Updates from CPI (ML) Red Star (JULY 2020)

1. Joint Appeal of Communist and Revolutionary Left Forces:

Make 3rd July All India Protest,

a Day of Resistance against Modi Rule!

Joint Appeal to Make the 3rd July Protest Day, a day of resistance against Modi rule, already signed by CPI(ML) Red Star, CPI(ML) PRC, UCCRI(ML) Kishen and All India Workers’ Council is given below. Their State Committees and the class/mass organizations and People’s Movements in which comrades of these organizations are active have already issued statements, wherever possible joining with like-minded organizations, calling for making 3rd July a day of mighty resistance against the Corporate fascist Modi rule. We appeal to all Communist Revolutionary and Revolutionary Left forces to sign the Joint Call.

The PB and the CC of the CPI (ML) Red Star held urgent online meetings following the sad and disturbing reports of 16th June night that the standoff between Indian and Chinese forces started from April led to violent clashes on 15th night in Galwan Valley for the first time in 50 years with casualties on both sides, including the death of 20Jjawans and injuries to some more on the Indian side. The meetings of the PB and CC extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the Jawans who lost their life.

The Indian Army has stated that 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action in a violent face-off with Chinese soldiers in the Galwan area on 15th night in sharp escalation of tensions in the midst of a process of disengagement from their stand-off that began six weeks ago. The Chinese foreign ministry and army claimed that Indian troops had provoked violence by crossing over to their territory, the Galvan Valley which ‘always belonged to them’. According to Indian army statements, it faced Chinese troops there in early May, for the first time in 50 years, leading to the first face-off on the night of May 5-6. Now it is absolutely clear that contrary to what was told by the army chief and government spokespersons repeatedly, no basic understanding on disengagement from the valley could be reached as China was claiming sovereignty over it in the series of disengagement talks up to corps commanders’ level on 6th June. So, after the 15th   violent   incident, now it is clear that after this, military level discussion was not sufficient. It was absolutely imperative that diplomatic and political initiatives at the highest levels from both the countries was required urgently to diffuse the situation. But the prime minister Modi who had met the Chinese president a dozen times for long discussions during last six years, including last year at Chennai, did not take any initiative for its resolution. Even after escalation of the standoff to clashes leading to death of 20 Jawans on 15th night, till 17th evening he has not come out with a formal statement except for a characteristic tirade to incite jingoism, with claims of retaliation at appropriate time!

Compatriots, the border disputes are leftovers of the colonial days. Even the boundary demarcations were used by British colonialists as part of their ‘divide and rule’ policy. Contrary to the stand taken during independence struggle, Congress governments had failed to settle the border disputes. During the last six years, under Modi rule, the relations with all neighbouring countries have further worsened on the one hand due to its Islamophobia, or on the other because of its increasing role in the Asia-Pacific axis strengthened by US to serve its inter-imperialist contradictions with China.

During the last six years Modi has led the country from one crisis to another. Its economic policies had led to recession even before the Covid19 broke out. Though lockdown was announced abruptly on 24th March midnight without any medical or other preparations in the name of containing this pandemic, even after 83 days the Covid19 pandemic is taking more dangerous proportions day by day. We have also witnessed what this government did to the tens of millions of migrant workers who became jobless and shelter-less and thrown to temporary shelters, often starving, compelling many to walk back to their villages, a more gruesome sight than what this country faced during the days of partition. The economy is in unprecedented crisis, further impoverishing the masses, and making unemploy-ment leaping to record levels. Now, as the latest developments prove, as a result of its subservience to US imperialism as its junior partner, it has led to worsening of relations with all neighbours including Nepal taking the standoff with China to dangerous levels. And the burden of the consequences of all criminal acts of Modi rule are thrown to the backs of the vast masses of toiling masses. Like Covid was used as a cover to suppress all political enemies, to spread Islamophobia and state terror so far, now Modi, after allowing the border conflict to reach such an impasse through his deliberate inaction, is using it to spread jingoism and war mongering using the death of Indian jawans, like the Jawans killed in Pulwama followed by Balakot was used to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Our appeal to our compatriots is not to allow Modi government to hoodwink us and put us in more miseries by encouraging war jingoism as it used the Covid pandemic to speed up neoliberal corporate policies and to impoverish more, apart from communally dividing us further. At this critical juncture, in the name of exposing the weakness of Modi rule, instead of calling for a negotiated settlement of the border dispute, Congress and other parliamentary opposition is trying to prove more nationalistic!

