Sitaram Yechury

The fiftieth anniversary of the victory over fascism is being celebrated when the socialist Soviet Union is no longer there. This is an irony, a tragedy of history. But just as fascism was also a tragedy that was corrected, overcome by history, by the onward march of human civilization, so will this tragedy be overcome, notwithstanding the price humanity has to pay.

Only the confirmed anti-communists and their pen-pushers can today deny the decisive role of the socialist Soviet Union under the leadership of Stalin in the defeat of fascism. Every minute of the war cost the Soviet Union 9 lives, every hour 857 and every day 14000! Yet they won. It was finally the red flag, the hammer and sickle that was hoisted on Hitler’s capital, not the American stars and stripes!

That they could perform such a gigantic, unprecedented task of human endeavour is a testimony to socialism, and the ultimate power of the working people. They did this despite the initial power of the working people. They did this despite the initial betrayal of the imperialist allies. The “second front” of US, UK and French forces, promised to land in operation was “delayed” for over two years from 1942 to 1944. This followed the assessment of Harry Truman, who was to become the US President, “if we see that Germany is winning we should help the Russians and if we see the Russians winning we should help the Germans, and that way let them kill as many as possible”. (New York Times, June 24, 1941). Winston Churchill echoed in his memoirs of the war, “…almost all responsible military opinion held that the Russian army will soon be defeated and largely destroyed”. The imperialist opinion was first let socialism be destroyed and then fascism, emasculated by war can be overcome, hence reestablishing imperialist hegemony over the world. Little did they realise that Hitler virtually decimated the whole of Europe, walked through Paris, before embarking on the USSR.

Yet, overcoming this betrayal the Soviet Union turned the tide in the battle of Stalingrad. Responding to Stalin’s slogan that “there is no land beyond the Volga” every living person fought the war with what they had — stoves, bricks, kitchen utensils.

Defeated for the first time, stunned Hitler’s troops, retreating wrote on Moscow’s walls, “Farewell Moscow, we are off to Berlin”. The Red Army wrote below, “We shall get to Berlin too”. And they did!

However much the bourgeois ideologues would like to erase this, the socialist Soviet Union’s role is etched in human history with blood. The monumental details are recorded and the whole world today owes it to the Red Army and the Soviet people its freedom, liberties and the post second world war “democracy”.

The second world war was in fact, four wars combined, reflecting the four fundamental contradictions of our epoch. The Spanish Civil War (contradiction between Capital and Labour) the Manchurian occupation by Japan (colonial or third world Versus imperialism) it was an inter-imperialist war and a war between imperialism and socialism.

That socialism triumphed set the trend for future world developments. De-colonisation followed. Capitalism adopted “welfare economics” giving the working class concessions inconceivable so far. Democracy, social security, public sector, unemployment allowance etc that characterise modern democratic values and norms are the offshoot of socialist triumph.

The concepts that are paraded today as the signal indicators of modern civilisation are nothing but the consequences of this victory over fascism, spearheaded by the socialist Soviet Union. The effort of such a gigantic achievement are recorded and reflected in other articles. They need no repetition.

But a question arises. Does this defeat of fascism 50 years ago mean its final and complete burial? No. As long as imperialism and the capitalist exploitative order exist the fascist tendency exists. It surfaces and resurfaces in different forms in different contexts.

Fascism is a form of the same capitalist class rule. It emerges when the ruling classes need to jettison the existing forms to maintain their rule. Georgi Dimitrov, and the Communist Internationals, of which he was the Secretary defined fascism as the “open terroristic dictatorship of monopoly capital.”

The communist International’s 7th Congress report presented by Dimitrov till date remains the most scientific and elaborate explanation of the rise of fascism. When do the ruling classes need to jettison the facade of democracy and embrace fascism? Either when there is a threat to its rule from the working class or when they are no longer able to rule in the old way.

Lenin had once defined a revolutionary situation as one when the ruling classes are no longer able to rule in the old way and the people are no longer willing to be ruled in the old way. But when the situation has not yet reached this stage, the people are not yet prepared, not the working class at least, to take up the reins of power, what happens? If the ruling classes, due to their own internal crisis are no longer able to rule in the old way, they then adopt fascistic methods to maintain and consolidate their rule.

Many a colonial country, in the wake of the defeat of fascism and de-colonisation adopted parliamentary democracy and visions of breaking from bondage through a self reliant economy. But as this vision breaks down, the ruling classes jettison the democratic facade to adopt virtual dictatorships. Indonesia, Egypt, co-founders of the NAM are an eloquent example.

India today is in a similar situation. Fascism in the classical German sense does not arise. But fascist methods and prescriptions are adopted by the most reactionary sections of the ruling classes in pursuit of their political goals. The discontent amongst the people, consequence of the ruling class policies and crisis of the ruling class rule is today being exploited by the most reactionary sections of the bourgeois-landlord class rule for their political purpose.

