RELATIONS BETWEEN AMBEDKAR AND MARXISTS ( PART -2)
Both the movements began around 1920. The First Phase of these movements is from 1920 to 1929.
THE FIRST PHASE
(1) In 1920 Babaseb held two conferences- one at Nagpur and one at Kolhapur. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj addressed both the conferences and helped Doctor
Ambedkar bring out his first periodical "muknayak". Thus Babasaheb established his political movement and established himself in 1920.
On 1st August 1920, B. G. Tilak died and leadership slipped into the hands of Gandhiji. Gandhiji announced non cooperation movement on 5th September 1920 and established himself as the leader of masses.
Gandhiji, during non cooperation movement gave call for the restoration of Khilafat in Turkey and to end untouchability.
Communists supported non cooperation movement as anti-imperialist movement.
(2)The communists saw Montegu- Chelmsford reforms as a plan of British Emperialists to weaken National Movement and divide Indian masses on the lines of religion and caste. For communists, the chief contradiction was between imperialists and Indian people and feudalism was subsequent contradiction.
The communists were working in the nationalist movement and they failed to discern the class character of nationalist movement. For them, independent dalit movement was a divisive force under the tutelage of imperialists to disrupt nationalist movement.
Hence, the communist moment and the dalit movement remained parallel to each other. Though occasional attempts were there to work together on few issues, on the whole, there was alarming lack of conciliation and rapprochement.
(2) In 1920 with lead of Communists ITUC was founded and in the same year comrade S A Dange published his book, "Gandhi versus Lenin" showing influence of Marxism on young Indians.
M N Roy published his book, " One Year of Non Cooperation from Ahmedabad to Gaya" in 1923.
In 1920 in September Dr. Ambedkar went to London for further studies in economics and law.
(3) In 1921 working class upsurges errupted at many places in India with the communists at the core. Follwing are the few incidents:
(a) Assam- Bengal Railway Workers' strike;
(b) No Tax Campaign at Midnapore;
(c) Mopla Uprising in South;
(d) Agitation against rich Mahantas in Punjab and
(e) Protest agitation in front of Prince of Wales in Mumbai
(4) In this First Phase the communists several times attempted to incite the Congress for complete independence but they were rebuked.
a) In 1921, in Ahmedabad Session of the Congress, Hasrat Mohani, a noted communist put forth a resolution for complete independence but he was rebuked by Gandhiji by saying " irresponsible and impracticable"
b) Again in 1922, Singarawvelu Chettiar, a noted communist proposed a resolution for complete Independence and it was rejected by the Congress.
Though the Congress was not ready for complete independence, the communists were incessantly pressing for complete Independence.
(5) In 1923, ITUC in its first session passed resolution for complete independence and in this year because of the communists, first time in India, May Day- Workers' Day was celebrated.
In 1923, also communal riots broke in the country, at about 15-20 places due to Shuddhi movement originated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
On 3rd April 1923, Ambedkar returned to India with his law degree and DSC in Economics and started law practice in Mumbai.
Raosaheb C K Bole moved a resolution in Bombay Legislative Council to open public reservoir to Dalits in 1923.
In this first phase many significant events took place:
a) Hindu Maha Sabha was formed in 1924,
b) RSS was founded and the Communist Party of India too was formed in 1925.
In 1925, the scattered communists all over country held a conference at Kanpur and founded CPI on 26 December and published their first manifesto in which they appealed for Hindu Muslim Unity to strengthen nationalist movement and class struggle.
The CPI again published its second manifesto and therein they appealed to workers and peasants for unity. They held that unity would losen the clutches of imperialist power and set up the goal to end kingship and landlordism.
The understanding that the Hindu Muslim unity wood fortify class struggle was altogether wrong. The CPI totally ignored untouchables and their fight against casteism was not on the agenda of the communists.
(6) In 1927, Ambedkar formed Samta Sainik Dal and Samaj Samta Sangh and on 18 February 1927 he was nominated to Bombay Legislative Council for five years.
In March 1927, he organised Satyagraha at Chaudar tank in Mahad and in April he started his fortnightly, " Bahishkrut Bharat" and burned Manusmriti at Mahad on 25 December.
Chavdar tank Satyagraha at Mahad for water and burning manusmriti was dalits' Human Rights struggles and still the communists kept themselves away from these struggles for the communists held that the independent dalit movement was divisive and under British patronage.
In 1927, a member of British Parliament and British communist leader Shapurji Sakalatwala came to India and advised Indian communists to form Worker- Kisan Party with its branches in different parts of country and asked the communists to function within the Congress as a left group to ward off repression by the government.
The British Communist Party in 1927 sent Com. Hachison, Spratt, Bradley etc. in India to help Indian Communists. There was a fight among the British communists, communist in Germany and Roy and his allies for control over Indian communists and this retarded the growth of Communist movement in India.
(7) Ambedkar, in 1928, introduced a bill of Mahar Watan in Bombay Legislative Council. Mahar Watan was land granted to mahars as an entitlement for the services mahar rendered to villages and it was a form of slavery. Though the communists were a force among labourers, the communists were silent on this issue. Babasaheb was forced to withdraw the bill for stiff opposition by the Congress.
Simon Comission visited Mumbai and on 3rd February 1928 more than 20000 workers demonstrated against the Commission at Gateway of India. Congress boycotted the Commission. "boycott Simon" and "do not attend Round Table Conference" was the cry of the Congress. The communists too had boycotted the Commission.
Ambedkar gave his testimony before the Commission. He demanded that-
1) Elections should be held on adult suffrage basis for the legislatures.
2) There should be 33 seats for Muslims and 15 seats for untouchables reserved in Bombay Legislative Council out of 140 seats.
3) No need of bicameral house.
4) Legislative Councils should have power to move no confidence motion against the government and power to dismiss the Chairman of Legislative Council.
5) Governor should be titular and he should not have more power.
6) Ministers should be responsible to Legislative Council.
7) Ministers should not be appointed on caste basis.
8) No group be given separate constituency except Europeans.
9) If adult suffrage was not allowed seats be kept reserved in general constituencies.
Along with the Congress, the communists resented Ambedkar's testimony before the Simon Commission and rejected scheme of separate electorates which Ambedkar had won in the Round Table Conference.
The communists remained unresponsive during 1920 to 1928 to Ambedkar's work
(phase first is yet to be completed )
By - Adv. Uttam Jagirdar
