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Who is a Communist?
N.B. First of all, don't think of it as a Brilliant Analysis, written using theoretical knowledge about Communism or knowledge gained through book reading. This is based on some of the real events that have happened in my college life.
I am not one of those children who grew up watching or hearing about communism from the day I remember. Since joining CMS College to pursue my degree, I have been learning about communism and student politics. Like all first-year students, I was a little apprehensive about campus politics. Even though it was India's first college, politics was forbidden. It would be a lie if I say that I had no disdain to the student leaders who used to visit the classes frequently, protesting against those bans, and often conducting political campaigns.
That's when the college union election was announced. An old class leader inside me was awakened when some of the leaders asked me if I could participate in the election as a class-representative. When I talked to my family about this what they said was " It's just a class representative selection, nothing wrong in that. Go on." Now I got more courage to be a part of the college election. I got support from my classmates too. Two days later, one of our seniors came to me and informed that I was being nominated to the post of college's first-year lady representative. "You don't have to worry about anything, there will be no opposition. You just have to deal with your own responsibilities" - he said. (By the way, this is the senior with whom I fell in love but later it ended up because of the same politics). I was a little shocked at first, but I felt happy and proud at the same time. Later I attended an election review committee meeting conducted by SFI inside the college, for which I have heard enough from the college principal and the department. Actually I, who sat in the front row, thought that it was an official meeting of the college and the principal was there to inaugurate the function. I couldn't foresee that something big was coming.
Every year after the university election, there is a performance of SFI through the town, a rally that will be attended by all elected candidates and other student leaders. I was stunned to see a huge crowd of policemen, student leaders and all the teachers ( who seemed ready to face any shit that's going to happen, though nothing happened there) infront of the college gate. That's when I noticed the speech of Gopu Krishnan, the student leader of CMS, without much tugging and twisting he had given a simple speech, for which he was appreciated by a policeman himself. And that is how I participated in an election demonstration, for the first time in my entire life. Two years flew away with demonstrations, comradery, love, arts, sports, principal room, the unit committee, the resignation and so many things. Life became different but do not think that I have learned about communism in 2 years.
I have seen and experienced many things, students working for arts, union, college without thinking about their afternoon lunch boxes, I have seen students sharing one tiffin among many, students getting suspension and dismissals for questioning the wrong, I have seen teachers who stood up for students, I have seen students clearing semester examinations without attending a single class, I have seen students engaged in right as well as wrong doings , I have seen students protesting for and defending their rights, I have seen students raising their voice, creating conflicts for justice and sometimes without reasons. I have witnessed many such things and sometimes I had to keep silent even when everything seemed wrong.
Finally in the last year, when I was again appointed to the unit committee and as the chairman of the SFI's union, the only communism I knew was limited to opposing what is wrong and showing justice to the position I was occupying. I haven't read Marx or Che Guvera, all I knew was some Politics and History that I learned when I took Humanities in the secondary classes with an aim to become an IAS officer. I had completely forgotten Marx and Durkheim, though I studied Sociology. I have friends who used to tease me for being a chairperson who gave the the full form of SFI as "Socialist Federation of India", though this happened in the first year.(p.s I know the full form now). This is true, it could be one of India's most historic blunder. Despite all this, I wanted to know who a real communist is. I have seen and heard speeches and talks of many student leaders but have wondered how many of them follow the principles in their own life.
I know a man who brought some of these things to his own life, it was former unit secretary of SFI CMS, Gopu Krishnan. Though I have disagreements with some of his principles, he is often thought of as one of the few who have incorporated elements of communism into his life. That wonderful student leader is a teacher now, imparting knowledge to another generation. Still he cannot be said to be a perfect communist, then who is a Communist?
It is always in my mind that we should read and learn more about communism. But what I believe is that, by reading or thinking a lot, no one can become a communist. But there are actions that can be attributed to communism. Sharing our food with a starved human, regardless of his caste, religion, or politics is Communism, opposing the wrong and pointing out what is right is Communism, fighting for and defending justice is Communism. If all this can be done without considering the caste, religion and politics, can it be called as Communism?
