The Split in the C.P.J.

Abstract

On 11 April 1964, thirty-two members of the National Council of the C.P.I. out of the 96 who were present walked out of the meeting in protest against the refusal of the Chairman, Mr. S.A. Dange, to step down from the Chair when the question of the alleged 'Dange letters' was discussed. Later 'the thirty-two' issued a statement in which they said: 'We the members of the National Council who walked out of the meeting on 11-4-1964 ... wish to declare that, if the Secretariat and its supporters persist in their attitude, we will have to appeal to the entire Party membership to join us in convening the Seventh Congress which will be a Congress of struggle against reformism, factionalism and renunciation of revolutionary traditions which are the characteristics of S.A. Dange and his group ... We have decided that we will convene a meeting of the representatives of Party members from all over India after two months in order to review our activities during this period and to chalk out further programmes.'1 Three months later, a convention of 146 delegates was held at Tenali in Andhra. This convention adopted a resolution wb¥;h d_ec.l:.i .. ··:. 'This conv~ntion of the Comm~nist Party of India · _ . that the time has come to put mto practi~~ has been put across by the 32 comrades in the· ·. ·· .. · .. ;· tement, that 'if the Secretariat and its suppo . . : ·. · ·· .'fn their attitude, we will have to appeal to the en .· arty membership to join us in convening the Seventh Congress.'• Thus the split which had been threatening for a long time finally became a reality. In future the country would have to take note of the existence of two Communist Parties in India. What are the factors that have brought about this split ? What were the events that led up to it ? Wh:}.t is the strength of the two groups that have emerged-the official C.P.I. and the Left Communists ? What impact is this split likely to