Our appeal to the fraternal people of China, who have a great history, is that along with our government, your government is also worsening the border conflict which both of us do not want. Instead of settling it through negotiations, in order to evade their responsibility of fulfilling the basic needs of the people and work for peace, both governments are whipping up war jingoism. We appeal to both Indian and Chinese people who have the heritage of a long standing fraternal relations between our two great peoples, to the Nepalese people and people of all other neighbouring countries is that let us not allow the reactionary ruling classes of our countries to divide us in the name of border disputes, a leftover from the colonial days, Islamophobia and racism; let us work together to refrain our governments from dragging us to border wars which will lead to the loss of lives of many more of our jawans in the army in all our countries as cannon fodder to serve the interests of imperialists and their junior partners, and make life more miserable to us, the vast majority of the toiling common people.

CPI(ML) Red Star

3. Racism a Virus! People Celebrate Festival of Toppling Statues of Racists!

The solidarity movement in support of Black Life Matters started in protest against the murder of George Floyd by the institutionalized racism in US is taking the form of massive rallies in increasing number of countries and of toppling the statues of racists and slave traders is spreading fast from US to Britain to Belgium already with the possibilities of reaching other countries also. In US thousands of people are participating in pulling down many statues and throwing them to nearby rivers or ponds. Statue of Columbus was pulled down and agitators are demanding that Columbus Day should be renamed as Indigenous People’s Day.

The campaign to tear down monuments in towns and cities across Britain gathered pace today as a 'hit list' of statues and memorials deemed to be 'celebrating racism and slavery' reached 78. A website called 'Topple The Racists' has identified dozens of landmarks from Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert's Bodmin Beacon to Lord Kitchener's memorial in the Orkney Islands that they say need to be removed 'so that Britain can finally face the truth about its past'.

Organisers have said they were inspired by the 'direct action taken by Bristolians', referring to the tearing down of slave trader Edward Colston's statue on 7th June in the city, before it was thrown into the harbour. In details showing how statues are chosen, the website says the hit list includes 'cases where there is responsibility for colonial violence', adding that 'judgement calls' had been on cases where history is more 'complicated'. Memorials to monarchs such as King Charles II and King James II make appearances on the list, as well as Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. Winston Churchill whose colonial policy led to starvation deaths of lakhs of people in Indian famines is also under attack. It is a festival of the masses.

As part of throwing away racism to dustbin, there are tearing down statues of all those led the dirty actions which perpetuated inequality all over the world under the capitalist system. The movement is deepening and spreading, putting forward radical slogans and expanding globally, creating hopes of going beyond the people’s upsurges following the 2008 crisis. Combining with people’s hatred against the way the imperialist system is throwing the burden of Covid19 pandemic also on the people, leaving them to get infected and die, the movement started with the racist murder of George Floyd it is achieving new dimensions. How soon this festival of breaking down and throwing away the statues of slave dwellers and racists and colonialists, shall turn in to a festival of revolution for overthrowing the capitalist imperialist ruling system itself how it spreads to more areas and how more tens of millions are coming out on the streets for system change.

