Shripad Amrit Dange facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Comrade Shripad Amrit Dange OL
Chairman of the Communist Party of India
In office 25 February 1962 – 28 November 1981
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 5 Apr 1967 – 5 April 1977
Preceded by	Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi
Succeeded by	Abdul Kader Salebhoy
Constituency	Mumbai Central South
In office 5 Apr 1957 – 31 March 1962
Preceded by	Jayashri Naishadh Raiji
Succeeded by	Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi
Constituency	Mumbai City Central
President, Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti
In office 1959–1960
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	10 October 1899 (1899-10-10) Karanjgaon, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
Died	22 May 1991 (1991-05-23) (aged 91) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	British Indian (1899–1947) Indian (1947–1991)
Political party	Communist Party of India
Spouse	Ushatai Dange
Children	Roza Vidyadhar Deshpande
Awards	Order of Lenin

Shripad Amrit Dange (born October 10, 1899 – died May 22, 1991) was an important Indian politician. He was one of the people who started the Communist Party of India (CPI). He was also a very strong leader in the trade union movement in India. Trade unions are groups that work to protect the rights of workers. During the 1900s, Dange was arrested many times for his communist and trade union activities. He spent a total of 13 years in jail.

After India became independent, the Communist Party of India split in 1964. This happened because of disagreements, like the Sino-Soviet split (a disagreement between China and the Soviet Union) and the Sino-Indian war. There were also different ideas about how the party should work with the Indian National Congress, which was the main ruling party. The new party, called the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), became very strong. Dange remained the Chairman of the CPI until 1978. However, he was removed because most party members did not agree with his idea of supporting the Indian National Congress and its leader, Indira Gandhi. He was later expelled from the CPI in 1981. He then joined other communist parties, but his influence in the Indian communist movement became smaller over time. Dange was also a well-known writer. He started Socialist, which was the first socialist newspaper in India. He also played a big part in creating the state of Maharashtra.

Early Life and Political Awakening

Shripad Amrit Dange was born in 1899 in a village called Karanjgaon in Maharashtra, India. His family was from the Marathi community. His father worked for the government in Mumbai and owned a lot of land. Dange went to study in Pune. He was asked to leave college because he organized a protest. The protest was against making students learn the Bible.

While working, Dange saw the difficult lives of textile mill workers in Mumbai. This made him interested in helping them. He was also inspired by the movement to free India from British rule. A leader named Bal Gangadhar Tilak inspired him with the idea of swaraj (complete independence). Later, when Mahatma Gandhi started the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, Dange stopped his studies and joined the fight for independence.

Dange became interested in Marxism after learning about the Russian Revolution of 1917. He started to question Gandhi's ideas, especially about using small home industries to solve India's economic problems. Dange thought that an industrial economy could be better.

Comparing Gandhi and Lenin

In 1921, Dange wrote a pamphlet called Gandhi Vs. Lenin. In this writing, he compared the ideas of both leaders. He suggested that Lenin's approach was better. This pamphlet was a big moment in Dange's life. A famous Marxist leader, M.N. Roy, read it and met Dange in Mumbai. A wealthy flour mill owner named Ranchoddas Bhavan Lotvala was also impressed. Lotvala helped Dange study Marxism for several years. Together, they built a library of Marxist books and translated important writings.

In 1922, Dange started an English newspaper called Socialist with Lotvala's help. This was the first Marxist newspaper in India. Some people even say that Dange's articles in Socialist impressed Lenin himself.

The Rise of Workers' Movements

The 1920s were important years for Dange and for workers around the world. There were many economic problems and long strikes, especially in Britain. In India, the movement for workers' rights also grew stronger. Dange learned a lot about workers' lives during a long textile mill strike.

During this time, ideas from the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (1917) spread to other countries. The Third International (also called Comintern) was formed in Moscow in 1919. This group wanted to fight against powerful business owners and create a worldwide Soviet republic.

