Volume 48 No.

2 Organ of the SOCIALIST UNITY CENTRE OF INDIA (COMMUNIST)

September 1, 2014 Founder Editor-in-Chief : COMRADE SHIBDAS GHOSH Price : Rs. 4.00
Contd. on page 2
Comrade Provash Ghosh at the 38th memorial meeting of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
BJP-RSS want to destroy the glorious tradition
of Indian renaissance and freedom movement
SUCI(C) strongly condemns Mohan
Bhagawats observation about Hindu
nation and Hindutva and calls upon
people to isolate these fascist forces
Comrade Provash Ghosh, General Secretary, SUCI(C) issued the
following statement on 20 August, 2014 :
We strongly condemn the most atrocious statement by Mohan
Bhagwat, the RSS chief,that Hindustan is aHindu nation andHindutva
is the identity of our nation. This is amotivated observation to subvert
truth and fan communal divide in the country. Neither any renaissance
stalwart nor any of the leaders of our freedommovement everspoke of
Hindu nationalism. What they all fought for andadvocated was Indian
nationalismofallIndiansirrespectiveofreligion,caste,creed,orethnicity.
Constitution declares India to be a secular democratic state and hence
claimingIndiatobeofaparticularreligiouscommunityisakintobranding
India as a theocratic state and hence a naked violation of the
Constitution. Hindu nationalism what the RSS has been propagating all
through is to fuel Hindu national jingoism which is absolutely
contradictory to genuine patriotism. The remarks of Mohan Bhagwat
smack of the Nazi philosophy which boasted of Aryan blood of the
Germans and spewed hatred against other ethnic groups like the Jews.
So, what Bhagwathas beenespousing is nothing but fascist ideology.
We call upon all right-thinking people to reject such pernicious
reactionary viewsof the vestedinterest,firmly upholdseculardemocratic
principles asthe basisof unity of the toiling Indians and isolatethe arch
communal elements propagating flawed theories to buttress their ulterior
agenda.
On 5th of August,we reminisce
theuniquerevolutionarylifestruggle
of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh,
Founder General Secretary of our
Party, the SUCI(C), our leader and
teacher and one of the foremost
Marxist thinkers of the era.We also
recall his invaluable teachings,
appraise and analyze the obtaining
political situation by applying the
methodology he has handed down to
us in the process of enriching and
developing Marxism-Leninism and
elevating its understanding to a new
height while concretizing it on this
soil. Based on that analysis, we
decideour course of action. This is
how we transform our profound
grief into revolutionary strength and
carry out our future activities.
Various comrades and sympathizers
have submitted to me a good
number of questions for being
discussed in this meeting. Touching
upon all the questions may not be
possible. Yet,I shall try to cover as
many as of them possible and
concentrate on the important ones.
TopicsI shall mainly try to focus on
are, what is our approach towards
election,what is the outcomeof the
election results, the BJPs coming
back to power, danger of fascism,
defeat of the CPI (M) in the state,
problems of left movement andhow
can we develop class and mass
struggles in the days to come. There
is a possibility of rain. The subject
matterof discussionissovast thatit
wouldtake sometime. And I would
liketoreadouttoyousomerelevant
portionsfromtheworksofComrade
Shibdas Ghosh and others.
Our approach towards election
Atthe outset,Iwouldlike tosay
that as aParty guided by Marxism-
Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought,
our approach towards election is
completely different from those of
the other parties. Great Lenin had
said long back that bourgeois
(This is the speech delivered in Bengali by Comrade Provash Ghosh,
General Secretary, SUCI(C), at the 38th Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
Memorial meeting in Kolkata on 5th August, 2014. Responsibility of
translation error or inadequate expression, if any, lies with the
Editorial Board of Proletarian Era)
parliamentary election is held to
decide which party,on behalf of the
bourgeoisie,willruleandoppressthe
peopleatdefiniteintervalsoftime.In
spiteofthat,ComradeLeninsaidthat
solongaspeoplehaveillusionabout
parliament, so long as they do not
understand the futility of parliament
and are not imbued with
revolutionary consciousness, the
revolutionarieshaveto participatein
theelectionswithaviewtoexposing
theclasscharacterofthebourgeoisie
in parliament. Lenin himself had to
take part in the elections inthe pre-
revolution phase. Our great Leader
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh had said
that we the revolutionaries
sometimesparticipateintheelections
having no other alternative. Please
note that he had said that we take
part in the elections having no other
alternative meaning under
compulsion. The main task of the
revolutionary party is to develop the
working class struggles, organize
mass movements, inspire, educate
and organize the masses based on
revolutionaryconsciousness.Despite
that, when theelectionis held, being
compelled we participate in it.
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh taught us
that when we participate in the
election, our main objective is to
instill revolutionary consciousness
among the masses, expose the other
bourgeois parties and organize the
masses. If we can win seats based
onthat,wellandgood.Evenifwedo
not win seats, still we fight in the
electionwiththeaforesaidobjective.
Like other bourgeois or social
democraticparties,ouraim is not to
win seats by any means. This was
what Comrade Shibdas Ghosh had
said. He also drew our attention
towards anotheraspect whichis very
pertinent in todays context to
understand the nature of elections in
ourcountry.Iwouldliketoreaditout
before you. In 1969 he said:
Electionisabourgeoispolitics.Ifthe
like straw.
2
These words are
immenselyimportantnotonlyforour
country but for all the capitalist
countries inthe world.
Unorganized masses get carried
away by bourgeois propaganda
as helpless lot
From 1952 onwards, in all the
elections that have taken place in
India, the bourgeois class has
selected parties of its choice and
then put some of them in power
while keeping others in opposition.
For that, the bourgeoisie spends
enormous sum and through media
when Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
made the observation quoted above,
therewas only print media but now
TV has appeared as a powerful
mediabrings the party of its
choice to theforefront. Thereis no
cult of revolutionary politics among
the masses, among the vast sections
of the working class,poor peasants
masses do not have
revolutionary consciousness,
if the working class has no
class organization and is not
inclassstruggle,ifthereisno
mass movement and the
people are not united based
on political consciousness,
the industrialists, the big
business and the
reactionaries create a wave
by spending hugemoney and
using the media, in which
people are just carried away
Comrade Provash Ghosh
PAGE TWO SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Contd. from page 1
Contd. on page 3
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Even if CPI (M) had won the elections,
leftism would not have been strengthened
and other sections of the toiling
people. So they do not understand
which party represents which class
interest. In absence of proper
politicalunderstanding,thepeopleat
large are not organized based on
revolutionary consciousness; they
remain disunited. In such
circumstances, they are swayed by
the bourgeois propaganda as
helpless lot. This has been the
common featureof all the elections
held so far. Same has happened in
the last election as well. The
Congress was in power during the
last ten years with the blessings of
thebourgeoisclass.Butthistimethe
bourgeoisie,the monopolistsandthe
corporatesector understood that the
Congress incourse of serving them
hadbecome so unpopular that it had
lost all its credibility before the
masses. Secondly, the Congress was
running a coalition government.
Though the Congress worked in the
interest of the bourgeois class, it
could not implement the various
schemes of so called reforms,
liberalization and globalization
ruthlessly, as desired by the
corporates, because of the
obstruction by the coalition partner
regionalparties. Inthis backdrop,the
bourgeois class brought the BJP and
Narendra Modi to the fore as the
saviourofthecountry andbuildup
publicity in aglamorous way during
the election.And you all know what
has been the result of the election.
Before the election, the BJP said
that it would bring happy days.
What kind of happy days it has
begotten is being witnessed by you.
The BJP said on the eve of the
election that it would usher in
achhe din. Now, after being
saddled in power,the BJP is saying
that it would make people swallow
bitter pills for some time for
improving their health. One after
another bitter pill is being
administered making peoples life
bitterer. On the other hand, the
bourgeoisie, the domestic and
foreign capitalists are exultant that
they would be able to recover with
interesteven to the lastfarthing the
billions of rupeesthey have spent to
bring the BJP to power. Besides
this, I shall say laterabout the grave
danger posed by the RSS-BJP.
Source of strength of CPI (M)
was governmental power, not
leftism
I want to discuss another point
which is agitating the mind of the
people particularly the left-minded
people. There is a concern in their
mind on this question. There is an
apprehension aboutthe futureof left
movement mainly centring on the
electoral defeat of the CPI (M). At
first, I wouldlike to say that leftism
and Marxism are not one and the
same. Those who are real Marxists
build up a genuine proletarian
revolutionary party based on correct
realizationofMarxismandfollowing
correct Marxist methodology. Thus,
a revolutionary party is formed by
deducing the correct base political
line of proletarian revolution and
adopting true revolutionary culture.
Our Party, the SUCI(C), has been
formed in the like manner. We are
leftists. But all leftists are not
Marxists. During the days of
freedom movement, leftism was
equated with revolutionism.At that
time,therewasof coursenogenuine
revolutionary Marxist party in this
country. The Gandhites, the
compromisers who were opposed to
revolution were known as the
rightists. On the other hand, those
who were in favour of armed
revolution the line represented by
Subhaschandra Bosewere called
leftists. Today, those who are not
genuine Marxists but claim to be
Marxists, those who have no
realization of Marxism, are not
aware of the correct path of
revolution but express urge for
revolution, the parties who claim to
befightingfortheworkingclassall
are partners of leftist movements.
Those who build up their parties
accordingly are also leftists. From
this perspective, we had viewed
undivided CPI and laterthe CPI (M)
as leftists.
Iwanttoemphasizeononepoint
here. Many people think, even
express that leftism has been
weakened following successive poll
debacles of the CPI (M). I say,
assume that the CPI (M) is still in
power in West Bengal.Assume that
ithaswontheelectionsthistimealso
by huge margin. Had leftism been
strengthened inthat event also? The
CPI (M) had been in power for 34
longyears.Then,weareto conclude
the leftism was immensely powerful
duringthese34years.Then whydid
thepartyvirtuallycollapseafterbeing
ousted from thegovernment? What
was then thesource of its strength?
Was its strength based on a leftist
ideology, leftist struggle, leftist
principles and leftist culture? Or
source of its strength was
governmental power, backing of the
police-administration,backing of the
criminal brigade becauseof beingin
the government and the blessings of
the promoters-contractors-business-
men-capitalists?Isittrueleftism?So,
itsbrandofleftismwasdependenton
governmental power. Its leftism is
powerful when it is in the
government. Onceremoved fromthe
government, its leftism is
dispossessed of all the strength. It
canneverbe thetrueleftism. This is
what I want to say at the outset.
Once leftism did exist in West
Bengal. During the freedom
movement, leftism existed centring
on the leadership of Subhaschandra
Bose. I want to remind you that in
undivided India, undivided Bengal
was thenerve centre of renaissance.
On the one hand, a cultural milieu
was created centringon Vidyasagar,
Saratchandra, Rabindranath, Nazrul.
On the other hand, in the political
field, revolutionism developed
centring on Subhaschandra,
Kshudiram,BaghaJatin,Pritilataand
such others. To the leftist mentality
so born was added the fervour of
Sovietrevolution,Chineserevolution
andthecurrentofcommunismwhich
was created following defeat of
fascistic military power at the hands
of great Stalin leadership in the
second worldwar. All these worked
behindthestrengththattheundivided
CPI mustered in those days. Those
who are young do not know that the
CPI (M) was then within the
undivided CPI. It never dreamt that
itwouldbeable toformgovernment
someday.In thefirst general election
in1952,itwasundividedCPIandnot
the Congress which bagged most of
the parliamentand assembly seats in
Kolkata city. Kolkata used to be
called the red city. The educated
people of West Bengal, the teachers-
doct ors-l awyers-students-yout hs
used to vote for the leftists. The
Congress used to get votes in the
rural belts. There was tremendous
emotion for leftism among the
educated section. Thereafter, there
was movement against one paisa
increase in the tram fare in 1953,
teachers movement in 1954,
movement against proposed merger
ofBengalandBiharin1956,thefood
movements of 1959 and 1966the
entireperiodconstitutedtheglorious
period of leftist movement. Our
Party was much smaller then
compared to what it is today. We
were also inthese movements with
ourrevolutionaryline.UndividedCPI
was there with its reformist line. It
was the period of militant left
movement. As people used to bow
their head inrespect for the freedom
fighters, though not exactly so, yet
peoplealsohad profoundrespect for
the leftists, had faith in them,
considered them ashonest, believed
that they were not averse to face
police atrocities, receive bullets on
their chestand goto jail. Redflag is
the flag of the poor. Such was the
mindset of the people.
In 1964, the CPI (M) was
formed by a split in the undivided
CPI. In the assembly elections of
1967, the CPI (M) and CPI
constituted two separate fronts. Our
party, CPI (M) and others were in
one front while the CPI, Bangla
Congress and a few other parties
were in another front. In spite of
division of votes, the two fronts
combined defeated the Congress.
The first United Front government
was formed. Another United Front
government was formed in 1969.
Despite the first United Front being
dislodged by the central government,
the second United Frontgovernment
was constituted based on the
strength of massive movement. We
were in both these governments.
Though the CPI (M) was not like
whatitistoday,yet,Iwanttoremind
you, we had then basic ideological
differenceand difference of outlook
withtheCPI(M)onthequestionsof
basic politics and political conduct.
Ifthereisanyfriendbelongingtothe
CPI (M) here inthis meeting, please
examinethispoint.Wethensaid that
we would form the government
alright but what shouldwe do being
in the government? Should we run
the government just like any other
bourgeois party? Shouldwework in
the class interest of the capitalists,
suppress the working class
movement,allowpolicetoindulgein
baton charge andfiring in the name
of maintaining lawand order? Lenin
didnotfacesuchsituation.Sohedid
not provide any guideline asto how
the communists and leftists would
run a government in a bourgeois
system.That guidelinewas provided
by Comrade Shibdas Ghosh. So,
underhis guidance,wehad said that
the United Front government would
spend whatever little resources it
had for the benefit of the poor
people, provide corruption-free
governance, not allow any kind of
malpractices in the police-
administration and firmly deal with
any corrupt act on the part of
anyone. On the other hand,it would
encourage the movements of the
workers and peasants; not allow the
police to suppress those movements
by force. So, there should be no
interference of police in legitimate
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE THREE
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Trinamool Congress is doing exactly what CPI (M) had done
Contd. from page 2
democratic movement. This would
be the correct leftist outlook.
CPI(M), CPI, RSP, Forward Bloc
and Bangla Congress were not
ready to accept that. We said that in
that event, we would not be in the
government.Then, they were forced
to accept. Because, the CPI (M)
was then not like what it is today.It
had many honest leaders and
cadres. Had it been exposed in the
press that the party was not
agreeing to our proposal, their
leaders wouldhave been in trouble.
