In a bid to weather the challenges posed by the Sangh Parivar and other right wing forces to what is being deemed as its lone impregnable fortress in the country, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership has resolved to go for a thorough systemic correction and spruce up the Left Democratic Front government to halt further incursions and regain the ground ceded to its foes of late.
The State secretariat and State committee, in session here from August 18, have made a firm resolve to return to the founding principles of the party such as environmental protection, ecological conservation and consciously blur the dividing line between the faithful and the organisation to stem further erosion from its captive vote base and wrest back what it forfeited in the last Lok Sabha election.
Keeping in mind the changes sweeping the national political scenario and the diminishing presence of the Left, the party has opted for a course correction to check all deviations and right wing shifts that have taken a heavy toll on its prospects.
The correction would begin with a grim reminder to its leaders and cadres to drastically alter their conduct for endearing themselves with the people and consciously shun violence that had placed party in the dock all along.
The Sangh Parivar deems LDF, in general, and the CPI(M), in particular, as the potential impediments that thwart their successive bids to gain a foothold in the State. The Parivar organisations had already resolved to aid the Congress-led United Democratic Front in the election and drive a wedge between the CPI(M) and the faithful through a consistent campaign. The BJP’s maiden experiment in this score in the Lok Sabha election was a success too.
This realisation has stirred up the CPI(M) leadership to channelise its might to clear the public misgivings about the party’s stance on religion and faith, especially on the Sabarimala issue. But for hardcore workers, the camp followers would henceforth cooperate with the conduct of religious festivals and combat both minority and majority communalism with all their might.
The recurring bouts of flood has prompted the leadership to contain the deviations and shifts from the stated positions on environmental issues and rope in experts to iron out a clear stance and course of action on such issues.
While attempting to propagate the gains of the government, sporadic incidents of police excesses and deviant behaviour of members of the uniformed forces, including officers, continue to annoy the political leadership. The leadership has the tall order of completing the corrective process and battling six byelection and local body election within the remaining tenure of the government.
