Friday December 20th, 2019 was like no other day in the history of Bengaluru, India.
Various anti-fascist groups had called massively for people to assemble in front of the largest mosque in the city. The organizers expected one lakh (100,000 people) to turn out against fascist, xenophobic laws passed by the government in India.
Bengaluru is the capital of the state of Karnataka, which is controlled by the fascist BJP. They had created every possible obstacle. Metro services were suspended, major roads were barricaded. Using a colonial-era law, military law was declared with thousands of vicious, racist police out in force.
For days in advance, comrade technical workers had created “post and delete” messages on micro social media groups. These said that only communist revolution, without borders and money, can defeat capitalism and fascism. These messages were reposted, reaching thousands.
A group of ICWP members, mostly women garment workers, their neighbors and friends, joined the march. We immediately raised communist slogans.
A popular slogan in the street protests goes like this: One person calls out, “From hunger and starvation” and the crowd irrupts, “Azadi!” (the Farsi word for freedom). “From religious bigotry” and the crowd responds, “Azadi!” And it goes on and on, denouncing police, attacks on women, rape, bigotry – “Azadi!”
Our comrades started responding “Communist Revolution!” Many Hindu, Muslims, Dalits, secular people, women and men, garment workers and IT professionals raised fists in unison to loud chants of “Communist revolution!”
From one lakh initially, the march started swelling in numbers and militancy. The overwhelming presence of non-Muslims as well as women, and their anger at the fascist laws, showed us that they were open to communism.
Soon the march had grown to a million! Our contingent tried to stay together but it was impossible. Wherever we were, we tried to raise communist politics.
We returned to our neighborhood after marching and chanting for over 10 hours. We were exhausted but full of energy, talking, chatting and singing communist songs.
Our experience will translate into recruiting more to ICWP. We will spread our literature and messages more vigorously to the factories, schools and neighborhoods.
—Party collective in Bengaluru, India
New Chants from the Streets of India
Gali, gali mein nara hai, (There is an echo in every street,)
Pujiwad jana hai. (Capitalism is going to be finished)
Gali, gali mein nara hai, (There is an echo in every street,)
Samyawad ana hai. (Communism is coming.)
Gali, gali mein nara hai, (There is an echo in every street,)
ICWP abhi aya hai. (ICWP is now here to stay)
Muslim female Jamia Milia students shielding a male student from police
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