Though they agreed to abideby our
proposalinwriting,they neverput it
in practice. As the labour ministry
was given to us during the first
United Front government, there was
aspurtinthe workersand peasants
movements. So, under the pressure
of the Tatas and Birlas, the labour
department was taken away from us
in the second United Front
government. In 1977, Jyoti Basu
mentioned in his radio speech that
there would no more be any
movement or unrest inWest Bengal
because SUCI(C) was not with
them. Thus he assured the
capitalists.It wasfor thisreasonthat
the CPI (M) broke unity with us
well in advance. Thereafter, the
government the CPI (M) ran from
1977 was no different from any
other bourgeois government. It
charged batons and fired bullets on
the workers and peasants. In the
nameofmaintainingindustrialpeace,
it virtually banishedstrikes fromthe
industries. The CPI (M) leaders
throughtheirtradeunionwingtaught
how tocompromise withtheowners
andsurrendertothecapitalists inthe
name of class struggle. They have
perpetrated carnage and mass-rape
inSingur and Nandigram. They have
fostered worst opportunism in the
rural areas through the panchayats
and ruined peasants movements.
Thus, they have during the 34 long
years destroyed mass movements
andclass struggles,sullied leftism.
CPI (M) and not the rightists
have ruined leftism
On the other hand, therewas no
cultofleftistpolitics,leftistideology,
let alone Marxism, in their party.
There was only slogan of leftism.
Andyouknowwhat thekindoftheir
rule was. Everywhere, they have
used police for petty-party interest,
built up a huge criminal force. The
leaders and ministers of the party
were engaged in realty promoting
and contractor business. Benoy
Chowdhury, a veteran honest CPI
(M) leader and minister became so
enraged as to call the CPI (M) rule
a rule of the promoters and
contractors. Jyoti Basu told him to
resign then. He was not allowed to
contest the election after that.
During the entire period of the
CPI(M) rule, its workers
everywhere were involved in realty
business and contractor jobs. The
CPI (M) leaders issued fiat that
unless one voted for the CPI (M),
one would not beallowed to stay in
the locality, to take part in
cultivation. The CPI (M) had
orchestrated attacks any time
anywhere, even killed people. 161
leaders and workers of our Party
have been murdered by the CPI
(M) for organizing movement.
Former CPI (M) chief minister
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee hassaid a
few days back at Raidighi that they
had not slapped false case on
anyone. Comrade Prabodh Purkait,
nine times MLA of our Party, was
implicated in false case and
sentenced to life term.Similarly, 49
othersof our Party arealso serving
life term. These are the things the
CPI (M) had done. Even if any CPI
(M) man had committed multiple
crimes, it was not possible to
register FIR against him at the
police station. The party used to
decidewho wouldbethe teachersin
schools and colleges. The
Coordination Committee of the
government employees controlled by
the CPI (M) used to decide who
would bepromoted, who would be
demoted, who would be transferred
and so forth. Today the Trinamool
Congress (TMC) is doing exactly
what the CPI (M) had done. Who
else but the CPI (M) has created
this situation? Why is the CPI (M)
facingsuch acrisis today? Why did
the people of West Bengal vote
against it inthe last parliament and
assembly elections? True there has
been massive rigging in the recent
parliament election but such large
scaleriggingdidnottakeplaceinthe
earliertwo parliament and assembly
elections. In the last assembly
election also, there was no rigging.
At the time of last assembly
election, the CPI (M) was in power.
But the people gave their verdict
based on the Singur-Nandigram
movements. A strong anti-CPI (M)
mentality developed among the
people. The CPI (M) leaders are
blaming their workers, saying that
the debacle has happened because
of the arrogance and insolence of
the workers; the workers had lost
contact with the masses. Thus, the
CPI (M) leaders are passing on the
buck of their own misdeeds on their
workers. They themselves have
taught their workers all these wrong
things. If the CPI (M) leaders
continue to do such things, they
wouldnever be able to convincethe
people. If they have courage and
honesty, let them admit their
mistakes before the people of West
Bengal. Let them confess that what
they have done during the 34 years
of their rule were anti-left, anti-
people. In this connection, let me
recall an invaluable teaching of
Comrade Lenin. He said, The
attitude of a political party towards
its own mistakes is one of the most
importantandsurestwaysofjudging
how earnestthe party is andhow it
in practice fulfils its obligations
towards its class and the toiling
masses.Franklyadmitting amistake,
ascertaining the reasons for it,
analyzingtheconditionswhichledto
it, and thoroughly discussing the
means of correcting it that is the
earmark of a serious party; that is
the way it should perform its duties,
that is the wayit shouldeducate and
train the class, and then the
masses.
1
. Only a genuine
communist party admitsits mistakes
honestly and withan open mind. Do
the CPI (M) leaders have that
honesty and courage? Certainly not.
Yesterday I saw in the newspaper
that one of their leaders has said
that one thousand workers of theirs
ofNorth24Parganas districtdidnot
work in the elections out of fear.
What a revolutionary party! What
are they afraid of? We have
conducted movements while being
physically assaulted by them. 161
leaders and cadres of our Party
have been murderedby them.In the
very venue of this meeting, there is
a martyrs column in the name of
Madhai Haldar who was shot dead
by theCPI (M) governmentin1990.
Still we continued our struggle.
What great harm has been caused
to the CPI(M) by the TMC? Then
what type of 1000 workers they
have in North 24 Parganas? Their
mass organizations are stated to
have lakhs of members. Where are
they? Why are they intheir shelves?
Because, the CPI (M) leaders
themselves have made these
workers coward. They have not
taught their workers politics,
ideology or leftism. Only thing they
told their workers were: We are a
bigparty,we areinpower,if youare
with us, you shall get these and
these privileges. Police is in our
hand; even if you commit gravestof
crimes, you will go scot free.
Nobody would dare to touch you.
So,when policewasunderthem,the
CPI (M) leaders and cadres were a
brave lot with the support of the
criminalsandanti-socials. They have
toldthestudentsthat eveniftheydid
not pass in the examination, they
wouldbe promotedand their results
would be good. This is how they
strengthened their party. They never
allowedotherstudentsorganizations
to contest the union elections in the
collegesand universities. Today, the
TMC is doing in the colleges what
the CPI (M) only did earlier. The
criminalstrained by the CPI (M) are
now carrying TMC flags. Thepolice
who once worked for the CPI (M)
are now working for the TMC.
CPI (M) has paved way for BJP
to raise head
ComradeShibdas Ghosh did not
see CPI (M)s ascendancy to power
in 1977 nor did he witness the 34
years of CPI (M) rule. Heonly saw
CPI (M) during the second united
front in 1970.At that time only, he
observed:. When there was
maximum increaseof strengthof the
so called Marxist party CPI (M)
during the last United Front
government, the countrymen were
scared at the thumping around of its
workers and supporters. it was
amongthepeopleunderitsinfluence
that the tendency to secure unjust
privilegesto satisfy personalinterest
by using the police and
administration had grown much.
Instead of increased social
obligation, the tendency to dodge
duty went up.As against growth of
philosophical tolerance towards
peoplehaving different opinions, the
reprehensible tendency to muzzle
their voice throughcowardly attacks
in congenial environment grew
formidably. As a reaction to all
these, when the situation turned
adverse for them following capture
of power by the Congress, it was
found that the firebrand
revolutionariesof the Front regime
had lost all courage to make the
least noise. If the situation turns
favourable again, you might once
again see them back in their
previous form. Already, there are
symptoms towards that effect. If
theirs would have been real
revolutionary politics, they would
have on the one hand received
blessings from all sections of the
well-meaning people while on the
other hand, invited severe
repugnance from the oppressive
bourgeoisie. But,in reality,just the
reverse has happened.
2
This is what he said by seeing
the activities of the CPI (M) during
thesecondUnitedfrontin1970.And
during the 34 years, the CPI (M)s
attack on class struggle, mass
movement, workers of other parties
increased manifold. The CPI (M)
had precipitated terror, used police
to itspetty interestandturnedpolice
into an appendage to it. So, if
Contd. on page 4
PAGE FOUR SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Contd. from page 3
Contd. on page 5
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
BJPs contention is contrary to what the renaissance
anyone has caused immense
damage toleftism, itis notthe TMC
or any other reactionary force but
the CPI (M).So, I wouldliketo tell
the CPI (M) leaders not to
unnecessarily blame their workers.
Let them look at their face in the
mirror. If they have honesty and
courage, they must admit this. Let
them openly declare that they had
donesomanyunjustthingsduring34
years of their rule. But this would
not happen through deception. See
how severely the people are
criticizing the TMC. They are
turning away from the TMC. Their
complaintis that the TMC is toeing
the line of the CPI (M). They find
that the TMC is doing what the CPI
(M) had done. Why are the people
not able to view the CPI (M) as the
alternative to the TMC? Because,
during the 34 year long misrule of
the CPI (M), the people were
suffocated. The CPI (M) itself is
responsible for that. Whatever
influencethe BJPcouldcast inWest
Bengal is due to the CPI (M)
leaders. I would like to read out
another observation of Comrade
ShibdasGhosh.Hesaidthisin1969.
Please see for yourself how
prophetic this great Marxist thinker
was. At that time, there was no
BJP. It was Jana Sangh then.
Criticizing the CPI (M), he said, In
this situation, the proponents of
religious nationalism like the Jana
Sangh are lying in wait. They are
waiting for the right opportunity.
Once the attraction towards left
movementamong thepeople which
still exists will go away, they will
appear in the scene. The ruling CPI
(M) leaders do not understand this.
Abandoning the ideology and basic
tenets of communism, they, almost
like the Congress, are confusing
people withtrickery of tall talks and
sweet coated words. Thus, they are
maligning and tarnishing the image
of communismhere. 2 Way backin
1969, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
warned that the CPI (M) was
tarnishing the imageof communism,
maligning leftism, and the Jana
Sangh was lying in wait to increase
its strength taking advantageof that.
See how his words corroborate
todays perspective. In the last 34
years, the CPI (M) has caused
immense harm to leftism and
thereby paved the way for the BJP
to raise its ugly head. I also want to
say this to you.
Wedo nothave hostilitytowards
the CPI (M) or any other party. Our
differenceis ideological,political, in
theinterestofthe proletariat.Let the
CPI (M) leaders confess their
wrongs.What is needed is not some
perfunctory talks, some kind of
whitewashing the mistakes or
merely replacing some leaders but
change of policies. Let them come
back tomilitant leftism. Canthey do
so? Honest workers and supporters
of the CPI (M) should ask their
leadership this question. As a
genuine Marxist party,we havebeen
pursuing the line of militant leftism
for long.But they maligned militant
leftism. Can they admit it?
Otherwise, how can people trust
them? This is where their test lies.
Left movement cannot be
strengthened without honesty,
sincerity, militant class or mass
struggles. This cannot be done by
tellinglies,byindulgingindeception
or resorting to trickery.
Moreover, their honest workers
and supporters as well as the left-
minded people ought to understand
that it is not that the CPI (M) party
has just committed some mistakes.
Here, the character of the mistake
has to be determined. Whatever it
has done, it has done as a social
democratic party as per its class
character. If a Marxist label in the
nomenclature makes one
communist, then the Menshevik
party of Russia would have been
communist and there was no need
for Lenin to build up the Bolshevik
party separately nor would have the
Second International undergone
revisionist degeneration. The role
that the united CPIand laterthe CPI
(M) had taken in the mass
movement of the 1950s and 60s
were as social democratic parties
only, as compromising force
between labour and capital.
Similarly, in keeping withits social
democratic character, the CPI (M)
onbeingsaddledinpowerconducted
itself like a bourgeois party in the
interest of the bourgeois class. So,
those who have emotion for
communismoughttobedisillusioned
about thisparty andreject it.At the
same time, they must identify the
correct Marxist party and strengthen
the same. Let you not be
overwhelmed by blind emotion or
sufferfrom frustration.
BJP has surrendered to the
monopolists as bonded slaves
Now I shall place my views on
the BJP. I have already said that
before the last elections, the
monopolists, foreign capitalists and
corporate sector had taken a
decision to put the BJP to power as
the Congress, which acted at their
behest so far, was found to be no
more useful for the present. So they
spent huge money on publicity for
the BJP. Narendra Modi, who was
considered as the architect of the
Gujarat pogrom in the country,
whose hands are stained in innocent
blood, overnight became the
saviour of the country thanks to
media publicity. This is how the
bourgeoisie creates leaders. The
BJP entered into an agreement with
the bourgeoisie and corporate sector
that after riding to power,it would
obey whatever they would say.
Exactly that is what it is doing after
ascending to power. On the other
hand, the RSS, which is the
ideological guardian of the BJP, got
an opportunity to propagate the
doctrine of Hindutva in the field of
education, culture as well as in the
realm of mind. At one stroke, the
BJP has implemented a slew of
measures like FDI in defence,
railways and insurance as well as
more and more privatization of the
public sector. The Congress also
tried to introduce all these as
politicalstepsbutcouldnotdoallof
these things becauseof obstructions
created by its coalition partners. The
BJP also has heftily raised the
railway fare and freight charges by
one stroke. It is also withdrawing
whatever little subsidy was hitherto
being given towards public welfare.
It is increasing the fuel prices.
Theseare all the bitterpills. More
number of bitter pills will be
administered inthe future. The BJP
finance minister has invoked a new
theory pro-business is pro-poor.
According to him, more swells the
wealth of the rich, more the poor
stand to benefit. It means that the
rich will only give somealms to the
poor out of compassion. The
common people know that the rich
become rich by depriving the poor.
The capitalists make profit by
exploiting the working class.On the
contrary, the BJP and its minister
are saying that moreis the profit of
the capitalists,more benefitted will
be the poor.This is the crux of the
pro-business pro-poor theory. I
shall say a few more things about
this later.
But most sinister is the
propaganda of ultra Hindutva. You
know that already a discussion has
beeninitiatedtoincorporatereligious
education in the text books. This is
nothingnew.Eventhe Congressalso
mooted such a proposal. After the
second world war when it was
widely publicized that thedefeat of
GermanyandItaly signifieddefeatof
fascism, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
had differed. Heheld that downfall
of Germany-Italy didnot mean that
fascism had been defeated. He said
that fascism has appeared as a
general feature of all capitalist-
imperialist countries, whether
developed or under-developed. He
showed that when capital was not
concentrated like today, not
concentrated in the hands of the
monopolists,whenonlysmallcapital
was in existenceand there was free
competition,thebourgeoisiestoodfor
liberal democracy. When monopoly
appeared and concentration of
capital took place, that liberal
democracy ceased to exist and
economic base of fascism was
established. Centralization of power
inthehandsoftheadministrationand
bureaucracy is also political
characteristic of fascism. Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh further showed that
in fascism, there would be no
scientificoutlook,norationalthinking
or scope for healthy debate but only
blind religious faith. Science will be
used only to manufacture machines
andarms.Inthe realmofmind,there
will be a fusion of spiritualism and
technical aspects of science. This is
fascist culture. This was first started
in this country by the Congress.
Today, through RSS, Indian
capitalismistryingtoimplementthat
design on awider scale.
Views of Rammohan-
Vidyasagar-Rabindranath-
Saratchandra
Now,it is being pleaded that the
Gita and the Vedanta have to be
incorporated in school syllabus. In
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh,it has
already been introduced.One Judge
hasalso advised to include the Gita,
the Ramayana and the Mahabharata
inthe textbooks.Butyou knowthat
at the dawn of the Indian
renaissance, it wasRaja Rammohan
who first brought the light of
knowledge in the Indian society
encumbered with age-old obsolete
creeds, obscurantism and medieval
darkness. What did he say? I shall
read out from his works. He was
against teaching Sanskrit and the
Vedanta. He said: The Sanskrit
system of education would be best
calculated to keep this country in
darknessif suchhad beenthe policy
of theBritishLegislature. Butasthe
improvementofthenativepopulation
is the object of Government,it will
consequently promote amore liberal
andenlightenedsystemofinstruction,
embracing mathematics, natural
philosophy, chemistry and anatomy
with other useful sciences.
