Dvc Shramik Union, Maithon Unit

New Delhi: The first ever woman member of the CPI(M) Politburo, Brinda Karat has proved her mettle when it comes to fighting for women empowerment.

The former general secretary of All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) Brinda with her exemplary work was handed over the vital role of politburo member.

:: History

The October Revolution profoundly stirred the national aspirations of oppressed peoples all over the world. Communist Parties began to grow in many parts of the world. In the period between 1918 and 1931 in nearly a dozen countries communist parties came into existence. These included Turkey, Indonesia, China, India, Japan, Burma, Philippines etc.

There are diverse views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925. But according to CPI(M), the Communist Party of India was founded in Tashkent, Turkistan on October 17, 1920. It was M. N. Roy who took the real initiative in founding the Communist Party of India in Tashkent. With seven members attending the meeting, Mohd. Shafiq was elected secretary.

During this period, the Hijrat movement had started and many Mohajirs had left India towards Turkey. As they were unable to enter Turkey, many of them went to Tashkent. After completing studies at the University of the Toilers of the East, the Muhajir members of the CPI decided to return to India. Ten of them left from Tashkent to proceed to India, in order to work underground for the Party. Subsequently these Mohajirs and some others were arrested. This led to the launching of cases against the communists, The First and the Second Peshawar Conspiracy Case.

The launching of these cases in 1922-24 in itself sent the message that the working class and its revolutionary party had emerged on the Indian political scene. Under the impact of this Party various journals were brought out and distributed in the country. They were published from Lahore, Bombay, Calcutta etc advocating the ideas of scientific socialism, despite lacking clarity. This influenced the creation of various groups in the states at that time. Subsequently the Kanpur Conspiracy Case was launched. Muzaffar Ahmad S. A. Dange, Shaukat Usmani and others were implicated in these cases.

It is needless to say that the party was formed abroad, but it cannot erase the fact that it was formed by Indians for realising the objective of the movement in India. During those initial days of the movement, the primary aim was to popularise the ideas of communism. It was due to the efforts made by this Party that the Manifesto of the Communist Party was distributed in the sessions of the Indian National Congress at the Ahmedabad Congress in 1921, Gaya Congress in 1922 and subsequent Congresses. The Resolution on Total Independence submitted by Maulana Hasrat Mohani at Ahmedabad, that was dropped in the face of opposition from Mahatma Gandhi deserves special mention. These manifestos setting the goal of complete independence for the country, exhorted the Congress to take firm positions on this question.

In December 1925, with Singaravelu Chettiar in the Chair, a conference of communist groups was held in Kanpur, which adopted a resolution for the formation of the Communist Party of India with its headquarters in Bombay. As the British rulers were making it impossible for Communists to function, an open platform in the name of the Workers and Peasants Party was created. The All India Trade Union Congress had already come into being in 1920. Communists were to play a greater role in the organization. The period also saw peasants' organizations being formed in some parts of the country. Formation of the All India Workers and Peasants Party took place at Calcutta (1925). Later, during 1935, the All India Students Federation also came into being and within a few years it came under the influence of Communists.

However, a Party with a centralized apparatus came into being only after the release of the Meerut prisoners, in 1933. The Meerut Conspiracy Case, though launched to suppress the communist movement, provided the opportunity for Communists to propagate their ideas. It came out with its own manifesto and was affiliated to the Communist International in 1934.

The British rulers had tried with all their might to suppress the movement. Despite the severe restrictions on publication and distribution of anything to do with socialism, the spread of the ideas could not be controlled. But such literature being rare, what existed were vague ideas and resultant confusion prevailed. Nevertheless, the dedication and commitment saw the Communists playing a significant role in developing the trade union movement in the country.

In the development of the Communist movement in India two other factors played an important role. First, was the conversion of revolutionaries who had taken the path of terrorism, renouncing it and joining the ranks of communists. Realizing that terrorist methods are not the solution, many of them influenced by communist ideas, joined the Party. These included members of the Anusheelan, Jugantar, Hindustan Socialist Republican Party of Bhagat Singh and some other groups. The Communist Party was therefore able to inherit the best revolutionary traditions of the Indian Freedom movement.

