Suba. Manoharan
The Russian Revolution of 1917 is one of the most important turning points in world history. It overthrew a feudal, monarchical empire and created the world’s first socialist state. More than a century has passed since the revolution. Even so, in the global political, economic and social conditions of the 21st century today, the lessons of the Russian Revolution and their relevance remain alive.
“Those ten days that shook the world” have retained within themselves the power to shake the world again and again in the many, many years that followed. They remain a guide for creating a new world.
“Peace, Land and Bread”
These three simple slogans put forward by Lenin rallied the entire Russian people under the Red Army and carried the revolution through to victory. Even as the endless slaughter of war continued, the revolutionary Lenin stood in the forefront with still greater determination and devotion to principle, and led the revolution to victory.
The right-wing intellectuals who dismiss the Russian Revolution as having “failed” have no answer for the poverty, wars and climate-change disasters that remain as the hallmarks of modern capitalism. The world sees that 21st-century capitalism today is the brutal system described so clearly in the writings of Marx. For although there are sufficient resources to eradicate poverty and disease, what good have the power of technology, the creation of immense scientific discoveries and the growth of the medical field done for the people? At the centre of all these lies capitalism’s craving to maximise profit. Poverty has not been eradicated. The number of starvation deaths is rising. On the whole, the very concept of “capitalist democracy” stands shattered today.
In various countries of Europe, massive struggles are taking place against the rising cost of living, the deterioration of education, and the shortfalls in pension rights and public services, with lakhs of people taking part, led especially by the younger generation and students.
Across the world, and especially in the countries of Latin America, heroic struggles against subjugation to America, neo-colonialism and imperialism have been going on for many years. Those peoples have written a new history with their blood. The people’s determined struggles and sacrifices continue.
After the right-wing Trump took office as President for the second time, the brutality of American imperialism has grown even worse.
In America too, huge protests such as “Hands Off” and “No Kings” took place against Trump. Protests erupted against price rise and economic crises, immigration policies, the curtailment of democratic rights and the expansion of presidential power.
It is noteworthy that these protests were also held against America’s backing of Israel, its waging of war on Iran, and the human rights violations it is committing across the world. As a result, today we are able to see a major change in the American midterm elections.
In India too, the young generation, students, Communists and democratic movements are waging heroic struggles against the fascist RSS-BJP regime. The country saw the Cockroach Janata Party bring down Modi’s arrogance by forcing the removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Struggles are now continuing against the vote theft being carried out through the law called “SIR” — the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The young generation, standing unafraid of the Modi government’s repression, is striking fear into the fascist BJP.
Across the world, struggles for democracy and for justice take place in their hundreds every day. They show that the people have understood that capitalism has not delivered, and that it can be challenged ever. We are at a historic moment in which the Left can powerfully carry forward the message that the answer to capitalism, the alternative to capitalism, is socialism — is the Communist parties.
In short, the Russian Revolution is not merely a matter of past history. It places the failings of capitalism before the people. It has made people realise that capitalism cannot put an end to poverty, hunger, unemployment and wars. In its very early period, the Russian Revolution put into practice democratic rights that no capitalism has implemented to this day. The Soviet state granted equal rights to minority nationalities and to women. Voting rights for women, the right to divorce, and equality in employment were taken forward in Soviet Russia at the very initial stage. “In the land of the Soviets, every woman cooking in kitchen must be able to govern the state,” said Lenin. The Russian Revolution is historical proof of how important the participation of women and the right of self-determination of oppressed minorities are to the liberation of society as a whole.
Revolutions do not happen according to guidebooks.
What happened in Russia on a November night a century ago, or in the Chinese Red Revolution, will not happen in the same pattern in India, America, Europe or the countries of Latin America. But revolution will certainly take place according to the specific character of each country.
And the experiences of the world’s first socialist country are a vast treasure-house. Socialist and Communist parties across the world must learn clear lessons from revolutions, and from the rights and wrongs and the faltering of the socialist states that were formed after them.
On 7 November, the day of the Russian Revolution, let us hold the great genius Lenin in our hearts. Let us remember the sacrifices of the lakhs of Bolsheviks, workers, peasants, women and all oppressed people who gave their lives in the battle for socialism and dedicated their lives to the struggle to establish socialism. Let us pay them Red Salute.
With revolutionary greetings,
Comrade Suba. Manoharan
State Secretary, Tamil Nadu
CPI (ML) Red Star
