Maoist Documents

DECLARATION OF CCOMPOSA

(Adopted by the Second Annual Conference of Co-ordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia, August 2002)

The inherent characteristics of ever concentration and centralisation of capital and the resultant uneven and unequal development in the world scale has aggravated the crisis of the world imperialist system and created an excellent objective condition for the world proletarian revolution in the beginning of the twenty-first century. However, subjectively, the International Communist Movement suffered one of the greatest setbacks in its entire history in 1976, when the revisionists usurped state power as well as the leadership of the Party by a reactionary coup d'etat in China following the death of Mao Tse-tung. Restoration of capitalism resulted in depriving the proletarian class of the leadership at the international level and the socialist base as well. In that course it had to fight against not only Khrusehovite and Dengist modern revisionism but also Hoxaite dogmato-revisionism. Despite fierce attacks from imperialism and its lackeys and betrayal of opportunists from within the movement itself; the genuine Marxist-Leninist-Maoists throughout the globe refused to abandon the struggle for communism. Contingents of the world proletariat made their utmost efforts to reorganize our class at the international level giving birth to various new initiatives, out of which the initiative of Revolutionary Internationalist Movement (RIM), is a prominent one.

In South Asia‚ the struggle against various forms of revisionism and right opportunism within the Maoist movement has played a powerful role in promoting Marxism-Leninism- Maoism and strengthening the unity of Maoist forces‚ which at present has taken concrete form through the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA). Upholding the "Joint Statement" signed by ten Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia in June 2001, as the primary basis of our unity, we are committed to building on our achievements in order to further advance our unity at the ideological, political and organizational level.

World Situation

Present day world is marked by ever deepening crisis of imperialism and advancing world revolution. The imperialists are implementing 'globalization' and 'liberalization' as the panacea for their ailing imperialist system marching towards its grave. But ultimately it is bound to herald its final demise.

The so-called 'globalization' and 'liberalization' policies propagated through the imperialist institutions of World Bank and IMF have sharpened the gap between handful of rich countries and vast number of poor countries in such a scale that this gap which was 31 times during the sixties has reached to the level of 74 times by the late nineties, and it is aggravating every passing day. The plunder of oppressed countries mediated through the WTO is bound to further escalate this glaring inequality. The contradiction of imperialist powers with the oppressed nations and people will go on accelerating and give rise to new upsurge against imperialism in world scale. Thus contradiction between imperialism and oppressed nations is principal at the world level today.

The September 11 (2001) incident and the subsequent so-called global ‘war against terrorism’ initiated by US imperialism are the latest manifestations of this global contradiction. The rivalry‚ even through temporary collusion‚ among various imperialists as according to the logic of the system is also intensifying. The inter-imperialist contradictions are sharpening in new forms and the danger of a new world war still persists. Though, after the collapse of Soviet Social imperialism, its rival US imperialism gained superiority and took temporary advantage, other imperialist powers including Russian imperialism are competing with it. In order to resolve the inherent contradiction, imperialists are piling even more lethal weapons, which are again giving rise to other major contradictions, ultimately preparing ground for their own destruction.

The globe-encompassing information technology they have developed for plundering and carrying out disinformation to hoodwink the masses, is also being used by the revolutionaries to disseminate their own ideas and information of the revolutionary movements to the nooks and corners of the world. This creates the basis for the world revolution of the 21st century to be coordinated and spread in global scale. The notion of Asia, Africa and Latin Americas as the storm center of world revolution envisaged by Mao, continues to be relevant and accurate till today. People's Wars waged by the oppressed masses and led by the Maoist Parties of Peru, Nepal, India, Turkey‚ Bangladesh and Philippines and armed struggles in other countries provide living testimony to this truth. Not only the oppressed countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, but also the people of imperialist countries are fighting against 'globalization' and 'privatization', which has plunged the working class and sections of the people of the imperialist countries into crisis and despair never felt before. Instances of expression of people's wrath against the big bosses of imperialist countries, in their own citadels like Seattle, Prague, Nice, Washington, Cancun, Gothenburg‚ Genoa and Callgary clearly reflect how the revolutionary situation in the imperialist countries is developing. All these facts reaffirm the objective truth that the main trend of the world today is revolution, as had been analysed by Mao.

