The Editor,

Sir,

No words suffice to express my gratitude for your reprinting the article “The shackles of 1947 must be smashed" by Com. Saroj Dutta, one of the leading figures of the CPI(ML) and a martyr of the revolution. It was a great eye-opening experience to read the article marked by its clarity and vision and depth of analysis and its passion, all of which ought to be the hallmarks of Marxist-Leninist literature.

With no uncertainty, Com. Dutta has pointed out the utter depravity and reactionary nature of the Indian ruling classes and the deep seated treachery of the conciliators in the revolutionary camp. In the years that followed after the article was written, these forces played themselves out completely and organized the massacre of thousands of communist revolutionaries including the murder of Comrades Charu Mazumdar and Saroj Dutta himself, much like the massacres organized by the Nehru-Patel clique in Telangana in the early post 1947 years as discussed in Dutta’s article.

Among the words from the article that ring in my ears are “The Congress rulers ...the worst oppressors of Indian people and of various nationalities. The Congress rulers are the cruel bailiffs of the plunderers of the Indian people and enjoy all the ‘freedom’ in killing and oppressing people." How true these words remain today forty years hence, with the Congress rulers replaced at times and at places by the rulers of other political parties which have sprung up like the Asura 'Raktabeeja’ of the Indian mythology. This latter proves that the blame for the condition of the Indian people lies at the doorstep of the Indian state first established by the colonial plunderers in 1858 and adopted to suit its aims by the Indian ruling circles in 1947. While the complexion of the Indian ruling circles and their aims may have partly changed, in that they have advanced from being a younger brother to imperialism to becoming an active imperialist player themselves, the condition of the masses has not changed.

Com. Dutta also notes of the Congress rulers, “Holding the people in subjugation by unlimited violence and deception is their job which they perform gladly at the command of the U.S. imperialists and the Soviet revisionists. There is absolutely no need for the people to suffer these Congress rulers for one moment longer. The people have also nothing to do with the other existing political parties who live off the people to serve the forces of reaction." In contrast to the time at which this was written, there is reason to believe that the Indian ruling circles are no longer at the command of any other imperialists, but are charting out their own course. However, this is contingent on the great intensification of exploitation of the masses of India, and the bleeding of the workers and peasants, and also poses a threat to all the peoples of the region.

It is therefore even more urgent to echo the call to end the rule of the present day ruling circles. Com. Dutta then goes on to call for the elimination of revisionist propaganda of CPI, CPI(M). In contrast to the situation of 1967, these forces today are thoroughly exposed as agents of the big bourgeoisie and are faced with their total bankruptcy on a daily basis, and are able to go about their business only due to the support they get from the ruling circles of which they remain willing servants.

The Communist revolutionaries of India know that the darkest hour is before dawn and a new morning is not far when the revolution will be in full flow. To seize the challenge to be at the forefront of the revolution would be the best way of honouring the memories of fallen comrades such as Dutta.

Sincerely,
A. Narayan, Bangalore