Who is a Comrade?
By Nadir Nasidi
AREWA AGENDA – Etymologically speaking, since 1590, the word “comrade” denotes a number of connotations with varying meanings ranging from a “mate”, an “ally”, a “colleague” to the Latin “camarada”, which literally means a “chamber-mate”. After the French Revolution of 1789 however, the term took a more political and social labels often used by socialists and the working class to refer to themselves. One of the major aims of the French and the Bolshevik Revolutions as designed by their architects was to establish an egalitarian society where the use of titles for a privileged few would be abolished. In this case therefore, the word “comrade” was not only regarded ideal, but was also preferred by most social unionists, the working class and all those who stand for justice and equal opportunities for all.
The first known English use of the word “comrade” with that particular meaning(s) earlier on mentioned howeverwas after a series of political upheavals in form of revolutionary waves that seemed to have engulfed the entire European continent starting in 1848. The word “comrade” was later popularized by the western world, especially after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, but even in that sense, its meaning was strictly associated to the communists. In the same century, Marxists, as well as leftist revolutionaries further embraced the term“comradeship”, which was more, or less, a casual translation of the Russian “Kamerad”.
To further solidify the meaning and use of the word “comrade”, in 2016, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued a swift directive to about 90 million party members to refer to each other as “comrades” instead of the “less” egalitarian terms. This is also what is applicable to the famous British LabourParty. Writing in the defense of the use of the word, Randall, a British writer, argues that comrades “fittingly and completely express[es] the ideal of unity in the service of a common [good] cause”.
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Not to disturb my readers with too much history lessons and historical jargons, since the BBC debates on the question of who is a comrade, many writers and commentators have beautifully expressed their views either to support the good moral values of a comrade, or to debunk it as lack of focus in life, which is symbolic of utter wretchedness. Having realized that most of those writers do not even understand the meaning(s) of the term “comrade” and its historical transformations in time, space and contexts, I decided to make an intellectual incursion by writing this short piece with a view to educating and enlightening the people of my region. This effort is in line with a popular Hausa adage that says, ‘waiwaye adon tafiya’, which literally means that it is always imperative for one to refer to what happened in the past with a view to deriving important lessons.
The term “comrade” is an honourable one mainly for those who have adopted a simple life style for the common good of all. Comrades are also identified by the fact that they give credence to the spiritual, common and the temporal, but certainly not the material. Unlike the wrong assumption of most people that if you are a comrade, you should not be rich, a comrade can be rich, but not in the capitalist sense in as much as he upholds his charming intrinsic values as earlier on mentioned andcan be free from greediness, especially for material acquisition. Unlike the common notion of those who presumably believe that a comrade is an embodiment of poverty and squalor, the term symbolizes intrinsic wealth that translates into love and progress for all. This is because to a comrade, the ends do not justify the means, but instead, what justifies the means is one’s unwavering intention that cuts across both the beginning and end of the process.
I am surprised when some people denigrate the concept of comradeship, especially by giving it an absurd if not a nihilistic interpretation, which they mistake for egalitarianism. To some, it is not a mistake simply because they subscribe to capitalism, or are at best, its watch-dogs. That is why whenever a capitalist senses the presence of a comrade, his heart will begin to dabble, while his tongue and hands will fumble and tremble. Comrades believe in capital, but not capitalism. A person like this is a comrade and his role is referred to as comradeship.
Nadir A. Nasidi (PhD). is from Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria can be reached through: [email protected],+2348033383019
Founder, Youth Liberation Front
