SCIENTIFIC knowledge cannot be confined by any national boundary. It is internaltional by its very nature. Although it is true for scientific knowledge, examples of many a rubbish being internationalised is not hard to find in the history. Before going into that discussion, we must lake a close look at what the accusers themselves practise.

What about Indian parliamentarism and Indian constitution? Was not the constitution compiled by randomly picking up 'progressive' phrases from the constitutions of different European countries? Do not the saffron swadeshis call Hitler their model prophet and draw their ideological inspiration from Fascism? These are bare facts and just cannot be denied.

For the communists, however, things are radically different. They are not in favour of copying any “ism” in Indian soil.

The basic thing about accepting a modem technology is adoption, adaptation and upgradation. So is true for Marxism.

True, Marxism was originally developed through synthesis of Classical German Philosophy, British Political Economy and French Socialism in mid-nineteenth century. But in no time it acquired international dimension and in its eventful journey across the globe proved its potential as a powerful weapon of people's liberation movement anywhere and everywhere, against domestic and foreign oppressors. It gave a new meaning to the lives of the working people, their class consciousness. And moreover, despite being born in an advanced capitalist country it awakened the people of backward Russia and still more backward China in the days of World War II and after that to inflict the most crippling blow to the imperialist demon like Hitler's Nazi brigade and Japanese aggressors led by Tojo. Similar happenings are rife in the history of economically underdeveloped nations. Vietnam, North Korea and Cuba are cases in point. Is there any better evidence of patriotic awakening in modern history?

In the freedom struggle against the British Raj in India communists did play a positive role. It was not for nothing that the former identified them as the greatest threat to its rule. They were subjected to brutal persecution in the conspiracy cases named after Peshwar, Kanpur and Meerut. But unlike in Russia and China in the mid-twentieth century they could not establish themselves as the leader of anti-imperialist struggle. This failure explains our truncated freedom, our distorted democracy. Still this failure cannot in any way question the communists' unstinted commitment to their nation.

Marxism was adopted by enlightened people in various countries, adapted to their situations and was further enriched in the process. Indian communists have long been trying hard to organise people in their patriotic struggle. And today when the fangs of globalisation are posing ever greater threat to our economic, political and cultural sovereignty, is it not obvious that only those with an international approach can effectively guide the struggle?