ANDHRA PRADESH

Strengthen The Mass Base Among People

M Venugopala Rao

RECENTLY, the CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state committee held a plenum in Hyderabad to discuss the question of the changes needed in attitude and functioning of the Party organisation in order strengthen the mass base of the Party.  The discussion was led by Party state secretary, B V Raghavulu, on the basis of an organisational report made to the committee, wherein he stressed the imperative of greater participation by  the Party’s leaders  and cadres in working among the people.  The aim should be  thereby  a combination of  the  struggles on local issues, with the Party’s campaigns on national and state-level issues.

Tracing the main features of recent developments in the state, Raghavulu pointed out that since 1995, with the  encouragement of the World Bank,  the Telugu Desam government had been vigorously advocating and implementing the Bank’s policies of liberalisation,  through a high-pitched campaign that these reforms would transform the state into a Swarnaandhra Pradesh (Golden Andhra Pradesh).  And from the beginning the CPI(M) had warned that these policies were so structured as in fact to benefit only the rich, and were bound to result in overburdening  the common people.

In the din of the government’s propaganda, these views were drowned out and inititally little credibility  and response was given  to these views.   It was only as  the people underwent  the impact of the conditionalities  laid down by the World Bank, as part of the ‘liberalisation’,  and realised what in fact they meant, that  that the correctness of the CPI(M)’s  warning came to be realised, and the Party gained in prestige.

Simultaneously, the Party did not rest at merely only exposing the conditionalities but also mobilised  and led the people to start  movements to resist the implementation of these policies, thus bringing more people under the leadership of the Party.  Hence the powerful and relentless struggle against the hike of the power tariff and the state government’s attempts to privatise the Road Transport Corporation gained such wide support . In this struggle the Party stood  firmly in  solidarity with the  struggling sections and its role gained it more prestige. 

These movements contributed immensely in overcoming the atmosphere of despondency which had prevailed among the Left forces after the unexpected results of the 1999 elections.

Though gratifying to note the growth in the prestige of the Party, the secretary emphasised that it would be detrimental to be satisfied with mere growth in prestige. Such enhanced prestige is only useful in  creating an  appropriate atmosphere for a growth in the mass base;  by itself, it does not  increase the mass base. Growth of the mass base depends on the conscious efforts of the Party and its cadre  to consolidate the enhanced prestige.  If this aspect is neglected, the  prestige gained  gradually  melts away, bringing also the added danger that  those who entertain this  illusion as strength, become despondent,  lose confidence in and begin to blame the people.

By contrast, the richer sections  of society work  as the base of the parties of the ruling class, which they identify as their parties, at every level. Their economic strength, social relations, strength of authority, support of the state  machinery and the media, help these parties to  mobilise the people. But there are no such ‘natural’ opportunities to the Left parties. Special efforts become necessary even to attract the toiling masses, let alone the immense effort needed to be made to weaken  the grip of the ruling classes on the masses, and dispel their illusions. 

By simply thinking that the CPI(M) is a good Party, the people do not become its followers.  The people will  not come towards the Party, unless the Party cadre mingles with them, lives with them, makes itself regularly available to the people and works for them, showing solutions  to their day-to-day problems. 

If they have to depend on the local leaders of the ruling party, or its individuals or organisations, to meet every routine problem,  ration cards, house-sites, drinking water, etc., it would be impossible for the people to ignore such individuals and turn to becoming supporters of our Party.  This is one of the main reasons for their not becoming supporters of the Party at the hustings, however much they appreciate the role being played by the Party  in general agitations and political matters.

It should be clearly realised and borne in mind that those who join and continue as  members of our  mass organisations, and actively participate in the movements organised by these organisations on  the problems in their respective fronts, used once to be followers of the ruling parties in their areas of residence.    It is when they do  not see  Party cadres  available to stand by them in solving the problems they encounter in their residential areas, withstanding  the difficulties there, that the situation  arises  where  they feel there is no other go  except to sail with the ruling parties.  Therefore, if the Party’s prestige is to be transformed into a  mass base, we have to function not only in the  areas of our respective fronts, but also there where the people live.  This is  way, the struggles on local problems of the people have to be combined with movements on national and state-wide issues.