As mentioned earlier, this is not an intelligent writing about communism. This is what I know about communism. I know I have to read more in future atleast, but this is the knowledge I have gained through experience and this can't be wrong. Today, the only thing Iam sure about is that, I always try to do whatever I feels like right or good to be done (can't say I haven't committed any mistakes, a human I am, mistakes can happen), I only support what is fair and always try to resist what is wrong, every resistance was not successful though. This is all I want to say to those who ask, "Is there any change in you after all these years? "
© athmasakhi
I am not one of those children who grew up watching or hearing about communism from the day I remember. Since joining CMS College to pursue my degree, I have been learning about communism and student politics. Like all first-year students, I was a little apprehensive about campus politics. Even though it was India's first college, politics was forbidden. It would be a lie if I say that I had no disdain to the student leaders who used to visit the classes frequently, protesting against those bans, and often conducting political campaigns.
That's when the college union election was announced. An old class leader inside me was awakened when some of the leaders asked me if I could participate in the election as a class-representative. When I talked to my family about this what they said was " It's just a class representative selection, nothing wrong in that. Go on." Now I got more courage to be a part of the college election. I got support from my classmates too. Two days later, one of our seniors came to me and informed that I was being nominated to the post of college's first-year lady representative. "You don't have to worry about anything, there will be no opposition. You just have to deal with your own responsibilities" - he said. (By the way, this is the senior with whom I fell in love but later it ended up because of the same politics). I was a little shocked at first, but I felt happy and proud at the same time. Later I attended an election review committee meeting conducted by SFI inside the college, for which I have heard enough from the college principal and the department. Actually I, who sat in the front row, thought that it was an official meeting of the college and the principal was there to inaugurate the function. I couldn't foresee that something big was coming.
Every year after the university election, there is a performance of SFI through the town, a rally that will be attended by all elected candidates and other student leaders. I was stunned to see a huge crowd of policemen, student leaders and all the teachers ( who seemed ready to face any shit that's going to happen, though nothing happened there) infront of the college gate. That's when I noticed the speech of Gopu Krishnan, the student leader of CMS, without much tugging and twisting he had given a simple speech, for which he was appreciated by a policeman himself. And that is how I participated in an election demonstration, for the first time in my entire life. Two years flew away with demonstrations, comradery, love, arts, sports, principal room, the unit committee, the resignation and so many things. Life became different but do not think that I have learned about communism in 2 years.
I have seen and experienced many things, students working for arts, union, college without thinking about their afternoon lunch boxes, I have seen students sharing one tiffin among many, students getting suspension and dismissals for questioning the wrong, I have seen teachers who stood up for students, I have seen students clearing semester examinations without attending a single class, I have seen students engaged in right as well as wrong doings , I have seen students protesting for and defending their rights, I have seen students raising their voice, creating conflicts for justice and sometimes without reasons. I have witnessed many such things and sometimes I had to keep silent even when everything seemed wrong.
Finally in the last year, when I was again appointed to the unit committee and as the chairman of the SFI's union, the only communism I knew was limited to opposing what is wrong and showing justice to the position I was occupying. I haven't read Marx or Che Guvera, all I knew was some Politics and History that I learned when I took Humanities in the secondary classes with an aim to become an IAS officer. I had completely forgotten Marx and Durkheim, though I studied Sociology. I have friends who used to tease me for being a chairperson who gave the the full form of SFI as "Socialist Federation of India", though this happened in the first year.(p.s I know the full form now). This is true, it could be one of India's most historic blunder. Despite all this, I wanted to know who a real communist is. I have seen and heard speeches and talks of many student leaders but have wondered how many of them follow the principles in their own life.
I know a man who brought some of these things to his own life, it was former unit secretary of SFI CMS, Gopu Krishnan. Though I have disagreements with some of his principles, he is often thought of as one of the few who have incorporated elements of communism into his life. That wonderful student leader is a teacher now, imparting knowledge to another generation. Still he cannot be said to be a perfect communist, then who is a Communist?
It is always in my mind that we should read and learn more about communism. But what I believe is that, by reading or thinking a lot, no one can become a communist. But there are actions that can be attributed to communism. Sharing our food with a starved human, regardless of his caste, religion, or politics is Communism, opposing the wrong and pointing out what is right is Communism, fighting for and defending justice is Communism. If all this can be done without considering the caste, religion and politics, can it be called as Communism?
As mentioned earlier, this is not an intelligent writing about communism. This is what I know about communism. I know I have to read more in future atleast, but this is the knowledge I have gained through experience and this can't be wrong. Today, the only thing Iam sure about is that, I always try to do whatever I feels like right or good to be done (can't say I haven't committed any mistakes, a human I am, mistakes can happen), I only support what is fair and always try to resist what is wrong, every resistance was not successful though. This is all I want to say to those who ask, "Is there any change in you after all these years? "
© athmasakhi
