[Reader-list] Nandigram-Time for an Alternative Left in Bengal-Aditya Nigam

[prakash ray]

Dear all, I have posted this letter to Mr Aditya Nigam some months back on
kafila.org. I am re-posting it here in response to his latest write-up.

Regards,
Prakash

Dear Adityaji, I know a bit about your stint in the Communist Party.
Unfortunately, you happen to belong to a generation of disillusioned
Communists, who harboured illusions about the Soviet Union when it existed
and basked in its glory and then turned into an anti-Communist after its
downfall, like the whole lot of post-modernists in Europe. Your problem is
that your subjective feelings about shattered dreams of socialism in the
USSR have overwhelmed your capacity to analyse the developments from an
objective and Marxist point of view. Luckily for all of us, the ideology and
praxis of Marxism and Scientific Socialism continues to survive, despite the
fall of the USSR and opportunistic renegades like you. Marxism and Socialism
continues to be the most formidable challenge before US led imperialism and
a ray of hope for the millions of exploited people across the globe.

At a personal level, I belong to a generation of Communists who joined the
Party in the 1990s. I don't harbour any illusions about the USSR. My
conviction regarding Marxism has developed through my association with the
struggles waged by the CPI (M) in defence of secularism and democracy in
India. I firmly believe that the CPI (M) is the best place to be for all
those who believe in progressive social change and revolution in our
country.

As far as the Left Front government of bengal is concerned, my admiration
for it arises especially because i don't come from bengal, but from a state
(Bihar) which is the worst example of economic backwardness and Brahminical
social oppression, in the absence of land reforms as was carried out in
bengal under the aegis of the Left front Government.

You may continue to revel at the idea of the Left front government being
defeated in Bengal one day. May be it'll happen in future, although going by
current developments, I don't see that happening at least in the next
assembly ele ctions. As long as Mamata Banerjee and the assorted naxalite
idiots are dominating the opposition discourse, the future of the LF
government is secured.

However, even if the LF is defeated in bengal one day, how does it matter?
The LF has lost elections in Kerala and Tripura several times; that has not
led to the decline of the Communist movement. They have fought and come back
to power again. That is the beauty of Indian democracy.

I look forward to the day when we'll all see a CPI (M) led LF government at
the Centre. That will be a great moment for the Indian people, especially
the working class and the peasantry. That will also be a day when the LF
government in Bengal will not have to depend upon big capital to
industrialize - it can be acieved through Public Sector investment. Perhaps,
cynics like you would also come back to the communist fold that day.