India is the Largest Democracy in this planet. The dance of democracy is now happening at state level legislatives. As people horde up in long queues to exercise their power of election - the state of West Bengal faces a strange dilemma.

This state is the only pure Communist state in the country. It has been recorded in The Guiness, that the Communists had ruled West Bengal for the past 29 years, without a break. Yes, the rule is more of misrule - in 29 years, education &industrialization in WB has eroded - so has farming. The only respite is perhaps that the Bengali cultural intellect has stayed awake throughout.

In the past year, however - WB has witnessed a sudden rise. Rise in income, education status, industrialization thru’ IT & infrustructure. It has recorded a growth only 2nd to Gujrat, toppling states like Maharastra & Karnataka on its way. We, have suddenly began to believe in a better tomorrow. But this discussion can be a topic of some other fanciful blog.

The fact that a single party ruling over the minds of more than 74.5 Million people for 29 long years, with all its mistakes, flaws & misrule - generates enough interest, surprise & awe in me to study the basics of Communism & share the same in a blog.

The History of Communism as a political system began in the middle of the 19th century.
Communism is an implementation of the political theory envisaged by Karl Marx, which said that the working classes would take over all aspects of society and would eliminate all other classes, which would therefore create a classless society- Marx described this as the “Dictatorship of the Proletariat (A social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages”.The first Communist revolution took place in Russia in 1917 - the form of Communism that was used became known as Marxism-Leninism, because it involved some differences to Marx’s theory. Marxism-Leninism is different to the form of Communism in China, known as Maoism, because it involved the rise of the urban proletariat, whereas Chairman Mao saw the peasant class as the grounds for revolution, hence the name Maoism.

What is Communism?
A classless society with no exploitation. No state machine used by one section of the population to oppress another section. No need for professional armies or police forces. No use of production for profit or exchange. Society runs in accord with the principle: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

What is Socialism?
A society run by the working class rather than the bourgeoisie (The social class between the lower and upper classes - ie the Middle Class). The state machine is used to defend working class interests against those who still have wealth or power and who will attempt to return society to the capitalist system and bourgeois rule. Socialism is the period of transition between the overthrow of bourgeois rule and the development of a classless, communist society.

What us Capitalism?
Capitalism is an economic theory which stresses that control of the means of producing economic goods in a society should reside in the hands of those who invest the capital for production. Private ownership and free enterprise is supposed to lead to more efficiency, lower prices, better products. Contrasts with Communism & Socialism.

Below is a Ben Seattle article on Pro-Communism, makes an interesting read for a Non-Communist too:
Communism and human nature

The self-organizing moneyless economy of the future will unleash the full potential of human initiative and the striving for happiness. Many argue that communism will never be possible because of “human nature”. The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do - and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness.
• This argument is based on two false assumptions: (1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in order to own bigger and bigger piles of commodities.
• The truth is that: (1) There will be no government in communist society–people will do what they want without being pushed around by anyone. The development of a corrupt police state or a new ruling class will be prevented by the struggles of the masses who will be armed with the weapon of transparency. (2) In a world of abundance for all no one will have to struggle (or even work) for the necessities of life (which will be a birthright–just like the air we all breathe). People will work on projects of their own choosing because (a) they find the work fun and interesting; (b) they enjoy the work relationships with talented and dedicated co-workers; (c) they want to make the world a better place; or (d) they want social status and recognition. A world of abundance for all where work is fun (and voluntary) will be made possible by a much higher productivity of human labor.
• An example of communist work relationships is provided by the Linux computer operating system - the core of which was created by many thousands of people - all working for free. A 2nd example is the “work” involved when people post to this board.
• Who is in control? Under capitalism (and previous economic systems such as feudalism and slavery) only a small fraction of the population has control over their conditions of work–and the life of society as a whole. Only under genuine communism will the masses control their conditions of work - and the culture, economy and politics of society.

In the words of the Rev. W.D.P. Bliss, “socialism puts its emphasis on common production and distribution; communism, on life in common”.

We all know, feel & realize - in today’s perspective, a Communist World cannot exist - though The WB Communist Government continue to rule with surprising elan.

