Observe Centenary of the Communist Movement in India

Observer

The Central Committee meeting at Bengaluru has decided to observe the Centenary of the Communist Movement in India, considering the meeting at Tashkent in Soviet Union on 17th October, 1920, in which its first committee was formed as its beginning. The Centenary programs shall start with a meeting in Delhi on 17th October 2019, to be followed by the programs in different states till 17th October, 2020. At a time when the Communist movement is facing severe challenges, the CC calls on all Party committees to organize programs all over the country raising the banner of communism high.

Like in other parts of the world, the Russian Revolution of 1917 served as a great inspiration to revolutionaries in India who at that time were engaged in the struggle for the liberation from British rule. Many of them were living in exile and had been in contact with Lenin and the Bolshevik Party and in 1913-14 some of them had formed the Ghadar Party. But it was in 1920 that the Communist Party of India came into existence.

The ground for the formation of an émigré Communist Party of India was prepared by the Second Congress of the Third International (1920). The Comintern Executive Committee (ECCI) set up a sub-committee, the ‘Small Bureau’, to begin the process. The Bureau organised the First Congress of the Peoples of the East at Baku in September 1920, specifically aimed at fighting imperialism in Asia. This was followed by the formation of the Communist Party of India on 17 October, 1920 at Tashkent. The seven members were M. N. Roy, Evelyn Roy-Trent, Abani Mukherjee, Rosa Fitingov, Mohammad Ali, Mohamad Shafiq and Acharya. Shafiq was elected as the secretary of the party, Roy as secretary of the party’s Bureau based in socialist Turkestan and Acharya as the chairman who signed the minutes. At the first meeting on 17 October, the organization adopted its name as the ‘Indian Communist Party’. The inaugural meeting also adopted the principles of the Comintern and decided to work out a programme of the CPI that was ‘suited to the conditions of India’. A preliminary discussion was held on membership procedure and affiliation to the Comintern. The meeting was concluded with the singing of ‘The International’.

M.N. Roy, as the principal organiser of the party, successfully recruited young ex-Muhajir students from India. Roy and Evelyn Roy-Trent, his wife and comrade at the time, played a key role in bringing Mohammad Shafiq, Mohammad Ali and other ex-Muhajirs into the fold of the nascent communist party. The former Muhajirs (Muslims on self-imposed exile from colonial India) were losing their faith in Pan-Islam and enthusiastically joined the early CPI as its founders and earliest members. They had started their journey from India as Muhajirs and joined the process of hijrat, or religious exodus from the land ruled by the infidel (British colonisers). This was an anti-colonial impulse which gained ground among a section of Indian Muslims during the First World War and its immediate aftermath. It was expressed through anti-imperialist Pan-Islamism and showed a marked tendency to align with other anti-colonial tendencies and groups. The aim of the Muhajirs was to reach Afghanistan and Turkey. Some of them had made their way through the North West Frontier Province to Afghanistan, and from there to Soviet Central Asia. In the Bolshevik territories, they underwent an ideological transformation.

The minutes of the CPI of 15 December, 1920 reveal the induction of three others as candidate members who had to complete a probation period of three months for full membership of the party. The same meeting also elected a three-member Executive Committee with Roy, Shafiq and Acharya. The party was registered in Turkestan and recognized by the Comintern as a group with a consultative voice during the Third Congress of the Communist International in 1921. Many of the ex-Muhajirs who joined the party in early 1921 travelled to Moscow and enrolled in the newly started University of the Toilers of the East.

The formation of the CPI was followed by the establishment of an Indian Military Training School in Tashkent. The school functioned from October 1920 to the end of May 1921. Its students, such as Rafiq Ahmad and Shaukat Usmani, later shifted to the University of Toilers of the East in Moscow. According to Muzaffar Ahmad, one of the pioneers of the communist movement in India, at least twenty-one names of young Muhajir students could be identified from the records. They had joined the Tashkent Military School and later some of them had enrolled at the university in Moscow. Of them, ten were arrested when they returned to India to form a communist movement. They were tried in the Peshawar Conspiracy Case and convicted to various terms of rigorous imprisonment. Shaukat Usmani who had been convicted in the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case of 1924, was re-convicted along with Mir Abdul Majid in the Meerut Conspiracy Case of 1929. Muzaffar Ahmad dedicated his memoirs of the CPI to Abdul Majid and Ferozuddin Mansur, two of the pioneering ex-Muhajirs turned communists from India.

Though the émigré communists faced persecution when they tried to return, their activities from abroad boosted and preceded the emergence of the communist movement on a wider scale within India. The formation of the party in Tashkent was followed by initiatives by the émigrés to connect with activists such as Muzaffar Ahmad, S. A. Dange, Singaravelu Chettier and others who were inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and were turning towards Marxist-Leninist politics and organising small communist groups in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lahore and Kanpur in the course of late 1921 and 1922.

The history of the communist movement from its first meeting in October, 1920 is a complex and chequered one. There were great achievements and serious setbacks during this period. There were intensive inner party struggles also. These struggles led to many crises and splits, including the first split in undivided CPI in 1964 leading to formation of the CPI (M). The inner party struggle within CPI(M) continued, leading to Naxalbari Uprising in 1967 and to the formation of CPI(ML) in 1969. Following the emergence and domination of the left adventurist line in it, the disintegration of it into many groups happened by 1972. It is still divided into a wide spectrum of organizations. The communist movement, or what is known under this banner, is presently ranging from CPI, and CPI (M) at the right extreme, to the CPI (Maoist), with its anarchist line, on the other extreme.

It was in this situation, the CPI (ML) Red Star, from the time of the formation of the Central Reorganization Committee (CRC) in 1979 initiated efforts to reorganize the movement ideologically, politically and organizationally based on Bolshevik lines, struggling against the modern day Mensheviks led by CPI(M) on the one hand, and against the modern day Narodniks represented by the CPI(Maoist). In continuation to these efforts, it convened the Ninth Party Congress at Bhubaneswar in 2011 after a gap of 41 years from the time of the (Eighth) Congress at Kolkata, upholding the great revolutionary heritage of the communist movement, and developing its ideological, political and organizational line according to the analysis of the vast changes that had taken place in the concrete conditions at the international and national levels. In this Congress, analyzing the intensification of ecological destruction under the neoliberal development paradigm, the contradiction between capital and nature was included in the Party Program as a fifth major contradiction. Analysing the cardinal importance of fighting against the caste system, it was also decided to launch the Caste Annihilation Movement.

Following this, the Tenth Party Congress was held at Lucknow, from 25th February to 2nd March, 2015. The decision to organize the Party Congress in the Hindi heartland was taken at a significant juncture in the history of the country when ultra rightist-saffron fascist forces had come to power replacing the decade long rightist rule of Congress led UPA, and when the left movement was facing great challenges. The successful convening of the Tenth Congress marked a further advance in the development of the party at ideological, political and organizational levels. It also marked the merger of sections of the communist revolutionary organizations with the party before and during the Congress. It has created a better situation for Communist Resurgence as the Resolution on the Theoretical Offensive adopted by the Party Congress pointed out.

