Mao’s literary ideas attacked

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 6

Mao’s literary ideas attacked

NZPA-Reuter Peking Mao Tsetung’s theories on literature and art came under strong official attack yesterday in the latest round of a dispute on freedom of publication for writers and intellectuals. . The New China News Agency published excerpts from a talk by a top Communist Party theroretician, Hu Qiaomu a close ally of the powerful Vice-Chairman Deng Ziaoping in which he said that Mao’s hitherto sacrosanct literary theories were partly wrong. Diplomatic analysts said Mr Hu’s comments went beyond criticisms of the late leader enshrined in an important rewrite of official history passed by the party Central Committee in July. They said the speech would be reassuring to writers reeling from a recent party ban on literature and films which do not praise the Communist system. Several authors have been publicly denounced for this. Mr Hu said Mao’s talks to a forum on literature and art in the Communist stronghold of Yenan in 1942, the cornerstone of Maoist literary theory were incorrect in that they subordinated literature and art to politics. Mao’s theories on the “class nature” of literature

at certain stages in history were also wrong, Mr Hu said, as was the late chairman's practice of branding certain writers as enemies merely because they had made mistakes. Mr Hu said these theories and practice had hindered literary development after the Communist takeover in 1949—after which many authors simply stopped writing because they dared not speak their minds. He accused Mao of having repeatedly launched “stormlike mass criticism of art and literary workers.” "It must be recognised that Comrade Mao Tsetung lacked a full understanding of and proper confidence in contemporary writers and intellectuals in general and went so far as to regard them as part of the bourgeoisie,” Mr Hu added. Although Mr Hu did not blame Mao himself for the ruthless persecution of countless intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution from 1966-76, he said Mao’s mistakes had allowed other Leftists, including his jailed widow, Jiang Qing, to launch their witch-hunts. Hundreds of thousands of people were persecuted to death during that period but China still officially regards Mao’s merits as primary and his errors secondary.