Politicontiki - Phoebe Levin

WE SATISFY YOUR TRAVEL URGES BY EXPLORING POLITICAL ISSUES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE!

PhoeBe Levin

Geographically located at the heel of India, Kerala is filled with lush foliage, beautiful beaches, and a labyrinth of lagoons and lakes. It has a distinct culture which blends Indian and Dravidian traditions. But Kerala is more than just an exotic holiday destination – it is also one of the only places on the planet run by Communist political parties or, at least, parties that are Communist in name.

The region is currently ruled by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), a coalition of leftist parties, including the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (because the original CPI is not Marxist enough, apparently). Throughout the history of the LDF, it has relied on multi-party elections and coalition-building to win power.

Now, I know I’m not alone in thinking that a parliament in which all parties strive for equality sounds like a great idea. The fact is, however, despite the political parties’ names emphasising their commitment to communism, there are many examples of them doing some very capitalist things. This is where we begin to see Adam Smith’s much-loved invisible hand rearing its ugly head palm.

For example, in 1961 the LDF undertook an agricultural reform that usurped the feudal farming system in favour of a more capitalist approach. According to Namboodiripad, the region’s Chief Minister at the time, fighting for free markets (something I believed to be contradictory to Marxist dogma), was just a lot more practical. North-east, a similar phenomenon (communist parties doing explicitly un-communist things) is apparent. In Nepal, two of the three major parties — Nepal Communist Party and the People’s Socialist Party — adhere to democratic socialism. Other communist parties include: The Communist Party of Nepal, the Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Nepal (United MarxistLeninist), and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Yes, communists love superfluous labels more than the GT Mums you see shopping at Claremont Quarter.

One obviously un-communist thing which these parties did was upheave Nepal’s monarchy in 2006 to replace it with a multiparty democracy. While Lenin did espouse the importance of a revolutionary vanguard in democratic society to foster the ascension into communism, and might have approved of their peaceful cooperation in deposing the king (very much in the communist spirit), I have a feeling he would have been less fond of the resulting capitalist economy.

This is not to take away from the successful welfarist policies which have been implemented by governments in Kerala and Nepal. Nor is it to say their adoption of capitalism may not be necessary for their survival. But let these examples serve to remind you that, much as one should avoid judging an edition of Pelican by its theme, one should also avoid assuming a political party’s policies by name alone.