People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
No. 20
May 20, 2012
|
Vol. XXXVI
No. 20 May 20, 2012 |
Basudeb Acharia IN Lok Sabha, CPI(M) group leader Basudeb
Acharia said that while we are observing the 60th year of our parliament, we
should remember those who laid down their lives and went to the gallows. The
sacrifices of the heroes of our freedom struggle won us independence and we
adopted the parliamentary democratic system of governance. We will have to
seriously think whether the problems of inequality, discrimination, poverty,
exploitation, etc have increased or decreased, and whether the intent of the
founding fathers of the constitution has been implemented in letter and spirit,
in this 60 years period. We see that the poverty has not reduced; happiness has
not come to the people. The gap between the rich and the poor has increased.
Lakhs and lakhs of people are still born under the sky and die under the sky.
We have not been able to provide shelter to 100 per cent of our population. We
cannot even provide safe drinking water to the poor. We must seriously think of
the tribals and dalits whose conditions have not improved. If a farmer commits
suicide after 64 years of independence, we will have to seriously think over
it. Another major problem which is corroding our parliamentary democracy is the
use of money power in elections. If voters and votes are purchased, what will
happen to the parliamentary democracy? There is a need for electoral reforms. Unless
there is state funding of elections, we will not be able to curb the use of
money power. Something has to be done to cleanse the system and protect it from
corrosion. We should seriously ponder over it. The problems of discrimination,
exploitation, pauperisation of the people, starvation and illiteracy still
exist in this country, and we cannot enjoy the successes and achievements of
our parliamentary democracy unless we remove these ills. The sitting extended till the evening. Both
the houses adjourned after passing a resolution to uphold the dignity and
supremacy of parliament.
Message
from the Lebanese
Communist Party
WE
are writing to you to
extend the congratulations and salutations to you on the eve
of holding the
20th congress of your party, due to be held in April 2012.
The
global economic crisis
continues to unfold worldwide, taking its tolls as usual on
the poorest and
weakest within our societies. Unfortunately, in some
countries, this is
happening against the background of Leftist and Marxist
forces still recovering
from the collapse of the
Strengthening
the Left and
democratic forces is an urgent task facing the communists
worldwide, especially
at this time when we are witnessing yet another attempt by
capitalism to escape
its crisis by causing further wars and tensions on a global
level.
We
therefore wish you
success in your efforts and endeavours and hope that your
party will succeed in
overcoming its electoral setbacks in order to effectively
and forcefully stand
up for the poor and the weak in your society.
---
On behalf the
Political Bureau of Lebanese Communist Party, Khaled
Hadadah, general
secretary, and Marie Nassif-Debs, vice general secretary
Message
from the
Palestinian People’s Party
ON
behalf of the
leadership and the members of the Palestinian People’s Party
(PPP), we would
like to convey to you and through you to all the members of
your party --- the
Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(M) --- and to the
Indian people our best
wishes and all success to the 20th congress of your party.
Your
congress is taking
place at a very crucial moment where the global general
economic crisis,
threats of wars, especially in the
We
are sure that you will
discuss these challenges with high responsibility, and take
decisions which
will help in the common struggle for a better future.
We
also hope that your
congress will give special attention to the Palestinian
issue by re-emphasising
your solidarity with the just struggle of the Palestinian
people for freedom,
establishing an independent state within the 1967 boarders
with
We
are looking forward to
strengthening the fraternal relations between our two
parties and peoples, and
wish you all the success.
---
Central Committee,
Palestinian People’s Party
Message
from the Philippine Communist Party
THE Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP-1930, the Philippine
Communist Party)
sends warmest fraternal greetings to the CPI(M)’s 20th
congress which will be
held in
We hail the valiant
struggles of the CPI(M) in
advancing the socialist alternative in
In the light of the
new strategic relations between
the US and Indian regimes, which involve nuclear
cooperation, regular visits of
US military forces, and joint measures for the “containment”
of the People’s
Republic of China, we are sure that the anti-imperialist
thrust of the CPI(M)’s
20th congress will be sharpened.
We are confident also
that the CPI(M)’s 20th congress
will chart an effective course towards the greater unity and
strengthening of
the Left and democratic forces in
We wish every success
to the 20th congress of the
CPI(M), and more strength to the CPI(M)’s continued
struggles for peace and
socialism, against imperialism and local reaction.
Long live
Marxism-Leninism!
With communist greetings,
---
Antonio E Paris, general secretary
Message of
Greetings from the Portuguese Communist Party
ON behalf of
the Central Committee of the Portuguese Communist Party and
of all Portuguese
communists, we convey warm greetings to the 20th congress of
the Communist
Party of India (Marxist). May your congress contribute to
strengthening your
party and the communists' influence among the Indian workers
and popular
masses.
