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The gulf between rich and
poor grew, as the wealth of the
big monopolies rose.

Survey after survey revealed
two-thirds of the population liv-
ing below the barest subsist-
ence level. The land reforms en-
riched only. a tiny upper stra-
tum of: the peasantry, while
leaving the majority of the
peasantry landless or struggling
in debt on minute holdings.

Unemployment of millions
has heavily increased. Devalua-
tion, imposed last year by the
fiat of the World Bank, at the
crushing rate of 3614 percent,
has not helped exports (the
commerce minister in a confi-
dential memorandum called it
“the greatest mistake since in-
dependence”) but has sent the
cost of living further soaring.

The official index of real
wages has fallen from 115 in
1956 to 102 in 1964, while com-
pany profits last year increased
by 8.8 percent on 1965.

With the complicity of Indian
monopoly capital, the grip of
imperialism on India, especially
of American imperialism, has in-
creased. The foreign debt is now
one-third of the national in-
come.

American aid has_ publicly
dictated conditions for extend-
ing private enterprise and faci-
lities for foreign capital. The
latest device of exploiting the
food situation has
been the cat-and-mouse method
of putting food grains aid on a
monthly basis, requiring to be
begged for on conditions each
month. :

On this basis, Premier Indira
Gandhi has revealed that India
has undertaken to conduct no
trade with North Vietnam, while
sending massive supplies, in-
cluding iron and steel, electrical
machinery, chemicals and_ cop-
per—in short supply in India—
to South Vietnam.

Similarly with the case of
Reita Faria: after Foreign Min-
ister Chagla had publicly de-
clared that India could never
consent to her going with the
Bob Hope circus to the Ameri-

can troops in South Vietnam.
Mrs. Gandhi, .after an interview
with U.S. representatives, de-
clared that there was no objec-
tion to her going.

Mass discontent with intoler-
able conditions of life, and
against the corrupt Congress re-
gime, has risen to increasing
heights during the past year.
Widespread general strikes and
bandhs (all-round closures) have
taken place. The national march
of 100,000 from all over India
to Delhi was organized by the
Communist Party; student de-
monstrations’ have been in the
forefront; police arrests and
violent clashes have been wide-
spread.

Reaction has sought to play
on this mass discontent by
staging its own demonstrations
with holy Saddhus and de-
mands for the legal prohibition
of cow slaughter (a slogan long
ago denunced by Gandhi).

All these conditions were cry-

ing aloud for the unity of the
Left and the foremost role of
the Communist Party. In every
one of the three elections since
independence, the Communist
Party had won and held the po-
sition of the second national
party after Congress, with more
parliamentary seats than any
other non-Congress party. Now,
when its highest moment of op-
portunity had arrived, the Com-
munist Party was unfortunately
divided.

- The division between two
Communist parties in India —
the original official party and a
large-scale breakaway calling it-

self ‘the Communist — Party
(Marxist) — should not be con-
fused .with the international
controversy arising from the

disruptive offensive of the Chi-
nese Communist Party.

The differences within the In-
dian Communist leadership have
a long history, from long before
the Chinese controversy, and
have turned on internal politics,
especially the question of Con-
gress.

The current journalistic des-
criptions of “pro-Moscow” and

R. PALME DUTT, noted Marxist
scholar, looks at the results of the
recent election and finds that the
immediate political situation is
beset with many dangers

“pro-Peking” are inappropriate.
This is no question of the usual
“pro-Chinese” splinter break-
away.

Certainly the ultra-Left pro-
Chinese” sections are a force in
the parallel party; but the party
has avoided taking an official
position in the international
controversy.

Its main leader, E. M. S. Nam-
boodiripad, who was previously
general secretary of the united
Communist Party before the
split, and premier of Kerala, has
always been one of the ablest
leaders of Indian Communism,
and by no means “pro-Chinese”
in the sense used.

Both parties have a serious
mass base, the parallel party is
strongest in those regions where
the old united party had its
stronges mass base, in Kerala
and West Bengal.

Negotiations for a _ united
front electoral agreement be-
tween the two parties were con-
ducted throughout last year and
appeared to have reached suc-
cess, with lines for a national
united front agreement in July.

But fulfilment — eventually
broke down in every state ex-
cept Kerala, where a wide unit-
ed-front agreement was reached,
including both Communist par-
ties.

The sweeping victory of this
united front in Kerala shows
what could have been achieved
by.a united Left front all over
India.

Thanks to this division of the
Left, reaction has been able to
advance in this .election and
even push down the Commu-

nists to second place in the Op-
position.

The conservative Swatantra
Party of the former princes and
Big Business chiefs, distrustful
of the popular currents and va-
cillations still existing in Con-
gress (the nominal program of
Congress is still “democratic
socialism,” although multi-mil-
lionaire Birla, the main Congress
backer, has said: “Our slogan is
democratic socialism, but nobo-
dy knows what it means,” has
won 43 seats against 41 for both
the Communist parties.

Jan Sangh, the demagogic
party of Hindu chauvinism,
directly derived from the com-
munalists who murdered Gan-
dhi, has won 33 seats as against
13 in the old parliament.

Thus the immediate political
situation is beset with many
dangers to threaten popular ad-
vance.

In Kerala, a Left progressive
government has been establish-
ed and similar unity for a Left
coalition government is now in
prospect in West Bengal.

In Orissa, Swantantra will
form the government, and in
Madras the separatist D.M.K.

In Congress the battle for
future leadership is now in pro-
gress; but the right wing is, in
any case, strongly entrenched,
and showed its power in the
ousting of Krishna Menon.

Only Left unity of all the
progressive democratic forces,
with a united Communist Party
at its heart, can solve the des-
perate problems now facing the
Indian people, and open the way
to a new future for India.

around the world

THE SOVIET COMMUNIST PARTY is not “waging and will
not wage a struggle against either the Chinese people or the Chinese
Communist Party,” declared Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of
the CPSU. Brezhnev, speaking at an election rally in Moscow added
that, “nobody in the Soviet Union equates the Mao Tse-tung group

with the Chinese people.” .

. . The West German government has

new emergency laws which it intends to push through parliament.
Previous attempts to pass such laws have met with strong opposi-

tion, especially from trade unions .

. . It has to be news, a man

bites dog. Thomas Hayalian of Cincinnati, Ohio, was recently found
guilty of cruelty for biting his puppy in the ear, “as an act of

discipline.”
*

*

GARY HICKS, a 20 year old opponent of the U.S. war in Viet-
nam was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to report for
a physical examination at a draft board. The young American is at
present serving a two year sentence for burning his draft card.

x

*

THE AUSTRALIAN NAVY has been forced to board an Austra-
lian freighter bound for Vietnam with war material. The action
came as members of the Australian Seamen’s Union refused to sail
the ship .. . A’couple living in a mountain village near Baku, on the
Caspian Sea have celebrated their 100th wedding anniversary. Bala-
kishi Orudzhems, 130 and his wife Amina 114 have been receiving
congratulations from friends and neighbours in the village. of Ik-

hychi.

March 23, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 9