This re-organization of the party and its development in all fields were based on the analysis of the ideological political challenges faced by the Communist movement in India from 1920s. The Tenth Congress developed the Party Program, Party Constitution and Path of Revolution along with the Political Resolution and the Resolution on Theoretical Offensive.

At the same time, even after the successful convening of the Tenth Congress it was a fact that so far only a small fraction of the very large number of communist rank and file spread out in the various organizations at all India level, who are holding red flag and professing Marxism-Leninism could be united. While taking up this task, in order to avoid past mistakes, it was necessary that the history of the hitherto unity efforts is scientifically evaluated. During the last four decades there were numerous efforts for unity from the side of the Marxist- Leninist groups who were agreeing on the analysis of the character of Indian state and society as semi colonial and semi feudal, stage of revolution as democratic, and strategy of revolution as ‘protracted people’s war’. But either they could not unite, or if united, their unity did not last long. On the whole, all of them refuse to recognize the vast changes taking place in the concrete situation under neo-colonial onslaught and to develop their ideological political line. As a result, most of these organizations are on the decline and some of them are facing further decimation.

The Eleventh Party Congress was organized by the CPI (ML) Red Star at Bengaluru from 27th November to 1st December, 2019, when the neoliberal/corporate-saffron fascist onslaught under Modi rule had intensified to dangerous levels demanding all round offensive against it from the struggling left and democratic forces. The Political Resolution adopted by the Party Congress states: “…. the uncompromising struggle against saffron fascist forces needs to be carried forward uniting with all the genuine secular, democratic and left forces having a principled stand against neoliberal policies. As opposed to the opportunist ruling class alliances, this alternative capable of bringing about a political and class polarization led by working class, peasantry and all the oppressed will strengthen itself and can more effectively and vigorously lead the struggle against corporate- saffron fascist forces. Raising high the banner of this principled and class-oriented political initiative is thus the need of the hour. If such an initiative is not forthcoming at this juncture, when the communist revolutionary forces are not strong enough to lead a nation-wide struggle against neo-liberalism and saffron fascist onslaught, as hitherto experience has time and again proved, it will only get marginalized and further weaken the Left forces both politically and organizationally. As such, this line of independent left assertion with clear-cut revolutionary political orientation is indispensable for enthusing the broad masses of struggling people in the country and for overcoming the depoliticizing situation propped up by the ruling system”.

It is a basic Marxist–Leninist teaching that “the correctness of the ideological political line determines everything”. A glance through the severe setbacks suffered by the international communist movement (ICM) which had reached a very high level of growth by 1950s, with one third of the world people living in the socialist countries and national liberation movements gaining strength in the Afro-Asian-Latin American countries, to the present situation of severe setbacks when all of them have deviated to capitalist path with the first socialist state, Soviet Union, disintegrating. Refusing to learn from these, as the CPI(M) led Left Front pursued the neoliberal policies and degenerated to social democratic positions, in spite of long periods of LF rule during the 17th Lok Sabha elections they were severely decimated in both Bengal and Tripura. Refusing to take lessons from this, still in its last bastion, Kerala, the LDF is arrogantly pursuing the suicidal path of imposing neoliberal policies on the people, going against the Marxist- Leninist teachings. At this critical phase, it is imperative that the communist forces make a self-critical evaluation of hitherto experience, and take up the concrete analysis of the concrete situation, developing the Marxist-Leninist understanding, program and path of revolution according to these changes. It is always the primary challenge before the communist movement.

So, for evaluation of the reasons for the setbacks suffered by the communist movement and for achieving the genuine unity of the revolutionary forces, the first and foremost task is to find out the ideological political reasons responsible for these setbacks. Based on this analysis, concerted efforts are needed to overcome the mistakes and to develop the theory and practice of revolution according to the present conditions. The most important reason for the failure, or setbacks suffered by the unity efforts so far, is that they were made without making any serious attempts to analyze and overcome the past mistakes and without trying to develop the ideological political line and programmatic approach according to the concrete conditions of present times. These shortcomings should be seen self-critically. At a larger context, the reasons for the International Communist Movement facing severe setbacks and declining to present levels, after reaching such glorious heights by 1950s, can also be traced to this aversion to confront the ideological challenges, to the aversion for always seeking truth from facts.

Presently with the return of Modi rule after the 17th Lok Sabha elections in India, and almost similar developments all over the world, with neo-fascist forces coming to power in most of the countries with the agenda of intensifying neo-liberal/corporate policies, the imperialists, their compradors and lackeys have intensified the onslaught on the revolutionary communist movement. Both right and left deviations have helped the class enemies in this reactionary venture. In this situation, let us utilize the occasion of the Centenary of the Communist Movement in India for unleashing a counter attack on all forces of reaction based on Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought, and for striving hard to unite all genuine communists for the building of a powerful communist party in country. 

Repeal NRC, Assam; No To NPR; All Residents, All Born In India Are Its Citizens!

We are living in an extremely difficult situation when every field, every question is communalized by the Brahmanical Hindutva forces under Modi raj. It has created an atmosphere of hatred and intolerance. Fascist terror is unleashed to impose its dictates. This is what is happening to National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam also, unlike the situation in which the demand was raised in 1970s. It has excluded 19, 06,657 residents from final list. While half of it are from Muslim minorities, it includes large numbers of Nepalese, Adivasis, and those taken from Jharkhand, Bihar etc by Britishers for plantations in Assam. Inhuman situation is created throwing these people to uncertainty, with the threat of becoming stateless and thrown to Detention Camps, without any human rights.

Besides, the BJP is calling for NRCs in W. Bengal, Delhi, Bihar etc excluding Muslim minorities dubbing them as infiltrators from Bangladesh, contrary to facts. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, moved by BJP is against secular values of the Constitution and to communally discriminate Muslims. Modi-2 is trying to get this bill passed somehow, and to conduct an all India survey next year for a National People’s Register (NPR), demanding all residents of India to prove their citizenship! These are fascist moves towards its Hindurashtra goal, to cover up the intensifying economic recession, which is further impoverishing the masses and making many more millions jobless!

In this grave situation, it is our task to mobilize people and create public opinion with the demands: Cancel the NRC, Assam, Withdraw Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Withdraw Home ministry order for all India survey for NPR (Peoples’ National Register). All residents of, and all born in India are its citizens and citizenship should be based on following criteria: (a) Any resident of India, any person born in India is citizen of India. This was the case till the 1986 Act and is the case in most of the countries all over the world; (b) Any person either of whose parents are/ were citizens of India must be eligible for citizenship;(c) Any person who is resident in India for 5 years and intends to stay further should be eligible for citizenship; and (d) Any refugee who is fleeing from oppression, or whose democratic rights are not protected in the country from which he/she is fleeing, should be eligible for right to stay in India leading eventually to citizenship.