Starting the Communist Party of India

The British government saw the Comintern as a threat. They were very suspicious of new communist ideas in India. In the 1920s, the government started many "conspiracy cases" against people they thought were communists.

The Kanpur Conspiracy Case

On March 17, 1924, Dange and several others, including M. N. Roy and Muzaffar Ahmed, were accused in the Cawnpore (now Kanpur) Bolshevik Conspiracy case. The charge was that they were communists trying to remove the British King from power in India through a violent revolution.

This case made many people interested in the Comintern's plans for India. While some communist trials had happened before, the Kanpur case was different. Newspapers wrote exciting stories about communist plans, and people learned a lot about communism for the first time. Dange, Muzaffar Ahmed, and two others were sent to jail. Dange was released from prison in 1925.

Forming the Communist Party of India

In December 1925, different communist groups met in Kanpur. They decided to form the Communist Party of India (CPI) with its main office in Bombay. Because the British government was very against communists, they decided not to work openly as a communist party. Instead, they used a more open group called the Workers and Peasants Parties.

Leading the Labour Movement

In 1920, the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was formed in Mumbai. This group aimed to help workers. At first, it was friendly with the Indian National Congress. Dange played a key role in bringing textile workers in Bombay under the communist movement.

The Girni Kamgar Union

The communists formed their own union called the Girni Kamgar Union during a big strike in 1928. This union quickly grew very large. By October 1928, it had 54,000 members. Dange became the general secretary of the Girni Kamgar Union. He was arrested again, along with others, for his role in the strikes. Dange also edited Kranti, a Marathi newspaper that was the official voice of the Girni Kamgar Union.

International Support for Workers

During the 1920s, the Comintern sent its members to different countries, including India. British Communist Party members like Philip Spratt and Ben Bradley came to India to work with industrial laborers. They helped start Workers' and Peasants' Parties. The communists focused on real problems faced by workers. Because of this, they gained control of the AITUC in December 1929. This was a time of great unrest in India, with many strikes.

The Meerut Conspiracy Case

Portrait of 25 of the Meerut Prisoners taken outside the jail. Back row (left to right): K. N. Sehgal, S. S. Josh, H. L. Hutchinson, Shaukat Usmani, B. F. Bradley, A. Prasad, P. Spratt, G. Adhikari. Middle Row: R. R. Mitra, Gopen Chakravarti, Kishori Lal Ghosh, L. R. Kadam, D. R. Thengdi, Goura Shanker, S. Bannerjee, K.N. Joglekar, P. C. Joshi, Muzaffar Ahmed. Front Row: M. G. Desai, D. Goswami, R.S. Nimbkar, S.S. Mirajkar, S.A. Dange, S. V. Ghate, Gopal Basak.

The British Government was very worried about the growing influence of the Communist International. They believed its goal was to overthrow governments everywhere, including India. So, they started another big case called the Meerut Conspiracy Case.

On March 20, 1929, Dange and 32 other people were arrested. They were accused of trying to remove the King Emperor from power in British India. The government claimed they were working with the Communist International to achieve this.

The trial lasted for four and a half years. The accused used the courtroom to share their ideas with the public. Even though not all of them were communists, the trial helped the communist movement grow stronger in India. Dange was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but this was later reduced to three years.

The Communist Party of India and Independence

Before India became independent, the Communist Party of India (CPI) often changed its views based on what the Comintern (the international communist organization) wanted. These views were often influenced by the Soviet Union's interests. This sometimes made the CPI unpopular in India because their ideas went against what many Indian nationalists felt.

For a while, the CPI saw India's freedom struggle as a movement led by politicians who only cared about money. The British government banned communist activities from 1934 to 1938. When the Comintern decided to form a "popular front" against fascism, the CPI supported the Congress in 1938. Some communist leaders even joined the Congress Socialist Party.

The British government banned the CPI again in 1939 because the party was against World War II at first. But when Adolf Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, the CPI changed its mind and called the war a "People's War." After the Soviet Union joined Britain in the war, the CPI was allowed to operate legally for the first time. However, the CPI stayed away from Gandhi's Quit India Movement, which made them unpopular with many Indians.

