{"id":79703,"date":"2025-12-26T11:52:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T06:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=79703"},"modified":"2025-12-26T11:52:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T06:22:26","slug":"100-years-of-cpi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/100-years-of-cpi\/","title":{"rendered":"100 Years of CPI: Origins, Ideology, Freedom Struggle and Constitutional Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>100 years of CPI Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/communist-party-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Communist Party of India<\/strong><\/a> (CPI) has completed 100 years, tracing its origins to the <\/span><b>Kanpur conference<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of December 26, 1925.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The milestone has renewed attention on how communism took root in India, its ideological influences, organisational evolution, and role in the freedom struggle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Global Antecedents of Indian Communism<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The roots of communism lie in European political upheavals after the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/french-revolution\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>French Revolution<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1789) and <\/span><b>Napoleonic Wars<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1796\u20131815), which polarised society between defenders of monarchy and advocates of republican change.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Industrial Revolution intensified inequalities, creating fertile ground for socialist ideas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Karl Marx, writing in 19th-century Europe, argued for a transition from capitalism to socialism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Marx expected socialist revolutions in advanced capitalist societies, the first successful socialist revolution occurred in Russia in 1917, a relatively backward, Tsarist empire.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Russian Revolution combined anti-feudal, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist elements, making it especially <\/span><b>attractive to colonised countries like India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Three Political Strands Behind CPI\u2019s Formation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian communism emerged from three distinct but converging strands:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The MN Roy\u2013Comintern Strand<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MN Roy, a revolutionary who lived in the US, Mexico, Berlin, and later the USSR, played a pivotal role.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He attended the 1920 Comintern (Communist International) meeting as India\u2019s representative.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Comintern assessed how communism could adapt to colonial conditions, influencing Indian communists.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were other groups of diasporic Indian revolutionaries active in Berlin, led by Virendranath Chattopadhyay, and Kabul, led by <\/span><b>Raja Mahendra Pratap<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Independent Left Groups in India<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Separate Left formations emerged in Lahore (Ghulam Hussain), Bombay (S A Dange), Calcutta (Muzaffar Ahmad), and Madras (Singaravelu Chettiar).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These groups operated independently but shared anti-imperialist and socialist goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Worker\u2013Peasant Organisations<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trade unions and peasant bodies such as the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), formed in 1920, provided a mass base.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These organisations linked socialism with labour and agrarian struggles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Origin Story: Tashkent vs Kanpur Debate<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>1920, Tashkent<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four Indian revolutionaries (including MN Roy and Abani Mukherji) set up a Communist Party under Comintern influence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aim: liberate India from British rule and establish socialism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it lacked support from Indian-based Left groups and the diaspora.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>1925, Kanpur Conference<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian communist groups organised a national conference in Kanpur, resolving to form the Communist Party of India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Objectives included:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ending British rule<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing a workers\u2019 and peasants\u2019 republic<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Socialising the means of production and distribution<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Key ideological divide<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPI(M) later traced its origins to Tashkent (1920), emphasising internationalism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPI identified Kanpur (1925) as the foundation, highlighting the Indian component of communism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Social Reform and Anti-Oppression Stance<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early Communists opposed not only colonial exploitation but also caste oppression and patriarchy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Kanpur, conference chair M Singaravelu condemned untouchability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPI became the first organisation to bar members of communal bodies, underscoring its secular and inclusive ethos.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Role in the Freedom Struggle (1925\u20131947)<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1925\u201328: Communists were active in organising workers\u2019 and peasants\u2019 movements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1929: Leaders were arrested in the Meerut Conspiracy Case, accused of organising railway strikes; many were jailed or deported.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1930s: Communists worked with the Congress Socialist Party in a United Front against imperialism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1939: The United Front collapsed due to ideological and political differences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post-1945: Communists led major peasant struggles, especially in Bengal and Telangana.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Shaping the Constitution and Mass Mobilisation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communist influence was evident in Constituent Assembly debates on land reforms, workers\u2019 rights, and protections for backward classes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Movements like the Telangana Rebellion showcased commitment to agrarian justice.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPI mobilised society through organisations such as the All India Trade Union Congress, All India Kisan Sabha, All India Students\u2019 Federation, and the Progressive Writers\u2019 Association, embedding ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice in post-Independence discourse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Post-Independence Trajectory<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After 1947, Indian communists followed divergent paths:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some adopted armed, insurrectionary strategies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Others chose the parliamentary democratic route, seeking power through elections.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These differences eventually led to splits within the communist movement, most notably in 1964 (CPI\u2013CPI(M) split).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/coldplay-concert-small-town-india-women-sexism-chris-martin-kristin-cabot-gwyneth-paltrow-10438528\/?ref=infinite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-history\/100-years-of-cpi-how-indias-communist-movement-came-to-be-10439181\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>100 years of CPI highlights its origins in 1925, global influences, role in India\u2019s freedom struggle, social reforms, and impact on the Constitution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":79731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4421,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-79703","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-100-years-of-cpi","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}