---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: damodar prasad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Jun 16, 2008 11:31 AM Subject: Re: [GreenYouth] Re: POLITICAL EXECUTIVE & LEGAL REMEDIE To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
As the saying goes: Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.... the lament Mr. Ahmed rafeek indiactes is in the mind of Mr. Ahmed Rafeek (lamenter) . As I stated in a previous resposnse mail, my point was to understand the crisis in governance as the cpim stoops into neo-liberalism. Its a probelm of transition. The issue CK Vishwanath highlights referring to Prabhath Patnaik is another angle. I read that article. Now a translation of the same is publsihed in EPW. (by the way, all such (meaning CPIM related) epw articles are regluarly translated and publsihed in Samkallen malayalam. Y dont they translate other "smakaleena" aricles taht appera in epw and many other journals). Within CPIM, there are sveral sterams at work which is trying to 'comprehend" teh transisition. Prabath Patnaik represents one such stream. But a stream (when I say stream, I am overstating. It is actually not stream, but a few individuals) who can conceptauly and intellectually enagage with the changes. But this only exacerbate the crisis. Which is delighting!!! damodar On 6/15/08, ahmed rafeek j <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > hi > no wonder the mail titled 'political executive & legal remedies' > evoked the fate and future of the traditional communits parties. > simply bcause the initial mail from prasad lacked any attempt of > probing the nostalgic communist party politics in kerala. it > underscored the right time of ems namboodiripad's memorial day to > celebrate the much celebrated communist party version of land reform > in kerala, which was widely discussed and criticized in the context of > Chengara struggle; what it did to dalits and indigenous people. > it seemed to be lamenting tribute to the 'golden' past of kerala > communist politics. as dileep said it was having an undercurrent of > enthroning the communist party as the party for the whole > people.management issues in governance and conflict with legislative > can surely be discussed, but i didnt understand the lamenting > reminiscence of golden old days of communist party with special > reference to ems. > regards, > ahmed rafeek J > > On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 3:29 PM, C.K. Vishwanath > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- On Sun, 6/15/08, C.K. Vishwanath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > >> From: C.K. Vishwanath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Subject: [GreenYouth] Re: POLITICAL EXECUTIVE & LEGAL REMEDIES > >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> Cc: [email protected] > >> Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008, 4:31 PM > >> The parliamentary path of the indian communists had > >> theorised Com.Ems in 1957,"we will do better than the > >> congress".The indian liberal democratic experiments > >> of indian communists have not been theorised yet.Now,the > >> west bengal bengal chief minister and p.b.member com.B.B > >> saying about the new governance agenda of the > >> party.Kerala,bengal and tripura has to go with this new > >> governance agenda. > >> prabat patnaik is also writing about party and > >> government(Party and communists).he writes about the > >> post-comintern politics and also the long term rule of > >> capitalism.What is the role party during this period?when > >> is the revolutionary period etc.How is to connect the short > >> term refrom measures with long term objective.that is > >> socialism. > >> But,they are still saying about indian state as a > >> bourgeoise-landlord class.They have not explained that how > >> do this tpye of bourgeoise-landlord unity happen? > >> This is not a particular problem of indian communists.this > >> had happened in euorpe earlier.the nepal experiment is > >> coming.opposition,collaboration and instituionalisation---many of the > political analysts are writng about the politics of indian parliamentary > communists.Indian democracy's new experiments are oftten clashes with the > cps new paths. > >> > >> > >> > >> --- On Sat, 6/14/08, damodar prasad > >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> > From: damodar prasad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> > Subject: [GreenYouth] POLITICAL EXECUTIVE & LEGAL > >> REMEDIES > >> > To: "Green Youth Movement" > >> <[email protected]> > >> > Date: Saturday, June 14, 2008, 11:40 PM > >> > *Political executive and the legal remedies* > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Generally when the Left is in power it is > >> characterized by > >> > political > >> > decision making guided a political and ideological > >> > programme, which has > >> > resonance beyond the State. It is an accepted > >> principle > >> > while the undivided > >> > CPI was in power and also after the LDF was > >> constituted and > >> > came to power. