Communist Party of India – Contribution by Dr. B.K. Kango

Crisis of Capitalism – Neo-globalisation and Challenges before Communist and Workers parties

On behalf of the Communist Party of India I congratulates all participants and express our appreciation of Turkish Communist Party for holding this 23^rd International meeting of Communist and Workers parties. The Communist Party of India extends greetings to all the participants.

Ukraine-Russia war and recent Israel-Palestine conflict shows clearly the designs of imperialist forces and working of military industrial complex in spreading wars for profit. Expansion NATO and its aggressive designs are responsible for Ukraine-Russia war and inability of international community to implement two nation theory and agreement to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict is responsible for present escalations and loss of human life.

These incidents and increasing inequality amongst the nations and within the nation with growing unemployment, inflation and increasing environmental crisis amply demonstrates that present system of persuasion of profit without caring for its impact on the people is the hallmark of present neo-globalisation and is unable to resolve the crisis. Hence, all of us who are working for an alternative system (socialism) have to come together and work together with a slogan “Profit for the people not over the people”.

The meeting is being held at a time when the promise of deepening of democracy and democratic practices were presumed to spread after the demise of existing Socialist Bloc. This was the logic of neo-globalisation which has been exposed with increased state repression of people and progressive parties trying to change world for better and fighting for human and labour rights, demanding equality and equal opportunities, is unleashed and sign of dictatorial trend under the threat of national fascism is being practiced and observed all over the world.

Similarly, war for profit through sale of arms and ammunitions under the pressure of military industrial complex is threatening the existence of human race. Old cold war methods are being revived using hyper-nationalism, anti-communism and undermining workers’ rights and power.

Besides, increasing inequality threat of environmental destruction and wars, the existing capitalist system is unable resolve old issues like unemployment and inflation. Food inflation and shortage of food are new challenges emerging in the system.

We, the communist and workers parties committed to built a better socialist world have a formidable task before us which have to be fulfilled through struggles involving mass support and mobilisation.

To prevent this mass mobilisation issues of identity like cultural differences, religious differences and hyper nationalism are being used by capitalist forces. Fear, creation of hatred, and state repression is used along with war hysteria is also being used as a preferred method. All this is used to project organisations and parties fighting for labour rights, equality, against environmental degradation are projected as anti-nationals or anti-development are persecuted. War on terror is being used to create fear and state repression. Help of extremist and anarchist is being taken to strengthen or their actions are used to justify the repression. All these are to be combatted.

In the 20^th century strugglesof workers, peasants and struggles for national independence from the colonial powers and successful October Revolution in Russia and general crisis of capitalism in 1929-30 created a favourable atmosphere against the capitalist rules and ideas.

Subsequently, the capitalist class managed to ride over the crisis by welfarism, technological dominance and war to regain its dominance. The expansion of market and profits were achieved through welfare economic policies.

The next crisis of stagflation and fall in profits were addressed through supporting export of capital and using technological dominance to restructure the production relation. The creation of finance capital, dominance of debt mechanism, supported by structural adjustment programmes of World Bank and IMF and formation of WTO are the methods through which the dominance of capitalist system is reimposed on the world.

In today’s multi-polar world many new challenges are emerging where as the old issues of inequality, unemployment, inflation and world peace remain unanswered.

There is a need for each nation state to retain its independence, sovereignty, cultural specificity and right to chose its own path of development but this needs to be done through power of people controlling or influencing the state policies. However, as in most countries the state power is being controlled by big capital and its supporters, the problems of unemployment, inequality and use of state repression against people are practiced. Hence, in each nation the struggle for broad unity of democratic, socialist, secular and pro-environmental people and organisation is the need of the hour.

During cold war era, capitalist and imperialist powers projected the battle between socialist forces and capitalist domination as a struggle for human rights and democracy. Now as human rights and democracy are threatened by the capitalist forces, and the absence of the old socialist bloc should make us rethink our strategies at national and international level. Real democracy is and should be the basis of socialism

Besides the domination of capitalist countries, financial capital and big tech companies needs to be combatted to protect peoples’ interest.

Nationalism is an important idea in combatting imperialist powers and uniting people with common interest. However, the present ruling class under dominance of capitalist interests is using hyper-nationalism to create and maintain its dominance. This is the challenge in the emerging interdependent world were many issues like environment protection, dominance of multi-nationals and peaceful resolution of all disputes by preventing war is needed.

Experience of Latin American nations where many countries have successfully managed to takeover state power or influence state power through unity of Left, Communist and Democratic forces should motivate others.

We hope that the 23^rd meeting of international communists and workers parties will help in guiding the progressive forces to fight for a better human world.