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Journalism of Courage
The CPM politburo8217;s decision to deal sternly with factionalism in the Kerala unit has been greeted with relief by a vast section of party cadres. But it is far from clear whether the factional leaders themselves are ready for even a cease-fire, let alone bury the hatchet.
The outcome of the two-day politburo session in Delhi is that the party8217;s trade union CITU boss E. Balanandan and Kerala strongman V.S.
Action is likely to be taken against the CITU8217;s leading lights in Kerala K.N. Raveendranath and M.M. Lawrence at the party Central Committee which will meet on August 20 and 21. The Kerala state committee, scheduled for August last week, will chart out the next courseagainst other CITU leaders such as V.B. Cheriyan and Appukuttan Vallikunnu, who allegedly worked behind the Save CPM Forum bulletins. General secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and a couple of other politburo members are expected to attend the State committee meeting.
According to indications, the Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha district committees, controlled by Achuthanandan, will have to be recast with added representation to the rival group. At the same time, the party is likely to go ahead with action against dissidents at various levels below.
Some CPM MLAs felt the politburo resolve to set the house in order had not come a day early. They also argue against compromising with those who strayed from the party line. But they say the action against the leaders, irrespective of their factions, has to be convincing and should not be seen as arbitrary by 8220;the vast army of self-less cadres and party supporters8221;.
However, rival factions interpret the politburo decision to suit their logic. But bothfactions play down the impending strictures. Achuthanandan supporters count the number of pro-CITU leaders facing action. The latter are pleased that they had averted a total defeat in factional fight.
Expulsions are the order of the day. One-time Achuthanandan supporter and former Alappuzha MP, T.J. Anjalose, is out. Another former MP, A. Sampath, nearly lost his party membership. His father and local CITU boss K. Anirudhan is on the brink. So is O. Bharathan, former MP from Vadakara. The pattern is familiar and the axe is targeting the CITU men.
Many call it a Stalinist purge. But a strong section justifies 8220;such weeding out of elements which have have placed their egos and political ambitions over the party8221;. 8220;No communist party can tolerate group rivalries like those in bourgeois parties where it all revolves around personalties,8221; they say. Old-timers recall the split in 1964 when 32 members, including Achuthanandan and E.K. Nayanar, walked out of national council of the undivided CPI over S.A.Dange8217;s pro-Congress line and ploughed along an idelogically lonely furrow to make the party what it is today. Even during inhospitable times, the party used to undertake periodic expulsions of class enemies, party apparatchiks say.
Current rivalries have their origin in the 1991 Kozhikode conference when in a surprise move the then state secretary, Achuthanandan, was voted out by the CITU bosses with the blessings of E.M.S. Namboodiripad. Achuthanandan had not been keen on the top post. He had reasons to feel betrayed by Nayanar who had till the last minute indicated that he was not in the race but ultimately won the vote. Four years later, at the state party conference held in Kollam, Nayanar was re-elected secretary. This put on hold Achuthanandan8217;s hopes of a comeback. But in 1996, the tide turned in favour of Achuthanandan. Nursing his wounds from the electoral defeat at Mararikulam, Achuthanmandan put up an obliging Nayanar as chief minister nominee and ensured the defeat of CITU nominee SuseelaGopalan to the post. Suseela lost by two votes and another CITU nominee Raveendranath lost, by 13 votes, the election to the state secretary8217;s post. From then on, the CITU group has been at the receiving end.
The Achuthanandan camp is quick to say that the ouster of the CITU men would have no effect on the party. 8220;What can a handful of CITU bosses do to the party? No one, not even the popular M.V. Raghavan nor K.R. Gowri could dent the party base,8221; said a leader belonging to the Achuthanandan group. The censure brings some comfort to Nayanar. As Achuthanandan8217;s clout increases, the state chief minister has been bending over backwards to be accommodative. Nayanar, who had complained of over-interference from party secretary Achuthanandan during his first tenure in 1980-82, has been silent. With the politburo coming down heavily on both the factions, the chief minister can breathe easy.
However, there8217;s a major task ahead for the CPM: To explain the action against the leaders to its cadres. The party usedto depute E.M.S. Namboothiripad to explain its crucial decisions to local leaders and cadres. In this hour of crisis, the CPM must be missing the veteran.
