Flesh and Blood Revolutionaries :

It is heartening to note a senior Maoist like Kobad Ghandy’s frank recognition of the failures of Marxism in practice (“Judging Marxism by Its Fruits”, EPW, 25 June 2011). One hopes, probably in vain, that his critical gaze makes a dent in the doctrinaire assessment of his party on the collapse of socialism. However, Ghandy’s thoughts on the individual and society are somewhat problematic. He holds that in the inevitable stiﬂing of d emocracy after a socialist victory, the hope of radical democracy lies in the democratic credentials of the leadership.

It is heartening to note a senior Maoist like Kobad Ghandy’s frank recognition of the failures of Marxism in practice (“Judging Marxism by Its Fruits”, EPW, 25 June 2011). One hopes, probably in vain, that his critical gaze makes a dent in the doctrinaire assessment of his party on the collapse of socialism. However, Ghandy’s thoughts on the individual and society are somewhat problematic. He holds that in the inevitable stiﬂing of d emocracy after a socialist victory, the hope of radical democracy lies in the democratic credentials of the leadership. However institutions, like the party itself, can transform a leadership, and therefore it is the structure of those institutions that needs scrutiny. Ghandy ends by saying, “Unfortunately no answer has yet been evolved on how man can change from his present egocentric approach to one of modesty, simplicity and straightforwardness. Yet, the answer to this question is central to sustaining change towards justice, freedom and h appiness.” This is somewhat similar to the belief in the emergence of the new s ocialist woman and man for creating the new communist society and departs from any pretense to materialism. Undoubtedly, revo lutionary movements transform people who participate in it. This is the basis of the personal stories of sacriﬁce in movements the world over. How ever this transformation is non-heritable. A new h uman does not arise from the loins of the revolutionary!

Two things follow from this. First, what this human animal can become is largely determined by the institutions and values of the society where it is born and which it directly experiences. Second, if the democratic practices of s ocial institutions d epend upon the democratic values of the leadership, irrespective of how great any current leadership is they will always, inevitably, become moribund, bureaucratic and even dictatorial. Is it not about time that the communist movement started thinking about the i ssues of social transformation with real ﬂesh and blood people?