Unlike the Bolshevik Revolution, the Chinese Revolution did not significantly influence the Leftist Indian elite. The liberation of the working class from the shackles of capitalism in Russia has shaken many Indian leaders, including Nehru. Although the Communist Party of India (CPI) hailed the Chinese Revolution as a historic event, they saw the Soviet Union as a forerunner in ideological, strategic and policy matters.
In his book, The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India, former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale claimed that China used its close ties with the Left parties in India between 2007 and 2008 to cultivate domestic opposition on Indo-US nuclear deal. Although the CPI(M) leaders denied the allegations, Gokhale noted that many Left leaders had travelled to China at the time for treatment.
Sitaram Yechury quoted the BJP’s opposition to the nuclear deal in response to Vijay Gokhale’s revelations. The BJP never opposed the nuclear deal by receiving suggestions from abroad. Not only that, but as the deal became more transparent, they changed their position in the national interest. Nevertheless, that is not the case with the Communists. The Indian Communists have a history of openly supporting their international partners, even in their interests clash with India. When public support for international partners was politically inaccurate in India, they maintained ambiguity in their position. The Communists are constantly playing this double game.
During the Indo-China War of 1962, when the country was fighting against China’s evil practices, the CPI openly took a pro-China stance. The party even opposed blood donation to wounded Indian soldiers, calling it an “anti-party operation”, and Communist leader and Kerala Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad declared full public support for the Chinese
This is not the first time the Left parties have chosen the former over the second when national interests are at odds with their ideological allies. Prior to independence, during World War II, in 1939, when the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were on the same side, the Undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) refused to oppose Hitler. However, when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Moscow told the Indian Communists that the real battle was between fascism and its allies. Therefore, they supported the British in their war effort. For this reason alone, the CPI abstained from the Quit India Movement of 1942 and heeded the words of Russia. They changed the colour like a chameleon, and the CPI became the strongest ally of its allies and the arch-enemy of the Nazis. A letter was despatched from the British Communist party to their Indian counterparts during the war. The letter said trade unions should maximize factory production during the war to help Britain. Sir Reginald Maxwell, the then British Home Secretary to the Government of India, forwarded this insulting letter to the Communists, and they were compelled to carry out those orders immediately. In return, Britain agreed to ease government control over the trade unions and release Communist Party leaders from prison. During this period, senior CPI leader Gangadhar Adhikari put forward the “Pakistan Thesis” in 1942 after the seeds of partition of India were taken over by the Muslim League. Through this, the CPI publicly passed a resolution supporting the creation of Pakistan.
After a constant struggle, when India gained independence in 1947, the Communists denounced it as false independence. The Communist leader BT Randive chanted the slogan “Ye Azadi Juta Hai”. The Communist movements in India have always carried out this anti-national stand. During World War II, they served as Hitler’s foot soldiers. When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, the Indian Communists joined Britain as part of the Allies. When India finally gained independence, the communists failed miserably to seize power through revolution. The Nehru government, which acted as part of the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement), took India to the Soviet side and tied it up with a socialist ideology. Apparently, there was a significant undercurrent between the socialist Nehru and the Communists in India. They all carried a single motive of Socialism. For these reasons alone, they sided with Nehru and worked tirelessly for the interest of the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of Soviet Russia in 1991, China has emerged as a green haven for global communists. Thus the Indian Communists cherish socialist utopia by placing China in their hearts.
The pro-China activities of the Communists have continued since the post-independence period. In 1959, when China invaded Tibet, the Indian Communists wholeheartedly supported China. In a statement issued on March 31, 1959, the undivided CPI justified China’s genocide in Tibet and praised China for working to liberate Tibetans from “medieval darkness.” The Indian Communists did not hesitate to blame the revolt on the Tibetan freedom fighters, claiming them as traitors backed by Indian reactionaries and Western imperialists.
During the Indo-China War of 1962, when the country was fighting against China’s evil practices, the CPI openly took a pro-China stance. The party even opposed blood donation to wounded Indian soldiers, calling it an “anti-party operation”, and Communist leader and Kerala Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad declared full public support for the Chinese. Namboodiripad refused to call China’s infiltration and shamelessly called on India to calm down and call for peace and dialogue. He wrote, “We are not prepared to give up our view that the responsibility for the Chinese atrocities of October 1962 should be shared with the Indian ruling class, which took a very provocative stance weeks ago.”
During the Doklam dispute with China in 2017, the CPI(M) took a vague stance to please its Chinese masters. The CPI(M) wrote an editorial in the People’s Democracy newspaper as part of its show of love for China. India should allow Bhutan to negotiate with China on the Doklam Plateau and other disputed areas. India can support Bhutan’s position.”
After the Chinese invasion of the Galwan Valley in 2020 and the subsequent conflict with India, the CPI(M) came out with a statement on June 16 that they did not criticize their Chinese fathers. The party was critical in its report that the Government of India should come out with an authoritative statement on what happened in Galwan.
Although the dispute between the two countries has not been resolved, a few months ago, Indian communists happily joined in events organized online as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s 100th-anniversary celebrations.
In short, if we look at the entire history of the Communists in India from the pre-independence period to the present day, instead of supporting the broader national interests, they followed the footsteps of their global masters. They followed the ideological positions and activities that suited them. Whenever they align with national interests, it is only when it is not detrimental to their international allegiance.
Discussion about this post