With over 67 delegates from 40 communist parties the world over attending the meet, the conference was called to ponder over the role of communism in the time of recession.
The 11th conference of communist parties the world over may have been held at the swanky Ramada hotel in the heart of Delhi, but the grand finale of the meeting was very much “commie style”, at Mavalankar Hall, a run-down hall with low rent.
With over 67 delegates from 40 communist parties the world over attending the meet, the conference was called to ponder over the role of communism in the time of recession.
Todd Marshal, from the Communist Party of USA, did not disappoint with his message of hope for his comrades. “I would say that this is by far the best time to be a communist in America,” he said.
“A recent survey has shown that nearly 22% of the population there feels that socialism is good and 15% say they are not sure that capitalism is the answer to economic problems,” he said to applause.
US bete noire Cuba kept to the conference’s communist brotherhood theme. “Our two countries may be opposed to each other, but the people of Cuba love the people of the US. We only oppose American imperialism,” said Oscar Martinez of the Cuban Communist Party.
Their Indian hosts, CPI(M)’s Prakash Karat and CPI’s AB Bardhan spoke in Hindi.
Karat used the opportunity to take on prime minister Manmohan Singh and what he termed his “pro-US” policies. “The PM is on his way to the US, and just like we got to hear four years ago of a strategic defence partnership with the US, we are expecting something similar again,” he said.
While the meet had an international character, the concerns expressed by Indian communists were domestic. Perhaps a pointer to the fact that while Indian communism did not face a rout in 1989, bleak days are ahead.
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