H. N. Goshal
Encyclopedia
H. N. Goshal was a communist politician and trade union
leader in Burma, of Bengali
origin. Goshal was one of the foremost leaders of the Communist Party of Burma
and the most prominent theoretician of the party for several years. During the height of the Cultural Revolution
(which had repercussions in the Communist Party of Burma) Goshal was marginalized and killed in an inner-party purge.
Goshal graduated from Rangoon University. In August 1939, Goshal took part in the founding of the Communist Party of Burma. He was a member of the Bengali cell of the party. During the Japanese occupation, Goshal fled to India. During the early days of the Communist Party of Burma, Goshal played an important role as a liaison between the Burmese party and the Communist Party of India
(through its Bengal Provincial Committee).
After the death of Thakin Ba Hein, Goshal became the head of the All Burma Trade Union Congress
. Goshal's activities were mainly concentrated to Rangoon, organizing the largely Indian working class there.
Goshal is said to have visited India just before the Communist Party of India held its second congress of 1948 (some controversy exists regarding this subject; if he was in India and if so, which meetings he attended). In India, and other countries in Asia, the communist parties reoriented themselves towards a more confrontational line. Goshal edited a political and strategic document, calling for the Communist Party of Burma to prepare for armed struggle. The document would be nicknamed the 'Goshal Thesis'. The Goshal Thesis stood in sharp contrast to the 'Browderist
' positions the Communist Party of Burma had until then. The Goshal Thesis was adopted by the Communist Party of Burma at a mass meeting in Pyinmana
on March 14, 1948. At this point, Goshal emerged as the main theorist of the party.
In response to the Goshal Thesis, the Burmese government ordered a crack-down on the Communist Party. The party responded by calling on its leaders to head for the country-side and led guerrilla warfare from there. At this point, Goshal argued in favour of retaining the presence of the party in the cities and to mobilize for general strike
s and popular protests in Rangoon. Seemingly contradictory to the Goshal Thesis, Goshal was the sole Central Committee
member of the party that did not support the Maoist line of rural warfare.
During the 1960s Goshal was denounced in an inner-party purge, labelled 'the Liu Shaoqi
of Burma' and executed around April or May 1967. He had been on the losing side in a factional conflict following the return of a section of the party leadership that had been exiled in Beijing
. He lost an important vote at the Communist Party politburo
meeting of June 1965, where he had argued against Thakin Than Tun
's proposal to organize a new party school (Thakin Than Tun had returned from Beijing, whilst Goshal had been a leader of the party inside Burma. Thakin Than Tun had proposed setting up a new party school, with teachers trained in China).
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader in Burma, of Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
origin. Goshal was one of the foremost leaders of the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
and the most prominent theoretician of the party for several years. During the height of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
(which had repercussions in the Communist Party of Burma) Goshal was marginalized and killed in an inner-party purge.
Goshal graduated from Rangoon University. In August 1939, Goshal took part in the founding of the Communist Party of Burma. He was a member of the Bengali cell of the party. During the Japanese occupation, Goshal fled to India. During the early days of the Communist Party of Burma, Goshal played an important role as a liaison between the Burmese party and the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
(through its Bengal Provincial Committee).
After the death of Thakin Ba Hein, Goshal became the head of the All Burma Trade Union Congress
All Burma Trade Union Congress
The All Burma Trade Union Congress was a central trade union organisation in Burma. ABTUC was founded on January 30, 1940. ABTUC had its origins in the All Burma Labour Conference, which had been assembled by the Thakins in July 1939...
. Goshal's activities were mainly concentrated to Rangoon, organizing the largely Indian working class there.
Goshal is said to have visited India just before the Communist Party of India held its second congress of 1948 (some controversy exists regarding this subject; if he was in India and if so, which meetings he attended). In India, and other countries in Asia, the communist parties reoriented themselves towards a more confrontational line. Goshal edited a political and strategic document, calling for the Communist Party of Burma to prepare for armed struggle. The document would be nicknamed the 'Goshal Thesis'. The Goshal Thesis stood in sharp contrast to the 'Browderist
Earl Browder
Earl Russell Browder was an American communist and General Secretary of the Communist Party USA from 1934 to 1945. He was expelled from the party in 1946.- Early years :...
' positions the Communist Party of Burma had until then. The Goshal Thesis was adopted by the Communist Party of Burma at a mass meeting in Pyinmana
Pyinmana
Pyinmana ) is a logging town and sugarcane refinery center in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. The administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a militarized greenfield site two miles west of Pyinmana on November 6, 2005. Pyinmana is approximately north of Yangon...
on March 14, 1948. At this point, Goshal emerged as the main theorist of the party.
In response to the Goshal Thesis, the Burmese government ordered a crack-down on the Communist Party. The party responded by calling on its leaders to head for the country-side and led guerrilla warfare from there. At this point, Goshal argued in favour of retaining the presence of the party in the cities and to mobilize for general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
s and popular protests in Rangoon. Seemingly contradictory to the Goshal Thesis, Goshal was the sole Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
member of the party that did not support the Maoist line of rural warfare.
During the 1960s Goshal was denounced in an inner-party purge, labelled 'the Liu Shaoqi
Liu Shaoqi
Liu Shaoqi was a Chinese revolutionary, statesman, and theorist. He was Chairman of the People's Republic of China, China's head of state, from 27 April 1959 to 31 October 1968, during which he implemented policies of economic reconstruction in China...
of Burma' and executed around April or May 1967. He had been on the losing side in a factional conflict following the return of a section of the party leadership that had been exiled in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. He lost an important vote at the Communist Party politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
meeting of June 1965, where he had argued against Thakin Than Tun
Thakin Than Tun
Thakin Than Tun born in Kanyutkwin, Myanmar, was a Burmese politician and leader of the Communist Party of Burma from 1945 until his death at age 57.-Struggle for freedom:...
's proposal to organize a new party school (Thakin Than Tun had returned from Beijing, whilst Goshal had been a leader of the party inside Burma. Thakin Than Tun had proposed setting up a new party school, with teachers trained in China).