This is a new wave of people’s upsurge, where the toilers and suppressed of the world are on another offensive across the continents, trying to settle accounts with their oppressors and tormentors for centuries. Trumps and Boris Johnsons are lamenting: it is too much, it is not legal, it is horrible! But when Yeltsin’s inspired and funded by the CIA were pulling down the statues of Lenin in the streets of Moscow in1991 the imperialist chieftains were celebrating. When the US and UK forces murdered Saddam and Gaddafi, these forces of reaction did not say it is horrible.

Now when the masses are on the streets and celebrating the festival of demolishing and throwing away the statues of the murderers and butchers who enslaved the masses for centuries, they are frightened. When the communards were advancing to capture power in Paris in 1871, knowing all the limitations of the movement, Marx supported them saying, well done comrades, you are storming the heaven of those who had thrown you to the hell.

Today, when millions of the exploited and oppressed, racially abused are coming out on the streets challenging the forces of reaction, and pulling down and stamping the statues of their tormentors, let us say, it is beautiful comrades, let us strive hard to take it to its logical conclusion, to the overthrow of the capitalist imperialist system itself!

4. CPI(ML) Red Star’s Perspective: Emerging Post-Covid Situation and Tasks of CRs

1. Neoliberal imperialism is already extremely crisis-ridden, connected with the unbridled plunder of nature and labour. Covid19 like Pandemics are an outcome of this specific character of over accumulation by the most reactionary corporate capital. 

2. At the same time, the pandemic exposed the extreme vulnerability of the imperialist system, especially the bankruptcy and helplessness it is facing. Firstly, it laid bare that US imperialism that is supposedly leading the capitalist world is too weak- a trend which has been evident over the last few years. As a result, the US led neocolonial-neoliberal order has become unviable. 

3. This trend is going to be intensified further in the post pandemic situation. The entire imperialist world, except China as of now, based on the statistics provided by various neo-colonial institutions and neoliberal centres, is going to experience the biggest ever contraction, larger than that of the great Depression. As a result, unemployment, poverty, inequality, etc. shall aggravate to unheard of levels.

4. According to available datas, in terms of economic strength, US is giving way to China in a well defined manner. In crucial areas like the size of the economy, in volume of global trade, in capital export  etc  US is far behind. Because of this economic decline, in the coming days US will also find it difficult to  maintain its position as history's biggest war machine. 

5. Because of China's advancement in digitisation and the application of this digital technology to develop a digital currency for international transactions, the supremacy of dollar is going to be challenged. 

6. Similar to the economic sphere, in the political sphere too US dominance is declining. As manifested in the case of WHO, US finds it difficult to manipulate the UN and it's agencies as before. Even EU is taking an independent position and NATO is weakening while Chinese imperialism is displaying it's capability by leading many political and economic groupings and like OBOR, RCEP, SCO, etc. 

7. Amidst this shifting global balance of power, as the Communist forces are still weak to pose a revolutionary threat so far, neo-fascism is strengthening, using Covid19 as an opportunity. For this digitial technologies are effectively used. Many Apps developed from China to the rest of the world for tracking, tracing, quarantining and even treating corona patients are now being used as tools for surveillance over people. This is in addition to the taking away of hard-earned democratic and economic rights of workers  and  oppressed people in manifold ways. 

8. Secondly, an important trend is the use of digitisation which is the fast advancing 21st century technology for reorganization of the productive and service spheres for super exploitation of the working  class by making collective bargaining and unionisation difficult, thereby transforming more and more workers  as informal and unorganised. 

