The Influence and Impact of Naxalism on West Bengal Politics – A trajectory of evolution-transmutation Sukla Sen
Thursday 29 October 1970, by SEN Sukla http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article46677 Translation in 2018, from a special issue of the organ of a left student organisation, in early 1971. Special care has been taken not to “update”, while translating, with the benefit of hindsight.
those who are committed to the goal of developing healthy and vibrant student and mass movements must cast a hard and impassionate look into the dynamics of interrelations between Naxalism and the student-youth community of today.
The two defining markers of this period are: (i) identification and assertion of Agrarian Revolution as the political goal and (ii) issuance of the call to outright reject parliamentary politics and urgently launch armed struggle to overrun the state.
Even if many may be surprised on being told so, the bare fact remains that the party in its programme adopted back in its 1964 Tenali conference made an unwavering commitment to bring about social revolution through peaceful means. The common party cadres were just blissfully unaware. For them, the public speeches of the leaders commanded much greater trust as compared to the party documents. That continues even now.) “Revolution”, “struggle”, “blood” – these terms were made current with the limited objective of gaining an upper hand in factional struggle. Consequently, these terms, of course, became fairly popular but the actual implications remained rather hazy.
The mainstream media also played a role by disproportionately highlighting the Naxalites and their activities in order to manufacture an alibi to oust the United Front government on the ground of collapse of “law and order”. That reinforced the halo around them and helped to build up an attitude of reverence in the larger student community.
Even the middle-income service holders, already with a tilt towards leftism, got somewhat attracted. Apart from some romantic affinity towards blood-spilling revolution, the glamorous presence of a good number of students with brilliant academic track records among the Naxalite ranks also helped. In the initial phase, this reverence for Naxalism, did not denote any revulsion for the United Front. The United Front was fairly popular then.
the key to the popularity of Naxalism doesn’t lie with the theory of agrarian revolution? It lies elsewhere.
Naxalite politics has brought in its wake, in West Bengal politics, as yet unprecedented fascist mentality. And, whether consciously or otherwise, other left parties have become seriously affected. “Whoever slanders our party will be just skinned alive!” That clearly implies that, wherever and whenever feasible, the political opponents will just be crushed through resort to brutal force. This slogan today is no longer a monopoly of the Naxalites, it has become a common property of all the political parties.