Especially after the russian revolution,a new elite is coming-that party elite crushed workers democracy and dissident for economic development.(The revolution in retreat,1920-24,the soviet workers and the new communist elite-simon pirani)state-party was trying for economic development-Like wise,the situation was happening in bengal ,a new political elite under the liberal democratic structure of india is aspiring for industrial expansion.this is a happening in a federal unit of india,bengal.An early soviet style economic development,but,this was not possible due to the democratic heritage of bengali society itself.The political democracy of bengal/india is so deepening what ever may be its limitations.
--- On Thu, 28/5/09, C.K. Vishwanath <[email protected]> wrote: > From: C.K. Vishwanath <[email protected]> > Subject: [GreenYouth] Re: Bengal perspective > To: [email protected] > Date: Thursday, 28 May, 2009, 3:36 PM > > > in bengal,after the operation barga, A neo-rich middle > class became has become the prominent local leaders of > the party(school teachers,other such petty property > holders)this is going to become counter productive now.This > element of the party has changed the interests of the party > in rural bengal. the previous years of left front govt in > Bengal was just like this -struggles +a semi-emergency > situation which crushed the organization base of the CPIM > itself.The formation of west bengal left front was really a > product of this anti-authoritarian movement.now,the picture > is totally changing. > kerala,after the land reforms,a new middle class has a > powerful grip on the party leadership.Big plantation > owners+these middle classes have a vested interest to > stick on status quo interests especially in the case of land > reforms. > this crisis is so deep. > > --- On Thu, 28/5/09, Abdul Rasheed <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > From: Abdul Rasheed <[email protected]> > > Subject: [GreenYouth] Bengal perspective > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Thursday, 28 May, 2009, 12:46 PM > > WHY FOOL > > YOURSELVES?/ Introspection may help the CPI(M) > recognize a > > harsh truth > > > > Fri, > > 2009-05-22 21:28 | Ashok > > Mitra > > > > > > The following article by Dr Ashok Mitra who > requires > > no introduction makes an indepth analysis of the Lok > Sabha > > elections. He draws some of the lessons which > accordingly > > should be drawn by the Left parties and particularly > the > > CPIM. It was originally published in The > Telegraph. > > Pragoti produces this for its readers. > > > > In a country where three-quarters of the population > > are poor by any criterion, and at least one-quarter > live > > below the level of subsistence, the Left cannot but > be > > acutely relevant. What is perhaps of equal relevance > is an > > adequate parliamentary presence on their behalf; > otherwise > > the victims of persistent deprivation may seek advice > and > > counsel from such armed bands as are roaming the > forests of > > Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The extremely poor > performance > > of the Left in the Lok Sabha polls — the number of > Left > > members of parliament has shrunk from 60 to less than > 25 — > > should in fact be a matter for concern. > > > > The heartland of India has of course always > > eluded the Left; its inability to cope with the > class-caste > > dichotomy is well known. The Left influence has > mostly > > remained confined to Kerala and West Bengal. In both > these > > states, they have fared badly in the just-concluded > > elections. In Kerala, the electorate is in the habit > of > > switching its loyalty from the Congress-led United > > Democratic Front to the Communist Party of India > > (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front from one election > to the > > next; the support for the two fronts is also so > tautly > > balanced that a marginal shift in the voting pattern > results > > in an inordinately big shift in the number of seats > won or > > lost. This has happened this time too: it is well on > the > > cards that, come the next election season, the Left > will > > recover lost ground. > > > > The circumstances are qualitatively > > different in West Bengal. On March 13 last, this > column had > > occasion to let drop the following comment: “The > prospect > > of the Left in the impending Lok Sabha polls seems > somewhat > > dicey, but not on account of the Congress and the > famous > > lady coming together. The determining factor is going > to be > > the degree of erosion of the CPI(M)’s mass base in > the > > course of the past two-and-a-half years, which might > amount > > to five per cent or more.” The poll outcome has > vindicated > > the prognosis. > > > > The Left debacle in the state has nothing > > to do with the coming together of the Congress and > the > > Trinamul Congress. In constituency after constituency, > the > > Left Front has lost simply because of a substantial > swing > > against it, often to the extent of more than five per > cent; > > in pockets where the issue of land acquisition had a > direct > > bearing on the life and living of the local populace, > the > > swing has been as much as 15 to 20 per cent. The > > parliamentary election was converted by general > consensus > > into a straightforward referendum on the Left Front > > administration’s performance in the state. The > verdict > > could not have been more clear-cut, with the > electorate > > expressing its deep lack of confidence in the state > > government. It is the same electorate which had, in > May > > 2006, reinstalled the front in power for the seventh > > successive time; the front had then captured 235 out > of a > > total of 294 seats in the state assembly. An > extraordinary > > reversal of fortune has come about in the course of a > bare > > three years. > > > > For supporters and devotees of the Left > > Front, to turn a Nelson’s eye to the reality of > things > > will be self-defeating. The disappointing poll > performance, > > a front spokesman has reportedly suggested, is a > by-product > > of the national wave in favour of the Congress. The > swing > > towards the Congress across the country is, however, > barely > > two per cent, the shift of votes against the Left > Front in > > West Bengal averages to around six per cent. > > > > Another explanation proffered for the > > front’s debacle actually runs along communal lines. > The > > poll reversal has occurred allegedly on account of > the > > minority community voting solidly against the Left. > This > > alibi, too, does not hold water. There is hardly any > > difference between the voting pattern in the > > Muslim-dominated constituencies in Murshidabad and > that in > > Bankura where the minority community has a low > presence. > > (Not that Muslims in the state do not have genuine > reasons > > to feel