Terrorist bombs exploded again on 7th March 2006 in the temple city of Varanasi. Two bombs exploded almost simultaneously in a crowded temple in the evening prayer time and in the cantonment railway station, which also remains very much crowded in this period of the day. These sudden explosions left at least 20 persons dead on the spot and 50 persons injured some of them very seriously.

No safety of life for the common masses of working class and exploited people in decadent capitalism

About two months after the serial blasts in the evening peak hour trains in Mumbai [4] terrorists have struck again in Malegaon, a textile town about 250 Km away from Mumbai on 8th September. Again the sole target of the terrorist bombs has been the working class people. Bombs exploded twice in places of gathering of large masses of people on a religious occasion. People were in a festive mood of celebration and lots of children were absorbed in merry making. But the terrorist bombs, no matter whether state sponsored or non state sponsored, cared a straw for all that and all on a sudden threw more than forty of this mass of people involved in worshipping, paying tributes to the dead and celebrating into the dreadful jaws of death and left more than hundred injured most very seriously. Most of the dead were children. There can be no limit to the indignation provoked by such acts of extreme barbarism in any sensible person.

Killers pretending to be sympathizers

Some sort of a cynical competition is now going on among the political leaders of the left and right of the political apparatus of the Indian bourgeoisie. Each one of them is  denouncing terrorism in words and trying to win the race of show of sympathy and concern for the dead and the injured of the ‘minority community’. All of them are trying to score a point over the other in the electoral political game and singing the hymns of ‘communal harmony’. The left is trying to overtake the right. But all of them can not but be totally silent about the root cause of ceaselessly increasing terrorist attacks on the masses of working class and exploited people. They are all trying to whip up the sentiment of nationalism and national unity and thus blocking the process of coming to working class consciousness. They are all bent on keeping the working class confined to the bourgeois terrain of communal harmony or hatred and derailing them from the class terrain of class consciousness and unity. Leaders of the ‘international community’ are also very lavish in their show of sympathy and condemnation of terrorism. These leaders also can not but be silent about the root cause of increasing recurrence of terrorism against the common masses of innocent people. They are just seeking new excuses for carrying on their imperialist war on terror.

A set framework and formula 

Lying is the inseparable part of the character of the bourgeoisie. Resorting to lies and falsehood has increased manifold in this historical phase of the life of the world capitalist system. All capitalist states and political parties are engaged in lying competition to make the lies and falsehood acceptable to the working class people as truth. The Indian government has rushed to the conclusion about the involvement of ISI (inter services intelligence) and Pakistan-supported and manipulated terrorist outfits in spite of the investigation being at the very preliminary stage. In the same way the Pakistani government has blamed the Indian government and it’s RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) for the flare up of the armed struggle and terrorist activities in various parts of Pakistan. Thus it is very difficult to precisely ascertain who the perpetrators are. But in reality both are very likely to be involved in the terrorist activities in each other’s territory. All the capitalist states and leaders try their best to focus our attention on WHO to rally us behind their imperialist interest. We should be aware of this ulterior motive and focus our attention not on WHO but on WHY.

Why both the increase in terrorism and the war on terrorism

All social, political conflicts have not only intensified but are being further intensified  each passing day in this historical phase. The world capitalist system has long outlived its phase of unhampered expansion which helped to keep the inherent conflicts of the system within certain limits. But now in the condition of decadence and the relative saturation of the world market the inevitable conflict between the capitalist states has become very acute. This is being manifested both through terrorism and war on terror. This has already been manifested most barbarously in the unprecedented death and devastation of the two world wars. Every capitalist state today can not but try every means to ensure its own survival as a fraction of capital at the cost of that of its rival. Thus every state big or small, weak or strong, developed or developing is bound to be imperialist in the present international situation. The ‘international community’ is becoming more and more unable and can not but be so in maintaining the laws of international relations. There is no collective or single international authority in the international arena that can keep the inevitable conflicts under some control and discipline. The process of weakening of the only remaining US superpower is adding to the chaotic situation in the sphere of international relation. Thus the tendency of everyone for himself is becoming more and more predominant and assertive not only in words but also in deeds.  Every capitalist state is trying all possible means to disturb, harass, embarrass and weaken every other state. They are all resorting to secret war through acts of terrorism in each other’s territory. This can not but increase more in the coming period. Both the Indian and the Pakistani states are and can be no exception. The present international situation has added to the zeal of each for further intensifying the secret war against each other through acts of terrorism.

Moreover unemployment, poverty and misery is bound to increase more and more in the coming period. More and more people are being compelled to live in the most inhuman conditions. This can not but be more worsened in the days ahead. The conflict between the various factions of the national bourgeoisie is also intensifying and it will inevitably be more intensified in the coming days. The conflict of the peasantry and petit bourgeois masses of the population with the capitalist state is increasing and is bound to increase more in future.  Obscurantist and fundamentalist ideology is getting more echo among these sectors and various factions of the bourgeoisie are provoking this and actively aiding the fundamentalist forces. Religious and racial fundamentalists are spreading all over the world and trying to instigate religious, communal or racial conflicts. All these provide the very fertile ground for the breeding and development of terrorism and terrorist groups. These terrorist groups are most likely to be aided, supported and manipulated by rival imperialist states and powers in the neighborhood or elsewhere. So there is every possibility of increase in both state and non state terrorism. Thus there can be no respite from the scourge of terrorism so long as the present decadent capitalist system is allowed to further continue its historically needless and most harmful existence. So putting an end to the rotting system is indispensable for getting rid of any sort of terrorism.

Only the working class can put an end to capitalism and to terrorism  

The position of the working class in the capitalist productive process, its collective nature, ability to come to consciousness boundlessly and thus get organized in the best possible way, enables the working class to put an end to the capitalist system. So it will have to disdainfully reject the ideology of nationalism, democracy, communal harmony and the calls for national unity. It will have to find out its own class terrain, international class unity and firmly stick to it. State and non state terrorists are both capitalist and thus the biggest enemy of the working class. Working class can not take any side in their struggle for political supremacy. They will have to intensify their own class struggle against the increasing attacks of capital on living and working conditions in every part of the world. The intensification, generalization, international unity of these struggles and their politicization will serve as important steps forward in the way of putting an end to terrorism and the capitalist system.

Every new day brings with it another expression of capitalism's barbarity. Its principal victims are always and everywhere the working and exploited population. The attack on the World Trade Center, the London bombings, bombings in a packed commuter train in Madrid, the bombings in Beslan, Bali, Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, Delhi, Benares, Bangladesh etc. are all among the most appalling and heart rending crimes against humanity. The latest bombings in the overcrowded trains of Mumbai in the peak hours of the return of the working class people from the work places are nothing but new additions to this series of the horrific acts. People were returning home after hard day’s toil. But the terrorist bombs stood in the way and suddenly and mercilessly threw many of  them into the jaws of death. Words are quite insufficient to fully express the intensity of indignation these totally irrational, insane murders are bound to arouse in any sensible person.

Blasts numbering seven occurred one after another on 11th July 2006 between 6 pm and 6-30 pm in the suburban trains. According to a report in The Statesman of 13th July, at least 190 persons have been killed and 625 persons have been injured, a lot of them very seriously. The death figure in some other widely circulated dailies is about 200. General public thinks the death figure may exceed four hundred.

This city, the financial capital of the Indian bourgeoisie, had already been the target of terrorist attack on March 12th 1993 leading to the death and serious injuries of hundreds of innocent working class people. Then also there were series of powerful explosions, 13 in number, in the most crowded parts of the city. 

