Comrades at crossroads

His national agenda, which the new general secretary, elected in Patna a month ago, vows to fulfill, calls to mobilise students and youths against communalism and pin down the government on its tall promises of employment.Emphasising the need for a confederation of Left parties, Mishra’s national agenda calls upon the Left andprogressive forces to halt the attempts to impose a “fascist dictatorship in the country”.

Mishra had said: “It is through this process of developing a heightened consciousness of the masses, and growing mass movements that we can advance towards a confederation of Left and democratic forces — the truly transitory step towards the goal of building a peoples democratic front.”

His parallel national agenda to the BJP’s national agenda, primarily relies on mass movement. The fact, however, is: the CPI(ML) movement in Bihar is caught at a crossroads.

The participation of the CPI(ML) in the electoral process has, of couse, thrown open a new set of leaders, but it has also sharpened the attack from its adversaries, particularly the private armies of the landlords.

For a revolutionary communist party, agrarian revolution is the axis of the democratic revolution in India. But after the third Congress of the CPI(ML), the focus of their activities shifted from armed activities to mass political activities.Political struggle is considered a powerful tool to change the balance of forces in favour of revolution.

Though Bhattacharya is conscious of the daunting task and challenges, he is confident that with a team of dedicated leaders, he would be able to guide the party. He is also conscious that agrarian movement need to be revived in order to broadbase the party.

He is for the formation of the confederation of the left parties, but is not willing to waste much of his time and energy on it. Even the party’s seniormost leader and politiburo member Swadesh Bhattacharya alias Shambhuji, the legendry Raghuji of underground days, feels the situation is ripe for a leftward shift and what is needed is a strong thrust. He feels that the CPI and CPI(M) should take the initiative and respond to their appeal.

“With a fullfledged central committee and tempered political view, I am confident that we will be ale to overcome the situation and project the party as the true communist party,” says Swadesh Bhattacharya.He, however, strongly denies that the party has deviated from its political line. The party, in the true tradition of a revolutionary communist party, has changed its line and tactics, he says.

Ramji Ray, the party ideologue and central committee member endorses this view. He feels that the new general secretary “should” exert and give a new dimension to the party along with accomplishing the task Vinod Mishra had undertaken.

This is not a period of stagnation’

Excerpts from an interview with Dipankar Bhattacharya, the new general secretary of the CPI (ML) Liberation:

How you propose to accomplish Vinod Mishra’s unifinished task at this crucial juncture?

It’s a very daunting and challenging proposition for me, because this agenda was not before us. Our party has the in-built resilience to cope with such situations. Over these years the party has attained maturity and experience. The party enjoys the enormous support not only of our class base, but also of the democraticforces. This gives us hopes and strength.

Could you spell out the challenges you are likely to face?

Let me make it clear that I don’t see myself as the replacement of Vinod Mishra, the visionary. He set the tasks and accomplished it perfectly. VM in his last article, has pointed out to three specific areas to intensify the agrarian struggle, counter and overcome the resistance from the Ranabir Sena and other criminal gangs and unleash the movement of agriculture labourers in Bihar. At present the Sena enjoys the suport of the state government as well the BJP. But the party has succeeded in withstanding the onslaught.

However, a lot remains to be done.

Who is the enemy number one of the party?

Undoubtedly the Congress and the BJP. Saffron forces are mounting pressure and trying to spread. Our prime duty is to face the fascist offensive in all spheres. Threats and opportunities exist side by side. I believe our party must emerge as the vanguard of the Left forces against communalforces.

There has been a decline in the support base of party since the landlords are cutting into what was once your liberated areas…

No. You cannot attribute the rise of the Sena to our decline. It marks a different kind of response, on the part of the social forces, who feel threatened by the hegemony of our movement. The agrarian movement in Bihar has always witnessed ups and downs.

The CPI (ML), particularly Vinod Mishra, was for a confederation of Left parties. How you propose to accomplish it?

Our approach is qualitatively different from the present Left Front or any other combination of the Left parties. This Left unity should be broadbased and must be rooted in a common programme. The basic condition is that it should not be an appendage to any centrist set-up. We visualise our party as the core of any viable third front. In this background, it is imperative to look at the two-line struggle in the CPI and CPI(M). The rank and file of these parties are rejecting theleaderships’ presumptions of cooperation with Congress on the name of containing BJP.

Do you admit that your party is passing though a period of stagnation and as a result it has not been able to launch a strong peasant movement?

It would be wrong to describe this phase as a period of stagnation.

Do you still believe that guerilla warfare and maintaining guerilla units are a political necessity?

We never gave up the policy of self defence. In a state like Bihar, self defence is linked to survival.

What should be your relationship with the other Marxist groups in Bihar, the Maoist Coordination Committee (MCC) and CPI-ML (Party Unity)?

We don’t feel shaken or threatened by their presence. Unfortuantely they have still not drawn from their lessons. They still attack our rank and file. We never pursued any aggressive policy towards them. History of two decades clearly reveals the fact that the party, in spite of their tirades against us, has continued to expand. We hope theyunderstand the futility and try to contain such anarchist action.