Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book investigates the united front as a conceptual framework for collaboration to assess the extent to which cooperation between socialists and communists was feasible and practicable in mid- and late-1930s. It relies heavily on Jayaprakash Narayan's attitude about united front because he was its chief architect and remained devoted to the notion of Left unity well after actual united front crumbled. The book also employs the notion of the united front as a vehicle for identifying and compensating for prejudices which permeate sources about Congress Socialist Party (CSP)–Communist Party of India (CPI) cooperation. By presenting the united front as a product of ideological evolution, this book contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of a narrow, albeit significant, component of India's struggle for national liberation while concurrently assessing, in a more meaningful manner, a foundational ideological component of that struggle.