Another terrorist attack took place in the morning hours of the same day in the city of Sreenagar, the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir which is called the heaven on earth for its exquisite scenic beauty of natural surroundings. Terrorists are said to have lobbed a powerful grenade in a bus carrying tourists from various parts of India. This grenade attack led to the death of eight tourists and serious injury to many others. This was followed by another terrorist attack again on tourist vehicles the following day  leading also to a few deaths and serious injuries to many. This particular place of natural attraction has been the scene of innumerable state and non state terrorist activities for quite a long time in the past. General masses of the working class and exploited people have been sandwiched between these two terrorists fighting against each other for political supremacy. The killing and wounding of innocent people have become almost a daily affair here.

Response of the Indian bourgeoisie and its political leadership

The Indian bourgeoisie and its political leadership and parties of the left and right seems to be more concerned about scoring a point over its immediate imperialist rival i.e. the Pakistani bourgeoisie and its state and humiliating it in the “international community.” It seems to be much less concerned about the dead, the wounded and their families. This is quite befitting the capitalist character particularly in this phase of decomposition of the decadent capitalist system. It seems as if the height of cruelty, the enormous number of the dead and the wounded has become an important piece of political capital with which to batter and corner the Pakistani bourgeoisie. They have a predetermined set formula and use it whenever such heinous terrorist crime is committed. The most important elements of this simple formula is Laskar-e-Taiba, Jais-e-Mahammad and the mentor, trainer, supplier and abettor of all them, the state of Pakistan, its ISI (Inter Services Intelligence). Now the formula is being enriched with new elements such as the local links of Al Qaeda. Thus in spite of the investigation still remaining incomplete and inconclusive, so far as the latest revelations are concerned the Indian prime minister and other political leaders of the left and right of capital are pointing the accusing finger at those most important elements of that framework. But all of those organizations have condemned the bombings in the most unambiguous terms.

The Indian prime minister and the government have reacted in a very precipitous manner. They have cancelled the foreign secretary level talk which was to be held in this very month. They have also cancelled the trip of a parliamentary delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to be held in Pakistan very soon. They are openly and aggressively accusing the Pakistani state and government. The “war on terror”, particularly on cross border terrorism, has for some time been the predominant means of the Indian bourgeoisie in putting pressure on its Pakistani imperialist rival.

Response of the Pakistani bourgeoisie

The President, Prime Minister, Home Minister and other political leaders of the Pakistani bourgeoisie have condemned the bombings in the most unambiguous terms. According to the Daily Times of 15th July,06 Khurshid Mehamood Kasuri, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan has “unequivocally condemned” the recent Mumbai blasts and he added that Pakistan was destined to play a critical role for world peace and security due to its geo-strategic location. According to the same Mr. Kasuri, ‘Those who are against the peace process and do not wish it well are behind these bombings’. In a report in The Frontier Post of 15th July,06 Pakistan has spurned the unsubstantiated Indian allegations and has called for the peace process to continue. The Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam has asserted that “Terrorism is a phenomenon which affects almost every country of the world. Surely this affects every country of south Asia”. Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Riaz Mahammad Khan has said that “Pakistan does not allow its territory to be used against any country. This is our firm policy and commitment.” According to General Musharraf “any stalling of the peace process (…) because of terrorist attacks would be tantamount to playing in the hands of the terrorists”. These protestations of good faith on the part of the Pakistani ruling class are cynical, self-serving, and manifestly untrue. Nonetheless, the political leaders of the ruling combine in Pakistan seem to be laying more stress on the continuation of the peace process. This emphasis on peace and continuation of the peace process is now most likely  one of the principal political diplomatic means of the Pakistani bourgeoisie in pursuing its imperialist conflict with the Indian bourgeoisie.

Who then are the perpetrators?

Every capitalist state and government excels in lying and tries their best to hide the truth. Every capitalist government, be it Indian, Pakistani or any other else makes a show of being an ardent proponent of the war against terrorism but each of them resorts to terrorism to advance the cause of their conflicting imperialist interests. Each blames the other of assisting and abetting terrorism. The Indian government likes to find out the hand of ISI in every terrorist activities in its territory but is completely silent about the subversive activities committed by its RAW (Research and Analysis Wing which may be called the Indian counter part of the ISI) in the enemy territory one of whose most important parts is Pakistan. In fact RAW has been created for countering the activities of the foreign intelligence agencies in India and for carrying out subversive i.e. terrorist activities in the enemy land. Similarly the Pakistani government sees the hand of RAW in the terrorist activities taking place in various parts of Pakistan but is silent about the terrorist activities of its ISI. So from the statements and assertions of the government leaders of both Pakistan and India it is difficult to assert correctly who the perpetrators in reality are.

So we have to focus on the assessment of which of the contending parties derives the maximum political and diplomatic gain from this ghastly act of barbarism. The G-8 conference was to take place on 16th July, 06 in St. Petersburg and the Indian prime minister was invited to that conference. The bombings took place on 11th July. This has provided the Indian bourgeoisie with a very powerful political weapon to batter, corner and humiliate the Pakistani bourgeoisie, its immediate neighbor and imperialist rival in the ‘international community’ by fully utilizing the opportunity of addressing that conference of the most powerful imperialist states of the world. Moreover the US government has recently announced that it will provide the Pakistani state with 36 F-16 fighter aircraft of the most advanced variety and the Indian government has expressed its disapproval of and dissatisfaction with this decision of the US bourgeoisie. This latest terrorist activity is sure to be fully utilized by the Indian bourgeoisie to put pressure on the US government.

For sometime before the bombings conflicts among the political parties of the ruling UPA clique were being more openly and challengingly expressed on various important political economic issues like privatisation, price hike, a more pronounced tilt towards the US bourgeoisie in international imperialist relations etc. There was every possibility of the recent humiliating failure of the Agni (the latest version of the intermediate range missile) and Insat (Indian communication satellites) launches adding to the internal conflict and opposition. The political parties of the left of capital had also planned some political mass actions against the government. All these have been significantly subdued after the Mumbai blasts. Moreover some political leaders and top police officers have asserted that some other political leaders have various connections with the underworld and terrorists. Thus we can quite confidently assert that the Indian state has derived the maximum political diplomatic gain from this barbarous mass murder of innocent persons. So there is every possibility that even if it had no direct hand in this barbarous act it has allowed it to take place in the same way as the US imperialists used the 11th September attack on the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pearl Harbor in the Second World War to advance its predetermined imperialist strategy and interest.

Focus should be not on who but on why

The bourgeoisie all over the world try their best to focus our attention on who the terrorists are or wherefrom they come and function. With this logic they carry on their imperialist war against each other which is represented as war against terrorism whose principal inventor, strongest and most vocal proponent is the US imperialist bourgeoisie. It is carrying out this war against terrorism since the 11th September attack. But terrorism has not lessened to any extent. On the contrary it has increased and become more widespread and extremely barbarous with the passage of time.

Terrorism is the inevitable product of the material conditions of capitalism and class struggle in this phase of decomposition of the decadent world capitalist system. In this condition of the decadence of the system every capitalist state, big or small, strong or weak, developed or developing is bound to be imperialist for its survival as a national fraction of capital. The world market is inadequate for the full fledged development of all fractions of capital. So every country is bound to make all efforts to ensure its own survival at the cost of that of others. This cannot but exacerbate the imperialist conflict of  each and every nation state against all others.

In such an international situation terrorism has become a very important means of secret war of each capitalist state against other.

The phase of decomposition which was definitively asserted  by the collapse of the Soviet imperialist bloc in 1989 has given a further qualitative push to the tendency of every man for himself and each against all and has thus led to chaotic situation in international relations. This led to the collapse of the western block also and the absence of any bloc discipline which the bloc leaders could impose. The former allies of the US imperialist began to be its powerful imperialist competitors and have been trying every possible means to weaken the global authority and hegemony of the US bourgeoisie. Thus the sole goal of the global strategy of the US bourgeoisie today is to preserve this hegemony and that of other big powers is to further weaken this. In this imperialist tug of war the authority of the US has been weakened in the past few years. Consequently the tendency of every man for himself has got a further push and impetus leading to further worsening of the chaotic situation in the international relations. Thus there is every possibility that terrorism will be given a further boost everywhere in the world and particularly in the sub continent. The forces of terrorism are thus most likely to be further unleashed by the capitalist states of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India against each other.

