How has it been after taking charge as the CPI state secretary?
I know the greatness of the chair, its responsibilities and its tradition. I’m not worried, in fact I’m very confident. But I know my challenges as well.
What’s the biggest challenge before CPI?
We need a stronger CPI and LDF. Not only numerically strong but internally as well. Morality is also important in politics.
Do you think there has been a decline in the party’s moral values?
Not only with CPI, rather there is a lack of moral values in society. The current society talks about the value of money, not about right or wrong. Communists need to fight against that value structure. We stand for an alternative value system.
The Left parties in West Bengal and Tripura crumbled. There’s a view that the Left ideology has become outdated in the Indian context…
Marxism is the ideal tool to understand what happened in West Bengal and Tripura. We drifted away from the masses. Bengal and Tripura are a warning for us. We should learn those lessons and move forward.
Looking at the recent election results, is the Kerala Left going the Bengal and Tripura way?
This election too is a warning for us. The first step is to know why we were defeated and to accept the defeat. We need to examine it deeply... a kind of soul searching. We admit that the connect is lost. Only the CPI has the courage to accept that reality.
Don’t you think CPM too should realise this loss of connect?
It is a collective feeling. Left used to be part of the daily lives of people. We had close ties with each and every household. That doesn’t exist now.
Do you mean to say the Left is no longer Left?
The Leftist ideology shouldn’t exist only on paper. Corruption, casteism, parliamentary ambition, greed for positions, lapses in daily life... these tendencies are slowly creeping in because of bourgeois influence. But we haven’t been able to make it a part of our collective consciousness. Time is running out.
Unlike in 2019, this time there were no external reasons like Sabarimala for the Left’s defeat. All reasons were internal. Don’t you agree?
Certainly. Our traditional supporters have voted for our rival parties. But we don’t believe they have deserted us permanently. They gave us a warning not to go in a certain way. If we accept that message, they will come back to us. If not, it will be another West Bengal.
Did it take an electoral defeat to know that the party drifted away from the people?
We hadn’t anticipated such a huge setback. The LDF was confident of winning a decent number of seats.
Pannyan Ravindran preferred to stay away from parliamentary politics. But he was forced to contest. Is it because the party has a shortage of leaders?
Why would you prefer to interpret it in that manner? You are talking about a leader who has been active throughout, without taking a break from working with the masses. For people like us, all social activities including parliamentary politics are part of political work.
During discussions, did Annie Raja’s name come up for Thiruvananthapuram at any time?
No. It was there in the media but not discussed in the party.
Wasn’t Annie Raja better suited for Thiruvananthapuram?
We were sure that Rahul Gandhi would contest from Wayanad. So we had to field our best candidate. Annie is a very good fighter and a known face nationally. We made no mistake in selecting her.
CPI and CPM are part of the INDIA bloc. In such a scenario, why was a senior CPI leader fielded in Congress’s sitting seat?
It is a political battle. Congress should have shown maturity and farsightedness. Congress made a big mistake... they should not have fielded Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.
But wasn’t it Rahul Gandhi’s sitting seat?
Ever since the inception of the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, it has been a CPI seat, whether we won or lost. CPI contested there thrice. We have no other choice but to contest. The real question is who the main enemy for Rahul Gandhi is, the Left or the BJP?
There were reports that D Raja requested Rahul not to contest from Wayanad?
D Raja is not so cheap.
The Congress has now decided to field Priyanka Gandhi in the Wayanad bypoll. Isn’t it clear that the Congress shows scant regard to INDIA bloc partner CPI?
It is a problem with the Congress. State leaders of that party don’t know the intricacies of national politics.
But Rahul Gandhi knows it well. Still, why did he contest?
That was due to compulsion from the party. But that weakened him a bit. He is a loveable man with substance. I don’t think it was his decision.
So, is Rahul Gandhi such a helpless person?
No. He is an open-minded person.
Is BJP’s sudden growth in the state a matter of concern?
