The Hindu Business Line : Genie out of the bottle

My personal choice as the news of the most historic significance in recent years, if not in the period since Independence, would be the public acknowledgment by the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, in January that there was no better option in the present circumstances than pursuing the capitalist approach for greater industrial development, even though it had its downsides and negative aspects.

“We have to accept capitalism”, he proclaimed, and went on: “Where is State capital?…We have no model before us to emulate and have to pave our own way ahead (forging) a tactical line that is relevant and responsive to the demands of the times …I cannot build socialism in one state of India. I have to follow capitalism…This is being realistic in a situation where there is no alternative…I am very clear in my mind. This is capitalism…with a bourgeois set-up existing at the Centre.”

Everyone who read this news was taken aback. The first thought was that Mr Bhattacharjee was either misquoted or heading for expulsion from the CPI(M) for questioning the sacred canons of communist ideology. The country was clean bowled when Mr Jyoti Basu, himself unambiguously endorsed Mr Bhattacharjee’s stand, saying that he had no objection to capitalism which had its own role. He explained: “We live in a capitalist system and only three other States are ruled by the CPI(M) and its partners…we have our limitations since we are part of a federal structure — how can we practise socialism? We want infusion of capital, both foreign and domestic. But we have to take care of each other’s interests and also safeguard workers’ interests.” It was but natural for the people of the country to expect that these epoch-making statements which in effect signified a U-turn for the Party would have sparked off a vigorous debate within the Party.

Moment of truth

Instead, all we had was the ambivalent reaction of the CPI(M) General Secretary, Mr Prakash Karat. He seemingly defended the West Bengal school by saying that his Party knew “fully well that in States where the Left is in government, they cannot build socialism, but (can only) undertake some alternative policies within the capitalist system”. But he also added in the same breath that only those who were ignorant of the programme of the CPI(M) could talk of the party saying ‘good-bye to socialism and welcome to capitalism’” What else does he think his seniors have been saying?

Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has let a veritable genie out of the bottle and it will be futile to try to push it in again. Communism in its pristine pure form is no longer holding sway in any country. As Mr Bhattacharjee pithily put it, “The world is changing, communists are also changing. We can’t stick to our old dogmas. Deng Xiaoping used to say ‘learn truth from the facts, not from dogmas’…We need big investment, we need manufacturing industries. At the same time, we just cannot say we do not want FDI.” He has also disclosed, rather dejectedly, “We have discussed all these things in our party — FDI, SEZs, taking loans from the World Bank. But our Left partners are still vacillating.”

However agonising the reappraisal might be, there is no point in putting it off. Clarity of objectives is the first requisite for credibility and acceptance. The best way to face the moment of truth is not to duck the issue or leave everyone, especially, the party cadre, guessing, but to come to terms with it in an honest and straightforward manner. The sooner this is done, the better.

B. S. RAGHAVAN