Political Upsurges in Post-War India (1945-46)

POLITICAL UPSURGES IN POST-WAR INDIA (1945-46)

POLITICAL UPSURGES IN POST-WAR INDIA (194S-46)

Keka Dutta Ray

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First Edition: 1992

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Dedicated To My Parents La~e Keshab Lal & Bithika Bose

CONTENTS

Preface

be

The Post-War Situation (1945-46) 1.

2.

3. 4.

Students and the Anti Imperialist Mass Upheaval: Their Participation in the INA Release Campaign (November 1945 to February 1,946)

1

A Case Study of the Participation of Students and Workers·in Mass Movements (February 1946) as an aftermath of the RIN Mutiny

22

Labour Unrest and Trade Union Movements (1945-46)

37

Peasant Movements of the Post-War Period (1945-46)

89

5.

The Impact

136

6.

Conclusion

142

Abbreviations Used

148

Select Bibliography

150

LIST OF PICTURES After Page A Newspaper extract on the INA trial

10

Courtesy: Nehm Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi

Civil disturbances on Ra.'Ihid Ali day February, 1946

12

Courtesy: The Statesman

The Naval Strikers Out in the Streets of Bombay, February, 1946

28

Courtesy: Nehru Memorial and Library, New Delhi

Labour Unrest: Chittopra.'Iad Bhattacharya

42

Courtesy: Art Heritage

Bengal Famine 1943

96

Courtesy: Art Heritage

The Tebhaga Movement in Bengal :Somnath Hor

98

Courtesy: The Artist

Thra.'Ihing in a Wodi Village (Mabarashtra) : Chittoprasad Bhattacharya Courtes)' : Art Heritage

132

Preface The dictionary meaning of the word 'upsurge' denotes a tumultuous movement in a forward direction. Inthis case, the term 'political upsurges' refers to the violent agitations projected for a definite cause which occurred in India during the period 1945-46 in which different sections of the Indian population such as the students, workers, peasants and other people actively participated. The brunt of the movement was of course directed against the colonial authorities. There is a tendency among historians to study the top-level negotiations between the British, Congress and Muslim League politicians which culminated in the freedom and partition of the country. It is, therefore, relatively easy to get engrossed in the world of evidence concerning the Simla Conference, Cabinet Mission, Interim Government and Mountbatten Award but a second major trend of the post-war years of 1945-46 was the development of popular mass movements which were militant and sporadic but united and voluntary in character. These included movements for the release of the INA prisoners, the RIN Mutiny and Civil disturbances connected with it, the working class and peasant movements, etc., but there is hardly any systematic historical research on this field in an exhaustive manner. There are few private accounts by participants and certain aspects of this topic have been investigated which may be accounted for as individual isolated cases as fou:nd in secondary works on Trade-union and working·class movements, peasant movements, etc. However, recent release of numerous official and nonofficial· sources revealed that these popular pressures of 1945-46 played an important role in determining the course of events that led to the freedom and partition, but decisions and actions of lead~rs both British and Indian cannot be understood without the counterpoint provided by the pressures from below whose d,ramatic manifes~ tations were some of these popular mass movements. This period was undoubtedly the climatic stage in which the logic of the anti-imperialist movement and colonial rule was unfolded. The popular activity acted as a propelling force behind decision making and stances of the British Government and among national leadership and it was here that the Communists played an

x

Political Upsurges in 1945-46

important role during the economic struggles of the workers and peasants. The Congress policy did not approve of the radical potential held out by the mass struggles and violent outbreaks and moved towards a path of negotiation and compromise. The British too preferred this compromise rather than to surrender, to a more radical combination of political forces or revolutionary path of mass struggle. For my study of this period, I have consulted books and materials including newspapers, journals, etc., at the National Library (Calcutta), Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Library (Calcutta), Centres for South and South-East Asian Studies of Calcutta and Jadavpur University, (Calcutta), Ramakrishna Mission Library, Calcutta, West Bengal Secretariat Library (Calcutta), Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (New Delhi), Indian Council of World Affairs Library (New Delhi), Indian Council of Historical Research Library (New Delhi), Social Science Documerttation Centre Library (New Delhi), P.C. Joshi Archives (JawahaJtlal Nehru University), C.P.I. Archives Ajoy Bhavan, (New Delhi), Madras University Library (Madras), Indian Expr~ss Library. (Madras), Library of Netaji Institute for Asian Studies (Calcutta) for which I must thank the respective librarians concerned. I must thank the librarians of Triveni Kala Sangam, (New Delhi), British Library, (London), Gorky Sadan, {Calcutta).and the American Centre Library, (Calcutta), for giving access toforeign source materials on the subject. I owe thanks to the Director of National Archives India (New Delhi), the Commissioner of Historical Research, Tamil Nadu)State Archives, the Director of West Bengal State Archives, the Director of Bombay Archives for permitting me to gather materials ranging from archival documents to published books, newspapers, Memoirs, private papers, etc. I am grateful to the Intelligence Branch and Special Branch at Lord Sinha' Road, Calcutta, for giving me access to the Intelligence Records of the period concerned. I am also indebted to the editors of the Statesman, the Ananda Bazar Patrika, the Amrita Bazar Patrika and the Photographic Section of NMML. (Delhi) for providing me with a valuable collection of photographs to illustrate the events mentioned. My thanks are accorded to the numerous activists and participants connected with the movements namely Prof Dilip Biswas, Samarendra Nath Basu, Gautam Chattopadhyay, Somnath -Hore, Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Renu Chakravorty, Renuka Roy, Phani

Preface

Xl

Bhusan Bhattacharya, Bma Bhowmick, Aurobindo Bose, Ranen Sen, Sunil Sen for thdr informative interviews. My thanks go to Sri Ram Chandra Bhattacharya fof reading the proofs of the manuscript and to Sri Nirmalya Bose Thakur for his invaluable assistance in reading through the typed manuscript. My mother followed the writing ofthis book with unfailing interest and helpful comments. It was with the encouragement of my husband Pradeep that this volume is being published. Finally, I must thank the Director of Netaji Institute for Asian Studies, Dr. R. Chakraborty where I worked as a research scholar, my supervisors Dr. Amalendu De, Professor of Hi.story, Jadavpur University and Smt. Chitra Ghosh, Professor of History, Netaji Institute for Asian Studies, for their critical comments, suggestions and encouragement.

