Jyoti Basu
The country is confronted with the greatest challenge of communalism even after 52 years of independence. It is a matter of serious concern and shame as well. The Congress to a great extent is responsible for the development of such a situation. Even after ruling the country for 45 years it has led the country to such a morass that the communal forces are trying to take full advantage of it. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar represent these communal forces. The Congress was ousted from power but still is no longer in a mood to amend itself though of course it boasts of secular credentials. No doubt, the Congress made a major contribution to the independence struggle.
As being communists we were singled out by the British rulers for inhuman torture and repression from the very inception of the founding of the Communist Party in India. During the British rule except for a year or two after the formation of the Communist Party it could not act or organize movement being overground. For most part in the initial years the party was banned. Communist leaders were implicated in the false cases and both leaders and cadres were subjected to inhuman torture. But the foreign rulers could not segregate us from the common people. Taking grave risks for our lives we used to work among the people for freedom of our country. When the ban on the Communist Party was lifted for a while and we got the opportunities to work in the open, we organised movements among the workers, peasants.
Armed struggle played definite role in the overall freedom movement. Many of them have lost their lives in anti-British struggles. Most of them joined the Communist Party later too. The contributions of two specific streams of independence struggle -- armed and non-violent -- are immense. During the Congress rule, books have been published belittling the role of the Communist Party and its leaders in the independence struggle. That history is travesty of truth. The canard against the Communists is being spread even today. History is being tarnished mostly by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar even though the BJP and the RSS made no contributions at all to the freedom struggle. These outfits rather did great damage to the freedom movement itself by propagating a communal ideology. There is no single leader in the Sangh Parivar who can claim to have made any contribution to it. After independence, the RSS follower assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. In Maharastra, the BJP-Shiv Sena Government has now started glorifying the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.
The mission behind the independence struggle was establishment of democracy, secularism, economic self-reliance, social justice and setting up the superstructure of a federal polity.
But the Congress led the subsequent movement astray. They have protected the interest of the bourgeoisie landlord and pampered the monopoly capital, which resulted in the pauperization of millions of common people. When election approaches, the Congress doles out false promises to the voters and once the election is over, it works against the people and hits at the base of the democratic institutions. The Congress has thrown us to the jails without trials several times for leading people's genuine movements. Even the Congress banned the Communist Party more than once and innumerable leaders and cadres of our party have been killed during the Congress regime, particularly between 1972 and 1977 when a semi fascist government of the Congress ruled the State of West Bengal. Those dark days, the murky days of the Emergency can never be forgotten. For mean partisan gains the Congress has jeopardized the unity of the country thus helping the rise of the forces of disintegration, along with the BJP or the communal forces. As a result of this darkest chapter of Indian history -- the demolition of the Babri mosque was enacted. Along with it came about countrywide killing of minorities. Instead of confronting the communal forces the Narshima Rao government at the Centre compromised with them. The Congress cannot absolve itself for the loss of values inherited from the time of Independence struggle.
Before the BJP grabbed power in Delhi it used to boast of being a party with a difference. It is true to its colours. BJP is the only party, which openly propagates communalism, It has made its mission to set up a Hindu Rastra in India. Giving up the cherished idea of secular state takes it prides on demolishing the Babri mosque and announces such other uncivilized programmes. For this I have branded the BJP as a "Barbaric, savage" party. As a singular identity the BJP and the Prime Minister cannot but be dependent on the Sangh Parivar that is committed to dismantling the secular-democratic principles of the country. Except for the issue of the communal question what more difference the Congress has with the BJP? Even the BJP in its rule for one and a half years at the Centre has surpassed the Congress in respect of corruption, anti-people policies, etc. economic bungling. The imperialist dominated World Bank and the IMF had its dictates accepted by the Narasimha Rao government giving expression to the dictum liberalisation of the economy that was effected recklessly, welfare measures scuttled, open loot by Multinationals allowed and the public sector is being dismantled in preference to privatisation. The programme of self-reliance has been given a goodbye, economic sovereignty is at stake. As a result, a large number of firms and factories have been closed down. There is no talk of land reforms, peasants' interest is ruthlessly sacrificed, accumulated unemployment and price rise have imposed a unbearable burden on the people, both urban and rural. Attack is being sharpened in the fields of education, culture, public distribution system or whatever of it was available to the people. And the dangerous economic scenario appeared. When the new economic policy was pushed through in Parliament during the Congress regime, the BJP gave its nod of approval and the Congress has reciprocated during BJP rule. The BJP however has the slogan of Swadeshi to hoodwink the people. After coming to power at the Centre the BJP has unmasked itself by placating the monopoly, big business and multinationals. It has tested a nuclear bomb, sanctions were imposed on India by the USA and now the BJP is going wholehog to appease the multinational companies with increased enthusiasm. Even the Human Development Report of the United Nations has put out a clear picture of economic loss the country is suffering on account of pursuing a policy of liberalisation.
