Significance of the 12th Party Congress of CPI (ML) Red Star – Editorial, Redstar Party Congress Special Issue, September, 2022

Significance of the 12^th Party Congress of CPI (ML) Red Star

The 12^th Party Congress of CPI(ML) Red Star has historic significance not only because of the critical situation in which it is taking place, but also due to the theoretical questions it has put forward in continuation to the Resolution on Theoretical Analysis of Challenges Faced by the ICM adopted by the 10^th Party Congress held at Lucknow. Some of the issues like approach to caste question, gender equality, and ecological catastrophe had its impact even within the party as some comrades are apprehensive whether uncompromising attack on the Manuvadi Hindutua base of the RSS will alienate the ‘Hindu’ masses from the party. This is an apprehension which is preventing other streams of the left forces from taking up the caste annihilation as an integral part of the class struggle. So, while putting forward an analysis of the historical materialist approach towards the origin and stranglehold of this unique caste system in India, the CC decided to intensify the discussion on caste system and other basic questions by publishing a special issue of Red Star inviting articles from comrades from within the party as well as from revolutionary left intellectuals. In addition to it, a series of interviews/talks by leading comrades of the CC and revolutionary left intellectuals are also organized to deepen the discussion on these questions, and inner-party debates are going on around them. Similarly, while many of the revolutionary left intellectuals who are actively co-operating with us in theoretical discussions and people’s movements helped us by contributing papers as well as participating in the online discussions and physical seminars, some of them could not do so due to other engagements. Still we have received a good number of contributions on caste system, gender equality, impending ecological catastrophe, on the question of intensifying the cultural offensive for a cultural revolution, etc. Articles on intensification of corporatization/financialisation are also received. We hope these contributions in this Special Issue of Red Star will help to carry forward the theoretical struggle in the communist movement when it is facing increasing challenges as a result of the increasing confusions created regarding, for example, correctly analyzing Russia’s imperialist aggression on Ukraine, analyzing Gorbachov and his Glassnost/Perestroika, refusal by many streams of the left forces to recognize the growing danger from the RSS neo-fascism, etc.

We are publishing this Party Congress Special Issue of Red Star with the hope that it shall intensify the debate among Marxists for developing the theory and practice of revolution in the present troubled times, Let us expect that these debates shall further develop the ideological-political struggle to overcome present setbacks paving the way forward to advance the revolutionary communist movement.

(Editorial, Red Star Party Congress Special Issue, September 2022)