Indirectly hinting at the confusions and fissures within the ‘anti-CPM’ splinter Left groups, Azad, Marxist ideologue and founding leader of the Left Coordination Committee (LCC/Idathupaksha Ekopana Samithi) reminded members of the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) that “one cannot build a national-level Communist party, capitalising solely on anti-CPM sentiments”.
In his blog, ‘Azad online’, the former CPM intellectual, who spearheaded a systematic campaign against the CPM, criticised RMP in an article titled ‘Left politics in crisis’. Azad told Express that he still maintained friendly relationships with RMP and added that RMP has yet to develop a systematic party programme.
“A party programme is crucial for a Communist party. People join Communist parties after understanding the particular programme of the party”, he said.
“RMP should make it clear why they have not joined the Marxist Communist Party of India United (MCPIU) founded by late V B Cheriyan. Cheriyan formed MCPIU after raising criticisms against the updated party programme of the CPM in the Thiruvananthapuram special conference held in October 2000. RMP has the responsibility to make it clear how their programme is different from that of MCPIU”, he said.
Azad also confirmed his recent political distancing from the Left Coordination Committee. “I have given a lot of my energy to building LCC. But I have differences with certain tendencies growing in the LCC like forming alliances with any force to defeat CPM. Another tendency is that a considerable section of the rebels still carry a hangover of the CPM brand of politics. They are unable to address new class contradictions”, he said.
K T Kunjikannan, CPM leader and Marxist ideologue reasoned that the article by Azad reflects the confusion of the rebel CPM groups.
“Apart from V B Cheriyan, none of the rebels had raised systematic theoretical criticisms against CPM. Most of them left the party because of issues like sharing of local body seats”, he said.
However, Kunjikannan added that CPM is presently engaged in discussions with people who have left the party. “Some came back and some have expressed willingness to associate themselves with CPM”, he added.