CPI(ML) Red Star appeals to all compatriots, to the workers and all oppressed classes/sections including dalits, adivasis, backwards, minorities and women, to all struggling left, democratic and Bahujan forces, to mass organizations and people’s movements to come together and declare our resolve to carry forward this movement till the heinous moves of Modi-2 to divide the people and to criminalize the society utilizing the citizenship issue is defeated.

Proposed Citizenship (Amendments) Bill Unconstitutional, Reject it!

Home minister Amit Shah has once again arrogantly asserted that Modi-2 shall get the Citizenship (Amendments) Bill, 2016, (CAB) adopted at any cost. This Bill for amending the 1955 Citizenship Act was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 19, 2016. Lok Sabha passed it on January 8, 2019. Now, according to his statement, BJP is planning to get it passed somehow in the Rajya Sabha, or if not possible, get it passed by a joint session of parliament. This bill is for granting citizenship to migrants (from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan) including Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian, but totally excluding Muslims. Against this, in 2016 itself there were protests from the Northeastern states where BJP’s allies are in power. Now Amit Shah has issued the statement after attending the meeting of the chief ministers of Northeast and, it seems, winning over them by giving assurance that Article 371, giving certain special powers to these states will not be amended.

The Citizenship Act of 1955, a result of the freedom movement, recognized that every person who was born in India, irrespective of religion, would be eligible for citizenship. Another method of obtaining citizenship was through descent – if either parent was a citizen of India. A third method of obtaining citizenship was by registration of the migrants/refugees, or by the method of naturalization . The preamble of our constitution calls India a secular country. Article 15 of the constitution prevents discrimination, by the state, against any citizen on the basis of religion. It is clear that the proposed law is against the right to equality and the right against discrimination given by the constitution. These amendments show BJP government’s intention to follow Israel, the only country which allows citizenship on the basis of religion. This too is not on the basis of “naturalization” but on the basis of the unique “right of return”, a special Israeli law. All Jews have the right to return to the “promised land”! In fact, the true intentions behind the new citizenship amendments put forward is to establish the “right of return” to “Akhand Bharat” of RSS. They would like the whole of the sub-continent to become a part of a great Hindurashtra!

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Notification on 31st July, the Central Government has already decided to prepare and update the National Population Register(NPR) on a time bound manner, as the NRC/Assam was finalized, by starting the field work for it from 1st day of April, 2020 to 30th September, 2020. The final list of NRC/Assam has announced more than 19 lakhs residents of Assam as stateless has already created a huge humanitarian challenge, as they will be thrown to the Detention Camps, if they cannot get any relief from the Foreigners’ Tribunals or from the higher courts. If this CAB is passed and becomes an act, and the NPR process is taken up based on it with the aim of driving out ‘all migrants’, , besides forcing the whole population to prove their citizenship, it is apprehended that almost 20 to 30 million people, who are presently staying in India, may lose citizenship. It will create a horrific situation and an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy, which will gladden only the saffron fascists.

Citizenship is the fundamental right of everyone based on their residency and birth. So, along with intensification of the struggle for the issuing citizenship to all the 19,06, 657 people kept out of the NRC/Assam final list, we have to intensify the campaign to create public opinion to throw out the monstrous CPB and the proposed NPR as unconstitutional and against all international covenants

Joint regional statement: Stop the repression in West Papua

On August 17, Indonesian Independence Day, armed Indonesian police, soldiers and radical Islamic militia stormed a student dormitory in the Indonesian city of Surabaya (on the island of Java), which housed West Papuan students, arresting 43. The attack reportedly took place because the students had allegedly refused to raise the Indonesian flag.
Indonesia invaded West Papua in 1962 and has continued a brutal occupation since. It has conducted military attacks in areas populated by civilians, under the cover of targeting West Papua’s pro-independence forces. It is illegal to raise the West Papuan flag (the Morning Star - a symbol of independence).
Reports of human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, torture and displacement are rife.
West Papuans are regularly subject to racism and according to eye-witness reports, students were tortured and called "monkeys", "pigs" and "dogs" during the attack on August 17.
Following the attack, protests have continued in West Papua and thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest Indonesia's systematic racism, and to demand freedom and a referendum on independence.
In the Indonesian cities of Medan and Bandung the students have also received support.
In response to the protests, Indonesia has sent more than 1200 troops into West Papua, including the notorious Detachment 88 and Brimob (mobile police units). Detachment 88, which is trained by Australia, with the United States and Britain was reportedly involved in the attack in Surabaya and has been regularly used in a counter-insurgency role in West Papua. It was reportedly responsible for the killing of West Papuan independence leader, Kelly Kwalik.
Protesters and activists are being repressed by Indoneian forces. The internet has been cut off and journalists are prevented from entering the province, which is preventing information from coming out of West Papua. Surya Anta, spokesperson for the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua was also arrested on September 1.
This statement on behalf of left organisations in the Asia-Pacific raises the following demands:
1. Stop the repression against West Papuan activists and protesters and release all those detained during the protests, including Surya Anta.
2. Respect the right to self-determination of the Papuan people by agreeing to an internationally monitored referendum on independence.
3. Immediate withdrawal of military forces from West Papua.
4. Stop racism and systemic racist discrimination against the Papuan people.
5. Restore internet access in West Papua.
6. Allow international journalists access to West Papua.
Signatories:
Socialist Alliance (Australia); Socialist Party of Malaysia; CPI(ML) Red Star.

Citizens have right to criticize any government action! Identifying government with country, and attacking all criticisms as anti-national, is a fascist approach!

The aggressiveness of the attacks on any criticisms against the government as anti-national has intensified sharply, especially after Modi-2 took over. Governments are elected by the people. According to the Constitution, the people and their fundamental rights enshrined in it are supreme. So, people have full right to criticize all actions of the government. Nobody has right to attack it as anti-national. Whoever does it should be charged for anti-constitutional crime. After Modi-2 arbitrarily abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and for the first time downgraded a state to two union territories, , these jingoistic, intolerant attacks by those in power, their pracharaks and boot lickers on the affected people as well as on anyone criticizing the arbitrary action by the government and the clampdown over people of Kashmir valley are attacked as agents of Pakistan!. A major section of media is hysterically spreading this venom. As the Supreme Court, the uppermost constitutional authority which has right to interpret the Constitution and express validity of the 5^th August action by the Modi-2 remained silent for three weeks even after many petitions were received challenging the government action, there was anxiety among the democratic forces. But on 28^th August, even after the Attorney General and Solicitor General repeatedly expressed the government’s advise for everyone to maintain restraint, the decision taken by it to hear all pleas against government action by a Constitution Bench from the beginning of October is a welcome step.

All leaders of Modi-2 and RSS parivar claim that J&K is India’s property! First of all they should accept the basic principles. The United Nations’ Human Rights Declaration itself declare that all nations have the right of self determination. A country or nation is a community of people, not just a geographical entity. Indian Constitution declares India is a federal country, not a nation; Bharat Desh, not Bharat Rashtru. The unity of this federal India is based on the unity of the peoples of various nationalities who decided to continue their unity based on the ethos created by the anti-imperialist independence struggle and based on their right of self determination! RSS parivar’s Akhand Bharat existed only in the pages of Vedas, Upnishads and epics. None of the emperors from Asoka to Mugals could unite all the areas in the sub-continent. The credit for forcefully uniting the many hundreds of big or small princely states or subordinating them forming the British India goes to imperialist Britain! Even then they allowed many princely states to remain as their dependents within it. Same time there were some princely areas, J&K, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and tribal areas in Northeast which could not be made part of British India; so they were outside.

