Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Party Unity
Encyclopedia
The Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Party Unity, more commonly known as CPI(ML) Party Unity or simply ' Party Unity' , was a communist party
in India
1982-1998. N. Prasad was the general secretary of the party. Party Unity was the official organ of the party. CPI(ML) Party Unity was one of the predecessors of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)
.
The activity of CPI(ML) Party Unity was concentrated in central Bihar
; the districts of Jehanabad
, Gaya
, Aurangabad
, Palamu, Nalanda
and Nawada
. The party was also present in West Bengal
, Andhra Pradesh
and Punjab.
. CPI(ML) Unity Organisation had been founded in 1978 by a group of Naxalite
s from the Jehanabad-Palamu area, that had been released from prison in 1977. The Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) had been formed by some elements of the erstwhile CPI(ML). The COC, CPI(ML) upheld the legacy of Charu Majumdar
but was ready to retain a critical attitude to some aspects of Majumdar's role.
A party congress was held in 1987. The congress issued the following statement regarding the tasks of the party: "We are tackling the steadily increasing armed onslaughts of the state, through mass resistance. But gradually the squads too will have to come forward to participate in this resistance. At the phase of confiscating all lands of the landlords and on the eve of building up the guerilla zone, the activities of the squads will be the main aspect of the people's resistance against the armed attacks of the state."
On December 1, 1997 Ranvir Sena
attacked the CPI(ML) Party Unity stronghold Lakshmanpur-Bathe, killing 63 lower caste people.
('Worker-Peasant Struggle Association'), together with Dr. Vinayan (an ex-socialist mass leader). CPI(ML) Party Unity effectively functioned as the armed wing of MKSS. CPI(ML) Party Unity managed to get the Bhoomi Sena (a Kurmi
caste paramilitary outfit) to formally surrender to MKSS. In 1986 MKSS was banned. Eventually there was a rupture between Dr. Vinayan and the party, and Dr. Vinayan's MKSS faction denounced the party in 1987. CPI(ML) Party Unity launched the Mazdoor Kisan Sangram Parishad as its new peasant front.
Other mass fronts of CPI(ML) Party Unity included Lok Sangram Morcha ('People's Struggle Front'), Jan Mukti Parishad ('People's Liberation Council') and Bihar Nari Sangathan ('Bihar Women's Organisation'). Jan Mukti Parishad organised land seizures in Bihar, the organisation itself claimed to have redistributed 5,000 acres of land in the state. Through its land seizure struggles, CPI(ML) Party Unity became associated with its slogan jameen jabtee, fasal jabtee ('Seize land, seize crops').
. Conflict between CPI(ML) Party Unity and MCC was most intense in areas of Gaya district; Tekari, Konch and Belaganj.
However, there were also moves towards unity between the competing factions. During the 1980s, there was cooperation between the MKSS and CPI(ML) Liberation in the struggle against Bhoomi Sena and state repression. The two parties jointly founded Daman Virodhi Sanyukt Morcha ('United Anti-Repression Front'). After the Arwal massacre of 1986, the two groups organised a historic gherao
outside the Bihar Legislative Assembly. CPI(ML) Liberation broke all links to CPI(ML) Party Unity in 1988, after two massacres committed by CPI(ML) Party Unity in Jehanabad district in which 30 CPI(ML) Liberation followers were killed. In 1993 the All India People's Resistance Forum (AIPRF) was founded, a legal organization. AIPRF was co-sponsored by CPI(ML) Party Unity, MCC and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War, and functioned as a centre of coordination of activities amongst middle-class constituencies for the three groups.
On August 11, 1998 CPI(ML) Party Unity merged with CPI(ML) People's War. The unified party retained the name CPI(ML) People's War. The merger was the result of a five year long process of negotiations between the two parties. Throigh the merger with CPI(ML) Party Unity, CPI(ML) People's War gained a foot-hold in northern India.
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
1982-1998. N. Prasad was the general secretary of the party. Party Unity was the official organ of the party. CPI(ML) Party Unity was one of the predecessors of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)
Communist Party of India (Maoist)
The Communist Party of India is a Maoist political party in India which aims to overthrow the government of India through violent means. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the People's War, and the Maoist Communist Centre . The merger was announced to the public on October...
.
The activity of CPI(ML) Party Unity was concentrated in central Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
; the districts of Jehanabad
Jehanabad
Jehanabad is a city and a municipality in and the headquarters of Jehanabad district in the Indian state of Bihar. Earlier, Jehanabad was part of Gaya district. It is 50 km away from both Patna and Gaya.-Demographics:...
, Gaya
Gaya District
Gaya is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. The district is having a common boundary with the Jharkhand state in the south. Gaya city is its largest city and the district headquarters.-History:...
, Aurangabad
Aurangabad District, Bihar
Aurangabad district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.-History:Aurangabad features in traditional records...
, Palamu, Nalanda
Nalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
and Nawada
Nawada
Nawada is a city and a municipality. It is also the headquarters of Nawada district in the Indian state of Bihar.-Geography:Nawada is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres...
. The party was also present in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and Punjab.
Origins
The party was founded in 1982, through the mergers of CPI(ML) Unity Organisation of N. Prasad (Bihar) and Bhowani Roy Chowdhury (West Bengal) and the COC, CPI(ML) faction led by M. AppalasuriM. Appalasuri
M. Appalasuri, an Indian communist leader. Appalasuri was one the leaders of the tribal uprising in Srikakulam. When the Andhra Pradesh Committee of Communist Revolutionaries was expelled from the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries in 1968, Appalasuri remained with the...
