Many International events occurred towards the end of the 19th century and beginning of 20th century that had great influence on the Indian political leadership that was, at that time, embroiled in the struggle for independence from British colonial rule. One such event was the Russian Revolution of 1917. The revolution resulted in the overthrow of the imperial Czar Monarchy and establishment of the first Communist State, the Union of Soviet Socialist.
Republics (USSR). Its impact on Indian political leadership can be summed up as under:
1. Communism provided an alternative form of polity that challenged Western Capitalism. Marxism and socialism emerged as widely accepted principles among the masses. Leaders like Pandit nehru, netaji Subhash Chandra Bose etc. openly committed themselves to the upholding of Socialist values.
2. Stimulated the oppressed workers and peasants to fight for their rights. The mill workers' struggle in Bombay in the 1920s was in this context. Many peasant organisations were also formed along Soviet lines that led to rise of many peasant leaders such as Sahajanand etc.
3. Inspired the formation of Communist Party of India that helped the spread of Communist values of dignity of labour, equality, and collective action. Many other socialist organizations were formed later such as Congress Socialist Party, Hindustan Socialist Republican Army etc.
4. Inspired the Indian freedom struggle as a whole. If workers and peasants could overthrow the mighty Czar, then, Indians too could collectively oust the British. Youth poured into the Indian freedom struggle led by Congress.
5. The unilateral renunciation by the new Soviet government of the erstwhile Czar's colonies in Asia and Europe served as a moral snub to the Western colonial powers. Unconditional moral support by the Soviet leaders to the struggling colonies including India motivated the Indian political class.
Russian Revolution and its grand success were like bursts of light for the Indian political class which was gasping for breath under colonial darkness. It was a transformative period in the struggle for independence when old veterans like B. G. Tilak, G. K. Gokhale etc. had become either too old or tired of British oppression. It was then that the revolution reinvigorated the masses and heralded a new phase in freedom struggle that was guided by mass political action under Gandhi; very much like the Bolshevik revolution under Lenin, though in a non violent manner.
Reaction of the British:
1. The British colonial authorities reacted with paranoia and heavy handedness against Indian communist leaders. M.N. Roy was jailed and exiled, mass espionage was conducted on leaders suspected of being Committer agents etc. Many other leaders such as Nalini Gupta were jailed under the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy case; revolutionaries such as Bhagat SIngh were hanged.
2. Oppressive legislations were enacted such as Public Safety act, Trade disputes Act etc to curb worker activities and industrial strikes.
The British feared an occurrence of Russian Revolution kind of uprising in India if the Indian Communist leaders, industrial workers and peasants were allowed to group together and hence every effort was made at every bureaucratic level to outlaw the Communists and prevent the workers and peasants from spawning a revolt.
