Response to the Appeal for Left Unity (by Retd Maj. Gen Vombatkere in Mainstream Weekly
Below is a response we had send to an appeal for left unity in Mainstream Weekly by a retd maj.general (retd.) Vombatkere (published on12th Nov 2011.
Read Appeal by Major General (Retd.) Vombatkere: http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article3127.html
Our Response sent to Mainstream (Below):
To
Comrade Sumit Chakraborty,
Editor
Mainstream
Dear comrades,
In the Mainstream Weekly of 12th November, 2011 an Appeal to the Left Forces to unite from Major General (retd.) Vombatkere was published. As we were away at Bhubaneswar for the Ninth Party Congress of CPI(ML) from 7-12 November, we could see the issue only later. That is why our response is delayed. We appreciate the spirit with which Mr. Vombatkere has issued the appeal. At the same time, we have to redefine the left forces based on their basic ideological-political positions for achieving a meaningful unity, which shall lead to a people’s alternative in the present context. Hope you will publish our position and allow a discussion on this important question of “left unity”.
Our Party Congress was successfully completed and I shall send Red Star and our documents to you.
With warm greetings
KN Ramchandran
General Secretary
CPI(ML)
Dear Gen. Vombatkere,
We are happy that you have taken the trouble to make an appeal to the left parties and groups to unite and we view the appeal very positively. We are willing to have any principled unity with the other left groups and parties on the basis of a common minimum program which will benefit the people of India by putting an end to corruption, price rise, denial of democratic rights etc leading to the creation of a real socialist society in place of the present anti-people ruling system.
The problem is what you have outlined in your letter itself. As you put it there is need to introspect why the left is in such a dire position though the CPI was the main opposition party in 1952. There is a need to discard all illusions whether revisionist or sectarian, on the basis of concrete analysis of the concrete situation. There is a need to ruthlessly dissect our past so that we can become capable of leading the massive movements that people all over the world are today taking part in and which have even reached our shores with the recent mobilizations against corruption. If we have to show the people that the answer lies not in cosmetic changes within the capitalist system but in socialism, we have to put up a viable picture of socialism before the people and also answer why different socialist countries failed in the past. Without such a ruthless self-criticism, the people are not going to believe in the dream of socialism especially in view of the negative propaganda against socialism with which they are bombarded daily by the state and capitalist controlled media.
No doubt the people are sick and tired of the Congress (UPA) and the BJP (NDA) and are searching for an alternative. However, such an alternative can only be based on bold and honest analysis of the present situation, including of our own past.
While such a comprehensive settling of accounts with the past will take time and will involve, as you have stated, engaging with each other, there is no reason why certain left forces cannot come together on the basis of a common minimum program. What should then be this common minimum program? We propose it must be sustained and uncompromising struggle against globalization and the neo-liberal policies. What this means, in various fields, is obvious from the people's struggles which are even now going on. In the field of energy it means that we must oppose nuclear energy either for civil or defense purposes and demand the development of alternative sources of energy. In the field of education, health care, etc. it means that these fields must be freed from privatization, must be taken over by the state and must be structured to fulfill the needs of the people and not those of corporate houses. In the field of housing, infrastructure and construction, we feel that housing must be a fundamental right and all construction and infrastructure activity must be taken over by the state to rid our country of the land mafia which is operating all over the country. In the field of agriculture, it means that we have to oppose, uncompromisingly, the land grabs, that are taking place, we have to emphasize the need to complete the land reforms with "land to the tiller" as the slogan - though the content of that slogan may have to fit concrete situations. In the field of labour, we have to oppose the new anti-labour and anti-people labour laws being foisted on the people and we have to also oppose the recent trends in the judiciary where "globalization" rather than the Constitution is made the guiding torch. We have to make better and sufficient provision for security of employment, social security and to secure the right to organize and protest. In the field of transport, we have to again stop the trend towards privatization and go for a transport plan which had no "Singapore" or "Shanghai" in it view but has the real needs of the people in its view. In the field of democratic rights, the basic democratic rights of the people are being daily trampled with hardly allowing any voice of dissent. The people of the North East and of J&K are living under conditions of open military rule. In other places, in the name of "war on terror" the fascisation of the state machinery is growing.
