Indian and Pakistani Working Class, Stand United Against War of Imperialists and Bourgeois Chauvinism!

By: Umar Shahid

The increased tension between Indian and Pakistani capitalist ruling classes is yet another black page in the decades-long, brutal cycle of militarism and reactionary nationalism — a cycle of which serves to express only interests of the competing capitalist elites on both sides of the border. As these lines are being written, Pakistan and India are employing their advanced war machinery in full measure to spread savagery on both sides of Redcliff line. These missiles fed into the masses droplet by droplet are no weapons of emancipation but instruments of oppression held by Indian and Pakistani bourgeois states to divert attention from their own organic and internal socio-economic crises. In fact, they are fine tools of class oppression, intended to prop up the decaying capitalist order benefiting only a tiny elite and pauperizing hundreds of millions. The Indian ruling class is promoting Hindutva majoritarianism in the fascist Modi regime, while the Pakistani military-bureaucratic elite employs Islamist populism to stay in power. Because time has proven that the two states are indeed stooges of imperialism, and efforts on behalf of international powers in region. Their fight is not on behalf of citizens but for political interests and revenues of arm dealers. 

Disastrous failure of Ruling Class

It is evident from assessing living conditions of people in South Asia that capitalism in the region is taking humankind to only the edge of barbarism. In spite of glittering GDP figures flaunted by governments and corporate media, human development indicators tell the true tale of a system in terminal crisis. Over one-third of the world's total poor live in South Asia—around 389 million, 2023 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report informs. Current Human Development Report 2025 through damning statistics reflects disastrous failure and complete lack of competence of leadership of region. It is a verdict on choice neoliberal policies that enriched oligarchs but at the expense of immiseration of hundreds of millions. South Asia remains the second-lowest ranked HDI world region, India still at 132 and Pakistan at 161 out of 191 nations. The living situation is more unbearable than ever before such that currently over 400 million people living in abject poverty in region. 230 million people joined poverty ranks since 2020 in India and after brutal IMF-enforced austerity in Pakistan, poverty rate is increasing to 40%. Mass deprivation is accompanying atypical wealth concertation rate because India's richest 1% now have 58% of national wealth while just 20 wealthiest families of Pakistan now own 90% of industry assets. Even during the period when workers went through record levels of inflation rates and stagnated incomes, nevertheless stocks prices, rich 1%'s income and wealth are still increasing at the exponential rate. Needs food stuff price rises have added to the fundamental existence struggle for work class families. While the governments continue with their relentless drive towards privatizing all the remaining fragments of public sector sectors. The notorious economic wonder of the Modi administration has become a ruthless lie for work classes.

The employment crises especially amongst youths has become catastrophic. According to Govt own approx. India's youth unemployment rate is 28% and that of Pakistan is 35%. Recent demographic statistics indicate that roughly 65-70% of South Asia's population is 35 years or younger, which makes it one of the world's youngest regions. Those who find work face brutal informalization, as 90% of jobs in both countries offer no job contract no benefits and with so-called gig economy young workers are trapped in modern-day slavery. The statistics that represent millions of angry, educated young people with no future under capitalism. The South Asian youth are performing well in the position of "reserve army of labor" but as material conditions worsen, they can become the vanguard of revolutionary change. The ruling classes are trembling at this population time bomb, which can burst at any moment. The capitalist exploitation induced global warming is unleashing one more genocide on poor people, heatwaves and crumbling infrastructure are causing thousands of outdoor workers to be killed annually and forcing individuals to migrate to other areas. Educational systems are being disintegrated, as out-of-school children are on the rise and neoliberal austerity measures in social services forced woman to go back to domestic servitude and gender violence are skyrocketing in both countries. 

Role of Imperialism 

According to recent updates, it appears this war will become a killing full-scale war because both countries are nuclear nations, any further escalation can lead to a nuclear crisis in the region. Fascist Modi-led Hindutva regime is pushing South Asia towards suicidal war. In this spilling-blood game the imperialism USA and China also are somehow part of this. Both are utilizing the regional conflicts in order to enhance their geopolitical and economic interests. Far from playing the spectator roles, these powers are instigating the aggressions in order to secure their dominance. South Asia is practically being turned into a zone for their filthy stratagems where the working people are paying through blood and pauperism. Donald Trump is militantly pro-Indian just as he is pro-Israel when it comes to Gaza. In the middle of tariff wars, Trump is pressurizing China via India to counter it. Via its alliances like Quad (US, India, Japan, Australia) and military pacts like COMCASA, US is provoking aggression against Pakistan and China. Pakistan was a very close ally of USA since its formation, it played in favor of US against Soviet Union. It has also been accepted by CIA many times and even recently by Pakistan's defense minister Khawaja Asif on live show. Now the tables have turned after US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Although G7 issued statement which says "further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability", however in the background opposite is happening. Similarly, China is arming Pakistan to counter India, shipping JF-17 combat aircraft, warships, and missile technology, maintaining the region on a dangerous weapons race. Weapons manufacturer stock prices are observed skyrocketing (Chengdu) soaring and according to news reports, they are actually basking in glory about their fighters, "Success." This total madness and nothing else. But the people of South Asia are pulled into the cross hairs of two crises of life, economic devastation and war of imperialism. 

