A rare labour lawyer who consistently refused to represent management

By Harsh Thakor*

Sanjay Singhvi, a senior leader in India’s Communist revolutionary movement and the working-class movement, passed away on April 23 at Hinduja Hospital due to prostate cancer. He was a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPI(ML) (Mass Line) and the General Secretary of the Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI). His death is regarded as a significant loss to the trade union and Communist movements in India and internationally.

Singhvi came from a family with a strong leftist background. His father, K.K.S. Singhvi, was a noted labour lawyer, and his aunt, Sundra Navalkar, was a prominent trade union leader and Communist revolutionary.

For over four decades, Singhvi played an active role in the Communist movement. He combined his work as a Supreme Court lawyer with leadership in the trade union movement and served as the Asian Coordinator of the International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organisations (ICOR). Throughout his career, Singhvi was known for his logical, scientific communication style, fluency in Hindi and English, and for blending seriousness with humor. Colleagues describe him as dedicated, flexible, and principled, avoiding anger, ego, or pettiness in his activism.

Singhvi was one of a diminishing group of labour lawyers who, for ideological reasons, consistently refused to represent management. He was respected for his efforts in defending workers' rights, including securing limitations on factory working hours. He rejected traditional Communist strategies such as the semi-feudal thesis of Indian society and the protracted people's war approach.

Singhvi’s political involvement began in the student movement, as a member of Vidhyarthi Pragati Sanghatana. A gold medallist in law, he participated in the 1978 anti-fee hike agitation and 'Go to Village' campaigns, linking urban and rural struggles. As a lawyer and activist in Chandrapur, he worked with tribal communities and later with the Akhil Maharashtra Kamgar Union and the Contract Labour Kamgar Union, organizing resistance against contract labour practices.

In the mid-1990s, Singhvi left the CPI(ML) People's War group and joined the CPI(ML) Red Flag led by K.N. Ramachandran, supporting the view that India was a neo-colony. He later played a leading role in the TUCI and worked among airport and diamond industry workers. Singhvi became a Politburo member of the CPI(ML) Red Star from 2011 to 2018, before leaving to form the CPI(ML) Mass Line following internal disagreements.

Within the CPI(ML) Mass Line, he contributed to formulating political documents and organizing conventions. He also participated actively in forming the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan (MASA) and took part in the international Lenin Seminar.

While recognized as a strong trade union leader and organizer, Singhvi's approach to party-building and ideological development has been critiqued by some for deviating from Marxist-Leninist-Maoist orthodoxy. He rejected the Chinese revolutionary path and traditional theories of India's socio-economic structure.

Sanjay Singhvi's life reflected a commitment to workers' rights and revolutionary politics. His contributions to the trade union and Communist movements are noted by many, even as assessments of his political orientation vary.

---

*Freelance journalist

Comments

Advocacy group decries 'hyper-centralization' as States’ share of health funds plummets

By A Representative In a major pre-budget mobilization, the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), India’s leading public health advocacy network, has issued a sharp critique of the Union government’s health spending and demanded a doubling of the health budget for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year.

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital.

Zhou Enlai: The enigmatic premier who stabilized chaos—at what cost?

By Harsh Thakor* Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 until his death and as Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1958. He played a central role in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over five decades, contributing to its organization, military efforts, diplomacy, and governance. His tenure spanned key events including the Long March, World War II alliances, the founding of the PRC, the Korean War, and the Cultural Revolution.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

'Threat to farmers’ rights': New seeds Bill sparks fears of rising corporate control

By Bharat Dogra As debate intensifies over a new seeds bill, groups working on farmers’ seed rights, seed sovereignty and rural self-reliance have raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation. To understand these anxieties, it is important to recognise a global trend: growing control of the seed sector by a handful of multinational companies. This trend risks extending corporate dominance across food and farming systems, jeopardising the livelihoods and rights of small farmers and raising serious ecological and health concerns. The pending bill must be assessed within this broader context.

Climate advocates face scrutiny as India expands coal dependence

By A Representative The National Alliance for Climate and Environmental Justice (NACEJ) has strongly criticized what it described as coercive actions against climate activists Harjeet Singh and Sanjay Vashisht, following enforcement raids reportedly carried out on the basis of alleged violations of foreign exchange regulations and intelligence inputs.

A balancing act? Global power rivalry over Iran challenges India’s foreign policy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* A stable Iran is clearly in India’s interest. While US President Donald Trump has so far avoided a direct attack, the situation remains deeply uncertain. The central problem is that few governments take Trump’s words at face value. His actions have revealed a clear pattern: Washington targets adversaries even while pretending to negotiate with them.

Search This Blog