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No Free Left: The Futures of Indian Communism
“Vijay Prashad is our own Frantz Fanon. His writing of protest is always tinged with the beauty of hope.” — Amitava Kumar
Do the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 signal the end of the road for the Left?
Over the past twenty years, the Indian political climate has shifted decidedly to the Right – with the BJP and the Congress dragging India into a growth trajectory that squanders the hopes of working people. The old consensus on Indian socialism is threadbare, and socialist parties in disarray.
The future of Indian communism is rooted in the popular hopes for a better tomorrow and in the popular discontent with the bitter present. No Free Left is a critical examination of the past of Indian Communism and an assessment of its future.
Most literature on Indian communism feels claustrophobic. It assumes that the communist movement lives on a detached landscape – its programme and political judgments are adjudged against a divine standard. A history of communism cannot be written, Gramsci said, without writing a “general history of a country.” Vijay Prashad does exactly that.
No Free Left stays alive to the details of the present while drawing out the long term dynamic, combining a rich historical survey with acute political analysis of the present. It is a compelling work for students of Indian politics. For activists of the Left, it is indispensable reading. Above all, it is a live work, an invitation to debate and discussion.
Vijay Prashad is the George and Martha Kellner Chair of South Asian History at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Darker Nations: A Biography of the Short-Lived Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South (both from LeftWord). He is a columnist for Frontline and al-Araby al-Jadeed. He is the Chief Editor of LeftWord Books.
Do the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 signal the end of the road for the Left?
Over the past twenty years, the Indian political climate has shifted decidedly to the Right – with the BJP and the Congress dragging India into a growth trajectory that squanders the hopes of working people. The old consensus on Indian socialism is threadbare, and socialist parties in disarray.
The future of Indian communism is rooted in the popular hopes for a better tomorrow and in the popular discontent with the bitter present. No Free Left is a critical examination of the past of Indian Communism and an assessment of its future.
Most literature on Indian communism feels claustrophobic. It assumes that the communist movement lives on a detached landscape – its programme and political judgments are adjudged against a divine standard. A history of communism cannot be written, Gramsci said, without writing a “general history of a country.” Vijay Prashad does exactly that.
No Free Left stays alive to the details of the present while drawing out the long term dynamic, combining a rich historical survey with acute political analysis of the present. It is a compelling work for students of Indian politics. For activists of the Left, it is indispensable reading. Above all, it is a live work, an invitation to debate and discussion.
Vijay Prashad is the George and Martha Kellner Chair of South Asian History at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Darker Nations: A Biography of the Short-Lived Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South (both from LeftWord). He is a columnist for Frontline and al-Araby al-Jadeed. He is the Chief Editor of LeftWord Books.
378 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
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515 people want to read
About the author
Vijay Prashad
82 books828 followersVijay Prashad is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Darker Nations: A Biography of the Short-Lived Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. His most recent book is Red Star Over the Third World. He writes regularly for Frontline, The Hindu, Alternet and BirGun.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 13, 2015
a "live work" about the development of communism in India. prashad discusses the early history of communism in india, the 'ghandian moment' and the tension between the man himself and the political movement that he represented, early independence, and then dives into the nitty-gritty of the CPI and later the CPI-Marxist and their work in selected Indian states- Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura mainly. he lays out the unique situation faced by Indian communists- navigating an extremely unequal and divided society with a democratic tradition and in increasingly hostile international conditions (neoliberalism, fragmentation of production, logistics, etc.). this comes to a head in West Bengal, for instance, when the Left Front (in power from the late 70s to 2014) reaches the limits of land reform under the Indian constitution and faces stagnant growth rates. they attempt to develop a chinese-style SEZ industrialization policy by inviting foreign capital into West Bengal and end up playing into the hands of the Maoists and the Trianmul Congress, their extra-parliamentary and parliamentary rivals, respectively. other, more inspiring stories come from places like Kerala where mass planning was tried in the 90s by devolving a third of the state budget to local communities for infrastructure projects and worker cooperatives. the work of the CPI-M (LeftWord books is the CPI-M english-language publishing house and prashad is either a member of the party or at the very least closely associated with it) in dalit communities, among women and against communal violence all across india is analyzed, warts and all.
