What is the Dictatorship of the Proletariat?

The Dictatorship of the Proletariat, Proletarian Democracy, or a Worker’s State are the terms used to describe the form of the post-revolutionary Government. This paradigm is one of the most misused terms by Bourgeois Liberals o undermine worker revolutions because of the use of “Dictatorship”. Understandable of course considering that Liberals are at ideological war with the Left and Karl Marx did in a sense no anticipate the more rudimentary ways in which counter-revolutionaries would attack the concept of the worker’s state. But nevertheless, in more intellectual circles across the ideological divides, there is a very accurate understanding of what the Dictatorship of the Proletariat is. Now to simplify it for everyone else.

Who are the Proletariat?

The proletariat are the working class. Who are the working class? Those who sell labour for a wage and own no means of production or capital. In the very simplest of terms, if you must work for a salary for sustenance, then you are the working class. This basically makes 95% of the world or more the Proletarian Class.

But… What About the Middle Class!?

The Middle Class, so to speak, is an artificial class as per pure Marxian postulates. This is not to say that they do not exist in the frame of Leftist thought. It means that newer theories address the concept of the Middle Class. However, it is important to understand why this class exists. The Middle Class didn’t exist as a class until after World War 2. There was literally only what we call the Labour Class and the Bourgeoisie till then – the bourgeoisie being the class that owns capital and hires the Labour class. 

The Middle Class is actually a creation of Social Democratic and Liberalist economic policies of the West. This is a simple matter of creating a divide in the Working Class. Worker Revolutions all over the world had forced Western Governments to raise wages in a graded fashion. Thus, some members of the Working Class prospered for their “intellectual labour”. This newly prosperous class became a walking advertisement for the Bourgeoisie to the Working Class of what rewards can accrue to those who are willing to remain under wage slavery – albeit by working harder. So, in summation, you may call yourself Middle Class but sadly, you are nothing more than a wage slave. You are in fact the more vulnerable one because you are neither protected by the labour movement nor by the Bourgeoisie.

But the Middle Classes are also a social class apart, aren’t they?

Social Class is a product of economic realities. Middle Classes are an expansive group in that sense who can comprise those with a conservative to progressive, an erudite to a luddite, and a religious to atheistic sensibility. If there is any differentiation that can be observed here, it is the differentiation of the Intellect – Knowledge. This is how Bourgeoisie play this game to divide the Classes further.

Knowledge is not a traditional “commodity.” Once created it passes from person to person and doesn’t diminish in value and in that sense completely antagonises Capitalism and the Free market. Thus, the Bourgeoisie and their hands in Government Commodify Knowledge. They ensure that the fundamental right to an equal and infinite education is price-restricted, thus class restricted and sometimes race-restricted. This is the reason why the Labour Class and Middle Class have become socially separate classes.

So that means the Dictatorship of the Proletariat as actually a Dictatorship of …. Us?

Exactly! Right now, every Non-Socialist country in the world is the opposite of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat…It is the Dictatorship of the Bourgeoisie. And why is that? Because the way Parliamentary Democracy in Liberal Democracies and Social Democracies are structured, Democracy tends to allow the Bourgeoisie into power. Once they are in power, they make policies and subvert Government for their means and ends. This can be seen plainly and simply as this: Elections are fought by parties for the votes of the population, they theory being one man-one vote. However, parties need money to contest elections and spread and advertise themselves – the point where the advertisement is more of a personality contest than a statement of merit. This advertisement and propagation requires money and this lies with the Bourgeoisie. The Bourgeoisie thus will extract their pound of flesh in terms of policies once their party is elected.

But coming back to the basics, does this mean Socialist countries are not Democracies?

This is false and is Western anti-communist propaganda. The edifice of any Socialist country is a Democracy. The difference between Socialism and Parliamentary democracy is that the Bourgeoisie has been eliminated from Government and Economic power so it becomes truly one person one vote. It is thus the people who decide their fate ultimately and not the Bourgeoisie. The electoral process exists just as in any other democracy; however, there are multiple safeguards in place to ensure that power is never in the hands of one person, there is the right to recall, there State funding of electoral messages from candidates, etc. The electoral structures are different for different Socialist countries but the best would be the Cuban model to analyse.