British colonialists signed the instrument of transfer of power with leaders of India and Pakistan only covering the areas under direct British rule. According to the agreement, the princely states had the right to remain independent or join India or Pakistan signing their own agreements of accession. The governments of India and Pakistan succeeded to merge the princely states within their regions signing agreements with them. As far as J&K, Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim were concerned, as per the agreement, they had right to remain independent or merge with either India o Pakistan. But though the leaders of both India and Pakistan had assured that they will not act like the successor states of British colonialists with regard to redefining the boundaries and for the right of self determination of the these areas which were outside British India, soon both proved that they were not less chauvinist or expansionist than the colonial government. Indian government acted very fast and integrated Manipur and Nagaland using military force. In 1975, putting pressure over the king, India annexed Sikkim also. When J&K king Hari Singh wanted to maintain it as an independent country, initially both agreed to it. Pak government even signed such an agreement also with Hari Singh. But it soon changed its line, and tried to annex J&K using army. So Hari Singh sought military help of Indian government which agreed to assist him after an instrument of accession was signed, based on which the Article 370 of the Constitution was later adopted. As the UN interfered, it enforced ceasefire and a Line of Control, with both governments agreeing to withdraw their armed forces and hold a plebiscite for the people of J&K to decide their future. But, as both the governments were not for an independent J&K, both colluded and contended to abort the plebiscite and to keep the J&K divided and in horrific condition during the last seven decades. The imperialists were happy to keep this spot hot enough, so that they could continue their divide and control policy in the region, and loot fortunes by selling arms and equipments to both. In the interest of the ruling class and corrupt political class on both side, the governments were competing to whip up hatred with each other, arming themselves to the teeth and fighting three wars and indulging in continuous skirmishes, which has benefitted and fabulously enriched the corporate giants, while forcing the vast majority of the people on both side to terrific miseries and impoverishment!

Once the BJP, the political front of RSS which wants to make India a Hindurashtra, came to power, the scenario far worsened. If the very existence of Pakistan’s army and present corrupt political establishment and their hegemony over the people depends on raising the J&K question which they claim as their property and hatred against India, the Modi rule could become a reality and could come back to power by strengthening the majoritarian Hindutva, only by whipping up Islamophobia and hate Pakistan campaign every minute. If Pakistan is already in acute economic crisis, India is also caught in the vortex of recession and slow down. As the imperialists, especially US imperialists want to overcome their own economic problems and inter-imperialist rivalry with China by using these junior partners smartly, they promote. jingoism on both sides. The conflict between India and Pakistan is bound to reach unprecedented levels, especially after the arbitrary moves of Modi-2, at the peril of the people of J&K and in India!

And now this contradiction has reached such a dangerous level that India’s defense minister announcing possibility for re-thinking on ‘no first use’ of nuclear arms. It is reciprocated by the Pak prime minister announcing his preparedness even for a nuclear war! On 28^th August Pakistan test fired a ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear arms. One Pak minister talked about war breaking out in October. It is reciprocated by India’s defense minister declaring not only J&K, even the areas beyond Line of Control are integral part of India! On both sides, the jingoistic forces and corporate media are busy in whipping up hatred against each other and war hysteria, while Trump and company are enjoying the game played by Imran and Modi!

In this dangerous situation, it is the right of the people to talk boldly and correctly: J&K is not the property of the reactionary governments of either Pakistan or India. Its future should be decided by the people of J&K through a plebiscite or referendum after withdrawing the army from both sides of the Line of Control. In order to achieve this we should create public opinion to demand repealing of the arbitrary action of 5^th August by Modi-2, withdrawal of the army to barracks , and immediate withdrawal of the curfew and clampdown from the whole region. If a nuclear war is unleashed by the religious fundamentalist and the fascistic, the war mongering governments on both sides, it will be catastrophic for the whole South Asian region; so all progressive forces in this region should mobilize the peoples of the whole region to condemn this jingoism and work for building up anti-imperialist unity against their reactionary governments with the vision of a South Asian People’s Unity!

We appeal to all struggling forces to come together and demand the withdrawal of all suppressive acts of the fascist Modi-2 in J&K! Let us demand bilateral discussion between both governments to politically resolve the J&K problem based on the right of self determination of the people of J&K! Expose and oppose the war mongering of both governments and create public opinion against a nuclear war which will be catastrophic to people of not only to people of both countries, but also of whole of South Asia! Just because BJP’s or any other government is in power, we are not its slaves, we have the right to expose and oppose its anti-people deeds! Oppose and resist the barbarous policy of Modi-2 and RSS parivar dubbing all their critics as anti-national! We are the patriots who oppose imperialists of all hues and stand for genuine secular democratic federal India, while Modi-2 and RSS parivar are imperialist stooges who preach Akhand Bharat, but disintegrate country through their divisive Brahmanical manuvadi Hindurashtra! Intensify the struggle for people’s federal India, for unity of people of South Asia!

Our Tasks in the New Situation of Growing Fascist Threat under Modi-2

(Resolution Adopted by the 8-10 June, 2019, CC Meeting of CPI(ML) Red Star)

What happened from the beginning of this year, especially after the election schedule was declared by the Election Commission, was a feverish and acrimonious election campaign for the 17th Lok Sabha, with the BJP trying to gain initiative right from the beginning utilizing the state machinery and all Constitutional institutions nakedly and based on its majoritarian Hindutva communal polarization strategy. The result of these elections, giving almost a two-thirds majority to NDA in the new Lok Sabha, has surprised not only the mainstream opposition parties, but all the progressive, democratic, struggling people’s forces, who were leading numerous struggles against the Modi rule during last five years and campaigning vigorously against it.

If Modi led BJP had won the 2014 elections with the slogan of Sab ke Sath Sab ka Vikas, during the last five years all the major initiatives his government took including demonetization, GST, intensification of corporatization of all sectors etc. led to highest rates of unemployment during last 45 years, acute distress in farm sector leading to suicides by hundreds of farmers in many states, serious slowdown of the economy and growing ecological destruction making the climate change like phenomena severe day by day, to mention a few of the serious consequences of its policies. Pursuing aggressive saffronization, spreading politics of hatred, targeting the religious minorities and dalits, increasing gender inequality etc, majoritarian divide and rule politics was taken to extreme levels. In this situation the resistance against Modi rule went on increasing, first through numerous people’s struggles and then, as reflected in electoral reverses, especially in the defeat of BJP led state governments in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh six months before. All these factors had pointed towards possible defeat of Modi government in the 2019 elections.

