Indian Left still stuck in the 1940s: Prakash Karat

In a candid overview of the state of the Left parties in India, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has said that the Leftist forces, who were still "banking on the concepts and theories of the 1940s" needed to understand the sweeping changes being witnessed by the nation.

In one of the key presentations at the 'Lessons of Empire' conference at the University of Cambridge in memory of noted Marxist historian Victor Kiernan, Karat admitted that Left parties were "deficient" in theory and needed to study and understand the new developments sweeping India.

Calling himself the only 'non-scholar' among the speakers that included academic stars such as Eric Hobsbawm and Christopher Bayly, Karat recalled Kiernan's friendship with Indian Marxists such as PC Joshi and EMS Namboodiripad and recalled that he was always unrestrained in his criticism of some aspects of the Communist Party of India.

Recounting the genesis and history of India's Left, Karat recalled that Kiernan would often criticise the party leaders and cadre, some of whom he called the 'cafe going intellectuals,' for indulging in political gossip.

A friend and supporter of the party, Kiernan, who lived in India from 1938 to 1946 and died in 2009, was nonetheless scathing in his criticism of the lack of awareness and focus on theory among the party leaders and cadre.

Karat said, "We feel the acute need of theorising to understand the new developments in India. We need to study the big challenge posed by neo-liberal capitalism".

"It is leading to unequal development. Its focus of exploitation is similar to primitive forms of exploitation".

This study and theorising was more important because the Left, he said, was the only force in Indian politics that had alternative policies.

Indian Left today, he added, was facing similar kind of challenges that it faced during the 1940s.

The Indian Left, Karat said, was historically wrong in writing off the institution of caste.

Karat presented a summary of the growth and continued prominence of the Left parties in Kerala politics, which, he said, had resulted in the state's above average performance in most social indicators.

The Left parties has consistently polled 40% of the vote and elections throw up alternately Congress or Left led governments in the state.

"Today the Left in India is confronted with three challenges: the growth of neo-liberal capitalism that is leading to widespread social inequalities; the continuing challenge to bring about agrarian transformation; and the fight against entrenched oppressive institutions such as caste," Karat said.