Homage to Comrade Aijaz Ahmad

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) expresses deep sorrow at the passing away of Prof. Aijaz Ahamad, a legendary Marxist-Leninist intellectual of our times who passed away on 9 March 2022. 

A committed Marxist, comrade Aijas played a tremendous role in defending and expanding Marxist analysis when imperialist propaganda of "end of ideology" and "end of history" was gaining momentum. A brilliant demonstration of this defence was his seminal ideological struggle against "post modernism" which was making considerable inroads into Left vocabulary and practice with the collapse of USSR. A staunch defender of the working class politics, comrade Aijaz exposed the anti communist underpinnings of post modernism and it's ideological attack on "Dictatorship of the Proletariat".

Aijaz identified "the most far reaching consequence of post modernism in practical politics" as the "atomisation of politics". He used" atomisation of politics" to refer to the phenomenon of the "displacement of class politics by an amorphous entity called culture, the further displacement of the politics of Equality by the politics of Identity, the fracture of the unity of the exploited and the oppressed into countless little oppositional claims, so that resistance seems to everywhere but nowhere in particular".

 Apart from this crucial ideological defense of the organised working class movement, Aijas also delved into the depth of the fascistic movement in India.  Till the end of his life, Aijaz forcefully argued that fascistic tendencies in Indian society can be defeated only under the leadership of organised working class movement.

He has always maintained close relation with the CITU and like minded organizations. His demise at this juncture is a big loss to the progressive movement of the country.

CITU conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and comrades and submits its homage of respect to the signal contribution for the cause of the toiling people and the society.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

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