and their servitors over the temporary setback to the great resistance put up by the girijans . Forcible repression might have temporarily succeeded . But I can do no better than quote Marx and Engels who , on the basis of the experiences of the 1848 Revolution , in ‘ general , and of the German Revolution ’, in particular , wrote in “ Germany : Revolution and Counter – Revolution ” as follows :
“ A more signal defeat than that undergone by the continental revolutionary party - or rather parties upon all points of the line of battle cannot be imagined . But what of that ? Has not the struggle of the British middle classes for their social and political supremacy embraced - forty-eight , that of the French middle classes , forty years of unexampled struggles ? And was their triumph ever nearer than at the very moment when restored Monarchy thought itself more firmly settled ever ?..... If , then , we have been beaten , we have nothing else to do but to begin again from the beginning . And , fortunately , the probably very short interval , of rest , which is allowed us between the close of the first of the beginning of the second of the moment , gives us time for a very necessary piece of work ; the study of the causes that necessitated both the late outbreak and its defeat , causes that are not to be sought for in the accidental efforts , talents , faults , errors or treacheries of some of the leaders , but in the general social state and conditions of existence of each of the convulsed nations . When you enquire into the causes of the counter revolutionary successes , there you are met on every hand with the ready that it was Mr . This or That citizen who ‘ betrayed ’ the people . Which reply may be true or not , according to circumstances , but under circumstances does it explain anything - not even show how it came to pass that the ‘ people ’ allowed themselves to be thus betrayed . And what a poor chance stands a political party whose entire stock-in trade consists in a knowledge of the solitary fact that citizen so and so is not to be trusted .”
20
Therefore , temporary setbacks should be used by the revolutionaries to study deeply every aspect of the movement and come to certain broad conclusions , to gain valuable experiences to broaden and intensify the struggle . Let the counter revolutionaries and the ruling class shout temporary jubilation from every available house-top ! But the revolutionaries know it to be only short lived . He who laughs last laughs best . That was why Marx and Engels remarked in relation to the restoration of monarchy between 1640 and 1680 in England and between 1729 and 1830 in France : “ And was their triumph ( the triumph of middle classes : Tr .) ever nearer than at the very moment when restored monarchy though itself more firmly settled than ever ?” The bourgeois- landlord government after un-heard-of terror not even experienced in the period of direct rule of the British , has temporarily felt jubilant at a fake victory over the people , and is thinking of being “ itself more firmly settled than ever ”. In this short interval of rest ”, it is the duty of the revolutionaries to historically and self-critically analyse these five years of the glorious period of convulsions . As Marx said , “ The enquiry into , and exposition of the causes , both of the revolutionary convulsion and its suppression , are besides , of paramount importance from the historical point of view .” ( Karl Marx , “ Selected Works ” Lawrence and Wishart Ltd ., Volume 11 June 11 , 1943 , Page 41 ).
There will be many , like the revisionists , who will proclaim the ‘ unsuitability ’ of peasant agrarian revolution at this moment and try to spread demoralisation and disintegration among peasant masses and cadres taking advantage also of the savage repression let loose by the big bourgeois - landlord government . But the revolutionaries who are aware of the growing all round economic and political crisis which the bourgeoisie is facing today , know that its days of jubilation are short lived . The revolutionaries must keep in mind and work according to the heists of Lenin who proclaimed in 1907 as follows :
“ Let it not be thought that , at the present moment of history when the Black Hundred diehards are howling and raging in the Third Duma when Plus Ultra of rampant . Counter revolution has been reached and reaction is perpetrating savage acts of political vengeance upon the revolutionaries in general and the Social -Democratic deputies in the Second Duma in particular - let it not be thought - that this moment is ‘ unsuitable ’ for ‘ broad ’ agrarian programme . Such a thought would be akin to the backsliding , despondency , disintegration and decadence which have spread among wide sections of petty bourgeois intellectuals who belong to the Social Democratic Party , or sympathise with this party in Russia . The proletariat can only gain by having this rubbish swept clean out of the ranks of the workers ’ party . Yes , the more savagely reaction rages , the more does it actually retard the inevitable economic development , the more successfully does it prepare the wider upsurge of the democratic movement . And we must take advantage of the temporary lulls in action critically to study the experience of the great revolution , verify this experience , purge it of dross , and pass it on to the masses as a guide for the impending struggle ”: ( Lenin : “ Agrarian Programme of Social Democracy ”, “ Collected Works ”, Volume 13 , Page 429 ).
During this period of confusion , inevitable at a time of savage acts of political vengeance by the bourgeois - landlord government , certain sections of the revolutionary movement slip out and betray it in various forms . There will be many at this hour who will justify their revisionist role by proclaiming the ‘ unsuitability ’ of peasant actions for peasant agrarian upsurge . Taking advantage of temporary lull , they will use all methods , in addition to government repression , to disrupt and demoralise the revolutionary ranks . It is the duty of the revolutionaries now to analyse and explain the experiences
�
Class Struggle