For a Balanced Approach on Gandhi and the National Movement E. M. S. Namboodiripad Social Scientist, Vol. 23, No. 7/9.

(Jul. - Sep., 1995), pp. 73-74.

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For a Balanced Approach on Gandhi and the National Movement

Irfan Habib's article on Gandhi and the National movement in the Social Scientist No. 263-265 is a valuable contribution to the discussion on Gandhi and his role in Indian history. It helps the process of correcting the 'leftist critique' of Gandhi which has appeared in the Communist Press. The author has done well to bring out the onesidedness of the writings of Communist authors including R.P.D. and myself. I agree with the author that this 'leftist' mistake should be corrected. I am however afraid that this correction of the 'leftist' mistake has led Professor Habib to the rightist mistake, i.e. blindness to the negative contributions made by Gandhi to our national movement. It will be instructive in this context to note that the emergence of Gandhi as a national leader and the coming into existence of India's Communist movement coincided with each other. The earliest writings of Communist writers including those who were abroad like M.N. Roy and those who were in India like Dange and Muzaffar Ahrned-point out the inseparable connection between India's freedom movement and the agrarian revolution. This meant that the securing of Indian independence is not a matter of negotiations between the British rulers and the upper crust of India's bourgeois-landlord classes. It is a question of industrial and agricultural workers, working peasants, the toiling middle classes and others who are moved by feelings of Indian patriotism joining together in a solid anti-imperialist united front . It was therefore important that the young working class and its party should have a policy of united front with, and ideological political independence from the bourgeoisie. The effort of Indian communists should be to develop India's toiling millions headed by the working class, taking a lead in anti-imperialist and anti-feudal
*Polit Bureau Member, Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Socinl Scientist, Vol. 23 Nos. 6-9, July-September 1995

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revolutionary struggles. It was for such a revolutionary line that the Communist International called to only in India but in all the colonial semi-colonial and dependent countries. Opposed to this was the Gandhian line of a negotiated settlement with the British rulers. To this end the technique of non-violent resistance was perfected by Gandhi. The sagacious leader of the militant mass movements of 1921, 1930-33 and 1942, Gandhi was also thee sagacious leader of negotiations with British imperialism. that was how even the most militant and widespread mass upsurge-the Quit India movement of 1941-was turned by Gandhi as an opportunity to open negotiations with the British imperialists and, as part thereof, with Muslim League leader Jinnah. The prolonged negotiations led to the greatest triumph for Gandhian technique of s t r u g g l e t h e 1947 transfer of power from the British rulers to India's ruling classes. It also led to the highest tragedy of Gandhi's political l i f e t h e vivisection of India which he said as the vivisection so his own body, with all the other consequence. The uprooting and transfer of Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan to India an the Muslims in the opposite direction. This broke the heart of Mahatma Gandhi. He lived for almost half an year since then. It was at this point that a Hindu fanatic shot him to death. It goes to the credit of Gandhi that he saw the reality that his was not the freedom that he had worked for. He was disappointed not only by the tragedy of the communal killings and loot but also the moral collapse of those who had been his close colleagues for several decades. His philosophy and his political technique did not help him in this new situation. This tragic aspect of Mahatma Gandhi's life, his failure at the very time when the country was hailing him as the Father of the Nation, is not part of the analysis made by Irfan Habid. While therefore agreeing with him on all that he has brought out as the positive contributions of the Mahatma, I desire to point out to him, that, in the absence of a critique of the negative aspects it is onesided.