History, Art & CultureImportant2025-12-26

Centenary of the Communist Party of India

Why focus: NCERT Class 12 Modern History. 100th anniversaries (1925 Kanpur conference) are highly probable 'Match the Founders' Prelims questions.

In News

What Happened

On December 26, 2025, India marked the centenary of the formal establishment of the Communist Party of India (CPI). The party was founded at a conference in Kanpur in 1925 by leaders such as S.A. Dange, Muzaffar Ahmad, and Singaravelu Chettiar. This event consolidated various scattered left-wing groups across the country into a unified political organization.

Why It Matters

The CPI's formation was crucial in broadening the Indian national movement by integrating the struggles of the working class and peasantry. It introduced Marxist ideology into the anti-colonial discourse, heavily influenced trade unions, and championed complete independence prior to the Congress adopting Purna Swaraj.

Background

History & Context

The ideological roots of the CPI emerged after the 1917 Russian Revolution, with an early emigre communist group formed in Tashkent in 1920 by M.N. Roy. The British attempted to crush the movement through the Peshawar and Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Cases (1924). In response to the Kanpur trials, Indian communists convened in December 1925 to formally establish the CPI on Indian soil, though they continued to face severe repression, notably during the Meerut Conspiracy Case of 1929.

What Changed

▶
BEFORE: Communist activities in India were scattered across regional groups and largely directed by emigre leaders abroad. NOW: A centralized, formal Communist Party of India was established on Indian soil to coordinate domestic political efforts.
▶
BEFORE: The Indian working class relied mostly on the moderate leadership of the Indian National Congress for political representation. NOW: The CPI provided a radical, independent Marxist-Leninist platform explicitly prioritizing the rights of workers and peasants.
▶
BEFORE: Early trade union movements lacked a cohesive political ideology linking labor rights directly to the overthrow of imperialism. NOW: The CPI actively organized within the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) to merge labor struggles with the broader anti-colonial fight.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This topic connects to Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History Part III, specifically within the chapters covering the National Movement. It highlights the emergence of alternative political streams and socialist ideas during the 1920s, demonstrating how ideological groups outside the mainstream Gandhian framework contributed to the anti-imperialist struggle.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements regarding the early Communist movement in India is/are correct? 1. The formal establishment of the Communist Party of India on Indian soil took place at a conference in Kanpur in 1925. 2. The Meerut Conspiracy Case of 1929 was launched by the British government specifically to suppress Indian communists and trade unionists.

Up next