unhappy with the front government. Leave aside > the > > controversy over the Sachar committee report, the > home > > department of the state administration has been > > enthusiastically endorsing the Bharatiya Janata Party > line > > on supposed infiltration from Bangladesh and supposed > > goings-on in the madrasas.) > > > > It will not do to run away from the crux of > > the matter. The main poll issue in West Bengal was the > state > > government’s policy of capitalist industrial > growth; > > events in Singur and Nandigram were offshoots of that > > policy. Many sections, including staunch long-time > > supporters of the Left cause, had been shocked by the > > cynical nonchalance initially exhibited by the state > > government on police firing on women and children in > > Nandigram.. A series of other faux pas was committed > > in its wake, including the messy affair of the Tata > small > > car project. The electorate reached its conclusion on > the > > government’s putting all its eggs in the Nano > basket. Once > > the Tatas departed, the state administration was > dubbed not > > only insensitive, but incompetent as well. Questions > have > > continued to be raised one after another: was it > really > > necessary to take over fertile land at Singur, why > could not > > the Tatas be prevailed upon to choose an alternative > site, > > why did not the state government apply adequate > pressure on > > the United Progressive Alliance regime in New Delhi > — > > which was assumed to depend upon Left support for > survival > > — to pass the necessary legislation so that land > belonging > > to closed factories could be taken over to locate new > > industries? And why the state government was reluctant > to > > lobby earnestly in the national capital for adequate > > resources from centrally controlled public financial > > institutions to the state exchequer, which could have > > ensured industrial expansion in the public domain > itself — > > whether this reluctance was merely due to lack of > resources > > or because of a deeper ideological reason such as a > loss of > > faith in socialistic precepts and practices. > > > > A number of other unsavoury facts also need > > to be laid bare. A state government does not have too > much > > of funds or other spoils to distribute. But in a > milieu > > where feudal elements co-inhabit with the petit > > bourgeoisie, persons in a position to dispense only > > little favours can also attract fair-weather friends > and > > gather sycophants around them. Concentric circles of > > favour-rendering develop fast. Merit necessarily takes > a > > backseat in official decisions. Corruption, never mind > how > > small-scale, creeps in. Nepotism, sprouting at the > top, > > gradually infects descending rungs of administration, > > including the panchayats. Much of all this has taken > > place of late within the precincts of the Left regime. > The > > net effect is a steep decline in the quality of > governance. > > The fall in efficiency is illustrated by the inept > handling > > of programmes like the rural employment guarantee > scheme. To > > make things worse, all this has been accompanied by a > kind > > of hauteur which goes ill with radical > > commitment. > > > > Those organizing protests and agitations > > against the Left Front regime — and who have > succeeded in > > bringing state administration to a virtual standstill > — > > are of course no lily-white species. They include a > fair > > proportion of crooks, knaves and opportunists. But > the > > voters did not sit in judgment on them. they voted > against > > the Left Front; whom they voted for was of secondary > > concern. > > > > The CPI(M) still has, in the state, within > > its fold, thousands of sincere, selfless and > dedicated > > workers and followers. A large number of them are > unhappy at > > the way the state administration conducted itself in > recent > > years, but the lopsided discipline of democratic > centralism > > has kept them silent. Suggestions from outside — > even from > > friendly sources — are generally not welcome in the > party. > > An organizational structure of this nature does not > allow > > scope for continuous appraisal and re-appraisal of > policies > > and programmes; those within the set-up are > apparently > > satisfied taking each other’s washing. On the other > hand, > > if the status quo continues, the consequences of > > the doings of the government the party controls in > West > > Bengal will have to be borne by radical-minded > millions > > strewn across the nation. > > > > There is a school of thought that the Left > > Front regime should redo its arithmetic, correct some > of the > > mistakes it had committed and use the two years before > the > > scheduled assembly poll to stage a recovery. However, > in the > > absence of a tranquil atmosphere, none of this will > be > > achievable; the formidable lady will not grant the > front > > that tranquillity. Her minions can be expected to be > > permanently on the streets till the Left regime is > reduced > > to a totally helpless and bewildered state. It will > then > > stand even more discredited than what it is today. > > > > Does it not make more sense for the front > > ministry to remit office immediately, seeking > forgiveness > > from the people for the hurt it has caused to their > hopes > > and sentiments? Some of the front’s disaffected > flock are > > likely to return to the fold following such a gesture. > The > > lady too will have nothing to rail against any more. > Should > > she, through New Delhi’s dispensation, attain her > ambition > > to rule the state, the people would be provided an > > opportunity to assess objectively persons, parties > and > > programmes. > > > > Withdrawal from office will assist the > > CPI(M) to attempt a new beginning in the state. It > will also > > help it to shed some of the dross it has accumulated > in > > recent times as well as some of the superciliousness > > creeping in at the top. A season of introspection > could also > > persuade the party’s state leadership to take > cognizance > > of a harsh truth: acknowledge that the slogan of > development > > is no substitute for ideology; it only spawns an > attitude of > > mind which places self-seeking on a pedestal and acts > as > > breeding ground for an apolitical generation which > either > > does not care to vote or decides that if capitalist > growth > > is what is aimed at, it is more appropriate to vote > for an > > unabashed capitalist party than for a confused Left. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Bollywood news, movie reviews, film > trailers and more! Go to http://in.movies.yahoo.com/ > > > > > Bollywood news, movie reviews, film trailers and more! Go to http://in.movies.yahoo.com/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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