Nor will youths fitted to be
stalwarts and leaders of freedom movement had said
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE FIVE
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Only Marxism correctly showed place of religion in history
Contd. from page 4
better members of society by the
Vedanta doctrines which teach them
tobelievethatall visiblethings have
no real existence.
Wenow findthat Government is
establishing Sanskrit school under
Hindu Pundits to impart such
knowledge as is already current in
India. The pupils will there acquire
what was known two thousand
years ago, withthe additionof vain
andempty subtletiessince produced
by speculative men.
4
These are the
words of Raja Rammohan. The
preachings of RSS-BJP are against
the teachings of Raja Rammohan.
Following the footprints of
Rammohan came Vidyasagar.
Vidyasagar went a few steps ahead
to comment that, For certain
reasons we are obliged to
continue the teachingof the Vedanta
and Sankhya in the Sanskrit
College. That the Vedanta and
Sankhya are false systems of
philosophy is no more a matter of
dispute.
5
See what Vidyasagar had
said : the Vedas and Vedanta are
false systems of philosophy.
Ramakrishna had rushed to
Vidyasagars house to pay his
respect. Vivekananda had deep
respect for Vidyasagar.
Vivekananda himself said that like
him,there was not asingle youthin
Eastern India who had not been
inspired by Vidyasagar.
Vivekananda knew that Vidyasagar
called the Veda-Vedanta a false
system of philosophy. Ramakrishna
and Vivekananda also knew that
Vidyasagar was an atheist.
Vidyasagar further said, Whilst
teaching these in the Sanskrit
course, we should oppose them by
sound philosophy in the English
course to counteract these
influencesThe bigotry of the
learned of India, I am ashamed to
state, is no less than that of the
Arabian Caliph. They believe that
their Shastras have all emanated
from omniscient Rishis and
therefore, they cannot but be
infallible.
5
This is how Vidyasagar
spoke against the religious
scriptures. He also said, We want
teachers who know boththe Bengali
andthe Englishlanguagesandat the
same time are free from religious
prejudices.
6
This is Pandit Ishwarchandra
Vidyasagar. He himself wrote four
books. There has not been any
discussion on god in these books.
He did not believe in god. So he
advised, Geography, History,
Biography, Arithmetic, Geometry,
Natural Philosophy, Moral
Philosophy, Political Economy and
Physiology should betaught.
6
Such
were his views. You can see for
yourself that these two doyens of
Indian renaissance, Rammohan and
Vidyasagar, had opposed religious
education and stressed on natural
philosophy and study of science.The
Congress did just the reverse. And
now the BJP-RSS are adding
dimension to that.
Even being a believer,
Rabindranath said, Delusion of
religion makes man lifeless. It
makes his intellect enmeshed in
meaningless inert behaviour
assimilated in flesh and blood.
Whereintellect is chained,manliness
is heavily burdened. In that
unfortunate country, all kinds of
physical, mental and political
misfortune remain unexplained and
static.
7
This is Rabindranath.
Saratchandra had said,No religious
scripture canbe infallible. The Veda
isalsoareligiousscripture.So,there
is no dearth of falsehoodinit.All
religionsarefalsesuperstitionsof
the primitive ages. There is no
greater enemy of mankind than
this... Man is not for any specific
traditional characteristic of a
particular country. The traditional
characteristic is cherished because
of man only. The moot point is
whetherthattraditionisbeneficial to
mankind at the present time. Except
that,everythingelseisblinddelusion.
The tradition of man is not greater
than man himself. When we forget
that, we lose both man and his
tradition.
8
These are the words of
Saratchandra. They are the bold
voice of renaissance of those days.
The Congress as well the RSS-BJP
is opposing the thoughts of these
great renaissance personalities to
create a fascistic mindset.
Views of Subhaschandra
Let me narrate to you another
incident. Before leaving India on the
eve of the second world war,
Subhaschandra was under house
arrest. Prior to that, he was in
Alipore jail. Hewent for a fastunto
death inside the jail on certain
demands. He thought at the time
that the Britishers wouldnot accept
his demands. So, he would embrace
martyrs death like Jatin Das. He
wrote two articles at that time; one
was his directive to his party
workers and the other was a
guidance to theIndian youth. I may
add here that in early life,
Subhaschandra was a believerin the
Vedanta andopposed to materialism.
But,in later life, hegradually tilted
towards Hegelian dialectics. I shall
read out what he said at the end.
On the question of as to the nature
of the world of phenomena, we
better keep an open mind while
making note of all that science has
revealed to us so far. Morelight is
bound to come, as science makes
further advance. Meanwhile, we
should bear in mind that the old
conception of materialism has
broken down completely. It has
been under a crossfire, being
attacked by scientific research on
one side and by philosophical
reasoning and speculation on the
other.
9
It shows that his lack of
faithinoldmaterialismbeingproved
to bewrong inthe light of scientific
discoveriesandlogic,heemphasized
on scienceonly to find outtruth. He
wrote these lines so that the Indian
youthdonot gowronglikehe didin
hisyouth.Ihavebeenreferringtoall
these because what the BJP is
telling or going to do is totally
contrary to what Rammohan-
Vidyasagar-Rabindranat h- Sarat -
chandra-Subhaschandra had said.
Whom should we follow? Even if
you do not want to acceptMarxism,
as citizens of West Bengal or India,
you have to think : should we go
back to the dark days of yester
years by disowning these great
men? Should we revert back to the
days when the Veda-Vedanta-
Manusamhita were considered to be
infallible? It was these obsolete
philosophies against which
Rammohan-Vidyasagar-Rabindra-
nath-Sarat-chandra-Subhaschandra-
Nazrul waged their battle. Which
course would you adopt? This is
what I want you to ponder over.
Who is real Hindu,
Vivekananda or BJP-RSS?
The BJP-RSS display photo of
Vivekananda and claim that they are
following his ideals. But see what
Golwalkar,an RSS leader whom the
RSS considers to be its ideologue,
writes, So, foreign races in
Hindustan must either adopt the
Hindu culture and language, must
learn to respect and hold in
reverence Hindu religion, must
entertain no idea but those of the
glorification of the Hindu race and
culture, i.e. of the Hindu nation and
must losetheir separate existence to
merge in the Hindu race, or may
stay in the country, wholly
subordinated to the Hindu Nation,
claiming nothing, deserving no
privileges, far less any preferential
treatment not even citizens
rights.
10
It means those who are
not Hindus will have to respect
Hindu religion, Hindu culture and
Hindu language i.e. Sanskrit.
Otherwise, they shall have no right
in this country. This is the fiat of
Golwalkar, the RSS satrap. Now I
shall read out what Vivekananda
had said, Christians need not
become Buddhists nor need the
Muslims to become Hindus or the
Buddhists Christians. But each of
themwill be nourishedby absorbing
the essence of other religions and
develop according to its nature
maintainingitsdistinctidentityWe
want to take mankind to that end
where there is no Veda, Bible or
Koran but all works will be
performed throughintegrationof the
Veda, Bible and Koran we not
onlytolerate allreligions butbelieve
all of them to be true.
11. 12
This is
the version of Vivekananda. Then
who is aHindu, Vivekanandaor the
RSS-BJP? Vivekananda had also
said, If I had a son, I would not
have given him any religious
tutelage except practising
concentration, one paragraph of
prayer and chanting mantras.
Thereafter, in course of growing in
ageand listeningto variousopinions
and advices, he would have been
acquainted with something which to
him wouldhave been the truth. It is
verynaturalthatsimultaneouslywith
full freedomandwithout having any
conflict,mysoncouldbeaBuddhist,
my wife a Christian and myself a
Muslim.
13
Now you examine for
yourself whether you would call
Vivekananda a Hindu or the RSS-
BJP as Hindu. The RSS-BJP
contend that the Muslim kings and
emperors hadspreadIslamic religion
in this country at the point of the
sword. On the other hand,
Vivekananda wrote, The conquest
of India by the Muslims gave the
poor ataste of emancipation.That is
why, one fifth of the population of
this country became Muslim. This
did not happen on the strength of
arms. It is sheer insanity to think
that such had happened because of
power arms and acts of destruction.
The poor wanted to be free from
the clutches of the zamindars and
the priests.
14
It means the lower
caste poor Hindus became Muslims
to get rid of the oppression of the
Hindu zamindarsandpriests.Who is
saying this? None else than
Vivekananda. Then, who is right?
Vivekananda or the RSS? Do the
RSS-BJP have any moral right to
carry Vivekanandas photo?
The BJP leaders demolished a
historicmonumentlike BabriMasjid
just like the way the Talibanis
destroyed Buddha statues in
Afghanistan.No oneused to pray at
Babri Masjid. It was an old deserted
structure. The RSS-BJP razed that
structure into rubbles fomenting
sentiment about Rama, an imaginary
mythological character,solely witha
viewto garneringvotes. We want to
question thema question that we
Contd.onpage6
PAGE SIX SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Contd. on page 7
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
RSS-BJPs views are against the teachings of Vivekananda
Contd. from page 5
raisedearlier alsowas Chaitanya a
Hindu? Was Ramakrishna a Hindu?
Was Vivekananda a Hindu? Were
they not aware of Babri Masjid, its
history? They never exhorted the
HindustodemolishitandbuildRama
temple in its place. Just for the sake
of vote,theRSS-BJPdestroyed such
ahistoricmemorialbytellingliesand
engineered communal riot. Do they
know that Ramakrishnahad himself
offered namaz in amosque as well
asprayedina church?Abouttemple,
Vivekananda wrote, Millions of
rupeesare spentopening and closing
the gates of Kashi and Vrindavan
temples. Once the god is changing
clothes while at other time, he is
eating riceor chiding at the sons of
barren women. On the other hand,
living gods are dying without food
and clothes.
15
Vivekananda
criticized that while the real poor
have no food, no clothing, the so-
called worshippers were
constructing temples, decorating the
idolswithgoldornamentswhileliving
godsi.e.menaredyingwithoutfood.
He cried shame on this. Let me
remind the BJP-RSS leaders what
Vivekananda had said, First bread
and then religion Not only the
Indians, if any human being starves
anywhere, I shall not propagate
religion.So long as even a single
dog inmy country has no food, my
wholereligionwillbetofeedthem.
16
What would the RSS-BJP leaders
sayabout thisVivekananda? Dothey
have acquaintance with this
Vivekananda? He believed in the
Vedanta andwe believe in Marxism.
Here we have a fundamental
difference. But he was agreat man.
He did not practise vote politics or
indulged in falsehood. He even
questioned as to who should be
considered as a true patriot? In his
language, The people have been
living in semi-starvedcondition for
centuries.Doyouunderstandthatthe
dark clouds of want of education
have engulfed India? Do these
thoughts make you restive; take
away your sleep of night? Have
thesethoughtsmixedwithyourblood
andare flowing throughyour veins?
Are these thoughts maddening for
you? This is the first step of
becoming patriot.
17
Do the RSS-
BJP leaders who are now saddled in
power know this Vivekananda?
Vivekananda had duel personality.
Ontheonehand,hewasaspiritualist,
believerinthe Vedanta.Onthe other
hand, he was the person to rouse
Indian nationalism. We respect
Vivekanandafor his nationalism and
whatever humanist values he upheld
and hold him as a great man.
Tragedy was that while nationalist
Vivekananda was deeply pained and
agitated by the poverty, oppression
and absence of education which
existed in reality and raised voiceof
protest, he, on the other hand,
believed in spiritual Vedantic
philosophy which preached that the
objectiveworldisfalse,theSupreme
Being i.eBrahma is the only truth.
It means everything in objective
reality is illusion, myth, having no
existence. As a corollary, woes and
misery of thepeople are also myth.
This is the painfultragedy inthe life
of such a great man. But see how
great one has to be to say that So
longthecroresofIndianswillremain
plunged in the darkness of poverty
andignorance, I shall considerthose
whoareeducatedat thecostofthese
myriads of poor and ignorant but do
not even look at them, as traitors.
So long twenty crores of Indians
will lead life of a hungry animal, I
shallcallthoserichwhoareenjoying
a grandiose life by earning money
through squeezing of these hapless,
assinful rascals.
18 19
In the light of
thisobservationofVivekananda,how
would one rate the patriotic pro-
people leaders of today? Thoughas
Marxists, we have differences with
the views of the great men of
different ages, we holdtheir dreams
in high esteem, respect whatever
concern they felt for the oppressed
people.We not only respect that, we
struggletoappraisetheirworthinthe
given space and time.
I want to add that we respect
the religious preachers. A wrong
notion is spread about the Marxists
inthis regard. We hold that religion
inits timeplayed aprogressive role.
Some of the religions also played
fighting rolesinsocialprogress. But
in the dim past, there was no
conceptof godinthehuman society.
This hasbeenconclusivelyshown by
Marxismby analyzing history.If you
go to theAndamans,you wouldfind
a primitive tribe called Jaroa. They
do not know how to wear clothes;
they have no private property, no
home and hearth. There is no rich
and poor among them, no ruler.
They do not believe in god, do not
observe religious rituals. This was
the primitive age which Marxism
has shown.
Let me again read out from
Vivekanandas works. The blind
disciples of Vivekananda may be a
bit displeased because it is
Vivekananda who is putting them in
trouble. In 1897, Vivekananda said
inhis Lahorespeech that, The first
was in search in External nature for
the truths of the universe; it was an
attempt to get the solution of the
problems of life from the material
world.
25
Vivekananda himself is
saying that mans first thought was
centred around this material world.
This is the greatness of
Vivekananda. He gave recognition
to the truth of history.
Marxism only showed the
correct place of religion in
human history
So,intheprimitivesociety,there
was no religion. Religion marked its
advent during the slave-master
society when the oppressor-
oppressed, ruler-ruled relationship
came into being.Marx hasahistoric
observation inthis respect.He said,
Religious distress is at the same
time the expression of real distress
and also the protest against real
distress. Religion is the sigh of the
oppressed creature, theheart of the
heartless world and the soul of the
soulless conditions.
24
In that age
appeared a band of thinkers who
were moved by the wails and woes
of the oppressed slaves. They said
that as there was a master at the
helm of the society who ruled the
society, so there ought to be one
Lord, the ruler of the universe.
Everythingishappening accordingto
his order. They held that all were
children of that almighty god. Both
the slave andthe slave master were
his children. So, the society would
run at the behest of the god. In
those days, there was no scientific
answer to the questions likewhat is
mind, what is thought, how do we
think and so forth. These answers
were provided much later by
Marxism based on science. It has
shown that thought evolves through
contradiction of human brain with
the externalworld.Thinking changes
with the change in the material
condition. The thinkers of that time
usedto believethatthe almightygod
was making them think. Thinking
was perceived to be the
contemplation of god. So, the
thought of social welfarewhich was
coming in their mind was viewed as
endowment of god. This was to
them the directive of god. This is
how the concept of religion came in
the world. That is why great Engels
had said about Christianity that,
BothChristianity andthe workers
socialism preach forthcoming
salvationfrom bondage and misery;
Christianity placesthissalvationina
life beyond, after death in heaven;
socialismplacesitinthisworld,ina
transformationof society.