The world
situation continues to be marked by the deepest crisis of
the capitalist system
in many decades. The profound change in the world balance of
forces that was
brought about by the counter-revolutionary victories of
twenty years ago in
In the
European Union, which increasingly confirms its nature as an
imperialist bloc,
big capital has taken advantage of the crisis to unleash a
brutal class
offensive, of historical significance and scope. What is at
stake is an attempt
to destroy the major social achievements which the European
workers and peoples
had won during the 20th century, as a result of decades of
struggle and of the
decisive effects of the socialist, popular and national
liberation revolutions.
This offensive is stepping up the class conflict on the
European continent to
unprecedented levels since World War II. The outcome of this
confrontation, in
which the danger of authoritarian and even fascist solutions
are obvious, will
be of great importance for the correlation of forces
world-wide.
Our people are
today being confronted with the full brutality of this
offensive, in terms of
wages, pensions, working hours, the most elementary labour
and social rights,
the right to a job and to social security. Using debt as the
pretext --- debt
which is the outcome of 37 years of right-wing policies, of
a process of
European integration at the service of big capital, and of
the creation of the
Euro --- the foreign Troika (the European Union, the
European Central Bank and
the International Monetary Fund) and the domestic Troika at
their service (the
Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Social
Democratic Centre/Popular
Party) have imposed a true
Pact of Aggression against our people and our country. This
pact --- which
imposes a brutal hike in the country's debt itself --- seeks
to save the
financial system, safeguard the profits of big capital and
impose an ever more
centralized control, with colonial-style traits, by the EU's
command centres
upon the countries and peoples of Europe. It will worsen all
of the country's
and the people's problems and is already bringing about a
recessionary spiral
of major proportions. Our party is profoundly committed to
the struggle against
this offensive, committed to strengthening the unity of the
working class and
the people, in the resistance and struggle for an
alternative, patriotic and
left-wing policy, in our country. The Portuguese workers'
resistance and
struggle, in which their class trade union centre, CGTP-IN,
has played a
frontline role, has known high points, such as the general
strikes of November
24 and March 22 and the big national demonstration of
February 11.
The struggle
will continue and intensify, because only through the
struggle will it be
possible to change the balance of forces and follow the path
for an alternative
patriotic and Left policy, thus strengthening the struggle
of the Portuguese
communists for an advanced democracy that, claiming and
stressing the
achievements, values and ideals of the April revolution, is
the current stage
of the struggle for socialism, goal and project that the
Portuguese Communist
Party embraces since its foundation, 91 years ago.
The times in
which we live are times of great dangers. The crisis of the
old imperialist
powers coincides with the re-emergence of economic powers
such as
Together with
the incapacity to solve capitalism's systemic crisis, it
represents a source of
enhanced inter-imperialist contradictions and a serious
threat to world peace.
History shows how real are the dangers that capitalism in
agony may seek to
solve its problems through a large-scale military adventure.
The current
threats against
Our times
demand stronger communist parties, more profoundly linked to
the masses, with
greater influence and activity. They demand stronger
cooperation between
communist parties --- of which the international meetings of
communist and
workers' parties are an expression --- and between communist
parties and other
revolutionary, progressive, anti-imperialist and
peace-loving forces. The times
are not just fraught with enormous dangers; they are also
times of real potential
and possibility of advances, even revolutionary advances, in
the struggle of
the peoples.
It is with
this spirit that our party is preparing its 19th congress
that will be held at
the end of this year. It is with this spirit that we renew
our wishes of
success for the 20th congress of the CPI(M).
Your successes
are the successes of all workers and peoples of the world.
Long live the
20th congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)!
Long live the
friendship and cooperation between the CPI(M) and the PCP!
--- Central
Committee of the Portuguese Communist Party
Message
from the Communist
Party of the
THE
Central Committee of
the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) would
like to extend a
very cordial welcome to you, the delegates of the 20th
congress of the CPI(M),
and to all the members and supporters of the CPI(M).
Your
party has been and
continues to be a vanguard in the struggle of the working
class, peasantry,
intelligentsia and all the working people for justice and
real democracy. We
are very well acquainted with the role your party has been
playing in the quest
for unity of all the Left forces.
In
the conditions of the
global economic crisis the unity of all the Left forces is a
sure guarantee for
the success of those ideals and aims that you have before
you.
Now
you have before you
not only the task of taking stock of the work done during
the preceding years,
but also that of defining the tactics and strategy of
struggle to be followed
in the coming period. We are confident that the decisions
that would be taken
by you during the congress would contribute immensely to the
organisational and
ideological consolidation of the party and to the
enhancement of its authority
and influence in Indian society.