International Communist Movement

The International Communist Movement has been advancing through twists and turns, as according to the materialist law of history. There are excellent examples of epochmaking successes achieved by the proletariat and also serious setbacks. The unprecedented setback experienced by the proletariat and the masses, especially after the coup d'etat in socialist China following the death of Com. Mao Tse-tung, was the latest one.

The collapse of former Soviet Union and its block during the 90s, was celebrated and propagated by the imperialists and their lackeys as the 'demise of socialism and communism'. Their objective was to hoodwink the masses by launching a concerted ideological offensive against the science of MLM and to deny the possibility of achieving the highest form of society, communism. Many petty-bourgeois elements within the communist movement were so influenced by this heinous propaganda that they changed their colour to become apologists of imperialism and a vehicle to spread this vile imperialist propaganda. But, in reality, it was the collapse of a particular sort of imperialism-social imperialism-which was equally the enemy of the proletariat and people of the world and which played a very nasty role in perverting the essence of 'socialism' and 'communism'. The real communists and the proletarian revolutionaries of different parts of the globe fought against this concerted offensive and mobilised all efforts to establish the invincibility of the ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. This was based on carrying out sustained political propaganda and by leading class struggles and People's Wars under the leadership of proletarian Parties guided by Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

Protracted People's Wars advancing in Peru, Nepal, Philippines, India, Turkey under the leadership of Maoist Parties and combined with preparations for initiating the same in various countries of the world and rising tide of militant struggles in the imperialist countries along with formation of new Maoist Parties are clear manifestations of the new wave of advancing world proletarian revolution.

Thus the situation has changed dramatically in favor of revolution and the prospect of a new wave of world revolution is visible on the horizon. New opportunities and new challenges have come upon the shoulders of Maoists to initiate and lead revolution and we have to assume this responsibility with pride and honor.

Our class is an international class, our ideology is proletarian internationalism and our mission is to conquer a new world. Therefore certainly our class needs international organization. This need is more profound in the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution and when major developments are taking a global shape. In this situation, internationalist solidarity and support of others is also important to accomplish revolution in any country. Thus the unity of all genuine Maoist forces‚ who are seriously engaged in advancing class struggle/ People’s War in their respective countries is our urgent need and all Maoist Parties have to seriously grapple with this.

South Asian situation

The correctness of Mao's pronouncement that Asia, Africa and Latin America are the storm centers of revolution is still relevant and applicable and this is clearly seen in South Asia today. South Asia with more than 1/5th of the world population is a huge reserve of natural resources and manpower, for which various imperialist powers are contending. The whole of South Asia has been subjected to neo-colonial forms of rule and exploitation generally reproducing and reinforcing semi-colonial‚ semi-feudal stage of development‚ placing the New Democratic Revolution on the historical agenda with even greater urgency than before.

The centralized Indian state‚ which is working as heir to the British colonialists, is instrumental in dominating the neighboring countries and her people and internally oppressing people in various nations and nationalities by enforcing them to come under its yoke. This internal oppression is buttressed by big nation Hindu chauvinism which is aimed at suppressing minorities‚ including religious minorities. Indian expansionism, which is subservient to the big imperialist powers, has become the dominant regional reactionary power to oppress the nations and the people of SA. Indian expansionism, which was working hands in glove mainly with Soviet social imperialism for many decades, has now shifted more towards the US imperialism. Now, Indian expansionism backed by world imperialism‚ mainly US imperialism, is the common enemy of the oppressed nations and people of SA.

Revolutionary uprising burst out in Naxalbari under the guidance and leadership of Charu Mazumdar (CM) as a 'spring thunder' which placed Marxism-Leninism-Maoism at the forefront, established the GPCR, the highest pinnacle of the development of Marxism, and fought against all shades of revisionism. The drums of Naxalbari are reverberating till today throughout SA and beyond. Now the ongoing People's Wars of Nepal, India (Dandakaranya, Bihar, Andhra and elsewhere) and intensive preparation going on in other parts of SA, should be objectively grasped as the continuation and further development of Naxalbari and teachings of CM. People's War in Nepal is advancing in leaps and bounds and facing the prospects of nationwide seizure of power. The level of People's War advancing in Dandakaranya, Bihar and Andhra is also higher than that of Naxalbari during the early seventies. Nevertheless, it was Naxalbari, which ignited the fire and provided generally correct orientation.

