100 Years of the Communist Party of India (CPI)

Context

The Communist Party of India (CPI) completed 100 years on December 26, 2025. The centenary has revived discussion on the origins of the Communist movement in India, its ideological roots, and its role in the freedom struggle and post-Independence politics.

What is the Communist Party of India?

1. The CPI considers December 26, 1925, when Indian Communist groups met in Kanpur, as its foundation date.
2. It emerged as a political organisation aiming to:
   1. End British imperial rule
   2. Establish a workers’ and peasants’ republic
   3. Socialise the means of production and distribution
3. The CPI was shaped by both global socialist ideas and Indian anti-imperialist conditions.
4. Over time, the Communist movement in India adopted both revolutionary and parliamentary paths.

Global Ideological Roots of Indian Communism

1. After the French Revolution (1789), Europe became divided between:
   1. Right (monarchists, defenders of old order)
   2. Left (republicans, supporters of change)
2. Industrialisation created wealth but also deep inequality.
3. Karl Marx argued that capitalism would collapse due to its internal contradictions and be replaced by socialism.
4. Contrary to Marx’s expectation, the first socialist revolution occurred in Russia (1917) under Vladimir Lenin, not in Western Europe.
5. The Russian Revolution strongly influenced colonial countries, including India.

Three Political Strands that Shaped Indian Communism

1. Revolutionary Diaspora Abroad
   1. Led by N. Roy, who worked across the US, Mexico, Europe, and the USSR.
   2. Roy represented India at the Communist International (Comintern) in 1920.
   3. The Comintern advised colonial Communists to first fight imperialism, even through temporary alliances.
2. Indigenous Left Groups in India
   1. Independent Communist groups arose within India:
      1. Bombay – S. A. Dange
      2. Calcutta – Muzaffar Ahmad

• Lahore – Ghulam Hussain

1. Madras – Singaravelu Chettiar

1. These groups sought coordination for nationwide political action.

3. Workers’ and Peasants’ Organisations
   1920. Formation of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 1920.
   1921. Labour and peasant movements provided the mass base for Communism.

Tashkent (1920) vs Kanpur (1925): The Foundation Debate

1. Tashkent Meeting (1920)
   1. Indian revolutionaries formed a Communist party abroad with Comintern approval.
   2. It had no strong links with Indian-based Communist groups.
2. Kanpur Conference (1925)
   1. Indian Communist groups met on Indian soil.
   2. Declared the formation of the Communist Party of India.
   3. Focused on anti-imperialist struggle and Indian conditions.
3. Divergent Views
   1. CPI (Marxist) considers Tashkent (1920) as the starting point.
   2. CPI considers Kanpur (1925) as the true foundation, as it reflected Indian realities.

Role of Communists in the Anti-Imperialist Struggle

1. Active in labour and peasant mobilisation during the 1920s–30s.
2. Leaders were jailed in cases like the Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929).
3. Worked with the Congress Socialist Party during the 1930s.
4. Led major peasant movements after 1945:
   1. Tebhaga movement (Bengal)
   2. Telangana movement (Hyderabad)
5. Briefly deprioritised the anti-British struggle during 1942–45 due to opposition to Fascism in World War II.

Post-Independence Trajectory

1. The movement split between:
   1. Insurrectionary path
   2. Parliamentary democratic path
2. Communists formed elected governments in:
   1. Kerala
   2. West Bengal
   3. Tripura
3. In 1964, the party split into CPI and CPI (Marxist) due to ideological and geopolitical differences.

Implications

1. Indian Communism shifted from revolutionary politics to constitutional participation.
2. It shaped India’s labour laws, land reforms, and federal politics.
3. The movement highlighted class inequality even within democratic systems.
4. Its relevance today lies more in social justice discourse than mass mobilisation.

Challenges and Way Forward

Conclusion

The CPI’s centenary marks a century of struggle for equality and workers’ rights in India. While its form has changed, the core concern with inequality and justice remains relevant in a deeply divided global economy.