United Front (1967)
Encyclopedia
The United Front was a political coalition in West Bengal
, India
, formed shortly after the 1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. It was conceived on February 25, 1967, through the joining together of the United Left Front
and the People's United Left Front
, along with other parties. Soon after its formation, a massive rally was held in Calcutta, at which a 18-point programme of the Front was presented. Ajoy Mukherjee
, leader of the Bangla Congress, was the head of the United Front.
The Front formed a state government with Mukherjee as its chief minister and Jyoti Basu
became the Deputy Chief Minister, dislodging the Indian National Congress
for the first time in the history of the state. The ministry took oath on March 15, 1967.
; reorganise the police force to respect democratic rights.
A United Front Committee was formed. Every party in the cabinet had its representative in the committee. The function of the committee was to solve disputes that might arise in the coalition, and coordinate the work in the ministries.
Differences on how to manage the food crisis provoked ruptures in the Front. Ghosh's policies focues mainly on voluntary measures and incentives to gather food supplies. Following Ghosh's presentation at the assembly, the CPI(M) sharply criticised him for not having procured enough food supplies, as well as for going soft on wealthier landlords. CPI(M) and other left parties in the Front demanded fixed prices on essential food grains. In Midnapore
, CPI(M) cadres organised a protest against Ghosh. In other places, meetings were organized by CPI(M) were demands for Ghosh's resignation were raised.
There were another difference between the Food Minister and the left. The Front decided to politize the food question, and attack the central government and the Congress for withholding food grains from West Bengal. A hunger strike outside the Prime Minister
's residence for August 23, 1967. Furthermore, a one-day West Bengal general strike
to protest the central government's actions was planned. Ghosh strongly disagreed with these methods of protest. He began threatening to resign, and stopped attending the cabinet meetings.
s (besieging blockades) unless having the permission of the Minister of Labour. Essentially, this resulted in a sharp rise in gheraos in connection to labour disputes (In May 1967 there were 151 gheraos in West Bengal, compared to 32 in March).
The High Court intervened and nullified the circular. The United Front government responded by issuing a new circular on June 12, 1967. The new circular differentiated between 'legitimate' and 'unlawful' actions in labour conflicts, barring police from intervening in legitimate trade union activities. In the case of unlawful activities the police would be able to intervene, but only after establishing factual grounds. The numbers of gheraos continued to increase, reaching 194 in September. The High Court intervened again, ordering the police force to ignore the circular of the state government in case of gheraos and act in accordance with the law.
As a result of the gheraos, many industrial units were closed down. The Bangla Congress came under pressure from industry owners to stop the gheraos. The Industry and Labour ministries, run by Bangla Congress and SUCI respectively, were at loggerheads with each other.
and Kanu Sanyal
had built up a power base of their own inside the party ranks. In March 1967 peasants led by the Krishak Samiti
, the CPI(M) peasants front, began occupying excess lands in Naxalbari
. The revolt grew, and by June reports came that the rebels in Naxalbari had acquired firearms. Inside the United Front differences arose over how to deal with the rebellion. The view of the CPI(M) was that social and economic problems were the cause behind the insurgency, whilst Bangla Congress wished to deal with the rebellion as a law and order problem.
of the CPI(M) met in Calcutta between April 10 and April 16, 1967. At the meeting the line towards the United Front governments in West Bengal and Kerala
was discussed. A the strategy approved by the meeting outlined that "The UF government that we now have are to be treated and understood as instruments of struggle in the hands of our people, more than as Governments that actually possess adequate power, that can materially and substantially give relief to the people. In clear class terms our party's participation in such governments is one specific forms of struggle to win more and more people and more and more allies for the proletariat."
, Calcutta, to protest the actions of the governor. The prohibitory orders were issued against the rally, and the demonstration was attacked by police. In response the UF, Rashtriya Sangram Samiti and labour organisations gave a call for a 2-day general strike in West Bengal. During the strike, several violent incidents were reported and one person was killed. Hundreds were arrested. On December 18, 1967, UF launched a civil disobedience
campaign across the state. 3500 persons were arrested during the campaign, including 14 assembly members. Violent incidents continued to occur. In January 1968, President's Rule
was declared in West Bengal.
The PSP had left the UF, but in Midnapore district
there was an electoral collaboration between PSP and UF. The Bangla Jatiya Dal
had sought to become a member of UF, but its entry had been blocked by Bangla Congress. Except for the parties having held ministries in the UF cabinet, the Revolutionary Communist Party of India
(which had failed to get any seat in 1967) contested two seats as a member of UF.
