British Indian Marxist who shaped ideological foundations of CPI, inspired Jyoti Basu, Bhupesh Gupta

By Harsh Thakor*

Rajani Palme Dutt, a prominent Marxist theorist and one of the architects of the British Communist Party, passed away on December 20, 1974, at the age of 79. On the 50th anniversary of his death, his contributions to Marxism, anti-colonialism, and political theory are revisited.

Born on June 13, 1896, in London to an Indian father, Dr. Upendra Krishna Dutt, and a Swedish mother, Dutt displayed academic brilliance early on. A student of history at Balliol College, Oxford, he joined the Independent Labour Party in 1914. His opposition to World War I led to his imprisonment, and his advocacy of Marxism resulted in his expulsion from Oxford, although he later completed his examinations with distinction. Dutt joined the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) in 1921, marking the beginning of his lifelong commitment to Marxist ideology.

Dutt’s political career intertwined Marxism and anti-colonialism, with his seminal work India Today (1940) serving as a critical analysis of British imperialism and the socio-economic dynamics of colonial India. He also authored other influential texts, including Fascism and Social Revolution (1934) and Modern India (1926), which were foundational to the understanding of global and colonial politics through a Marxist lens.

As a key member of the CPGB, Dutt served on its executive committee from 1922 to 1965 and played a central role in shaping its theoretical framework. He was vice-chairman of the party from 1956 to 1965 and served as the de facto general secretary during critical periods, including the early years of World War II. His controversial stances, such as his initial opposition to British involvement in the war until the Soviet Union was invaded, marked his tenure with ideological rigor.

Dutt was a prolific writer, editing the influential journal Labour Monthly for over five decades. His writings addressed global labor movements, the class struggle, and the interplay between fascism, capitalism, and socialism. In Fascism and Social Revolution, Dutt analyzed the rise of fascism as a response to capitalist crises and the threat posed by communist movements.

His insights into India’s independence movement, particularly in India Today, were groundbreaking. The book, banned by British authorities in colonial India, dissected the economic exploitation underpinning imperialism and critiqued the post-independence socio-political structure for retaining elements of feudalism and capitalism.

Jyoti Basu, Bhupesh Gupta with EMS Namboodiripad

Dutt’s connection to India extended beyond academic analysis. He influenced early Marxist thought in India and played a reconciliatory role between the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI) during critical junctures. Despite ideological differences, he acknowledged Mahatma Gandhi’s role in mobilizing the masses and fostering a national movement. Dutt’s interactions with leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose highlighted his influence on Indian political discourse.

Dutt was an unwavering supporter of the Soviet Union, aligning with its policies during contentious periods, such as the Hungarian uprising (1956) and the Prague Spring (1968). His steadfast defense of Soviet ideology, including the Brezhnev Doctrine, and his critiques of Maoist China positioned him as a significant figure in global communist circles.

Despite misjudgments, such as his defense of Stalinist policies, Dutt’s intellectual contributions remain influential. His work bridged the global Marxist movement with anti-colonial struggles, shaping the ideological foundations of the CPI and inspiring leaders like Jyoti Basu and Bhupesh Gupta.

Rajani Palme Dutt’s passing marked the end of an era in British Marxism. His analytical rigor, commitment to socialism, and writings on India and global politics solidified his legacy as a leading Marxist thinker. His life’s work continues to provide critical insights into the dynamics of class struggle, imperialism, and revolutionary movements.

---

*Freelance journalist

Comments

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

India's health workers have no legal right for their protection, regrets NGO network

Counterview Desk In a letter to Union labour and employment minister Santosh Gangwar, the civil rights group Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), writing against the backdrop of strike by Bhabha hospital heath care workers, has insisted that they should be given “clear legal right for their protection”.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Job opportunities decreasing, wages remain low: Delhi construction workers' plight

By Bharat Dogra* It was about 32 years back that a hut colony in posh Prashant Vihar area of Delhi was demolished. It was after a great struggle that the people evicted from here could get alternative plots that were not too far away from their earlier colony. Nirmana, an organization of construction workers, played an important role in helping the evicted people to get this alternative land. At that time it was a big relief to get this alternative land, even though the plots given to them were very small ones of 10X8 feet size. The people worked hard to construct new houses, often constructing two floors so that the family could be accommodated in the small plots. However a recent visit revealed that people are rather disheartened now by a number of adverse factors. They have not been given the proper allotment papers yet. There is still no sewer system here. They have to use public toilets constructed some distance away which can sometimes be quite messy. There is still no...

Women's rights leaders told to negotiate with Muslimness, as India's donor agencies shun the word Muslim

By A Representative Former vice-president Hamid Ansari has sharply criticized donor agencies engaged in nongovernmental development work, saying that they seek to "help out" marginalizes communities with their funds, but shy away from naming Muslims as the target group, something, he insisted, needs to change. Speaking at a book release function in Delhi, he said, since large sections of Muslims are poor, they need political as also social outreach.

Warning bells for India: Tribal exploitation by powerful corporate interests may turn into international issue

By Ashok Shrimali* Warning bells are ringing for India. Even as news drops in from Odisha that Adivasi villages, one after another, are rejecting the top UK-based MNC Vedanta's plea for mining, a recent move by two senior scholars Felix Padel and Samarendra Das suggests the way tribals are being exploited in India by powerful international and national business interests may become an international issue. In fact, one has only to count days when things may be taken up at the United Nations level, with India being pushed to the corner. Padel, it may be recalled, is a major British authority on indigenous peoples across the world, with several scholarly books to his credit.

Gujarat Bitcoin scam worth Rs 5,000 crore "linked" with BJP leaders: Need for Supreme Court monitored probe

By Shaktisinh Gohil* BJP hit a jackpot in the form of demonetisation, which it used as an alibi to convert black money into white in Gujarat. Even as party scrambles for answers of how the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB), whose director is BJP president Amit Shah, received old currency worth Rs 745.58 crore in just five days, and how Rs 3118.51 crore was deposited in 11 district cooperative banks linked with Gujarat BJP leaders, a new mega Bitcoin scam, worth more than Rs 5,000 crore has been unraveled.

Counterview

Search This Blog