NEW DELHI: The radical Left political formation the Indian Peoples Front (IPF) has made democracy and openness its watchwords as it prepares for its national conference to be held in Vijayawada in February.
Its various state conferences are discussing the political-economic situation in detail and its national executive committee has decided to constitute a committee of independent experts on various subjects to advise the IPF in charting its future course.
What’s novel is that the advisory committee will not consist of only “fellow travellers” Other eminent academicians jurists doctors environmentalists etc. have also been approached to become its members. This is a clear departure from traditional Left practices.
The IPF chairman Nagbhushan Patnaik says: “The advisors will not be subject to IPF discipline in anyway but they will help in guiding with ideas. We cannot afford to ignore the intelligentsia outside our fold. In fact we want to benefit from their expertise”
Moreover the IPF is also involved in discussions with other political parties. Even before the CPM congress which announced its new-found policy of non secularianism Harkishan Singh Surjeet and others held discussions with the IPF which has acquired a significant presence as a Left party in the Hindi heartland. During the course of his campaigns on the issues of Dalit’s VP. Singh too held consultations with IPF leaders and they shared common platform in Lucknow recently.
SOME REVERSES: At the same time the IPF has also suffered some reverses. Its losses in the parliamentary elections in Bihar were compounded by the defection of two of its MLAS to the camp of Laloo Prasad Yadav. However the Party still remains its base among the rural poor and is spreading its influence in the urban middleclass too as is evident from its following in places like Patna and Allahabad where it has significant influence in universities and other institutions.
The IPF leader Dipankar Bhattacharya says: “It is the identification of the IPF with the (CPI-ML Liberation group that has been both its strength and limitation. Now discussions are on with other Left groups so that the CPIMBL does not remain he only party constituent of the IPE.” The Lal Nishan Party of Maharashtra has already initiated such talks with the IPF.
Within the CPI-ML itself an intensive discussion has started on the political –ideological line. The debate will culminate in the party’s fifth congress which is to be held later this year.
The party central committee has recently issued a call wherein it has stressed those communists “mast is ruthless examining the whole Course of revolution and reconstruction in the Soviet Union since 1917 itself.” The document also refers to “Stalinist metaphysics” and says that “the collapse of the Soviet Union symbolizes the co apse of metaphysics in philosophy revisionism in ideology and hegemonies in international pol ties. No nuclear bomb any nuclear parity could prevent the collapse.
THE PARADOX: In calling for a Left coalition which is “beyond the fragments” a concept articulated by the British social is feminist Ms. Sheila Rowbotha the IPF is aware of the paradox of Gorbachov who destroyed the communist party in order to save it” It also emphasizes the irony “Gorbachov the architect of glasnost and perestroika finds no place in the free society of his own creation.”
In the Indian context apart from reorganizing itself on more democratic lines and exhibiting greater openness to “outside pinion” the IPF plans to launch a series of campaigns against price rises the new employment and “IMF dictated policies.” Its various state units are expected to add their issues of local relevance to its agitation program. It sees grounds swell of opinion against the economic policies which it says are “clearly anti-people anti-development and anti-equity.”
The response to the IPF information document on “India and the IMF loan” has been beyond the expectations is leaders. The well-researched and attractively illustrated document has been translated in several languages and was sold widely even in the CPM District conferences. Similarly the Bihar IPFs document on criminalization of the state a sharp criticism of Laloo Prasad Yadavs regime is in great demand
Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1992
