1. Our beloved India is a country with 93 crores of people and is one of the largest and most ancient countries. Ours is an agricultural country with hard working and efficient peasantry. It is a country with great revolutionary traditions and glorious cultural heritage.
2. Direct British rule in India began in 1757 with the occupation by the British. The history of India since then has been the history of uninterrupted heroic struggles carried out by the Indian peasantry against the feudal and colonial exploitation and oppression. The First Indian War of Independence by the peasantry and the rebel army in 1857 laid the foundation for the Indian Democratic Revolution. It spread throughout the country like a wild fire and shook the very foundations of foreign imperialism by inflicting severe losses upon the imperialists. This great rebellion of the Indian people met with failure because of the treacherous role played by the Indian feudal kings. Since then, countless number of armed peasant rebellions have taken place in the country's democratic revolution. In spire of this, as the scientific theory and the revolutionary leadership capable of leading towards victory were absent, all those rebellions met with failure.
3. As the Indian proletariat was in its infant stage at the time of the rebellion of 1857, it could not provide leadership to the rebellion; in subsequent period, it participated in heroic struggles against colonial exploitation and became an organised force.
4. Terrified at the growing organisational strength of the oppressed masses, the British imperialists propped up the comprador bourgeois class and established the Congress party. Thus, they tried to divert the national liberation struggle from the revolutionary path to compromising and capitulationist path. The Gandhian leadership which represents the upper strata of the bourgeois and feudal classes tried to mould this national movement to serve the interests of the British imperialists and their feudal lackeys since the time of Champaran peasant rebellion with its theories of non-violence, satyagraha, passive resistance and charkha. Thus the congress has been betraying the people throughout right from the beginning and as a culmination came to power in 1947.
5. The Great October Revolution had disseminated the Marxist-Leninist theory to our country. As a result of several heroic struggles waged against British imperialism by the proletariat, the Communist Party of India was born. But the Party leadership became a tail to Gandhism In spire of several excellent opportunities to fight against them. Similarly, it could not establish proletarian leadership over the national liberation movement as it did not adhere to the revolutionary path. The Party leadership totally failed in formulating appropriate strategy and tactics by applying the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism to the concrete Indian Revolutionary practice. Similarly, the Party had not only failed to unite with the revolutionary people, particularly with the revolutionary peasantry, but also utterly failed in building the revolutionary united front. Though the Party leadership had entangled itself in the right opportunist mire as stated above, the Party rank and file stood with the oppressed people and led many class struggles. They made invaluable sacrifices for achieving the aim of the Indian toiling masses.
6. The utter defeat of the fascist forces in the hands of the world people under the leadership of Soviet Union guided by comrade Stalin; the success of the democratic revolutions in East Europe under proletarian leadership with the help of the Soviet Red Army; and the victorious advance achieved by the success of the great Chinese liberation struggle under the leadership of comrade Mao; brought realignment of class forces throughout the world. Imperialism became very much weakened. The national liberations struggles in the colonial countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America advanced like storms to wipe out imperialism and its lackeys.
7. In the Indian sub-continent also, unprecedented revolutionary situation had developed. The movement for the release of Azad Fouz prisoners, the powerful anti-imperialist demonstrations of the students, the great Thebaga, Bakast and Punapra Vayalar movements, the anti-feudal struggles that erupted in princely states, the powerful struggles of Post and Telegraph employees, the Indian Navy mutiny, the rebellions in army and air forces, the Bihar police revolt, the great solidarity actions of the working class, the beginning of the historical Telangana armed struggle of the peasants, all these had brought the imperialist rule in India to a crumbling stage.
8. The Communist Party of India failed to take advantage of this most favourable revolutionary situation. Instead of learning from the great national liberation movement of Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China guided by comrade Mao, it entered into the mire of class collaboration. Finally, abandoning revolution, it took to parliamentary path. British imperialism entered into alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League with the aim of suppressing the revolutionary upsurge of the Indian people. The country was partitioned in the midst of communal carnage. The British imperialists went behind the screen by transferring power to the Congress leadership representing the comprador bureaucrat bourgeois and big landlord classes. The declaration of fake independence in 1947 is nothing but the establishment of semi-colonial and semi-feudal system in place of the colonial and semi-feudal system.