The mainstream opposition parties, though none of them had led any major campaigns or struggles against the Modi rule during the last five years, were expected to pick up these issues and the failure of Modi rule in implementing any of its major promises of 2014 for defeating Modi, by forging unity among themselves in the elections, and replacing it with their alliance after the elections.

But as the campaign was starting the BJP leadership, utilizing the terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy at Pulwama and the Balakot air strike inside Pakistan turned the possible anti-incumbency against it by projecting the national security matters and muscular nationalism targeting Pakistan, the Muslim minorities through a protracted, colourful and extremely expensive sectarian political campaign, with the slogan: We will enter your house and kill you, This is New India. Modi, Amit Shah and other leaders, blatantly violating the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission, were openly asking the people to vote for BJP in the name of the Pulwama martyrs, for the Balakot ‘surgical’ strike, for Modi’s army! The first accused in Malegaon terrorist attack, Pragya Thakur, was fielded as candidate, further intensifying the saffron campaign. In this process, the identity politics of the caste based parties were, in the main, submerged by the frenzied majoritarian saffronization campaign of the RSS parivar.

Surprising its opponents, the BJP and its NDA allies led a presidential style campaign, appealing for each vote to their candidates as a vote for Modi, projecting the election as a referendum for him. It was turned into a jingoistic campaign with an anti-Muslim political narrative. The opposition parties, especially, the Congress, could not or failed to expose this sinister BJP campaign organized with the connivance of a majority in the EC. Besides, while the BJP even made concessions to forge unity of the NDA parties, the opposition, mainly Congress, failed to forge unity among the main opposition parties, or to put forward a unified minimum programmatic approach. Legalizing corporate funding of election, BJP amassed and utilized huge corporate funds, reportedly Rs 27,000 crores. The corporate forces and the mainstream media once again campaigned for it extensively. Compared to other parties, its planned use of social media was far superior, resorting to spreading of communally loaded false news. It blatantly utilized the EC, which went to the extent of planning the seven-phase elections to suit Modi’s public meetings and road shows, refusing to take any action against Modi and Shah who nakedly violated the MCC, and to allowing him to stage a sort of ‘road show’ at Kedarnath and Badrinath on 18th and 19th May, on the day of silent campaign and the last polling day. Along with the state machinery, it used the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to intimidate the opposition. In short, it was a no holds barred campaign by the Modi gang, further communalizing, criminalizing and corrupting the election process. And, with the connivance of the EC and utilizing loopholes in the present electoral system, including the use of EVMs against which criticism is increasing day by day and for replacing it with the ballot system the demand was raised by the opposition parties though belatedly, Modi could outsmart and defeat the divided opposition easily.

The disunited opposition parties who have no alternate vision about the corporatization speeded by Modi, who pursue caste based politics compromising with Hindutva ideology, easily crumbled before the Modi-Shah juggernaut, helping BJP led NDA to a massive victory, polling more than 50% of votes in 17 states and spreading menacingly to W. Bengal, Odisha, Telangana like states also. As far as the traditional left, the ‘Left Front’ parties, are concerned, they refused to take lessons from their hitherto debacle due to pursuing neoliberal policies. So, even after getting unseated in W. Bengal and Tripura, they repeat same mistakes in their last resort, Kerala. In front of Modi- Shah offensive, their ideological-political bankruptcy got further exposed with large sections who were voting for them in Bengal and Tripura shifting their loyalty to BJP and they were swept away in Bengal and Tripura, and severely mauled in Kerala.

As far as the communist revolutionary forces who uphold the Naxalbari Uprising are concerned, while some of these organizations deviated to the side of CPI(M) led Left Front, the CPI(Maoist) is alienating itself from the masses due to its sectarian actions. Since uniting the struggling left and democratic forces who uncompromisingly oppose the neoliberal/corporate- neo-fascist policies of Modi rule is still in the formative stage, their electoral gains, including our party’s, were nominal, even after we waged an intensive campaign with the slogan: Defeat BJP, Build People’s Alternative, fielding 29 candidates.

The coming to power of Modi for another five years with added strength poses a serious challenge before the toiling and oppressed masses. Already, reports are coming out every day about how the serious economic slow-down is taking place in all fields. The details of these were concealed from the people. Besides, Modi’s surrender before Trump’s sanctions against purchasing the cheap petroleum from Venezuela and Iran, its order blocking purchase of weapons and missiles from Russia, its efforts to make India subservient to its trade war with China etc., even while it boasts about its nationalist credentials, are aggravating this economic slow-down. Instead of addressing these, Modi-2 is trying to intensify the economic reforms further as demanded by US and its allies. Remaining public sector units are threatened with privatization soon. It is planning informalization of education, healthcare like sectors. All labour laws are going to be changed to please the corporates. It has no answers to increasing rate of unemployment or farmers’ distress. It is totally neglecting the increasing climate change and its consequences. Modi-2 is going to further speed up all neo-liberal/corporatization policies.

Soon after Modi-2 took over, there are reports of spurt in mob lynchings, attacks on Muslims and dalits, on journalists. Fascisation of all fields is taking place more aggressively. The RSS parivar is on the offensive to transform India into a Hindurashtra by 2024.

As far as the opposition parties are concerned, the Congress is in total disarray. So is the condition of other mainstream parties even when BJP is on the offensive in W. Bengal and elsewhere to de-stabilize the existing non-BJP state governments. But like what happened during 2014-19, once again sporadic resistance against the corporate-fascist offensive of Modi-2 is visible. Along with all secular democratic forces we should join them, strengthen them and try to provide correct orientation to them.

To combat this all round intensification of neoliberal/corporatization policies and fascisation of all fields, the Central Committee calls for:

Firstly, take up the party building as the first and foremost task, trying to merge all genuine communists and streamlining the party committees at all levels; strengthen class/mass organizations, and develop people’s movements in all fields and at all levels according to the concrete situation;

Secondly, draft common minimum program at state level focussing on present demands and try to launch mass political forums based on it uniting the struggling left and democratic forces to wage people’s struggles and parliamentary struggles;

Thirdly, at central level, start discussions with struggling left and democratic forces with the aim of launching a nationwide mass political platform. In order to facilitate this, focussing on the present grave situation and urgent democratic tasks, organize open dialogue among the left forces as early as possible leading to drafting a people’s manifesto as the basis of this initiative. 

Saffron Nationalism Unfolds as

Pseudo-Nationalism Serving

US Imperialism as Its Junior Partner

PJ James

Imperialism, the world’s mightiest military machine and number one sponsor of terrorism at a global level, now led by Donald Trump, is engaged in an all-out offensive against world people to preserve its imperialist interests. The consequent US economic, political and military machinations on the part of US have led to a sharpening of inter-imperialist contradictions. The setbacks suffered by left forces and the world-wide shift of ruling class politics to the far-right leading to fascistic tendencies have enabled US imperialism to forge ties and alliances with such reactionary regimes to ensure its geopolitical interests in different parts of the world. Trump administration’s renewed pressure tactics and ‘carrot and stick’ policy on the Modi regime should be seen in this context. In fact, a number of unilateral restrictions on trade including withdrawal of tariff concessions to India which were taken and informed to Modi government in March 2019 have been kept in abeyance in view of the Indian General Election. Though the Indian ruling classes with their time tested allegiance to US imperialism are satisfied with a ‘decent’ position in the neo-colonial order led by US imperialism, the latter has been rigid in dealing with India in all issues connected with US neo-colonial interests. But the Modi regime in tune with its continuing subservience to US has not done anything worthwhile to protect the interests of India. Its inability to properly intervene in favour of high-tech professionals from India when Trump imposed a series of legal and financial hurdles on them is just an example. Most ignominious is Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal’s assurance on June18 to US firms Facebook, Dell, Amazon, SAP, Google, Cognizant, Paypal, IBM, VISA, and Microsoft regarding upholding of their corporate interests in India vis-à-vis RBI’s directive on data localisation.

