Proletariats have nothing to loose but their chains and have the whole world to win...
Since the day, Indian communists have accepted the parliamentary democratic system in India, the quote above has taken a different connotation. No longer are Indian commies bound by chains of their bourgeois peers of other political hues who rule the country. They are bound by gains. Gains from businessmen in the states that they rule. Gains from share of tax revenue given to them by the central government. Gains from grants in various developmental schemes (e.g NREGA scheme for 100 days guaranteed employment & similar others) of the central government. And now gains from brokering real estate deals with investors.
The Indian communists have ensured that in India, which is a reasonably democratic country with widespread neo-liberal values among the citizens, rights of a citizen is more important than his duty or responsibility. So, very often organised labour goes on strike disrupting economic productivity and very often trade unions threaten the management to make casual laboureres permanent.
So now that gains of crores are there to be lost if they are voted out of power; the communists in West Bengal have established that revolution can be achieved once in every five years with coerced ballots backed up by coarse bullets. Every single voter list in every single village in the rural West Bengal is monitored by zealous party functionaries to pinpoint those who are against the party and soft coercion is applied with mild-to-wild threats of unwanted consequences if that anti-commie voter does not do a volte-face in the next panchayat/assembly/parliament election. Witness Kespur, Nadigram & Singur as examples.
The rest of India led by the South & the West is progressing rapidly with economic prosperity and the revenue of the taxes generated there is being used to subsidise the east & the north. 15 years back, West Bengal was as “out of the mindset” of the investors as it is today. It was considered then a “parasite” (see picture) state with negligible contribution towards the tax revenues and central food depository but large overdraft from the central dole of tax & scheme-grants. The only feather in the cap, so to say, is making electrical power surplus in the state . (But as I am writing this , gallons of sweat are pouring my forehead . And thats because its an unusually hot & sultry day and theres no electrical power now. )
The Indian communists have ensured that in India, which is a reasonably democratic country with widespread neo-liberal values among the citizens, rights of a citizen is more important than his duty or responsibility. So, very often organised labour goes on strike disrupting economic productivity and very often trade unions threaten the management to make casual laboureres permanent.
So now that gains of crores are there to be lost if they are voted out of power; the communists in West Bengal have established that revolution can be achieved once in every five years with coerced ballots backed up by coarse bullets. Every single voter list in every single village in the rural West Bengal is monitored by zealous party functionaries to pinpoint those who are against the party and soft coercion is applied with mild-to-wild threats of unwanted consequences if that anti-commie voter does not do a volte-face in the next panchayat/assembly/parliament election. Witness Kespur, Nadigram & Singur as examples.
The rest of India led by the South & the West is progressing rapidly with economic prosperity and the revenue of the taxes generated there is being used to subsidise the east & the north. 15 years back, West Bengal was as “out of the mindset” of the investors as it is today. It was considered then a “parasite” (see picture) state with negligible contribution towards the tax revenues and central food depository but large overdraft from the central dole of tax & scheme-grants. The only feather in the cap, so to say, is making electrical power surplus in the state . (But as I am writing this , gallons of sweat are pouring my forehead . And thats because its an unusually hot & sultry day and theres no electrical power now. )
The situation has not changed significantly even now. While the rest of India in last 15 years have leapfrogged , West Bengal still remains a ghetto of community-led businessmen (read traders) whose idea of scale and vision are limited to that ubiquitous object in every school-kid’s box . A 12 inch scale with a round magnifying glass at the end. A perfect tool for intellectuals to have a look at the “bigger picture”. Unfortunately its all zero in last 15 years.
It will not be long when Bengal’s demand for secession, if any, would be granted with a glee by the rest of india. Almost like getting rid of a non-performing resource-hungry recalcitrant employee in any organisation, when he /she decides to resign.
For the commies the quote has now become something like this:
Proletariats have everything to loose including their gains and they do not have the rest of India to win....
It will not be long when Bengal’s demand for secession, if any, would be granted with a glee by the rest of india. Almost like getting rid of a non-performing resource-hungry recalcitrant employee in any organisation, when he /she decides to resign.
For the commies the quote has now become something like this:
Proletariats have everything to loose including their gains and they do not have the rest of India to win....
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