9. Seeing the revolutionary situation that had burst forth in all the colonial countries throughout the world after the Second World War, and realising that their foundations are crumbling, the imperialists prepared themselves to transfer state power to the big bourgeois class, on the condition that the later accept the continued imperialist economic exploitation. Realising by that time that it is impossible for them to stop democratic revolutions which are gathering momentum in various countries in the post-war revolutionary upsurge, the comprador bourgeoisie in the colonies compromised with imperialism externally and with feudalism internally and came to power.
10. After the conclusion of the Second World War, except American imperialism all other imperialist powers became seriously weakened economically and militarily. As American imperialism did not directly participate in any war until then and acted as a money-lender to the countries involved in the war, it came out unscathed and gained hegemony over all others. By establishing its neo-colonial control over all the colonial countries that were under the control of various imperialist countries till that time, American imperialism gradually restored to acts of aggression with the aim of establishing its sole hegemony over the entire world market. Thus, it came to fore as the main enemy of the oppressed people, oppressed nations and the working class world wide.
11. After the death of comrade Stalin, particularly since the 20th Congress of CPSU, the Soviet Union became transformed into a capitalist country. Basing on the strong socialist foundation that was built during the time of comrade Stalin and exploiting the Third World countries, it became very powerful industrially and militarily utilising its hold over East European countries in economic, military and political spheres and began to contend with American imperialism for world hegemony by the early 1970s. Thus due to its transformation into an imperialist Super Power and its garb of socialism, the Soviet Union became a great danger to the world people during 1970s and 1980s.
12. After fake independence, the big comprador bureaucratic bourgeoisie and feudal ruling classes have served their imperialist masters most faithfully. While protecting the old British imperialist exploitation, the reactionary Indian ruling classes under Nehru's regime first came under the domination of American imperialists and latter tilted towards the Soviet social imperialists since the end of 1960s. Through the Indo-Soviet alliance in 1971 India's tilt towards Soviet Union became consolidated. Similarly the capital and technology of the imperialist countries such as France, Germany, Japan, and others is flowing into the semi-colonial India and their hold on Indian market is continuously growing. Due to its comprador nature, the Indian ruling classes are always dependent on imperialist countries and are tilting towards one or the other powerful imperialist country. Similarly, as the inter-imperialist contradictions are intensifying, the Indian ruling classes are trying to utilise the opportunities to serve their class interests by coming to terms with various imperialist countries.
13. The comprador bourgeois classes are crating abundant opportunities for the foreign capital to repatriate profits on a large scale; entering into thousands of collaboration agreements; seeking imperialist help for heavy machinery, technology, military requirements, weapons manufacturing, for establishing industries and finally even for markets and grants; accepting and depending on foreign debt by submitting to the dangerous conditions of IMF and World Bank; creating opportunities for imperialists to enter freely into the Indian market and allowing them to exploit at will the cheap labour, land, raw materials, water, power and other facilities and even the savings accumulated by the people and to export the commodities manufactured here to their countries.
14. The competition among various imperialist countries to increase their respective shares in our country's market which is going on ever since the time India became a semi-colonial country intensified further after the fall of Soviet Union. Though the US imperialism has become much weaken~ exploiting India. Russian imperialism i~ with the Indian defence field. As Gerrr to gain still greater economic and politic as Russia is trying to retain its past position further intensify. Hence, the main enemy, are imperialism, big comprador bureaucrat landlord classes. The merciless exploitation by these enemies of the Indian people are problems and dangers. Lakhs of people on the verge of death. Crores of people~ food, clothing, shelter and work.
15. Seventy per cent of our country's population are peasantry who are subjected to the worst exploitation and are forced to live in semi-starved state and in utter poverty. In the semi-feudal Indian economic system, more than 30 per cent of the total land is concentrated in the hands of landlords who constitute 3 to 5 per cent of the whole population. Middle peasantry constitute 20 per cent of the rural population while 65-70 per cent of the total peasantry are agricultural labourers and poor peasants who own either no land at all or meagre land. Middle and poor peasants have to pay more than 50 per cent of their yearly produce as land rent. Money-lenders are continuing their ruthless exploitation of the peasantry. Depriving the poor peasants of their lands has become a daily feature. In addition to the killing of davits and atavists, their social oppression as a remnant of middle ages is still continuing unhindered.
