Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist)

Ideology

SUCI is a social conservative political party which follows an ideological line formulated by Shibdas Ghosh. SUCI holds that India is a capitalist country with monopoly capitalism and imperialist trends. In line with that analysis, the party claims to work towards a socialist revolution.

The SUCI leadership apparently emphasizes the qualitative upliftment of party cadres, workers of mass-organisations and supporters, by both theoretical study of thought of Shibdas Ghosh and the practical application of such knowledge in the day-to-day life of party workers. SUCI claims to uphold the proletarian cultural standard that should be achieved by the cadres, before they can lead the masses in the Socialist Revolution.

History

Formation

Centring some ideological tensions and debates, about thirty members of Revolutionary Socialist Party were ousted from RSP and this faction along with the group led by Sudhindra Pramanik who was a former associate of M. N. Roy, one group led by Nepal Bhattacharjee, founder of Workers and Peasants League and a faction led by Biren Bhattarcharjee claimed to form a propagandist Platform of Action (POA) as Socialist Unity Centre on 1 May 1946 with Shibdas Ghosh and Makhan Chatterjee as joint convenors. 24 Pargana district committee led by Subodh Banerjee also joined the faction. But detailed analysis says that Platform of Action was most likely formed after Independence of India. The leaders of the organisations and groups of the POA couldn't arrive ideological coherency and then the faction led by Shibdas Ghosh and Nihar Mukherjee gave rise to a political party named Socialist Unity Centre on 24 April 1948.

An 11-member central committee was formed consisting of Shibdas Ghosh, Subodh Banerjee, Nihar Mukherjee, Sachin Banerjee, Pritish Chanda, Hiren Sarkar, Rathin Sen, Promod Singha Roy, Monoranjan Banerjee, Radheshyam Saha and Tribeni Bardhan with Shibdas Ghosh as the General Secretary. Although SUCI claims at present that Hiren Sarkar was one of the members of the first central committee, the party’s old documents do not substantiate this. It is speculated that Hiren Sarkar was included in the central committee sometimes after 1954.

Early years (1948-70)

The party took part in different protests against tram fare rise, proposed merger of Bihar and West Bengal and joined Food Movement of 1959-66.

Even though SUCI considers elections as bourgeois tactics, it took part in parliamentary elections from its inception.

SUCI formed United Left Front of 1957 ahead of the 1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. The other constituents of the front were Bolshevik Party of India, the Democratic Vanguard in India and the Republican Party of India. But SUC and its allies lost in all the contested seats.

During the prevailing food crisis in West Bengal, SUC joined United Left Front of 1962 led by Communist Party of India. Despite contesting 11 seats as part of ULF–1962 in 1962 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, SUC was defeated in all seats and merely got 69,844 votes.

In 1967 Indian general election, Chitta Roy of SUC won from Jaynagar Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate. In 1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, SUC as part of Communist Party of India (Marxist) led ULF–1967 and won 4 seats. The front merged with People's United Left Front to form United Front which formed the first non-Congress government in the state.

SUCI was given the Labour Ministry in the United Front government and Subodh Banerjee became Labour Minister who introduced Gherao principle. United Front issued circular stating that police would not be able to interfere in gheraos (besieging blockades) unless having the permission of the Ministry of Labour. This led to frequent strikes & protests against big businessmen and industrialists by labour unions causing them to gradually shift their operations out of the state. Kolkata High Court nullified this principle twice. Bangla Congress leaders requested the-then Deputy Chief Minister Jyoti Basu to remove Subodh Banerjee from the Labour Ministry and this proposal was rejected by Basu. When Chief Minister Ajoy Mukherjee himself sat on a hunger strike at Curzon Park in front of Writer's Building demanding Banerjee's resignation, CPI(M) and SUCI workers interrupted his demonstration.

SUCI won 7 seats and got 1.53% votes 1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election being part of United Front. Subodh Banerjee was now made the Minister of Department of Public Works and Protiva Mukherjee was made Minister of State for Roads and Road Development.