Definitely. Not only did BJP open its account but finished first in 11 assembly constituencies and second in eight. This should be an eye-opener for us. It cannot be rectified with cosmetic treatment alone, but needs deeper treatment. Those voters who never thought of casting votes for BJP earlier decided to vote for them across the state. The vote share of both LDF and UDF went down while BJP’s vote share saw a huge increase.
While CPI admits its mistake, CPM accuses organisations like SNDP or Jamaat-e-Islami for its failure...
I don’t have the right to comment on the organisational matters of that party.
But as an LDF ally...
As an LDF ally I would say the LDF should study it.
There is a view that the chief minister’s style of functioning is often cited as a reason for the defeat. Your views...
I doubt the logic behind centering the entire discussion around the chief minister’s style of functioning. It’s a more complex issue. It shouldn’t be confined only to the chief minister. Generally, it’s an issue related to our overall performance. There are many factors, of which this can be seen as one. The CM is a leader with many years of experience. He too must be studying the issues involved and may adopt the changes required.
LDF convener holding talks with a senior BJP leader had kicked up a row. What’s CPI’s take on that?
It should have been avoided. Similarly, the public remarks — by LDF convener and CM on the day of polling — should also have been avoided. People are keen observers of the kind of relations we maintain and with whom. We ought to ponder over the consequences of our statements.
The controversy related to the chief minister’s daughter was one of the issues discussed widely during the recent polls...
I don’t know. I can talk about the chief minister. Why should I talk about the CM’s daughter? I’m not party to it. All issues that have led to confusion among the masses deserve proper explanations.
Will CPI demand clarification in such matters?
Why? Delving on what’s happening in the chief minister’s family is not the kind of politics I indulge in. I’m ready to talk about the CM, not about his family and relatives. That doesn’t concern me.
Is the CPI afraid of criticising the chief minister?
If we criticise CPM, we may get applause. But now is the time to overcome issues unitedly. The rectification should be carried out together to ensure that LDF does not crumble. There is no point in showing CPI as better than CPM. Local body polls are at the doorstep. We should go ahead united.
CPI has a history of being an ally of the Congress party. One of the suggestions in recent party meetings was that CPI should move to UDF...
CPI is a highly democratic party. Any member in any unit is free to air his or her opinion. There is no gag.
Are you stating categorically that the CPI is not going to the UDF?
CPI doesn’t see the need to move away from LDF. At the same time, the INDIA bloc too is a reality that ought to be factored into the current perspective. In such a scenario, looking at the political developments, the Party Congress would take a call on the future course of action.
It’s surprising the CPI secretary is unable to make a categorical statement that it will not leave LDF.
Why should I say that? Won’t the CPI state secretary look like a fool if such a statement is made when it should ideally be discussed at the Party Congress? Neither the state secretary nor the general secretary is above the Party Congress.
CPM and Congress are always at loggerheads. But CPI shares a good rapport with Congress…
It isn’t a love affair (laughs). In 1969, when the Congress party was at a critical juncture, we voted for Congress. It was not just CPI, but even CPM raised its hands in support of Congress.
There were rumours that the Muslim League was planning to join LDF but could not because CPI opposed it...
Where is IUML now? It’s part of UDF. For any political discussion to happen, there should be a conducive political environment. If talks are held before that, it will only fizzle out. I don’t know whether talks were held. If it happened, it was both immature and immaterial.
If IUML chooses to become part of the LDF camp, will CPI welcome it?
That’s a hypothetical question.
Has LDF benefited from the entry of the Kerala Congress?
Time will tell (smiles).
It has been four years since they joined the LDF camp...
We’ve the election results in front of us (smiles).
Does that mean there has been no benefit?
I didn’t say that (smiles again).
Has KC (M) become a liability?
I didn’t say that either (laughs out).
It’s the 60th anniversary of the historical CPM-CPI split. You have been repeatedly saying that it’s time for the parties to merge...
