'Left confusion' over stance on Congress still bothers constituent parties

Thiruvananthapuram: The two leading Communist parties of Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) - the CPM and the CPI - have almost always been at odds with each other on the stance towards Congress party, more at the national level in the perspective of joint resistance to the divisive and fascist philosophy of the BJP. Though both have no quarrels about the objective, the role to be granted to Congress in this strategy has been a sticking point for quite some time.

Matters came to the fore again a few days ago with a pronouncement by CPI's Rajya Sabha MP and party's senior leader Binoy Viswam, at a function in memory of recently deceased Congress legislator PT Thomas. He said in effect that CPI would not love to see Congress waning as a pan-India party since the Left parties, as of now, are not in a position to fill a gap left by the Congress. That set in motion some murmur from the CPM, whose main plank in its Kerala political line included a virulent anti-Congress propaganda – just murmur for the CPM did not come out with any immediate reaction. However, sensing an apparent discord in the Left ranks, CPI's state secretary Kanam Rajendran had to so some damage control to pacify sentiments by saying that all Viswam meant was the current party situation at an all-India level and not a theoretical perception about Congress's basic policy.

However, the statements by the two senior CPI leaders only served to put in spotlight the differences within the LDF about the policy vis-a-viz India's GOP. And this coincides with the build-up to the party Congress of both communist parties slated to debate their respective political stances and the strategy. Though numerically not that strong, the political stand of Communist parties is looked upon as crucial in taking on the Hindutva politics of the BJP-RSS school and the alternative politics to offer resistance to it. The debate now has clearly been triggered by the CPI; though the CPM has not joined issue with it officially, as the leading ruling party it is bound to sooner or later, and will, make clear its stand on how it should deal with Congress in the fight against Hindutva.

It is a declared policy of the CPI that in the search for an alternative to defeat the Hindutva communalism and fascism at a national level, the left, democratic and secular forces should stand united. It further wishes for agreement on this at both national and state levels. The rationale: the Left parties as of now do not have the strength to block by themselves the fascist thrust of the BJP-RSS front. Therefore, the party stands firm that the left should join hands with secular democratic parties both within and outside parliament. This has been the position so far and continues to be so, insists the CPI.

However, the CPM's Polit Bureau (PB) in its draft political resolution in the run-up to its party Congress perceives that the Congress is incapable of offering an alternative to the Hindutva communalism. As a corollary, it deems that the Left front itself should expand, gain strength and take the leadership role against the Hindutva school. More a long term ideological goal than an immediate political game plan.

That said, the CPM at its Party Congress at Vishakhapatanam in April 2015, had resolved that there could be co-operation with the secular, democratic parties of the country, without mentioning the Congress by name. Partly in line with this stand, and partly out of compulsion with a weak party structure, in West Bengal election, the CPM did have open alliance with the Congress. But this not only didn't yield any gains, but even led to a weakening of the Left forces; further, the Bengal unit of the party found its base only further eroded. Therefore, CPM's Kerala unit, which is in an upbeat mood with an unprecedented second term in succession, together with a section of the PB, has been veering round to the view that there should be a rethinking about ties with the Congress. Even otherwise, there was no love lost between the CPM and the Congress, and it is next to inconceivable for the CPM to present itself as a party friendly to the Congress.

CPI's Kerala state secretary Kanam Rajendran, however, endorsed Binoy Viswam's position and said that it was just a truth that if Congress falls, the Left front did not have the strength to fill that gap. And if there is any difference between the CPI and the CPM on this score, that is only natural and hence they existed as two different parties.

Another constituent of Kerala's LDF, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) while welcoming the opinion of Viswam as that of a true Communist, also suggested that the CPM PB should discuss that view. The RSP feels that the CPM in Kerala would like to see the destruction of Congress, and even alleges that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would like to see an extinct Congress even at the cost of BJP taking that space.

Meanwhile, in Kerala's Congress camp, KPCC President K Sudhakaran reacted that Binoy Viswam's remarks should open the eyes of the CPM which would fain see Congress being wiped out, even if that meant singing praise of the BJP. Everyone with a secular mind, he said, easily realised that the CPM's position would only help the sangh parivar. The CPM should at least now recognise that the attempt to weaken the Congress serve to banish the secular and democratic values from the system.