This year, 2025, marks a significant milestone in India's political history: the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Yet, the centenary passed with little fanfare, a stark contrast to the celebratory mood surrounding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which also turned 100. This silence raises a critical question about the future of one of India's oldest political traditions.
From Political Peak to Precipitous Decline
The journey of Indian communism has been one of dramatic highs and lows. Back in 2005, the Left was a formidable national force. It wielded significant influence over the Congress-led UPA government at the centre and held unchallenged power in West Bengal and Tripura, while remaining a key player in Kerala. At that moment, its national relevance seemed assured.
However, a strategic misstep triggered a rapid decline. In July 2008, the Left withdrew support from the UPA and backed a BJP-led move to topple the Manmohan Singh government. The political fallout was severe. From commanding around 60 Lok Sabha seats in 2004, Left parties now hold barely 10. Their national vote share collapsed from about 8% to under 3%. Regionally, they have been ousted from power in both West Bengal and Tripura, leaving Kerala as their last bastion.
A Century of Ideological Churn and Lasting Impact
The origins of Indian communism are themselves a subject of debate. The CPI(M) traces its founding to a 1920 meeting in Tashkent led by M.N. Roy, while the CPI marks its birth at a December 1925 convention in Kanpur organised by figures like Singaravelu Chettiar and S.A. Dange. Regardless of the date, the movement emerged from the global upheaval after World War I, drawing energy from the Russian Revolution and anti-colonial struggles.
In India, it synthesised diverse revolutionary streams: Ghadar activists, associates of Bhagat Singh, Bengali revolutionaries, militant trade unionists, and radical peasant leaders. Despite relentless colonial repression, the communists used platforms like the Peshawar and Meerut conspiracy trials to popularise Marxist ideas. By the mid-20th century, they had built a powerful network of mass organisations for workers, peasants, artists, and students, giving them influence far beyond their numbers.
The imprint of communism on modern India is undeniable. It forced land reform onto the national agenda, reshaped rural power structures, and was a consistent defender of secularism and federalism. India's welfare architecture bears the mark of sustained communist advocacy. In culture, the movement transformed literature, theatre, and cinema, amplifying marginal voices and embedding rationalist values.
Internal Struggles and Unresolved Tensions
The movement's decline is often attributed to an inability to adapt to profound changes: the shifting alliances of World War II, the trauma of Partition, the Sino-Soviet split, and later, the rise of the BJP. Sectarianism and internecine warfare, like the 1964 split that created the CPI(M), weakened it significantly.
Indian communism persistently struggled to reconcile core tensions: nationalism with internationalism, caste with class, religious sentiment with secular imperatives, and revolutionary doctrine with parliamentary democracy. Its difficulty in building durable coalitions with other democratic forces, including the Congress, repeatedly proved costly at critical junctures.
Is a Revival Possible in the 21st Century?
Despite its current political irrelevance, the conditions that once gave rise to communism are arguably sharper than ever. Deep inequality, agrarian distress, precarious labour conditions, persistent feudal values, and global economic turbulence create a fertile ground for left-wing ideas. Globally, there is renewed interest in socialist thought, even in advanced economies, as seen in figures like New York's socialist mayor.
The future, according to analysts like C. Raja Mohan, hinges on the movement's capacity for reinvention. If Indian communists can shed ideological rigidity and rediscover the art of building broad democratic and progressive coalitions, they may yet contribute meaningfully to India's evolution. A crucial first step would be uniting the fragmented communist and socialist groups, a task that has so far proved elusive.
The story of Indian communism is far richer than its recent electoral setbacks suggest. While its centenary was a quiet affair, the ideas it championed—social justice, egalitarianism, and secularism—remain deeply relevant. Whether it can transform this ideological legacy into a renewed political force is the unfinished business of its second century.