16. Inflation is skyrocketing as the economic crisis is intensifying day
by day. The number of unemployed is increasing in crores. Half of the population
is living below poverty line. Lakhs of small and medium industries are becoming
bankrupt. Lakhs of peasants are becoming paupers and are joining the ranks
of agricultural labourers and poor peasants. Starvation deaths are becoming
inevitable. Food, water, shelter, fuel, education, health, transport, work,
employment etc., are going out of reach for agricultural labourers, workers
and middle class people. The economic crisis is rendering the lives of the
people unbearable. Conflicts and clashes in the social and political spheres
are intensifying. As a result of all these, the following four major
contradictions in the country have become further sharpened:
The first two contradictions are fundamental contradictions that will be resolved in the new democratic stage of the Indian revolution and one of these will be the principal contradiction at any given time. Now, the principal contradiction among the above is the one between feudalism and the broad masses. The solution of this contradiction will lead to the solution of all other contradictions.
17. The CPI did not provide proper leadership for resolving the fundamental contradictions in~ the Indian society. Caught neck-deep in the parliamentary padl, it betrayed the aspirations of the oppressed people of India and became transformed into a revisionist party. The split that occurred in the CPI in 1964 resulted in the formation of the CPI(M) which continued the legacy of revisionism.
The Naxalbari struggle that began in 1967 began the process of breaking away of communist revolutionaries from the revisionists and once again brought armed agrarian revolution on to the agenda. It was the first conscious application of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse-tung Thought and the path of protracted people's war in India. CPI (M-L) was formed on 22nd April, 1969 after formulating a correct line based on a correct analysis of the major contradictions in our country as well as of Soviet Social imperialism internationally. It was formed under the leadership of comrade Charu Mazumdar who led the Naxalbari struggle that became a big turning point in the history of the Indian New Democratic Revolution. The eighth Congress of the Party was held in May 1970.
18. The CPI (M-L) (People's War) was formed on 22nd April, 1980, as a continuation of the CPI (M-L). It accepts Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse-tung Thought as guidance for its thinking and practice. The immediate basic programme before the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (People's War) is to overthrow bureaucrat comprador bourgeois and big landlord classes who control state power in collusion with imperialism and to establish in its place the New Democratic State under the leadership of the proletariat. Its ultimate aim is the establishment of socialism and communism.
19. To establish the New Democratic State in India in place of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (People's War) places before the people the line of protracted armed struggle. As com. Mao said, starting, 'from the backward rural areas and extending to wider areas, from solitary places and to extensive areas from small areas, establishing base areas one after another and gradually encircling cities and finally seizing political power and achieving nation-wide victory is the strategy of protracted people's war.
20. The Indian New Democratic Revolution is a part of World Socialist Revolution. Therefore, it can be successfully led only under the leadership of the proletariat. Under the leadership of the revolutionary proletariat and basing on the alliance of workers and peasants, peoples democratic dictatorship is established which includes the petty bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie. All these classes together constitute the great majority among the Indian people. Such a government will guarantee democracy for 90 per cent of the people while it imposes dictatorship upon the enemies, who constitute only a small rninority. That is why, it is a people's democracy.
21. The peasantry is the main force in the agrarian revolution which is the axis of the new democratic revolution carried out under the leadership of the proletariat. The proletariat completely depends on poor and landless peasantry. It firmly unites with middle peasants. It wins over to its side a section of rich peasants and neutralises the remaining. It is only very few among the rich peasants that finally join the enemies of the revolution. The petty bourgeoisie are reliable allies of the revolution in our country.
22. The national bourgeoisie and the bourgeois intellectuals are vacillating and unstable allies for the democratic revolution. They sometimes support the revolution, sometimes oppose it and even betray the revolution on some occasions. They have a dual nature. As such, it is necessary to build a democratic front with all these classes under the leadership of the proletariat in order to carry out the New Democratic Revolution to its completion.
