Impact of Communist Ideology on the Politics of Kashmir

The significance of communist ideology in the political process of Kashmir cannot be understood without examining the political milieu of Kashmir. It had a significant contribution in designing the socio-political and economic structure of Kashmir, being at the forefront in framing the policy of giving land to the tiller, and played a pivotal role in improving the conditions of the proletariat. According to the People’s Age, 2 June 1946, while commenting on the influence of communism in Kashmir, P.C. Joshi, the erstwhile general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), once asserted that ‘communists in Kashmir are respected and valued elements inside the common national movement’ (Grover 1995). The strength and weakness of the communists in Kashmir lie in the fact that they remained a part of the national movement and did not exist independent of it (ibid.). This paper discusses why and how that happened. Further, the other contributions and engagements of the communists will be dealt with in detail as the paper also aims to highlight the emergence of communism and its influence in the politics of Kashmir. It will also throw some light on the factors responsible for the decline of communism in Kashmir, which has not been academically debated and discussed.