The influence of Communism in India

Sharing, and caring, are two concepts that we are taught to make part of one's personality right from our childhood. As a matter of fact, the idea is also central to the preachings of many important religions.

While most of the political parties across the world embrace, in principle, the idea of promoting the welfare of the underprivileged as part of their manifestoes, it is really the leftist philosophy that have made it its raison d'être. The history of the birth and growth of communism in the world covers a wide variety of ideologies and political movements.Common ownership of the three factors, wealth, economic enterprise and property,is the basic objective. Most modern forms of Communism are informed by the principles Marxism,of theory and method, developed by Karl Marx in the 19th century.

As a philosophical persuasion that informed governance systems, Communism was successful mostly in underdeveloped and chronically impoverished countries, such as the (erstwhile) USSR and the Republic of China.

The Bolshevik Party seized power following the Russian revolution in 1917, and created the Soviet union, (the world's first socialist state). The concepts of proletariat internationalism, and a world revolution, were central to the Party's thinking. The Party saw the struggle as an international, rather than a purely regional, issue.

The tenth anniversary of the historic revolution in Russia shook the world, and established that real power lay in the hands of common people who could overthrow their exploiters. That approach had a tremendous impact on the rapid spread of Communism during the 20th century, with the USSR putting in place left oriented governments in Central and Eastern Europe, following World War II. Communist International(COMINTERN),formed with the idea of aiding and assisting Communist Parties around the world, began to gain following, and by 1985, a third of the world's population was covered by varying forms of Communist systems of governance.

Over time, however, the failure of Leftist governments to live up to the ideals of a Communist Society, coupled with the growth of authoritarianism in the governments concerned, caused increasing disenchantment. In 1991 the Soviet Union was dissolved, with several states repudiating, or abolishing, the ideology. As of the 21st century there remain only a small number of Leftist governments in countries such as China, Cuba, Laos and Vietnam.

I remember first hearing the word 'Communist' when my mother and I were travelling from Madras (now Chennai) to Coimbatore by train, for me, as a child artist, to fulfil a film shooting engagement. A few days earlier, there had been a train derailing, following alleged sabotage by the Communists. I remember how I spent a sleepless night and also prevented my mother from sleeping!

I had the privilege of having Chand Joshi (son of the celebrated P.C. Joshi, Communist leader), as a friend, during my college days at Hindu College Delhi in the 1960s.Several animated discussions used to take place over tea in the college canteen, with Chand angering me by denouncing Gandhi-ji, and I, in turn, decrying Communism as a failed concept.

A few years later, while I was a post-graduate student at Osmania University, I made friends with Paleti Suryanarayana (Suri to his friends), who was not only strongly influenced by Leftist thinking, but even had an arm's length relationship with left-wing extremists. Our friendship, as well as violent disagreements, continue to this day!

After joining the service, when I was Collector of Krishna district,the famous Leftist leader P. Sundarayya was an MLA, I recollect spending a whole day with him, touring his constituency and assessing the needs of the people. Not only were such associations with leaders of the opposition parties tolerated those days, especially when Dr. M. Chenna Reddy was Chief Minister of the state, but Sundarayya was actually made the Chairman of the State Drainage Development Board!.

Such a tolerant, if not encouraging, ambience also existed when N. Janardhan Reddy was the Chief Minister, in whose office I functioned as Secretary in charge of Economic Coordination. I would go to a district in advance, meet officials and non-officials, and tour some places. On return to Hyderabad, I would prepare, in consultation with, and after the clearance, of the departments concerned, a list of announcements to be made by the Chief Minister during his ensuing visit. Once again, during that process, no distinction was made between representatives of the ruling party and those of the opposition. I remember, with some satisfaction, that the list of announcements in respect of Khammam district included suggestions made by well-known Communist leaders P. Nageswara Rao and Ch. Rajeshwara Rao.

It was the year 1976, and the national emergency was at its peak. My nephew Sitaram Yechury (affectionately called Babu at home), the Communist leader, had to go underground for a short period, as there was a warrant of arrest out for him. On my father's suggestion, he came and stayed with me at Kurnool, where I was posted as Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes. A month later, after tasting my first defeat (at least according to me!) in my relationship with Sitaram, I had to call my father, and confess that, if Sitaram was not called back, I would be ready to join the Communist Party myself! Such was Sitaram's persuasive ability.

The Leftist movement in India grew out of the special political and economic circumstances prevailing in India towards the end of the World War-I. The freedom struggle, and the political landscape, of free India have, for long, been under Leftist influence.

The emergence of the influence can be seen in two processes, namely,the rise within the Indian National Congress (INC) and the ascendancy on the platform of Communist Party of India formed in 1925, and functioning as a branch of the International Communist movement.

(The writer is former Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)