ON TO 18TH PARTY CONGRESS

Harkishan Singh Surjeet

WHEN the Soviet Union disintegrated some 13 years ago, the pro-bourgeois, pro-imperialist prophets of doom took no time to announce that this represented a “peaceful transition to capitalism,” a failure of Marxism-Leninism at global level, and that the parties upholding Marxism-Leninism would soon undergo a process of withering away. It is another thing that very soon after the USSR’s demise the elections in Nepal, the dismantling of Apartheid regime in South Africa, the subsequent elections there and some other events gave a lie to these self-anointed prophets of doom. In fact, these years have only confirmed the CPI(M)’s analysis, made immediately after the USSR’s disintegration, that the event, catastrophic though it was, did not negate the philosophy of Marxism-Leninism, that the latter remained as valid as it was, and that the parties upholding this philosophy would soon rebound with added vigour.

THEIR IRE: WHY THE LEFT’S STILL ALIVE

AMONG other things, the spectacular growth of the Left in Latin America only confirms what we had diagnosed and concluded 13 years ago. This growth is so powerful indeed and the region is so much seething with anti-imperialist feelings that the luminaries in Washington have lost their sleep and are burning midnight oil to devise ways of how to stem this tide. This is natural, as the US once used to treat the whole of Latin America as its backyard and tried to keep this region under its thraldom --- by deceit, force and conspiracy if necessary.

Back home, the CPI(M) too had been and still is a pet target of attacks from the same prophets of doom; only that their tone has somewhat changed meanwhile. While they were earlier too fond of predicting that the communist movement is all set to pass into oblivion soon, today they find fault with us that the movement is still alive and kicking. The increased and still growing role of the CPI(M), and of the Left as a whole, in Indian politics has further added to the viciousness of the bourgeois-imperialist propaganda against the Left parties in the country. 

However, it is not that the role of the Left has increased only after May 2004; it has been growing all along even if the rate of growth of the Left parties’ strength may not be quite satisfactory. The increased representation of Left parties in Lok Sabha after May 2004 is in fact only a representation of this reality in electoral arena.

CADRES’ GROWING DETERMINATION

IN the meantime, in the last 13 years, the CPI(M) has held four national level party congresses, including the one at Chennai immediately after the Soviet debacle, and each party congress has only reflected the growing confidence and determination with which our dedicated and self-sacrificing cadres have been engaged in taking the party’s message to the mass of the people and fighting on the issues facing the people. Now, after Chennai (January 1992), Chandigarh (April 1995), Kolkata (October 1998) and Hyderabad (March 2002), the party is all set to hold its eighteenth congress in coming April, this time in the nation’s capital itself. 

Indeed, the decision to hold a party congress in the national capital is in itself an indication of the party’s determination to take the challenges head on and make a powerful impact on the course of developments. Delhi is thus going to host the eighteenth congress of the CPI(M) even though the metro and the surrounding region are by no means our stronghold.

Here it would not be out of place to remark that the holding of party conferences at the branch, tehsil, district and state levels, prior to the national level party congress, is in accordance with the democratic way of functioning of a communist party. What happens in our party is not only that delegates to a conference are elected by the conferences at the immediately lower level. The party cadres at their respective levels also discuss threadbare the draft political resolution that is issued at least two months prior to the national congress, and individually or collectively formulate and send their amendments and suggestions to the Central Committee. The latter duly takes these amendments into account, prepares a report on the same and puts it before the party congress when it takes place. This way, party cadres at various levels make their own contributions to formulation of the party’s policy. This time too, the Central Committee has already released the draft political resolution for the eighteenth congress and the same is being discussed in tens of thousands of branches all over the country.

This is indeed the way a communist party functions --- with the cadres exercising their rights and discharging their duties in a fair and frank, democratic way, and with the fullest possible sense of discipline and commitment. Indeed this is not the blind discipline a fascist organisation (e g the RSS) expects from its cadres. On the contrary, it is a kind of iron discipline that grows from within, from one’s sense of commitment to the masses, of commitment to the party as a means to a noble end. This end is the end of fundamental social transformation so that all exploitation of man by man and of nation by nation could be eventually eliminated. And this is what makes our cadres the parts of a single worldwide army that is fighting the same battle in various national arenas and under extremely diverse circumstances. This is why we so much value the doctrine of proletarian internationalism.  

YOUTHFUL PARTY

AND the same determination has been evident in the conferences which various state and lower level units of the party have so far held, in the run-up to the national level congress. The preparatory work preceding these conferences as well as the mass rallies on these occasions have been indicators of a significant increase in the party’s prestige and influence among the common mass. The latter have come forward, in good numbers, to make their own contributions to the success of these conferences and accompanying mass rallies.

The huge mass rally at Warrangal, at the conclusion of the CPI(M)’s recent state conference in Andhra Pradesh, is one such example of our growing mass appeal.

