Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939?

  1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
  2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
  3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
  4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.

Select the answer using the code given below:

  • 1, 2 and 3
  • 1, 2 and 4
  • 2 and 4 only
  • 1, 3 and 4

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4

  • Statement 1 is correct: Subhas Chandra Bose ran for a second term as Congress President at the 1939 Tripuri session, defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya. However, Mahatma Gandhi opposed this radical shift and famously declared Sitaramayya’s defeat as his own. Failing to win Gandhi’s confidence, Bose was crippled by a deadlock, unable to form his Congress Working Committee. He resigned in April 1939 and subsequently founded the Forward Bloc.
  • Statement 2 is correct: Bose intended to consolidate all anti-imperialist, radical, and left-wing factions. However, the Congress Left was severely disunited and failed to present a cohesive front to back him during his standoff with the moderate ‘Old Guard’.
  • Statement 4 is correct: The disunity peaked when Govind Ballabh Pant moved a resolution requiring Bose to nominate his Working Committee strictly according to Gandhi’s wishes. Key left-wing entities, including Jayaprakash Narayan’s Congress Socialist Party (CSP) and the followers of M.N. Roy, abstained from voting against this resolution. They prioritized the overarching unity of the Indian National Congress, fearing that supporting Bose would split the national movement.
  • Why Statement 3 is incorrect: Statement 3 is incorrect because the Communists did support Bose in his initial endeavours. The Communist Party of India (CPI) actively voted for Bose during his 1939 presidential re-election. Furthermore, after Bose formed the Forward Bloc, the Communists collaborated with him by joining the Left Consolidation Committee (LCC) in June 1939 to unite left-wing elements, even though this alliance eventually fractured.
    • During the 1939 Tripuri Crisis, Bose’s isolation was driven by Gandhi’s opposition and the CSP/Royists prioritizing Congress unity. The Communists, conversely, were among the few factions that initially backed Bose’s radical block.

Ideological and Ideational Conflict with Mahatma Gandhi

  • The Tripuri Crisis (1939): Subhas Chandra Bose defeated Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya (Gandhi’s preferred candidate) to be re-elected as Congress President at the Tripuri Session. Gandhi declared Sitaramayya’s defeat as “more mine than his.”
  • The Pant Resolution: A resolution moved by Govind Ballabh Pant bound Bose to nominate the Congress Working Committee (CWC) strictly in accordance with Gandhi’s wishes.
  • The Resignation Trigger: Because Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi and could not bridge the strategic divide regarding an immediate pan-Indian mass movement against the British, he resigned from the Congress presidency in April 1939. This directly necessitated the formation of a new left-wing platform within the Congress—the All India Forward Bloc (formed in May 1939).

Fragmentation of the Left Wing Within Congress

  • Disunity of the Congress Left: The Left wing within the Indian National Congress (consisting of Socialists, Communists, and Royists) was highly fractured and failed to form a unified front behind Bose during his conflict with the Right-wing old guard.
  • The Neutrality Trap: Despite early ideological alignments, when the crucial vote on the Pant Resolution took place at Tripuri, the Congress Socialist Party (CSP), under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, decided to remain neutral. This effectively withdrew critical structural support from Bose.
  • The Priority of Congress Unity: Socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and the followers of M.N. Roy (Radical Democrats) strongly preferred maintaining the internal unity of the National Congress as a united anti-imperialist front under Gandhi’s leadership rather than backing Bose’s factional struggle, which they feared would split the national movement.

Stance of the Communists (CPI)

  • Strategic Shift: The Communist Party of India (CPI), operating under the “National Front” strategy, initially backed Bose during his presidential election.
  • The Separation: However, during the decisive structural clash post-Tripuri, the Communists chose to side with the CSP’s line of maintaining Congress organizational unity. They refused to join Bose in any program that would lead to a formal break from the Gandhian leadership, thereby leaving Bose isolated.

Chronological Summary of the Forward Bloc (May 1939 onwards)

  • Initial Status: Formed originally as a faction inside the Indian National Congress aimed at rallying all left-wing and radical elements.
  • The Manifesto: Demanded the immediate preparation of a mass struggle against British rule and opposed any compromise on imperialist participation in the impending World War.
  • The Ultimate Severance: In August 1939, Bose protested against a Congress command ruling restricting provincial committees from launching civil disobedience without central permission. This led to his disqualification from holding any elective Congress post for three years, cementing the Forward Bloc as an independent political entity.