Five States go to poll
This is about assembly election in five states of Asom, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Kerala and Pondicherry that is being held right now, curiously in three or four stages i.e. in staggering dates, thanks Election Commission. So far the economic-political situation in the country is concerned, there has been no significant, so to say qualitative change since last election barring few twists in electoral adjustment or alliance between the parties. In previous occasion however, there was NDA govt. at the centre led by BJP and it is now the congress led alliance in power with indispensable support of left parties from outside. Class conscious worker can not but take serious note of significance of further right swing of left parties, becoming virtually a party to union govt. by way of participation in the co-ordination committee of congress and allied parties in running the govt.
One very interesting feature that is being greatly focussed in the present ongoing election proceedings is Election Commission's activism. It seems, the commission is not reconciled to merely making routine arrangement of election such as fixing date of election, collecting and verifying the nomination of candidates, conducting voting procedure, counting of votes, certifying the winning candidates, etc. etc. They seem to have made a drastic change in commission's actual role with that of their predecessors. It seems from their conduct that they are bent upon to ensure 'free and fair' election in all the constituencies. Almost a month long exercise was made by numerous offices of the commission that fanned out in districts and even distant villages, for actual verification of voters' list. Strict vigilance is there on compliance of restriction on the contending parties, particularly on the party of the government regarding announcing or introducing any fresh relief or reform measures. And any deviation whatsoever is being readily dealt with highhandedness, even sometimes by slapping legal proceeding against errant officers or ministers. Any apparently biased act of state bureaucrats or even police top-brass is forcing them to be summarily transferred to such assignments as having no connection with election proceeding. Actually what else could be done had there been president's rule in the states going to poll. This is precisely what has been remarked recently by one former officer of election commission.
But is it that the present election commission is acting beyond the provisions of the constitution? Is it that the administrative power and authority that is being exercised in the states, particularly in West Bengal is beyond EC's jurisdiction? Precisely not. They are simply acting deep into provisions of law and related rules, which in fact had remained largely unused until recently, in both Lok Sabha and state elections. We should not be guided to believe that the difference is due to overzealous aggression of the present Chief Election Commission and the bunch of stuff he commands. Ostensibly in the past elections necessity was not so felt by respective EC's to bring in force the comprehensive constitutional provisions and rules in details for conducting election. And now this is becoming a dire necessity — necessity for ruling classes and their state. However we shall observe, the present role and conduct of EC is nothing new. This has already been practiced in Bihar assembly election last year. Further if we look back to what happened in Seshan period i.e. how Seshan used his strong arm as CEO in conducting election process, it would not be difficult to understand that the above necessity was being felt by the ruling classes and obviously by different wings of the state machinery like Judiciary and top layer bureaucracy since couple of years back. But why is it becoming the dire necessity for the state to impose 'free and fair' election from above with the help of strong arm state measures? Actually they are in need to keep the fa?ade of democracy in the face of gradual erosion of confidence and involvement of people in general electoral matter. Class conscious workers are aware of the fact that even the freest election under bourgeoisies constitution can not in anyway change the class rule of bourgeoisie — here in our country the rule of big bourgeoisie — big land lord alliance. General backward mass is obviously not. Parliamentary election is only to deceive this mass of working people to believe that they have the democratic right to elect their own (!) government. This deception is precisely the lifeline of ruling class in an avowed democratic set up. But the forced alienation of masses from electoral process that is growing by days, due to muscle men of contending parties gaining control of election booth along with other diverse way of rigging and most importantly the experience of scores of elections in the past bringing no change at all in the life of workers, peasants and other toiling people and at the same time the rampant corruption in the parliamentary politics — all in one is virtually becoming deterrent to working of the deception. In fact, the above phenomena have grown to such a height that it is becoming impossible for even the coercive undemocratic state to absolve. That is why we would find judicial activism in recent times. And now we find Election Commission's activism. Commission is simply doing the job as dictated by the requirement of the ruling class at the moment. More the onslaught of globalisation on people, more the right of people to organise and struggle is taken away, whether covertly or overtly, more the element of democracy is being squeezed out of social fabric, more is the need of the ruling class to uphold the sanctity of election, projecting it as embodiment of living democracy.
Opposition or weaker parties may feel elated at moment by the role of EC in disciplining the parties in the fray, particularly the ruling one, but workers and peasants have got nothing to rejoice because nothing they gain from it in regard to their class interest, rather what gains is the system that oppresses people. Had the working class of our country been not disintegrated as of today, rather organised in a party of their own, they could have joined the election battle from a separate plank on the strength of class struggle and they would not have to wait for the mercy of the ruling class or so to say the Election Commission to confront any adversity whatsoever.
Question still remains and is once again focussed in the ongoing election — that is the emergence of class conscious workers and building a truly working class party so as to get the class united and organised as a leader for the revolutionary change of the society.
