‘Non-Fascist’ Ruling Class Parties and Anti-Fascist Struggle – Editorial , Redstar Monthly , March 2023

‘Non-Fascist’ Ruling Class Parties and Anti-Fascist Struggle

Regarding the building up of the broadest possible Anti-fascist Movement against RSS Neo-fascism, the Political Resolution adopted by the 12th congress of CPI (ML) Red Star, among other things, has called for political initiatives including electoral struggles by exploring the possibility of tactical alliances with non-fascist sections of the parliamentary parties according to concrete conditions in states. Such a tactical approach towards a broad anti-fascist movement, of course, without surrendering the long-term strategic interests of the working class and all the oppressed, is also intended to effectively utilise the contradictions among ruling class parties having overlapping interests and integration with corporate capital, so as to isolate the reactionary elements who are allies of fascists. Based on this approach, the Political Resolution reiterated the significance of avoiding a division in anti-RSS votes in the 2024 general election in view of the impending biggest-ever challenge from RSS Neo-fascism.

However, according to the present trends in the mainstream political spectrum, this is going to be a challenging task before the anti-fascist forces today. And if the present trends continue, then it will be easy for RSS/BJP to win the 2024 election and move towards its ultimate aim of establishing a Hindurashtra. For, in spite of being apparent critics of Modi regime, the non-fascist opposition parties are reluctant to study lessons from history, as is evident from the recent Assembly elections in Tripura and elsewhere or as was the case with the Assembly elections a few months back in 2022. For instance, while BJP, the fascist party tried to ally with certain tribal organisations and neutralise or manage others and could take advantage of the friction between indigenous peoples and Bengalis, the CPI (M) and Congress with their shortsightedness utterly failed to a have tactical approach in this regard.

Even now, while the Congress is under the illusion of building up an opposition alliance under its leadership, many regional parties ruling different states are coordinating for a ‘third front’ excluding the Congress. Among the opposition ranks, while opposition chief ministers in the main under threat of central agencies such as CBI and ED are carefully avoiding direct attack on Modi and RSS, they have no qualms in attacking each other both at the national level and within states. For instance, Kejriwal who is vying with BJP to prove himself more Hindutva, is openly attacking Congress. Within Bihar, even the coalition partners JDU led by chief mininser Nitish and RJD led by deputy chief minister Tejaswi are at loggerheads. In UP, there is little scope of rapport between SP and BSP against the ruling BJP. In Bengal, Mamata is eloquent on fighting the 2024 general election alone she is now speaking about her 2024 alliance with the people of India. Prime ministerial hopefuls like Chandrashekar Rao of Telengana are also there. Meanwhile, from the opposition only Rahul Gandhi is consistent in his opposition to RSS and Modi, even as many Congress leaders are soft-Hindutva in their approach.

In this critical situation where the ruling class opposition parties with their roots in neoliberalism are disoriented and divided, being devoid of people’s interests and mired in petty politics and totally lacking an anti-fascist perspective, it is easy for the RSS with state and corporate power and godi media at its disposal and backed by the most reactionary ideology of manuvadi-Hindutva to have its offensive towards the ultimate goal of majoritarian Hindurashtra denying citizenship right to Muslims and human right to Dalits. Hence it is up to the progressive-democratic forces and all well-meaning people to rise to the occasion through a concerted nationwide campaign targeting RSS neofascism that is indispensable for creating a political atmosphere which alone can compel the opportunist non-fascist opposition to take a position for not dividing the anti-BJP votes in the coming elections.

(Editorial – Red Star Monthly – March 2023)