When Ajoy Mukherjee presented his resignation on 16 March 1970, Jyoti Basu met Governor Santiswarup Dhawan and he requested that the CPI(M), being the largest party, be allowed to form the government. But SUCI along with Congress, Bangla Congress, CPI and Forward Bloc met him and advised him not to give CPI(M) that opportunity and the Governor recommended President’s rule leading to the fall of the second United Front government.

Later years (1971-2006)

Before 1971 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, SUCI joined United Left Democratic Front led by CPI. The front failed to reach a seat-sharing agreement with the Bangla Congress, but managed to agree to some seat-sharings with the Congress (R). SUCI won 7 seats in the election.

SUCI, in 1972 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, won one Vidhan Sabha seat. It was a part of CPI(M) led alliance in the election.

SUCI won 4 seats in 1977 and won 2 seats — Jaynagar and Kultali in 1982 also and held those two seats till 2006.

The party also represented Jashipur Assembly constituency of Odisha three times in 1985-90, 1995-2000 and 2004-09. Nalini Ranjan Singh of SUCI won Kanti Assembly constituency from 1980-90. In 1990, he won in Janata Dal ticket.

One of the major campaigns of the party in West Bengal has been its agitations against the Left Front government.

SUCI protested against bus fare hike in 1983 and called for Bangla Bandh (Bengal Strike) in 31 August 1990 and organised protest against electricity price rise in 1991 and in 2002.

Following the decision of the Left Front government to remove the English language from primary education to decrease school drop-out ratio, the SUCI protested for the reinstatement of English. It called for Bangla Bandh on 3 February 1998 in the demand for bringing back English at the primary education. In the year 2000, the SUCI organised a protest demanding English as a compulsory subject at primary education.

Singur-Nandigram movement and alliance with Trinamool Congress

SUCI joined the anti-industrial movements in Singur against the SEZ for the Tata Group's car factory and Nandigram against the SEZ for the Salim Group's chemical hub.

SUCI which was gradually diminishing from the political arena of West Bengal, allied with Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee in 2008. Provash Ghosh, the-then West Bengal State Secretary of SUCI, termed Banerjee as 'very pro-people' and 'pro-struggle'. The alliance also had tacit support of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the RSS-controlled Bharatiya Janata Party.

On 21 April 2008, TMC led anti-Left Front Progressive Secular Democratic Alliance including SUCI called for statewide 12 hour strike.

SUCI contested 2008 West Bengal Panchayat elections, 2009 Indian general election and 2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election as part of TMC led alliance. Indian National Congress and other parties were also part of the formation.

In 2009, SUCI was given one Lok Sabha seat to contest under United Progressive Alliance. But it also fielded nine more candidates against Congress. It was speculated that SUCI's move will help Congress by splitting left votes.

In 2011, SUCI initially demanded 17 seats, but with negotiations with TMC, it agreed for 14 seats. But TMC finally decided to leave 2 seats for SUCI. This led to a rift between the two parties and as a result, SUCI announced 28 more candidates against Congress whereas Congress fielded candidates in 66 seats. SUCI won only Jaynagar Assembly constituency and lost Kultali to CPI(M) and forfeited deposits on rest 28 seats.

After SUC's disastrous results in 2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Provash Ghosh said in a press statement that SUC's main aim was to dislodge the CPI(M) government of 34-year span by forming alliance with TMC and his party was ready to sit in opposition after the fall of the Left Front government.

Recent situation

During its peak times, the stronghold of the party was in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, in areas such as Jaynagar Majilpur where it once controlled certain municipalities. But it is now almost organisationally and electorally decimated in those areas.

Since Tarun Mandal lost in Jaynagar Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 and Tarun Kanti Naskar lost in Jaynagar Assembly constituency in 2016, the party has no representative in any state assembly across the country or in Parliament.

