NCJ Number
62418
Date Published
1969
Length
276 pages
Annotation
ASSESSMENTS ARE PRESENTED OF THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE TERRORIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA AND THE TERRORIST'S CONVERSION TO MARXISM IN THE NATIONALIST STRUGGLE.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH MANY MEMBERS OF THE ORIGINALLY MILITANT HINDU TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS CONVERTED TO ATHEISTIC MARXISM, THE MARXISTS DID NOT FORM INTO A SINGLE REVOLUTIONARY PARTY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE. RATHER, THE REVOLUTIONARIES JOINED A VARIETY OF WEAK RIVAL PARTIES. THE SEPARATION OF THE RADICAL MARXISTS IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE PERSISTENCE OF GROUP SOLIDARITY WITHIN THE OLD HINDU ASSOCIATIONS. DIVISIONS IN THE LEFTIST PARTIES AFTER THE CONVERSION TO MARXISM IN THE 1930'S FOLLOWED THE PRIOR DIVISIONS OF THE TERRORIST GROUPS. SOME OF THE TERRORISTS ALSO REMAINED LOYAL TO HINDUISM AND JOINED THE CONGRESS OR ABANDONED NATIONAL POLITICS. ANALYSIS OF THE TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN BENGAL PRIOR TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR REVEALS THAT THE INTERNAL STRUGGLE CHARACTERIZED BY INDIVIDUAL ACTS BECAME WELLORGANIZED AND THAT PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT AID FROM GERMANY FOR A VIOLENT REVOLUTION. YOUNG TERRORISTS DIRECTED THEIR ATTACKS ON EUROPEANS AT A TIME SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE GROWTH OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT. HOWEVER, CONTEMPLATED IN THIS CONVENTION INCLUDED IN THEIR PENAL ULTIMATE SIGNIFICANCE AS POSTINDEPENDENCE MARXISTS IS MINIMAL. ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT OF MARXIST REVOLT DURING THE 1930'S INDICATES THAT BRITISH AND INDIAN NATIONAL POLICIES MAINTAINED A MODERATE PERSPECTIVE IN ORDER TO PREVENT ARMED UPRISINGS. MOREOVER, THE POSSIBILITY OF MARXIST CONFLICT GENERATED FEAR AMONG THE EUROPEANS AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE BREAKDOWN OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. TERRORISTS INFLUENCED THE CONGRESS PARTY POLICY TO SEEK BROAD POPULAR SUPPORT AND FORCED THE BRITISH TO ADOPT UNPOPULAR REPRESSIVE MEASURES. APPENDED MATERIALS ILLUSTRATE THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE VARIOUS POLITICAL PARTIES IN BENGAL FROM THEIR TERRORIST BEGINNINGS. FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY SUPPLEMENT THE DISSERTATION. (TWK)