Letter of C. Rajagopalachari to Jawaharlal Nehru on the Advice of R.P. Dutt to Indian Communists

(4th March 1951)

Jawaharlal Nehru and other members of the ruling Congress Party were greatly sensitive to the views of the Soviet Union and the international communist movement on matters relating to India. This is abundantly clear from the archival papers of Jawaharlal Nehru. Here Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, the Home Minister, refers to the advice of the British communist Rajani Palme Dutt to the Communist Party of India on matters relating to the necessity of armed struggle in India, the class character of the Nehru Government, the contradictions between the Indian big bourgeoisie and US imperialism which needed to be exploited. The source for the views of RPD is not given.

Vijay Singh.

I
No. 428/51.

                                        1, York Place,
                                        New Delhi, 4th March 1951.

My dear Jawaharlalji,

Here is an acute analysis of our policy expressed in choice language by our Anglo-Indian British Communist, which may interest you.

                                        Yours sincerely,
                                        Sd/- C. Rajagopalachari.


The Hon’ble,
Shri Jawaharlal Nehru,
Prime Minister, New Delhi.

II
Palme Dutt’s advice to the Indian communists, about December, 1950.

Regarding ‘armed struggle’, as we have stated in our letter we do not deny that ultimately the revolution in India will and must take the form of armed struggle. It is hardly to be debated.

* * *

The Nehru Government represents the interests of the monopolists big bourgeoisie.

There need be no illusions about this. However, this does not mean that the interests of the big bourgeoisie are always identical with those of American imperialism. India is a country bordering on China, and at least, sections of the Indian big bourgeoisie realise that a war with China might mean their doom. They are conscious of the fact that China is rapidly emerging as the leader of Asia. This leads to their adopting a foreign policy, which is not always in agreement with the policies of the Anglo-American imperialists.

* * *

It is the task of the Communist Party to skillfully utilise the stand of Nehru Government on questions like Korea, Atom Bomb, etc.

NMML, JN Papers (First Instalment) File No 76, pp. 92-93.

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