Why we Changed the name as “Thamizh Thesiya Periyakkam’?
The resolution passed in the seventh special general
council meeting held at Tiruchirappalli between 14 and 15 August 2014.General
Secretary Comrade K.Venkatraman put forth and explained the draft resolution.
After a detailed discussion it was unanimously passed in the meeting.
With the vision of achieving sovereign Thamizh
republic, Thamizh Thesa Pothuvudaimai Katchi (Thamizh National Communist Party)
has been working for the past twenty five years. Over a period of time we have
been sharpening the ideology of Thamizh Nationalism scientifically. From the
beginning we have been insisting on our historical duty viz, to achieve the
liberation of the oppressed Thamizh nation we were clear that this was the next
stage of development for the Thamizh community. However, there has been a hitch
over direct compatibility between the vision of the liberation of the Thamizh
Nation and “Pothuvudaimai Katchi” in the nomen clature. This crisis was further
accelerated in day today politics also, by the genocide on the Thamizhs
launched by the Sinhala Majoritarian government with the support of the Indian government.
We developed as Tha.The.Po.Ka, the
frontline leaders and majority of the comrades came from CPM. And so it was named
according to their understanding at that particular point of time. Now when the liberative ideology of Thamizh
nationalism has gained wider acceptance, keeping Pothuvudaimai Katchi (Communist Party) is an obstruct.
And this has been pointed out by many comrades. Hence it is an imperative to
solve this crisis.
Ideological crisis:
“On 15, August 1947 Thamizh Nadu
came directly under the rule of North Indian administration. Though Thamizh
Nadu was liberated from the British imperialism, it fell in the yoke of Indian
imperialism. This slavery (yoke) blocks
the identity of Thamizh race. This slavery is core issue and is base for varna
caste domination, economic exploitation, environmental degradation and lack of
democracy in Thamizh Nadu. The historical imperative that lay before the Thamizh
Nation is to establish a sovereign republic of its own” (Page.1. Party
Manifesto).
Proclaiming thus at the out set the Party’s
Manifesto clarifies what lies ahead in front of Thamizh community and the
essence of that revolution.
It is a historical obligation for
the party to bring together, at the focal point of Thamizh nationalism, all who
work in different plains with the
objective of liberating Thamizhs from class exploitation, casteism, women
oppression etc.,
“A nationality which does not create
a nation of its own will not be able to achieve class liberation or attain any type of freedom.
If it is not connected with all other struggles the nationality struggle will
be aimless. Revolutionary Thamizh Nationalism is the integrating point of these two.” (P.29.
Party Manifesto)
This is clearly articulated in our Policy document.
“This constructed myth of Aryan Indian nationalism
is the base for language oppression, Varna Caste hegemony, untouchability evil,
class exploitation, globalization, environmental degradation, women oppression
etc, The imperialist Indian state functions as the treacherous hand of the
constructed Indian nationalism. This imperialist state continues to exist with
the help of all oppressive laws. Hence if the Thamizhs want to be liberated
from any oppression that suppresses them we are forced to confront the Indian
nationalism.
Only way to liberate from this is Thamizh
National Revolution establishment of a sovereign Thamizh Republic. That’s why
all liberative ( progressive) groups and
progressive streams ought to join hands with the liberative Thamizh nationalism.” (P.28. Party
Manifesto).
It is an invitation extended to such movements.
If it has to accommodate all
progressive streams in a common thread to develop into big stream the Thamizh
Nationalism should accept the plural nature within. Only the movement which
accepts the pluralism will qualify to be a liberation movement.
Our party manifesto is potential to
contain this pluralistic nature and in order to grow to such a stature the phrase
‘Pothuvudaimai Katchi’ in the existing name is a delicate one. It would be
appropriate to remove such delicate phrase and replace it with suitable one,
which would be apt for our vision of liberation.
The name ‘Pothuvudaimai Katchi’ (Communist Party)
came in to existence in our title because of the nature of the evolution of our
party. This was the condition for all Community Parties all over the world.
This problem is clearly mentioned even in the
Communist Manifesto. Engels mentions in the Communist Manifesto which was
jointly written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels in 1847 end and published in
1848.
“When it was written, we could not have called it a
socialist manifesto. By Socialists, in 1847, were understood, on the one hand the adherents
of the various Utopian systems: Owenites in England, Fourierists in France, both of them
already reduced to the position of mere sects, and gradually dying out; on the other hand, the
most multifarious social quacks who, by all manner of tinkering, professed to redress, without any
danger to capital and profit, all sorts of social grievances, in both cases men
outside the working-class movement, and looking rather to the “educated” classes for support. Whatever
portion of the working class had become convinced of the insufficiency of mere
political revolutions, and had proclaimed the necessity of total social change,
called itself Communist.” (Frederick Engels – Forward to English Edition of
Communist Manifesto, 1988).
