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A SEMINAR on ‘Relevance of Marxism in the present situation’ was organised by CPI(M) Kamrup Mahanagar district committee to mark the bicentenary of Karl Marx on May 14 at Lakhiram Barua Sada in Guwahati.

About 250 members attended the seminar where chief speaker Ashok Dhawale, Central Committee member of CPI(M) and president, AIKS, spoke at length about the life of struggles of Karl Marx, the revolutionary and scientific aspects of his philosophy.

Analysing the present situation in the country, Dhawale said that Karl Marx, in his writings on India, said that caste system was the biggest hindrance to social progress in India where even today, class exploitation and social discrimination are going hand-in-hand. Under the Modi regime, which has been aggressively pursuing neo-liberal economic policies and the socially regressive policies of RSS, such exploitation and discrimination have intensified, he pointed out.

While the exploitation of workers, peasants and all other sections of the working people has intensified, social discrimination against dalits and women have assumed an alarming dimension resulting in people’s wrath and discontent.

Despite the sinister attempt of the present ruling dispensation to divide the people on communal lines by inciting religious fanaticism and bigotry, thereby distracting their attention from basic issues, the working people are mobilising in increasing numbers with growing resistance against the anti-people policies of the government. He added that Marxism is a potent weapon that can strengthen these struggles qualitatively and quantitatively to bring about a radical change in the situation in favour of the working masses.

Dhawale pointed that an opinion poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), even in the post-Soviet era, declared Karl Marx as the greatest thinker of the millennium and Albert Einstein the ‘greatest scientist’, both adherents of Socialism.

Marx was the founder of the philosophy of scientific socialism. This philosophy has shown humanity the path of liberation from exploitation and bondage. Dhawale, quoting Engels, said that as Charles Darwin discovered the laws of evolution of species, Marx discovered the laws of evolution and development of human society.

He also added that Marx analysed the capitalist social system in a scientific manner and discovered the source of capitalist exploitation – the surplus value. These two discoveries have turned socialism into a science and demonstrated that only a radical transformation of capitalist system can eliminate exploitation and liberate working people.

However, he pointed that such transformation does not come automatically or spontaneously and that it has to be brought about by the conscious and revolutionary actions of the working class which must lead and unite all other sections of the exploited masses. Hence, Dhawale concluded, Marxism is a science of bringing about social change and that its relevance therefore is abiding. He said that the growing crisis of world capitalism along with the unprecedented rise in inequality of income and wealth witnessed by the present day world prove the relevance of Marxism.

Deben Bhattacharjee, secretary, CPI(M) Assam state committee also addressed the seminar which was conducted by Hemen Das, the senior most leader and a state secretariat member of the Party. Earlier, at the outset, Satanjib Das, secretary, Kamrup Mahanagar district committee of the Party explained the objectives of the seminar. Preceding the seminar, a colorful rally with Marx’s portrait and quotes, was taken out in the streets of Guwahati.