In the 1998 Lok Sabha election the BJP got a meagre 25% national vote and together with its alliance partners managed to get 37% of the national vote thus it came to power with a minority vote. The anti-BJP votes stood at 67% but a few parties while fighting against the BJP later joined it betraying the voters. The BJP is desperately pursuing its communal agenda and the is attacking the Muslims and Christians. Riots took place in several parts posing a serious threat to communal amity. The BJP do not care for any kind of morality. Many of their leaders were allegedly involved in hawla deals. The Shiv Sena -BJP Government in Maharastra once promising to cancel the Davol Power project before the Assembly election in 1995, awarded the same contract to the multinational company Enron offering it guarantee for its return on investment after the Sena BJP had won the Assembly election. The telecom scandal by which mostly multinational operators have benefited speaks volumes about the corruption of the present -caretaker government of the BJP. Serious reservations were expressed on this account even from the office of the Election Commission, the President of India and the court. The ambit of corruption is far wider than those witnessed during the Congress regime. In Uttar Pradesh the BJP giving up all canons of political morality formed a government by breaking other parties with money and muscle. A ministry in U.P. has been formed with around 91 members many of them having criminal records. During the confidence vote in Lok Sabha the BJP distributed crores of rupees among members of other parties to influence the voting result. Even the Prime Minister has once said that morality has no place in his scheme of things. They have done exactly opposite of promises they had made one and half years ago.
The BJP has also given up the time-tested policy of non-alignment and making the country more and more dependent on the US imperialism. This is a dangerous trend.
However much the BJP may talk of its success in governance the hollowness of the claim has been evident in all fields more particularly in defending security of India explicit in the recent Kargil conflict with Pakistan. The BJP Government will have to explain how for months on end the Pakistanis could mobilize soldiers, amass arms and equipment without the knowledge of the Indian government.
Side by side the BJP is trying to cripple the financial power of the States, by curbing their rights. To make India weak economically and strategically imperialist countries help communal and divisive forces in the country. The danger has increased with the BJP holding the power at the Centre.
We are trying to unite the left democratic and secular forces against the communal and divisive forces of all hues. Though the effort for unity has received a set back, would have to be continued. The CPI (M) wants a secular government formed after the next Lok Sabha election. While no combination, it is expected, to get the majority. With this in view, where we are weak we shall even support the candidates who are in a position to defeat the BJP candidates or even support the Congress candidate. But we shall not form any alliance adjustment with the Congress. It is now a national duty for every honest thinking, secular and democratic minded citizen to defeat the communal forces. The country will be ruined if the BJP can grab power again. We, the Communists' have the greatest responsibility in thwarting the BJP from coming to power again at the Centre.
In West Bengal we have to fight against the Congress and the Trinamool Congress too. The BJP even after decades of attempts have failed to gain a foothold in the State. But this Trinamool Congress just to disrupt the peaceful and democratic atmosphere has allied with it. The TMC is resorting to violence in some places to create a law and order situation. But the BJP-TMC criminal elements will not be allowed to break law and order and disturb communal harmony under any circumstances.
The Left-led governments in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura provide a glaring alternative in all respects, especially with respect to land reforms, decentralisation of power, defending secularism, expanding democracy and serving the interests of the vast millions. These gains were made possible notwithstanding the discriminatory attitude of the Centre led by the successive Congress governments and the BJP-led government, disruptive activities of the Congress and Trinamool and also hostile attitude of the most of the media.
To us, the election is a serious political battle. It offers the opportunity to go to the masses with our political line across the country. People must be kept aware of the worst-ever communal challenge posed before the country and the role to be played by the people, the secular and democratic forces to save India from an abyss.