The process of reform is never ending, be it US, UK or India, Somalia. Reform is a process that could be in any direction, even reversing the old reforms in different names or shades.
For example, it may include establishment of workers’ colonies in close proximity or even inside of a township. These workers could be skilled and unskilled ones. Transporting them from a distant habitat on daily basis would be uneconomical. Their presence is not considered illegal and administration, police, courts do not take cognizance of their existence, neither raise any question.
They are given regular supply of electricity, water, TV, WiFi, etc. and even pay property taxes in some cases. To help them live and find means of subsistence for themselves, small shopkeepers, venders, maid servants, small scale doctors, lawyers settle there. They become part of the ‘civilized’ world and the growing townships of the establishments.
After a decade or so, when the township grows enough, the land prices rise more than 5-10 times and even 100 times, there arises the ‘need’ of building malls, PVRs, builders’ society, parks, water bodies, various institutions, beautification of the town for the growth of the country. The laws are changed to carry on ‘reforms’ for the need of the country and the GDP.
These colonies are branded illegal, the dwellers ‘turn’ rogues, uncouth, uncivilized lots, and even labelled foreigners and terrorists. Reform evicts them by force wherein the judiciary, police, bureaucracy, government, builders, businessmen and financiers, banks unite.
So is the case with building huge statues, reforming religions (new ones also come up), cultural institutions, changes in relations with other countries with changes in internal situations, market laws, labor laws, farm bills (to transform the agricultural ecosystem to be in sync with industries).
The mood of the people changes with the mood of the political parties which changes as per the mood of the capitalist class, both domestic and international. Results include amendments in constitution or making a new one, change in demography, nationalization and privatization in either direction as per the need of the capital, altering the election process, from ballot paper to EVM and back, etc.
The whole story of the so called ‘reform’ is to maximize the rate of profit, increase the surplus value, both absolute and relative. Further, it has to be in motion, because one or few measures get exhausted after a certain point of time and consequently, the profit rate, which has a tendency to fall to zero, starts tumbling.
However, there is resistance to this process of reform, by the working class against whom the reforms are initiated. Their lifestyle and living standard goes down, their employment opportunities and purchasing capacity is adversely affected save a few exceptions for some people whose income increases, especially during the economic boom.
Comrades and friends, get out of the so called process of reforms which, in my opinion, is nothing but a capitalist need, albeit in the name of national interests and welfare of the people. Think holistically and work to bury capitalism which I believe to be the mother of all evils and supersede it with socialism.
Stop opposing or favoring reformism. Unite for revolution.