Dange's Role in the CPI

Puran Chand Joshi became the first general secretary of the CPI from 1935 to 1947. In 1943, Dange was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI. He also traveled to London in 1944 to represent the CPI at a conference.

After being released from jail in 1935, Dange toured Andhra Pradesh, and many leaders there joined the Communist Party. He worked to strengthen the party's control over the trade union movement. Dange also began his career as a lawmaker. He was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly in 1946.

Dange's Leadership in Trade Unions

In 1939, Dange was jailed for organizing a textile workers' strike. He was arrested again in 1940 for leading another strike and was held in the Deoli Detention Camp. In prison, he started a study group for political prisoners. He was released in 1943.

Dange was elected as the chairman of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 1943–1944. He also became a vice chairman and a member of the World Federation of Trade Unions. He continued to be a key leader in the AITUC for many years.

The CPI After Independence

When India gained independence in 1947, the CPI was in a difficult position. They were unpopular because they had not supported the Quit India movement. Also, the Congress party had huge support, which went against the CPI's idea that Congress was just a party for rich people.

The CPI was also confused about what to do internationally. The Comintern was dissolved in 1943. The CPI needed advice, so Dange went to the USSR in July 1947.

Dange in Moscow

On India's Independence Day, August 15, 1947, Dange was in Moscow talking to Soviet leaders. They asked Dange why the Congress party had become so strong. Dange explained that during the war, Congress opposed the British, which made them seem like a national organization fighting for freedom. The Communist Party, however, supported the Allies (including the British), which many people did not understand.

The Soviet leaders also asked Dange about Indian leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Dange described them both as "bourgeois," meaning they were from the middle or upper class and had business interests.

Problems Within the CPI in the 1950s

After independence, the CPI sent mixed messages about its political direction. Some leaders wanted to work with the Indian National Congress. Others, like B.T. Ranadive, wanted to use violent methods to gain power, inspired by the Chinese communists.

In 1948, the CPI decided to adopt a more aggressive approach, believing that "free" India was still controlled by British imperialism. This led to rebellions in places like Telangana. Dange was not part of the Central Committee during 1950–1951 because of these disagreements.

Stalin's Advice

By the early 1950s, the CPI was very divided. Some wanted a "Chinese path" (violent revolution), while others, including Dange, wanted an "Indian path" (a more peaceful way to gain power within India's laws). The Soviet communists stepped in to help. Leaders from both sides were invited to Russia in 1951 to meet with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).

Joseph Stalin himself attended some of these meetings. He agreed that communists could eventually lead an armed revolution in India, but it would not be like the Chinese one. He strongly advised them to stop the armed struggle in Telangana. After this, Dange was elected to the Central Committee and Politburo in 1951.

Soviet Leaders Visit India

In 1955, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the USSR and received a warm welcome. Later that year, Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev visited India. Nehru told the Soviet leaders that the CPI claimed to get instructions from the CPSU. Khrushchev said that since the Comintern was gone, there was no organization telling communist parties in other countries what to do. This visit helped build a strong relationship between the Indian government and the USSR, separate from the CPI.

The Creation of Maharashtra State

After India's independence, many smaller states were joined together. The States Reorganisation Act committee suggested creating states based on language. They recommended a state called Bombay for both Marathi and Gujarati speakers. This caused protests in Maharashtra.

A group called the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was formed to fight for a separate Marathi-speaking state. Dange, along with other leaders like S.M. Joshi and P.K. Atre, worked hard for this. Many lives were lost in the struggle. Finally, on May 1, 1960, the state of Maharashtra was created.

Dange was elected to the 2nd Lok Sabha (Indian Parliament) in 1957 from Bombay. He was later elected to the 4th Lok Sabha in 1967.

The Sino-Indian Border Dispute

Dange was the leader of the Communist group in the Lok Sabha when the border dispute between India and China began. This event caused big disagreements within the CPI. Some members supported India's stand, while others wanted to go back to more aggressive tactics.

