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What was the Dutt-Bradley thesis?
Explanation
The Dutt-Bradley thesis, titled 'The Anti-Imperialist People’s Front in India', was a landmark Communist document published in 1936 by Rajani Palme Dutt and Ben Bradley. It marked a significant shift in the Communist Party of India's (CPI) strategy, moving away from its previous 'ultra-left' sectarian stance that had isolated it from the mainstream national movement. The thesis argued that the Indian National Congress could play a 'great' and 'foremost' part in realizing an anti-imperialist people's front. It advocated for the unification of all anti-imperialist forces—including the Congress, the Congress Socialist Party, and trade unions—to create a mass United National Front against British imperialism. By making the National Congress the 'pivot' of this front, the communists sought to transform the national struggle into a more radical and inclusive movement.