M. N. Roy

M. N. Roy, whose birth name was Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, was born on 21 March 1887 in the Bengal Presidency, in present-day West Bengal, India. He became involved in the revolutionary nationalist movement during his youth and was associated with the Jugantar revolutionary network. His early political activities were directed against British colonial rule.

During the First World War, Roy traveled outside India in search of support and arms for the Indian revolutionary movement. His journey took him through several countries before he eventually reached Mexico. During this period, he adopted the name Manabendra Nath Roy, commonly shortened to M. N. Roy.

In Mexico, Roy became increasingly interested in Marxism and socialist politics. In 1919, he helped establish the Mexican Communist Party, making him an important figure in the development of communist politics outside Russia. His activities brought him into contact with the international communist movement and the Communist International, or Comintern.

Roy traveled to Moscow and participated in the Communist International. He attended the Second Congress of the Comintern in 1920 and became involved in debates concerning colonialism, nationalism and revolutionary strategy. He later served in important roles within the international communist movement and was sent to China as a representative of the Comintern.

Roy's relationship with the Communist International eventually deteriorated. He developed differences with the leadership of the movement, particularly after Joseph Stalin's rise to prominence. By the late 1920s, Roy had separated from orthodox communist politics and began developing an independent political outlook.

Roy returned to India in 1930 and was arrested by the British authorities. He was sentenced to six years in prison. During his imprisonment, he devoted considerable attention to political and philosophical writing and reconsidered many of his earlier Marxist ideas.

After his release, Roy became briefly associated with the Indian National Congress. His political views, however, increasingly diverged from those of the mainstream Congress leadership. During the Second World War, he supported the Allied war effort because he regarded fascism as a major threat to political freedom and democracy. He eventually left Congress and established the Radical Democratic Party.

In the later part of his life, Roy developed a philosophy known as Radical Humanism, also called New Humanism. It emphasized reason, individual freedom, scientific inquiry, morality and human development. His later thought represented a significant departure from orthodox Marxism and placed the individual human being at the centre of political and philosophical life.

Roy launched the Radical Humanist Movement in India in 1948. His ideas were further expressed through writings such as New Humanism and the Twenty-Two Theses. He argued for a democratic social order based on individual freedom, rational thought and organized participation rather than political dogma.

M. N. Roy died in Dehradun on 25 January 1954. His intellectual career is notable for its movement from revolutionary nationalism to international communism and ultimately to Radical Humanism. He remains a significant figure in the study of modern Indian political thought, revolutionary movements and humanist philosophy.