The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

well-prepared speech that touched upon the principles of the future party’s activity.“The present condition of Afghan society leaves no illusions regarding the possibilityof conducting any immediate radical-progressive reforms,” he said, addressing the grouppassionately. “However, we would be bad revolutionaries if, knowing this, we did nothing.We need daily, hourly actions to prepare the population for active participation in thecountry’s political life. We must do everything possible to enable participation by broadgroups of the Afghan population in ruling the country democratically.”Having heard the speeches of the leaders, the participants of the congress moved onto discuss the main items of the party program and rules.During the break, the participants broke off into groups and drank tea with cookies,nuts, and raisins. Adam Haj Jaji prayed on a prayer rug in a far corner of the house. One ofthe delegates asked Taraki, “who authorized you to rally us? Who is supporting you?”Taraki replied with a timid smile, “my own will, and the people of Afghanistan.”After the break they discussed what to name the party. As they were adopting thedraft of the party program and the law, they formulated their general goal in the followingway: “creation of a society free of exploitation.” Marxism-Leninism was identified as theideological-theoretical basis for the movement. The party itself was named “the avantgardeand the representative of the proletariat and all of the working classes ofAfghanistan.”Babrak protested such a definition, asking, “What kind of proletariat can possiblyexist in feudal Afghanistan?” His question elicited no response and generated no discussion.Taraki leaned over and quietly whispered to him, “Our Soviet comrades will like it. I soughttheir advice.” Nobody could argue with that.66