Voices

Does the CPI(M) have the moral right to fight fascism?

Fight fascism including in JNU, but not from the shoulders of communists

Written by : G Pramod Kumar

The CPM trying to gain political and ideological legitimacy by exploiting the situation in JNU is like satan quoting the scripture.

If you look at history, both fascists and communists (Marxist-Leninists-Stalinists-Maoists-Pol Potists) were no different from each other except on a few counts such as nationalism and social Darwinism. Both are oppressive and violent, have scant regard for human rights and are ideology-driven, indulge in control of state institutions, cronyism, propaganda, and have extreme intolerance to dissent.

Kannur in Kerala is an example where communists and Hindu fascists have more similarities than differences. It's red fascism fighting saffron fascism, it's where the CPM wants nothing else, but its rein - in villages, institutions and people's choices. In West Bengal, they practised it for 34 years and ruined the state beyond repair. Mamata Bannerjee learned it from them and is now giving back on the same coin.

Of course, what's happening in JNU is a clear case of Hindu fascist intolerance to debate, dissent and interrogation. In Germany, Nazis burned books; in modern India, they want to shut down universities that don't subscribe to Hindutva. If you give a chance to communists, they will do nothing else to perpetuate their suzerainty and parliamentary interest. They will fill institutions will CPM ideologues and fellow-travellers. In Kerala, they want the party to run every institution, and Kannur is their perennial pilot.

The communists are not even open to ideas such as social democracy although in practice they use every tool, model and lifestyle examples of capitalism to stay in control without matching it up with welfare and social protection. They are oblivious of the fact that in Nordic countries where people are the happiest and most protected in the world, it works like magic. In fact, it's the only model of welfare economy that's working in the world. Former Kerala finance minister Thomas Issac recently waxed eloquent about NHS in England, conveniently forgetting that it's not communism, but social democracy (capitalism that is matched by abundant social welfare) that was at work.

My point is this: fight fascism including in JNU, but not from the shoulders of communists. In post- war Europe of fascists, communism meant something else. Modern day Indian communists, particularly those with parliamentary aspirations, are bogus and they have no moral right to fight fascism, including in JNU.

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