Nationalists vs. International Socialists

The Sino-Indian border dispute showed a bitter fight within the CPI. Some members, like Dange, were called "nationalist communists" because they believed Indian communists should support their own country's feelings. Others were "international socialists" who felt they should always follow global communist ideas.

Dange publicly supported India's position on the border. At first, his nationalist view was very strong. However, some comrades criticized him for his ideas about internationalism. They felt he was changing basic communist beliefs. Dange had to admit his "fault" in a party meeting.

The Sino-Indian War and Party Split

Fighting started on the Himalayan border on October 10, 1962, between China and India. The war ended when China declared a ceasefire on November 20, 1962.

Differences Between China and the Soviet Union

Another reason for the split in the CPI was the growing disagreement between the Soviet Union and China. This conflict became open in 1959. The Soviet Union started supporting India in its border dispute with China. These events led to open arguments between the two communist powers.

Dange Becomes Chairman

These events directly affected the Communist Party of India. The debate between "nationalists" and "international socialists" became a fight between the "Right" (who supported the Soviet Union) and the "Left" (who supported China). Dange, who supported the Indian government, was the main leader of the Right. After the death of Secretary-General Ajoy Ghosh in 1962, Dange became the first chairman of the CPI.

The Split in the CPI

The Indian government arrested 400 important Left-wing communist leaders because they were thought to support China. Dange used this chance to strengthen the Right-wing's control over areas where the Left was strong, like West Bengal. This move, however, made other leaders, like E.M.S. Namboodiripad, upset. Namboodiripad resigned, and Dange took over as Secretary-General.

By early 1963, the Left had started an underground organization. In September 1963, A.K. Gopalan, who had previously supported Dange, organized a large protest against the official party. Even though Dange still had a majority, the growing alliance between the Leftists and Namboodiripad's group made a split almost certain.

In March 1964, a major event called the "Dange letters" caused the final split.

The Dange Letters and the Birth of CPI(M)

A magazine in Bombay published letters that were supposedly written by Dange to the British Viceroy from prison in 1924. The letters claimed Dange promised to work with the British government. Dange, who was the party chairman, said the letters were fake. But the party was already heading for a split. His opponents used this to demand his removal from leadership.

The events after the Dange Letters led to the party splitting in October 1964. On April 11, 1964, 30 Leftist leaders and two Centrist leaders walked out of a National Council meeting. They called on all Indian communists to reject Dange's leadership. The National Council then suspended these 32 leaders.

The ousted Left leaders held their own meeting and decided to form a new party. This new party, which met in Calcutta, decided to call itself the 'Communist Party of India (Marxist)' (CPI(M)). At the same time, Dange's official CPI held its own meeting in Bombay. The split was complete.

Elections After the Split

The first test of strength between the two parties was the Kerala Assembly Elections in 1965. The CPI won only 3 seats, while the CPI(M) won 40 seats. In the 1967 General Elections for Parliament, Dange won his seat. However, the results again showed that the CPI was weaker. The CPI(M) became a major party in Kerala and West Bengal.

Split in Trade Unions

Even after the party split, the CPI and CPI(M) members remained together in the All India Trade Union Congress. But when their cooperation broke down in Kerala and West Bengal, the trade union also split. In December 1969, CPI(M) members walked out of a meeting. Later, they formed their own trade union called the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in May 1970.

Working with Congress

The question of whether to support the Congress party had caused problems in the CPI since 1947. The anti-Congress group, the CPI(M), became stronger. In the late 1960s, the CPI decided to be against Congress. This led to a short period of working with the CPI(M). But soon, the differences between the two parties appeared again. From 1970 onwards, the CPI started working with Congress again. Dange was a main supporter of this alliance.

The Bangladesh War

One event that helped the CPI work with Congress was the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) declared independence from Pakistan. India helped Bangladesh. The pro-Soviet CPI supported the war and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, the pro-China communist groups were confused because China supported Pakistan.

