People's Democracy

LF Govt Shall Continue On The Path Of Struggle And Development

HAVING won a massive popular mandate in the elections, the Bengal Left Front government appears determined to progress along the path of struggle and development.  The aspersions of the corporate world have been patently ignored, and the Bengal Left Front leadership in the government has already started to look to a future where people’s priorities would reflect the people’s mandate.

The great debate being raised by the corporate world, especially by the corporate media, on industrialisation versus Marxism, has been well responded to by the CPI(M).  Biman Basu, secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M), has pointed out that the drive towards accelerated industrialisation was never even contemplated without the prerogative of struggle.

The process of industrialisation, Biman Basu has pointed out time and again, looked always at the people, especially at the poor and the downtrodden, and without exception.  Industrialisation will never be continued with at the cost of struggle and development of the people per se.

Speaking recently at Haldia in Midnapore east, Biman Basu was clear to point out that another point the corporate world raised (and the point being punctiliously lapped by the Bengal Opposition) concerned the concept of socialism in practice.  It is said that there is a contradiction between the Bengal CPI(M) standing opposed to capitalism and then going ahead to invite investments.

It is also said and quite thoughtlessly that the CPI(M) and the Left Front is ‘well on the way to establishing socialism in Bengal.’  What these self-styled pundits and anti-Communist propagandists do not understand is the perceived fact that a socialist state cannot be set up in a province within the larger capitalistic frame.  What the CPI(M) and the Left Front have doing has been to keep intact the flowing stream of development within the capitalist state structure.

In his addresses at the various meetings held across Bengal in remembrance of the late Comrade Anil Biswas, Biman Basu always makes it a point to draw attention of the vast assemblages to the continuing process of strengthening the political-ideological base of the CPI(M), something in which Comrade Anil Biswas evinced deep interest.

Inner-Party democracy and democratic centralism must be equally emphasised upon, said Biman Basu, as means of strengthening the Party organisation. Every Party member must realise that democratic centralism could be successfully developed if inner-Party democracy could be rigorously maintained.

Biman Basu has also emphasised the importance of Party education during the various post-election rallies he has addressed.  No one could be expected to become a Marxist and practising communist as soon as he/she becomes a Party member.  To do that, one must attend regularly Party education classes.  One is also expected to self-study widely the different aspects of political education with which a communist must be familiar.  Above all, a Party member must take part in struggles and movements.

Strengthening of the CPI(M) and widening of the mass base would work to the advantage of the fulminating mass and class struggle that Bengal would continue to witness in the days to come.

(B P)