From this we
understand that these pioneers attributed this term to
themselves. They used the term Communist Party in those days to give separate
identity just to differentiate from the compromising groups such as Socialists.
Lenin gave the name ‘Russian Social Democratic Labor
Party’, to a revolutionary group which was established in 1898 based on the
Marxian principles. We have to remember that he named so after fifty years of
the publication of Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels. The same party
succeeded the Russian Revolution in the very same name in 1917.
German invasion and civil war in Russia created a
big crisis in Russia, at that time. In order to handle the crisis and division
within the party and to carry on the Russian Revolution Lenin changed the name
into Communist Party from Social Democratic Labor Party.
When Lenin explained the following
reasons for the change of name, the august body of seventh party congress accepted
that, “... the severe crisis which our Party is now experiencing, owing to the
formation of a Left opposition within it, is one of the gravest crises the
Russian revolution has experienced. Moreover, the congress decided to change
the name of the party to Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), in order to
differentiate it from the Mensheviks and other remaining factions originating
from the RSDLP.” Thereafter the Russian Social Democratic Party (Bolsheviks)
was changed in to Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks).
“All the recorded histories of hitherto societies are
the history of class struggle” defines Marxism. Though this is partially true,
racial struggle and nationality struggle contributed equally for the historical
development as class struggle.
Even though there were clear understanding and pronounced
theories on nationality question during the life time of Karl Marx, Marxism did
not give weightage to the issue. When specific questions came up, Karl Marx and
Lenin stated the solutions related to nationality question. but they under-estimated
the role of social aspect of race in the development of history.
Hence anybody who discusses in primacy of
nationality issue both in Thamizh Nadu and at the global level, realize the deficiency
of Marxism in this aspect. We all know that class perspective and understanding
alone is inadequate to understand the issues of Palestine, Thamizh Ealam,
Tibet.
Both at the global level and in Thamizh Nadu the
environment concerns are getting attention now. And Marxism is not able to give
comprehensive answer to such vital
issues, nor can class interpretation give solutions to varna caste problems
which is very peculiar to this sub-continent.
However the philosophy of Thamizhs viz “Aram”, which
could challenge all these is a great opportunity for us all. This philosophical
treasure viz, “Thamizhar Aram” has the capacity to absorb all schools of
egalitarian thoughts including Marxism and it enriches itself. This Thamizhar
Aram is the philosophy which organized historically all the Thamizhs to fight
against the domination of the Aryans, evil caste system and Varnashrama dharma. It has also potential
within to enrich itself according to the changing need of the hour. Hence it is
not appropriate to keep the name Pothuvudaimai Katchi which expresses only
Marxism.
The Thamizhar Aram is the foundational
philosophy of Thamizh Nationalism and it contains principles of equality as its
essence. Hence there should never be a doubt that we would reject/ ignore equality,
the quintessence of Communism.
Practical Difficulty:
From the beginning we have taken
efforts to avoid not to be identified with the CPI and CPM parties,
particularly their flags sickle and hammer symbols created confusion of
identifying ourselves with the above mentioned parties, which are traitors of
Thamizhs.
In order to get relieved of this
confusion and to focus our liberative vision of the Thamizhs we changed the
flag. Even then “Pothuvudaimai Katchi” (Communist party) continued to be
embarrassing. After the Eelam
disaster in 2008-2009 new youth forces, understanding the Indian Nationa’s
Enmitity are attracted towards Thamizh nationalism.
At the same time both in Thamizh
Nadu and at the Indian national level and at the international level the
communist parties and the states which are headed by the Marxists were hand in
glove with the Singhala majoritarian government and Indian government. This
created ill feeling not only at the Theoretic level but also practical lines.
The same stand taken by Communist Parties in the burning issues of Thamizh Nadu
such as Cauvery Issue, Mullai Periyar Issue, Katcha Theevu Issue, etc., created a illwill among the laboring classes
. Hence we have to avoid the shadow of
these parties on our party. It is not
appropriate to continue the name
Thamizh Thesa Pothuvudaimai Katchi. A change in the name is imperative.
Moreover , though the word Katchi ( Party) is a good Thamizh term it is
associated with the electoral politics. Our Party is very clear that the electoral path will not in any way
helpful to lead the liberation of Thamizh
nation nor would create Thamizh rights consciousness. And the term ‘Party’
alienates us from the people who are genuinely interested in the welfare of the people. Accordingly we
have to drop the term Party.
Taking
all these into account this Special General Council Meeting unanimously
resolves to change the name into Thamizh Desiya Periyakkam.
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