The result of the election was an overwhelming victory for the UF, with over 50% of the votes and a clear majority in the assembly.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, formed shortly after the 1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. It was conceived on February 25, 1967, through the joining together of the United Left Front
United Left Front (1967)
The United Left Front was an electoral alliance in West Bengal, India, formed in December 1966, ahead of the 1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election...
and the People's United Left Front
People's United Left Front
The People's United Left Front was an electoral alliance in West Bengal, India, formed in December 1966, ahead of the 1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. The front comprised the Communist Party of India, the Bangla Congress, the All India Forward Bloc and the Bolshevik Party of India....
, along with other parties. Soon after its formation, a massive rally was held in Calcutta, at which a 18-point programme of the Front was presented. Ajoy Mukherjee
Ajoy Mukherjee
Ajoy Mukherjee was the fourth chief minister of West Bengal, India. He hailed from Tamluk, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal.He was one of the leaders of Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar , which came into effect on 17 December 1942 during the Quit India Movement, a programme of civil disobedience...
, leader of the Bangla Congress, was the head of the United Front.
The Front formed a state government with Mukherjee as its chief minister and Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
became the Deputy Chief Minister, dislodging the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
for the first time in the history of the state. The ministry took oath on March 15, 1967.
18-point programme
The points listed in the programme announced in Calcutta promised that their government would ensure availability of primary needs of the people; handle the food crisis, provide rehabilitation to refugees; fight against corruption, nepotism, black-marketing, unemployment, food prices; pay special attention to women, scheduled castes and tribalsAdivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
; reorganise the police force to respect democratic rights.
UF Ministries
- Bangla CongressBangla CongressThe Bangla Congress was a regional political party in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was formed through a split in the Indian National Congress in the 1960s and later co-governed with the Communist Party of India in two United Front governments, the first lasting from March 15, 1967 to...
: 3 ministers (General Administration, Home, Industry) - Communist Party of India (Marxist)Communist Party of India (Marxist)The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
: 3 ministries (Finance, Transport, Land and Land Revenue) - Communist Party of IndiaCommunist Party of IndiaThe Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
: 2 ministries (Information, Irrigation and Waterways) - All India Forward BlocAll India Forward BlocThe All India Forward Bloc is a leftwing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. The party re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India...
: 2 ministries - Revolutionary Socialist PartyRevolutionary Socialist Party (India)Revolutionary Socialist Party is a Marxist-Leninist political party in India. The party was founded on March 19, 1940 and has its roots in the Bengali liberation movement Anushilan Samiti and the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army. The party got around 0,4% of the votes and three seats in the Lok...
: 1 ministry - Socialist Unity Centre of IndiaSocialist Unity Centre of IndiaThe Socialist Unity Centre of India , previously called the Socialist Unity Centre of India, is a communist party in India. The party was founded by Shibdas Ghosh in 1948.-Ideology:...
: 1 ministry (Labour) - Samyukta Socialist PartySamyukta Socialist PartySamyukta Socialist Party , was a political party in India from 1964 to 1972. SSP was formed through a split in the Praja Socialist Party in 1964. In 1972 SSP was reunited with PSP, forming the Socialist Party....
: 1 ministry - Workers Party of IndiaWorkers Party of IndiaWorkers Party of India is a political party in the Indian state of West Bengal. WPI has its origin in the Democratic Vanguard in India. DV was formed in 1943 when a group led by Jiban Lal Chattopadhyay broke away from the Radical Democratic Party of Manabendra Nath Roy. DV were dissatified with the...
: 1 ministry - Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha LeagueAkhil Bharatiya Gorkha LeagueAkhil Bharatiya Gorkha League is a political party working amongst the Nepali-speaking population in Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. The party was founded in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung. The current president is Bharati Tamang, widow of late Madan Tamang, a former president of ABGL...
: 1 ministry - Praja Socialist PartyPraja Socialist PartyThe Praja Socialist Party was an Indian political party in existence from 1952 to 1972. It was founded when the Socialist Party, led by Jayprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deva and Basawon Singh , merged with the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party led by J.B. Kripalani...
: 1 ministry - Lok Sevak Sangh: 1 ministry
- P.C. Ghosh (independentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
): Food and Agriculture
A United Front Committee was formed. Every party in the cabinet had its representative in the committee. The function of the committee was to solve disputes that might arise in the coalition, and coordinate the work in the ministries.
