Chapter 1007 1006 [It’s Just a Farce]

As his impression of Gandhi changed, Zhou Hexuan also found some articles by Gandhi to read. The result surprised him and made him dumbfounded.

Those public articles and remarks by Gandhi were full of basic Marxist terms, but the substantive content was completely different from the Marxist doctrine of violence.

For example, Gandhi said: "Class war is not suitable for the essential characteristics of India. India can develop a broad form of communism based on the basic rights of all people and equality and justice." What this means is that class war is not suitable for India's national conditions. , but a communist path with Indian characteristics can be found.

Sound familiar?

Therefore, in modern Indian political and literary practices, "Gandhism" and "Marxism" are often combined. Most writers in India tend to switch from Gandhism to Marxism, or from Marxism to Gandhism.

Gandhism is actually the product of the fusion of Marxism and the Indian national liberation movement, but it does not fly the banner of Marxism.

Later, Part Chatterjee, an expert on "common people studies" in India, put it more bluntly. He believed that Gandhi used Marxism to mobilize lower castes and untouchables, and used these low-level common people as revolutionary tools. In Gandhi's eyes, untouchables and lower castes were just talking tools. Gandhi never thought of fighting for actual power for untouchables.

Zhou Hexuan read Gandhi's articles for several days and almost understood it, and his impression of Gandhi changed again. Not contempt, not respect, but indifference.

Chang Kaishen continued to meet with Indian progressive people one after another, and also asked his secretary to write a "Letter to the Indian People", which was published by Soong Meiling on local radio. The article stated that the people of China and India have the same destiny, so they should fight side by side. It is hoped that Britain can quickly grant real political power to Indian citizens without waiting for any requests from the Indian people, so that they can exert unlimited spiritual and material power.

Chiang Kai-shek's "Message to the Indian People" won unanimous praise from Indians. Nehru commented that it was a great event of historical significance, symbolizing the friendship and future comradeship between the two great nations of China and India.

The British colonial authorities were furious, forbidding Chang Kaishen from meeting Indian progressives and urging Chang Kaishen to return to China as soon as possible.

Kolkata, hotel.

Chang Kaishen had already decided on a date to return to China. He walked to Zhou Hexuan's room and said, "Mingcheng has been studying Gandhi's articles these days. What results have he produced?"

Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "If you cut through all the beautiful appearances, the reality is always dirty and cruel."

"How?" Chang Kaishen asked.

Zhou Hexuan said: "Gandhi and other progressive people in India speak exclusively of Marxism."

Chang Kaishen was surprised: "Are they all communist believers?"

Zhou Hexuan shook his head and said: "False believer."

Chang Kaishen wondered: "There are still false believers in communism?"

Zhou Hexuan said: "After my research these days, I discovered the essence of the Indian national liberation movement."

Chang Kaishen said: "What is the essence?"

Zhou Hexuan laughed and said: "The so-called Indian national liberation movement is essentially a movement in which the bourgeoisie uses a variant of Marxism to induce the proletariat to resist colonialism. The Indian bourgeoisie has a certain resistance, but weakness prevails. They are afraid Bloody revolution. Therefore, the bourgeoisie used Marxism to mobilize the emotions of the proletariat, used the proletariat as a gun, and stood back to enjoy the fruits of the revolution. The Indian proletariat faced too much oppression, and the British colonial government was not a single target. , so the spirit of resistance of the proletariat cannot be fully mobilized, let alone a revolution like the Soviet Union. This is a complete farce! If there is no major change in the international situation, then the Indian liberation movement will never be realized .”

Chang Kaishen digested it for a while, then asked Zhou Hexuan to explain part of the content in detail, and finally understood it completely. He lamented: "Revolution must rely on oneself, and we cannot place our hopes on the sympathy of imperialism. We Chinese are different. We are born with a revolutionary spirit. From the former Prime Minister (Sun Yat-sen) to the Northern Expedition, we overthrew the Qing government and the Beiyang government one after another. After brutal rule, the truly democratic and progressive Republic of China was finally established."

Zhou Hexuan pursed his lips and smiled: "That's true."

"I heard that Ming Cheng has new works to be published?" Chang Kaishen asked.

Zhou Hexuan nodded and said: "It is a novel written a few years ago. It has been proofread and compiled in China, the United Kingdom and the United States, and will be published soon. I have contacted the Indian publishing house in the past few days, and they are also willing to publish it. It will be published as soon as possible. It can be printed in a few months."

Chang Kaishen smiled and said: "Then I must read it."

Zhou Hexuan said: "It's just a fairy tale."

At first, Zhou Hexuan copied "The Little Prince" just to tell stories to children. Now it has to be published, because if the book is not completed as soon as possible, the original author will start writing it in a few months - "The Little Prince" was written in July 1942, completed in October, and officially published in early 1943.

"The Little Prince" may seem like a fairy tale for adults at first glance, but for the French, it contains too many deep meanings. Foxes, roses, street lamps...all kinds of things have images, and what they really express is patriotism.

This is not an over-interpretation, but a way of writing that a Frenchman was forced to choose during the German occupation of France.

The original author was a French pilot. In the second year after the publication of "The Little Prince", he went to join Charles de Gaulle's government-in-exile and died on a flight mission in 1943.

The French can completely understand the patriotism of "The Little Prince", and the French government even put it on its national currency. In the past, the 50 franc denomination was printed with the portrait of the author of "The Little Prince" and "The Little Prince and His Star". The little prince in the book represents a patriot, and images such as roses and stars all refer to the ravaged and fallen France.

On February 21, the half-month-long visit to India ended, and Chang Kaishen took everyone back to China on a special plane.

Anand, vice chairman of the Progressive Writers Association of India, also went there. He claimed that he was going to China for a friendly exchange visit, and Chiang Kai-shek warmly welcomed him. At this time, more than 70% of China's "Federation of Literary and Art Circles" were communists or pro-communists. Anand would definitely be deeply influenced by communism.

If Anand could go to another Zhou mansion in Chongqing, it would be understandable that he would become an Indian Maoist.

Just when Zhou Hexuan and others set off to return to China, "The Little Prince" was published in China, the United States and the United Kingdom, and attracted widespread attention and discussion, and readers gave countless different interpretations.

Chinese readers' criticism and praise of "The Little Prince" were evenly divided at the beginning.