A future with Alternative Possibilities

The birth of a rational society in place of the existing oppressive system is a historical inevitability. But nothing will happen automatically. People are waiting for basic changes; they are suffocated in an environment of darkness. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. The oppressed have begun to think they are born to be oppressed. It has been well over 40 years since the corporate project to break apart the toiling class and undermine the common good wrapped its tentacles in the political system, squeezing the Earth of its resources and natural beauty. Their promise of social equity and justice proved false. Their promise of democracy is a hoax. Elected autocrats run the show of democratic opera in the so-called democracies, even in advanced capitalist countries, not to speak of banana republics of the third world.

But now, a new generation is stepping forward to demand deep and lasting change that has been denied to the people for so long. This new wave of progressive energy, so full of hope and optimism, developing around the world outside the ambit of traditional political mobilisation, is kryptonite to the billionaire class that bankrolls the authoritarian rulers everywhere, all in the name of democracy.

In this pivotal moment for the future of humanity and the planet it is absolutely vital to have an organisation charged with new ideas in the changed context, free of corporate influence that lifts up the grassroots voices fighting for a better world; strengthening the conviction that another world is possible.

Old communist parties, even in the West, are in a moribund state. New ones that can articulate the aspirations of the masses are not emerging. And in India, all communist outfits, both parliamentary and non-parliamentary, have literally lost their course in the middle, while the far-left groups are too dogmatic to do anything positive for the emancipation of have-nots toiling in bondage.

All these parties have their own programmes but in public they hardly talk about them. Nor do they talk about socialism anymore as if it is not achievable after the sad demise of Soviet Russia and the peaceful transition to capitalism in China. Many of them now question the basics of Marxism only to defend their strategy of inaction. All their programmes are about ‘democratic revolution’, rather a bourgeois-democratic revolution. It doesn’t matter whether they call it a national democratic revolution, people’s democratic revolution or new democratic revolution; basically it’s a four-class alliance enterprise. As things are they seem to have abandoned this idea of democratic revolution even. Their democracy now revolves around forming or losing government through the electoral process without challenging the existing system. They talk of struggle, not class struggle. The concept of ‘class’ has vanished completely from their political discourse. Forming government through election in the existing system seems to be the highest form of ‘class struggle’ in their perception. They are not interested in fighting predatory plutocracy, countering militarism and boldly confronting the iniquities of 21st-century capitalism.

As a result, most mass upsurges in different parts of the country are developing somewhat spontaneously.They are in no position to lead them; instead, they just react, leaving them to wither away after some time. Powerful resistance movements that threaten the persons in authority in different parts of the world are all independent initiatives. How India’s farmers’ agitation developed in depth and breadth, defying traditional parties supposed to represent peasants is a case in point. Protesters consciously tried to distance themselves from these parties despite their communist and socialist tag.

But spontaneity doesn’t get translated into organised assault against the system that continually produces social & economic inequality, deprivation, loss of employment, loss of control over natural and common resources and loss of social harmony. To create a future with alternative possibilities leftists need to build a united front. Radicalism can co-exist with pragmatic progressivism. The only way people can defeat the power of special interest is through solidarity mobilisation and increased citizen participation.

21-08-2024

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 15 - 18, Oct 5 - Nov 2, 2024