Rise of Socialist Ideas in 1920s

A New Current: Socialist Ideas

By the mid–late 1920s, the freedom struggle began to be shaped not only by Gandhian ideals but also by socialist and Marxist influences.

• 1927 onwards, socialist ideas spread rapidly, giving birth to a new left-wing within Congress, led especially by Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.
• This wing went beyond anti-imperialism; it highlighted class oppression inside India itself—landlords exploiting peasants, and capitalists exploiting workers.
• They were also the first to openly popularize the demand for complete independence (Purna Swaraj), not just dominion status.

➡️ Thus, the nationalist struggle acquired a socialist dimension, making it broader and more radical.

Background to the Socialist Turn

• The Russian Revolution (1917) deeply inspired Indian youth, who admired how ordinary workers and peasants had overthrown a mighty empire.
• Many young leaders grew disillusioned with Gandhiji’s emphasis on spiritual politics and non-violence, and instead looked toward socialism for scientific, structural change.
• M.N. Roy became the first Indian member of the Communist International, giving Indian socialism an international connection.

Communist beginnings in India:

• Kanpur Conspiracy Case (1924): Muzaffar Ahmed, S.A. Dange, and others were arrested for “spreading communist ideas.”
• 1925: Formal birth of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

Youth Radicalisation

The 1920s saw the awakening of Indian youth:

• Student leagues and youth associations mushroomed.
• August 1928: First All-Bengal Students’ Conference, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. This triggered a wave of student organisations across the country.
• Hundreds of student conferences followed, and young Indians began to embrace radical, socialist ideas, seeking deeper economic and social reforms along with political freedom.

Socialist Impact on Workers and Peasants

Trade Unionism:

• The All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) spearheaded organised labour movements.
• Communists provided energetic leadership, especially in strikes of 1927–28:
  • Kharagpur railway workshop strikes (1927).
  • Bombay textile workers’ strike (1928), led by the Communist Girni Kamgar Union — one of the largest industrial strikes of colonial India.
  • Tata Iron and Steel Works strike (1928, Jamshedpur): Subhas Chandra Bose intervened to mediate and support workers.

Peasant Agitations:

• Uttar Pradesh tenants: agitated for reduced rents, protection against eviction, and relief from debt.
• Gujarat peasants: resisted colonial attempts to raise land revenue.
• Bardoli Satyagraha (1928): led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
  • It was a disciplined “No-Tax Campaign”, launched when peasants refused to pay enhanced land revenue.
  • Patel’s leadership gave him the title of “Sardar”, and the campaign became a model of rural mass mobilisation.

Significance of This Phase

• The socialist current added new energy to the nationalist movement, ensuring it was no longer just a political fight but also a struggle for economic and social justice.
• The youth, workers, and peasants entered the arena with organised movements, giving the freedom struggle a mass and class character.
• Leaders like Nehru, Bose, and Patel emerged with greater prominence, representing different shades of leftist and organisational talent.
• Importantly, by the end of the 1920s, the stage was set for a shift from petitions and councils back to mass struggle—but now with stronger ideological foundations and deeper social participation.

✅ So, in short: While Gandhiji focused on khadi, untouchability, and communal harmony, the late 1920s saw the rise of socialist, communist, worker–peasant, and youth movements. Together, these new forces broadened the scope of India’s fight for freedom.