congress of the Federation of Bergamo
and asked his companions discegliere between the position of the Central Committee and criticism from opposing
Elisha, they were outvoted. Milani was a dissident, but
had a wide support base and that was the only case of dissidence
who held or removal of the Manifesto in `69. Milani joined the
our group, and with him the best paintings
intellectuals and workers of the organization, taking on a leadership role.
the role he had, who gained weight in this new experience
I do not have time to talk about space as we should. But I would say something that
other students who also have all the elements
to do so and would help to correct an understatement and silence
not innocent who later created about him. I would
because this silence is connected to a sensitive that our affair. That is a
, partly unconscious belief, according to which
found after radiation with certain anticipatory ideas but very
counter, with a specific identity on the border between the PCI and the new
movements, but without a detailed basis, both was totally a mistake to try to live that
identity with a small organization, an independent development and
a newspaper associated with it.
I honestly believe that that choice arose many errors
analysis and behavior, but more than ever I am convinced that it was a risk
run and who has left positive fruits and unjustly
allowed to disperse.
Elisha was a pillar of that effort and held her up as best
with perseverance, balance, energy that was tied to his past. And he remained until
physically forces him remained. The same energy, the
genetic trait, which then faced for more than a decade, a battle
heroic individual but even more against the disease to conquer every day a piece
more than life, perhaps no more to change the world
but to continue to understand without being broken, no stranger to hear, but rather
remaining attentive and involved. I do not think
before his death, we can say nothing more flattering and grateful recognition of the life that
not only been well spent in his time but even now
offers a lot to learn.
the manifesto - December 29, 2004
With Elisha
Valentino Parlato
the night of December 28 Eliseo Milani has left us. In this
ceremony of farewell to the poster and all of us who still work there
we have a duty, not ritual, and say thank Elisha: Elisha dear, without you
this newspaper - which You have created a "publishing company 34 years ago - there would be and we, all of them, who knows what
job we did, how we tried to express
drive our policy. Elisha was a worker Dalmine, away from the adventures
political-intellectual, but because they
worker believed in the power of speech, reasoning, and discuss the
possibly get. He had tried in his factory, in
breaks and meals, leaving the gates. And - I think - to reflect on this
his conversation with the other workers, Elisha
understood and supported the publication of a newspaper that, presumptuously,
self-proclaimed "communist". It approved the adventure, more than thirty years of
this newspaper and also had the wisdom to understand and tolerate
mistakes. E 'was also the one that best understands the differences that we could be and there
were among newspaper and political organization.
We can be thankful for. I admit to pull a bit 'too
from the newspaper. Elisha, at this point, I would
looked into my eyes and I would say, "Okay, but do not overdo it.
We try to do something useful in this time of great confusion
.
the manifesto - December 29, 2004
Milani, goodbye to Rome
GALAPAGOS
A cloudless, bright days and warm sun made it less
sad farewell to Elisha. Or rather, the goodbye, because as he anticipated
Lucio Magri by February the figure of this extraordinary
of militant-political leader will be a dedicated conference.
opportunity that will retrace at least 50 years of history of the left,
ideals, it is torn, but also of passion and political commitment.
The appointment was for 11, but at least one 'hour before
outside the mortuary of the General Hospital of Rome, were already many people waiting
exposure of the body to give a final farewell to Elisha. Sad faces,
faces of friends, of "old" comrades, some of whom came from outside Rome
. In one corner, next to the coffin, his daughter Marina, his brother Fabrizio
(extraordinary resemblance to Elisha) and her sisters Tina and Angela.
At the foot of the coffin so many flowers and a pillow of red roses
our editorial staff. A Eliseo liked the flowers: every time you invite him to dinner at home
was carrying a bundle. Many friends greeted
Elisha. And amid the general surprise at the
12 to pay homage also appeared Mirko Tremaglia, minister for Italians abroad and fascist
doc. They were united by the common ground of
birth, but also by a report that I do not think it was friendship, but esteem and respect definitely yes.
So many people came to the appointment. And many of those present
were tied to the manifesto, intended both as a political movement and as
daily. And political representatives from all sides (Many) of the left
and organizations like Arci and Legambiente. For
PRC were Bertinotti, Sandro Curzi, Russo Spena, Giuseppe Ds between
declarant (Magri was Elisha to enroll with the PCI) and
Giovanni Berlinguer. Then Fiom delegations and the City of Rome.
E 'Lucio Magri was a very emotional, companion of many struggles, to keep
the funeral oration. Magri gave a reading of human life
intertwining with the highly political role. He traced the beginnings of his political
in the federation of the Communist Party of Bergamo, where he was
secretary for 11 years from `57. His working-class pride, the
belief that the working class was ages to get
class leader. He mentioned his battles for democracy in the party. And then
the ouster of the central committee, but the election strongly
wanted a deputy. The battle at the XII Congress of the Communist Party in `69, in which the Federation of
Bergamo said the rewriting of the thesis.
Then the painful 'exit' not sought by the Communist Party. And in the wake of
monthly magazine, the birth of the manifesto and its strong commitment in the organization of
small party. Milani, Rome and Bergamo doc becomes
lives - he so discreet - the experience of "common" in Piazza del Grillo
. Elisha begins at this point a different political path:
new member is elected and then senator
always consistent with his political views originate. Finally the disease. Thanks Elisha.
the manifesto - December 31, 2004
