People's Democracy

The Left Front : A History Of Struggles

THE Left Front in West Bengal is the product of protracted struggles on all fronts. In 1977 the Front came into existence on the eve of general elections. The years behind saw the ruthless face of semi-fascist terror during the Emergency. The urge to combat such terror was the immediate reason for the formation of Left Front. But the genesis of united movement dates back to the pre-independent days. In 1936, the communist party adopted the path of uniting different political parties and mass organisations with a common goal, i.e. fighting back British imperialism. The united struggles transcended so many phases with the passage of time.

The formation of United Front (UF) in 1967 was a post-election alliance. It came into existence primarily to oust Congress from the seat of power. But it was a combination of heterogeneous political forces ranging from left to right. On the question of land reforms and allied issues, it was a house divided within, right from its very inception. Over and above, the government at the centre by its machinations fuelled the splitting game. Consequentially the government was a shortlived one. Next came the mid- term poll. The United Front fought all 286 seats and had an edge over Congress. But the second UF government again could not complete its full term. Through these experiences of frontal struggles and agitations, gradually emerged the consolidation of Left.

Today, we see the attempt to build united fronts in different states and at the centre - both at the behest of the left and democratic parties; and that of rightist elements with communal band wagon. Here in West Bengal during the elections, the opponents of the Left floated such fronts. But there is a qualitative difference between the Left Front and the front of reactionary forces. To get an answer one has to go through the history of past movements. In the midst of thirties the communists in India put forward the line of United Front to fight against the British imperialism. It was broad based in character encompassing the working class, the peasantry, the students etc., and there were series of actions. Popular resistance had developed. The strike by the postal employees deserves special mention. Who can forget the saga of heroic struggles in support of Naval Mutiny ! In the forties the rural Bengal saw a new kind of battle. Battle of the peasantry against the decadent feudal gentry which would always be remembered as Tebhaga struggles. It swept the state right from North Bengal to Sundarban. Behind all these glorious battles the CPI was the moving spirit.

The communal violence, that has recently been witnessed in Gujarat, is a state-sponsored one motivated by RSS and BJP lobby. This is nothing new. During the Raj days, to frustrate the rising tide of freedom movement they first wanted to divide Bengal on the basis of religion in 1905. This move remained unsuccessful. Again the same evil design was undertaken. But the blaring trail of Tebhaga movement by the revolutionary peasantry swept away this conspiracy. It was basically a movement to secure the legitimate share of corps, with rich political content.

In the post-independent India mass movements in different states have taken different shape and colour. In our state, the Communist Party has continuously developed mass movements at various stages and discharged the responsibilities bestowed on it by history. In 1953, the British owner of the Tram Company though earned profits, raised tram fares. The company got Congress government’s backing. To protest this, Communist Party and other anti-Congress forces agitated. Next year in 1954 during the tenure of Dr B C Roy as chief minister, acute food scarcity created a situation of famine in the state. Against this, anti-famine committee was formed. A powerful movement was organised throughout the state. In the movement for liberation of Goa from the stranglehold of Portugal, a large contingent of Satyagrahis proceeded to Goa at the initiative of all anti-Congress forces. History would corroborate that the number of participants from West Bengal was far larger than those of the western states. In 1956, against the Congress proposal for Bengal Bihar merger, anti merger committee was set up. Under its leadership, state-wide movement was organised. In the midst of this agitation, Lok Sabha bye-election for the North-West Kolkata seat was held. The President of the anti-merger committee, Com. Mohit Moitra supported by all anti-Congress Parties contested the election and defeated Congress candidate Shri Ashok Sen, hands down. This significant victory enthused the entire state. Later, the merger proposal was dropped.

During 1954-56, Teachers of the state organised struggle demanding security and need- based living wage. It may be mentioned here that the salary of teachers was Rs 96 per month in some areas and Rs 112 per month in other areas. The Congress Government rejected the demands and tarnished the image of the nation when its police brutally manhandled the agitating teachers. In protest anti-Congress parties organised mass mobilisation as a mark of fraternal solidarity. In 1957, when Philip Commission recommended curtailment of opportunities for higher education, it was opposed vehemently.

In 1958, the state saw students’ movement, led by Students’ Federation. At this point of time, the state again faced severe food shortages. On August 31, 1959, a central rally was organised at the Shahid Maidan. The meeting lasted for a short time. Thereafter, a massive procession was led by Com. Jyoti Basu and others. As soon as the procession reached southern side of Great Eastern Hotel, it was cordoned off by huge armed police force. The leaders were arrested. Police resorted to merciless lathi charge. This brutal assaults on the people continued over a stretch of one kilometer. Within a short period 80 protestors braved death and became martyrs.

The brutality of trigger happy police killing 80 innocents in such a short period of time has only a few parallels. In protest, the students organised a march on 1^st September. The police again resorted to indiscriminate firing on the students when they reached Subodh Mallick Square. On 2^nd September, there was total ‘Hartal’ throughout the state. In all 102 people succumbed to police atrocities. During 1960-61, mass movements of various types were organised. Particularly, the student of the state rose again and again in protest against import of foodgrains under PL 480, and setting up of Indo-American Education Foundation. With this background all the anti Congress political parties came together to form United Front to contest the general election in 1962.

During September-October of that year, there was a skirmish on Indo-China border. Demand was raised to settle issues through peaceful dialogue between the two countries. For this, a section of the Communist leadership was branded as agents of China. In 1965, war broke out between India and Pakistan. We were again dubbed as agents of Pakistan for raising the demand that the issue should be sorted out through bilateral talks and not through war. In 1966, powerful students movement was organised on the demand of food and kerosene. Police let loose a reign of terror and shot dead a school student demonstrator named Nurul Islam. Soon the entire state was aflame. A call for one day bandh was given against police atrocities. It continued for three consecutive days in many parts of the state expressing anger and resentment of the people.

