Introduction-
The 2019 general elections marked the supremacy of the right-wing Bhartiya Janta Party in India. It was the first since independence that a political party has acquired an absolute majority after its
first term. On the one hand, the elections cemented the already expanding reach and popularity of the BJP and on the other hand, the left-wing parties which were already losing their traction have hit a severe blow. The share of the left-wing parties which was approximately 23 percent in 1952 has been shrunk to under 2.5 percent in 2019. The long-standing strand of Indian politics which
goes back to 150 years have been reaching its downfall with acceleration.
Defining ‘Left’-
Before we proceed with the article, it is cardinal to understand what exactly does the ‘left-wing parties are. Left-wing parties are the political parties that follow ideologies based on the emphasis on social equality and social hierarchy. Unlike the right-wing which focuses on the notions such as hierarchy, traditions, nationalism, etc. they revolve around the ideas of freedom, fraternity, rights, progress, and reforms.
The six founding parties of the left front in India are the Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc, the Marxist Forward Bloc, the Revolutionary Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and the Biplabi Bangla Congress. Other parties of the left-wing in India include Praja Socialist Party, Samyukta Socialist Party, among others.
Origin-
The origin of the ‘Left’ goes as back as before the Russian Revolution. The concentrated regions during the early 19th were the areas of Bengal and Kerala. Shashipada Banerji, a Brahmo Samaj leader, and a social reformist, founded the ‘Working Men’s Club’ in 1870 which is known as being one of the earliest labour organizations in India and instrumental in popularizing ‘left’ in India.
The socialist drizzle which started in the 19th century found cemented its feet in India during the Russian revolution in 1917. The Ghadar Party, comprised of non-native revolutionaries in Canada and Punjab, was influenced by Bolshevik ideals. Lal. Elsewhere in Punjab, young men like even Bhagat Singh were very much taken in by Socialism. So, the penetration of these ideas wasn’t just coffee table talk. It was fairly deep.
Apart from Socialism, other left ideologies such as communism marked their advent during the 20th century. In 1920, the Communist Party of India was founded.
Subhas Bose founded another left-wing party, called the Forward Bloc in 1939, after being
expelled from the Congress by Mahatma Gandhi and the more politically conservative Congress leaders. The Forward Bloc remained a political party long after Bose’s passing, and in fact, has won seats in just about every Lok Sabha from 1952 till 2014 with one or two exceptions.
Situation Post-Independence-
Post the independence, the success of the left parties in India was formidable. The Socialist Party got the most votes (11 percent vote share) but in terms of seats, the CPI was the leader with 16 seats despite just 3 percent of the votes. Over time, the CPI gained big popularity with the most number of seats till the 1967 elections. The other split faction of the CPI, the CPI Marxist gained momentum since then and remained a supreme force till the early 21st century. The left-wing as a
whole also gained momentum during the early years post the independence. However, post the 1970s the force of the left-wing set up in India hit a recede. The following chart highlights the ‘left’ vote share since the independence till the 2019 general elections.
The decline of Non-Communist Left post-1950s-
During the 1950s, the non-Communist lefts such as the Socialist and the other parties were a strong force. However, since the start of the 1960s, the non-Communist wing, especially the Socialists, declined.
Rise of the Right Wing-
The Janata Party was formed in 1977. It was an amalgamation of many left- and right-wing parties. Many political parties lost their tracks post the early years of independence. Parties such as the Swatrantra Party and the Praja Socialist Party merged. However, in a fragile time, the Communist Party was able to keep its foot cemented and maintain its status as a distinct identity when Socialism started breathing its last breath in India. In the ‘80s/’90s, as Janata Party split, the various
shrapnel napalms thrown up by that implosion transformed into the different caste-based parties of North India — be it Samajwadi Party in UP. Or the Janata Dal in Bihar. While these parties called themselves “socialist” (Samajwadi), they were not left-wing in a classical sense. Their enfold of caste and identity meant that they were away from the left-wing ideals.
Reasons for the decline of the ‘Left’-
The decline of the left can be imputed to two reasons. The first is that Caste in India. Caste holds mighty importance in India and people are leaned towards the notions of caste-based politics than class-based. The second reasons for the decline are the leaning of many left-wing parties towards acquiring the regional powers. The rise of the right-wing BJP with acquiring the majority in 2014
was a severe blow to the left-wing. The position of the BJP in the 2019 elections further solidified the notions of the rights wing and deluded the position of the left-wing.
Conclusion-
The left-wing politics in India never became a consolidated force. Comparatively, it holds a strong position during the earlier period post the independence with the peak of the Communist Party. The socialism which was convincing during the pre-independent and the early post-independent period became deluded with time. The rise of the BJP, especially since 2014 contributed to the
debilitating status of the left-wing in India. The diversity, conservative characters, and the castes in India put forward the right front of the politics drowning the ‘Left’ in India.