Manilal Doctor - Final Years

Final Years

Manilal soon became a regular contributor to the Socialist, an English periodical in Bombay. He was soon involved in Socialist activities and came into contact with Communists who were trying to get organised in India. M.N. Roy’s idea of a party for the masses appealed to Manilal but he was opposed to the idea of infiltrating the Congress. He attended the Gaya Congress in 1923 and soon after issued a manifesto of the Labour and Kisan Party of India. This was soon used as model by the Communists, with whom Manilal was associated. Not surprisingly, he came to the attention of the authorities and spent some time defending others who shared his own left-leaning ideas. He was not happy with rivalries among Indian leaders and kept looking for outside openings. He tried to settle in Penang (Malaysia) but was warned by the Colonial Secretary for Singapore that he would be prevented from landing there. His dream of having a life of professional barrister was realised when the Chief Justice of Aden (with whom he had studied in London) asked him to come and practice there after assuring colonial authorities that he would not be a problem there as there was no indenture system in Aden.

He continued to provide service to the people of Aden and Somaliland (1935-1940) but the revolutionary and radical zeal seemed to have left him. He visited Mauritius in 1950 where he was enthusiastically welcomed. In 1953 he returned to India (from Aden) and lived in Bombay until his death on 8 January 1956.