39, Mahanirvan Road, Calcutta-700 029.

KEKABOSE

THE POST-WAR SITUATION (1945-46) The Second World-War ended with the victory of the anti-fascist forces and a world-wide mass upsurge of socialist and national liberation forces began in different countries of South-East Asia. Such uprisings often turned into violent revolts. India was also no exception,.The post-war period of 1945-46 saw the masses in India especially students and workers engaged in sharp economic and political struggles conditioned by historic ana socio-economic development of the country.1 A.ri adverse consequence of the Second World War was extreme inflation, disorganisation and famine in the economic field. The economic suffering of the masses instilled moods of revolt and a strong urge for political and economic liberation. While the bourgeoisie took advantage of the acute scarcity of the consumer goods as well as of the increased demand for war-necessities, reaped fabulous profits and that too through most inhuman profiteering and unscrupulous black-marketing activities, the Indian masses and the lower middle-classes suffered unbearable privations.2 Their economic discontent was further activated by the stimulant political condition of the time. In the international sphere, there was a world-wide weakening of imperialist forces. Fascism had been routed and the Communist regime more frrmly established in Russia. Socialist regimes with Communist leadership or participation were emerging in East European countries. The Chinese Revolution was forging ahead. An anti-imperialist wave swept through S.E. Asia with Indonesia, Vietnam and Burma on the vanguard and in many of these countries, the masses emerged in the forefront of these nationalist struggles.3 Meanwhile in India, though the Simla Conference had failed in the summer of 1945, the coming of the labour party to power in Britain in July 1945 created a fresh hope for India's independence. The elections in India were due to be held in winter 1945-46. Nationalist leaders including left-wing extremists who had been released from jail after the war, were looking for an issue to organise an all India national front against -the British and thereby launch a fresh Quit India rebellion. 4 The depression consequent to the brutal suppression of 1942 revolt thus dissipated and a new wave of en-

xiii

The Post-War Situation

thusiasm was evident.s India was thus seething with economic and political mass discontent. The country threa{ened to be a theatre of great mass struggles. Political and economic discontent among the people was consequently aggravated and the class struggles of the workers, peasants and middle-class employees during the immediate post-war period became a regular' feature of the situation. The discontent spread among the armed forces and services creating an explosive revolutionary situation. It was in this situation that British Imperialism, the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League and other political partie~ evolved their respective plans to secure maximum benefits in what~ver new political pattern may emerge as a result of struggle and • • 6 negotiation. REFERENCES 1. Balbushevich V. 'New Stage in the National Liberation Struggle of the People ofIndia', Soviet Document.l946 2. Desai, A.R, Recent Trends in Indian Nationalism, Bombay, 1973. 3. Moon, Penderel, Wavell: The Victory'S Journal, Delhi, 1977. 4. Prasad, Bireswar, Bondage and Freedom, Vo!. 11, New Delhi, 1979. P.548-549 5. Sarkar, Sumit. 'Popular Movements and National Leadership' (194547) in Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), Va!. XVII, 1982. pp. 677-686.

Chapter I

Students and the Anti-Imperialist Mass Upheaval (A Case Study of the students participation in the INA Release Campaign (November? 1945 to February 1946) Part-I The impact of the British rule in India was marked by the introduction of western sciences and technology which inculcated a sense ofrationalism and objectivity in the minds of the students and youth of 19th Century India. They applied this· essence while protesting against social superstition and religious dogmas. 1 With the turn of this century, the student element gradually became politically conscious. The growing intolerance of British oppression and repressive policies created an undying passion for freedom from imperialist domination. Subsequently, the students, thrQughout the struggle for independence demonstrated their patriotic sentiment as in the Swadeshi Movement (1905-08) in the sporadic terrorist activities, in the Non-cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movement (1920-34) and in the Quinndia Movement of 1942 vehemently opposing the Raj through passive resistance, strikes, militant demonstrations leading to violent anti-British activities. They fought for civil liberties, for the release of political prisoners and finally for the liberation of the country and in the course of it, suffered imprisOnIilent, tortm'-e and even sacrificed their lives in the face of British opposition. The post-war years of 1945-46 witnessed one of the greatest student revolts of Asia. 2 The economic hardship caused by the Second World War affected the student community: a bitter memory of a shattered peasant economy, high mortality and suffering caused by the Bengal Famine of 1943 haunted the youthful minds. 3 Along with their countrymen, the latter also had to face the brunt of the rising prices, food scarcity, inflation, unemployment, widespread shortages

2

Political Upsurges in 1945-46

and corruption. An ,anti-imperialist wave swept through S.E. Asia with Indonesia, Vietnam and Burma on the vanguard and in many of these countries students and youth were in the forefront of the nationalist struggle. In Indonesia, students pressure on the nationalist leadership was so high, that they virtually dictated Sukarno and Hatta's.declaration of independence which was issued by the Indonesian Preparatory Committee on August 17, 1945.4 In Burma, several stud