CPM to correct mistakes

History has shown that party has bounced back, says Karat

This was stated by party general secretary Prakash Karat while speaking at a national seminar on “The World of EMS” held on the occasion of Marxist ideologue E M S Namboodiripad’s birth centenary celebrations near Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district on Saturday.

Karat said history had shown that the party had bounced back from every crisis it suffered, as in 1959, when the Namboodiripad government was dismissed by the then Congress government at the Centre. The recent failures could be viewed as mere electoral reverses only which could not demoralise the communist movement in the country.

The CPM was in the process of examining self-critically these reverses both in its bases of West Bengal and Kerala and would undertake fresh initiatives at the government as well as organisation levels.

Karat said this was also not the first time the party was facing poll reverses in Kerala and the party was confident of regaining the trust of the people. The left would continue its struggle against imperialism, neo-liberalism of the ruling class and threat of communal and fascist forces in the country.

Karat said the biggest tribute the party could give to EMS at this juncture was by inculcating the essence, spirit and method adopted by him in guiding the party.

CM’s absence

The standoff between the party’s official faction led by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan was manifested by the latter’s absence at the centenary function. In fact, Achuthanandan’s absence was more conspicuous in the CPM organ Deshabhimani which brought out a special issue on the occasion.

The issue had articles by Karat, Vijayan and various other leaders and left intellectuals except Achuthanandan. Even Congress leaders A K Antony and K Karunakaran had recalled their memories of Namboodiripad in separate articles.

However, Achuthanandan’s article on EMS did appear in the edit page of Mathrubhumi.