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Communist Movement and Communal Question in India, 1920-1948

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COMMUNIST MOVEMENT AND COMMUNAL QUESTION IN INDIA, 1920-1948 ABSTRACT y/y OF THE ,__ /< 9<,, THESIS ^Jp SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF ^^A'Sottor of pijilo^opJjp x\\ f^ IN ^' \-\ i ' HISTORY J f. \ \ ^'- '• i.. v-€f\.>-^. s^. <j »•> BY . ./ - ,j / « HABIB MANJAR Under the Supervision of DR. ISHRAT ALAM CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 2008 ABSTRACT OF THESIS In colonial and post colonial India, the question of communalism is/ has been a vexing question. It was/ is the communists who addressed this question more comprehensively than any other political formation. Precisely because of this, a study of the "Communist Movement and Comruinal Question in India, 1920-48" holds great importance. The present study, consisting of 6 chapters, has made an enquiry into the question dividing its developt^ent in various phas^a It has elaborated ipon how the Communist Party of India perceived Hindu-Muslim problems vis-a­ vis its role in the National movement during these years. The first chapter is an introduction to the study which has analysed and scrutinized the existing major works e.g. M.R. Masani, John H. Kautsky, Gautam Chattopadhyay, Bipan Chandra, B.R. Nanda, Bhagwan Josh and Suranjan Das. These works have not focused adequately on the communal question/Hindu-Muslim relations. Some of these works ue confined to specific regions, that too addressing only marginally on ihe communal question. The 'Introduction' of the present study therefore attempts to look into the relationship of the League, Congress and Communists on the one hand and the Communist Party's attitude towards the question of 'Pakistan', on the other. The famous 'Adhikari thesis' on 'National Self-determination has been analyzed and an attempt is made to see the changing views o' tlie Communist Party on this issue. The second chapter, 'Establishment and Growth of Communist Ideology and Party' deals with the whole historical context of the foundation of the Communist party of India, since the world war I, from Tashker t to Kanpur, 1918-1925. It elaborates upon how the revolutionaries went abroad, their 'Hijrat movement', and how the splinter groups of revolutionaries came together after concretizing their ideological/tactical differences. The Kanpur conspiracy Case (1924) was a sort of major landmark in the ideologi(;al- organizational emergence of the Communist party. This chapter therefore, devotes a whole separate section on it. It has derived much from hitherto untapped vernacular sources available with the NMML. Then the chapter concludes with the first Communist Conference of Kanpur (December 1925). The third chapter, 'Communist Party in India, 1925-39' deals mairly with the various workers and peasant parties, which explains how tie communists underlined the economic basis of the class identity rather than any other social basis of the identities. The WPPs also addressed the communal question, which ahs been taken up here also. This phase is marked by the Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929-33), therefore, there is a whole sub-section on this aspect, and then it takes up the Draft Piatfor n of Action of CPI, 1930. From here onwards. Left sectarianism can be distinctly traced. Having elaborated upon the ideological, organizational progress of the CPI, locating the communal question, in the communist politics becomes convenient and explanatory as well. This chapter, therefore, produces an exclusive sub-section on CPI's concern with the communal question dunng 1920s-30s. It is a well known fact to the students of Indian History that the decade of 1920s was most fatal in terms of the rise of communalism in India. G.R. Thursby and almost all text-books/reference books on the social- political history of late colonial India deals with this aspect. But the roles/ attitude of the communist parties have not been dealt adequately. This :^ap has been sought to be filled up in this chapter. This may be mentioned here that the CPI was first political formation of colonial India to have passed a resolution against dual membership, which prohibited its members agaiast joining any communal organization. For example, Hasrat Mohani and S D. Hasan were asked to quit the Muslim League in 1927, characterizing the dual association as 'splintered consciousnesses.' Same restriction was imposed on K.N. Joglekar for having association with Brahmin Sabha. During 1934-37, the CPI suffered from state repression. This aspect has oeen explored with the help of many archival documents not used before. Having found many significant archival documents pertaining to it, this sub-settion of the chapter looks deeply into the communist activities in different regions. The fourth chapter, 'Imperialist War to People's War 1939-1945' deals ^v1th this period (1939 to 1945) witnessed the ascendancy of imperialists; it