near the end prashad discusses the possibility of 'indo-communism' and the persistent suggestions from indian liberals that the communists abandon their 'stubborn' commitment to the 'past' (marxism, proletarian dictatorship, the hammer and sickle, etc). one commentator suggests that the CPI-M needs a 'strong dose of revisionism' in order to stay 'relevant.' from the example most western leftists have of parliamentary left parties who modified their course and ended up dissolving or losing all political relevance (the eurocommunist parties of france, spain and italy), it might be tempting to regard the criticism of the CPI-M as leading to a similar end. in other words, this is the beginning of a story we're familiar with. prashad demonstrates that indian communism is not susceptible to becoming 'indocommunism' but is firmly committed at the same time to parliamentary work and organizing with a mass basis towards the same old goal- the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. along the way he also notes that every other political party in the Indian spectrum covers itself with historical symbols and constantly calls up past leaders and concepts. but only the communists are ever called 'outmoded' or 'clinging to the past' even as the congress party waves its legacy around and the bjp attempts to drag india back to an idealized ancient period.
anyway you need to know more about the history of india generally to get a lot out of this book. but as prashad says, quoting gramsci, it's not possible to write the history of a communist movement without writing a general history of its country. the unique challenges and opportunities ('futures') of indian communism go a long way towards educating someone like me about the uniqueness of india generally.
near the end prashad discusses the possibility of 'indo-communism' and the persistent suggestions from indian liberals that the communists abandon their 'stubborn' commitment to the 'past' (marxism, proletarian dictatorship, the hammer and sickle, etc). one commentator suggests that the CPI-M needs a 'strong dose of revisionism' in order to stay 'relevant.' from the example most western leftists have of parliamentary left parties who modified their course and ended up dissolving or losing all political relevance (the eurocommunist parties of france, spain and italy), it might be tempting to regard the criticism of the CPI-M as leading to a similar end. in other words, this is the beginning of a story we're familiar with. prashad demonstrates that indian communism is not susceptible to becoming 'indocommunism' but is firmly committed at the same time to parliamentary work and organizing with a mass basis towards the same old goal- the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. along the way he also notes that every other political party in the Indian spectrum covers itself with historical symbols and constantly calls up past leaders and concepts. but only the communists are ever called 'outmoded' or 'clinging to the past' even as the congress party waves its legacy around and the bjp attempts to drag india back to an idealized ancient period.
anyway you need to know more about the history of india generally to get a lot out of this book. but as prashad says, quoting gramsci, it's not possible to write the history of a communist movement without writing a general history of its country. the unique challenges and opportunities ('futures') of indian communism go a long way towards educating someone like me about the uniqueness of india generally.
January 13, 2021
There is a wealth of historical and political knowledge here, and Vijay Prashad brings his usual infectious passion to the subject matter.
The book takes its reader through a broad sweep of Indian history: from the rightward slide of the country since independence, the collapse of Indian socialism, the history and movements of the CPI-M and other left formations, to the present neoliberal moment.
My edition of the book could have used another edit as there were a surprising number of errors. I also felt that, at times, Prashad opted for breadth over depth. I found myself wishing he would expand on certain topics more. Of course, therein lies the beauty of footnotes- as one goes on, the allure of further reading is inescapable.
By the end, I was in a strange position of having my romanticization of the Indian Left both dampened and strengthened. Prashad's analysis of the incredibly difficult political, economic, and cultural terrain that the Left must operate on can be grim. Investment boycotts, deep social fissures, and the constitutional limitations of state government are all deep challenges for the Communists. But their struggles continue nonetheless. They fight an uphill battle to be sure, but continue to wage relentless fights against caste, patriarchy, and poverty. They have also made significant contributions in the states where they have taken office for sustained periods.
Still, given the many setbacks they have suffered in recent years, the future looks to be a difficult one. But how can one be unmoved by passages like this?:
"Still in pain, Mondal remembered refusing to budge when the men threatened her. 'What will you do?' she asked them. 'If you burn down my house, I will sleep in the open. What will you do? You will kill us all, but how many will you kill? There are still many more who will hold the red flag.'..Mondal comes from a dalit family, which benefited from the land reforms of the 1980s. 'My parents...got their land because of the red flag. The red flag gives them hope.'...Sanata Mondal's hopefulness captures the myth of Communism. It will prevail; it is decent; it can govern; it will win office, and then stand aside as the working-class and peasantry claim power and property."