War Hysteria

The Indian and Pakistani elite are not concerned with educating or employing its youth or to raise living standards of masses. But they are determined to lay them down on war fields for business as society of region is being devastated. India, as estimated, spends about $72 billion on weapons while 35% of its children are malnourished. Pakistan spent roughly $12 billion a year on the armed forces while 40% of its citizens live in food insecurity. But ruling classes have the art of "Clausewitzian" inversion and they go on pursuing continuation of their policies by other means. The regimes are waging ware abroad to impose exploitation at home, and every missile, every border confrontation, every hyper-nationalist TV debate serves to sustain the home-based class war against South Asia's workers and peasants. It has even devoured intellectuals and leftists as well. Majority of leftists on the other side are belting "national songs" and asking workers to mobilize in support of their government to guard against their belligerent "enemy". Everyone now seems to be patriot, to support behind their armies. As we have seen in last Lok Sabha elections, ruling party BJP did not have absolute majority and still managed to come into power, already it lost in major states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and West Bengal. Bihar elections are now at our doorstep, this is a major state of India with its massive population but high poverty rate in country which was at 33.7%. 

Workers Strikes and Struggles 

Modi is opting for aggressive privatization and corporatization in country, it was confronted with stiff resistance from working class, In Punjab farmers won against contentious farm laws after four-year long struggle against, since 2023 railway workers are agitating again and again against proposed railway privatization, Maruti Suzuki (Manesar) & Toyota Kirloskar on unionization, wages are continuing. Ethnic and sectarian violence are raging in most states of India. Even Indian trade unions are going to have given the call for country-wide general strike on 20th May 2025. Pakistan scenario is not different last year great mass movement in Pakistani administrated Kashmir managed to win concessions from State. Further, in Sindh mass movement forced federal government to back off from digging new canals on Indus River. Health and education sector workers in Punjab stage a protest against wage cuts and privatization. But with War hysteria, ruling class can divert attention from these real issues onto false nationalism. 

Way Forward? 

But no responsibility or interest do workers of both countries have in this war. We know that actual enemies are not each other but their own exploiters they are our own landlords, capitalists and generals. They who utter hate and war as they suck our blood. The Kashmiri laborer's blood in Muzaffarabad is the same as that of Srinager's farmer, just like the Punjabi laborer's blood in Lahore is the same as that of a Dalit laborer in Bihar. The pain of a Kashmiri farmer under Indian occupation is one and the same as that of the Baloch under Pakistani oppression. Modern produced struggle is a front for the failure of both orders capitalist, and war-time fervor conceals what will be ensuing economic devastation - inflation, sanctions, and famine that will surely ensue. All there is, truly, is one path ahead, and this is revolutionary class unity: soldiers solidarity across borders, workers walkouts against the war industries, and the suppressed South Asian masses uniting as one in protest against common exploiters. For behind the hollow victory triumphs and fascist hysteria lies either socialist revolution or the complete ruination of our subcontinent - the embers of this next war must bring forth a new, undivided South Asia free of the twin curses of fascism and imperialism. We Marxists should stand together with the working class and the oppressed of India and Pakistan against all exploitation and tyranny. We should also call upon the revolutionary and progressive forces of both countries to unite under the banner of class struggle leadership and launch the joint move towards socialist liberation. 

We should advance our demands and program against this reactionary war;

 1. Immediate stoppage of war frenzy on both sides and mobilize to bring up people's living standard. 

2. Affirm the right of the people of Kashmir to self-determination and free them from Indian as well as Pakistani state repression.

3. Mobilize for a joint workers-peasants-students struggle against militarism and capitalism.

4. Reject the media and ruling classes' ignorance that tries to divide us.

5. Revolutionary working people's solidarity alone can break the chains 

For a Socialist Federation of South Asia

Long live international socialism!

Down with imperialist war and capitalism!