Let us live up to his expectations.
The historic Naxalbari struggle had introduced Com.Kanu Sanyal to the revolutionary ranks, sympathizers and people of outside Bengal. For the young generation of 1967-69 periods who were attracted towards the revolutionary politics through Naxalbari, he was a legendary figure. When they actually saw him, he was only a simple and short statured figure like any person from the common folk. Perhaps, who saw the revolutionaries from the romanticist lenses were disappointed by this reality. But for the Marxist –Leninists, the Communist leaders are not cinematic or romantic heroes. One’s ability to apply the revolutionary ideology and politics to the concrete conditions, transform them into the practice of class struggle and revolutionary movement and whole heartedly dedicate to the cause of people makes a comrade their leader. Com.KS was the leader of this kind.
Having come into the Communist Movement in early 1950s Com.KS represented a link and continuation of the past to the present Communist Movement. Along with many of his fellow comrades, he broke from the reformist, revisionist and sectarian dross of the past Communist Movement and decided to inherit, uphold and carry forward best of the contributions and Communist values and traditions.
Com.KS had been repeatedly saying that Naxalbari Struggle was not an offshoot of some wise brain or a sudden explosion, but decade’s long efforts by the Communists were responsible for this struggle to develop to the level of 1967.
The tragic part of the history is that a peasant revolutionary movement like Naxalbari was projected and, to a great extent, successfully as the product of left adventurist line and its practice. This line was sought to be advocated throughout the country as the line of Naxalbari. Com.Kanu Sanyal was very much disturbed by the colossal damage this misrepresentation on Naxalbari had inflicted to the communist and revolutionary movements in our country. He seized every opportunity to put the facts straight and emphatically. As a comrade, who was directly and inseparably involved as a cadre and the leader of the Naxalbari Struggle in all phases of its development, Com.KS had put the struggle in a proper perspective. In this document, “More About Naxalbari”, he explained that Naxalbari was a “long drawn 17 years (1951-1967) glorious struggle of tea plantation workers and peasants” and “it surged ahead through zig zag course, both peaceful and violent means, legal and illegal clashes and through consistent painstaking work of the communist cadres.” Referring to the historic May 1967 Naxalbari peasant uprising, Com.KS said that its “creator” was “mass organization and mass struggles of the workers and peasants. The implementation of the task of seizure of land gave birth to this uprising. The program me of seizure of land taught the peasantry that only by smashing the political domination and power of the Jotedars and Planter land owners in the rural areas and in their place by establishing the political domination and power of the workers and peasants….. The task of the agrarian revolution can be completed.” He drew the conclusion:”the lesson of Naxalbari is that the main content of agrarian revolution is to distribute the land to the peasants: it is for the preservation of that land in his possession that resistance struggle will develop in rural areas, which, in its turn, will transform into the struggle for political power. So in the stage of democratic revolution or agrarian revolution, the struggle for land and struggle for political power are intertwined.”(1973) Com.KS had explained how this struggle had nothing to do with the left adventurist trend and in fact, it had developed while rejecting this trend.
The presentation of Naxalbari struggle on the basis of facts and in a correct perspective was widely welcomed by the communist Revolutionaries in India. But it was not liked by the sections of CRs who are still pursuing an individual terrorist line. Instead of confronting Com.KS with different facts, if any, at their disposal, presenting their own evaluation of the Naxalbari Struggle based on the political and organizational line and entering into a health debate ideologically and politically on the lessons to be drawn from it, they chose to spread lies and prejudiced ideas in an attempt to malign Com.KS. They sought to conclude that the rejection of the left sectarian and individual terrorist line virtually amounts to the rejection of revolutionary line.
In the last four decades period after Naxalbari struggle Com.KS had been a witness to many developments and trends. Some of his onetime close associates had departed; some had deserted politics and the movement; some had changed the political direction without changing their color; some began to raise doubts and questions on the relevance of the path followed by the Naxalbari; some persisted in the left sectarian and individual terrorist line more vigorously refusing to learn from the disastrous consequences of the line propounded by CM. Com.KS was very much unhappy with these developments and trends. At the same time, he also came into direct contact with the CRs who were consistently advocating and implementing the revolutionary mass line and carrying on struggle against the left sectarian and individual terrorist line from the very inception of CR Movement in India. He saw some CRs who were once influenced or carried away by the left adventurist trend setting on the course of rectification. Com.KS was asserting that the line on agrarian revolution and the revolutionary mass line pursued by the Naxalbari people holds good even today. The changes in the concrete conditions only demand a study of those changes and the concrete application of this line. Neither reverting to rotten parlimentarism nor embracing the individual terrorist line is a way to steer the Indian revolution ahead.
Com.KS was good in responding to positive turns in the situations in the country. He was whole heartedly welcoming the militant actions of the people against the ruling classes and their state. He appreciated the people of Nandi gram when they rose into militant action to defend their lands and lives from the attack of the state and the goons backed by it. He saw in this struggle the potentialities and possibilities for the re –enactment of Naxalbari in a greater scale. At the same time, he was unhappy at the state and performance of CRs. He found while the sections of ruling classes in the opposition (TMC) were doing everything to turn the just struggle of the people into a cannon fodder in their gamble for power, the CRs found themselves either some sections helping it in one form or others in a weak and disunited state unable to put up an independent and viable presence and provide the leadership to the people.
Com.KS was always stressing on the urgent need of building a Communist Party capable of leading the people in revolution. He was calling upon the party committees and comrades to go to the people whole heartedly integrate themselves fully with the people and gain their confidence, affection and action through a painstaking and dedicated political, organizational and mass work among them. He was telling that while the path shown by Telangana (1946-51) and Naxalbari are the only way to change the present system fundamentally, it is a primary task to create the necessary conditions for it. He was expressing satisfaction whenever he was hearing the reports of good political, organization and mass work.
Com KS was one of the leaders who was loved by the CR ranks and people widely and respected by those who did not agree with him politically and even by his political adversaries. He was always intimate, affectionate, easily approachable and interacted and shared views with all concern and infirmity with comrades and people. The political adversaries, no doubt, feared to make any unethical gestures, and they were sure to get bluntly snubbed and admonished. At the same time, his long, tortuous and dedicated political life; his simple, disciplined and principled life; his rock like convictions in the Marxist ideology and politics and even his blunt talk were a source of respect he earned.
Com.KS was the General Secretary of Our organization – CPI (ML) till his departure on March 23, 2010. Perhaps, it was the best time in his political life after Naxalbari Struggle. He strongly aspired and struggled hard for an Organization that is based on Marxism-Leninism-Mao thought, the revolutionary mass line of Telangana and Naxalbari; clearly demarcates itself from the right opportunism, left sectarianism, individual terrorism and dedicates itself to the task of uniting the CRs, building the Party and taking deep roots among the people and organize and move them into revolutionary action. He had the hope and confidence that the organization he had built up will live up to his expectations. SURE, WE WILL.RED SALUTE TO COM.KANU SANYAL