It wouldn’t be a merger but the ‘Principled Reunification of the Communist Movement’. CPI is reiterating the same position. But CPM doesn’t say so.
Even now CPM mocks CPI for having been allies with the Congress…
The same CPM contested in Bengal alongside Congress. The same CPM also won from the Congress’s sitting seat in Rajasthan.
We are entering the 50th year of the Emergency. Do you regret supporting Congress back then?
During the 1978 Bhatinda Party Congress, CPI admitted that supporting Congress during the Emergency was a wrong political step.
Is the Rajan case still haunting CPI, as it happened during C Achutha Menon’s government with his knowledge?
It’s wrong to say that it happened with Achutha Menon’s knowledge. The Rajan case was the saddest episode in his life. He was confident that such an incident would never have happened. That’s why he did not pretend. But K Karunakaran did. As AISF state president, I had gone to meet Karunakaran. We got a warm welcome. He pretended as if nothing had happened.
Doesn’t it show his inefficiency as the CM?
Until the Emergency, all ministers were under the control of the chief minister. His was the last word. With the Emergency, a new political climate emerged. A power-wielding leader like K Karunakaran became stronger.
Who was CPI’s best chief minister?
C Achutha Menon. Not just for CPI... he is the best chief minister Kerala ever had. He was a visionary.
Not EMS?
Never. He was the first chief minister. He was a great theoretician. EMS does have a greatness of his own. Achutha Menon is the most imaginative CM Kerala has ever seen.
What about Pinarayi Vijayan?
He is a commendable chief minister.
CPI and RSS were formed around the same time. RSS now rules the country while CPI has been reduced to Kerala...
It is a serious issue. RSS, which was formed along with us, has made major strides in terms of growth. Not that we haven’t grown. In the trade union sector, AITUC is making strides. But our political capacity to intervene and guide the political course at the national level is very limited.
Is it because the Left has failed to comprehend Indianness and Indian traditions?
We should ask ourselves whether we could do justice to Indian traditions and its national fervour. How much have we imbibed? We realise our lapses, and efforts are on to correct them.
Could it also be due to the narrative that communists are atheists?
Ideologically, we follow the line of materialism. But we don’t have to fight against the concept of God as a matter of urgency. Believers can take membership in the party.
So, can a believer make it to the top of the communist party?
Yes, they can. The party constitution doesn’t stop anyone (with faith) from taking membership. A sizeable number of our members are believers.
In CPI’s state council?
Yes. There are many (smiles).
The state government is again pursuing the SilverLine project…
SilverLine is not an urgent priority. There’s no need to raise it again. Speedy travel is of course necessary; whether SilverLine or not is a different matter. Since land acquisition and people’s concerns are involved, we need to give it due thought.
CPI has a different position in the case of Maoist killing. Yet it was the Left government that imposed UAPA on some individuals…
Imposing UAPA was a wrong step. We’ll continue to oppose it. CPI did intervene and no more UAPA cases were charged. Any political ideology should be dealt with ideologically, and not with bullets.
You were the forest minister in the 2006-11 government. There were reports that you had strained relations with the then CM V S Achuthanandan…
No, we had a cordial relationship. I claim that I was the best forest minister in Kerala. I’m sure history will support my argument.
Did VS interfere in the running of other ministers’ portfolios? Was he supportive of decisions taken?
He could’ve been a bit more supportive. But he never interfered in matters of the forest department, or any other department, at least to my knowledge.
Binoy Viswam is one of the few poets among politicians…
I’m not a poet, but one who enjoys poetry. I can surely identify a true poet and I happen to have a clear concept about real poetry. I’m someone who jots down something akin to poetry (smiles).
Who are your friends in the Congress?
Rahul Gandhi is a good friend. In Kerala, P T Thomas was my close friend.
TNIE team: Cithara Paul, Anil S, Cynthia Chandran, Sovi Vidyadharan
Vincent Pulickal(photos),
Pranav V P (video)