20
Though
hespokeofChristianity,hemeantall
religions. Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
also observed, since Christianity
preached equality of all, the slave
masters, by perpetrating oppression
on the slaves, were acting against
thewill ofgod,andso totorturethe
slaves was to defile Christianity.
Viewed from this angle, it is not
difficult to realize that Christianity
helped the slaves in a way to
organize struggles against the
injustice and oppressionby the slave
masters and in that sense helped in
social progress at that time. Similar
was the case with the adherents of
Islam as well... You should bear in
mind that it was the religion at a
particular stage of social
development that helped in
furthering the concept of morals and
ethics, the sense of values, the
conceptofrightandwrong,thespirit
of service to others and not
despising anyone. As a result, a
sense of discipline grew which
helped to bring about consolidation
and cohesion in society. From this
angle too, religion played a role in
social progress.
21
From that
respect, we respect and honour the
religious preachers. Rather many of
youmightnotknowthatreligionfirst
came under attack from the
bourgeois thinkers during European
renaissance inthe 16
th
,17
th
and 18
th
centuries. At that time, the
bourgeoisie was raising its head. By
overthrowing feudalism, capitalism
was then a rising and progressive
force. In feudalism, the king was
perceived to be the representative of
god. The rule of the Bible was
believed to be the rule of god. In
course of its fight against feudalism
with science as the weapon, the
bourgeois humanists launched attack
on religion. Thinkers like Bacon,
Spinoza,Hume, Kant and Feuerbach
called religion an aberration of
history. They did not correctly
evaluatetheroleofreligion.Tothem
religionwasadeviation,distortionof
history.So,theircall wastoabandon
religion. Marxism, on the contrary,
acknowledged that religion had a
historic role and at one point in
history, religion had a progressive
role. But can religion solve any of
the problems of contemporary
world? Do the Ramayana,
Mahabharata, Gita, Bible or Koran
have any discussion on the burning
problems of todays life like price
rise, unemployment, poverty, fair
wage, job creation,hike intax, rise
in fare, atrocities on women,
exploitation of capitalism or
aggression of imperialism? There is
nosuchdiscussion.Onlyitiswritten
that one should follow the path of
justice and truth. But in a given
phaseinhistory,thequestionofright
or wrong,truth or false oughtto be
decided based on the necessity of
that particular period. This is the
limitation of religion. We have no
conflict with those who believe in
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE SEVEN
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Nation or state is not created based on religion
Contd. from page 6
religion. Let them join us in the
movement against price rise,
retrenchment of workers, rape,
curtailment of scope of education,
rampant circulation of liquor and
drug, corruption and such other
menaces. Believers in all religions
can come forward. We can fight
unitedly with all of them.Where is
our objection? Weobject when it is
propagated that rich and poor is the
creation of god,oneis poor because
ofoneswrongdeeds intheprevious
birth; one is starving, being raped,
seeing ones child dying in the
hospital because of the sin one
committed in the previous birth.
Everything that happens is the
injunction of fate. What man
proposes, god disposes i.e.
everything is handiwork of destiny.
So, one should not protest, should
notfight becauseitisgods will.So,
whatevermay be the extent of pain,
endureit as the will of god. In that
event, one would be happy in the
next birth. Our objection is against
all such notions. Marx had pointed
out to all these when he said that
religion has beenused as the opium
by the exploitingclass. You see for
yourself. So many hungry people
are wandering around, so many
oppressed women are screaming.
But do you find those
propagandizing the messages of
Vivekananda or Hazrat Mohammed
protestingagainstall these? Do you
find them waging struggle against
such social maladies and
aberrations? Do you find any priest
of any temple or church, imam of
any mosque or any religious
preacher to fight against pricespiral,
corruption or atrocities against
women? Had Christ,Mohammed or
theexponentsofHindureligionbeen
alive, even if Vivekananda would
have been alive, would they have
acquiesced inall these? Would they
have said that let everything
continue as it is as these are all
ordained by god and we better
concentrate on worship and promise
offering to the deity? So, it is clear
thatreligionhasoutliveditsutilityin
courseofhistory.Religiontodayisa
prop inthe hands of the exploiters.
At one point of time inhistory, the
religious preachers starved, faced
onslaught, physical assault. But
defying such attacks, they fought.
And today, the mosques-temples-
churches have properties worth
millions of rupees. The priests,
clergies and imams are issuing
religious sermons by sitting on huge
wealth.This is how religionhas lost
itsutilityfollowinginexorablecourse
of history. We need to understand
that Great Lenin had said that
Marxismhasnot clutched out of the
thin air.In the finest continuationof
all the great men who appeared in
history, of all the cults of truth and
knowledge in all ages,Marxism has
come with the new truth in
recognition to the necessity of the
new era. He said that only those
who cultivate the treasure of
knowledge acquired by mankind
over the agesare communists. We
study the life struggle of the great
religious preachers of the yester
years and try to acquire from them
what is worth acquiring. We try to
learnfromthelives ofall greatmen.
This is what Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh had taught us.
RSS had opposed freedom
struggle
You can havean example of the
evilness of the views of the RSS-
BJP from their attitudetowards the
freedom movement of our country.
Golwalkar,their ideologue,had said,
The theories of territorial
nationalismand of common danger,
which formed the basis for our
concept of nation , had deprived us
of the positive and inspiring content
of our real Hindu Nationhood and
made many of the freedom
movements virtually anti-British
movements. Anti-Britishism was
equated with patriotism and
nationalism. This reactionary view
has had disastrous effects upon the
entire course of the freedom
struggle,its leadersand the common
people.
10
See for yourself how
dangerous these words are. The
concept of Indian nationalism which
grew throughout the entire
geographic areaof India centring on
anti-British imperialist movement is
stated to be disastrous.According to
him, their concept of Hindu
nationalism has been disturbed
because of emergence of the
concept of Indian nationalism.In his
opinion, the very contentionthat the
anti-British imperialist movement
was patriotic and nationalistic was
reactionary; the leaders who talked
of nationalism while opposing the
British imperialist rule were all
guided by reactionary thoughts. The
RSS-BJP and their leadersthink that
one shouldhaveraised the slogan of
Hindu nation. If the concept of one
unified Indian nation which grew in
course of freedom movement
against the British imperialists
embracing the Hindus and Muslims
alikeandirrespectiveofallreligions,
castes, creeds and ethnicities is
calledreactionary,then,accordingto
the RSS, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan,
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat
Rai, Netaji Subhaschandra,
Kshudiram, Bhagat Singh, Surya
Sen all were reactionaries and
traitors because they did not talk of
Hindu nation. Thereality is that had
not there been British imperialist
rule, the unified Indian nationalism
would not have grown. What was
the condition of India before British
rule? Therewere someHindu kings
and Muslim nawabs. Before the
Muslim kings came, there were
someisolated Hindu kingdoms. But
they were not unifiedas anation. If
the Britishers had not come and the
British rule had not established a
communication system to link
various places, fostered improved
trade and commerce through an
improved communication and
thereby developed an integrated
economy through which had grown
national capital, India would have
remained disintegratedinto separate
Bengali national state, Odisha
national state, Gujarat national state,
Tamilnational stateandso forth. If
Hindu is anation based on religion,
then why is Nepal a separate state
and nation? Nepal is a country of
Hindu religion. Nepal is astate, not
astate basedon Hindu religion, but
as a distinct national entity. In the
entire Middle-East, in the Arab
world, there are so many states.
But all are Muslims. How could so
many states be established while
Islam is being professed by all? So
it is clear that nationhood does not
grow,statedoesnotcomeintobeing
based on religion. So, pleasebear in
mindthat theRSS,thementor ofthe
BJP was opposed to Indian
renaissance, opposed to anti-British
imperialist freedommovement. That
is why, the RSS did not join the
national freedom struggle. Where
are they leading India to with this
flawedunhistorical theory? The fact
is capitalism needs this distortion
today.If the people couldbe carried
withthis flawedconcept, theywould
notprotest,questionorargueevenif
the crisis mounts in their life. They
will remain intoxicated with the
fatalisticthoughts,thoughtsofhaving
committed sin in previous birth,
decrees of fate and such other
backward notions. This is fascist
culture.Capitalismistryingtoinvoke
the same in a more organized way
throughthe BJP.Ofcourseit is true
that in this country, there are
obstacles before doing so. Already
ComradeShibdasGhoshhad pointed
out that notwithstanding
centralization of monopoly capital,
there is contradiction between
regional capital and monopoly
capital. Small capital exists in
abundance. Also there is
regionalism. These all obstruct
growth of all-out fascist national
unity. The educated people and the
liberal democrats constitute a
formidable force. They would not
accept growth of fascism so easily.
They would protest and build up
movement. There will be fight. This
is the reality. If we can correctly
develop class and mass struggles,
we can confront this danger.But as
Marxist revolutionaries, as genuine
leftists, wemust understand that we
are going to face a grave danger.
(At this time, it began to rain
torrentially. Comrade Provash
Ghosh asked the gathering if he
would continue or end there. The
people who assembled there said
loudly that ComradeProvash Ghosh
should continuehis speech).
The RSS is raising bogey of
HinduNation.ButIwanttoyouto
remember an observation by
Rabindranath inthis regard.Hesaid,
it will not be enough to recognize
Hindu minds only in India. The
development of literature, art,
sculpture, science, etc. in variegated
opulencehas madeits acquaintance
throughfusionoftheHindusandthe
Muslims.
22
The RSS-BJP are
talkingof ancienttradition.If thatbe
the case, then there was Goutam
Buddha in this country as well.
Buddha did not believe in god.
Mahavira, the exponent of Jainism
also did not believe in god. In this
country, there were materialist
philosophiesi.e. philosophy of Saint
Charvak, Lokayat philosophy and
such others. Did this country have
only Vedantic philosophy? The RSS-
BJP would not cultivate those
philosophiesin thename oftradition
because those pose danger to their
theory of Hindutvaor Hindu nation.
What they want is blind faith, blind
religionism. That only can assure
capitalism. That is what they are
trying to do. We must understand
that.
I also want to dwell on another
point.In thiscountry,there hasbeen
too much of vulgarization of the
word secularism. The Congress
hitherto explained secularism as
equalencouragementtoallreligions.
In the name of encouraging all
regions,it wasHindu religionwhich
was encouraged under the
leadership of Gandhiji. Otherwise
the country would not have been
divided. Pakistan would not have
been created.Gandhiji himself led a
lifeof Hindu monk. Inthe freedom
movement, there was dominance of
uppercasteHindus. So the so-called
lower caste people we, of
course, do not consider anyone as
lower caste also did not join the
freedom movement. The upper
caste Hindus only controlled the
freedom movement. What is meant
Contd. on page 8
PAGE EIGHT SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Secularism implies that religion would not
intervene in social and political affairs
Contd. on page 9
by secularism in the truest sense of
the term? Secularismwhich marked
its advent in Europe during
renaissance held that the state
wouldneither encourage nor oppose
any religion. Religion will have no
place in politics, economics,
educationorculture.Religionwould
remain a private affair of the
individuals. If anyone desires, he
can follow religion. If anyone does
not, he need not. Someone can
believe in god, some may not. This
is true secularism.But the reformist
Congress leadership, in the interest
ofthecompromisingbourgeoisie,did
not allow this true concept of
secularism to take root in this
country. Subhaschandra also said
that religionwill have no truck with
politics. Politics will be conducted
based on science, economics,
political science, etc. He said,
Religion shouldbe totally kept out
of politics. Religionshouldbeones
personalmatter.Thereshouldbefull
liberty for an individual to profess
any religion he wants as a human
being. But politics should not be
guided by religion or any
supernatural concepts. Politics
should be guided by economic,
political and scientific reasoning.
9
He also said, Hindu Mahasabha
has sent the monks and female
asceticsto solicit voteswithtridents
inhand.Every Hindu bends his head
by seeing saffron cloth and trident.
Hindu Mahasabha has appeared in
the scene by taking advantage of
anddefiling religion. isolate these
traitorsfromthenationallife.Donot
listen to them. We want that all
freedom-loving men and women of
the country serve the country
unitedly and intently.
23
Rabindranath also opposed infusion
of religion in politics. Saratchandra
also told the same thing. But this
true secularism has not been
practised in our country. The
CPI(M),CPI also did not bring true
concept of secularism before the
people. Otherwise, could their
position be so pathetic? The
workers, supporters and voters of
the CPI (M) are joining the BJP in
large number. Just think what kind
ofrevolutionandleftismtheCPI(M)
has taught its workers and
supporters. In the last election, the
Hindu CPI (M) swung towards the
BJP,theMuslimCPI (M)sided with
the TMC. Such is the kind of
communism, leftismand secularism
the CPI (M) has taught. It has only
practised opportunism for the sake
of votes.
False promise of development
Of late, the word development
is being uttered by all the ruling
parties. Whoever contests election,
talks of development. This is a
deceptive slogan which people are
also often carried by. Never is
asked the question,development for
whom? The society is class-divided.
It is divided between labour and
capital, oppressor and the
oppressed, the rich and the poor.
Whose development then the
election-oriented parties are talking
about? If it is development of the
exploiters, the capitalist class then
that is bound to entail severe crisis
in the life of the workers and
peasants. Because, there is
antagonistic contradiction between
the class interest of the capitalists
andthe class interest of the workers
and peasants. Development of both
cannot take place together. The
CPI(M) used to talk of
development. Now the TMC is
alsosaying that.So isthe BJP.Thus,
all of them are duping the people.
Look at the character of the
bourgeoisie today. Once during the
daysofFrenchrevolution,capitalism
raised the slogan of nationalism,
national industry, national market
andnational economy.Inthosedays,
nationalismwas progressive.In our
country, there was slogan for
national freedom from the rule of
the British imperialists. The
bourgeoisie itself gave slogan for
national industry, acceptance of
national goods and boycott of
foreign goods. At that time, the
national bourgeoisie was
progressive. But today the national
bourgeoisie has entered the stage of
monopoly, has been exporting
finance capital abroadfor exploiting
labour and raw material of foreign
lands, has given birth to multi-
nationals. On the one hand, it is
going overseas to exploit foreign
market while on the other hand,
through mutual understanding, it is
invitingforeign capitalto exploitthe
domestic market. There is nothing
leftofnationalisminthebourgeoisie
today. Multi-nationals have no
nation.Thewholeworldistheirland
for plunder. Now even Foreign
Direct Investment is invited in
defence industry, the industry of
arms manufacturing. Because, the
ruling national bourgeoisie needs
more foreign capital and modern
technology for manufacturing
sophisticated arms. Indian capitalism
desires to be equipped with latest
ammunition. Because it itself has
attained the stage of imperialism.
