On completion of two years of their rule, the RSS-BJP combine, the ruling clique at the centre have unleashed an invigorated campaign. With the BJP party president and the prime minister Modi taking charge, and to catch people’s imagination they harp on rhetoric of economic growth and development of the country, eradication of corruption and ensuring ease of doing business etc., achieved during their rule. While their fabulous claims fail to match the reality people face day in and day out, rather prove fictitious on many counts, parallel to it the ruling RSS- BJP combine and their government carry on a disastrous wave of the other part of their campaign, an unrelenting hate campaign against the religious minorities as also the communists that tends to drag the country towards dark days which the world has witnessed during the condemned days of fascism. It devolves upon people to realize the danger before it is too late and launch efforts to thwart it.
A brief glance at the world
Even the least knowledgeable people cannot deny in any way, that the world around is in the grip of a severe all-out crisis. Despite all tall claims of recovery the world capitalist system does not show any inkling of chances of ending with the most acute recession it is facing since the days of the great recession that led to the world wars. Leave aside any economic growth and development, stagnation in industry and uncertainty have become the order of the day. Even attempts at face saving with the help of service sector or real estate or so-called industries of tourism etc., have failed miserably. The much-hyped IT industry now stands on earthen legs, ready to crumble down at any moment. Accumulated mammoth capital lies idle, frantically looking for ways out. The consequence is ever-mounting rise in unemployment and insecurity of life and livelihood and fall in purchasing power of people leading to intense market crisis. On the other hand, irrepressible desire of the imperialists and their multinational corporate houses for maximum profit hunting is leading to unbridled race and business of lethal arms and arsenals, shameless brigandage to extend and establish control over the global market, and for that brute trampling upon the independence of weaker independent states by the powerful war-monger states headed the US imperialism. One after another different countries are being ravaged by the imperialist war-brigands. People’s unity is being shattered through creating heinous forces like the Talibans, al Qaeda or presently the ISIS. Through them the imperialists foment fratricidal bloodbaths hinging on religious fundamentalism, racism and all other obnoxious offshoots of the infamous divide and rule policy of the imperialist-capitalist rulers. Millions of innocent people are being thrown out of their home and hearth in consequence of these imperialist onslaughts and intrigues. Moral-cultural backbone of people are being pulverized through unchecked propagation of rotten vulgarity, pornography, sex-violence ridden culture. The world is being thrown at the doorstep of hell.
Indian scene: growth rate, taxes, price rise and people’s living standard
The Indian capitalist state now with strong imperialist aspirations for rising to the status of a regional superpower, is an inalienable part of this abjectly crisis-ridden world capitalist-imperialist system. It thus shares all the maladies as well as hankering for power and pelf of the rulers that reigns supreme in the prevailing world system. It presents the same dismal and heart-breaking social-cultural scene as an outcome of terrible exploitation and oppression of the capitalist system. People’s resentment and wrath mount with every passing day. The ruling Indian monopolists with the BJP government as their latest political manager and spokesman frantically try to assure people that everything is all right. So they trumpet the slogans of development and growth. They boastfully claim that the Indian economy stands on solid foundation and is recording faster growth rate than other economies, for instance the apparently fastest growing Chinese economy. They highlight the magic number of 7.8 or 7.9% GDP growth rate as testimony of their claim. But it could not be kept suppressed that the said growth number is spurious or fictitious. It is arrived at by conveniently changing the base of calculation and it contains discrepancies as much as by 51%. On rectification the growth number comes down to a meagre 3.9%, nowhere near their claim.
On the ground, they still claim economic growth. Questions galore. Is the high growth raising the standard of life of common people? Is their purchasing power showing upward trend? Do industry and agriculture show any sign of development? Is unemployment coming down ? Do people at large get ready supply of essential commodities and services within their means? When the growing India of the rulers get busy in sending satellites to the outer world or in trying the run of Bullet train on the ground, how do the hapless victims of cyclic assault of deadly drought or flood feel about those achievements? None of these questions have affirmative answers. Yet they claim of development.
