THE Great October Socialist Revolution, 105 years ago, and the formation of the Soviet Union a century back, had changed the course of human history.

The October Revolution, which began on November 7, ushered in a new society free from exploitation of one human being by another. It generated hope, aspirations and confidence among the working class and toiling people across the world that a world, where human labour is recognised, respected and treated with dignity; a world where the wealth created by workers, peasants and other toiling sections is not taken away by a few profit mongering people, is possible.

The Revolution led to the formation of the Soviet Union which wiped out poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, ill health etc in a record short period and made huge strides in developing science and technology, arts etc. It rose to compete with the USA, the richest and most advanced capitalist country in the world.

The October Revolution inspired the working class, the common people and all progressive sections in our country who were then fighting for independence from British colonialism. Their vision of an Independent India was highly influenced by the achievements of the Soviet Union in improving the conditions of its people. 75 years after independence, we are far from achieving that vision. Under the Modi led BJP government guided by the communal divisive agenda of the RSS, the hard won rights and benefits of the people are being further attacked; people are being pushed to conditions reminiscent of British rule.

Observing a day to commemorate the October Revolution and recalling its great achievements should not be treated as an annual ritual. This should be an occasion for the working class all over the world including our own country, to learn lessons from that world shaking event and firm up the determination to unitedly confront the ruling classes and defeat them to achieve a society free from exploitation. The October Revolution showed that that is possible.

It is now around three decades that Soviet Union has collapsed; there has been a setback to socialism. Collapse of the Soviet Union led to a drastic decline in social status and living standards for many. Economic crises that followed led to deprivation and increase in mortality and suicide rates. According to a poll by an independent pollster Lavada Centre conducted in 2020, 75 per cent of Russians believed that ‘the Soviet era was the best time in Russia’s national history with high level of prosperity and opportunities for ordinary citizens’.

The pen pushers of capitalism and imperialism have at that time jubilantly proclaimed that capitalism was the end of history. Neoliberalism, which evolved as an ideology to counter socialism soon after the October Revolution, gained prominence after the demise of the Soviet Union and was imposed globally by the international finance institutions, IMF, World Bank, and WTO, to address the crises of capitalist system. The world was led to believe that there was no alternative.

Today, with the global crisis of 2007-08 that shows no sign of abetting even after around one and half decades, and which was further aggravated by the Covid pandemic and related lockdowns, there is no such jubilation even among the most ardent advocates of neoliberalism and the capitalist system. Even the IMF, which spearheaded the spread of neoliberalism, had to acknowledge its failure. Its online magazine ‘Finance and Development’ wrote that although growth benefits are uncertain, costs in terms of increased economic volatility and crisis frequency and increased inequality are prominent.

The experiences of the workers and people during the Covid-19 pandemic glaringly exposed the failure of the capitalist countries, including the USA, the richest and most powerful country in the world in protecting the lives and livelihoods of people despite all their scientific and technological advances. It was the socialist countries including China where the virus was first detected and Cuba which has been suffering due to cruel sanctions and restrictions imposed upon it by the USA that have been able to effectively protect the health, lives and livelihoods of their people because of the robust public health system.

Neoliberalism is today discredited. All over the world, workers, peasants, students, youth and women are coming out in large numbers protesting against the neoliberal policies, which have resulted in huge increase in inequalities, job losses, unemployment, worsening of working conditions, attacks on trade union rights, increase in poverty, hunger, malnutrition. Larger sections of people, particularly the youth are not only opposing neoliberalism but are getting disillusioned about the capitalist system. The Heritage Foundation, citing the findings of aAxios/ Momentive poll survey reported that 54 per cent of Americans aged 18-24, regardless of political affiliations view capitalism negatively. Only 42 per cent have a favourable opinion of the system now; this has come down from 58 per cent having favourable opinion of capitalism two years ago.

However, the anger against the impact of neoliberal policies on their livelihood and living and working conditions does not automatically translate into a struggle for socialism. People are increasingly seeking alternatives to neoliberal policies and are coming out in large numbers in struggles across the world. Where the people are able to connect their day to day issues like price rise, unemployment, attacks on their basic rights and welfare benefits with the neoliberal policies, they are fighting against the policies and as in several Latin American countries, able to install progressive governments who promise alternative policies.

Huge struggles are taking place in our country as well. The historic farmers’ struggle against the three farm laws in our country has been able to compell the Modi government to repeal the three farm laws. The working class of our country has observed three general strikes at the call of the joint trade union platform in the span of two years – two strikes in 2020, one being during the pandemic and two days strike in March 2022. Almost all sections of the working class went on sectoral struggles and strikes. But these are mostly struggles against the impact of the neoliberal policies. The working class of our country is yet to identify the neoliberal policies implemented by successive governments at the centre as the reason for their worsening conditions – the huge rise in prices particularly of essential commodities and food items, the job losses, lack of employment opportunities, deteriorating working conditions, the agrarian distress resulting in lakhs of peasants and agricultural workers committing suicides etc.

The ruling classes effectively represented by the Modi government at the centre are doing everything to prevent the people from identifying their real enemy – the neoliberal policies and the capitalist system itself, which is based on exploitation. The RSS, the BJP’s mentor and ideological guru, which served the British interests when the working class and our people were fighting British imperialism, is now busy serving the interests of US imperialism which has been imposing neoliberalism over the world including on our country. It is spreading hatred, targeting the minorities, particularly the Muslim minorities, to polarise society on communal lines. It is trying to replace the constitution, drafted to reflect the people’s vision during independent struggle, with the Manusmriti, that relegates dalits, tribals and women to inferior position in the society. The BJP and the RSS are being patronised by the big corporates and business houses, both domestic and foreign. The BJP government is resorting to the use of all arms of the State to suppress voices of protest. Democratic and constitutional rights are being attacked. Parliamentary norms are being violated. One section of people is pitted against the other to disrupt their unity and weaken united struggles.

It is in this background that the joint national convention of workers, peasants and agricultural workers, organised by the CITU, AIKS and AIAWU assumes great significance. The convention has called for a series of actions culminating in a massive demonstration at the national capital during the budget session of parliament in 2023. It has decided to conduct an intensive joint campaign reaching out to the people across the nooks and corners of the country with the issues and demands that call for the reversal of neoliberal policies and place an alternative before the people.

It is through such unity of the workers, peasants and agricultural workers, the sections that produce the wealth of our society and through their united struggles that link the miseries of the people with the neoliberal policies and the exploitative capitalist system, that people can be prepared to fight for an alternative exploitation free society.

When we remember the Great October Revolution, it becomes imperative for us to create awareness among the working class and peasantry about not only the desirability but also the necessity and possibility of changing the exploitative capitalist system which is in a systemic crisis and prepare them for heightening united struggles to achieve this.