Communist Party of India memorandum — "Our Attitude to the Government"

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OUR ATTITUDE TO THE GOVERNMENT

Our attitude to the Government is determined by the fact that a war is on which depends the fate of our country and of the world, the issue of freedom or fascism for ourselves and the world.

Unlike the loyalists we do not believe that just because a war is on, all that we have to do is to line up with the Government or lose our country. According to us this is abjuring patriotism and handing over the people to the Fifth Column.

Unlike the majority of the patriots we do not believe that the war is no concern of ours because we are not free. According to us just because the Government is foreign and not national, it is the task of the patriots above all to rouse the people, not to let them remain apathetic, not throw them against the war for that is losing our country to the Fascists and not winning our freedom.

The fundamental issue before us is the successful defence of our nation which is only possible under a National Government. According to us whatever is destructive of national defence, is anti-national and whatever strengthens national defence is true patriotism and also takes us nearer National Government.

This particular situation arises because we are not free, there is no unity between the existing Government and the people.

But just because the Government is foreign we don't adopt the position of [struck-over word] neutrality, for that is reducing ourselves to helplessness, refusing to do our own patriotic duty. We offer our co-operation to the Government in every measure of National defence. Even where the Government because of its political policy or age-old prejudices does not want people's cooperation we go out to rally the people on our own.

    The crux of our policy is:

        - nothing against defence
        - Everything for defence
        - With the Government wherever possible {ms. insertion: an explanation to our fellow patriots)} (that saves our own people and does not strengthen the {ms. insertion: foreign} Government)
        - On our own always

No major political organisation except ours has declared for unconditional support to war as our war, as a people's war for our people as for all peoples.

No major political organisation, for political reasons, has dared to go beyond the position of neutrality. After the Congress and the League we are the third Party in the country and we have openly declared for qualified cooperation even with the existing Government, with no bargaining spirit but with the sole desire to fight the fascist aggressors and save our own people from the horrors of war and its effects.

Irrespective of the attitude of the Government or of our fellow patriots, we have popularised and implemented our policy.

We seek no favours from the Government, all that we demand that there should be no discrimination against us. Our legality should not be reduced to a formality and we be allowed the normal facilities of a legal party.

OUR POLICY IN ACTION

Last six months have been terrible.

Repression has not make the people war-minded but only provoked them to destructive acts which [struck-over word] automatically became acts of sabotage, sit-