The Marxist dominated United Front Government of West Bengal has fallen, after just one year in office. Yet its last display was to bring three million demonstrators onto the streets of Calcutta duF ing a totally effective general strike. The rally was ostensibly organised by all the parties in the United Front Government. but the government's fall was expected and i was obvious lat ine demonstration was really a massive display alainst the right wing sections of the United Front.
The leader of the right factions. Ajoy Mukherji, has long denounced the growing 'anarchv and disorder' in West Benegal. In the main he has attacked the Naxalites. STOLOS of rural for spreading terror among land owners. He did not forget to add a demand to end industrial 'anarchy. Disturbed by nervened to helen peren ntervenedo when ndian workers lock up their bosses unti they get wage rises, Mukherji and his "liberal" colleagues supported by the Moscow oriented Communist Party of India (CPI) left the Front and brought GOWn aine communis! Party of India (Marxist), to the joy of the parties of the Mukherji resigned on Monday, March 16th. On the Tuesday there was the general strike called for by the CPI (M). Violence followed. Not just right v left basis. The traditional CPI joined with the right. The CPI attacked working glass pickets and strikers, their under orders to break the strike. They did not stop short of murder in purtheir treachery. Altogether lost their lives in the rupees each—about 1/9d.
Joyti Basu, the leader of the CPI (M) asked the State governor to allow him to form a new government. The Governor, strengthened by the backing of India's prime minister Indira Ghandi, and the she West Bengal paramens spen ind West Presideal parliament Bengal rule from Centre. If the Governor had dissolved Parliament Tauner suspended there would have been elections and it is widely thought that the CPI (M) would have won. Instead on Thursday, 19th March Indira Ghandi's central ment took direct power in the State and announced a purge to rid the West Bengal administration of Communists.
Developments in the million strong Indian army give the events in Bengal an ominous shadow. The younger coming from the richest families. and trained in an atmosphere of anti-Chinese hysteria, are actively sympathetic to the extreme right wing parties. The older orruptes about the need for ultimate cirst Sandhurst han control. And as a voluntary army, not a conscript one, the ordinary soldiers do changing political consciousness of the population.
The industrialists have been terrified by the developments of the urban proletariat in Bengal. Gheraos and the rapid unionisation of the major factories make it urgently clear to them, as it does not seem clear to either of the Communist Parties, that they nave to act. They learnt to live with Communist partici pation in government when this was conFined to a parliamentary role. Rasmon in tha South Rut in sale in the main market of Calcutta for 2 mentarism. The Naxalites have been a with their defense against China The fall of the United Front Govern ment has dramatically forced to the surface the strengths and weakness of the left in Bengal, and in India. When three million people demonstrate on the streets for socialism, Revolution must be on the agenda. Yet it is not. Not because groups in West Bengal are not in a position to pose the question of power. But becaus they are committed to action at ount levels. The Naxalites are promoting rural guerilla warfare and do not command mass support in unc which does coin While the CPI huge centres (M)
perately to keep the dissident rightist. from leaving their coalition, anu wel the price was too high Basu attempted to woo enough of the individuals fared and oveR M) put himselves is position where they had to campaig for le right to call an election! If thre nillion people had marched through th streets f Petrograd, would Lenin hav called for elections?
The growth of mass support for com munism is not confined to Calcutta and West Bengal. Indira Ghandi hopes both hat it will prove to be a local pher menon, and is determined to crush it b any means possible. Yet her ramshackled administration and the intractable pro blems government could swallow up the Army. The Indian bourg osic is wcar. our is now actermined 1 the and break the tet tutory net How
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peninsula is mountainous jungle. and protracted guerilla ITOR Pingang A Hanoi on The Ho Chi Minh trail that now Chinghsi serves to Keep ine NOBL Nanning united detours to the west of the moultoin ringe and re iris down unt valleys with the supplies and men that will defeat is have been bomb ing constantly from their ne wans, shae suc ana. sur now une of contred dals (square C 1). The map snows clears the • niain ac a hich oateau surrounded rasv to detent on EnE . At the same time it can be seen in the West Van. Ho present capital, Vientiane.
Hon Gai • Delta ong them in men. an0 Me 102ISUC3 01 348913 Wing their army there aLaIns anach Gulf from Americans and Thais in the South ould be e insurmountable. Instead the anded US base close to the to turn Red To into Khe NORTH LACH arain on me or easy mortar ure mCH that are and material, which in down large number of sup port troops and keep the impertausts or VIETNAM the defensive.
anarea as Cambodie capita caDila.
G2 & G3). The great protuberance towards over to the , i ha Saigon and border Mekong Delta degree US have Delta. or from lay winn. scene or some of their greatest deleals because of the skill and persistence of the Vietnamese, rather than for any technical or logistic war deepens in Cam will b for the Viet namese in the short but it may well bring forward the founding ol Socialist Cambodia.
Dong Hoi Gc Thuy