Karl Marx in his masterly manuscript ‘Poverty of Philosophy’ criticizes the economic and philosophical doctrine of French philosopher and socialist Pierre Joseph Proudhon contained in the book ‘Philosophy of Property’. The Marxists in India, both at the Central and State levels, seem to be scripting and executing ‘poverty of politics’, as a result of which their significance in national politics is on the wane and the citadels in States are shaky.
Their ‘tactical blunder’ (according to West Bengal State CPM) in withdrawing support to the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre directly resulted in the much-needed political space for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, which in alliance with the Congress trounced the CPM in its bastion, reducing the Left Parties redundant in both Houses of Parliament as well as in national politics.
Their state units also seem to be in disarray. The unconvincing reason of nuclear deal for withdrawal of support for the UPA government failed the Left in Kerala too in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections with the rival UDF romping home with half-number of seats whereas it was washed out in the earlier 2004 polls, In Tamil Nadu their blind opposition for the Congress distanced them from the DMK also. But strange is the logic of the Left. While they aligned with DMK in the Assembly elections in 2006 when the Congress also was part of the alliance, now they contend they could not because the DMK shared power with the Congress at the Centre. But they do not extend the same logic to the neighbouring Kerala, where the CPM-led LDF has recently accommodated the Nationalist Congress of Sharad Pawar, which also shares power with the Congress not only at the Centre but also in the state of Maharashtra. The double standards of the CPM also came to light when its West Bengal unit extended support to the Congress candidates for the posts of Mayors and Chairmen of Municipal Corporations and Councils with the stated objective of preventing the prospects of the Trinamool Congress.
After expelling their Tirupur MLA Thiru Govindasamy for his proposal to felicitate the State government for development works in his constituency, the CPM leadership had called upon him to resign from the membership of the Assembly on ‘moral grounds’. It is everybody’s knowledge that the DMK alliance won the Assembly elections in 2006 mainly on the DMK’s election manifesto and people’s trust in Kalaignar for implementing it. Congress leader Thiru P.Chidambaram called the manifesto as the ‘hero of the election’. Hence applying the same yardstick of ‘political morality’, the CPM should have directed its legislators to quit, the moment they left the alliance.
The Tamil Nadu unit of CPI, ever since the incumbent-Secretary took charge, turned pro-Jayalalitha and blurred its virulent stand against “Tamil-chauvinist forces” and also diluted the ‘principled stand’ of their national leadership. On the other hand the state unit of CPM appears to be ailing from bankruptcy of political issues as they have taken up for full time engagement of their cadres issues of Uthapuram and Chidambaram temples under the banner of the Untouchability Eradication Front affiliated to the party. What are the “issues”? In Uthapuram, they want the government to make arrangement for the worship of a pipal tree by the Dalits and in Chidambaram, they want the State government to demolish ‘the wall that is said to have come up (several centuries ago) on the path, believed to have been used by Nandanar, one of the 63 Saivaite saints (Nayanmargal), to enter the Nataraja temple there. The convenor of the Front and a State Secretariat member of the CPM, P.Sampath has contended that “social justice and self-respect of Dalits will be secure only if these tasks are accomplished.”
The CPM telling the Dravidian movement what is social justice and self-respect is like carrying coal to New Castle. The communists, more particularly the CPM in the past had been decrying the ideals and struggles of the Dravidian movement for self-respect and social justice, of divisive and diversionary of working class unity and vouching for the predominant role of economic struggles and class struggle over caste struggle. They advocated that economic emancipation ipso facto will be followed by social emancipation. A leader of the party wrote a voluminous book titled ‘Ariya Maayaiyaa, Dravida Maayaiyaa’ (Aryan illusion or Dravidian Illusion) countering a book of Dravidar Kazhagam on social justice
The communists woke up to the reality of caste-ridden Indian society only after losing its stranglehold of the elite Jawaharlal Nehru University’s students body, which CPM students wing, the SFI was holding since the inception of the institution (Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury are products of the university). The Left candidates were defeated by upper casteist forces during the peak of anti-Mandal agitations in the North in 1990-91. At that time, the CPM also lost all its trade unions in industries in the north which automatically sprouted in the democratic upsurge in post-Emergency period, prompting the Party to give up its time tested tactical line and embracing the concept of ‘mass revolutionary organisation’ at the Salkia Plenum.
In Uthapuram, a wall separating areas inhabited by Dalits and caste Hindus had existed for decades and the CPM suddenly woke up and demanded that the wall be demolished and Dalits be permitted to enter a Muthalamman temple in the village. Kalaignar immediately intervened and directed the District Collector to demolish the wall and allow Dalits inside the temple under police protection. In protest, the caste Hindus left the village and camped beneath a nearby mountain. They were later pacified, brought back to the village and amity was struck between the two sides. Now vitiating peace and amity in the village, the CPM had raked up another issue to mark its presence in the State. In a news analysis report in a Tamil daily, it is said that none from the village participated in the picketing agitation wantonly conducted by the CPM at Madurai and that because of the CPM caused troubles the normal life of the local people was disturbed and all agricultural and allied activists had come to a standstill resulting in financial distress to the people.
Now the CPM has embarked upon a Puranic (mythological) story of Nandanar narrated in ‘Periyapuranam’ by Sekkizhar, according to which Nandanar stepped into the ‘sacred’ fire pit dug up by 3,000 Dikshitars, mixed with the ‘jothi’ (flame) and integrated with God Natarajar of Thillai. The Marxists are contending the myth that Nandanar emerged alive as a Brahmin from the fire pit and entered into the temple through the gate of southern tower. Now all people including Dalits can enter into the temple through any gate and offer worship. But Marxists are adamantly insisting that only if Dalits enter through the sealed entry (for ages) their self-respect could be asserted.
After a great struggle the DMK government succeed in bringing the control of Chidambaram temple under the HR&CE department from Dikshidars, who were controlling it for centuries by tradition. Their appeal in the Madras High Court against the move was dismissed and the Dikshidars went ahead on an appeal to the Supreme Court. After hearing on their petition, the apex court issued an interim order on 15.3.2010 stating, “Barring simple repairs, the Executive Officer (of the HR &CE) shall not carry out any major construction or demolition work”. Hence demolition of the entrance of southern tower is impossible even if the government wants to oblige the CPM’s unwarranted demand. DMK government in Tamil Nadu is not CPM-led government in Kerala and Kalaignar is not V.S.Achuthanandan, to flout a Supreme Court order, as the Kerala government did in ignoring SC order in Mullaiperiyar dam case and enacting a new legislation effectively nullifying the apex court order.
A true rationalist, Kalaignar refused to buy the very myth of Nandanar and where is the question of his “believing the stories of the Dikshidars” as asked by Com. P.Sampath of the CPM or the ‘belief’ that “Nandanar had indeed used the path.” Both are ‘belief’s based on mythical stories.
The CPM goes out of the way to support Jayalalitha and her party on all issues and in byelections. But Jayalalitha stubbornly refuses to open her mouth in support of CPM’s agitations on Uthapuram and Chidambaram. Why not the comrades seek her support?
In their blind search for issues to embarrass the DMK government, the Marxists have inadvertently embarked on a very dangerous course. If mythical belief is held as reason to justify an agitation for demolition of a centuries-old structure, the contention ipso facto justifies Ramjanmaboomi movement of the communal forces led by RSS-BJP Sangh Parivar and the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodya by the saffron brigade.
Is the Left turning Right, Communists into communalists, Red flag into saffron flag? The land of Periyar will not allow it!
(25-07-10)
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