Independence of the Nation; Challenge Today

D. RAJA, General Secretary

 1947 August 15- people of India won independence from colonial rule after a long historic struggle. The Communists played a glorious role in this struggle.

 A group of committed, intellectually sharp and patriotic young people that started coming together to have a nationwide organisation in the second decade of the 20th century. Their first big success was the foundation of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 1920, which brought progressive and nationalist leaders of the working class together. The AITUC challenged the anti-worker policies of the British Raj and also politicised the workers on long-term political demands, including the independence of the country. It was a time of significant churning both global and domestic, with the end of Second World War, the success of Bolshevik Revolution led by Lenin in Russia and the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian political scene. The communists took the onus of radicalising the agenda of the freedom movement by working both within and outside the Indian National Congress and gained significant successes that proved crucial for our country.

 CPI was founded on 26th December 1925 in Kanpur. The coming together of Communists from the length and breadth of the country became a very effective platform to push progressive demands and make them part of the freedom struggle. Maulana Hasrat Mohani, who was the Chair of the reception committee of the Kanpur Conference, was the first one to demand ‘complete independence’ from the British, marking a significant departure from the earlier demands of limited autonomy. Further, communists were also the first to demand for a Constituent Assembly for our country.

 The CPI took the lead in organising peasants through the All India Kisan Sabha (1936), students through the All India Students’ Federation (1936), writers and intellectuals through the Progressive Writers’ Association (1936) and artists through the India Peoples’ Theatre Association (1943).

  Meanwhile, the British Government tried their best to crush the emerging Communist movement but failed in the wake of the support communists received from the people and the role they were playing in the freedom struggle. All this culminated in what’s aptly called the ‘Last War of Indian Independence’, the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of 1946. Inspired by the Azad Hind Fauz of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and supported by the CPI, naval Forces went on a strike defying the orders of their British superiors. CPI went on a strike in their support in Bombay and lakhs participated. Violence from British started proving counter-productive and the foreign rulers were made to realise that their days in India were numbered and that people were not ready to tolerate foreign yolk anymore.

 CPI understands of society and the agenda for their future endeared it to the most downtrodden in society. CPI went to the people explaining them the nature of exploitation in factories and fields and mobilised them. In the Kanpur Conference itself, M. Singaravelu Chettiar opposed the inhuman practice of untouchability and CPI came to be one of the frontrunners against the caste system. Equipped with the modern and scientific ideology of Marxism and with the rich contributions of social reformers, CPI went ahead in mobilising women and took lead in the struggle against patriarchy. CPI’s idea of a free, egalitarian India, bereft of the hierarchies of class, caste and patriarchy moved millions of people and they joined the fight for justice and equality in society.

 When we are approaching approaching the eighth decade of independence and centenary of our Party, it is imperative to note what brought us closer to the people what challenges lie ahead in our continuing and uncompromising struggle for the values we upheld and the society we dream of building a classless, casteless Nation ensuring justice- social, political and economic to all our citizens.

  The RSS was formed in the same year as the CPI, 1925. Instead of fighting the British, the RSS identified minorities and communists as the enemies of the country and their 100 year propaganda is bereft of positive values. The RSS and its leadership remained subservient to British when communists were making supreme sacrifices and it was the RSS’ poisoning of the political environment that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, leading to a ban on RSS by the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Since independence, and the after the ban of RSS was lifted, it has worked covertly and overtly towards the goals of a hierarchical, theocratic Hindu Rashtra and many affiliated organisations in all fields of life have mushroomed around it that are collectively called the Sangh Parivar. The ruling party at the Union, the BJP is nothing but the political arm of the RSS and it harbours the same casteist, exploitative and misogynist ideology. How the CPI will take on this ideological challenge and reinstate a progressive, socialist agenda before the nation is the most important question that concerns us today.

 Though we have a glorious history of fighting the British and then contributing significantly in the shaping of our nation after winning independence that should not be taken as relic but as inspiration in moving ahead with struggles with increased vigour. Our task and concern has always been the same, the welfare of the people of India.  When the people are reeling under RSS-BJP misrule and the divisive and communal ideology threatens to break our society, our task is to move closer to the people in their everyday lives.

 This is no mean task today, given the ascendancy of RSS-BJP to power and their arsenal of surveillance and misinformation. RSS is infiltrating into bureaucracy and all wings of the State. This pauses the threat of debasing our secular democratic Republic and to impose a theocratic Hindurashtra. As Dr. Ambedkar warned we must save independence and our Secular Democratic Republic before such s calamity happens.

 We must remain ever vigilant to protect the values that we inherited from that great freedom movement. Party should intensify its struggles and campaigns not only for the immediate demands but for our ultimate goal of establishing a Socialist society in our country.