So that is why the Dictatorship of the Proletariat is the same as Proletarian Democracy?

Exactly, it is in fact the purest form of democracy.

But why are there only dictatorial figures in Socialist countries like Fidel, Stalin, Mao, Xi, Kim Jung Un?

There are multiple reasons for this. In the USSR, Stalin was unchallenged as an elected leader of the Soviets. This is mostly due to the fact that Stalin was an awe-inspiring figure in Russia and the father of the modern Russian state. In Cuba, the country has since its inception, been under a state of distress and constant threat from the US and counter-revolutionaries; therefore, the constant rallying behind its revolutionary leaders. North Korea, has a cult of personality around its leaders. China, post Mao, has subverted its own Revolution and undermined its own democratic principles. However, all said, internal party democracy is fundamental to the party of electing the leader to a full term. 

But let us also note here the various elected Communist Govts in the world as well. It is important to note here that whenever there has been a Socialist Revolution, the local and international Bourgeoisie do everything in their power from sanctions to all-out war to ensure that the Revolution is crushed. For that matter, they do this even when Communist Governments are democratically elected like in Chile, Kerala, Venezuela, etc.

So, a Proletarian Democracy sounds like the best model but if the Bourgeoisie are going to keep undermining it, what is the way forward?

This is exactly the problem that countries like Venezuela are grappling with, how to implement socialism without revolution? Or is social democracy the only sustainable model? But social democracy is not Socialism, it is still Capitalism and allowing the Bourgeoisie to exist and have a method to get into power. Countries like Venezuela should have switched to Revolutionary mode and oppressed their Capitalist class out of existence like the USSR and China did. At the end of the day, these two countries and Cuba present the best models. Revolution is the only way to bring in a Proletarian Democracy because the Bourgeoisie will not give up power unless it is staring at the barrel of a gun. Don’t think that that is brutal, the fact is that the Bourgeoisie do that every day to the Working Classes in a Bourgeois Democracy – that is what the Army and Police are for….to oppress the Working Classes and to protect the property of the rich. 

On the destruction of Hindutva (Political Hinduism)….

Of all the Right Wing ideologies that the world has put forth to date from Hitlerite Fascism, Italian Fascism, Libertarianism, Capitalism, Neoliberalism, Nationalisms in its various flavours, Islamism, none perhaps is more Tragically Comical, and yet extremely resurgent, as Hindutva. From a dialectical perspective, Hindutva is in a constant state of the negation of the negation.

Hindutva’s roots go back to an age of colonialism and the end of the age of Imperialism, ironically which was trigged by the Russian Revolution and Socialism’s spread in the world. Hindutva then tried to carve out a Hindustan but failed due to its own Internal contradictions, not to mention its inability to reconcile primary and secondary contradictions and thus join the bigger anti-Imperialist movement for Independence. One could opine that the ideological l’air de temps meant that the World was done with Right Wing ideology as well post WW2. However, the military dictatorships and the rise of theocratic states, render this argument redundant. The elimination of reactionary potential requires a prolonged period of Socialism and inculcating Social Consciousness.

Skip to the close of the 20^th century and we observe the first political rise of Hindutva into the seat of power via the NDA Govt of Vajpayee. This was a Govt that is barely remembered for anything beyond its corruption, policy gaffes, the comical nature of Vajpayee himself, economic suicide and a brief war. The Hindutva of this Govt was a more liberalised form of the parent fascism. NDA 1 was a “Hindutva Lite” of sorts…. A center-rightist formation. It is worth noting however that from a sociological perspective, this was the first Political expression of the Hindus. This is not to say that Hindus weren’t in power before but rather that another class of Hindus found their political expression finally. The lower castes and classes of Hindus – the more illiterate, backward, village mentality, newly enriched with liberalisation North Indian Hindus found their leader in power. Thus giving credibility to the position that “being a backward villager was a good thing and not a stigma anymore.” It is worth noting that in contrast to most civilised societies in the world, India is the only country in the world that did not destroy its backward, vile, paganism; it rather institutionalised it and promoted it further. It in fact fought back any attempts to improve itself and society more strongly. Hindutva must thus be understood ideologically with the similarity to Islamism – As a Movement against progressiveness, equality, modernism, Western Civilisation, and Modern-People’s Democracy.

