Q. 26. With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements : - It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes.
- It wanted to establish the dictatorship of proletariat.
- It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2015)
Answer:
None
Notes: The correct answer is
[D] None. The
Congress Socialist Party (CSP) was a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress (INC), founded in 1934 by leaders like
Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev, and Minoo Masani. It aimed to steer the INC toward a more radical, socialist orientation while maintaining national unity.
- Boycott and Tax Evasion (Statement 1 – Incorrect): While the CSP supported the broader nationalist strategy of Boycott and Non-Cooperation, "evasion of taxes" was not its specific platform. Their primary economic focus was on the abolition of Zamindari, the radicalization of the peasantry, and the socialization of key industries.
- Dictatorship of the Proletariat (Statement 2 – Incorrect): This is a specific Marxist-Leninist goal associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI). The CSP, however, believed in Democratic Socialism. They wanted to work within the Congress framework to transform it into a mass-based party that represented workers and peasants, rather than establishing a one-class dictatorship.
- Separate Electorates (Statement 3 – Incorrect): The CSP was staunchly nationalist and secular. They followed the Congress line of Joint Electorates with reserved seats. They argued that communal problems (and the demand for separate electorates) were a diversion from the real socio-economic issues of poverty and exploitation which affected all communities equally.
Key Objectives of the CSP:- Anti-Imperialism: They believed that the struggle for freedom must be linked to the struggle for economic emancipation.
- Peasant and Labor Mobilization: They were instrumental in forming the All India Kisan Sabha (1936) and strengthening trade unions.
- Transformation of INC: They acted as a "pressure group" within the Congress to ensure it didn't compromise too much with the British or the Indian capitalist class.
The CSP eventually dissolved after independence, with many members forming the
Socialist Party in 1948 after the Congress banned internal caucuses.