- Introduction
- How the Leftist Movement Grew in India?
- Early History of Communist Movement in India
- Formation of the Communist Party of India
- Formation of Workers and Peasant Parties
- Communist Influence of Trade Unions
- Meerut Conspiracy Case and the 1934 Ban
- Formation of Congress Socialist Party
- The Early Socialists
- Brief Sketches of the Early Socialists
- Towards All India Congress Socialist Party
- The Programme of the Congress Socialist Party
- The Impact of the Congress Socialists Programme Upon National Politics
Introduction
During the French Revolution, the National Assembly had three main groups:
Conservatives who supported the monarch and nobility and resisted reducing their powers.
Liberals who wanted limited reforms in the government.
Radicals who sought drastic changes, such as the adoption of a constitution and limitation of monarch powers.
In the assembly, conservatives sat on the right, radicals sat on the left, and liberals sat in the center.
Since then, the term ‘Left’ has been associated with groups and movements advocating for radical reforms in government and the socio-economic order, focusing on the interests of the unprivileged and oppressed sections of society.
‘Right’ refers to groups opposing changes in the existing system due to their own stakes in the current order.
Centrists advocate for limited changes in the political and socio-economic systems.
Left is often synonymous with socialism, an ideology aimed at the upliftment of toiling workers and their protection from exploitation by capitalists.
The unit will discuss the formation and programmes of the Communist Party of India and the Congress Socialist Party.
How the Leftist Movement Grew in India?
The Leftist movement in India grew due to the development of modern industries and the influence of socialist movements in countries like Great Britain and Russia.
In industrial cities like Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, large and concentrated working populations emerged as a result of industrial development.
Workers began organizing to demand better working conditions and higher wages, leading to the formation of trade unions.
Before the First World War, workers’ strikes were rare, and workers were not politically conscious.
After the First World War, frequent strikes occurred, and a large number of trade unions were formed.
The unrest among workers at the end of the War was due to rising prices caused by the War and the reluctance of employers to raise wages.
Workers began to demand economic benefits and became more conscious of their political role.
In cities like Bombay, workers organized strikes against the Rowlatt Act.
Nationalist leaders also became interested in the working class movement.
The first session of the All India Trade Union Congress was held in Bombay in October 1920, chaired by the nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai.