From People's Democracy, Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India
(Marxist), January 2, 2000.
NEW MILLENNIUM GREETINGS
Direction of Future is Clear
THIS year's New Year Greetings acquire an added significance. Standing at the threshold of
the 21st century, all of us are witness to humanity's transition to the third millennium.
It is only natural that in all such periods of transition, the concerned generation would
look back at the achievements and experiences of the century that has turned into history.
And every generation would rightfully claim that the century that has passed had made an
irreversible impact on the development of human civilisation.
The 20th century, however, building on the advances of previous centuries, made a
qualitative leap in all areas of human endeavour. It, in fact, opened up new vistas of
science; extended its frontiers to hitherto unimaginable horizons; it cleaved open new
frontiers of human creativity in every intellectual field.
The most significant contribution of the 20th century, however, has been the translation
into reality of a human social order that is free from exploitation of man by man. For the
first time in human history, there emerged a scientific basis for ending the hitherto
history of human civilisation based on class exploitation. The
great October Revolution of 1917 was a landmark achievement in this regard. It set a
blazing trail, inspiring millions the world over to intensify their struggles against
exploitation and oppression. The victory of that revolution sent chill down the capitalist
spine. World imperialism could never reconcile to the existence of
socialism. Imperialism eventually succeeded after more than seven decades, aided by
serious lapses and mistakes committed during the process of socialist construction, in
dismantling the socialist USSR and East European socialist countries. However, the mighty
Chinese Revolution continues its triumph, valiant Cuba continues to defy the imperialist
might, the heroic Vietnamese are engaged in a process of strengthening socialism and the
DPRK, despite severe odds, continues to build socialism.
It was the Soviet Red Army that was the main bulwark in defeating fascism. This triumph,
which was marked by the hoisting of the red flag over Hitler's Reichstag, liberated
millions from the yoke of fascist tyranny. It was this victory that set in motion the
process of decolonisation and the crumbling of the colonial empires. Many a freedom
struggle, including in India, drew tremendous strength and inspiration from the socialist
Soviet Union.
Socialism forced world capitalism to adopt many a reform which today would be considered
an essential prerequisite of modern civilisation. Health care, public education, social
benefits -- the entire concept of a welfare state was but a response to the existence of
socialism and its impact on the aspirations of the people.
Socialism gave us a new direction to expand the frontiers of human knowledge. It was the
socialist USSR that pioneered humanity into outer space. The impact of the revolution was
such that it liberated creativity in an unparalleled manner. Einstein gave a new grammar
and language to modern science.
The socialist revolution and national liberation struggles, during the course of the 20th
century, imparted a richer content to human civilisation by making it possible for the
majority of the working people in many countries to lead their lives without national
oppression and free from exploitation. This impact continues to chart the
future course of human development towards national and social liberation.
On the other hand, capitalism during the 20th century plunged humanity into two barbaric
world wars claiming millions of lives. It produced and used nuclear weapons to demonstrate
its inhuman superiority and plunged the world into a nuclear arms race with devastating
consequences. It launched numerous wars to contain humanity's advance to socialism,
intervened in the internal affairs of independent countries, organised coups, foisted
reactionary and dictatorial regimes to suit its interests. Its most barbaric form was
exposed in the fascist dictatorships.
Following the reverses for world socialism, imperialism has launched a new offensive
aiming at economic re-colonisation of the developing countries. Its three main levers --
IMF, World Bank and WTO -- are being utilised to put into effect a new form of economic
bondage. This reality tellingly demonstrates the unjust and
inhuman nature of capitalism. It is its rapacious plunder that is responsible for the
terrible situation of hunger, misery, sickness and illiteracy that grip the millions in
the developing world. It is directly responsible for the dangers of nuclear holocaust and
worsening major ecological imbalances. The increasing moral and ethical
degeneration of capitalist societies, drug abuse, violence, racist and sexual
discrimination are continuously debasing the finer qualities of human beings. Despite the
perennial propaganda, intensified after the reverses to socialism, that "capitalism
is eternal," it today, as in the past, proves itself as a system incapable of solving
the
major problems confronting humanity.
While a comprehensive balance sheet of the 20th century will be made subsequently, one
conclusion is inescapable: the people's march for social and national liberation will
continue with greater vigour in the 21st century. The last decade of the 20th century has
been a clear pointer in this direction. Notwithstanding the fanfare and orchestrated
propaganda around the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union and
East Europe, events have vindicated that capitalism is not the answer to the problems
faced by the people of these countries. The regrouping of progressive forces in every
continent of the world, the dismantling of the imperialist-backed aparthied regime in
South Africa, the string of electoral defeats of the right-wing
ruling parties advocating neo-liberal economic policies in the advanced capitalist
countries -- all point to the fact that the early decades of the 21st century are bound to
witness a spurt of popular struggles against exploitation and oppression.
Thus, notwithstanding the twist and turns, the zigzags of history, successes and reverses,
the developments of this century reflected the profound impact of people's struggle in
evolution of human progress. The revolutionary transformations have brought about
qualitative leaps in history and have left an indelible imprint on modern civilisation.
The consequent economic, political and social rights have now come to be considered
inseparable from human civilisation. The national and social liberation process of the
peoples has been irregular, complex, and may take a long time to complete. But the
direction for the future is clear.
And, that future begins now!
Editor
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