Cut to the present day where we see Hindutva having negated its old Center-Right image for a more fluid Rightward stand. Fluid because it has no moorings within an Economic Rightist program and Hindutva is still not Political Economy in the ideological sense – a weakness and an internal contradiction. However, this phase of Hindutva has learned more from Islamism in that it is even more insular, conservative, and even harks back to a medieval period of south Asia. However, it is important to understand some edifices that it is built upon: Hinduism as a monocultural hegemony, North Indianism, Brahminism, Economically to the Right, Anti-intellectualism, Classism and Stateism. Thus, what are antithetical constructs that can destroy this phase of Hindutva?

DravidaNadu and National Liberationism

Dravidanadu is a Liberationist paradigm for the 5 states of South India and those who hail from Dravidian racial identity. Hindu Nationalism is the imposition of a cultural hegemony upon the people. Liberationism is the antithesis to this construct. Dravidanadu as a construct was first envisioned by Periyar as a separate Tamil Nation. The basis of Periyar’s philosophy lies in being Anti-Hindi, Anti-Hindu, and Anti-Brahmin. Dravidanadu thus is one of the most mature ideologies that is a threat and danger to Hindutva. When contrasted with Periyar’s philosophy, Hindutva is just imposing Colonialism again upon the Dravidian races of the South. It calls for the South States to be subservient Economically, Culturally, Linguistically, and Politically to the rule of Delhi. This blatant expression finds a natural revulsion in the South of India, that never integrated into the post-independent monoculture that India was envisioned as. Hindutva thus crumbles horribly in the face of the DravidaNadu Liberation movement. The only response becomes a call for violence, racism, and invoking fake Hindu mythology to bolster arguments. The strength of Dravidanadu is however the very same Liberation and Anti-colonialism that set India free of the British imperial yoke – A people calling for political independence from a foreign power – in this case India.

Caste

Caste is a primary contradiction that Hindutva’s second phase has not been able to resolve. Ideally, as with other Right Wing philosophies, there should only be two ways of resolving this contradiction i.e to integrate the lower castes in the monocultural hegemony or to treat them as the other to be eliminated. The former solution of integration cannot happen because of the vile, individual Hindu’s mindset that has been raised on a cocktail of exclusionism from birth. The latter cannot be done because of the numbers stacked against the upper castes and to a certain extent, the relevance and economic arguments against it. One the other hand, there are the lower castes and the Dalits. The lower castes in Hinduism are like guard dogs of its feudal system – Always guarding it despite being considered nothing more than guard dogs and getting the occasional kick from the masters – the inbred Brahmins. Dalits, in almost similar way, have been taught to be the lowest subhumans of the village paganism called Hinduism. The large mass of Dalits accept that they are nothing more than animals in the Hindu fold and stick to it not knowing why. However, this has constantly been changing since independence and over generations, indoctrination among Dalits to not revolt has died out. Dalits now have nascent Revolutionary potential but the material conditions don’t exist for full scale revolt. This of course is a gift of Liberal politics where a few concessions and freedoms are given to the Dalits to appease them and diffuse the pressure of Revolt.

However, Dalit politics dogmatically and ideologically is a direct attack on the very core of Hinduism itself. It is akin to the Enlightenment and end of the hegemonic power of the Catholic church upon the flock. Additionally, Hinduism requires the ritual torture, rape, mutilation of the weakest Dalit to assuage the blood lust of the middle warrior servant castes of the Brahmins. To thus destroy Hindutva, it is imperative that Dalit, Ambedkarite politics, Dalit Revolutionary zeal, and Dalit Vigilantism must be fostered. The last point holds special significance as history has shown that the servant castes of Brahmins only understand the language of brute force to come to a civilised dialog or to come under the heels of Dalits.

But this is not to assume that all is well among the servant castes either. The pursuit of a Neoliberal economic program has also ensured that Class also cuts into the Caste equations. Thus relegating members of the upper castes to economic misery. This is where it is important to understand the next point – economics.

