People's Democracy

Thinking Together

In accordance with our commitment to our readers, we are happy to restart this column with this issue (July 13, 2003) of People’s Democracy.

Our readers of long standing, who are familiar with this column, will realise its scope and nature. For all those who have joined us since this column had discontinued due to unavoidable circumstances, it may be useful to reiterate: Through this column, we shall mainly discuss for the purposes of clarification the CPI(M)’s political line on various issues and maters, both international and domestic, and the party’s ideological positions.

In this column, we shall not take up the issues pertaining to Party organisation and the functioning of the Party committees. These should be taken up by the comrades in their relevant Party units.

While sending us your contributions for this column, please bear this in mind. 

- - Editor

Now-a-days, it is seen that even Party cadres visit  holy places like Sabarimala as ardent devotees do - observing fast etc.  Isn't it just contrary to dialectical materialism?  I would like to know the Party's stand on (religious) spiritualism.

Pappan Muttath

Trikaripur (PO)

Kasargod, Kerala

Communist Party of India (Marxist) does not make it a condition that only atheists can join the Party.  However, at the time of joining the Party, every person has to sign and endorse the Party Pledge.  Amongst other things, the Party Pledge states: “I shall strive to live up to the ideals of communism ….."

Communists are  dialectical materialists guided by the scientific  ideology of Marxism and its world outlook. Marxists consider that, "it is not the consciousness  of man that determines their being, but on the contrary their social being that determines their consciousness".  As Marx had said: "man makes religion, religion does not make man".

It is expected that every Party member while striving to live up to the ideals of communism will continuously strengthen the dialectical materialist approach in his/her life time.  Party leaders and members are, therefore, not expected to participate in religious activities.

The CPI(M) being a mass revolutionary Party may and will have a large number of  supporters and sympathisers who may well follow religious activities. But its members are not expected to do the same. 

*****

The People’s Republic of China is a communist country applying Marxism. Marxism teaches us internationalism. When America invaded Iraq, the CPI(M) rightly condemned it and staged demonstrations against it. Russia, Germany and France had declared to veto America’s resolution in the Security Council.

I am surprised at the silence on the part of China. It did not condemn or oppose it. No demonstrations against the attack were reported in China, why?

H N Sharma,

Jhansi

Your question concerns the stand taken by China regarding the US war on Iraq. It is not true to say that the Chinese government did not condemn the attack or oppose it. The stand of the Chinese government from the outset was to oppose any military attack on Iraq. In both the United Nations Security Council and as the official stand, the government of the People’s Republic of China took a firm and consistent position against any military solution on the issue of the so-called weapons of mass destruction.

Firstly, the Chinese government took the position that the problem should be tackled through the United Nations and inspection teams sent under its auspices. China along with Germany and France, two other permanent members of the Security Council took a common stand against any resolution by the Security Council which would authorize the use of force against Iraq. At the various stages, when the United States and Britain were seeking to get UN sanction for an attack on Iraq, China took a common position with France, Germany and Russia that there are no grounds for military action and opposed any unilateral step to wage a war on Iraq.

When the foreign ministers of Russia, Germany and France met in Paris on March 5, 2003 and issued a joint statement opposing a UN resolution authorising military operations against Iraq, the then Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, telephoned France president, Chirac, to convey the support of China to the stand taken.

After the United States and Britain, bypassing the United Nations, attacked Iraq on March 20, 2003, the Chinese government issued a statement opposing the war. In subsequent statements China called for an end to the military action and a political solution. During the entire course of the military operations, the Chinese government did not in any way change its stand or subscribe to any call for the ouster of the Iraqi government.