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We have noted in a previous article how Tribune quoted the statement Ad the Indian Communist Party on the border question without mentioning the fact that “a a substantial portion of the leadership of that party were opposed to Nehru — and also without referring to tho arrests of hundreds of members of the Indien C.P. by Nehru'ts police. It is now clear as to how the previous loft wing majority in the the Indian C.P. was overthrowne The New China News Agency of December 8th reports:
"The West Bengal and Punjab State Councils of the ‘Communist Party of India have beon reorganised following tho wanton arrests by the Indian Government of leading Communists ‘in these two states who opposed the anti-Chinese campaign eeseoeeaceces
"The Indian paper Statesman reported that the Vest Bengal Council of tho C.P.I. had been led by Indian Communists who persisted in the prolotarian stand on the Sino-Indian boundary question and opposed the anti-Chinese campaigne After the publication by the Chineso Government on November 21st of the statement on China's unilateral ceasefire and withdrawal on the . Sino—Indian border, the Indian Government carried out large-scale persecution of the Indian Communists in West Bengaleeeee Within a few days, fifty of the 101 West Bengal Council members of the C.P.I. were thrown behind bars. (The arrested 50 include all the mombers of the secretariat of the State Couneil) Following this, the leading body of the C.P.I. headed by Dange sent someone to West Bengal to convene the Party's State Council meeting on November 27th and reorganise the leading body of the State. Apart from the 50 arrested Council mombers, another 24 Council members were absent from the meeting. Only 27 Council mombers were present. The meeting elected a now secretary of the Patty's State Council and formed a new sccretariat and appointed a new editor and a chairman o the Party newspaper's editorial board.
"The Hindustan Standard reported that the roorganised leadership of the West Bengal State Council of the C.P.I. "is now said to be under the control of what is known as the Dange groupe" It was reported that immediately after the roorganisation of the leadership, the State Council meeting adopted an anti-~ sninese resolutiom
"The Hindustan Times roported that after the reorganisation of the eccoevsoeindian Communist Party in West Bengal State, the Party's Punjab State Council held a meeting on the following day, November 28th, to reorganise the Party's leading body im Punjab which had “passed over to the pro—Dange faction." the paper said that after the Chinese Government issuod its November 2lst statement eceoeemOst of the Indian Communist Party leaders of Punjab State were also persec= uted by the Indian Government. Twenty of the 24 member State iixecutive of the Party were arrested by the Government or were on the “wantcd" list. H.S. Surjeet Secretary of the Punjab State Council, and most of the “oxtremists" were thrown into jail within a few dayse The State Council held a meeting on November 28th to reorganise the leading organ. After reorganisation, "Four moderates of the 24 momber State Executive wha are out of jail assumed powers of full Executive and State Secretariat." The meeting also elected a new secretary of the Party's Punjab State Council and a new editor of the Party organ and appointed a new treasurer."