The BJP president writes in the column that laudably, their government has arranged for crediting subsidies to the consumers’ bank accounts and has been able to supply LPG cylinders to the poor to free their women and children from kitchen smoke. Is he sure that those poor women or their family could gain access to the banks getting over all hurdles of securities and other bureaucratic paraphernalia and that they can eke out two square meals a day, leave aside using the LPG cylinder? And what are the achievements of the BJP government during this tenure of two years? The government has repeatedly raised fuel price despite fall in international market (or for instance, for a drop in crude oil price by 331% in January 2014, the government reduced petrol price by only 16%. Clearly, this was a fraud on the common people by the government claiming to be corruption free and accountable). It has increased train fare and freight, has raised service tax to 15% and added taxes like Swatch Bharat tax, both all pervading in scope, has withdrawn price control of essential drugs and made health facilities market linked, has increased fees for education at different levels , has left the power tariff rise sky-high and so on. An economist would say increase in taxes points to sluggish nature of economy. Then what do these tax increases indicate? Rather, all these have only contributed to the phenomenal price hike, that leaves no scope for common people, more so the poor, to live a decent life, not to speak of raising their standard of living.
Indian scene: industry-agriculture
What do the government’s own data say, in spite of all efforts to manipulate those? Those reveal : In the last six months industrial production has shrunk almost every month; major sectors like steel, power, coal, real estate, and mining sectors are in bad shape ; factories cancel shifts, reduce output. Major labour-intensive industries have been creating lesser jobs, rather job loss is rising (Labour Bureau, India), disguised unemployment in rural India rises to 25 % – 30 %. Wage against industrial output drops, though profit of owners goes on rising. For 6 months, from November 2015 to April 2016, capital goods production has fallen by a horrifying 26% indicating drop in investment. Even service sector slowed to a six month low in last May. Exports have shrunk for the 18th month in a row as have imports, showing India losing market share. Over and above these, the government has legally extended limits of hire and fire in industries, has limited the 100 days work project for rural poor to a despicably low number of districts of the country . In all, the processes have aggravated unemployment, which has already reached a menacing dimension. The government has slashed the budget for agriculture, has withdrawn subsidies and virtually destroyed the Public Distribution System of essential commodities from behind the slogan of ensuring food security and has made farmers’ consent unnecessary for land acquisition. It has liberalized laws for acquisition of forest lands without approval of Gramsabha of the tribals endangering people in a nearly 21.05% area of the country; it has allowed industrialists to leave acquired lands unused for any length of time. All this together along with huge price hike and almost ritualistic recurrence of massive flood and drought, are driving farmers towards the ultimate step of suicide, almost 25 farmer suicides per day as per the National Crime Record Bureau. The BJP leaders, however, heartlessly ridicule this as latest ‘fashion’ of farmers. Are all these instances of development? But development is there. A single industrial tycoon Adani, the apple-of the eye-of- the- government has taken loans to the extent of 72000 crore of rupees, an amount more than the total amount of loans taken by millions of farmers of the entire country. The government allows staggering amounts in lakhs of crores of rupees, of tax exemption and debt–waiver for the rich, who leave huge amounts of bank loans unpaid as Non-Performing Assets with banks, though the same banks would confiscate a Rs 1 lakh worth of agricultural land from a poor peasant for his outstanding loan of just Rs 10,000. Development indeed, but for whom remains a moot question.
Indian scene : social scenario stinks with far more ominous traits
As narrated above in brief, the BJP government’s lopsided claim of economic growth and development is at best a carefully planned design based on fictitious figures. It is a criminal attempt to mesmerize and deceive people to conceal the reality from them. On this issue they tread the same path of hoodwinking people that all the bourgeois petty bourgeois even social democratic parties are taking to in their bid to gain and remain in power playing subservient to the ruling class, the monopolists particularly during these days of utter decadence of capitalism. However, from bitter experiences of life people tend to get at these truths of economic growth, sooner or later. But more dangerous and alarming situation prevails in social-cultural spheres.
