Observing 57th Anniversary of Naxalbari Uprising!
For the Communist Movement in India that began in 1920, the Naxalbari Uprising on 25 May 1967 was a historic turning point. It was the ideological struggle of the communist revolutionaries led by Comrade Charu Mazumdar and other leaders against the ‘revisionist line’ unabatedly continued by the leadership of the CPI(M) even after the 1964 split in relation to both international and national questions, that resulted in the Naxalbari Struggle.
As is widely known, the CPI (M) along with such other parties as SUCI became a leading partner of the United Front coalition government of West Bengal in 1967. And, important portfolios like Deputy Chief Ministership and Land Revenue were also held by CPI (M). The immediate political context for the Naxalbaripeasant uprising was CPI (M)’s altogether abandonment of its commitment towards implementing land reforms based on the principle of ‘land to the tiller’. Resisting State machinery, on 23 May 1967, peasants began forcible capture of land from jotedars (landlords) leading to police firing on 25 May in the Naxalbari block of Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district resulting in the martyrdom of many including 9 women and1child.
Naxalbari uprising led by oppressed tribals, landless poor peasants and workers backed by communist revolutionaries became an inspiration for the subsequent emergence of militant peasant struggles all over India challenging brutal state repression. It was in this background that with the organisational initiatives of revolutionary communists, the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR) followed by declaration of the founding of the CPI (ML) at a mass meeting in Calcutta on 22 April, 1969. The 8thCongress of the Party held in 1970 adopted Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought as it’s guiding ideology.
However, due to the influence of adventurist positions that dominated the Communist Party of China at that time, and mechanical approach towards Indian revolution as a text-book copy of Chinese revolution, the CPI(ML) failed to make a concrete evaluation of the postwar neocolonial transformation under imperialism as well as the changes in class relations and class forces in India in relation to it. More precisely, it led to the characterisation of India as ‘semi-colonial and semi-feudal’ and the strategic line as mainly that of ‘protracted people’s war’, dogmatically identifying postwar neocolonial Indian situation with that of pre-revolutionary China during the colonial phase. Meanwhile, through a military offensive called ‘Operation Steeplechase’, both central and state regimes unleashed a brutal terror on revolutionaries. And, in spite of heroic sacrifices, due to left adventurism and State repression, the CPI (ML) started disintegrating into many groups from 1970 onward.
Today, when Communist revolutionaries are observing the 57th anniversary of the historic Naxalbari uprising, the working class and all oppressed together with people from all walks of life in India are engaged in a life-and-death strugglein the 18th Lok Sabha election for removing the fascist Modi regime from power whose reins are with RSS, world’s biggest fascist organisation. However, the continuing ideological-political setbacks of the Communist movement are againamply reflected in the inability on the part of both right opportunists and left sectarians to comprehend the urgent tasks in a fascist situation. It is not only connected with the understanding on neoliberal fascism and taking up therequired political tasks, but a broader question of concretely analysing the tasks of national liberation in the far-right, neofascist global context where all inherent contradictions of imperialism are further sharpened.
And, it is this failure on the part of the Left in general that enables the crisis-ridden imperialist world system and ruling classes everywhere to postpone their collapse by unleashing super-exploitation and oppression on the working class and all toiling and oppressed peoples coupled with no holds barred corporate plunder of nature. It is for intensifying thisexploitation, oppression and plunder and sky-rocket corporate profit, thereby shifting the burden of imperialist crisis to theshoulders of world people that neofascism is being unleashed the world over today. And, at a global level, along with anti-Communism, anti-Muslimness or Islamophobia has become the major plank for majoritarian consolidation against the minorities and oppressed, the manifestations of which vary according to the concrete historical, political-economic and socio-cultural context of countries.
As noted earlier, India today is facing the worst form of this neofascism under Modi regime, whose ideological basis is world’s most inhuman and reactionary ideology of Brahmanical casteism led by RSS. The majoritarian Hindurashtra envisaged by Hindutva fascists while targeting minorities, especially, stigmatising Muslims and denying citizenship to them on the one hand, is also engaged insubjugating the untouchable Dalits and oppressed castes as well as women as ‘subhuman’ based on the diktats of Manusmriti. The RSS, whose earlier attempt to adopt Manusmriti as Indian Constitution during 1949-50 was failed, is now trying to transform it as per Manusmriti. While extreme hatred and division of the entire social fabric coupled with incessant attacks and massacres of minorities and Dalitshave become regular feature of India, today when the 18th LokSabha election campaign is going on, Modi himself is leading the no holds barred majoritarian polarisation characterising Muslims as “infiltrators” and enemies in tune with Golwalkar’s prognosis of Muslims as India’s enemy No.1.
As country’s wealth and income are increasingly concentrated in the fast growing and most corrupt crony capitalists, all hard-earned democratic rights of people including workers and peasants are snatched away through abolition of 44 labour laws prevailing in the country and superimposing pro-corporate, draconian Farm Laws. While the Godi mediaseldom reports on the real state of the country, those who criticise and expose RSS fascism and its manifestations are branded as ‘anti-nationals’ and subjected to black laws. Through GST, the entire tax burden is shifted to the shoulders of common people while Indian corporate tax rates are the lowest in the world. And as part of superimposing a pan-Indian majoritarian fascist regime, efforts are in full swing to demolish the multinational, multilingual, multicultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic character of India.
In this fascist situation, while we commemorate the heroic Naxalbari struggle which demands firm adherence to the long-term, and strategic class interests of workers and peasants, the immediate and urgent task on the part of communist revolutionaries in the 18th Lok Sabha election is to join with all democratic forces to overthrow the fascist RSS-BJP regimefrom power. What requires is a tactical approach to ensure the defeat of the fascist alliance led by BJP in the election by avoiding a division of the anti-fascist votes. Removal of fascist Modi regime from power and ensuring of the minimum democratic rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution are indispensable for creating the political condition required for building up the struggles and movements pertaining to class, caste, gender and ecology. Including this, the details of CPI (ML) Red Star’ approach to 18th Lok Sabha Election are enumerated in the Nagpur Declaration published on the eve of Election declaration. Based on this, CPI (ML) Red Star is engaged in a country-wide campaign with the slogan “Defeat BJP” and, in the process, preparing the ground for speeding up the long-term task of overthrowing the ruling system and moving towards people’s democracy and socialism. This is the fitting tribute to the martyrs of Naxalbari in the horrific context of RSS fascism.
Revolutionary Tributes to Naxalbari Uprising !
Resist and Defeat RSS-BJP Fascism !!
Advance Towards People’s Democratic Revolution !!!
P J James
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
New Delhi
23.05.2024
