The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) or SUCI(C) is an anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist communist party in India. The party was founded by Shibdas Ghosh, Nihar Mukherjee and others in 1948.
Ideology
SUCI(C) is a communist party in India,[1] and follows a Marxist-Leninist ideological line formulated by Shibdas Ghosh.
SUCI(C) leadership emphasizes the qualitative upliftment of party cadres, workers of mass-organisations and supporters, by both theoretical study of Marxism-Leninism-Shibdas Ghosh Thought and the practical application of such knowledge in the day-to-day life of party workers. In various publications of the party, SUCI upholds the proletarian cultural standard, which, according to the leadership, should be achieved by the cadres, before they can lead the masses in the Socialist Revolution.
The 1st SUCI Party Congress was held in Kolkata in 1988. The 2nd party congress was held from 11 to 17 November 2009 in Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi attended by thousands of participants from 22 states and observers from several foreign countries. The current political line of the party was formulated in the 2nd party congress.[3][4][5] The party's name was changed from Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) to Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) [SUCI (C)] at the second party congress.[6]
Parliamentary politics
From its inception, SUCI took part in parliamentary elections and was part of the United Front governments in West Bengal in 1967–1969 and 1969–1970 together with CPI(M) and others. The party had a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 4th Lok Sabha from Jaynagar.[7][8] The SUCI had presence in the legislative assemblies of Assam, Bihar and Orissa at various times. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections SUCI launched 56 candidates, 30 of them from West Bengal. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections SUCI declared 40 candidates from 12 states.[9]
Until 2014, Tarun Mandal, representing Jaynagar in West Bengal, was party's sole and last MP. After 2014 Lok Sabha and 2016 Vidhan Sabha elections, it has no MP or MLA in India.
Current situation
SUCI(C) members live in communes wherein they lead a simple life style. Day-to-day upkeep of the commune and the well being of the children of party members living in the communes are taken care by the shared efforts of party members. Major income of the party is from box collection in the streets and house to house collection; members who are employed hand in their salaries to the party. The party contests elections with the money collected through this transparent fund raising method.[10][11][12]
The stronghold of the party is in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, in areas such as Jaynagar Majilpur where it controls certain municipalities.
SUCI(C) is actively involved in the ongoing anti-Special Economic Zone movements in India. The most notable of these movements that the party is active in are:
The Moolampally (Cochin, Kerala) land evictees agitation for an appropriate rehabilitation package. The general convener of the Moolampally agitation is Francis Kalathunkal, the local secretary of SUCI(C).[21][22]
The party is also actively involved in the agitation of landless in Chengara (Pathanamthitta, Kerala) called Chengara Samaram in popular media.[23][24]
Shibdas Ghosh, Founder General Secretary of SUCINihar Mukherjee Memorial Meeting held in Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on 3 March 2010
Campaigns
The Gherao principle was introduced as a formal mode of protest in the trade union sector by Subodh Banarjee, who was a central committee member of SUCI and the PWD and Labor Minister in the 1967 and 1969 United Front Governments in West Bengal, respectively.[29][30][31]
One of the major campaigns of the party in West Bengal has been its agitations against the educational policy of the Left Front state government. The decision of the Left Front government to remove the English language from primary education sparked a mass movement led by the SUCI for the reinstatement of English.[32][33][34]
Below is a chronological list of campaigns organised by the SUCI(C) in West Bengal:
1953: Tram fare protest movement was organised by the SUCI.[35]
1954: In 1954, the SUCI organised the teachers' movement.[35]
1983: A movement was led by the party against bus fare hike.[35]
1988: First Party Congress in Kolkata (24–29 March)
1990: Another movement was organised by the 13 Left Parties [COI(ML), CPI(ML)ND and others] along with SUCI against the Government of West Bengal for bus fare hike and a Bangla bandh in September to protest against the death of Madhai Halder, a party supporter killed in police firing at the Esplanade on 31 August 1990. This was the first bandh.[35]
1991: A protest was led by the organisation against electricity price hike.[35]
1991: The SUCI organised a movement against the state education policy.[35]
1998: Bangla bandh on 3 February in order to bring back English at the primary education. This was the second bandh.[35]
2000: The SUCI organised a protest movement demanding English as a compulsory subject at primary education.[35]
2008: 21 12 April-hour statewide shutdown in West Bengal jointly called by the Trinamool Congress and SUCI.
2011: The movement against anti eviction drive at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Forming a public Committee "BASTI BACHAO SANGRASH SAMITI". Lakhs of people protested against government forceful campaign.[36]
SUCI mural in Kolkata, announcing 'SUCI day' rally on 24 April
Leadership
Provash Ghosh is the current leader of the party. He was elected as the General Secretary of the party by the central committee on 4 March 2010.[37]
After Shibdas Ghosh's death in 1976, Nihar Mukherjee, a co-founder of SUCI, became the General Secretary. Mukherjee died of cardiac arrest on 18 February 2010 at Kolkata.[38]
The central committee members of the party are:
They are often criticized by the other Left parties for supporting a nondemocratic anti-communist party like TMC, to defeat the Left Government. After breaking the alliance with TMC, Provash Ghosh said in a press statement, "The CPI(M) government had turned 'anti-people' therefore it was extremely important to end their 34-year tenure in the state", he also added, "Our main target of dislodging the CPI(M) government has been achieved, and we are no longer an ally of TMC. We are ready to sit in opposition".[50]
^Balan S.S, Wednesday, 21 February 2008, Viplavathintte Kudumbayogam (in Malayalam; Family of Revolutionaries), Kerala Kaumudi Online Edition (Malayalam Daily). Retrieved on 22 February 2008. [1]
^Athul Lal AG, 1 April 2009, For Whom Fund Raising is Transparent, Indian Express (National Daily), Thiruvananthapuram. Retrieved on 1 April 2009. [2]
^Sreejan B, 26 April 2009, An uphill battle for the upright , Indian Express (National Daily), Thiruvananthapuram. Retrieved on 26 April 2009. [3]Archived 16 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
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