The methods adopted by the RSS/BJP/VHP — Saffron Brigade — today have a frightening similarity to the fascist upsurge. First, they provide not only the ideological formation in terms of ideas and principles but also the organisational formation to achieve a fascistic Hindu Rashtra. (The essence of this has appeared in these columns earlier as also in CPI(M) publications)

The core of this lies in an attempt, in truly Hitlerian fascist style, of generating a set of people otherwise diverse, in a united affront of their pride (the monolithic Hindu, in RSS style). Following this is the creation of an enemy external’ to this group who are held responsible for this (Muslims for the RSS, like Jews for Hitler). The prescriptions on how to deal with them are the same — exterminate, hatred etc. (for details refer, “What is This Hindu Rashtra”)

This ideological format is factified by the Goebellian technique (Goebells was Hitler’s Propaganda minister) of telling “big enough lies, frequently enough to make them the truth”.

Georgi Dimitrov, says that fascism, “while acting in the interests of the most reactionary circles of imperialism, intercepts the disappointed masses who deserted the old bourgeois government with its irreconcilable attitude to the old bourgeois parties” (Dimitrov, 1972, p.12). Note today the vehemence with which the saffron brigade has mounted its attack on the very fundamental pillars of secularism and democracy that define the polity of independent India. Note also the vehemence with which it today places the entire blame for the wanton destruction of the Babri Masjid at the door-step of the present government policies and not as an act committed by the saffron brigade in flagrant violation of the existing Constitution and law of the land.

    Further, Dimitrov notes "fascism puts the people at the mercy of the most corrupt and venal elements but comes before them with the demand for an honest and incorruptible government speculating on the profound disillusionment of the masses...fascism adapts its demagogy to the peculiarities of each country, and the mass of the petty bourgeois and even a section of the workers, reduced to despair by want, unemployment and insecurity of their existence fall victim to the social and chauvinist demagogy of fascism", (Dimitrov, 1972, p. 12).

    It is precisely this feature of fascism that defines the demagogy and campaigns of the saffron brigade today.   (Note   the   fact  that  while  professing   to   offer `incorruptible'  governments,  the  BJP  government   in Madhya Pradesh `donated' property worth more than Rs. 15 crores  to  various  organisations of  the  RSS  parivar (India Today, October 30, 1992). Note also the exposure in The Times of India of the haste in which the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh sought to transfer land worth nearly Rs. 5 crores to Sadhvi Ritambara gratis!)

Utilising the discontent arising out of the bourgeois-landlord class policies they are attempting to divert this not into channels that will reverse the conditions of impoverishment that continue to grow but divert this discontent into religious communal channels to advance their objective. By placing before the people the construction of the Ramjanmabhoomi temple as the only agenda, the saffron brigade in fact is strengthening the very edifice of exploitation that is heaping miseries on our people. In conjunction with the open attempt to seek imperialist patronage for its purpose, this spells doom for the Indian people.

    The Saffron Brigade today has clearly revealed that the actual conditions of the people and the alleviation of their miseries is not its concern.  That more Indians than the entire population of the USA live below an abysmally low poverty line is of no concern to them.  That children in our country, outstripping in millions the entire population of many a country, are forced to earn a livelihood is of no concern to them.  That more Indians die every year from malnutrition than the entire population of Australia is of no concern to them.  Can such a diversion of the people's discontent for their political ambitions be allowed?  In the name of Ram, the saffron brigade today seeks to consign crores of Indians to conditions of growing impoverishment.

Not only this, but the Saffron Brigade’s agenda has inflicted a colossal damage on our economy. Following December 6, 1992, thousands of crores of rupees worth of property was destroyed, apart from the incalculable damage caused by the Bombay riots to the economy and to India’s standing internationally. Now, BJP threatens to place the destruction of mosques in Mathura and Varanasi on the agenda — the surest guarantee to plunge India into a continuous conflict at the expense of the lives of thousands of Indians.

    The agenda that the saffron  brigade is posing before the country and the methods that it uses to achieve its objective are nothing but an expression of an Indian variant of fascistic rule.  Both in terms of the form of state and in terms of its economic and social policies, the BJP has exposed itself as the most reactionary section of the ruling classes.  The present attempts by the saffron brigade is not merely one of establishing a medieval theocratic "Hindu Rashtra", but as one negating the very basis of democracy and secularism.

Such a fascistic threat, it must be noted, is not about a mere change in the ruling party of the country. It is not about the normal succession of one party replacing another at the Centre. It means that parliamentary democracy based on secularism is replaced by an open terroristic dictatorship based on an intolerant theocratic ideology. It is a change not merely in form but in content — a most vicious change at that.

But, then, how does one counter this? By the unity of the widest possible patriotic secular forces. But does the Congress form a part of this? No. Why? Precisely because of its policies, it has created discontent amongst the people which is sought to be utilised by the reactionary fascistic forces. The channelisation of this discontent into revolutionary progressive movements constitutes today the surest guarantee of checkmating the fascistic forces. The future will determine the success of this. Who will succeed? The fascistic or revolutionary forces.

Celebration of the defeat of fascism today means the reaffirmation of our resolve to defeat the reactionary forces in our country. This is the CPI(M)’s call to all patriots.