What workers see!
By Shahid Rizvi
The dirty propaganda against communists and their party was aimed at proving them traitors and enemies of the country. What has been proved by the events is its contrary, those who have been raising the bogey and vehemently loud-mouthing this venomous campaign, have brought the country to the verge of collapse.
The representatives of the power echelon who had always been in search of communists to put them behind the bars are now busy in blaming one another for bankruptcy and the deterioration of the situation in the country.
Waderas, Chaudhrys, Khans, Jagirdars, bureaucracy, politicians, importer/exporter businessmen, and all those who had access to the public treasury looted the country and very graciously grabbed for their personal coffers the loans and aid money received for development purposes. The loot was so bitter and wholesome that the present budget doesn’t give a single Paisa for development in any sector. Even in these conditions, the corruption could not be stopped and those who supported the government in elections were compensated by creating a crisis of Atta which fetched them millions and millions of rupees.
On the other side, there are working masses who are the target for this loot and robbery and who are the only ones engaged in production for the country. They include peasants, workers, casual laborers, daily wage workers, small artisans like carpenters, masons, hawkers and vendors, rickshaws and taxi drivers, and many others. The majority of them comprise of two constant classes i.e. peasants and workers. Others are always wavering within the section. They are the earners and payers of most of the taxes. However, the control of the quality of production is not in their hands. They are merely tools which can be used when required and otherwise kept aside. This is the silent majority which is swept away by the powers in the hands of powerful people. The middle classes especially the lower middle class suspended between the two upper and lower – sections of society are more or less appendages to the upper classes.
The interests of these two sections of the society are irreconcilable, take a look, on the two contradictory interests of these sections in every field and policy. In the economic and finance field, they are divided into plunderers and plundered ones. The base and foundation of the existence of the power echelon is the loot from agriculture, industry, national budget, banks and DFIs, import and export trade, hoarding and black marketing, increasing prices at the source level, eating up social welfare, education, and development budgets and funds, creating drug mafia, and patronizing criminals. The interests of the masses is just contrary to it. People need every Paisa of the country to be s[emt on the people. People want the satisfaction of their demands, proper utilization of budgetary amounts, full implementation of development programs, best possible education, social and health services, provided to their children and families, bread and employment, and agriculture to be released from the heavy chains of an inadequate and unjust system of distribution of land, industrial policies meant for the development of the industry with proper benefits and rights of workers, increase in the job opportunities, raising the salaries and adjusting to dearness, etc.,
There is not a single point where their interest can meet. The upper strata cannot survive without the heavy plunder. The country due to this continuous and unending plunder has reached where the rabbles and wrecks have remained only. The height of the devastation needs if restoration is required, all the money looted throughout the half century should be recovered. Is there any chance that the power people are ready to stop their loot? No. They are not ready even to pay back the defaulted loans. They won’t allow anyone to ask the for the waived off loans. Huge loans of billions of rupees have been issued against paper projects only. This has made these people so strong and powerful that a thousand Ehtisab ordinances and commissions are just a mockery. Is there anyone who can dare announce the redistribution of agricultural land?
Is there any authority who can force Waderas and landlords to utilize all their left-out land to increase production? Is there anyone who can force the industrialists to reinvest the money withdrawn from the industries? Is there anyone who can stop hoarding and black marketing by traders and businessmen? Is there any government that can realize taxes and stops the theft of power by the industrialists? No change of heart is expected, and these diehard criminals can never have a soft corner for the people.
The thinking of these Waderas, landlords, bureaucrats, businessmen, and everyone who is part of this plunder game is that they don’t care whether this country survives or not. They did not die When Bangladesh was detached. They will not die if other parts go the same way. They have their bank accounts and properties in foreign countries. They have big amounts in banks and precious articles on hand costing millions. It is not they who will suffer in case of any calamity. At the most, they will run away to other countries, safe and unhurt.
They know that in case they stop their plunder, the people will be stronger, and they will become weaker. Once they stop, they will be losers, and the power will go away from their hands, they will be forced to give account and pay back. It is the question of their survival. They cannot repeat can not stop plundering and looting this country.
In foreign policies, they never reconcile with people’s forces in the world. They have always been a friend of the USA whose latest action of kidnapping Amil Kansi was most humiliating to Pakistan and to our shameless government. The role USA policies have played has kept our country in a state where we are unable to make any development. Agriculture runs on the old lines and we are not able to manufacture even a needle. The IMF and World Bank in connivance with their agents here, have played havoc with the people of this country. We are the so-called heroes of the Afghanistan Islamic War, which brought us heroin, klashinkov and a lot of transit trade to re-smuggle goods.
We are friends of monarchies against democracies. We are friends of Amirs against the people. We are friends of fanatics fundamentalists against liberalism and open-mindedness. We are friends of a country thousands of miles aways and enemy to our next-door neighbor. We were on very good terms with Shanshihah of Iran who was an agent of USA and we are not on good terms with Khamini’s Iran. We are accused of training Muslim insurgents for subversive activities in China which has been our best friend. Is it not clear that our foreign policy is a full-fledged reflection of our internal policies? The fruit of our foreign policy as well as internal are very bitter and we have to swallow these with the soar throat.
It is clear that the process of robbery and plundering our power sections is involved and cannot be stopped by preaching.
Presently the condition is that the workers, although not the same old proletariat, are still the only force which can lead to a stubborn struggle for the emancipation of the country from clutches of plunders and destroyers of the country. But the working class has been washed off their spirit to struggle by chaining them with legislation.
There are restrictions on their rights to form a union. There are restrictions to fight for their rights. The right to strike is banned. They have no right of employment. They have no right to change their conditions of work. The government and the people at the helm of affairs have crippled them. And they have also been devoid of their genuine political leadership. To further made them helpless, industrial progress has been badly retarded and the majority of industries are shut down weakening the working class. Even this diminished number of workers has a potential, but then there is no leadership.
The peasantry is the other majority class. By nature, it is submissive and tied to its land. It is deeply under the charm of most conservative old traditions. In itself, the peasantry is not able to find a way out from the debacles of the doom. It has no unity of struggle for successful action. It can work miracles when united and motivated under the working class. Any action from the peasantry against the regime is also out of the question now.
The other classes and sections of the society, when in difficulty and crisis, normally look towards the upper classes and government for help. Only in case of revolutionary struggle they have a ray of hope and join the struggling masses.
The only way out to save the country is a revolution which can overthrow the anti-people forces for which powerful revolutionary leadership heading a mass upsurge is urgently required. An effective call on a comprehensive program by genuine leadership is the only solution. All three elements should knit together to deliver the goods.
It is a clarion call to all communists and socialists to unite on one platform, to chart out an immediate program for the solution of the urgent problems of the masses, for radical developments of agriculture, industries, economic and finance management of the country, for curbing the skyrocketing prices for development of social sectors, etc. to form a mass party and to arouse the masses to fulfill the program.
But this option is not available, it is not in sight. Where do we go from here, no one dares to tell us. The uncertainty indicates only towards far more dangerous pitfalls, destruction and disintegration!
