Leftism and Violence: Mutually Tolerant Society
- In Politics
- 11:48 AM, Dec 18, 2015
- Ranabir Bhattacharyya
Ever since its inception in the political domain, conceived by Karl Marx, Communism has always been a case of dark controversies. From the days of Bolshevik revolution to the present economic crisis in Greece, Communism has been an integral part to world events be it in the economic sphere or the socio political domain. The leftist path has never been tolerant or peaceful as history is replete with numerous examples in the last century and the present one. Historians and sociologists in this regard, often draw parallel between present Islamist atrocities and leftist penchant for violence.
The Communist regimes all over the world have clawed its way through bloodshed and the dreams of socialism much like cinematic magic realism has actually ripped apart humanity with horror and mindless violence.Although Marxist intellectuals pretend to speak for the working class and laborers, yet they are the victims of leftist oppression. The term 'politicide' can be referred to in this context, which has been a government tool in communist regimes to wipe out of all sorts of opposition. Erstwhile Soviet Union is the shining example of decadent and ruthless Communism. Historians can recall that more than 80,000 prisoners were executed under Stalin's regime in the name of political and criminal offenses. Let's not forget those heinous 39,000 deaths during forced resettlement of Kulaks. The Pitesti Experiment in Romania is another glaring example of left extremism that history will never forget. Gross human rights violations in Romania accounted for more than two million lives lost between 1945 and 1989. Bulgaria and East Germany also witnessed mass killings in the red regime. According to the reports available now, more than 50,000 people were killed in Bulgaria in early 1944 when agricultural collectivization and political repression had its communist venom spreading bloodshed. Soviet Union butchered more than 80,000 people in East Germany in 1945. In the name of exterminating class enemies, Communist government in North Vietnam killed 50,000 to 172,000 wealthy farmers and landowners in the early 1950's. Hungary also felt the Communist heat as Russians committed crimes against the political opposition. Even after World War II, State Protection Authority in Hungary carried on their bloody propaganda. The Democratic Kampuchea regime in Cambodia, one of the deadliest Communist regimes took more than 2.5 million lives in the cold war era. The case of Africa is no different where in 1977-1978, half a million people were killed by the Communists in Ethiopia.
The Asian scenario isn't different either. Take the case of Korea, where executions and concentration camps took the toll to more than one million lives from 1948 to 1987. The Korean War and the state-made famine can't be forgotten either and all this happened in Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-un, the present North Korean dictator is carrying on the red legacy by eliminating every opposition and even threatening the West with nuclear bombs every now and then. The 'socialist' experiment of Mao Zedong will be written in the red letters in the history of communist bloodshed. Be it execution, imprisonment or forced famine, the state machinery was responsible for all excesses and the Great Cultural Revolution in China took the lives of 46,000 scholars. From 1959 to 1961, more than 30 million people were mercilessly killed by the Reds bringing in 'the great leap forward'. Let's not forget the cultural genocide carried on by the Chinese Communists against the Tibetans. After the 1959 Tibetan uprising, more than 92,000 Tibetans were simply either burnt alive or mutilated or starved to death.
Amongst all the Communist regimes till date, Stalinist era remains the darkest one. Although National Socialism and Communism are markedly different ideas yet Hitler's Nazi era and Stalinism have got strong similarities as far as political violence is concerned. In this regard Major General Vasili Blokhin's name, who was Stalin's chief executioner at Lubyanka prison remains the benchmark in cruelty. He single-handedly gunned down thousands of prisoners. The concept of party-army took over the violent upsurge in ethnic deportations, forced labour, ethnic cleansing of communities- Soviet xenophobia aka Stalinism did cost millions of lives. No one can forget those Soviet concentration camps or the Western Siberian prison cells where it is rumoured that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was also imprisoned for so many years in the early 50's.
The Indian experiment with Communism is no peaceful passage either. Although Communism entered Indian front via the Trade Unions, yet it did spread its violent wings at every opportunity. When the 1962 Indo-China war was on the verge of inflicting heavy defeat on Indian Army, the Communist Party of India voiced their support for China! They even chanted slogans saying, "China's Chairman, is our Chairman, China's path is our path." The Naxalite movement in Bengal brought huge political unrest and fear broke loose in the city of Kolkata and other districts. Communists have been in power in Bengal for more than three decades, and here too, the state machinery has been used to wipe out all sorts of opposition until Mamata Banerjee struggled her way to change things round in the power centre. The Sainbari killings in March 1970 witnessed how the Communists used bloodshed as political experiment where two Congress leaders of Sain family in Burdwan were killed. On the auspicious occasion of Saraswati Puja in January 1979, Jyoti Basu's police force open fired, starved and killed the Bengali Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in Marichjhapi. In April 1982, Marxist cadres burned to death 17 Ananda Margis on Bijan Setu in Kolkata, who were on the way attending an educational conference in nearby Tiljala area and the whole incident took place in broad daylight. The Nanoor massacare in July 2000 highlighted how eleven Muslim landless labourers were killed by the party cadres once again, which created huge political uproar in the state. The Nandigram massacare also witnessed how the Communist leaders used the local police force to silence all opposition and killed unarmed farmers.
The difference between Communists and all other regimes is this - the leftists never fail to impose its dictatorial principles on media. That is why exact details of the leftist atrocities can't be estimated. Over all it can be said, the data collected gives only a glimpse or is tip of the iceberg. Ironically, Communists these days are giving a call for 'tolerance'. The cruel irony of this cannot be missed by those who have studied the history of leftist regimes or have suffered under leftists. The communist economical perspective is self destructing as well as can certainly be seen in the case of Greece, Venezuela, Cuba and so many other countries, where communism has derailed civilization from the path of inclusive development.
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