The slogan of the revolution has been misused so blatantly that it has lost its meaning in the context of the Pakistani politics. Every capitalist, feudal and religious politician in the country wants to bring revolution or change in the system; even the most ardent supporters and allies of the establishment in the country are using the word revolution to completely discredit it. They all wanted to protect their class interests and present system of status-quo.
Marxists are not against reforms but oppose the reformism as an ideology to counter the revolutionary ideas and traditions of the working class. Working class win concessions during the course of struggle but only for a certain period and than ruling class try to take these reforms and concessions back. In a class society, the struggle between workers and capitalist ruling class is of a permanent nature. The intensity of this class conflict and struggle can wary and there can be lulls at the times. Both the classes have different interests and clash with each other to protect and further their interests. The capitalist ruling class wanted to exploit the working class to the maximum. On the other hand the working class has no other option but to fight back for their survival. The Socialists fight shoulder to shoulder with workers to won reforms and concessions. They fight for decent wages, better working conditions, democratic rights and decent living conditions along side with working class as the best class fighters but they never stop to link these struggles with the decisive struggle to bring the social change through the workers revolution.
Socialists support any reform in the electoral system that will help the cause of the working class and the poor. The present rotten and corrupt election system needs to be changed radically. But the main question is who will do that as the present system helps the ruling elite to protect its class interests and political domination. So the ruling elite is not interested to make changes in the election system. The present election system allows the working class people and the poor to choose between different capitalists and feudal lords to represent them. The election process has been made so expensive that only very rich can contest. Now the question is can the introduction of some new laws and regulations will be enough to radically reform the election system as suggested by the leaders of the march.
Socialists believe that even the relative democratic and fair elections on capitalist basis are not possible without the abolition of feudalism and tribalism. People living in the rural areas dominated by the feudal lords and tribal leaders can not freely cast their votes according to their own free will. The big feudal and tribal chiefs forced them to vote for them. The capitalist class has failed to abolish and destroy the rotten feudalism and tribalism in the country. Instead, the capitalist class has collaborated with them to consolidate their position. The only class that can abolish this rotten nexus between capitalism and feudalism is working class. A representative government of the working class and poor can insure the free, independent, fully democratic and transparent elections in the country. The elections for the revolutionary constituent assembly under the democratic committees of the workers and peasants is the need of the hour to bring the desired change.
There is no doubt that working masses are sick tired of this corrupt, rotten and crony capitalist and feudal system. The working class and the poor of this country wanted change. There is wide spread discontent and anger exist in the society against this capitalist system. The ruling elite both military and civilian have failed to solve the basic problems faced by the working class and the poor. This anger has not yet taken the shape of political action and a generalized movement against the system. The working class has not yet arrived at the political scene and absent from the recent events. But this will not go for ever and this situation will change sooner than later. The working class as a real agent of the change and the vanguard of the revolution will arrive at the scene to bring the social change according to the aspirations of the millions of the working class people and the poor.
The recent long march and sit-in organized by the right wing religious scholar Tahir-ul-Qadri has once again provoked the discussion on the question of revolution and change in the system. The so-called long march from Lahore to Islamabad and than sit-in in the centre of capital Islamabad has raised important questions about the democracy, electoral reforms and the existing system in the country. Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri failed to mobilize the promised 4 million people in his million march and also failed to bring down the government. He managed to mobilize around 40000(forty thousand) supporters including the large number of females.
Tahir-ul-Qadri represents the forces of status quo and considered close to the establishment. This fire brand anti Taliban religious scholar is a controversial figure and migrated to Canada about 6 years ago. He returned from Canada on 23rd December and announced to launch a movement to reform the electoral system in the country. The opposition led by PML-N accused him that he is playing into the hands of establishment and wanted to derail the democratic system in the country and preparing for a military intervention. The government also alleges that he wanted to destablise the government and preparing the ground to postpone the upcoming elections. Many political commentators and liberal intellectuals share the same sentiments and views about the recent events. The leader of the march and sit-in might have his own hidden agenda linked closely with the wishes of establishment but ordinary people who participated in these events clearly came for a change. They spend four chilly and freezing nights in the open in a hope to bring change without fully understanding the meanings of change and how to bring it. The majority of the people in the march and in the sit-in are ordinary people belonging to the lower strata of the society. The unemployed youth, retrenched workers, , daily wage labourers and women came in to show and express their anger and discontent against the corrupt and rotten elite and system. In the absence of a real workers alternative and a mass party of the working class and the poor enable the people like Tahir-ul-Qadri to exploit the situation and try to fill the political vacuum that exist at the moment.
The matter of fact is that the present civilian government led by PPP has failed to govern the country and to deliver. The present government has converted the country into a living hell for millions of working class people and poor. The gap between rich and the poor has reached to the unprecedented levels. The economy is in a worse state now than when the government was elected in 2008, Taliban attacks are on the rise, Shia Muslims are suffering record levels of violence, as is Karachi, the economic and financial hub of the country. Appalling energy crisis is getting worse as electricity and gas cuts making life even more miserable and unbearable.
The rise of Imran Khan and the present mobilization of thousands of people clearly indicate the growing frustration with the present corrupt and rotten elite. The already existing political vacuum in the country has further widened to the new levels. Different forces on the right are vying to fill this vacuum and gain popularity through the right wing populist slogans and demands. In the absence of a strong left and workers movement the right wing forces has been able to make some gains in the sections of frustrated middle classes and the poor. The left and the trade union movement so far failed to play any important role. The workers movement is lacking political and ideological clarity, organizational strength, revolutionary leadership and the mass workers party with a clear socialist program and strategy to challenge the rotten and corrupt elite and system and put forward a class alternate to the millions of the workers, youth, women, peasants and the poor who are looking for an alternate.
The big problem at the moment is the low level of consciousness and workers struggles. The consciousness is contradictory. At the one hand working masses wanted to get rid of the present system and there is wide spread anger and discontent in the society but on the other hand the working masses have no clear alternate to fight for. The working masses know what they do not wanted but they do not know what they wanted. They also lack the clear class consciousness at the present. It is true that the divide between rich and poor has increased to unprecedented levels and there exist the anti rich currents in the masses but it has not yet turned into a clear class consciousness. But undoubtedly the urge and thirst for the change has started to grip the minds of the working masses.
The present situation clearly manifests the need for the formation of the mass party of the working class and the poor. Working class needs a political alternate with a clear radical socialist program and a revolutionary leadership to further the struggle to over through the capitalist system and to establish a genuine workers democracy. The trade union movement and the left in the country have a responsibility in this regard. The time is running out very quickly to take such initiative. This is the most important task on the shoulders of the left forces and specialy the revolutionary left. Socialist Movement is striving very hard to full fill this task.SMP urgently invites left groups and the activists of the trade union movement including the genuine trade union leaders to take the joint initiative in this regard.
The conscious intervention of the subjective factor in the present situation can change the objective situation quite quickly. The emergence of the working class movement can transform the whole situation.