Context:
In 2025, the Communist Party of India (CPI) completes 100 years, marking a significant milestone in India’s political history. Officially founded on 26 December 1925 in Kanpur, the party emerged from revolutionary ideological currents during India’s struggle against British colonial rule.
Global Roots and Ideological Foundations:
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- Communism in India draws its intellectual foundations from Marxism, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as a critique of capitalist industrial society. Marx argued that capitalism would collapse due to its internal contradictions, eventually giving way to socialism.
- Although Europe was expected to witness the first socialist revolution, it was the 1917 Russian Revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin, that became the first successful socialist uprising. This event profoundly influenced anti-imperialist movements across Asia and laid the ideological groundwork for organised communist politics in India.
- Communism in India draws its intellectual foundations from Marxism, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as a critique of capitalist industrial society. Marx argued that capitalism would collapse due to its internal contradictions, eventually giving way to socialism.
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Multiple Streams Feeding the Indian Communist Movement:
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- Diasporic Revolutionaries and International Influences: Indian revolutionaries abroad—most notably M. N. Roy—engaged closely with the Communist International (Comintern). They emphasised anti-imperialist struggle and advocated tactical alliances with nationalist movements in colonised countries.
- Independent Left Groups within India: Parallel to overseas efforts, radical left groups emerged within India in cities such as Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, and Lahore. Leaders including S. A. Dange, Muzaffar Ahmad, Ghulam Hussain, and Singaravelu Chettiar mobilised workers and intellectuals around Marxist ideas, laying the domestic organisational base of communism.
- Workers’ and Peasants’ Movements: Trade unions and peasant organisations played a critical role in mass mobilisation. The formation of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 1920 provided an institutional platform for labour activism and the popularisation of communist ideology among workers.
- Diasporic Revolutionaries and International Influences: Indian revolutionaries abroad—most notably M. N. Roy—engaged closely with the Communist International (Comintern). They emphasised anti-imperialist struggle and advocated tactical alliances with nationalist movements in colonised countries.
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Tashkent (1920) vs Kanpur (1925):
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- The Tashkent group (1920), led by M. N. Roy, attempted to establish the CPI in exile with Comintern backing but exercised limited influence within India. In contrast, the Kanpur Conference (1925) brought together domestic communist groups and formally declared the CPI as an all-India party committed to workers’ and peasants’ emancipation.
- This distinction highlights enduring tensions between internationalist revolutionary orientation and the practical requirements of India’s national anti-colonial struggle.
- The Tashkent group (1920), led by M. N. Roy, attempted to establish the CPI in exile with Comintern backing but exercised limited influence within India. In contrast, the Kanpur Conference (1925) brought together domestic communist groups and formally declared the CPI as an all-India party committed to workers’ and peasants’ emancipation.
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Role in the Anti-Colonial Struggle:
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- The CPI mobilised workers, peasants, students, and women, linking class struggle with the broader movement for national liberation. Many leaders faced repression, most notably during the Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929).
- During the 1930s, the CPI participated in a United Front with the Congress Socialist Party, though ideological differences persisted. During the Second World War, communist strategy at times prioritised the global anti-fascist struggle, creating tensions with sections of the nationalist movement.
- The CPI mobilised workers, peasants, students, and women, linking class struggle with the broader movement for national liberation. Many leaders faced repression, most notably during the Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929).
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Post-Independence Evolution:
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- After Independence in 1947, the CPI diversified its political approach. One strand embraced parliamentary democracy, achieving electoral success in states such as Kerala, West Bengal, and Tripura, where communist governments implemented land reforms and welfare-oriented policies.
- Internal ideological disagreements culminated in the 1964 split, leading to the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)—a development that permanently reshaped the Indian Left.
- After Independence in 1947, the CPI diversified its political approach. One strand embraced parliamentary democracy, achieving electoral success in states such as Kerala, West Bengal, and Tripura, where communist governments implemented land reforms and welfare-oriented policies.
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Conclusion:
The centenary of the CPI underscores how global ideological currents and indigenous socio-political struggles converged to shape one of India’s oldest political parties. From Kanpur (1925) to its contemporary political role, the CPI’s journey reflects the complex interplay of class, ideology, nationalism, and democratic politics in modern India.