This particular situation of decomposition of the decadent world capitalist system has also led to the intensification of all social conflicts and those  among the various factions of the national capital. These intensifying internal conflicts are being more and more expressed through armed struggles and terrorist activities against the state. There are lots of Maoist and other terrorist organizations carrying out dreadful terrorist activities leading in many cases to mass murder of innocent persons. Such home grown terrorist groups and organizations are increasing in number and being strengthened politically, militarily and numerically. The prevailing situation of capitalism and class struggle is bound to add to their strength and capacity for murderous, barbarous activities. There is every possibility that these home grown terrorist organizations will be linked with, supported and utilized by other rival imperialist powers to advance their own imperialist cause. So there will be no respite from the scourge of terrorism so long as the decadent capitalist system is allowed to survive.

State terrorism 

State is the most organized, most powerful and legalized terrorist. It possesses all the means of terror. In the phase of decomposition of the decadent capitalist system every state will be compelled to resort more and more to terrorist methods in order to preserve the capitalist order. Every state is bound to bog down more and more into the ‘bureaucratic military morass’ and expose more and more the reality of the dictatorship of capital tearing asunder the democratic mask. Working class and toiling masses of people will be more and more sandwiched between the state and non state terrorists. The state terrorists are terrorizing the working class in order to be successful in increasing the attacks on the living and working conditions. The working class movements are being brutally repressed by the armed forces of the state in all parts of the world. These are also being suppressed by various economic and judicial measures. The strikes of the Hero Honda workers were mercilessly repressed by the police. The recent movement of the new generation of workers in France had also to confront the repressive machinery of the State terrorist. The New York transport workers had to face the economic and judicial repression of the state terrorist. The capitalist state everywhere will be compelled more and more to use its repressive and terrorist teeth against the working class.

War of one terror against another terror

The state and non state terrorists are fighting against each other for capturing or preserving the capitalist state power. Both are trying to present themselves as the best friends of the working class  and exploited masses of people and asking the working class to rally behind them in their war for either keeping intact the right and power of increasing exploitation and repression of the working class and toiling masses of people or for achieving that right and power. The so called war on terror is nothing but  another name for imperialist conflict and the war of one terror against another terror. Both aim to make the working class meekly submit to increasing exploitation and attacks on the living and working conditions. Both are equally imperialist, barbarous, killer, reactionary and repressive. The working class can and should never take any side in this permanent imperialist war and war between two terrorists.

Working class and exploited masses are the principal victims

In any terrorist attack or war on terror the  working class and the toiling masses of people are the principal victims. They are killed and injured in their hundreds and thousands in all these forms of decadent capitalism's permanent imperialist war. This was the case in the World Trade Center, the London tube, the Madrid trains. This has been the case in the terrorist bombings in Delhi, Benares and Bangladesh. This is the case in the terrorist bombings in various parts of Pakistan and India and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Mumbai bombings present the same barbarous reality of decadence. Same is the case in the imperialist war in Iraq, Afganistan, Sudan, Israel, Lebanon etc.

Class struggle is the only way out

Further continuance of the existence of the decadent capitalist system in its phase of decomposition means more uncertainty of life and livelihood, more attacks on the living and working conditions of the working class, more unemployment, imperialist war and terrorism. This means also more barbarity, poverty, misery, pollution and destruction of nature. So the overthrow of the capitalist system is the only solution. No other class but only the working class is capable of carrying out this great historic task. This can only be done by starting class struggles against the increasing attacks of capital, extension and unification of these struggles in all sectors regionally and internationally and ceaseless politicization of these struggles. So the working class has to disdainfully reject the call for national unity against the war on terror and start and intensify its class struggle. Herein lies the only way out.

In the last few years, various social forums are being held in various parts of the world. This new culture of social forums is a new addition to various other attractive means of mystification of the working class and toiling masses of people all over the world. World capitalism is discovering and utilising ever newer means of mystification to contain the working class in the capitalist terrain. AISF is nothing but an important weapon of the ideological arsenal for bourgeois mystification. It is in perfect continuity with the ESF( European Social Forum) and the WSF( the World Social Forum). The AISF following in the footsteps of the other forums leaves no stone unturned to create the illusion of the possibility of another better world free from the intensifying problems of life and livelihood without destroying the decadent world capitalist system, the root cause of all problems endangering human existence today. It has made lofty promises and assertions. Let us try to find out the real essence of these and the real goal to which they aim to lead us to.

Their theories of Anti-Globalisation

Basis of anti-globalisation ideology is the denunciation of 'neo-liberal' policies adopted by the major powers since the 1980s, that have allegedly placed the entire world in the hands of great multinational companies, subordinating all human activities - agriculture, natural resources, education, culture, etc - to the pursuit of profit. The world is run by the dictatorship of the market. This dictatorship has at the same time stolen political power from democratically controlled states, and thus from the citizens of the world.

Thus the anti-globalisation lobby raises the battle-cry: 'our world is not for sale'. They demand that the law of the market must not guide political policies. Political decision-making must be restored to the citizens, and democracy must be defended and extended against all financial diktats.

Anti-Globalisation Obscures Experience of Marxism and Class Struggle…

In sum, the anti-globalisers have reinvented the wheel. It's ‘new’ revelations are: capitalist enterprises only exist to make profit! under capitalism, all goods are turned into commodities! The development of capitalism means the globalisation of exchange!

The workers' movement did not wait until the 1990s and the new wave of clever academics and radical thinkers who have come up with all this. All these ideas can be found in the Communist Manifesto, first published in 1848:

"The bourgeoisie has resolved personal worth into exchange value,(i.e. commodity) … It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage-labourer( i.e. a commodity owner whose only commodity is labour power)…

The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe … To the great chagrin of reactionaries, it has drawn from under the feet of industry the national ground on which it stood."

Thus, the anti-globalisers’ claim to be offering a new analysis and a new alternative deliberately suppresses all reference to two centuries of struggles and of theoretical endeavours by the working class, aimed precisely at understanding the bases and tasks for a truly human future. And little wonder: the better world proposed by the anti-globalisers looks back longingly to the period between the 1930s and the 1970s, which for them represents a lesser evil compared to the liberalisation i.e. privatization/ denationalization/ less-state which got underway in the '80s. After all, that was the period of 'Keynesianism' in which the state was a more obvious actor on the economic stage.

…falsifies history….

However, before rushing to choose the years 1930-70 over the last two decades, it's worth recalling a few of the characteristics of that period.

Let's not forget that Keynesian policies the product of the unprecedented crisis of 1929 could only prove to be a temporally palliative but could never put an end to the inherent crisis of over production of capitalism. Let’s not forget the predominance of state control of the national economy in every developed country before during and after the second world war; let's not forget the catastrophic situation of the working class during the world war and for some years after it; let's not forget that since 1945 not a single day has passed without war and that this has resulted in the loss of tens of millions of lives. And finally, let's not forget that at the end of the 1960s, capitalism plunged into an economic crisis that led to the inexorable growth of unemployment. Nothing but state capitalism, the inevitable product of decadence , is responsible for all this.

This is the 'better world' the anti-globalisers look back on so fondly, the lost paradise destroyed by the multinationals!

…. and hides bourgeois nature of the state and the bankruptcy of capitalism

All this is the expression of a classic ideological manipulation by the bourgeoisie: to rehabilitate the state and make people believe that it can be used against the excesses of liberalism, or even serve as an alternative to the law of the market.

