The message of Varanasi
The Sixth Congress of CPI(ML), held in Varanasi between 20-26 October, was not only a significant milestone in the internal evolution of the Party as a major all-India party of the revolutionary left ever since its formation in 1969 and its first congress held in 1970. In the political scene of the country, it also marks the consolidated emergence of CPI(ML) as a formidable party of independent left assertion in contrast to the tailist-opportunist official left. Unprecedented and unmatched enemy repression, which at one point of time almost reduced the Party to near extinction and which continues till date, could not succeed in putting it down. While all other ML factions have either reduced themselves into anarchist outfits or phrasemongering groupuscles, CPI(ML) Liberation’s claim that we are the CPI(ML) stood very much vindicated at Varanasi.
Varanasi also mocked at the fairy tale history of CPI(M) theoreticians that Naxalism was a bygone phenomenon of ‘left adventurism of misguided youth’ that met its quick end in early 70s. Here is a comprehensive alternative revolutionary political line that has acquired more and more flesh and blood through varied experiences and the steel frame of a Leninist organisation. What CPI(M) finds to its left today is a fullfledged Marxist-Leninist party that has collected itself from the ravages of setback, marched from victory to victory through the difficult decade of ’80s, crossed one major milestone after another, and developed a huge struggling mass base as well as a growing electoral presence. More the media and the wider political circles acknowledge not only the enhanced political profile of CPI(ML) but its emergence as a parallel pole in the left politics, more desperately the opportunist left, especially the CPI(M), hopes to efface CPI(ML) from the consciousness of its ranks through its uneasy but calculated silence. The political line and tasks that the CPI(ML) has laid down for itself at Varanasi as well as the assertion of the revolutionary left in the crucial Hindi heartland where the opportunist left had already paid a heavy price for its tailist tactics are bound to pierce through this conspiracy of silence before long and throw them into convulsions even if their own opportunist course which has condemned them to perpetual stagnation and periodic debacles has hitherto failed to force any searching internal scrutiny. In short, while CPI-CPI(M) find themselves straggling at the social-democratic crossroads, CPI(ML) is unitedly and boldly blazing its trail of rapid revolutionary advance.
The challenges and the opportunities before CPI(ML) — as underlined at Varanasi — are immense: the political combativity needs to be multiplied manifold to come up with a fitting response to the growing BJP threat and to put a strong revolutionary left imprint on the anti-communal struggle even while continuing the struggle against the disastrous new economic policy of the Congress(I) and to keep it at bay. Needless to say, once the political line is laid down the role of the organisation, especially cadres, becomes decisive to carry it through. All of us should rise to the occasion. We have done it many times in the past. We shall do it once again.
