CPM not following models in other countries: Yechury

Saturday, April 7, 2012: Setting aside suggestions that CPI(M) has rejected the Chinese model and embraced the Latin American path in its ideological positioning, party Politburo member Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said the path of revolution and social transformation in the country would be based on “concrete Indian conditions.”
“Not at all” was Yechury’s answer when a question was put to him on the issue at the daily briefing at the venue of the 20th Congress of the CPI-M here.
The discussion on the ideological document is progressing at the Congress.
“There is no question of taking a position that one path is right and the other is wrong. We have just analysed the experiences in China, Cuba, Latin America and South Africa to learn what is relevant so that we can develop our own movement,” he said.
Yechury said China has become the second largest economy in the world.
“China is thriving. Living standards have improved there. But there are also deficiencies which a socialist country should not have. They are trying to resolve this,” he said.
He said the main thrust of the ideological document, presented by him at the Congress, was on the challenges thrown by “imperialist globalisation” across the world in the last two decades and how to strengthen the political alternative in India to counter the challenges.
Yechury said the very birth of CPI(M) was based on its stand that the path of revolution or social transformation in the country would be based on the Indian path and not by imitating Russian or Chinese models.

“And that led to the three-way division of Communist parties in India,” he said.
“Global capitalism was facing a crisis of the worst kind with increasing economic inequalities and jobless growth reported from many countries”, he said adding “we are looking into issues to be resolved in Indian conditions for which the Left democratic alternative will be strengthened,” he said.
Yechury said CPI(M) would strive for transition from capitalism to socialism “based on people’s will and through peaceful means”.
Asked whether “identity politics” based on caste and ethnicity had marginalised the Left in north Indian states, he said CPI(M) was for strengthening the positives of “identity politics” and combating the negatives.
As for ethnicity, there was a genuine sense of alienation and discontentment among some sections but the movement against oppression was being used for “disruptive” purposes, he said.
In caste-based formations also, there should be distinction between revolt against oppression and certain caste leaders are using the situation for political expediency.
A total of 27 delegates had taken part in the discussion so far, Yechury said. The resolution would be adopted after his reply tomorrow.
The draft ideological document, presented by Yechury, says “negative tendencies” like economic inequalities,unemployment, corruption and nepotism have surfaced in socialist countries, including China, which have embarked on a course of reforms to meet the challenges of present-day world realities.