Under the leadership of Prakash Karat and Biman Bose, SUCI and five left parties CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML)L, AIFB and RSP came to common understanding in 2014 to forge larger left unity in order to strengthen mass movements following Bharatiya Janata Party's ascend to the Central Government in 2014 Indian general election. But SUCI joined took part in some selective programmes among the ones organised by the platform. SUCI current General Secretary Provash Ghosh also mocked smaller constituents of Left Front calling them 'rubber stamp of CPM'. SUCI, before 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, left the platform and had seat-sharing talks with CPI(ML)L. Finally SUCI contested 182 seats and got zero seat and 0.67% votes losing deposits in 180 seats.

On 5 August 2023, SUCI organised a rally in Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata after 35 years of its first such rally in 1988. SUCI was actively aided by the right-wing ruling party of West Bengal Trinamool Congress for organising the rally.

SUCI fielded 150 candidates across various states and UTs in 2024 Indian general election and got only 4,80,987 votes, forfeiting deposits in every seat.

Party Congresses and leadership

Party Congresses

Party Congresses of SUCI aren't held regularly unlike CPI(M), CPI and other left-wing parties.

The 1st SUCI Party Congress was held in Kolkata in 1988, forty years after its formation. In this conference, the constitution of the party was adopted‌ and the name was changed from Socialist Unity Centre to Socialist Unity Centre of India.

The 2nd Party Congress was held from 11 to 17 November 2009 in Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi. The word 'communist' was added to the party's name at the second party congress.

The third Party Congress was organised in 2018.

General Secretaries

In SUCI, the General Secretary customarily holds office ad mortem.

Mass organisations

The principal mass organisations of SUCI are:

• United Trade Union Centre
• Democratic Students Organisation
• Democratic Youth Organisation
• Mahila Sanskritik Sanghathan
• Krishak Khet Majdoor Sangathan

Publications

The central organ of SUCI is the Proletarian Era, an English forthnighly published from Kolkata.

The publications of various state committees are listed below:

Criticism and controversies

They are often criticized by the other Left parties for supporting semi-fascistic and virulently anti-communist party like TMC, to defeat the Left Front Government.

SUC is also criticised by CPI(M) as it prioritizes weakening the left democratic movement by criticising left-wing parties instead of right-wing parties like BJP and TMC in various rallies.

The party has also questionable stances on social issues, calling homosexuality a sign of "mental deformity and morbidity" and it supports "stringent punishment like life-term" of homosexual people. The party which highly talks about progressive culture, is in staunch opposition to the introduction of sex education in schools.

SUCI West Bengal state committee member Bidhan Chatterjee committed suicide in Puri due to growing corruptions and moral decline within the party. A letter to Provash Ghosh by him was obtained and published in Aajkaal newspaper on 10 April 2008 when he was missing. In that letter, Chatterjee mentioned various misdeeds of Provash Ghosh and some other SUCI leaders. Although Ghosh denied the allegations saying that Chatterjee has lost his mind, a Kolkata-based criminal lawyer said that it would be legally difficult to hold Ghosh responsible for Chatterjee's suicide, as the charges brought by Chatterjee may not fit within the narrow confines of criminal law.

