The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] ‘s latest clarification note to its cadres on its month-old draft political resolution ahead of the party’s 24th national conference in Madurai in April has triggered a political row in Kerala.
The note discusses the perils of the Central government’s “Hindutva corporate authoritarianism” evolving into neo-fascism if the “BJP-RSS” were not “fought back and halted.”
The note says the CPI(M) did not view the current disposition at the Centre as a “fascist or neo-fascist” government. Nor did the party characterise India as a neo-fascist State yet.
The note explains that ten years of continuous RSS-controlled Bharatiya Janata Party rule has resulted in a manifestation of neo-fascist characteristics and not the actual development of a neo-fascist government or political set-up.
However, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan interpreted the note as a political exoneration of the Modi government’s “classic fascist character” and capitulation to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) agenda.
Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary Binoy Viswam told The Hindu that his party viewed the Modi government as fascist, given the RSS’ ideological roots in pre-second World War fascist movements in Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany.
CPI(M) Central Committee member A.K. Balan accused the Congress of seeking to shield itself from the political embarrassment wrought by Shashi Tharoor, MP’s open disillusionment with the party’s State leadership, his endorsement of the government’s industrial policy, and prediction of third consecutive LDF victory in the Assembly polls by laying down a smokescreen of misinformation about the party’s draft political resolution.
Mr. Balan quoted Bulgarian Communist idealogue Georgi Dimitrov’s definition of fascism (as the open, terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic, and most imperialist) to validate the party line.
He said it was politically unrealistic to state that India had regressed into a fascist polity as of yet.
“The Congress should know better that the existence of a fascist State in India would have already warranted a different political response, including a broad-based national liberation struggle. The party line is in conjunction with the political resolution adopted by the CPI(M)‘s 22nd and 23rd conferences,” he said.
