<p>New Delhi: Emphasising that socialism should not be imposed through dictatorship, eminent historian Irfan Habib on Monday said that in today’s India one should propagate not only socialism but “full democracy” too.</p><p>Delivering the first Sitaram Yechury Memorial Lecture, Habib said both socialism and democracy are “priceless values” and it is a “fallacy” to think that socialism can be implemented through dictatorship. Yechury passed away on September 12 last year.</p><p>“In India today, we not only propagate socialism, we should also propagate full democracy,” he said, adding one should think how they can bring about socialism as far as possible, which is accepted by a vast majority of citizens.</p><p>Speaking on the topic ‘The Left in the National Movement and its Legacy’, he said it was wrong on the part of the Communists to equate Congress and Jinnah-led Muslim League. Habib said it is time for the Leftists to review this position, calling it a “grievous mistake”.</p>.<p>“Congress at least had a socialist programme. Muslim League has no such programme…,Muslim League was a communal outfit. The Congress was a national party, not a Hindu organisation,” he said.</p><p>He said one should know that the Jinnah-led Muslim League cooperated with the British while the Congress opposed the British. It is not proper to equate it.</p><p>Habib also advocated a re-look at the Quit India movement during World War II, saying the movement came when Japan was at the Indian borders.</p><p>He said when Germany attacked Russia, what should have been the attitude. “The only socialist country (in the world) was attacked by a fascist government…The character of the war had changed (with this) from being an imperialist war to a people's war,” he said.</p><p>“German fascism should have been identified then. This is what we should say now,” he added.</p>
<p>New Delhi: Emphasising that socialism should not be imposed through dictatorship, eminent historian Irfan Habib on Monday said that in today’s India one should propagate not only socialism but “full democracy” too.</p><p>Delivering the first Sitaram Yechury Memorial Lecture, Habib said both socialism and democracy are “priceless values” and it is a “fallacy” to think that socialism can be implemented through dictatorship. Yechury passed away on September 12 last year.</p><p>“In India today, we not only propagate socialism, we should also propagate full democracy,” he said, adding one should think how they can bring about socialism as far as possible, which is accepted by a vast majority of citizens.</p><p>Speaking on the topic ‘The Left in the National Movement and its Legacy’, he said it was wrong on the part of the Communists to equate Congress and Jinnah-led Muslim League. Habib said it is time for the Leftists to review this position, calling it a “grievous mistake”.</p>.<p>“Congress at least had a socialist programme. Muslim League has no such programme…,Muslim League was a communal outfit. The Congress was a national party, not a Hindu organisation,” he said.</p><p>He said one should know that the Jinnah-led Muslim League cooperated with the British while the Congress opposed the British. It is not proper to equate it.</p><p>Habib also advocated a re-look at the Quit India movement during World War II, saying the movement came when Japan was at the Indian borders.</p><p>He said when Germany attacked Russia, what should have been the attitude. “The only socialist country (in the world) was attacked by a fascist government…The character of the war had changed (with this) from being an imperialist war to a people's war,” he said.</p><p>“German fascism should have been identified then. This is what we should say now,” he added.</p>