. CPI(ML) Unity Organisation had been founded in 1978 by a group of Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
s from the Jehanabad-Palamu area, that had been released from prison in 1977. The Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) had been formed by some elements of the erstwhile CPI(ML). The COC, CPI(ML) upheld the legacy of Charu Majumdar
Charu Majumdar
Charu Majumdar was a communist revolutionary from India. Charu Majumdar's life is a story of "riches to rags". Born in a progressive landlord family in Siliguri in 1918, he not only dedicated his entire life to peasants' cause but also authored the historic 1968 Naxalbari uprising, the ideology...
but was ready to retain a critical attitude to some aspects of Majumdar's role.
Political orientation
The party advocated agrarian revolution and protracted people's war. CPI(ML) Party Unity conducted armed struggle, advocating attacks on upper castes as a means of mobilizing Dalits for agrarian reform. The party denounced participation in elections.A party congress was held in 1987. The congress issued the following statement regarding the tasks of the party: "We are tackling the steadily increasing armed onslaughts of the state, through mass resistance. But gradually the squads too will have to come forward to participate in this resistance. At the phase of confiscating all lands of the landlords and on the eve of building up the guerilla zone, the activities of the squads will be the main aspect of the people's resistance against the armed attacks of the state."
Class warfare
The party had armed 'Red Squads' operating in Bihar. CPI(ML) Party Unity was involved in violent confrontations with private armies (senas) of landlords.On December 1, 1997 Ranvir Sena
Ranvir Sena
Ranvir Sena is a Right-wing upper-caste landlord militia mainly based in Bihar, India. This group is thought to be formed by Bhumihar landlords. It carries out actions against Dalits and other members of the scheduled caste community as well as the Naxalites. The Ranvir Sena have been connected to...
attacked the CPI(ML) Party Unity stronghold Lakshmanpur-Bathe, killing 63 lower caste people.
Mass struggles
CPI(ML) Unity Organisation had launched a mass organisation, the Mazdoor Kisan Sangram SamitiMazdoor Kisan Sangram Samiti
Mazdoor Kisan Sangram Samiti was a mass organisation in Bihar, India. MKSS was founded in 1981 by Dr. Vinayan and others. The following of MKSS was largely made up of Dalits....
('Worker-Peasant Struggle Association'), together with Dr. Vinayan (an ex-socialist mass leader). CPI(ML) Party Unity effectively functioned as the armed wing of MKSS. CPI(ML) Party Unity managed to get the Bhoomi Sena (a Kurmi
Kurmi
The Kurmi are a Hindu agricultural Jāti in India.The group has been associated with the Kunbi, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous. In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra...
caste paramilitary outfit) to formally surrender to MKSS. In 1986 MKSS was banned. Eventually there was a rupture between Dr. Vinayan and the party, and Dr. Vinayan's MKSS faction denounced the party in 1987. CPI(ML) Party Unity launched the Mazdoor Kisan Sangram Parishad as its new peasant front.
Other mass fronts of CPI(ML) Party Unity included Lok Sangram Morcha ('People's Struggle Front'), Jan Mukti Parishad ('People's Liberation Council') and Bihar Nari Sangathan ('Bihar Women's Organisation'). Jan Mukti Parishad organised land seizures in Bihar, the organisation itself claimed to have redistributed 5,000 acres of land in the state. Through its land seizure struggles, CPI(ML) Party Unity became associated with its slogan jameen jabtee, fasal jabtee ('Seize land, seize crops').
Confrontation and unity
CPI(ML) Party Unity frequently clashed with other leftwing groups in Bihar. It fought over control of the Kurtha and Makdampur areas of Jehanabad district with CPI(ML) Liberation. CPI(ML) Liberation claimed that CPI(ML) Party Unity had killed 82 of its followers, whilst CPI(ML) Party Unity claimed CPI(ML) Liberation had killed 65 of its cadres. 50 people were killed in clashes between CPI(ML) Party Unity and the Maoist Communist CentreMaoist Communist Centre
The Maoist Communist Centre was one of the largest two armed Maoist groups in India, and fused with the other, the People's War Group in September 2004, to form the Communist Party of India .-Dakshin Desh:...
. Conflict between CPI(ML) Party Unity and MCC was most intense in areas of Gaya district; Tekari, Konch and Belaganj.
However, there were also moves towards unity between the competing factions. During the 1980s, there was cooperation between the MKSS and CPI(ML) Liberation in the struggle against Bhoomi Sena and state repression. The two parties jointly founded Daman Virodhi Sanyukt Morcha ('United Anti-Repression Front'). After the Arwal massacre of 1986, the two groups organised a historic gherao
Gherao
Gherao, meaning "encirclement," is a word originally from Hindi and is a typically Indian way of protest. Usually, a group of people would surround a politician or a government building until their demands are met, or answers given...
outside the Bihar Legislative Assembly. CPI(ML) Liberation broke all links to CPI(ML) Party Unity in 1988, after two massacres committed by CPI(ML) Party Unity in Jehanabad district in which 30 CPI(ML) Liberation followers were killed. In 1993 the All India People's Resistance Forum (AIPRF) was founded, a legal organization. AIPRF was co-sponsored by CPI(ML) Party Unity, MCC and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War, and functioned as a centre of coordination of activities amongst middle-class constituencies for the three groups.
On August 11, 1998 CPI(ML) Party Unity merged with CPI(ML) People's War. The unified party retained the name CPI(ML) People's War. The merger was the result of a five year long process of negotiations between the two parties. Throigh the merger with CPI(ML) Party Unity, CPI(ML) People's War gained a foot-hold in northern India.