Conjunctural Community Communism in Malabar, 1934-1948

Conjunctural Community: Communism in Malabar, 1934-1948 Dilip M Menon This paper seeks to explore social relations in north Malabar in the period between 1934 and 1948 and the attempts of Congress socialism and subsequently communism to resolve the problem of caste inequality in the region. The one theme unifying these endeavours was the aspiration towards creating a community of equals. It will be argued here that the idea of community represents an aspiration and not an achieved entity; communities are always in the process of formation without reaching realisation. There can only be conjunctural creations of community when a temporary balance is achieved between diverse individual initiatives.