Thread by @ammaralijan

I don’t believe my work with workers, students or farmers should shield me from criticism. Even though some of the tweets were both slanderous & rude, I assume there is a serious ideological debate needed on the relationship between progressives, democracy & the current regime.

This is important because right-wing movements world over have mastered the art of strategically using the discourse of socialism, feminism & anti-elite rhetoric to discredit dissent & prop up authoritarian regimes.

There has been a strong decay of center-left parties across the

world. Democrats in US, Congress in India, PPP in Pakistan etc. Corruption & abandonment of their ideological base has led to erosion of support for these parties. Unfortunately, this decay has not been replaced by progressive alternatives but by right-wing forces who mobilized

the worst elements of their society to oppose these parties. This placed progressives in dilemma on how to align themselves while under fascist threat. Socialists in US organized themselves within Democratic Party whereas Indian communists are now aligned with Congress party that

they fought against for 70 years.

In Pakistan, our situation was even worse because we were dealing with a state that was literally abducting our members. We met Bilawal & PML-N leaders last year when my student, Alamgir Wazir, was abducted & I was charged with sedition.

Those who did not come to a single protest for Alamgir nor criticized PTI for such fascist tactics manufactured an uproar that we sold out by reaching out to opposition parliamentarians. Same people would have ofc accused me of abandoning students if we let Alamgir rot in prison.

Why are Leftist forces gravitating towards groups that they have historically condemned? It's because we are faced with an enemy that basis its politics on spectacles of cruelty. The current dispensation is one that benefits from an establishment literally willing to disappear

its people. Does that mean opposition parties have not benefited from the same forces? Absolutely not. All parties have stem from this system and benefit from it.

What compass should we then use to justify our political alignments? Here, one should read Mao on the idea of

principal contradiction in any given political situation. For example, in early 1930s Mao’s primary struggle was against brutal feudals under leadership of Chiang Kai Shek.

After the Japanese invasion of China, Mao made alliance with the same feudals against the Japanese. Why?

Because the situation had changed and the principal contradiction now was the Japanese invaders. Notice how a change of situation caused a change of *perspective* & not a change in the hearts of individuals.

One of the worst myths propagated by IK is that what we need are

“honest individuals" (no matter if they are backed by sugar mafias & establishment) to change the system.

This is a stupid argument. One’s alliances don't depend upon the intentions of a politician but the place he/she occupies within structure of power at given moment in time.

Going back to our Chinese example: if feudals & warlords were willing to join a fight against the dominant+savage player i.e. Japan, then a tactical alliance was necessary for survival

Of course, many cowards (like Wang Jingwei) went over to Japanese side, citing how Chinese

Communists had compromised with feudals as if the Japanese were invading to implement land reforms!

It is no secret that Baba Jan was arrested under PPP govt & Mehr Sattar arrested by PML-N govt at behest of the military. But both Baba Jan’s family & Okara tenants have lobbied

these same parties. Is it because these people are more cowardly than our “principled” twitter warriors? Here one finds a true difference between the flexibility of those who have to organize on the ground against those who hold onto abstract principles in the virtual world.

On the ground, activists have to see how to survive in the midst of pervasive violence at the hands of a cruel state. They will be ready to exploit any differences within the ruling hegemonic bloc, make any tactical alliances and celebrate any setbacks to opponents.

They go against the dominant ideology manufactured by GHQ that all politicians are the same. They all may have the same intentions, but they cannot be playing the same role within the political structure. That is logically impossible!

The Bhutto of 1960s was different from 1970s, Nawaz Sharif of today is different that of 1990s just like IK of today is different from 2000s. They are not different in the sense that they became good or bad human beings – since such individual moralism is pointless in politics.

It simply means their attempts to gain power produce different effects within the power structure & make them align with different actors. Those organizing on the ground do not have the luxury of ignoring these differences – because they are looking to survive through alliances.

Yesterday, we were at a Kissan Conference in Lahore when news broke out that Gilani had won. Instantly, farmer leaders stated that there was a lot of fear when PTI killed their member in November but now the govt has become weak and they will soon take out rallies.

They didn’t have expectations from PPP or PML-N. They fought against both these parties when they were in power. But instinctively they could understand the opening provided by a weakening regime – again showing the wisdom of farmers over chattering classes of Twitter.

I usually prefer not to talk about what we have been through at the hands of PTI – despite the fact this govt has ruined our careers, banned us from public events & TV and hounded my family. Yet we will stand with them if they take on the establishment.

If we support PTI against unelected forces, that would not mean that we join PTI (tauba!) – but that we will recognize the shifting balance of forces within the political setup and base our politics upon them.

For now, let it be clear this regime's supporters are supporting the

most entrenched ruling elite of our country which has always remained untouchable. It takes no courage doing that.

The sincerity of their hearts cannot atone for the right-wing/reactionary historical role they play. The erasure of history has allowed Establishment to hijack the

desire of young people to break from the past. It has trapped us all into a repetitive cycle where accountability & anti-corruption is used to fuel worst kind of authoritarianism, Lota culture & yes: corruption!

Left has correctly identified establishment as principal

contradiction. We can win by being more consistent in this fight as compared to mainstream parties. We will always need alliances in this fight. Acting holier than thou while refusing to stand up to an authoritarian state is cowardly politics that Leftists must reject.