India

Congress Party

The Indian National Congress Party was organized in 1885. Its original members were Western educated Indian elites. Leading up to Indian independence, the Indian National Congress Party was a broad coalition fomenting a revolution. After independence, the majority of the Muslim leadership moved to form Pakistan. Today, the National Congress Party is called the Congress Party. Though dominating Indian elections since independence, it is also the party from which many splinter parties have emerged, some on the left and some on the right. For example, in 1947 an ideological disagreement led to the separation of elements from the Congress Party to form the Socialist Party.

The Congress Party, while the dominant party, has followed leftist policies throughout much of its history. It tried to institute a variety of socialist policies to establish and develop industry. It also, as a coalition, has promoted a more egalitarian society with policies aimed at eliminating the caste system.

During the Cold War, the Congress Party led India into joining with many third world countries in forming a bloc of nations that were aligned neither with the West nor with the communists. However, in foreign policy, it was often closer to the Soviet Union and welcomed military assistance from the Soviets. Today, it has moved more in the direction of free enterprise and closer to the Western democracies in foreign policy.

The Congress Party has been a mass movement that was nationalist in character and led by Jawaharlal Nehru and members of the Gandhi family. It has been able for much of its history to negotiate and manage social conflicts that are often ethnic and religious so that peace has prevailed. This is remarkable since India has over 500 languages and dialects. Forty-five of these are official languages. Hindi and English, in part for political reasons, have become major vehicles of communication, but tens of millions still speak other languages. While Indian parties originated as splinters of the Congress Party, the Communist Party is a notable exception.

The Communist Party of India began in 1925. Originally it belonged to the Third International. It also developed close ties with the Communist Party of Great Britain. Prior to independence, it joined with the Congress Party, especially with its socialist-oriented elements [Page 236]to press for independence. However, in World War II, it opposed the Congress Party's attempt to press for independence. It supported Great Britain and the Soviet Union in the fight against fascism. Prior to 1942, it was an illegal party.

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