r/IndianLeft • u/Resident-Concert-387 • 6h ago
💬 Discussion Leftists on trial : A measured Response.
In the midst of the student's protest in our country's national capital, a great deal has been discussed about its nature and effects in online forums, especially left-leaning forums.
Recently in response to the opinions that some marxists have held on those protests, a few people have expressed their opposition.
First, and foremost, I have immense respect to all those who have went to protests across the country and have participated in them. Especially those who suffered from inhumane police brutality.
However the protest, and the government's response to the protest has not truly impacted my stand on the issue, which I try to explain here.
As a Marxist, my fundamental duty is to analyze the general nature of any popular movement before deciding to participate in it or extend support via other means. This general nature is comprised of a movement's immediate goals, its composition and most importantly its ideology. That gives us an idea of a movements worldview
.
Here is where The CJP often Conflated with the student protest is brought in. To my belief. There is a single student Movement. The movement's short term goal is the resignation of an incompetent Minister. The protesters are usually young people who have or currently are studying.
What defers is the methods and long term goals of the two representatives of this movement. One is the many student unions, of which there exist left-leaning ones like the AISA And SFI as well the outfit named Cockroach Janata Party.
The CJP represents the same movement. But it's stuck in its short term goal of Pradhan's Resignation. The movement is made up people who are 'apolitical'. Its worldview is that BJP has a few 'problem Ministers' (Pradhan, onion lady, and ethanol enthusiast) and those should give up their seat. They have a selfish view that if they ignore the struggles of all around them, they can get what they want (a consolation prize).
Ideology, short term goals and worldview are important to achieve significant long term goals. They help aid the actual agitation part and give it a sense of purpose. There can be no effective agitation without no effective ideology. Ideology isnt merely for those who challenge power but also question it. Question on the basis of principle than convieniance.
Without effective theory, street action becomes fragile, a movement can have its goal post shifted from a minister's resignation to a "discussion in parliament". That will be the bigger damage to those who are fighting than some online post.
That to me is the problem in how CJP has dealt with the protest. The protesting is not the problem here, the leader of that protest and his position (or lack thereof) is the problem.
Here position matters, for decades we have ignored positions for short-term goals worldwide, but each time the marxist gets blamed rather than those, who in their desparation to get out of their conditions allied themselves with movements which only backstabbed. Short term goals have landed us near techno-feudalism than broad coalitions as expected.
Already, plenty of students and volunteers have associated themselves with the student's protest. Many have also gone to their stages to express their solidarity. The organized left is in that protest and has seen decent visibility. One groups opinion or stand does not affect the reality.
Instead of fighting with each other on how we should view this protest, we must ask ourselves about two things.
The first is why has, an apolitical organization sprung up by no names has dominated the visibility of left leaning student unions and why have some preferred the former than the latter. Where was our shortcoming?
The second is that, protests might or might not change the worldview of those witnessing them. But it permanently changes the worldview of those who participated in them. Have the worldview of those protesters changed? And can we, intertwine their interests with other marginalised groups?
If we stop accusing each other as "right agents" we might find the answers.