THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Promising a new horizon of hope and heralding a change in the left political landscape, the disgruntled communists, CPI (M) breakaway groups, socialists and greens will float a new political party. Shornur Municipal chairman M R Murali and former CPI (M) Thiruvananthapuram district secretariat member S Suseelan are at the forefront of the formation of the new party which will formally be announced at a convention to be held in Kochi on September 23.
Suseelan told The Sunday Standard that they had prepared the draft programme of the party and discussed it at a meeting of leftists and greens convened at Thrishur last month. Following this noted environmentalist C R Neelakandon and leftist sympathizer Azad expressed their desire to join the new party.
“There are several takers for the idea of a new party. The names will be made known shortly,” Suseelan said. “We will have representation from all the 14 districts. There will be erstwhile leaders and members of CPI (M), CPI, RSP, Janata dal and other political parties,” he said. When inquired if CPI (M) rebels at Onchiyam would join the new party he said Chandrasekharan, their leader was reluctant to the merger.
“We plan to bring the various CPI (M) splinter groups from all over the State under one umbrella. Discussions are being held at various levels. All those who believe in the Left ideology and the democratic movement can join the party,” said the Shoranur Municipal Chairman M R Murali who was ruling the Municipality with the support of the Congress.
Murali said that the venue of the convention scheduled to be held in November has not been fixed. The new party which will be on socialist principles will stand for the working class and the down trodden who have been abandoned by the Left parties like the CPM and the CPI, said Murali who was expelled from the CPM in 2008 after which he floated the Janathipathiya Vikasana Samithi (JVS).
The CPM suffered a setback in the Shoranur Municipality which was one of its strongholds after M R Murali succeeded in bringing to his fold many CPI (M) councillors of the previous council and getting them re-elected on the JVS ticket. Before his expulsion from the CPM, he was the state joint secretary of the DYFI, the youth wing of the party.
Why a new party?
Susellan pointed out that there was an urgent need for considering the change in the character of the working class and capitalists. “The working class of today is not like that of the 1950s and 60s. For instance, the most exploited are the employees in the IT sector and unaided education sector. No progressive organization has succeeded hither to involve themselves with these sectors. Large number of workers are leaving the so called communist parties in despair.”
Suseelan also pointed out that environmental issues had to be treated with more importance and honesty. “No party has shown genuine interest in these matters so far.People from all these sections of society will join the new party,” Suseelan claims.
When inquired, whether it will be a new Communist party , Suseelan said that no communist party had proved effective for solving the issues of the state, whether it be CPI, CPM or ML groups, therefore the new party will be based on socialist principles giving emphasis on democratic values.