According to the anti-globalisers liberalization is the root cause of all problems afflicting humanity today. Thus in their view the proletarians only have to rally to the defence of the state and of public services: this is the real secret of this ‘radically new’ theory: state capitalism, whether in its Stalinist or democratic form.

But the state is not the guarantor of a better world, where riches are more equally distributed: it's the state which ruins this world, through war, through attacks on workers' wages, pensions and social benefits. What the anti-globalisers are saying to all those who ask questions about the socio economic malaise is this: the choice is between liberalism and state capitalism, when the real choice is between socialism or barbarism, destruction of capitalism with all its states, democratic or otherwise and multinationals or increasing imperialist war and terrorism.

The source of wars, of poverty, of unemployment, is not the so-called liberal revolution imposed by super-powerful multinationals, but the mortal crisis of decadent capitalism, which no policy of the bourgeoisie, whether Keynesianism--more state or liberalism—less state can resolve.

Sowing Illusions in Reformism in order to hide Necessity for Proletarian Revolution

Anti-globalisers claim to be anti-capitalist. But their anti capitalism is confined to reforming the ‘excesses’ of the present decadent system which are materially inevitable and they never call for the destruction of this decadent world system. Their prescription of self management is nothing but self exploitation of the working class in essence in today’s economic conditions. They hide shrewdly the hard reality of the wage labour relationship, production for market, profit , the root cause of all discrimination and socio economic and political problems and thus block the process of development of consciousness and urge for overthrowing the capitalist system through internationally centralised , united collective struggle of the international working class.

Internationalism in words that hides nationalism in reality

But the adherents of all sorts of social forums and anti-globalisers also claim to be internationalists. but the defence of the national interest of capital is an essence the basis of their internationalism and anti imperialism The only possible form of real internationalism is that of the working class, the only class which has the same interests in all countries. It is inseparable from the goal of overthrowing capitalism and abolishing frontiers, which is the precondition for any genuine liberation of humanity.

The internationalism of the anti-globalisers is just the respectable shop window behind which is hidden the real goods: the defence of one imperialist interest against another. One of the main unifying themes of the anti-globalisers is opposition not just to the multinationals or the World Trade Organisation, but to the USA. In reality they are all the product of the same decadent capitalist system. Anti-globalisers’ sole target is to denounce the US imperialism and domination of the world market, not imperialism and the world market as such. But in today’s society every country can not but be imperialist for survival. Their high sounding call for democracy hides the reality that it is the best form of capitalist dictatorship. This is also the powerful weapon of the imperialist rivals of the US bourgeoisie. Global justice campaigner George Monbiot was quite explicit about this when, in one of his many articles for The Guardian in Britain, he called for European unity and the extension of the Euro as a bulwark against US war-mongering. This is about as far away from internationalism as you can get - calling for resistance to one imperialism by binding yourself hand and foot to another. Anti globisers are also part and parcel of the pacifist deception to the march towards new imperialist wars.

Why has bourgeoisie invested so heavily in publicising anti-globalisation movement?

The strong grip the old socialist and communist parties once held over the working class has been weakened by its experience of left-wing governments and the collapse of Stalinism. Faced with the aggravation of attacks on the working class, the bourgeoisie has a real need for mystifications that can derail the tendency for workers to become conscious of the real situation. ‘Alternative worldism’ corresponds to this need, posing as a credible alternative to the old left. The demand for a ‘real left’ makes use of old recipes for a fairer capitalism so that its foundations are not put into question. More specifically, the bourgeoisie cannot afford to ignore the fact that within the proletariat more and more people are posing serious questions about the current state of the planet. This is why the anti-globalisation movement, with its ideology of local self-activity, of libertarianism and syndicalism, its mish-mash of a hundred different mini-causes and sub-movements, is so well placed to lead this embryonic questioning into the dead-end of inter-classism and bourgeois ideology.

By reheating the old mystifications of the left, the bourgeoisie is once again seeking to obscure the simple truth: the only alternative to the destruction of humanity by capitalism in decay is the proletarian revolution and the construction of a communist society. In particular, it needs to hide the fact that any serious proletarian movement will inevitably have to confront the very things that the anti-globalisation movement supports: the state, the left , the trade unions and democracy.

The working class must recognise the bourgeois nature of all social forums including the AISF and anti-globalisation ideology and see it for what it is: an obstacle to its authentic struggles to defend itself from the growing assaults of capitalism.

International Communist Current

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93RD Amendment of Indian constitution and the policy of hike in reservation by the ‘United Progressive Alliance’-Government.

Again after a decade and more Indian government has added new fuel to the fire of discontent of the youth and students by modifying the existing policy of reservation and has decided to implement a hike in reservation from 22.5% to 50% at one blow especially in higher studies and professional courses like medical, engineering and management courses in April06 in accordance with the 93rd amendment of he Indian constitution, adopted in last December 2005;

Obviously this has inflamed the anger of the would be workers (Students and youth who quite  rightly consider themselves to be the immediate victims  of this policy) and this wrath and anger against the system led them to streets against the new policy of reservation. On the other hand, the ‘Other Backward Castes (OBC)’ –category of students for whom the recent hike in reservation is applicable, have also mobilized themselves in favour of the decision of the government, though the anti-reservation movement has been very widespread in almost all parts of India. The movement has been started by the  medicos in Delhi. Mainly the medical students, junior doctors and also senior doctors have been engaged in 20 day’s continuous demonstration, fasting, stop-work etc. Their goal seems to be to pressurize the government to rethink the policy and to set up a commission with completely apolitical persons having expertise on the matter to investigate the social consequence, progress and uplift of the sectors of society for which the already existing reservations in education and jobs have been implemented for quite a long time. They have asked the government for the clarification of the ‘parameter’ used to define ‘OBC’, wanted to know  other ‘affirmative actions’ of the government for  the real development of the social strata for which the government seems to be very much eager(!). The engineering faculty students have also joined them. The manifestation of the piled up anger against the system can be realized  from the daring utterances of some struggling students questioning and  challenging even the authority and directives of the supreme judicial authority of the country. However, finally the Supreme Court has intervened, directed the government to submit to it the rationality of the recent hike in reservation for the other backward castes and the definition of the other backward castes and compelled the struggling medical students and doctors to resume without any delay normal service to the patients to put an end to the chaotic situation in the government administered hospitals. The largest association of doctors called off the strike in the face of this warning. But in spite of this the students are continuing milder forms of protest. Root causes of the movement are still there with the same form and content and any day there may be a more forceful burst out with more anger in a more consolidated way!

Clash between two sectors of the would-be working class for the same goal of better, secured future

Both the sectors for and against reservation are fighting for the same cause: sufficient opportunity for desired education and employment; they are actually eager to protect their future in the face of the increasing lack of any positive perspective in the system. But their respective demands for and against reservation divide themselves into two hostile camps. This is dividing not only the students but also dividing the workers, each camp asking for their solidarity on the basis of age old casteist divisions. Thus they are pushing back the working class in the feudalistic counterrevolutionary terrain and helping the decadent capitalist system, root cause of increasing unemployment and attacks on the living and working conditions of the working class everywhere in the world, to continue its precarious existence still further.

We welcome particularly the combativity of the youths, their hatred against the electoral politics which they have diagnosed to be one of the important causes of such policies of ‘divide and rule’ of the decadent capitalist state, its political parties and governments. The students have given birth to a new organisation,  the ‘Youth for Equality’ which has actually played the leading role in the movement. But it should be noted that this ‘ Youth for Equality’ is firmly situated in the capitalist terrain. simultaneously we see that both the camps fail to address the central question of ‘scarcity of employment’ which actually determine the scarcity of necessary number of seats and infra structure in educational institutions for higher and professional studies. They seem to be groping in the dark in the jungle of apparent or surface manifestations of the root causes of the problems. Thus they remain imprisoned in the apparent-rationality of their arguments which finally make the defenders of anti reservation the victim of the same casteism which they claim to be vehemently against. Thus both the movement against reservation and that for reservation have been profoundly absorbed in the capitalist ideology and confined to the capitalist terrain.