Food issue
Tackling the food crisis in the state was a major challenge for the United Front government. When in opposition, the parties behind the United Front had made fervent criticisms of the Congress government for not solving the food crisis. Thus, once in government they were under heavy pressure to perform better than their predecessors. The situation deteriorated in March 1967 as the central government allocated far less food relief supplies to West Bengal than the UF government had asked for (the West Bengal government had asked for 1,5 million tons of food grains per year, the central government pledged to provide around 1 million tons per year). P.C. Ghosh made a presentation on the situation to the Legislative Assembly on March 29, 1967.Differences on how to manage the food crisis provoked ruptures in the Front. Ghosh's policies focues mainly on voluntary measures and incentives to gather food supplies. Following Ghosh's presentation at the assembly, the CPI(M) sharply criticised him for not having procured enough food supplies, as well as for going soft on wealthier landlords. CPI(M) and other left parties in the Front demanded fixed prices on essential food grains. In Midnapore
Midnapore
Midnapore is the district headquarters of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River . This area had taken a pioneering role in India's freedom struggle...
, CPI(M) cadres organised a protest against Ghosh. In other places, meetings were organized by CPI(M) were demands for Ghosh's resignation were raised.
There were another difference between the Food Minister and the left. The Front decided to politize the food question, and attack the central government and the Congress for withholding food grains from West Bengal. A hunger strike outside the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
's residence for August 23, 1967. Furthermore, a one-day West Bengal general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
to protest the central government's actions was planned. Ghosh strongly disagreed with these methods of protest. He began threatening to resign, and stopped attending the cabinet meetings.
Gheraos
In the programme of the United Front, it had promised to reorganize the police force not to interfere in democratic movements. A fundamental aspect of this was barring the police from taking actions in labour disputes. After assuming office, the United Front government issued a circular to the police, stating that police would not be able to interfere in gheraoGherao
Gherao, meaning "encirclement," is a word originally from Hindi and is a typically Indian way of protest. Usually, a group of people would surround a politician or a government building until their demands are met, or answers given...
s (besieging blockades) unless having the permission of the Minister of Labour. Essentially, this resulted in a sharp rise in gheraos in connection to labour disputes (In May 1967 there were 151 gheraos in West Bengal, compared to 32 in March).
The High Court intervened and nullified the circular. The United Front government responded by issuing a new circular on June 12, 1967. The new circular differentiated between 'legitimate' and 'unlawful' actions in labour conflicts, barring police from intervening in legitimate trade union activities. In the case of unlawful activities the police would be able to intervene, but only after establishing factual grounds. The numbers of gheraos continued to increase, reaching 194 in September. The High Court intervened again, ordering the police force to ignore the circular of the state government in case of gheraos and act in accordance with the law.
As a result of the gheraos, many industrial units were closed down. The Bangla Congress came under pressure from industry owners to stop the gheraos. The Industry and Labour ministries, run by Bangla Congress and SUCI respectively, were at loggerheads with each other.
Naxalbari
Yet a further complication to the United Front government was the internal divisions within CPI(M). Radical elements, calling for immediate revolution, were present in the second-rank leadership of the party in West Bengal. In the northern parts of the state, Charu MajumdarCharu Majumdar
Charu Majumdar was a communist revolutionary from India. Charu Majumdar's life is a story of "riches to rags". Born in a progressive landlord family in Siliguri in 1918, he not only dedicated his entire life to peasants' cause but also authored the historic 1968 Naxalbari uprising, the ideology...
and Kanu Sanyal
Kanu Sanyal
Kanu Sanyal, , was an Indian communist politician. In 1967, he was one of the main leader of the Naxalbari uprising...
had built up a power base of their own inside the party ranks. In March 1967 peasants led by the Krishak Samiti
All India Kisan Sabha (Ashoka Road)
All India Kisan Sabha , is the peasants front of Communist Party of India , and works for farmers rights and anti-feudal movement in India, which traces its origin to All India Kisan Sabha founded in 1936.It is sometimes referred to as All India Kisan Sabha , to distinguish it from the AIKS of...
, the CPI(M) peasants front, began occupying excess lands in Naxalbari
Naxalbari
Naxalbari is the name of a village and a community development block in northern part of the state of West Bengal, India. Naxalbari block comes under the jurisdiction of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Naxalbari became famous for the left wing revolt that took place in the late...
