Review of Russian Revolution and the Indian Freedom Struggle Edited by Jaya Mehta | K.S. Chalam

BOOK REVIEW

Russian Revolution and the Indian Freedom Struggle
Conceptualization: Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, Editor: Jaya Mehta
Aakar Books, Delhi

Twenty First century India view the images of struggles that suit its history, economic structure and social base to get rid of an exploitative system that is more entrenched today than what was imagined under Imperialism during the last century. In fact, the Freedom movement in India had a long stretch of struggle and more experienced than the Lenin led October Revolution. But why it had failed to liberate India while Lenin and his comrades succeeded in establishing the First Socialist Revolution that eclipsed all other preceding revolutions. The book under review conceptualized by Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and edited by Jaya Mehta by meticulously scanning through dozens of papers and selecting the most relevant, theoretically sound and essentially bringing practical experiences of activist scholars and party functionaries’ reminiscences at one place provides some answers to the above puzzle. The edited volume brings out two parallel struggles perhaps with two different agendas, one a class struggle and the other is a freedom struggle against colonial power. The importance of the book lies in its selection of writings that brings out the impact of Russian revolution on Indian Freedom struggle without losing sight of the class character behind the Freedom movement. This we can see in the select articles in the book by looking at the way the founding fathers of Communist Party of India have played the roles of a freedom fighter and also at the same time liberators of economic oppression. The selections include narratives of Soviet Revolution and Indian Freedom struggle that makes the book more relevant today not only for India but also for other countries that are aspiring to build struggles of liberation in twenty first century. The volume is divided in to three parts. Part I is on theoretical foundations, part II contains papers relating to Pre-independence period and the III- part is about post-independence period.

The most important theoretical article in the volume is from R.Palme Dutta on ‘The Revolution of all Revolutions’ published in the New Age Weekly 5 November 1967. In fact, almost all the articles except one or two are reproduced from this CPI weekly. Dutta has narrated why revolution first took place in Russia and liberated exploitation, though the Glorius Revolution, the American Revolution, the French revolutions preceded elsewhere. He has drawn from the writings of Marx and Engels and pointed out that the contradictions are significant during world war in 1917 and facilitated by the able subjective leadership of Lenin who steered through the 2.7 million industrial working class in Russia. He has pointed out that it is not the proportion of the working class in population but the class-conscious working force in the organized enterprises with more than 500 workers (in each factory that represented higher proportion of industrial workers in large enterprises) than in Germany, Britain or the United States that was responsible for this success. Citing Lenin, Dutta noted that more than forty thousand workers used to buy PRAVDA of Bolsheviks, as an indicator of their class consciousness. Bringing examples from Western and Central Europe where leaders broke their pledge and involved in fratricidal conflict, Russian working class got united to wage war against the capitalist system that was in crisis during first war. This article is followed by Prabhat Patnaik’s brief and very incessant theory that prior to October Revolution, socialism had been seen as the revolutionary project of proletariat of the advanced capitalist countries, but Russian Revolution changed that narrative and each country can sustain worker-peasant alliances under the leadership of proletariat for a successful transition to socialism. There is a conceptual change in understanding revolution today in terms of the material change in the character of Imperialism. This is not a sudden outcome, but a gradual understanding of the situation undergoing change in the democratic Revolution. Lenin in his “Two Tactics of Social Democracy in Democratic Revolution†, Patnaik cited to show how its allies were changing in the new context where the proletariat formed an alliance with the peasantry via democratic revolution to lead on to socialism. The interpretation that Marxists were hostile to peasantry before and the October Revolution brought change in the attitude is wrong. It was proved that the bourgeois was incapable of anti-feudal struggle Patnaik noted, have in fact brought material change in the situation. Noting the significance and relevance of October Revolution and able leadership of Lenin even after a century in the era of Imperialism. Prabhat Patnaik explained how the hegemony of international finance capital particularly after World War II, helped to give way to a new situation. The manner in which new revolutions occur will have to be worked out afresh. The perception of interlinking of the revolutions sustained by ‘working people’ before and ‘working classes’ today remains valid.

