Soviet Unions Disintegration and its Impact on the Communist Party of Pakistan
Authors
JAWAD UR RAHMAN and FAIZULLAH JAN
Abstract
The Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) was working for the implementation of a socialist system on the pattern of USSR by following the philosophy of Marxism-Leninism under the directives from the Soviet Union. However, the disintegration of the Soviet Union in December 19991 proved to be a shock which disillusioned many Leftists and progressives in Pakistan and everywhere else. This research paper investigates the impact of disintegration of the Soviet Union on the Left politics in Pakistan, especially on the Communist Party of Pakistan. Secondary data for this paper is collected from the books, research articles, newspapers and journals, etc. while primary data is collected through in-depth interviews with key informants, Left political activists and academicians. The findings indicate that the disintegration of the Soviet Union negatively impacted the Communist Party of Pakistan. The already weak CPP suffered its own disintegration and its top leadership momentarily went into a disarray. Nowadays, CPP is functional in three factions and each faction is functional only at and around its headquarters. Antonio Gramsci‟s theory „Hegemony‟ is used to interpret the data and draw theoretical inferences. Gramsci‟s theory posits that ideas favouring the interests of the dominant class are accepted as the norm by the subaltern through a process of hegemony. This study recommends that merger of the CPP‟s all factions, bringing young cadres to key positions within the party, and launching a national media that speak for common people can help promote the Left political ideas in Pakistan.
Keywords: Left Politics, Pakistan, Communist Party of Pakistan, Soviet Union.