Just the other day, prime minister
Modi went to Nepal.He wouldalso
be visiting Sri Lanka, Malay and
Bangladesh. Once Advani was
made to resign when he praised
Jinnah. But, under pressure of the
corporatehouse, the prime minister
of Pakistan was invited on the day
Modi took oath. Why? Because, the
Indian monopolists want the
markets of Nepal, Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Now the Indian capitalists want
market for their goods. So,there is
a change in the approach of the
RSS-BJP. The Indian capitalists
have already invested Rs 32,426
lakhcrores abroad.Indian capitalists
are running industriesin the Middle-
East, Europe, Latin America and
even the USA. You have heard of
Mittal. Heis among the first top ten
rich persons in the world. This is
where the Indian bourgeoisie is
today. In order to establish
dominance in the markets of other
countries particularly the countries
of south-East Asia, what is needed
is both power of capital as well as
power of military. That is why all
such things are being done. So,
nothing of nationalismis left in the
Indian bourgeoisie. It has no
concernfor the country. What is its
attitude towards the people? As
great Stalin had said, to the
capitalists,human beingsare nothing
but raw material, human raw
material. As coal is required in the
factories for being burnt into ashes
in the machines, labour is also
required in theindustries so that all
itsfleshandbloodissqueezedtorun
the wheels. It is through
appropriation of this labour power
that the capitalists make profit. So
theyexploit peoplebothaslabour as
wellasbuyerofgoods.Only forthis
they need people.And the country is
nothingbuttheirturfofexploitation.
Capitalism has come to this stage
now. The very concept of nation
and sovereignty has changed in the
period of multinational. The
capitalistsincitenationalfeelingonly
if thereis awar centring on market.
If war breaks out over capture of
market, the capitalists would again
foment national sentiment in the
formofnationaljingoism.
What is the condition of the
world because of fierce capitalist
oppression and exploitation? The
wealthowned by only 85 persons is
equivalent to the wealth at the
disposal of 350 crores of people.
See for yourself how wealth has
been concentrated in the hands of a
few. 300 crore people in the world
earn Rs 155 per day. Rs 77 is the
daily income of 120 crore people.
This is the daily income of 420
crores(4.2billion)ofpeople.Thisis
what constitutes the world capitalist
market. Then what is the condition
of that market? Just the other day,
the Indian President said ina speech
that 66 crore out of 120 crore
Indians have no job. If 66 crore
people are unemployed, what is the
condition of the capitalist market in
this country? Weare of the opinion
that the actual figure of
unemployment is over 80 crore and
85% peoplelive below poverty line.
There is acute market crisis round
the globe. When a tiger eats a deer,
the cub in the womb of the deer is
also consumed. So, deer virtually
become extinct causing shortage of
food for the tiger. Similarly, those
who are herbivorous eat away even
therootsof thegrass.So,thereisno
grass left for eating in future.
Capitalism is like that; it squeezes
people so much that it cannot
protect even its own market for
exploitation. Today, capitalism is
enmeshed in insoluble market crisis,
what is called to be over head and
ears. The capitalists have coined a
new word, quasi-permanent
recession. It means almost
permanent recession. This is what is
going on in the world. Sometimes
production increasesby 2%,only to
fall by 3% after two or three
months. Really,world capitalism is
now over head and ears. All the
governments are running on debts.
Foreign debt of our country is Rs2,
41,56, 000 crores. Fiscal deficit of
this year is 61% of the total budget
income.Most of the earningsof the
government are spent on repayment
of debt. As a result of this, prices
will soar further. Taxes will
increase. There will be printing of
huge quantum of currency notes
which will push up inflation.
Whatever little subsidy is provided
towards foodandfertilizerwouldbe
withdrawn. And the multi-nationals
and corporatesector wouldintensify
their exploitation. Unemployment,
closure, retrenchment, appointment
of contract labour in place of
permanent labour will increasemore
and more. How is it that this
capitalism will exist and yet there
will be development? Even the
almighty god who is worshipped by
the believers cannot rescue capita-
lism from this crisis. Long back,
great Marx had said that capitalism
which brought industrial revolution
woulditself destroy the industries.
Contd. from page 7
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE NINE
Contd. on page 10
Capitalism is only destroying
industry today
Present day capitalism is a
dangerous enemy of the mankind.
In its parliamentary democracy,
there is parliament but no
democracy. Nowhere there is
democracy. The slogan of the
bourgeoisie during the days of its
rising had been of equality-
fraternity-liberty. Where is that
equality? On theone side, there are
the oppressors while on the other,
there are the oppressed. There is
acute discrimination, no equality.
Two world wars have destroyed
people of many countries. Where is
fraternity? The imperialists are
generating war among the countries,
perpetrating murderous attacks.
Israel is razing Palestine into
rubbles, indiscriminately killing the
Palestinians. You are shaken by
these news everyday. By waving
the flag of parliamentary democracy,
the US imperialists have destroyed
Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan. Gone are
the earlier days. Fraternity has come
to such a pass now. Liberty today
means liberty of theexploiting class
to loot and oppress with alacrity,
liberty to chainthe people.This has
been the import of the slogan of
equality-fraternity-liberty of the
bourgeoisie today. The bourgeois
leaders today are hypocrites, cheats.
During the freedommovement, our
leaders were the guardians of the
nation.Theyouthused tolearn from
Subhaschandra, Deshbandhu,
Rabindranath, Saratchandra. Youths
were roused by Vidyasagar
Vivekananda. What will the boys
andgirls learn fromtodays leaders?
Capitalism is destroying human
faculties and values. There is no
dearth of cult of religion. So many
temples, mosques and churches are
there. So many religious festivals,
fairs are organized. There is so
much shout in triumph of
democracy. Alongside all these,
thereisacompetitionoveraddiction
to liquor, drug, gambling and satta,
ugly remarks centring on womans
physique and rape. An old man is
raping a child.A teenager is raping
a woman of his mothers age. Did
anyone witness such things earlier?
This is the development story of
India. This is the kind of progress
the country hasregistered. Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh had said long back
that fascism is destroying the very
process of man-making, is
destroying values.Neither religious
values nor the humanist values of
freedom movement are working
today. Revolutionary proletarian
values have not yet reached the
larger section of the masses. So,
there is a vacuum. Human essence
develops centring on certain
ideology and value. Once religion
provided values. Thousands of years
back, great characters appeared
based on religion. Later, European
renaissance and democratic
movement, freedom movement of
our country provided values. Still
higher values evolved based on the
proletarian revolution in Russia,
China and Vietnam. Today, those
values are absent.
There is aterrible vacuum inthe
realm of values. There is no peace
in any family. Too much of unrest,
separation and bitterness are
devouring the families.The children
do not take responsibility of old
parents, drive them away from
home.Thisisthe kindofcivilization
capitalism hasdeveloped. Will it be
allowedtocontinue? Eitherspurtin
unemployment, poverty,
retrenchment, starvation deaths,
deaths in absence of medical
treatment, rape of women, drinking
of liquor, proliferation of gambling
and satta and destruction of family
life and rule of the Congress-BJP-
CPI (M)-TMC should continue or
there should be a chang? Real
change can come by only through
overthrow of capitalism by
revolution.Thatisthepathshownby
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh. SUCI(C)
is the Party to lead that revolution.
Yes it is true that socialism has
been dismantledinSovietUnion and
China. Subhaschandra,
Rabindranath,Saratchandra, Nazrul,
Premchand, Subramania Bharati,
Romaine Rolland, Bernard Shaw,
Einstein would have shed tears in
painif they saw this dismantling of
socialism. None of them was a
communist. Yet they all had high
regard for socialism, held socialist
Soviet Union led by great Stalin in
high esteem. They made lot of
observations in this regard.
Rabindranath had said that Soviet
Union had been the biggest
pilgrimage of his life. When
Subhaschandra was losing the battle
of INA, he exuded confidence by
saying that Stalin was alive and he
wouldshowthepathtothemankind.
This very Soviet Union was
dismantled by the imperialists-
capitalists-revisionists. But, there is
no scope of despair for that. We are
immensely pained but we are not
depressed. Because we know that
no great movement can achieve
victory at one stroke. Buddhism,
Christianity, Islam as well as
Hinduism had to fight for hundreds
of years to achieve victory.
Repeatedly, they faced defeats. The
religious preachers used to claim
that they had divine power. But still
they had to fight for hundreds of
years. It has taken over 350 years
for bourgeois democratic revolution
to score victory in Europe. In our
country also, the freedommovement
continued for so many years. As
against that, the first exploitation-
free socialist society in the world
existed for only 70 years in Soviet
Union.Slave society, monarchy and
capitalism constitute together an
exploitative systemthat has been in
vogue for thousands of years.
Compared to these thousands of
yearsof exploitativeorders,70years
are virtually nothing. Socialism was
facing danger from both inside and
outside.We must take lessons about
thecauseofdismantlingofsocialism
and raiseour heads again. Marxism
did not come because Marx wanted
it. Likewise the religious preachers
and the bourgeois humanists did not
appear because they so desired.
Every ideology is born out of a
historic necessity. Marxism has also
emerged in recognition to social
necessity. It is the urge for anti-
capitalist socialist revolution which
gave birth to Marxism. Marxism is
the only philosophy which is based
on the experimentally verified
scientific truth. The various
disciplines of science like Physics,
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
When monopoly appeared and concentration of capital
took place, economic base of fascism was established
little Andaman on 5
th
August. 15
localpeoplegarlandedtheportraitof
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh. Comrade
Balaram Manna who was the main
speakerdwelton thevariousburning
problems of peoples life and
criticized the various anti-people
policies of the central government.
Alipore Central Jail, Kolkata
SUCI(C) workers and leaders
who are servinglife termafterbeing
implicated infalse cases organized a
memorial meeting on 5th August
inside theAlipore central jail. It was
presided over by Comrade
Bansinath Gayen, veteran member
of the Party. Comrades Janardan
Pal, Anirudha Haldar, Srikanta
Haldar, Harisadhan Malikand other
workers, supporters, sympathizers
offered floral tribute to Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh. ComradesBansinath
Gayen, Janardan Pal and Anirudhha
Haldar spoke on the occasion.
Guwahati, Assam
On 5thAugust 2014, the Assam
State Committee held a mass
meeting at the Lakshmiram Barua
Sadan in Guwahati in
commemoration of the 38th
anniversary of demise of Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh, one of the fore-
ranking Marxist philosophers of the
present era and thefounder General
Secretary of our Party
SUCI(Communist). Comrade Asit
Bhattacharyya, Polit Bureau
Member of the Party was the main
speaker. Comrade Chandralekha
Das, Assam State Secretary was
the president of the meeting She in
her presidential address highlighted
the essence of the teachings of
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh,
elaborating at the same time on the
complex and difficult situation
prevailing in Assam. Comrade Asit
Bhattacharyyas speech is published
separately.
Ghatsila, Jharkhand
The memorial meeting was held
on5
th
August at the Study Centre of
Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh
Thought in Ghatsila. The meeting
was presided over by Comrade
Rabin Samajpati, Jharkhand State
Secretary while Comrade Ranjit
Dhar, veteran member of Polit
Bureau, SUCI(C) was the main
speaker. Before the meeting,
Comrade Dhar hoisted the red flag
and placed wreath at the full bust
statue of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh.
Speech of ComradeRanjit Dharwill
be published later.
Cuttack, Odisha
Memorial meeting was held at
Shaheed Bhawan hall, Cuttack, on
8
th
August. Comrade Dhuryati Das,
Odisha State Secretary presided
over. Here also, Comrade Ranjit
Dhar, was the main speaker.
Lucknow , UP
Memorial meeting was held on
5
th
August at Gangaprasad
Memorial Hall. The meeting was
presided over by Comrade Jagdish
Chandra Asthana, member of the
UP State Secretariat while Comrade
Dhurjati Das, Odisha State
Secretary, SUCI(C) was the main
speaker.
Andamans
In observance of the Memorial
Day, a discussion was organized at
Observance of 38th Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Memorial Day
(In our last issue, we published the news of observance of 38
th
Memorial Day of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh in various states. We hereby
publish some more news of the observance.)
Contd. from page 8
PAGE TEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Marxism is the only philosophy based on
experimentally verified scientific truth
Contd. on page 11
Chemistry, Physiology, Botany etc.
work indifferent domains of nature.
Each of these disciplines discovers
the laws governing the particular
domain. Marxism dialectically
coordinated, co-related and
generalized these particular laws
and discovered the general
principles, as a system of discipline
governing all movements in nature.
Marxalso discovered the particular
laws of social transformation and
development. The capitalists use
science for development of
technology for their industry,
defence andagriculture, for the need
of medical treatment, for exploring
the space, for manufacturing
transport vehicles and for meeting
such other necessities of theirs. But
they have tremendous opposition to
applying science in the realm of
philosophy or inthesphere of social
development. They do not want
science to govern evaluation of
ideology andsociety,examination of
social problems. They are afraid to
apply scientific philosophy in these
spheres. Because, in that event, the
very existenceof capitalism will be
threatened. But we want science,
scientific methodology in examining
each of the domains and
phenomena. The inexorable law
governing transition from primitive
society to slave society, slave
societytofeudalismandfeudalismto
capitalismalsogovernsthetransition
of capitalism to socialism and
socialismto communism.This isthe
course of history. This is the
teaching of Marxism. This is what
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh taught us
and built up the Party to lead the
revolutionary transformation.
CPI, CPI (M) never followed
Marxism
He saw that the dream of the
pioneers of Indian renaissance and
leaders and martyrs of freedom
struggle did not materialize in the
transfer of power. The desired
liberation did not come by. True
liberation means establishment of a
society free fromexploitation. Since
there was no real communist party
onthissoil,hebuiltuptheSUCI(C)
as the genuine communist party to
fulfil the necessity of freeing the
society from exploitation.The party
carrying the name communist party
of India fromwhich was formedthe
CPI (M) by split never grew as a
true communist party. What is its
history? You will be surprised to
know that in1925, great Stalin had
saidthatthe bignationalbourgeoisie
was compromising with the British
imperialists while the small
bourgeoisie and petty bourgeois
revolutionaries were fighting the
British rulers. He advised that the
communists should forge unity with
thispetty-bourgeoisieand isolatethe
compromising bourgeoisiefrom the
freedom movement. But when the
Gandhites cornered uncompromising
fighter Subhaschandra and
compelled him to resign from the
post of Congress President and then
suspended him, these so called
communistsstood by the Gandhites
and did not support Subhaschandra.
This is the history of the so called
communist party. Otherwise, the
very character of our freedom
movement would have been
different. In China, great Mao
Zedong had formed unity with Dr.
Sun Yat-sen, a nationalist
revolutionary likeSubhaschandra, to
prepare the ground for successful
accomplishment of proletarian
revolution. Similar role could have
been played by supporting
Subhaschandra. Subhaschandra
himself wanted that. On the eve of
Ramgarh left consolidation
conference, he exhorted the CPI to
joinso that the base of communism
could be created in India. The so
called communists did not attend
that conference because they were
busy arriving at acompromise with
the Gandhites. This so called
communistpartyofIndiadidnotjoin
the August movement of 1942.
When the whole country was in
ferment, this so called communist
party took side of the British
imperialism. Great Stalin had
reprimanded them by expressing
disgust at their shameful support to
British imperialism. This was the
role of the party named communist
party of India. Subhaschandra had
formed INA. INA had a tactical
unity with Japan. Whether this
tactics wascorrector not isamatter
of debate. But,there cannot be any
question about Subhaschandras
patriotism.But thecommunist party
joined Nehru in calling
Subhaschandra a stooge of Japan.