The book takes its reader through a broad sweep of Indian history: from the rightward slide of the country since independence, the collapse of Indian socialism, the history and movements of the CPI-M and other left formations, to the present neoliberal moment.
My edition of the book could have used another edit as there were a surprising number of errors. I also felt that, at times, Prashad opted for breadth over depth. I found myself wishing he would expand on certain topics more. Of course, therein lies the beauty of footnotes- as one goes on, the allure of further reading is inescapable.
By the end, I was in a strange position of having my romanticization of the Indian Left both dampened and strengthened. Prashad's analysis of the incredibly difficult political, economic, and cultural terrain that the Left must operate on can be grim. Investment boycotts, deep social fissures, and the constitutional limitations of state government are all deep challenges for the Communists. But their struggles continue nonetheless. They fight an uphill battle to be sure, but continue to wage relentless fights against caste, patriarchy, and poverty. They have also made significant contributions in the states where they have taken office for sustained periods.
Still, given the many setbacks they have suffered in recent years, the future looks to be a difficult one. But how can one be unmoved by passages like this?:
"Still in pain, Mondal remembered refusing to budge when the men threatened her. 'What will you do?' she asked them. 'If you burn down my house, I will sleep in the open. What will you do? You will kill us all, but how many will you kill? There are still many more who will hold the red flag.'..Mondal comes from a dalit family, which benefited from the land reforms of the 1980s. 'My parents...got their land because of the red flag. The red flag gives them hope.'...Sanata Mondal's hopefulness captures the myth of Communism. It will prevail; it is decent; it can govern; it will win office, and then stand aside as the working-class and peasantry claim power and property."
May 25, 2017
"Laal jhanda lekar comrade aage badhte jayenge”. (Comrade, with red flag in our hands, we will continue marching forward).
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August 23, 2022Many interesting facts -- answered questions I had such as "What do Communist state governments actually do??" and "What are the relationships between the Communist parties, the Maoists, the Marxist-Leninists, Nehru Socialism, the Socialist parties, etc??". Poorly organised though.
July 22, 2020
This book is really good.
It clearly mentions the histories which developing India has went through, the mistakes made by
the right wingers, the mistakes made by the left wingers, the proposals made by the Communists and Socialists to the right wingers in the government. The proposals which were accepted and which were denied. How those decisions has shaped the country or could have changed.
It also well establishes the policies undertaken through the course of Indian Histories, how Industrialists have had a hand in swaying political decisions to benifit from them.
It clearly mentions the histories which developing India has went through, the mistakes made by
the right wingers, the mistakes made by the left wingers, the proposals made by the Communists and Socialists to the right wingers in the government. The proposals which were accepted and which were denied. How those decisions has shaped the country or could have changed.
It also well establishes the policies undertaken through the course of Indian Histories, how Industrialists have had a hand in swaying political decisions to benifit from them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 29, 2023vijay prashad has such clear and concise writing; a really interesting look at the history and futures of the indian left
April 16, 2020
Boring and no definite purpose of the book
It's a poorly written book, tough to read and very unsynchorized chapters and themes. Trying to defend violence pertupated by CPI-M,Not a single question that is raised on left like violence, there bengal failure , murdering the education in bengal, to killing the industrialisiation that is answered . Even the history of left in india is flawed and detailed.
It's a poorly written book, tough to read and very unsynchorized chapters and themes. Trying to defend violence pertupated by CPI-M,Not a single question that is raised on left like violence, there bengal failure , murdering the education in bengal, to killing the industrialisiation that is answered . Even the history of left in india is flawed and detailed.
October 11, 2025
Great summary of the history of the leftist movement in India. The immense amount of information that Vijay dropped in such a short read is an incredible feat. It can be too much data at times but the overarching narrative throughout is clear.
4/5 ⭐️
4/5 ⭐️
April 13, 2020
Very excellent analysis of the Indian communist movement. Gives you a hope for the future.
April 14, 2024
Exiles from a future time
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews