N. Roy and Radical Politics

Manabendra Nath Roy, born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, was a prominent 20th-century Indian revolutionary, philosopher, and political theorist who shaped anti-colonial resistance and global leftist movements. His transition from an armed underground nationalist in Bengal to a founding member of international communist parties, and eventually to the creator of Radical Humanism, represents an extraordinary intellectual journey. By organizing revolutionary cells across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, Roy introduced Marxist theory to the Indian freedom struggle and challenged established Comintern doctrines on colonial liberation strategies.

Early Life and Underground Revolutionary Phase

Formative Years in Bengal

Born on March 21, 1887, in Arbelia in the 24 Parganas district of Bengal, Roy was raised in a priestly Brahmin family. The 1905 Partition of Bengal drew him into radical anti-colonial politics during his student years. He joined the Anushilan Samiti and later became a key lieutenant of Jatindranath Mukherjee (popularly known as Bagha Jatin) within the Jugantar group.

Armed Insurrection and the Howrah Conspiracy Case

Roy engaged in political dacoities and underground operations to procure resources for revolutionary activities. Colonial authorities arrested him in connection with the Howrah-Sibpur Conspiracy Case of 1910, though he was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Indo-German Conspiracy Attempts

With the onset of World War I in 1914, Roy played a central role in the Indo-German Conspiracy. Under Bagha Jatin’s direction, he traveled across East Asia—including Java, Japan, and China—under the alias “C. A. Martin” to secure German arms shipments aboard vessels like the SS Annie Larsen for an armed uprising in India. When British intelligence foiled the plot, Roy escaped to the United States in 1916.

Founding of Communist Parties and Comintern Leadership

Mexican Communist Party (1917)

Arriving in the United States, he changed his name to Manabendra Nath Roy. To avoid arrest by American authorities, he fled to Mexico in 1917. In Mexico City, he met Soviet diplomat Mikhail Borodin and adopted Marxist philosophy. In December 1917, Roy co-founded the Mexican Communist Party (Partido Comunista Mexicano), the first official communist party established outside Soviet Russia.

The Supplementary Thesis on the National and Colonial Questions

Impressed by his work in Mexico, Vladimir Lenin invited Roy to Moscow for the Second Congress of the Communist International (Comintern) in 1920. Roy famously debated Lenin regarding anti-colonial strategy in Asia:

• Lenin’s View: Advocated that the Comintern support national bourgeoisie movements (such as the Indian National Congress) in colonial countries to weaken imperialist powers.
• Roy’s View: Argued that the national bourgeoisie would betray the working class and compromise with feudal and imperial forces. He insisted the Comintern support independent worker and peasant organizations directly.
• Outcome: Lenin accepted Roy’s arguments, and the Comintern adopted Roy’s *Supplementary Thesis alongside Lenin’s primary thesis.

Tashkent and the Communist Party of India (1920)

On October 17, 1920, Roy, alongside Evelyn Trent (his wife), Abani Mukherji, Rosa Fitingov, Mohammad Ali, and Mohammad Shafiq, founded the Communist Party of India in Tashkent (present-day Uzbekistan). Mohammad Shafiq served as the first Secretary. Roy set up the Central Asiatic Bureau in Tashkent and ran a military school to train Indian revolutionaries who had traveled abroad during the Khilafat Movement (Hijrat movement).

Return to India, Imprisonment, and Democratic Politics

Infiltration and Colonial Conspiracy Trials

Roy edited journals like The Vanguard of Indian Independence and The Masses of India from Europe, smuggling them into India to build leftist cadre. The British administration launched the Peshawar Conspiracy Cases (1921–1927) and the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case (1924) to suppress his ideological network.

Comintern Expulsion and Secret Return

Roy traveled to China in 1927 as a Comintern representative to advise the Chinese Communist Party, but differences with Joseph Stalin led to his expulsion from the Comintern in 1929. He secretly returned to India in 1930 under the pseudonym “Dr. Mahmud.” British police arrested him in Bombay in July 1931, and courts sentenced him to twelve years of imprisonment (later reduced to six) in the Kanpur Conspiracy Case.

Congress Socialist Trends and League of Radical Congressmen

Released from jail in 1936, Roy joined the Indian National Congress. He opposed Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence philosophy, arguing instead for mass economic organization. Dissatisfied with internal Congress politics, he formed the League of Radical Congressmen in 1939.

World War II and the Radical Democratic Party

When World War II broke out in 1939, Roy broke away from the Congress leadership. While Congress launched the Quit India Movement in 1942, Roy argued that Fascism and Nazism posed a greater global threat than British imperialism. He urged unconditional Indian support for the Allied powers against the Axis powers. In 1940, he left Congress and established the Radical Democratic Party to mobilize working-class support for the anti-fascist war effort.

Intellectual Transition to Radical Humanism

Beyond Marxism

In his final years, Roy rejected both parliamentary democracy and orthodox Marxism, viewing them as systems that subordinated individual freedom to state machinery or class dictatorship. He formulated a new philosophy termed “Scientific Humanism” or “Radical Humanism” (New Humanism).

Key Tenets of Radical Humanism

• Individual Sovereignty: Placed individual liberty, morality, and reason at the center of political organization rather than the state or class.
• Partyless Democracy: Envisioned a decentralized direct democracy operating through a network of local People’s Committees, bypassing political parties.
• Rationalism and Science: Rejected dogma, advocating a worldview based on scientific inquiry and secular ethics.
• Dissolution of RDP: Practicing his own philosophy, he dissolved the Radical Democratic Party in 1948 and transformed it into the Indian Renaissance Movement to promote social enlightenment.

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• Birth & Death: Born March 21, 1887, in Arbelia, Bengal; died January 25, 1954, in Dehradun.
• Original Name: Narendra Nath Bhattacharya.
• Early Mentor: Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin) in the Jugantar revolutionary group.
• Pseudonyms Used: C. A. Martin (East Asia), Manabendra Nath Roy (USA/Mexico), Dr. Mahmud (India return).
• First Communist Party: Co-founded the Mexican Communist Party in 1917.
• Debate with Lenin: Formulated the Supplementary Thesis on the National and Colonial Questions at the 2nd Comintern Congress in 1920.
• Tashkent Founding: Co-founded the Communist Party of India in Tashkent on October 17, 1920.
• Sedition Cases: Targeted by British authorities in the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case (1924) and arrested in 1931.
• Political Party Founded: Established the Radical Democratic Party in 1940 after leaving the Indian National Congress.
• World War II Stand: Supported the Allied Powers against Axis Powers, opposing the Congress Quit India Movement.
• Philosophical Masterwork: Authored Reason, Romanticism and Revolution, detailing his philosophy of Radical Humanism.
• Final Movement: Dissolved his political party in 1948 to launch the Indian Renaissance Movement in Dehradun.