Daily Times

One of the last remaining Socialist icons Tariq Ali in his latest interview has predicted that the traditional Left is on the decline. ‘It will die a natural death’ says he conclusively in his interview to News international.

Commenting on the present state of affairs as to why is the role of the Left becoming marginal in countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and even Bangladesh? He asks does the Left have a future in the subcontinent?

Although Tariq is pessimist about Left’s future especially when only few of the recognised Leftist leaders have become a dying breed in Pakistan. Only recently last of proponents of Leftist philosophy Lal Khan passed away in Lahore. Now the only living legend is Abid Hussain Manto- in his nineties.

Leftist guru Tariq Ali- says: ‘Left that has existed for the last 60-70 years is completely on the decline everywhere including India where it recently suffered a huge defeat. It’s related to the changes that have taken place on a global scale where effectively a new type of Left has been coming up from below, from mass movements against privatisation, mass movements of young people for housing; mass movements of women for recognition; mass movements of the indigenous peoples for their rights that have been denied to them. As these mass movements develop, some of them form themselves into new political formations and then begin to win elections. That has happened in South America; it hasn’t happened here.’

That was the time when a small party could have become big like the Peoples Party did. But the traditionally organised Left failed that test both here and even more so in what was then East Pakistan

It seems to have shown signs of happening to a great extent in India where Aam Aadmi Movement is said to be reincarnation of Left in the face of upswing for the Right as a practical ideology and socio-economic game changer of far reaching consequences at time when traditional Left has lost it glitter. Arvind Kajeriwal, Aam party leader, a retired income tax commissioner and his colleagues have set the course for practical socialism in power for a second term. Aam party has introduced the fundaments of social welfare state as put across by him in his book ‘Swaraj’ art of good governance. His manifesto has laid the foundation of Indian NHS and given root to panchayat system as grass root of politics.

Except for police Aam Admi Party has delivered in housing, all other subjects in the hands of Aam Party government. Aam Admi’s popularity graph can be ascertained by the fact that Aam Party win overwhelmingly second term as an endorsement of its successful socio-economic policies.

It’s delivery in essentials has surpassed all time record of good governance. A third term is surely on its way. It could perhaps encourage a wider playing field. Last time when Left had a chance in Pakistan was when Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s PPP turned the tables on the politics of traditional Right by becoming voice of the shirtless, down trodden, shelter less exploited masses at the hands of 22 families that held key to national coffers. He won lot of national and provincial assembly seats on the populist slogan of ‘roti, kapra and Makkan’. It is right to say that Bhutto won a perfect win.

India was lucky in having continuity of leadership under Congress headed by Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru as founding father of the republic. He sowed the seeds of a social welfare state. It was he who abolished feudalism and dealt a severe blow to well entrenched Hindu Banya capitalism.

In Pakistan due to over indulgence by Bonapartist generals, Bhutto sahib could not continue his dynamic politics, he was shown the door by General Ziaul Haq -army chief appointed by him out of turn. General Ziaul Haq made his dream of a theocratic Security State a reality with Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi as his guiding light.

Hall mark of Zia’s terror regime was Bhutto Sahib’s execution, castrating the nation by massive arrests, whipping and incarceration of PPP workers and supporters, the two Bhutto ladies who stood up like a rock to face Zia’s long periods of incarceration laid the foundation for the movement for restoration of democracy (MRD). Zia having served utility as knight tamper for the Americans was removed from the scene. His divine fall from the skies, his decade long totalitarian regime put lot of spanners in the smooth running of democracy. Benazir Bhutto twice elected prime minister and Nawaz Sharif thrice became victim of praetorian politics.

Its worst causality was politics of the Left replaced by yet another dictator backed by Salafi clerics. All had to learn a lesson from the Establishment to be ready to play junior partner in Power sharing game. Traditional Left was folded up and ever since has been on the decline. Tariq Ali fears it will die a natural death.

It is matter of history to state that in the subcontinent that is now Pakistan, the Left was always very weak. It was largely a rural concept. Indeed, the Left intellectuals in this region decided to set up a chain of newspapers called Progressive Papers Limited in which Faiz Ahmed Faiz, IA Rehman, Mazhar Ali Khan and Sibte Hasan were all involved. These were indeed an extremely brilliant news paper chain. Their aim was to transform thinking which they did to a certain extent but to many they became a substitute for building a Left organisation easy. The media was on their side. Then General Ayub Khan ended that oasis of free expression by taking the newspapers over in 1959. That marked the end of the story.

The Left has since then grappled with problems but not gotten anywhere. ‘A large section of the Left made a huge mistake by remaining aloof from the big uprising which swept Pakistan in 1968-69 and toppled the dictatorship. It was young people: young students, young peasants and civil servants who did it. That was the time when a small party could have become big like the Peoples Party did. But the traditionally organised Left failed that test both here and even more so in what was then East Pakistan.

Now with corona virus pandemic, whole scenario is shrouded in uncertainty- where would the world end. After Iraq war and changes in Middle East, unipolar world happened to be the order of the day. Changes in post corona virus world, will definitely topsy-turvy the Right. It had swept across Europe and United States, Left once again now have a chance to ignite a hope for revival in Pakistan with Imran Khan creating conducive socio-economic conditions.

Author is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK and a veteran journalist