23. India is a vast country and is the home of several nationalities and tribes. One of the main issues in the revolution of this country is to find solution to the problems of nationalities. The question of nationalities in this country is in essence the question of the peasantry. In the ultimate analysis, nationality struggles are inseparable from class struggle and the question of national liberation is an integral part of the New Democratic Revolution. By their very nature, it is not at all possible for the nationality struggles to achieve real liberation in this era without the leadership of the proletariat. Hence, while participating in the nationality struggle it is the task of the proletariat and every communist party to make untiring efforts to provide able leadership to lead them towards their real goal. We must support the ongoing struggles for secession by the various nationalities such as the Kashmiris, Nagas, Assamese, Mizos and Manipuris. We must also support the struggle for self-determination including the right to secession, of the Punjabi people and particularly the Sikh people's struggle. We must also support the struggles of the people of various regions for separate statehood such as Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Gorkhaland and Bodoland. We must oppose the attempts of the Indian ruling classes to forcibly impose Hindi, English and Sanskrit on other nationalities.
24. There are three tasks before the Communist Party of India (M-L) (People's War) to achieve victory in revolution by defeating the enemies of the people: (1) To build and strengthen the Party basing on the principle of democratic centralism and having iron discipline by maintaining closest relations with the people on the basis of criticism and self-criticism. (2) To build people's army under the leadership of our Party. (3) To build a strong united front with all the revolutionary classes under the leadership of the proletariat.
25. The New Democratic Government will discharge the following tasks:
2. It takes over all establishments of the comprador bureaucrat bourgeoisie.
3. It takes over all lands of the landlords and distributes among the poor and landless peasants according to the principle of land to the tiller. It makes null and void all the debts of the peasants and other toiling masses. It provides all the facilities necessary for the development of agriculture.
4. Taking agriculture as the foundation, the country will be industrialised.
5. It introduces eight hours working day; increases wage rates, solves unemployment problem, guarantees works to every able-bodied citizen and abolishes child labour and the contract labour system, provides social security such as education, health care etc., guarantees special facilities for the aged and physically disabled; and eliminates all inequalities basing on the principle of payment on par with work.
6. Develops New Democratic Culture in the place of imperialist, colonial and feudal culture.
7. Abolishes unscientific and undemocratic educational system and in its place introduces scientific and democratic system of education in accordance with the requirements of New Democratic India.
8. Eliminates untouchability and other types of caste-discrimination, promotes inter-caste marriages, and strives for the elimination of the caste system as a whole. Ensures reservation based on the degree of oppression and percentage of population to davits, women, atavists and other socially backward communities in order to bring them on par with the rest of the society.
9. Puts an end to all social inequalities and discrimination based on religion; provides security and protection to the religious minorities and ensures every citizen the freedom to practice any religion; at the same time it opposes religious chauvinism and fundamentalism.
10. Abolishes all types of discrimination against women such as male domination and patriarchy; liberates women from domestic work and ensures their participation in social production; provides 50% reservation in jobs and education in order to achieve real equality with men; guarantees equal right over property.
11. It unites the country by recognising the right of self-determination, including the right to secession of nationalities. It establishes a Voluntary Federation of Sovereign People's Republics. Such a federal government will act as a co-ordinating centre for the Federation and will have control over defence foreign affairs, currency and communications.
12. Gives equal status to the languages of all the nationalities. Develops the dialects and strives to make them fullfledged languages; will not impose any language on other nationalities in the name of official national language or link language or in any other form.
13. Abolishes exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. Introduces a consolidated and progressive tax system.
14. Establishes people's political power through revolutionary people's councils at all levels that will execute the laws made by the Supreme bodies. Every citizen who has reached the age of 18 will have the right to freely elect, to be elected and to recall the elected representatives.
15. Establishes unity with the international proletariat and the oppressed nations and people of the world.
16. Improves the living conditions of the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army.
26. In the present era of imperialism and proletarian revolution, imperialism is heading towards total collapse and socialism is advancing towards world wide victory. Therefore, after the New Democratic Revolution, the Indian revolution will advance into the stage of Socialist Revolution. Then a socialist state will be established under the leadership of the proletariat. There will be classes, class contradictions and class struggles even in socialist society. In the transformation period from socialist society to Communist society there will be no other class dictatorship except that of the dictatorship of the proletariat. In accordance with the Marxist theory of carrying out un-interrupted revolution in a country under the dictatorship of the proletariat, we have to lead the proletarian cultural revolution and, through it, a great political revolution defeating all types of dirty tactics and conspiracies hatched by imperialism, modern revisionism and capitalist roaders for the restoration of capitalism. We must thus consolidate socialist society and the proletarian dictatorship and advance along the road of communism with unflinching confidence. In the background the Chinese Communist Party turning revisionist and China transforming into a capitalist country after the death of comrade Mao, the above task acquires utmost importance.