Apart from the revolutionary class wars, powerful national liberation movements/ nationalities struggles are also continuing and developing in SA, among them national liberation movements/nationalities struggles of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur and other North-East states, Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh are well known. Among problems faced by the national liberation movements/nationalities struggles are lack of proletarian leadership and continuing inability to subsume national liberation struggle within proletarian democratic revolution. Communist revolutionaries of this region should confront this problem and make genuine efforts to resolve this.

Even though there are some historical, geographical, economic and cultural specificities in this region‚ Indian expansionism backed by world imperialism‚ mainly US imperialism‚ is the common enemy of the people. Hence the revolution taking place in particular countries of this region are closely inter-linked and inter-related. Though revolution in any particular country may achieve its goal of establishing nationwide people’s political power depending upon the specific situation it will need active support of the revolutionary movements in the region to sustain‚ advance and consolidate it. Thus, in South Asia, where New Democratic Revolutions are advancing in a new wave and there are strong possibilities of some of them succeeding‚ this will depend on the ability of the Maoists to collectively wok out a correct line of united action. Therefore, building unity among genuine Maoist forces in this region has become an immediate task. As real successors and disciples of Marx, Lenin and Mao, it is necessary to seize this rare opportunity to accomplish New Democratic Revolutions in this region and advance the world revolution to socialism and communism.

Unity Among the Maoist Forces of SA

The unity of Maoist forces must primarily be based on upholding M-L-M‚ not only in theory‚ but more particularly in its application to practice‚ of which advancing People’s War is the principal task. Besides‚ as one of its main tasks‚ CCOMPOSA has to focus its attack on Indian expansionism‚ which is the main bulwark of reaction in this region. It is only on the basis of intensifying the class struggle/People’s War in this region‚ that the unity of the genuine Maoists of SA can deepen and grow‚ basing on M-L-M principles.

Apart from fulfilling its responsibilities in the region‚ CCOMPOSA is part of the international proletariat and must see its growth as part and parcel of the growing unity of the Maoist forces internationally. "Workers of all countries unite"‚ as declared in the Communist Manifesto‚ always reminds us of the need and scope of our unity. We‚ Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia‚ cannot deviate from this dictum. Therefore‚ CCOMPOSA must be part and parcel of the attempts at unification of all Maoist forces internationally.

CCOMPOSA has its specific objectives to be realised in the particular context of South Asia. In order to give clear perspective of CCOMPOSA, in relation to its specific objectives we quote some passages of the 'Joint Statement':

"The Coordination Committee of the Maoist Parties and Organizations (CCOMPOSA) has been formed in order to unify and coordinate the activities of the Maoist Parties and Organizations in South Asia to confront this developing situation by spreading Protracted People's War in the region, in the context of hastening and advancing of the World Proletarian Socialist Revolution. This is a historic step of far-reaching importance".

"The Coordination Committee resolves to combine their efforts and raise their revolutionary struggles with the aim of fanning the flames of Protracted People's War throughout the region and beyond, in conjunction with the Protracted People's Wars in Peru‚ the Philippines, and Turkey. We resolve to combat and defeat revisionism - both parliamentary and armed - as the main danger to developing Protracted People's War. We declare our principled unity and conscious determination to hoist the Red Flag of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and Communism in all its splendor on the silver summits of the Himalayas and throughout the region. We undertake this responsibility as our internationalist duty and contribution towards destroying the system of imperialism and achieving our final goal of Socialism and Communism by accomplishing the New Democratic Revolution through the path of Protracted People's War".

"The Indian Expansionist State, backed by world imperialism, particularly US imperialism, constitute the common enemy of the people of South Asia. This provides a concrete political basis for building the unity of the South Asian revolutionary forces".

Thus the 'Joint Statement' has clarified the basis for achieving the unity of the Maoist Parties and Organizations in South Asia:

1. Our unity will be based on the scientific ideology of our class, which is Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution is the pinnacle of this development, a path through which we march ahead.

2. Our common goal is to achieve Socialism and Communism on a world-scale by accomplishing the New Democratic Revolution and continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat.

3. We are committed to opposing all shades of revisionism including armed revisionism and parliamentary cretinism.

4. We must propagate M-L-M widely‚ particularly in the sub-continent and also worldwide‚ to counter revisionism in all its forms.

5. Build solidarity with anti-imperialist struggles throughout the world.

6. Build a strong anti-imperialist resistance movement‚ particularly against US imperialism and Indian expansionism.

7. Build a broad front with the on-going armed struggles of the various nationality movements in the sub-continent.

8. Lend mutual assistance and exchange experiences and deepen bilateral and multilateral relations amongst Maoist forces in the sub-continent.

