Countries in the Indian subcontinent, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, and Afghanistan, have all experienced periods of military or monarchical rule in post-independence. India, however, stands out for its uninterrupted democratic governance, free from military or monarchical dominance. Unlike Bhutan and Nepal, which retained kings after independence, or Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma, where military rule remains a strong force even today, India has never experienced such interventions.
This raises an important question: what made India different? Why didn’t the military or monarchs seize power in India, as they did elsewhere? To find the answer, we need to look at the early years of post-independence India, especially the 1950s, when the country was grappling with crucial issues like land reforms, the abolition of the zamindari system, and the imposition of land ceiling laws.
In neighboring countries, the military often intervened when the redistribution of land or the abolition of zamindari was discussed. This was particularly true in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka from the 1970s onward. However, by that time, India had already made significant strides in addressing these issues.
I came to understand this unique trajectory while meeting Somnath Patra and studying the works of Pakistani Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed (Writer of “The Pakistan Garrison state: Origin, evolution and consequences”). My research into the differing political paths taken by countries in the subcontinent is still ongoing, but India’s distinct approach is clear.
Meeting Somnath Patra
From Bhubaneswar, a bus route leads to Kakatapur, and about three kilometers further down the road toward Konark lies the village of Bajpur. It’s a serene place with houses lining both sides of the road. As you enter the village, about 10 or 15 houses in, you’ll find the home of Somnath Patra, a man once known locally as the “Gandhi of Kakatpur.”
When I first met him, he was around 92 or 93 years old. I was accompanied by my friend Surendra Tapasu from Puri. Somnath Patra, an iconic figure in the region, welcomed us into his home.
As he recounted, “Under the leadership of the All India Farmers’ Association, the Telangana movement in the 1940s (a struggle for farmers’ land rights) and the Tebhaga movement in West Bengal (demanding two-thirds of the crop yield for farmers) had a significant impact on the Ganjam district of Odisha. In 1948, after independence, during a clash in Takarda, police opened fire on protesters, killing four women and two men. This sparked further unrest in the Nimapada region of Puri.”
The zamindars held immense power across Odisha, particularly in coastal regions. Powerful landowners like Emar Math, Dakshinaparswa Math, Mahiprakash Math, the Mishra family of Puri, and a Muslim leader from Cuttack were all part of this oppressive hierarchy. “When we fought against Emar Math,” Somnath recalled, “we raised slogans like ‘Math land should be cooperative, cancel tax, end harassment.’ We also sang songs that criticized the zamindars: ‘They eat the finest food while we are left with crumbs.’”
Somnath Patra had joined the Odisha Farmers’ Association in 1943, which was closely affiliated with the Indian Communist Party at the time. During British rule, land in India was divided into British-administered areas and princely states, where people paid taxes to either the British or their local kings. However, zamindars and kings wielded absolute control over the land. The Communist Party led the farmers’ movement, demanding land ownership for the farmers themselves.
This movement, which began in the 1940s, called for the redistribution of land, wage increases for agricultural workers, the abolition of the zamindari system, and farmers’ rights over their produce. The British government responded with severe repression, using the Defense of India Act to arrest thousands of farmers and Communist activists.
At that time, influential figures like Bhagavati Panigrahi, Prananath Pattnaik, Ananta Pattnaik, and Sachidananda Routray were actively involved in these movements. Workers traveled from village to village, uniting farmers through songs and performances, chanting, “In muddy water, we toil to earn a living, but the king and zamindar take half of what we produce.”
Post-Independence Repression
After independence, the Indian government, under Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership, continued to repress farmers’ movements. From 1947 to 1949, the Congress government arrested over 50,000 people and detained 250,000 more under the same Defence of India Act used by the British. The struggle for land rights continued, leading to the passing of India’s first preventive detention law, the Preventive Detention Act (PD Act), in 1950. Under the guise of maintaining “social order,” this act gave the government sweeping powers to detain anyone without trial.
In 1950 alone, 10,962 people were detained under the PD Act, followed by 2,316 in 1951, and 1,116 in 1952. Many Communist Party workers were arrested, including Somnath Patra, who spent a total of four years in jail, likely under both the British-era Defense of India Act and the PD Act. Somnath could not recall specific details due to the passage of time, but he vividly remembered being incarcerated in the Puri, Cuttack, and Berhampur jails.
A Legacy of Struggle
These struggles ultimately led to the abolition of the zamindari system in India. In Odisha, this occurred in the 1950s under the leadership of Chief Minister Nabakrushna Choudhury. Farmers were granted ownership of the land they worked. However, sharecroppers, to this day, have yet to receive full land rights.
When I asked Somnath Patra what drew him to communism, he responded, “I became a communist after studying Indian philosophy. The ideas of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah’ – ‘Let all be happy, and may no one be the cause of another’s suffering,’ and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘The whole world is one family,’ made me a communist. I believe socialism is inherent in Indian philosophy.”
The Struggles Continue
Today, despite rising unemployment, poverty, displacement, migration, bonded labor, suicides, natural disasters, and life-threatening diseases like cancer, corporate owners continue to amass wealth, shaping the country’s policies to their advantage. This is entirely opposed to the democratic ideals of equality and justice. The root cause of this disparity is corporate rule. Political parties that claim to uphold the principles of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ are the very ones enabling the creation of billionaires, thus posing an even greater threat to democracy.
Just as land ownership in India is subject to ceilings, there is a need for economic ceilings on the income of the country’s industrialists. However, no political party today is willing to champion such reforms. This underscores the need for a renewed protest movement, one that can rescue Indian democracy from its current state of despair.
Somnath Patra’s Contributions
Over the years, Somnath Patra dedicated himself to writing. His notable works include Simple Marxism, Farmers’ Movements in Odisha, The Role of Kakatpur in India’s Independence Movement, The Olive Flame of the Living Island, The Bhagavad Gita in Brief, Philosophy and Science, Gita Reflections, and Pathara Kahe Katha (a collection of poems). He has already written twenty above books, all in Odia. Yet, despite his literary contributions, he never retired from activism.
Now a centenarian, Somnath Patra resides with his son in Bhubaneswar due to frail health. His legacy as a fighter for the rights of farmers, and a lifelong advocate for socialism and equality, continues to inspire those who believe in the power of collective struggle.
Deba Ranjan is a social activist. Email: [email protected]
