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Home , Communist Party of India, Meerut Conspiracy Case

Communist Party of , Leftist Movement and Working Class Movement

Working Class Movement Factors behind the development of • One was inspiration, guidance and support provided by the international communist movement since the time of the Russian Revolution (1917).

• Other one was provided by the growth of the national movement dominated by the Indian National under Gandhi, from 1920- 21 onwards. Role of the communists in the working class movement • Decline of the trade union spirit after 1922 onwards • after the majority of the strikes had failed the immediately preceding years for disappointment and demoralisation among the workers • The apparent failure of the non-cooperation movement

• The first of India had been established away from home in October 1920 at Taskhent under the auspices of the Comintern. • Initialy the communists were only a handful number and were rather a collection of separate groups, constituting only an ideological centre • In this period, the influence of the communists was markedly noticeable in the trade union movement

Government positions

• Firstly, the government alarmed at the increasing influence of communists in the trade union field • Secondly, the government launched like famous Cawnpore Trial (1923) against prominent leaders like M N Roy, Muzaffar Ahamed, S A Dange, , Nalini Gupta, Singaravelu Chettiar, Ghulam Hussain • Thirdly, the government put restrictions on the import of communist literature Posture of the communists

• Government attempts could not change the advance of communist ideas • Communism had spread rapidly by 1926-27 • Separate unites of Workers and Peasants’ Party sprang up in different provinces • Militant elements in the trade union movement united with left elements in the congress Decession of International Communist According to the executive Committee of decession in June, 1924 1. The Indian communists must bring the trade union movement under their influence 2. Must reorganise it on a class basis 3. Must purge it of all alien elements

Aims of the Communists 1. The ultimate aim of labour was to be the establishment of socialism

2. their immediate concern should be redressal of specific economic grievances for the attainment of which a presistent struggle was to be waged by them Outcome of the Communist Strategies

• From 1926-27, working class unrest intensified again • Increasingly militant trade unionism • A strike wave with its accompanying slogans of class war • The government itself admitted that the growth of communist propaganda and influence among the industrial workers caused its anxiety Government Action • In March 1929, most of the active communist and trade union leaders were arrested all over India and the Conspiracy case was initiated against them.

• This was the major setback to the labour movement

• But the Intelligence Department admitted that the movement had not be wholly crushed Communist Activities • Thus by this time, the communists, operating mainly as the Workers' and Peasants’ Party • Communists had become quite a formidable force, particularly in the Calcutta industrial belt • Until the Meerut case, there was every possibility of a link-up between In the pre- Meerut phase, the communists had worked out a unity-cum-struggle strategy The Period of Isolationism : 1929 -35 • The 6th Comintern Congress in 1928 led to a reversal in the policy of the CPI for it was now called upon to concentrate on its own party organisation rather than to cooperate with other nationalists through the Peasants and Workers' parties or with the AITUC • The Indian communists were severely weakened by the Meerut arrests • Kept aloof from the civil disobedience movement • Communist spent most of their time quarreling among themselves and bitterly criticised even the left-leaning nationalists like Subhas Bose and • Most of the senior leaders behind bars • The CPI was now being led by a group of inexperienced and young ultra radical

Splits of the AITUC • Already, the increasing activities of the communists in the trade union field and their growing influence over the AITUC had made the non- Communist elements apprehensive. Very soon the backlash was in full swing. • First, the moderate reformist elements left the AITUC dominated by the radicals and formed the Indian Trade Union Federation (1929). • In 1930, the communists themselves seceded from the AITUC and formed a separate organisation of their own, "The Trade Union Congress • These splits sapped the morale of the trade union movement in the country. • This was also the period when the condition of the working class was deteriorating due to world-wide economic depression (1929-34). • Large-scale retrenchment, rationalisation, wage reductions etc. • created an almost intolerable situation for the workers

End of a Chapter in the Communist Movement • Moreover, in the early 30's, the communists themselves, in as in t e rest of India, passed through several factional squabbles • Finally, a provisional of a united CPI was established at an all-India conference in Calcutta in December 1933 uniting most of the isolated communist groups existing in the country • The apparent unity, however, did not stop a number of groups, sometimes overlapping and sometimes acting at cross purposes, to go on working as' before. • In September, 1934, the Government of India banned the CPI and its allied organisations The period of “”:1936 -39 • A new chapter began in 1935 when the Comintern formally shifted to the line of a united front with the national bourgeoisie against imperialism. • The outlawed also changed its policy and sought to move into the and through it into the main Congress organisation. • It was also at this time that systematic and successful attempt of the Communists to function through an all- India centre began • In the begining of 1936 an underground centre was formed and work also started in the provinces • Between 1935 and 1941, the CPI, as a small but determined group within the Congress, rapidly, increased its power

Activities of CPI: 1935 - 36 • As elsewhere in India, during the period 1935-36, in Bengal, too, the CPI wholly concentrated on industrial labour

• The communists were prominent in a number of trade unions, such as, the Calcutta Tramway Workers' Union, E. B. and E. I. Railway Workers‘ Union, Dock Workers' Union (Metiabruz), Jute Workers' unions in a number of jute centres, and among the textile workers of the Mohini Mills at Kusthia an d in the iron workers of Burnpur-Kulti.