This is the history.
Then the leaders of undivided
CPI said that Hindus and Muslims
are two different nations. The RSS
leaders would be delighted to know
this version of the then undivided
CPI. The CPI leaders supported
the demand for Pakistan. This is
their past. What is the theory of the
CPI and CPI (M) even today?
According to their theory, Indian
bourgeoisie is progressive. Their
thesis talks of peoples democratic
revolution. In characterizing Indian
state, the CPI (M) says that it is a
bourgeois landlord state headed by
the big bourgeoisie.Who is this big
bourgeoisie? It is the monopolists.
Who can deny that monopoly has
appeared in India? Lenin had
shown that monopoly is the last
stage of capitalism. But, the CPI
(M) says it would fight against
feudalism and imperialism and the
national bourgeoisie is its ally. In
keeping with this theory the CPI
and later CPI (M) had called Indira
Gandhi as progressive and Morarji
Desai reactionary. They objectively
supported emergency by supporting
the 20-point programme of Indira
Gandhi. They did not participate in
the movement spearheaded by
Jayprakash Narayan. CPI had
openly supported Indira Gandhi
while the CPI (M) did it covertly.
Taking advantage of that and
exploiting the movement, the Jana
Sangh increased its strength. Had
the CPI and CPI (M) joined the
movement of Jayprakash Narayan,
the BJP could not have come to
this position today. We alone tried
to resist. But our strength was
limited. These very CPI (M)
leaders had united with the Janata
Party which had within its fold the
RSS and the Jana Sangh. This they
did to gain in the 1977 election.
They had come to power in the
state of West Bengal with the
backing of the Janata Party. This
very CPI (M) had joined hands
with the BJP to support the V P
Singh government. At Kolkata
maidan, Jyoti Basu had addressed
joint meeting alongwithAtal Behari
Vajpayee. Once with the support of
the BJP, the CPI (M) ran the
Kolkata Corporation. These are all
instances of worst opportunism.
How SUCI(C) was formed
through hard struggle
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh could
understand the character of this so
called communist party while he
was in the jail. He realized that the
said party did not grow following
correct Marxist methodology. Their
leaderscould be honest but they did
notadoptMarxismasthephilosophy
of life. They could not concretize
Marxism in India. So, he felt the
need of a real revolutionary party.
He started his struggle with six
revolutionary compatriots. Nobody
knew Comrade Shibdas Ghosh at
that time. There was no office of
the Party, no place to stay, no
availability offood.ComradeGhosh
had spent nights at Railway Station,
at the parks of the city. So many
days hehad spentwithout foodor in
half-starved condition. I have seen
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh going
without food in my school days.
Today, there is so much of
arrangement for us. The Party has
grown today substantially. But we
cannot forget even for a moment
the days Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
had to live without food. Undivided
CPI was a very big party at that
time. RSP formed from Anushilan
Samity was a big party. So was
Forward Bloc founded by Netaji
Subhaschandra. They used to taunt
us saying that if SUCI(C) were a
party,then bats were to be regarded
as birds. They used to say that
SUCI(C) was not party but a club.
But,Comrade Shibdas Ghosh cared
a fig. He moved with a firm
determination.Somepeopletoldhim:
You will not succeed. You have
hardly any follower. You have no
press publicity.You have no money
either. Your whole life will be
doomed. But Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh replied: I shall die fighting
and fight while dying. If there is
truthinmyideology,historywillgive
value to that one day. I might die
under a tree.But I shall lay at least
one foundation stone of revolution.
Today our Party is growing and
expanding, spread to almost all the
states. Our growth has not been
based on the number of MLAs or
MPs like CPSU led by Lenin and
CPC led by Mao Zedong. Has our
party shown any sign of breaking
up? Before last election, wehad an
MP, but this MP was not elected
based on our singular strength. We
at that time had a unity with the
TMC based on Singur-Nandigram
movement. This time we fought
alone. We knew we had hardly any
chance of winning. We, as a
revolutionary party, fought the
election. We had peoples support.
But we could not defeat money
power-muscle power-media power
and the rigging machinery. But has
any of our members or workers left
the Party? We have instead
increased our strength. Guided by
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought,
our Party comrades are firmly
committedtorevolutionaryideology.
We have got many new contacts
during the last election. These
contacts have been from the CPI
(M) as well as other parties and
fromamongthe masses. Werun our
Party by raising funds through sale
of coupons in the streets and
Contd. from page 9
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE ELEVEN
Contd. from page 10
Comrade Provash Ghoshs speech
Guided by Comrade Shibdas Ghosh Thought, our Party
comrades are firmly committed to revolutionary ideology
collecting subscriptionsby knocking
door to door.There are hundreds of
our workers who are whole timers,
who do not lead ordinary family life
and are ready to give everything for
the Party andrevolutionary struggle.
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
showed way to move with head
high
A new struggle is developing
across the country based on
Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh
Thought. Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
taught us to respect the great
personalities and luminaries of the
past,learnfromtheirlifeandstruggle
and apply Marxism-Leninismin our
own life. He hastaught us that the
kernelofrevolutionarypoliticsliesin
the higher standard of character, not
tall talks or quotation mongering;
what is needed is higher character
and human essence, winning others
by our behaviour, by affection and
decentconduct, nothing great can be
achieved through falsehood. He
taughtusthateverypersonwoulddie
oneday;but solong onewouldlive,
one must liveraising his head high,
even atthe timeof death,ones head
ought to remain high; oneought not
to bend before any injustice or
falsehood;onemust protesteachand
everyinjusticeonecomesacrosslife,
boldly and manly; here lies the real
joy of life. Remember, no one has
attained greatness based on the
quantum of wealth amassed. In the
world, no onehas becomegreat on
the basis of his bank balance or
property.Many of the great men had
starved, had no shelter and had to
bear with immense repression. But
they are ever alive in our mind
because of their human qualities,
human essence. This is what
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh has taught
us. Thousands of our workers are
imbued withthis teaching. We have
been organizing working class
strugglesonvariousdemandsbothin
this state and other states in the
country. We have been building
struggles over the demands of the
workers and poor peasants,
agricultural labourers and rural
workers. We are developing
movement against atrocities on
women. We are fighting for the
legitimate demands of the students
and youths. We are protesting
againstharrowingpricerise.Weshall
continue to develop movements
againsttheanti-peoplepoliciesofthe
central and state governments. But
whatistheobjectofourmovement?
Our object is not just realizing the
demands but to educate the people
with the teachings of Marxism-
Leninism-Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
Thought, arm them with
revolutionary consciousness and
culture, teach them how to conduct
struggle, how to die while fighting
against injustice, how to be united
based on ideology. We want united
struggle, innumerable peoples
committees to organize movement.
Build up public committees and
volunteercorpsin every locality.All
the people who have assembled here
in this vast gathering stretched upto
Chowringhee do not belong to our
Party. But we tell all of them that
they have been deceived for long.
Now, stand up and resist.At whose
order do the print and electronic
media function? Who own the
media? The media is owned by the
capitalist class. Who provide the
crores of rupees spent in the
elections? It is the capitalist class
which provides that. Repeatedly,you
have been duped.You will beduped
again. You must be united. Please
understandpolitics.Donotturnaway
from politics by thinking that the
cobbler must stick to his last. Then
wicked politics, nasty politics will
reign and the country will be in
further peril. Please apply your
intelligence to evaluate the parties.
Please be led by correct leadership.
Pleasedo not form opinionabout a
party merely looking at its
organizational strength. Examine
whether its ideology, principles,
culture and character are higher or
not. Please buildup the characterof
the students and youth. The youth
and the students are being undone.
This Bengal once gave birth to
Kshudiram, Pritilata, Bagha Jatin,
Rammohan, Vidyasagar, Rabindra-
nath, Saratchandra, Nazrul, and
Subhaschandra? Can that Bengal be
found today? First the CPI (M) and
thenthe TMC have ruinedthisstate.
Can these parties be accepted by the
people of Bengal? That is why my
appealtoyouistorousethestudents
and youth, set an example. My
appealtotheteachersis:Donotbend
your head before any party for the
sakeofjoborpromotion.Youwould
notdie starving.Isitgraceful forthe
college principals, university vice-
chancellors or professors to once
rally behind the CPI (M) and then
change colour overnight and tilt
towards the TMC? Are the artistes
andintellectualswhoaresellingtheir
conscience for getting some award
or title from thegovernment, doing
the rightthing? I shall tellthe police
personnel that for getting promotion
or avoiding transfer to a remote
place, you had once worked for the
CPI(M)andarenowworkingforthe
TMC.By that,you are only inviting
hatefrom the public. What will the
children of your families learn from
you? It is known to all that the laws
are promulgated not for the people
but for the sake of the bourgeoisie.
Yet, when the industrialists, ruling
partyleadersandworkersviolatelaw
tobuttresstheirowninterest,youare
unable to protect law. Is law taking
itsowncourse?Lawtakesthecourse
which the capitalists and there
servitors delineate. How are you
being used? They are enjoying
ministry, pelf and power, becoming
whoiswhosandgettingallthenasty
jobs doneby you.And you are hated
by the common people. Please
ponder over these questions. I shall
againcalluponthepeopletobuildup
volunteer corps in the towns and
villages. 11th August, the day of
martyrdomofKshudiram,isdrawing
nearer. Observe that day in every
home.Next, inSeptember,therewill
be birth anniversaries of two
luminaries,Saratchandraon17thand
Vidyasagar on 26th. Observe these
anniversaries with due solemnity.
Carry their messages to all
households.
Save the children for the sake
of civilization
I shall tell another thing to you
all. I have said this to my Party
workers also. Now, I am suggesting
the same thing to the responsible
citizens like you. On the holidays,
at least in the morning, organize
sports and games for the children,
encourage them to take part in
recitation, in debates, in other
cultural and social activities. Please
acquaint them with Vidyasagar,
Rabindranath,Saratchandra, Nazrul,
Subhaschandra, Bhagat Singh,
Chandrasekhar Azad and such
other great men. Under the vile
influence of blue films, cellphones
and dirty cinemas, the children of
your families are getting polluted.
Please save these children. No
matter if they are not associated
with our Party. But please
undertake this responsibility of
saving these children for the sake
ofcivilization.
Civilization is yearning for
emancipationonly Marxism-
Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought
can providethe path
The entire civilization is under
threat today. Human civilization did
not face such a big crisis earlier.
Civilization is in tears, restive in
pain and suffering, yearning for
emancipation. This emancipation
can only be brought about by the
revolutionary teachings of Marxism-
Leninism-Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
Thought.Adopt these revolutionary
thoughts and strengthen SUCI (C).
More strengthened is SUCI(C),
more will advance revolutionary
struggle and mass movement. I
conclude today with the hope that
you will come forward to
strengthen the Party.
Source of Quotations
1. Leftwingcommunism,aninfantile
disorder
2. Free translation from Bengali
speech
3. Free translation from Bengali
speech
4. Letter to Ballantyne, Vidyasagar
Rachana Sangraha
5. Letter to F. J. Mouat, Vidyasagar
Rachana Sangraha
6. Karunasagar VidyasagarIndra
Mitra
7. Letters wri tten to Hemantabala
Debi and her son, daughter, son-
in-law,brotherandgrandson
8. Quoted from the novels,
Charitrahin,PatherDabiandSesh
Prashna
9. Crossroads Subhas Chandra
Bose.
10. WeorournationhoodGolwalker
11. Swami VivekanandaBani O
Rachana, Udbodhan, 1st Edition,
1stVolumeand3rdVolume)
12. 12(LettertoMohammedSarafraj
ofNainital,SwamiVivekananda
Messages and Works,
Udbodhan,(Compiled)
13. Bani O Rachana, 3rd Vol. 5th
EditionSwamiVivekananda
14. Future of India, Swami
VivekanandaBaniORachana,
Bengali, Udbodhan, 1st Edition,
5thVolume
15. Bani O rachana Sangraha, 7th
VolumeIbid.
16. MyLifeandMission
17. Aamar Samarniti (My war
principles)SwamiVivekananda
Collected Works, Bengali, 5th
Volume
18. Swami Vivekananda Bani O
Rachana,Bengalli,Udbodhan,1st
Edition,2ndVolume
19. Swami Vivekananda Collected
Works,Bengali,Volume5
20. On the History of early
Christianity
21. Some aspects of Marxism and
Dialectical Materiali sm, SW, II
Vol.p.122
22. Essays,VishwaBharati
23. AnandaBazarPatrika,14-05-1940
24. CritiqueofHegelsphilosophyof
right
25. Adwaitya Vedanta, the scientific
religion
PAGE TWELVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Extremely complex and difficult international-national
situation today urgently calls for elevated
understanding and development of true Marxist
ideology and its rapid spread : Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya
Contd. on page 13
In his address Comrade Asit
Bhattacharyya submitted at the
outset: Owing to medical advice
concerning my illness I mightnot be
able to duly perform the imminent
task of presenting the relevant
issues in my speech with required
adequate importance, as you may
expect me to do on this day. So I
will try my best to present a few
very urgent points instead.
While paying his tribute to
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, Comrade
Bhattacharyya said : It is fifth
August today, this year marking the
thirty-eighth death anniversary of
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, our
teacher and guide and the great
proletarian leader and one of the
greatestMarxist philosophersof the
present era. Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh rose to the height of a rare
unique character leaving the imprint
of bold strides on the course of
history.Till hislast breath,thisgreat
thinker spentall his efforts towards
instilling the noble ideology of
Marxism-Leninismfirmlyinus.That
has given us a new life, has brought
us anewlight inlife.Theday of his
demise overwhelmed us and
remains to overwhelmus with such
a profound grief, that I do not find
any difference between the 5th
August of 1976 and the5thAugust
today in 2014. At the same time I
recall Lenins teaching: Turn your
grief into determination. I recall the
similar clarion call of the great
leader of the proletariat Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh that the more
profound the grief is in a
revolutionary the more profound is
the sense of duty that it awakens in
him. Thus, the more intense is the
sense of loss, the greater should be
the realization what it impels us
to takeup,upholdand carry out our
tasks most courageously. And this
makes the Day welost him,the 5th
August,the saddest day in our party
life and it will ever remain so. No
longerhe is living withus asis the
case with other giant Marxist
leaders like Marx, Engels, Lenin,
Stalin andMao Zedong.But despite
that, the way the thoughts of these
great leaders indubitably and
unceasingly exist as the only
weapon in the hands of
downtrodden, oppressed and
exploitedpeopleoftheworld,inthe
same way the thoughts of Comrade
ShibdasGhosharenotjustillumining
the desiredpathto the downtrodden
exploited people of India, those are
acting as the guideline to the
exploited oppressed people of the
whole world as well. The ideology
the great leader Marx had
propounded emerged before the
world asthe most powerful weapon
to the working class for their
emancipation from exploitation. In
course of time through its constant
and correct practice, most
of the highest understanding of
Marxism- Leninism that Comrade
ShibdasGhosh has bequeathed to us
and to translate it into reality with
utmost sincerity and thereby
transform the unbearable pathos,
pain andgrief at the loss of such a
greatpersonality intothe unflinching
sense of responsibility.
