Changes in the Komsomol By-Laws

V. N. Ivanov, On Changes in the By-Laws of the Komsomol. April 6, 1949

Original Source: Pravda, 6 April 1949.

The Komsomol, following Party instructions, establishes at various stages of its development such organizational forms as correspond to the conditions and content of its work and ensure fulfillment of tasks confronting it. The Komsomol, taking into consideration the peculiarity of the situation, new problems, the experience of its work, has repeatedly made changes in the By-laws. The By-laws of the Communist Party, adopted at the 18th Party Congress, granted considerable rights in state and economic construction to Komsomol bodies and increased the role and responsibility of the Komsomol organization as a vehicle of Party directives.

At the basis of the present By-laws of the Komsomol lie the directives of Lenin and Stalin--on the nature of the Komsomol as a mass non-Party organization uniting broad strata of advanced Soviet youth...

The present By-laws of the Komsomol answer the problems of the Komsomol. The basic provisions and principles of the present By-laws are quite up-to-date; the discussion is merely about certain changes in the By-laws of the Komsomol.

Proceeding from Comrade Stalin's directive that the Komsomol is called upon to educate the young generation in the spirit of Soviet patriotism- -courageous, cheerful, daring, confident of its strength, prepared to fight supremely for the victory of communism--it has been proposed to write into the Bylaws:

Under the leadership of the Communist Party the Komsomol educates youth in the spirit of Soviet patriotism, courageous, bold, unafraid of difficulties, confident of its strength, ready to overcome all obstacles in the struggle for the victory of communism.

Comrade Stalin teaches that "the chief and most important thing in all the work of the Komsomol is to ensure the leadership of the Party." In accordance with this, it was proposed to write into the introductory section of the By-laws:

The Komsomol adheres to the Communist Party, is its reserve and assistant. " And further; "The Leninist Komsomol carries on all its work under the immediate direction of the Communist Party. The Central Committee of the Komsomol, as the directing organ of the Komsomol, is directly subordinate to the Central Committee of the CP. The work of the local Komsomol organizations is guided and controlled by the corresponding province, territory, republic, city and district Party organizations.

Under the leadership of the Party, the organizational- political unity of the Komsomol has been ensured. Hence, there is no longer any need for reference in the By-laws of the Komsomol to the convocation of special congresses and conferences of the Komsomol apart from the executive organizations of the Komsomol for special settlement of controversial questions.

A proposal has been made to write into the introductory section of the Komsomol By-laws:

The Komsomol requires from its members a persistent and unremitting struggle to carry out the decisions of the CP and Soviet Government. Every Komsomol member should be an example in the observance of the USSR Constitution--the fundamental law of the socialist state. Members of the Komsomol are obligated with all their might to' strengthen the Soviet system, Soviet industry and transport, collective and state farms, develop Soviet culture, and strengthen the friendship and brotherly cooperation among the peoples of the USSR Defense of the Fatherland is the sacred duty and foremost responsibility of every Komsomol. The Komsomol must assist in the strengthening of the forces of the democratic and anti-imperialist camp and be true to the principles of proletarian internationalism.

In accordance with a decree of the Central Committee of the Komsomol, Komsomol organizations for several years have been admitting into their ranks youths from the age of 14. Stipulation in the By-laws of the right of 14-year-old boys and girls to join the Komsomol is in accord with the tasks of the Komsomol organizations, relative to strengthening their influence upon youths being trained in vocational schools, railroad schools, factory trade schools, and seven-year schools.

The expediency of admitting youths of 14 and up into the Komsomol is confirmed by life itself--by the practical work of Komsomol organizations. At the present time in the Komsomol there are 315,287 Komsomol members in the 14-year-old age group.

Life has shown that there is no need to retain the candidate period in the Komsomol. The total number of persons admitted as candidates to the Komsomol is now only 0.036% of the total membership.

A proposal has been made to abolish the candidate period in admittance to the Komsomol, to abolish the category of candidate for the Komsomol, and to admit advanced Soviet youth to membership in the Komsomol.

It is necessary to supplement the By-laws relative to members of the Komsomol and their duties with a provision concerning the rights of members of the Komsomol. In addition to those mentioned in the current Bylaws, the following rights should be reserved to the members of the Komsomol:

to criticize any Komsomol worker at a Komsomol meeting; to elect and be elected to Komsomol bodies; to demand personal participation in all cases in which decisions are passed on their activities and conduct; to address any questions, complaints, or announcements to any Komsomol body right up to the Central Committee of the Komsomol. It is also proposed to state in the By-laws that Komsomol bodies must attentively and considerately review the complaints and statements of the Komsomol members and quickly take the necessary measures in regard to them. These proposals accord with the increased activity of the Komsomol members and will increase democracy in the Komsomol.

It is further proposed to add a statement to the By-laws of the Komsomol to the effect that in deciding a question of expulsion from the Komsomol a painstaking examination of the grounds for the charges against a member of the Komsomol must be ensured, and that the appeals of expelled Komsomol members be considered by the appropriate Komsomol bodies within not more than two weeks following their receipt.

Changes of paragraphs in the By-laws on the obligatory Party and Komsomol apprenticeship for Komsomol cadres will make possible a more rapid bringing up and advancement of new Komsomol cadres... The most important tasks of the primary Komsomol organizations are:

educating youth in the communist spirit and mobilizing it for active participation in socialist construction; political education of the Komsomol and all youth; mobilizing youth to master knowledge, culture, science and technology; concern for improvement of the working and living conditions of youth, raising its material well-being and cultural level; control over the fulfillment by every Komsomol member of the duties envisaged by the By-laws of the Komsomol, attracting new members into the Komsomol and politically educating them.

Each primary Komsomol organization must show wide initiative in discussing and raising before Party and Soviet organizations all questions aimed at improving the work of a factory, collective farm, state farm, institution or educational institution.

Finally, it was proposed to reflect in the By-laws of the Komsomol measures for further strengthening the supervision of the Pioneer organization by the Komsomol as well as the basic problems of the Pioneer organization, and to add to the By-laws of the Komsomol a section "On the Work of the Pioneer Organization."

The most important conditions for improvement in the work of the whole organizational -political work of the Komsomol are: the systematic and unswerving development of internal Komsomol democracy, criticism and self-criticism, intensification of the discipline, activeness and initiative of the members of the Komsomol and increasing the responsibility of Komsomol bodies to Komsomol organizations and Komsomol members ...

Source: Current Digest of the Soviet Press, Vol. I, No. 14 (May 3, 1949), pp. 15-17.