KASARGOD: The CPM decided to demote the key leaders of a rebellion in the party bastion of Bedakam, on Saturday, while hoping that the considerate stance of the party would close the chapter.
According to some reports, the party may decide to temporarily remove Bedakam area committee secretary C Balan, a key demand of the rebels.
However, the party declined to comment on the veracity of the report. The decisions were taken at the CPM district committee, attended by politburo member, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, here on Saturday.
The party in a press statement said that P Diwakaran, a district committee member, has been demoted three levels down to Nellithav branch committee unit. Kuttikol panchayat president P Gopalan Master, under whose leadership the rebels broke away from the party to separately observe P Krishna Pillai Day last Tuesday, has been demoted one level to the Kuttikol local committee.
Bedakam area committee member P Rajesh Babu got away with a public rebuke.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told ‘Express’: “Their (the rebels) mistake was to observe the P Krishna Pillai Day separately, and the party has acted on it.”
Kodiyeri said that the disciplinary action of the party would ‘end’ the nearly three-year-old rebellion in Bedakam.
Gopalan Master said that Diwakaran and himself accepted the party decision. “We were expecting this demotion. But we told the party that it can expel us, but the party should not tread on the wrong path.”
Though new channels reported that the district committee had also decided to remove Balan from the post of area committee secretary, Balakrishnan said the meet did not discuss that.
District committee secretary K P Satish Chandran said, “I would not like to comment on that piece of news report. Our decisions were communicated through the press statement.”
According to the reports, CPM district secretariat member K Balakrishnan would hold the Bedakam area committee secretary post.
‘Express’ could not independently verify it. The party’s soft approach to the rebels could be because of its delicate position in its stronghold.
In the last parliamentary election, the party lagged behind by 1,000 votes in the Uduma assembly segment, under which Bedakam comes.
Party watchers said that was the bargaining chip of the rebels.
On P Krishna Pillai Day, when nearly 700 workers attended the CPM official function, the rebels counted up to 400 in Kuttikol town. Apart from that, the rebels hoisted the party flag in 28 branches.
Origin
The issue dates back to November 2011, when five incumbent members lost election to the Kuttikol area committee.
Though after an inquiry the party found that they lost because of ‘factional’ activity by a section of leaders, no action was taken against them.
This led to a disagreement between those who lost the election and the leadership, which eventually grew into a rebellion.
ACTION REPORT
Panchayat president and area committee member P Gopalan Master demoted to local area committee
P Diwakaran, district committee member, demoted to Nellithav branch committee unit
Bedakam area committee member P Rajesh Babu gets away with a public rebuke
On other rebels, their respective area and branch committees have been asked to take appropriate action