When Marxists become market friendly

When Marxists become market friendly
Amrith Lal

In the national context, the relevance of the CPM has been reduced to asingle question: Are they willing to be part of a coalition government inNew Delhi? Hence, it is no wonder that when the party released an updatedParty Programmethe first updating since the party issued a Programme in1964 when the CPM was formedthe theme song was Will Jyoti Basu be allowedto head a government in future? The significant shifts the party introducedin its new Programme went unnoticed.

The new Programme is game to Foreign Direct Investment. And the partyaccepts that the Indian economy is multi-layered, and ``in view of thechanges in the world economy... the Indian economy cannot remain isolated''.No small step in pragmatism since the party in 1964 thought ``it iselementary knowledge that real and genuine socialism can be built only whenall principal means of production in society are owned by the state''.

Despite the official rhetoric, the CPM governments in West Bengal and Keralahad been courting foreign investment for some time. Even though the new``pragmatic'' Programme does not mention what the 1964 Programme saidthatthe State shall take over educationthe CPM-led government in Kerala hasbeen privatising the sector.

Yet, the cadre has been silent to the policy changes. Perhaps, they agreewith the leadership, the Party Programme needs to be pragmatic. Or as a newgeneration comrade said, boss, we need to change. And he did agree, theparty has changed.

Change is fine. But the reasons for the change needs to be explained. Theparty's Programmean analysis-solution document that could very well becalled the musings of a confused middle class moralisthas little new tooffer. It lists in detail the oppression the underprivileged has to undergo,yet the prescription to the ills are little different from what anymainstream political party has to offer. And yes, the Programme insists thatthe working class will be the vanguard of a democratic revolution the partyintends to stage!

The fact is there is nothing ``working class'' about the party. And theleadership very well knows that. The petite bourgeois has taken over thereigns of ideology. In any case, the leadership was seldom from the workingclass. This ``vacillating character'' who could ``at certain junctures...play a role in the people's democratic revolution'' is now the key componentof the party.

Perhaps, they would prefer to call themselves the New Working Class. Anywaythe peasants and industrial workers have long ago disappeared from theantenna of mainstream politics or have realised that it is caste and notclass that binds together Indian society.

The New Working Class does believe in revolution, if it does not demandsacrifices. It does identify with the Causes, whether its Cuba or CulturalRevolution. And they realise that in today's world, the international causeof the revolution will be served no good by sacrificing branded goods orother virtues of a liberalised economy. Hence, the minor strategic shift:``allow foreign direct investment in selected sectors for acquiring advancedtechnology and upgrading productive capacities''. The selection is yet to bemade.

That's fine. But what happens to the Revolution, even if it is democratic?As one comrade puts it, it now will happen through television. It's nolonger religion but media that is the opium of the masses. Ask Malayalicomrades for details. Hence, the party needs to have its own TV channel or achannel under the control of the party (``The media in India controlled bythe big bourgeoisie and other commercial interests mindlessly spread...consumerist, egoist and decadent values''). Henceforth, Telengana andTebhaga will happen on the TV set.

Marches are too tiring. This summer, all summers, are too hot. Let us bepragmatic.