Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Binoy Viswam, who had first raised the issue of reunification of CPI and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) earlier this year, said here on Sunday that the CPI was not averse to dialogue on issues in the way of unity.
Mr. Viswam told The Hindu that time had answered or resolved questions that had caused the split in the CPI half a century ago.
If someone still wanted to discuss issues such as class character of the State, stage of Indian revolution, and approach to Congress, the CPI had no objection to that, he said.
“However, all such discussions should ensure that the Communist parties come closer to the goal of a united Communist movement. When we say that, we mean a principled reunification of the Communist movement.” Mr. Viswam said that ‘merger’ was not the right word to describe that.
The concept of ‘reunification’ only can encompass the political and organisational depth of the proposal.
He said that if CPI (M) leader M.A. Baby had gone back on his support for the reunification proposal, it was for him to explain the reasons.
“What is significant is that the poor, the country, and the world deeply wish for that.”
It may be recalled that when Mr. Viswam, as editor of party organ Janayugam , wrote an editorial in May calling for reunification, both Mr. Baby and leaders of his own party had opposed the proposal.
Now, some of the CPI leaders, who opposed it earlier, support the proposal.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) Polit Bureau has reiterated its stand against the proposal.