9. Coordinate and consolidate the unity of Maoist Parties and Organisations in South Asia.

10. Bring out journals and periodicals as instruments of ideological and political propaganda.

Hold high the red banner of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!

Spread the flames of revolution from the high Himalayas to the seas!

Develop South Asia as the storm centre of world revolution and as a base area for marching towards world communism!

Organizational Rules of Functioning of CCOMPOSA

General

Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA), is a body of coordinating the Maoist Parties and Organizations and their struggle and action in South Asia. Each Party or Organization is independent to make its own decision and implement into revolutionary practice. All the participating member organizations are equal. Therefore, any organizational methods as being applied in a particular party or organization cannot be applicable here. The Organisation will function on the basis of consensus. The participating Parties and Organizations are those which are either waging and leading the People's War or are making serious preparations in their own countries and most of them are known by the enemies. Therefore it will work on an underground basis and secrecy should be essential part of its functioning. It is always necessary to remember the Maoist understanding that organizational principles and rules can never be substitute for ideological and political struggle and never be relied upon as the principal means of resolving problems.

1. Conference:

The meeting of all the participating Parties and Organizations of CCOMPOSA will be called CONFERENCE. The Conference will be the highest body of CCOMPOSA. It will be held every year.

2. Standing Committee (SC):

The Conference will elect a Standing Committee. The number of Standing Committee members will be decided by the Conference. There will be one Convenor in the committee, which is also elected by the Conference. The meeting of the Standing Committee will be held at least once every 6 months.

3. Participating members:

Question of participating members will be decided by the Conference. It can also be decided by the Standing Committee, but opinion of existing participating members should be taken and decided by two-third majority.

4. Criteria for membership:

a) Uphold and practice Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

b) Must accept and adopt the Declaration of CCOMPOSA and abide by its organisational rules.

c) Must be leading People’s War in their respective country or must be making serious preparations for People’s War‚ without indefinitely postponing its initiation.

d) At the minimum the Party’s central leadership should function from the underground. It should aim to build the main framework of the Party on an underground basis (if it is not already so).

e) Must fight against all forms of revisionism‚ even those that take the name of Mao.

f) In the light of splits in any existing member Party/Organisation‚ CCOMPOSA will not immediately give membership to any of the splinter groups/ parties. The SC will investigate the genuinity of the groups and recommend for decision by the Conference.

5. Circulation and collection of opinion:

The SC will inform and make calls to all the participating members through the circulars and letters. It will also invite suggestions and proposals from other participating members. If the SC feels necessary to circulate the views of any participating member it can circulate‚ or if any participating member requests it.

6. If the Conference cannot be held due to specific circumstances in the scheduled duration, SC will inform all the participating members with reasons.

7. If any member organization demands early meeting of the Conference, SC will seek the votes from other participants. If two-third majority will agree with the proposal, Conference will be called.

8. Basically the organisation will function on the basis of consensus‚ specifically on all ideological and political matters. On technical and practical issues, if full unanimity is not there‚ the respective Parties/Organisations can reserve their position.

9. Financial Contribution:

Every participating organization will be oblised to make financial contribution as decided by the Conference or the SC.

10. Maintaining Secrecy and Security:

Question of secrecy and security is an important question and it must be taken seriously. Basic norms for it will be chalked out and their violation will be considered as violation of discipline.

11. Disciplinary actions:

Disciplinary actions‚ ranging from warning‚ criticism to expulsion‚ may be resorted to against erring members‚ which will have to be ratified by the Conference.

12. Miscellaneous

a) In case of emergency or urgent questions the SC will be authorised to take necessary decisions‚ which will have to be ratified by the Conference.

b) These rules may be amended only by the Conference.

The 11 Parties attending the Conference were: 1) PBSP (CC) [Bangladesh] 2 ) PBSP (MPK)[Bangladesh] 3) BSD (ML) [Bangladesh] 4)CPEB (ML) [Bangladesh] 5)CPC (Maoist) [Sri Lanka] 6) MCC (India) 7) CPI-ML (PW) [India] 8) CPI-ML (Naxalbari) [India] 9) RCCI (Maoist) [India] 10) RCCI (MLM) [India] 11) CPN (Maoist) [Nepal].

Co-ordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA)

 

 

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