The
bonds of friendship
brotherly solidarity have been existing between our parties
for a very long
time. We are inclined to develop the ties of friendship and
cooperation between
our counties and people in all possible ways in future as
well.
May
we extend all the good
wishes for the success of 20th congress of your party in its
work.
Long
live the solidarity
among the communists of the whole world!
With
brotherly regards,
---
G A Zyuganov,
Chairman, Central Committee, Communist Party of the
Russian Federation
Message from
the Russian Communist Workers Party – Revolutionary Party
of Communists
WE
congratulate you
heartily on yet another important date in the history of
your party – the 20th
congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
We
express our brotherly
solidarity with your struggle and wish that the communists
of India, in the
course of this congress, should take correct Marxist
decisions about their
tactics in the present difficult conditions. The present
crisis of capitalism
has once again proved the correctness of the Marxist
teaching that clearly
shows the basic internal antagonisms of the capitalist
system, with these
antagonisms inevitably leading to recurrent crises that are
resolved by way of
increased exploitation of the working people. It is exactly
the Marxist
approach that makes us search for the ways of overcoming the
antagonisms by way
of development of the working people’s struggle for an
overthrow of the system
of exploitation and for construction of the socialist order,
rather than by an
improvement of the model of capitalism that is
characteristic of various
opportunist and revisionist distorters of Marxism.
It is symbolic
that this revolutionary Marxist approach could be seen in
your party’s name and
that is the best reference for us; on the other hand, this
fact imposes upon
you special obligations regarding the working people of
India. We do believe
that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) shall justify
the trust of the
working people and shall remain true to its vanguard role in
organising the
struggle of the masses.
We shall be
glad to further strengthen the friendly relations between
our parties. We
believe that we share common views on the necessity of a
revolutionary struggle
against imperialism and for a socialist alternative.
Let’s move on
together along our common communist way.
We wish you
good luck in your struggle!
We shall not
falter on the chosen way!
---
Central Committee of
Russian Communist Workers Party – Revolutionary Party of
Communists
Message
from the
Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic,
Polisario
Front
ON
behalf of the Saharawi
People, the Polisario Front leadership and on my own behalf,
I would like to
extend our warmest congratulations to all members and
leadership of the
Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(M), as well as the
fraternal Indian
people on the holding of your 20th congress.
Despite
the numerous
difficulties and the international situation, we are
confident that your
congress will be successful thanks to the farsightedness of
your approaches and
strategies of action as well as your strong determination to
tackle any
challenges.
The
Polisario Front has
always attached great importance to the friendly relations
with the CPI(M), and
we would like to reiterate our strong resolve to strengthen
and develop the
traditional ties of friendship, solidarity and cooperation
between our two
parties and peoples.
Please
accept, dear
comrades, the assurances of my highest consideration.
---
Mohamed Abdelaziz,
president of Saharawai Arab Democratic Republic and
secretary general of the
Polisario Front
Message
from the Communist
Party of the Peoples of Spain
The
Communist Party of the
Peoples of Spain (PCPE) conveys fraternal greetings to the
Communist Party of
India (Marxist), on the occasion of your 20th congress.
The
PCPE analyses the
current crisis of capitalism as a structural crisis of the
system where the
only way out for the oligarchy and imperialism is to
increase exploitation,
plundering and violence against the peoples and the working
class. In this
frame we have the imperialist aggressions against the
peoples of the world,
Cuba, DPRK, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc. At the
same time, we have the
imperialist policies in the labour and social fields in the
European Union. For
us there is no way out of the crisis in favour or the
working class inside the
capitalist system; only the construction of socialism is a
way out for the
whole social majority.
The
crisis in the European
Union is the expression of the aforementioned. Day after
day, the imperialist
character of this institution becomes clearer. It is a
project that serves the
interests of the oligarchy. The so-called “rescue
operations” of Greece,
Ireland, Portugal and Italy are only direct interventions of
the imperialist
policies in order to safeguard the capitalist system and
guarantee its
continuity. The working class in Spain is suffering
unprecedented attacks under
the pretext of the “need to reform the system.” The few
rights achieved after
years of struggles are being smashed. The parties present in
the parliament
defend the interests of the system, directly or indirectly;
they defend the
management of the capitalist system.
The
PCPE, like other
communist and workers' parties, believes that the historical
moment of the
capitalist crisis is one stage in the era of the transition
from capitalism to
socialism. The triumph of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917
started this era. We
firmly reject those positions within the international
communist movement that
consider that the construction of socialism during the 20th
century is a page
that we have to close, full of mistakes. We believe that the
victory of the
organised bourgeoisie and the counter-revolution in the USSR
and the socialist
camp in 1991 is a temporary defeat that does not invalidate
the process and the
need of the socialist revolution.