ilso saw a paradigm shift in CPI's assessment which characterized the World War-ll as 'imperialist war'. It has tried to look nto continuation/discontinuation of their succumbing to the anti-imperialist plan of the communist movement during this time to clear the wrong impression of their support to the British war efforts. This was also a phase when the Muslim League made a rapid rise after the formation of ministries (19^"'- 39). Addressing this problem became vital both for the Congress and he Communists, hence a detailed treatment of the subject in the chapter. The period between 1940 and 1948 saw the partition of the couniry along communal lines. This fatal decade witnessed dreaded faces of communalism. The fifth chapter, 'Communist Party, Muslim League and the Question of Pakistan', therefore, deals exclusively with the CPI's engagement with the League's Separatism, Pakistan Question and historically much debated position of the CPI on the issue. During this phase the CPI came out with the question of right to self- determination for nationalities, which posed serious problems before the theoretical position of the CPI. Having insisted on class identity, the CPI was questioned for having taken this kind of position, which, prima fc<cic\ contradicted the economic basis of class identity. This chapter has trie i to explain all these aspects in detail. The last chapter concludes the whole work. The Communist Party's acknowledgement of the existence of nationalities and acceptance of ri|;ht to self-determination for nationalities, unleashed a process to understand the economic and political problems of the minorities, the problem of communalism and some hitherto ignored aspects of partition. The questions of communalism and of nationalities came to be seen as linked inextricably v\ith each other. It, therefore clarifies that on the question of Pakistan, the CPI's attitude did not provide any concession to any political group on the basis of aspirations premised exclusively on religious considerations. At the same time it was not averse to the provisions of safeguarding their concrete political and economic interests in the face of their backwardness and under- representation in power structure. The CPI always put primacy on the economic issues like poverty, which remained central to its agenda, which was in contrast with other contesting parties. Subsequently, in the post colonial period, the quest on of self-determination continued to be discussed by the party. COMMUNIST MOVEMENT AND COMMUNAL QUESTION IN INDIA, 1920-1948 THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF HBoctor of pi)iIos;opl)p IN HISTORY BY HABIB MANJAR Under the Supervision of DR. ISHRAT ALAM CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 2008 2 7 OCl 2014 T8675 CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM LfNIVERSITY ALIGARH- 202 002 DR. ISHRAT ALAM Lecturer (Selection Grade) Dated: September 23, 2008 C^ERTIFICApPE This is to certify that the thesis ^* Communist Movement and Communal • ' ," •' - • • .• ^ .... I Question in India, 1920-1948^ by Mr. Habib Manjar is the original research work of the candidate, and is suitable for submission to the examiners and for the award of the Ph.D. Degree. (Dr. Ishrat Alam) Supervisor Telephones: (0571) 2703146 (O), 9411465137 (Mob.); Fax No. (0571) 2703146; Internal: 1480 and 1482 Acknowledgement It is a great pleasure for me to acknowledge the guidance, assistance & help I have received from my supervisor. Dr. Ishrat Alam, whose valuable comments were instrumental in making this thesis a reality I take this opportunity to express my special gratitude to my illustrious teacher Prof Irfan Habib for his encouragement and invaluable guidance I must admit that my knowledge of the subject was always expanded 5y interaction with Prof Iqtidar Alam Khan. I am extremely grateful to Prof Shireen Moosvi, for all the encouragements I received from her dunng the entire course of my thesis. I would like to thank Dr. Nonica Datta for her valuable comments & suggestions on the theme. I must acknowledge my indebtedness to late Dr l.G. Khan who initiated me into the cause of the deprived sections of Ihe society. 1 always remember him for all his goadings to write the thesis a id his sympathies for fellow human beings I am also grateful to Dr Mohammad Perwez, Dr. Mohammad Sajjad, Dr. Jaya Menon and Mr Faiz Habib for their help and encouragement. I am extremely grateful to Rajendra Prasad, Managing Editor of Soc al Scientist for printing my paper entitled "Communist Party Policy duri ig Imperialist War (1939-41)" and allowing me to include the same in the present thesis. I am also grateful to Dr. P.K. Shukla, former Member Secretary, ICHR, for his timely and valuable suggestions. During the course of research I have visited several archives aid libraries for collecting material for my thesis. I take this opportunity to thank library staff of National Archives of India, New Delhi; P.C.
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