People's Democracy

Message from the Workers Party of Bangladesh

WE are happy to know that the 20th congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is being held from April 4 to 9, 2012. We are also happy to learn that the congress is going to discuss some important ideological issues which are relevant not only for the communist movement in India but also for the international communist movement. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist states of Eastern Europe, the international correlation of forces has moved in favour of imperialism and it has spread its tentacles to all spheres of the world people’s life. To strengthen its global hegemony, imperialism has unleashed an all-out offensive in the field of politics, economy, culture and ideology. Therefore, it is very important to understand the working of imperialism in the era of globalisation and meet the ideological challenges that are being posed by it. We understand that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has consistently analysed the present world situation by stating that the imperialist quest for global hegemony “continues to deny humanity its complete emancipation, liberation and progress.” This has an impact on countries like ours, whose economy has been thrown open to the brazen exploitation of international finance capital. The neo-liberal economic reforms, which are accompanied by the onslaught of the international finance capital, undermine not only the economic but also political sovereignty of nation states, particularly of the developing countries. But despite its new advances, world capitalism is not free from crisis. Rather the last two decades have seen the recurrence of such crises and the attempts to shift their burden on to the working class and to the working people by curtailing their human rights and limiting the advantages that they have acquired through struggles. It is therefore imperative to overthrow capitalism and replace it with socialism. The struggle for socialism would not follow the same path as in the 20th century but, as the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism is still valid and rather in the new world situation too it has proved to be correct, it is necessary for the revolutionaries of the world to struggle against all forms of deviations and advance the militant struggle of the people of one’s own country and the people of the world.

We hope that the 20th congress of the CPI(M), while addressing the ideological issues that arose during this period of time, would continue its struggle along the path chartered by it and would help unite the people of the world, particularly of this region, against imperialism and imperialist globalisation.

We also note with great satisfaction that the CPI(M) has also addressed the question about the reform process in the socialist countries and its historical necessity so as to meet the challenges posed by the international finance capital led globalisation and also the dangers which accompanies it. It, at the same time, relies on the dynamics of party process based on Marxism-Leninism and aspiration of the people to have a world free from exploitation.

This aspiration of the people is being expressed in the struggles around the world. The development in Latin America in the establishment of governments led by Left and the steps taken by them against imperialism and its neo-liberal offensives have thrown open the avenues for alternatives that would lead to socialism in these new times. Struggles are also growing within the very bastions of capitalism, as is seen in the Occupy Wall Street movement and in Europe against erosion of the livelihood standards of the working class and other people. But the success of intensifying such struggles depends upon a sharpening of the class struggle under the leadership of the working class. The revolutionaries of the world would have to fulfil this task in the most arduous manner.

Coming to the region which we belong to, the imperialist globalisation and neo-liberal offensive that accompany it have led to removal of restrictions on the movement of goods and capital across the borders, deindustrialisation, loss of jobs and deprivation of people from social benefits. As is the common experience, public utilities like water and energy, public services like education and health have increasingly become the domain of private accumulation of capital. Agriculture has been thrown open to multinational seed and marketing companies, curtailing the traditional rights of the peasantry and throwing them into distress.

The greatest challenge now facing the area, particularly Bangladesh, is from climate change that has put one-third of its population into jeopardy and calls for concerted effort of the people of the developing countries against the problems of environmental degradation.

In political field, the spread of religious fundamentalism, accompanied by its terror tactics, the old legacies of communalism, separatist ideas, infringement of human rights, corrosion of democratic values are posing new challenges before the revolutionaries everyday.

We understand, from the draft of the document to be adopted by the congress, that the CPI(M) is aware of its task for emancipation of not only its own people, but also of the people of the world by uniting them in a broad anti-imperialist front to overcome the challenges of the imperialist globalisation and achieve the victory of socialism.

The Workers Party of Bangladesh, as in the past, would like to work with the CPI(M) in the common struggle against imperialism, religious fundamentalism and communalism, for human rights and democratic ideals, for women’s empowerment and for saving the environment for greater good of the people of this area and the world.

The Workers Party of Bangladesh remembers with gratitude the help the CPI(M) and the Indian people extended to the people of Bangladesh during our liberation struggle in 1971 and in all other difficult times, and we would like to hope and wish that the future relation of these two parties would further flourish and strengthen.

The Central Committee of the Workers Party of Bangladesh wishes the 20th congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) great success, and extends its fraternal revolutionary greetings to all the delegates and leadership.

Long live Marxism-Leninism!

Long live the Friendship between the Workers Party of Bangladesh and the CPI(M)!

Workers of the World, Unite!

Fraternally Yours

--- Rashed Khan Menon (president) and Anisur Rahman Mallick (general secretary), Central Committee, Workers Party of Bangladesh