Within a few years of setting up a centralised leadership and apparatus, the communist Party was to play an important role in the movement for national liberation and popularising the ideas of scientific socialism. One cannot forget the role that the Communist Party of Great Britain, despite being weak, played in helping the Indian movement. They were in constant touch with the Communist Party of India from 1926 onwards. Many of them were directly involved in the movement. One of them was Rajni Palme Dutt. An important leader of the C.P.G.B., he wrote 'India Today', which remains a classic in understanding British India and the exploitation indulged in by the British. The British Party also influenced Indian students who were studying there. Many of these students joined the movement after returning to India. Many members of the C.P.G.B. came to India (some were sent by the Communist International) to help us. Some came under assumed names and worked in the trade unions and other organizations. Some were even arrested by the British Government. Among those who came here were Ben Bradley, Philip Spratt, George Allison etc. Some were implicated in the Meerut Conspiracy case also. The case was launched by the British Government against nineteen accused, including Muzaffar Ahmad, B. F. Bradley, Gangadhar Adhikari, P. C. Joshi, S. A. Dange and others. It was all these trends that combined together to take the Communist Party forward.

The Communist movement, after this period, had to go through various trials and tribulations. It had to work underground for most part of the time in the 30s and in the beginning of the 40s. It was only in 1942, during the anti-fascist war that it was legalized. The First Congress of the CPI happened in 1943 at Mumbai.

Even after independence of the country, the party had to face severe repression at the hands of the new (Indian bourgeois) rulers. But despite all efforts to cow down the movement, it could not obstruct the growth of the movement.

The movement, while confronting alien influences, distortions and deviations had also committed serious mistakes. For instance. In the pre-independence period, ignoring Lenin's analysis of the role of the bourgeoisie in certain period, it relegated the independent role of the Party of the working class to the background and was at times swayed to the rightist position. By the end of the Second World War it was influenced by the revisionist school. It was followed by a period of mass upsurge in which communists were playing an active part. Mass demonstrations were going on for the release of the I.N.A. prisoners. The Naval Revolt and the support of the workers to these actions sent panic waves within the Congress party. The bourgeoisie feared that with the rising tide of mass struggles, the initiative would pass on into the hands of the working class to lead the revolution In some countries where during the struggle for national independence, the communist parties were not able to assume leadership they have not succeeded in carrying the revolution forward to the socialist path. Once the bourgeoisie comes to power, the task becomes much more difficult.

After the Second Party Congress, the party landed itself in Left deviation that cost it heavily. The CPI took a dangerous left sectarian turn after 1948, and the party suffered as a result. Eventually, Rajeswar Rao replaced B. T. Ranadive as General Secretary; the PB and the CC were reconstituted. A party circular dated 1/6/1950 conveyed all this information to the membership. In the process of making corrections, another variety, the rightist danger emerged. The struggle against the right, the dominant leadership's line, went on for 10 years inside the Party. Ultimately it resulted in the split. A resolution by 146 delegates at Tenali, Andhra Pradesh representing over one hundred thousand party members, deciding that the Party's 7th Congress would be held at Calcutta in October-November 1964, sharply demarcating from right revisionism. The CPI(M) was formed at the Seventh Congress of the Communist Party of India held in Calcutta from October 31 to November 7, 1964. The CPI(M) was born in the struggle against revisionism and sectarianism in the communist movement at the international and national level, in order to defend the scientific and revolutionary tenets of Marxism-Leninism and its appropriate application in the concrete Indian conditions. Subsequent events have vindicated the correctness of the position of the CPI(M).
- See more at: http://www.cpimwb.org.in/history_details.php?history_id=6 .o0sUAPHF.dpuf

Welcome to the Website of CPI(M) - West Bengal State Committee