Events & Issues

New Delhi, 19 September 2015

Future of Left Parties

NEITHER BRIGHT NOR BLEAK

By Dr.S.Saraswathi

(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)

The six Left Parties led by the CPM have bandied together to jointly contest the Bihar Assembly elections next month. The others include CPI, All India Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, CPI (Marxist-Leninist) and Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). Primarily, because the “parivar politics” has excluded all these groups.

Clearly, the massive defeats of the CPM and CPI at the hustings have driven them to ponder and reconfigure their political future.  Adding insult to injury, their leaders failed in their efforts to form a Third Front in which they could have played a significant role, were ignored and by-passed in the Nitish-Lalu-Congress’s  Grand Alliance to take on the BJP, notwithstanding the inherent contradictions of the constituents.

Consequently, this has forced a rethink on the Communist ideology prospects in the coming years. As things stand, this neither looks bright nor bleak.

True, many Parties at the national and State-level   are recognized and labeled as Left Parties.  Besides the above mentioned, there is RPI, BSP and Workers Party of India whose history dates back to pre-Independence days.

Besides, several regional groups, Tamil Nadu’s DMK, MDMK, DMDK, PMK and TMC, Odisha’s  BJD, West Bengal’s TMC, JD(U), Samajwadi, RJD JD(S) and localized groups like the Viduthalai Siruthaigal  etc have been in and out of a “Left” configuration.    

Indeed, unity among these Parties is a continuing phenomenon but thanks to competitive party politics and on-off flirtation with Rightist and Centrist Parties during poll and alignment in legislatures it has not resulted in any lasting progress.

Importantly, if one juxtaposes the relevance of Left ideology vis-à-vis the present economic scenario it could result in a re-defining of political ideologies and/or re-formation of political alliances.

Undoubtedly, a globalised world has brought forth several economic changes which have affected politics and society. Think. India’s rising wealth is co-terminus with increasing inequality. Whereby, India is one of the countries, with the highest gaps between the rich and poor which is ever growing. Positively, a cause for worry for economists and politicians. 

Additionally, the National Sample Survey data computed on household expenditure for 2011-12 reveals that the number of poor people is declining, but the rich-poor gap is at an all time high in urban areas and the highest over 35 years in rural areas.

Internationally, India is said to be home to the 8^th largest group of super-rich people in the world along-with a burgeoning slum population lacking even basic amenities.  Thus, liberalization has only made the rich richer and the poor poorer.

According to NGO Oxfam India, “At the start of 2014, the richest 85 people on the planet owned as much as the poorest half of humanity”.  The situation in India is no different.

Sadly, the income inequality has divided even families and become a factor contributing to widening of the inter-generational gap.

Therefore, the future of Left Parties which are historically considered as champions of the poor, depressed and under-privileged has to be seen in the rising rich-poor disparities, development, growth and distribution and justice. Their future is linked together with their unity of purpose and ability for unified action.

Recall, the CPM’s 1993 Congress held in Calcutta resolved to intensify efforts for Left unity with the ultimate vision of a single Communist Party in the country due to the sudden rise of the BJP and its penetration in to Left bastions through the larger Sangh Parivar. 

That was an attempt to build a “secular” front against both the BJP and Congress and their “communal politics” and need for economic reforms.  But there were sections among Left Parties which believed that the future of the Left movement was in the “unity of the struggle for unity”.

Pertinently, Left unity is a concept often mentioned without concrete and perceptible steps over the last two decades though the ideological ground for the split of the Communist Party of India in 1964 and the formation of the Communist Party (Marxist) is no longer relevant. 

The Soviet Union’s disintegration alongside the acceptance of market economy by China have led to the weakening of the utility and relevance of Communist ideology.  However, whether it is the failure of Governments or political philosophy, it is still debatable.

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The 22^nd Congress of the CPI held in Puducherry made a strong plea for Left unity to stem the rise of Rightist forces.  Wherein Left unity was considered a pre-condition for a broad democratic unity to be achieved. 

Insisting on the need to broaden the scope for Left unity, the then CPI(M) General Secretary said that only a strong independent Left Front could provide a political alternative to  the country.

Towards this, he suggested strengthening every Left-oriented Party individually and not via merger. A joint movement of six Left Parties to oppose the BJP Government’s policies was the beginning.

The 21^st All India Conference of the CPM in Visakhapatnam in April confirmed the need for unity by inviting other Left leaders to speak at its inaugural session.    Many favoured Left unity for the people’s good.

Those opposed to merger felt Leftist Parties should be on the same platform as mergers did not work unless there was ideological unity and no leadership tussle. Unity is possible along-with individual identities --- a phenomenon characteristic of Indian Party politics.

Unfortunately, such unity experiments in the past including the Janata Party of mid-1970s were short-sighted and changed from time to time and place to place.   They were mostly geared to fighting elections and forming or breaking Governments.   What was missing? A common long-term vision of political and economic future of the nation. 

In sum, mere assertion of “secularism”, obstinate   adherence to a reservation policy, pro-minority statements and populist schemes are not enough.  There should be a clear economic agenda consistent with the globalized economy. Left unity must be based on ideological conviction in favour of equality, fraternity, freedom, and emancipation, and not on electoral advantages. ---- INFA  

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)