With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements : 1. It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes. 2. It wanted to establish the dictatorship of proletariat. 3. It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) None ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• The Congress Socialist Party (1934), founded by Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deva and Minoo Masani, worked within the Congress for a socialist programme — land reform, nationalisation of key industries and organisation of workers and peasants.
• It did not adopt boycott and tax evasion as its programme (1, these were Congress-wide civil-disobedience tactics), rejected the Communist goal of a dictatorship of the proletariat in favour of democratic socialism (2), and opposed separate electorates (3).
• Hence none, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- Neither boycott/tax evasion nor proletarian dictatorship was CSP's programme.
- (b) 3 only
- CSP opposed separate electorates.
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- None of the three statements is correct.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.