27. The Communist Party of India (M-L) (People's War) stands by proletarian internationalism. Establishes unity with all the genuine Marxist-Leninist parties and groups in the world; maintains unity with the proletariat, oppressed people and oppressed nations of the whole world. By uniting with them it tries to eliminate imperialism and the counter-revolutionary forces in all the countries.
28. The members of the Communist Party of India (M-L) (People's War) are ever ready to sacrifice their lives for the establishment of Communism. They always cultivate the outlook of winning the love and affection of the people and serve them by learning from them. They are ever vigilant towards the conspiracies and intrigues of the imperialists and modern revisionists. They are firm and fear no sacrifice in overcoming difficulties to achieve victory in the World Socialist Revolution. #
The documents of the All-India Special Conference which was held on 15 -
30
November 1995 by the CPI(ML) People's War.
LONG LIVE THE HEROIC STRUGGLES OF THE
OPPRESSED NATIONALITIES OF INDIA
This Conference hails the heroic struggles being waged by the various nationalities against the policies of oppression, suppression and domination pursued by the Indian ruling classes.
We assert that the right to self-determination, including the right to secession is an inalienable right of every nationality in India. We express our support particularly to the struggles being waged by the Kashmiries, Nagas, Assamese, Mizos and Manipuris for secession and the struggles waged by the Bodos, Gurkhas, and the people of Punjab, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand for their self -determination.
This Conference asserts that all these struggles are an integral part of the ongoing New Democratic Revolution in India and resolves to extend all out support to these struggles. The Conference also recognises the need to unite the various nationality struggles into a b~ Democratic Front. #
LONG LIVE THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH ASIA IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INDIAN EXPANSIONISM!
Since 1947 the Indian ruling classes under the guidance of the imperialists have consistently been adopting policies of aggression, bullying, arm-twisting and meddling in the affairs of the neighbouring countries of the South Asian sub-continent. They have further tried to institutionalise these unequal relations through the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC).
Besides the constant war-mongering stance towards Pakistan, particular mention needs to be made of the humiliating Indo-Nepal trade accord, the unequal division of the Farakka waters with Bangladesh and the entry of Indian armed forces in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Bhutan faces the constant threat of annexation as was done in the case of Sikkirn.
This Conference resolves to unequivocally condemn the above and all other instances of the expansionism of the Indian ruling classes, who are the common enemy of the people of the whole sub-continent, and expresses solidarity with the people's struggles in various parts of the sub-continent against Indian expansionism.
This Conference calls upon all the oppressed peoples and nations of South Asia to unite in the fight against these common enemies. #
CONFERENCE SLOGANS ON TASKS
1. Fight against PVN Government's New Economic Policies! Defeat the Hindu
fascist forces!
2. Advance Agrarian Revolution!!! Advance people's war by developing people's
armed resistance!
3. Advance Dandakaranya and North Telangana guerilla zones to higher stage! Build guerilla zones in other regions!!
4. Establish people's authority from grassroots level!
5. Develop subjective forces! Build Mass base in new areas!!
6. Build anti-feudal, anti-imperialist United Front ! Unite with Nationality Movements!!
7. Build strong proletarian Party! Achieve Unity with all genuine revolutionaries!!
8. Fight against all non-proletarian trends! Bolshevise the Party at all levels!!
9. Strengthen Committee functioning by developing collective functioning!
10. Develop theoretical knowledge ! Concentrate on concrete study!!
11. Uphold Marxism-Leninism-Mao Defeat revisionism of all hues!
12. Fight against oppression of women! Develop Women's Movement !!
13. Fight against Caste discrimination!
14. Build Urban Movement! Concentrate on the working class!