. The revolt grew, and by June reports came that the rebels in Naxalbari had acquired firearms. Inside the United Front differences arose over how to deal with the rebellion. The view of the CPI(M) was that social and economic problems were the cause behind the insurgency, whilst Bangla Congress wished to deal with the rebellion as a law and order problem.
Line of CPI(M) on the United Front
The Central CommitteeCentral Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the CPI(M) met in Calcutta between April 10 and April 16, 1967. At the meeting the line towards the United Front governments in West Bengal and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
was discussed. A the strategy approved by the meeting outlined that "The UF government that we now have are to be treated and understood as instruments of struggle in the hands of our people, more than as Governments that actually possess adequate power, that can materially and substantially give relief to the people. In clear class terms our party's participation in such governments is one specific forms of struggle to win more and more people and more and more allies for the proletariat."
Ghosh resigns, UF cabinet is dismissed
As a result of the various political contradictions inside the United Front, P.C. Ghosh resigned from his ministerial post, broke with the UF and formed a new party, the Progressive Democratic Front along with 16 other members of the Legislative Assembly. Ghosh stated his intention to form a government of his own. The Congress declared their support to Ghosh's bid for power. The governor ordered the Chief Minister to gather the Legislative Assembly in two weeks. Mukherjee responded to the governor that he was unable to do so. On November 16, the governor dismissed the UF cabinet and let Ghosh form a new cabinet.UF protests
The UF claimed that the way the dismissal of their cabinet had been done was illegal. On November 22, 1967, UF gave a call for a mass rally in at Brigade Parade GroundsMaidan (Kolkata)
The Maidan is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a vast stretch of field and home to numerous play grounds, including the famous cricketing venue Eden Gardens, several football stadia, and Kolkata Race Course. Maidan is dotted with several statues and...
, Calcutta, to protest the actions of the governor. The prohibitory orders were issued against the rally, and the demonstration was attacked by police. In response the UF, Rashtriya Sangram Samiti and labour organisations gave a call for a 2-day general strike in West Bengal. During the strike, several violent incidents were reported and one person was killed. Hundreds were arrested. On December 18, 1967, UF launched a civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
campaign across the state. 3500 persons were arrested during the campaign, including 14 assembly members. Violent incidents continued to occur. In January 1968, President's Rule
President's rule
President's rule is the term used in India when a state legislature is dissolved or suspended and the state is placed under direct federal rule...
was declared in West Bengal.
1969 Assembly election
Fresh elections to the Legislative Assembly were held in February 1969, having been postponed due to severe floods. The United Front presented a 32-point programme ahead of the elections.The PSP had left the UF, but in Midnapore district
Midnapore District
Midnapore district is a former district of the state of West Bengal, India. This district was bifurcated on January 1, 2002 into the Purba Medinipur district and the Paschim Medinipur district.-References:...
there was an electoral collaboration between PSP and UF. The Bangla Jatiya Dal
Bangla Jatiya Dal
Bangla Jatiya Dal was a political party in West Bengal, India, led by Jahangir Kabir. It was a splinter-group of Bharatiya Kranti Dal. Ahead of the 1969 West Bengal legislative assembly election, BJD sought to join the United Front. However, its entry into the United Front was barred by the Bangla...
had sought to become a member of UF, but its entry had been blocked by Bangla Congress. Except for the parties having held ministries in the UF cabinet, the Revolutionary Communist Party of India
Revolutionary Communist Party of India
Revolutionary Communist Party of India is a political party in India. The party was founded by Saumyendranath Tagore in 1934, breaking away from the Communist Party of India. During the period 1934–1938 the name of the party was Communist League...
(which had failed to get any seat in 1967) contested two seats as a member of UF.
| Party | Candidates | Seats won | % of votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI(M) | 97 | 80 | 19.93% |
| BC | 49 | 33 | 8.33% |
| CPI | 36 | 30 | 6.83% |
| AIFB | 28 | 21 | 5.01% |
| RSP | 17 | 12 | 2.86% |
| SSP | 14 | 9 | 1.86% |
| SUCI | 7 | 7 | 1.53% |
| LSS | 7 | 4 | 0.76% |
| ABGL | 4 | 4 | 0.54% |
| WPI | 2 | 2 | 0.36% |
| RCPI | 2 | 2 | 0.39% |
| MFB | 1 | 1 | 0.21% |
| Independents | 12 | 9 | 2.09% |
The result of the election was an overwhelming victory for the UF, with over 50% of the votes and a clear majority in the assembly.