ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE

COMMUNIST WORKERS COLLECTIVE - A plea for a paradigm shift

With the collapse of a gigantic experiment by last decade of twentieth century, represented by the erstwhile Soviet Union in building an alternative social structure to replace the present iniquitous world full of injustice and strife, a question came up what next? A fresh one has to replace the decadent present. But the query remains as to what shape it will take and how? The question essentially relates to organisation, its leadership, the mode of production and distribution with corresponding social relations, culture and morality. So far industrialisation was opted as the pivot of development to over come shortages to assure a quality life of peace and equality to all. But we are nowhere near the goal despite hard labour by workingmen for almost four centuries of high expectations. Under this mode, social production remained appropriated for capital gain, leaving a trail of unbearable misery for the majority who labour. Market based distribution landed in stratification of society in trail. Expropriation, both internal and external was found to be an in-built feature of this mode that requires armed support of the state in its favour. State ownership over means of production did not prove much different from private ownership. Development with equity; social and economic-cultural justice for all workingmen is still a dream. Another serious drawback is there. Industry with free individual as its labour-unit, even under state ownership of means of production necessarily nurtures individualism. Society cannot sustain any further with this insidious warp. Industry produces capital to a fault, relegating human-labour to remain a commodity in its course. It shatters social life. Strife and war with attending corruption are two dominant features this mode generates with no respite to perennial instability in social relations. Enough is enough if society is to redeem. Something fresh has to be chiselled out as an alternate. Communist Workers Collective is designed to be one that advocates for a paradigm shift. The Collective does not subscribe to the view that state is an instrument to bring fundamental change in social relations to replace a society of contending interests, even if it is handled by a party claiming representation from the working class. The State is an organ to protect the minority in class terms. The interests of the working people clash with the institution of state that rules. The Collective also does not view agriculture, ipso facto, as sterile and barren. It rejects the thesis that agriculture cannot develop means of production to the required level for social good. It does not see agriculture as synonymous with backwardness and conservatism per se. CWC pleads for (1) reversal to community command over means of production and distribution with absolute sway over natural resources, decrying the principle of eminent domain of the state (2) shifting to familylabour based agriculture and animal husbandry as pivot of development with industry playing a supportive role under community command, rather than the state, to build a society in harmony with nature where man can survive with dignity and peace. (3) noncentralised polity; recognising the ability of habitat-level community to manage its affairs while reducing spheres for the state progressively from day one to bare minimum. The WTO ordained corporatisation of social life in third world countries is a new agenda of imperial forces. The present Indian state is a happy collaborator. In the circumstances, we are faced with the challenge of Do or Die. The infallible weapon in the hands of the ruling capitalist-imperialist combine, out to have complete command over global resources, is money power used in the form of credit. This global combine has systematically worked against the people through a variety of subterfuges in the name of development. The greatest national resource manpower stands denigrated and displaced from main stage of development and substituted by capital. The entire ruling elite including political parties, intellectuals, mandarins, captains of industry and commerce, wise men of the world of finance, particularly the World Bank stand charged with the serious crime of conspiracy against labouring humanity. CWC views that the challenge must be met here and now.

For any meaningful paradigm shift, powers of the state and the capital have to be demystified and brought under command of the people, functioning as a self-managed community with due coordination among neighbourhood settlements. Steps have to be taken by the people, organised in their face-to-face communities having due coordinated action under a well thought our strategy and action plan.