Sparring between Kerala State leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the CPI over some State-specific issues has taken much of the sheen off the State conferences of the two parties currently on in the State.
The CPI(M) State conference is currently on here and that of the CPI in the adjacent Kollam district. The two parties got embroiled in a row after CPI State secretary C. K. Chandrappan came up with some critical remarks about the manner in which the CPI(M) meet was being conducted and, when the national leaders of the two parties landed in Kerala to attend their respective conferences, their main challenge was to control damage and ensure that it did not prove a distraction for the delegates.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat took the lead on Tuesday reminding the delegates in his inaugural address that such disputes were mere “pinpricks” that were best ignored.
‘Ignore trivialities'
Pointing out that as the major Left party, the CPI(M) had the responsibility to rally all the Left forces in the country, Mr. Karat urged the State party leaders and cadres to ignore such pinpricks and irritants.
‘Focus on commonalities'
Responding almost in tandem when inaugurating the CPI State conference at Kollam on Wednesday, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan called upon his party and the CPI(M) to concentrate “on the 10,000 things that are common to us rather than indulge in a few things that divide us”.
Mr. Bardhan said at a time when people were looking towards the Left to lead and find a way forward for the country, it was rather unfortunate that minor differences were being given too much importance.
‘Essentially similar'
The veteran CPI(M) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly gave a further healing touch saying at a seminar organised by the CPI in connection with its conference on Wednesday evening that there were no fundamental differences between the two communist parties.
