Expelled CPM leader questions partys stand on religion

Having resigned from the CPM in protest against a diktat barring comrades from attending and organising religious functions...

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Having resigned from the CPM in protest against a diktat barring comrades from attending and organising religious functions,former Lok Sabha MP K S Manoj recently said that the party should spell out its position vis-à-vis faith,as this is often being used to settle scores against rivals within the organisation.

He said there is no clarity on whether a party member can practise religion or not. But a large number of party functionaries visit religious places and participate in faith-based functions secretly. The conflict between faith and ideology should be settled once and for all. I hope my resignation will trigger a debate within the CPM, he told The Indian Express.

The rectification process,which was aimed at cleansing the party and weeding out wrong trends and practices,has opened a can of worms. With Manojs resignation,leaders admit in private that the party will be forced to take a clear stand on the question of faith now.

The rectification document says comrades should not attend or organise religious functions. My opinion is that it is not suited for the Indian situation. It is not mentioned in the partys constitution. Moreover,the Indian Constitution recognises the freedom of religion. Such a diktat will alienate partys sympathisers who believe in God, he said.

Manoj,who belongs to the Latin Catholic community and is a doctor at a Delhi hospital,visits the Church regularly and attends religious functions. Nobody stopped me from practising my faith all these years. I joined the party after becoming an MP in 2004. I was attracted to the pro-poor policies of the CPM. But I cannot abandon my faith for ideology, he said.