In
face of this scenario,
there is a historical need to construct socialism. The
socialist revolution is
the only solution to this capitalist crisis. That is why we
need today, more
than ever, to give steps in the coordination of all the
communist parties in
the world, under the banner of Marxism-Leninism. The PCPE is
giving steps in
that direction, actively participating in different events
and international
meetings. We support and participate in the international
communist review, the
international meetings of communist and workers' parties,
and the World
Federation of Trade Unions. We believe that it is necessary
to develop closer
fraternal ties with other communist and workers' parties. We
believe that
mutual knowledge and fraternal debate can make us advance in
concrete proposals
that will help us to hit capitalism stronger.
We
regret our
impossibility to be present at this important congress, and
we wish success in
the debates.
Long
live proletarian
internationalism!
Socialism
or barbarism!
---
Ástor García,
responsible for the international relations of the
Central Committee of the
PCPE
Message from the Syrian
Communist Party (the Unified)
ON
behalf of our comrades
in the Syrian Communist Party (the Unified), their friends
and allies, I would
like to state that it would be a great pleasure and honour
for me to receive
your letter in which inform us about the oncoming congress
of your party.
No
doubt, your concern
over the slowing growth and economic hardships India is
facing nowadays, and
which the congress will discuss in detail, constitute an
integral part of the
current economic crisis striking the world capitalist
system, from USA to
Spain, Italy and above all Greece. No doubt you will be able
to find creative
solutions to the slowing economic growth.
Really, the tactics to be pursued by your party in the
forthcoming period will
be absolutely vital in strengthening your party, the Left
and all the
democratic forces in India. More important still, they will
represent a
considerable lesson to be learned by other fraternal
parties, including our
party. This is a very clear proof of the unity of the
struggle through
diversity.
Due
to your decision not
to invite any fraternal delegates to your congress, permit
us to express our
honest and true wishes that our letter would be enough to
express our heartfelt
solidarity with your party.
Dear
comrades,
Thank
you for solidarity
with our party and our country.
Syria
is under fire; it is
being burned as a step toward destroying and having it
divided along ethnic and
sectarian lines. The powers --- USA, Great Britain, France,
Israel and some
Arab oil monarchies, which have so far failed in changing
the political
orientation of Syria, its insistence on supporting the
heroic struggle of the
Lebanese people against the military campaigns launched by
Israel, the heroic
and long standing struggle of the Palestinian people for its
inalienable rights
to return, self-determination and national statehood with
East Jerusalem as the
capital of the Palestinian state --- are resorting to all
means available not
only to destroy Syria, but to turn it to ashes if not ruins.
The
claims of concern over
human rights and liberties, worries about humanitarian
circumstances in strife
stricken areas in Syria, or the so-called friendship with
Syria are all mere
fallacies and hypocrisy which can never deceive anyone.
Suffice it to draw the
attention of all the world to the relentless support of USA
for Israel, its
chronic occupation of Arab territories, refusal to abide by
UN resolutions.
More importantly our memory still contains pictures of US
campaign against
Iraq, which was completely destroyed under the pretext of
looking for supposed
nuclear weapons.
Although
there are
similarities between the events which took place in Tunisia,
Egypt, Yemen and
Libya, usually described as Arab Spring by western media, we
are sure that the
events in Syria have their distinguished character.
Accordingly,
we would
advise those who insist on repeating the Libyan model in
Syria to change their
minds because they are mistaken.
A stable and lasting solution for the crisis in Syria should
be based on the
following lines:
---
The right of the
opposition to peaceful activity should be respected, now
that the new
constitution makes it clear the Syria is pluralistic
country.
---
Dialogue among
national, patriotic and popular masses is the only means for
solving
controversies and disputes. Armed groups in general are
masterminded and funded
by foreign countries which have no interest in the
stability, progress and
secure future of Syria.
---
Any military
intervention in the crisis in Syria will make it more
complicated and
dangerously explosive.
--- World
imperialist
powers led by USA, Arab monarchies, Israel and Turkey should
withdraw their
hands from Syria.
---
We respect the right
of the state, our sate, to defend its territories, but we
cannot accept
excessive and disproportionate use of force, specially when
dealing with
civilians.
We
truly believe in our country,
our citizens and our ability to survive this crisis and
emerge triumphant.
Once
more we would like to
wish success for your congress.
Our
best regards to your
comrades.
Looking
forward to
cooperating with you and benefiting from your experience.
---
Hunin Nemer, first secretary of
the Syrian Communist Party
(the Unified)
