NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

CPI-CPI (M) rift widens in Kerala

George Iype in Kochi

Left unity in Kerala has come under severe strain with the Communist Party of India -- fed up of the big brotherly attitude of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) -- all set to pull out of the Left Democratic Front government, just as it did in West Bengal a few days back.

The CPI quit the West Bengal government last week when its relations with the CPI-M reached a point of no return on a number of issues, including the latter's refusal to give the former a Rajya Sabha seat.

Taking a cue from its West Bengal unit, the CPI leadership in Kerala is also demanding its pound of flesh as far as RS nominations from the state are concerned.

CPI leaders from Kerala claim that the CPI-M leadership is imposing its "Big Brother writ" on the Left Democratic Front coalition and is also cleverly turning many government policies into party programmes.

The CPI has four ministers in the LDF coalition government that includes small parties like the Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the Janata Dal (Secular).

The immediate provocation has been the controversial People's Police Scheme which proposes to set up committees in each village headed by head constables to look after people's welfare and monitor the law and order situation.

The CPI and Opposition parties led by the Congress allege that the People's Police Scheme is the CPI-M's attempt to politicise the law and order machinery.

"We are opposed to the police scheme as we are not convinced of how it would help the people," the CPI Kerala state secretary, Veliyam Bhargavan, told rediff.com.

It is not on the People's Police Scheme alone that the CPI has raised the banner of revolt. CPI leaders allege that the ongoing People' Plan Campaign launched by the Nayanar government has degenerated into a party programme.

"We feel the CPI-M leadership has been acting with the only motive of wiping us out and establishing itself as the only Communist party in Kerala and perhaps India," said a senior CPI leader.

He pointed out that clashes between the cadres of the CPI and the CPI-M in districts like Kasargode and Alaphuzha are routine these days.

CPI-M leaders admit that peace between the two parties is not possible as the CPI is going ahead recruiting those renegades whom the former expels. For instance, the CPI-M leadership is angry that the CPI admitted former member of Parliament T J Anjalose into its fold, after the Marxists had expelled Anjalose for anti-party activities.

With the state elections due early next year, political parties are keenly watching whether the growing rift between the two Communist parties would lead to an electoral debacle.

ALSO SEE
West Bengal situation gets murkier

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report