Democracy in India is a sham' which party advocated this?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The correct option is 3, C. P. I. (M. L.) or Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). This party originated from the Naxalite movement, which began with an armed peasant uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal, in 1967. The core ideology of the CPI (M.L.), formalized in 1969 under leaders like Charu Majumdar, was based on radical Maoist principles, which fundamentally rejected the Indian parliamentary system. They viewed the Indian state, including its democratic structure, elections, and institutions, as nothing more than a "sham" or a deceptive cover for the ruling class (landlords and big bourgeoisie) to exploit the masses. Therefore, the CPI (M.L.) advocated for the overthrow of the state machinery through "annihilation of class enemies" and armed struggle, rather than participating in what they considered to be fraudulent parliamentary politics. This radical rejection of constitutional democracy is the defining feature that aligns the CPI (M.L.) with the statement "Democracy in India is a sham."

The incorrect option is 1:

The Swatantra Party, founded in 1959 by C. Rajagopalachari, was a right-wing, classical liberal political party. Its core philosophy centered on minimal government intervention (laissez-faire), free-market principles, and opposition to the socialist and state-controlled policies of the Congress party under Nehru. While the Swatantra Party was a vigorous critic of the Congress party's policies, which they often termed 'permit-licence Raj,' they fundamentally operated within and upheld the constitutional democratic framework of India. They contested elections and sought to change policies through parliamentary means, never calling Indian democracy itself a "sham" in the radical, revolutionary sense of the CPI (M.L.). Their criticism was directed at the socialist economic *policies* of the ruling government, not the democratic *system* itself.

The incorrect option is 2:

The Forward Bloc was formed in 1939 by Subhas Chandra Bose after he resigned as the President of the Indian National Congress. This party primarily advocated for complete independence and a revolutionary approach against British rule, maintaining a socialist and nationalist outlook. Post-independence, the Forward Bloc participated in electoral politics and, while critical of the ruling Congress party, especially regarding its foreign policy and economic direction, it did not dismiss the constitutional democratic structure as a complete "sham." Its historical context and political activities place it within the parliamentary democratic sphere, unlike the Maoist revolutionary posture of the CPI (M.L.).

The incorrect option is 4:

The C. P. I. (M.) or Communist Party of India (Marxist) split from the CPI in 1964. While the CPI (M) is ideologically rooted in Marxism and critiques the existing socio-economic structure of India, it chose to work within the constitutional democratic framework. The CPI (M) participates actively in elections, has successfully formed governments in states like West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura, and believes in achieving socialism through parliamentary struggle and mass mobilization. Although it criticizes the weaknesses and bourgeois nature of Indian democracy, it acknowledges and utilizes the electoral process, which fundamentally contradicts the absolute rejection expressed in the phrase "Democracy in India is a sham," a position reserved for its more radical offshoot, the CPI (M.L.).