Economics

Economically, Hindutva has no moorings and will flit and float between any economic paradigm that will keep them afloat for an election. The Hindutva Fountainhead fundamentally believes in a Capitalist paradigm and that the means of production should be in the hands of the few. And the few being decided by the feudal hierarchy. However, where circumstances mandate them to follow a populist paradigm the will veer in that direction as well. All that this proves is that Hindutva hasn’t spent any intellectual capital on economics. This is evident whenever there is a BJP govt in power. Fundamentally, both phases of Hindutva carried on the Neoliberal program of the erstwhile govt without realising the material conditions prevalent – that Neoliberalism is and will always tend to fail.

When the economics thus inevitably fail, the Social program is all that comes to the forefront and this sinks Hindutva into a hole even further because the social program is one that doesn’t not sit well with the business community. There can after all be no business in the middle of a riot – nor a salary for that matter.

One can actually opine that a Keynesian or a Marxist economic approach and polemic is more than enough to present a working model against Hindutva’s economic models.

In terms of soundbytes, the paradigm is simple… “Hindutva cannot survive on an empty stomach”

Feminism and Women’s issues

Hindutva is feudal conservatism towards women. Logically, thus it relies a lot on economic and physical oppression of women. However, in a post-ideological prism and perspective, to not see the role of women in facilitating their own oppression would be remiss. Women have always been fed the narrative under Hindutva, as in all right wing ideologies, that “the other will come to violate you, that is raison d’etre of the other”. Thus you must be protected by a Hindu man and these feminists are part of the conspiracy of the other to violate you. The thread presents itself as its own slippery slope fallacy.

Here we are faced with another problem of the solution itself, which is Liberal Feminism. The current Feminist paradigm today is not the erstwhile Female Liberation movements that sprung forth from Socialist revolutions. Thus the feminism of today is highly susceptible to Reform instead of Revolution. It is therefore important to Radicalise women – to understand that it is time for them to seize power itself and not just to fight for a few allowances and piecemeal reforms.

This strategy then equips the woman to battle her foe from Hindutva. This battle also call upon men to be androgenous and be led by the women destroying the stables and cowsheds of Hindutva.

The Communist Manifesto as it should be applied in India...

The Communist Manifesto was one of the first documents that was released that outlined what a Socialist program would look like Politically and Economically, post - revolution. 

In whichever country that has had a Socialist Revolution, this has been a guiding doctrine and has also been a resounding success until it's implementation was stopped or sabotaged. 

Today, for many of you, this document may seem dated and its application may not make sense. Thus, here is a point by point guide to help you envision what the Communist Manifesto will look like in India.

On assuming office through either Parliamentary democracy or through Revolution, the tasks will be as follows and in no specific order:

The Army and National Security.

1. Secure the Indian Army by removing all reactionary heads of command and replacing them with those of neutral political dispensation.
2. Initiate the process of converting this Colonial legacy of an Army into a People's Army by dissolving all the regiments that are based on Region, Caste, and also removing the Upper Classes from Officer Rank.
3. Add new divisions and responsibilities for the Army. The People's Army will no longer just sit in the barracks and shoot people on command but rather be involved in Infrastructure building, Relief and Restoration operations, and most importantly to de-politicise the Police Forces as well as to train the new Police recruits.
4. Increase the size of the Army and recruit from the mass of unemployed of the country to start these activities that include more soldiers it the Engineering corps and Disaster Relief corps.
5. Military budgets increase and new impetus on local ordinance manufacture and delivery to secure Ammunition and Supply Chains.
6. Immediate withdrawal of the Military from Civilian Policing operations and an end to the use of AFSPA. The Indian Army will NOT fire on Indian Civilians!

Agriculture and Food Security

1. Immediate Collectivisation of Agriculture and the creation of Farming Co-ops. The Revolutionary Party cadre will be essential in administering these co-ops.
2. All arable land will be brought under cultivation of these Co-Ops
3. All Rural peasantry will be employees of these Co-Ops and will have a State Salary with Bonuses that will be given on achievement of the yearly targets of food production.
4. The creation of a Rural Peasant Army that will be trained for engineering works to bring Water, Electricity and Housing to the Rural Populations. One House for every family and dignity for all.
5. No one will be allowed to Own the Land or Purchase land. Land will be allocated equally to every farmer along with Housing and all facilities. Land is the Collective property of the Working Class of India.
6. All Agricultural produce will be bought by the Govt and the Five year plans will mandate an immediate end to Starvation and Malnourishment. Any surplus agricultural produce beyond this can be traded with external countries.
7. Subsequent agricultural plans will also include the cultivation and mass expansion of cash crops that will supplement National Income.