9. Definitely, a weakening of US and possible strengthening  of bureaucratic capitalist China will give rise to a change in the form of neoliberal accumulation, including an alteration in many worn-out neocolonial institutions and re-arrangements, the overall trend, in the near absence of a revolutionary Communist initiative strong enough to challenge the ruling system, indicate an intensification in corporate capital's hegemony in more vicious forms.  In the emerging situation, the inter-imperialist contradiction, and the contradictions between capital and labour, between capital and nature, and between the capitalist imperialist system with the world people are going to sharpen to unprecedented levels. It shall provide the revolutionary Communists with an excellent objective situation to challenge the ruling system and even to overthrow it; to create a new wave of revolutions. But the subjective forces, the revolutionary communist parties, are still weak and incapable of appropriately intervening in it from the perspective of the working class and oppressed people. This is due to various reasons, including their weakness to come out of the old frames, to seek truth from concrete facts, and to develop the theory and practice of revolution according to present concrete conditions. So, in the immediate present, in spite of many people’s upsurges, more numerous than in the post-2008 crisis, spontaneous and even sometimes led by the Communist forces may break out, all the present visible trends point towards an intensification of corporate capital's plunder of nature and exploitation of working class and oppressed people, once again throwing the entire burden of their crisis to the backs of the toiling masses.

So, the emerging situation calls for concerted action on the part of communist revolutionaries and struggling left forces the world over to build up solidarity and struggle both at international and national levels, putting forward a political alternative based on a concrete evaluation of the emerging situation and with an advanced vision of people oriented development and democracy.

5. Increasing threat of Ecological Catastrophe and Significance of Struggle for System Change

What is given below is a note presented in the webinar on 14th June on the subject: When Crises like Covid19 pandemic threatens ecological catastrophe, Significance of the struggle for system change with people oriented alternate development perspective. Based on the discussion in the Webinar on 14th June, with the above subject in which scientist Soumya Dutta and environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman participated along with comrades Sanjay Singhvi, Arun Velaskar and Vijaykumar – KN Ramachandran

1. When whole humanity is in the grip of Covid19 pandemic, the warnings of Stephen Hawking like scientists that ecological destruction intensified by the arrogant ruling political class shall lead to a catastrophe, to possible destruction of this species itself sounds very relevant. Still the capitalist-ruling system wants to push forward with its re-creation of the world in its own image under neoliberal globalization. Not satisfied even with the accumulation of 73%of the wealth of the society already with the top 1% of the corporates, developing nuclear weapons capable of destroying the earth a hundred times, building great cities with glittering malls, highways, fly-overs and techno parks, bringing most of the people under the sway of consumerist lust, they want more and more of them. They laugh at suggestions that climate change, global warming like phenomena are due to the ecological destruction caused by their brand of development; that if not curbed it shall cause devastation, that it shall lead to global environmental catastrophe. So, Trump walked out of Kyoto Protocol, or all of them assembled at Madrid during last year’s climate conference dumped all talks about environmental dangers as rubbish!

2. But Covid19 has surprised the globalized world; it has frozen the world for weeks. Is nature reacting in its own ways through SARS in 2003, MERS in 2012 and now more dangerous novel corona virus, Covid19 apart from more frequent super cyclones, forest fires etc? Scientists have recently warned also about old viruses getting mutated, and appearance of more dangerous viruses, dormant for many millennia, now coming out with the breaking of huge glaziers at both poles under global warming.

3. In spite of these warnings, what happened? China, soon after its partial recovery from Covid19, rushed to its old ways! In all other countries also, after initial panic, once the lockdowns are being unlocked, they are hurrying back to business as usual, even when millions are newly affected and tens of thousands are still dying daily due to fast increasing infection of Covid19. They are seeking ways to loot the human labour and nature more voraciously, to recover the losses! They are intensifying the use of new intelligence machines and digitization at unprecedented scale for it. At the same time, they are shifting the whole burden of the pandemic to the backs of the workers and oppressed people once again with tragic consequences as we are witnessing around us.