Both the struggles for and against reservation are two false alternatives put forward and provoked by the state and the political parties of the elaborate political apparatus of capital extending from the left extremes on the one hand to the right extremes on the other. They are all hiding behind apparent rationality the root causes of increasing unemployment and the consequent dearth of adequate number of seats in institutes of advanced and professional studies. 

Two false alternatives: two movements: single result: no guarantee of desired education and employment for all

Transformation from the policy of ‘more inclusion’ to that of ‘more exclusion’

The bourgeoisie and its political parties of the left and right want to entrap us into these false alternatives as if our interest would be fulfilled by reservation or by no reservation. But if for example,  there is 100% reservation for the ‘backward’ part of the society, will it be possible to ensure the education and job for all belonging to that section of society? The answer is emphatically the negative. And on the contrary if there is no reservation, and competition is open to all, is it hard to perceive that in that case also it would be impossible to guarantee education and job for all. Thirdly, if we want to take the economic standard as the sole criterion then also the problem of increasing unemployment will not only continue to exist but will intensify each passing day. Today Germany, one of the most  developed countries has more than 4.5 million unemployed people and there is no reservation there . Such is the case in many other developed countries such as the USA, Japan, Britain, France, Italy etc. In a society based on exploitation and production for market, profit and accumulation of capital and not for satisfying the needs of the population, it is inevitable in this historical phase that more and more people will be thrown into the jaws of increasing poverty and misery with the passage of time in all parts of the world irrespective of their level of capitalist development.  

Scarcity of employment:   the inevitable product of today’s capitalism

In history, we see that in the early phase of expansion of capitalist system, the revolutionary bourgeoisie  has wiped out all the vestiges of feudalism in a revolutionary way especially in Europe where we see that there has been no necessity of dividing the society on the basis of rigid social division of labor and caste like guilds. It was that ascendant phase of capitalism when the bourgeoisie was striving for increasing supply of ‘free–labourer’ freeing them from the guild (caste like) and feudal bondage. It was the phase of ‘more inclusion’ of increasing number of new workers coming out of the decadent feudal system; and thus it was not the scarcity of employment but the scarcity of workers which the ascending capitalist system had to grapple with. So it searched for the necessary number of workers from wherever it could. This accounted for the evolving ideology of secularism. Nobody could ever imagine the necessity of any reservation. 

But since the beginning of the twentieth century and particularly since the breaking out  of the 1st World War it has been clear that the world capitalist system has been emptied of its youthful vigor and vitality. The world has been re-divided twice through two World Wars but still like blood-sucking Dracula (who used to have new young ones to suck blood to regain vitality!) the decadent capitalist system can’t get newer and newer indispensable  market to solve its problem of over-production within a single world! This compels capitalism throughout the world to resort to the policy of ‘more exclusion’ of increasing number of workers from the process of production, to move  away from the phase of labour intensive production to capital, machine and automation intensive production to counter the reality of the increasing inadequacy of the available market and the falling rate of profit with increasing rate of exploitation. Thus today’s capitalist system can not but exclude more and more people from the production process adding to the increasing army of the unemployed everywhere in the world including even the developed countries and intensify attacks on the workers, pensioners and even the new generation of the would-be workers(students and youth). Thus the root cause of the increasing uncertainty of suitable employment and better living for all is not reservation or anti reservation but the decadent capitalist system

If we want to find out the real alternative we have to focus our attention on this.  In the countries where there are no problems of reservation on the basis of caste, creed, community or religion, the exploited people are also victim of the same increasing uncertainty of life and livelihood, the same brutal competition and scarcity of jobs. In recent times, the French government launched a deliberate attack on the young generation of would be workers by deciding to implement the new policy of the first job contract i.e. the CPE passed in parliament. This CPE would enable the employer to throw out any worker below 26 years of age at any time within first two years of employment without any previous notice or showing any reason. The struggling French students  achieving the active solidarity of workers of all sectors and not only boycotting but going against  all varieties of the TRADE UNION organizations and leftist parties, compelled the government to withdraw the contemptible CPE through a continuously strengthened and extended,  rigorously organized, united  and centralized movement under the leadership of their own OPEN GENERAL ASSEMBLIES  in which the  workers were invited to actively participate in the debates and discussions and speak about their experiences of struggle against the capitalist system. These general assemblies were  constituted during the movement. The very nature of their demand and their method of struggle  united all sectors of students and workers. Instead of putting a specific student like or sectarian demand they put forward the demand “NO to CPE’ which instead of dividing  united the whole student and youth community .  This and many other examples show very clearly that the  attacks of decadent capitalism on all of us are increasing everywhere in the world in the same way and so the working class response to the attacks also has taken an international character. And the material force of this response depends significantly on the ability  to identify the increasing incapability of the rotting capitalist system to offer us an assured  and better future. These struggles against the increasing attacks needs to be further extended, united overcoming all artificial barriers like caste, community, race, color, creed, religion, national boundary etc. , more developed so far as the level of the indispensable consciousness is concerned, more organized, centralized and directed towards the goal of ousting the decadent capitalist system, the root cause of all the intensifying problems of life and livelihood, cut throat competition, stresses, strains and conflicts of social life.

Why the Indian bourgeoisie resorts to casteism even in the twenty first century?

History shows us that   Indian capitalism as an independent competitor in the world market has come into being in the phase of decadence of capitalism out of the womb of the new world imperialist situation and conflict after the second world war. Global capitalism already had  sunk deeply into the phase of  decadence, a phase of permanent crises due to the increasing dearth of the indispensable  and adequate market imposing the necessity of ‘more exclusion’ on each capitalist state . India, as a nation state did not emerge through a victorious bourgeois revolution in the ascendant phase of capitalism; thus instead of being capable to oust the feudal remains, it has compromised with and utilized those.   This shows how incapable the system is to create the necessary conducive socio-economic and political environment for the real uplift of those people who are still victims of ‘untouchability’, caste prejudices, backwardness and used as pawns of different bourgeois political clicks in their ‘holy’ democratic chess competition. History is not determined by the lofty, noble aims of some well meaning persons but it is determined rigorously by the available material conditions in the socio-economic and political domain. So there is little hope that the prevailing backwardness, the curse of the caste prejudices and conflicts can be put an end to within the decadent world capitalist system in which the Indian capitalist state is inseparably integrated. The decadent capitalist state has been compelled not only to preserve but also to strengthen the age old social divisions on the basis of caste or tribes and utilize these to strengthen its social control. This is being achieved through picking up some able and efficient persons from each sections of society by offering them some employment or legislative opportunities through the policy of reservation. These beneficiaries return the favor by acting as social roots or political ideological props of the state and the system in every part of society. They stand also in the way of the indispensable unity and solidarity of the exploited and working class people and instigates one part against the other in the name of caste, community, region or religion. Thus the political aim of reservation is never the uplift of backward sectors of society but it is the political strengthening of the centralized authority of state totalitarianism in the phase of decadence.  Another aim is the defense of the hegemony of capital through the obnoxious means of division, conflicts and clashes among the various parts and sectors of the working class and exploited masses of people.

