Centre of Indian Communists (CIC) was a minor Maoist group in the Indian state of Kerala 1974–1978. CIC was a continuation of the Communist Unity Centre, formed in 1972 and was later supplanted by the Communist Bolshevik Party. CIC was formed by sectors that had broken away from the Communist Party of India (Marxist). CIC represented a moderate trend in the Indian Maoist movement. The organization was banned during the Emergency.
History
Communist Unity Centre 1972-1974
The Communist Unity Centre, the forerunner of CIC, was formed in April 1972 through the merger of the groups of A. V. Aryan, K. P. R. Gopalan and Arayakandi Achuthan. A.V. Aryan's group was a significant split from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Thrissur. Primarily CUC challenged CPI(M) for control over the trade union movement in the area. CUC was denounced as a 'Naxalite' group by CPI(M), and Azhikodan Raghavan had been tasked by E.M.S. Namboodiripad to break the influence of CUC in the area. A.V. Aryan was released, whilst one of his co-defendants was sentenced to life imprisonment and the six others to one year and a half in prison. The convention was attended by 500 delegates, including some prominent former CPI(M) members. Arayakandi Achuthan was one of the committee members. CIC denounced the Communist Party of India for 'right-wing opportunism', the CPI(M) for 'left-wing opportunism' and CPI(ML) for 'adventurism'.
At the time of its foundation CIC claimed to be in contact with groups outside Kerala, such as the Lenin Banner group in West Bengal, the T. Nagi Reddy group in Andhra Pradesh and the A.K. Roy group in Bihar. After the end of the Emergency the Shah Commission noted that one member of the banned CIC was detained. The ban was lifted in March 1977. In May 1978 The Hindu reported that members of CIC had participated in the founding of the a new party, Communist (Bolshevik) Party, in at a conference in Cochin, together with former members of CPI, CPI(M), the Communist Unity Centre and the People's Democratic Front. The main leaders of the Communist Bolshevik Party were K.P.R. Gopalan and A.V. Aryan. In 1979 the publication Bolshevik began to be issued from Thrissur, edited by A.V. Aryan.
See also
- List of Naxalite and Maoist groups in India