People's Democracy

The Message Of The Malappuram Conference

Pinarayi Vijayan

THE massive public rally and meeting held at the conclusion of the 18th Kerala state conference of CPI(M) in Malappuram underlined the strength of the Party in the state as well as the increasing confidence of state populace in the CPI(M). The conference has given clear and enthusiastic direction for future political-organisational struggles to be taken up by the Party. While unanimously accepting the work report for the last three years after an incisive analysis, the conference has given full mandate for the state committee to fight the reactionary designs with strong communist consciousness. Lakhs of people thronged Malappuram and took the oath that they will stand the test of time raising the Red flag with sacrifice and endurance.

The Kannur conference (17th state conference) which formulated programmes to make CPI(M) the leading force in the state had underlined the need for strengthening the Party organisation, build strong popular struggles and strengthen Party education and campaign. Keeping with that objective, the state committee had organised campaigns and struggles on all sectors. Party and mass organisations had conducted valiant struggles during this period. Due to all this the Party had experienced a surge even among those sections which had kept aloof from the Party historically in the state.

INCREASED MASS BASE

The Party has 3,16,305 members in the state now, an increase of 23,000 over the previous conference. The women representation has increased from 7 per cent to 10.11 per cent since the last conference. The class structure of the members are: 51 per cent from the working class; 25 per cent from agricultural labour and 21 per cent from peasantry. This composition has contributed for its advance as a mass revolutionary party with working class leadership.

The overall membership in the respective mass organisations in which Party members work has increased by 11 lakhs over the previous conference to reach a total of 1 crore 23 lakhs. Although the Party took note of the cross memberships, still it regarded it as an indicator of the increasing mass base and also underlined the need to reach out to as many new members as possible.

There are no policy issues which need more clarity in the Party now. If at all any such issues come up, the Party has the readiness and organisational structure to discuss it. The rebuff to the right-wing media from the leadership that the agenda of the Malappuram conference cannot be set outside was given in that backdrop. The Malappuram conference has given concrete advances for the organisation and it took strong decisions for building a mass revolutionary party.

The report accepted by the conference has reiterated that the leadership was successful in giving direction both to the mass fronts and organisations in keeping with the spirit of the Salkia plenum as well as on the ideological-political issues confronted by the Party. The central message of the conference increases the responsibility of the leadership manifold and puts it on a strong footing for making advance.

The UDF government is pushing the state into deep distress. The service sector, health and education in particular are being privatised under imperialist directives from the Asian Development Bank. The peasants are committing suicides in an unprecedented manner in the history of the state and the rights of the working majority are being systematically curtailed. The traditional industries of the state are facing a collapse and the central government still treats it with total disregard to the genuine demands of the state. The Malappuram conference has given a call for ceaseless struggles against the retrograde policies of the UDF government and for ensuring justice from the central government.

The conference had properly analysed the changes in state's polity brought in by the popular struggles of the Party. This has ensured huge support to the Party as its resounding victories in the Lok Sabha elections, by-elections and local body elections indicate.

The people of the state are looking towards the CPI(M) for their liberation from the UDF misrule which has become the epitome of decadent politics in the state. Many within the UDF fold are so disgusted with it that they are now cooperating with the CPI(M). Major sections who have earlier been under the spell of anti-communist campaign are also joining hands with the CPI(M). Even those opposed to CPI(M) are now accepting the fact that after the Malappuram conference, the Party mass base has increased manifold.

IN THE THICK OF STRUGGLES

The Malappuram conference had correctly analysed that the continuous, strong campaigns and struggles were the prime factors in the increase of Party mass base. Certain right-wing forces made allegations that the leadership didn't initiate such struggles. The conference, in overwhelming manner, debunked all such allegations. There was also criticism that the increasing number of struggles being waged by the Party and mass organisations were putting a heavy load on the cadres.

The 17th state conference also discussed the same matter and a few adjustments were made then. But experience had made it abundantly clear that the political reality to launch much bigger struggles in the coming days still continues. The Party needs to take up the burning issues of the people.

Marxist ideas are the most organic ones and continuous discussions and concretising is necessary for the growth of a communist party. Understanding this reality, at the ideological level, the state committee had intervened with clarity in many issues in the recent past. Policy issues were made part of incisive debates and each was given more clarity. The fourth world theory, which was a rejection of Marxism-Leninism, the reactionary tendencies in the education sector, the Party opinion towards the Narendran Commission recommendations etc, were some of the issues which were taken up during this period. The state committee intervention was effective on all these occasions and the conference had also noted whether a few themes were effectively campaigned or not.

