India needs a radical democratic platform-Akhilendra Partap Singh

The new economic and industrial policy which was implemented to salvage India out of economic crisis has further accentuated it. Repayment crisis is again under discussion. FDI is being aggressively advocated, perhaps, to meet that crisis. In brief, this colonial path of fictitious economy is proving disastrous. This economy based on speculative capital has destroyed the productive forces on a large scale. Peasant economy, particularly small and middle peasants, small and cottage industries all were destroyed. No new sector of production and employment was opened up. Unemployment, price-rise, corruption, alienation from production etc. have acquired new dimension under the neo-liberal dispensation. It is well known fact that plundering national wealth in these 20 years, the nexus of corporate houses, bureaucrats, leaders, and criminals have amassed huge wealth. Obviously, it had its own vulgar impact on political life. Not only Ambani brothers but even the likes of Reddis and Ponty Chaddhas turned political parties and their leaders into their domestic aids, thanks to their massive loot from the public exchequer. It is necessary to understand the business empire of Reddis and Chaddhas to understand the politics of Karnataka/ Andhra and the politics of UP/Uttarakhand/Punjab respectively. Same is true for other states. From top to bottom, such people have firm grip over politics and administration. Also, the powerful section of politicians and bureaucrats is actually shareholder and partner in their business. It is such type of capital which is the driving economic force behind the politics of crimes, riots, communalism and caste-politics in the name of identity politics.
Today the country is undergoing a transition. While there is complete consensus among ruling parties regarding these new economic and industrial policies, people are up in arms against the adverse impact of these policies in different parts of the country. Among them, most notable was the anti-corruption agitation. It is in this background that we have to understand the peoples politics, the politics of transformation. Generally, the communists are regarded as the consistent adherents of peoples politics. Whatever may be the claims of the leftists, the fact remains that even during these days of all round devastation and misery of the masses, the unbelievable loot of national wealth and mega-scams, and the left movement is nowhere strengthened and the national politics is revolving around the axis of two national parties viz. Congress and BJP. Visualizing no possibility of the emergence of any genuine third front in near future, the left parties have called for strengthening the left democratic alternative. However, even if a broad front of left forces is formed, the issue remains unresolved. Left parties have to break the theoretical stagnation. In fact, Communist parties and their mass organizations are necessary but not sufficient for broader political mobilization. They have to take-up the task of forming a mass political party, a people’s party. Confining Communist party to ready made concepts of party mass organization and fronts does not suit the evolving political situation. Taking democracy as core, formation of mass political platform is not negation of Communist principles but its development, particularly in diverse societies like India, where the feudal remnants and pre-capitalist relations have deeper impact and the class-formation is not mature yet. In such society, even keeping in mind the political aspiration of oppressed communities, such a platform is necessary. The impact of pre-capitalist consciousness on the thinking of various sections of the people, even of the working class, is quite pronounced and the identity politics promoted by ruling parties has further accentuated it. Peasantry, people related with IT,media environment etc.are naturally more inclined towards democratic open parties. The pro-people forces have to undergo tough competition to win over these sections from the fold of ruling class parties.In accomplishing this task, the democratic party may prove a better instrument.The successful experiment of such multi-class party in Communist movement has already taken place in the form of Worker-Peasant Party (WPP). Here, the word party is not being used as a single class party, but rather as a polpular name for multi-class front of various classes/sections.
The ideology based other democratic forces of peoples politics are in very bad shape, be it dalit, socialist or Gandhian movement. Some people may find the Bahujan politics of Kanshi Ram, which in his own life time transformed into Sarvajan politics, to be higher form of Ambedkar`s politics. But, actually it does not belong to the category of people’s politics. Sensing the urge for change in dalit panther movement under the influence of America`s Black Panther and India`s Naxal movement as well as the increasing alienation of dalits from Congress, Kanshi Ram starting with BAMCEF, DS4 etc. formed BSP, which was in fact a form of corporate politics. Isolating dalits from the politics of struggle and change, they were used as vote bank. The politics of Mulayam Singh and the followers of JP have nothing to do with the politics of socialist values. Today, Dalit and Socialist movement too need fresh redefinition. The phase of sloganeering in the name of some personalities on the basis of old ideas is over.
Also, along with the crisis of ideology-based politics, the issue-based movements of 80s too have disintegrated. Till 70s, the ideological debates played prominent role in determining the form of politics and organization. In 80s, the other major movement apart from Naxalites, the farmers movement was proud of being termed ‘apolitical’, devoid of any politics, let alone any ideology. While in 60s and 70s, the agenda was ‘radical change’, in 80s it became the issue based politics as well as participation and share in power. Sharad Joshi, Tikait, Bhupendra Singh Maan, Nanjunda Swamy led farmers movement had wider impact, but now it is almost dead, thanks to growing political opportunism in the movement. These movements have been used against the anti-land acquisition movements of the last few years. In later years, the temporary unity of the forces of communal fascism and social justice against Congress proved only counter-productive in the long run. However, the present phase is the politics of ‘development and democracy’. In this phase, the anti- corruption movement for Jan Lokpal created much furore. With the slogan of bringing back the money stashed in foreign banks, Ramdev merged with Sangh fraternity. Anna Team is again girding its loins for Jan Lokpal. His follower Arvind Kejriwal is going to declare his own political outfit. Some people see him as alternative to corporate politics. Sonia Gandhi`s Advisory Council has now become futile for them as it is no more able to cover –up the adverse fall outs of Manmohan`s reforms. Like similar other personalities of yesteryears, he is trying to emerge as the new avatar to fill up the vacuum. It is worth mentioning that Maoism had become major discourse before the emergence of Anna, Ramdev or Arvind Kejriwal. Arundhati Roy was its vocal spokesperson. After the emergence of this new NGO group about which Arundhati says that it was funded by Ford Foundation, the Maoist discourse slipped into the background. How come the World Bank and Arvind Kejriwal`s initiative on corruption reflect the same vision? Why the advocates of more power to village-sabhas are silent on feudal remnants? In a country where the unholy nexus of speculative capital, criminals, corrupt leaders and bureaucrats dominates the political life in its most dreaded form, does just the formalist attitude towards democratic and fighting forces of change not reflect a lack of seriousness towards the ‘politics of change’.
Today, the country needs a broader democratic platform which unites all those forces that can be united in order to develop an alternative to corporate politics. To talk about an alternative politics without uniting with broader left-democratic forces is like building castles in the air. What is needed is national initiative on the issues of unemployment, land acquisition bill, loot of national wealth, democratic rights, social justice etc, centering in some states.

Akhilendra Partap Singh
National Convenor,
All India Peoples Front (R)