4. It is based on our studies on how the intensifying capitalist loot during the phase of neoliberal corporatization has taken the ecological destruction to by the imperialist powers and their junior partners in power in the dependent countries to unprecedented levels and how all the proposals of the scientists and environmentalists are rejected in practice by them, the CPI(ML) Red Star in its Program adopted by its 9th Party Congress in 2011, pointed out that, along with the plunder of labour and world people, the plunder of nature is also intensifying from the time of emergence of the capitalist system. In The Capital and other studies, Marx and Engel pointed out that from the time of emergence of the class divided society and beginning of exploitation of humans by humans, the interference in nature by man also had started. But, this interference started taking an antagonistic form, a quantitative leap, with the beginning of industrial revolution, and the advent of the capitalism. As it led to colonization of the whole world, the was further intensification of the loot of the oppressed peoples and the natural resources there. After, Second World War, transforming colonial forms of plunder to neo-colonial forms characterized by the ever increasing export of finance capital, market system and technology, the capitalist imperialist system along with the junior partners to whom they had transferred power in former colonies, further intensification of the exploitation of labour, massive entry of capital and technology in to agricultural sector under the banner of Green Revolution, and looting of nature. From 1970s, to surmount another bout of serious crisis inherent to capitalist system, they adopted neoliberal globalization and corporatization, taking imperialist plunder to a still higher phase.

5. History teaches that, just because its barbarous character is exposed, just because the vast masses of people are facing more brutal plunder and oppression, the ruling system is not going to change on its own will, or it can be transformed from within through reforms. The latest example for this is its present mad rush for returning to Business as usual, even when the pandemic is spreading fast. For further accumulation of wealth, they are intensifying uncontrolled plunder of labour and nature, unconcerned about the threats of ecological catastrophe and extinction of human species, as they do not show any concern even after already damaging the eco system and bio-diversity. So, if we want to protect what is left of nature, and the human species, the one and only way out is to throw out the capitalist system with the perspective of putting in to practice a sustainable alternate development outlook.

6. Celebrating the severe setbacks suffered by the socialist countries and their degeneration to capitalist path, the global capitalist system and its junior partners, launched the neoliberal corporate offensive based on globalization-liberalization-privatization in the 1970s , repeating ‘there is no alternative to neoliberal policies,’ asserting their world outlook. It is against this world outlook which has taken the humankind to verge of disaster, starting with Marx, the revolutionary forces are consistently fighting in spite of many ups and downs, taking lessons from their past experiences, for another world, by overthrowing the capitalist system at global level and initiating socialist transformation under people’s democracy , towards an exploitation free egalitarian society, progressively bringing all means of production under co-operative, social control..

7. What you mean by this alternative is the central question asked by all? Our answer, of course, is: based on past experiences, and our socio- political –theoretical orientation it has to be evolved, and developed through practice. From what capitalist imperialist system has done, we have the clarity that if further attacks on the boundaries of nature should be ended forthwith, we have to drastically do away with the ‘parameters’ of development assiduously cultivated by the capitalist system, like the uncontrolled use of energy and consumerist lust. An alternative to capitalism can never be another mere economic model. A new socio-cultural-political outlook is to be developed, redefining human needs, and democracy as a way of life with the perspective of internationalism, a world without war, with co-operative, social ownership in all fields.

It means planning everything from the grass root level, with democratic institutions which ensure all power to the people. It calls for outright replacement of the bureaucratic-corporate-fascist model of governance with a people’s democratic model starting from the neighbourhood committees under Gram Panchayats, as a pyramid, with the power vested maximum at the panchayat level, then at bloc/taluk, district and state levels progressively diminishing as you go up, with very little power at the centre. It shall be built up as part of an international system, totally de-militarized, with open borders, where every country ensures food, clothing, housing, healthcare, education and employment to all as primary needs to begin with. Towards such a people’s model, many lessons can be drawn from the positive contributions of the models initiated in Paris Commune, Soviets in Soviet Union, People’s Communes in China and other countries during their socialist days; the attempts made by various progressive governments in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and what is done by the Scandinavian countries in Europe. Though presented from different political outlooks, there are alternate perspectives put forward by many including the concept of Gram swaraj of Gandhiji. According to concrete conditions in each country, and based on a critical study of all these, a new alternative can be developed.