While analyzing briefly the
present economic-political-social
situations in international and
national fields in the light of the
thoughtsofComradeShibdasGhosh,
Comrade Bhattacharyya said: This
year 5th August is being observed
under verydifficult international and
latter there were wars between
states, and the entire world got
entangled into those wars, is not
always to be found in the wars
taking place these days. Most of the
present wars or war-like conflicts
are turning out to bedeadly clashes
between peoples. A section of
people are falling into the traps of
capitalist-imperialist powers and
their subservient political parties;
they are becoming victims of their
cunning instigations and
provocations. Thus people of one
group arepouncing upon people of
another group; are bringing about
cruel ghastly massacres. Neither do
these clashes show any signs of
ending. Not only that. Provoked and
fanned by imperialist designs those
are spreading out with time. At the
same time on critical ultimate
analysis one can note that these
painfulevents arenot withoutforces
conducting these as operators from
behind; rather everywhere it is the
capitalists and their subservient
politicalforces andparties whichare
acting as the triggers andmovers of
thesefratricidal clashesand killings.
Losing everything from the all-out
exploitation of capitalism and its
subservient forces and thereby
joining the ranks of proletariat,
common people, in course of their
frantic efforts for survival,are also
losing their sense of rationality and
judgment. From all this, it can be
easily surmised that it is the
economic factor which is acting as
the root factor behind emergence of
this dangerous situation. Obviously,
thesewars are not fixing capitalism-
imperialism as the main enemy and
are not being directed towards the
goal of emancipation from their
exploitation. Rather,in consequence
of these, roots of capitalism-
imperialism are driving deeper and
more firmly into one country after
another. These hapless warring
people do not even have before
them the ideology which can help
them correctly understand the
heinous designs of the capitalist
class and make themselves free
fromclutches of these designs.As a
result,ononehandsuicidalwarsand
clashes and on the other all-
pervasive exploitation of the
capitalists are causing people to die
pointlessly in millions. There is
virtually no single country where
people are being able to live free
(This is the speech of Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya delivered at the 38
th
Memorial meeting of Comrade Shibdas Ghosh in Guwahati on 5
th
August, 2014)
historical res-ponsibility.You must
have noted that the entire world is
nowinthetightgripofcapitalism.
Barring thetwo states,North Korea
and Cuba, the entire world gripped
under capitalism is being ravaged by
it. This capitalismis no longerinits
age of development; it has now
become totally decadent capitalism,
which everywhere on the earth has
assumed the shape of the worst
possible imperialism. At the same
time, ithas doneaway withall kinds
of democratic values and has
assumed the character of fascism.
Long back Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
lucidly andelaborately illustrated all
thisto us.
You are aware of the first and
the second world wars. There has
not yet been any third world war,so
to say. But the happenings all over
the world make no less than a third
world war. Almost every country
over the globe has turned into a
battlefield. Whichevercontinent you
may look at,Asia, Africa, Europeor
America, everywhere some kind of
war is continuing. Some of these
may be military or economic wars
between two states; but there is a
notable fundamental difference
between these wars and the first or
second world wars. The way in the
continuation of the philoso-phical
struggle which the forbearers had
launched, we find further
development of its understanding
making it more precise, more
penetrating, in the hands of one of
the great Marxist thinkersof thisera
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh. This
empowered the revolutionaries of
the working class with higher
consciousness and a fighting zeal,
showing clearly their path of
emancipation in the changed
international situation. True, on this
very particular day we dwell afresh
upon different facets of his
teachings. But Comrade Shibdas
Ghoshs thoughts and teachings
make such a weapon, such an
instrument that we try everyday to
present it to toiling people, so that
their struggle for emancipation is
accelerated and the revolutionary
movement in India advances faster
along the correct path. History
would not pardon us if we do not
accomplishthistask consciously and
in the right manner. It needs no
pointing out that observing the 5th
August is no ritual.It is on thisDay
that we, the leaders, the cadres and
the masses stand united to take
pledge once more to equip
ourselvesfurtherwiththerealization
i mp o r t a n t l y
through the
r e l e n t l e s s
efforts of giant
Marxist leaders
of later period,
that ideology
attained newer
heights, its
understanding
reached new
d i me ns i o n s .
Following the
same process in
n a t i o n a l
circumstances.
We must
correctly assess
that, because
without a
p r o p e r
underst andi ng
of international
and national
situations we
would not be
ableto correctly
determine our
Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE THIRTEEN
Contd. from page 12
Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya on 5 August
Even successful mass uprisings need correct ideology and
leadership to protect them from bourgeois counter-onslaughts
from these onslaughts. So you see
for yourself, thiswar-laden situation
all over the world has its roots in
capitalism and capitalist economy.
All thisis oncemoremakingit clear
that economy is what determines
everything else.
The national situation is no
different. In India, too, the same
scenario is repeating itself,the same
people versus people war. What do
you see in Assam? Contradictions
between Assamese and non-
Assamese, between Boro and non-
Boro, between Rava andnon- Rava:
all these giving way to endless
bloodbath. This has become a time
when a poor Rava would
unhesitatingly kill a poor Muslim
fellow or the reverse,one act giving
way to theother inreaction, though
boththe killer himself andthe killed
belong to the exploited class, both
are oppressed. Such community
clashes with fratricidal bloodshed
are coming up glaringly all over the
country. Thecapitalist class are hell
bent today upon ensuring that they
do not have to face any situation of
the sort of armed revolution like
those of Russian or Chinese
revolutions. So they are taking
recourse to thousand and one
deceptions and designs, are framing
newer and newer means and
methods of pushing people into the
vortex of self-annihilation. So it is
clear that these conspiracies, these
tactics ofthe capitalist classmust be
repulsed and shattered. There is no
second road to confront the
situation.Itisalso aninfallibletruth
at the same time that people do
possess the necessary power to
accomplishthistask.If the exploited
people can standup united and thus
strong,intherightsenseof theterm,
in no country on this earth can the
capitalists-imperialists hold
themselves in power for even
minutes together. You must have
noted that in the last few years in
different Asian and African
countries,people through their mass
uprising, albeit transient, could
overthrow their oppressive rulers at
fair ease.But it is equally true that
having done this without being
organized on the edifice of correct
ideology they could not reach their
desired goals. Rather, the
subservient forces of capitalists
adopted newertactics to come back
to power with newer cloaks on.
The moot question is, who
would provide people with this
power, this required ideological
understanding.Here the word who
does not mean any individual; it
stands for the ideology. Marxism-
Leninism, dialectical materialism
foundedupon scienceis thatavowed
ideology of the present days.
Marxismis an invincible ideological
weapon in the hands of exploited,
downtrodden people of the world.
The historic necessity arising in the
present difficult situation is to step
up and intensify the struggle for
correctly comprehending and
effectively conveying to the masses
this weapon of Marxism which has
been further enriched by all the
great leaders like Engels, Lenin,
Stalin, Mao Zedong and Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh. This process cannot
move ahead, and hence revolution
cannotbebroughtinuntilandunless
one can correctly and properly carry
out the struggle for developing the
desired comprehension and
realizationof Marxism within ones
self. Revolution connotes a
fundamental radical change of an
existing condition and system.If we
cannot combat thepresent situation
on the strength of Marxism-
Leninism- Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
Thoughts, it will becomestill more
devastating. Then you see,
revolution depends upon correct
realization of its proper ideology. In
continuity of Marx, Lenin
pronounced that revolution is
invincible and inevitable in the
course of history. Today, the
concrete condition for revolution to
take place has matured. What is
needed isthe midwife.Who isto act
as that midwife? It is the
revolutionary political party imbued
and invigorated with Marxism-
Leninism- Comrade Shibdas Ghosh
Thoughts. Each and every
revolutionary must engage him- or
herself in the struggle to become
glowing icon of this ideology of
Marxism-Leninism,so muchso that
he or she acquires the power to
attract downtrodden, exploited
masses like amagnet. Through this
struggle of acquiring the correct
realization of Marxism- Leninism
willbebornarevolutionary,thatfirst
revolutionary will give birth to a
second and so on and on.This way
therewill emergeunending numbers
ofrevolutionariesthroughwhomthe
ideaLife is for revolutionwill be
manifested glowingly.For that, first,
these revolutionaries will have to
wipeout all meanness, all traces of
self-centredness from within
themselves and thus clean
themselves relentlessly, will have to
free themselves from the sense of
private property and uproot all
vestigesofindividualismfromwithin
themselves and, thus prepared, will
have to go to the masses, organize
them, to immerse themselves in the
taskofbuildinguppeoplesclassand
mass struggles on the correct path
makingif clear thatintheir own life
they have no other existence than
revolution,its ideologyandstruggle.
Revolutionwillbeusheredinonlyin
course of such struggles. The
second requirement is the
revolutionary party. Repeatedly
Lenin brought it to attention that
revolution cannot take place in
absence of a revolutionary party and
sucha party cannot comeinto being
without a correct revolutionary
theory.So itis neededthat agenuine
revolutionary party must be founded
onthe edificeof correct realization
of correct invincible revolutionary
theory struggle must be stepped up
to higher and higher stages on the
basis of that theory in which every
single revolutionary shall equip
himself to carry out the struggle to
its logical end and thereby
developing himself or herself into
worthiest revolutionary and in this
process of acquiring higher
ideological and organizational
standard to emerge as immensely
powerful,invinciblerevolutionaries.
Building up oneself in this manner
amounts to strengthening a
revolutionary party. Failure to
conduct this struggle in the post-
revolution days brought about
problemsinSovietUnionandChina.
The leaders and cadres who were
supposed to bear the brunt of the
revolutionary responsibility in the
Soviet Union after Leninand Stalin
orinChinaafterMao Zedong,could
not perform the correct historical
role theywere bestowedwith. Their
thoughts and consciousness slid
down instead of rising higher; as its
inevitable consequence many of
them became victims of capitalist
thinking, knowingly or not. As
inevitable outcome of this, the
uniquebeautiful creations of Lenin,
Stalin or Mao which had astounded
Contd. on page 14
AIDSO organised a massive students demonstration in Bangalore on 19 August
aganist delay in distribution of text books at Bangalore University
Eminent intellectuals protesting growing atrocities on women
at a Convention in Kolkata on 23 August organised by
Nari-Nigraha Birodhi Nagarik Committee
Peasants and women against land grab in Jaunpur U.P. on 1 August
PAGE FOURTEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PROLETARIAN ERA
Contd. from page 13
theworldandoverwhelmed it,broke
downinnotime.Theentireuniverse
is subject to laws, is governed by
laws. Violation of those laws and
methodologies can only bring about
disastrous ends: the debacles simply
proved it once more.
On this background it is of
paramount importance that the
revolutionary party of any country
must be zealously guarded from any
kindoferosion, deviation, distortion
or any kind of decline stemming
fromloweringoflevelofcommunist
consciousness. These points need to
be taken into account at the very
beginning while considering the
questions of preserving and
protecting the Party that Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh had founded and
thereupon, of advancing the Indian
revolution towards its achievement.
I wish to add firmly and
emphatically that repulsing all those
bourgeois attacks and keeping our
party correctly on the revolutionary
line equates also withdefending the
world communist movement. It is
because without correctly realizing
the latest and most illuminating
understanding of Marxism-Leninism
that Comrade Shibdas Ghosh has
bequeathedtous,wewillnotbeable
to bring about anyadvancement at
all of the communist movement in
India or rather the world. It is also
Comrade Asit Bhattacharyya on 5 August
Thwart clandestine infiltration of bourgeois thoughts relentlessly
with revolutionary thoughts and developed ideological standards
absolutely essential for everybody
who aspires for revolution to
correctly realize the more enriched
and elaborate understanding of the
historical role of individual that
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh has
enunciated. The situation arising
todayintheentireworld,theheinous
tacticsthe capitalistclass isadopting
to befool and distract people and
thereby, trying to make it virtually
impossibletobuilduprevolution:to
resistand thwart all these wemust
raise our understanding of Marxism-
Leninism to much higherand higher
stage. Through that not only the
world communist movementwill be
cleared of its maladies, it will
become stronger and speedier. In
this struggle it is unquestionably
essential that we take up correct
cult of acquiring Comrade Shibdas
Ghosh Thoughts and applying those
correctly in our personal life and
conduction of revolutionary
movement as well. How fast we
canwipeoutallthefilthfromwithin
ourselves,can make our knowledge
and realization of ideology sharper
with every passing day, can
respond to this call of historic
necessity and engage ourselves in
the struggle covering all aspects of
life for building up communist
character,upon all thesewill depend
the growth and strengthening of the
Party, SUCI (Communist).And this
isthecoursealongwhichtheroadto
Indian revolution will be made
smoother and wider; it will advance
the struggle for worldrevolution as
well.On thesequestions,that is, on
the question of strengthening the
world communist movement afresh
with new vigour and of advancing
the Indian revolution fast, on the
question of speedy growth and
advancement of SUCI (Communist),
we must recall every moment the
unique struggle that Comrade
Shibdas Ghosh had carried out with
a view to freeing every cadre from
all theideas, thoughts and activities
detrimental to revolution. It is not
true that because capitalism has
proved itself exhausted, it cannot
cast anymore its harmful influences
on the cadres of revolutionary
movements. Rather the truth is that
it still holds the powerto lead many
of the revolutionary cadres astray in
case of absence of adequate
revolutionaryconsciousness inthem.
Itisbecauseofthis,withoutfail,we
must remain ever-vigilant upon
whether any non- revolutionary
traits and tendencies are sprouting,
may be subtly, in the Party
workers. Each and every Party
worker must keep him- or herself
relentlessly engaged in self-
introspection.The leadersmust also
takeit asone of their maintasks to
destroy outright in the bud any
clandestine infiltration of bourgeois
ideas and thoughts whenever they
find it and to adopt every means
and methods to help the victim
workers to free themselves from
these problems. We must always
keep in mind that capitalism is an
ever-flowing streamof deadly toxic
air.Nobody can escape fromit until
and unless he or she relentlessly
washes him- or herself clean with
the revolutionary thoughts
developing the ideological standard
every moment. Be it leaders or
cadres, capitalism would not spare
anybody, in case there is not
adequate resistance power. Today
on5thAugust,the dateonwhichwe
lost this great thinker, wemust take
pledge united that in continuity of
and imbued with his life-long
struggle, we would not allow
ourselvesto belead astray fromour
goal by anything surreptitiously
acting from behind the cloak of
reasons. We will thwart thisheinous
designbyconductingall-outstruggle
relentlessly and guided by his
teachings. We must uproot private
property and the sense of private
property, individualism and even the
last vestiges, the last tips of the
roots of most subtle self-centred
thoughts.We, ourselvesmust beour
ever-watchful sentinels. I end my
discoursewiththisappealtoyouall.
Longliverevolution!
Long live SUCI(C)!
Red Salute to
Comrade Shibdas Ghosh,
the great leader of the proletariat!
Students launch militant movement in Patna Bihar
Students of Patna University
have been agitating all these years
against theVice Chancellors order
to strike off the names and cancel
the degrees of students against
whom FIR had been filed for
participating in movements between
2007 and 2014. On June 5, AIDSO
had demonstrated at Patna and
burned the effigy of the Chancellor.
