Pakistan: National Marxist Summer School of Youth

National Marxist Youth Summer School was held from 30^th July to 1^st August 2010 at Abbottabad. In spite of the heavy floods and landslides due to disastrous rains, long distances and difficult economic situation, more than 100 comrades from all over the country participated in the school with a great revolutionary spirit.

Comrades from the Sindh had to travel for more than 24 hours to reach the venue. Comrades also managed to come from the storm affected areas of Kashmir on motorbikes, travelling through very dangerous terrain. The 2010 National Marxist Summer School took place at a very critical time in the country’s history. On the one hand the capitalist system all over the world is facing its deepest crisis ever and on the other hand the Pakistani state is making the working class bear the brunt of this downturn along with military operations and terrorism in many parts of the country. There were, overall five topics on the agenda to be discussed in three days.

The agenda of the first session was the ‘History of the International’ and it was chaired by comrade Changez. Comrade Zohaib Butt in his lead off summarised this vast topic in a very beautiful way i.e. the foundation of the First International, the role of the anarchists in it and its dissolution after the Paris Commune, the Second International and its degeneration by Social Democracy, the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the foundation of Third International by Lenin. He also, described the motives behind it and then its degeneration by the soviet bureaucracy and its dissolution in 1943. This was followed by the struggle of Leon Trotsky against Stalinism, the foundation of the Fourth International and the ideological weaknesses of the early Trotskyites after the death of Trotsky. The comrade went on to describe the role of the Militant Tendency in the Labour Party; the struggle of comrade Ted Grant and the foundation of the International Marxist Tendency and its current role in labour movements all over the world. Comrade Imran, comrade Paras, comrade Adam Pal and many other comrades took part in the discussion. In their contributions the comrades expressed views about the Congress of the people of the East, in Baku in 1920 and other new initiatives taken by the Third International regarding women and youth. Comrades also discussed the tactics of the United Front, discussed in detail in the Third International. The role of Trotsky in the Second, Third and Fourth International was also discussed in detail. The announcement by Chavez about the fifth International was also welcomed by comrades, and young comrades were very enthusiastic about its founding meeting and the impacts it can have on communist parties all over the world.

In the end comrade Zuhaib summed up the session giving answers to all the questions raised.

The second session was on Pakistan Perspectives, chaired by comrade Saddam from Sindh. In the lead off comrade Zaka from Karachi discussed how the Pakistani state was infected with crises from the very first day and since then it has only intensified. The worsening economic conditions in Pakistan were discussed in detail and also the intervention that the Pakistani section has made in many working class and youth movements. Comrades from every part of Pakistan took part in the discussion and explained the situation in their regions. The current situation of the PPP Government was also discussed in the session. Comrade Farah explained the fascist role of the MQM in Karachi and clashes within it. Comrades explained how the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party has deviated from socialist lines and this is causing the party to lose its popularity in the working class and the masses are looking for an alternative. Many questions were asked regarding the role of the nationalists and the future of Afghanistan and its impacts on Pakistan. Comrade Zaka answered all the questions and summed up the session.

On the second day of the school comrade Shehriyar Zauq chaired the session on World Perspectives. Comrade Asad Ur Rehman from Faisalabad in his lead off explained the global crisis of capitalism and its effects on the working class all over the world. He explained the revolutionary situation in Iran and the events taking place in Latin America, especially in Honduras and Venezuela. The role of the communist parties in India and Nepal was also discussed with great detail. Comrade Kajjal, comrade Umer, comrade Imran, comrade Zohaib, comrade Paras and many other comrades took part in this discussion. Comrade Sumera said that the IMT is the only force in the world that has the correct ideology, perspectives and strategy to lead the world socialist revolution, which is the only way forward for humanity the world over. Many questions were asked about the revolution going on in Iran, the difficult situation in Gaza, the role of China in the world economy and politics and other topics. Comrade Asad answered all the questions in the end.

The agenda of the fourth session was the ‘Asiatic Mode of Production’ and it was chaired by comrade Anam from Multan. Comrade Adam Pal in his interesting lead off explained how the evolution of society in Asia and especially in the Indian Sub Continent was quite different from that of Europe. Feudalism and Capitalism weren’t established here in a classical way through revolutions. He said that the Stalinists tried to explain the history of Asian society on the classical lines of historical materialism (i.e. Feudalism and Capitalism) to protect the Two Stage Theory. This was wrong and it went against the writings of Karl Marx. The composition of society in this part of the world can be better explained on basis of ‘The Theory of Uneven and Combined Development’ by Leon Trotsky. In the light of Marx’s writings on India and his discussion of the Asiatic Mode in Das Capital and other writings, the comrade explained in detail the historical origins and patterns in the Indian sub continent about the modes of production where the ownership of land was complex. He explained that the role of the East India Company in bringing in the Permanent Settlement Act in 1793 and introducing the railways, telegraph and canal systems to this primitive society had impacts on the changing the modes of production and digging the grave of British imperialism.

Despite the complicated nature of the topic many comrades participated which made the discussion more rich and comprehensive. Comrades explained how the incomplete tasks of Capitalism can only be accomplished through Socialism in third world countries and the theory of Two Stages has proved itself wrong with the course of time.

In the end, comrade Adam Pal gave answers to all the questions and raised the issues of the role and the history of the caste system in India, the ownership of land and its hereditary rights, the impact of invaders on culture and religion, the subject of land and other relevant topics.

On the third and final day of the school the last session was chaired by Zohaib Butt. A comrade from Islamabad led-off on the strategy needed for work with youth and students. This was followed by the regional reports which included the recent BNT (unemployed youth movement) and PSF (Peoples Student Federation) work all over the country. The recent election of comrade Zuhaib Butt as president of PSF Punjab was greeted with appreciation. While the successful work of comrades in the Inqlabi Council in Agriculture University, Faisalabad was also praised.

The successful holding of the Kashmir Revolution Conference by Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation JKNSF in Rawlakot and its marvellous work in Kashmir was appreciated by all comrades. The work in the Baloch Students Organisation BSO was also discussed.

After that the new Youth National Executive Committee was elected unanimously. New NEC of youth expressed revolutionary solidarity with the youth and students of Iran who have started a revolution against the rule of despotic mullahs and have vowed to support them through every means in their struggle.

Comrade Changez from the host region thanked all the comrades for their participation and the revolutionary discipline that they had maintained during the school.

Comrade Yasir from Kashmir summed up the school by saying that human life is useless if it hasn’t found any mission to die for. Our mission is great, as it is to pull humanity out of the gutter of Capitalism which is giving nothing but miseries, hunger, poverty and wars all over the world. We have faith in our ideology, as Socialism is the only way out of this darkness and barbarism. The International Marxist Tendency is holding the flag of Revolutionary Socialism and we are marching on true Marxist-Leninist lines and the time is not too far ahead when a red dawn will spare humanity from this darkness and lust for money. Man will become man in its true sense in a socialist society. The School was concluded by singing the Internationale.