Of course, one can add to or amend any of these specific demands. They are not of the essence. The principle of uncompromising struggle against globalization and neo-liberal policies is, however, absolutely of the essence. This is the crux of the problem. We have to redefine the goal of "development" as development for the vast majority of the people - for workers and the peasants - and not as development only for a small minority which gets to enjoy the latest Ferraris and Bentleys. Development cannot be measured on the basis of how many flat-screen TVs are sold in India or on the basis of the so-called 9% growth in GDP alone. It must be measured basically by the quality of life of the poor common people of India.
Given this basis, there are problems for uniting the forces which you address. The CPI and the CPM have implemented the policies of globalization and neo-liberalism for many decades now in states like W.Bengal, Kerala and Tripura where they had come to power or are still in power. Though they may have felt that the Indian bourgeoisie had a progressive aspect in the past, at least today it is clear that the Indian big corporate houses are not at all patriotic and are only junior partners of imperialism. We do not gloat at the recent electoral results in Bengal, but we hope that the CPI and the CPM will listen to the voice of the people who have unequivocally made clear their opposition to the policies of neo-liberalism. It will not be possible to convince the people of the sincerity of such forces without their making a sincere evaluation of their past and of their mistakes. Nandigram and Singur bear witness to this. There are many Nandigrams and Singurs all over India, in which, though the role of the CPI and the CPM has been the same, though the outcome has not received the same publicity. The same goes for parties like the RSP and Forward Bloc which colluded with these parties in their mistakes. Even the CPI (ML) (Liberation) is attempting to make opportunist electoral alliances with such forces. The people may be ready to accept that the policies of the "left" front were mistakes and will not be repeated but this requires that the "left" front must first accept its mistakes. We do not see this happening. Instead, the "left" front is floundering with no new policies and is hobnobbing with Jayalalita in Tamil Nadu, Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, Navin Patnaik in Odisha and with other such forces in other states.
It is a fact that the CPI-CPM has been as discredited in the states where it ruled as the Congress has been at the Centre. The people of Bengal and Kerala are as disgusted with the CPI-CPM as the people of the country are with the Congress and the BJP. Hence, if the revolutionary forces unite with the CPI-CPM to build up a Left alternative, it will not go down well with the masses at all. Besides, the revolutionaries will then be seen as giving approval to the blatantly anti-people nature and activities of the CPI-CPM. For instance, just yesterday it was reported that the CPM state secretariat member in WB, Mohammed Salim, has expressed pleasure that the Mamata government has changed her stance towards the Maoists and taken a hard line towards them. At a time when all Left and progressive forces are condemning the dastardly murder of Com Kishenji, Mohammed Salim hailed it as an 'achievement'. This is just an example. There are a million other examples of the CPM's degeneration. Who can forget the meticulousness with which the CPI-CPM tried to implement the neo-liberal policies in WB when it was in power in the state? Now, it is decrying the opening of 51% FDI in the retail sector, but when it was in power in the state, it did everything it could to open up the retail sector to the Walmarts and the Metro Cash & Carry-s.
On the other hand forces like SUCI have joined hands with Mamata in the name of "Defeat the CPI(M)" slogan. The people are clearly seeing that there is no real difference between Mamata and the CPI(M) where the quality of life of the people is concerned. The Maoists supported Mamata during the elections and have already seen the outcome. Similar mistakes are being made by left forces in other states, aligning with different ruling class parties, in the name of tactics, while being bereft of any strategy to fight globalization and neo-liberal policies. The people will not trust such forces either, unless they genuinely regret their mistakes. There is need to come out with an open criticism of such mistakes also.
Further, the appeal states that all those interested in building a New Left unity should express allegiance to the Constitution. How can any progressive force -- leave alone revolutionary -- do that when the Constitution denies the right of self determination to the people of J&K and the Northeast leading to a prolonged war on the people there, and also has a thousand lacunae that ensure that the principles of democracy, secularism and socialism can never be put into practice?
On the basis of our stand above, we welcome the initiative taken by you. However, we doubt very much that the answer can be as simple as you suggest, that all the forces you mention come together and chalk out a plan to unite, in a time bound manner. If any meeting of the type that you suggest is called by you, we will certainly take part, and put forward our stand as mentioned here.
Your comrade,
K. N. Ramachandran
General Secretary
CPI(ML)
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