An open letter from a comrade was printed in issue No. 289 of People’s Canada Daily News. (See page 91 of this book) A statement from the Party was also issued in the same issue. (See page 88 of this book) What emerges from this incident is of far more significance than merely one individual joining CPC(M-L). If it was a matter of one individual joining CPC(M-L), it would have been of no consequence whatsoever, but the fact that a comrade has split with modern revisionism and neo-revisionism is the reflection of a whole new trend – it is the departure of a whole section of the progressive and revolutionary movement from modern revisionism and neo-revisionism. It is attesting to what Comrade Bains has repeatedly emphasised, “The split with modern revisionism and neo-revisionism by the progressive and revolutionary youth is just a matter of time. We have been able to overcome revisionism; others will also do the same. This is an era of the defeat of modern revisionism and not of its victory. In this era, Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought is gaining ascendancy while all other ideologies are being relegated to the dustbin of history.”
When the revolutionary youth and student movement broke out in the sixties, revisionists and trotskyists and other opportunists attempted to corrupt its leaders and divert the movement and lead it into a blind alley. The monopoly capitalists organised one of the biggest cultural counter-revolutions in order to stop the revolutionary youth and students from taking the revolutionary path. In spite of this, the revolutionary youth and students consistently carried out the tasks entrusted by the movement and they overcame revisionism, trotskyism and other forms of opportunism and led the large-scale dissemination of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought and building the revolutionary party of the proletariat anew. During this great historic period, every single tendency came forward to contend and enter into a show of strength with Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought. There was the “peace” and “nuclear disarmament” movement of the late fifties and early sixties culminating in the formation of “Student Union for Peace Action” in December, 1964. Most of the leaders of this bourgeois organisation later joined the monopoly capitalist sponsored “Company of Young Canadians”, exposing their real colours as counter-revolutionaries while the rest (the remnants – those who couldn’t find a proper place for themselves with the government) formed the “New Left Committee” in 1967 which soon liquidated itself and disappeared, leaving nothing behind. There was the movement to “democratise” universities, leading to the “politicising” of the “Canadian Union of Students” itself. And there was the “youth culture” movement and movement of solidarity with the Vietnamese people leading nowhere. Finally, there was a “women’s liberation movement”. Parallel and opposite to all these movements was the Marxist-Leninist movement led by The Internationalists resulting in the founding of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) in March, 1970. This entire history of the revolutionary youth and student movement shows a vigorous struggle between the two lines in the movement. While in the beginning, revisionism, trotskyism and opportunism held sway over this movement, in the course of its development Marxism-Leninism emerged victorious. That struggle is still going on. On the one hand, revisionism (all sorts) and trotskyism (all sorts) and opportunism (all sorts) are attempting to win some credence in the revolutfonary movement, on the other hand, Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought is gaining more and more ground and is becoming entrenched in the mass movement. Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought is an irresistible school of thought and action and is the main trend in the revolutionary movement.
The decision by this comrade to join CPC(M-L) and split with modern and neo-revisionism reflects further deepening and broadening of the base of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought in Canada. Over the past ten years since the founding of The Internationalists in March, 1963, the revolutionary youth and student movement rejected bourgeois philistinism (social action type of activity – the line that Canada is fine and there is no need for revolution here while revolution of sorts is needed elsewhere) as well as Castroism, Guevarism, Khrushchovite revisionism and trotskyism. Now the revolutionary movement has shifted to the working class. The revolutionary youth and student movement played its decisive role in disseminating Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought and establishing the Party; now the shift to the revolutionary workers’ movement is made. At present the Krushchevite revisionists neo-revisionists, trotskyists and other opportunists are temporarily saddling the revolutionary workers’ movement and are attempting to divert it. This comrade is the last of the youth and student leaders to split with modern revisionism but the first from the trade union movement. His splitting from modern revisionism is the beginning of CPC(M-L)’s influence in the trade union movement. It is significant to note that the comrade split with modern revisionism not because of the Party’s work in the youth and student movement but because of the Party’s current work in the trade union movement. After splitting with modern revisionism by examining the Party’s work in the trade union movement, he also could sum up his past experience in the youth and student movement and applaud the Party’s work over the years. I can say with certainty that the decision of this comrade to join CPC(M-L) is the beginning of CPC(M-L)’s work in the revolutionary workers’ movement on a large scale exactly the same way the trend of unity began in the summer of 1967 amongst the revolutionary youth and students. At that time, after the historic Necessity for Change analysis provided by Comrade Bains, the revolutionary youth and students saw the necessity of splitting with revisionism and opportunism and taking up the theoretical foundations of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought. Within a short period of time, revolutionary youth and students rallied around the political line and analysis of The Internationalists and with every passing year strengthened and consolidated one Marxist-Leninist centre, culminating into a nation-wide trend of unity of Marxist-Leninists in October, 1972 – a trend which is still developing. The entire revolutionary leadership of youth and students, in the main, joined CPC(M-L) by the middle of 1973 closing a glorious chapter in the revolutionary youth and student movement and opening up the still more glorious chapter of the revolutionary workers’ movement. The joining of this comrade with CPC(M-L) is the opening up of this new chapter. From now on, many trade unionists and working class leaders who have years of experience with revisionism, trotskyism and other forms of opportunism will come forward to join the Party which will spur the growth and development of the revolutionary workers’ movement to a higher level.
