One can work with those having differing opinions, but there can not be a compromise. We will accept their living ideas, i.e. the correct aspects of their thinking and we will have to firmly fight against the wrong ideas. We can discuss with those who have read many books by reading ‘Red Book’ only. The bourgeoisie raise hue and cry about ‘why and what for’. Their motive is to create confusion about the authority of the proletariat and to impose their own authority. But we, the communists say ‘why and what for’ for an altogether opposite reason. We strengthen proletarian authority, apply party line livingly and question the authority of the bourgeoisie. As we raised questions about Subhash Bose, and simultaneously exposed his fascist character before the people.
There is bourgeois influence within the party and it will remain up to a certain period of time. Its reflection is seen in interpreting quotations from the bourgeois point of view. Chairman said, nothing should be followed blindly. That does not mean that everything should be doubted. Why should we raise question about party directives? It is for realizing its depth and implication. It is for applying the party directives in the best possible way.
Today there is hue and cry over authority, which should not take place in a communist party. What is meant by proletarian authority? It is the leadership around which the party is functioning, which is the authority. The authority of Chinese communist party is Chairman Mao. The Chinese revolution is part of the world revolution. The Chinese communist party has been termed by Chairman Mao as great, glorious and correct. The Chairman is the authority of world revolution. The Chinese communist party said, Chairman’s thoughts are applicable not only to China, but also to the whole world. This authority can not be questioned. It should be accepted unquestionably. In the case of revolution, there is an international authority and a national authority. This national authority has also to be accepted unquestionably. International authority can not be obeyed unless national authority is obeyed. Our party leadership is authoritative leadership. The democracy within our party is centralized democracy.
Developing one opinion from several opinions does not take place in our party-it does not happen in any proletarian party. There is right to express opinion within the party and it will continue to be there. It is here that our democracy lies. But at the same time, the party leadership will also have its own say and that has to be obeyed. Because, there can be only one correct line in a given situation. There is democracy within our party along with centralism and that is why the dissenting opinion is allowed to be taken to the party cadres and masses for discussion. Since our party leadership is authoritative, the opinion of the party leadership has to be obeyed. Those who say that, if authority is established, everything will become one way, there will be no differing opinion, no contradiction within the party. That they are expressing this opinion is in itself a contradiction. What do we see today? The proletarian authority of Chairman Mao has been established, great China, the impregnable fortress of development of mankind, exists centering him only and the great Chinese people are making newer contributions to the history of mankind.
In the Bengali quotation published by Peking the word ‘communist’ has been translated as “Communists have to have a free mind”-the translation is not correct.
In the English quotation published by Peking the word is meant to be ‘largeness of mind’. Free thinking is a bourgeois ideology. Largeness of mind means vastness of mind. Communist thinking is proletarian thinking.
9th March, 1972
