Kapil Tamang
To delve into the Nationality question and the
demand for self-determination, to chalk out a gross outline regarding our
position with respect to it as a progressive force, we need to enter deeper
into the subject.
Formation of a Nationality
In the primitive era, people used to dwell in some
relatively small collectives (clan) or some of those clans lived together
(tribes), the foundation of which was kinship or blood relation. With time,
these tribes merged together to form a race or a nation, whose members are not
only connected by blood relations, but generally it took shape by the
integration of several tribes bearing different racial features.
In the pre-capitalist era,
under the discrete rule or laws, nationalities that were formed encompassing
several isolated collectives did not bear any economic or political tie at all.
The flare of nationalistic consciousness was first seen while the process of
elimination of feudalism and development of capitalism were going on. In the
era before the birth of modern capitalist countries, there were established
colonies in different parts of the world. Under the confinements put by the
imperialists, in their interests, the nationalities started to get their shapes
and it yielded in distorted economic and political development.
Capitalism created modern nations
The development of capitalism created modern
nations.
.... “Nationality ... is not a racial or tribal
phenomenon. It has five essential features: there must be a stable, continuing
community, a common language, a distinct territory, economic cohesion, and a
collective character. It assumes positive political form as a nation under
definite historical conditions, belonging to a specific epoch, that of the rise
of capitalism and the struggles of the rising bourgeoisie under feudalism.” [Based on J. V. Stalin, Marxism and the National
Question, 1913].
The call of free market was alluring the emerging
bourgeoisie to overcome the native boundaries of feudalism. They, to ensure
mass support, gave a political effort to make ‘their own people’ conscious
about ‘their own culture and politics’, and in this quest, new myths were discovered;
several phrases and motifs were used to convert this identity consciousness
into a powerful and effective emotion. This is nationalism. This is the very
trump card for the nascent bourgeoisie to get into the throne of power.
Now in case of nationality-based oppression, it is for
the gains of a small section of the oppressor nationality. However in doing
this they try to include the oppressive nationality in its entirety and even
don’t hesitate creating animosity throughout the society or promulgating riots,
if required.
Nationalism- a bourgeois
philosophy
Nationality
struggle- a FIght for freedom
Nationalism, be it of the oppressor or the oppressed, or of any
nationality, is nothing but a bourgeois philosophy. And it is based on
“National Unity” which is the unity of the proletariat & the bourgeoisie of
one nationality against all the other.
The struggle for
nationality is generally led by the local bourgeoisie. Often they are in clash
with the bourgeoisie of the dominant nationality for the control of local
businesses, which eventually translates into the demand for right to
self-determination. This demand can only become all-prevailing when in reality
their social-cultural expressions get trampled and their socio-economic
development is hindered. Then only people from all walks of life join in the
fight of liberty from the oppressors. So the fight of freedom being against the
oppressive ruling class of the dominating nationality, every democratic person
needs to support these struggles and the baton of leadership can be carried
over to the hands of one class to the other. It is imperative for the working
class and oppressed people and the democratic voices in these struggles to
participate and create debates within, and to influence the course of the
movement. Whence these battles get concluded, struggles against other
exploitations ubiquitous in the society will become inevitable, especially the
class-struggle.
Right to self-determination :
A
fundamental democratic right
For every nationality right to self-determination is a fundamental
democratic right. It means the right of a people of a nationality living within
a boundary to create a sovereign state for them within that boundary. Right to
self-determination is the right to secede as well.
If at the end, we ‘Imagine all the people sharing
all the world’, an essential condition to that end is the struggle of
nationalities for equal rights which means revoking all the special privileges
relished by the oppressor nationality along with the inequalities suffered by
the oppressed. “From their daily experience the masses know perfectly well the
value of geographical and economic ties and the advantages of a big market and
a big state. They, therefore, resort to secession only when national oppression
and national friction make joint life absolutely intolerable and hinder any and
all economic intercourse.”
“We demand freedom of self-determination, i.e.,
independence, i.e., freedom of secession for the oppressed nations, not because
we have dreamt of splitting up the country economically, or of the ideal of
small states, but, on the contrary, because we want large states and the closer
unity and even fusion of nations, only on a truly democratic, truly
internationalist basis, which is inconceivable without the freedom to secede” (Lenin, collected volumes, English, vol-21, page
413-14).
conFLicting nationalisms :Problems in them
Time and again we see two conflicting errors on the
question of nationalism. The first is the nationalism of the oppressor nationality.
