What hope is left for Indian Left

The Left has had mixed results in the recent Assembly elections. In West Bengal, its vote percentage has dropped from 41.0 per cent in the 2011 Assembly polls to 29.6 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, to 26.1 in the 2016 Assembly polls.

In sum a secular decline from 2011, despite the fact that it worked hard to shake off the severe anger and alienation of the Bengal peasantry and middle strata over the forcible and bloody attempt to acquire agricultural land for industrial purposes in Singur and Nandigram, for which the CPI(M) has been held responsible.

Also read - 10 reasons Left-Congress lost West Bengal more than Mamata won it

The BJP, in contrast, increased its votes from 4.4 per cent to 16.8 per cent down to 10.2 per cent in the 2016 Assembly elections. This is a serious electoral fact, which the Left will have to consider very seriously. The fact that despite its best efforts, the largest Left party has consistently declined in West Bengal means that some rethinking is required.

The world and ideologies have changed drastically since the end of the 20th century. Old style Marxism, whether Marxism-Leninism or the old vanguardist role of the communist party runs on principles of "democratic centralism," is increasingly obsolete.

But as new Left parties have shown like Syriza in Greece, and Podemos in Spain, the "austerity" neoliberal policies, have led also to renewal of the Left even in the UK in the form of Jeremy Corbyn, likely to be the next British prime minister, and in the US, Bernie Sanders, a "democratic socialist" who has given Hillary Clinton a very hard fight for the Democratic nomination in the US presidential elections. So the predictions about the imminent decline of the Left here or abroad, are premature.

A surprising and swift self-criticism of the decision to have a seat adjustment with the Congress, was made by former general secretary of the CPI(M) Prakash Karat. Karat was very critical of the "tactics" adopted in West Bengal, and appeared to distance the central committee from the West Bengal leadership's decision to have an electoral adjustment strongly supported by general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Also read - Left-Congress' one-election stand in West Bengal had to fail

If there was any fault by the Left in West Bengal, it was arguably the fact that it did not put together a broader alliance, following the Bihar example. That, of course, was not merely an issue of "tactics" but strategy. A charismatic leader like Mamata Banerjee is formidable, but the Left will have to find a way to create a wider social base, including among the minorities.

In any case, the LDF in Kerala is an alliance, and that is a major factor in its successes. So instead of Karat and Yechury, among the best Left leaders, going in for a criticism fest, their party needs to consider the secular and democratic aspects of the Congress, which would help in stopping the media hyped NDA push to power.

Also read - 3 things Mamata must do to stay the Didi of Bengal

Kerala, is once again the success story of the Left. From 44.9 per cent votes in the 2011 Assembly elections, to 40.1 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, up again to 42.6 per cent in the 2016 Assembly elections. The BJP vote share in the same elections was 6.0 per cent, 10.3 per cent and 14.6 per cent - 3.9 per cent (ally BDJS -- 3.9 per cent) = 10 7 per cent.

So the BJP's improved vote share was due to its ally. Of course, the CPI(M) has a ticklish personnel problem accentuated by the size of the LDF victory. The old stalwart, and legendary former CM VS Achuthanandan, who campaigned very hard despite being 92-years-old and must take substantial credit for the LDF victory, was not made CM as the CPI(M) expectedly confirmed Pinarayi Vijayan as the next CM of the LDF government.

Sitaram to conciliate the old veteran compared him to "Fidel Castro for Kerala, advising, guiding and inspiring the government. Like Castro advising the Cuban government now..." A very gracious tribute.

Also read - Kerala's new CM Vijayan will find an Opposition in Achuthanandan

But currently Fidel Castro is semi-retired. His brother Raul Castro is the executive leader. Perhaps, the West Bengal comrades should have a closer look at the Kerala panchayat system, its agricultural and fishing cooperatives. Some renovation, especially in West Bengal, will make a visible impact on the poor and middle strata. A lot has been done, but every bit counts.

As the great German poet Goethe wrote, "Grey is all theory, but green is the eternal tree of life." A sentiment and poetic lines Lenin greatly admired. Or as the noted Italian Marxist, Antonio Gramsci, borrowing from Romain Rolland, used to stress, "Optimism of will, pessimism of intellect."

The Left must, learning from Gramsci avoid, "Optimism of intellect." It is a dangerous failing.