The demand for an ‘independent’ commission

The students and youth fighting against reservation have raised the demand for constituting an ‘independent’ commission with eminent apolitical personalities to look thoroughly and seriously into the important and relevant aspects of reservation to ascertain impartially whether the declared aims of reservation have been achieved in reality or not. They also expect the commission to be able to define precisely the criteria of belonging to the other backward castes and invent some more rational and socially justified criteria  for reservation instead of the age old feudal caste basis. But they should ponder over it seriously and without preconceived notions and prejudices if there be any, to find out precisely what favorable change in the overall situation will this lead to if this demand is fully accepted and implemented by the authority. This may either lead to the scrapping of the recent hike in reservation or some modification of the recent policy of hike or invention of some more rational, justified and humane criteria for reservation. But the pathetic and embarrassing reality is that there is bound to be reservation in one form or other as there is scarcity of employment like the reservation of seats in trains or buses. The pundits of the capitalist system are inventing various ideological means of justification of reservation. These learned scholars may not apparently be partisan in outlook. But can they be free from the grip of the essence of the capitalist ideology. Can they remain neutral and independent in the struggle of the working class to oust the capitalist system, lock, stock and barrel? The answer is emphatically negative. A little reflection will make it clear that in whatever round about way they may present their views they cannot but belong to one capitalist camp or the other no matter what their apparent political identity is. These apolitical personalities will not be able to expose the inner reality and the increasing inability of the decadent capitalist system to provide every able and willing person with a suitable employment and better living conditions.  Thus they will never be able to boldly assert the only possible solution which is nothing but the overthrow of the decadent capitalist system  and ushering in of the world communist society on the grave of  capitalism. 

No to reservation, no to anti-reservation, yes to sufficient opportunity for all in all spheres of education and employment on the basis of ability, interest and social necessity.

The counter reservation movement has exposed to some extent at least the real but ugly inner essence of the decadent state. It has exposed the reality that no capitalist government has either the political will nor the capability in this phase of decadence of capitalism to ensure the security and social uplift of the backward sections of the exploited masses. Had it been so we could have seen the establishment of the best quality educational institutes in all the backward and remote areas. Best quality living conditions for all students coming from all sections of the population should have been ensured by the state by this time. There should have been conducive environment and necessary amenities for pursuing education in the best possible way in all the remotest corners. Had all these necessary material conditions been adequately fulfilled this question of reservation would have never arisen in this particular India specific way. But it is bound to arise in one way or other as there is the increasing scarcity of employment necessitating proportional decrease in the rate of growth in the capacity of the educational centers of higher and professional studies. Here everything is determined not by the needs of the population but by the needs of market, profit and the financial compulsions of the state which can not but spend a disproportionate amount of social resources for destructive purposes i.e. for further modernizing the military machinery. Thus we see many posts of doctors lying vacant for years on the one hand and the workload of the doctors working in the government run hospitals increasing on the other. This is very often leading to clashes between the doctors and the relatives of patients and manhandling of the doctors by the agitated population. Similar is the case in the teaching and all other sectors also. But there are lots of qualified unemployed persons who can be employed as teachers and thus can render necessary social service of spreading quality education in all backward parts and earn a livelihood. Here also is manifested the stark reality of the sheer inability of the socio economic system and the government that be, to employ the socially necessary number of persons in the sectors of public health and education. Similar is the agonizing reality in all other social and economic sectors. Thus reigns supreme the condition of increasing scarcity of employment and education everywhere in this phase of decomposition of the decadent capitalist system. This is sought to be both managed and masked through the devices of reservation by the capitalist states everywhere knowing it fully well that it will lead to division and conflict among the various  parts of both the generations of would be and present working class people. Recently there has been a demand for the exclusion of the immigrant doctors from the medical posts in the public health department of Britain. Thus reservation is likely to be introduced there also through the backdoor. We can get a glimpse of the emerging social reality even in the developed capitalist countries. This can not be otherwise in any part of the world today. No capitalist state can keep itself away from the compulsions of the material conditions of the decadence of the system.

Should the students and youth, the new generation of would be working class people remain entrapped in the age-old ruling class maneuver of divide and rule, conflict and clashes among themselves? Should they remain confined to the capitalist framework and terrain?They are inquisitive and enlightened enough to go the roots of the social economic and political evils they are victims of. The conflicting factions of the ruling class are shamelessly using them as cannon fodder in settling their own scores. These enemies of the working class and the exploited masses of people have been playing with their blood for quite a long time in the past. Thus they should disdainfully expose and reject their maneuvers and seriously discover the ways of unity and solidarity not only among themselves but also with all the sectors of the working class. The fully justified demand for quality living, learning conditions and educational facilities for all irrespective of caste, creed, community, religion and economic conditions, has to be raised and fought for. Students and youth should also struggle for suitable employment ensuring better living conditions for all after the completion of education. They should rally with the working class people in their struggle against the increasing attacks of capital on living and working conditions and the struggle to oust the capitalist system. This is the most befitting answer to the divide and rule policy of the capitalist rulers and their leftist and rightist political apparatus constituted by all leftists, extreme leftists, rightists and extreme rightists. This is also the only way that leads ultimately towards the goal of the overthrow of the decadent capitalist system, the root cause of the increasing socio economic problems and conflicts, war, terrorism, uncertainty of life and livelihood, unemployment, retrenchment, workload, curtailment or freeze of real wages, other benefits and  social security in all parts of the world today.

From 20 May to 6 June 2006, nearly 1.8 million garment workers of Bangladesh concentrated in industrial areas in and around the capital Dhaka engaged in a series of simultaneous massive wildcat strikes that took on the proportions of a mass proletarian revolt. During this period, especially from May 20 to May 24 when garment workers’ revolt was at its peak, workers of nearly 4000 factories struck work. These workers, and other workers from the industrial suburbs, continuously demonstrated and blocked highways connecting industrial suburbs to the capital Dhaka and Dhaka to other cities – Mymensingh, Ashulia, and Chitgong etc. In the face of this mass revolt, the bourgeoisie resorted to massive repression. In the first one week, as per official figures, at least 3 workers were shot dead, 3000 injured and several thousands were put into prisons. Striking workers continuously confronted and chased away paramilitary and police forces deployed to crush their movement. "The capital city appeared in the middle of a siege, as garment workers took to streets at about 8:30AM",  reported New Age,  the Dhaka English daily on 24th May 2006. This line was repeated on several days by bourgeois press in Bangladesh as workers persisted with their struggles. Although by May 25-26, bourgeoisie succeeded in blunting the edge of workers revolt by massive deployment of paramilitary forces and with the help of unions, the revolt continued till 6-7 June 2006. Workers in different Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and industrial areas continued to engage in wild cat strikes and demonstrations – most garment factories remained closed. The state proclaimed that factories will open only from 8th June 2006 once order is fully restored.

Barbaric exploitation of workers in Bangladesh – the real face of 'outsourcing and boom'

Amid the whole stagnant economy of Bangladesh, readymade garments sector is the only one the bourgeoisie boasts of. This sector is entirely export oriented and is composed of above 4400 units – most of them working for international buyers. Some are owned by international companies. Most of the garment units are clustered in industrial areas and Export Processing Zones in and around Dhaka – Ghazipor, Savar, Ashulia, Mirpur, Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Uttara, Wari and Tongi etc. The textile and garments export constitute 70% of total $ 9.3 billion export from Bangladesh.

This sector employs 1.8 million workers, 90% of them are women and therefore particularly vulnerable to intimidation and repression. Garment workers constitute 40% of the total industrial workforce of Bangladesh. Brutality of exploitation of garment workers in Bangladesh is typical of the conditions of workers in many sectors 'outsourced' by center of capitalism to third world countries. Minimum wages are 900 Takka (14$) per month. Even this is not paid in half of the garment as well as other factories. These minimum wages were fixed in 1994 and have remained unchanged despite consumer prices having grown three fold in the last 12 years. After the recent workers’ revolt, it is now being said that the garments sector, which has thrived due to cheap, slave labor, had consistently opposed efforts to revise the minimum wage.  "Powerful lobbies of garment owners have been able to keep the government convinced that if wages in garment sector increase, it will increase production costs and discourage local and foreign investors from investing in the burgeoning sector", said Mr. Jafrul Hasan a representative of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (New Age, 29th May 2006). Even boss’s top body, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) is now saying "Owners of the sweater manufacturing factories, who cheat their workers by paying abysmally low ‘piece rates’ (…) are to be blamed for igniting the workers’ unrest that focused national and even international interest on the gross underpayment of the garment workers and inhuman violation of their rights" (New Age, 29th May 2006).

