Arrogance, partisanship alienated people: CPI(M) report

By C. Gouridasan Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 4. The CPI(M) election review report has identified arrogance, partisanship and luxurious lifestyle of persons holding responsible positions at various levels of the party and the general lethargy among a large number of party workers as major organisational factors that contributed to the alienation of the masses from the CPI(M) and its defeat in the Assembly poll.

The review report, now under discussion at the district level, is notable for the scathing comments it makes about the party cadres and sections of the party leadership and the grim signals it seeks to send to the rank and file. The report, without being specific, says that while some of the leaders are guilty of arrogance, others have contributed to the alienation of the masses from the party with their partisan handling of issues.

The report calls for a self-critical introspection by party cadres and leaders on whether the CPI(M) has been functioning like a working class party. Its own assumption is that in many places our party's functioning was like that of any other party. More shockingly, the report admits that in many places individuals started canvassing for party tickets for the Assembly election and this led to explosive situations.

Even more significant is what it has to say about the quality of party membership today. The report points out that people even in CPI(M) strongholds are now in the habit of publicly swearing allegiance to the party and voting against it. What we need are not individuals, families or groups who stand by the party out of fear. We must be able to organize our work in such a way as to make each person arrive at the conscious decision that `this is my party and I am standing by my party. We should be able to take stern corrective action against persons who behave towards people like masters. All party units should discuss this issue in all seriousness and should not show any mercy in the matter, the report asserts.

In a line reminiscent of the portion dealing with party cadres in the political organizational report adopted by the 16th Party Congress at Calcutta in 1998, the report points out that a large section of CPI(M) members are not playing any part in party work. It says: Several comrades holding responsible positions were not active in the election campaign till the very last stage and that though the party's campaign effort was finalised much in advance, the party members did not activate themselves accordingly.

The report doubts the wisdom of persisting with such members and goes on to say: We must examine whether we need such membership. If we allow members who do not take part in very import political struggles to continue as members, it would lead to degeneration of the party organization. If we are to build whatever party organisation we have in accordance with communist organizational principles, we will have to dispense with members who contribute in no way to organisational work.

In the section dealing with the performance of party leaders, the 24-page report notes that the style of functioning of leaders in key positions at various levels is alienating people from the party and goes on to add, when comrades who work closely with the people behave in an arrogant manner and show partiality when handling issues, it would harm the party's credibility and erode the people's faith in the party. The report also cautions party leaders and cadres that there is every possibility of communist cadres assimilating values of decadent capitalism. Pointing out that party cadres are holding positions both within Government and in outside bodies such as panchayat institutions and corporations, it calls for urgent measures to avert this. Virtually admitting the practice of benami contractors executing work in place of people's committees in local bodies, the report has demanded to know whether such things are happening in local bodies controlled by the CPI(M).

The UDF, the report notes, had carried out a widespread campaign to paint the CPI(M) as a bourgeois party. The UDF campaign was that the CPI(M) was motivated primarily by the urge to amass wealth. Buildings constructed by party units and its class and mass organisations, the success in collecting Rs. 4 crores in a single day for the EMS Academy, were all cited by them as proof for this. They also tried to create the impression that Kairali TV channel was the gift of liquor barons. The lifestyle of at least a few leaders and workers also contributed to reinforcing the impression sought to be perpetuated by the UDF, it says.

Significantly, the report is all praise for the contribution made by the CITU in the election campaign. While the work by the class and mass organizations was noteworthy, that put in by the trade union movement is most significant and praiseworthy. Going counter the impression sought to be created by the other LDF constituents, the CPI(M) report says that the work put in by Kairali TV during the campaign provided relief to the LDF.

The report, however, regrets that party units in general did not show sufficient keenness in enrolling new voters and some district committees failed to organise fund-raising campaigns before the election and there was a dangerous tendency of waiting for funds from above in many places. Another undesirable trend catching up with the cadres is that of taking money from candidates of other LDF constituents for election work.

There was also lack of vigilance in places where the candidates of constituent parties were in fray. In several constituencies, there were not enough graffiti. The family meets, in general, were not effective and there was inexcusable laxity in preparation of voter profile in most constituencies. In some places, the forms were not even printed and distributed to the lower levels. Women's squads were also ineffective, it notes urging party units for a sincere-introspection on all these issues using the election outcome as a point of reference.

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