However, immediately after the second coming to power of Modi with a thumping majority, in continuation of his aggressive trade moves such as cancellation of half-a-century-old preferential trade treatment based on the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) with effect from June 2019, the Trump administration has made certain new initiatives to transform India as a perpetual dumping ground of strategic US weapons. To facilitate this, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo’s India visit is scheduled towards the last week of June 2019 to be followed by the planned meeting between Modi and Trump during the upcoming June G-20 Summit in Japan. As a prelude to this high-level meeting, a Bill sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats seeking amendments to the US Arms Controls Export Act for bringing India on par with NATO allies, Israel, Australia, Korea and New Zealand and for selling high-tech military weapons under ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) list has been moved in the Senate. When this Bill brings appropriate changes in the National Defence Authorisation Act 2020 (since both Republicans and Democrats have the same imperialist interests, the Bill is likely to sail through the Congress), then America will be able to stockpile key weapons in India extending considerable executive powers to US president to export and deploy these weapons for real-time military operations. In continuation of India’s signing of the Communication, Compatibility, and Security Agreement (COMCASA) with US during Modi’s first innings and in the context of the ongoing bilateral discussion on Basic Exchange Cooperation Agreement (BECA) both as foundational agreements for defence cooperation between both countries, the aim of this US initiative is to maintain India as its junior strategic partner in South Asia.

The Modi regime is still keeping a silence on the US warning and threat of sanctions against India’s buying Russian-made S-400 Triumph missile defence system as it is not in consonance with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) adopted by US parliament. Similar has been Modi’s approach to Trump administration’s unilateral termination of the GSP scheme and on the ultimatum on halting cheap oil imports from Venezuela and Iran. Of course, to dilute India-Russia defence deals and to wean away India from Russian influence, the US is reported to have informed its junior partner on its willingness to transfer high-end defence equipment like National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS II), the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), Patriot Advance Capability (PAC-3), and the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet, etc. Obviously, these are very tempting to the saffron regime in India.

Revealingly, at a time when the Erdogan regime of Turkey and certain Latin American countries like Bolivia are eager to maintain their ‘relative national independence’ by taking advantage of the sharpening inter-imperialist contradictions, this American servitude of the Indian ruling regime, true to its class character, is condemnable. Recently, in spite of still being a crucial “NATO ally”, Erdogan has pushed ahead with the purchase of S-400 missile from Russia and amidst US threat of sanctions declared that it is “impossible to cancel deal with Russia”. Evo Morales of Bolivia has openly declared his country’s decision to cut off ties with the Bretton Woods twin, IMF and World Bank, America’s neo-colonial economic arms.

Therefore, ‘the saffron nationalists’’ talk of nationalism is only for hoodwinking the broad masses of people and is a camouflage for acting as an agent of US imperialism. The Modi regime’s actions including its responses on the latest Yankee machinations amply show its self-satisfaction to act as its junior partner under the umbrella of US imperialism, and above all offering itself as a launching pad for Pentagon’s geopolitical interests in the Indo-Pacific directed especially against imperialist China which is contending with the US for world hegemony. If the said Bill that is initiated by both factions of the US ruling class materialises as scheduled, then surpassing Saudi, India will become not only the biggest arms importer from US, but the latter can more nakedly penetrate into India’s defence system too.

However, it would be very naïve to construe these developments under the RSS-led Modi regime as an overnight development. During the Nehruvian period Russia had been the major supplier of arms to India. But, with the onset of neo-liberalism, US imperialism displaced Russia as India’s biggest military supplier and under the pseudo-nationalist Modi regime, most of India’s military exercises are along with US imperialism as the big brother. To counter China’s growing influence particularly in Asia and in the Indo-Pacific region, US imperialism is bent on using India as a regional bully. And in tandem with these military ties, economic cooperation between the two is also growing very fast. As its manifestation, during the quarter century of neo-liberalism, volume of trade between the US and India has increased more than ten-fold. According to strategic analysts, under Modi’s second term, the US-India economic integration may accelerate the trade volume between the two from the existing $150 billion to around $500 billion in five years

As noted above, behind this intensifying military and economic ties between the US and India, long drawn-out common interests between US imperialism and saffron fascists are at work. That is, even much before the formal neoliberal promulgation of “war on terror” and Islamophobia by US imperialist think-tanks by the turn of the 21st century regarding which the RSS shares the same wave-length with the Yankees, the pro-American orientation of the saffron forces has deep-rooted historical tradition. In other words, the pro-British servility of the Hindutva forces during the colonial period continued unabated, albeit in a nuanced form, during the post-1947 period through its abject servitude towards US imperialism, the supreme arbiter in the postwar neo-colonial global order.

This inherent US allegiance of pseudo nationalists including their far-right orientation could be easily guessed from a letter reportedly written in the early seventies glorifying the US by Golwalker, the biggest-ever RSS theoretician, to the US president Lyndon Johnson. At a time when the whole world was rising up against US imperialism for its crimes against humanity in Vietnam, this letter was entrusted to Atal Behari Vajpayee who was visiting US in 1971. Eulogising US and its ‘democracy’, among other things, Golwalker wrote in the letter thus: “By God’s grace USA is the leader of the free world. Dharma and Adharma are today engaged in a worldwide war. In this war, the US heads the side of Dharma.” It should be specifically noted that this declaration of RSS’s unconditional loyalty to US had come at that critical juncture when world public opinion had gone against US imperialism because of the Vietnam War. When the Seventies came to a close, the Sangh Parivar’s stand against Soviet-supported Indira Gandhi’s Emergency had immensely contributed to an increase in RSS’ prestige and credibility among US policy makers who were leading the Cold War against the Soviet Union.

