CPI(M) spares BJP; brands Trinamool Congress as ‘fascistic’

Politico-ideological bankruptcy of the CPI (M), still the largest Leftist party in the political firmament of India’s parliamentary democracy, is reflected in the organisation’s draft of political (DPS) resolution. Adopted at the party’s central committee (CC) meeting (January 19-21, 2015) for debate by party members at all levels, down to the local committee, in the run-up to the 21st congress in mid-April, the CC characterised the Trinamool Congress as ‘fascistic’. But nowhere does the document brand BJP, RSS or any Sangh Parivar outfit as ‘fascistic’ or fascist.

Describing the “misrule of the TMC government, the involvement of the top TMC leadership in the Saradha scam, the worsening plight of the working class and the peasantry, the widespread crimes against women and the loot and extortion” as the main features of the current dispensation, the DPS states, “The TMC’s opportunist politics and fascistic actions have created the basis for the BJP to make gains” (para 2.76).

Thus, the CPI(M) brass of AK Gopalan Bhavan, the national headquarters, silently added feathers to the cap of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by refraining from calling the NDA government ‘fascistic’. It disregarded the fascistic hooliganism of Sangh Parivar-trained stormtroopers in their efforts to convert Muslims into Hindus and vandalising churches. At the most, the DPS ascribes prefixes like “nakedly pro big business” to characterise the BJP, and apprehends that the Modi government’s policies “deepen social inequalities and intensify the exploitation of the working people”. It also admits that Modicracy is in sync with “the neo-liberal thrust and the Hindutva drive with a pro-imperialist orientation” to demolish “the correlation of class forces”.

Seventeen years ago, CPI(M) politburo member and editor of party’s central organ, Peoples’ Democracy, Sitaram Yechury, stated in his AK Gopalan Memorial Lecture, “The rabid intolerance which constitutes the backbone of the Saffron Brigade’s ideology thus represents the advance guard of fascism. Though not fascism in the classical sense, the methods adopted by the Saffron Brigade to achieve its objective of a Hindu Rashtra are fascistic. It thus has the potential of heralding a future fascistic tyranny in India. The Saffron Brigade adopts the fascistic methods of appropriation of popular symbols, create a false consciousness of deprivation amongst the majority community and appeal to extreme jingoism as their methods to advance. Dimitrov had said “Fascism acts in the interests of extreme imperialists but presents itself to the masses in the guise of a wronged nation and appeals to outraged ‘national’ sentiments”.”

Two years thereafter, the CPI(M) in its Updated Party Programme, the party’s strategy in pushing forward towards Peoples Democratic Revolution, adopted at a special conference in Thiruvananthapuram (October 2000), Yechury’s formulation. “The threat to the secular foundations has become menacing with the rise of the communal and fascistic RSS-led combine and its assuming power at the Centre. Systematic efforts are on to communalise the institutions of the State, the administration, the educational system and the media. The growth of majority communalism will strengthen the forces of minority communalism and endanger national unity. The support of sections of the big bourgeoisie for the BJP and its communal platform is fraught with serious consequences for democracy and secularism in the country (para 5.7).

Quietly — rather opportunistically — the CC violated the party’s constitution by moving away from its strategic position. It’s indeed ludicrous to think that the TMC is fascistic and the Sangh Parivar is not. Or is it that only West Bengal is threatened by fascism? Only the other day, a party member M Shihab was killed near Thrissur last night and the district secretary blamed the ‘non-fascistic RSS’. 

Sad but true, AKG Bhavan practices crude parliamentarism to keep class struggle at bay.

The author is a veteran journalist, specialising in Left politics, history and environmental issues.