Report on LALIT Strategy Seminar on 14 July

18.07.2012

LALIT held an open Strategy Seminar on 14 July at Grand River North West in the Mother Earth Hall, from 1:30 to 6:00 pm. This was the second session, following one on 1 July. The issues discussed were the strategic importance of class politics, as opposed to electoral politics, on the one hand, and civil society struggles, on the other, and of internationalism today in the context of globalized capitalism and finance capital.
The first paper presented jointly by Rada Kistnasamy and Rajni Lallah was on the nature of class politics, as opposed to electoral politics, and it put emphasis on the recent victories of LALIT’s class politics, even in times of a down-turn in the class struggle. The second paper prepared jointly by Alain Ah-Vee and Ragini Kistnasamy, emphasized how internationalism in the class struggle itself, both seen in an historical over-view world-wide as well as in an over-view of present-day internationalism in LALIT’s politics. LALIT’s internationalism can be seen in practice, it was mentioned from the floor, in the past two weeks or so, when we have had a talk by a trade unionist working with illegal workers in New York City, telling about the difficulties she has, a meeting with a member of a left party in Sri Lanka, at which we shared information and ideas about the struggle today, and a conference call with a member in Reunion Island about the political situation there. This, as well as blending internationalism into all our other political struggles.
Other than LALIT members and supporters, there were members of a neighbourhood association, some trade union leaders and some people who were, until now, more involved in ecology-related issues. The debate was very wide-ranging and went deep, in a relaxed atmosphere. Most people felt that they had learned a great deal in the course of just one afternoon’s discussion.
These two sessions on strategy and class, followed LALIT’s Conference on Strategy in March, at which we put into question the old worn-out slogans, once again parading as left-wing, of “Mauritianism” and “national unity”. In May, LALIT held an “argument workshop” to sharpen the skills of members in debates. This was necessary as “Mauritianism” and “national unity” have been paraded as the panaceas to the genuine problems of communalism and racism. Also, the bourgeois association “Democracy Watch” attacked LALIT’s class politics (which are in opposition to communalism and racism) by support for the “Mauritianism” and “national unity” line in an outright pro-capitalist way.