Archive · 16 Sep 2025
Historian Irfan Habib Criticizes CPI's Past Congress-League Stance
Imagine two groups in a country, one trying to get independence (Congress) and another with different ideas (Muslim League).
A historian, Irfan Habib, thinks the people in the Communist Party (CPI) in the past were wrong to treat both groups the same.
He said the League was for some of its own people, unlike the Congress which was for the whole nation, and that decision caused problems and divided people.
He wants the current people to discuss those old choices.
Some leaders are now going to work to keep alive the good ideas of former leaders.
Historian Irfan Habib criticized the CPI's historical equation of Congress and Muslim League.
Habib spoke at the inaugural Sitaram Yechury Memorial Lecture.
He urged the communist movement to re-evaluate its stance from the 1930s to 1947-48.
The CPI's draft political resolution earlier ruled out a political alliance with the Congress.
A group led by economist Prabhat Patnaik will be set up to carry forward Yechury's legacy.
- Who
- Historian Irfan Habib, CPM General Secretary M.A. Baby, and economist Prabhat Patnaik
- What
- Habib criticized the CPI's historical equation of the Congress and Muslim League, with plans to establish a group to carry forward Yechury's legacy.
- When
- Addressed the lecture on Monday; covering events from the 1930s to 1947-48.
- Where
- H.K.S. Surjeet Bhavan
- Why
- To discuss and re-evaluate the communist movement's past positions, particularly regarding the Congress and Muslim League.
- Speaker
- Irfan Habib
- Event
- Sitaram Yechury Memorial Lecture
- Venue
- H.K.S. Surjeet Bhavan
- Main Topic
- Re-evaluation of CPI's stance
- Year Discussed
- 1930s to 1947-48