Revolution means the complete overthrow of the existing social order and its replacement with the socialist order. For that purpose our immediate aim is the achievement of power. As a matter of fact, the state, the government machinery is just a weapon in the hands of the ruling class to further and safeguard its interest. We want to snatch and handle it to utilise it for the consummation of our ideal, i.e., social reconstruction on new, i.e., Marxist basis.
– Bhagat Singh (28th Sep, 1907-23rd Mar, 1931)
By the end of the year 1925, most of the top-ranking leaders of HRA (Hindustan Republican Association) except Chandrasekhar Azad, had been arrested during the manhunt after the Kakori train robbery. It was felt by the younger lot that to carry forward its mission, they had to rebuild the party from scratch, not only with regard to its membership but also with respect to its ideology and organisation. These efforts led to extensive study of the ideas of the revolutionaries and history of revolutions. Bhagat Singh engaged himself in deep study, and became inspired by the Russian Revolution and socialist transformation of the USSR. He was one of the earliest Marxists of India grasping scientific socialism, and adopted Marxism-Leninism. During this period (1920s), the Ghadar comrades, now trained in Communist theory from the Communist University of the Toilers of the East (KUTV) in Moscow, returned from the Soviet Union and set up a journal Kirti. Bhagat Singh worked in Kirti as a part of the editorial board. He was also in touch with Communists in Kanpur, being a part of the Communist movement in India since its inception.
Towards Socialism: Formation of a Revolutionary Communist Party
By 1928, after a profound study of revolutionary movements from around the world, Bhagat Singh and his comrades realized that the path of the Indian revolution should be a socialist revolution, which aims at ending not just colonial rule but class rule too. Formation of a socialist nation should be the aim of revolution. Bhagat Singh wanted to establish a countrywide organization by joining together all of the revolutionary organizations working in different parts of the country (HRA was active mainly in UP and Bihar). On 8-9th September 1928, Bhagat Singh led a historic meeting held at Feroz Shah Kotla grounds in Delhi, in which ten representatives from United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh), Bihar, Punjab, and Rajputana (now Rajasthan) had participated. He gave an ideological direction to the whole movement, which had been missing earlier. Bhagat Singh proposed:
- It is high time to boldly declare socialism as the ultimate goal and the name of the party should be changed accordingly to make the people aware of this ultimate aim.
- We should undertake only such actions which might have direct relationship with the demands and sentiments of the people and we should not fritter our time and energy in killing petty police officials or informers.
- For funds, we should lay our hands on government money and avoid as far as possible actions on private houses and non-government institutions.
- The principles of collective leadership should be strictly observed in the party.
All the proposals were accepted, and the name of Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), was replaced by Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). This was a qualitative change and ideological evolution. While its predecessor HRA aimed at overthrowing British rule and formation of the Republic of India, HSRA incorporated socialist ideals and aimed at formation of a socialist India. The group also sought alliances with international communist movements and prioritized propaganda to mobilize the masses, reflecting a more mature revolutionary approach. To democratise the organization a Central Committee was elected to run the organization. Sukhdev, Phanindranath Ghosh, Kundan Lal, and Shiv Verma were elected as organizers for Punjab, Bihar, Rajputana, and United Provinces, respectively. Bhagat Singh was made the key ideologue, propagandist, and inter-provincial co-ordinator. Chandra Shekhar Azad was elected Commander-in-Chief of the military wing, Hindustan Socialist Republican Army. It was decided that the new organisation would work in co-ordination with the Communist International, Bhagat Singh and Bejoy Kumar Sinha was in charge of international relations of the HSRA.
By 1931, severe crackdowns and martyrdom of Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, and imprisonment of other leaders led to dissolution of HSRA. 1928 to 1931 was the peak of HSRA’s activities, but its influence extended far beyond these years, inspiring generations of activists. Their vision of a socialist India deeply influenced later communist movements in the country, from the trade union struggles to peasant uprisings. Bhagat Singh’s ideas continue to inspire student-youth today as the India dreamt by HSRA remains unfulfilled.
