The Communist Party

In the period following independence, the official stand taken by the Communist Party of India towards the changing socio- political dynamics went through alterations. It first accepted India’s independent foreign policy though it still considered the government to be an agent of imperialism. It later went on to accept India had become a sovereign republic but also felt its policies were pro-capitalist and anti-people. The communists would offer a ‘democratic front’ to replace the Congress Party. In 1958, at its Amritsar meeting, the party declared that it was possible to advance to socialism through peaceful and parliamentary means. And, if the party came to power, it would grant full civil liberties including the right to oppose the socialist government and the socialist system through constitutional mechanisms. Then, in 1961, at Vijayawada, it was decided to follow a policy of struggle as well as unity towards Congress—progressive policies were to be supported while struggle against other policies were to continue.

Split in CPI Within the party, there were several

differences on issues like attitude towards the Soviet critique of Stalin, Russia-China ideological differences, and Sino- India War of 1962. Some communists supported the government fully against the Chinese invasion, while others though opposed to the Chinese stand on the question of India- China frontiers, also opposed the unqualified support to the Nehru government because of its class character.

The Sino-Soviet ideological split also witnessed a great deal of resonance on the Indian Communists—many sympathetic to the Chinese position. In fact, the Chinese call which asked the revolutionary elements in the communist parties of the world to distance themselves from those supporting the ‘revisionist’ soviet line, had great influence on the Indian Communists. In 1964, the party got divided into, CPI—representing the earlier ‘right’ and ‘centrist’ trends, and CPM or the Communist Party (Marxist)—representing the earlier ‘left’ trend.

The CPM believed that the Indian State was being ruled by big bourgeoisie who collaborated with foreign finance capital and hence have to be destroyed. They had contempt

for Indian Constitution as they thought it to be anti- democratic and hence didn’t believe in peaceful and parliamentary means. For them, an agrarian revolution coupled with an armed struggle led by working class and the CPM was necessary to bring changes in the social relations.