Those comrades who see developments only one-sidedly should sum up the revolutionary experience of the youth and student movement of the past decade. When the revolutionary youth and students rose on various fronts, several opportunist trends came forward to lead the youth and student movement into a blind alley. But did they succeed in this nefarious activity? Temporarily!!? Maybe, in some places! But the overall revolutionary youth and student movement was able to break with them and advance. And what attitude did The Internationalists take towards it? Did they stand on the sidelines or did they oppose this development, or did they actually lead this development? Comrade Bains and The Internationalists did the latter thing – they actually led the developments. Comrade Bains fought right in the midst of the revolutionary youth and student movement, which was being diverted by the opportunists. The fact that the best elements could break with modern revisionism and trotskyism and other forms of opportunism was because Comrade Bains and his comrades did not detach themselves from the masses, but instead they fought right in the midst of them and led them. Nowadays, there are quite a few comrades who like to stand on the sidelines and become pamphleteers and not organisers. Instead of being communist organisers, they are becoming the interpretors of history and are standing on the sidelines and gesticulating. Revolutionary experience of the past ten years has shown that these individuals must be opposed and their ideology of sideline pamphleteering must be opposed. Today, in the revolutionary workers’ movement, there are many tendencies and there are many misleaders. The task of all communist organisers is to go right in the midst of the revolutionary workers’ movement and lead it. Only then will the best elements come forward to break with modern revisionism, trotskyism and other forms of opportunism and join us.
The Internationalists used to be physically attacked by various opportunists in the universities in the sixties. These opportunists had declared that they privately owned every motion that takes place amongst the revolutionary youth and students. The incidents at Parliament Hill on August 30,1973, (where the undercover agents, revisionists and other opportunists organised lumpen elements to attack CPC(M-L)) showed the recurrence of the same sort of incidents. Because of the revolutionary work led by Comrade Bains in the working class, the revisionists, trotskyists and other opportunists feel the heat of it and they erroneously think that they can liquidate it by flimsy physical threats. Far from liquidating our work, recent history shows that opportunism of all sorts is in a frenzy, incapable of dealing with the situation and is on the verge of collapse. Our comrades are moving in at fast speed, zeroing-in on key areas of the workers’ movement and are leading developments there. It is creating a lively situation in the workers’ movement and forcing the revisionists, trotskyists and other opportunists to make way. Comrades should learn from the history of the past decade in order to carry our work in the right direction in this decade.
Comrade Bains met this comrade in February 1963. The first advice Comrade Bains gave to this comrade was that if he followed Khrushchovite revisionism, he would come to no good end. He argued with this comrade to split with modern revisionism. But the fact that this comrade was a member of the Revisionist Party did not make Comrade Bains disassociate with him; instead, he always advocated that, “We have nothing to fear from modern revisionism. It is modern revisionism which has much to fear from Marxism-Leninism. Why should I stop talking to this comrade?!!” Following this correct position, Comrade Bains was able to isolate the influence of modern revisionism and win over the best revolutionary elements. Even this comrade had a great deal of difficulty in keeping away from supporting the Marxist-Leninist position and continuing support for revisionism.
There are many comrades now who believe, erroneously, that an individual who temporarily espouses modern revisionism should be shunned forever. These comrades are making a serious mistake when they do this. It is correct to oppose revisionist ideology, political line and method of work, but to keep away from an individual who has supported revisionism in this period is to play into the hands of the revisionists. The comrades should learn from the example of Comrade Bains. Comrade Bains has always said: “Revisionism is nothing to be afraid of.” Those individuals who are supporting revisionism at this time are bound to learn through experience of life the treacheries of revisionism but only if there are Marxist-Leninists around organising on the correct basis. It is the task of all genuine Marxist-Leninists to oppose the concrete manifestations of revisionism. In doing so, the genuine Marxist-Leninists are opening a path for the other sincere revolutionaries to follow.
