What has Marxism given to this country...?

During a social media discussion on progressive literature, Marxism, and its influence on writers, a question arose: “What has Marxism given to this country?” (The question was asked by a government teacher.) This is not a question that should be ignored without an answer. With the intent of explaining not only what Marxism has given to teachers like the one who asked, but also what it has given to the country as a whole, this essay was written.

Even for government employees, the great force behind securing the right to an eight-hour workday—along with the working class—was Marxism. It was Marxism that gave the idea that fair wages must be a right. The foundation for demanding PRCs every five years, and interim adjustments in between if necessary, was laid by Marxism. The dearness allowance, house rent allowance, arrears, and various other facilities that employees receive today—along with the recognition that these can be fought for and won as rights—came from Marxism. The very idea that after the retirement of a government employee, his wife should receive a pension as a right, also came from Marxist thought.

Even today, the struggle to restore the old pension scheme (OPS) that governments have taken away from current employees is being led by Marxist-minded teacher union leaders. They are the ones who raise their voices for you, in legislatures if possible, otherwise on the streets. They fight. These are all lights given by Marxism. It is Marxists who asserted that providing employment is the responsibility of governments, that employment opportunities must be created in the public sector, and who fought on behalf of the unemployed when governments failed. It is Marxists who raised the slogans “Education for all, Employment for all, Healthcare for all.”

Now, what has Marxism given to the country as a whole? Marxist thought has been in India for more than a hundred years. No other group has contributed as much as Marxists have to elevating this country. It was Marxism that inspired the formation of the Communist Party of India with the goal of liberating India from colonial rule, building a democratic India, and striving toward an egalitarian society. Marxists brought the slogan that India does not need just independence, but complete independence, into mass consciousness and turned it into the political agenda of all parties. This was a great victory Marxism gave to India and its people.

Indian Marxists, who made British rulers sleepless, faced trials like the Meerut, Kanpur, and Peshawar conspiracy cases. The British, worried about Marxism gaining strength in India, banned the Communist Party and its allied organizations. Yet Marxists did not retreat. Alongside the freedom struggle, they led labor movements and gave workers strength. The 1946 strikes by postal, telegraph, and railway workers were historic. The Royal Indian Navy revolt, conducted jointly with nationalist leaders, was extraordinary.

When the Bengal famine of 1943 killed 3.5 million people, Marxists worked tirelessly to address the food crisis, declaring “If Bengal dies, India cannot live.” From that experience came the demand that India must never again see famine deaths. Marxists were behind the formulation of the Food Security Act in UPA-1, ensuring food security for all Indians. Because of that Act, even under today’s Modi government, ration supplies reach 850 million people free of cost, as a right.

It was Indian Marxists who gave the slogan “Land to the tiller.” Based on this slogan, during the Telangana peasant armed struggle, one million acres of land were redistributed to the poor. For this, 4,000 Marxist thinkers sacrificed their lives. Similar struggles took place in Punnapra-Vayalar in Kerala and Tebhaga in Bengal. While participating in the national movement, Marxists also worked for labor welfare. For millions of workers exploited without fixed working hours, Marxism became a guiding light. Marxism led to the creation of trade unions and stood with millions of workers, helping to secure 64 different labor laws. These paved the way for rights such as provident fund, ESI, dearness allowance, overtime, leave, earned leave, maternity leave, and paternity leave. Marxism inspired struggles for these rights, and continues to encourage demands for more.

It was Indian Marxists who pressured governments to set up public sector undertakings and Navaratna companies. After independence, they forced the government to nationalize banks, abolish privy purses, and implement land reforms. Through land ceiling proposals, they determined how much land one individual could own and redistributed surplus land to Dalits and the poor. Even today, reforms like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Right to Information Act, Food Security Act, and Forest Rights Act bear the imprint of Marxist struggles.

Marxism also emphasized that half of society—women—must have equal rights. Marxists demanded 50% political reservation for women. The Women’s Reservation Bill, which recently passed in Parliament, was seeded by CPI MP and Marxist leader Geeta Mukherjee. Her vision has now become reality.

Though Marxists today lag behind in electoral politics and power, the victories they achieved are not small. Much remains to be achieved. But it would not be an exaggeration to say that many of the welfare schemes governments now announce as election promises are actually the results of demands once raised, organized, and fought for by Marxists.

In every family of the oppressed, downtrodden, poor, weak, working, and farming classes in India, the fruits of Marxism continue to be felt. And for those who have not yet received them, it is still Marxist forces that are fighting.

Dr. C. N. Kshetrapal Reddy 9059837847