We are living in a society where even the horribly poor have to pay high price for the barest necessities. It is a society in the twenty-first century where there are long queues at hospitals, where people continue to die due to starvation and malnutrition. It is a society in which even potable water remains a far cry to many and drought-relief is distributed among the village rich depriving the poor, who may even have to face death while waiting for the drops of water to quench their thirst. Arguably, these were already there in the capitalist Indian state and still exist here, may be in more drastic or milder form. But what appears to be raising its ugly head more and more during this rule of RSS-BJP combine is the planned unfolding of an aggressive agenda of communalization.
Thus while the BJP-led Modi government chant slogans of development and growth to mesmerize people and rope them in behind their programmes, the RSS- BJP combine along with their fringe organizations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Sanatan Sanstha or their student wing of ABVP are bringing down newer and newer attacks every moment, every hour, every day on people of religious minority communities. With overt or covert, open or clandestine support of the governments, they are unleashing a cult of communalism over the country, creating an ambience of fear and mistrust across the country. In power or not, they are dictating what to eat, whom to love or marry, what to write or paint and so on. Now they are lynching a common Muslim villager on unsubstantiated allegation of consuming beef at home, and then under the slogan of Ghar Wapsi they are pouncing upon people of different religions, Muslim or Christian to rechristen them into Hindus on temptation or under threat. They are introducing school textbooks filled with unscientific, fanciful, even blatantly false ideas. In the name of reviving past Indian glory, they are dishing out obscurantist, illogical, unscientific thoughts and facts, like India sending airplanes to Mars in Vedic times, which really are making India ridiculous to the world. In their bid to rejuvenate our past glory they are distorting history. In place of encouraging modern scientific education they are incorporating in curriculum from schools to universities, so-called Vedic mathematics, epics like Mahabharat-Ramayana as also Geeta which the Hindus regard as religious scriptures. They are compelling even non-Hindus to perform Yoga, calling it a secular event yet cunningly giving it a Hindu religious orientation associating it with chanting of Om.
And as resentment mounts in people, as the civil society, including eminent intellectuals of the country, tend to come out in protest, the RSS-BJP combine and their associates bring out their fangs. To smoothly implement their agenda and programmes, they try to weed out any opposition, ridicule or condemn them, even annihilate them. Coercively they snatch away democratic rights, trample democratic values, hell bent upon foisting a regimented regime with multipronged attack to see that none dares to oppose. Here they target eminent rationalist thinkers or students who tend to form leading protesting community, branding them anti–nationals even on fake evidences. And they put up a deceptive dual face. While the BJP president poses as dining with dalits before the camera, elsewhere, as in Hyderabad Central University dalit students are harassed to the extent of abetting one of them, Rohith Vemula, to take his own life. Again, in UP a BJP MP from Kairana claims that 346 families left the town because of ‘persecution’ by the Muslims, only to be proven false or yet another BJP MLA Sangeet Som known for his involvement in Muzaffarnagar bloodbath tries to whip up communalism afresh. But in the same state of UP at Allahabad the prime minister Modi himself addressed the BJP national executive of 200 top leaders, harping on development. It was the same game of hiding one ugly face by another, hiding communalist propaganda behind the alluring slogan of development or amity. And from behind this duality, all these acts are entirely directed towards whipping up a regimented frame of mind based upon Hindu religion-oriented national jingoism along with curtailment of freedom of expression or speech or right to oppose and right to dissent, with ruthless curb on freedom of belief, religious or otherwise. Reminiscent of dark days of fascist menace, these are particularly relevant as the RSS-BJP combine attempt towards Hindu religious revivalism arrogantly and unhesitatingly condemning the Muslim minority community to bow down to the majority or perish; highhandedly pronouncing that the entire country must turn into Hindus. Cleverly now and then, here and there, round the clock they are splitting the populace vertically into two parts of the Hindus and the Muslims. This only brings back the memories of the way Hitler had brought down his onslaught in Germany Here in India the RSS-BJP are moving in the same line, so that any moment they can unleash an all-out ghastly attack on the targeted minorities. In preparation they are not failing to ignite occasional flare-ups in this or that place. There have been 300 communal bloodbaths in 4 months of 2015. And the major ones of these take place at suitable moments, preferably on the eve of some election to polarize votes on communal grounds. This is the game RSS-BJP started with the Ayodhya Ram Temple issue, in their bid for national breakthrough for power. It is being conveniently repeated during their Modi rule. Added to it is the cunning move against communism from behind the slogans of their so-called nationalism, or campaign against radical rationalist thoughts. This is creating a social ambience in which exploited and oppressed, yet unorganized people stand further disunited and in mutual distrust. And that only serves the ruling party and power to carry through their agenda unopposed, though the pincers of economic-social-political onslaughts suffocate people every moment, every hour.