Revolutions come about and revolutionary movements erupt not because of the will of certain individuals but because of the class struggle which is inherent in a class society. Canada is a class society. Class struggle exists independent of man’s will. Irrespective of what anyone says or thinks, class struggle is irresistible and rages all the time. In this situation, class struggle also rages inside the revolutionary movement. There is struggle against the erroneous lines and there is danger of movement being liquidated by the modern revisionists, trotskyists and other opportunists. Under these conditions, all comrades must pay close attention to having deep faith in the masses, that they will eventually be able to differentiate between genuine and sham Marxism, and they must consciously attempt to lead the revolutionary movement on the Marxist-Leninist basis. Nether can they affort to lose faith in the revolutionary capacity of the masses by looking at the superficial strength of the enemy, nor can they wait for a spontaneous upsurge of the masses for the Marxist-Leninist lines. What is needed is deep faith in the revolutionary capacity of the masses and a correct Marxist-Leninist political line on which the comrades lead the revolutionary movement patiently and with perseverence. There are comrades who are not thorough-going historical materialists and dialectical materialists. They look at phenomena superficially and get misled. They erroneously believe that things will remain the same and that the reactionaries will always be “powerful”. But the world is always in flux. Things change, develop and move. There is an increase in revolutionary activity and there are revolutionary eruptions giving rise to qualitative changes transforming the world on the revolutionary basis. There is the coming into being of the revolutionary initiative of the masses and there is the dying away of the strength of the reactionaries. It is very necessary and essential that comrades should remould their thinking and have deep faith in the revolutionary capacity of the masses. Our own experience has shown that the masses are capable of making a revolutionary sweep. In fact, only the masses are capable of a revolutionary sweep, while reactionaries and bourgeois individuals merely stand in the way of the revolutionary sweep.
During the past ten years, hundreds of revolutionaries split with revisionism and moved forward. Those comrades who think that they are incapable of such a motion should learn from our own history. From 1963 to date, how many activists have come forward to denounce revisionism, trotskyism and other opportunism and join CPC(M-L)? There are many!! There are many who were either apolitical or were associated with the capitalist parties. They also made a break. The case of this comrade shows that he is capable of moving forward for he made the split with revisionism in 1973. Actually, our history shows that there were those who split with revisionism in 1963 and following that year, there has been a continuous increase in quantity of those who split with revisionism, trotskyism and opportunism and their social practice is qualitatively improving. These facts show that the masses are capable of revolutionary change. We must have utter faith in this.
Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought is the irresistible school of thought and action amongst the revolutionary workers in Canada today. Let us apply this theory of Marxism-Leninism to the concrete conditions of opposing U.S. imperialist domination of Canada and organising proletarian revolution. The revolutionary youth and student movement is finished and over. It has played its role and has executed its task well. The new revolutionary youth and student movement will only be around the revolutionary workers’ movement which is surging forward again. There is an increasing tempo in workers’ struggles and these struggles will soon start to come in contradiction with the organs of the capitalist state. This shows that the capitalist state has to suppress the rising workers’ movement, but the workers are learning and gaining revolutionary experience. They have learnt many lessons from the negative examples of modern revisionism and social-democracy and they are sick to their stomachs of opportunist politics. They want to fight. They want to fight for anti-imperialist and socialist revolution.
The split of the comrade with modern revisionism is the beginning of the revolutionary storm in the working class. This incident should be looked at only from this point of view. Comrades are aware that in almost every city we have workers coming forward to take up the task of building the proletarian Party and lead the revolutionary workers’ movement. They are also aware that there are single sparks which are bound to trigger the revolutionary workers’ movement to erupt on a large scale. Once the single spark is lit and the CPC(M-L) comrades in key positions are leading the struggle, the monopoly capitalist class will have a tough time ending it. Already the comrades are working hard to make the next round successful. This way the victory of the workers’ movement is assured. Comrades and friends all across Canada have been asking: “When is CPC(M-L) going to seriously take up the task of leading the workers’ movement?” To our comrades and friends we can say: “Right now!!” Comrades, there are many individuals who are waiting to make a move. Carry through the task of building underground revolutionary groups in the working class through to the end!! Carry through the task of supporting the day-to-day struggles of the workers through to the end!!
DOWN WITH MODERN REVISIONISM!
DOWN WITH TROTSKYISM!
DOWN WITH SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY!
UPHOLD MARXISM-LENINISM-MAO TSETUNG THOUGHT!
(This article first appeared in People’s Canada Daily News, Vol. 3 No. 291, October 10, 1973.)