References

References

1. (11 July 2009). "SUCI critique on Naxal movement — cgnet.in".
2. (2022). "From National Revolutionism to Marxism: A Politico-historical Narrative of Origins of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI)". Indian Historical Review.
3. (10 January 2002). "How much do you know about SUCI? | undefined News - Times of India".
4. M.V.S. Koteswara Rao. ''Communist Parties and United Front - Experience in Kerala and West Bengal''. [[Hyderabad, India. Hyderabad]]: Prajasakti Book House, 2003. p. 216.
5. Dasgupta, Salien. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071017160748/http://www.ganashakti.com/archive/left_unity.htm Left Unity]''
6. "Key Highlights of General Elections, 1967 to The Fourth Lok Sabha".
7. (21 March 2009). "At Joynagar, SUCI banks on a doctor".
8. (18 April 1992). "West Bengal's Jyoti Basu: A Political Profile". Gian Publishing House.
9. "A Defiant Rebel - Mainstream".
10. "Populist Governance".
11. (24 July 2012). "As a debutant MP, Pranab quickly earned the respect of his Rajya Sabha colleagues".
12. "The Second United Front".
13. Sitanshu Das. (1970). "The future for Indian democracy". Fabian Society.
14. "The Second United Front".
15. (1979). "Political Science Review". Department of Political Science, University of Rajasthan..
16. Sudhir Ray. (1 November 2007). "Marxist parties of West Bengal in opposition and in government, 1947-2001". Progressive Publishers.
17. (1975). "Elections to the Howrah Parliamentary Constituency, 1971, with Reference to Three Assembly Constituencies Thereunder". World Press.
18. Prabhat Kumar Palit. (1983). "The Congress (O) in West Bengal Politics: Role Performance and Role Perception". B.B. Company, Publication Division.
19. "Millions Rise Up For Total Bangla Bandh (total General Strike)".
20. "Bandh call banks on past success".
21. [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22599125_ITM Twist of the mother tongue]
22. (20 October 2012). "Singur issue triggers protests in Howrah - Times Of India". The Times of India.
23. "Singur has turned violent thanks to brutal and anti-people stance of ironic communist government of West Bengal".
24. "Singur: Medha Patkar visits dead girl's family".
25. "Mamata resigns from LS : 11th nov07 ~ E-Pao! Headlines".
26. [http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200704021623.htm Extend support to Nandigram people: SUCI]
27. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071219114921/http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/14/stories/2007111456320300.htm SUCI Protests against repression in Nandigram]
28. (15 March 2007). "Nandigram turns blood red". The Economic Times.
29. (March 2024)
30. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080318215433/http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031561081500.htm Trinamool Congress to tie up with SUCI]
31. (4 April 2008). "TC, SUCI jointly call 12-hour 'Bangla Bandh'".
32. (21 April 2008). "12-hour shutdown against price rise in West Bengal". The Economic Times.
33. "SUCI surprise for 'partner' Cong - Mamata to step in after ally fields more candidates".
34. (3 May 2012). "Jolt to Trinamool as SUCI decides to field 17 ca".
35. "West Bengal 2011".
36. "একদা ব্রাত্যরাও বাম শিবিরে এখন সুজন".
37. https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/suci-scorns-political-agenda-of-left-front-and-their-17-parties-1.217101
38. (11 March 2016). "Left-Congress alliance for polls drives SUCI, naxalite faction to join hands in fight against Marxists - the Economic Times". The Economic Times.
39. "West Bengal General Legislative Election 2016".
40. "এসইউসি-র ব্রিগেডে ঢালাও সাহায্য তৃণমূলের, কোন অঙ্কে এক 'অন্য' লাল পার্টির 'পাশে' জোড়াফুল?".
41. "ব্রিগেডে Suci সমাবেশে সহায়তা করল শাসক দল? কারণ কী".
42. "- YouTube".
43. "India Vision News Clip – SUCI Party Congress inauguration (in Malayalam)".
44. "News&contentId=6269200&tabId=11&BV_ID=@@@ Nihar Mukherjee again elected as SUCI's General Secretary "(In Malayalam)"".
45. [http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-9499.html SUCI rechristens itself as SUCI (Communist)]
46. "Provash Ghosh, SUCI General Secretary, Mathrubhumi Online, 5 March 2010, Kerala News ''(In Malayalam)''".
47. "ব্রিগেড থেকে সিপিএমকে বিঁধে সরব এসইউসি".
48. Provash Ghosh. (15 December 2013). "SUCI(C) calls for developing powerful socio-cultural movements based on higher ethics and morality to stop proliferation of depraved thoughts like homosexuality". Proletarian Era.
49. "Is sex education at school level acceptable?".
50. (10 April 2008). "SUCI leader commits suicide;Police gear up investigation".
51. https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/suci-leader-hangs-himself-in-puri-body-found-two-days-after-suicide-threat-to-protest-corruption-in-party/cid/600284
52. (10 April 2008). "বিধানের সেই 'চিঠি'". [[Aajkaal]].
53. (10 April 2008). "বিধানের খোঁজ নেই!". [[Aajkaal]].
54. (9 April 2008). "SUCI state secretary Provash Ghosh denies allegations".
55. https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/no-morgue-leader-buried/cid/600185