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CPI-M's frequent fund collections draw heavy flak

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The move by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist to collect Rs 300 million from the public for its proposed TV channel in Malayalam has evoked strong protests from various quarters in Kerala. Rival political parties see the attempt as a cover to indulge in corruption. Many senior politicians felt it was highly improper for a ruling party to amass money for its organisation in this manner.

They feel that whenever a party in power goes to the public for funds it would lead to the misuse of the governmental machinery under the party's control. People dependent on the government such as industrialists, traders and others would be forced to pay money out of fear of the consequences. Senior Congress leader K Karunakaran, while denouncing the move, said that the "bucket collection technique" adopted by the CPI-M for various causes had been used by it to cover up corruption on earlier occasions.

He said it was difficult to collect millions of rupees through 'bucket' collections and added that an impartial inquiry into the party's funds would unfold stories of corruption. Opposition leader A K Antony also demanded an inquiry into the frequent fund collections by the CPI-M, particularly when it is in power.

State Bharatiya Janata Party president C K Padmanabhan also alleged corruption in the fund collections by the Marxists. He said it was difficult to believe that the party manages to collect millions of rupees within days when the state's economy is hit hard by recession. He told rediff.com that it was not proper for the political parties to approach people for funds particularly when they are passing through difficult times on account of the fall in prices of most of the agricultural products and the increase in the price of the essential commodities.

"Most of the parties in Kerala have their newspapers or magazines. If all of them go to the people for funds to run these ventures, the people would be in real trouble," he exclaimed. He said that it has become a habit for the CPI-M to launch numerous drives for funds particularly when it is in power. "It would be difficult for the people to say no since there have been cases of the party workers using their muscle power and governmental clout in fleecing funds,'' he added.

It may be recalled that a German national settled in Wyanad district had complained of torture when he refused to donate for the party fund last year. Similarly, several traders had also complained of harassment by party workers. Padmanabhan said it was ironical that the ruling party was seeking money from the people when the government itself has issued bonds to mop up Rs 5 billion to tide over an acute financial crisis faced by the state.

This is the fourth fund collection drive by the CPI-M since it came to power in the state in May 1996. The party had launched a major drive called "bucket collection" for launching the Kottayam edition of its mouthpiece Deshabhimani . The party built a luxurious office complex at Kottayam for the newspaper with the help of the funds.

After that the party approached the people for funds for building memorials to E M S Nampoothiripad, the late Marxist patriarch. The other major fund collections were for the state conference of the CPI-M at Palakkad and the all-India conference of its trade union wing, the Centre for Indian Trade Unions at Kochi.

The exact amount of funds collected by the party for various purposes has never been revealed. The fund collection for the EMS memorial has been the biggest hit. The party is said to have collected Rs 30 million in the first five days of the drive alone. Though the EMS memorial is yet to come up, the party has built an auditorium with the latest facilities at its state headquarters here. The party has also recently taken up the construction of flats for the party leaders in the heart of the state capital.

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