Don't underestimate Chinese party model

by Ajay Vaishnav, Jan 27, 2011, 12.00am IST

BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, who led the first-ever delegation of the saffron party to China, has rightly emphasised the need to learn and emulate the Communist Party of China's (CPC) cadre training modules. The immediate objective of the party is to build a modern headquarters in New Delhi with a dedicated training and research wing. As usual, the BJP president is being needlessly criticised for his suggestion to learn the tricks of cadre- and organisation-building from a party that shuns multiparty democracy.

To start with, implicit in Gadkari's statement is his long-term vision for the party's revival, which has suffered two successive electoral defeats at the hands of the Congress-led UPA in the general elections. Also, critics fail to appreciate the fundamental role of a political party in any regime whether parliamentary or communist. Political parties in all regimes depend upon a dedicated and skilled cadre to articulate and build public opinion about their manifesto and programmes. As such, parties spend a lot of time and resources in building and training their cadre. For a cadre-based party like the BJP with an eye on winning elections, it is imperative to look at successful examples like the CPC to rebuild and strengthen its grassroots organisation. In China's case, a state apparatus deriving its organisational strength from the CPC, any underestimation of the party's role would be a huge mistake.

It's untenable to delink Chinese successes in the economic arena and in the removal of poverty from the CPC. We cannot dispute the fact that the country has emerged as an economic powerhouse with dramatic success in poverty reduction. And in the Chinese model, party and government are close. A close look at what makes China tick also requires a closer examination of the Chinese party model.