Hardial Bains

Hardial Bains
Founder and leader of the CPC (ML)
In office 1970–1997
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Sandra Smith
Personal details
Born	Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab state, India.
Died	August 24, 1997 Quebec
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist), Marxist–Leninist Party, USA, Communist Ghadar Party of India
Spouse(s)	Sandra Smith
Alma mater	University of British Columbia
Occupation	Politician

Hardial Bains (Punjabi: ਹਰਦਿਆਲ ਬੈਂਸ) (15 August 1939 – 24 August 1997) was a microbiology student and teacher, primarily known as the founder of a series of left-wing movements and parties foremost of which was the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist) (CPC (ML)). Presenting himself as staunchly anti-revisionist and pro-Stalinist, until his death, Bains acted the spokesperson and ideological leader of the CPC (ML) -- known in elections as the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. During span of his life, Bains' outlook swung from supporting the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, to Mao Zedong's China, then later to Enver Hoxa's Albania. Shortly before he died, and abandoning his previous sharp criticisms of the country, Bains turned to Fidel Castro's Cuba for inspiration. Spending most of his life in Canada, Bains was also politically active in England, Ireland and India.

Born in India into a communist family in the Punjab, Bains became a member of the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI). He was dismayed by what he saw as the revisionism of Nikita Khrushchev following the death of Joseph Stalin. He apparently broke with the party when CPI, during an underground period, supported Khrushchev's criticisms of Stalin. Shortly after, Bains emigrated to Canada and enrolled as a student in Bacteriology at the University of British Columbia, where he was an elected student leader.

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