The Theoretical Foundations Section contained two very important documents submitted by Lenin and M. N. Roy on the Decolonization question. V. I. Lenin’s document on colonial question contains 12 theses and M.N.Roy’s 9 theses. Both are very significant given the historical setting of Russian Revolution and the Indian Freedom Struggle in its nascent stage. Let us look at the Lenin theses first. They are basically containing a theoretical proposal for a World liberation struggle that includes colonies like India. It also warns the need to combat falseness and hypocrisy of bourgeois democracy on the national question by raising issues of concrete economic conditions, interests of the oppressed classes in the era of finance capitalism and imperialism. Lenin noted that the premise of the Communist International policy should rest primarily on the union of proletarians and working masses of all nations for a joint revolutionary struggle to overthrow the landowners and the bourgeois to ensure victory over capitalism. Lenin has called for propaganda and agitation by the communist parties about the violation of the equality of nations and the guaranteed rights of minorities in all capitalist countries. He has emphasized that petty-bourgeois nationalism preserves national self-interest intact whereas proletarian internationalism demands the interests of the proletarian struggle in any one country should be subordinated to the interests on a world-scale to overthrow international capital. In this process, the communist parties must assist the bourgeois democratic liberation movement in backward countries primarily with the workers of the country. Second, the need for a struggle against the clergy and other influential reactionary medieval elements. Combat pan-Islamism and give special support to the peasant movements. The Communist International should support bourgeois democratic national movements only on condition that in these countries proletarian parties will be trained as communists not only in name but also in action against the same (bourgeois) movements in their own countries in course of time without merging with them. At the same time the class-conscious communist parties are to be cautious about the survival of national sentiments in countries where nationalities are suppressed for a longtime with some concessions to overcome distrust. However complete victory over capitalism can be won with the unity and alliance of mass of working people of all nations in the world striving together.

M.N.Roy’s theses were particular about politically suppressed countries like India and China. Roy has added that the strength of European Capitalism is derived from the possession of colonial markets and opportunities of exploitation. The super profits made from the colonies sustain capitalism and grant labour aristocracy in Europe. It is only through the loss of colonies and the proletarian revolution, the downfall of capitalist order of Europe is possible. Therefore, the Communist International as the collective will of the World proletariat as per Roy, must enter into much closer connection with the revolutionary forces in the politically and economically suppressed countries for complete success of world revolution. He has critically reviewed the functioning of the Communist International and noted that they do not recognize the necessity of collaboration of revolutionary movement in Europe and other parts of the World. He has gone to the extent of saying that the Second International themselves became imperialists. Roy in his theses emphasized on the social and economic aspects of imperialism particularly how they made the majority of population in the colonies to rely on agriculture and export of primary goods and the people were put under conditions of oppression. Roy indicated that the small intellectual middle class is outrageous among the mass of people against foreign domination and noted the two parallel movements in the colonies. One, the bourgeois democratic nationalist movement keeping the capitalist order, pursues political liberation, the other is the struggle of propertyless peasants for their liberation from exploitation. It is significant to find that Roy was arguing for the creation of communist organizations of peasants and workers in order to lead them to the revolution to establish a Soviet type republic. He was clear in saying that in backward countries communism is not brought through capitalist development but by the development of class consciousness under the leadership of the proletariat of advanced countries. He has further noted that in the first period, the revolution in the countries will not be communist, but through gradual gathering of revolutionary experience they will reach the hidden goal. It is interesting to note that Roy was insisting on the petty-bourgeois programme of land distribution in the first stage and through the intensive propaganda of communist ideas done with the peasants and workers councils, the final overthrow of the capitalist order throughout the world is possible. Thus, we can see that there are few points of departure on colonial question between Lenin and Roy. But ultimately both the theses were adopted by the Communist International and said they would support national revolutionary movement in Africa, Asia and others.

The second part of the book consisted of contributions from C.RajeswaraRao, Adhikari, Atchuta Menon, Bijoykumar Sinha and Hajrat Begum. This part of the book contains very important anecdotal pieces including the formation of Gadhar party, Hindustan Socialist Republic Association of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru with paper clippings of the events published during the tumultuous period in the history of Freedom Struggle of India. RajeswaraRao in his paper noted how October Revolution influenced Mahatma Gandhi though he opposed the theory of class struggle and mentioned that Nehru had paid tributes to Soviet Revolution in his ‘Discovery of India’. He brought out how the British imperialists were against Communist Party forcing it to work under ground to wage armed struggles in Telangana and Punnapra-Vayalar with great sacrifices in the overall framework of freedom struggle. Achuta Menon noted how Motilal Nehru visited Soviet Union and brought new methods of struggle and narrated the same in his Presidential address at Lucknow. G. Adhikari explained the Freedom struggle and struggles against capitalism as united in to three different phases. He has noted the importance of Muhajarin movement of Muslim Youth, communist leaders like Dange, Muzaffar Ahmad, SingaraVelu and others. He has noted that during the October Revolution Murtaza Ali the Indian Communist who fought as ranks of Soviet Red Army. The influence of Soviet Union continued even after our independence with Nehru, Tagore and several leaders visiting Soviet Union and bringing concepts of Socialist Planning to build a mixed economy in India. The role played by Bhagat Singh in the Freedom movement was inspired by Russian Revolution was narrated by his comrade Bijoykumar Sinha with socialism as an accepted goal of the group. The article by Hajran Begum on the impact of Soviet Revolution on Indian women particularly in Bengal and leaders like Kamala Chatterji, Durgawati Vohra, Capt. Lakshmi Sehagal and the eight-armed women comrades under the leadership of Preetilata attaching the Pahartali Railway Club as a significant event. She narrated how 700 community kitchens were run by women. The stories of Aruna Asaf Ali, Godavari Parulekar and others are illustrated.