In this background, election in 1967 was held in which two anti-Congres Fronts contested. Still the Congress could not obtain a majority. The two fronts later came together and formed the United Front government.

The first anti-Congress Govt. formed in 1967 in the state lasted for 9 months. In 1969, mid-term election, United Front again won with a thumping majority. The Government existed for 13 months. Since 1970, an atmosphere of terror was gradually gripping the state. In 1971, another mid-term election was held. Siddhartha Shankar Ray was at that time the Education Minister at the centre as well as the minister in-charge of West Bengal. In an well-planned design, he gave the plan for organising mass terror in the state.

Unfortunately, after the 1971 mid-term elections, no unified front could be formed. The CPI(M) contested the elections along with some smaller left parties. All anti-Congress parties together got a the majority of the seats. The CPI(M) became the single largest party in the Assembly, for the first time. Yet, the Governor declined to call the CPI(M) to form the Government thus throwing to the winds all ethics of parliamentary democracy.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) spread its organisation into all the sixteen districts of the state. Relations have been developed with various cross-sections of the society through mass organisations. They gave leadership to various struggles. This frightened the Congress party and as a result, the 1972 election was totally rigged. Our party won some seats but our MLAs did not take oath. This is a shining example of many principled stands taken by the CPI(M). The Congress party with the help of central government took over the state and S.S. Ray became the Chief Minister! Attempts were made to isolate our party from the masses. However, their efforts did not succeed.

Although we stuck to our stand, many other parties at that time failed to rise to the occasion. Taking such a bold step was possible only for the CPI(M) as it worked for the change of society in the interest of toiling masses. Many times, our Party had to face difficult conditions in regard to conducting our day to day actitivities and developing mass movement. In spite of adverse state sponsored terror, the CPI(M) never relented from its task of fighting for the people’s cause. During 1972 the Party had to devise various tactics to keep the movement alive in the face of semi-fascist terror. During the semi-fascist terror, false charges were framed against 80,000 people; 20,000 families were evicted from their houses, 350 trade union offices were locked up, 927 teachers were not allowed to attend their respective schools, students’ right to form unions was denied and so on. All these authoritarian methods of the Congress government were resisted tooth and nail by the CPI(M). About 1400 activists and leaders sacrificed their lives at the hands of the hoodlums backed by the Congress government.

Agitation was launched for enhancing the wages of agricultural labourers in the villages. In the cities numerous protest rallies took place against imperialist aggression on Vietnam. In 1975, Indira Gandhi clamped emergency throughout India which was virtually in vogue in West Bengal since 1972. After the emergency was withdrawn, the Lok Sabha elections were held in 1977 and the Congress was reduced to a minority at the centre for the first time. A Janata Party government with Morarji Desai as prime minister was formed at the Centre.

Left Parties in West Bengal formed Left Front to contest parliament elections and won all 42 Parliament seats along with Janata Party. Left parties during that point of time gave the slogan for safeguarding the democratic rights of the people in the state and conceded 22 seats to Janata Party, all of which were won by them.

Total rout of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections created unprecedented enthusiasm amongst the masses. The people who participated in various agitations, started working with fresh vigour to end the suffocating political situation. Soon, Assembly Elections were declared. The Janata Party considered the Left Front as junior partner and clinged to its demand for contesting 60 per cent of the seats in West Bengal. Discussions were held innumerable times. Left Front proposed that Janata Party would contest 52 per cent of the seats and in the rest 48 per cent, Left Front would put up their candidates. But the Janata Party declined this generous offer. The Left Front then decided to contest all the 294 assembly seats alone. On the eve of the elections, the Left Front published its manifesto which contained 36 distinct programmes. In a crowded press conference the chairman of Left Front, Promod Dasgupta called upon the people of the state to defeat autocratic Congress and disruptionist Janata Party. The Left Front captured 243 seats out of 294 and the first Left Front government came into power with Jyoti Basu as the chief minister on June 21, 1977. Under the leadership of Jyoti Basu, the Left Front won five successive elections. Just before the end of fifth term, Basu voluntarily relinquished the office of chief minister and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya became the new chief minister. Now the Left Front government is completing its 25th year in office. Capitalist social scientists and their think tanks are splitting their hair as to how a Communist Party could rule for more than two decades continuously, in spite of several loopholes and restrictions created in a bourgeois constitution.

It is clear that Left Front and the Left Front government have come on the strength of ideology and mass movements. In the new situation it is imperative to create mass initiative to further mass movements. The strength of Left Front lies in the people. We should continuously encourage people’s initiative and participation in the activities of the Left Front government. This will strengthen and give momentum to the historic new chapter created not only in India but in the entire capitalist world, by the people of West Bengal.

Last but not the least, West Bengal today is a shining example of communal amity. The BJP-RSS lobby are spitting venom to spoil the minds of people on the basis of religion, caste, language and sub-national sentiments. Their aim is to divide the people and get their votes. They are selling hatred and pseudo-nationalism to the people on the one side and handing over "business" to foreign companies on the other. As against this, the Left Front has steadfastly pursued a path that has strengthened the harmony among the masses. The LF government has taken care to ensure the progress of ethnic minorities by upholding their social, economic and cultural identity. A relentless struggle is going on to develop the interest of toiling masses irrespective of religion, caste and creed.