In the latest instance of self-rectification, the CPI turned the spotlight on itself in the wake of a controversy over the selection of the party candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat. In a painful and difficult exercise, the CPI initiated disciplinary action against three leaders who had brought a bad name to the party. CPI Legislative Party leader and national executive member, C. Divakaran was demoted to the state council; state executive member, P. Ramachandran Nair was relegated to the district council and Thiruvananthapuram district secretary, Venjaramoodu Sasi removed from the post. Sasi has since joined the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).

Action was taken on the basis of a report made by a commission appointed by the party to look into the circumstances under which Bennet Abraham, a rank outsider, was chosen as the party candidate despite strong opposition to it from the district council, which had proposed the names of three party leaders, C. Divakaran, Benoy Vishwam and P. Ramachandran Nair for the Thiruvananthapuram seat.

The panel had found Divakaran guilty of showing unseemly haste in roping in Bennet as the candidate. The charge against Divakaran was that he had deliberately hidden the district council’s suggestions and sentiments from the state executive so that the strong opposition to Bennet was not conveyed to the state leaders.

A month into the controversy, the aftershocks have subsided and the Kerala unit of the CPI has started regaining its normal aspect, picking up the pieces as it were. But it must be said that the whole controversy could have been avoided if the state party leadership had taken a tough stand. A strong leader like the late C. K. Chandrappan would not have allowed things to drift to the point of causing acute embarrassment to the party. The present state secretary Panniyan Ravindran is an honourable man but he allowed himself to be pressurized by senior leaders like Divakaran into taking a decision which left the party red-faced. That is the prevailing perception.

But, to the credit of the party, it did not shy away from looking the problem in the eye and taking deterrent action. This is something national parties like the Congress and the BJP would do well to emulate. Both the Congress and the BJP were quick to pour ridicule on the CPI for its predicament. But their own record in taking disciplinary action is lamentably poor. It is an open secret that reports prepared by various commissions to probe the controversies which rocked the Congress in the state over the years are gathering dust on the shelves of Indira Bhawan, the state congress HQ! Likewise, the BJP also has no moral right to point fingers at the CPI. The payment for seat row had hit the BJP as well. The allegation was that its Kottayam candidate was named ignoring opposition to it and amid speculation that it was a cash for seat arrangement. Leave alone taking action, the BJP has maintained a deafening silence on the issue.

A similar controversy had rocked the state CPI(M) as well. The selection of outsiders as the LDF candidates for the Ernakulam and Ponnani Lok Sabha seats had kicked up a ruckus. So much so that senior CPI(M) leaders like M. M. Lawrence had openly expressed their reservations over the choice of Christi Fernandes as the LDF candidate for Ernakulam. Lawrence went on record that he had ‘heard a lot of stories’ on the selection of Fernandes.

But, unlike, the CPI, the CPI(M) opted to brush it all under the carpet, instead of appointing a commission to probe lapses, if any, in the selection of candidates. The upshot was that the CPI(M)’s ostrich-like attitude has added grist to the rumour mills of its rivals.

The CPI(M) must also guard against its tendency to violate the rectification documents it prepares with great gusto. Just two instances would illustrate the point. The Palakkad plenum of the CPI(M) had prepared a rectification document with guidelines on how the party activists and leaders must conduct themselves. It had exhorted the cadres and leaders to shed feudal attitudes, affinity to superstition, love for lavish life styles, alcoholism, avoid contacts with shady businessmen and industrialists and be polite to political rivals. But even before the ink on the document dried, the party leaders violated it! Immediately after the plenum, an advertisement from a controversial businessman appeared in the CPI(M)’s official organ, Deshabhimani, triggering a raging controversy! As for politeness to political rivals, party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan himself went against its spirit by openly dubbing RSP candidate N K Premachandran as a stinker. That single and uncharitable remark cost the party the Kollam seat which it had a good chance of winning otherwise. The CPI(M) would do well to shed for good such arrogant ways and attitudes if it is serious about regaining the ground the party has lost in the electoral battles.

As far as the CPI is concerned, the original mistake was in going for a rank outsider for Thiruvananthapuram even though a number of good party candidates were available. It may be mentioned that Panniyan Ravindran himself had won from Thiruvananthapuram with a thumping margin in the past. The original offence was compounded when Bennet was roped in on the specious plea that he was the best candidate for the seat, where the Nadar community to which he belongs has a sizable presence and vote strength. Not only did the strategy fail but it also brought bad name to the party. Because the party was seen to be choosing a candidate on the basis of his caste – something the communist parties have always accused political rivals like the Congress and the BJP of resorting to. A cardinal sin for which the party had to pay a heavy price.

Both the CPI and the CPI(M) must avoid, in future, the temptation to select outsiders ignoring the legitimate claims of good party candidates. Hopefully, appropriate lessons have been learnt from the Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam fiascos. Failure to do so would invite further ignominy on the Communist parties –a proposition which must be avoided at all costs. (IPA Service)