Thus, we have to so arrange our organisational machinery and cadres as to be available to the people on a regular basis.  Without meeting these requirements, it would be futile to think of developing the mass base. 

ELECTION WORK

In the present context, elections play an important role in politics.  Hence, the Parliamentary front has also to be used to register  progress in the movements on the people’s problems.  This requires commensurate results in the electoral battles.  Though our experience of different electoral battles has shown us  that votes come in accordance  with the mass  base built by the Party, not on account of the prestige of the Party, and though specific  lessons are drawn in the context of every election, still focal and sufficient efforts are not directed towards  further strengthening the mass base  even in those areas where the Party is contesting.  Except for the scurry after elections are announced, concerted attention is not given from the beginning and in a planned way,  to increase the mass base. This is a matter which must be seriously taken note of.

In this context, keeping in view the present organisational strength of the Party, the paucity of cadres, resources and leadership, it is difficult to continue organisational work with the same intensity throughout the state.  As such, it may be possible to successfully implement the programmes and spread the voice of the Party,  if work is done by thinly distributing the available resources,  but it would not be possible thus to increase the mass base. Therefore, in tune with the available resources, we have to increase the mass base by selecting certain priority areas and functioning there with concentration. The 17th Congress of our Party also gave this direction.

Some mass  base already exists. By selecting contiguous Mandals with opportunities for speedy development, we have to make concerted efforts to strengthen these  .  In such areas, the Party has to concentrate all its energies and work with determination.  However, functioning with concentration in some areas does not mean neglecting expansion. Rather the two must proceed simultaneously, i.e., while attempting to make use of the opportunities for expansion,  we have to pay additional attention on concentration. If the mass base  is to be improved, to have only a symbolic taking up of  programmes to tackle the problems of the people would be useless. Yet such a  casual approach continues in the manner of functioning and activities of the Party and mass organisations, despite our knowing that a casual approach in functioning can never yield results because it cannot develop the consciousness of the people, nor will it create confidence in the people in the movement. It would simply leave no imprint in the minds of the people.

Present-day conditions of the people and the nature of the struggles taking place are placing before us this need.  People are coming into struggles, joining  and participating in movements irrespective of political affiliations. On several occasions, they are spontaneously agitating without need for anybody’s incitement.  In these conditions, it is even more important than ever before, that the Party does not lag behind  but  lead the movements. Undergoing difficulties more severe than ever before, the people are determinedly seeking redressal, and getting prepared to struggle till they are solved.  They are actively participating only where they feel that the movement will accordingly continue. They are showing themselves less and less  responsive to symbolic programmes - such programmes are confined to the cadres only.  There is today the need to continue the movements till results are achieved.  For this, energy, steadfastness and appropriate preparations are necessary. That is why “struggle till result is achieved” should come to the forefront in our functioning.

If this change has to take place, drastic  changes have to come about in the functioning of the  leaders and cadres.  Militancy has to increase.  Movements on people’s problems have to be led by the Party cadre; they should be in the forefront.  There should be no going back on account of any difficulties. The Party cadre should be a synonym for sincerity and simplicity. In the struggle against hike in power tariff, our cadres displayed militancy and enhanced  prestige of the Party. Along with militancy, the trend of becoming one with the people has to set in.  For this,  it is most crucial to be amidst the people. It should become an integral part in the day-to-day functioning of the cadres and leaders  to hear what they say, eat what they offer, share their difficulties, move with them, join them wherever  they are in difficulties and whenever required.  Then only the people’s mood can be correctly understood. The problems and aspirations of the people can be correctly guaged.  To put it in one word, cadres and leaders have to remould themselves.  Then only we can penetrate into the people and gain their confidence and affection as leaders and servants of the people.  We can transform the Party’s prestige into mass base. If this aim is to be achieved, it is important to practice what is intended. Mere intention to enhance the mass base is not enough.  We have to implement our tasks as decided.  It is not so easy.  An intensified struggle should take place to change the wrong methods of functioning persisting in the Party and the casual way of functioning continuing in the leadership.  One has to attempt to overcome one’s  deficiencies. The entire Party has to endeavour collectively.  Leaving it to time and functioning casually, thinking that what can be done would be done, are the main obstacles to achieve the objective. The discussion concluded with a call from the state secretary to the cadre and leadership of the Party to give up such tendencies and  work consciously among the people.