Two things are noteworthy here. One, the bulk of the CPI(M) membership today consists of young men and women who are full of idealism (not in philosophical sense), enthusiasm and determination. As a matter of fact, roughly 85 per cent of the membership consists of those who joined the party after 1990, and a sizeable chunk of these are around 25 to 30 years of age. This is a very valuable asset the party has. But this also devolves upon the leadership an onerous responsibility of politically and ideologically training this cadre base, so as to thoroughly sharpen this weapon in order to effectively and successfully wage the fight for change.

PRESENT CONTEXT OF STRUGGLE

SECONDLY, the present political situation in the country and internationally is an extremely complex situation full of multidimensional challenges, but at the same time also full of equally multidimensional possibilities of advance. As we have detailed in these columns from time to time, imperialism is today at its aggressive worst and the Yankees are seeking to run amuck in the whole world. At the same time, however, resistance to imperialism is growing at a fast pace, and there is emerging the possibility that despite mutual differences diverse anti-imperialist elements may, sooner rather than later, get consolidated into a single current.

At the national level, in the same way, we have been able to see the achievement of the three objectives which the Hyderabad party congress had set in March 2002. The communal forces and BJP led combine have been thrown out of power; a secular combine has taken the reins of governance in its hands, and the Left parties have been able to increase their representation in Lok Sabha. This may be taken as a rough indicator of the correctness of the line chalked out at Hyderabad. 

But as Marxists we also know that these achievements cannot be the be-all and end-all of our struggle. Not only that the fascist RSS led brigade still has some potential of a comeback, despite their recent rout and subsequent demoralisation. Fighting and defeating the communal forces is today a sine qua non for an advance of the Left and democratic forces, for forging ahead the struggle for alternative policies. That is the reason we extend support to the UPA regime from outside.

At the same time, we must not harbour any illusion about the UPA’s economic policies. These are in fact the same World Bank-IMF devised policies that have in the last 14 years heaped indescribable miseries upon the common mass, and it is certain that unless there is a radical reorientation of the government’s functioning, these policies will heap still more miseries upon the people. Right now, the Left cannot certainly force such a reorientation. Yet, the Left is no less certainly in a position to make the government take some such steps as may provide the people a modicum of relief. This is also an arena of struggle for alternative policies and it is precisely this struggle that would lay the ground for more radical changes.

ON TO BIGGER STRUGGLES

SUCH is the context in which we have to fight and advance. To reiterate, the present national and international contexts are full of challenges but they are also full of possibilities for democratic advance.

To take just one example among a plethora of examples, the recent amendment in patent law may impose a very severe burden upon the people not only of India but of all the third world countries and even on the labouring population of advanced countries. For, such changes in national patent laws as the WTO is seeking to force down the throats of national governments, will push the cost of life saving drugs, other medicines, seeds etc sky high, apart from harming the industries in third world countries and producing other harmful consequences. In such a situation, a severe reaction against these changes is bound to take place sooner or later --- in our country and elsewhere. It is also certain that reactionary forces of various hues and also the populists of all kinds would do their best to take advantage of the resultant discontent, even if that gives the people’s struggle an unhealthy direction.

The question, then, is: can we afford to let that happen? In fact, we are duty bound to take that struggle to newer heights and in the process mobilise the masses for still bigger struggles.

But while the objective situation is so much favourable for our struggles and advance, the thing is that we have to take care of the subjective factor also and be prepared for facing the situation squarely. With all the resources at its command, the party and the Left have to vigorously intervene in the situation and see to it that the communal and reactionary forces are not able to take advantage of the discontent that are bound to arise out of the LPG policies.

The struggle is by no means an easy one. Apart from the role of divisive factors like casteism and communalism, media have also become extremely hyperactive and powerful in the age of imperialist globalisation. As monopoly capital --- indigenous and foreign --- is the main beneficiary of LPG policies, the bourgeois-imperialist media are trying every means to make us believe that these policies are indeed in the people’s own interest. Like the famous saying that “I hang you for your own salvation!” This poses a big challenge that can be met only by constant political and ideological education of the people by various means, including their practical education in struggle. There is no doubt that media are playing a powerful role today, but its power must not be exaggerated either. Let us note that if media were really that powerful, the BJP would not have lost the polls.

It is in this situation that the CPI(M) is going to hold its eighteenth congress, and the tactical line that this congress will chalk out will guide the party till its next congress. The draft political resolution which the CPI(M) Central Committee has already released presents a detailed diagnosis of the situation and outlines the tasks for coming days. This document must be carefully studied and thoroughly debated so that cadres of the party and of the mass organisations led it are able to grasp the reality and requirements of today. This is absolutely essential because not just to study the world but to attempt to change it is the task enjoined upon us.