A Different Ideology

  The chain of events in West Bengal for the last few years have made me confused. I mean about the West Bengal government; especially it’s name “Communist party of India (Marxist)”.I’m neither a student of political science nor I know much about Marxism. My knowledge is limited in this respect. But I know that “Marxism” is the critique of capitalism — Marx argues that in capitalist society, an economic minority (the bourgeoisie) dominate and exploit the working class (proletariat) majority. Marx argues that capitalism is exploitative, specifically the way in which unpaid labor is extracted from the working class extending and critiquing the work of earlier political economists on value. He argued that while the production process is socialized, ownership remains in the hands of the bourgeoisie. This forms the fundamental contradiction of capitalist society. Without the elimination of the fetter of the private ownership of the means of production, human society is unable to achieve further development. And it also advocates proletarian revolution — In order to overcome the fetters of  private property the working class must seize political power internationally through a social revolution and expropriate the capitalist classes around the world and place the productive capacities of society into collective ownership. Upon this, material foundation classes would be abolished and the material basis for all forms of inequality between humankind would dissolve.
 
 The time has changed. We are living in the 21^st century. Though the Marxism is the critique of capitalism, but our state Government [CPI (Marxist)] is the biggest worshiper  of this; For the last few years in the name of “industrialization” and “land acquisition”, whatever the Government has been doing by showing thumb to the “Marxism”, it clearly proves that they are the biggest worshiper of "capitalism".
Industrialization is the most important factor in a developing economy, there is no doubt about that.  No one is against it. But I don't understand why our "the great" West Government blames the opposition that they are the “biggest hurdle” in the way of their “great vow” (industrialization). And you can hear it in every single speech of the CPI(M) leaders, “We will never let them to be the hurdle in the way of industrialization”. Give me a break.  
 
Are you talking about industrialization? There are a large number of closed and sick industries in West Bengal. The West Bengal Government does not have any policy related to the land locked-up in such closed and sick industrial units. This land had been given to various industrialists to set up factories in the past. This land cannot be used for any other purpose, but residential complexes and shopping malls are coming up on such land and they are also being used for other non-manufacturing activities. What about that? The government had given the land on lease to factory owners. When such factories do not exist the land is supposed to come back to the government. Such land is not being offered for setting up of new factories. This surplus land is either remaining unused, residential apartments are being built on them or it is being used for other non-manufacturing activities. Instead the government is giving agricultural land for setting up factories. Land use maps of various locations, as per Town and Country Planning Act, have been prepared but the government has not made it public. If published, it would be evident that land for setting up industries is available. The absence of a government policy as regards industrial land is disconcerting and disturbing.

One day in a news channel I saw something which made me feel so sad. It was about those unemployed “locked out” factory workers who are living a miserable life. Isn’t it “double standardness?”
The West Bengal Government is with great interest ushering in foreign and national capital investment in industry, mines, building satellite townships, service sector and agro-business. Whereas the government is signing agreements with the investors, the terms of contract are not being made public. The citizens have the right to know the details of such agreements between the government and the private investors as per the Right To Information Act.  The government is legally bound to make public the contents of such agreements. By not doing so the government is undemocratically violating its own law. It clearly proves, there is lack of transparency in the entire procedure.

  The question of subsidy could be an example. It is understood that these investors are being invited to invest in the State by promising subsidy on various accounts. For example, tax relief, free electricity connections, discount on electricity tariffs, free water connection and usage etc. These subsidies will be provided from the ordinary tax payers money or loans. It is known from government sources that the State has to take fresh loans in order to pay the interest of the loans it has taken in the past. Such critical debt servicing conditions are typical of a debt trap. After leading the State into a debt trap, the government is giving agricultural land and taxpayer’s money as subsidy to private investors so that they can be assured of personal profit. Obviously “personal profit”.

When I recall the Tebhaga movement  which was a militant campaign initiated in Bengal by the Kisan Sabha (peasants front of  Communist Party of India) in 1946. At that time share-cropping peasants (essentially, tenants) had to give half of their harvest to the owners of the land. The demand of the Tebhaga (sharing by thirds) movement was to reduce the share given to landlords to one third. In many areas the agitations turned violent, and landlords fled villages leaving parts of the countryside in the hands of Kisan Sabha
Now the time has changed. Through the time the ideology also has been changed. Now the "Communist"/"the Marxist" government is saying that agriculture is no longer profitable. So, it is allowing various private sector projects on agricultural land.
We have witnessed the brutal police oppression in the places like Singur, Nandigram, Lalgarh etc. If you are transparent and not doing anything wrong and going to the right way, then you don’t need to take help of “muscle power”. Or you don’t need to suppress the voice of democracy with the help of the police.  Men, women, senior citizens of the families of  were recklessly arrested; many were harassed using the legal instrument of false cases; hundreds were physically tortured, jailed and fined,  women and children—are facing police torture, strip searches, sexual exploitation and many other cases. It really made me think that do we live in a democratic country? Is our country “independent” ?

The incidence of insurgency in Lalgarh, who is responsible for this? The answer is so simple. Now to suppress your guilt, you are accusing the opposition that they have secret entente with the Maoist.


This Government’s caption is “Krishi amader Bhitti; shilpo amader bhobisshot”[Agriculture is our base and the Industry is our future]. what a  ridiculous caption!


  The government systematically keeps away from discussions and consultations. The voice of victims and the concerned grass root initiatives have been consistently ignored. The government it seems is there only to proclaim its decisions. All democratic norms are being flouted.
I don’t find any similarity between “Marxism” and the ideology of “CPI(MARXIST). Then why they add “Marxist” the word. A very cruel moral of the story is, in the present world “Marxism” doesn’t exist. Whatever exists, is OPPORTUNISM. Nothing but opportunism.