By Rahul
Marxists have always stressed the importance of youth in building a revolutionary party. Youth armed with Marxist ideology can strike a fatal blow against the capitalist system. Giving importance to Youth in building a genuine socialist alternative, under the banner of The Struggle a Marxist Winter School took place in Thatta – historical city of Sindh from 3th to 5th February 2017. A large number of youth from all over the country gathered to quench their thirst for the ideas of revolutionary Marxism and to carry forward the task of political education. Despite heavy financial odds, difficult transportation and deteriorating living conditions, over 160 comrades from Quetta to Kashmir attended school. In order to reach the destination, many comrades had to leave their hometowns two days before starting of School and it was the reason that arrival of comrades continues until late 2nd February night. Revolutionary determination and thirst for revolutionary ideas disappeared all differences and difficulties among comrades. Comrades took active participation in political discussions as well as cultural activities during these 3 days. The School was dedicated to Great Bolshevik Revolution on its Centenary.
On the morning of 3rd February, School was opened by Nathu Mal from host region who welcomed all participants. The first session on Pakistan & World Perspectives was chaired by Shahriyar Zouq and Lajwanti from Hyderabad led off the discussion. Lajwanti explained the crisis of capitalism, its origins in the post-war period, the revolutionary movements of youth and the working class and the perspectives for the events in the coming period. She explained that today barbarism of capitalism can be experienced from Europe to Africa. Each country is affected by the organic crisis of capitalism, living standards are falling and working class is subject to continuous attacks from ruling class. From Donald Trump to Brexit, political and social instability of system is clear. The harsh brutality of capitalism can also be experienced in Pakistan and India, where black economy is shining but ordinary man is being brutally exploited. People are looking for real change and under these conditions, the need for a Marxist revolutionary party becomes more evident. A revolutionary leadership is required that can uproot capitalism and start moving towards a socialist system.
The lead off was followed by questions and contributions. Hafeez from Dadu, Lata from Hyderabad, Ahmed Mafaz and Ismat from Faisalabad, Mehdi Hassan and Shakeela from Baluchistan, Nadir Gopang from Multan, Altamish and Rashid Sheikh from Kashmir, Ammar Yasir from Jhang, Arshad and Awais Qarni from Lahore intervened in the discussion. At the end, Asif Rasheed from Rawalpindi answered all questions and summed up discussion.
After the lunch break, Before the proper opening of 2nd session comrades recited poems and sung revolutionary songs and anthem and one minute silence was observed in memory of Hardil Kumar, a comrade from Karachi, after that Hassan Jan from Baluchistan opened the second session of school on “The Law of the tendency of rate profit to fall” while Rameez from Dadu chaired the session. Hassan explained the tendency of the rate of profit to fall in light of Karl Marx writings. Marx held that there is a general tendency for the rate of profit to fall because of the greater quantity of constant capital in production (plant, machinery, raw material, etc.) and the relatively smaller quantity of variable capital, i.e., that part spent on wages. In the opening paragraph of the chapter of Capital Marx states that whereas other economists were looking for an explanation of the falling rate of profit the problem for him was the opposite one, namely of finding out why the fall is not greater and more rapid. He wrote: “There must be some counteracting influences at work, which thwart and annul the effects of this general law, leaving to it merely the character of a tendency.” Hassan by citing various examples clarified that rate of profit is never ending race in capitalism; this is the core reason that there are wars and conflicts. Capitalism is based upon profit system in which human needs are compromised. Hence we need to uproot this system and strive for socialist revolution.
Many questions were raised by the audience after which Majid Memon from Karachi, Sadam Khaskheli from Dadu, Asif Rasheed from Rawalpindi, Awais Qarni from Lahore and Altimash from Kashmir intervened. Hassan summed up the session by answering the question and explaining how a planned economy under Socialism would work and how a society without poverty, deprivation and unemployment could be achieved.
The second day 4th February began with reciting of revolutionary poetry and songs from different comrades. The third session of the Marxist School started with the topic “Uneven and Combined Development” which was led by Awais Qarni. The session was chaired by Rehana Akhtar, Awais Qarni putting the concept in plain words said that this law is one of the greatest contributions of Marxism to a scientific understanding of history and one of the most powerful instruments of historical analysis. In today’s era, especially in developing countries where capitalism has not appeared in his classic forms, we can see a strange combination of advancements and backwardness in the societies. The so-called third world or colonial countries came into being when capitalism was already in the state of obsoleteness. Hence bourgeois of these countries was failed to build to healthy capitalist state compared to developed countries. The perspective and character of revolution in these countries will be a permanent revolution as explained by Trotsky. Leon Trotsky already described the complete victory of the democratic revolution is conceivable only in the form of the dictatorship of the proletariat, leaning on the peasantry. The dictatorship of the proletariat, which would inevitably place on the order of the day not only democratic but socialistic tasks as well, would at the same time give a powerful impetus to the international socialist revolution.
After the marvellous lead off many questions emerged, which were later explained by contributions made by Sajjad Jamali from Dadu, Saeed Khaskheli from Sukkur, Marwan from Kashmir, Haseeb from North Punjab, Saifi and Baber from Central Punjab, Arshad from Lahore, Rahul and Sarfaraz from Hyderabad and comrade Sartaj from Baluchistan. Awais Qarni summed up all discussion in the light of questions
The fourth session of the school on the topic of “Democratic Centralism” started after the lunch break. Chaired by Majid Memon, while Umar Rasheed from Faisalabad opened the discussion by describing the importance of this Leninist method to build a revolutionary party. He made clear the dialectical relationship between democracy and centralism. Marxist revolutionary parties always stressed upon this method which was historically developed by different revolutionaries. But Lenin scientifically proved the correctness of Democratic Centralism by Bolshevik revolution. In order to build a revolutionary vanguard which can transform whole society, we must follow and develop the principles laid by Marxists and great teachers.
After the lead off Raheem from DG Khan, Rameez from Dadu, Rihana, Badar Rafique and Asif Rasheed from North Punjab, Saeed from Sukkur, Kashif Abbas from Kashmir and Awais Qarni from Lahore made interventions during the session. Umar Rasheed summed up all discussion and answered questions raised by the audience.
On 5th February, the last session of school regarding students and youth work strategy was opened by Rashid Sheikh from Kashmir and Nadir Gopang from Multan chaired the session. Rashid shed light on the role played by different student organizations in history and discussed strategy in present objective conditions. He also spoke on the role of youth in the building of a revolutionary party and the strategy and tactics to attract the youth to Marxist ideas. The lead off was followed by regional reports from the whole orgnization.
Comrade Hafeez Behrani gave farewell a remark which was followed by finance report was presented by Comrade Vinod. The overall school was marvellous and during sessions many comrades read revolutionary poetry, sang revolutionary songs and the environment was full of enthusiasm and energy. Awais Qarni made the closing remarks.
The school was concluded by singing of Internationale and comrades left the Winter School extremely stimulated and enthusiastic to go out and fight for socialism.
