Eternal Rival

Ram Manohar Lohia, who passed away in 1967, was one of the founders of the Congress Socialist ­Party in 1934 and a member of the secret team ­leading the Quit India ­movement, for which he was jailed (1944-46). After Independence, it became his dream to dismantle the ­Congress hold on Indian politics.

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The year 1967 was a tumultuous one, holding out myriad possibilities—of both hope and despair—all around the globe. It saw the capture and brutal killing of Che Guevara, as also millions of Americans flooding the country’s streets demanding peace. Expansionist nat­ionalism was being rejected by the masses, but Western governments were going ahead with their ‘secret wars’, undermining democracy in poorer countries. If there were inspiring moments, there were grave setbacks too.