As the authorities of the Patna
University closed down different
students hostels, students protested
with indefinite dharna, mass
signature campaign on streets and
other means .Instead of attending to
the problems of students, the
authorities however declared that
there should not be any sort of
demonstrations etc. on part of
students, teachers or the employees.
When the students marched to the
Governors House in protest, the
police lathicharged them. A
convention was then organized in
Patna Collegethereafter on July 16
followed by students agitation the
next day when the police again
lathicharged. From July 19, students
set onstrike; collegeand university
both remained totally closed. Then
followed one after another
undemocratic decisions of the
university. It declared that students
would be charged a fine of Rs.50
per day for absencefrom class and
in case of absence for five
consecutive days, given TCs and
expelled. Aggrieved, the students
then marched to the Assembly only
to be ruthlessly beaten by the
police several sustaining serious
injury. The girl students were even
manhandled. AIDSO District
Secretary Comrade Saroj Kumar
Suman, Pushpa Kumari, Sumanlata
Mourya,Sadhna Kumari, Shimla
Mourya,DipikaKumari wereamong
thosearrested. On July 25,all over
Bihar, Black Day was observed,
demonstrations and blockades were
held.This determinedstruggle ledby
the AIDSO against the
undemocratic steps and attempts at
privatization followed by the
university has drawn active
supports from other student unions
and organizations like AISA, AISF
etc. towards the cause and the
movement.
Protest
Demonstration
in Haryana
The AIKKMS, Haryana unit
organized a peasants-workers
protest demonstration on 18 August
at Tosham, Bhiwani in which
several vital demands were raised
and the effigy of the Prime
Minister was burned. In his brief
address, District Secretary of the
organization Comrade Jile Singh
brought attention to the increased
onslaught from the BJP government
led by Narendra Modi even during
this short period it had come to
power. As against that the
AIKKMS was continuing
movement with demands of
declaring the state as drought area,
restart of long-pending schemes,
stopping land grabbing and eviction,
withdrawl of rampant hike of prices
of diesel, fertilizers and pesticide
etc., and other essential items.
PROLETARIAN ERA SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 PAGE FIFTEEN
On 30 July 2014 early morning,
amidst heavy rain continuing from
previous day, a massive flow of
mud and boulders came crashing
down onMalinvillageofAmbegaon
taluka of Maharashtra in the
Western Ghats mountains of
western India.As the reports go, the
entire village of Malin, barring the
school building, was washed away.
Hundreds of villagers were trapped
under the rubble, scores of bodies
were recovered along with a few
survivors.
In this part of the country
landslides are common in the
Western Ghats hills during the
monsoon season. Two nearby
villages were hit by landslides in
2006-07 and the villagers are still
fighting with authorities for
relocation. Yet vulnerability of
landslides seems to have increased
manifold in recent years without
causing any perturbation in the
government or local authorities.The
Malin tragedy was devastating,
casualties and losses were evident,
but there were still sadder parts of
the incident that needed to be
brought out to gaugeits gravity.
Since long people there
practiced terrace method of
cultivation on the hill slopes, called
Padkai system, carried out
manually on gradual slopes (not
greater than 50 degrees steep),
cutting trees only where it was
essential and creating water
channels for drainage . For the last
fewyears, privatemoney indisguise
of NGOs and then the Agriculture
Department of the state
government came into the scene and
pushed for improved terracing
projects. However, without caring
to properly survey the land, they
started using heavy machinery for
quick large scale excavation,
deforestation and flattening of land
particularly on steephill slopesthat
were intrinsically unstable.They left
no water channels in fields to help
drainage; on the contrary, they
dumped excavated soil on the slopes
without reinforcements or walls to
hold it in place. Uprooting of trees
and excavation loosened soil;
deforestation on steep slopes added
greater danger; dumping of
excavated loose material created
more of loose soil; machine-made
pits or tranches held rain water for
longer than desired; all these
allowed rain water to get easily
absorbedinthesoil,loosenitfurther
and act as lubricant. Thus use of
heavy machines over the past 3-4
years has made the area extremely
landslide prone.
To add fuel to the fire, a
windmill project on Indo- German
collaboration with huge corporate
money invested has been given
sanction, without any regulation or
monitoring, on the plea of
introducing environmental friendly
wind-energy. The project work
officially felled 28,000 trees;
unofficial reports place the figure at
around 3 Lakh. Roads with steep
gradients were built from the base
of the hillto the top.
On these observations,the 2011
report of the Western Ghats
Ecology Expert Panel headed by Dr
Madhav Gadgil, the internationally-
acclaimed ecologist, predicted
landslides in the area triggered by
large-scale deforestation coming in
association with the said Indo-
German windmill project. The Panel
also held that environmental damage
taking place along the Western
Ghatscanonlybecontrolled if local
people arefully involvedinplanning
for and monitoring the development
without relying on the government
machinery. The local forest range
officer also had recorded that the
area belonged to the tracts of high
rainfall and biodiversity-rich
evergreen forest, contiguous with
that in the Bhimashankar Wildlife
Sanctuary, and home to
Maharashtras state animal, the
MalabarGiant Squirrel.On these, he
had recommended that the windmill
project should not be sanctioned.
The government first tried to
suppress Dr Gadgils report. Failing
that, they, as good as, buried the
report. They even came out with
another set of dubious findings
diluting Gadgils recommendations;
the range officer was overruled by
hissuperiors whocleared theproject
by patently misrepresenting facts.
Afterwards there were further
warnings on landslide. Lastyear the
Kasturirangan Committee in its
report on the WesternGhats marked
Malin along with two other villages
in the region as high-risk
Ecologically Sensitive Areas.
Even immediately before the
tragedy took place, on 29 July at 6
pm NASA released landslide
potential map, highlighting Malin,
rather the entire Bhimashankar
region extending till Gujarat, as
strongly landslide prone. The
South Asian Network for Dams,
Rivers and People (SANDRP) had
also posted an alerton itsFacebook
pageon the night of July 29.
But all these were simply
ignored, or overlooked, with usual
blame game starting now after the
debacleto fixthe responsibility.The
present tragedy is anatural outcome
of all such gross negligence and
least concern for maintaining
ecological balance, however loud
may the authority cry to make
people believe otherwise holding
heavy rainas the culprit. The hand
of manplayed foul on the nature to
causethe latter bounce back in fury.
TheMalinlandslideinanareawhich
should have existed as a lush green
locality of the evergreen forest of
the Western Ghats is the latest
example of that fury of nature. It
calls upon mankind to check their
relentless unwise moves against
nature. Short of it, debacles similar
to the Malintragedy will recur now
and then only to take toll of human
life and property, onlyto addto the
sufferings of common poor people
who are already bend hard from the
pressure of ruthless capitalist
exploitation,from thousand and one
problems of life and livelihood
plaguingtheirlife.
In our write up in Proletarian
Era onthe Uttarakhandcalamity last
year, we pointed out in conclusion
thatCapitalismisfacingacutecrisis
and recession, yet hankers for
maximum profit and frantically
strives for keeping the system on.
The capitalists are not leaving any
social, activity or field of life,
economy, politics, science,
education, games, and others free
from their octopus-grip of profit-
hunting. We reiterate those words
incharacterizingthisMalinlandslide,
an incident in naturebrought about
criminally negligently by the people-
in-power. And as in all such cases,
here againit is amply demonstrated
that the governments which rise to
power riding on the so-called
democratic processes and on
slogans like augury of achchey din
(good days) or development and
such others, discharge their duties
simply in service of the corporate,
the rich, the moneyed,be it of land
or abroad. Not only people cannot
expect them any more to stand for
theirlifeandlivelihood;ateverystep
they are going to find these
governments act ruthlessly cruel to
the people to make way for the
corporates.This is where capitalism
has come down to today.To ensure
safety, security, certainty, real
prosperity and not the horribly
skewed development in favour of
the rich, people will haveto realize
that so long as capitalism continues
to exist, it will exist to torment and
squeeze people to the last drop of
their blood. There is no escape
route for people, including those of
Malin; on face of danger, it will be
futile to search for a better abode;
the only course that remains is to
make correctly-led determined
organized struggle to overthrow the
capitalist system from its seat of
power. The sad plight of Malin
people is the latest eye-opener to
this end.
Oil companies are making
fabulous profit
The government has been systematically raising retail fuel prices on
the plea of rescuing loss making Oil Marketing companies. In January
2013,the government had authorized the OMCsto increaseretail prices
of diesel by Re0.50 every month to close the gap on their under-
recoveries. While petrol prices have been fully deregulated,OMCs claim
their under-recoveries for 2014-15 for subsidized LPG, kerosene and
diesel may cross Rs 1.07 lakh crore. In our earlier articles, we had
categorically shown that this very contention of lossmaking is a hoax
astheoil companiesaretryingto poseso calledunderrecoveryasloss.
In fact, they are all making profit.
Now that is corroborated by the findings of the Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG) in its latest report on pricing of petroleum
products. CAGs report summarized that the public sector oil companies
Indian Oil, HPCL and BPCL are making profits by selling oil and
petroleum productstoconsumers,contrary to the perceptionthatthey are
selling oil at a loss. Thegain,which couldeasily have been passedon to
retailconsumers,has beenestimatedtobearoundRs50,000crore infive
years between 2007 and 2012. On the contrary, the OMCs have been
reporting underrecoveries to the tuneof overRs1.10 lakhcrore every
year.The government auditor has observed that all these projected losses
arenotional dueto flawedpetroleum pricing.TheCAGreport isbelieved
to have detailed how state-owned oil companies adopted a pricing
formula that resulted in windfall gains to them and even some private
refiners. The federal auditor has disputed the under-recovery stories of
these public sector OMCs and explained in detail how these could have
been avoided to give reliefto the consumers. The findings are based on
a thorough scrutiny of accounts of IOC,HPCL and BPCL. (Source:
Times of India02-07-14)
Malin landslide in Maharashtra
reveals once more the cruel face of capitalism
RNI No. 13932/67
P. R. No. KOL / RMS / /145 / 2013-2015
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : PROVASH GHOSH
Edited&PublishedbyAsitBhattacharyyafrom48LeninSarani,Kolkata700013andprintedbyhimatGanadabiPrintersandPublishersPrivateLimited,
52B,IndianMirrorStreet,Kolkata700013.Phone:2249-1828,2265-3234E-mail:suci_cc@vsnl.net,proletarianera@gmail.com,Website:www.sucic.in
Please note change of address of our website :
Our website address is www.sucic.in
AIMSS strongly condemns Arun
Jaitleys derogatory remark on the
ghastly Nirbhaya rape case
Dr.H.G.Jayalakshmi, General Secretary, All India Committee of
AIMSS,issued the following statement on 25
th
August, 2014:
The All India Committee of AIMSS severely condemns the
statement of the Union Finance and Defence Minister, Mr,Arun Jaitely
, referring to the painful Nirbhaya rape and murder incident in Delhi
which shook the conscience of the entire nation, as a small incident.
Hehas said that the incidentadvertised worldover was enough to cost
India billions of dollars interms of global tourism.His clarifications
notwithstanding his statement deservesevere condemnation. Not only
it reflects his attitudeof considering the rapeasmallcrime but also his
concern for business interests than the dignity, safety and security of
women.
It is still fresh in thememory of the people the irresponsible
remarks of leadersof different political parties like Mulayam Singh or
Tapas Paul on a serious issue like rape,which are diluting the crime
and emboldening the criminals. As suggested by Justice Verma
Commission,timehascometoenactalawproviding forthesubsequent
disqualification of elected representatives for making derogatory
statements for reinforcing gender bias contrary to the Constitutional
mandate.
Martyrs Day Observed in
Andaman and Tripura
On August 11 in the morning,
nearly 5 thousand students of Little
Andaman participated in
programmes including a drawing
competitionorganized inmemory of
the great martyr Khudiram Bose.
Bijan Mondal , Secretary of
Educational and Cultural
Organisation addressed the
gathering held on the same evening,
with the Organisation President
Mohan Mistry in conduction. To
commemorate the occasion of
August Revolution of 1942 on
August 9 Dr. TK Palit Chief
Medical Officer of the island and
educationist Dr. N Nehru
addressed a meeting held at
Netajinagar in Little Andaman. At
the meeting 9 of thoseearly settlers
Significant victory of
AIDSO in Chhattisgarh
colleges
In the recent student union
elections in Durg district in
Chhattisgarh AIDSO has registered
a number of significant wins. In
Science College, Durg Nisha
Deshalhare has won the post of the
Assistant Secretary in addition to
AIDSO winning a class
representative. In Kalyan
Mahavidyalaya Bhilai AIDSO has
won eight class representatives and
The Uttar Pradesh Bhoomi
Adhigrahan Birodhi Morcha( Uttar
Pradesh Platform to Oppose Land
Acquisition) hasbeen carrying on a
movement since long to oppose
forcibleacquisitionofarablelandfor
the construction of National
Highway from Lucknow to
Varanasi.Also the authorities havea
plan to build 17 by-pass roads. Of
these, inJaunpur alone 6 suchroads
willbe builtoveran areaof 64kms.
In the process arable lands, shops,
animal husbandry, trees and over
and above earning of peasants
wouldsuffer onslaught.
On August 1, a dharna
programme was held where
thousands of peasant women took
out a rally to the District
Magistrates office. At the dharna
meeting, Parasnam Singh presided
over with Ravishankar Mourya in
conduction. Speaking on the
occasion, District Secretary of the
platform and others criticized both
the state as well as the central
governments for their plans and
projects at the cost of peoples
interest. They exposed the
government policy of land
acquisition saying 65% arable land
would be seized causing the
peasants serious damage. The
speakers laid emphasis on the
necessity of strengthening the
movement. A petition was
submitted to the UP Chief Minister
through the District Magistrate. A
programme of setting up Human
Chains was proposed to be held on
August 24 against the land-
acquisition policies of the
Government.
UP Movement against Land Acquisition
who had initiated habitation in the
Andamans were felicitated.
In aprogramme atDelhi Ground
N.R.Rath, Principal, Mayabazar
College spoke. Another programme
of discussion was also organized at
Ramkrishna Bazar. In the different
schools of Andaman, the students
wore Khudiram memorial badges
and the teachers dealt on the life-
struggleof the great martyr.
At Agartala, Tripura, the 107
t h
martyrs day was observed on
August11,with107candlesbeinglit
at the outset and badge-wearing
continuing for the whole day. This
programme initiated by theAIMSS ,
AIDYO and AIDSO had
Comrades Sanjoy Chowdhury and
Mridul Sarkar as the speakers.
inPankhajur College it haswon the
post of the Secretary.
UP College students
launch movement at
Jaunpur
At Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh,
students of Purbanchal University
organizedaprotestdemonstrationon
7 August 2014 at the TD College,
Jaunpur,againstdelayinbringingout
examination results and incomplete
at that, against exorbitant fees-hike
etc. The programme included
burningof the effigy of Kulpati.
In Patna, on August 4, Comrade Krishna chakraborty, member, Polit Bureau
SUCI(C), discussing on Difference among left and democratic forces and the
present situation.
On August 20, a huge rally was taken out by SUCI(C) Delhi State Committee
against privatization of potable water and electricity,
price-hike, atrocities on women etc.
At Agartala, Tripura, 107th Mertyrs Day Rally by AIMSS, AIDYO and AIDSO