• But according to Intelligence Branch reports, communist activities did not create much inpression upon the labourers themsalves.

• Till 1936, a number of rival parties and groups, all claiming to be communists, were active in Bengal. • Everything is in a state of flux and at the moment the search for a United Front and generally for formulating principles and policy is delaying any serious attempt at preaching to the proletariat and fostering mass methods • In other words, leaders so often changed organisations and office bearers of unions were so busy trying to keep, themselves in power that little real work could be done among workers

• In the middle of 1936, the CPI decided to participate in the ensuing provincial assembly election • Its main purpose, it said, was "to develop and build the mass movements based on the partial demands of the toiling masses" • In the labour constituencies, the communists tried to come to an arrangement with other leftist groups and to set up candidates jointly • In different provinces, some communists were elected to the provincial assemblies mainly from the labour constituencies on the Trade Union Congress tickets backed by the ) • In Bengal , a communist, was elected from the colliery labour constituency.

Crisis of Political Scenario

• After the election, the CPI pleaded for the implementation of the TUC election manifesto promise that independent labour and peasant blocs would be formed in the legislature to remain distinct from the Congress parliamentary parties. • The CPI said it had full support for the Congress in its anti- imperialist struggle • But reserved for itself complete independence on all matters affecting labour and peasants • But the relationship between the TUC and the Congress inside the legislatures continued to be ambiguous. • This created a difficult situation in Bengal. Attempts of the communists to form the Bengal Parliamentary Labour and Peasant Party were nipped in the bud by the provincial Congress."

• with the installation of Congress ministries in seven out of eleven provinces, the relations between the main body of the Congress and the communist elements within it became further strained. • The number of industrial disputes increased and the Congress governments often had to take repressive measures which brought forth criticism from the leftists. • Many in the Congress could not endorse the radical militant policy often pursued by the communists

Process of the ‘United Front’ • On the all-India plane, the 'united front' policy in regard to the trade unions reached a high water mark at Nagpur in April, 1938

• This time the National Trade Union Federation provisionally merged into the AITUC

• The Red TUC of the communists had been united with the AITUC in April 1935 • Thus the AITUC became the voice of a united working class after about a decade

• At this time the communists held that trade union unity was badly needed because this field had immense possibilities for the national struggle and for the socialist movement

• To them the ‘united front' strategy had both trade union and political implications.

• At this time, the CPI strategy vis-a-vis the Congress waw two-fold: 1. To penetrate the Congress organisation from within 2. And to pressurise the Congress to adopt a radical policy through struggles from without. • They had to keep a fine and delicate balance between these two. • On the one hand, we find several communists serving as members of the executive committees of the district, provincial and even all-India Congress committees On the other hand, since the Nagpur Conference, the CPI made determined bid to force its line in the labour field in particular

Change of the Party Policy in 1939

• The tight-rope walking of the communists is clearly revealed from a party document of May, 1939. • It said that the party's labour policy would be based on "an attempt to secure the cooperation and support of the Congress Committees" and that "any tendency to force a leftist stand upon a non-communist labour leadership was nothing short of disruption". • It said the old traditions of conducting workers struggle in isolation must be ended • Party wanted the strike tactics to be conceived with a view to winning public sympathy and Congress support • The communist policy of a united front of all leftist forces received a great boost in early 1939, with the re- election of Subhas Bose as Congress president • But there was an anti-climax : 1. By the middle of the year with the expulsion of Bose from the Congress 2. And the virtual dissolution of the left consolidation committee he had formed. • The communists finally parted with the Bose and sided with the Congress led by Gandhi. • The position of the communists became embarrassing in Bengal where the supporters of Bose still had a predominant position.

• Perhaps to retrieve their lost image the communists, particularly in Bengal, took a rather militant posture from this time on

The Communists and the early war year : 1939-41 • With World War lI imminent, the CPI had two choices: 1. It could continue the alliance with the Congress 2. and attempt to strengthen its anti-war orientations or it would renounce that alliance, and seize the opportunity provided by the Congress vacillation to attempt to lead a more aggressive movement against both imperialist rule and the war.

• The CPI increasingly turned to the latter option Posture of Congress and CPI During the War Time Period

• After the outbreak of second world war in September 1939, while the Congress was still hesitant about its policy, • The CPI stated forthwith that the task before the people was the "revolutionary utilisation of the war crisis for the achievement of national freedom“ • It called for the transformation of the imperialist war into a war of national liberation • Almost immediately after the war began there were a number of strikes in different industrial centres all over India, including the jute mills of Bengal, most of which were spontaneous. • The communists came to take charge of these after the strikes had started and in some cases, after the workers had already gained certain concessions

• The-communists returned once again to a militant trade union policy

• In spite of repressive measures, the CPI popularised the slogan of "Mahgai" (Dearness Allowance) struggles in every Industry

• Mass meeting and conferences were organised in support of the "Mahgai“ campaign

• On 12 March, 1940, a Mahgai Day was celebrated at the initiative of the Communists

• Naturally when a war was on, the government was in no mood to allow these disruptive activities and decided to come down heavily on the prominent communists and trade union leaders

• In spite of all these repressive measures, the communists could not be wholly subdued

• Externment of active workers and lack of funds considerably reduced communist activities in the industrial areas