The BJP , the political wing of the rabid communal RSS, assumed governmental power riding on the liberal support of the corporate, monopolists and the rich of the land and abroad. As the above account tells us in brief, they are frantically trying to prove their worth as the most efficient subservient flag-bearer of this decadent capitalist system. Yet the reality forces them to take guard. The crisis, the wrath and resentment in people generated by their misrule all tend to destabilise their efforts. So the RSS-BJP have hatched this conspiracy. The BJP, in charge of governance of the country has been assigned the task of alluring and mesmerizing people with the slogans of growth and development, while the RSS takes up the task of vitiating the country with the venomous air of communalism and anti-communism by bringing down their Hindutwavadi attack without relent, so that people are vertically cleaved into mutually mistrusting communities, are confused about their tasks and responsibilities and are thus disunited and distracted from standing firmly against the rulers.
Demand of the situation : need of the hour
Now the question is, what does the situation demand us to do. It may be feared that the way democratic values are being trampled upon and rights snatched away, the situation unopposed may ultimately lead to establishment of a fascist regime. The only course that remains then, is to put up resistance and thwart the ongoing attacks. Right-thinking well-meaning people imbued with democratic values must unite on that singular cause under a common banner. And such banner can only be held persistently aloft by those who take vanguard role and initiative in leftist-Marxist movements. It cannot be denied that the thinking conscientious section of people have tried best within their limits and abilities to rise up to the occasion. But where are the powerful leftist forces who could have spearheaded the fight against the impending danger? Those among the leftists who used to boast of power have virtually deserted the path of struggle. Now they show the least concern and interest for these any more. While other bourgeois parties, national or regional, have been polarized with the branded major forces of the bourgeoisie, the Congress or the BJP, these forces are also stepping into the same shoes. Their single drive, as it appears now, remains in the run for power and pelf by proving themselves subservient to the ruling capitalist class. Naturally, by this act of theirs, they are leaving the entire political arena open to the RSS-BJP. The latter in its turn, are not failing to take advantage of the favour dished out to them. Merrily, virtually unopposed they have let loose all their arsenals to opiumate people with their vicious thoughts and campaigns.
In the face of the grave danger, people have no choice other than developing adequately powerful democratic movement, aided with strong ideological campaign against this fascist danger looming large in the horizon. Such a movement, need be organized and sustained to grade, step by step, into formidable mass and class struggles. So along with launching such a movement it needs to be shaped out with concern and vigilance for correct revolutionary leadership. Only a movement under revolutionary leadership can place the movement on its correct path, can generate an ideological-political-cultural campaign parallel to the cunning campaign of the ruling party. That parallel campaign will provide the higher ideological and lofty cultural base to make common people thoroughly and adequately conscious and equipped against the present situation and its inherent danger and prepare them to repel the impending fascistic attacks.
The SUCI (C), the Party founded by one of the eminent Marxist thinkers of this age, Comrade Shibdas Ghosh, as the only revolutionary party of the country has been striving its best since its formation to develop mass and class struggles of the oppressed exploited masses bit by bit , step by step. This has been established in the political scenario of the country through all these years by their performance and activities. To people also, the truth is coming out gradually, removing all distracting covers of propaganda and confu-sion. The need at this hour is then to organize people under the leadership of this Party. And for people it is vital to recognize and realize that unless and until movements are organized effectively under this revolutionary leadership, it would not have the desired character and strength of distinct and higher ideology and lofty culture. And till the movement assumes such character and strength to continue organized and sustained, those can not meet the desired end of success too. Failing that there will only be frustration, confusion and helplessness to help the despicable enemy which bears the possibility of turning into menacing fascist force.
