Reader’s View
Comradely Greetings,
Congratulations on the publication of the second issue of The Anvil. We share in particular the analysis presented in several articles regarding (1) the correctness of the perspective of the Leninist theory of imperialism today, as defended in the polemic by Shivani Kaul against the academic musings of Hardt and Negri from their 2000 book Empire, a text which has been thoroughly demolished by the political and military events of our century, and (2) the subordination of the inter-imperialist process to the sharpening contradiction between two imperialist axes that is reflected, for now, in “still regional wars and violent incidents” (Anand Singh, “China: An Emerging Imperialist Power and the Underlying Implications”). As noted in the articles on China, on Trump’s Jerusalem move, and on the Sixth Arvind Memorial Seminar, the immediate theaters of this contradiction are the South China Sea, Syria, and Ukraine. We are witnessing greater instability in the totality of relations between capitalist nation-states which have the primary function of guaranteeing the reproduction of capitalist social relations, as Kaul reminds us, taking aim against the notion especially fashionable during the 1990s of “the retreat of national states.” Amid this growing tension, how will Communists “seize the day, seize the hour” in the words of Chairman Mao, with a view to returning to the road of proletarian revolution and opening a new revolutionary cycle? What are our tasks and what order of priority must we give them? Questions to be debated and resolved by every partisan of our international movement.
Maoist Communist Group . New York City, May 2018
Dear Editor,
I have gone through both issues of ‘The Anvil’ and I think this is a very important initiative. I hope this will serve as a platform for serious debate and polemic on problems of Marxism and the communist movement which is immensely needed today. A lot of confusion has been created on fundamental issues of Marxist theory which is the real roadblock in the development of left movement in India. The article on Naxalbari movement is extremely informative as well as thought provoking. The essays on imperialism, Marx’s ‘Capital’ and commentaries on major national and international events also provide a lot of food for thought. All of the articles provide a fresh and insightful approach to the problems instead of the stale and lackluster material that is presented in the name of analysis in most of the left journals. I wish you all the best on your journey which is not going to be a smooth ride by any means.
A. Senthil Kumar, Kochi
Thank you for publishing the Declaration of the Rights of Working and Exploited People by Com. Lenin. Please start a regular column for important and forgotten documents of international communist movement. They contain important and useful insights that are relevant even today.
Marcus, Kolkata
I received Anvil-2 from a friend recently and got the first issue from your website. I must say we don’t have such a serious Marxist journal in India today. Most left journals lack depth and rigour. I am curious to know about the response you have received so far. The questions you have raised and the critique you have presented should be answered but usually people respond with silence which is very frustrating. I have also been part of the left movement and have experienced this approach first hand. I am full of hope that the younger generation of communist activists and theoreticians will be more open and forthcoming.
Dr. Kamal Kishore Das, Kolkata
I read the article on caste question by Abhinav Sinha with great interest. I found his critique of Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophy, politics and economic thought quiet convincing though I had started reading the article with a lot of skepticism as most of the left critiques of Ambedkarite movement tend to be mechanical and superficial. I would like to read more about this. The report on the seminar on imperialism was also very interesting. I regret giving it a miss though I had received an invitation through email. I will be in touch to learn more about the discussions in the seminar. The paper on imperialism and the article on ‘Capital’ are also good. I had already read the Naxalbari article in Hindi so I am not commenting on it here.
S. Chowdhuri, New Delhi
