V. I. Lenin

The Second Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.

JULY 17 (30)–AUGUST 10 (23), 1908

8

PROPOSALS ON VARIOUS POINTS OF THE GENERAL
POLITICAL DEMANDS OF THE PARTY =
PROGRAMME {1}

1)Let “and language” stand at the end of § 6.

2)Insert new point:

“Theright of the population to receive education in the native language,
the right of each citizen to use the native language at meetings and in
public and state institutions”.

3)In § 11 delete the sentence about language.

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Notes:
{1}
The draft proposals here published were tabled by Lenin at a sitting of
the Programme Committee during the second discussion of the wording of
§ 7 of the general political demands of the Party Programme (§ 6
of the Iskra draft).

Inthe Iskra draft programme this paragraph contained a demand
for the abolition of the social estates and lull equality of rights for all
citizens, regardless of sex, creed or race. During the initial discussion,
the end of the paragraph had been reworded as follows: “Creed, race,
nationality and language”, and was so tabled at the 16th sitting of the
Congress on July 30 (August 12). During its discussion at the Congress, the
Bundists demanded the inclusion in the Party Programme of a special point
on the “equality of languages”. They succeeded in winning over a section
of the vacillating Iskra supporters and there was a split when the
proposal was put to the vote.

Thewording of § 7 was again referred to the Programme
Committee. Lenin’s proposals with slight stylistic changes were adopted by
the committee and on its behalf tabled at the 21st sitting of the Congress
on August 1 (14). The Congress rejected the first point of the proposals
and adopted the second with some amendments (§ 8 in the Programme
adopted by the Congress); point three was adopted without alteration.

Paragraph 11,of which Lenin spoke in point 3 of his proposals, had the
following wording in the Iskra draft: “Free and compulsory
general and vocational education for all children of either sex up to the
age of 16. Provision of poor children with food, clothing and study aids at
the expense of the state.” The Programme Committee initially adopted this
paragraph without amendment (§ 14), but during its discussion at the
18th sitting of the Congress on July 31 (August 13) the following addendum
was adopted: “Instruction in the native language, on the demand of the
population” ( Vtoroi syezd R.S.D.R.P. , 1959, p. 198). This
addendum became superfluous with the adoption of a separate point on the
question of language.

p. 87