CPM soul-searching calls for strengthening Left unity

With the attempt to rally non-UPA,non-NDA parties coming a cropper,the CPM has taken a view that it should be cautious while reaching out to fellow opposition parties. The realisation having dawned after the Mulayam-Lalu turnaround has led to thinking that the party should give priority to strengthening Left unity in the coming days.

Critically analysing the CPMs organisational and political functioning,the Central Committee that met here over the past three days found that many of the tasks identified by the party had not been fulfilled. The failure,it is pointed out,was mainly on account of decline in weaker states and stagnation in strongholds Kerala and West Bengal. There was some finger pointing as well with many members noting that the leadership should be more pro-active.

The three-day meet that concluded on Friday saw the party conducting a mid-term review of the implementation of the organisational tasks identified by it two years ago. The failure to expand base in states in the cow-belt like UP,Bihar and Jharkhand is worrying. General Secretary Prakash Karat himself is in charge of UP and the other states along with Assam and Maharashtra were on his priority list.

On the whole,the lacunae are broadly identified as lack of leadership in these states and failure to take up peoples issues and launch mass movements.