Class-Struggles and Revolution in South Asia

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• Arsalan Ghani
• Tuesday 17 February 2015, 19:00-21:00
• Munby Room, Kings College Cambridge..

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Arsalan Ghani.

Ever since the reactionary and bloody partition of the South Asian subcontinent in 1947, on either side of Radcliff-line, Durand-line or the others that divide the South Asian subcontinent, whether it be a terrorist outrage, a colossal accident or natural disaster, the capitalist states and their structures are unable to provide any meaningful solution to the miseries of the land. As a result, new class struggles are erupting and some layers of the masses are developing revolutionary consciousness.

Less than 350 years ago the Indian subcontinent was far ahead of contemporary Europe. Two centuries of the British Raj was an era of immense looting and plundering of the resources of the sub-continent. Millions were killed and perished due to state brutalities and starvation. The end of the Raj and subsequent ‘independence’ came with a very heavy price. First there was a tragic loss of almost 2.7 million lives slaughtered in an orgy of religious frenzy with its venomous, reactionary vengeance with the largest migration of peoples in modern history. The policy of divide and rule fomented this vicious genocide, the wounds of which are still festering in the region today.

Presently, the system, which has enriched the ruling elite, has not only impoverished the masses into excruciating destitution, but its burgeoning crisis is destabilising all aspects of governance including security and foreign policy. This means the turbulence and turmoil in the subcontinent will exasperate and will spiral out of control. The masses have been lulled and bewildered with despair for quite some time. They have been trapped in a history of hypocritical embraces, vile duplicitous hatreds and deceitful hostility of the ruling classes.

How long can the workers and the oppressed masses endure this tyranny and coercion? There have been severe strikes in India and Pakistan. Bangladesh has seen more general strikes in the last three years than any other country in the world.

These class struggles are bound to erupt on a higher plane leading to a revolutionary situation.

This talk is part of the Marxist Discussion Group Talks series.

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