The letter below is an article on Rediff. I found it so damn interesting - I thought I will put it on my blog.
Give it a read.


Dear President Bush,

As you embark on your courageous visit to Pakistan, the adopted homeland of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mullah Mohammed Omar and other brutal killers of hundreds of your fellow citizens, may I request you to spare a thought for your fellow citizens and for the nationals of other countries who continue to die at the hands of international jihadi terrorists given sanctuary in Pakistan?

May I, in particular, request you to spare a thought for a young American man called Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and brutally beheaded a little over four years ago at Karachi, from where Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, at the instance of bin Laden, planned and orchestrated the 9/11 terrorist strikes on America?

What was Pearl’s ‘crime’? The jihadi terrorists held him ‘guilty’ on three counts: He was American, he was Jewish, and he was a journalist working for The Wall Street Journal.

You and other American leaders often reiterate that no terrorist who kills a fellow American will go unpunished. Well, Mr President, Omar Sheikh, the man who orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of Pearl, has just completed four years of comfortable life in a so-called prison in Hyderabad in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

General Pervez Musharraf — your buddy, as you are fond of calling him — has seen to it that Omar Sheikh does not go to the gallows despite an anti-terrorism court having sentenced him to death three years ago.

From the so-called jail in Hyderabad, where he is provided with all the comforts and facilities he asks for — computers, Internet connections, fax machines, etcetera — Sheikh continues to mastermind acts of jihadi terrorism, violent attacks, and anti-US demonstrations in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries.

Sheikh orchestrated the anti-US demonstrations in Pakistan and Afghanistan over the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran by the security guards at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba last year.

Sheikh’s lawyers used to hold press conferences at which statements on the Holy Quran desecration allegations — issued by the murderer of Daniel Pearl himself — were distributed.

Sheikh inspired the three British nationals of Pakistani origin who carried out the London explosions of July 7 last year.

Sheikh orchestrated and continues to orchestrate demonstrations in Pakistan — and earlier in Afghanistan — over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in some European newspapers.

Mr President, you remember the two attempts to kill your buddy in December 2003 at Rawalpindi? Well, your buddy has ensured the guilty in those incidents were tried, appeals against their conviction disposed of, and sent to the gallows.

For your buddy, the law did not pose any difficulty in sending them to death for trying to kill him.

The same law, according to your buddy, has been standing in the way of the killers of Daniel Pearl being sent to the gallows.

Do you know how many times the hearing in Sheikh’s appeal against the conviction has been adjourned by the appellate court? It was adjourned for the 41st time right on the eve of your visit to Pakistan.

On Sunday, February 26, the Sindh high court adjourned the hearing once again on the ground that Sheikh has sacked his defence lawyer and that the killer must be given time to find and engage another lawyer.

Mr President, you must be aware of the old saying that a man is known by the company he keeps. What a buddy you have, Mr President, in General Musharraf!

Your buddy does not have any powers to send the killers of Daniel Pearl to the gallows, but he had all the powers in the world to dismiss his own elected prime minister, arrest him and have him convicted on the charge of hijacking under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Your buddy helped bin Laden, Zawahiri and their jihadi hordes to escape from Tora Bora in Afghanistan into Pakistan and is not taking any action to kill or capture Laden.

Your buddy is afraid that if bin Laden is eliminated, his own importance in your eyes could diminish.

Your buddy gave sanctuary to Mullah Mohammad Omar and his Taliban hordes in Pakistan from where they are staging a spectacular comeback in Afghanistan.

Your buddy has closed his eyes to the international jihadi terrorists setting up a ‘liberated’ zone in his Waziristan region.

Do you know what bin Laden is today? He is the Amir of the International Islamic Caliphate with the provisional capital in Waziristan.

Your buddy has covered up his own involvement in the supply of military nuclear material by A Q Khan to Libya, Iran and North Korea. And your buddy has protected the scientist by repeatedly refusing to hand him over to the International Atomic Energy Agency for interrogation by independent investigators.

Your buddy’s buddy bin Laden has recently issued a message warning of another 9/11 in your homeland. Where is it being planned from? Your buddy’s homeland!
What a buddy you have, Mr President! What a buddy!

With very warm regards, Sir,

Yours sincerely,

B Raman