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > The political mandate of the party is transferred to > >> > governance and > >> > implemented there after. The political mandate is > >> clearly > >> > founded on the > >> > party programme and the organizations larger > >> objectives. > >> > This has clearly > >> > distinguished the Left from the Congress led UDF rule. > >> > Congress rule is not > >> > dependent on any particular policy framework. The rule > >> much > >> > depends on the > >> > agenda set up by the regional bourgeois (in places > >> like > >> > Kerala) and at the > >> > national level by business groups and conglomerates. > >> For > >> > example, opening of > >> > educational sector, to avail ADB loan and to implement > >> > governance reforms by > >> > the UDF emerged not as part of well-thought out plan. > >> As > >> > UDF leaders > >> > themselves have remarked, they were only measures to > >> move > >> > with the time and > >> > align itself with the national Congress organization. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > The landmark "Land Reforms" enactment by the > >> CPI > >> > government as every body > >> > knows was part of political mandate arrived by the > >> > Communist Party even > >> > before it came to power. In last decade, when LDF > >> could > >> > rule with a majority > >> > confidence, the literacy programme to people's > >> plan > >> > campaign was also part > >> > of political mandate arrived within the Left > >> constituents. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > However, the key point is that the present LDF rule > >> has > >> > grossly violated > >> > this original Left principle and each day of the LDF > >> in > >> > governance > >> > demonstrates what can be termed as *"retreat of > >> the > >> > political".* Put in > >> > strong terms, the present LDF government accentuates > >> the > >> > *'defeat of the > >> > political".* *"Legal-judicial"* is > >> > succinctly occupying *this space > >> > long-left by the "political"*. > >> *Diminutiveness > >> > of the political in front of > >> > the judicial is something to be worried. * > >> > > >> > * * > >> > > >> > When the Land reforms Bill was challenged in the > >> court, the > >> > party and its > >> > constituents were equivocal in fighting for the > >> > implementation of the bill > >> > and went to the people to galvanize support. Generally > >> > speaking, the > >> > 'political", which is based on the > >> ideological > >> > programme was more important > >> > and anything outside this realm was > >> > "extra-political". The terming of > >> > judiciary as 'bourgeois court", by EMS which > >> led > >> > to the contempt of court > >> > may be recalled. This significantly points to the > >> > party's and its > >> > constituents particular grounding and belief in the > >> > "political-ideological > >> > and the popular". > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Now come to 2006 LDF government. Even not accepted by > >> the > >> > Party, the LDF > >> > record victory owes much to VS campaigns. Apart from > >> this, > >> > there was no > >> > clear political objective and programme at the time of > >> > electioneering and > >> > assumption of power. VS Achuthanadan was long-fighting > >> the > >> > image of > >> > anti-developmentalist accorded to him by the UDF > >> leadership > >> > and silently > >> > endorsed by the CPIM leadership as well. Since > >> assuming > >> > power, Kerala has > >> > witnessed the worst of all political situations, which > >> is > >> > the affirmation of > >> > 'legal discourse' over the political. The > >> > faction-ridden party and the > >> > dominant factions within the party and constituents > >> within > >> > the LDF all put > >> > more faith in judiciary, which is unprecedented > >> considering > >> > the genealogy of > >> > Left rule not only in Kerala but WB as well. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Consider the ADB issue, the party could not find a > >> > resolution and the > >> > internal bickering reached a zenith and the government > >> led > >> > by the CPI-M went > >> > for a legal resolution. A PIL was filed in the high > >> court > >> > buy an > >> > organization whose members were expelled from party > >> ranks. > >> > The petition > >> > filed was on terms and conditions of the ADB loan and > >> > whether the State > >> > government can go for it. The government waited for a > >> > result. We need not > >> > recall the drama of that period. When the case was > >> pending > >> > in the court, the > >> > 'debate' within the party on availing of ADB > >> loan > >> > continued. Also it should > >> > be seen that CPIM general secretary Prakash Karat > >> briefed > >> > the media on ADB > >> > issue as only a governance issue highlighting the > >> > procedural lapses like > >> > whether it has to go through CM' office etc. The > >> real > >> > political issue was > >> > relegated to the back ground. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > On SNC Lavalin issue, the CM openly said in a press > >> > briefing said he has a > >> > different view but the cabinet decision was to entrust > >> the > >> > investigation > >> > with the State vigilance. Again the Court entered the > >> > scene. The final > >> > resolution, which did upset the then official > >> leadership, > >> > was to handover > >> > the case to CBI. The sheer lack of political > >> > 'consensus' within the party > >> > again led the judiciary to overwhelm over the > >> > 'confusions' of the political > >> > executive. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Come Munnar, an operation started as a spectacle (Pls > >> do > >> > read CS > >> > Venkitsewaran's write-up "justice as > >> > spectacle") and which received massive > >> > support really startled the judiciary. The media > >> mission > >> > that started > >> > slightly earlier than the Munnar mission described > >> about a > >> > sea-change in > >> > political determination of the VS led government. In > >> the > >> > first phase, the > >> > court refused to give stay orders on eviction and > >> > subsequent demolition of > >> > illegal constructions. After this phase the debates > >> bended > >> > to the legal > >> > angle relating to property rights. A political > >> discourse > >> > and an act, which > >> > also resonated the ecological concerns moved to the > >> realm > >> > of judiciary. The > >> > rest has become a distant past. Now it is absolutely > >> in the > >> > domain of > >> > juridicio-legal establishment. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Same also happened in the case of Kochi Cyber City. > >> The > >> > very recent issue > >> > unraveling before us of a predictable outcome is the > >> > "Golf Club". Ministers > >> > revel in legal wrangling. As I see TV news, CPI > >> minister > >> > says, it's a > >> > dispute between two secretaries. After this there is > >> > breaking news showing > >> > CPI state secretary criticizing the office of AG. Yet > >> again > >> > the judicial > >> > resolution becomes the way ahead instead of political > >> > solutions. Have the > >> > Left forgot about its own political mandate. I am not > >> sure. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > But what I am sure about is the Left in governance > >> during > >> > neo-liberal times > >> > is in a quandary. They have no clear guidelines. > >> Different > >> > kinds of > >> > approaches loom large in the party. (Ranges of opinion > >> and > >> > differences are > >> > actually good. But they are not small time political > >> > agendas. It has to be > >> > guided by a vision). Except one or two persons, the > >> party > >> > leadership has > >> > miserably failed to intellectually understand and > >> engage > >> > with the times. ( > >> > The trade union though outdated in many respects has > >> still > >> > a leadership > >> > which tries to understand in Marxist terms what is > >> > happening in the country > >> > and also globally, but it has been sidelined for long > >> by > >> > the two dominant > >> > factions) Though some ministers strongly attack the > >> > bureaucracy and civil > >> > service in general, unlike the past Left rule, the > >> > governmental executive > >> > has taken the Left ministers under its giant wings. > >> They > >> > find their little > >> > shelter under it. When the political excutive fails to > >> > envision and > >> > implement, in the present consitutional structure, > >> > judiciary comes to the > >> > centre stage as the great 'arbitrator' and > >> > 'dispute settler'. > >> > > >> > The retreat of the political of the "actually > >> existing > >> > left" is something we > >> > need not mourn. It is the price the mainstream Left is > >> > paying for hobnobbing > >> > with the capital interests in the name of development. > >> > > >> > > >> > Now come to defenders of the party who predominantly > >> are > >> > literary critics > >> > and film reviewers. They presume by admonishing any > >> > criticism of the party > >> > and its governance measures, they are defending and > >> saving > >> > the party. But > >> > failing to listen and engage with criticism, they have > >> made > >> > it a torpid > >> > structure. They have created'paranoia' like > >> > situation and any criticism is > >> > dealt with 'heavy-handedness' particular as > >> they > >> > the left is in power. This > >> > persecution mania created and transferred to the > >> structure > >> > itself become an > >> > issue which in long-view is detrimental electorally > >> and > >> > organizationally to > >> > the Left. In effect this set back of the political has > >> > lumpenized the > >> > mainstream Left completely. Thanks to the party > >> appointed > >> > as well as > >> > self-styled defenders. > >> > > >> > damodar prasad > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