Though certain Hindu organisations like the ISKON headquartered in New York since 1965 had their operations in several American cities, it was from the 1980s onward that a sudden spurt in the growth of RSS-related organisations became conspicuous in the US. The International Hindu Conference organised in New York in 1984 was a milestone in this direction. In tandem with the steady growth of BJP, the political party floated by RSS after Emergency in continuation of erstwhile Jan Sangh, as neo-liberalism advanced, encompassing a wide spectrum of Hindu fundamentalist outfits and saffron ideologues, the ‘Overseas Friends of BJP’ started its operations in USA. This marks the beginning of intense ‘lobbying’ in the US by networks of wealthiest Hindutva groups connected with RSS/BJP emulating the Jewish lobby. Emergence of a network of professional organisations with far-right political undertones under the cover of Indian American Forum for Political Education, Indian American Committee for Political Awareness, US-India Political Action Committee, etc. effective lobbying was made possible first with the formation of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans in 1993 followed by India Caucus in US senate in 2004. In fact, the Senate caucus dedicated to India was the first of its kind in USA. In creating favourable pro-India opinion for Vajpayee’s nuclear test (1998), Kargil War (1999) and US India Civilian Nuclear Agreement (2008) this lobbying was very effective. Further, the Caucus members played a major role in highlighting the economic and military significance of India becoming America’s strategic junior partner.

The ascendancy of the far-right, Hindutva and openly pro-American BJP to power in 2014, added a qualitative dimension to this trend. Modi’s frequent visits to US following the removal of US visa restraints against him being prime minister, boosted this Indo-US nexus further. Immediately after coming to power in 2014, Modi had a meeting with 40 Congressional Representatives in Manhattan followed by another meeting with a 50-member delegation of the ‘Overseas friends of BJP’ and a convention organised by it to interact with the Diaspora. The US interest in hosting and sponsoring such meetings is obvious—to exploit India’s expanding consumer and capital markets, to ensure India’s perennial dependence on US weapons as well as transform India as the dumping ground of its weapons, and to utilize India’s infrastructure and its status as the south Asian big brother for Pentagon’s geopolitical interests in the Indo-Pacific region vis-à-vis China. And the Hindutva “Indian lobby” in the US has fully reconciled with Trump’s “America First” policy. A convergence of common interests is also visible pertaining to the doctrine of “war on terrorism” targeting Islam enunciated by US imperialism.

In fact, in the context of US election that brought Trump to presidency, modelled after “Republican Jewish Coalition”, the “Republican Hindu Coalition” (RHC) came into being in November 2015 through the coordinated efforts of various far-right and reactionary Hindu outfits and the RHC had a fairly widespread election campaign including fund-raising and mobilising millions of dollars in the process with the slogans “Trump for Hindu Americans”, “Trump Great for India”, “saviour of humanity”, etc. for Tump’s victory. Wholeheartedly supporting Yankee efforts to combat “radical Islamic terrorism”, the RHC situates itself as “a single, unified platform for Hindu Americans to have a respected voice on the policy table in the United States as well as India.” It is the Indian counterpart of this arch-reactionary and obscurantist RHC that adores Trump as the saviour of Hindutva from “Islamic terrorism” and performs ceremonial rituals worshipping him as God.

The upshot of the argument is that it has been the rapid rise and strengthening of Islamophobic and xenophobic RSS-sponsored Hindutva lobby having close proximity to US policymaking that facilitated the increasing economic and military integration of India with US imperialism as the latter’s junior strategic partner. Today, ultra-rightist Hindutva forces in the US including RHC while faithfully serving American imperialism are also in the forefront of propagating Kashmir issue as a conflict that pits the aggrieved Hindu victim against Islam in a disputed territory cleverly ignoring the fundamental national question of Kashmir and covering up the heinous militarisation going on there. To be precise, the strategically important and ultra-neoliberal political, economic and military initiatives which are evolving with respect to Indo-US relations are to be evaluated in the broader context of the ascendancy of neo-fascist far-right in the ruling political spectrum in both India and USA. 

Central Committee of CPI(ML) Red Star Endorses the ICOR Initiative for Building International Anti-Imperialist Front

The super-exploitation and oppression unleashed on the working class and oppressed people the world over by neoliberal imperialism are intensifying without any let up. In the absence of a revolutionary alternative, the various people’s movements that have sprung up across the Americas, Africa and Asia in recent years are now experiencing a lull or are not advancing forward. And of late, as is the case with India, a further shift in ruling class politics to the far-right has become more conspicuous. Consequently, ultra-right and reactionary regimes backed by neo-fascist, racist, xenophobic and religious fundamentalist ideologies have come to power in many countries. Strengthening of the repressive state apparatus and fascistic tendencies are visible in both imperialist and dependent countries. As a corollary of this, scramble for more avenues of investment, trade, strategic influence is intensifying inter-imperialist contradictions and manifesting as protectionist trade wars and geopolitical tensions in several parts of the world.

After threatening Venezuela with regime change, US imperialism led by Trump is attempting for direct military intervention in Iran even as US-sponsored Israeli attacks on Palestinian people in Gaza and elsewhere are mounting. US is engaged in boosting its arms export especially to its regional pillars like Saudi and India and is prying open markets wherever possible under threat of sanctions. One of the biggest-ever trade wars that is intensifying between the US and China, the two leading imperialist powers, starting with US imposition of $ 200 billion tariff hike on Chinese products, banning the access of Huawei (Huawei Technologies Co Ltd), the Chinese smart phone giant to US market (as well as non-US markets) followed by retaliatory tariffs on the part of China will have its repercussions at a global level. In addition to the termination of preferential trade treatment for India as per the GSP scheme with effect from the beginning of June, 2019, the US administration is reported to have threatened India with economic sanctions if it sticks to the October 2018 multi-million deal for purchase of S 400 Triumph Missile from Russia. At the same time, the Modi regime, as US’s strategic junior partner, is offering itself as a launching pad for Pentagon’s Indo-Pacific geopolitical machinations especially against China.

Across the world, in general, far-right regimes are on the ascendance and neo-fascist forces are on the offensive. For instance, East Asia is transforming as a terrain of acute US-China strategic rivalry and trade friction. While China along with its Belt and Road Initiative is increasing its military muscle particularly in South China Sea, the US is strengthening its time-tested security alliances with Japan and South Korea together with revamping the “Quad” in alliance with key players in the region. The re-election of the right-wing government in Australia led by Scott Morrison defying poll prediction is another conducive factor in the US-led machinations in East Asia and Far East.

The Easter day church bombings carried out by suicide bombers belonging to National Thowheeth Jama’ath having suspected ties with IS has been a new development as far as South Asia region is concerned. Since Sri Lanka was never part of the anti-IS coalition, analysts have been quick in identifying the Sri Lankan attack as retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, an argument questioned by the government there. At the same time, allegation that the perpetrators of this heinous crime had funding connections with Saudi has not yet been properly addressed. And, whether the Sri Lankan Bombing was another ‘tragedy of great power conflicts’ over Indian Ocean needs to be explored further.

In Latin America, the so called “pink tide” pioneered by left-wing and progressive regimes that was sweeping the region in the first decade of the 21st century has now given way to what is called a “brown tide” led by neo-Nazi right-wing forces with a few exceptions in a few countries. A common thread of all trends of right-wing populism that is emerging in Latin America ranging from that of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Sebastian Pinera in Chile to Mauricio Macri in Argentina is the solid ideological backing that it receives from Christian evangelism. As a consequence, the Sao Paulo Forum led by progressive governments that supported the leftist parties and movements in Latin America is now facing considerable decline. Right-wing reaction is so well entrenched that a recent survey published by Intal/latinbarometro (digital magazine) found Church as “the most reliable institution” for the people whose confidence in it has grown to 65 per cent and that in political parties being just 15 per cent. No doubt, these regimes have become pro-US in their orientation.

