In a candid conversation with Paresh Malakar, Northeast Now Assamese Editor-in-Chief, M.A. Baby, the recently elected General Secretary of the CPI-M, offers insights into pressing national and political issues.
The interview delves into India’s stance on third-party intervention in the India-Pakistan conflict following recent tensions, the current political landscape under the Modi government, and the CPI-M’s evolving approach to secularism and engaging with religious believers.
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Baby also outlines the party’s strategies for rejuvenating the Left’s presence and influence in Indian democracy.
Edited excerpts:
Paresh Malakar: Welcome, Comrade M.A. Baby. Recently, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack, even before official statements from either country. What is your reaction to a third party announcing a ceasefire in the India-Pakistan conflict?
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M.A. Baby: Thank you. A ceasefire is a positive development. However, India’s consistent position has been to resolve issues bilaterally. Trump’s repeated announcements, without India’s clarification or denial, raise questions. We demand a special Parliament session to discuss this, as well as the Pulwama attack and its aftermath, to address security lapses and ensure accountability.
Beyond the India-Pakistan situation, how do you assess the current political landscape in India, especially after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?
M.A. Baby: The 2024 Lok Sabha election was a turning point. Narendra Modi now leads a minority government, reliant on support from Nitish Kumar’s JDU and Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP. We’re concerned about the potential politicization of national security issues, similar to past instances. As a Communist Party, our core task is to uphold secular democratic discourse against efforts by communal forces, both majoritarian and minority, to exploit religiosity and caste for political gain. Our 24th party congress emphasized differentiating between innocent believers and those who communalize religion, aiming to mobilize believers in defense of secularism and address livelihood issues across all communities.
Your party has made a distinction between genuine religious belief and the political exploitation of religion. Many on the Left criticize religion as a whole. Could you elaborate on your party’s stance on this, particularly for those on the Left?
M.A. Baby: You’re right. Some comrades, in their theoretical adherence to dialectical and historical materialism, innocently err by criticizing religious belief itself. While these theories are crucial for understanding the world, we must also understand the minds of the people, where over 90% in India are believers. Marx and Engels themselves, in 1864, opposed Bakunin’s demand to exclude religious believers from the International Working Men’s Association, stating that any believer willing to join the working-class movement should be welcomed. Our party has become more conscious of this, aligning with the approach of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Ho Chi Minh, who all understood the importance of including believers in broader progressive movements.
So, to clarify, your message to the Left is not to attack religion itself, but to focus on combating those who use religion for divisive political purposes, thereby uniting with the majority of believers who are also against such divisive politics?
M.A. Baby: Exactly. People should understand this very clearly. Even Gandhi, a political figure, saw justice as the essence of religion and criticized religious rituals and events like Kumbha Mela. We must unite with believers who are against divisive politics.
The Left, which was once the main opposition in independent India and played a significant role in UPA regimes, has seen its parliamentary presence diminish. As the new General Secretary, what are your plans and strategies to strengthen the CPI-M and the Left’s influence in Indian democracy?
M.A. Baby: The decline of the Left, including its electoral presence and overall influence, is a concern not just for us, but for all who desire a more meaningful and pro-people Indian political discourse. While there is a decline, the Left still plays an important role in states like Bihar, where CPI-M, CPI, and CPI (ML) combined hold 22 assembly seats.
To strengthen the CPI-M and the Left, we must faithfully implement the decisions of our 24th Party Congress. This involves organizational rejuvenation, reactivating our nearly 100,000 primary units and engaging our million party members and 50 million members of various class and mass organizations. A crucial aspect is changing our work style to spend more time with the masses, especially the rural and urban poor. We need to prioritize listening to their problems first, then taking concrete steps to address their plight. We also need to consistently address livelihood issues through general and local struggles, which can mobilize people across caste and religious divides. Furthermore, as discussed, we must foster an approach where believers are seen as allies in the broad Left movement. This requires patient and persistent work, aiming for immediate results where possible, but maintaining resolve even when they are not immediately evident.