The first two parts of the volume have tried to relate the Russian Revolution and the Indian Freedom Struggle, the latter drawing inspiration, ideas, tactics and organizational matters mostly from Soviet Union. The role of the Communist International in establishing Communist party of India is explained. In fact, the two movements are not parallel to each other, they are integrated under an ideology of international struggle to liberate nations from capitalist exploitation. It is seen that the leaders and activists of the communist party have built peasant and workers organizations as part of a struggle against the colonial oppressor who was an imperialist and capitalist exploiter at the same time. This understanding of the CPI during the post October Revolution and continuing the struggle against oppression anticipating Freedom from political bondage and at the same time from economic exploitation of lower wages and unremunerative prices for agriculture produce during British India government is explained. The peasant and workers struggle in different parts of British India mostly in the presidencies such as Champaran in Bihar, Tebhaga in Bengal, Mappila in Kerala, Telangana Armed Struggle in Hyderabad were either aided or lead by Communist cadre under the ideological influence of Russian Revolution is a testimony of the impact of October Revolution in the Freedom Struggle. There is also a separate group who were influenced by Marx and Soviet experiment and called themselves as Congress Socialist Party and have remained as part of the Congress party with organic and friendly relations with Communists. In fact Lala Lajpat Rai the doyen of Freedom struggle was the first President of AITUC that became a unit of CPI later.

The third part of the book is on post-independence period as a continuation of fight against underdevelopment created by the colonial powers and the need for socialist direction to build an independent India. The post independent India has directly influenced by Soviet model of Planning through the Industrial policy resolutions adopted by Jawahar Lal Nehru as Prime Minister. The papers were contributed by Ajoy Ghosh, B.T.Ranadive, Rajeev Saxena , A.B Bardan and D.Raja. This is followed by Shammeem Faizee summary article with citations from party documents including AITUC, NGOs etc emphasizing on the need for unity of left forces to fight against neoliberal and fascist forces with an agenda for the future. It is noted that the communists have missed an opportunity to dictate terms in the Parliament when CPI stood as the main opposition party. Ajoy Ghosh narrated how Independent India was benefitted by Soviet Union with its principled stand on issues of Goa and Kashmir. The analytical article by B.T Ranadive on the nature of impact of the November Revolution on Under-developed Countries with statistical data on how industrial output has increased forty times in just four decades not only in Russia but also in other countries like China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, GDR and other communist countries. They have followed the principles of planned development. Quoting Lenin, Ranadive has shown how capitalism divides the nations in to small number of oppressing and majority of oppressed dependent nations. Soviet Union had a different approach of providing aid to the underdeveloped countries with technical and economic support. He has cited how Kruschev in his address at the inauguration of Bhilai plant in 1960 said that, “it is the desire of the Soviet Union and other socialist states that our economic and technical cooperation with these countries should accelerate the development of the former colonies and strengthen their national independence.†Ranadive has shown that the price of dependence in the case of ECAFE region with capitalist nations has remained adverse to the developing countries. They have remained mostly primary exporting countries that resulted in for instance in the case of India, the per capita consumption of cereals fell from 163 kilograms in 1934-38 to 152 kilograms in 1955-57. This ha also resulted in the steep rise in foreign debt. Ranadive has illustrated how Socialist help resulted in the industrial growth in India giving the list of projects started in India with Soviet assistance. The influence of October revolution on culture was narrated by Rajeev Saxena with the formation of Progressive Writers’ Association with Premchand, Nirala, Sajjad Zaheer and others. The emergence of Indian People’s theatre IPTA and the great artistes and directors like K.A.Abbas, Balraj Sahni , Uday Shankar, Ravishankar, and even Subrahmanya Bharati, Sri Sri in the South echoing the October Revolution. Pranab Bardan and D. Raja brought out the need for exposing the bankruptcy of Capitalist system and its neo liberal expansion. They have emphasized that the Soviet failure is temporary and it will reemerge in Countries like India with innovative indigenous movements like self- respect, social reform integrated with the struggles against Imperialism that remained now in the garb of Neoliberalism. The Left has a long and wide canvass to cover under the beacon light of October Revolution.

The selected papers have demonstrated the continued inspiration of Russian Revolution in Courtiers like India not only during its Freedom Struggle that was organic in nature but also in the post independent nation building. The editor has opened a coliseum of infinite prospects of exploring studies to make October Revolution relevant even in the twenty first century. In just 200 odd pages the editor brought more authentic and intellectually enriching pieces of writings that will help scholars and activists to ponder and contribute to the legacy of socialist revolution.

(Author: Prof. K.S.Chalam, Chairman, Institute for Economic and Social Justice and Former Professor of Economics, Andhra University and author of several books)