This widespread shift to conservative politics in the West has its clear manifestation in Europe today. In the just concluded European elections, right-wing populism and far-right nationalism including the Brexit Party in UK got a boom in voter support. And many of these reactionary parties are also attempting to organise into a pan-European power bloc against workers, immigrants and sub-Saharan refugees from North Africa. Italy’s League, Germany’s AfD, Finns Party, Danish People’s Party, Austria’s Freedom Party, anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats, France’s National Rally, Spain’s far-right Vox Party, Estonia’s far-right Conservative People’s Party (EKRE), anti-immigrant Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), Forum for Democracy (FvD) in Netherlands and so on are reportedly involved in this initiative.

To be precise, this right-wing offensive against the working class, the oppressed and broad masses of toiling people is also sharpening all the inherent contradictions of imperialism. Though an open military confrontation among the major powers is not imminent, in conformity with imperialism’s geopolitical interests, through local wars, threat of trade and currency wars, imperialism, especially US imperialism is expanding the markets for weapons and commodities, ensuring conditions for cross-border capital flows and sharpening the scramble for sources of raw materials and resorting to fascistisation everywhere.

Another important development is the intensification of global warming and climate change which are leading towards an ecological catastrophe. There are many resistance struggles coming up against it and we have to play an important role in these movements.

As we have emphasised in our Political Resolution for the 11th Congress, this grave international situation calls for timely and coordinated action on the part of M-L organisations and revolutionary parties from the perspective of proletarian internationalism linking it with the revolutionary intervention as required by the concrete realities in each country. Objective ideological-political evaluation of the bouncing back of right-wing forces and relative weakness of the progressive forces at a global level is an inalienable component of this task. We have to take up this as an important task in our work with ICOR. 

Stop clampdown in J&K, Repeal unconstitutional abrogation of Article 370 and down grading J&K to two union territories!

Joint Convention held at GPF, Delhi, on 13th September, calls for mass mobilization at Jantar Mantar on 15th October!.

With an appeal based on above slogans to all compatriots, to the workers and oppressed classes/sections including dalits, adivasis, backwards, minorities and women, to all struggling left, democratic and Bahujan forces, to mass organizations and people’s movements, a joint convention was organized on 13th September at Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF), New Delhi,from 6 PM to 9 PM. The Convention was addressed by comrades KN Ramachandran,(CPI(ML) Red Star), Arun Maji (NDPI), Sheomangal Sidhantkar (CPI(ML) New Proletarian), Thakur Khanal (AINUS-Mulpravah), Dr Parvej Mian (All India Milli Council),KK Neogi (Bahujan Communist Party), Vidushi (Sarvahara Lokpaksh), Harish (Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra), KK Singh (Lokpaksh), Ad. Pancholi (CFD), Somnath (JSM-Haryana), Daya Singh ( AIPM), ,Ajay Sinha, Christopher Gahatraj addressed the Convention explaining how Modi raj is communalizing every issue and trying to impose RSS goal of Hindurashtra through fascist methods while the vast masses of people are reeling under intensifying economic slow down throwing millions from their workplaces and impoverishing them The following Resolution was discussed and adopted by the Convention:

Compatriots, struggling people of our country,
1. We are living in an extremely difficult situation when every field, every issue is communalized by the Manuvadi Hindutva forces under Modi raj. It is creating atmosphere of hatred and intolerance, and unleashes fascist terror to impose its dictates. This is what is happening to the people of J&K where Article 370 and 35 A were abrogated on 5th August, downgrading the state to two union territories without consulting the people of the state in any form, and violating Constitutional provisions. The whole state is militarized, put under prohibitory orders and all communications and democratic rights are cut down. This Convention strongly condemns these steps of Modi-2 and demand the restoration of the special rights of the people of J&K including their right to self determination. It demands the immediate withdrawal of the army to barracks and restoration of all communications and fundamental rights of the citizens.

2. This Convention severely condemns the hasty way the NRC/Assam was constituted unconstitutionally and speeded up by the supreme Court, the final list was announced on 31st August declaring 19,06,657 people as stateless. Large number of them are Adivasis including Adivasis and dalits taken from Jharkhand, Bihar etc by Britishers for plantations, Nepalese, and almost half of them from resident Muslim minority, all of whom presently residents of the state. They are given 120 days to get clearance from Foreigners’ Tribunals or later from higher courts. Otherwise they shall be thrown in Detention Camps. This is a most inhuman step condemned by democratic forces internationally and within the country. This Convention demands immediate cancellation of the NRC/Assam list prepared against the constitutional principles; it demands that citizenship should be provided for all, as they are residents of the state and/or born in India.

3. Modi-2 is trying to get the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on 8th January, 2019, adopted by the parliament somehow. It is against the secular values of the Constitution and for communally discriminating against Muslims in line with the Two-nation theory initiated by Savarkar, while granting citizenship to migrants (from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan) including Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian. This Convention calls for the immediate withdrawal of this Bill.

4. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Notification of 31st July, the Central Government has already decided to prepare and update the National Population Register(NPR) at all India level on a time bound manner, as the NRC/Assam was finalized, by starting the field work for it from 1st day of April, 2020 to 30th September, 2020. If this NPR process is taken up based on the Citizenship (Amendments) proposed in BJP’s Bill, with the aim of driving out ‘all migrants’, it will become binding on the whole population to prove their citizenship. It is apprehended that almost 20 millions or more people, who are born in India and presently staying here, may lose citizenship. It will create a horrific situation and an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy. This Convention demands that the whole process of NPR should be abandoned recognizing the criteria for citizenship based on the Constitution and international covenants adopted by the government of India. This Convention demands that construction of Detention Camps should be stopped forthwith.

In order to take these decisions of this Convention to the people and to create public opinion in support of it, all organizations who are part of this Convention, together other like-minded organizations, shall organize a people’s mobilization on 15th October at Juntar Mantar to put these demands before the government; all the constituents of this move shall constitute a joint forum and carry forward the campaign with the slogan “No to NRC/Assam, No to NPR, Citizenship is the fundamental right of every resident and everyone born in India”, coordinating with similar movements started in different states, to save the country from a horrific humanitarian tragedy and Constitutional crisis created by the fascist RSS/BJP regime.

Constituents of the joint forum:
CPI(ML) Red Star, New Democratic Party of India, Lok Samiti, Citizens for Democracy, Bahujan Communist Party, IFTU (Sarvahara), Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra, Lok Paksh, All India Milli Council, All India Nepali Unity Society-Mul Pravah, CPI(ML) New Proletarian, Democratic People’s Lawyers’ Association, All India Peace Mission, All India Christian Minority Front, Jan Sangharsh Manch (Haryanna). Other organizations and individuals supporting the above demands raised by the Convention shall be included in the joint forum.