June 3—“Our fight to build the International Communist Workers’ Party has begun in earnest. Only communism can defeat Modi and his fascists who are serving dying capitalism,” said a young, enthusiastic member of ICWP. He was undeterred by the electoral victory of Modi’s fascist BJP. Our relatively new ICWP in India struck a defiant tone when some of our base felt dejected by the consolidation of fascists in the election.
In one of the most racist anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit campaigns lasting several months, BJP and its paramilitary organizations whipped up ultra-nationalism. Since their electoral victory, hundreds of cases of fascist mobs killing and raping Muslims and Dalits have been registered. Nearly 40% of the members of Modi’s new cabinet of ministers have serious charges of violent hate crimes and gang rapes.
This electoral victory of vile fascists in India should not come as a surprise. Elections are conducted so the dominant capitalists can put their own politicians in power. The fascist BJP was already chosen by India’s top five multinationals including Tata and Reliance Corporation. The so-called inclusive opposition by Congress and other fake left parties offered no real alternative to capitalism and its brutality.
Many workers and students feel powerless in the face of continuing mass violence and five more years of the BJP. Modi’s party outspent the opposition tenfold to register its victory. Some of our friends in our base who like our ideas are affected by the massive media propaganda about how Modi’s party will rule for another 100 years.
ICWP is launching an ideological offensive with the aim of violently confronting fascism by building a mass base for communism. We explain that in capitalism workers and capitalists have opposite interests. The fascist electoral victory has given the appearance of unity between the capitalist bosses and workers. It is both temporary and dangerous.
The victory of the fascists also comes while India’s economy, along with capitalism worldwide, is facing a crisis. Too many goods of all kinds are going unsold. Workers can’t afford to buy them. More workers are laid off. Too many cars, too much food, too many houses, overflowing production of oil have created masses of unemployed, hungry, and homeless people. They are angry and they are looking for answers.
Our answer is communism. In communism there will be no production for profit. Nobody will benefit from the labor of the other. The entire society will be mobilized to produce for need. Once the capitalist relationship of exploitation is destroyed, communist relationships among the working class will create a new foundation for building a society to fulfill the needs of everyone
This new material reality will unleash the true collective potential of the working class. New technologies, new languages and communist culture will leave nobody homeless, hungry and spending all their life working for profit.
Fascists will be violently eliminated. Millions of people joining the communist ICWP will actively struggle against racism and sexism. Religious practices of demeaning women and racism will not be allowed to continue.
Modi and his fascist gang are desperately trying save Indian capitalists in crisis. But more importantly, they see the escalating tension between US and Chinese imperialists as an opportunity to advance the interests of the Indian capitalists. This contradiction will force them to push more nationalism and more fascist violence to suppress the angry working class.
ICWP in India is planning a communist school to counter rising fascism. We are confident that our ideas are correct. The temporary unity between some workers and bosses in the form of fascism cannot be defeated by elections. Only a violent communist revolution will end the terror of capitalism. Our communist school will discuss how we can grow massively under the shadow of fascism.