[Marxism] In India, Marx is alive and well

[Johannes Schneider <Johannes.Schneider@xxxxxxx>]

In India, Marx is alive and well
14-May-2004

New Delhi, India : Karl Marx is dead and his ideology lies buried around
the world. But in India his followers are going strong and are set to
become kingmakers as the country braces for a new coalition government.
In an electoral whirlwind that has left many breathless, the Left, as the
communists are known, have captured an enviable 62 seats to become the
third largest group in the 545-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of
parliament.
[...]
Although the 62 seats have come from only six of India's 28 states, thus
betraying the somewhat limited appeal of the Left, it is a victory that
has stunned even its worst critics.
Of this, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), among the most
successful leftist groups in the non-communist world, alone accounts for
43 seats. The older but smaller Communist Party of India (CPI) holds 10
seats, while the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc have
won three seats each.
An independent backed by CPI-M and two smaller pro-Left parties account
for the remaining three seats.
[...]
Besides the CPI-M, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, there are numerous smaller
leftist groups with limited pockets of influence. These include far-left
Maoist outfits like the People's War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist
Centre (MCC).
There is also the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML), an
offshoot of the CPI-M that wields tremendous influence in Bihar, adjoining
West Bengal.
Many communists argue that their strength in India can go up dramatically
if the CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML overcome their ideological differences and
merge.
[...]

Full:
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=36070

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