DELHI, INDIA, April 1 –We are vigorously involved in helping and distributing food to the migrants in Delhi who are forced to return to their villages by Modi’s fascist lockdown. Five comrades of ICWP and some friends form a group of 50 volunteers. Our number is growing. But the task in front of us is daunting. We have over 2 million migrants in Delhi alone.
Our day starts early in the morning. We evade the fascist police who mercilessly beat up people on the streets. We reach a communal warehouse. Many other volunteers bring essential supplies. We cook, package and then go to distribute.
Thousands are lined up. Many have not eaten, or have eaten very little, in the last five days. There are young and old, men and women. Some women are pregnant, and some with young children. They are packed in crowded streets, near bus stations. There is no possibility of safe social distancing. Neither for them, nor for us.
Pandemic is Risky but not Fighting Capitalism is Riskier
We know we are taking a lot of risk of getting Covid-19. But what is our choice? Fascist Modi and his state machinery are not going to defeat the pandemic. They are literally starving the masses to death. They unleashed terror on the Muslims. Now they are using the same method to terrorize all the migrant workers.
We refuse to bow to this coward Modi and his murderous capitalist gang. We may get sick from the pandemic, but we can’t let members of our working-class family die of hunger on the street. They are treating them worse than animals.
Life under capitalism is very risky. But not fighting capitalism is more risky and deadly. It opens the doors to fascist pogroms, pandemics and wars.
Communism Will be Very Different
We are making very close relationship with our comrade volunteers. Everyone here knows that they will be getting the virus sooner or later. This gives us opportunity to talk about how things will be very different in communism.
Communist society, based on needs of the working class, will be quickly geared up to fight such pandemic. Communist passion and not social distancing will fight the disease. We will be able to quickly test the masses and identify those tested positive. Those tested positive will be isolated and taken care of with all the resources we need.
The capitalist profit system is unable to mass-test for the virus. This is what is creating its rapid spread. This rapid growth of the pandemic shows the rapid decline of capitalism worldwide. In communism, mass production of test kits and other medical equipment will stop the virus in its initial phase.
In communist society, too, masses will have profound knowledge and good preparation for epidemics. This will also prepare us to quickly train many to fight diseases. The research required to fight diseases will not take place in handful of labs of pharmaceutical companies out to make super-profits from those diseases. Communism will teach us to do many things because we will be living in collectives to help each other.
Recruiting to ICWP Brings Hope
We come home or to the volunteer centers exhausted. The hardest part of our food distribution is to witness the faces of the people in the line when we run out of food. It is unbearable and very painful. But this makes us very angry and committed to fighting for communism. When we are back, we talk to other volunteers about joining ICWP and why we need a mass party. People are thinking very seriously to join. We are hoping to recruit many.
Some of the volunteers feel very depressed and sad seeing the pain and suffering of the masses. But when we talk about why this situation is caused by capitalism and how only communism provides safe future for our class, their depression dissipates into hope.
In the coming days and weeks, we expect the situation to deteriorate rapidly. Mass unemployment, causing hunger and homelessness, will create rebellions and food riots. We received the news that some of our comrades in Bengaluru will face eviction in a month.
We are fighting, learning, growing and getting stronger. Laal salam – red salute!
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