The conference has reviewed that the Party could further forge ahead in imparting ideological education to its members and sympathisers, but its deficiencies were critically reviewed as well. The EMS Academy was envisaged to give shape to Party ideological education in its entirety to   leading comrades. Already eight batches were given education and the understanding was that after reviewing this experience the academy could be improved upon later. The review could not be carried out due to various struggles, by-elections and Lok Sabha elections. It would be initiated now. The state committee understands that the ideological arming of the members and leadership is one of its utmost responsibility and there were frank discussions and opinions about it in the conference. The improving of the Party publications to reach out to maximum number of people was identified as an important task of the present by the conference.

RIGHT-WING CAMPAIGN EXPOSED

The right-wing media and the opposition launched a campaign during the conference that the Party was ideologically divided between traditionalists and reformists. Let us put without a trace of doubt that there is no division in the state CPI(M) on those lines. The Party had grown withstanding all adventurist left-right deviations all these years.

Imperialism celebrated the disintegration of the Soviet Union and East European countries as the death knell of socialism and communist ideals in the world. Many communist parties across the world have then stood back from Marxism-Leninism; many evaded from revolutionary ideology and a few had caught up with desperation. M P Parameswaran was one among them. Parameswaran thought that capitalist system could be reformed and put forwarded the fourth world theory.

The fourth-world theory was a denial of Marxism-Leninism, and although it came up late, the Party discussed it in depth and found it as an extreme revisionist deviation.

The Padom magazine was another reaction which came after the Kannur conference and it symbolised extreme Left deviation. It became a new incarnation of the 'Save CPI(M) Forum' and its progenitors have become extremely anti-Party.

Padom started off with, repeating many dogmas which were rejected by the Party before, casting aspersions on people's plan and insulting many in the Party leadership. The call of the Malappuram conference was to oppose both the fourth world revisionist deviation as well as the extreme left wing deviation of Padom. The Party comrades should be more cautious about such deviations and ideological campaign should be stepped up.

The right wing media and Padom raised many allegations against the people's plan but the Party noted it as one of the innovative steps by the LDF government. The conference reiterated this stand. The conference clarified the position regarding foreign funding of different types.

The state government, local self-government institutions, cooperatives and other such democratic forums are to be run according to the Party policies by responsible comrades and all their activities are to be reviewed periodically to give suggestions as well.

If anybody were found to be failing to discharge their responsibilities, the concerned forum would initiate corrective measures. The differences are not to be aired openly but it should be critically reviewed inside the Party and decisions should be taken likewise in accordance with the communist norms. The conference viewed seriously the contradicting tendencies of raising controversies, and reiterated matters to be discussed inside the Party should be debated within.

Improving the collective functioning of the organisation was one of the main message of the Malappuram conference. The issues which come up in front of the leadership daily are being discussed with the participation of all secretariat members present (available secretariat) and even that has come under criticism from the right-wing media. The conference rejected all such malafide allegations, and the Party reaction to the issues confronted daily would continue to be based on such collective forums.

The resolve of the Kannur conference was to oppose factionalism and strengthen unity in the Party. The state committee could make it a reality to a large extent as strong measures were taken earlier like dismissing the Alappuzha and Thrissur district committees. But this time in a few districts factional tendencies have cropped up and the conference has taken strong stance that these would not be tolerated.

The conference took serious note of the vilification campaign against the leadership. The activities of any cadre at the leadership level would be reviewed in the Party and corrective measures would be taken. This is applicable to all irrespective of level. No other political party has this distinction. The Party would take strong precautionary steps against caste/communal deviations and corrupt practices.  The pitfalls of parliamentarism would also be dealt with utmost caution.

In the CPI(M), each committee and each member is implementing Party decisions consciously. Democratic centralism, collective functioning and self- criticism are its three main pillars. The conference has taken the decision not to allow a trace of dilution in practicing these main pillars.

The right-wing media never bothers to report the statements/speeches/press briefings of Party leaders correctly and many a times they are reported by quoting out of context and in a distorted fashion. The conference took the decision that the Party leaders should not make any public utterances expressing their differences either implicitly or explicitly.

The right-wing media is embarrassed with the conference proceedings as their orchestrated campaign got a severe beating and many are unrelenting with fresh inferences and stories. It is getting exposed as well. But there were a few unhealthy tendencies including leakage of conference proceedings to the media. All these are slated for further discussions and corrective measures will be taken. The Party would not tolerate any such unhealthy tendencies and the state committee would do everything for maintaining unity in the Party.

The message of the nine comrades who are under the shadow of the gallows in the Kannur Central Jail, has created emotional moments at the inaugural function. “The bourgeois order might be able to execute us, but they can't execute revolution. If its victory is after our death then we would receive it with Inquilab” were the words of those daring comrades. Those words expressed the desire of the revolutionary movement to expand by taking up wider masses issues. The faces of those families who had come to attend the rally with Red flags in their hands was also filled with these expectations. The Kerala Party would take up measures to fulfill the dreams and expectations of the lakhs of people who love this Party more than their life, of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives and of the number of comrades who have sacrificed everything for the Party.