Those who are contaminated with the chauvinism of the oppressors, namely their
brand of nationalism, only utter the question of voluntary unity. They don’t
speak up against the unity historically determined by imperialism; neither do
they support the right to secede, though they speak of equal rights. It is
unfathomable to them that as long as the right of nationalities to
self-determination is not addressed, there won’t be any real unity or equality
between the people of the oppressed & the oppressor nationalities.
Those plagued with the
problematic nationalism of the advanced nationality, often consider today’s
countries and their boundaries to be everlasting. The right of political
“secession” seems incredulous to them. But under any circumstance or time the
right to politically secede, the opinion being of the majority or expressed
through a referendum, ought to be supported & whether it has any basis in
reality is hardly a valid question here. What is impossible today can become
inevitable tomorrow.
The other problem is
getting entangled in the bourgeois nationalism of the oppressed nation. Here
the problem is of opposite nature. They only consider the emancipation of their
own nationality, only envisage what the bourgeois of their own nationality see—
but deny understanding that this very struggle has a distant goal of voluntary
unification of the nationalities too. And often, failing to keep the correct
orientation, this struggle gets derailed, and endangers the unity of the
working class.
These two problems of two
nationalisms creeping among the oppressor and oppressed nations are the
reflections of the dominance of the bourgeoisie, bourgeois thought over the
whole sphere, and we should oppose them.
But while opposing
bourgeois nationalism of all nations, we find that there is a democratic
essence in the nationalism posed by the oppressed nationality, as this one grew
out of the struggle against aggression of imperialism or big capital. Thus we
support this struggle against nationality based oppression. The effect of
bourgeois thought on the oppressor nation is more problematic as behind it lay
the imprint of the bourgeoisie of dominant nation, the bourgeoisie in power.
And along with that, added is the long nurtured idea of domination among the toiling
people belonging to the oppressor nation.
How relevant is nationality Question right now?
Global capital is now concentrated in the hands of a few hundred global
conglomerates. Centralization of capital is at its zenith. Every day, trade
worth lahks of crore dollars gets conducted between multinationals.
Monopolistic capital is increasing its stranglehold over this planet and
astronomical amount of money is being spent for this purpose. These few hundred
corporations are aggressively pursuing a disastrous strategy with the only goal
to maximize profit. At the receiving end is the working class. Every new merger
brings to it news of closure, layoffs or more work load.
Without going into too many
details it can be said that though no end to poverty, illiteracy or failing
health throughout the globe seems to be in sight, the corporations seem to seamlessly
merge into the capitalistic states and their tools of oppression. A conflict
becomes apparent at this juncture. A section of the bourgeoisie and
petty-bourgeoisie theorists have began to opine that in the present backdrop of
globalization, ethnic identity is no longer as important as it had been in the
past. In reality, with the strengthening of global market, the contradictions
between nations have become even more intense. The history of last century is
that of the revolt of production power against the limits of national
boundaries. World economy has evolved in this direction and in its wake brought
economic crises and world wars. The natural contradictions of capitalism have
further provoked it to show it’s tooth and nail. But, not only in erstwhile
colonies but even in developed capitalist countries the ethnic question has
come to the fore in many cases. These questions are often getting raised in
places where it had been earlier thought to be having been resolved. There is
no doubt that capitalist exploitation will be on further rise.
On the other hand, the
desire for freedom within the oppressed will increase with social progress. We
need to realise that there is a contradiction in the formation of nationality
due to the bourgeoisie or trickledown effect of capitalism on the one hand, and
the process of fusion of nations or to wipe out their variations in the era of
globalisation, on the other. We observe instances of backward nationalities
advancing and getting more consolidated with time, and simultaneously we see
some nationalities being smashed or getting extinct with time. It depends upon
where the contradiction would lead.
But those who seek the
ultimate solutions in this secessions or formation of small states or
autonomous bodies might look at the previous instances of such formations. It
is clear that the quantitatively increasing lures of self-rule will not convert
to the qualitative taste of freedom for a race.
The mode of capitalist production utilizes, among
many other methods of exploitation, the practice of unfair exchange based on a
repressed group’s lack of consciousness, helplessness of various forms and
rampant unemployment. So to reach the desired horizon, the emphasis should be
more on the issue of class struggle than on nationalist movements. But if
however, the nationality movement comes to the fore, the question of identity
motivates people superseding the class struggle, we need to respond to it
positively, instead of turning it down. The sense of deprivation looming large
needs to be attended to go ahead for a glorious destiny.
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