From the 1950s to the 1990s, left-wing thought played a major role in Indian society. From shaping the nascent Indian state after the British left, with Indians turning to socialist ideas to combat the ravages of colonialism, to the stasis of the big Central government measures like the license permit raj and freight equalisation.

Things, however, are quite different now. India’s youth has little experience of the Left. India’s largest left-wing party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), in fact, barely has a presence in Parliament. From 43 seats in 2004, it has only four in the Lok Sabha today.

On Scroll Adda, the CPI(M)’s Saira Shah Halim joins Shoaib Daniyal to explain why communism lost its appeal and how she thinks the reds can make a comeback.

#communism #socialism #CPIM #Left #westbengal #kerala #Maoists #China

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