By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) decision to initiate a “rectification campaign” to overcome shortcomings within its ranks has been welcomed by party leaders in Kerala.
Party general secretary Prakash Karat said in New Delhi Sunday after a central committee meeting that a rectification document has been prepared with guidelines for strengthening the party, maintaining communist norms and values, and remoulding the outlook of the party members towards upholding progressive values.
“The rectification campaign based on this document, will be initiated at all levels of the party,” Karat said.
The drubbing the party received in the April-May Lok Sabha election, where its tally plummetted to 16 seats from the previous 43 in 2004, has made it sit up and do some introspection.
A CPI-M minister, pleading anonymity, told IANS that the party move was a sign that it has admitted to shortcomings within itself.
“Certainly, one should see that the party has admitted that there are shortcomings within the party. By identifying the problem now, the treatment will begin,” the minister said.
He said a similar exercise was initiated by the party in 1996. “However, that never had any teeth. It was initiated with good intention then, but this time it would be implemented in letter and spirit,” he added.
The 1996 rectification process was aimed to cleanse the party at all levels and to ensure that party members and leaders should not fall into the trap set by private companies and business interest groups.
It asked cadres and their family members to see that they “live the life of a true communist” and refrain from lavish spending on occasions like marriages and other similar events.
But the recommendations remained on paper. Party members, especially senior leaders, indulged in lavishness when it came to conducting weddings as was seen when Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s eldest son got married here in April last year.
The first phase of the rectification process would be completed by June next year, the minister added.
“With regards to wealth accumulation, though all members submitted a statement like last year, one doubts if there was a detailed look into it. We will now look into the wealth of each member a decade back and compare it with what was submitted last year. A fresh one would also be asked for and then the three lists would be compared and explanation sought,” said the minister.
The proposed campaign was discussed at length at the party central committee meeting that concluded in Delhi Sunday, and would be at the political, ideological and organisational level.
“The discussion on this and its implementation would begin from the politburo level down. This means that the party is serious this time,” said the minister.
The party affairs in Kerala over the years, especially after 2005 when Pinarayi Vijayan was made state secretary the third time in succession, has seen an ideological warfare erupt between him and his adversary V.S. Achuthanandan, the present chief minister.
Since then, groups loyal to both leaders have clashed in the open, belying the famed party discipline. On one occasion in 2007, the two leaders were suspended from the politburo and later reinstated.
This year, with differences between the two widening, Achuthanandan was booted out of the politburo.
However, with the central committee meeting reportedly deciding to limit the tenure of any party post – organisational or otherwise – to three terms, it looks like Achuthanandan may now have reason to smile because Vijayan has been party secretary since 1998.
The CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front’s Lok Sabha tally plummetted to a mere four seats in the May 2009 general elections from the previous 19 it had won in 2004. The state has 20 Lok Sabha seats.
Vijayan, speaking to reporters near Alappuzha, said the rectification document, once it is cleared, will be implemented and help rejuvenate the party.
“The decision was taken after discussions at the party committee and will be applicable across the country,” said Vijayan.