THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Setting an example for rival political parties in Keralam, the state CPM is going in for a fully operational Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The just-concluded state committee meeting decided to reconstitute the defunct panel with senior leader T N Seema as its chairperson.
Set up in the backdrop of an array of complaints including those against senior leaders, the five-member committee will report to the state leadership.
Notably, the CPM is coming up with an ICC to address sexual harassment complaints at a time when the party is mulling strong action against its former Palakkad district secretary E N Suresh Babu, against whom serious harassment charges were levelled.
In addition to the chairperson, who is also a CPM state committee member, the panel comprises three more state committee members — P K Sainaba, M Vijayakumar and N Chandran — in addition to Advocate T Geenakumari as external member. The state CPM decided to reconstitute the ICC after a nudge from the central leadership.
Plans afoot to set up district-level ICCs
Party general secretary M A Baby had referred to the central committee’s decisions in the recent state committee.
“A committee was formed after the last state conference. It has now been reconstituted with more active members,” said a central committee (CC) member. Soon after the Sexual Harassment at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act came into effect, the CPM central leadership had formed ICCs. However, these were not operational in states.
“Though an ICC was formed with C S Sujatha as the chairperson, it wasn’t operational as she was part of the CC and was also serving as the secretary of AIDWA (All India Democratic Women’s Association). The new panel has come into effect and is in operation now,” a state committee member pointed out.
Sources said despite major complaints the previous panel did not meet even once. “So far, complaints arising from within against leaders were handled by respective party committees. These triggered controversies. That’s why this time around the party chose to make it operational with active members,” a CPM source said.
Currently, complaints against district leaders are being probed by state leaders. With the ICC in effect, these will now be handled by the panel. Close on the heels of the state-level ICC, plans are afoot to set up similar committees in the district units too.
“There will be an ICC at the state and district levels. If a complaint is raised against an area committee member or a cadre at a lower level, the ICC at the district level will look into it. The state-level ICC will handle complaints against district-level leaders, while the ICC at the Central Committee level will take up complaints against state committee members and those above them,” CPM state secretary M V Govindan said.