Mainstream, Vol XLVI, No 17

P.C. Joshi : Organiser of Historic Movements

Monday 14 April 2008, by Anil Rajimwale

On April 14 this year the birth centenary celebrations of P.C. Joshi, the legendary Communist leader and General Secretary of the undivided CPI (1935-48) in one of the most momentous periods of the communist movement in India, will come to an end. He was born on April 14, 2007. On this occasion we are carrying the following article written some time ago.

P.C. Joshi was a master of forms of party and mass organisational activities, be it open and mass, press, strikes, etc. or ‘underground’ and secret, even armed organisation. The CPI was illegal or semi-legal during the better part of his tenure. PCJ, therefore, skilfully created a countrywide underground organisational machinery and ‘tech’ apparatus. Both types of organisations functioned simultaneously. He was the creator of massive secret apparatuses in most of the armed and underground struggles. RIN, Tebhaga, Telangana and many other struggles, conferences, strikes and so on bear witness to it.

It would be appropriate to examine the role of P.C. Joshi as the organiser and inspirer of memorable mass movements in the context of his birth centenary.

It is to be noted that the period of the stewardship of P.C. Joshi (1935-47) was one of widespread mass movements, many of them leaving an indelible mark on history. Of course, he alone cannot be credited with the organisation of the movements. But he had a knack of catching the right moment to give appropriate slogans for people’s movement. He also had a great talent for developing and discovering mass leaders and cadres. During his leadership, the CPI produced the greatest number of mass leaders.

Mass Movements

A cursory glance at history will tell us that the CPI led and participated in great many mass movements/ struggles: of workers, peasants, agricultural, labourers, students, youth, children, women, adivasis, untouchables, middle class intelligentsia, writers, artists, policemen, armed forces, and so on and so forth. These struggles were both unarmed and armed. (ఇంకా…)