Has The Lefts Lost Their Relevance?

It is almost eighty long years. Yes, eighty years. And, still, the dream of a socialist revolution in India is unattained. In 2011, after the end of thirty four years of long regime of Lefts in Bengal, the media instantaneously gloated at the defeat as the “End of Lefts”. And, now, the worst performance in Loksabha Elections 2014 is being termed by analysts as “The last nail of the Left Coffin.”

The diminishing credence of the Left ideology is a slow process of degradation that happened over a long span of time. The mounting dilapidation of the overall political standards has all the way accelerated the already putrefying ideological esteem of the lefts. The political ideology which runs on a revolutionary context went into the dark slumber of political lobbying. The lack of leadership has led them to the no-man’s land in the political scenario. The continuous hypocrisy of co-operation with bourgeoisie or supporting a right-wing ideology on one side and reciting shibboleth of a socialist reform against the capitalism on the other – has rightly snatched away the flavor of the “Leftism”. Take the example of Singur – where the Left ruling party was fighting against the farmers in order to construct an automobile factory there. Take the example of Nandigram – where the same prevailed in a different context but with a higher intensity. “The Development Model” – by the then Chief of Bengal Lefts was not in line with the socialist mode of development. It may have been the attraction or the fascination of the leaders by the fetish created by the splendor or the populism of a capitalist structure – that has deliberately led the party to the deep morass of the political irrelevance.

The major failure of the lefts lies in the fact that they have failed to provide the basic ideological education to its cadres. The major differentiating factor of the whole movement lies in the education of Marxism. Education of pure socialism. The basic idealism to care about others, abandon the “me” and to become a “ray of hope” to ultimately provide a “world of equals” seemed a total gimmick in this parliamentary system of the country.

There was never a sound movement for the displaced people or forced acquisitions. The grass-root campaigns for communal violence, hideous injustices, violence of the caste system were in utter disdain. Even in the time when the mass raised its voice against the shameless corruption in Indian government and unleash of numerous scams – the uncanny silence of the Lefts other than some meek comments was notable. How can a party who relies on the strength of revolution remain so “tamed” in its approach? – Irrelevance was rooted long back. The revolutionary front was reduced to a normal parliamentary party. A party machine. Like all other parties. Just a label of Marx and the Red theme was non-existing fossils. The students in colleges who join the student politics, which is seemed to be the root of any social revolution, when get awake from the dream of an    equitable society, find the charade non-impacting. And, thus, the conversion of a revolutionary mind gets doomed at an early age only. The younger and the more radical generation who is supposed to carry the baton of the continual struggle are finding this socialist movement-oriented party irrelevant to the modern development model – can be considered as the biggest failure of any leftist party in the world. It is the failure to properly inculcate the socialist ideology among the party leaders or the cadres and their shameful subjugation to the populist mode of direction. The self-claimed “Communist” leaders work within the capitalist system, accept capitalist culture, go for snobbish facilities and dictate ideological theories has only resulted in losing the credence and relevance at large.

And, from the meager knowledge of the cadres came the nonsensical political blunders. Rather than concentrating on the own ideologies – the lefts continued in digging out systemic errors of the liberalist oppositions. The basic campaigns for RTI became a mud-throwing political game-cock. The main issue became irrelevant. And, with the powerful Indian media against the team, the continual fight on issues such as displacement at major sites like the Koel Karo dam, the Baliapal missile range, the Hirakud dam, the Sardar Sarover project, etc. became the resistance against economic development.

Development. The model of development is now widely talked of. The developed countries, if taken a note, have developed through wars or colonization. But India, where even mundane projects, such as constructing a road, displace thousands of people – has no way but to colonize itself. And, the “development model” means smoothening corporate regime. May be by military means. And, this is where the relevance of movement comes.

The relevance of left is not only confined to the parliamentary system. It is present in a much wider spectrum. It is with the groups embattled in the forests of India. It is with the poor factory worker who was sacked upon a single day absence from his work by the hefty corporate. It is with the thousands of Dalit farmers – who are committing suicides off a resourceless land. It is with every displaced person who was shut out of his home for the construction of a dam. India has a unique democracy. It is a country where perhaps there hasn’t been a single day since independence when the state has not deployed the armed forces to quash insurgencies within its boundaries. And, the relevance of left lies with every single tortured person. And, thus the relevance.

Leftism is a passion. It is a never-ending process of struggle. So, the defeat of the left parties does not signify the end of the lefts. Or the social movement. It resides in a wider spectrum of polity. In the roots. In the dreams. In the senses. Above the parliamentary system. With the people. In the hopes.

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• About the Author

About Sankha Ghosh

Sankha Ghosh was never born in that 'City of Joy', never was a banker, never watched a Godard, never loved Kafka, never fell for that Solitary Reaper, never danced on a friend’s wedding, never fought for human rights, never had a crush at college and never ever aspired to work on a novel! Never was he as simple as this! #He wishes