1. What is the difference between " revolutionary party with a mass line " as said now and " mass revolutionary party " as said in the Salkia plenum resolution ?

 2. What is new specifically, hitherto untold or what is given more emphasis hitherto not emphasized enough?

R Jawahar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai.

1. The call for having a mass revolutionary Party was given at the Salkia Plenum. The immediate problem before the Salkia Plenum was how to overcome the lag between the growing influence of the Party, the growing number of mass struggles and the actual recruitment inside the Party. The growth in the mass influence of the Party was not adequately reflected in the growth of the Party.

The question before the Kolkata Plenum was different. Despite the growth in Party membership over the years, the mass influence of the Party had not grown. Further, the Salkia Plenum report had emphasised the importance of maintaining the quality of Party membership while expanding it. However, the quality of Party membership at present is not of the standard required to expand the mass influence of the Party. Given the lack of growth in the mass influence, the Plenum stressed the necessity to expand the mass base of the party through class struggles and movements. Hence the emphasis is on the quality of the membership and the revolutionary character of the Party which can accomplish this task.

The past experience has been that expansion of the Party’s mass base has been equated with expansion of membership. The mass character of a Communist Party cannot be judged by the mere strength of its membership. The Party’s mass base among the working class and different sections of the toiling people, the extensive political influence that it wields and importantly its mobilising capacity for any call for action by it – are all factors that go to determine the real mass character of a Communist Party.

The concept of a mass revolutionary Party is correct. The task of building a mass revolutionary Party is set out in the updated Party Programme. However, given the present state of Party organisation, what is required is a Party with quality membership which can help expand the mass base. The mass line should help in expanding the mass base of the Party. That is why there is the emphasis on adopting a mass line.

So the slogans given in the resolution on organisation are:

“Forward towards a stronger CPI(M) with an all India mass base!

“Forward towards a revolutionary Party with a mass line!”

2. For that you will have to read the whole Report and Resolution on Organisation which have been adopted at the Plenum. These have now been published and will be available soon.