But starvation wages are not the only expression of brutal exploitation. A few years ago the legal work week was extended to 72 Hours; actual working day is often up to or above 16 Hours. There is no weekly time off in the garment sector – mandatory weekly time off was one of the demands of the revolt. There are no public holidays, no annual leave. Also bosses "show a reckless disregard for safety at workplace as deaths of 4000 workers in industrial accidents such as fire and building collapse point to", (New Age, 24th May 2006). Not only this, there have been cases of beatings and killing of workers. "Intelligence sources said some senior staffers of the factory killed two female workers at Dhaka Export Processing Zone (…) about one and a half years ago but workers could not protest at the time for fear", Daily Independent, 2nd June 2006, Dhaka.

Apparently in these conditions of barbaric exploitation the bourgeoisie dispensed with even a myth of representation - no unions, even linked to ruling gangs, were allowed in any of the garment factories. As per an academic in Labor Studies,  "only 100 out of 5000-plus garment factories have participation committees’", New Age, 3rd June 2006. This absence of bourgeois tools to control workers became an element in the strength and violence of the workers revolt.  

Small beginnings of a mass revolt

As per reports there have been cases of workers struggles in garment factories in last few months. But these were mostly in individual factories with demands addressed to individual bosses. FS Sweater factory, whose events became detonator for the recent revolt, has been in turmoil since last some months with workers repeatedly agitating for their demands.

On Saturday, 20 May 2006, as morning shift started at 8.00 AM nearly 1000 workers of FS Sweater factory at Sripur, in the suburbs of Dhaka, started a sit-in demanding increase in their wages and release of their arrested colleagues – who were arrested on 18 May for participating in an agitation for their demands. The bosses of the company, not willing to tolerate collective resistance from the workers, locked them in. Amid sweltering heat they cut off drinking water and power supply to the areas where workers were gathered and called the police. The police entered the factory at around 11.00AM and along with private security of the factory started beating the workers.  Police also opened fire on workers inside the factory. Many workers were injured, at least 12 workers sustained bullet injuries inside the factory. Six of these wounded workers were arrested and taken by the police. Attacked by the police and the private security of the bosses, workers jumped above the walls to come out of the factory.

Enraged workers started gathering on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway outside the factory. Workers of FS Sweater factory were joined by thousands of other workers and their families from neighboring slums where most of the workers live. By noon the workers blocked the traffic on the highway and took out a procession for their demands and against police repression. This procession of workers was attacked by bigger, reinforced contingents of police force that once again resorted to beating the workers and opened fire on demonstrators. Police also went inside the slums and beat up workers and their families. Workers and their families in turn chased the police. The traffic on the highway remained blocked till evening.

By the end of the day, one worker was shot dead by the police in front of FS Sweater Factory. As per official accounts eighty workers sustained bullet injuries. While the wounded and angry workers went back to the slums, the news of repression and of death of a worker spread throughout the industrial suburbs of Dhaka. Next day, 21st May, was Sunday. Although no major incident happened that day, the news of police atrocity continued to spread. At this moment the bourgeoisie did not expect any major trouble on Monday and did not take any preventive action by way of union, political or police mobilization. Different leftist factions contented themselves with issuing some statements 'condemning' the police attack.

A mass explosion of accumulated anger

It is not clear what type of self-organization and co-ordination developed among the workers that propelled this revolt. But it seems to be very elemental and rudimentary, essentially informal and among the workers in the same areas. What united the workers across many towns around Dhaka and in Dhaka itself was their burning hatred against brutal exploitation, daily repression and the latest police atrocities. The depth of this anger expressed itself in generalized confrontation between workers and repressive forces of the state everywhere in coming few days. It also expressed itself in burning down of several hundred factories during this revolt.

On Monday, 22 May 2006 movement erupted at fully fortified Savar EPZ, another suburb of Dhaka. In the morning, workers of Universal Garments Limited gathered in front of the factory to demand payment of their back wages and were attacked by private guards of the factory. Instead of dispersing, the attacked workers of Universal Garments went to neighboring factories and called other workers for support. Together with other workers, they went from factory to factory calling other workers to join them – at one point more than 20,000 workers are reported to have joined this militant procession. Hundreds of factories of Savar EPZ and New EPZ had joined the strikes by the afternoon. The highways going out of Dhaka were blocked. Striking workers fought back against police and paramilitary forces sent to attack them. Repressive forces of the state opened fire on workers in different parts of industrial suburbs and in Dhaka. Several hundred workers were injured by bullets; more workers were killed in firing by the forces of the state. Enraged by news of death of workers, by evening workers in other industrial suburbs were coming out of their factories.
On 23 May all industrial suburbs of Dhaka were paralyzed by a generalized revolt – most workers stopped work and took to the streets demanding end to repression, release of arrested workers, higher minimum wages, weekly time off, overtime pay for extra work, public holidays etc. Most highways out of Dhaka were blocked. Thousands of agitating workers from suburbs and from within Dhaka paralyzed the capital. There were clashes between the forces of the state and workers everywhere with paramilitary forces opening fire. 
By this time the bourgeoisie had become aware of the gravity of the situation and set out to mobilize all its political and oppressive forces. There were calls from bosses to hand over the city to the Army. By evening of 23 May, Bangladesh Rifles (Border Security Force) was deployed in huge numbers throughout the industrial suburbs. The 'central unions' belonging to different bourgeois political gangs (BNP, AL, Leftists), none of whom has any presence among garment workers, were brought together and they cobbled together a list of demands. On the evening of 23rd May this 'union co-ordination' issued a list of demands. A bourgeois commentator observed, possibly with some exaggeration regarding the insurrection part, "While an insurrection was already in process, the unions put forward a list of demands 'threatening' to go on strike from 12 June (20 days later) if these demands are not met" (pinr.com).

Despite deployment of the Bangladesh Rifles, factories remained closed, the city and suburbs remained paralyzed by workers’ revolt on 24th May. But government now compelled the bosses' body, BGMEA and the newly cobbled together 'union coordination' to sit in a meeting. By evening the Minister for Labor, with BGMEA and Unions Reps on both sides, declared that bosses have agreed to all demands of the workers on revolt – increase of minimum pay to 3000 Taka, mandatory weekly time off and other holidays, 8 hours working day and overtime pay for extra work etc. "It is now time to go back to work”, the union co-ordination proclaimed. It is another matter that a few days later once workers revolt ebbed, the BGMEA representatives proclaimed that they will not honor agreements of 24th May 2006. 

While the edge of the workers revolt was blunted from 25th May 2006 their anger and revolt continued to simmer and explode. There was fresh round of large scale rioting and clashes between workers and forces of the state from 29th May – 4th June. This renewed wave of strikes erupted to protest non-implementation of proclamations of 24th May 2006. Between these days one more worker was killed, hundreds more were injured by bullets.  Savar and other EPZ were once again shut down by striking workers. These businesses were finally opened from 8 June 2006 with deployment of much bigger paramilitary forces.

The role of the unions

One of the major political weaknesses of the bourgeoisie in Bangladesh is the fragility of its democratic apparatus and as a result of democratic mystifications. The current Prime Minister, Mrs. Khalida Zia, is the wife of assassinated military dictator Zia Ur Rahman. There have been other military dictators in the short history of Bangladesh so far. The political process is characterized by gang wars, killings, and large scale bombings between main bourgeois factions – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khalida Zia and Awami League (AL) of Hasina Sheikh. The reason of this fragility is perpetual bloody battle between China and India to control Bangladesh – BNP aligned with China and AL with India.

