IT may be useful here to reiterate the basic differences between the CPI(M) and our party. The opportunist course in the Indian communist movement is identified first by its characterisation of the Indian bourgeoisie. In the garb of various kinds of jugglery of words and phrases, it essentially emphasises the 'national' character of the Indian bourgeoisie, thereby highlighting the latter's potential for leading anti- imperialist and anti-feudal struggles and effecting a democratic transformation of the Indian society. This theory has led to exaggeration of contradictions between the private and public sectors and advocacy of tailing behind different bourgeois-landlord parties, sometimes in the name of anti-fascist front and at other times in the name of democratic or secular fronts.

In the International arena, the principal contradiction according to the opportunist course is the contradiction between (US) imperialism and (Soviet) socialism. Extended to the domestic scene, this principal global contradiction only rationalises the theory of the so-called anti-imperialist character of the Indian bourgeoisie for the latter has always maintained close ties with the Soviet bloc. Thirdly, and as a corollary to its understanding of the Indian bourgeoisie's character, the opportunist course refuses to organise the broad masses of labouring peasantry as the main force of democratic transformation. On the contrary, it has developed an understanding with the kulak lobby, an understanding that lies behind its stable political relationship with various regional parties.

Finally, as the offshoot of the first three points, the opportunist course heavily relies upon the existing bourgeois institutions for bringing about urgent social reforms in the country. This has paralysed the opportunist Left with what Lenin calls parliamentary cretinism.

In contrast, the revolutionary course has always emphasised the comprador character of the Indian bourgeoisie meaning thereby that it is the task of the proletariat to lead anti- imperialist and anti-feudal struggles and that reliance upon the bourgeoisie would take us nowhere. Its understanding of the primacy of the contradiction between imperialism and the third world has also prompted it to test the 'anti-imperialism' of the Indian bourgeoisie on the independent touchstone of regional solidarity and commitment to the third world cause rather than the degree of its closeness with the Soviet bloc. It views agrarian revolution as the axis of democratic revolution and puts the main emphasis on organising militant mass struggles of agrarian labourers and labouring peasants. And in opposition to parliamentary cretinism, it relies primarily upon extra-parliamentary struggles.

These are the essential contours of the struggle between the opportunist and revolutionary wings. We can call it a continuation of the polemics between the Menshevik and Bolshevik tactics in Indian conditions.

The CPI(M)'s development from 1964 to this day has only confirmed its journey along the opportunist course. With the CPI making some tactical adjustments in its positions and international differences taking a back-seat, and the two parties moving in unison on almost all major questions, the very rationale of the 1964 split is today faced with a big question mark. On the other hand, the CPI(M) is facing a fresh round of dissension and almost all the dissident forces coming out of the party are accusing the party leadership, of deviating from the 1964 programme thereby depriving the 1964 split of all Its political rationale.

The revolutionary position, on the other hand, was stretched to opposite extremes. The comprador character of the Indian bourgeoisie was extended to mean a total rejection of any tactical alliance with any section of the bourgeoisie. The international outlook, too, suffered a distortion with blind adherence to the theory of three worlds which was raised to the absurd height of prescribing a global front against Soviet social-imperialism in collaboration with all sorts of pro-US forces, Including even the US itself under certain circumstances. Agrarian revolution was visualised strictly on the Chinese lines and primacy of extra-parliamentary struggles was interpreted as permanent exclusion of the entire stream of parliamentary struggle. These perceptions did work to an extent in a situation of revolutionary upswing, but desperate attempts to stick to these slogans even under vastly different circumstances of a real retreat of the movement could produce nothing more than empty anarchist phrasemongering.