Even after long years since the defeat of the first offensive of the world socialist movement, international proletariat is still disintegrated and scattered and is on defensive. In individual countries the scenario is the same. Working class is scattered and do not have their own class party whereas the united strength of capital is being terribly increased through the ever increasing unity of imperialists-capitalists drawing in the big bourgeoisie of non-imperialist countries, notwithstanding the contradiction within the imperialists. It has been possible due to U.S.A. having earned the strength and position to lead others. World proletariat being pushed to back seat, it is now the period of world domination of imperialist Capital. It is the era of W.T.O. It is the era of globalisation of capital simultaneously creating the objectivity for the unity of the working class worldwide in a bigger scale in days to come.
Such is the overriding force of unity of international capital and the force of globalisation that there is a sweep towards right in not only economy but eventually also politics in each country such as ours. As a result, all the parliamentary parties, not only those of big bourgeoisie — big landlord parties like cong., BJP and other small all India parties, but also the regional parties like TDP of Andhra, RJD of Bihar, AGP of Asom, DMK/AIADMK of Tamilnadu are pursuing the policy of globalisation. Globalisation has virtually flocked all of them as the 'same boat brothers'. CPI (M) and the left front have also joined the boat since it is inescapable for a party of the Govt. in the 'new world order'. Although their entry is latest and they took time in their transition from LEFT to RIGHT, they have in the mean time earned much excellence in implementing the policies of ruling classes in the states they are seated in government, far ahead of other regional parties, thank their regimented organisation. Cry for globalisation with human face does not make any difference. It is simply paradoxical and has practically turned out to be useless and deceiving.
It is therefore obvious that the parties contending each other in the election battle would not have any basic difference in their economic programme and they are all anti-people and counterrevolutionary. There is however some difference in planks like that of religion, cast etc. which some of the parties use to cash in the backwardness of masses in terms of votes without actually serving the cause rather acting as deterrent to the unity and struggle of working class and the people. Since N.E.P. came in and consolidated, it is precisely the experience of all elections be it Loksabhas or Assemblies, that it is the battle between the parties as to who can most deceive the people by this and that catchy popular slogans for coming to power while actually representing the present policy of the ruling class i.e. the path of globalisation.
It is however the fact that more the direct attack of globalisation on people is intensified in the light of practical experience of the daily life of the people and more the existing parties are anti-people, more is the growing contradiction between these parties and workers and rural semi-proletarian masses, in varying degree. This growing contradiction is, no doubt preparing the objective ground for the people, particularly the working class for being organised separately necessary for freely resisting the direct onslaught of the ruling classes.
In fact a new trend is becoming visible where workers and semi-proletarian masses of the villages are coming out of old leadership and fighting back, building unity from below, sometimes without any fresh organisation, sometimes by forming organisation with the help from communist revolutionary groups and even without any outside help. Such fighting workers are revolting against old leaders but yet to embrace revolutionary politics and organisation. They remain mainly confined within the sphere of economic struggle. This is obvious. Only the organisation of class conscious proletariat i.e. a working class party would have been able to develop these spontaneous struggles towards class struggle and bring them into organisational fold under revolutionary banner. Most important and really inescapable task of the moment therefore lies before the class conscious worker to stand firm on its independent class line and get united and acquire sufficient political-ideological strength so as to effectively fight reformism-opportunism dominating every sphere in the society.
Painfully class conscious proletariat i.e. the advanced section of working class in our country is at the moment far from fulfilling the aforesaid task. Precisely speaking, as they are still disarrayed and consequent to that no truly working class party is yet formed and as there is no discernible stream of class struggle in the society, working class is not in a position now to join the election battle from separate independent platform, adhering to Leninist tactics of participation in bourgeoisie election. It will have to be categorically understood that at the moment no communist revolutionary group, as they are called, can claim themselves to be the centre of class conscious workers and to have been firmly rooted in the politics of revolutionary class struggle and amongst workers. And as such in the electoral battle also none of them is in a condition to fight the bourgeoisie or petty-bourgeoisie reformist parties, to be specific, the parties of globalisation of the day. Nevertheless, any attempt to participate in the election with candidate, in the present condition, is very likely to make the group vulnerable to right trends, which as said earlier, now sways the Indian politics and society. It has been the general experience that in such condition revolutionary propaganda gets neglected to collecting votes on compromise with the backwardness of the people in general amounting to "struts and frets upon the (bourgeoisie) stage and then is heard no more". This line of action is destined to be harmful and deterrent to the main task of the day i.e. making the advanced worker class conscious and preparing the army of class conscious workers for the party.
Equally is harmful the line of action of CPI (Mao). Slogan of boycott of parliamentary election at this stage denies the reality that working class who is supposed to take up the role of leadership in the people's democratic revolution are themselves not organised, they are scattered, disjointed and are still largely under bourgeoisie influence and influence of reformism. CPI (Mao) refuses to understand that it is not the stage of mass revolutionary struggle to which only the slogan of boycott corresponds, as proved historically. They refuse to understand that armed action of handful of cadre or squads can not and should not be equated to armed revolutionary struggle of the masses.
The slogan of boycott at this stage of movement does not actually fight the parliamentary illusions of the masses, rather on the other hand is erroneously too left to make today's advanced workers class conscious and help them remain firm on class line. So while fighting against the right trend of other CR groups as manifested in their non Leninist participation in election, it is nonetheless necessary to fight the slogan of boycott of election and the politics behind it. This is for serving today's most important task of preparing the army of class conscious proletariat.
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