Urban Development

1. Works to begin at every Coastal area to set up desalination plants to ensure 24x7 water supply to all citizens living in Urban clusters.
2. Creation of an Urban Development Works department so that Municipalities carry out works without outsourcing to Private entities. All Urban development works to be carried out by this body only. 
3. Modernise Urban Transport infrastructure in all cities to ensure last mile connectivity for Freight and Passenger traffic. Port and Supply Chain facilities to be upgraded to international quality.
4. Immediate Urban housing projects to ensure that all Urban City Dwellers with proof of address to be given Housing. No more living in Slums, Everyone to live a life of dignity. 
5. Clean cities and Urban Dwellings to be made a fundamental right. No more living in filth and garbage ever again. 
6. Ensure that employment centers are well spread out in the city and not aggregated in one area. Offices and industries to be made closer to areas of living and vice versa.

Revenue and Economics

1. Immediate Collection of all taxes forgone by Industries and Corporations with retrospective effect. Those who do not comply or cannot comply will be nationalised. Private owners' assets to be seized for this if necessary.
2. Progressive Taxation to be applied to all citizens. Anyone earning more than 3-4 lakhs a month to be taxed at 90%. Anyone earning upto 1 lakh a month to pay 5% tax. 
3. Rural income will be taxed like Industrial worker tax.
4. Indirect taxation to be the mainstay of National Income generation much like the single tax regime. 
5. Nationalise all transportation, energy creation and supply, infrastructure building industries. National Security will not be in Private hands.
6. Abolishment of the Stock Market.
7. Institution of Labour reforms to Guarantee a Job for every Indian and minimum wages.

Foreign Policy

1. Formation of a combined trading block that includes all of South Asia, China and Russia.
2. Renegotiate better trade terms with the WTO.
3. Ensure security from American Imperialist wars with the creation of a Warsaw Pact like alliance against America and the West.
4. Renew ties with Iran and the Middle East to ensure energy security.
5. Promote Socialism and Communist party vanguards throughout the South Asian region to ensure stability of rule.

Domestic Policy and Law

1. Constitutional amendments to abolish the first past the post system and opt for Representative democracy of States. State Councils to further ensure representative systems for all marginalised sections to ensure no majoritarian rule.
2. No member of the Bourgeoisie, Religious Groups, or the Military will be allowed to hold political office.
3. No member with a criminal record will be allowed to hold any political office.
4. All members of the Judiciary to be chosen by Judicial College and a Revolutionary People's Law Board. Both are constitutional bodies and not connected with Govt.
5. The Communist Party itself will not be the Revolutionary Govt and no member of the Communist Party can be part of the Govt unless after resignation. Govt is for the People not for Parties.
6. All religious and right wing organisations based on Ideology or Religion to be banned and all their members to be treated as Counter-Revolutionaries. Members with a criminal record will be imprisoned to death. Members without a criminal record to serve in Labour Camps.
7. Religion will be prohibited from Govt and Public space. A new uniform civil code that is secular - Anti-Religion and Atheistic - will be instituted. All religious laws to be immediately terminated and all contracts done under erstwhile religious laws to be diluted.
8.  Places of worship will not be allowed to collect donations. Their upkeep will be supervised by the state, if deemed an important monument.
9. Caste discrimination to be punishable with Labour Camp terms. 
10. Constitutional Amendments to make Employment, Health, Nutrition, Housing and a Right to a life of dignity to be made a fundamental right.
11. Mandatory Unionisation of every member of the Working Class.

Social Changes

1. Abolishing all identity and community specific housing to ensure that all Indians mix, live, eat and die together. 
2. Reinvigorate the Public broadcasting space to ensure that Public broadcasting takes precedence over Private broadcasts. Agenda based media dissemination to end.
3. Education to be made a fundamental right to the highest level possible. All educational infrastructure to be upgraded to soak up every single student.
4. Arts and Culture to be realigned to further the goals of the Revolution and not to pander to Capitalist alienation.
5. Secularise society by the creation of a ministry of Rationalism. This ministry will be tasked with spreading Atheism, destroying old feudal orders, and removing reactionary sentiment from public consciousness.