Alternative development model means a society where democratic way of life and sustainable egalitarian path of development are integrally linked. In order to advance to such a development paradigm, the pre-condition is that the capitalist imperialist system is thrown out; and secondly, the recognition that people’s democracy means a direct rule of the people, people’s political power starting with the grass root level neighbourhood committees, which promotes progressive relation between humans and nature, put an end to all forms of exploitation of humans by humans, replacing present family system with a progressive partnership, putting an end to Manuvadi caste system, racism like revanchist systems, customs and habits and patriarch, where gender inequality and all other social and economic inequalities will be ended, with scientific temper and humanism guiding the world outlook Mobilization of the toiling masses and the oppressed classes and sections of people calls for a great cultural revolutionary approach, in short a vigorous fight for transforming the thinking among humankind cultivated by the oppressor classes during last many millennia. An evaluation of the experience of the former socialist countries show that at a critical time during the socialist transition, the leaks from the roof, the capitalist, consumerist influences which started influencing the super structure, started corroding the economic base, speeding up the degeneration of the former socialist countries. This can happen to the communist parties, groups and individuals also, if they do not engage in class struggle without a comprehensive approach, and do not pursue a cultural revolutionary perspective.

8. To conclude, human society has reached a critical stage when either the capitalist imperialist system shall lead it towards ecological catastrophe and its own extinction, or the toiling and oppressed masses and the revolutionary intelligentsia shall come together, create public opinion and overthrow the capitalist system, and march towards a new socialist future, where humans, as a part of the nature shall co-exist with it friendly, giving birth to new blossoms of democracy and an alternate development paradigm.

The Frontline Socialist Party had organised a peaceful protest on 09 June in front of the US embassy in Colombo against the brutal assassination of George Floyd on the 25 May by American Police Officers, and against the American state terrorism and racism.  This protest was brutally suppressed by the Sri Lankan government.

The Protest was a peaceful one organised following the Corona virus health advice and government guidelines with keeping distance. The Police began to arrest party members and activists even before the protest started saying that they have a court order against the protest in that place. When the peaceful protest was shifted to a different location, the police and riot squads came there also and attacked the demonstrators violently. 

Forty-two party members have been arrested including General Secretary Kumar Gunaratnam, propaganda Secretary Duminda Nagamuwa and members of the Central Committee. We consider this act as a barbaric suppression against the right of the people to protest. It is another instance of the intensified actions of the rulers to suppress the masses. We are demanding the government of Sri Lanka to release the undemocratically arrested party members and activists forthwith.  

CPI(ML) Red Star condemns this brutal suppression of a peaceful demonstration of the people to declare solidarity with the people of US who are fighting against the racist killings of Blacks by the racist police supported by the US state with inbuilt racist approach. We demand the release of the comrades who were participating in a peaceful protest.

7. Solidarity in Support of Fighting US People

Revolutionary Greetings to the heroic toiling masses of the US, with the socially, racially and economically marginalised Blacks in the forefront, who have erupted like a great volcano taking the racial lynching of George Floyd as a wakeup call to the people, a spark that ignited the pent up anger among the toiling masses, especially the Blacks, inspiring militantly protest by millions all over US, with workers, youth, students, all oppressed people, cutting across the racial lines, continuing their revolts. They are boldly resisting the state terror and Trump’s moves to call military to suppress them. Trump's fascist rule has dubbed the revolting masses as “domestic terrorists” and imposed widespread curfews and threatened to ban their anti-fascist united movements. The centuries long acute deprivation along with increasing Covid19 crisis caused by the imperialist system have provoked them to rebel for a system change which alone is the path of liberation for them. In a way, this revolt is going to become the clarion call for more such people’s upsurges in other countries!

CPI(ML) Red Star calls on all party committees to declare solidarity with the struggling people of US and organize programs on 4th June joining hands with all anti-imperialist progressive, democratic forces.