Michael Kidron

Letter to Readers

(Spring 1965)


From International Socialism (1st series), No.20, Spring 1965, p.30.
Thanks to Ted Crawford & the late Will Fancy.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.


As a postscript to Nigel Harris’ articles on India in IS17 and IS18, we are reproducing the Communist Party of India (Muscovites) assessment of their strength compared with their rivals’ (in the Maoist faction). It is taken from the Organisation Report adopted at the seventh Congress last December and printed in New Age, 3 January 1965.

STATEMENT SHOWING THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF CPI AND THE RIVALS

 

1962 Membership

Strength in Assemblies

State

CPI

Rival Party

Undecided

New Recruits

Total

CPI

Rival Party

Undecided

Andhra

  22,094

11,774

  1,008

  7,206

  55

  31

23

  1

Assam

    2,100

     461

  1,000

Bihar

  13,235

  1,245

  1,720

  12

  12

Delhi

    1,123

   *100

   *100

Gujarat

        431

     187

     139

H. Pradesh

        200

       70

     121

    1

  1

J & K

       38

Karnatak

        964

     300

    3

    1

  2

Kerala

  11,473

*9,000

  4,000

  3,700

  30

  19

10

  1

Maharashtra

    7,398

     500

     700

    5

    4

  1

Goa

          56

       62

MP

    2,300

     200

    2

    2

Manipur

        825

     200

Orissa

    4,022

     150

     300

    4

    4

Punjab

    7,124

  2,200

     200

     400

    8

    6

  2

Rajasthan

    1,870

     400

    5

    3

  1

  1

Tamilnad

  15,015

  4,300

  2,000

  4,000

    2

    2

Pondicherry

    4

    4

Tripura

  2,840

  12

12

UP

    9,917

  1,700

  5,000

  14

  12

  2

W. Bengal

    7,560

  8,000

‡2,000

  1,200

  48

  12

30

†6

PHQ

           55

          5

TOTAL

107,762

40,392

13,048

25,086

205

112

72

21

Strength in Parliament

(Lok Sabha)

  32

  16

11

  5

 

(Rajya Sabha)

  11

    5

  4

  2

*Estimated figures      ‡Centrists      †Sitting in Rivals’ block

A comparison of the membership figures with the more easily-checkable figures for representation in the Assemblies makes interesting reading.


Our contributors are Gerry Lynch, 24, who teaches Liberal Studies at a Polytechnic; Volkhard Mosler, a German student of Sociology, member of the German socialist students’ organisation (SDS) and one of their former International Secretaries; and Victor Serge, writer and revolutionary, about whom Peter Sedgwick has written at length in IS 14 (copies of which are still available).

Twenty issues are a long span in the life of a little journal, long enough for the editorial superstructure to turn into fetters on its further expansion. From the next issue, Nigel Harris, who has recently returned from an extended visit to India, Japan, China and all stations in between, will sit in the editorial chair. Readers can only benefit from the change.

Michael Kidron


Last updated on 15 April 2010