Our Differences[1]
There are communists who do not approve of the line we propose to follow. The founders of our party were the pioneers of the revolutionary proletarian movement in this country. They undertook the task of organising the party of the working class as soon as the masses appeared on the political field under the flag of the National Congress. They laid down the ideological foundations of the prospective party. They carried on communist propaganda when communism and socialism were strange terms in this country. … Yet they were denounced as “renegades to communism”, “traitors to working class”, because they maintained that the party of the proletariat should follow the line our party proposes to follow.
“The Communist Party of India” holds an erroneous view regarding the social character and perspective (of development) of the Indian revolution. This wrong view has blinded it to the realities of the situation, and compelled it to commit tactical mistakes which have isolated it from the anti-imperialist mass movement, and even from the labour movement. …
A dangerous tactical mistake of the “CP of India” has been the inability to differentiate between the leadership and the rank and file of the Congress for the faults of the Gandhist leadership. …
In our opinion, as a movement, the National Congress is of revolutionary significance. It commands the confidence of the oppressed and exploited masses, that is to say, of the social forces of the democratic national revolution. It is great mistake to look upon it as a political party of the bourgeoisie. A political party must have a homogenous class basis. The Congress is a coalition of classes. As such, it must, of course, be dominated by one or the other of the constituent elements. Therefore, there is a danger of its coming completely under the influence of the bourgeoisie. As a matter of fact, it has all along been more or less, directly or indirectly under their influence. The result has been that its objective revolutionary potentialities have not been developed. But the potentialities remain. … disintegration has already begun in consequence of the complete victory of the right wing, and in the absence of an alternative leadership. They [the CPI] are gravely mistaken to think that the disintegration of the Congress is a welcome process; that it will make the democratic masses amenable to a revolutionary leadership. Disintegration will be surely followed by demoralisation, and that is not the atmosphere in which a revolutionary development takes place. We want to head off such a possible disaster, and shall help the crystallisation of radical democratic left wing to replace the present leadership of the Congress.
The National Congress as the organ of anti-imperialist struggle, is the creation of the democratic masses. It must be wielded by the masses for the purpose it is created. It is the specific form of organisation out of the peculiar conditions of the country. …
… Therefore to prevent the possible disintegration of the Congress is obviously the most sensible tactics to be followed by the party of the working class. … We shall rally the Congress rank and file in a renewed struggle against imperialism. We shall place before them the programme of democratic national revolution. …
We appeal to the “CP of India” to rectify its mistakes. Comrades, be realists; otherwise all your talk about Marxism is vain. … Does not your experience of the last six years prove beyond all doubt that you have been travelling a wrong road ? You have acquired no influence upon the mass movement developing under the Congress flag. … Comrades, do you realise the implications of your declaring the Congress the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie body? The declaration means that in your opinion not only are lower middle classes counter-revolutionaries but the peasants also are counter-revolutionaries. …
Comrades, a false sense of loyalty to the Communist International, a mechanical view of discipline compels you to stick to a policy which cannot possibly be approved by your better judgement. … The resolution of the CI that launched you on the sterile course during the last six years, was based upon inadequate informations, on a wrong estimate of the situation in India. … If the Indian section will declare that experience has proved the policy hitherto persued to be wrong, the International will surely give serious consideration to the matter and rectify the mistake.
Comrades, do not be misled by the false discipline. Centralisation of leadership is not dictation from above. The principle of DEMOCRATIC centralisation make ample room for independent judgement on the part of the national sections. …
Comrades, let us compose our differences. We are soldiers of the selfsame cause. Divided we are weak. United we shall accomplish our common task with greater success. …
Note :
1. Extracts from The manifesto of the CC of the RPIWC (1935) which was, according to its cover declaration, submitted to the seventh Congress of Cl..
