Communist Party of India Facts for Kids

The Communist Party of India, often called CPI, is an important political party in India. It was started a long time ago, when India was still under British rule, in the early 1900s. The first idea to create a Communist party in India happened in 1920 in Tashkent, which is the capital of Uzbekistan. Some of the main people who helped start this party were Manabendranath Roy, Shripad Amrit Dange from Bombay, Singaravelu from Madras, and Muzaffar Ahmed from Calcutta. Today, a major part of this party is known as the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Communist party supporters during the Indian general elections, 2009

The Beginning of the CPI
- Key Founders of the Party
Important Moments in CPI History
Images for kids
See also

The Beginning of the CPI

The Communist Party of India was officially formed in 1925. Before that, some people had tried to start a communist group in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1920. This was a time when many people in India wanted freedom from British rule.

Key Founders of the Party

Several important leaders helped create the CPI. They wanted to work for the rights of workers and farmers in India.

M. N. Roy: His real name was Narendranath Bhattacharya. He was a big thinker and helped shape the early ideas of the party.
Shripad Amrit Dange: He was from Bombay (now Mumbai) and played a key role in organizing workers.
Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar: He was from Madras (now Chennai) and worked to bring together different groups.
Muzaffar Ahmed: He was from Calcutta (now Kolkata) and was very active in setting up the party's structure.

Important Moments in CPI History

The CPI has been involved in many important events in India's history. They worked to improve the lives of ordinary people, especially farmers and factory workers.

The Meerut Case

In 1929, many leaders of the Communist Party were arrested in a famous event called the Meerut Conspiracy Case. They were accused of trying to overthrow the British government. This event brought a lot of attention to the communist movement in India. Even though they were arrested, their ideas continued to spread.

The Telangana Struggle

From 1946 to 1952, the CPI supported a big movement called the Telangana armed struggle. This was a rebellion by farmers against powerful landlords in the Telangana region. The farmers were fighting for their land rights and better living conditions. This struggle showed how the CPI stood up for the poor and oppressed.

First Communist Government in Kerala

In 1957, the Communist Party of India formed the first elected communist government in the world, outside of the Soviet Union. This happened in the Indian state of Kerala. E. M. S. Namboodiripad became the Chief Minister. This was a very important moment for the party and for Indian politics. It showed that communist parties could win elections and govern democratically.

Images for kids

Portrait of 25 of the Meerut Prisoners taken outside the jail. These leaders were involved in the Meerut Conspiracy Case.
The Telangana armed struggle (1946–1952) was a rebellion by farmers against powerful landlords in the Telangana region.
Guerrillas (fighters) of the Telangana armed struggle.
The First Council of Ministers in Kerala, led by the CPI in 1957.