EDITORIAL
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of socialist China (1966-76) was an earth-shaking event of world-historic importance. It was the result of the summing up of all the positive and negative experiences of the world working class movement for establishing socialism and communism. Under the leadership of Mao, it developed the revolutionary theory and practice of the international proletariat to a new and higher level. It was a unique and unprecedented revolution led by the proletariat against the bourgeoisie under the conditions of socialism and the dictatorship of the proletariat. It was a revolution to bring the superstructure in conformity with the socialist economic base. It was a revolution of the period of transition from capitalism to communism through the intermediate stage of socialism by defeating the attempts of domestic and foreign revisionists and reactionaries to restore capitalism. It was a revolution by millions upon millions of people who rose up like stormy waves to smash the enemy strongholds. In the process, they also transformed their own world outlook, which was essential for carrying forward the socialist revolution. It was a revolution to continue the revolution to till its final victory – the establishment of communism by carrying the socialist revolution through to the end.
GPCR was the result of the further development of the Marxist theoretical concept of continuous revolution. Led by Mao, new theoretical principles related to class struggle under socialism and the dictatorship of the proletariat were developed which were necessary to guarantee the victory of socialism. Not only that, these theories were tested and proven in the crucible of practice during the GPCR. This was a unique, new and higher level experience for the world proletariat and the international communist movement.
Apart from changing the entire Chinese society, the GPCR also had a worldwide impact. It was a catalyst for a new wave of communist and national liberation movements across the world. It provided the impetus for a decisive ideological and political break with revisionism. It provided the backdrop of the beginning of a new type of working class movements in the capitalist countries and protracted people’s wars in several oppressed countries including India which upheld Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as their guiding ideology.
In the communist movement of our country, an ideological struggle was already going on under the leadership of revolutionary forerunners like comrades CM and KC. This ideological struggle led to the historic Naxalbari armed agrarian revolutionary upsurge of 1967. Thus, it was in the international backdrop of the GPCR that the people’s war was initiated in India under the leadership of comrades CM and KC. This glorious people’s war has continued on a tortuous path for the last five decades and is going to complete its fiftieth anniversary.
The class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat has been continuing since the GPCR came to an end four decades back. Many of the genuine revolutionary communist parties that were built or reorganised during the GPCR are still in existence and are leading the class struggle in several countries. Wherever the leadership of these parties have been able to creatively apply the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism – particularly the lessons of GPCR – they could sustain or strengthen the parties even amidst victories and defeats, ups and downs and twists and turns of the revolutionary movement. Wherever the leadership could not do this, the parties disintegrated and the movement was lost.
By creatively applying MLM in the concrete conditions of a country, by bringing the vast masses of the people into the arena of class struggle under its guidance and by fighting with tremendous courage and sacrifice, a strong party can be built where there is no such party, a strong army can be built where there is no such army and political power can be seized where there is no political power. Our task ahead is to firmly grasp MLM and the spirit of GPCR in order to achieve our immediate and ultimate goals. It is only in this way that the working-class can meet the challenge of effectively fighting and finally burying imperialism, which, though in its deathbed, will not leave the stage of history on its own.
All our comrades should deeply study the experiences of GPCR to grasp its tremendous significance, learn from its wide-ranging lessons and apply them creatively in their revolutionary practice. With the hope that it may be of help in this endeavour, we are bringing out this issue of People’s War as a special issue on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the initiation of GPCR and as a part of the anniversary celebrations by our Party. This issue includes two articles written on this occasion and a selection of two historic documents, excerpts and quotations on the GPCR. Our Central Committee is also releasing a separate commemorative volume The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution will Shine For Ever which is a compilation of several historic documents, articles, excerpts and quotations.
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of socialist China (1966-76) was an earth-shaking event of world-historic importance. It was the result of the summing up of all the positive and negative experiences of the world working class movement for establishing socialism and communism. Under the leadership of Mao, it developed the revolutionary theory and practice of the international proletariat to a new and higher level. It was a unique and unprecedented revolution led by the proletariat against the bourgeoisie under the conditions of socialism and the dictatorship of the proletariat. It was a revolution to bring the superstructure in conformity with the socialist economic base. It was a revolution of the period of transition from capitalism to communism through the intermediate stage of socialism by defeating the attempts of domestic and foreign revisionists and reactionaries to restore capitalism. It was a revolution by millions upon millions of people who rose up like stormy waves to smash the enemy strongholds. In the process, they also transformed their own world outlook, which was essential for carrying forward the socialist revolution. It was a revolution to continue the revolution to till its final victory – the establishment of communism by carrying the socialist revolution through to the end.
GPCR was the result of the further development of the Marxist theoretical concept of continuous revolution. Led by Mao, new theoretical principles related to class struggle under socialism and the dictatorship of the proletariat were developed which were necessary to guarantee the victory of socialism. Not only that, these theories were tested and proven in the crucible of practice during the GPCR. This was a unique, new and higher level experience for the world proletariat and the international communist movement.
Apart from changing the entire Chinese society, the GPCR also had a worldwide impact. It was a catalyst for a new wave of communist and national liberation movements across the world. It provided the impetus for a decisive ideological and political break with revisionism. It provided the backdrop of the beginning of a new type of working class movements in the capitalist countries and protracted people’s wars in several oppressed countries including India which upheld Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as their guiding ideology.
In the communist movement of our country, an ideological struggle was already going on under the leadership of revolutionary forerunners like comrades CM and KC. This ideological struggle led to the historic Naxalbari armed agrarian revolutionary upsurge of 1967. Thus, it was in the international backdrop of the GPCR that the people’s war was initiated in India under the leadership of comrades CM and KC. This glorious people’s war has continued on a tortuous path for the last five decades and is going to complete its fiftieth anniversary.
The class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat has been continuing since the GPCR came to an end four decades back. Many of the genuine revolutionary communist parties that were built or reorganised during the GPCR are still in existence and are leading the class struggle in several countries. Wherever the leadership of these parties have been able to creatively apply the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism – particularly the lessons of GPCR – they could sustain or strengthen the parties even amidst victories and defeats, ups and downs and twists and turns of the revolutionary movement. Wherever the leadership could not do this, the parties disintegrated and the movement was lost.
By creatively applying MLM in the concrete conditions of a country, by bringing the vast masses of the people into the arena of class struggle under its guidance and by fighting with tremendous courage and sacrifice, a strong party can be built where there is no such party, a strong army can be built where there is no such army and political power can be seized where there is no political power. Our task ahead is to firmly grasp MLM and the spirit of GPCR in order to achieve our immediate and ultimate goals. It is only in this way that the working-class can meet the challenge of effectively fighting and finally burying imperialism, which, though in its deathbed, will not leave the stage of history on its own.
All our comrades should deeply study the experiences of GPCR to grasp its tremendous significance, learn from its wide-ranging lessons and apply them creatively in their revolutionary practice. With the hope that it may be of help in this endeavour, we are bringing out this issue of People’s War as a special issue on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the initiation of GPCR and as a part of the anniversary celebrations by our Party. This issue includes two articles written on this occasion and a selection of two historic documents, excerpts and quotations on the GPCR. Our Central Committee is also releasing a separate commemorative volume The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution will Shine For Ever which is a compilation of several historic documents, articles, excerpts and quotations.
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