Good evening David. And Chris - to whom I also give thanks for the article.
David - I agree it is a very interesting article/interview. It leads me to wonder how far in reality the CPI(ML) Liberation have swung in response to their own prior history - toward a possible over-emphasis on "democracy"? I would need to confer with some cmdes in India on a much more detailed look/refutation/confirmation at this (which I will indeed do, but that may take some time). But I think on the evidence of the interview it is feasible that this has happened. What do I mean about "in response to their own prior history"? That was the policy adopted by the then united CPI(ML) under Charu Mazumdar, of individual assassination of landlords/police/compradors and "surround the cities from the countryside". i.e. A classic (and stupid, not to say anti-MList) Maoist inspired and supported by the then CP line. So when they were - quite predictably - physically annihilated themselves, the remaining cadre of the CPI(ML) underwent a huge crisis and split into many fragments. A good succinct history of those splits - as far as I am aware - still needs to be written. But a very inspiring and quite moving account of the on-the-ground movement of the Liberation CPIML grouping, was written ny Arundhati Roy - under the title of 'A walk with the comrades' (or something like that. I am not physically near my India books for a while). Undoubtedly, these cmdes did indeed become very closely involved in the tribal and scheduled castes and their struggles. Just as the interviewee - Clifton D’Rozario - says. My concerns about their stand in this interview are not that they engage in United Front activity as the INDIA coalition was/ and i think still is (although I am unsure what is happening on the ground now). I believe the key for a communist approach to a UF includes joining in principled unity for short term gins/goals that are clearly articulated. That would here mean an anti-Modi platform and support of Muslim anti BJP and anti-Hindu fascist chauvinism. This the CPI(ML)Liberation have clearly done. The other side of the coin is an open and clear denunciation/critique of capitalists structures/platforms and the parties of capitalists - including the partners that you enter into short term agreements with. I do not believe from the account in this interview, that the cmdes in the CPI(ML) Liberation have done that. This was the critical, and I would say revisionist step in the "Popular Fronts" engaged in by the CP France under the support of what I would argue was a revisionist controlled Comintern. The internal interview evidence of this alleged (by myself) over-tilt towards 'democracy of the CPI (ML) Liberation 1. "If you look at the regime over the past 10 years that they have been in power, what they have been trying all along is to alter the basic nature of the Indian state and the Indian social fabric. From that point of view, democracy has, without a doubt, received a “shot-in-the-arm” in these elections." Comment. Is this not an over-estimation? Is it not a parroting of what the bourgeois newspapers etc froth and say about the alleged "largest democracy" in the world? It could have been better put as a limit having been placed on the aggressions of Modi. Undoubtedly this was achieved by a mass movement in which the CPI(ML)_L was involved. But to gild the Indian 'democratic' lily with such words is not correct, in my view. 2. "As of 2020, there were more than 6000 “under-trial” prisoners [awaiting trial] under UAPA in various jails in India... This is possibly the largest peacetime population of under-trial prisoners accused under anti-terror laws anywhere in the country. The question of political prisoners in India is one of the most crucial questions for democracy." Comment. All too correct. But what of the trends toward exactly this situation that had started with Congress.. No doubt a sensitive matter since it involved the coalition partners. But this is hardly a principled approach to the matter for a MList party to adopt in my view. 3. "When we talk about fascism in India we talk about crony capitalism coupled with anti-Muslim rhetoric and a strong caste politics underpinning it." Comment. But this is quite vague - is it not? i) What is 'crony capitalism"? All capitalists are cronies, what are the specific features of this for the Adanis etc? ii) Elsewhere Clifton in the interview talks of the 'remnants of feudalism'. What does he mean by this? How do they relate to the capitalist state, and how does this interact with the revolutionary tasks today? 4. "It is easy to decry parliamentary democracy for whatever reasons, but I think that kind of phrase-mongering will not get us anywhere today. Comment. Of course this is correct. But what are the limits of that democracy and when does it become inoperative for the revolutionary party in a United Front? I at least would like to see that articulated on the Indian stage, from those calling themselves MLists. 5. "The fact is that there is this parliament and we have seen how parliamentary democracy can be utilised to bulldoze through the kind of policies and laws that this ultranationalist party wants to implement. To that extent, at least in parliament there will be some pushback, which is essential. Not at the cost of the struggle on the streets." Comment. This represents an inkling that Clifton recognises all this above. Why not say it much more plainly? If it is " a 'fear' of upsetting the UF apple-cart" - that doe snot bode well for the functioning of the UFront. Just my thoughts David. I am somewhat in the middle of a fairly long piece on the current Indian stage of revolution. It had to go first the channels of that old hoary subject on the Marxist topic of 'was there ever an oriental despotism in India'? I have basically finished that. And I am nearing publication of that. Then comes this business about 'feudal remnants" and up to today. Be well, H -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#31040): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/31040 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/107064390/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
