Text of a speech by a comrade at a function in Peshawar

Text of a speech by an ALO comrade member at a function organised by Pakistan Workers’ and Peasants’ Communist Party at Peshawar (Nov.29,1998) in connection with 5th congress of the party.

Dear comrades of the Workers and Peasants Communist Party of Pakistan,

I would first of all like to express our heartfelt thanks for the invitation extended to the Afghanistan Liberation Organisation to attend this present gathering. It is our hope to be able to further expand and strengthen in practice the relations between leftist and revolutionary forces of our two countries.

For many years revolutionary forces in Pakistan have unfortunately had a most inert attitude in regard to the tribulations of Afghan revolutionaries. This despite the fact that our country is and has been living through the most agonising and most sanguinary years of its historical life. Progressive and revolutionary organisations in our country have been living under constant fire from imperialist lackeys and an array of enemies from all sides. Our country and people are being beaten into pulp. Here in Pakistan tens of prominent Afghan revolutionaries including the founding leaders of the Afghanistan Liberation Organisation and hundreds of progressive elements including tens of our outstanding cadres have been annihilated by fundamentalist bands in connivance with certain Pakistani intelligence agencies. No voice of protest even in the form of an expression of sympathy and support has been given out by any Pakistani organisation laying claim to being progressive and revolutionary. When we say expression of sympathy and support we do not mean commiseration after the blood of our comrades has been spilt, but practical support and assistance in the face of danger.

A review of the chronicles of leftist Pakistani organisations will show that most such organisations had the most negative positions in regard to the Afghanistan issue. To a large number of political entities in Pakistan claiming to be leftist and revolutionary, the arch-traitorous Khalqis and Parchamis are friends of the Afghan people. Such political entities are apologists of criminal elements who have the blood of our masses and true Marxist-Leninists dripping from their elbows. It would have been far worthier if Pakistani revolutionaries had been foremost in shouldering the banner of support for the people’s resistance and liberation struggle against the Soviet invaders. The banner of such solidarity and support should not have been allowed to be borne by the most sordid and the most reactionary political forces in Pakistan. Such failure constitutes a black spot in the annals of such organisations. Pakistani comrades would do well to atone such a dismal failure.

It merits reminding that the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan by the defunct Soviet Union through the aegis of the coup d’état staged by Soviet puppets was the worst possible betrayal of socialism and socialist ideals. This aggression provided vital ammunition for imperialism in its anticommunist struggle. The Soviet Union is no more, and most of its former satellites and lackeys all over the world now deeply regret their mistake. Our Pakistani friends should summarise these historical lessons before it is too late and prove through honest self-criticism their support and solidarity with the agonised and unhappy people of our country.

We believe that under the present conditions in Pakistan when poverty and misery is the lot of the common man and corrupt and bigoted rulers suck the sap of the Pakistani masses, Pakistani Marxist-Leninists are in a position to very soon become a formidable force in Pakistani politics through determined effort and decisive policies. They will have the backing of Pakistani toilers and this cannot be without effect on our struggles.

Traitorous and reactionary forces in Afghanistan have disgusted our people. Because such forces do not see any place for themselves in the hearts and minds of our people, they resort to demagoguery and the fanning up of ethnic, linguistic and religious differences. Some political forces in Pakistan claiming to be progressive and anti-fundamentalist even go to the extent of supporting this or that infamous murderous band for the sole reason that they are predominantly composed of Pashtoons. They thus fall headlong into the mire of reactionary nationalism. Certain pretenders to leftist and progressive calling even celebrate the traitor Najibullah and forget his record of crime. At the beckoning of his Soviet masters Najib murdered thousands of our compatriots and uncounted numbers of progressive Afghan personalities struggling for national emancipation. To us, Najib is the most despicable traitor to the cause of socialism.

The Afghanistan Liberation Organisation has placed anti-fundamentalist struggle and the de-masking of their regional and international masters in the forefront of its duties. Thousands of our innocent compatriots have fallen victim to their nefarious designs. Afghanistan is dripping with blood and tears. We expect our Pakistani comrades to wake up to the reality of Afghanistan and raise their voices in fulfilment of their internationalist duty.

Dear comrades and friends,

Reactionary forces and lackeys of imperialism have forged a holy alliance in the region and are drawing closer together. Fundamentalists of all hues and colours in Pakistan support fundamentalists in Afghanistan and Kashmir with all the means at their disposal. At this moment thousand of Pakistani taliban, religious students, are swelling the ranks of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The criminal mullahs ruling Iran are leaving no stone unturned to bankroll and arm their traitorous lackeys in Afghanistan and keep them on their feet.

The negative stance of our Pakistani comrades is not limited to the issue of Afghanistan. No worthy support has ever been expressed by them to the struggles of Iranian revolutionaries who are been crushed by the fascist regime in Iran. There has been no worthy attempt on the part of our Pakistani comrades to expose the heinous crimes and atrocities of the murderous Khomeini regime in Iran, especially at a time when reactionary circles and media in Pakistan, fully supported by the Iranian regime, are promoting Iranian interests and it devolves upon progressive forces to enlighten the Pakistani masses. With every blow that you land on your Pakistani fundamentalists, the earth crumbles under the feet of our Afghan fundamentalists. If we step up and co-ordinate our struggles, we will doubtless be able to set up a broad anti-fundamentalist front and deal it crushing blows.

The revisionists committed a grave betrayal of Marxism and brought about a great schism in world communism. They thus degenerated into handmaidens of the imperialists. The imperialist are now making an all-out effort to picture the collapse of revisionism as the “death of socialism”. But a new age in the development of Marxist movements in the world is dawning. At this moment the roar of the gun echoing Marxist struggle can be heard from Nepal, India, Peru, Turkey, Iran and many other stifled corners of the globe. On the other side, intractable crises are engulfing the world of capitalism. The ensuing poverty and misery of the people will inevitably draw the masses into anti-imperialist resistance and struggle. The popular insurrections in Indonesia is an eloquent expression of such crises. The deep crises in south-east Asia will very soon draw imperialism into its vortex.

The Great October Socialist Revolution met failure and defeat through revisionist betrayal, but capitalism, despite its frenzied derision and self-congratulations, has not been able to refute Marxism in theory. It is for this reason that we staunchly believe that Marxism is alive and sooner or later will once again be the banner of people’s struggles and proletarian governments all over the world. The masses in Russia and eastern Europe now fully realise the depth of the great betrayal perpetrated by the revisionists. These countries live in disastrous conditions under imperialist domination. A large number of political organisations have sprang up in Russia who, with lessons learnt from their past, are striving to bring about a second October Revolution. Yeltsin and other imperialist lackeys in Russia have gone down the road of infamy to the extent that they have formally rehabilitated the Tsar, the greatest criminal in Russian history. The people of Russia will surely bring an end to this era of shame.

Marxism-Leninism is the only science guiding humanity and human social development. No power on earth, no matter how great, will be able to do away with it. It is ludicrous that the imperialists are moving heaven and earth in their heaving to prove it dead and buried.

Comrades,

To alleviate the agonies and miseries of our peoples and to exterminate our enemies of all hues and colours, let us all pledge ourselves here not to desist, not to waver to the last drop of blood in our veins, from striving to adapt and implement Marxism in the particular circumstances of our respective countries.

Long live Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought!

Down with imperialism and its despicable fundamentalist lackeys!

Long live proletarian internationalism!

Afghanistan Liberation Organisation

Peshawar – 29 November, 1998