CPI-led Government in Kerala

From 1970 to 1977, the CPI was a strong ally of the Congress party. In Kerala, they formed a coalition government, with the CPI leader C. Achutha Menon as the Chief Minister. Even though the CPI won fewer seats than Congress in the 1970 elections, Congress accepted Achuta Menon's leadership.

The CPI and the Emergency

In June 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency. This lasted for 21 months. During the Emergency, people's basic rights were suspended, and the government had special powers.

Indira Gandhi took this step for several reasons. There were protests against the government, and a court ruled that she had misused government resources for her election campaign. The court even said her election was invalid.

CPI Supports Indira Gandhi

The CPI saw the Emergency as a chance to fight against what they called "fascist movements." They believed they could turn the Emergency into a communist revolution. They thought their close cooperation with Indira Gandhi and Congress would lead to a big change for the CPI.

The 1977 Elections and Aftermath

In 1977, Indira Gandhi called for new elections, and the CPI still supported her. However, Congress lost the elections, and the Emergency was lifted. The CPI suffered its worst losses ever in these elections. This made both communist parties question their role in Indian politics. They eventually decided to work together.

Dange's Isolation in the CPI

The CPI was criticized for supporting the Emergency. Even though Dange strongly argued for supporting Indira Gandhi, the CPI decided at its meeting in Bhatinda to stop supporting the Emergency. They chose a new policy of uniting with other left-wing parties. Dange's pro-Congress ideas were no longer popular within his own party. The CPI(M) also decided to work for left unity.

Even after the Bhatinda meeting, Dange kept some influence, mainly because the CPI was still sharing power with Congress in Kerala.

All India Communist Party

By 1980, it was clear that the Dange group within the CPI was very small. A group of CPI members who wanted to keep close ties with Congress broke away and formed the All India Communist Party (AICP). Dange's daughter, Roza Deshpande, helped start this new party. Dange himself was at first unsure about splitting from the CPI.

In May 1981, the CPI expelled Dange. When the first conference of the AICP was held in Meerut, Dange showed up uninvited and took charge of the new party. He was elected its general secretary.

Less Influence in the Communist Movement

Even with Dange as its leader, the AICP did not become very popular. This was for two main reasons. First, the Soviet Union did not support the new party. The Soviets did not want the CPI to split. Second, the Congress party showed little interest in forming a national alliance with the AICP.

Merger into United Communist Party of India

In 1987, the AICP merged with another party to form the United Communist Party of India (UCPI). However, this party also struggled to gain much support in the country.

Death and Legacy

Dange died in a hospital in Bombay on May 22, 1991. The Maharashtra state government gave him a state funeral. He was survived by his wife, Ushatai, and his daughter, Roza Deshpande.

Honored by Parliament

On December 10, 2004, the Indian Parliament honored Dange. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, unveiled a statue of Dange in Parliament House. The 9-foot tall bronze statue was donated by a labor organization.

Dange the Author

Dange's political journey began with his pamphlet Gandhi vs. Lenin. This writing helped him connect with M.N. Roy and Lotwala, who helped him start The Socialist, India's first socialist magazine.

Dange was also interested in literature. He wrote a book called Literature and People, which supported a style of writing called socialist realism.

From Primitive Communism to Slavery

Dange's most important book, From Primitive Communism to Slavery, was published in 1949. In this book, he tried to understand how ancient Indian society developed. He studied old scriptures and other sources. He was inspired by Engels' book The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State. Dange analyzed ancient stories to find out why private property started in India. He wrote the first version of the book while in jail between 1942 and 1943.

Some historians, like D.D. Kosambi, criticized Dange's book. They said he twisted ideas to fit his arguments. The book was re-released in 2002 by his daughter and her husband.

Images for kids

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  Portrait of 25 of the Meerut Prisoners taken outside the jail.

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  Shripad Amrit Dange representing the CPI at the fifth congress of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, Berlin. 12 July 1958.