First Published: In Struggle No. 147, February 27, 1979.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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A few weeks ago, IN STRUGGLE! received a letter dated January 26 1979, signed “Bolshevik Union”. Here is the complete text of that letter.
To the Central Committee of the Group IN STRUGGLE!
We noticed that in the January 23 issue of your newspaper, on page 2, you say you received a letter from the “Regroupement des ex-militants du PCC(M-L)” (a group of former members of the CPC(M-L)). This is very strange indeed because the group known by that name, which published Down with Hardial Bains and his phoney CPC(M-L) was disbanded in December 1978.
We are conscious of the fact that one of its members along with a few other people are trying to pass themselves off as the Regroupement.
We have exposed this person as an agent-provocateur. We have proof that is beyond any possible doubt. We presented him with the facts and he didn’t deny them. He had tried to infiltrate our group and sabotage it – but without success. When we exposed him, he could come up with nothing to defend himself. He continued his social-fascist activities against members of the Regroupement and he threatened members of our own group. His aim was clear and it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out whom he was working for...
He has failed to sabotage our group from within, and now he is spreading his lies and slander in the pages of your newspaper.
We know that you are incapable of carrying on a polemic against our group and so you’re forced to resort to your own lies and slander. But we hope at least that you will have enough good sense not to ally with a known agent-provocateur just to hide your own political bankruptcy. As for the “value” of the few other people following this agent-provocateur, here’s something that indicates that these people are exactly the type you need: read the letter in issue Number 8 of our organ Proletarian Revolution which explains how your group is Trotskyist. This letter was written by one of the splittist members of the Regroupement, now disbanded. This is one of the people now knocking at your door.
It seems you were ever so eager to publish the letter written by that strange clique (to say the least). But you can’t say that we didn’t warn you. This agent-provocateur is using the contradictions between our two groups to infiltrate your group.
We have proof this person is an agent and we plan to publish the evidence in due course. We warn you that the cheap shots you’re taking at us by allying with this agent-provocateur will cost you dearly.
We are well aware that you are in the midst of trying to develop international contacts and you’re no doubt going to try and use the agent’s letter to make “political capital”. But we can tell you right away, you will be the ones to suffer if you do.
Why are we warning you? Because we feel it is our duty to expose this type of agent so we can get rid of them. They try to spread division and confusion for their own reasons. If your group continues to collaborate with this person despite our warnings, that will say quite a bit about your real aims.
We are not afraid of the “criticisms” of this agent. Why should we be afraid of them when we weren’t afraid of your criticisms? It’s your group, in fact, that should be afraid of collaborating with this agent-provocateur...
Bolshevik Union
Editor’s note: Here we have Bolshevik Union giving advice to IN STRUGGLE!. Yet in Issue 8 of the journal Proletarian Revolution, Bolshevik Union claims that IN STRUGGLE! has been riddled with informers since its inception. In passing, this is the same story spouted by ex-RCMP Superintendent Cobb, in testimony before Quebec’s Keable Commission on the RCMP. Interesting, isn’t it, that both BU and the RCMP have chosen IN STRUGGLE! as the common target.
Now, it seems, BU has changed its mind. It has decided to “protect” IN STRUGGLE! by asking us to take its word about its hysterical denunciations – which are not accompanied by any proof. BU is not shy about threatening us, either. In several places in its letter this doctrinaire sects says “that will cost you dearly”.
We have one thing to say to BU: we have no need for your advice nor for your protection. We can take care of ourselves. We are capable of alerting the workers of the country about the scheming activities of any group or individual. That is why we will do everything we can to publicize the police work, and mudslinging your group is so masterful at.