19/04/2012

The Worry of Communist Scholars

The 20th congress of Communist Party (Marxist) was held in Kozhikode, Kerala at a time when the Communist movement in this country is on the decrease. Though the party leaders claim that their members have increased. It might be, but the fact remains that the party has lost its stronghold in West Bengal; it has lost power in Kerala too; now only a small state of Tripura is for it to administer. Although the rout of the Communist movement started over 20 years ago when the Soviet Union had faced dilapidation and the capitalistic system of America had come out alone in a position to rule the roost yet in this country it somehow retained. The government of West Bengal, which it took charge of in 1977, remained with it till the last year. But the process of its backward slide started with the general elections of 2009 when its seats in Parliament had decreased considerably. Thereafter the Communist Party (M) always considered what it should do in the changed scenario, what strategy it should adopt to regain its lost ground, and how to achieve the objectives that the Communist movement had devised in the 1950s.

Aims and Objectives are the Same
It was in this backdrop that the Kozhikode congress was held; this congress made it clear that C.P.I (M) has not moved from its aims. The question is that of the methods of its attainment. With the Russian Revolution in the 1920s the Communist movement had pledged that it would establish an economic system, in which the distribution of wealth and other human resources will be equal, there will be no one rich, no section will get a chance to exploit other sections, and the system of basic needs of life will be with the state. These were the objectives of the Communist movement in this country. In the beginning it was not in favour of democracy and elections; it wanted to get power and rights with the help of violence and coercion. However, with the efforts of Pandit Nehru and in the background of the particular circumstances in this country it went on the path of democracy and elections. Now, in 2012, the biggest question before its leadership is what its policy, viz. methodology should be. Now it is brooding over desi communism, quite different from that in Russia and China. For its common cadre and workers it has given up stress on indifference to God and religion. It means it has compromised to a great extent with its methodology.

Consider the basic cause
But even a study of the statements its scholars made during the last three years as well as the entire proceedings of the Kozhikode congress does not give the feeling that they have considered the basic cause of their dilapidation. That cause is their flawed concepts about God and religion. In the light of this very principle, they having declared the Religion of Islam as a common religion put it into the rank of other religions while it was the requirement of the aims and objectives of the Communist movement that they studied the Islamic system of life. Had they done so, they would have found Islam’s social and economic concepts very close to their economic principle, and realised that the economic concept of Islam is more suitable and realistic. Islam wants distribution of financial resources on the basis of justice, not on the basis of equality. In this way of life there is no room for violence and coercion however lofty the aim might be. Here all human beings are equal. Islam has a very powerful means of implementation in the form of faith in the Day of Judgement and Accountability to ensure implementation of laws and policies. Let the Communist scholars even now take it into consideration with open mind. How well it would be if Muslim scholars help them in this regard
19/04/12 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

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