Due to this weakness of its state structures, bourgeoisie has not been able to set up a trade union apparatus, especially in the garment factories. This weakness of the bourgeoisie allowed workers to develop their revolt and give it such a sharp edge for several days. But once the bourgeoisie saw the danger of the situation they quickly set out to redress it. Union coordinations were quickly set up – mostly at formal level, with no presence in the factories.  Agreement between them and bosses was widely propagated on radio, TV and newspapers. They were presented as standing up for workers. A demand for 'union rights' was pushed forward. Although workers have not been sucked in by these lies – as shown by persistence of workers revolt till 6th June and unions’ inability to control it – in the absence of major development of workers self-organization, union lies have not been without influence.

The bourgeoisie itself has seen the danger of its present ways – especially of absence of unions. This has been expressed in numerous proclamations by bourgeoisie that if unions have been there, if 'democratic rights' of workers have been respected, the workers movement would not have exploded the way it did. "Trade union leader Mishu said 'if there had been trade unions in factories… the situation would not have turned violent'" (New Age 3rd June 2006). Another trade union boss declared, "The absence of trade unions is very much more dangerous than the presence of active unions" (Letter from International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation to Prime Minister Khalida Zia). There has even been talk to take help of International Labor Organization in setting up the unions. 

Lessons of the garment workers revolt

There is no doubt that garment workers’ revolt has been the biggest and the most militant struggle so far of the working class in the history of Bangladesh. Despite all odds workers were able to rise up in revolt against brutal exploitation. They were able to develop their struggles in a courageous way in the face of violent repression. The explosion of this revolt and its persistence for nearly 20 days, despite all the repression, expresses great determination and will to fight of the working class. It is an important advance in the development of proletarian challenge to capitalist exploitation. This is the reason the bourgeoisie everywhere blacked out all news of this movement.

Experience of Bangladesh shows that physical absence of unions is not enough. Important thing is the ability of the working class to consciously reject the unions. Even more important is its ability to develop its own self-organization. Development at this level has been very rudimentary, if at all. Although this movement would not have developed if workers have not stood up to the repressive forces, in the absence of self-organization the revolt sometime took the character of rioting. While some of the weaknesses are expression of the lack of experience of the working class in Bangladesh, they also point toward the need for appropriating all the experience of the workers’ movement world wide. It is the responsibility of the revolutionary organizations of the communist left to contribute to the development of the workers’ consciousness of their class identity and of their historic goal: the communist revolution which alone can put an end to the brutal exploitation of the working class not just in Bangladesh but throughout the world.

Communist Internationalist, 13th June 2006

On 1st Feb 2006, 23000 Airport workers of 123 large and small airports spread all over India struck work to resist attacks on their jobs. For next four days work at most airports of the country including main airports at Delhi and Mumbai remained paralyzed. At Calcutta, the flights were stopped. Elsewhere, to keep the flights going, airports were taken over by the Police and Paramilitary forces. The strike was declared ‘illegal’ by the Courts. Government threatened to invoke the repressive law of ‘Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation’ and to deploy the Air Force if the struggle were to escalate. The Police resorted to repression and ‘cane charge’ against the striking workers of the Mumbai airports injuring several workers. The workers anger was expressed in other cities as well.

Workers of Airport Authority of India, that runs country’s airports, have been worried and angry for several months as their jobs have been under constant threat. In the name of ‘modernization’ and privatization government has been pushing forward a process that, even by government claims, is going to eliminate at least 40% of the jobs. This means 9200 workers out of the 23000 will loose there jobs. Workers have been particularly upset, as many of them are old and will find it difficult to get a new job. This fear was expressed by many workers during the strike.  

The militancy of Airport workers has expressed itself in the context of rising militancy and greater willingness of workers everywhere to go on strike. No doubt, the strike by Honda Workers in Gurgaon in August 2005 was one of the most striking recent expression of this willingness to fight back – one which stirred panic among the bourgeoisie and certain enthusiasm among the working class. It gave rise to a widespread spirit of class solidarity for the workers in struggle. But it has not been the only expression of increased willingness to fight back and to express solidarity.

Since August 2005 many workers from different sectors have gone on struggle. Some of the struggles that have expressed both militancy and development of a spirit of solidarity have been strike by Toyota Car Workers near Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, and struggle by workers of Hindustan Lever in Mumbai. 

The strike at Toyota car plant near Bangalore started on 4 Jan 2006 and lasted 15 days. The workers went on strike against punishing work loads and repression by the bosses. They expressed anger against increased speed of car assembly lines and against punishment and fines imposed on not being able to work at new conveyor speeds. Workers protested that increased speed has led to increased spinal cord injuries among the workers. The strike was met by repression – 1500 out of 2300 workers were arrested for disturbing ‘peace’. Although the strike was sabotaged by the leftists, it has not been able to break workers resistance – workers of Toyota has engaged in protest actions since the end of their strike. This struggle and repression of the bosses and government have stirred deep and active class solidarity among workers of other industries in Bangalore. Other workers came out in support of Toyota workers. To contain this class solidarity, unions in Bangalore have been compelled to set up a sham city-wide ‘Coordination Committee’ in support of Toyota workers. 

Similarly, in the middle of Feb 2006, workers of many Mumbai industries came out in support of fight-back by 910 Hindusthan Lever workers in Mumbai against job losses.

Although many of the expressions of solidarity have not succeeded in going beyond unions so far, this tendency is unlike the spirit of resignation and hopelessness witnessed in last few years. In a rudimentary way, it harks back to the traditions of active working class solidarity witnessed during major struggles of the 1970’s.

The bourgeoisie is aware of this tendency toward resurgence of workers struggle and the danger it poses for Indian bourgeoisie and its great economic and imperialist dreams. The state therefore made particular efforts to ‘deal’ with the airport workers whose anger and militancy has been visible on many occasions during last some months. The state did this in cahoots with unions and the leftists who are partners in the coalition government at New Delhi.

While the decision to ‘modernize’ the airports leading to 9200 job losses was known for months, unions and the leftist held the workers back. The decision was ‘declared’ by cabinet on 31 Jan 2006 and unions, fully aware of the anger of workers, called a strike from 1st Feb 2006, possibly with an explicit understanding with the Prime Minister and cabinet. There is no doubt that for the leftists the whole thing was a well planned political charade. But workers anger and determination was genuine and was visible both in workers demos at Delhi airport and at Mumbai and in the fact that all ground activities were halted. But before workers could sense leftists maneuvers, leftist bosses requested a meeting with the Prime Minister on 3rd Feb afternoon to discuss airport workers situation. After meeting the PM, they brought the union bosses to meet the PM who promised to set up a committee to study the issues. Using what even the newspapers called ‘a face saver’, next morning the unions took back the strike. The frustration of workers against this was quite clear – most workers wanted to continue the fight. They had gained nothing and did not want to go back to work. Even some of the union bosses, no doubt as a part of division of labour, termed it surrender.  

There is no doubt that airport workers struggle has to some extent been a limited experience for the workers. Strike was tightly controlled by the leftists and unions, unions succeeded in keeping it isolated from other workers and in maneuvering airport workers into a frustrating retreat. But it can’t but be a minor set back. Also, the struggle unmasked the cynical maneuvers of the leftists and showed the traps the workers should avoid. Some of the lessons of the recent struggles are:

• Workers must beware of unions maneuvers. Workers struggles becomes stronger as much as they escape unions and leftists controls.
• Isolation is the death of workers struggle. Workers must spread their struggle and link up with other workers.
• The tendency for the development of class solidarity must be taken forward and transformed into active, militant solidarity leading to joint struggles by workers across sectors and factories.
• Also, increased willingness of workers to fight and the development of class solidarity open up opportunities for greater revolutionary intervention and put great responsibilities on revolutionaries.

New Delhi 18 Feb 2006