The Indian state and its activities are innately violent and its sole response to any struggle is one of wielding the big stick. This state derives its legitimacy as the successor to the colonial British state which looked upon the people of India as its enemy. The discussion must therefore begin as to what should constitute a modern state and what its duties and rights are. Is it so that the Indian state can carry on by dint of its existence, or must it have some other reason for its existence? Has the state lived up to its duties and can therefore claim to have rights?
Sir,
I support the statement issued by the CC entitled “Condemn the fascist crackdown on dissent by the Manmohan Singh Government'' dated 18th August, 2011 regarding the arrest and detention of Mr. Anna Hazare at the onset of his fast on the issue of the Lokpal Bill.
Various Ministers have presented the issue as a law and order problem and refuse to accept that the issue is political. These activities of the Government smack of desperation since it does not have any political solution to offer. The country earlier saw an even worse demonstration of brute power when the security apparatus swooped down and violently broke up a gathering led by Baba Ramdev.
The Indian state and its activities are innately violent and its sole response to any struggle is one of wielding the big stick. This state derives its legitimacy as the successor to the colonial British state which looked upon the people of India as its enemy. The discussion must therefore begin as to what should constitute a modern state and what its duties and rights are. Is it so that the Indian state can carry on by dint of its existence, or must it have some other reason for its existence? Has the state lived up to its duties and can therefore claim to have rights?
There cannot be any doubt that those outside the state and its ambit also have a right to debate these questions and also have a right to put forward their view of what the state should be. It is by denying the latter that the present Indian state necessarily reacts violently to any challenge to it.
The statement of the CC on this question touches on many central questions that beset the polity and debates these questions in a dispassionate and analytical manner. By thus wielding the might of the science of Marxism and Leninism it has earned glory and will continue to do so on the revolutionary path. Statements such as this are necessary reading for all those in the revolutionary camp.
Sincerely,
S. Nair
Kochi